Nearly Capsized

Zhan Hu sensed the sound of wind tearing through the air behind him. His extensive combat experience made him instinctively unleash his second soul skill. His second Soul Ring lit up instantly, and the phantom image of his Martial Soul behind him blazed with light.

"Second Soul Skill: Tiger Roar!"

A powerful tiger's roar rang throughout the arena. Shi Yi's heart jolted, and his head immediately swam. "It's a sound-transmitted mental attack. Fortunately, I'm not too close."

But Zhu Zhuqing, who was nearly upon Zhan Hu's back, was in a different situation. The fierce Mental Impact carried within the Tiger Roar made her vision go black, and she nearly passed out completely. In that state, she was practically incapable of fighting.

Shi Yi barely curled his lips. Ants did not have ears; they relied entirely on their antennae to sense the outside world.

Tan Lang and Zhan Hu worked together with exceptional coordination. The instant Zhan Hu unleashed his second soul skill, Tan Lang understood his intent. He immediately turned to guard Zhan Hu's rear, while the Beast Soul behind him seemed to come alive. Tan Lang's second Soul Ring also lit up.

"Sorry, little girl. That kid's troublesome, so I'll deal with you first! Second Soul Skill: Wolf Strike!"

A wolf howl rang out, and brilliant green light burst from Tan Lang's body. A wolf-shaped mass of energy shot toward the stunned Zhu Zhuqing.

"Little Ant!"

Little Ant understood Shi Yi's meaning. With a thunderous boom, it shot like a cannonball toward Zhan Hu. One black, exoskeletal leg lashed out without hesitation at the two men standing back-to-back.

The moment Shi Yi called out, he moved as well. With another loud boom, as the wolf-shaped green light was about to swallow Zhu Zhuqing, all that remained where Shi Yi had been standing was a crater. Immense strength instantly transformed into speed, carrying him before Zhu Zhuqing. He lowered his body, one hand resting at his waist as though drawing a sword. The instant the wolf-shaped green light reached him, a flash of metal appeared in his hand.

Soul Power poured into the sword, and it shone brilliantly green. He drew and swung it, sending a streak of green Sword Qi flying forth. It instantly cleaved apart the green wolf-shaped energy. In that same instant, Shi Yi put his Soul Tool back into his belt.

The entire process was incredibly fast, everything happening in the blink of an eye. Apart from Dean Flender, who had clearly seen what Shi Yi did, almost no one else could make it out.

At the same time, Zhan Hu and Tan Lang felt an irresistible force crash into them. Little Ant instantly flung them off the arena. If Shi Yi had wanted to kill them, the force of Little Ant's descent alone could probably have skewered them like kebabs.

My first appearance nearly went horribly wrong. If I hadn't taken out my Soul Tool, that little cat would've been hurt, Shi Yi thought to himself.

Shi Yi now deeply understood why Self-Created Soul Skills were so rare in this era. The reason was simple: people were lazy. The soul skills granted by Soul Rings were simply too useful. Compared to developing something yourself, hunting a Soul Beast was obviously much faster. Besides, something you developed yourself might not even be stronger than a soul skill. Take Zhan Hu's Tiger Roar, for example. It was extremely effective against lower-level Soul Masters, because low-level Soul Masters clearly had no grasp of anything related to the spiritual realm.

Xiao Wu's Charm worked on the same principle. Once low-level Soul Masters were caught by it, they could only wait to be slammed around by Xiao Wu's Soft Technique. But against an expert like Zhao Wuji, it was practically useless and could even backfire.

Seeing that Zhu Zhuqing was not doing well, Shi Yi hurried over and helped her up.

"Are you all right?" Shi Yi gently supported her as he asked softly.

Enduring the intense dizziness, Zhu Zhuqing slightly shook her head. "I'm fine... Thank you..."

"Fifth two-on-two match: Tiger Wolf Combination versus Yi Mao Combination. Victory goes to the Yi Mao Combination! Record: one win, zero losses. Please register your points after leaving the arena," the Host announced at the right moment.

Shi Yi supported Zhu Zhuqing as they slowly headed toward the spectator stands.

By the time they returned to the stands, Shi Yi and Zhu Zhuqing had already separated, causing some of the gloom in Dai Mubai's eyes to fade.

Flender said to Shi Yi, "Well done. But be more careful with your Soul Tool in the future. Fortunately, this is just a small place like Suotuo City, so it shouldn't be much of a problem."

Shi Yi nodded. "I was careless too. I didn't expect them to have a soul skill like that."

Zhu Zhuqing slowly stepped forward and said earnestly, "It was my mistake."

