Chapter 5: Returning to Sixth Middle School
After dinner, the family gathered in the living room.
Wang Yurou turned to Qin Shu and said, “Little Shu, after this incident, you shouldn’t continue cultivating anymore. Just focus on living a peaceful life.”
“Exactly, listen to your mom,” Qin Wei chimed in. “Find a job, get married in a few years.”
If it were merely awakening a Bronze spiritual soul, Qin Shu would have followed their advice without hesitation.
But that wasn’t the case.
He spoke up, “Mom, Dad, I know you’re worried about me, but please take a look at this.” With those words, he spat out the Qingping Sword Pill.
“What is that?” his parents asked simultaneously, while his siblings gazed curiously.
Qin Shu glanced around, then with a flicker of divine will, sent the sword pill shooting forth. It made a gentle slice through the air, effortlessly cutting open a nearby glass bottle. The cut was smooth as a mirror, and only after a moment did the halves slowly slide apart, shattering upon hitting the ground.
“The Qingping Sword Pill, my gain from the first Abyssal Fragment World,” Qin Shu explained, before swallowing it back down.
“That’s amazing! Fourth Brother, do it again, one more time!” Qin Hao exclaimed, always full of energy and enthusiasm.
Qin Shu didn’t disappoint. With a swift motion, he summoned sharp metallic sword qi, slicing through the remaining half of the glass bottle once more.
The sound of shattering glass filled the air.
He reassured them, “Mom, Dad, don’t worry. Although my spiritual soul appears to be only Bronze-tier, it’s far beyond that in reality. I won’t risk my life carelessly; please trust me on this.”
His eyes were filled with unwavering determination.
The Qingping Sword Pill, besides possessing Five Elements sword qi, also contained a minor divine ability: the Primordial Spirit Sword Control Art.
By comprehending the profound mystery of unifying blade and vital energy, one could unleash killing strokes that left no trace, accompanied by a burst of azure light.
Due to controlling swords with his primordial spirit, many sword techniques transcended physical limitations, each move utterly unpredictable.
This was a tremendous divine ability, leading directly to the great path of Extrinsic Swords.
“Isn’t it just a Bronze-tier spiritual soul?” Qin Wei stared at Qin Shu for a long time, witnessing the power of the sword qi firsthand. “You’ve grown up now. If you believe in yourself, then go ahead.”
“Thank you, Dad.” Qin Shu smiled, then turned to Wang Yurou.
Wang Yurou still harbored concerns, but seeing Qin Shu’s resolute gaze, she knew her opposition would be futile. With a sigh, she said, “Safety must always come first. Remember that above all else.”
“Mom, I will,” Qin Shu reassured her with a gentle embrace.
“Fourth Brother, will you become even more incredible in the future?” Qin Hao asked, his eyes wide with wonder.
Qin Shu lifted him into his arms. “Of course, I’ll be incredibly, unbelievably amazing! Want to see something fun?” As he spoke, his true qi surged, lifting both himself and Qin Hao off the ground, supported by his divine sense.
“This is so much fun! Look, Mom, I’m flying!” Qin Hao exclaimed, gazing at Wang Yurou.
After playing with Qin Hao for a while, the family dispersed to their rooms for some rest. Tomorrow would be another day of work and school.
In the blink of an eye, two days had passed. All awakened beings who returned from the Abyss Fragment World like Qin Shu were due to report for duty.
As for those who failed to awaken, they had already graduated and were now preparing for the high school exam in June.
Yes, there was still a high school exam.
The awakening ceremony was held once a year, serving as the Extraordinary High School Exam. Those who passed would attend Awakened Being University.
There was also a regular exam for ordinary students, leading to admission at non-specialized universities.
Qin Shu, being an awakened being—even with just a registered Bronze Potential Spiritual Soul—could no longer attend a regular university. His only option was to go to an Awakened Being University.
He’d likely end up at some run-of-the-mill institution, such as Yangzhou Warrior God College’s 79th Branch Campus or similar.
Truth be told, Qin Shu wasn’t particularly picky about that.
Over these past two days, his cultivation base had advanced another level—to the sixth stage of Qi Refinement.
He wasn’t far off from the twelfth stage either. After reaching Foundation Establishment, it would be time for another round of Abyssal training—a progression somewhat swift by any measure.
As he walked through the gates of Sixth High School, not much time had elapsed since the awakening ceremony. Ye Yunqing had made quite an impression, and as her former friend, Qin Shu naturally stood out among the crowd.
“Isn’t that Ye Yunqing’s mate? The one with the Bronze Potential Spiritual Soul, right? Surprising he’s still alive—what luck!”
