The pre-dawn whistle still carried water vapor when Tang San was jolted awake by the hum of Soul Tools on the training ground. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up and saw the sky outside beginning to pale. Zhao Wuji was directing several students as they carried over a crystal formation for testing multiple Soul Skills—a dozen metal targets were scattered throughout the formation, each bullseye set with a differently colored gemstone. "This morning's training is the 'Multi-Soul Skill Synergy Limit.' Everyone must use two Soul Skills to strike three different bullseyes simultaneously within the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Tang San, you're first, and you'll use 'Binding + Blue Silver Thrust.' One mistake means fifteen extra repetitions!"
Tang San slowly folded his blanket, deliberately adjusting the tightness of his wrist guards three extra times while putting them on. Multi-Soul Skill coordination consumed the most Soul Power; using "adjusting his wrist guards to prevent distorted movements" as an excuse to stall would let him conserve a little more energy. By the time he reached the crystal formation, Dai Mubai had already completed two tests. White Tiger Claw and White Tiger Fierce Light Wave activated together, making the gemstones light up one after another. "What are you dawdling for? The crystal formation's energy is about to become unstable!" Zhao Wuji shoved a Soul Tool into Tang San's hands, his tone clearly urging him on.
Using "adjusting wrist guards to ensure precise movements" as a reason to delay the test, avoiding premature high-intensity coordination expenditure. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 69 points.
Tang San summoned Blue Silver Grass and deliberately let the rhythm of his Multi-Soul Skill coordination lag by half a beat. On his first attempt at "Binding + Blue Silver Thrust," the Blue Silver Grass had barely wrapped around the first metal target when the thrust came half a second late, merely grazing the edge of the bullseye. The gemstone did not light up. "Tang San! You can't even coordinate properly? Is your Blue Silver Grass made of wet noodles?" Zhao Wuji's whip lashed against the edge of the crystal formation, making the energy within it tremble.
"Teacher, 'Binding' requires maintaining the toughness of the grass blades, while 'Thrust' requires concentrating Soul Power. The two Soul Skills exert force in opposite directions. Synchronizing them can easily snap the grass blades, so I can only slowly find the balance point." As Tang San spoke, he tried again. This time, the skills activated together, but he injected only twenty percent of his Soul Power into the thrust. The gemstone emitted only a faint glow. "See? The moment they synchronized, the grass blades nearly broke. I can only use less Soul Power, or I'll have to summon my Martial Soul again."
Using "avoiding Martial Soul breakage" as a reason to reduce Soul Skill output and slow coordination speed, avoiding excessive consumption. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 70 points.
When the incense stick burned out, Tang San had completed only three qualifying coordinated attacks, two short of the required five. "Train for another incense stick's time. If you still can't reach four, don't even think about eating today!" Zhao Wuji stood by the formation with his arms folded, his eyes locked on Tang San. Yet Tang San secretly relaxed—extra training was just another chance to accumulate Slacking Value, and the excuse of "limitations in balancing force" could keep being used.
The morning training was "Team Resource Scramble." Zhao Wuji tossed a pile of Soul Skill Supply Packs onto the open ground. "You have fifteen minutes. Whoever grabs one keeps it. Tang San, you'll enter last, and you can only take the supply pack in the farthest corner!"
The moment the supply packs hit the ground, Dai Mubai charged out and grabbed the three largest ones. Ma Hongjun swept aside the people around him with Phoenix Flame and seized two as well. Only after everyone else had rushed in did Tang San slowly walk to the corner, using Blue Silver Grass to gently hook over the smallest supply pack. Inside was only half a bottle of Soul Power Recovery Potion, half as much as the others had gotten. "Tang San! That's all you took? Do you not want to compete for them?" Zhao Wuji walked over, kicking a supply pack at his feet and flipping it over.
"Teacher, the supply pack in the corner was wedged between rocks. If Blue Silver Grass hooks it too hard, it could tear the pack, so I could only pull it out slowly. Otherwise, it would be even more troublesome if the potion spilled." As he spoke, Tang San deliberately used Blue Silver Grass to hook the pack beside it again. Sure enough, he tore a small hole in it, and some of the recovery potion leaked out. "See? It tore the moment I used force. I have to open it slowly to preserve the supplies."
Using "avoiding damage to supply packs" as a reason to reduce the intensity of the scramble, avoiding resource competition expenditure. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 71 points.
During the noon break, Xiao Wu shared half of her supply pack with Tang San. "Teacher Zhao went too far. He deliberately made you enter last and only gave you the small pack." Tang San accepted it, drank only a single sip of the recovery potion, and put it away—he needed to save it for the afternoon's exertion. Drinking too much now would instead easily cause Soul Power Fluctuation.
The afternoon training was "Extreme Environment Combat." Zhao Wuji led everyone to an open patch covered in quicksand. "Fight the dummies in the quicksand. Everyone must defeat three dummies before stopping. Tang San, you must defeat one more than the others, and the quicksand will gradually sink!"
The quicksand had barely passed their ankles when Dai Mubai summoned his White Tiger Martial Soul and carefully moved forward, knocking down a dummy with one punch. Ning Rongrong used the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda to enhance her balance and slowly took down one as well. Tang San stepped into the quicksand and deliberately slowed his pace, pausing with every step. When a dummy rushed at him, he merely used Blue Silver Grass to lightly bind its legs, letting it sink into the quicksand—rather than directly knocking it down, he used the quicksand's force to leave it unable to move.
"Tang San! Why don't you knock it down directly? Trying to slack off?" Zhao Wuji shouted from the side, lashing the quicksand with his whip and sending sand spraying everywhere.
"Teacher, directly knocking down dummies in quicksand takes too much effort, and it could make me sink deeper. Using the quicksand to trap them saves more Soul Power and lets me last longer." As he spoke, Tang San deliberately caused another dummy to sink into the quicksand as well. "See? This way, I can trap them without much effort. It's much easier than knocking them down directly."
Using "saving effort by relying on the environment and preventing sinking" as a reason to reduce combat intensity, avoiding Extreme Environment expenditure. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 72 points.
By the end of the evening training, Tang San had trapped exactly four dummies, one more than required, but he had taken twice as long as everyone else. "Extra physical training tonight. Run ten laps around the quicksand field. If you fall behind, you'll run another five laps tomorrow!" Zhao Wuji's voice echoed across the open ground.
Everyone groaned, but Tang San quietly opened the system panel—72 points of Slacking Value, still 28 points short of his next Soul Power Increase. He slowly walked back to the dormitory, calculating to himself: the evening training was the perfect chance to slow down using "quicksand trapping his feet" as an excuse. Teacher Zhao's attempts to make things difficult were all excellent opportunities to build up points.
As night fell, Tang San began running around the quicksand field. He deliberately slowed his steps to a crawl, letting the sand sink to his calves with every stride—"running too fast in quicksand makes it easy to fall, so going slowly is safer." It fit his slacking rhythm and earned him more points. He thought to himself, as long as I find the right excuses, no matter how ruthless Teacher Zhao is, the path to the pinnacle of slacking can continue.
Before you continue