Tang San's "Practical Combat Lesson"

The morning mist carried a faint earthy smell.

The small grove behind Nuoding Academy was a place Han Yuchen had carefully selected.

Quiet, with no one to disturb them.

Tang San stood opposite him, his expression focused.

This kid really was a cultivation maniac. The moment sparring was mentioned, his eyes had lit up.

Good. That saved him a lot of talking.

The first step of the plan was to let his first blade know just how dull it truly was.

Han Yuchen stretched lazily, his joints popping in a series of crisp cracks.

He looked completely listless, as though he had not woken up yet.

"Little San, ready?"

Tang San nodded solemnly and took his stance.

"Brother Han, please instruct me."

That "Brother Han" was genuinely heartfelt.

Heh, instruction was too much to call it.

He was just giving him a free lesson—a lesson that would overturn his worldview.

As for the tuition... he could collect that later.

"Little San, don't bully Little Chen!"

A loud, boisterous voice rang out as Xiao Wu bounced over like a rabbit.

Hands on her hips, she glared indignantly at Han Yuchen.

"I'll be the referee! Little Chen, you're not allowed to hit too hard!"

Here came Tang San's personal accessory.

Han Yuchen glanced at her. Pink short skirt, long scorpion braid, bursting with energy.

Just a little noisy.

Too lazy to respond, he merely crooked a finger at Tang San.

"Come on."

Tang San took a deep breath and stopped hesitating.

Buzz!

The yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up, its radiance glaring.

"First Soul Skill, Blue Silver Entanglement!"

That Soul Ring effect was flashier than a cheap LED strip with free shipping from Pinduoduo.

A little blinding.

Before his words had even faded, more than a dozen tough Blue Silver Grass vines burst from the ground.

Like snakes that had smelled blood, they silently wound toward Han Yuchen's ankles, wrists, and neck from every direction.

Their angles were tricky, and their coordination seamless.

As expected of a future Control System master. He had some skill.

Tang San's gaze sharpened.

Got him!

Han Yuchen remained where he was, not even trying to dodge.

Xiao Wu nervously clenched her fists as well.

Little Chen was being too careless!

Yet the very next second—

The Blue Silver Grass vines that were about to touch Han Yuchen's clothes all stopped.

As if someone had pressed pause.

A faint circle of ripples had appeared beneath Han Yuchen's feet at some point.

The ripples spun rapidly around him, forming a barrier nearly invisible to the naked eye.

Every Blue Silver Grass vine that approached was violently flung away by a powerful centrifugal force.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

The vines lashed against the surrounding trunks with a string of crisp cracks.

Yet not a single one could enter within three feet of Han Yuchen.

Tang San's pupils abruptly contracted.

How was that possible?!

He had not even seen Han Yuchen's Soul Ring light up!

Xiao Wu's little mouth fell open, her face full of disbelief.

What... what kind of move was that?

"Little San."

Han Yuchen's voice drifted over, carrying a hint of casual indifference.

"Your control ability is very strong."

"But what if the enemy refuses to let you get close at all?"

Was he... guiding me?

Tang San's heart jolted.

As though he had seen through Tang San's thoughts, Han Yuchen's lips curved faintly upward.

He held two fingers together like a sword and lightly flicked them toward Tang San's side.

Whoosh!

A palm-sized water blade appeared out of thin air, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle before vanishing in a flash.

Too fast!

Tang San only felt a bone-chilling coolness sweep past his cheek.

He did not even have time to react.

Crack!

Not far behind him, a small tree as thick as a bowl snapped in half.

The cut was smooth as a mirror.

The slowly falling crown crashed onto the ground with a dull thud.

Hiss...

Tang San sucked in a cold breath, sweat instantly breaking out across his body.

He stiffly turned his head to stare at the broken tree, his heart hammering wildly.

If that strike had been aimed at him...

"Your martial soul is excellent, but you rely on it too much."

Han Yuchen's voice continued, calm yet landing on Tang San's heart like heavy hammer blows.

Tang San abruptly turned back.

There was no one in front of him.

Han Yuchen... had vanished!

Where was he?!

Xiao Wu cried out as well, looking around in every direction.

A warm touch lightly settled on Tang San's right shoulder.

A ghostly voice sounded behind his ear.

"If your enemy is faster than you and appears in your blind spot—"

"Will your Blue Silver Grass make it back in time to defend you?"

Boom!

Tang San's mind went blank.

Every hair on his body stood on end, and he stiffened like a stone.

He had lost.

Utterly and completely.

From beginning to end, the control and Hidden Weapons techniques he had been so proud of had not even touched the corner of his opponent's clothes.

Yet his opponent could take his life at any moment.

That realization nearly shattered the confidence he had built up over more than a decade.

Han Yuchen withdrew his hand. Seeing Tang San's pale face, he was quite satisfied.

The effect was good.

If he did not crush this false confidence of his, how would the rest of the show go on?

He sighed, his tone taking on a touch of earnest gravity.

"This world is more dangerous than you imagine."

"Some soul masters possess strange and unfathomable abilities. They can even corrupt your martial soul."

"If you rely solely on your martial soul itself, you'll suffer badly."

Corrupt a martial soul?

Tang San froze. It was a concept he had never heard before.

