16. What is the essence of soul power?

While eating, Quan Yi carefully marked key points in the guidebook with a pen. The most important locations for him were the library, the playground, and the pseudo-environment.

The guidebook provided detailed addresses, and to Quan Yi's surprise, there was a small playground near the freshman dormitory.

"This must be for the students' convenience, allowing them to exercise freely," he thought. It was a thoughtful design that perfectly suited his needs.

Quan Yi's exercise plan was structured into three sessions: extreme running in the morning, high-intensity anaerobic training at noon, and boxing practice in the evening. Exercising in the dormitory would inevitably disturb his roommates, but with access to the playground, he could train without any concerns.

The most crucial part of his training regimen was his diet—specifically, soul beast meat, which was supplied to him by the Quan family's store in the city.

With his training schedule settled, he could use his free time to study other subjects.

Quan Yi read quickly, flipping through the guidebook at an impressive pace. He marked the important sections before finally closing the book. Looking out the window, he noticed the sky was still bright—it was about six or seven in the evening.

After changing into a clean white shirt and black shorts, he left the dormitory and headed toward the nearby playground. When he arrived, he found it empty.

Despite being called a playground, it was little more than a flat, open space without any equipment.

Quan Yi walked to the center and began his training.

After his fight with the Explosive Rhino, he had gained valuable insights. He realized that true power only emerged when Gang and Jian were combined with his Sun Gauntlet Martial Soul.

Purely condensed soul power, no matter how strong or sharp, could not compare to the raw strength of attack-type soul masters or the resilience of defense-type soul masters. However, when fused with the Sun Gauntlets, his attack and defense capabilities would increase significantly, allowing him to match both offensive and defensive soul masters.

Even if other soul masters learned to refine their strength and sharpness, they could only supplement their abilities—there was still a vast difference between their techniques and a true offense-defense hybrid.

For this reason, Quan Yi prioritized developing Gang and Jian in his training.

After months of practice, his control over soul power had greatly improved, allowing him to sustain condensed energy for over ten minutes.

As he practiced his boxing techniques, he continuously adjusted the rigidity and sharpness of his strikes. The ever-changing flow of soul power in his hands added another layer of difficulty to his training.

Two hours passed, and sweat drenched his body. His short sleeves were already stored away in the Heart of Fierce Sun.

The August night was sweltering, and the academy was located in a tropical region. Without summoning his Martial Soul, there was no escape from the stifling heat.

Finishing his final set, Quan Yi concluded his training for the night. By this point, he had completely exhausted his soul power and physical strength—his body felt as heavy as lead, unable to move.

It was the same feeling a college student might experience after suddenly running 3,000 meters beyond their limit—except Quan Yi endured this near-death sensation three times a day.

Without a steady intake of soul beast meat, his body would have broken down long ago. He was well aware of this fact.

Despite his exhaustion, he forced himself to sit up straight, carefully regulating his breathing to prevent a complete collapse.

Gradually, his breathing stabilized, and his body began to recover.

This was a method he had developed by combining exercise science from his previous life with his own experience. Compared to simply lying down, this approach helped him recover from fatigue much faster.

Once his breathing was under control, he proceeded to the most painful part of his routine—stretching.

Starting with leg stretches, he targeted the areas where his muscles were most fatigued. The pain was intense—so much so that his face paled with every stretch.

The purpose of this rigorous routine was to ensure that his training the next morning wouldn't be affected. This almost self-torturous method helped Quan Yi's body recover faster.

Sweat drenched his forehead, even more than during his boxing practice.

After finishing his stretching exercises, a strange sense of relief washed over him. The soreness in his body was intense, yet there was an undeniable pleasure in the release. Even the lingering unease in his heart—caused by parting ways with someone—seemed to settle at this moment.

As he cooled down, Quan Yi reflected on the training he had just completed.

He couldn't help but feel puzzled by the rapid improvement in his physical fitness. Ever since he first awakened his soul power, he had noticed this anomaly.

It felt as though the energy of soul power was subtly transforming his body over time.

Quan Yi often pondered the true nature of soul power.

It was fundamentally different from internal energy cultivation—unlike refining Qi, soul power wasn't something that naturally developed from within. Instead, it resembled magical energy, something absorbed from the outside world that could directly enhance the body.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be possible for him to replace sleep with soul power cultivation.

Moreover, the fact that a soul master needed to absorb soul rings every ten levels suggested that humans were incapable of breaking through bottlenecks solely through their own efforts.

In contrast, soul beasts could rely on their own cultivation to overcome their limits.

This bottleneck seemed more like an invisible shackle around a soul master's neck, forcing them to hunt soul beasts. And once a soul beast was slain and its soul ring absorbed, the soul master would gain an incredibly powerful and convenient ability.

But was this truly a blessing, or was it a carefully disguised trap?

Through plundering, humans could instantly gain the experience and soul power that a soul beast had cultivated for decades, centuries, or even millennia.

"This world is truly strange..."

Quan Yi lifted his gaze to the night sky, as if searching for answers beyond the stars.

The cool night breeze gradually dried the sweat clinging to his skin. After a long while, he withdrew his gaze and sighed.

From the Heart of Fierce Sun hanging in his chest, he retrieved a portion of dried soul beast meat and began chewing. After intense exercise, proper nutrition was essential for strengthening the body.

One couldn't focus solely on training—eating was just as crucial to cultivation.

The freshman dormitory was brightly lit at night, seemingly livelier than during the day.

From the glow of the windows, it was clear that a considerable number of new students had already arrived at the academy.

Without hesitation, Quan Yi returned to his dormitory and took a refreshing shower.

Afterward, he summoned the Sun Gauntlets. Using his refined fire control ability, he quickly dried himself with a controlled burst of heat.

With just a minimal amount of soul power, he completely eliminated the need for a towel.

"Convenient," he mused with satisfaction.

Later that night, Quan Yi sat cross-legged on his bed, sinking into deep meditation.

As soul power circulated through his body, he didn't merely focus on cultivation—he also experimented with different ways to refine its flow, searching for a more efficient method.

The first two hours of every night were dedicated to testing these techniques. However, he never let his curiosity interfere with the primary goal: increasing his soul power.

He would never prioritize research at the cost of cultivation.

The Next Morning

As the first light of dawn painted the sky, Quan Yi was already running on the playground.

At this early hour, the open field was completely deserted, and he relished the solitude.

The academy was built deep within the forest, surrounded by lush greenery. Even the playground was enclosed by towering trees. Running in such an environment was not just exercise—it was a spiritual experience.

Quan Yi felt his body grow lighter with every step.

After completing his morning training, he dragged his exhausted body toward the cafeteria.

He was looking forward to the academy's food. While he had enough soul beast meat stored in his Heart of Fierce Sun, he couldn't rely on meat alone—his body needed a balanced intake of nutrients.

The academy's cafeteria was vast, spanning three floors.

The first floor was a public cafeteria, offering simple breakfast items like steamed buns, boiled eggs, and pickled vegetables. The lines of students were long and bustling. Without hesitation, Quan Yi bypassed the first floor and headed to the second floor.

Here, an array of gourmet dishes was neatly displayed, allowing students to choose from a variety of options. It was quieter than the first floor but significantly more expensive. The third floor was reserved for teachers, strictly off-limits to students.