The Master's Special Training

The scorching white light exploded with a bang, forming a perfect fireworks display in the sky. White fireworks seemed almost invisible beneath the clear heavens, making the cluster of black dots within the white smoke all the more conspicuous.

After unleashing the White Tiger Fierce Light Wave, Dai Mubai had already collapsed from exhaustion. Perhaps, in his mind, Fu Hua—who had taken that blow head-on—could not possibly have had any chance of turning things around.

Xiao Wu and Ma Hongjun could not help withdrawing their Martial Soul Possession and returning to their original forms. Xiao Wu was still the tall, adorable Xiao Wu, while Ma Hongjun was still a bundle of fat.

Tang San's previously taut nerves finally relaxed as well, and he let out a heavy sigh.

"Third Brother, that was incredible! I never thought our plan would actually work!" Ma Hongjun came over to Tang San and patted him on the shoulder.

Tang San smiled shyly. "No, we only won because we had the advantage in numbers. If both sides had the same number of people, we could never have won."

"No matter what, being able to defeat Fu Hua this time was all thanks to you, Little San."

Even Dai Mubai's excitement was impossible to conceal. Ever since being defeated by Fu Hua back then, he had never truly let it go.

"Little San, did you withdraw your Soul Power?"

Amid the chorus of excited voices, Xiao Wu suddenly spoke in confusion.

Tang San did not understand. Following Xiao Wu's gaze, he looked up into the sky.

The white mist was still there, and within it remained a tiny black dot. By rights, after so much time, it should have fallen already! Besides, once he withdrew his Soul Power, Spider Web Restraint should have vanished without Soul Power to sustain it.

But now...

Suddenly, Tang San seemed to think of something. He turned and looked toward Master outside the field. Master and Ning Rongrong had not come over, which meant—

It was not over yet.

"Not good!"

"What is it, Third Brother?"

"Fatty, hurry—"

Too late.

A bright crescent moon swept in from behind, showing no mercy as it cruelly swept through all directions.

They had no time to summon Martial Soul Possession to defend themselves. In that instant, Tang San only managed to summon Blue Silver Grass as a barrier before him. Xiao Wu and Ma Hongjun were not so fortunate.

Together with Dai Mubai, who was sitting on the ground not far away, they were sent flying a hundred li.

It was an extremely familiar move. This was Fu Hua's second soul skill, Assault Sweep.

But why?

Tang San could not understand. Fu Hua had clearly been trapped by him. The sensation transmitted through the Blue Silver Grass was unmistakably that of a physical body—there was no way he could be wrong. Could she actually create clones?

Even if they were clones, they could not all be solid. There had to be illusory ones among them, and they certainly could not escape his Purple Demon Eye.

With that thought, Tang San's eyes filled with Purple Qi as he raised his head and looked into the sky.

Looking into the distance, the Purple Demon Eye shortened the distance, allowing Tang San to clearly see the scene within. That figure was indeed Fu Hua.

However, having taken Dai Mubai's White Tiger Fierce Light Wave head-on, she looked exceedingly bedraggled.

Her sky-blue eyes remained crystal clear, while her expression was calm to a frightening degree.

"The attack just now came from behind."

His gaze shifted toward his side once more. Another figure stood there, clearly revealed beneath Tang San's Purple Demon Eye. Who else could it be but Fu Hua?

"Wow! What's going on? Two Fu Huas? One Fu Hua was already strong enough—now there are two? Are we supposed to live through this?" Ma Hongjun, who had been blasted away alongside Xiao Wu and Dai Mubai, sat up and cried out.

His fat face seemed on the verge of collapse.

"Little San..." Xiao Wu said worriedly.

At this moment, Tang San was facing Fu Hua alone!

The seven of them had failed to defeat her, so what could Tang San do by himself? Xiao Wu did not dare think about it. Even knowing this was only a spar and that no one would be hurt, she was still worried seeing Tang San face Fu Hua alone.

Dai Mubai forced himself upright and silently cursed.

"Fuck."

In the arena, Fu Hua stood facing Tang San, a sword in her right hand with its tip pointed at the ground. Her posture was straight and immaculate, without a speck of dust on her.

The sound of something cutting through the air came from overhead. Tang San glanced from the corner of his eye. Behind him, the other Fu Hua landed safely. Her posture remained straight, but she could not conceal her disheveled state.

