Dawn had barely broken when the carriage outside the inn was ready. As Tang San stepped out of his room with his packed Spirit Combat bag on his back, Xiao Wu was helping Oscar count their sausage supplies, while Dai Mubai checked the Soul Tool protective gear. "Hurry up! It'll take half a day to travel the mountain roads to Shrek Academy Main Campus. You won't like the consequences if we're late!" Flender stood beside the carriage, lightly tapping the shaft with the whip in his hand.
Tang San deliberately slowed his steps. When he tucked the low-grade Soul Power recovery Soul Tool he had bought the previous night into his clothes, he paused for two extra seconds—there might be spirit beasts on the mountain road, and delaying under the excuse of "checking emergency equipment" would ensure the gear was within easy reach while also giving him more time to rest. Only after he climbed into the carriage did he notice several bundles of rope and some medicine inside. "Dean, are these for unexpected situations on the mountain road?"
"Sharp of you! There are rolling rocks on the mountain paths, and the ropes can come in handy." As Flender spoke, the carriage slowly set off. Tang San leaned against the window and let Blue Silver Grass quietly extend through a crack, creeping slowly along the ground—The mountain roads are bumpy. Having Blue Silver Grass scout ahead can avoid potholes. Slow scouting is more precise than fast scouting, and it also saves Soul Power. As he observed the feedback from the grass blades, he told Xiao Wu, "Stay close to me when we reach steep slopes. Don't fall behind."
Using "checking emergency equipment + slowly scouting the mountain road to prevent jolting" as a reason to adjust the preparation pace, avoiding unexpected consumption. Slacking Value +1, current total: 107.
By noon, the carriage finally arrived outside the mountain gate of Shrek Academy Main Campus. Unlike the shabby Nuoding Academy, the main campus gate was built from enormous blocks of bluestone, engraved with the three vigorous characters for "Shrek." Two guards in black uniforms stood at the entrance, Soul Tools hanging from their waists. "Who goes there? Present your admission credentials!" One guard raised a hand to stop the carriage, his gaze sweeping over the silver Spirit Combat badges on the chests of the seven people.
Flender handed over a letter. After reading it, the guard frowned. "By the main campus rules, newcomers must first pass an 'aptitude test' before they can enter! Come with me!" The testing site was an open area behind the mountain gate. A Soul Power appraisal device glowing with golden light stood in the center, while an elderly man with a goatee stood nearby. He was Teacher Li, the man in charge of testing.
"Each of you will place a hand on the device. Only those whose Soul Power Fluctuation meets the standard will pass. Tang San, you're first!" Teacher Li pointed at the device, his tone somewhat stern. Tang San stepped forward and deliberately slowed the motion of raising his hand. The instant his fingers touched the device's surface, he stopped—This is my first time using the main campus's appraisal device. I need to first adjust to its Soul Power sensing frequency. Moving too fast could cause errors, and an inaccurate reading would only be troublesome. After waiting half a quarter-hour, he slowly injected Soul Power into it. The device's glow gradually rose to the edge of the "passing line."
"Only barely passing? Didn't you defeat the Imperial Dou Team?" Teacher Li frowned, his recording pen pausing over the paper.
"Teacher, the device's sensing frequency differs from what I usually use. I reached the passing line as soon as I adjusted to it. If I fine-tune it further, I might exceed it, which would instead fail the requirement for 'precise control.'" Tang San withdrew his hand and pointed at the fluctuation curve on the device. "Look, the fluctuations are very stable and there were no errors. That's the key to this test, isn't it?" Teacher Li said nothing further and made a checkmark in the record book.
Using "adjusting to the appraisal device's sensing frequency to prevent errors" as a reason to control testing output, avoiding excessive consumption. Slacking Value +1, current total: 108.
After entering the main campus, Flender hurriedly left after bringing the seven people to the dormitory area. Before leaving, he warned, "You'll be attending the main campus's 'group basic training' this afternoon. Don't embarrass me!" Four people shared each dorm room. Tang San lived with Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar. They had only just finished organizing their luggage when they heard the assembly whistle from the training ground.
The training ground was already packed with main campus students. At the front stood a tall middle-aged man, Teacher Zhao, who was in charge of training. He had the same name as Teacher Zhao from Nuoding Academy, but was much stronger. "Today, we practice 'precise Soul Power delivery.' Each person will use their martial soul to inject Soul Power into the crystal at the target's center. Injecting exactly eighty percent counts as a pass. Tang San, you're in the last group!" Teacher Zhao's voice was booming as the timer in his hand began counting down.
The students ahead quickly completed the test one after another, and the crystals shone with dazzling light. When it was Tang San's turn, he summoned Blue Silver Grass and deliberately made his Soul Power delivery half a beat slower—The target crystal at the main campus is one size smaller than the one at Nuoding Academy. Delivering it too quickly could spill Soul Power, while delivering it slowly allows precise control, bringing it right to eighty percent. When the crystal reached seventy percent brightness, he immediately stopped. "Teacher, my injection is short by exactly ten percent. I still need to work on my precision."
"Short by ten percent means you failed! Practice three more sets!" Teacher Zhao frowned and handed the timer to Tang San. Tang San practiced at an unhurried pace, making the crystal reach between seventy-five and seventy-eight percent in every set, never reaching eighty percent. "As you can see, the target center is too small. I have to adjust the angle with every injection. Only slow practice can find the precise point. If I go fast, I'll just keep getting it wrong."
Using "adjusting to the small target's precision + slow practice to find the angle" as a reason to control the delivery pace, avoiding excessive consumption. Slacking Value +1, current total: 109.
When training ended at dusk, Tang San had just left the training ground when he saw Xiao Wu running over with two bottles of warm water. "Tang San, you could clearly hit eighty percent precisely. Why did you deliberately keep it above seventy percent? Teacher Zhao was practically glaring holes through you."
"The main campus training rhythm is different from before. Only slow practice will let me adjust to it. Otherwise, extra training tomorrow will be even more troublesome." Tang San took the warm water and drank slowly, his gaze sweeping over the distant Spirit Beast Forest—the main campus's practical training would definitely be harder than the Soul đấu Arena. He had to save up enough Soul Power in advance.
Back in the dormitory, Oscar handed him a Recovery Sausage. "I heard we'll be practicing 'team coordination defense' tomorrow. We need to save enough Soul Power." Tang San accepted the sausage but did not eat it immediately, placing it at the head of his bed instead. "I'll eat it before training tomorrow. If I eat it now, Soul Power could overflow during meditation tonight, which would be wasteful." He sat by the bed and began meditating, deliberately reducing his Soul Power circulation speed to seventy percent of normal—The precise delivery practice took quite a bit of mental energy today. Slow Meditation can relax my meridians. Going too fast could leave hidden problems behind.
Using "saving an emergency sausage + Slow Meditation to protect the meridians" as a reason to adjust the recovery pace, avoiding excessive consumption. Slacking Value +1, current total: 110.
Late at night, the breathing in the dormitory gradually became steady. Tang San opened his eyes and looked at the night sky above the main campus through the window. The main campus assessments and training may be difficult, but as long as I find the right reasons—"adapting to testing standards" and "adjusting to the training rhythm"—the road to the peak of slacking can continue. Maybe I can even learn stronger techniques at the main campus.
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