Your Hammer Should Taste Blood

The afternoon sun was scorching, like a ball of fire.

On the bumpy dirt road of Shrek Village,

several staggering figures were moving forward with difficulty.

As the one with the highest Soul Power, Dai Mubai ran at the very front.

But even he was exhausted, like a dead dog.

He had yet to fully recover from the mental assault that morning.

And now he had to undergo high-intensity physical training.

It was simply devilish torture.

Zhu Zhuqing followed not far behind him.

Her face was still pale, but her steps were exceptionally firm.

Every step took all her strength.

As a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, Xiao Wu had the best stamina.

Though she was tired too, she could still barely keep up.

Oscar and Ning Rongrong were in the worst shape.

One was a Food System Soul Master.

The other was a Support Soul Master.

Physical stamina had always been their weakness.

At this moment, the two had fallen far behind at the very back of the group.

Oscar braced his hands on his knees, his tongue hanging out like a heat-stricken lapdog.

"I... I can't... I'm... I'm going to die..."

Ning Rongrong was in an even worse state.

She plopped down on the ground and refused to move another inch.

"I'm not running anymore! I'm exhausted!"

"I'd rather go without food!"

As the supervisor, Tang San walked over to her.

"Get up."

His voice was calm.

"This is Lin Xi's order."

"I don't care!"

Ning Rongrong threw a princess tantrum.

"She's a tyrant! I'm not listening to her!"

Tang San looked at her and frowned.

He did not try to persuade her further.

Instead, he directly activated his Blue Silver Grass.

Several tough vines emerged from the ground.

They gently bound Ning Rongrong.

Then dragged her forward.

"Ah! What are you doing?! Let me go!"

Ning Rongrong screamed and struggled.

But it was useless.

Tang San controlled the Blue Silver Grass, keeping her in a running posture as she was passively dragged forward.

"You... you bastard!"

Ning Rongrong was so furious that tears welled up in her eyes.

Oscar shuddered when he saw this.

He quickly started running again.

He had no desire to enjoy that kind of VIP treatment too.

Dusk.

By the time the last person finished a hundred laps,

the sky was already nearly dark.

Everyone had collapsed from exhaustion.

They lay directly on the training ground, unable to move at all.

Lin Xi walked out of the wooden cabin.

She glanced at the scattered "corpses" without any expression on her face.

"Dinner is in the kitchen."

"Go get it yourselves."

"Rest for one hour after eating."

"Then come to my room for a meeting."

With that, she turned and went back inside.

"A... a meeting?"

Oscar asked weakly.

"What are we doing this time?"

"Who knows?"

Dai Mubai gave a bitter smile.

"Either way, it won't be anything good."

One hour later.

The seven of them dragged their weary bodies to Lin Xi's dormitory.

Lin Xi was sitting at the table, drinking tea.

When she saw them enter, she pointed at the empty space beside her.

"Sit."

Everyone did as she said and sat on the floor.

"Today was the first day."

Lin Xi set down her teacup and spoke.

"How did it feel?"

Everyone looked at one another, but no one dared to speak.

How did it feel?

They felt like they were about to die.

"Very tiring, wasn't it?"

Lin Xi looked at them.

"Do you think my training methods are unreasonable?"

Dai Mubai hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke.

"Senior, I have a question."

"Speak."

"I can understand the Heart Refining this morning."

"It was meant to temper our will."

"But the physical training this afternoon..."

He was somewhat puzzled.

"We are Soul Masters."

"Soul Power is our foundation."

"Pure physical training seems to have little significance for improving our strength."

His words voiced everyone's thoughts.

They all felt that this primitive running training was rather low-level.

Lin Xi did not answer immediately after hearing him.

She looked toward Tang San.

"Tang San, you explain."

Tang San was stunned for a moment.

Then he understood what Lin Xi meant.

He cleared his throat and began.

"You're all wrong."

"A strong body is the foundation for bearing powerful Soul Power."

"It's like a bucket."

"Your Soul Power is the water."

"If the bucket itself is not sturdy and is covered in cracks,"

"then no matter how much water you pour into it, it will quickly leak away."

"It might even burst apart directly."

He paused before continuing.

"Senior Lin Xi's training may seem simple, but it carries profound meaning."

"The Heart Refining in the morning tempers the 'bottom of our buckets,' making our foundations more solid."

"The Body Refining in the afternoon reinforces the 'walls of our buckets,' allowing us to bear greater power."

"The two complement each other. Neither can be neglected."

His words sent Dai Mubai and the others into deep thought.

They seemed to understand a little now.

Lin Xi gave Tang San an approving look.

"You're teachable."

She rose to her feet and walked over to Tang San.

"Your theory is correct."

"But it is not enough."

She reached out and lightly tapped Tang San's chest.

"Your Blue Silver Grass is life."

"It can control, heal, and devour."

"It is filled with vitality."

Then her finger pointed toward Tang San's left hand.

"But your hammer is death."

"It represents pure power and destruction."

"It is the world's number one Tool Spirit."

Tang San's heart trembled.

Life and death?

"Your hammer is too clean."

Lin Xi looked at him and shook her head.

"It is an unparalleled weapon of slaughter, yet it has never truly tasted blood."

"So it has no soul."

"It is merely a heavy lump of iron."

Tang San clenched his left hand.

He recalled the scene from earlier that day, when one hammer blow had crippled Lei Bao.

That blow had indeed been tyrannical.

But it did seem to be missing something.

"Blindly training in hardship will not make you a true powerhouse."

Lin Xi withdrew her hand, her gaze sweeping over everyone.

"True powerhouses fight their way out from the edge between life and death."

She walked to the window and gazed into the southern night sky.

That was the direction of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Tomorrow, we're going somewhere interesting."

Her voice was soft.

Yet it made everyone's hearts leap into their throats.

She turned and looked at Tang San.

"Your hammer should taste blood."