“You’re telling me! With only a ten percent survival rate, he actually pulled it off.”
“Heh heh, well, this is all he’ll amount to. Would he dare venture into the Abyss after Foundation Establishment? Staying safely within the Qi Refinement realm is the wise choice, isn’t it?”
Rumors swirled around Qin Shu like a vortex.
Yet, no one had the audacity to confront him, denying him the satisfaction of a public rebuttal.
Perhaps there were some despicable souls out there, but he’d yet to encounter them.
As for these whispers, who cared? He was no longer a child.
He strode through the hallway, his steps echoing as he made his way to Class 6-6.
Sixth Middle School, Class 6-6 - three sixes, 666 - smooth sailing.
Qin Shu gazed at the class plaque, feeling an inexplicable sense of harmony.
“Qin Shu!”
The moment he stepped into the classroom, a booming voice startled him.
“Qin Shu!”
Another voice chimed in.
All eyes were on him, wide with astonishment.
Qin Shu looked at his classmates, smiling. “Surprised I’m still breathing, aren’t you?”
They nodded collectively, their disbelief palpable.
Zhao Zhe, the class president, spoke up. “With a Bronze Spiritual Soul, the chances of surviving the first Abyss World are less than ten percent. You’re incredibly lucky.”
Zhao Zhe possessed a Gold Artifact God Soul: Heavy Spirit Howitzer.
In essence, he was a walking cannon. By channeling true qi into his body, he could unleash devastating howitzer fire. The cannon itself also served as a formidable melee weapon, making him a force to be reckoned with at any range.
It was clear that Zhao Zhe would likely pursue physical enhancement in the future.
Qin Shu replied mildly, “Luck certainly played its part.” Ignoring the curious gazes of his classmates, he returned to his seat with studied indifference.
Most students had arrived by now; at Sixth High School, the probability of awakening a spiritual soul was approximately fifty percent.
There were empty seats in front and back, but people sat on both sides.
“Qin Shu, I’m glad you’re alive,” said Wei Jie, a chubby boy sitting to his left. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have anyone to talk to.”
Perhaps every protagonist has such a chubby friend—Qin Shu and Wei Jie shared a good relationship.
“If you’re still here, how could I possibly be dead?” Qin Shu playfully punched Wei Jie’s shoulder.
Class 6 originally had fifty-seven students, with only twenty-nine present today.
Notably, none possessed Bronze-tier spiritual souls.
Among them, Ye Yunqing had awakened a Five-Colored Divine-tier spiritual soul and would no longer attend classes here.
“Has your childhood sweetheart not tried contacting you again?” Wei Jie whispered curiously.
“Nope, she moved away,” replied Qin Shu.
“Moved away? Makes sense though. Kong Yanran lived in the Immortal District; of course she’d need to relocate,” Wei Jie mused thoughtfully.
Those who achieved immortality resided in the Immortal District, while mortals lived in the Mortal District. This arrangement held true for each state capital within the Nine Provinces Holy Court.
Only these state capitals featured an Immortal District.
The other cities governed by Yangzhou City were inhabited solely by mortals.
“You seem quite knowledgeable about this,” Qin Shu observed, looking at Wei Jie.
“Not too bad, heh!” Wei Jie chuckled, unwilling to elaborate further. He changed the subject, “Are you at Qi Refinement first stage now? What do you plan to specialize in later—medicinal pills, artifacts, or something else?”
Qin Shu asked with a smile, “Can’t I just become a combat specialist?”
“Forget it. For someone like us who barely survived, living out our days peacefully is more than enough. Don’t get your hopes up for nothing.” A hint of despondency crept into Wei Jie’s voice.
Who wouldn’t dream of having a god-tier spiritual soul?
But across all sixty classes and over three thousand students in Sixth Middle School, only Ye Yunqing had achieved that status.
Forget about god-tier; even finding a Sunlight-rank awakened being was no longer guaranteed every year.
Yangzhou City housed well over a thousand middle schools, witnessing millions of awakenings annually. Sixth Middle School certainly wasn’t exceptional among them.
The truly outstanding school remained First Middle School, which consistently produced ten Sunlight-rank souls each year, occasionally even yielding a mythical-ranked talent once every couple of years.
This year’s absence of such talents might be due to Sixth Middle School stealing some of their destiny, one could speculate.
Translator Notes: In the previous chapter, he was referred to as the eldest brother. However, in this chapter, his brother mentions “Fourth Brother” based on the raw text. This inconsistency is a bit confusing. I may adjust the context in the future after reading further and gaining more clarity.
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