Night drained away with the passing of time, and when the first hint of pale fish-belly white appeared on the distant sky, the door to the dormitory opened quietly.
No amount of fatigue could disrupt his ingrained habits. Tang San slipped out of the dormitory without a sound. Though the sky outside was still dim, this was his favorite time of day.
Because this was dawn — a beginning, a fresh start. At this moment, every part of him felt as though it was awakening, and everything seemed wonderful.
Behind every genius lies effort. Without painstaking cultivation, even the most gifted Soul Master could never achieve anything. Behind Tang San's apparent strength lay over ten years of hard work.
He vaulted onto the rooftop with practiced ease, but this time he nearly tumbled right off the roof. The moment he landed, he spotted someone already sitting up there, gazing at him with piercing eyes.
At dawn, people's minds tend to be relaxed, and Tang San was no exception. That was why he hadn't been carefully listening to everything around him — and why he had gotten such a fright.
The person on the roof seized Tang San's shoulder, pulled him down to sit beside him, and raised a finger to his lips in a silencing gesture.
After the initial shock came a rush of delight. Tang San immediately recognized the figure sitting on the roof — it was the Great Master.
"Master, when did you arrive?" Tang San asked, beaming with joy.
Tang Hao had left Sacred Soul Village when Tang San was seven, leaving behind nothing but a letter. Since then, there had been no word of him at all. The Great Master had filled that void in his life. Though he was not a man given to easy expression, Tang San had received countless acts of care and devotion from him. Without the Great Master and Xiao Wu, Tang San's state of mind would never be what it was now. In this second world of his, apart from his father, the most important people to him were them.
The Great Master patted Tang San on the head — a habitual gesture of his. "I told you I would come find you here. I've been here for a few days already. I heard you'd gone to the Star Dou Great Forest. But you also gave me a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect you to break through the level-thirty threshold so quickly."
Tang San smiled. "Isn't that all thanks to your teaching?"
The Great Master's expression suddenly darkened. "Did I ever teach you to absorb the Soul Ring of a Soul Beast of unknown age?"
Tang San froze for a moment, then realized the Great Master already knew about the danger he had been in. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "No."
The Great Master gave a cold snort. "And yet you still dared to act so recklessly? Did you forget everything I told you about how dangerous the Human-Faced Demon Spider is? If something had happened to you this time, how could I have faced your father? You are my only disciple, and my hope. Without my permission, you are not allowed to die. Do you understand?"
Though the Great Master's words were far from gentle, Tang San — who knew him well — could easily hear the deep concern and fear hidden within them. His teacher had been terrified that he would come to harm. Tang San's eyes stung, and he lowered his head respectfully. "Master, I was wrong."
The Great Master stared at Tang San for a long while without speaking. At last, he sighed. "Xiao San, do you know that you have a very serious flaw? This flaw may bring you crisis again in the future."
"What is it? Tell me, and I'll definitely change," Tang San said quickly.
The Great Master shook his head and smiled ruefully. "Though it is a flaw, it is also a strength. You place too much weight on your emotions. If it hadn't been for Xiao Wu being taken away this time, you never would have lost your composure and forced the absorption like that."
Only now did Tang San understand what the Great Master meant, and for a moment he was at a loss for words. The Great Master was right — if it hadn't been for Xiao Wu, he never would have been so impulsive. But at that time, most of Tang San's capacity for judgment had already fled, and all he could think about was rescuing Xiao Wu by any means necessary.
The Great Master patted Tang San's head once more, and his gaze softened once again. "The reason I scolded you today is because I want you to remember: no matter what, you must maintain calm thinking. Even when the most important person in your life is in danger, you must be calm all the more. Only by keeping yourself alive first do you have a chance to save others. In many situations, impulse alone cannot solve the problem. Do you understand?"
Tang San nodded hurriedly. "Master, I'll remember."
The Great Master smiled faintly, quite satisfied with his obedient disciple. "Come. Let's go outside the academy. I want to see what you gained from your little escapade."
Tang San was overjoyed. He had been wanting to ask the Great Master about what was going on with his body as well.