Fan Yumei reached the Soul Function Department, weaving through the elevated corridor bridges and sleek buildings humming with qi-tech. The area buzzed with energy—futuristic structures lined with floating platforms and levitating directional signs, sleek training arenas wrapped in smart glass, and sky pods zooming overhead ferrying staff and high-ranking students.
Mystic flew alongside her above the rooftops, golden lightning flickering playfully around her massive form. Yumei felt a pulse through their shared link, and Mystic's amused voice rolled in her mind:
"You're here. You don't need me anymore. Go on. Be impressive."
Mystic peeled away with a sweep of her cloud-furred tail, soaring back toward the Sky Beast Reserve.
Fan Yumei nodded, then descended the steps with Lufei and Maxius trailing silently at her heels. She passed through the archway marked:
[SOUL FUNCTION DEPARTMENT – UNITY THROUGH BOND]
Inside, chaos reigned.
Beasts darted through the courtyard—flame-tailed foxes setting off warning sirens, a bulky stone gorilla chasing after its panicked tamer, and a translucent aquatic serpent flopping wildly on a hover cart. High-tech monitoring drones zipped overhead, flashing red as they attempted to assess qi levels and species types. Students shouted instructions, some trying to rein in misbehaving soul beasts, others ducking for cover.
Maxius flared his wings—one visible and majestic, the other flickering like a translucent veil of light—and gave a disapproving squawk. Lufei tossed her head, green gem-like antlers glowing faintly with controlled qi.
Yumei stood tall, unfazed.
"You two are so well-behaved," she said under her breath. "Strict training pays off. My six dogs from my last life would be proud. All retired military. Disciplined to the bone."
She strode past the chaos, nodding in approval at her soul beasts. Lufei sniffed disdainfully at a juvenile firehound chewing a student's boot. Maxius kept his steps precise, wings tucked neatly.
⸻
The classroom was modern—rows of sleek, white nano-desk stations with qi-absorbent alloy surfaces, paired with high-density crystal-glass chairs. Each station included a touch-interactive soul core monitor and beast-link tether pad.
Yumei took a seat in the third row from the back, by the window. Lufei and Maxius settled behind her, their forms shimmering slightly as their aura settled.
A few students glanced at her beasts with awe, whispering among themselves.
The door whooshed open. The instructor entered—tall, imposing, and geared not in robes, but in high-tech combat-grade light armor. His black jacket had intelligent thread woven through it, pulsing with silver. Soul rune circuits ran down his arms, glowing dimly as he moved.
He clapped his hands once. A golden qi pulse silenced all tech chatter, messages, and beast tether lines in the room.
"Group B. Soul Function Department. Welcome."
His voice carried, not through speakers, but a field resonance built into the walls—deep, controlled, and intentional.
His eyes scanned the room, pausing on Yumei.
"You. Back row. Third in."
Fan Yumei stood without hesitation.
"Fan Yumei. Triple profession: Beastmaster, Beast Healer, Rune Master. Six-star. My soul beasts—Maxius, Phantom Eagle. Lufei, Emerald Spirit Deer."
A hush fell. A few jaws dropped. Someone scribbled furiously on a smartpad.
The instructor's expression shifted—part surprise, part respect.
"A Rune Master too, huh? That's rare. Especially combined with Beast Healer."
He stepped forward, voice lowering.
"We don't get many Beast Healers. In fact, only five in this entire department. You're the sixth. And we need more. Desperately.
We lost too many during the Great Wars. Frontline collapse. Beast backlash. Qi implosions. Some never made it back. In the last few decades, the awakening rates have plummeted. But we have hope. You."
He pointed to the class.
"All of you. Soul Function is the foundation of unity between species. It's not about domination. It's about trust. Growth. Mutual cultivation. We don't do elemental calling here—we build harmony."
He gestured to Yumei to sit, and she returned to her seat.
"Now. You'll learn how to strengthen the bond with your soul beasts. A true bond improves everything—qi recovery, mental resilience, even your gift's evolution."
As he spoke, holographic projections formed around him, showing a golden thread connecting a young Beast Healer to their glowing beast. Their cultivation cycles spiraled in sync.
"Cultivating alongside your soul beast ensures mutual growth. Your qi path guides theirs, and vice versa. This makes breakthroughs easier, cleaner, and safer. It also influences future evolution and forms."
Yumei tapped open her digital notebook interface on her smart wristband and synced it to the classroom tech. She took notes efficiently, her handwriting neat and tactical. Maxius watched the holograms, expression proud. Lufei simply sat glowing like a forest deity.
"By improving soul power, qi control, and mental strength," the instructor continued, "you also support your profession's unique traits—your gifts. Especially for Beast Healers and Rune Masters, whose power intertwines with the bond."
He nodded.
"Now we'll put this into practice. Everyone, initiate the meditation protocol with your soul beasts."
⸻
The room dimmed. Calm lights pulsed from the walls as auto-silence tech engaged. Chairs adjusted to meditation mode, gently reclining.
