NOVEL WEB Chapter 44: Three Years in a Flash
『Woodleaf City』, [Green Leaf Junior Soul Master Academy].
With the familiar chime ringing, Ethan Lillian and Ethan Annuo, now in fifth grade, walked out of the classroom, laughing and chatting with their classmates.
Three years ago, neither Lillian nor Annuo would have believed that among their cheerful friends, there would be self-funded students.
Yet at this moment, everyone found the scene so ordinary.
“Lillian, my brother said that Yi has reached level ten in his soul power training a few days ago. Is that true?”
Entering school a year late, Ling Yi is a few months older than Lillian and Annuo but is a grade lower.
Logically, the fifth graders like them and Ling Yi, who is in fourth grade, should address each other as senior and junior.
But now, after three years, across the entire [Green Leaf Junior Soul Master Academy], except for the sixth graders, everyone affectionately calls Ling Yi "Ah Yi."
Both freshmen and seasoned fifth graders alike would genuinely address Ling Yi from fourth grade as "Brother Yi."
Three years have passed, and the now ten-year-old Lillian has grown quite a bit, with less childishness in her features.
With more friendly relationships within the academy, she has gained many close friends to chat with.
Because of her martial soul "Emerald Feathered Bird," the little girl with verdant hair is petite and hops around like a merry lark.
Upon hearing her best friend’s inquiry, Lillian straightened up with pride, her young face brimming with confidence as she loudly declared, “That's right! Brother Yi reached level ten three nights ago. When he told Mr. Yuan yesterday morning, Mr. Yuan was completely astonished!”
“Oh my gosh—!”
“Is it really true—?!”
“Incredible—!!”
Following Lillian's words, the surrounding students, both male and female, displayed expressions of surprise, admiration, and awe.
Unlike the emotional adoration from the girls, the boys gathered around Annuo, engaging in an animated conversation with someone from the same hometown as Brother Yi.
“I recall that Brother Yi’s innate soul power was only half a level. But now, at this rate of cultivation, doesn’t he match those top students with innate soul power at levels three or four?” a freckled boy remarked, his eyes shining with admiration.
“Pretty much~” Annuo nodded in response, saying, “Yunlan from Brother Yi's class had an innate soul power of level three and only broke through to level nine two months ago…”
“It's hard to imagine that Brother Yi's ‘Blue Silver Grass’ martial soul actually possesses such remarkable traits…” another boy said, filled with envy.
The entire Green Leaf Junior Soul Master Academy... No, the entire city of Mu Zhi is now abuzz with the tale of a child whose martial soul is the unimpressive Blue Silver Grass, and whose innate soul power barely scales half a level. Yet, due to the resilient and ubiquitous nature of the Blue Silver Grass, a unique "simulated cultivation ground" was easily established just for it, enhancing the speed of soul power cultivation.
Over the past three years, Duke Mu Feng of the Shui Mu Principality, the master of the Martial Soul Hall of Mu Zhi City, Kelvin, and several other marquesses, have invested considerable resources searching throughout the principality for those with the innate soul power aptitude of the Blue Silver Grass.
This is the official narrative. Behind the scenes, Duke Mu Feng and Master Kelvin have even extended their influence into parts of the Heaven Dou Empire. Some unidentified counts are also subtly searching. Once found, whether they keep the individuals for personal cultivation or offer them to Duke Mu Feng or Master Kelvin in exchange for resources, it makes for a profitable transaction.
In truth, the fervor for finding individuals with the Blue Silver Grass martial soul and innate soul power had waned throughout Shui Mu Principality over a year ago.
From the initial discovery of ten candidates under the age of twenty placed in the specially created Blue Silver Grass simulation grounds, their cultivation speed did show some increase; however, the degree varied. Some experienced speed-ups of nearly ten percent, while others saw nearly negligible improvements, around one or two percent.
None matched the remarkable improvement of that fortunate individual, Ling Yi, whose cultivation rate more than doubled!⸻
Some questioned whether Ling Yi harbored other secrets, given the stark disparity.
At this juncture, one of the principality's trio of maestro craftsmen, Master Jin, stepped forward.
Master Jin explained to Duke Mu Feng and other senior figures what elevates a person's talent and intellect beyond the innate martial soul aptitude, emphasizing it's a unique gift inherent to humans.
“Don’t believe it?”
Master Jin admitted that, at first, he was quite skeptical himself.
Three years ago, on a certain day, his fifth disciple Wang Meng brought Ling Yi to him, claiming that Ling Yi had managed to grasp the fundamentals of the 'Chaotic Wind Hammer Technique' thirteen forms in just one day.
Master Jin, having lived for over seventy years and seen just about everything, had never heard of such a thing.
Moreover, considering Wang Meng’s character and integrity, Old Master Jin deemed him trustworthy.
Thus, amidst a mix of belief and doubt, the old master demonstrated the thirty-six forms of the 'Chaotic Wind Hammer Technique' to Ling Yi right in front of him.
The final outcome was clear. Apart from an understandable mishap where Ling Yi lost control of the twenty-fifth hammer due to insufficient strength, causing his forging hammer to fly out of his hand, he astoundingly showed Master Jin what it meant to be a genius.
Learn at first sight, excel right after!
In the days that followed, Ling Yi continued to exhibit to Master Jin and his disciples what it truly meant to have a photographic memory, to infer beyond the basics, and to innovate.
Apart from Master Jin, the entire faculty of the Green Leaf Primary Soul Master Academy also stepped forward to attest to the astonishing wisdom of Ling Yi.
Over the past three years, Ling Yi has been attending classes taught by the academy’s teachers as well as self-studying in the library atop the teaching building. He has mastered all the information the academy has on Martial Souls and Soul Beasts. Furthermore, through discussions with the teachers, he has helped develop a more comprehensive and systematic educational plan, leading to the students of all grades at Green Leaf achieving a deeper and more solid understanding of their studies.
These teachers themselves hail from various backgrounds, linked to myriad powerful factions. Thus, in the eyes of those factions, their words carry significant credibility.
As such, the matter regarding the cultivation speed of "Blue Silver Grass" Martial Soul has essentially come to a close.
At most, only Duke Mu Feng or Temple Lord Kelvin might continue to privately groom the group of about ten individuals previously identified as potential tools, preventing their investments over the last three years from going entirely to waste.
Meanwhile, in addition to being labeled as a 'lucky individual,' Ling Yi has gained the 'wise' label in the eyes of the various factions in Wooden Leaf Town.
Beyond this, there hasn’t been much attention paid to this mere Soulman.
Oh, a rather fortunate, intelligent, and highly skilled blacksmith Soulman capable of crafting hundred-fold refined exquisite weapons.
(End of Chapter)
