The morning bell of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy was a deep, resonant chime that echoed off the surrounding mountains. It was a dignified sound, far removed from the shrill roosters or shouting merchants Arthev was used to.
He woke up instantly. No grogginess, no hitting a snooze button. His eyes simply opened, clear and alert.
'Morning,' Arthev thought.
'I hate mornings,' Shukaku grumbled from the depths of his subconscious. 'The sun is too loud.'
'It is a beautiful day for information collection,' Matatabi countered pleasantly. 'The atmospheric pressure is stable. Perfect for cognitive function.'
Arthev sat up and swung his legs off the narrow bed. His room in Dormitory C was spartan. A bed, a desk, a wardrobe. It was designed for scholarship students,functional, but devoid of the luxury the nobles in Dormitory A enjoyed.
He liked it. It was uncluttered.
He washed his face, dressed in the black-and-gold uniform of the Second Team, he had received it the night before, and checked his reflection. The uniform fit well, highlighting his lean frame.
'Remember,' Isobu whispered. 'Smile with your eyes. That is what humans do to seem friendly.'
Arthev practiced a slight crinkle of the eyes in the mirror. It looked passable.
--------
The Cafeteria
The academy cafeteria was divided. The first floor was an open buffet for general students. The second floor was a gourmet restaurant for the nobility.
Arthev took a tray and joined the line on the first floor. The smell of porridge, steamed buns, and soy milk filled the air.
As he moved through the line, the noise level dropped. Students whispered.
"That's him."
"The transfer?"
"I heard he knocked out Huang Yuan without touching him."
"I heard he's Ye Lingling's secret boyfriend."
"Don't be stupid, the Ice Healer doesn't date."
Arthev ignored the gossip, selected a bowl of millet porridge and two eggs, and found an empty table near the window.
He had just taken his first bite when a shadow fell over his table.
He looked up. Huang Yuan stood there, holding a tray piled high with meat. The burly wolf-spirit user looked awkward, shifting his weight from foot to foot.
Behind him stood two other members of the Second Team, Jing Ling (Skeleton Spirit) and Jiang Zhu (Healing Staff).
"Is this seat taken?" Huang Yuan asked, his voice gruff but lacking its usual aggression.
Arthev gestured to the empty chair. "It is free, Student Huang."
Huang Yuan sat down heavily. The other two sat opposite him. The tension at the table was thick enough to cut with a dagger.
Huang Yuan stabbed a sausage with his fork. He chewed aggressively for a moment before looking at Arthev.
"My chest still hurts," Huang Yuan stated bluntly.
"I apologize," Arthev said, dipping his egg in soy sauce. "I tried to control the force, but I am still adjusting to my recent breakthrough."
"You call that a push?" Huang Yuan grunted. "My ribs felt like they were vibrating for an hour." He paused, then sighed.
"But... you didn't break them. You could have."
"We are teammates," Arthev said simply.
"Breaking your bones would be counterproductive to the team's efficiency."
Huang Yuan stared at him, then let out a short, barking laugh. "Efficiency. You talk like a teacher." He pointed his fork at Arthev.
"Listen. You beat me. In the law of the wolf pack, that makes you the alpha. But you're new, and you're a commoner. So here's the deal, I handle the politics, you handle the heavy lifting. Deal?"
Arthev looked at the rough-looking student. Huang Yuan was simple-minded, but not malicious. He was trying to find a way to save face while acknowledging Arthev's strength.
"I have no interest in being an alpha," Arthev said. "But I accept the division of labor."
Huang Yuan grinned, looking relieved. "Good. Eat your eggs, genius. We have Theory Class next. Teacher Bai is a nightmare. He loves to fail transfer students."
---------
Lecture Hall 3 – Advanced Spirit Theory
The classroom was tiered, rows of polished desks facing a massive chalkboard. Teacher Bai was a thin, elderly man with spectacles perched on his nose and a pointer stick that he wielded like a spear.
"The limit of the first Spirit Ring is 423 years," Teacher Bai droned, tapping the board hard enough to leave a dent.
"This is the Golden Law established by Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang. The human body cannot withstand the soul shock of a higher age. The meridians would shatter."
He scanned the room, his eyes landing on the new face.
"You. The transfer," Teacher Bai barked. "Stand up."
Arthev stood, his posture perfect. "Yes, Teacher."
"You are a Plant Spirit master. Elemental Tree. Tell me," Teacher Bai sneered slightly, "Why are Plant Spirits considered inferior to Beast Spirits in the early stages?"
It was a trap question. A standard prejudice in the Soul Master world.
'Inferior?' Matatabi sounded offended in Arthev's head. 'The Ten Tails is technically a tree. Shall I demonstrate its inferiority by
by vaporizing this mountain range?'
'No,' Arthev thought. 'We use logic.'
"Traditionally," Arthev began, his voice calm, "Plant Spirits are viewed as weaker because they lack the physical augmentation that Beast Spirits provide. A Wolf Spirit strengthens the muscles and bones immediately. A Grass Spirit merely summons grass."