Yumei reached out mentally.
Maxius. Lufei. Let's sync.
The two soul beasts pulsed with a familiar warmth, and Fan Yumei let her breathing slow.
Calm. Collected. Feeling.
She was building a solid foundation—soul qi and mental power weaving together slowly but surely, communicating through their bond, giving each other instructions and guiding one another into something different, unexplored, unexpected.
The bond deepened as they meditated—breath by breath, pulse by pulse.
Qi flowed in unified spirals between Yumei and her soul beasts, cycling through their cores like synchronized tides. Lufei's aura pulsed like dew-soaked forest light, soothing and firm. Maxius exuded quiet strength, a high-altitude calm threaded with razor focus.
Together, their energies converged, layered in harmony.
Even silence had weight.
⸻
When the bell finally chimed, the room lights pulsed gently back to full, and chairs reoriented to upright.
Fan Yumei opened her eyes.
Calm. Focused. Sharpened like a blade in oil.
She stood smoothly, bowed toward the instructor, and added with quiet conviction:
"Thank you for your lesson."
The instructor inclined his head slightly, gaze steady.
"Fan Yumei. Lufei. Maxius," he said, his tone thoughtful. "Keep building that rhythm. It's rare to see this level of unity at such an early stage."
"Thank you, sir."
⸻
Without breaking stride, she exited the room and stepped into the elevated corridor bridges. She tapped her AI space bracelet, summoning a clean interface with a flick of her fingers. With practiced ease, she drew out her personal weighted set—ankle wraps, wrist bands, and a reinforced core vest.
Each piece shimmered with qi-threaded alloy, auto-adjusting to her stats and size.
She strapped them on: 40 pounds total—ten pounds each on ankles and wrists, twenty on her vest. Her muscles shifted into proper posture immediately, breathing steady and precise.
Then she turned to her beasts.
"No freeloaders."
She tapped the interface again and summoned two more sets of calibrated weights.
For Lufei, she fastened 10-pound anklets around her dainty emerald hooves—threaded with qi-absorbing bark weave. Then came a 40-pound torso wrap, reinforced with root-fiber alloy and balanced evenly across her frame. Lufei blinked slowly, flicked one ear in protest, then exhaled in quiet acceptance, glowing faintly under the strain.
For Maxius, she applied his tailored set: a total of 10 pounds, distributed between a sleek wing-bound resistance band and light talon wraps. His visible wing shimmered beneath the pressure; the phantom wing flickered with faint distortion. Maxius gave her a look—skeptical but composed.
"Yes, ten pounds. You're built for speed, not carrying bricks," Yumei replied. "Don't look at me like that. This is precision training."
Maxius gave a low huff and tightened his glide pattern.
"All right, kiddos. We run."
⸻
Before she launched forward, Yumei tapped open her Oni9X and activated the Timer app, logging her goal:
Three miles. Fifteen minutes. Accelerate every mile.
She hit [Start].
Then she took off.
Weighted steps thundered against alloy pathways as Fan Yumei sprinted across campus. She cut across skybridges, wind buffeting her sweat-damp skin. Each step demanded control—posture, breath, and momentum.
Lufei kept pace beside her, hooves striking with soft force, glowing with rhythmic qi compression. Maxius soared just overhead, wings flaring wider than usual, form steady but clearly adjusting under load.
The first mile was brisk—just under six minutes. Her legs burned, but her rhythm held.
The second mile was faster—shifting into a hard sprint. She gritted her teeth, adjusting her qi flow through her core to keep momentum steady.
By the third mile, she was flying—metaphorically. Her weighted steps struck like thunder, each breath synchronized to her internal timer. Four minutes and climbing, the Oni9X blinked silently on her wrist.
They reached the three-mile mark in fifteen minutes flat, just as her timer chimed softly.
Other students stared, wide-eyed. A few stepped aside as the trio stormed past like a mobile training unit.
She hit a curve, vaulted a divider, landed clean.
Signs glowed overhead:
[ELEMENTAL CALLER DEPARTMENT →]
[RUNE MASTER FACULTY – INNER CORE LABS ↑]
Yumei zeroed in on the Rune Master building entrance.
Final stretch.
She leaned forward, let her qi spiral outward to stabilize her pace. The training weights compressed subtly—adaptive pressure kicking in to push her further.
Every step counts. Train during transit. No wasted motion.
That was her code.
She reached the Rune Master building's sensor gate just as her student ID pinged through. The door slid open.
Before stepping in, she slowed, then crouched.
"Off with the anchors."
One by one, she peeled off her weighted vest, ankle wraps, and wrist bands. Her limbs felt instantly lighter, qi flowing with less resistance but more force. Lufei gave a content sigh as the weights were removed from her body and legs. Maxius shook his wings out once, the pressure lifting from his form in a single smooth movement.
Freed of weight, all three stood a little taller, breath calmer—ready.
Fan Yumei straightened, smoothed her uniform, and strode through the entrance.
Time for the next class.