Before dawn had even broken, two carriages were already parked outside the gates of Shrek Academy Main Campus. Flender stood beside them, checking the supplies. His list was densely packed with healing medicine, rations, and Soul Tools. When Tang San emerged from the dorm carrying a backpack stuffed with sausages, Xiao Wu was helping Ning Rongrong inspect the Soul Power reserves of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda. "Hurry up! The morning fog in the Spirit Beast Forest clears quickly. If we're late, we might miss the best time for training!" Just as Flender finished speaking, Dai Mubai came running over with two bundles of rope slung over his shoulder, beast-catching nets hanging from them.
Tang San deliberately slowed his pace and adjusted the Soul Guiding Recovery Device at his waist to "low-consumption mode"—forest training would take a long time, and high-consumption mode could run out of power early. Using "adjusting the device mode" as an excuse to delay would ensure it could be used in an emergency while also giving him more time to adapt to the forest's morning temperature. Only after climbing into the carriage did he notice several Soul Guiding Lamps inside. "Dean, are these for dealing with the nighttime fog in the forest?"
"Not bad, you're attentive! Fog rises in the forest at night, and Soul Guiding Lamps can keep us from getting lost." As Flender spoke, the carriage slowly headed toward the Spirit Beast Forest. Tang San leaned against the window and quietly extended Blue Silver Grass through a crack, letting it slowly creep along the ground—There are many forks on the forest paths. Letting Blue Silver Grass scout slowly can memorize the route. Scouting too quickly might miss a fork, and it can also sense nearby spirit beast auras in advance. As he observed the feedback from the grass blades, he told Xiao Wu, "Once we enter the forest, don't casually touch the plants by the roadside. Some of them are poisonous."
Using "adjusting Soul Tool mode + slowly scouting the route to avoid getting lost" as a reason to adjust the preparation pace, avoiding sudden consumption. Slacking Value +1, current total: 119
By midmorning, the carriage finally reached the entrance to the Spirit Beast Forest. A warning sign stood there, reading, "Spirit beasts over one hundred years old inside. Enter with caution." Several beast bones lay scattered nearby. Flender divided the seven people into two groups. "Tang San, take Xiao Wu, Oscar, and Ning Rongrong down the left path. Look for spirit beasts suitable for control-type and support-type soul masters. Dai Mubai, take Zhu Zhuqing and Ma Hongjun down the right path. Look for power-attack-type spirit beasts. Meet at the stream in the center of the forest at noon!"
They had not gone far down the left path when Blue Silver Grass suddenly sent back faint vibrations—there was a spirit beast approaching ahead. Tang San immediately had everyone stop and deliberately slowed their advance. Blue Silver Grass quietly curled around behind the bushes ahead, where it discovered a two-hundred-year Poison Spider lying on a leaf and staring at Ning Rongrong. "Xiao Wu, circle around from the left and use Waist Bow to kick its abdomen. Oscar, prepare an antidote sausage. Ning Rongrong, wait until Xiao Wu makes her move, then boost her agility!" Tang San deliberately had Blue Silver Grass wrap around the Poison Spider's legs first, but only halfway—The Poison Spider has venom glands on its legs. Wrapping it too tightly could cause venom to splatter. Half a loop can restrict its movement while leaving Xiao Wu room to attack. Xiao Wu seized the chance to leap forward and kick the Poison Spider in the abdomen. It instantly collapsed, and Oscar immediately handed over an antidote sausage.
"Tang San, why didn't you bind it completely? What if it counterattacked?" Ning Rongrong put away the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, her voice still tinged with lingering fear.
"Binding it completely would have splashed venom, and its weakness is its abdomen. Restricting its movement was more effective than binding it tightly, and it also saved Soul Power for the next spirit beast." Tang San recalled Blue Silver Grass. "Look, no one was injured, and we still have enough Soul Power to deal with other spirit beasts."
Using "preventing venom splatter + leaving room to attack" as a reason to adjust the level of battlefield control, avoiding excessive consumption. Slacking Value +1, current total: 120
They continued deeper into the forest and finally reached the stream around noon. Dai Mubai's group was already waiting there, with some beast fur still stuck to Ma Hongjun's clothes. "We encountered a three-hundred-year Flame Wolf and spent quite a bit of Soul Power taking it down!" Dai Mubai wiped away his sweat. Just as he was about to take out some rations, they suddenly heard a splash from upstream—a four-hundred-year Azure Water Snake was swimming toward them, the scales on its body gleaming with a poisonous blue light.
Tang San immediately had the two groups merge into a "double-triangle formation." The left formation guarded against the snake's head, and the right formation guarded against its tail. "The Azure Water Snake can spray venom up to five meters away. Have Blue Silver Grass bind its vital point first and stop it from spitting poison!" He deliberately split Blue Silver Grass into several strands, each wrapping only once—The snake's body is slick. Multiple strands are steadier than a single strand, and one loop prevents the grass blades from being torn when the snake struggles free. Ning Rongrong boosted Dai Mubai's strength, and his White Tiger Claw slammed viciously into the Azure Water Snake's vital point. The snake immediately went still, while Ma Hongjun hurriedly used Phoenix Flame to burn away the venom on its body.
"Tang San, why didn't you wrap it a few more times? Its body almost slipped free just now!" Dai Mubai withdrew his White Tiger Martial Soul, sounding puzzled.
"More loops would be affected by the slime on its body and would loosen more easily instead. One loop with multiple strands is steadier and saves Soul Power." Tang San had Oscar hand everyone Recovery Sausages. "Look, we still have forty percent of our Soul Power left. That's enough to get out of the forest."
Using "guarding against the snake's slime + stable control with multiple strands" as a reason to adjust the battlefield control method, avoiding excessive consumption. Slacking Value +1, current total: 121
By evening, the seven people finally emerged from the Spirit Beast Forest. Flender had already been waiting at the entrance. "Today's training was good. There were no casualties. We'll come again next week, and our target will be a five-hundred-year spirit beast!" Flender smiled and patted Tang San's shoulder as the carriage slowly made its way back to the main campus.
Back in the dorm, Tang San sat by his bed and meditated, deliberately slowing the circulation of his Soul Power to seventy percent of its normal rate—I used quite a lot of Soul Power in the forest today. Slow Meditation can relax my meridians. Going too fast could cause problems during next week's training. He touched the Soul Tool in his robe and thought to himself, Training in the Spirit Beast Forest may be dangerous, but as long as I find the right reasons for "preventing venom" and "steadily controlling slick-bodied spirit beasts," the road to the peak of slacking can continue. The seven people's practical combat experience will also grow richer and richer.
Using "Slow Meditation to protect the meridians + reserving Soul Power for next week" as a reason to adjust the recovery pace, avoiding excessive consumption. Slacking Value +1, current total: 122
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