Midterms already? Wang Linchi was somewhat dazed; he hadn't expected them to arrive so quickly.
How long had it been? He glanced down at the book in his hand, realizing he had already been studying at Qinghe Academy for half a year.
There were no semesters here; it was just continuous study all year round, followed by advancing a level at the end.
There were no so-called winter or summer holidays; all his time was spent striving for progress.
My efficiency seems a bit slow. Without enough resources, I only have 20 points of spiritual power now, Wang Linchi thought with some helplessness. With the help of resources, one could gain ten times, even a hundred times the experience, or even acquire experience directly—unlike him, who was stuck cultivating slowly and arduously.
Luckily, it's enough, he mused.
His own 20 points of spiritual power, combined with the 20 points from Shallow Meditation, totaled 40 points of spiritual power. This made him feel quite wealthy, though it was probably an illusion caused by his actual lack of resources.
As for the latest Soul Skill·Soul Seed Boiling, he had barely managed to complete it and planned to submit it in a few days.
It wasn't that he was unwilling to submit it immediately, but rather that the timing wasn't right.
Firstly, there were the midterms, which, this time, were joint examinations involving three academies.
Besides their own Qinghe Academy in Qinghe City, there were also Quanchang Academy from Quanchang City and Fuan Academy from Fuan City.
Wang Linchi had heard that joint examinations were usually held at the end of the term. More importantly, this time they planned to broadcast the entire event, project it onto public screens, and even have dedicated commentators.
This puzzled Wang Linchi. Such events were usually kept confidential, so why the sudden decision to broadcast this one?
Then it dawned on him: it was, of course, an opportunity for Yan Ming King to display his prowess before everyone and thoroughly astound them.
This isn't a good thing, Wang Linchi thought. Once the live broadcast is over, all trump cards will be exposed.
And if you try to hide your strength? Just look at the rewards for the top ranks. Wang Linchi himself was tempted after seeing them.
The first prize was an Epic Level Soul Kind.
It was the first time Wang Linchi had heard that above Good was Epic.
Unfortunately, the exact type of Soul Kind was kept secret, which made Wang Linchi somewhat regretful as he couldn't ascertain the specifics.
Still, the offer of an Epic Level Soul Kind was enough to drive everyone into a frenzy.
Furthermore, students who made it into the top three would be given a Soul Kind removal treasure free of charge, ensuring the first-place winner could replace their current Soul Kind with the Epic Level one.
That thing... I'm afraid it's already destined for Yan Ming King, Wang Linchi mused. He couldn't think of anyone else who could obtain it. He had heard that Yan Ming King had already broken through to the Black Iron Level and was dominating the second-year students. His infamy at the academy had risen another notch, truly something to 'celebrate'.
I remember the joint examinations are supposed to start tomorrow, right? Wang Linchi checked the time and confirmed it.
It was normal for him not to be up-to-date, as this concerned the Battle-type Awakeners' majors. Being rather inconspicuous, he didn't usually pay attention to such matters, preferring to be immersed in his own world.
I need to find a way to get some resources. Others reach the Black Iron Level in half a year, while I'm still stuck at one-fifth of the White Porcelain level after the same amount of time, even though my aptitude isn't bad.
They have lavish supplements with every meal and are well-nourished, while I have plain porridge and pickles. How could I possibly catch up?
However, there had been some good news recently: he had completed a sub-project within his Soul Kind research.
This sub-project was titled "Soul Kind Evolution."
It could allow the four Soul Kinds he possessed to evolve to the Excellent Level by absorbing one hundred Excellent Level Soul Kinds.
There were drawbacks, of course, namely uncertainty and a lack of resources.
The subsidy of one hundred Soul Kinds he had received earlier was entirely consumed during the experiments. He only succeeded in evolving one, and even that was merely a semi-finished product due to insufficient Soul Kind energy. After all, evolving one required one hundred Soul Kinds of the same level as fodder, and he didn't possess nearly that many. By the time he managed this partial success, only twenty-seven fodder Soul Kinds remained.
Of course, this technique can only be used by me; others can't use it. They don't possess the Subordinate Thinking Focus Soul Kind and lack the 'power of thought' to interfere, rendering it useless for them.
If this 'power of thought' could interfere with external matters, it would definitely be a divine-tier skill.
I need to find new sources of resources, Wang Linchi pondered, wondering if he could gain sufficient benefits this time. As for economizing further, that was impossible. He was already scrimping and saving; cutting back more would mean hitting rock bottom.
It seems I'll have to rely on Yan Ming King, the protagonist, for this, Wang Linchi instantly thought of him.
Ever since Yan Ming King had given him the "Book Mountain and Sea Soul Forging Method," they hadn't been in contact. The other party was busy fighting monsters and leveling up every day, with no time to spare for him.
In terms of resources, the academy certainly can't provide them. Even if there were any surplus, they would only be allocated to Battle-type Awakeners' majors, not to a general major like mine.
If I go out seeking them myself, there's a ninety percent chance I'll be swindled. Trading with Yan Ming King, on the other hand, would be much better.
He's already at the Black Iron Level, so he naturally wouldn't care about White Porcelain level resources. Even if he casually tosses some my way, I could make good use of them.
From the information he had gathered about Yan Ming King recently, Wang Linchi was absolutely certain that Yan Ming King was a protagonist-level figure. This implied that once Yan Ming King reached a new realm, items from his previous realms would become almost worthless to him.
Secondly, regarding Soul Kinds, if I submit the new version of the Soul Skill·Soul Seed Boiling, it should elevate my subsidy tier.
Once the subsidy tier was increased, the new amount would be issued immediately, without waiting until the following year.
The next tier of subsidy consisted of one thousand Excellent Level Soul Kinds and Ten Thousand Yuan in cash.
Wang Linchi actually knew that Great View did not lack Ordinary, Excellent, and Good quality Soul Kinds. However, these only circulated among Battle-type Awakeners. Awakeners of other specializations, or ordinary people, couldn't access them at all, as their distribution was strictly controlled.
This was true even for lifestyle-type Awakeners, let alone someone in a general major like him.
So, even though one thousand Excellent Level Soul Kinds seemed like a substantial amount, in reality, Battle-type Awakeners could acquire quite a few from a single trip to a Secret Realm. Even the lowest-level Secret Realms could yield Excellent Level Soul Kinds.
Secret Realms were divided into six grades: miniature, small, medium, large, giant, and supergiant.
Currently, first-year students usually trained in miniature and small Secret Realms. These were quite rigid, almost like some sort of projections.
Wang Linchi didn't know what the Secret Realms of the next two higher grades were like. Even Battle-type Awakeners had to wait until after graduation before they could venture into them.
With such a production rate, how could there possibly be a shortage of low-level Soul Kinds?
However, the students' hauls were collected by the academy in exchange for academic credits; they weren't allowed to keep them for personal use.
In Wang Linchi's eyes, it felt like a company exploiting its employees, though at least the academic credits given were fair.
But I can't rely solely on the academy's subsidies for Soul Kinds; I also need a new channel, he thought.
Just as he thought of this, his expression soured. He was broke.