Chapter 35: Wealthy

Afternoon sunlight filtered through the windows of Class 9's classroom. On the blackboard, three bold words stood out: Soul Guide.

Mu Jin stood at the podium, her voice calm yet firm.

"Soul guides are the future. I sincerely hope that all of you will learn to utilize them in battle rather than relying solely on your martial souls."

However, most of the students showed little interest. Their faces carried expressions of indifference, some even outright disdainful. Among them, Wang Dong's contempt was the most blatant, his lips curled in a faint sneer.

In stark contrast, Huo Yuhao sat beside him, eyes gleaming with curiosity. As a dual-path cultivator, he was already a soul mentor, making Mu Jin's words far more significant to him than to his classmates.

Mu Jin noticed their reactions but chose to ignore them. She had spent years guiding students with this same resistance. Convincing them wasn't something she could accomplish in a single lesson.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the class.

"Class dismissed!"

A student shot to his feet, his excitement palpable.

But the rest of the classroom remained still. A strange silence followed.

Mu Jin narrowed her eyes and smiled—though the smile was anything but warm.

"Heh… It seems some of you have no interest in soul guides at all."

The students remained silent, but their expressions betrayed their disapproval.

Mu Jin sighed internally. There was no point in continuing her prepared lecture on soul guides if no one was willing to listen. Instead, she decided to let them use the remaining time for cultivation.

"Move the tables and chairs aside," she instructed. "We'll clear some space in the middle."

Once the classroom was rearranged, she continued, "Use this time to meditate and practice. Your goal is to increase your soul power by at least one level within the next three months. That will give you a better chance of passing the freshman assessment."

At that moment, a voice interrupted her.

"Teacher."

Chen Junting had raised his hand, drawing Mu Jin's attention.

"What is it?"

"Ordinary meditation is too inefficient. Can we set up a simulated training ground instead?"

His words immediately piqued the interest of the class. Even Mu Jin was momentarily surprised. But then, her expression shifted to one of hesitation.

"A mimicry training site?" She shook her head. "I'm afraid that's impossible. Shrek's outer court doesn't have any built-in mimicry cultivation areas."

"That's not what I meant," Chen Junting clarified. "I was asking if we could create one ourselves—right here in the classroom."

Mu Jin blinked. "Yourselves?"

Nearby, Wang Dong turned to Huo Yuhao, puzzled.

"How do you even build a mimicry training site? That sounds like a lot of work."

Huo Yuhao chuckled. "Oh, you'd be surprised."

Wang Dong shot him a wary look. "Why are you smiling like that?"

Ignoring his skepticism, Huo Yuhao merely smirked.

Mu Jin, meanwhile, was intrigued. She agreed to let them try, curious to see what the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had in mind.

Then, light flashed in the classroom as several soul guides appeared.

The students gasped.

A soul guide throne embedded with gems capable of absorbing light.

A soul guide disc that generated heat and fire but kept it contained.

A soul guide weapon rack equipped with melee soul guides, including a long sword radiating a sharp, murderous aura.

Wang Dong stared in disbelief. "You're using soul guides to create a training ground?"

Huo Yuhao didn't answer. Instead, he held up a pendant shaped like an eye—a spiritual soul guide made from a hundred-year-old Evil Eye. It could release spiritual fluctuations, perfect for training spiritual-type martial souls.

"Well? You didn't expect that, did you?" Huo Yuhao dangled the pendant teasingly. "Soul guides are more useful than you think, Wang Dong. Your prejudice against them is ridiculous."

Wang Dong muttered under his breath. "Maybe… but I still hate them for no reason."

On the other side of the room, Mu Jin observed the scene with a faint smile.

"The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is truly wealthy and powerful."

For the first time, some students—especially civilian soul masters—felt a deep yearning.

The soul guides were compact and didn't take up much space. Once they were set up, Chen Junting and his group began their meditation. Their cultivation speed was noticeably faster than the others—more than twice as fast.

This stirred an unspoken desire within their classmates.

Perhaps soul guides weren't so bad after all.

---

As time passed, the students gradually finished their practice.

"That's all for today's class." Mu Jin stretched slightly, then looked at Ning Tian. "Have someone put the tables and chairs back. You're dismissed."

But just as she turned to leave, she suddenly stopped and glanced back at one student in particular.

"Dugu Xin."

The room fell silent.

Mu Jin's gaze locked onto the lone figure still seated in the back.

"Come with me to the office."

A ripple of curiosity passed through the class.

Dugu Xin frowned but nodded, setting aside the table he had just lifted. He exchanged a glance with Chen Junting before following Mu Jin out of the room.

"What was that about?" Wu Feng whispered.

Chen Junting shook his head. "No idea."

His brows furrowed slightly. It wasn't just about Mu Jin calling Dugu Xin—it was how she had done it. If it was something minor, she would have called him outright. But she hesitated.

That meant it was serious.

Perhaps… it wasn't just about his poison.

Nearby, Ning Tian leaned in and mouthed a single word: Xiancao.

Chen Junting gave a small shake of his head, signaling her not to worry.

"I'll ask later," he said.

With that, the students dispersed, heading back to their dormitories.

---

That night, Chen Junting sat cross-legged on his bed, cultivating using the meditation techniques taught by Electrolux. He was just about to reach a deep state of focus when the dormitory door creaked open.

"You're back."

He opened his eyes, meeting Dugu Xin's bitter expression.

Chen Junting didn't ask what Mu Jin had said. One look at Dugu Xin's face told him it wasn't good news.

"If you need help," Chen Junting said simply, "just tell me."

Dugu Xin remained silent for a long moment.

Finally, he exhaled.

"Thanks… but I'm fine."

---

(End of chapter)

---

Stones me~