Xin Ya watched Gu You meditating with a gaze as if looking at a monster. He had only explained a few basic essentials of meditation — and this kid had already mastered it?
Gu You felt incredibly comfortable in his current state. The soul power of heaven and earth poured into his body, constantly nourishing him. Though the growth was slow, he firmly believed that within two years, he would definitely reach Soul Grandmaster rank.
It wasn't until dawn that he slowly opened his eyes. Glancing at the time, he was startled — and his stomach rumbled angrily in protest.
"Hey, wake up." Gu You poked Xin Ya, who was asleep, slumped over the medical bed.
"Who!" Xin Ya snapped, annoyed at being woken up. But when he saw it was Gu You, his anger immediately faded.
"Can we go back now? I'm healed. I know you're worried, but aren't you coming with me anyway? You can explain more martial soul knowledge on the way. Honestly, I got so caught up in cultivating just now, I almost forgot to ask." Gu You frowned thoughtfully. 'When I get to Shrek, they might not even bother teaching this foundation-level stuff. And besides, I'm curious — isn't a spot at the continent's top academy incredibly rare? Even a councilor would struggle to secure one, right?'
But then Gu You shook his head. 'Whatever. All the benefits are coming my way anyway. Why overthink it?'
"You're really healed?" Xin Ya gave him a scrutinizing look.
Gu You even twisted his body to show he was fine. "Totally."
"Fine." Xin Ya finally nodded and called a doctor over for a final checkup. Only after that did he feel reassured enough to take Gu You away.
"As everyone knows, in our world, martial souls come in many types. The main ones are Tool Souls and Beast Souls. There are also some variant martial souls. Those that manifest as lifeforms are considered Beast Souls, while the non-lifeform types are…"
"Wait… stop, stop, my head's spinning." Gu You rubbed his temples, cutting off Xin Ya's enthusiastic lecture. He did know some of this already — but the detailed explanation was honestly overwhelming.
Xin Ya looked confused. 'Didn't you just ask me to explain?'
Along the roadside, Gu You munched on skewers while Xin Ya wore a helpless expression. Just from all this wandering, stopping, and eating along the way, his monthly food budget was already gone. But when he thought of the big-shot figures standing behind Gu You now, he felt it was all worth it.
"You said I'm innate full soul power. That means I should be able to absorb my first soul ring, right?" Gu You asked as he finished another skewer.
"Of course. You absolutely can. But the Tianhai Transmission Tower has very limited types of soul spirits — and even fewer that would suit your dragon attribute. I suggest waiting until you reach Shrek City and choose from the Transmission Tower headquarters there. By then, you won't even have to worry about the cost. For geniuses like you, it's usually free. And even if it's not, the government will pay for you." Xin Ya explained, waving down a soul car.
Gu You stayed silent, but he knew that made sense. Soon, they were on their way directly to the Tianhai Orphanage.
"Grandma, don't worry. Gu You just had a small problem during his martial soul awakening. Besides, the Soul Ancestor expert was right there." Shen Yue gently smoothed the old woman's hair. Once, the old lady had been the orphanage director, but now, with her age, it was Shen Yue who had taken over.
"I'm home."
Gu You let out a long breath. But thinking about how he would soon have to leave — to head for the holy land of all soul masters — a strange feeling rose in his heart.
"What are you thinking about?" Xin Ya glanced at him.
"It's nothing. Let's go in. There are some things I can't say myself… I'll leave them to you." Gu You's eyes focused as he walked inside.
Inside the courtyard, when the children saw his familiar figure, they stopped playing. Instead, they looked at him in fear.
Seeing this, Gu You wanted to explain, but after a moment, he decided against it. 'What would a bunch of little kids understand anyway?'
Returning to the place he had lived for six years — it was very simple, honestly, even shabby. A shared dormitory. Though there were many beds, the space was incredibly cramped.
Gu You lay back on the bed that had always been his. Excitement began bubbling in his heart. 'Say I have no ambition? That's impossible. Who wouldn't want to stand at the peak of the continent?' But when he thought about facing Tang Wulin, the protagonist, a faint wistfulness crept into him. 'We're probably the same age now…' There was a subtle sense of connection.
"What! Innate full soul power? Guaranteed admission to Shrek?" Shen Yue's head spun with dizziness. For such a small orphanage to produce a genius like this…
"Yes." Xin Ya's voice was steady, as if he had resolved something. Then he added, "But you and he… you were never meant to walk the same path."
Shen Yue's eyes glistened faintly, but more than anything, she felt joy. "We can at least see him off one last time, right?"
Xin Ya nodded.
The night passed in silence. Gu You stretched lazily as the morning sunlight streamed through the window. Last night, he hadn't cultivated — he had simply slept deeply.
What reassured him was that the other children hadn't been so scared of him that they refused to enter their shared home of six years.
Stepping outside, he spotted Xin Ya and gave him a wave.
"You…" Xin Ya started to say something, but then fell silent.
Two familiar figures appeared in Gu You's vision.
"G-Grandma?" Gu You froze in place.
The elderly woman, seated in a wheelchair, squinted slightly at him.
"I already know what's happened to you…" Shen Yue's voice trembled slightly. Raising someone for six years — to say there was no emotional bond would be a ridiculous lie.
Gu You stood stunned, as if some invisible barrier had formed between them.
"I…" He wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out.
She remained silent…
(End of chapter)
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