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After settling things down with Dai Mubai, Lin Jin strolled toward the back mountain.
As the sun rose, the thick morning fog shimmered with a golden luster, casting a dazzling glow over the landscape.
There was still a touch of dew on the grass, but Lin Jin had prepared for this in advance. He had placed dozens of smooth stone slabs across the lawn.
After a quick wipe, they were perfect for sitting.
Sensing one's spirit power wasn't difficult. After awakening a martial spirit, the spirit power within became an extension of the body—something that could be easily felt and controlled.
The real challenge lay in learning to use the martial spirit to draw energy from the world and convert it into personal spirit power.
Those with greater talent were born with more spirit power.
Typically, they could grasp the basics within a day or two, while others might need a week or more.
Among the group of students, Shen Xin stood out as one of the older ones.
When Lin Jin arrived, she was already dutifully guiding the younger children, patiently explaining the fundamentals to them.
With a spirit power level of 10, she had plenty of experience—more than Lin Jin in some respects.
Watching the little figure move busily about, Lin Jin found his thoughts drifting to another concern: Shen Xin's need for a Spirit Ring.
"Once someone breaks through their spirit power bottleneck with a ring, they're no longer limited by the barrier. Continued cultivation will further raise their spirit power."
"But… if one doesn't obtain a Spirit Ring, won't that affect their cultivation speed?"
Lin Jin was unsure. After acquiring his own Spirit Ring, both his physique and martial spirit had noticeably improved.
This boost accelerated his training. Yet the original work mentioned this concept only briefly and without detail.
"It seems the Master is still at Notting Junior Spirit Academy," Lin Jin mused.
"He's somewhat reliant on others. In an age where theory isn't valued, his situation must be difficult. Maybe… if there's a chance, I could recruit him someday."
But then he shook his head. Theoretical research required experimentation and resources.
Their academy was still too poor. It would be better not to dwell on such things for now.
"Shen Xin, come here," he called, waving to the girl in the distance.
Perhaps due to the energy-rich environment of this continent, people in Douluo matured early. Shen Xin was only ten years old but already stood close to 1.5 meters tall.
Though her face was still round with baby fat, there was already a faint elegance to her features—an early sign of the young woman she'd become.
Hearing her name, Shen Xin quickly set down the teaching materials and ran over.
"What is it, Dean?"
She looked up at Lin Jin, her emerald eyes gleaming like warm gemstones.
Unable to resist, Lin Jin reached out and pinched her cheek. Her face was so soft—it was almost addictive.
Shen Xin puffed up her cheeks in mild protest.
The Dean was great in many ways… but why did he always have to pinch her face?
Seeing her mildly annoyed expression, Lin Jin finally let go. Still… how could her face be that soft?
His gaze drifted into the distance, lost in thought. Another similar face came to mind—equally soft, equally warm.
Perhaps… it was because Xiaoyue, his sister, had once looked just like this.
But now, Xiaoyue was light-years away. Whether they would ever meet again… he didn't know.
Returning to the present, he noticed Shen Xin staring at him in confusion. He took a deep breath, then smiled.
"How's everyone doing with their practice?"
"They're so dumb! Honestly, so dumb!" Shen Xin huffed in frustration.
"Be more patient," Lin Jin said gently.
"We are not blessed by the heavens. To succeed, we must do so through our efforts. Take your time."
"How's Peng Fan doing?"
"That guy said he could do it on his own and wouldn't let me teach him!" Shen Xin huffed, clearly frustrated as she tattled to Lin Jin.
Lin Jin chuckled and turned to look at Peng Fan. The boy was sitting cross-legged on a stone slab, brows tightly furrowed, clearly straining to sense the energy around him.
"This kid's got pride," Lin Jin thought.
"But pride doesn't help if you won't learn from others. Stubborn and foolish."
Raising his voice, Lin Jin called out, "Don't rush. Take your time. Close your eyes and clear your thoughts. Follow my voice."
"To sense the energy of heaven and earth, you must first resonate with it."
"Heaven and earth breathe too. The breeze you feel—it's the breath of nature. Feel it carefully. Inhale… exhale… match your breath with it. Let yourself resonate with the world."
"Now, inhale."
"Hmm…"
"Exhale."
"Hoo…"
"Inhale."
"Hmm…"
"Exhale."
A sudden, very out-of-place sound broke the silence of the lawn—and the calm atmosphere vanished in an instant.
"Ugh! That stinks!"
"Ew, gross! Run!"
In the middle of the chaos, a chubby boy had become the center of attention. Kids within a five-meter radius scattered like startled birds.
Lin Jin's face darkened. He fixed his gaze on the embarrassed little troublemaker, who scratched his head sheepishly and muttered,
"Sorry, Dean… I had a few sweet potatoes last night."
"Where'd you get sweet potatoes?"
"My dad gave them to me before he left. I've eaten them since I was little. He was worried I wouldn't have enough to eat at the academy."
"Not enough to eat?"
Lin Jin looked as if he'd just suffered a serious blow to his pride.
Not enough to eat? In my academy?! No matter how poor they were, he would never allow his students to go hungry!
Checking the time, Lin Jin snorted coldly.
"It's time for breakfast. Everyone, let's go! Eat as much as you want—I'm making sure you leave full!"
"Yeah! Food time!""Let's go, let's go!""Yay, breakfast!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the kids erupted with excitement and bolted toward the cafeteria as if it were a festival.
Left behind, Peng Fan still sat with eyes closed, trying hard to find that elusive point of resonance.
Lin Jin walked over, grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him clean off the ground.
Peng Fan's eyes flew open, and his legs kicked helplessly in the air.
"D-Dean! What are you doing?! Put me down!"
"Man is iron, food is steel. If you don't eat, you won't last long. You can't train on an empty stomach."
Holding him like a hen carrying a chick, Lin Jin marched Peng Fan toward the cafeteria.