Tang San Arrives

Teacher Song thought for a moment, then asked with certainty, "I heard that you used to be a beggar, right?"

"Mm." Fang Ling nodded.

"Was your broken leg from back then too?"

"Yes."

Fang Ling had only transmigrated here a year ago. The broken leg had happened before that.

He had not inherited much of the little beggar's memories, so he merely went along with it.

Teacher Song lightly tapped the desk. "And I remember that when you first started class, you were skin and bones."

Fang Ling replied, "Yes."

Teacher Song shook his head slightly.

"Now that a year has passed, you seem better nourished, but childhood is actually a crucial period."

"Your life essence has already been damaged. It won't be easy for you to absorb a stronger Hundred Year Spirit Ring."

Fang Ling's expression tightened. "Teacher, you mean...?"

"Then you can take a look at this type of spirit beast." Teacher Song handed over the yellowed book he had opened.

"Star-nosed Mole?"

The illustration in the book was rather ugly, but it was still generally recognizable as a mouse.

Its body was blackish brown, and its eyes were tiny.

It had four broad paws, with very short claws.

Its most striking feature was its nose, surrounded by twenty tentacles like the rays of a star. That was how it got its name.

"That's right, the Star-nosed Mole!"

Watching Fang Ling read the words in the book one by one, Teacher Song wore a kindly smile.

"It is a very weak spirit beast that lives in the shallow earth. Generally speaking, it is food for other spirit beasts."

"It survives by preying on earthworms, insects, and the like. In emergencies, it can even eat soil."

"Its eyes and ears are both rather poor. Only its nose is a special sensory organ, granting it an exceptionally fast Nerve Reflex."

"Nerve Reflex!" Fang Ling's eyes lit up.

Teacher Song smiled with slight pride. "That's right. Usually, when choosing a spirit beast, one chooses one that benefits the growth of the Martial Soul."

"A blade develops toward sharpness, keenness, hardness, or gains various attributes."

"But people never stop to think: how much of a boost can a weak Ten-Year Spirit Ring really provide?"

With a faint sigh, he stood and poured two cups of water, handing one to Fang Ling.

"Thank you, Teacher Song." Fang Ling held the warm cup and quickly thanked him.

"Mm." Teacher Song sat back down and beckoned. "Come, summon your Martial Soul."

Following his instruction, Fang Ling summoned his sickle.

Teacher Song took out a sheet of paper and lightly tested it.

The sharp silver-white Scythe Blade sliced the paper in half with little resistance.

Teacher Song ran his hand over the edge of the paper to sense it briefly, then handed the split sheet to Fang Ling.

"The cut is clean. This shows that your sickle's sharpness is already quite good. An ordinary Ten-Year Spirit Ring will not improve it much."

"You only have innate soul power level one. I'm afraid that at most, you may only break through to Soul Grandmaster in the future. It is unlikely that your Martial Soul can achieve significant growth through Soul Rings."

Normally, someone with level one innate soul power could not even become a Soul Master. Fortunately, I have a cheat!

Fang Ling felt immensely fortunate.

Seeing how seriously Fang Ling listened, practically giving him his full attention, Teacher Song became even more enthusiastic in his explanation.

"If you wish to follow the path of a Battle Spirit Master, you might as well try strengthening your Nerve Reflex."

"With quicker reflexes, you can both evade and attack. The Star-nosed Mole is weak, and you can ask the Principal to help you hunt a hundred-year one."

"The Spirit Skill will be stronger than one from a Ten-Year Spirit Ring, and you will be able to absorb it as well."

Fang Ling's heart settled. He placed the cup on the table and bowed deeply in thanks.

"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher Song!"

Teacher Song chuckled and helped him up.

"There's no need to thank me. A Star-nosed Mole grows two more tentacles on its nose every ten years. The one in the book is a hundred-year one."

"When the time comes, just speak to the Principal. These spirit beasts are widely distributed, and Soul Hunting Forest has them too. They are not difficult to find. He will help you."

"Go on. Study well and cultivate diligently."

Teacher Song waved Fang Ling away and returned the book to its original place.

Then he pulled out another book and began reading it carefully.

Filled with excitement, Fang Ling walked out softly, afraid of disturbing him.

He even thoughtfully closed the door behind him so that no cold wind would blow in.

In the blink of an eye, another four days passed.

Fang Ling returned from slaughtering pigs outside.

With the school term approaching, he had reduced the frequency of slaughtering pigs and spent more time cultivating instead.

Not meditating, but practicing the Sickle Technique he had created himself.

He wanted to try using the sickle more freely.

Just as he reached the door, he saw a classic scene—Wang Sheng staggered out of the dormitory door and fell.

He did not spare any attention for Fang Ling, who had returned early.

Furious, he steadied himself, turned around, and pounced like a tiger descending the mountain at a plainly dressed little boy.

The boy had wheat-colored skin and neat, short black hair.

He could not be called handsome, but neither was he ugly.

His appearance was ordinary, the sort that would vanish into a crowd.

Fang Ling had never seen him before. He was a new Work-Study Student.

Someone who could easily crush Wang Sheng should be Tang San.

Holding braised meat packed in a lunch box, Fang Ling stood at the door and quietly watched the two fight.

Wang Sheng lunged at Tang San, but Tang San advanced instead of retreating.

He took one step forward, the distance perfectly judged. His left hand guided, while his right hand pulled.

Wang Sheng's thrown right fist seemed to be drawn by some special force and changed direction.

Tang San tripped him with a perfectly timed kick, sending his body flying straight out.

With a thud, he crashed onto an iron-framed bed.

Wang Sheng was enraged and began using the power of his Martial Soul.

However, there was no surprise.

Tang San defeated him cleanly with simple, effective movements.

Exquisite combat.

That was the only way to describe it.

Fang Ling's heart pounded wildly. Without even blinking, he watched intently, hoping to learn something from it.

This was the kind of battle he yearned for, one where victory and defeat were decided in an instant.

If he wanted to participate in Life and Death Battles, or even go to Slaughter City in the future, combat techniques were indispensable.

Tang San's Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, his other techniques, and most importantly, the Mysterious Heaven Skill were all good things.

Unfortunately, there was no way he could learn them.

Fang Ling knew his place. Obtaining the Stat Allocation Panel was already a blessing from heaven—how could he ask for more?

Wang Sheng was saying something to Tang San, showing the bruises on his hand. He seemed to be entrusting Tang San with the responsibility of protecting the Work-Study Students, so Fang Ling entered with the meat at the right moment.

He said in surprise, "Wang Sheng, and this person who just defeated you so easily is?"

"My name is Tang San."

Tang San smiled at Fang Ling.

"That's a pretty good name, Tang San. I just watched you fight Wang Sheng. You were really impressive."

Fang Ling praised him.

He needed to leave a good impression. He would still need Tang San and Xiao Wu's protection for the next two years, so he should not offend them.

He did not want to court death.

Could a year really have been so peaceful just because it was called uneventful?

It was only that when he had faced beatings twice, he had chosen to fight back desperately both times. His readiness to risk his life had frightened them off.

While he was still weak in the early stages, a stable environment was quite valuable.

"Thank you. I think it's a good name too."

Fang Ling's smile naturally gave people a sense of friendliness, and Tang San subconsciously smiled back.

He was not flattering Tang San and Xiao Wu, merely repaying the protection they would give him.

Nor was he smearing them.

He simply needed Ah Yin's Soul Bone.

The protagonist should walk his own path.

Nor was he flattering Spirit Hall. He merely needed Bibi Dong's help to enter Slaughter City.

He was just stating that separately here.