After the homeroom teacher finished his introduction, the students began introducing themselves one by one.
To Yang Xiong's surprise, every single student in the class had an innate soul power level of at least five. With over twenty students in the class, it was clear that the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had gathered all children with high innate soul power levels for concentrated training. This explained why even the ordinary homeroom teacher was a Soul King.
Yang Xiong suspected that this class was the sect's elite training group, especially since Ning Rongrong, the sect leader's daughter, was also part of it.
Another surprise was the presence of several students with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul, though their innate soul power levels were only at five.
At this moment, it was Ning Rongrong's turn to introduce herself.
"Hello everyone, my name is Ning Rongrong. My martial soul is the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, and my innate soul power level is nine. Today, I came with my father and Grandpa Sword. If you have time, feel free to visit my home."
Her introduction caused quite a stir. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda was the true heirloom martial soul of the sect, and her innate soul power level of nine placed her far above her peers. In fact, the entire class had only one student with a level seven innate soul power, and none with level eight.
Moreover, Ning Rongrong's striking beauty naturally drew everyone's attention.
Yang Xiong, however, remained silent. He knew this so-called "little devil girl" might appear sweet and innocent now, but who knew if she'd turn the class upside down later?
Dealing with a princess-like girl like her would be exhausting, and Yang Xiong wasn't particularly interested in socializing. Given his straightforward personality, he feared accidentally making her cry—something that could provoke retaliation from her powerful guardians.
After everyone had introduced themselves, it was finally Yang Xiong's turn, seated at the back of the room.
Yang Xiong stood up casually. "Hello everyone, my name is Yang Xiong. My innate soul power level is six, and my martial soul is my entire body."
Unlike others who could summon their martial souls externally, Yang Xiong's Body Martial Soul couldn't be displayed, which puzzled those around him.
The students were taken aback—they had never heard of a martial soul being tied to one's entire body.
Lin Gong, the homeroom teacher, smiled and nodded approvingly. "Very good. Though your martial soul is unusual, your innate soul power level is impressive. You still have the potential to become an advanced soul master."
Yang Xiong ignored the curious glances and sat back down.
From afar, Ning Fengzhi quietly remarked to Sword Elder (Jian Douluo), "Uncle Sword, having one's entire body as a martial soul is quite rare. It's a pity about his innate soul power level."
Sword Elder, who had been resting with his eyes closed, nodded. "Body Martial Souls are extremely rare in the world of soul masters. Their cultivation difficulty is said to be extraordinarily high. There's only one such case in our entire sect."
---
The first day didn't include formal lessons; instead, the students mingled and got to know each other.
Yang Xiong glanced around casually and was startled to realize that Ning Fengzhi and Sword Elder had already left without a sound.
Ning Rongrong, however, remained. She was surrounded by a crowd of classmates, basking in their admiration like a star among planets.
Yang Xiong sighed helplessly and returned to reading his book.
Since all the students belonged to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, there were no dormitories on campus. Afternoon classes weren't held either, allowing students to spend their time freely—whether at home or training in the school's practice grounds. Most seemed to prefer returning home to meditate.
However, teachers remained in their offices, available for consultation whenever needed.
Surprisingly, among the distributed textbooks—aside from basic literacy, foundational cultivation, and soul master knowledge—was a book titled The Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls, written by Yu Xiaogang. It seemed the sect held Yu Xiaogang's theories in high regard, which explained Ning Fengzhi's future remarks.
Yang Xiong, however, found the content of the book rather mediocre and limited in scope. While it might serve as a decent introduction for beginners, it wasn't suitable for nurturing true genius.
Yu Xiaogang, after all, was only a Soul Grandmaster. His understanding of advanced soul beasts and top-tier talents was insufficient, which likely contributed to his ostracization by the broader soul master community.
After reviewing numerous books, Yang Xiong concluded that Yu Xiaogang's work borrowed heavily from existing literature and theories. While it might serve as a useful summary for beginners, it restricted the development of exceptional talents.
With Yang Xiong's prior knowledge, the textbook material was old news. He had long developed his own insights and rarely paid attention during class. Instead, he sat in the back corner of the classroom, engrossed in his own reading.
The school had a separate library with an extensive collection covering a wide range of topics, open to all internal personnel.
Yang Xiong typically borrowed several books each morning, spending the rest of the day absorbed in them.
Homeroom teacher Lin Gong felt somewhat helpless about this student who never listened to lectures.
However, when Lin Gong posed questions in class, Yang Xiong consistently answered fluently. Over time, Lin Gong stopped worrying about Yang Xiong's academic performance as long as he didn't disturb others.
Still, Lin Gong once approached Yang Xiong privately, encouraging him to interact more with his classmates. "These students will become the backbone of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect in the future. Building connections now will benefit you later."
Yang Xiong's response left Lin Gong speechless.
"Teacher Lin, soul master cultivation is inherently an uphill battle against fate. Compared to focusing on connections, I believe relentless cultivation is far more important. Especially with my unique martial soul, I'm trying to carve out a path that suits my own development."
Lin Gong sighed deeply. "Perhaps you're right. If I had your mindset and determination when I was young, I might not have ended up stuck as just a Soul King for life."
---
Over time, Class One, Grade One came to recognize Yang Xiong as an oddball. His martial soul was unusual, he spent most of his time reading, and rarely interacted with others.
Yet, paradoxically, he ranked first in the grade academically, scoring near-perfect marks on exams—even excelling at obscure questions—and leaving the teachers highly satisfied.
Whenever classmates sought his help, Yang Xiong provided detailed explanations, often offering additional insights. He sounded less like a student and more like a teacher.
Yang Xiong himself understood that while Body Martial Souls were weak in the early stages and difficult to cultivate, their growth accelerated significantly later on, eventually surpassing all other martial souls.
This was why he worked tirelessly, both physically and intellectually. Only through rigorous training could he strengthen his martial soul, and only through extensive learning could he uncover the true path to cultivating a Body Martial Soul.
Moreover, Body Martial Souls had a significant drawback—one that required mastering numerous combat techniques to compensate. For now, Yang Xiong didn't want to waste time developing original soul skills. Instead, he focused on acquiring knowledge, which he believed would form the foundation for everything in the future.
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