First Practical Combat Training

Village Chief Ye immediately declared Tang Chenfeng's proposal "absolutely impossible."

There were two reasons.

1. Although a One-Ring Soul Master had some combat ability, it was not very high. 2. Sunset Great Forest was a famous Soul Beast Forest filled with many powerful Soul Beasts. One more One-Ring Soul Master would not make much difference against them. 3. Ye Hongling, who needed to obtain a Soul Ring, was already weak in combat and required special protection. If another person came along and both were in danger at the same time, it would be difficult to protect them both. Having one fewer person would make it easier to focus.

Listening to her grandfather's explanation from the side, Ye Hongling could not think of any reason to refute him. She turned to glance at Tang Chenfeng. His brows were drawn tight, as though he was thinking of a solution. But even Brother Feng probably can't think of a suitable way to make Grandpa change his mind. Just as Ye Hongling thought this, Tang Chenfeng gave an unexpected answer...

"Since you say so, Village Chief, then I'll prove myself—in a Soul Master's way!"

A Soul Master's way naturally meant sparring through combat.

"Oh, a Soul Master's way? Fine, I agree." Village Chief Ye truly had not expected that answer. A Soul Master's way... This kid wants to prove his strength to me. It may be a little arrogant, but his courage is commendable. I'll treat this as his first real combat experience. With that thought, Village Chief Ye agreed.

Ye Hongling was startled at first, but then she thought about it. Wasn't this exactly her Brother Feng, who was always brimming with confidence no matter what he did? Thinking that, she said nothing more.

After a round of inner deliberation, the group left the backyard to look for a suitable place. They could not exactly tear up the backyard.

Before long, the three arrived at an open field to use as a temporary arena. Village Chief Ye looked around, making sure there were no idlers wandering nearby. Then he stepped forward. Centered on him, all the grass within a ten-meter radius burrowed back underground, forming a circle. Plants resembling tree roots emerged around its edge, leaving the two children exclaiming in amazement. The village chief merely said it was a simple application of his Martial Soul.

After setting up the arena, Village Chief Ye explained the rules. Within the ten-meter circle, they could freely use their Martial Souls and Soul Skills. Whoever forced the other out of the circle first would win. As the senior, he would let Tang Chenfeng have the first two moves, and he absolutely would not move on his own. If he broke that rule, he would lose immediately.

These two rules undoubtedly made Tang Chenfeng's challenge easier, while also displaying Village Chief Ye's confidence in his own strength. He did not believe a child could defeat him, even if he only had Two Rings. He beckoned Tang Chenfeng into the circle.

Tang Chenfeng entered the circle without hesitation and assumed a fighting stance. There were only about five meters between them. Village Chief Ye made no move; he had said he would yield the first two attacks.

"Then be careful, Village Chief." As he spoke, a black Soul Ring emerged from Tang Chenfeng's body. His height surged to one meter seventy, and the muscles all over his body bulged as if exploding, giving him the beauty of a sculpture. If no one told them, no one would have guessed he was not even ten years old.

Village Chief Ye showed a hint of surprise at the transformation, but quickly hid it. Then he said to Tang Chenfeng, "Don't hold back. Use your full strength."

By the time he heard those words, Tang Chenfeng was already fully prepared. He had been crouched low, gathering strength from the very beginning, and now he had finished charging up. Then Tang Chenfeng shot forward. The five-meter gap vanished in an instant, and he threw a heavy punch straight at Village Chief Ye's chest. Before the punch even arrived, Village Chief Ye sensed danger. He hurriedly crossed his arms over his chest to block it, but he was still forced back a meter. Tang Chenfeng's assault did not stop. After one attack, he still had another. As he withdrew his right fist, he pulled back his right foot and stomped hard on the ground. Using the rebounding force, he threw another fierce punch, sending Village Chief Ye directly to the edge of the arena.

After taking those two punches, Village Chief Ye could not help thinking, Is this really the strength a One-Ring Soul Master can possess?! Those two punches together had at least a ton of force! Was that child's Soul Skill?

That was what Village Chief Ye thought, but Tang Chenfeng had not used any Soul Skill at all. It was not that he did not want to; he simply had none to use.

Normally, a Soul Master's Soul Ring came with a Soul Skill. But no matter how hard Tang Chenfeng tried, he could not use one. Later, he asked Bai Xing and learned that the thing on his body was not a Soul Ring at all, but something called a Star Energy Ring. It was more like an outward manifestation produced when energy reached a certain level, and it could not provide any powerful abilities.

After hearing Bai Xing's explanation, Tang Chenfeng looked as though the word "pain" had been written across his face. He felt utterly miserable. But then Bai Xing added another explanation.

