Proposal to Spar

Inside the Martial Soul Research Room, Ma Xiunuo looked at the three outstanding children before him and could not help asking, "Would you be willing to join Spirit Hall?"

Though he knew the chances of Chen Feng and the other two agreeing were slim, he still wanted to ask.

Tang San asked in confusion, "Grandpa Ma Xiunuo, didn't we come to Spirit Hall to register?"

Ma Xiunuo shook his head. "No, it's different. Registering at Spirit Hall is something most spirit masters do in order to receive the subsidies issued by the state.

"Joining Spirit Hall, on the other hand, means becoming a spirit master exclusive to Spirit Hall. Your cultivation would also take place directly at schools specially established by Spirit Hall."

"Grandpa Ma Xiunuo, we're already studying at Nuoding Academy," Chen Feng reminded him.

"Sigh, that's true." Ma Xiunuo let out a sigh. "You've already enrolled in the academy, so Spirit Hall can't exactly poach you by force. It's all Yuntao's fault. He should have brought the two of you straight to Spirit Hall back then. Little girl, you wouldn't be willing either?"

Xiao Wu shook her head without saying anything.

"Actually, Brother Su did invite Xiao San and me back then, but we turned him down." Chen Feng spoke up in Su Yuntao's defense.

Well, it was not exactly a rejection. Chen Feng had simply muddled through it with his Tai Chi.

But Su Yuntao had clearly sensed Chen Feng's reluctance, so he simply helped him secure a Work-Study Student spot at Nuoding Academy, forming a good connection with this little prodigy.

Ma Xiunuo also knew about what had happened back then. He understood that Chen Feng and Tang San had no interest in Spirit Hall, but there was a little girl now, wasn't there?

Perhaps she would be willing, and then Chen Feng and Tang San would follow along as well.

But now, it seemed all three children had refused to join Spirit Hall. What a pity.

After lamenting for a while, Ma Xiunuo brought Chen Feng and the others to collect their subsidies and explained the Empire's relevant subsidy policies to them.

"Wow! They really are Gold Soul Coins! I'm rich too now—I'm going to buy lots of delicious food!" The moment they left Spirit Hall, Xiao Wu stopped holding herself back and kissed the gold coin in her hand.

"You should get your bedding and things ready first, so you don't end up without a place to sleep tonight," Tang San reminded her.

".Right, I still need to buy bedding." Xiao Wu calmed down a little, though she was still excited. "Even after buying bedding, I'll have enough left to buy lots of tasty food!"

Chen Feng glanced at her and said, "Actually, I don't think you need to buy bedding anymore."

"Why?" Xiao Wu asked doubtfully.

"Because you need to absorb moonlight. If you want to evolve into the Tai Yin Jade Rabbit, you'll have to bask in the moon every night. What do you need bedding for?" Chen Feng said with a smile.

Xiao Wu froze for several seconds before her eyes widened. "That won't do! I don't want to sleep outside at night."

Before becoming human, she had already endured the elements in the wilderness. If she still had to sleep out in the open after becoming human, then had she not transformed for nothing?

Xiao Wu grabbed Chen Feng's sleeve. "You have to think of a solution for me. You were the one who recommended my First Spirit Ring, so you can't just leave me alone."

Chen Feng smiled faintly. "Call me Bro Feng."

The corner of Tang San's mouth twitched. He wanted to laugh, yet feared Xiao Wu would fly into a rage out of embarrassment, so he held it in miserably.

Xiao Wu glared at him with her red eyes, too angry to speak. "You, you—"

"That's right. Now I'm the one taking advantage of someone in a vulnerable position." Chen Feng smiled slyly.

From the moment he had recommended Xiao Wu's spirit ring, he had known this day would come.

If Xiao Wu had obediently remained a little sister, Chen Feng would not have made things difficult for her.

But Xiao Wu had gone completely out of line, wanting to defeat Chen Feng and turn things around so she could become Sister Xiao Wu. Naturally, Chen Feng had ways to deal with her.

"Hmph! I won't! At worst, I just won't evolve! If I can't bask in the moonlight, then so be it!" Xiao Wu was stubborn by nature and would not be threatened so easily.

Yet her stubbornness left Chen Feng somewhat at a loss, because he needed Xiao Wu's Martial Soul Evolution to help him unlock the Yin Sword form of the Tai Chi Bagua Sword.

With no other choice, Chen Feng softened his tone and said, "Sigh, if you don't want to call me that, then don't. Who asked me to be your Bro Feng? Could I really just ignore you? Let me tell you what you should do."

Xiao Wu huffed twice without saying anything. She did not want to call him Bro Feng, but she also did not want to sleep outside at night. Now that Chen Feng had taken the initiative to offer her a way out, she could only go along with it.

Chen Feng then began explaining.

"We all know that the moon waxes and wanes. If you want to absorb enough moonlight, naturally the full moon is the most effective. So, Xiao Wu, for several days before and after the full moon, you must cultivate outside all night. There's no room for negotiation on that."

Xiao Wu thought about it and nodded.

If she only had to spend the entire night outside for a few days each month, she could accept that.

"What about the other days? Can I just sleep soundly in the dorm?" she asked.

"No." Chen Feng shook his head. "Although the moonlight is not as strong on other days, it still can't be wasted. You need to find a bed in the dorm that is on the south side and near a window. That way, you can bask in the moonlight as much as possible every night."

He had observed that throughout the area from Nuoding Academy to Sand Gold Valley, the moon hung in the southern sky, so south-facing windows could see it for most of the night.

Though it could not compare with sleeping directly outside, it would not be much worse on days other than those around the full moon. It was basically acceptable.

"Mm, that works too." After thinking it over, Xiao Wu felt she could accept it.

"Now then, since we've all obtained our first spirit skills, how about we spar with each other?" Chen Feng suddenly suggested.

He knew that if they fought bare-handed, he was probably the weakest of the three. Even with a sword, he might not necessarily win, since he had almost no real combat experience.

Tang San had martial arts training, while Xiao Wu was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form. Both possessed abundant combat experience.

But precisely because of that, Chen Feng needed to spar more with Xiao Wu and Tang San to increase his own combat experience.

"Sure, sure. I'd been wanting to find someone to practice with after obtaining my First Spirit Ring anyway." Sister Xiao Wu was the first to answer the call.

"I don't have a problem with it either." Tang San nodded. Although by this world's standards, he could only be considered a Support System Spirit Master without any offensive power, he possessed the martial arts of the Tang Sect, so he was quite confident in the match.

"Then once we return to Nuoding Academy later, let's find a place to spar." Chen Feng said.

"Alright!" Sister Xiao Wu said excitedly.

She had always been very interested in fighting. She simply hadn't had many opportunities before, so this was the perfect chance to warm up.

That was right—in Sister Xiao Wu's eyes, sparring with Tang San and Chen Feng would probably amount to nothing more than a warm-up. The outcome had long since been decided.

It would be Sister Xiao Wu's victory!