Chapter 101: Little Dance

"Your luck is truly extraordinary. Three soul skills—covering power-attack, area-of-effect damage, and an impenetrable defense—would be considered top-tier even for an average soul master."

"In your hands, the power they can unleash will surely exceed anything you can imagine."

Grandmaster sighed, his face filled with wonder, as he truly believed Lin An’s fortune was exceptional.

"It's decent, I suppose. If I were to unleash my true strength, even without these soul skills, I wouldn't find many among my peers who could make me feel fear," Lin An said confidently. After all, he was fundamentally different from the soul masters of the Douluo Continent. The combat techniques he possessed and the power he could exert were by no means inferior to the soul skills of a soul master.

Grandmaster nodded. The three formidable exotic flames Lin An possessed were enough to instantly defeat the vast majority of low-level soul masters. Moreover, in his view, Lin An did not need to pay any significant price to utilize his soul skills.

"Since the goal of this trip has been achieved, it is time to return to the Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy," Lin An muttered.

Though he did not know what Lin An was thinking, there were clearly better choices like the Shrek Academy, yet he insisted on the Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy, a place meant for those who had just become soul masters. Clearly, Lin An had no need for such an elementary start.

Three days later, Grandmaster and Lin An arrived at the Nuoding Soul Master Academy. The dean did not ask why they had returned, simply promising that they could leave whenever they pleased or stay to teach for as long as they wished. Teaching duties were naturally handed over to Grandmaster, while Lin An remained to familiarize himself with his newly acquired power.

A month later, the start of the school term at Nuoding Soul Master Academy approached. Some students who lived far away had already arrived. Xiao Wu was one of them; she had traveled from the Star Dou Great Forest, a journey of unknown duration. Upon arriving, she was told that the official opening was still a few days away.

Xiao Wu was quite disappointed, but unexpectedly, a man around twenty years old approached her, offering to help her enter the academy early and arrange her accommodation.

"Really? If you could do that, it would be a huge help," Xiao Wu said happily.

"Naturally, since I am a member of the soul master academy myself," Lin An smiled.

Xiao Wu was quite eager to start school, arriving this early. Soon, under Lin An’s arrangement, she was settled in the civilian quarters. Since she was the only one living there for the time being, it was quite convenient. Lin An did not visit her every day; it was a gradual process, and he only appeared occasionally to maintain a presence. Since Xiao Wu did not know anyone else, after only three or four days, she sought him out.

"Instructor Lin An, may I ask you a question?"

"I am new to the soul master academy and am not familiar with many places. Could you show me around?" Xiao Wu asked as she approached him.

"You are Xiao Wu, right? Certainly. I am not busy at the moment, so I can show you around the environment." Lin An did not refuse, leading Xiao Wu to explore every corner of the academy.

Xiao Wu was filled with curiosity about everything, often stopping for long periods whenever Lin An introduced something new. Lin An answered all her questions with ease, and they spent the entire day walking through the academy. For an ordinary person, it would have been exhausting, but they toured the grounds for the whole day.

Xiao Wu had not expected the first instructor she met to be so approachable and accommodating. He was nothing like the dangerous entities the soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest had warned her about.

"Instructor, are all human instructors as approachable and willing to help students as you?" Xiao Wu asked curiously.

"How could that be? Have you seen any instructor in this academy who is more handsome than me? Certainly not," Lin An laughed.

Xiao Wu smiled. While she hadn't seen many who were more handsome, she suspected she wouldn't find anyone more narcissistic in the entire city of Nuoding!

During the days before the official start of the term, Xiao Wu visited Lin An whenever she had free time, almost living at his place. In the blink of an eye, the day of the opening arrived, and within a few days, most of the students had arrived.

Lin An had inquired and confirmed that a work-study student named Tang San had indeed entered the academy. However, there was a difference: although Tang San had met Grandmaster, he had not become his disciple, let alone received any guidance on martial souls. He would likely have to rely on himself to find soul rings in the future. Yet, Lin An did not believe that such a small change would render Tang San useless.

After spending so much time together, Lin An had become the human Xiao Wu trusted most.

"Instructor Lin, is the City God Temple you mentioned truly so magical? Can it house the souls of deceased humans and soul beasts, and even help them reincarnate and be reborn?"

Xiao Wu’s eyes were full of longing; in her view, this was a sacred and magnificent thing.

"It is true. If there is someone you do not wish to be parted from forever, you can use the authority of the City God to help them remain in the mortal world, where their existence is no different from being alive," Lin An said.

With Lin An’s methods, someone as inexperienced as Xiao Wu could easily be persuaded. A few days prior, Lin An had purchased a plot of land next to the academy to build the first City God Temple on the Douluo Continent, and Xiao Wu had been watching from the sidelines. When she heard Lin An’s description, she felt this was something only a deity could accomplish. But when Lin An told her that, if she wished, she could do the same even without becoming a god, she was initially skeptical.

However, when Lin An brought her into the Yama Hall and she saw the souls brought back by the grim reapers—including a human she had seen pass away just days before—she was instantly convinced.

"If it is truly that magical, I would like to build one in the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest. That way, the souls of fallen soul beasts would have a place to rest," Xiao Wu thought to herself. She would occasionally hint at this to Lin An, asking if it would be possible to build such a temple in the heart of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Lin An would always brush it off with a few short sentences, acting as if it were none of his concern, which made Xiao Wu quite anxious—she was almost tempted to reveal her true identity.