Chapter 2: Studying to Death

The entire class was speechless. Not because the situation seemed impossible or unbelievable, but simply because none had ever seen such a thing before.

"That was so cool, Miss Shurong." One boy cheered, clapping his hands together.

"Yes, it was. Now, let me show you the next lesson."

Miss Shurong waved her hand, and several books flew across the classroom, landing on desks. They were ancient texts that contained information about the Virah and Cultivation method.

"I'm sure some of you might feel intimidated by my power, however, fear does not equate to weakness. I suggest that you all remember that. Otherwise, you may end up regretting it later on."

The class was still frozen in fear but slowly started to recover as the tension faded away.

"This is the strength of the Virah, the greatest monsters that roam the world. And as Cultivators, you will learn how to harness that strength."

"Yes, Miss!" they cried in unison, nodding their heads.

Miss Shurong then turned her gaze back towards the main entrance of the class.

"Now, let us begin. Today, we will be learning the basics of cultivation. Who can tell me the type of class that exist at the Institute?"

No one responded as it took a lot of courage to raise their hand and speak in front of the teacher.

"Very well, then-" but right before she could continue, a girl spoke out.

"There's the Soul, Core, and Arch Masters."

"Very good." Miss Shurong nodded approvingly.

"Now, I'd like to explain what each term means." She paused, waiting patiently until she could get everyone to listen.

"A soul master is a cultivator that has mastered the use of Virah's soul, which they can manipulate and transfer into their core. As you can imagine, this takes a great amount of skill to perform. It requires so much concentration and effort that it often results in the death of the cultivator."

"Wow, that sounds dangerous."

"Indeed. It is also very difficult to find a suitable host for a soul. The more powerful the soul, the harder it is to match.

At the back of the class, a group of students was listening to Miss Shurong attentively except for a boy with short, brown hair. He wasn't paying attention at all.

As Miss Shurong continued her explanation, he looked up at the ceiling, bored.

"Sigh, I would give anything to just be home and sleep." He mumbled quietly, leaning against his chair.

"What is wrong with him?" asked a girl next to him.

"He's probably homesick," said another student.

"Yeah, he's a noble student, you know," added a third. "They're well off whether at the school or back at their manors. Isn't that right, Rihan?"

Rihan didn't reply, he only shrugged it off.

"I don't really care about that. I would rather be at home sleeping." Rihan sighed again.

"You know, you shouldn't say that. You have a duty to your family, don't you?"

"I suppose."

"And besides, I bet you're just saying that because you're scared of being chosen for the trials."

"That's true," he admitted reluctantly. "But I can handle myself. I'll show you just how strong I am."

"Good luck."

"Yeah, you're gonna need it."

Soon they returned to Miss Shurong's lecture, where she continued explaining the basics of the three different classes.

However, Rihan continue to look around the room, lost in his thoughts."You should try to pay attention," the boy sitting beside him whispered in his ear.

Rihan turned towards the voice and saw a young boy with black hair and blue eyes. His name was Sung Li, and he hailed from the village of Jing'Er, located deep inside the mountain range.

"Why should I? I already know everything."

"What if Miss Shurong asks something you haven't heard yet?"

"Then she can ask me."

"You should at least pretend to be interested in her lesson."

"Fine, whatever," he grunted.

The two were friends since they were little kids. They grew up together, went through the same training, and were in the same year at the school. They became really good friends in childhood.

"You seem distracted today," remarked Sung.

"Yeah, I'm feeling kinda tired," replied Rihan.

"Maybe it's because you've got something on your mind. Maybe it's that girl you like," suggested Sung. "She's cute isn't she?"

"Shut up! I told you already, that I have nothing going on."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say."

***

The class ended, and Miss Shurong walked over to the boys.

"Well done today. You both did quite well. However, your lack of focus during the last part of the class was disappointing."

"Yes, Miss," they replied in unison.

Miss Shurong smiled. "It seems that you are not the only ones that have something on your mind. Perhaps you wish to talk about it to me. Is that correct, Rihan?"

"No, miss,"

Miss Shurong raised an eyebrow. "Is that so. Well, then, perhaps you and your friend here can come with me. We have a few matters to discuss in my office."

