Xu Zhengyang did not emerge from his room until dinner. His eyes no longer held the desolation they had at first; instead, there was a hint of a plan.
His mother was clearly very worried about Xu Zhengyang, especially since he had stayed in his room all afternoon without coming out, and his expression had been very wrong. The gulf in talent was enormous, particularly since Xu Zhengyang had previously shown exceptional talent and had always worked hard to train his body. Now, however, he had awakened with only half a level of innate Soul Power. It was nothing short of falling from heaven into hell.
For this reason, his mother had prepared a whole table of dishes, all of them Xu Zhengyang's usual favorites.
His father Xu Haoyang's expression was also unsettled, as though he were thinking something over, yet also as though he were deeply disappointed. His face looked exceptionally forlorn as well.
Seeing his parents' expressions, Xu Zhengyang instead smiled faintly.
"Dad, Mom, you don't need to worry. I won't do anything drastic, and I won't give up on myself. On the contrary, I'll cultivate even harder. I'll definitely become a powerful Soul Master."
Despite Xu Zhengyang's words, his mother Yang Miaoyun looked even more worried. Her son had always been determined to excel. How could he possibly remain unaffected by such a sudden turn of events?
"Zhengyang, I know you've been proud and ambitious since you were little, and you've always aspired to become strong. But there are some things where heaven's decree cannot be defied. With half a level of innate Soul Power, not only will your cultivation be very slow, but you'll also encounter all sorts of bottlenecks along the way."
"I've checked all the cultivation records in the Sun Moon Empire. The highest level a Soul Master with half a level of innate Soul Power has ever reached is twenty-nine. There's no record at all of anyone reaching level thirty. You need to prepare yourself mentally. The future will probably be very difficult."
Xu Zhengyang's expression jolted. "Dad, has the family made some arrangements, or do they have some concerns?"
Xu Haoyang shook his head. "That's part of the reason. You should know that the family provides training for all its children, but resources are allocated with some preference, especially toward those exceptionally talented children. Not only do they receive guidance from high-ranking Soul Masters, but they also receive far more money."
"But don't worry. Your dad is a Soul King, after all, and I've built up some savings. I'll make sure you can cultivate without worry and grow up safely. Even if there are certain limits to your path as a Soul Master, no one will be allowed to bully members of the Xu Clan."
Although his father's words were simple and direct, Xu Zhengyang knew very well that his father must have endured all sorts of scornful looks and cold treatment. His father had always regarded him as a source of pride. Now that he had suffered this slap in the face, the people around him would naturally shun him.
"Don't worry, Father. My Martial Soul isn't some big iron rod. It's a spear. It just hasn't fully awakened yet."
"I believe that as long as I find a way to awaken my Martial Soul completely, I'll definitely be able to defy heaven and change my fate. I'll definitely be able to show my true strength and aptitude."
Xu Haoyang thought for a moment, then took out a book and handed it to Xu Zhengyang.
"Zhengyang, this is our Xu Clan's meditation method, and it's also one of the very best cultivation methods in the Sun Moon Empire. Perhaps it will be of some help to you. If you encounter any problems with cultivation, come and ask me at any time."
Xu Zhengyang quickly said, "Thanks, Dad. I'll work hard at cultivating. I definitely won't let you down."
Xu Haoyang remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"Zhengyang, I know you've always been very resistant to soul tools and to learning about them. Your innate Soul Power is too poor now. If you take the path of soul tools, with your intelligence, perhaps you'll achieve more in the future."
Xu Zhengyang said, "Dad, I'm not against soul tools. I've always felt that a Soul Master's Martial Soul is the foundation of cultivation. Only powerful Soul Masters possess greater strength and can even wield soul tools. That's why I don't really want to study soul tools right now, nor do I want them to distract me."
Xu Haoyang looked somewhat helpless. "I know you've always had plans of your own, but soul tools are the foundation of our Xu Clan, after all, and we also hold a position among Soul Engineers. Xu Tianyuan is the patriarch of the Sun Radiance Lineage. Although our relationship with the main branch grew distant long ago, he is still the commander of the Sun Moon Empire's Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion. If you study soul tools in the future, perhaps you'll receive greater help."
Xu Zhengyang seemed to think of something. "Father, I remember our Xu Clan has a secret method that can combine soul tools with Martial Souls, refining one's own Martial Soul into a soul tool. I think someone succeeded before."
Xu Haoyang thought carefully before speaking.
"There is indeed such a claim, but this method is extremely secret. It exists only within the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. It's a secret method created by certain individuals, and outsiders cannot practice it."
"Zhengyang, why are you suddenly asking about this? Could it be that you want to refine that big iron rod into a soul tool?"
Xu Zhengyang shook his head.
"It just occurred to me, that's all. No matter what, I'll follow the path of a Soul Master. But to become stronger in the future, I might make use of some knowledge about soul tools."
After the two had talked for a while, Xu Haoyang suddenly spoke.
"By the way, Zhengyang, you're already six now. It's time you went to study at our Dongyang City Junior Soul Master Academy. All the children of our clan go there too, so it'll also make it easier for you to interact with the other children."
Hearing this, Xu Zhengyang felt rather helpless.
"Father, could I skip studying at the Soul Master academy? What the teachers teach is probably just basic knowledge about Soul Masters. I've already mastered all of that. I'd be better off cultivating at home."
Xu Haoyang spoke decisively.
"No. Everything else is open to discussion, but this cannot be changed at will. It's our school's rule. Besides, you're six now. It's time you interacted with others your age. Otherwise, you'll never gain access to the family's resources and inner circle."
"And the junior Soul Master academy is only the foundation. You'll ultimately have to attend an advanced Soul Master academy in the future. Besides, the junior Soul Master academy only holds classes in the morning. You'll have plenty of time in the afternoon to do your own things."
"What's more, your mother and I have quite a few things to attend to. We don't have time to teach you every day."
Xu Zhengyang thought for a moment before speaking.
"Dad, I can register at the junior Soul Master academy and take the exams, but I don't want to study at school. Besides, you know perfectly well that staying in Dongyang City forever is absolutely not my goal."
Seeing his son's resolute expression, Xu Haoyang ultimately compromised.
After some discussion, father and son decided to let Xu Zhengyang cultivate on his own, but he could not miss the academy's exams, nor could his grades fall behind.
Xu Zhengyang knew very well that a small place like Dongyang City would basically produce no geniuses, nor any outstanding Soul Masters. The classmates there would not be of much help to his future development.
Rather than waste time attending the academy, he would be better off cultivating according to his own plans.
Although Xu Zhengyang's family lived a relatively ordinary life, they were still a Soul Master family, and his father was a Soul King, after all. Their home had a fairly large courtyard and even a small grove.