Tang Wulin was quite miserable. As one of the two who received no injuries as well as being a male, he had been used as a living teaching example by Wu Zhangkong. With him as the opponent, Wu Zhangkong continuously used him to demonstrate combat techniques and important topics to the other students. Tang Wulin was knocked down time and time again by the teacher's pointing stick.
He felt that this was Teacher Wu's revenge for him being late to the match. But even so, this type of training was effective as it was clear just how quickly Tang Wulin was improving. This was the so-called, 'pain and joy'.
News of class zero's establishment quickly spread throughout the academy, turning its four students into celebrities in an instant. Naturally, they couldn't reveal what they were doing in class, so the curiosity of others died down after a few days and the academy returned to its usual tranquility.
As their only teacher, Wu Zhangkong provided them with plenty of guidance. Their curriculum required that they study different theories from those of regular classes and become more inclined toward combat training. And just as President Yu Zhen promised, the academy poured a tremendous amount of resources into the class. Regardless of whether it were the teaching methods, nourishing food, teachers, or facilities, all were provided and of the highest quality.
Ten days later, Tang Wulin was no longer the only one being beaten up by Wu Zhangkong's pointing stick. Xie Xie had recovered and could now join Tang Wulin in being beaten up for combat training. Gloxinia was also dragged into it on their second day, as he had virtually no injuries. Ever since, inhuman cries of pain would constantly ring out from class zero.
They had rejoiced in Tang Wulin's misfortune when they were still bystanders that were watching him being beaten up, but after experiencing the painful strikes of the pointing stick for themselves, they had gained a thorough understand of what pain truly was.
Tang Wulin fared a bit better than others as his bloodline made his body tougher than usual, but Xie Xie and Gloxinia were definitely suffering. Xie Xie was a Pure Agility System Soul Master and Gloxinia was a fairy, which naturally made his body weaker than normal, so both of their bodies were suited for nimbleness and couldn't compare in toughness with Tang Wulin.
From the very beginning, Wu Zhangkong didn't even know the concept of 'starting off leniently'. Instead, each strike of his pointing stick would create a pain that penetrated all the way to their bone marrow! Yet, despite this unfathomable pain they were subjected to, they didn't suffer any real injuries.
In Wu Zhangkong's words: 'Only pain can deepen your learning!'
The only one who was fortunate enough to be spared was Gu Yue. Perhaps it was because she was a girl, but Wu Zhangkong reined in a bit of his harshness when he taught her. Even when the occasional pointer struck, it only made her feel a bit numb.
"Today we will be running a few tests on your bodies so combat training will be suspended." Wu Zhangkong announced this piece of good news the moment he entered the classroom.
They all harbored a fear of combat training now. That bone-piercing pain was simply too much.
Gloxinia was the only one who felt some disappointment. During those days of combat training, Gloxinia's techniques and nimbleness were improving at a monstrous rate, and he was barely hit by the pointer anymore.
Wu Zhangkong brought them to a room that was filled with a scientific feeling. The interior of the room was covered in a layer of a silver metal which made them feel as if they had entered a silver world the moment they stepped inside.
Table after table of strange apparatuses were arranged within this room.
"We'll start with the spiritual power test. Xie Xie, you're first."
Wu Zhangkong was holding onto a form, ready to record Xie Xie's results.
Xie Xie's spiritual power growth was quite normal. A good 31 points.
After Xie Xie was Tang Wulin. He had passed the threshold of Spirit Origin and managed to get into the Spirit Connection realm with a good 66 points.
The next one to take the test was Gu Yue.
A thought suddenly struck Xie Xie. Does the order Teacher Wu arranged us in mean anything? The spiritual power ratings have only been increasing high afterward. Spiritual power is also essential to Gu Yue… Could it be? Has she also broken through to the Spirit Connection realm?
His question didn't go unanswered for long as the testing machine gave him the results shortly after.