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"Gulp…"

Miss Shurong led them to a small corridor, and the pair followed Miss Shurong to the instructor's chamber.

"What happened to them?" a girl whispered to her friend.

The other girl shook her head. "I have no idea."

"Maybe she caught them doing something they weren't supposed to," the first one guessed.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, I hope that doesn't happen to me," muttered one of the students.

"Don't worry, you won't be getting punished anytime soon."

"I dunno, maybe she found out about their secret rendezvous and decided to punish them."

A few girls giggled as the class continues their lesson, as they watched them go.

Miss Shurong's office was small but well decorated. A large desk sat in the middle, surrounded by several chairs placed around it.

There was a shelf filled with books on the wall behind it, along with a painting of a Great Ancient King who ruled the Shu Kingdom long ago.

Miss Shurong closed the door as she entered her room alone with her students. As she moved towards her desk and took a seat, she leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table, staring straight ahead with her piercing red eyes.

"Now, let us start with the reason why I called you all here today."

Rihan and Sung Li were silent as they waited for her to speak.

"I noticed that you two were not paying attention to the class, and I believe you would prefer to stay here instead. Am I wrong?" She asked, without taking her eyes off of them.

"No, ma'am."

"Very well then."

"Miss?"

"Let us begin by discussing the difference between a Soul Master, a Core Master, and an Arch Master. I would also like to hear what you think of these differences."

Then began a long lecture about what exactly each class entailed. The entire time Miss Shurong kept her gaze fixed upon them, never blinking once. She made sure to make her points clear and precise, leaving no doubt about what she was teaching.

The two poor souls had no choice but to listen to the lecture, attentively, without even batting their eyelids.

After a while, however, they became too uncomfortable to sit in silence any longer. So, they started to exchange glances, trying their best to communicate.

"Ma'am, may we leave?" Sung Li finally asked.

"No. You will listen to me until the end."

"But the class has ended, Miss."

"And so, it will continue. Now, let us return to the subject." Her eyes were still focused, and her tone remained firm.

"Yes, ma'am," they replied in unison.

"Now, let us begin again. What is the main difference between Soul Masters, Core Masters, and Arch Masters?"

"Um…well…"

"You know, both of you are not worth my time."

Both of their faces flushed, and they stared down at the floor.

"I am disappointed in the way you act. You may consider yourselves lucky that I don't decide to expel you immediately. You have shown disrespect to the teacher, and you have not paid attention to the lesson. This is unacceptable, and it is not the kind of behaviour that will be tolerated at this Institute. Do you understand?"

"We apologize, Ma'am!" they cried out, bowing their heads.

"Very well. But, I warn you, do not disappoint me again. You can be expelled from this class, or worse, I can report to the High Elder."

"I don't think there's anything worse than this thought" Rihan muttered to himself.

"Are you sure?" Miss Shurong glared at him.

He gulped, before replying: "Ugh, no. No Miss!"

"Good. Then, continue with the lesson," she ordered, turning back towards her desk before she started her lecture all over again.

And so a long day passed, and Miss Shurong continued lecturing while Rihan and Sung Li's souls is slowly drained away into the ground below them.

Rihan never imagined that such as day would exist. He was completely exhausted, his body felt heavy. The odd sound of Miss Shurong lecturing him and Sung Li continued to echo in his ears, like a constant drumbeat.

He wanted to close his eyes and just sleep. He wished to be anywhere else, except for where he was.

Rihan looked at Sung Li and could see that he was suffering just as much.

"Sung, how are you holding up?" he whispered.

"Not good," Sung replied, looking around nervously. "This is making it hard for me."

"I know. I could see Nirvana just now. It's like it's right in front of me, but it's just beyond my reach."

"Hmmm!?" Miss Shurong interrupted their conversation. "Are you finished with your discussion? Good, then I would like to continue with our next topic."

Both of them could now feel the energy draining from their bodies, and their vision blurred.

"This….this is the end for me. Is this how my end comes? I'm afraid," said Rihan in panic.

His mind began to reel inwards, and darkness enveloped him.

"No! I don't want to die yet. I don't want to go to the underworld yet." His voice sounded distant to himself, and he tried to move his hands, but he couldn't.

His soul floated above his body, watching the world fade to blackness and suddenly, another soul came floating up in his place.

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