Chapter 3: Work-Study Student Turmoil

Master looked at Xiao Xian, his stiff face showing an ugly smile.

"Rest is about done, any problems with this morning's study?"

"There is..."

""

The sunlight coming through the window tilted at a considerable angle.

"Teacher, I'm going back to cultivate."

Today's theoretical knowledge, study is about done.

Xiao Xian bid farewell to Master, opened the door, and went downstairs.

The place Xiao Xian had just been was Master's dorm, in the corner of the sixth floor of Nording Academy's dormitory building.

Nording Academy's dormitory building has only six floors.

The lower three floors have seven large dormitories for students, housing first through sixth year students respectively, plus one mixed dormitory for work-study students.

The upper three floors belong to the teachers.

Xiao Xian lives in Er She, the corner dorm on the first floor.

Soon.

Xiao Xian returned to the first floor, pushed the door open and entered the dormitory.

The dormitory is large, about three hundred square meters, with fifty bunks. Only forty of them have bedding.

"Xiao Lao Da!"

"Xiao Lao Da! You're back!"

Inside the dormitory, there were already many students, boys and girls, all seven or eight years old; some were playing, some were tidying their beds and belongings.

Seeing Xiao Xian push the door and enter, they warmly greeted him.

"Hmm, you all good." After Xiao Xian politely replied, he went to his bed, the first spot by the door.

Today is the day returning students come back to school; the new school year has not yet started.

Time is already late; basically all students have arrived.

After Xiao Xian got on the bed, he tidied the blanket and immediately began seated meditation cultivation.

The other students noticed, unconsciously lowered their movements, and their chatter volume dropped significantly as they reminded each other.

Those who can afford the hefty tuition to enter Nording Academy all have some family background; even if they are just seven or eight years old, through exposure they already understand quite a bit.

Moreover, as the institute's Xiao Lao Da, he is the strongest Soul Master among the trainees.

They still ought to give him this face.

Xiao Xian held his breath and focused, waiting until he was ready.

In his heart he silently called: "Xiao Jue, come back!"

"Hum!"

On the dormitory roof, a purple-haired big dog that had been squinting its eyes while meditating instantly turned into a purple light shooting downward and vanished.

Immediately after.

Inside the dormitory, as the purple light flashed, Xiao Xian immediately felt his soul power increase by a tiny strand, an extremely fine strand.

"After breaking through to Soul Master, cultivation speed has indeed become much slower."

Following the Meditation Method, he simply circulated his soul power a few cycles, then Xiao Xian slowly opened his eyes.

Originally, he should have smoothly begun today's meditation and continued until dinner.

But, outside the dormitory.

A noisy sound came from outside, never stopping, and even getting louder.

Xiao Xian slightly frowned, looking toward the door.

"Xiao Lao Da, it's Xiao Chenyu and the work-study kids from Qi She causing trouble again!" a student who saw Xiao Xian's movement whispered a reminder.

"Then let's go have a look." Xiao Xian's heart stirred, his gaze at the door turning calm.

Not far outside the door is Qi She.

This is the work-study students' exclusive dormitory, the environment is poor, all year levels mixed together, unlike other dorms where same-year students live together.

At that moment, at the entrance of Qi She, seven or eight tall upperclassmen had formed a circle, surrounding a few work-study students inside, wearing nasty smiles, shoving and pushing.

The leader, his face showing contempt and disdain, struck the hardest; though it looked like a push, he actually used his fists.

"Xiao Chenyu."

Xiao Xian stood at the door of Er She, calmly staring at them.

Hearing a somewhat familiar voice, the upperclassman with a look of disdain instinctively turned his head, just meeting Xiao Xian's calm gaze.

"Xiao... Xiao Lao Da?" Xiao Chenyu was a bit surprised, then immediately turned his head and shouted low, "Stop it quickly!"

But those behind him, without waiting for his warning, had already stopped.

One by one, they lowered their heads, their faces showing some fear.

Last semester, after Xiao Xian obtained a soul ring for over a month, the news reached Xiao Chenyu, who brought a gang to recruit him as a lackey.

At that time, "Xiao Lao Da" was not yet Xiao Xian; but after that day, it became Xiao Xian.

Because, including Xiao Chenyu, everyone he brought to cause trouble for him has been soundly beaten by him and Xiao Jue.

Not just once.

"You should know some rules."