She held a sword in her right hand, identical to the Fu Hua standing opposite Tang San.

"Fighting using Soul Power alone really is somewhat taxing. The combined attack of Dai Mubai's group of seven is enough to contend with a Soul King-level opponent, and my combat ability after sealing my strength is also at the Soul King level. It is fairly evenly matched."

Fu Hua analyzed quietly.

"Although Oscar and Ning Rongrong, the two support types, were eliminated ahead of time, the strength of the other five still cannot be underestimated. Tang San's analysis and control of the battle are absolutely crucial. If not for his calm command, it would have ended at the third strike."

Fu Hua slowly assigned them places in her mind.

Support first, control second.

Naturally, both were targets that needed to be eliminated.

"Dai Mubai is highly competitive, with powerful offense and defense. Xiao Wu has a childlike nature, but her Soft Skill is outstanding—once she gets close, it is an instant kill. Zhu Zhuqing is fast and excels at concealment, but her defense is terrible. Ma Hongjun's fire attacks are powerful, but he is poor at close combat. Tang San..."

Fu Hua's eyes darkened. He was the most troublesome member of the entire team. Even though that final blow had counted as her sneak attack, Tang San had reacted quickly and even warned his teammates to defend themselves.

"Quick-witted, meticulous in grasping the bigger picture, every move linked to the next. Troublesome to control—truly impressive."

At that moment, only three figures remained in the arena: Tang San and two Fu Huas. The atmosphere was tense. Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others had all assumed a fight was about to break out when Master's voice suddenly rang out.

"Enough. We'll stop here."

The imposing pressure vanished instantly, as though it had never existed. Fu Hua's presence remained as ordinary as that of a normal person, without the slightest trace of Soul Power fluctuations. Tang San, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.

Under the fixed gazes of the two Fu Huas, even though their looks were calm, he still felt crushing pressure, as if he were not facing Fu Hua at all, but two ferocious Soul Beasts.

Even after Master called a halt, Tang San could still feel the back of his clothes soaked through. He secretly wiped away cold sweat that was not actually there, then went with Fu Hua—now merged back into one person—to Master's side.

Dai Mubai and the others had already lined up and were waiting there.

Once Fu Hua and Tang San returned to the group, Master swept his stern gaze over them one by one. His expression was grim—utterly terrible, in fact.

"Dai Mubai, tell me how you feel."

Master was referring not only to the team battle against Fu Hua, but also to the earlier fight against Ma Hongjun and Oscar.

Dai Mubai pondered for a moment.

"If I had been at full strength, I definitely could have defeated Ma Hongjun and Oscar."

"Would an enemy wait for you?" Master fired back mercilessly. "During the team battle against Fu Hua, why did you let your guard down before it was over?"

"This..."

"Because you believed that Fu Hua, who faced your second soul skill, White Tiger Fierce Light Wave, head-on, was bound to lose. Confidence in your own skills is important, but it cannot be blind. Who would have expected that someone without any defenses could face such a powerful attack without suffering the slightest injury? Such situations are not unheard of among Soul Masters."

"Next, Ma Hongjun, as the companion of a support-type Soul Master, why didn't you protect Oscar properly? After the duration of his Mushroom Sausage ended, you just watched him fall to the ground."

"Oscar, as a support-type Soul Master, the most important thing is self-preservation. If your companions cannot spare a hand to help you, then you must use the terrain to protect yourself. Why did you relax and land directly after your flight time ended? If Dai Mubai had attacked you then, your side would have been unquestionably defeated."

Master's analysis was sharp and logical. Looking at the entire battle, their performance had truly been awful.

"Xiao Wu, if I'm not mistaken, your third soul skill, Teleport, should come from a thousand-year Lightning Rabbit. It certainly produced an unexpected effect, but it has a range limit. It is extremely powerful in close combat, but why did you assume you had already won just because you got Tang San entangled? If you had activated Teleport earlier, the battle would not have ended in a draw."

"Tang San."

"Yes, Teacher. I know I was wrong. I should not have been careless and fallen for Xiao Wu's second soul skill, Charm, which put me in a passive position. Without knowing what her third soul skill was, I rashly released my spiderweb, placing myself in an even more passive situation."

Master nodded. Knowing one's mistakes was what mattered.

"Then tell me: why were the seven of you so thoroughly defeated by a single Fu Hua?"