"Although it can't provide Soul Skills, it will enhance all of your abilities across the board. That benefit is no weaker than a Soul Skill."

"Really? But that doesn't sound all that impressive." Though he said that, Bai Xing's words gave Tang Chenfeng hope.

Bai Xing said, "Let me tell you a story first. Once, a wise man helped a king fulfill a wish. The king was delighted, so he agreed to grant the wise man a wish in return. The wise man took out an empty chessboard and asked to place one bean on the first square. He wanted the king to place beans on every square afterward, but each square had to contain twice as many beans as the previous one. The king agreed, but soon regretted it. Why do you think that was?"

Tang Chenfeng immediately answered, "Because the entire kingdom wouldn't have enough food to fill the chessboard, right? Sigh... Sister Bai Xing, do you mean my abilities will be like the beans on the chessboard, multiplying as I grow?"

Bai Xing smiled faintly. "Don't think of yourself as so ordinary. It won't just be double. Let's put it this way: when you break through to Two Rings, you'll indeed become twice as strong as before. At Three Rings, you'll be three times as strong as before. At Four Rings, four times as strong, and so on. Among those of the same rank, you will absolutely be invincible!"

Back in the present.

After taking Tang Chenfeng's two punches head-on, Village Chief Ye could finally retaliate. His second Soul Ring lit up, and three enormous tree roots burst from the ground, ramming straight toward Tang Chenfeng. This was Village Chief Ye's second Soul Skill, Wood Spirit Thorn Array. Tang Chenfeng forcefully pushed off with both feet and leaped backward, widening the distance. I can move freely, while the village chief cannot. I have to take advantage of that. Opening the distance benefits me.

Tang Chenfeng leaped twice, opening up six meters, but the moment he regained his footing, an image suddenly appeared in his mind. In it, countless vines emerged beneath his feet and tried to bind him. Before he could think further, Tang Chenfeng instinctively jumped to the right. The instant he moved, innumerable vines burst from the ground and lashed out to entangle him. This was Village Chief Ye's first Soul Skill, Wood Vine Entanglement. If I hadn't jumped away just now, I probably would have been tightly restrained. Tang Chenfeng thought. I don't know what that was just now, but it benefits me.

Village Chief Ye was shocked. He actually saw through my first Soul Skill! How did he notice it? Was it through Spiritual Power?

The battle continued. Village Chief Ye constantly used his first and second Soul Skills, Wood Vine Entanglement and Wood Spirit Thorn Array. Guided by his hand gestures, they repeatedly attacked Tang Chenfeng. But Tang Chenfeng moved as though he knew what would happen, dodging left and right, perfectly evading every attack as he closed in on Village Chief Ye.

Village Chief Ye observed carefully and realized that whenever he decided where to attack, Tang Chenfeng always reacted before him. The first thing to react was Tang Chenfeng's eyes. During battle, his eyes darted wildly, and each glance fixed upon the place where Village Chief Ye would launch an attack before Tang Chenfeng made his evasive move, perfectly avoiding it. Right, Chenfeng has the Three Lives Martial Soul. He must be relying on his Eye Martial Soul to observe.

In truth, Tang Chenfeng was indeed relying on his eyes, but more importantly, on his Mental Domain Skill. Within this domain, he could clearly see everything that would happen in the next moment, and the things he could observe were gradually increasing. It was a powerful ability capable of predicting the future. However, Tang Chenfeng was not proficient with it yet. At this point, he had not even realized it was his domain ability. Even so, it was enough!

Village Chief Ye came up with a plan. Since you can dodge, then I'll make it impossible for you to dodge. Both Hundred-Year Soul Rings lit up at once, as though he were preparing an all-out strike.

Tang Chenfeng also noticed that the images in his mind were growing longer, even turning into fragments. In those fragments, countless vines and thorn arrays attacked him, leaving him seemingly nowhere to evade. But Tang Chenfeng suddenly thought of a brilliant idea. Without the slightest hesitation, he jumped into the air. The vines and thorn arrays followed closely behind, but because he had predicted them and jumped in advance, their attacks missed. Tang Chenfeng landed on a hard thorn and pushed off fiercely, turning it into a springboard. He aimed at his opponent, then flew toward Village Chief Ye like a cannonball. Village Chief Ye hurriedly positioned the thorn array in front of himself, intending to block the attack.

Bang! Tang Chenfeng's punch shattered Village Chief Ye's thorn array. Although it did strike the village chief, its force had been completely absorbed by the previous defense. Village Chief Ye sighed in relief, thinking he was not about to lose to a child. But just as he prepared to counterattack, he suddenly felt as though something had slammed into his mind. He staggered and retreated out of the circle. That meant Tang Chenfeng had won!