Not too long at all as I was being entered into Nuoding Academy. I realized that the way that elder of Spirit Hall reacted was... Weird. Even if I had 'trash' martial souls. I was still a twin martial soul holder. It was just odd that he wouldn't be ecstatic.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if my sponsor had something do with it. As not even my caretaker talked about my twin martial soul when I was being signed up. But still, even as I filled out some of my own paperwork.
And my caretaker literally just took off without a word, making my face twitch as I was left with my 'adoption' funds as I was now considered an independent adult at the prime age of six years old.
'Gotta love the feudal era in which people are married off at the lovely age of like thirteen.' I thought dryly before shifting the bedding that was supplied to me as a student who paid his own way.
Instead of working for the school, though, I still took the far cheaper placement in the mixed gender dorms of the working students instead of having a private dorm room.
Seeing as lessons woudn't be starting for a good few days. I decided to just make my way to the student dorms to see what life had in store for me.
'Although that Spirit Hall Elder was blind and thinking that my Martial Souls were trash. That doesn't mean everyone is going to ignore the fact that I have Twin Martial Souls. Combined with my interest and cheat in alchemy, I am just going to expose my Dragon Cauldron as my Martial Soul.' I mused to myself.
Either way, though I had a pill cauldron Martial Soul. It's not like I could manifest it as a tool to use. So I needed to also get aid in forging a real pill cauldron.
"Oh, are you a working student as well?" A young boy asked me curiously but it was clear he was looking at my nicer, and warmer bedding with some jealousy.
As most of the other wooden pallet 'beds' were merely covered with thin patched pads.
I shook my head and said quietly. "No, I am a sponsored student." Which meant that although I had my tution paid... I didn't have the real money to get into the private dorms.
And sure, Spirit Hall was willing to pay a gold coin or whatever to Spirit Master's to 'survive'. But a gold coin wasn't exactly alot of money. In terms of my old world's money, it had the buying power of like five hundred USD.
Which fucking sucked by the logic of someone actually living in America as that woudn't even cover rent let alone the rest of the costs of life.
The boy, hearing my answer,r nodded and then he leaned in and asked quietly. "What's your name bro? My name is Cai Wangshu, and are you strong?"
To which I smiled wryly and said with total honesty. "My name is Tian Heng, and as for my strength." I shook my head.
As although my alchemy cheat came with a cultivation method that would help me gain strength quicker. It most certainly didn't come with some supreme martial art or whatever that would let me roll some people.
I needed to learn how to throw hands the slow and painful way sadly.
"Heh... Then you had better keep your head down brother. There are two queens of this common room and they are brutal!" Cai Wangshu said with a shudder.
I blinked at that before I wondered if Tang Wutong and Xiao Wu were already here perhaps? Still I nodded and said quietly. "Thanks for the warning brother. Do you know these two queen's names though?"
The boy looked around the sparsely filled room before he leaned and said quickly. "Their names are Tang Wutong, a girl with blue hair who is super scary with her martial arts despite having a trash martial soul. And the other is Xiao Wu who is super strong as well!"
Though Xiao Wu didn't get any traits mentioned, well it was fairly obvious that it was THE Xiao Wu the bunny girl. So I just nodded and spoke with the younger boy to get to know my fellows for a bit.
And soon enough a member of the staff of the school came to tell the other kids that it was time for them to begin cleaning and doing work around the school.
Seeing as I did not have those chores however, I shrugged and went to the school's library as I needed to read up on the Spirit Beasts in the local area.
'As much as I want to be Huo Yuhao and have a harem of beautiful spirit beasts acting as my Spirit Ring's and having my spiritual sea filled with their souls... Yeah that's not possible with how I have no strength currently.' I mused to myself with some humor.
So for now, I needed to find a good fire themed spirit beast that would act as the core of my first Spirit Ring... But as I was sitting there, I frowned as I realized that if I just got a hundred year yellow spirit ring. It would be a total waste.
Because I knew the secret of using whale rubber to enhance my body so that I could even use up to a five thousand year spirit ring for my first spirit ring!
Though there was just one major issue. How would I, a commoner orphan get ahold of some whale rubber. As right now it wasn't a known treasure, hell there was also the issue of the damned ocean being so far away as well.
