"Thanks to you this time. These kids are really a handful."Ye Zhiqiu poured a cup of wine for Sasuke as he spoke.
"It was nothing."Sasuke glanced out the window. Compared to Shrek Academy, the construction of Canghui Academy was much more organized. Leaving Mu Qing here made him feel at ease.
That evening, Ye Zhiqiu warmly entertained Sasuke, during which Sasuke learned a lot—details about soul masters, the current situation on the continent, and information about the Spirit Hall.
"Was Canghui Academy also funded by the Spirit Hall?" asked Sasuke.
"Exactly,"Ye Zhiqiu replied after taking a sip of wine."Besides the Spirit Hall, who else would come to a remote place like this? I myself came from a nearby village. Now I'm back here as a teacher to repay the kindness of my fellow villagers from back then."
When Canghui Academy was first established, it had once shined brightly thanks to a few years of good student intakes, even earning the title of a 'Senior Soul Master Academy.'
"But in recent years, the quality of students has declined, and the few teachers we had have all left. Only I'm still here. These students might be the last batch."Ye Zhiqiu said this with a look of regret.
Sasuke listened and looked at Mu Qing, who was focused on eating. He thought to himself,"The law of the jungle has never changed."
Suddenly, Ye Zhiqiu grabbed Sasuke's hands and said,"Brother Sasuke, stay and become a teacher! Please forgive my shameless request. I truly can't support this school alone. I don't want to see it fall into ruin!"
Since coming to this world, aside from thinking of ways to return, Sasuke really had nothing else to do. Seeing Ye Zhiqiu's sincerity, he decided to go along with it.
"I'll stay for a while then. Though honestly, I'm not sure I know how to be a teacher."
He wasn't lying. Sasuke truly wasn't suited to teaching.
Canghui Academy had only ten students including Mu Qing. With Sasuke's arrival, Ye Zhiqiu split them into two classes: he would handle lesson planning, while Sasuke was simply in charge of supervising.
"Teacher Sasuke! Let's go into the city tonight!"
"Teacher Sasuke! I made this bento for you!"
"Teacher Sasuke! Do you have a girlfriend?"
Sasuke sighed helplessly as the group of chatty female students swarmed him the moment class ended.
"Bai Cha, Ye Ling'er, Ling Yun, Ling Xue..."Sasuke quietly memorized their names. The oldest was only fifteen, the youngest, like Mu Qing, just thirteen. And Sasuke himself was only seventeen.
Time passed day by day. Sasuke's visual power gradually recovered, the six tomoe slowly appearing on his Rinnegan.
He tried opening a space-time wormhole, but only ended up wandering around some lifeless alternate dimensions connected to Kaguya's Space, finding no way back.
One day, while Sasuke was dazing off on the rooftop, Ye Zhiqiu called out:
"Sasuke, come with me today to get soul rings for the kids!"
Though Sasuke had heard about soul rings, he hadn't personally participated in a hunt. Ye Zhiqiu decided it was time for Sasuke to experience it firsthand, to help him truly adapt to being a teacher.
Sasuke leapt down from the rooftop.
Ye Zhiqiu chuckled:"You sure love high places."
"Let's move," said Sasuke calmly.
Ye Zhiqiu shook his head with a smile:"You really don't act like a 17-year-old at all."
This time, they were acquiring soul rings for three students—the same three that Sasuke had saved earlier.
"Ling Yun, Ling Xue, Bai Cha, stay close behind Sasuke and me! Don't get lost in the Soul Hunting Forest!"Ye Zhiqiu instructed seriously.
The goal was to obtain hundred-year-level yellow soul rings.Using his Sharingan, Sasuke could clearly distinguish the age of soul beasts by observing the flow of soul power in the forest.
Ling Yun and Ling Xue were siblings, their martial souls being a string of Buddha Beads, while Bai Cha's martial soul was a Snowflake.
It wasn't long before Ye Zhiqiu locked onto a target—a Three-Eyed Green Snake nearly nine meters long.
"Ling Yun, Ling Xue, your turn!" ordered Ye Zhiqiu.
The siblings immediately released their martial souls.Ling Yun was on the Control System route, and Ling Xue was a Support Soul Master.
Ling Xue cast her first soul skill, "Holy Light Radiance," projecting a phantom of her Buddha Beads above Ling Yun, bathing him in a faint golden light that increased his attack and defense by 20%.
Boosted by this, Ling Yun unleashed his first soul skill: "Weituo Bind!"
The Buddha Beads appeared over the Three-Eyed Green Snake's head and quickly descended, wrapping around it. Multiple bead phantoms materialized, tightly binding the struggling snake until it was immobilized.Taking the chance, Ling Yun drew the blade from his waist, leapt forward, and plunged it into the snake's skull, nailing it to the ground and ending the battle.
"Well done. Ling Xue, this Three-Eyed Green Snake's soul ring is yours."Ye Zhiqiu said as he looked at the barely-breathing snake.
Ling Xue stepped forward, delivered the finishing blow, and guided the condensing soul ring to her chest, beginning the absorption process.
As she absorbed it, Sasuke observed her using his Sharingan, noting how the soul power from the yellow soul ring kept flowing into her meridians, growing heavier and denser.Gradually, the soul ring's color faded until it completely disappeared—signaling successful absorption.
Ye Zhiqiu had explained that if a soul master tried to absorb a ring that was too old, their meridians would be overwhelmed, resulting in death by soul power explosion.
Meanwhile, seeing Sasuke staring intently at his sister, Ling Yun laughed and nudged Sasuke with his elbow:
"What do you think, teacher? Isn't my sister pretty?"
At that moment, Ling Xue was sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed, a light sheen of sweat on her forehead, her beautiful hair slightly messy against it.
Sasuke, ignoring the boy's teasing, asked Ye Zhiqiu seriously:"What happens if a soul ring isn't fully absorbed?"
"You'll suffer severe backlash! Not only will you fail to gain a new skill, but you'll also waste that chance to absorb a soul ring forever."Ye Zhiqiu answered, though he looked suspicious—he could tell Sasuke possessed a power he couldn't fully perceive, so why was he asking such basic questions?
Sasuke pondered silently upon hearing this.
After completing her absorption, Ling Xue proudly demonstrated her new ability:Thanks to the Three-Eyed Green Snake, her Buddha Beads could now support three people simultaneously.However, for the second and third targets, the support effects would only be 60% effective.Her new second soul skill, "Buddha Light Repels Evil," could boost an ally's resilience by 50%, halving the effects of any negative statuses.
Ye Zhiqiu clapped and praised:"Excellent result! If Ling Xue keeps working hard, she'll definitely become a top-tier Support Soul Master!"
Ling Xue blushed and muttered:"Teacher, you always say embarrassing things..."
Ye Zhiqiu just laughed heartily and resumed searching for the next targets.
After a full day's effort, all three students obtained their soul rings.
"Teacher, let's call Ling'er and the others to the restaurant and have a feast!"Ling Yun excitedly suggested.
"Of course! My treat! Let's head back to the academy first!"Ye Zhiqiu replied enthusiastically.
Noticing Sasuke hadn't moved, Bai Cha asked:
"Teacher Sasuke, aren't you coming?"
"You all go ahead. I'll catch up soon,"said Sasuke before vanishing on the spot—he had some theories he wanted to test.
(End of Chapter)