Xiao Xian waved his hand, driving them away.

Afterwards he looked at the few work-study students who had been surrounded, especially the rather sturdy one who had been shielding the others behind him and had several times tried to resist.

"Wang Sheng, if this happens again, just call someone to get me."

Wang Sheng's face showed gratitude, and he said, "Yes! Sorry to trouble you, Boss Xiao!"

Xiao Xian glanced at Wang Sheng's arm, which had several greenish‑purple patches, and said, "Do you have a water bottle? The kind that holds water."

"Got it!" Wang Sheng didn't ask what for, immediately returned to the dormitory, took out a leather Water Sac, which was bulging, looking like it held more than half a sac of water.

"Come out, Xiao Jue," Xiao Xian clasped both hands at his chest, swung them down quickly, and a wave of soul power rippled from his body.

From the palms emerged a faint purple soul power.

Only the ground was visible.

A large dog of pale purple color suddenly appeared.

Beneath Xiao Xian's feet, a yellow aura rose and floated back and forth.

"Wow—!"

Several nearby students silently observed the situation here.

Upon seeing the Yellow Soul Ring on Xiao Xian, they all let out a low exclamation.

"Go, Xiao Jue."

Xiao Xian calmly said, and the Yellow Soul Ring on his body flashed, drifting directly onto Xiao Jue.

Xiao Jue let out a low growl, opened his huge mouth, aimed at the Water Sac in Wang Sheng's hand, and spewed a beam of warm light like sunlight.

Wang Sheng only felt the Water Sac in his hand heat up rapidly.

Xiao Xian gestured, and Xiao Jue turned into violet light, merging back into his body.

"Take this water, dab it on the wound; it will heal faster."

Wang Sheng's face showed a hint of bewilderment, but the next moment turned into surprise.

"Thank you, Boss Xiao!"

Xiao Xian waved his hand, looked around, and said, "Everyone, disperse."

Then he returned to the dormitory and continued cultivating.

His First Soul Ring came from a 400‑year‑old Sunlight Blood Dragon Vine.

It is a relatively rare plant Soul Beast, mutated from a Sunlight Blood Vine that once absorbed dragon blood, containing dragon blood that is by no means inferior to the Abyssal Dragon Soul Beast, and even stronger.

This Sunlight Blood Dragon Vine can emit a subtle, strange Sunlight Spore, just like real sunlight, exceedingly warm.

The Sunlight Blood Dragon Vine can control these Sunlight Spores, greatly amplifying the soul power activity of Soul Masters or Soul Beasts.

And it makes soul power chaotic.

Many Soul Masters and Soul Beasts, because their soul power activity is increased too much, have soul power circulating too fast and become highly disordered.

They explode their bodies and die outright.

This counts as a famous attack method of the Sunlight Blood Dragon Vine.

Xiao Xian's First Soul Ring, of course, is not so perverse.

Releasing the First Soul Technique, Sunlight, directly illuminates himself. At most it can double soul power activity, and cause slight soul power disorder, lasting about half an hour.

For each First Level increase in soul power, activity is further boosted by one percent.

This is the soul skill he carefully selected.

After all, his talent is too poor, and his cultivation speed too slow.

The sturdy Sunlight Blood Dragon Vine itself fully enhances Xiao Jue's bodily strength.

Adding the soul skill that raises soul power activity, although it has slight side effects causing soul power disorder, he has lived two lifetimes as a human, his mental power is strong, and with some effort he can suppress it.

In this way, the remaining soul power activity can greatly boost his cultivation speed.

And the so‑called "Sunlight" is actually just, via Xiao Jue, releasing an alternative Sunlight Spore, which can naturally attach to external objects.

Under his control, Wang Sheng's Water Sac was coated with a small amount of Sunlight Spores.

It doesn't significantly raise his soul power activity, but applying it to the wound to speed recovery is still fine.

Moreover.

Sunlight Spores are essentially composed of his soul power... his control over these spores is by no means inferior to the Sunlight Blood Dragon Vine.

Naturally, there are other clever uses...

"The ceremony is the day after tomorrow; let's calculate the time—Tang San should be reporting to the school tomorrow, right?"

"Talent is too poor, cultivation speed still too slow, Profound Heaven Skill…"

Xiao Xian sat cross‑legged on the bed, his eyes half‑open, half‑closed.

…