Then Ben pushed open the creaky wooden door to Dorm Seven, the familiar scent of damp straw and old wood greeted him like a friend who never showered. He was dead tired after everything that had happened recently—his secret spirit ring breakthrough, his sudden jump in cultivation, the terrifying corpse-bone moment—but instead of rest, Wang Sheng was waiting with arms crossed.
"Ben," Wang Sheng called out, straight to the point. "You're Level 17 now. That makes you the strongest in Dorm Seven. You should be our boss."
Ben blinked at him, expression unreadable. "Eh… that sounds like a hassle. I don't really care about that stuff. Can't you just stay the boss or something? I'll just vibe in the corner."
Wang Sheng's eye twitched.
He stepped forward, his tiger-like presence rising slightly. "Ben. This isn't about vibes. You're stronger than anyone here—including the kids in Dorm One. Xiao Chenyu's only around Level 11, and that's with a decent martial soul and connections. You're Level 17. And you're telling me to keep being boss while you lie around?"
Ben shrugged lazily, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean… I don't even have an attack skill. Just energy absorb this, energy absorb that. Besides, maybe my next skill will let me do something cool. Wouldn't it be better to wait till then?"
Wang Sheng's brows furrowed, face darkening.
"Take this seriously!" he snapped. "You think being this strong at your age is normal? Do you know how many of us train every day just to hit Level 10 before we're twelve? And you're acting like this is nothing?! Like it's a joke?!"
The dorm fell silent, the tension thick. A few other work-study kids peeked out from their beds to see what the fuss was about.
Ben sighed, finally straightening his back a little. "...Alright, alright. You've got a point. I'm not saying it's nothing. I'm just... not used to being the one people rely on. But if it matters to you guys, I'll step up."
Wang Sheng studied him for a moment longer before his shoulders eased slightly. "Good. You don't need to be perfect—just don't run away from it."
Ben smirked faintly. "Fine. Dorm Boss it is. But if I end up leading you all into poverty, don't say I didn't warn you."
Laughter broke out in the dorm, and for the first time in a while, the tension faded. Wang Sheng gave him a firm nod, accepting the handover not just of a title—but of trust.
Just as Ben reached for the yard door, intent on getting some air and maybe trying out a few stretches before calling it a day, a figure stepped into view, blocking the path.
He was a lean, stern-looking man in his forties, with a simple robe and a serious gaze, arms crossed as he looked down—literally and figuratively—at the group of kids clustered around the dorm entrance.
Ben paused, instincts already screaming nuisance alert.
The morning sun hadn't even fully risen by the time Ben and Wang Sheng stepped out of the dormitory, only to be greeted by a thin, middle-aged man with a hawk-like gaze and crossed arms standing at the courtyard entrance. His robes were plain but well-kept, his posture firm with an air of authority.
"I've been waiting for you," the man said with a calm yet firm voice. "You must be Ben Dover. I am Yu Xiaogang, the Grandmaster of Martial Spirit Theory."
Ben blinked. The name was familiar. He'd heard of Yu Xiaogang in passing—an eccentric martial soul theorist who was known for his vast knowledge but... nothing else. He wasn't a teacher at Nuoding Academy, yet here he was.
"I heard you underwent a second awakening of your Martial Soul," Yu Xiaogang continued. "An extremely rare phenomenon. I couldn't ignore it."
Ben internally grimaced. Where the hell did he hear that? I only told Elder Mu in Spirit Hall, and I made it up...
Yu Xiaogang took a step forward and began lecturing like a professor on stage. "Based on your awakening, your Martial Soul seems to be a body-type variant, unique in structure. The energy core and bracer system suggest a deeply integrated cultivation-type soul. Judging from your early breakthrough, your first spirit ring must've had supportive properties—something related to absorption, perhaps?"
Ben blinked, his eyes narrowing. How close is this guy gonna get?
"If my theory is correct," Yu Xiaogang continued, now holding up a notebook and flipping pages filled with diagrams and notes, "for your second spirit ring, you should aim for a spiritual beast that can grant explosive power to complement your current absorption base. Something in the 800–900-year range would be ideal—perhaps a Thunderclaw Wolf or a Flame-Thrusting Horned Tiger. Both offer good amplification to body-based martial souls. I've charted potential habitats for them around Star Dou Forest."
He paused and looked directly at Ben. "Most people with your level of innate power wouldn't dare think of taking on a beast like that, but with proper technique and my guidance, it's doable."
Ben gave a hollow smile. "Right... sure…"
Yu Xiaogang mistook the response as humility and smiled. "You don't need to be ashamed of your innate level 3 spirit power. I've said this many times before: there are no useless martial souls—only useless soul masters."
He placed a hand on Ben's shoulder. "That's why I want to take you in as my personal disciple. Your talent, while unconventional, is unique. With my knowledge and your rare martial soul, we can break through the barriers of this world."
An hour passed.
An hour of endless self-praise.
Yu Xiaogang went on about how he derived the ten core competencies of martial souls. How his theories allowed him to predict spirit beast compatibility with over 80% accuracy. How his insights had helped countless spirit masters optimize their growth—even claiming he had trained spirit hall disciples once. And, of course, how he was the first to document and categorize "variant" body-type martial souls.
Ben's eye twitched.
His patience had long run dry. I've been here for two and a half years. This guy never showed his face, and now he shows up the moment a rare phenomenon happens? He doesn't care about me. He cares about proving himself through me.
And what's with that line about no useless soul masters? Bro, you've been stuck at level 29 for how long? With all that theory? Maybe you should take your own advice.
Ben snapped.
He pushed Yu Xiaogang's hand off his shoulder and stepped back, face dark.
"Enough."
Yu Xiaogang blinked. "What?"
"I said enough!" Ben repeated, louder. His core flared faintly in his chest, pulsing with irritation.
"You talk a lot for someone who hasn't broken through in decades. You want me as your disciple because of your theories—but not because of me. You keep spouting lines about useless martial souls, but for someone who claims to know everything, you sure don't understand people."
Yu Xiaogang stiffened.
"I didn't come here to be anyone's experiment. I didn't ask for a lecture. I didn't even want the second awakening thing, I—."
Ben's face was red and his core was glowing he almost overspoke his one and only secret thank god he managed to stop before its too late.
There was silence.
Yu Xiaogang, usually calm, looked visibly shaken. But after a moment, he stepped back and straightened his posture.
"…I see," he said. "I may have overstepped. My apologies."
He turned, and before walking away, he added, "You may not believe it, but I really did see potential in you. One day, you'll understand how rare that is."
Ben didn't answer.
He just turned around and walked into the courtyard, heart still pounding, his core dimming ever so slightly as his anger faded.
Note to self: no more lies involving rare phenomena. Or Grandmasters might start falling from the sky.