Su Yu and Wang Dong returned to their dormitory. After settling in, Su Yu continued reading, while Wang Dong began cultivating. Watching the recent battle had given Wang Dong a strong sense of urgency.
Ever since arriving at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, his confidence had been repeatedly shaken, especially after witnessing the terrifying destructive power of soul engineers. He felt powerless, realizing that his soul power was still too low. If he were to face opponents like Xiao Hongchen or Mi Jia, he would stand no chance.
That night, Su Yu also began meditating. Ever since his martial soul awakened, he rarely slept, using meditation as a substitute. It had become second nature to him.
Deep into the night, Su Yu felt something stir within him. He had broken through once again, reaching Soul Elder at level 38. He had already been close to this breakthrough, and now it had come naturally.
...
The next day, Su Yu and Wang Dong attended classes as usual. Their daily routine of classes during the day and meditation at night continued, and time passed.
...
Two months later.
It had been two months since Su Yu had enrolled at the academy. Wang Dong's soul power had broken through to level 22 and was now nearing level 23. When Wang Dong became serious, his cultivation speed was astonishing—his innate talent was among the best on the continent.
Su Yu's soul power had also reached the edge of level 39. Despite the influence of his ultimate martial soul, it had taken Su Yu two months to improve by just one level. He estimated that within a week, he would break through to level 39 as a Soul Elder and the realm of Soul Ancestor was calling to him.
Of course, Su Yu's gains weren't limited to soul power. In these two months, he had also made significant progress in soul engineering. He had carved all the level-one core arrays, independently completed the production of both the outer and inner shells, and successfully created his first soul tool. He had become a genuine level-one soul engineer.
To go from knowing nothing about soul tools to becoming a level-one soul engineer in two months was enough to break records at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. Even Ling Moxue was shocked and had called him a genius. After becoming a level-one soul engineer, Su Yu applied for an upgrade assessment, which he passed with excellent results. Now, he was a second-year student, assigned to Class 3.
...
Illustrious Virtue Hall
In the hall, Director Lin Jiayi was reporting to Jing Hongchen.
"Hall Master, the student named Su Yu, the one you asked us to monitor, has shown remarkable talent."
"Two months have passed, and he has already become a level-one soul engineer. He passed the upgrade assessment and is now a second-year student."
"Oh?"
Jing Hongchen raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
"It seems this young fellow from the Ice God Palace has quite a talent for soul tools. What class was he assigned to?"
"Second-year, Class 3," Lin Jiayi replied.
"Ah, that's Mo Ran's class. That's fine."
Jing Hongchen took a sip from his teacup.
"And what about the girl from the Clear Sky Sect? How is she doing?"
Jing Hongchen had known about Wang Dong's true identity since the day she enrolled. Although he was a soul engineer, he was anything but ignorant. As the master of Illustrious Virtue Hall, he was sharp and observant.
"That girl from the Clear Sky Sect... it's hard to describe. As long as it's a theoretical class, she naps in every single one—she's a complete slacker. The only thing she's good at is forging. She's far better than her peers in that regard. I suppose the Clear Sky Sect's blacksmithing skills are truly inherited," Lin Jiayi complained.
Without comparison, the gap wouldn't have been so glaring. Compared to the genius Su Yu, Wang Dong was becoming more and more irritating in Lin Jiayi's eyes.
"That girl isn't cut out for soul tools. I knew that from day one. Soul tools are high-level technology—what would the barbarians from the Clear Sky Sect understand?"
Jing Hongchen sneered, his face darkening as he remembered Tai Tan, a brainless brute who had left a sour impression on him in the past.
"But don't let the teachers be too hard on that girl. She has potential. If I'm not mistaken, she may even have twin martial souls," Jing Hongchen said, his eyes gleaming with insight.
"Twin martial souls?"
Lin Jiayi was shocked. That was an extremely rare and top-tier talent. "Our academy might have a student with twin martial souls?"
"Yes, twin martial souls. Her second soul ring is a thousand years old. That's not something just anyone can achieve. Even Meng and Xiao couldn't do that. Unless she has twin martial souls, which would enhance her physical constitution, I can't see how else it's possible," Jing Hongchen explained.
Lin Jiayi nodded in agreement.
"That does make sense, but I wonder what her second martial soul is?"
Jing Hongchen gave Lin Jiayi a patient look.
"She's from the Clear Sky Sect. What do you think her second martial soul is?"
"Oh! The Clear Sky Hammer," Lin Jiayi realized.
"Exactly. A descendant of the Clear Sky Sect without the Clear Sky Hammer would be a joke, wouldn't it? That's why I suspect she has twin martial souls," Jing Hongchen concluded.
Lin Jiayi nodded repeatedly, agreeing with the Hall Master's reasoning.
"Do you think Su Yu might also have twin martial souls?"
Lin Jiayi asked, now thinking of Su Yu's exceptional performance.
"It's possible," Jing Hongchen mused.
"Should we find an opportunity to test him?"
Lin Jiayi suggested.
Jing Hongchen frowned slightly.
"There's no need. If he realizes we're trying to probe him, it could make him resent us. Let things take their course. After all, Su Yu is now one of our academy's students."
"You're right, Hall Master," Lin Jiayi admitted.
"Alright, you may go. Keep an eye on the boy from the shadows, but don't take any action for now," Jing Hongchen instructed.
"Yes, I understand," Lin Jiayi said before stepping back.
Jing Hongchen took another sip of tea.
