The First Soul Skill

On the third day after returning to the academy, Long Tian finally got a chance to train on his own.

Teaching Assistant Sun had dragged Zhao Xiaopang off for remedial academic lessons, and the other students all had things to do, leaving the courtyard uncharacteristically quiet. The late-autumn sun hung lazily in the sky, casting dappled light and shadows through the sparse branches and leaves of the great banyan tree. Long Tian sat cross-legged on a stone beneath it, eyes closed, focusing his entire mind on his dantian.

The black-and-white Soul Ring circled quietly in the center of his dantian, like a miniature sun and moon. The Light Qi vortex and Dark Qi vortex each occupied one side, but unlike before, they were no longer separated by that invisible "wall." Instead, each extended a strand of Soul Power to rest on the Soul Ring. The Soul Ring had become a bridge between them.

Long Tian tried channeling Soul Power into the Soul Ring. It trembled slightly, and a piece of information flowed along with the Soul Power into his mind-a vague sensation, like instinct and yet like a memory. He mulled it over carefully, and gradually, an outline took shape in his mind.

"Yin-Yang... Rotation..."

He opened his eyes and raised both hands. Golden light blazed from his right hand, and dark mist rose from his left. Both forces poured into the Soul Ring at once-the ring flared, and black and white light intertwined and spun, forming a fist-sized ball of chaotic light. Long Tian flicked his wrist and pushed it out. The ball flew from his palm and split in two in midair: a streak of golden light shot forward like a meteor, while a streak of black light slipped silently into the ground like a shadow!

The golden light struck a blue-gray stone three zhang away. With a bang, a crack burst across its surface, and charred scorch marks spread outward from the center of the crack. At the same time, the black light that had slipped into the ground emerged soundlessly from the other side and traveled along the ground, coating blades of grass in white frost wherever it passed. The black light curved around and struck the same stone from behind. With a sizzle, a thin layer of ice formed along the edges of the crack.

One hot, one cold. One light, one dark. One direct, one unexpected.

Long Tian stared at the stone, half charred and half frosted, and froze for a moment. Then he broke into a silent grin. He jumped up and circled the stone twice, like someone who had found a treasure, touching the scorch marks and then the frost as he murmured, "Wonderful... absolutely wonderful..."

He soon calmed down and sat back on the stone to practice over and over. The key to the Soul Skill Yin-Yang Rotation was "separating and combining at will"-the light side led the attack, breaking the enemy head-on; the dark side struck by surprise, waiting for an opportunity in the shadows. They could be used separately or together. After more than a dozen attempts, he gradually got the hang of it: the more Soul Power he channeled, the faster and harder the Light Bullet flew, the longer Shadow Stealth lasted, and the wider its attack range became. For now, he could send the golden light at most five zhang, while Shadow Stealth reached at most three. As his Soul Power increased, those distances would continue to grow.

After practicing all morning, Long Tian was so tired he could barely lift his arms, but he couldn't suppress his joy. He had a Soul Ring and a Soul Skill! From now on, he was no longer a mere showpiece with nothing but Soul Power. He raised his hands over his head and gave a long stretch, his bones cracking as his stomach rumbled.

On the way to the dining hall, he ran into Zhao Xiaopang coming the other way. Zhao Xiaopang walked over with his head hanging, his eyes lighting up when he saw Long Tian, only to droop again. "Long Tian, Mr. Sun said if I fail my academic lessons again, he'll punish me by making me sweep the courtyard for a month."

Long Tian patted his shoulder. "I'll help you catch up."

Zhao Xiaopang immediately perked up and threw an arm around Long Tian's. "Good brother! Oh, right, did you practice your Soul Skill this morning? How did it go?"

"I did." Long Tian smiled. "Come on, I'll tell you over lunch."

The two walked side by side toward the dining hall. Long Tian was describing the Soul Skill's general effects when he suddenly stopped. A young stranger stood at the entrance to the dining hall, leaning against the doorframe and talking to Mr. Wang. He wore a blue robe and cloth shoes and looked to be in his early twenties. He was lean and fair-skinned, with a lazy smile on his lips. He didn't look threatening, but Long Tian noticed an inconspicuous gray token hanging from his waist. Its material looked like wood, yet not quite, and a coiled snake pattern was carved into it.

