"Moo… Spring Ox, Spring…"
Spring, naturally, wasn't an elemental attribute.
But within Zhou Qing's cultivation of the Innate Internal Meridian Diagram, there existed three major checkpoints along the spine: the Weilü Pass, Jiaji Pass, and Yuzhen Pass. These three crucial acupoints were already unblocked and didn't require much further attention.
What he focused on instead was a more subtle detail—the adult human spine has twenty-six vertebrae.
Excluding the two fused bones of the sacrum at the base, the remaining cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae total twenty-four. These matched the twenty-four steps on the path to heaven and, more poetically, the twenty-four solar terms of the traditional calendar.
Hence, upon seeing the Moo Spring Ox, Zhou Qing had a new idea: not only could his first four soul rings represent the four elements—Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire—but also embody the changing of the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.
If the Innate Internal Meridian Diagram was to construct an inner world, then the rotation of the four seasons would be indispensable. The human spine connected the entire body, and by correlating the twenty-four vertebrae to the twenty-four solar terms, it could greatly ease future cultivation.
"As expected, the more fundamental the cultivation, the more meticulous the preparation must be. Only with a solid foundation can one rise higher." Zhou Qing mentally marked down the Moo Spring Ox as a strong candidate for his first soul ring.
After all, the books about soul beasts available to him now were far too limited. It would be better to wait until he enrolled in Nuoding Academy and thoroughly explored its library before making a final decision.
The Next Day
Old Jack came to find Zhou Qing, his face full of dejection.
[It didn't work?]
Zhou Qing understood immediately—Old Jack had failed to secure an additional working student slot from the other villages. He said calmly, "Grandpa Jack, there's no need to worry. My family still has some savings. It's just a spot for a working student—I can enroll as a regular student."
"Sigh, the city's expenses aren't small," Old Jack muttered, feeling somewhat guilty. He grumbled, "The one shared spot from the other six villages was given to a little girl. She's actually born with full soul power too—and has a beast spirit, a Soft Bone Rabbit…"
Xiao Wu?
Zhou Qing was stunned. He hadn't expected Xiao Wu to take the shared working student slot allocated for the six other villages around Holy Soul Village.
But on second thought, it made sense.
After all, Xiao Wu was a 100,000-year-old soul beast in human form, and she didn't have a legitimate human identity. In the original story, she enrolled in Nuoding Elementary Soul Master Academy as a working student. That identity couldn't have been made up. Without a certificate issued by the Spirit Hall, she wouldn't have even been allowed through the academy gates—and knowing Xiao Wu's temperament, she wouldn't have scaled the wall either. She'd more likely argue with the gatekeeper on the spot.
"Don't worry, Grandpa Jack. I can earn money while studying," Zhou Qing reassured. He wasn't the least bit worried about finances after all, the Soul Saint's inheritance had left them with over three million gold soul coins. Even after splitting with Tang San, he still had more than 1.5 million more than enough to cover his expenses.
"Well, if you say so." Old Jack sighed, then added, "Later, I'll talk to the villagers renting your land. I'll try to raise the rent for you."
Zhou Qing didn't refuse this time.
After all, wealth should not be flaunted.
After helping Old Jack back home, Zhou Qing went to the blacksmith shop where Tang San worked. He heard the rhythmic clanging of metal it was different from usual, carrying a deliberate tempo.
It was obvious: Tang San hadn't gone to the forge early this morning. Most likely, Tang Hao was teaching him the Disorder Wind Hammer Technique. However, for Tang Hao to suddenly begin caring about Tang San's training at this point—it did seem a bit forced.
In the blink of an eye, the school opening day at Nuoding City arrived.
The day before departure, Zhou Qing and Tang San visited the Spirit-Tuned Tortoise, whose injuries had mostly healed and no longer required them to clear the impurities from its cracked shell. They also did a final cleaning of their secret base.
And today, Zhou Qing said goodbye to the children of the village and boarded the ox-cart with Tang San, riding with Old Jack toward Nuoding City.
He looked back.
As the silhouette of Holy Soul Village slowly disappeared into the distance, Zhou Qing was filled with emotion:
"Six years! It's been six years since I came to this world… and now, I'm finally leaving the village."
Though he had lived two lifetimes and had already laid out the broad direction of his cultivation path, now that he was truly stepping out into the world, a touch of hesitation still lingered in his heart.
But that uncertainty soon gave way to resolve—probably.
Although Nuoding City wasn't far from Holy Soul Village, the ox-cart still took nearly the entire morning to arrive at the city outskirts.
From afar, Zhou Qing saw the massive city gate, towering over twenty meters high.
At the top of the gate were three large characters: Nuoding City.
At the entrance, Old Jack got down, leading the ox-cart into the gate's passageway. He turned and said to Zhou Qing and Tang San, "Inside the city, only nobles and high-ranking soul masters are allowed to ride carts. Commoners can't."
Maybe it was for traffic control or public order. But Zhou Qing also saw the deeper truth the hierarchy between nobles, soul masters, and civilians was stark and absolute.
He thought again of his civilian parents—killed by a soul master for the crime of "offending a soul master."
In this world, even if a soul master killed someone by accident, as long as there was a reasonable excuse, they could get away with it.
The lives of commoners weren't worth much here.
In major cities, where various factions held each other in check, such abuses might be tempered. But in smaller cities like this, noble arrogance was probably routine.
There were laws and order on the surface, but when it came to soul masters especially those with connections justice rarely favored the powerless.
Even the Spirit Hall, though it could act as a mediator, still had to operate pragmatically. After all, Nuoding City was governed not by them, but by the City Lord and his soul master allies.
And even the Spirit Hall was inclined to support civilian soul masters, not civilians.
After entering Nuoding City, Old Jack parked the ox-cart at a nearby relay station, then led Zhou Qing and Tang San toward the Elementary Soul Master Academy.
At the main gate.
A gatekeeper stepped forward upon seeing them, his gaze falling dismissively on Old Jack's coarse linen clothes. The disdain in his eyes was plain:
"What are you doing here? This isn't a place for bumpkins like you."
Old Jack quickly presented their spirit awakening certificates and said politely, "Young man, we're from Holy Soul Village. These two are children from the village. One of them is a working student."
The gatekeeper glanced at the documents and frowned.
Blue Silver Grass? A waste martial spirit—yet born with full soul power?
And what's this? A heart-type martial spirit…
Parts of the body? Didn't the Deputy City Lord's daughter also have a body-part spirit? Something like a brain, wasn't it…?
"Sir, may we enter now?" Zhou Qing interrupted gently. As he spoke, his hand slid into his pocket—and two silver soul coins "accidentally" fell to the ground at the gate.
Hearing the clink, the gatekeeper immediately handed back the certificates, opened the gate, and bent down to retrieve the coins. Without even looking at them again, he said quickly, "Those were my silver coins that fell! You can go in the registration office is over there!"
Old Jack wanted to say something, but Zhou Qing pulled him back: "Forget it, Grandpa Jack. Let's go."
"No, you two go ahead. I'll head back now."
Old Jack glanced at the spacious campus and tall buildings of the Soul Master Academy completely beyond what a village like Holy Soul could compare to. A trace of timidity welled up in his heart. He decided it was best to leave.
"…Alright then."
As they watched Old Jack's figure slowly vanish into the distance, Zhou Qing and Tang San finally turned and made their way toward the registration office….
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/XenTronix