Soul Land: Xiao Yan Reincarnates as Huo Yuhao

"A few hours, perhaps." Tang Ya, who was leading, sat down by the bed and looked at Xiao Yan with a mix of astonishment and admiration. "Xiao Yan, I have to say, you're incredibly bold to stand up to that tyrannical Zhou Yi."

"Xiao Yan, we've heard about what happened." Bei Bei added with a helpless smile. "Teacher Zhou was actually assigned to the third-year students, but due to her harsh and rather peculiar teaching style, only about ten percent of her students managed to advance. She received so many complaints that she was finally demoted to teaching the first-year class. Looks like you had some bad luck running into her."

"But on the flip side, because of her strictness, her students have one of the highest acceptance rates into the inner courtyard."

"Hmph, if she weeds out all the weaker students and only keeps the strong ones, it's no wonder that inner courtyard acceptance rates are high." Xiao Yan scoffed at this, countering with a smirk.

Bei Bei had no counter and could only laugh awkwardly.

"By the way, Brother Bei, why am I here?" Xiao Yan asked as he looked around, noticing that he was back in his rented room.

Bei Bei explained, "When you were fighting with Teacher Zhou, you made quite a commotion. Tang Ya and I were passing by the plaza, so we came to check it out. By the time we found you, you had already fainted, so we brought you back here."

"Oh, and there's some good news! Due to the big stir you caused and the complaints that got Zhou Yi demoted in the first place, the academy's higher-ups have decided to transfer you from the first-year class to the seventh class. They've also warned Teacher Zhou not to expel students recklessly."

"Oh, I see." Xiao Yan nodded, though he didn't look particularly pleased.

Just then, Tang Ya's face lit up with a mischievous smile, her eyes darting with an idea. "Xiao Yan, I heard you borrowed money from Bei Bei to rent this place, so you must be pretty strapped for cash, right?"

Xiao Yan hesitated, unsure of how to respond. If he said he had money now, he'd have to explain why he borrowed from Bei Bei. But if he said he was broke… well, after selling those pills, he was practically swimming in funds. To avoid unnecessary explanations, he scratched his head and laughed awkwardly, nodding. "Yeah, I don't have much money right now. I was planning to look into some jobs around the academy and pay back Brother Bei once I earned enough."

"No need for that!" Tang Ya quickly waved her hands with a grin. "You don't have to do those jobs—I've already thought of a way for you to make money! I know the lady in the dining hall who buys ingredients, so she could help you get a few dozen rabbits every day. Then, I'll set up a grill for you and get some charcoal. And don't worry, I'll prepare all the seasonings, too."

"When you're done with classes, just head to the academy gate and sell roasted rabbit! With your skills, Xiao Yan, I bet you can sell them for at least ten copper soul coins each."

"Uh…" Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned, his mouth hanging open as he looked at Tang Ya, who was already practically drooling at the thought. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead. "Sister Tang Ya, you're just craving more rabbit, aren't you?"

"Mhm!" Tang Ya didn't deny it, nodding eagerly. "Your roasted rabbit was too good! I've been craving it ever since I had it that one time. Today, I finally thought of a way to satisfy both my craving and help you earn money. Smart, huh?"

"Alright, fine. I'll see you in the evening, then?" Seeing Tang Ya's eager expression, Xiao Yan couldn't bring himself to turn her down, especially since he still owed Bei Bei. Though he could technically pay him back right now, he figured it was better to play along.

"Perfect! I'll wait for you at the teaching building after classes." Tang Ya, pleased, gave him a cheerful smile and waved before eagerly dragging Bei Bei out with her.

Once they'd left, Xiao Yan looked down at the ring on his hand and asked softly, "Teacher, was it you who intervened just now?"

"No," came the old, gravelly voice from within the ring. "I was about to step in, but then… uh, a certain insect beat me to it."

At that moment, the voice of the Heavenly Dream Iceworm echoed in Xiao Yan's mind, "That was me, kid. If it weren't for me, you'd be nothing but ashes by now! That fire dragon martial soul of hers is no joke, even if she's not the strongest soul emperor out there." The Iceworm continued, "By the way, I've unlocked a portion of the first seal I left in your body. Keep up your training!"

"So it was you. No wonder I blacked out." Xiao Yan nodded in understanding, then chuckled. "But thank you, Heavenly Dream."

"Hey! Call me Brother Heavenly Dream!" the Iceworm huffed. "You know, I had to use a part of my origin energy to save you—that's my spiritual core! That's basically my soul wisdom, the intellect that empowers your soul ring. With my current state, I probably won't be able to help out again for the next six months."

"And with that, I'm heading back to sleep!"

The Iceworm promptly drifted off in Xiao Yan's mental sea, resting like a young child without a care in the world.

"Teacher, I'm not sure about Shrek Academy's teaching style. Do you think we should find another place for me to train?" Xiao Yan asked Yao Lao, sharing his concerns now that the Iceworm was silent.

Yao Lao was quiet for a moment before he replied, "Just because one person has issues doesn't mean everyone else does. If Shrek Academy has managed to maintain its status as the top academy on the continent, it must have its strengths. Why don't you observe for a while? If it really doesn't meet our expectations, then we can consider leaving."

"And by the way, isn't there a soul engineering department here? I'm quite curious about it myself. Perhaps you could look into that?"

"Alright, I'll give it a bit more time then, Teacher." Xiao Yan agreed. Just as he was about to head back to the academy, an idea suddenly sparked in his mind. His eyes gleamed with an unusual light as he slightly bent his right hand, focusing on a vase across the room.

"Blazing Palm!"

With a low shout, Xiao Yan directed his battle energy through his palm without any specific pathways, releasing it in a straightforward burst.

A gust of wind shot from his palm, sending the vase wobbling dangerously on the table. Thankfully, he managed to stop the technique just in time to prevent the vase from toppling over.

"Teacher, if there was a technique that could generate strong suction alongside this Blazing Palm, I bet that the opposing forces could deal quite an unexpected blow to an opponent during a fight." Xiao Yan mused thoughtfully.

"Well, well, look at you! Thinking up ways to enhance Blazing Palm with a suction technique!" Yao Lao's voice sounded amused as he materialized from the ring, observing Xiao Yan with a hint of approval. "Creating a technique to generate powerful suction…"

"Unfortunately, I don't have anything like that in my collection," Yao Lao admitted, a little disappointed.

"What? Not even you, Teacher?" Xiao Yan's face fell, clearly crestfallen.

Seeing his dejected expression, Yao Lao chuckled, rubbing his forehead as he thought. "But with my skills and experience, creating a suction-based technique shouldn't be impossible."

"It'll take some time to develop. In the meantime, why don't we give it a name? Sinc

e it generates suction, let's call it Vacuum Palm. How does that sound?"