'Hmm I may need to just skip getting a thousand year spirit ring for my first spirit ring sadly... I need a fire, water, lightning or other elemental-based Spirit Ring in order to do any Alchemy which will allow me to make the funds to get such treasures.' I mused before sighing as I was truly cursed with wisdom.
So many amazing 'cheats' I knew of like the Yin-Yang well that hosted countless immortal herbs, and so many other wonderful things that could make my cultivation smooth sailing like Soul Cores and other things.
But a lot of such things needed the aid of others. And myself? As a commoner orphan, I couldn't touch those things.
"Hmm, well, this looks promising." I mused with a raised eyebrow as I found an interesting Spirit Beast that fit my interests.
[Fiery Lance Serpent- A serpent that, although having a weak bloodline, has above average control over it's innate flames and once it reaches the hundred-year mark, it's noted for having a fiery red streak on the middle of its back along its whole body. Once it reaches a thousand years of cultivation, it will grow small thorn-like horns atop its head.]
But there in lies the one major issue, even if I could find a hundred-year Soul Beast... "I need a teacher to help me kill one. Damn, I need to find backing." I muttered, defeated as any decent spirit beast would fuck me up. Regardless of anything else.
I may have the body of like a nine year old boy. But no matter how skilled I was, a nine-year-old couldn't beat a monster that could blow out lances of fire out of its mouth, to say nothing of the other Soul Beasts I would run into when I entered the wild.
'Hmm, well I got an idea of what I want. Let's see if I can find someone to help me next.' I thought slightly helplessly.
I then left the library as I made my way back towards the common rooms and as I made my way back to the room. My face twitched as I saw someone had curled up in my bedding and had their head under my pillow to avoid the noises of all the other kids making their noises.
"Hey, get out of my bed!" I called out with some annoyance while also kicking the legs of my bed a bit to shake the person on my bed.
A groan rang out, and then I blinked as brown hair and sof,t almost liquid brown eye's met my gaze but they were filled with annoyance as she looked at me, and then without any shame she said snappily. "Buzz off! This is my bed now! But if you get into any trouble, you can use my name Xiao Wu to get out of trouble!"
My face pinched before I said flatly. "Yeah... No, that's my bed. Now get out of my bed or I will sit on you!"
The room went quiet as the other kids realized a confrontation was going to happen. And slowly Xiao Wu looked up from my bedding with a smile as she tilted her head to the side. "Are you challenging me to a fight?" She asked with a smile.
And I was reminded that Xiao Wu was a Soft Bone Rabbit Soul Beast who had a hundred thousand years of cultivation. So, although she had the body of a child like myself... She had at least several thousand years of life in the brutal wilds that she could call upon to whoop my ass.
I met Xiao Wu's grin of welcoming the chance to beat my ass like a bongo drum. And I said with zero fucking shame. "Yup! I am going to lose... But I am still going to make you bleed as well."
Xiao Wu's grin faded as she looked at me more seriously, and then she nodded with a slight frown as she pinched my bedding. "How about this then. We bet, your bedding is mine if I win, and if I lose... Hmm, I will be your lackey for life haha!"
I was silent for a moment before I sighed and said with a wry smile. "So if I win. I get a follower who will rely on me to feed her and protect her. And if I lose, I an orphan, lose the blanket and bedding, the last thing the orphanage left me before they dropped me off here. I do not see a win here, Xiao Wu."
Several students began whispering in the background as Xiao Wu's face twitched at my helpless expression. And then she showed her adorable fangs as she slapped my bed to stand up in my face and say fiercely.
"So what! Are you a man or not? I am calling you out, or are you scared of this Xiao Wu!?"
Now frankly, I wasn't scared of Xiao Wu, it's not like she was going to hurt me... Too badly, at least if we fought. I literally couldn't beat her as she, being a Spirit Beast, turned human already had her own Spirit Ring she would naturally generate!
Still, I was a reincarnated 'hero' in the making. I couldn't back down even if I had an ass-kicking ahead of myself.
"No. I am not afraid. Then let's go outside then Xiao Wu." I said with a smile of finality and with the air of a dauntless man walking to the guillotine, I made my way into the dorms' back lot.
Several other kids rushed out as well as Xiao Wu followed me outside and as we stood across from one another. My face twitched as she put her hands to her waist as a yellow spirit ring formed behind her.