Flender smiled and nodded in satisfaction. "It's fine. We brought you here to train your combat experience and combat judgment. The fact that you can learn from your mistakes means you're growing."

In truth, Flender could tell that Shi Yi had not made any mistakes in that match. On the contrary, he had only exposed his Soul Tool in order to save Zhu Zhuqing.

Keeping his distance, making use of his Martial Soul's advantages, and having Little Ant probe the enemy—Shi Yi had done all of that well. Zhu Zhuqing, however, had been too impatient. Charging in rashly when the opponent's soul skills were unknown was not a good choice.

Soon, the others began their own two-on-two matches. The results were obvious. Tang San and Xiao Wu's combination was practically unstoppable. Under Xiao Wu's Charm, the slightest lapse in focus would end the match beneath Xiao Wu's Soft Technique and Tang San's hidden weapons.

Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, on the other hand, had it rough. Ma Hongjun's Soul Power was not high to begin with, and paired with Dai Mubai, they were matched against two Soul Elders—both level thirty-nine. The outcome was naturally predictable. Although both of their Martial Souls were of excellent quality, they also placed a heavy burden on Soul Power. With their opponents possessing much more abundant Soul Power, they could only lose.

"Where's the Dean?" Tang San asked Dai Mubai.

Dai Mubai replied helplessly, "Who knows where he went? He told us to head back once our Soul Battles were over."

Shi Yi naturally knew what Flender had gone to do. Although they had found a solution, it would take time to implement. Flender had clearly gone to find an ice-attribute Soul Master to cool down his beloved disciple, and he was probably looking to hire one long-term.

With their training complete, everyone left the Great Soul Arena.

Although Shi Yi could not say he had gained a great deal from today's Soul Battle, he had seen many Martial Souls and soul skills he had never encountered before. This gave him more to consider regarding his own Martial Soul. Even though Shi Yi had read many books, words were always abstract.

"You all go back first. The Dean told me to stop by his shop," Ma Hongjun suddenly said. A few sparks of excitement flickered in his small eyes.

Shi Yi and Dai Mubai both looked at Ma Hongjun with knowing expressions, and Ma Hongjun immediately sensed something ominous.

"Why are you both looking at me like that?" Ma Hongjun asked, looking slightly embarrassed.

A faint, ambiguous smile appeared on Dai Mubai's face. "We'll head back first, then. Cherish it while you can. This may be one of the few happy times you have left."

"What do you mean?" Ma Hongjun asked in confusion.

Dai Mubai said nothing and merely shook his head. He did not dare offend Flender. Seeing that Dai Mubai would not explain, Ma Hongjun could not be bothered to ask and simply changed the subject. "Boss Dai, are you coming?"

"No. Stop talking nonsense and get going," Dai Mubai snapped, glaring at him. Yet the corner of his eye drifted toward Zhu Zhuqing.

Ma Hongjun was clearly slow to catch on and did not notice the meaning in Dai Mubai's gaze. Excitement had reddened his plump face. "Come on, let's go together."

Dai Mubai finally lost patience. "Get lost. My taste isn't as awful as yours."

Shi Yi could not help bursting into laughter. Ma Hongjun glared at Dai Mubai before leaving on his own.

"What are you laughing about? What's that fatty going to do?" Xiao Wu asked Shi Yi.

Shi Yi smiled at Xiao Wu. "Ask my Disciple Brother, and you'll know."

Tang San's face reddened at once. Though he had lived two lives, he had only heard of such places. He then quietly explained it to Xiao Wu, whose face also turned red after hearing it.

Zhu Zhuqing rarely spoke, but she did now. "Men are all filthy."

Xiao Wu nodded in agreement, then turned her gaze toward Tang San. "Xiao San is an exception."

Shi Yi gave a meaningful smile. "If Xiao San is an exception, then I can be one too."

"Why should you be an exception, you shameless bastard?" Xiao Wu glared at Shi Yi.

"Because I don't enjoy Raising Games," Shi Yi said with a soft laugh.

"What's a Raising Game?" Xiao Wu asked in confusion.

"For example, buying a little cat or rabbit and raising it until it grows up." Shi Yi grinned.

Tang San's already flushed face instantly turned crimson. Even a faint blush appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's normally cold face.

"Isn't that just keeping pets?" Xiao Wu asked, thoroughly puzzled.

With his face burning red, Tang San hurriedly took Xiao Wu's hand and quickened his pace. As a Soul Beast, Xiao Wu naturally did not understand the twists and turns of humans.

"Good luck, Junior Disciple Brother!" Shi Yi laughed as he watched Tang San's retreating figure.