Good, the hook had been set.

You scum from Spirit Hall, I've prepared the blame for you in advance.

Han Yuchen sneered inwardly.

"You're bullying him!"

Xiao Wu could not stand it any longer.

She felt that Han Yuchen was simply trying to crush honest Tang San's confidence.

When a little rabbit got desperate, it could bite too.

With a sharp cry, she pushed off the ground with the tips of her feet and shot forward like a pink cannonball.

"Take this, Waist Bow!"

Oh?

She was getting fired up now.

Seeing how aggressively she came at him, Han Yuchen not only did not dodge, but actually found it a little amusing.

Xiao Wu's Soft Skill was indeed unbeatable at close range.

Unfortunately, that depended on whether she could get close.

Facing Xiao Wu's grapple, Han Yuchen's figure became elusive.

Like a reflection in water, like willow fluff in the wind.

He merely sidestepped, shifted his footing, and turned.

Every movement was perfectly timed, avoiding each of Xiao Wu's attacks with the smallest possible motion.

The longer Xiao Wu fought, the more alarmed she became.

This guy was as slippery as a loach!

She gave it everything she had, yet could not even touch Han Yuchen's clothes.

Several times, she overcommitted and lost her balance, nearly pitching headfirst into his arms.

Each time, Han Yuchen would lightly reach out and guide her back into balance before drifting away again.

The feeling was even more frustrating than punching cotton.

"Ah!"

During another pursuit, Xiao Wu tripped over a protruding tree root and cried out as her body toppled forward out of control.

It's over!

I'm going to fall flat on my face!

The pain she expected never came.

She fell into a warm yet firm embrace.

Han Yuchen had turned around at some point and caught her steadily at just the right moment.

Their eyes met.

They were extremely close.

Han Yuchen could clearly see her long eyelashes trembling slightly in panic.

He could also smell the faint, sweet fragrance around her, fresh and delicate like carrots.

Xiao Wu could feel the warmth of his chest, as well as his warm breath brushing against her face.

"You..."

She wanted to say something, only to find her throat terribly dry.

"Be careful."

Han Yuchen's voice was gentle.

Xiao Wu snapped out of it as though waking from a dream. Like a startled rabbit, she leaped out of his arms, lowered her head, and did not dare look at him.

Her hands nervously twisted the hem of her clothes.

Tsk, such an innocent little rabbit.

She really couldn't take a tease.

Han Yuchen smiled gently, breaking the slightly awkward atmosphere.

"Sister Xiao Wu, your close combat is formidable."

"But if you can't hit me, it's useless."

Outside the woods.

Yu Xiaogang had somehow appeared there.

He adjusted the black-rimmed glasses on his nose, his eyes filled with stunned disbelief.

He had seen everything that had just happened.

Whether it was Han Yuchen's artistry-like evasions or his incisive guidance to Tang San.

Could... could a six-year-old child really possess such battle awareness?

He was even more seasoned than those Soul Emperors who had struggled through life-and-death battles for decades!

A monster!

A true monster!

Han Yuchen had noticed him long ago.

Mm, the final audience member has arrived.

Time to wrap this up.

He walked toward Yu Xiaogang with a harmless smile on his face.

Pretending to ask casually, he said,

"Master, you are immensely knowledgeable. This junior has a question I would like to ask."

Yu Xiaogang immediately came back to his senses and looked at him seriously.

"Go ahead."

He had far too many questions about this boy, who was a mystery from head to toe.

"Have you heard of Soul Masters falling into corruption and using some... well, very evil powers?"

Han Yuchen's expression was full of curious eagerness to learn.

Evil powers?

The question caught Yu Xiaogang completely off guard.

He frowned, and his expression became incomparably grave.

He nodded.

"Of course."

"Those are the Evil Spirit Masters... despised by the entire Soul Master World."

"Their cultivation methods are exceptionally cruel, and their abilities are extremely bizarre. Why did you suddenly ask about this?"

Got it.

That was precisely the answer Han Yuchen wanted.

He scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"It's nothing. I just thought of it while sparring with Little San."

"I felt that this world was rather dangerous, so I wanted to learn more, just in case."

The answer was flawless.

Yu Xiaogang had no reason to doubt him and merely gave Han Yuchen a deep look.

To prepare for danger before it arose...

This child's vigilance and foresight far surpassed those of his peers.

The morning training spar came to an end.

Tang San stood where he was, head lowered as he sank into prolonged thought.

Han Yuchen's words had opened an entirely new door for him.

He began to frantically reflect on the combat system he had once been so proud of, wondering just how many fatal flaws it contained.

Meanwhile, Xiao Wu occasionally stole glances at Han Yuchen, the blush still lingering on her cheeks.

Yu Xiaogang, on the other hand, kept turning over the words "Evil Spirit Master" in his mind, his gaze growing increasingly solemn.

Taking in the reactions of the three of them, Han Yuchen turned and headed toward the academy.

The morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled patches of light across him.

An unnoticed curve lifted at the corner of his lips.

Tang San, that blade, had begun to be sharpened.

Yu Xiaogang, the theory world's "mouthpiece," had also become sensitive to certain terms.

Very good.

The two most important seeds had already been quietly planted.

All that remained was to wait patiently for them to take root and sprout.