Soul Land: I am Uchiha Sasuke

"Thanks to you this time, those kids were saved" Ye Zhiqiu said, pouring Sasuke a glass of wine.

"It was nothing," Sasuke replied, glancing out the window. Canghui Academy's construction was far more structured than that of Shrek Academy, which reassured him about leaving Mu Qing here.

That night, Ye Zhiqiu warmly hosted Sasuke, sharing insights about soul masters, the current state of the continent, and the Spirit Hall.

"Is Canghui Academy also funded by the Spirit Hall?" Sasuke asked.

"Exactly," Ye Zhiqiu said, taking a sip of wine. "Who else would come to such a remote place besides the Spirit Hall? I was born in a village like this. Now that I've returned to Canghui Academy as a teacher, I see it as my way of repaying the kindness I once received."

Back when Canghui Academy was first established, it thrived due to a strong student base, even earning the honorary title of an "Advanced Soul Master Academy."

"However, in recent years, the quality of students has declined, and most of the teachers have left. Now, it's just me. These students may very well be the last," Ye Zhiqiu said with regret.

Hearing this, Sasuke glanced at Mu Qing, who was quietly eating. The law of the jungle has never changed, he thought.

"Brother Sasuke, stay and be a teacher!" Ye Zhiqiu suddenly grabbed Sasuke's hands. "This is a shameless request, but I really can't run this school alone. I don't want to see it fade into obscurity!"

Since arriving in this world, Sasuke had no particular goal besides finding a way back. Seeing Ye Zhiqiu's sincerity, he considered it and said, "I'll stay for a while. But to be honest, I don't know if I'd make a good teacher."

Sasuke wasn't lying—teaching wasn't exactly his forte.

Canghui Academy had only ten students, including Mu Qing. With Sasuke's arrival, Ye Zhiqiu divided them into two groups. He handled lesson planning while Sasuke supervised their training.

"Teacher Sasuke! Let's go into town tonight!"

" Teacher Sasuke! I made you a bento!"

" Teacher Sasuke! Do you have a girlfriend?"

Surrounded by a group of chatty female students after class, Sasuke sighed helplessl

He memorized their names one by one—Bai Cha, Ye Ling'er, Ling Yun, Ling Xue... The oldest was only fifteen, while the youngest, like Mu Qing, was thirteen. At seventeen himself, he wasn't much older than them.

Time passed, and Sasuke's ocular abilities gradually recovered. The six tomoe began forming within his Rinnegan.

Despite numerous attempts to open a space-time portal, he could only wander around Kaguya's dimension—a lifeless void—with no clear way back.

One evening, Ye Zhiqiu approached Sasuke, who was sitting on the roof, lost in thought.

"Sasuke, come with me today. We're taking some students to hunt for their soul rings."

Although Sasuke had learned about soul rings from Ye Zhiqiu, he had never participated in hunting one. Ye Zhiqiu wanted him to experience it firsthand, believing it would help Sasuke become a proper teacher.

Sasuke leaped down from the roof.

Ye Zhiqiu smirked. "You seem to like high places."

"Let's go," Sasuke replied calmly.

"You don't act like a seventeen-year-old at all," Ye Zhiqiu muttered, shaking his head.

This time, three students—Ling Yun, Ling Xue, and Bai Cha—were ready to obtain their soul rings. Coincidentally, they were the same three that Sasuke had saved earlier.

"Ling Yun, Ling Xue, Bai Cha, listen carefully. Follow me and Sasuke closely. Don't get lost in the Soul Hunting Forest," Ye Zhiqiu warned.

The students nodded. Their target was a century-old yellow soul ring. Sasuke used his Sharingan to analyze the soul power of the surrounding beasts, easily distinguishing their ages.

Ling Yun and Ling Xue were siblings, both possessing a martial spirit in the form of Buddhist prayer beads. Bai Cha's martial spirit was a snowflake.

After some searching, Ye Zhiqiu found their first target—a three-eyed green snake, nearly nine meters long.

"Ling Yun, Ling Xue, it's your turn!" Ye Zhiqiu ordered.

Ling Xue activated her first soul skill, "Holy Light Illumination." The projection of her Buddha beads appeared above Ling Yun's head, emitting a soft golden glow that increased his attack and defense by 20%.

With the buff in place, Ling Yun used his own soul skill, "Weituo Imprisonment." His Buddha beads materialized above the snake's head and descended, trapping it. The more it struggled, the tighter the beads constricted. Seeing the opportunity, Ling Yun drew his sword, dashed forward, and pierced the snake's head, pinning it to the ground.

"Well done. Ling Xue, this soul ring is yours," Ye Zhiqiu declared.

Ling Xue stepped forward, finishing off the snake. As it perished, a glowing soul ring formed above its body. She grasped it, pulling the ring toward her chest, and began absorbing its power.

Sasuke observed with his Sharingan, watching how the soul power flowed into her body, traveling through her meridians and thickening her natural reserves. As the soul ring gradually faded, she completed the absorption.

According to Ye Zhiqiu, if a soul ring was too powerful for its user, the resulting backlash could drive them mad or cause their soul power to explode, killing them. Sasuke likened this to the curse seal—an imperfect imitation of Sage Mode.

Ling Yun, noticing Sasuke staring at Ling Xue, chuckled and nudged him. "Hey, Teacher, what do you think? My sister's pretty cute, right?"

Ignoring the comment, Sasuke asked Ye Zhiqiu, "What happens if a soul ring isn't fully absorbed?"

Ye Zhiqiu furrowed his brows, puzzled by the question. "An incomplete absorption results in severe backlash. The soul master won't obtain any new abilities and will waste a soul ring slot."

Sasuke took mental notes, formulating a new theory.

After completing her absorption, Ling Xue proudly demonstrated her new abilities. Her enhanced Buddha beads could now assist three additional people, though the effectiveness beyond the first target dropped to 60%. Her second soul skill, "Buddha's Light to Exorcise Demons," increased the target's resistance by 50% and halved any negative effects.

Ye Zhiqiu clapped. "Well done, Ling Xue! If you keep this up, you'll become an exceptional support-type soul master!"

Blushing, Ling Xue muttered, "Teacher, you're embarrassing me..."

Ye Zhiqiu only laughed and led the group to find soul rings for the others.

By the end of the day, all three students had successfully obtained their soul rings.

"Teacher, let's go back and have dinner with Ling'er and the others!" Ling Yun suggested excitedly.

"Alright! I'll treat everyone at the restaurant!" Ye Zhiqiu agreed.

"Teacher Sasuke, aren't you coming?" Bai Cha asked, noticing that Sasuke wasn't following.

"Go on ahead. I'll join you later," Sasuke said before vanishing.

He had something else to test.