Gu Yue's spiritual power flew past the white line and into the yellow zone. Xie Xie and Tang Wulin gawked as the number broke through 100 points in the blink of an eye, and even then it was still skyrocketing! Their jaws dropped in shock!
The final number displayed on the machine was 153.
'How, how can she be this amazing!? Even if we disregard Eastsea City, I don't think there is a single Soul Master on the entire continent that is this young yet has such high level spiritual power!'
A human's spiritual power would grow as their body matured, increasing all the way until they reached forty years of age. After the age of forty, however, an ordinary person's body would begin to deteriorate, but Soul Masters could continue increasing their spiritual power until they were sixty years old.
Gu Yue was only nine years old, the exact same age as the rest of them, yet her spiritual power was actually in the Spirit Connection realm with over 150 points! With her talent, wouldn't she break through to the Spirit Sea realm by the time she graduated from the intermediate division!?
In the Spirit Sea realm, the spirit was as vast as the sea and one's spiritual power could be considered to have finally attained a high enough level to be considered the foundation for an expert. The ones who stood at the pinnacle of both Mecha Masters or Soul Masters would need to have at least reached the Spirit Sea realm. At this level, one would be able to support five yellow spirit souls or three purple spirit souls. In fact, one could even support a single black spirit soul!
Apart from the effects on spiritual power, the Spirit Sea realm could also help a Soul Master cultivate to six or seven rings. Thus, to become a powerful Soul Master, it was necessary to reach Spirit Sea.
Seeing everyone's reaction to Gu Yue's spiritual power, Gloxinia couldn't help but make a slightly playful and mocking smile as he brought up his status screen.
[{Status}
Name: Gloxinia
Age: 9 Years old
Bloodline: Fairy King
Martial Soul: Basquias (3/9 Forms unlocked), Fairy King's Wings
Soul Power: 32
Spiritual Power: Spirit connection, 364
Vitality: 90 (Grows with age / soul power. Average 9 year old has 9 vitality.)
Strength: 13 (Physical Ability, average 9 year old is 15 while average adult is 40.)
Intelligence: 364 (Spiritual Power, overall brain functions. Average adult has about 30.)
Skills: (Click to expand)]
364 Spiritual Power. Compared to his peers, his spiritual power is simply inhuman! Well, technically, he is inhuman as he is a fairy but he's not the only one with a special bloodline!
Finally, it was Gloxinia's turn.
As he walked up to the testing machine, he didn't forget to flash the 3 other children here a mocking smile, "Don't be too surprised when you see the results!"
Sitting down, Gloxinia noticed Xie Xie's face begin to form an irritated expression. Quickly ignoring him, Gloxinia placed the apparatus on his head and started the test.
This spiritual power testing machine was the most advanced one the academy had. It displayed the spiritual power on a graduated scale with different colors. Thus, one could differentiate the spiritual power level based on the color shown.
Spirit Origin was white and Spiritual Connection was yellow.
As the numbers on the display kept increasing, the color gradually turned into yellow from being white, showing the Spiritual Connection realm.
It continued rising steadily, 100.. 110... 120.. 130.. 140.. 150!
The numbers on the display finally reached 150! But, unlike Gu Yue's test, they didn't stop going up, instead they kept going up with even more speed than before!
Quickly, it broke through into the 200s and even then, it did not stop!
As everyone watched the rapidly rising numbers, shocked expressions filled with unbelief filled their faces. A 9 year old with over 200 spiritual power was too monstrous!
Even Wu Zhangkong didn't expect him to get over 200 spiritual power!
Gradually, the numbers reached 300 before finally slowing down, stopping at 364.
If Gu Yue was said to have been the Soul Master with the highest spiritual power at her age, it was now changed to Gloxinia!
After all, even if they were in the same realm, a difference of 200 was still as big as heaven and earth!
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Words: 1537
Author's Note: Sorry for the delayed chapter, I was out with friends the entire day and just got back.