"Let's see how many more surprises you'll bring me, a young fellow from the Ice God Palace," he murmured, smiling faintly. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
...
Class 8, First Grade.
As the bell signaling the end of class rang, students in the classroom filed out one by one. The morning lessons had come to an end.
Wang Dong shook his groggy head and habitually looked to his right, but the familiar figure was already gone. He stood silently for a moment, his face darkening slightly. After a brief pause, he packed up his things and headed toward the door.
As he left the teaching building, the noise around him made Wang Dong frown. What used to feel like a lively campus now just seemed noisy. With his head lowered and hands in his pockets, he walked in the direction of his dormitory.
After walking down a narrow path, the once bustling crowd gradually thinned out. Wang Dong was left walking alone, feeling somewhat downcast. Over the past two months, he had grown used to having someone by his side. Now, being alone, he couldn't help but feel a little lonely.
Wang Dong pursed his lips and continued walking quietly by himself.
Suddenly, three figures appeared ahead, blocking his path. Wang Dong frowned and moved to the right, but the trio mirrored his movements, blocking him again.
Wang Dong's eyes narrowed.
"What do you want?"
The boy leading the group looked at Wang Dong with a mocking smile. "Wang Dong, Wang Dong, we've finally caught you alone. We've had enough of you for a long time."
"You're always dozing off in class, looking down on soul tools. If you dislike soul tools so much, why did you even bother coming to Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy? Let me tell you, we've been wanting to teach you a lesson for a while now, but the class monitor kept protecting you. Now that he's been promoted to second grade, I wonder who will stand up for you?"
"You're from the Heaven Dou Empire, just like Su Yu, but why is there such a huge difference between the two of you?"
It turned out that these three were from Class 8, First Grade, the same class as Wang Dong. Over the past two months, his habit of sleeping through every theory class and his obvious disdain for soul tools hadn't gone unnoticed. This was the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, where soul tools were revered. Wang Dong's attitude had rubbed many of his classmates the wrong way.
Even Ling Moxue had grown less enthusiastic toward him, which was understandable. After all, if someone disrespects something you love and treats it like trash, it's only natural to be upset. So, Wang Dong didn't have many friends in class. Aside from Su Yu, he had almost no one, despite being quite handsome.
In contrast, Su Yu, who was also from the Heaven Dou Empire, was well-liked by everyone in Class 8. His passion for soul tools and talent in soul engineering had earned him the respect of his classmates, even though he was from another country.
If Wang Dong hadn't been sticking close to Su Yu, this confrontation might have happened much sooner.
Wang Dong remained silent as the lead boy spoke. What he said was true. Wang Dong had thought about accepting soul tools, but something inside him resisted. It wasn't that he didn't want to—he just couldn't bring himself to care.
"What exactly do you want?"
Wang Dong asked again, his voice cold.
"What do we want? We want to teach you a lesson. If you keep looking down on soul tools, we'll beat you up every time we see you."
The lead boy crossed his arms smugly.
"Teach me? Let's see if you have the ability," Wang Dong sneered. He was already in a bad mood, and now someone had come looking for trouble.
"Get him!" the lead boy ordered, and the three rushed at Wang Dong together.
Wang Dong's eyes flashed, and in an instant, a bright light exploded from his body.
A moment later...
Wang Dong dusted off his hands—the fight was over. The three boys lay groaning on the ground.
"With skills like that, you think you can teach me a lesson?"
Wang Dong said proudly, a hint of disdain in his voice. Despite his arrogance, his strength was no joke. Among the first-year students, few could match him in a one-on-one fight.
"Wang Dong, don't get cocky. We won't let this go. Just you wait!" one of the boys on the ground managed to spit out a threat.
"Fine, I'll wait. Next time, bring someone more competent," Wang Dong replied casually and walked away with his head held high. Behind him, the three boys continued cursing under their breath.
When Wang Dong returned to the dormitory, Su Yu was already there. He held a piece of metal in his left hand and a refined gold carving knife in his right, carefully etching intricate patterns. He was working on carving a level-two core formation.
"Why are you back so late?"
Su Yu asked without turning his head, sensing Wang Dong's arrival.
"Got held up on the way," Wang Dong replied, not wanting to elaborate. He quickly changed the subject.
"How's it going in your new class? Settling in well?"
"Not bad. It's pretty much the same as before," Su Yu answered as he continued working. His knife moved gracefully across the metal, drawing precise arcs.
After a brief silence, Wang Dong asked, "Now that you're in the second grade, did the academy ask you to change dorms?"
This was the first-year dormitory area, while the second-year dorms were located elsewhere. Normally, students had to switch dormitories when they advanced grades. There were differences between dormitories for different grades. From the first to third grade, dorms were shared between two people, but from the fourth to sixth grade, students could apply for single-person rooms. A quiet environment was crucial for creating advanced soul tools, and the academy had considered that.
"Yeah, a teacher mentioned it, but I didn't want to move. I'm used to living here and didn't feel like relocating," Su Yu said casually, his focus still on the metal.
"I applied to stay here, and the academy approved it."
"I see."
Wang Dong felt a sense of relief, and his smile brightened a little.
"You're not disappointed that I didn't move out, are you? Want the room all to yourself?"
Su Yu teased.
"Yeah, I'm so disappointed. It would've been great to have the room to myself," Wang Dong said with mock arrogance.
"Then I wouldn't have to put up with you bullying me all the time."
"Well, since you said I bully you, I guess I'll start doing it for real," Su Yu joked with a smirk.