Then Shi Yi's gaze fell on Zhu Zhuqing. With a light smile, he said, "Don't become a pet, Zhuqing."

With that, Shi Yi left on his own.

Dai Mubai's expression darkened at those words. He said to Zhu Zhuqing, "Zhuqing, don't listen to that kid's nonsense. What does he know?"

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Dai Mubai, thinking of Shi Yi's words. "He understands far more than you do. At least he understands that if we don't resist, we have only one path: death." She paused. Then, as she looked at Dai Mubai, her eyes abruptly filled with disdain and contempt. "You're fifteen? You disgust me."

After saying that, Zhu Zhuqing slowly walked away toward the academy.

Zhu Zhuqing's words struck directly at Dai Mubai's sore spot. At that moment, he could no longer suppress the rage in his heart. "What does he know? Does he know what we'll have to face? Stop right there!"

Zhu Zhuqing did not acknowledge him at all. Not only did she not stop, she walked even faster.

When Shi Yi and the others returned to the academy, Shi Yi saw Ning Rongrong. With Oscar's comfort, her emotions had returned to normal. A gentle smile once more rested on her beautiful face as she sat atop a large stone at the academy entrance, swinging her legs with a thoughtful expression.

Oscar's expression, however, was somewhat ugly. His brows were furrowed, and he kept sneaking glances at Ning Rongrong, his eyes carrying a trace of unwillingness.

As though she had not seen either of them, Zhu Zhuqing walked directly into the academy and headed for her dormitory without looking back.

Shi Yi smiled. "Miss Ning, were you waiting for us to return?"

"Of course. How else could I have seen such a wonderful show?" Ning Rongrong said with a chuckle as she watched Zhu Zhuqing's retreating back.

Dai Mubai frowned at her words, and the chill in his evil eyes deepened.

Shi Yi smiled but said nothing more, heading toward his room.

Seeing Shi Yi leave, Ning Rongrong called after him, "Hey, Shi Yi, why don't we discuss this morning's terms again?"

Shi Yi merely waved his hand behind him, and his figure soon disappeared from sight.

The next morning, at dawn.

Shi Yi woke from his cultivation, recorded the duration according to his usual habit, washed up, and began running around the village.

Before long, Shi Yi spotted Tang San atop the roof of a house and waved to him.

"Morning, Disciple Brother." "Morning, Senior Disciple Brother."

After their brief greeting, Shi Yi continued running ahead. As he ran, he thought about the direction of his research. After yesterday's battle at the Great Soul Arena, he had gained some new understanding and ideas regarding his development.

Although Soul Tools provided a tremendous increase in power, they could not be used freely. At least in the current environment, such things would easily attract attention. Tang San's secret arts and Self-Created Soul Skills, however, carried no such burden. Not only could they be used whenever he wished, but they were also extremely discreet. When used through fists and kicks, they could easily catch opponents off guard. After all, once you took out a Soul Tool, your opponent knew you intended to use it. Self-Created Soul Skills did not have that drawback, and the Tang Sect Secret Arts Tang San possessed also had unique effects.

Over the years, Shi Yi had also studied the Tang Sect Secret Arts. If they were described as Self-Created Soul Skills, Shi Yi felt that would be incomplete. The essence of martial arts lay in drawing out the power within the human body. They were not merely simple techniques, but methods of unlocking the body's potential.

The Tang Sect Secret Arts included the Internal Cultivation method Mysterious Heaven Skill, the hand-training method Mysterious Jade Hand, the eye-training method Purple Demon Eyes, the grappling method Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, the movement method Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, and the hidden weapon method Hundred Explanations of Hidden Weapons.

Simply put, all Tang Sect Secret Arts revolved around hidden weapons and continually drew out the potential of the human body.

This reminded Shi Yi of a powerful sect ten thousand years in the future: the Body Sect. In fact, Soul Masters with Original Souls were not fundamentally all that different from Tang San. Both continuously tapped into the body's strength, merely by different methods. When the body itself became a Martial Soul, it could be strengthened with Soul Rings or develop other abilities. Tang San, meanwhile, could similarly uncover special bodily abilities through unique training.

I'm about the right age now. I really can start trying to train my body. I can consider developing the body while training it, and that doesn't seem to conflict with developing Soul Tools. When I'm forging, I just need to think carefully and continue developing the Core Formation. That will also keep training my eyesight and Mental Power, Shi Yi thought as he ran.

Shi Yi understood that everything ultimately originated in life. Disorder Splitting Wind, for example, was both a hammer technique and a forging method. He believed that he would find similar paths in his future life.