Mr. Wang saw Long Tian approaching and beckoned him over. "Long Tian, come here. This is Lin Mo, a visiting lecturer from Spirit City. He's come to our academy for a two-month exchange. From now on, he'll teach you practical combat every Wednesday afternoon."

Lin Mo turned and looked Long Tian over with a smile. His gaze paused on Long Tian for an instant before shifting away naturally, that nearly imperceptible pause carrying a hint of scrutiny. "You're Long Tian? Mr. Wang mentioned you to me." He held out a hand, his tone very easygoing. "I heard you just hunted down a mixed-color Soul Ring? Impressive, daring to swallow a seven-hundred-year-old Soul Beast at six. When I was your age, I was still catching grasshoppers in Spirit City."

Long Tian reached out and shook his hand. His palm was dry and warm, and Long Tian felt nothing unusual. He politely greeted him. "Hello, Mr. Lin."

Lin Mo waved a hand. "Don't call me mister, it makes me sound old. Just call me Brother Lin." He glanced at Long Tian again, his gaze carrying an interest that wasn't very deeply hidden. "Wednesday afternoon, let me see your Yin-Yang Rotation. I've never seen a Soul Skill of the Light and Dark Twin Dragons before."

Mr. Wang coughed beside him. "Lin Mo, take it easy. It's only been a few days since Long Tian learned his first Soul Skill."

"Don't worry, don't worry, I know my limits." Lin Mo chuckled and turned toward the dining hall. "Food, food, I'm starving. Mr. Wang, your academy makes good steamed buns. I caught a whiff of them on my way here on horseback..."

Long Tian watched his retreating figure saunter inside, an indescribable feeling rising in his heart. The man seemed carefree and flippant, yet Long Tian had a feeling he was not so simple. He had seen that snake-patterned token in a book before-it seemed to be the distinctive mark of an unofficial unit from Spirit City.

Zhao Xiaopang leaned over and whispered, "Who's that? He's kind of weird."

"I don't know." Long Tian looked away. "We'll find out on Wednesday anyway."

Over the next two days, Long Tian spent all his free time outside his regular classes refining his new Soul Skill. Switching between Light Bullet and Shadow Stealth grew smoother and smoother. He even tried sending both forces out at once to attack two different targets. Though his aim was still somewhat imprecise, it was beginning to take shape. From upstairs in the lecture hall, Mr. Wang saw him practicing in the courtyard and quietly made a few notes without calling out to disturb him.

On Tuesday night, Long Tian meditated before bed as usual. The Soul Ring turned quietly in his dantian, the forces of light and shadow each resting steadily. He closed his eyes and was just about to fall asleep when he heard an extremely faint sound from the windowsill.

He sat bolt upright and turned toward the window. Moonlight filtered through a gap in the window, revealing something new on the sill-a letter. The paper had been folded into a neat little square and tucked beneath the pot of asparagus fern on the sill. Its exposed edge glimmered faintly silver in the moonlight.

Long Tian got out of bed, walked over, and pulled it out to unfold it. The handwriting was neat and strong, and there were only three short lines:

"After class on Wednesday, meet me under the old locust tree. Someone asked me to pass a message on to you. -Lin Mo"

Long Tian turned the letter over and read it twice, making sure there was nothing else, then held it to his nose and sniffed. The paper carried a faint scent of ink and... a trace of herbs, so faint it was barely there. The little deer in his heart began to leap about again. Lin Mo had only been here two days, and he was already passing him notes? And mysteriously arranging to meet under the old locust tree? After class on Wednesday? That meant after practical combat class tomorrow?

He crumpled the letter into a ball, stuffed it under his pillow, and lay back down, staring at the ceiling. What message does Brother Lin want to pass on to me tomorrow?

Outside the window, a thin cloud covered the moon, and the old locust tree beyond the courtyard wall rustled in the night breeze. In the tree's shadow, a figure in a blue robe leaned against the trunk and looked up at the small, dimly lit window of Long Tian's dormitory. The corner of his mouth lifted. He finished the last bite of the fruit in his hand and casually tossed the core into the grass.