EFB Chapter 1: A Genius Buried by the Martial Soul System
Chapter 1: A Genius Buried by the Martial Soul System
On the back mountain of Notting Primary Soul Master Academy, west of Notting City in the Heaven Dou Empire, the scenes that unfold here every day are a microcosm of the dog-eat-dog world.
The last rays of the setting sun shone freely on the earth, but they could not warm Shi Tie's heart, which felt as if it had fallen into an ice cellar.
At this moment, he was curled up on the ground, like a shrimp that was about to be cooked, with his arms crossed, tightly protecting a steamed bun that had long since lost its color.
The clearly visible shoe print on the steamed bun was like a mark of shame branded on his dignity, one he would never forget!
"Haha, look at this good-for-nothing! A stone spirit soul, it really suits his blockhead! The way he's guarding his food, he looks like a wild dog...!"
Xiao Chenyu, the son of the city lord of Notting City, was surrounded by several followers, laughing and joking without restraint.
Beneath his feet, a bright white spirit ring slowly rotated, and the phantom of the Wild Wolf Martial Spirit behind him added a touch of ferocity to him, making him incredibly imposing in front of his group of underlings!
"Boss Xiao, why waste words with him? Let him lie on the ground and bark like a dog a couple of times, then we'll give the steamed bun back to him! Let's see if he wants dignity or the steamed bun..." A little lackey with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face suggested obsequiously, instantly eliciting another burst of laughter from everyone.
Shi Tie bit his lips, which were already bleeding, and clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, but he felt nothing.
Stone Martial Soul, Level 1 Innate Soul Power, Commoner Soul Master... These labels were like heavy shackles, causing him to suffer the contempt and bullying of noble students in this academy.
These two steamed buns were his food for the day.
He struggled to his feet, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at the crowd before him, those malicious faces he would never forget!
"I told you to crawl over and pick up the steamed bun, are you deaf?! You dare to glare at me? Looks like the lesson I taught you wasn't enough!"
Faced with such a tough nut to crack, Xiao Chenyu lost his patience for toying with him. A fierce glint flashed across his face, and his soul rings pulsed beneath his feet as he delivered a powerful kick to Shi Tie's abdomen.
Without a doubt, if his kick landed, no matter how sturdy Ren Shitie's body was, he would probably be bedridden for a day or two.
Shi Tie closed his eyes in despair, preparing to once again use his body to endure this familiar pain.
However, the expected heavy blow did not occur, and time seemed to stand still at that moment.
A hand with distinct knuckles, yet slightly pale, gently clasped Xiao Chenyu's ankle, like a willow branch quietly emerging in early spring!
Without any fluctuation of soul power or any terrifying aura, with just a casual grab, Xiao Chenyu's powerful kick was frozen in mid-air as if it had been subjected to a spell.
No matter how much he urged his soul power, he could not advance even an inch, nor could he retract even a fraction of it.
"Huh?" Xiao Chenyu was both shocked and furious. How dare someone ruin his plans at this time? They must be tired of living!
Following the arm, he saw a young man in an old gray robe who had silently appeared in front of him.
The boy was only seventeen or eighteen years old. Although his clothes and appearance were very ordinary, his eyes were incredibly clear and bright. At this moment, he was scanning his surroundings with a hint of laziness and helplessness, as if the bullying scene in front of him was just a boring prank.
"A bunch of kids around ten years old, and they're so aggressive!" the young man said calmly, his voice not loud, but strangely drowning out all the surrounding noise. "Stealing people's food and then trying to beat them up, isn't that a bit unreasonable?"
"Lin...Lin Mu! It's you!" Upon recognizing the person, Xiao Chenyu's surprise was instantly replaced by anger! "You good-for-nothing gatekeeper, how dare you meddle in my business? Get out of my way, or I'll beat you up too!"
Lin Mu is a well-known "connected person" at Notting College.
Rumor has it that he suffers from some strange hidden illness, making him unable to cultivate soul power at all. He is a complete "waste" who only managed to get a sinecure as a gatekeeper and patrolman at the academy through some unknown connection. Like Shi Tie, he is the object of everyone's secret ridicule.
"It's my job to guard the gate and patrol the mountain. I have to maintain the peace and quiet of this back mountain, right? You guys are too noisy and are disturbing my sunbathing," Lin Mu said with a slight smile.
After saying that, he casually flicked his wrist, and then a skillful force emanated from his hand.
Xiao Chenyu felt a spiraling force coming from his ankle, which instantly made his entire leg feel sore and numb. He subconsciously cried out in surprise, then staggered back several steps and sat down on the ground with a thud.
He stared at Lin Mu with a look of astonishment and suspicion. He hadn't even seen how the other party had made that move, and he didn't have time to react at all! That strange force was definitely not soul power!
"Lin Mu, do you have a death wish? How dare you attack me!" Xiao Chenyu, having lost face in front of his underlings, shouted angrily at Lin Mu!
No one at Notting Academy has ever dared to lay a hand on Xiao Chenyu! Of course, the two work-study students who just enrolled not long ago are an exception.
Those two are both innate superhumans with full soul power and possess hundred-year soul rings; he truly can't defeat them! But how dare you, a useless piece of trash who can't cultivate, a lowly gatekeeper?!
Lin Mu ignored him, instead bending down to pick up the dirty steamed bun from the ground, gently patting off the dust and grass clippings, and then handing it to Shi Tie, who had just struggled to stand up.
"Thank you... thank you, Mr. Lin." Shi Tie's voice was filled with sobs and a trembling of relief. He looked at Lin Mu in front of him, the gatekeeper who was usually regarded by everyone as a "useless" person like himself, but at this moment he was shrouded in a mysterious halo.
"Hmm, not bad. You're quite resilient for your small frame. You've been beaten up like this and you still have the strength to speak! When you raised your hand to block just now, your instinctive reaction was good, but your intention came first and your energy didn't follow. If you had really taken that kick, you would probably have been bedridden for several days!" Lin Mu's voice was very calm, as if he were commenting on a work of art.
"Your shoulders are too tense, causing your breath to be almost entirely blocked in your chest. Power should originate from your calves, travel through your waist and abdomen, and then reach your shoulders. Only when you relax and sink your weight can it be applied to your arms to defend. If your shoulders are too tense, seven or eight tenths of your power will be lost. You'll have the posture, but how can you possibly withstand the opponent's attack?" Hearing this, Shi Tie was completely stunned, staring blankly at Lin Mu with disbelief!
The teachers in the academy, including that highly respected master, only taught them how to condense soul power through meditation and how to activate soul ring skills. He had never heard of such a thing as how the human body exerts force!
This young man, whom everyone considered a waste, seemed to point directly to the essence of a power he had never encountered before with just a casual remark!
He mentally rehearsed the exertion motion and found that, just as Lin Mu had said, the difference between the two was quite obvious!
"Mr. Lin...you...you also know about cultivation?" A faint hope rose in Shi Tie's heart, and his voice trembled slightly due to extreme shock.