Chapter 46: The Web of the Mortal World

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After bidding farewell to Master Jin and his fellow apprentices at the blacksmith shop, Ling Yi strolled down the streets of Wood Plant City as usual, heading toward the academy.

Upon returning to Green Leaf Junior Soul Master Academy, Ling Yi responded to the warm greetings with a smile, accurately calling out each person's name and class, and chatted briefly about their recent situations.

From the academy's main gate to Building 3, Room 304 Dormitory, the distance was only a little over two kilometers, but Ling Yi took almost half the time it took him to return from Jingeng Blacksmith Shop to Green Leaf Junior Soul Master Academy.

To be honest, if not for the need to balance cultivation with rest, both physically and mentally, Ling Yi actually didn't want to spend time on social interactions. Just like in his previous life, unless it was with very close friends, Ling Yi would try to avoid social obligations. If he couldn't avoid them, he would show up, hide in a corner, eat and drink, and watch the social butterflies chat and debate.

Compared to these, finding some young ladies and learning about the various professional knowledge they studied at school, enriching his own knowledge and broadening his horizons, was much more meaningful.

In his previous life, whether through personal experiences or the internet, Ling Yi had seen enough of the world to clearly recognize that many social interactions in life were meaningless. It was hard to learn or gain anything positive from casual acquaintances, and when real problems arose, these people would rarely offer a helping hand.

Of course, this was human nature, and Ling Yi didn't look down on it. After all, when these casual acquaintances needed help, Ling Yi would also weigh the options. Everyone was just an ordinary person with their own concerns, and it was hard to go all out to help a stranger. In a cold society, let alone friends, even close family members and parents and children often no longer made boundless selfless sacrifices. Therefore, when genuine emotions appeared, people would praise and yearn for them, telling themselves that there was still beauty in the world.

In this life, on the Douluo Continent, if one's innate talent was high enough, even without Innate Full Soul Power or Dual Souls, just Fifth-Rank innate Soul Power would be enough for Ling Yi to avoid excessive social interactions. At most, he would greet people with a smile and maintain a good image, which would be sufficient.

There's a saying that when you are excellent and powerful, the people around you are good.

If Ling Yi had Fifth-Rank innate Soul Power, he would be a teacher's prized student and a model for his classmates at Green Leaf Junior Soul Master Academy. As long as he showed humility and didn't act arrogantly, his interpersonal relationships would still be very good, and he would receive high praise from others.

Unfortunately, Ling Yi was just a village boy with half a level of innate Soul Power and a true waste of a soul, the Blue Silver Grass.

The positive feedback that geniuses could easily obtain, Ling Yi had to strive and maintain with all his might to barely achieve.

To many people with high talent, the Douluo Continent valued strength above all, and social relationships were superficial and useless. Only strength was real and reliable.

This was true, but it didn't apply to those at the bottom.

Uniting all the forces that can be united was the best choice for those whose individual strength could not influence the whole.

Humans are social beings.

Even Sealed Douluo live in this real world. They have parents and families who raised them, friends and comrades who accompanied them throughout their growth, and eventually, they have children and descendants to worry about.

Living in this world, unless one cuts all ties, there will always be a few people who can touch one's heart.

Like Dugu Bo, Qian Daolou, and others in the original timeline, they are typical examples.

Arrogant as Dugu Bo was, he was just an ordinary old man when facing his granddaughter, Dugu Yan.

Qian Daolou, who had been in seclusion for decades, emerged in anger when his son, Qian Xunjie, died, chasing Tang Hao across the continent to avenge him. Due to his granddaughter, Qian Renshuo, he couldn't bring himself to harm Bibidong, who had killed Qian Xunjie.

As for the evil deeds Qian Xunjie had done to Bibidong, did Qian Daolou feel guilty?

Perhaps, but when Qian Xunjie died and Qian Daolou was consumed by anger, would he consider this?

In the original timeline, the three ultimate Douluo, Qian Daolou's concern was Qian Renshuo and the Soul Temple, Tang Chen's concern was Poseidon and the Heavenly Sky Sect, and Poseidon's concern was Tang Chen and the Sea God Legacy on Sea God Island.

The vast majority of the world is a sea of suffering, and people in this sea of suffering are entangled by a web of relationships. The powerful can handle it more easily, while the weak can only suffer the binding, struggling to breathe.

Ling Yi, knowing his weakness, could only turn passivity into initiative, actively engaging with these intricate threads, and through his own methods, weaving them into an orderly web that could protect him.

Most of the teachers and classmates in the academy might not provide substantial help in the future, but they were also part of the web of the mortal world. Through these individuals, the excellent image Ling Yi had painstakingly cultivated could spread further.

Ling Yi, who had been exposed to a vast amount of information in his previous life, knew that having a good reputation and image was very beneficial when one was weak.

...

Room 304, Ling Yi pushed the door open.

"Brother Yi—"

"Brother Yi is back—"

The roommates, who were sitting on their beds meditating and cultivating their soul power, opened their eyes and greeted Ling Yi one by one.

Ling Yi waved his hand and said, "Continue your cultivation. I'm just back to pack up and leave—"

With that, he walked straight to his bed.

In the spacious Room 304, at the far-right corner, stood a 'tent' about two meters high and wide, and nearly two meters long.

The Blue Silver Nest, made from thriving Blue Silver Grass, resembled a tent, enclosing Ling Yi's bed and creating a small, private space.

Ling Yi bent down and entered the Blue Silver Nest, retrieving a prepared bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He turned to Mo Yuan and the others, who had gotten out of bed and approached him, and said, "I took leave from the academy a few days ago and will be gone for about ten days. While I'm away, remember to study hard and don't slack off in your cultivation—"

Hearing this, Mo Yuan and the others looked at Ling Yi with a mix of admiration, respect, and reluctance. They all understood that Brother Yi was taking leave to hunt for his First Soul Ring. When Brother Yi returned, he would be a Soul Master with his first soul ring!

"Brother Yi, don't worry! We will definitely study hard and cultivate diligently!" Mo Yuan nodded forcefully and said loudly, "We won't slack off, and we won't fall too far behind you! You said we will fight side by side in the future—!"

"Yeah, Brother Yi, I will definitely protect you when I become a Soul Master—!"

"And me! Even if I can't become a Soul Master like you, I will do my best to cultivate and won't fall too far behind you—!"

One after another, passionate declarations of determination echoed. Ling Yi patted each of their shoulders, leaving words of encouragement like "Keep it up," "Work hard," "I'll be waiting," and "You can do it." Under their gazes, he walked out of Room 304.

Leaving the academy, Ling Yi headed straight for the East City Gate of Wood Plant City.

There, a carriage he had rented in advance was waiting for him.

(End of Chapter)