The sun rose from the horizon.
Work-study students shuffled out of their beds to freshen up before gathering behind their dormitory's boss.
Xiao Wu looked at all of them as she nodded. "If we don't want to be bullied by students from noble backgrounds, we must stick together and always travel in groups of at least three." She had taken upon herself the task to free her underlings from the tyranny of noble students. "Whenever we attend our classes, we will go together as a group. Understood?"
"Yes, boss!"
The brown-haired girl nodded with a pleasing smile before she turned toward the boy she was sharing the bed with. "Tang San will be second in command."
The blue-haired boy sighed and reluctantly accepted the task. "But I don't think we should provoke the noble students."
"Who said we will provoke them?" Xiao Wu pouted but then grinned. "I am sure they will come to us themselves."
Tang San resigned to his fate and just nodded, but then he saw a frown on Xiao Wu's face.
"Where is Xie Wuqing?" She asked as the black-haired boy was nowhere to be seen. Her stomach still hurt after the punch from last night, and while she had sent Tang San to fight, she planned to wait a few days before challenging the boy once again.
"I know." One of the work-study students raised his hand. "I could not sleep the whole night because I was nervous." There were deep bags under his eyes. "When I went out for a walk around 4 am, I saw Brother Xie training."
"Training?" Xiao Wu asked, and even the other students were surprised.
Tang San, having known the boy longer than any of them, spoke up. "Back in Holy Spirit Village, brother Xie would relentlessly train every morning. Even though I consider myself more skilled than him..." He paused. After their duel last night, Tang San did not know if this would be true for long."Due to his hard work and commitment, when it comes to physical strength, I have never seen someone as strong as him among our peers."
The blue-haired boy had followed the Grandmaster yesterday and came across some senior students of this academy. Even among those who were about to graduate, he believed none were as strong as him when it came to physical strength.
'But it is a waste of time. The master told me that cultivating spirit power is more critical since there is a limit to the age of Spirit Ring one can absorb.' Breaking out of his thoughts, he turned to Xiao Wu. "I think we should leave for the classes. We will most likely meet brother Xie there as well."
And just as Tang San had said, when they reached the classroom, they found Xie Wuqing sitting at the back beside a window.
"Brother Xie."
The black-haired boy saw Tang San walk over with Xiao Wu, along with him. The girl still had a scowl on her face when she looked at him.
"You did not train today?" Xie Wuqing asked. He and Tang San had always been diligent, and this was the first time he had seen the boy miss his morning meditation.
"I decided to take it easy." Tang San rubbed the back of his head as he took a seat close to Xie Wuqing, along with Xiao Wu.
"What's the fun in training all the time?" The girl commented from the side. "You should try having some fun once in a while."
Xie Wuqing knew she was saying this for the sake of arguing, and thankfully, before he could respond in a way which was likely going to infuriate her further, the instructor walked in.
"Good morning." The teacher placed a handful of scrolls on the podium before continuing. "I have no time to waste, so we will begin immediately."
Everyone sat straighter, and the instructor started teaching them the basics of Martial Souls. He introduced them to the difference between Beast-type, Tool-type, and Body-type Martial Souls, which had recently gained some fame thanks to the Body Sect.
Xie Wuqing raised his hand, and when the instructor nodded, he asked, "My Martial Soul is Spirit Eyes, and ever since the awakening, my perception has increased. I know it is because the Martial Soul increases my Spiritual Power, but can you explain more about that topic? All I know is what some Soul Masters I met a few years ago told me of, since my father also had a similar Martial Soul to mine."
The last part was a lie. His father was not a Soul Master, and neither was his Martial Soul the Spirit Eyes.
After thinking for a few moments, the instructor nodded and started telling the class about the spiritual nature of some Martial Souls.
'So my increased perception is because the Martial Soul has strengthened my soul. Stronger the soul, the more potent one's spiritual energy and stronger the attacks that are of spiritual nature.'
When done explaining, the instructor looked at Xie Wuqing. "When you get your first Spirit Ring or even before that, when you reach level 10 in your spirit power, I would suggest visiting the nearest branch of Spirit Hall. Spirit Hall is always recruiting those who have Martial Souls of a spiritual nature. They might take you in and help with your Spirit Rings."
Those words filled everyone with envy towards the black-haired boy. Being able to join Spirit Hall was a dream for everyone, but only a few could become its core members. Most were only hired as outer disciples who looked after various establishments of the Spirit Hall.
"Yes, instructor." Xie Wuqing smiled politely and nodded at the genuine advice the man had given him, but he knew joining the Spirit Hall was impossible since his Martial Soul was not Spirit Eyes.
If he really did have Spirit Eyes, he would have joined them in a heartbeat.
Spirit Hall was considered the strongest Soul Master force in the entire Douluo Dalu continent. Who in the world did not know of Spirit Hall?
They were the only reason people like him, the 'peasants' as the nobles called them, had the opportunity to change their fates and be more than lowly mortals. It was no wonder the majority of the commoners in the world worshipped the Angel God, the spiritual symbol of Spirit Hall.