Tang San lowered his head and said hoarsely, "We all underestimated her. Before we understood Fu Hua's third soul skill, we relaxed our guard and exposed our backs to her attacks."

Master nodded again. This was one of Tang San's greatest strengths, and it was not without reason that he favored this disciple. Whether in temperament or analysis of the situation, Tang San was exceptionally perceptive, though he inevitably still had a child's nature.

As the saying went, even the finest uncut jade required the hands of a skilled craftsman.

Tang San still had much room to improve. Once he truly matured, the entire continent would tremble because of him.

As for Fu Hua...

Master found himself at a loss for words as well. She was simply too much like him. Outstanding combat ability, agile thinking, and plans for the future—after watching Fu Hua fight, even Master did not know how to evaluate her.

"Fu Hua, what are your thoughts on this battle?"

Fu Hua pondered slightly, her sword-like brows faintly furrowed. She propped her chin with her right hand, a gesture she often made while thinking.

"My first strike caught them off guard. Although it defeated two people, both were support-type Soul Masters. My next attack achieved nothing at all. I originally believed I could defeat at least one more person. I underestimated Dai Mubai's defense, and my control over Soul Power is still imperfect."

Fu Hua's words made everyone fall into thought. Even someone as strong as her did not possess the mindset of believing herself invincible.

"Later, I should have been able to evade Dai Mubai and Zhuqing's combined attack, but I instead fell into a passive position. I underestimated the power of their pincer attack. When I attacked Ma Hongjun, I overlooked Tang San's control skills and was trapped as a result. In the end, I still underestimated the strength of Control System Soul Masters."

After saying that, Fu Hua looked up at Master. These were her reflections on the entire battle, but she might still have overlooked crucial points, so she did not state them too definitively.

Her eyes sought his opinion as she looked at Master, waiting for his reprimand.

Yet even she did not know that Master was more shocked inside than Dai Mubai and the others. If Tang San was already the finest disciple he had ever taught, then Fu Hua was a once-in-a-thousand-years genius. Teaching a disciple like her could make even a teacher feel inadequate.

Master silently nodded to himself. Just as expected.

"Fu Hua is correct. If we consider it further, the battle should have ended with the second strike. There was no need to use the third soul skill at all."

But Master was still Master. No matter how outstanding his students were, it would not change his earnest and stern nature.

Merit was rewarded; mistakes were punished.

Dai Mubai and the others still felt unwilling to accept Master's demoralizing words, but it was precisely this unwillingness that could stir the hot blood of the young, fostering competition and allowing them to grow further.

"However, a mistake is still a mistake. Your punishment is this: you are forbidden from using Soul Power. Run from here to Suotuo City, then run back. Before lunch, I require you to complete ten round trips. Tang San and Fu Hua, your mistakes were more serious, so add another ten round trips. Move now. Immediately."

Tang San was the first to act. To him, Master's words were commands.

Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others followed closely behind.

"There are rocks prepared at the academy gate. Each of you will carry one on your back and run with the weight. Remember, you are a team. If even one person fails to complete the punishment, then none of you will get food," Master emphasized in a grave voice.

Then he called Fu Hua back.

"You. Put this on and run with them. No food until you finish."

A White Bracelet lay in Master's palm. It looked completely ordinary, without the slightest sign of anything special. But since Master had told Fu Hua to wear it, he naturally had his reasons. Fu Hua did not hesitate and immediately put it on her right wrist.

In an instant, a heavy pressure descended upon Fu Hua's shoulders, making it seem as though her entire body had sunk several centimeters into the ground.

Fu Hua was startled. This wristband... could it be...?

"Since you've put it on, then let's set off!" Master said expressionlessly.

PS: Question: Which is more important, washing dishes or writing? Answer: Of course washing dishes is more important. Otherwise, there's no food to eat!

PS1: Come to think of it, haven't I been posting later and later recently? For some reason, I'm panicking!

PS2: What was the last thing I wanted to say? Benefits? Impossible. For bonus chapters based on Monthly Votes, one extra chapter per 40 votes, and so on, starting from the first of the month. (Sure enough, I should make things easier on myself. I don't want to dig my own grave yet.) One extra chapter for every thousand bookmarks as well. (Absolutely no cheating—I want the real deal.) Same rule applies. Mm! It's happily decided, then. If there's anything else later, I'll add it.