What she didn't know was that Lin Xiuran had no money at all. He was extremely short on funds; he hadn't intended to sell anything deliberately.
In Xu Xiaoyan's understanding, no member of the Xu family should ever lack money.
Lin Xiuran, however, knew the truth: the watch had been a tool created by Xu Junwen to monitor his whereabouts. It contained a tracking device, and then Xu Xiaoyan was instructed to present it to him as a birthday gift.
After all, in all these years, no Xu family member had ever given him a genuine gift.
Looking at the watch, Lin Xiuran felt a wave of relief. At last, he had escaped that place. He no longer had to worry about anything, or beg pitifully for so-called love.
Shaking his head, he put it aside and returned to his dormitory as normal.
Originally, he intended to meditate, but just as he was about to start, he was forcibly pulled into his Spirit Sea.
There she was again—Gu Yue Na, in her white robes. She looked at the slightly confused Lin Xiuran and calmly said, "Today, we train your spiritual power."
Hearing that he would be learning something, Lin Xiuran quieted himself and prepared to listen.
For ordinary Soul Masters, spiritual power isn't particularly crucial. It also has levels, but it's not as meticulously divided as soul power. However, for high-level Soul Masters, the strength of one's spiritual power is extremely important.
Thus, anyone wishing to become strong must cultivate spiritual power. Fortunately, the Silver Dragon King Gu Yue Na before him excelled precisely in spiritual power.
She gently waved her hand, and six elements appeared in midair, slowly rotating around her palm.
"Controlling elements requires immense spiritual power," she explained. "Elemental Soul Masters need stronger spiritual power than normal Soul Masters. Controlling multiple elements requires even more. That is true for me. You may control slightly different elements, but the principle is the same."
"So, for you, cultivating spiritual power is even more important than cultivating your soul power."
Lin Xiuran's gaze sharpened. What Gu Yue Na said made perfect sense—she obviously understood training better than he did.
"How do I train it?" he asked.
At this question, a bright smile appeared on Gu Yue Na's face.
Though gentle and beautiful, Lin Xiuran sensed something unusual beneath it. Something felt… off.
"Light! No, no!"
It wasn't just a feeling—something was definitely wrong.
His pleas echoed through the Spirit Sea as he dodged countless fireballs and ice spikes, desperately fleeing.
The culprit? Gu Yue Na herself!
She looked at Lin Xiuran, who was in utter disarray, and said matter-of-factly, "This is an excellent method for training spiritual power. I control the speed of the elements' movement; if you can dodge them flexibly, your spiritual power will strengthen."
"As you improve, I will gradually increase the elements' speed and difficulty."
Though Gu Yue Na's tone was calm, Lin Xiuran knew just how difficult this truly was. For her, controlling these fireballs and ice spikes was effortless—but that meant hell-level difficulty for him.
Only when Lin Xiuran finally staggered out of the Spirit Sea did Gu Yue Na allow herself a smile.
"Na'er, aren't you being a little too cruel?"
Gu Yue Na glanced at her. "What, do you feel pity now?"
"No, I just think it's too strict. And once his phoenix bloodline recovers, won't this all be unnecessary anyway?"
Wutong tried to explain, but Gu Yue Na only gave a slight smile, knowing her limitations.
Curious, Gu Yue Na asked, "Aren't you going to check on your younger brother?"
"Forget it," Wutong sighed. "If I reveal myself, father will surely notice me. That could cause unnecessary trouble for Xiuran."
Gu Yue Na nodded. "I didn't expect you to value him above familial ties."
Tang Wutong gave a bittersweet smile. "I once relied heavily on family too, but as you see… my situation now, haha."
Though she didn't elaborate, that smile said enough.
"Actually…" Gu Yue Na sighed softly, "you're far stronger than I am."
A single tear formed in her eye and silently fell. Though she had no physical body, true emotions could still manifest as tears.
Morning meditation, afternoon at the Spirit Pagoda, evening special training with Gu Yue Na—Lin Xiuran's life was busy and full.
The holiday had been extremely fulfilling, far from dull, and even enjoyable. And he was not alone.
Gu Yue Na's training and care brought him a sense of comfort, much more than in the lonely years before.
The new semester began, and the previously quiet East Sea Academy became lively again.
Students streamed into the academy, everything vibrant and full of life. It was the second half of the semester, and after this term, grade-up exams would approach. Each student faced the mounting pressure of advancement.
For intermediate Soul Master students, sixth-year junior students must break through the second ring to graduate; for senior students, the third ring was required.
Not all students could achieve this, and as the years advanced, time grew increasingly tight.
First- and second-year students had it easier, still free from heavy pressure.
Lin Xiuran left early that morning. Recently, he had been studying a secondary profession—smithing—and mornings were best for that.
After training, he returned to find the rest of Class Zero back.
Gu Yue was chatting with Tang Wulin, while Xie Xie sat alone, seemingly bored.
Noticing Lin Xiuran, they all turned their gaze toward him.
After a month apart, everyone had changed slightly. Xie Xie and Tang Wulin had grown taller, while Gu Yue had grown slightly taller and more beautiful, her presence seemingly even more imposing.
Lin Xiuran had not seen Gu Yue for a long time; since she took him to the East Sea Spirit Tower, she hadn't appeared again. He had some idea of what she had been up to.
"Xiuran, did you stay in the dormitory all holiday?"
Xie Xie asked curiously.
"Yes."
Lin Xiuran nodded lightly. "I stayed in the dorm, but I usually went to the Spirit Tower during the day."
"Spirit Pagoda?" Xie Xie was surprised, then glanced at Gu Yue. "You joined the Spirit Pagoda too?"
Gu Yue explained, "I invited him."
(Chapter End)