On top of that, the Spirit Hall also protects people from random beast tides and evil soul masters. Its reputation among the people of the Douluo continent was unrivalled by any other.
Putting aside thoughts of joining Spirit Hall for now, Xie Wuqing focused entirely on the lecture.
After four hours, during which many students had fallen asleep, the instructor finally finished.
"Class is dismissed." He closed the book in his hand and looked at all the students who were starting to wake up. However, he did not mind, nor did he bother with them.
While the circulation of work-study and noble students was the same, the efforts with which teachers taught the two sections were very different. If not for the Spirit Hall covering the instructors' salaries, some would not even bother attending the class.
Xie Wuqing stretched his body and turned to Tang San, who was busy waking sleeping Xiao Wu, who had drool leaking out of her lips.
"Should we have lunch together?" Xie Wuqing asked when the other boy was successful in his endeavours.
"Food?" Xiao Wu perked up at the mention of food, and the whole class decided to head toward the cafeteria before their time to work started. They were each assigned a job, from cleaning the classrooms to mopping the halls.
When the instructor allotted the jobs last night, Xie Wuqing had managed to grab the one which involved cleaning and managing the books in the school's library.
'I should start planning my first Spirit Ring.'
He knew which spirit beast he was going to kill for his third; the first two, however, were still undecided. While he plans to improve his combat skills and pretend to have the cultivation speed of someone with level 4 innate power, it is better to start researching for a suitable spirit beast as early as possible.
'According to the instructor, even if someone does not get a Spirit Ring, their spirit energy will keep gathering in their bodies, and once they have obtained a ring, the accumulated energy will burst forth, increasing the rank in accordance with how much energy was stored.'
Many soul masters found their spirit ranks increased by a level or two whenever they absorbed a Spirit Ring. Part of it was due to the spirit energy stored within the Spirit Ring itself, and the other part was from the spirit energy a Soul Master had accumulated over the time they were stuck in a bottleneck as they searched for a suitable Spirit Ring.
As the group reached the cafeteria, the first thing they came across was not food but the jeers of the noble students. Xiao Wu wanted to respond, but Tang San made sure she did nothing that would bring too much trouble.
"By the way, Tang San, did you take Grandmaster as your master?" Wang Sheng asked out of curiosity. Out of them all, he was the most well-informed, having already heard a few rumours about it from other students and professors.
Realizing he hadn't told anyone, he nodded. "I did."
"Are you sure?" Wang Sheng asked with a frown. "He is so weak. Even though he is fifty years old, he has not broken through the Spirit Expert realm. Why would you..."
Bang
Tang San slammed his hands on the table. "A teacher for a day is a father for life. I will not tolerate anyone bad-mouthing my master." He turned to Wang Sheng with a cold look. "This is the first time, and I hope it will be the last as well."
As the atmosphere around the group became unpleasant, a noble student could not help but walk over with a smirk on his face. "If it isn't the rag-tag group that follows Wang Sheng."
Before the lady boss of work-study students could respond, Xie Wuqing held her arm and shook his head. "Cafeteria is going to close soon, unless you want to remain hungry, you are free to argue." He turned to the noble student who was looking at Xiao Wu with fascination in his eyes. "And if you want to fight, we can always arrange a date and time."
His surprise not only surprised the noble students but also the work-study group. Hasn't Xie Wuqing been avoiding fights? Why was he being so aggressive and arrogant now? Has something changed?
And indeed it had.
Xie Wuqing realized that he needed a lot of combat experience. Even if it's not Tang San, no one could match him; it did not mean they were too bad. What if he made everyone fight him under the disguise of training? Wouldn't it help him train as well?
Moreover, if he wanted to create a martial art with his Scythe, he needed test subjects to work on. What was better than others his age or slightly older?
Noble students, having had a better upbringing, were expected to utilize their beast or tool-type Martial Souls. His peers would be the best wetting stone he could use as he lay the foundation for his scythe arts.
"Hmph! You think you peasants can match us?" The other boy sneered.
Xie Wuqing ignored him, knowing it was forbidden to fight in the cafeteria. So, he let the boy bark his warnings and turned back to the food he was eating.
"You really know how to infuriate people, don't you?" Xiao Wu said as she saw the boy walk away with rage in his eyes.
"People hate being ignored." Xie Wuqing shrugged casually.
"But we now have a target painted on our backs." Tang San said with a frown. "Weren't you too hasty in picking a fight?"
"So what? We can just beat them all." Xiao Wu snickered. "Even though I hate to admit it, you and Xie Wuqing are stronger than I am. I don't think any of those arrogant idiots can match us."
Tang San knew he could not persuade Xiao Wu otherwise and thus mentally swore to protect her if anything happened. And something did happen...
Xiao Wu and Tang San watched as Xie Wuqing walked out of the forest. Behind him were the noble students groaning in pain.
"What happened here?" The brown-haired girl asked in disbelief. There were at least thirty noble students, and somehow, all of them were now on the ground.
"Nothing happened."
Xie Wuqing kept walking, and in the end, the duo followed after him, ignoring the painful cries of other students.
"What happened here?" Tang San asked.