"Haha! So you see the difference between us now, brat. Now are you going to surrender, or do I really need to beat you up!?" She said proudly.
I just smiled and said helplessly. "Wow, it must be nice to have backing to help you get your first spirit ring. I just awakened with Innate Spirit Power, but unless I find backing, I won't be able to get a yellow Spirit Ring even!"
Several kids began muttering as Xiao Wu's face became a bit dark, as she herself was an orphan who worked for the school to be allowed in and be fed. So her having a hundred-year yellow spirit ring meant that someone who was at least rank 20 or above, and helped her kill a spirit beast to get said spirit ring.
My words were obviously untrue, but what could Xiao Wu say? That she found a dying Spirit Beast she ganked to get its spirit ring that wandered into the city?
Yeah, even these children wouldn't believe such a lie.
Still I bowed slightly and said. "Tian Heng, Dragon Cauldron martial soul." I didn't have any spirit rings so obviously I didn't fit into any of the class systems that Soul Master's liked to class themselves with.
And at my words and seeing my cauldron floating in my hands, Xiao Wu's face became a bit awkward before she stood straight and said firmly. "Xiao Wu! My Martial Soul is the Soft Boned Rabbit, in the Attack and Agility system!"
Then, without another word, Xiao Wu rushed towards me with thunderous steps while her yellow spirit ring behind her glowed as it's ability activated.
'What was her ability again? Stronger legs... No, it was some waist-enhancing skill!' I thought hurriedly as Xiao Wu dove forward and, using her hands to catch herself, she rolled up and then, with her enhanced waist strength or some bullshit, she snapped forward in a brutal double kick at my chest.
I hurriedly brought up my arms to block the blow, and as her heels slammed into my arms... I was kicked through the air a couple of meters with my form rolling across the ground as my chest and arms screamed in pain, as I just laid on the ground for a moment.
Then I rolled back onto my feet with a grimace as I knew that I NEEDED to win this fight. I was weaker than Xiao Wu, yes, for sure. But her Soul Ring ability?
An extremely strong waist could be worked around. It's not like she was throwing lightning or spitting poison after all.
Xiao Wu, seeing me stand up came around with a heel kick that was aimed at my shoulder, and although I could literally see the core of her strength in her waist as she did the kick.
I realized something rather funny actually. She was still trying to fight me like a rabbit would, using her powerful legs.
I got kicked again but this time, I just accepted the kick onto the shoulder and rolled with it but I grabbed her ankle as she pulled back her leg to kick me again as I went down.
And for a brief moment... Xiao Wu and our eye's met with my hands wrapped around her ankle there was a tiny part of a second where Xiao Wu's human body couldn't react in time to her much more enlightened mind.
She looked upon me and her mind that had seen millennia said to me. 'Now what are you going to do?'
And I?
Xiao Wu cried out as I lifted her foot and bit the shit out of the soft meat of the back her shin as I also kicked the back of her other leg to bring her down to the ground.
"Ahhhh! Quit biting me! Are you a wolf soul beast!?" Xiao Wu howled as she kicked at me, but I was fucking determined not to lose to this hag of a rabbit that had taken a human form.
"Get her Tian Heng! Knock the queen from her throne! Bite her to death, she stole all my carrots during lunch and dinner!" The other onlooking children cheered, showing how Xiao Wu was a bit of a bully to these human children.
"Say you surrender!" I yelled before biting her again and making her squeal in pain, and my shoulder screamed in pain as she kicked me even harder. But she couldn't get the space to use her enhanced waist or her strong kicks with how I was holding her legs.
"Fine! I surrender! Stop biting me!" Xiao Wu finally cried out in surrender as she looked ready to bite me as well but couldn't bring herself to do so.
And with that... I rolled off of her and just stared up at the darker evening sky and thought. 'The legend of Tian Heng... He who defeated a hundred thousand-year cultivation soul beast via biting her to death. Yeah let's avoid that legend.' I thought before sighing as Xiao Wu shot up and stomped off with tears in her eyes.
I got up slowly with my bones screaming in pain from her kicks, and I muttered to myself as the other kids ran back inside, as well as dinner was about to come. "I got the shit kicked out of me... And now I have to soothe the bunny girl's heart. Oh joy."