Due to the typhoon and torrential rain, the normally bustling streets of East Sea City were nearly deserted, giving the city a desolate, empty feel.
Lin Xiuran continued to move slowly through the heavy rain, raindrops striking his already soaked clothes.
Fortunately, the typhoon had mostly passed, leaving only the rain. Otherwise, he might have been blown away.
A lone figure in the pouring rain looked utterly solitary. He certainly disliked the rain it had drenched him completely but at the same time, he was oddly grateful for it. At this moment, the only company he had was the endless downpour.
The storm had slowed his journey considerably. After over an hour of walking, he finally arrived at East Sea Academy.
That was actually relatively fast. A large part of the reason was that he often walked from the Xu family villa and knew the roads well; otherwise, it might have taken twice as long.
East Sea Academy was a large institution, with both intermediate and advanced divisions. Therefore, it was split into the Intermediate Academy and the Advanced Academy.
Lin Xiuran was a student in the Intermediate Academy, currently in Class 1 of the first year. Class rankings were determined by promotion competitions, so his class was relatively strong. But in reality, it was still just a normal class. This year, the academy had created a "Zero Class," reserved for only the most outstanding students. Lin Xiuran did not enter Zero Class. Although he had innate Spirit Power at level nine, his martial soul—the Wind Spirit Bird—was too ordinary.
Having level-nine Spirit Power with an ordinary martial soul was unusual, defying logic. Typically, the higher a martial soul's quality, the higher the innate Spirit Power. Martial soul quality and Spirit Power were directly correlated. This was difficult for Lin Xiuran to accept. In this world, a martial soul essentially determined a soul master's potential. Even with level-nine Spirit Power, significant breakthroughs would be nearly impossible in the future.
Because of the typhoon, East Sea Academy had suspended classes. The classrooms of Class 1 of the first year were empty, giving Lin Xiuran a temporary place to rest and escape the storm.
Ironically, the Intermediate and Lower Academies were free under the Federation's educational system. Without tuition, he could attend despite his family's lack of support; otherwise, he might not have been able to afford even this temporary refuge.
The Xu family had never given him an allowance, let alone tuition. Over the years, he had earned money through part-time work, buying clothes, saving for spirit souls, and preparing tuition for the Advanced Academy.
He had no choice but to improve himself. Becoming stronger was the best way to escape his predicament. He had to prepare for the future.
In the empty classroom, after thinking for a while, Lin Xiuran collapsed onto a desk. His mind grew heavy, and his consciousness began to blur.
"Where… am I?"
His eyelids felt heavy, but he smelled the sharp scent of disinfectant. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw a stark white ceiling above him.
"Awake?"
Lin Xiuran turned toward the voice. Sitting beside him was a girl of fourteen or fifteen, her figure already well-formed. Her pink jacket could not hide her charming figure, her skin smooth and fair as jade. Her long blue hair was tied into a neat ponytail, and her large eyes sparkled brightly. She was beautiful, with delicate features.
"Zixin-jie, why are you here?" Lin Xiuran croaked hoarsely, his throat sore, struggling to speak.
[Jie = Sister or older female]
Seeing Ouyang Zixin, he instinctively tried to sit up, but his body ached all over, as if it had fallen apart.
"Don't move. Rest properly." Ouyang Zixin quickly helped him lie back and tucked the blanket around him.
"It was Xiaoyan who sent me a soul communication, saying you had run away from home. When I arrived at the academy, I met your homeroom teacher, Ye Yingluo, bringing you to the infirmary. You had a fever—serious, too."
She placed the doctor's medicine on the bedside table and continued, "Teacher Ye just left. I waited here for you to wake up."
Lin Xiuran looked at the girl beside him and, embarrassed, said, "Zixin-jie, once again you and Teacher Ye have helped me. I don't even know how to thank you."
"Don't talk nonsense, little brother," Ouyang Zixin scolded with a smile. Then, without thinking, she added, "It's because you're Senior Xu's brother."
Lin Xiuran's expression stiffened. He forced an awkward smile and then closed his eyes again.
Ouyang Zixin didn't notice anything unusual. She had arrived after a soul communication and gone to meet him. Seeing him close his eyes, she assumed he wanted to rest.
"Little brother, rest well. I've put your new clothes beside you—they're wet from earlier. The doctor gave you a patient gown to wear. Once you feel better, you can change. Your brother called me to eat, so I need to go to the dorm to prepare."
After leaving her instructions, Ouyang Zixin hurried off, her eyes gleaming with barely contained excitement, though she tried to hide it.
Once she was gone, Lin Xiuran slowly opened his eyes, his expression complex.
In the past, Ouyang Zixin had been the person he looked forward to and was most grateful for in this world.
Before awakening his martial soul, he had already known her. She was a few years older and had always taken care of him. Their relationship had always been friendly, almost like childhood friends—at least, that's how Lin Xiuran had perceived it.
Now, however, his heart ached strangely.
This feeling was complicated. It wasn't entirely because Ouyang Zixin had a fondness for Xu Xiaoyu. More than anything, he feared that her help was not heartfelt—it was because he was Xu Xiaoyu's nominal younger brother.
This changed the nature of their relationship.
After resting briefly, Lin Xiuran prepared to leave. He planned to go to the Spirit Pagoda—he was level 19 and ready to acquire a spirit soul. He had saved enough money for a cheap spirit ring.
This was crucial for his cultivation, and he had no desire to lie around any longer. His body had already recovered significantly. After all, as a soul master, his physical constitution was far stronger than ordinary people; a mere rainstorm could not defeat him.
(End of Chapter)