"I was walking back from the library when these idiots decided to surround me." It was a simple explanation. Even though he did not say what happened next, it was pretty evident how the events that led to the students on the ground occurred.
"We need to be a lot more cautious." Tang San said. "If they can try to surround you, they might try it on someone else as well."
"I will gather everyone." Xiao Wu said, clenching her fists, eager to fight. "Before they try something funny, we will seize the moment."
Seeing the enthusiasm in her eyes, Xie Wuqing chuckled before shaking his head. "No need. I have already made a deal with them."
"A deal?" Tang San tilted his head in confusion. "What kind?"
"I will provide them protection."
"From whom?" Xiao Wu frowned. Was Xie Wuqing siding with the noble students to protect them from her and Tang San?
"From me." Xue Wuqing left the baffled duo behind as he kept walking. "And in return, they have to spar with me every time I ask them to. Jiajiajiajia."
He parted ways with the duo and grabbed his scythe from the dorms before walking towards the back of the academy, which was filled with trees. Finding an open clearing which was enough for him to practice, Xie Wuqing started spinning the scythe.
And with each spin of his scythe, the flow of time spun along
The clearing was silent except for the rhythmic swish of metal cutting through the air.
Xie Wuqing's nine-foot farming scythe spun in his hands, its curved blade tracing silver arcs against the sunlight. At first, the weapon dragged him around like a clumsy child pulling an ox cart, too heavy, too unbalanced. But he gritted his teeth and kept swinging. Every stumble carved itself into memory, every bruise taught him where his footing was wrong.
In the beginning, Xie Wuqing's training was simple: strength. His days alternated between library research and dragging the scythe through the dirt until calluses tore open on his palms. His nights were filled with sparring against noble students—sometimes one, sometimes five. Every time he lost his grip, every time the scythe's shaft smacked his ribs, he adjusted.
"Your weapon is too slow," Tang San had told him once after a spar. "You should try something else."
But his advice was ignored, and as he devoted himself to rigorous training, his time spent with others decreased, with spars being the only time he would ever have a proper conversation.
While he was busy learning how to use a scythe, both Tang San and Xiao Wu obtained their first Spirit Rings, advancing their cultivation to the Spirit Master realm. The duo grew closer with each passing day, until everyone but them realized they had feelings for each other.
And as they got closer, Xie Wuqing became more distant from them, except for spars, which he would force them into, since noble students could no longer keep up with him.
By the time they turned seven, Xie Wuqing could swing the scythe as if it were part of him. But swinging wasn't enough. A scythe was not a sword. Its weight and curve were built for reaping—not thrusting. He began experimenting in the forest, carving grooves in trees to test the angles.Horizontal sweeps. Low cuts that hooked upward. He learned the beauty of the scythe's reach—how a single spin forced opponents to keep their distance.
At eight, he introduced footwork. Tang San was precise with his steps, and Xie Wuqing took that precision and twisted it into a dance of circles. His scythe whirled around his body as he spun, the curved blade drawing deadly spirals in the air.
Where others stepped back, he stepped sideways. Where others guarded high, he cut low. His body moved as if pulled by invisible threads, the scythe spinning in deceptive arcs.
In spars, he learned to chain momentum. A missed strike was never wasted—it flowed into the next sweep, the next spin, the next hook. The more opponents pressed him, the more dangerous his rhythm became.
At nine, Xie Wuqing began refining control. He discovered that the scythe's curve wasn't only for cutting—it was for trapping. With careful timing, he could hook the shaft behind an opponent's leg, shoulder, or even weapon, pulling them into his strikes. He practiced this endlessly on branches, rocks, and his two sparring partners until it became second nature.
He had started to weave a net...a net that would one day be used to trap life.
By the time he was eleven, Xie Wuqing's scythe style had fully taken root. He no longer fought against the weapon's weight—he flowed with it. His strikes were circular, deceptive, always carrying hidden force. He used the back of the blade as much as the edge—knocking enemies off balance before finishing with a sweeping cut.
To the untrained eye, his movements looked reckless, even wild. But to Tang San—who had spared him countless times—it was terrifyingly efficient. Every step, every spin, every sweep of the scythe created layers of pressure. One mistake against him meant being dragged into a storm of steel.
And yet, Xie Wuqing was never satisfied. He stood in the forest clearing, sweat dripping down his chin as he spun the scythe one last time before letting it rest on his shoulder.
Five years.
That was how long he had spent in Nuoding City, and now it was finally time for him to leave—the time he had given himself to grow had been fruitful. Not only had he mastered the scythe, but he had also experimented a lot with his Martial Soul, creating a few Soul Skills of his own.
After five years, the change in him was not just in the accumulated spirit power or his increased mastery of the scythe. The improvements in his physique were just as much.
Except for the little bit of money he sent to Grandpa Jack every few months, every copper he made was used to buy nutritional meat that aided in training.
At the age of eleven, Xie Wuqing stood at the height of five feet and eight inches with a lot of room to grow further.
As he looked at the setting sun, he knew it was time for him to leave as well.
"It's time I start hunting my Spirit Rings."