"Correct," Teacher Bai nodded, satisfied. "Sit d—"
"However," Arthev continued, remaining standing. "I believe the term 'inferior' is scientifically inaccurate."
The room went dead silent.
Teacher Bai froze. His glasses slid down his nose. "Sci... en-tific-ally?"
He pronounced the word slowly, as if Arthev had just spoken in an alien language.
"Sci-ence?" A student in the front row whispered. "Is that a food?"
"Sounds like a disease," another muttered. "Maybe he's sick?"
"Is that a new sect?" Huang Yuan whispered loudly to Arthev. "Are you from the Science Sect?"
Arthev paused. He blinked. He realized too late that Matatabi's analytical vocabulary didn't exist in this world.
'Oops,' Isobu giggled.
Arthev cleared his throat, keeping his face perfectly straight. "Apologies. It is a... dialect word from my village. It means... 'Logically Flawed'."
"Ah," Teacher Bai nodded slowly, though he still looked suspicious. "A dialect. Very well. Explain why my logic is flawed, boy."
Arthev stepped out from his desk. "Beast Spirits consume Soul Power to maintain their physical enhancement. It is an active drain. Plant Spirits, if rooted, can act as conduits for natural energy. If a Plant Soul master focuses on external control rather than internal enhancement, their stamina efficiency surpasses Beast Spirits threefold."
Arthev walked to the board. He picked up a piece of chalk.
"Furthermore, regarding the limit of Soul Rings." Arthev drew a crude diagram of a human body with lines representing meridians.
"The 423-year limit assumes a standard physique. But the body is merely a vessel."
He drew thicker lines over the arms and legs.
"If a Soul Master undergoes extreme physical conditioning, bone density training, meridian expansion, prior to Level 10, the limit is flexible.The Grandmaster's theory is a safety guideline for the average cultivator. It is not an absolute law of Unive.... i mean Heavens."
Teacher Bai stared at the diagram. He opened his mouth to argue, to scream heresy about the Grandmaster's theories.
But then he looked at Arthev,the boy who reportedly crushed a Level 36 tank with a slap.
The logic was sound. If the cup is stronger, it holds hotter water.
"You..." Teacher Bai adjusted his glasses.
"You are suggesting that physical tempering is more important than meditation for Plant Spirits?"
"I suggest they are two sides of the same coin," Arthev replied, placing the chalk down. "A strong spirit in a weak body is like pouring molten iron into a wooden bucket. It will leak."
He bowed to the teacher. "But that is just my humble observation from... my village."
Teacher Bai remained silent for a long moment. The class held its breath.
"Sit down, Arthev," Teacher Bai finally huffed. "And... take five points for House C."
The class erupted into whispers.
"He stumped Old Man Bai."
"Did you hear him? Safety guideline for the average. He just called us all average."
"I want to join the Science Sect," Huang Yuan whispered in awe. "Do they have good food?"
Arthev sat back down, keeping his face impassive.
'Close call,' Matatabi noted. 'But you recovered well.'
'Science Sect,' Shukaku cackled. 'I like it. We should make a flag.'
-----
Afternoon – The Botanical Gardens
Classes ended early for the Second Team. While the others went to rest, Arthev found a secluded spot under a massive weeping willow near the lake.
He sat cross-legged, closing his eyes. He wasn't cultivating, he was letting his senses expand, checking for the unique energy signatures of the Academy's defenses.
"You're loud for a quiet person."
Arthev opened one eye.
Standing a few meters away was Dugu Yan. The Vice-Captain of the Royal Team. She wore the green-and-gold uniform that hugged her figure, her short purple hair swaying in the breeze. Her green eyes were sharp, snake-like, and amused.
"Vice-Captain Dugu," Arthev said, not rising. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Lingling doesn't have friends," Dugu Yan stated, walking closer. "She's a block of ice. Yet she smiled at you. And today, I hear you confused Old Man Bai with words he's never heard of."
She crouched down in front of him, invading his personal space. She smelled faintly of poisonous flowers and expensive perfume.
"Sci-en-ti-fic-ally," she sounded out the word, tasting it. "What kind of village uses words like that? Sounds like something from the Spirit Hall archives."
Arthev didn't flinch. He met her gaze calmly
"It is a very small village, Vice-Captain. You wouldn't find it on a map."
"Liar," Dugu Yan smirked, her eyes flashing. "But that's fine. The Academy is boring. Everyone here is a predictable noble with a predictable future. You... you're a mystery box."
She stood up, brushing grass off her skirt.
"Don't disappoint me, transfer. The internal Ranking Battles are in two weeks. If you're still stuck in the Second Team by then... I'll be very bored. And when I'm bored, I bite."
She walked away, her hips swaying confidently.
'She is testing you,' Isobu whispered nervously. 'Snakes are tricky.'
'Let her test,' Arthev thought, watching her retreat. 'The more they focus on the mystery, the less they look at the truth.'
He closed his eyes again.
"Science Sect," he muttered to himself, shaking his head slightly.
Maybe he should write a book one day. The Scientific Method of Spirit Cultivation: Why You Are All Doing It Wrong.
It would probably sell well. Or get him burned at the stake.
To be continued....