Shrek Morning Training: Tang San Under Initial Pressure

Shrek Morning Training: Tang San Under Initial Pressure

Before dawn had fully broken, a thin mist shrouded Shrek Academy's courtyard. The damp scent of rotting leaves mingled with the earthy stench of soil, rushing toward them. Seven rusted iron buckets stood abruptly in the open space, the mud caked on their walls bearing witness to their long service. Flender stood beside the buckets with a pipe in his mouth, the aura of his Cat Owl Martial Soul spreading faintly around him. Even the air seemed to tighten under the stare of those sharp hawk eyes.

"Stand properly, all of you!" Flender knocked his pipe against his palm, sending sparks flying as his voice boomed like a broken gong. "Don't think passing the entrance test makes you geniuses. At Shrek, only trash needs rest!" He kicked an iron bucket, making its thirty-jin body sway with a dull clang. "See that forest?"

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed. Beyond the courtyard, the Thorn Forest resembled an ink-black giant wave. Dark Red thorny branches twisted together, morning dew hanging from their Spikes and glinting coldly in the dim light. "Carry thirty jin and cross the Thorn Forest to the mountain peak on the other side. You have Half an Hour." Flender pointed his pipe at the distant peak. "Anyone who runs out of time, throws away their load, or tries to cheat by using their Martial Soul to break the rules can go drink the northwest wind at noon!"

Oscar's face turned pale. He had just started to take out a sausage for a bite to fill his stomach when Flender's glare stopped him. Dai Mubai hoisted an iron bucket onto his shoulder to test its weight, his brows knitting tightly. The load was not heavy for an Assault System soul master, but the Thorn Forest was the real problem. Ma Hongjun wailed outright, "Dean, those thorns have barbs! One scratch and I'll lose a layer of skin!"

"Losing a layer of skin would be the least of your worries." Flender Scoffed, his Soul Power suddenly erupting as Cat Owl wings unfolded behind him. "Now—go!"

The moment the last word fell, Lin Che had already bent down and hoisted his iron bucket. The Azure Water Sword trembled softly in its sheath. With a tap of his toes, he vaulted over the fence and charged straight toward the Thorn Forest. Tang San followed immediately behind him, Blue Silver Grass silently gathering in his palm as his Mysterious Jade Hand firmly gripped the bucket handle. He deliberately Operated the Mysterious Heaven Skill, sinking his inner strength into his calves and using the force techniques his father had taught him to share the burden, but the bucket's weight still made his Footsteps heavy.

The instant he Stepped Into the Thorn Forest, sharp thorns tore through his pant leg. Lin Che flicked his wrist, and the Azure Water Sword suddenly left its sheath. Azure Sword Qi swept through the thorn bushes ahead like a crescent moon. With a crisp tearing sound, half-man-tall thorn branches snapped apart, their cross-sections as smooth as cut jade. He did not simply hack through them with Brute Force. Instead, he precisely located the main nodes of the thorn branches. One strike could clear a path half a zhang wide.

Even more astonishing was the iron bucket on his shoulder. A Pale Golden cauldron phantom quietly Appeared beneath it. The Soul Power of the Universe Cauldron supported the bucket, taking on most of its thirty-jin weight. Lin Che's Footsteps were as light as though he were strolling through a garden. While his Sword Qi Split Open the thorns, the cauldron slowly rotated, occasionally absorbing faint Soul Power drifting In the Air. This was a new application he had developed after Star Dou Forest, using the Universe Cauldron's absorption properties to reduce his own consumption.

"That works too?" Dai Mubai, following behind, stared in amazement. Just as he was about to use White Tiger Claw to tear through the thorns, Flender's roar stopped him. "Dai Mubai! If you dare use your Martial Soul to directly destroy the thorns, you'll carry an extra ten jin!" Dai Mubai resentfully withdrew his Soul Power and could only force his way through the dense branches, his arms instantly sliced with several bloody cuts.

Tang San's situation was far more difficult. He did not dare clear a path with his Martial Soul like Lin Che, so he could only Operate Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and weave through gaps in the thorns. Blue Silver Grass quietly Protruded, wrapping around a thorn branch ahead and giving it a gentle pull, using the counterforce to Leap Out half a step. But the Thorn Forest was simply too dense. As soon as the Blue Silver Grass wrapped around a branch, its leaves were pierced by thorns, forcing him to constantly change his points of leverage.

"Pant... pant..." In less than the time it took to burn one incense stick, Tang San's forehead was covered in cold sweat. The Mysterious Heaven Skill Operated at high speed within him. He needed to maintain force in his calves to share the load while also sustaining the consumption of Blue Silver Grass, and his Soul Power drained at a visible rate. He glanced toward Lin Che in the distance. The other's figure flickered in and out among the thorns, maintaining a steady pace, his clothes barely even scratched.

No. I can't fall too far behind. Tang San gritted his teeth and suddenly activated Purple Demon Eyes. A faint purple glow Enveloped his vision, and the distribution of the thorns instantly became clear. He ran wildly along the sparsest routes, Blue Silver Grass moving between the thorns like a nimble serpent as it continually searched for leverage points. Yet even so, the distance between him and Lin Che continued to widen. The path Lin Che had cleared was straight and open, while Tang San had to keep circling around the branches.

Lin Che had already reached the depths of the Thorn Forest. A notification suddenly popped up on the system panel:

[Detected that the host is leading in morning training progress. Side Quest triggered: Morning Training Victory]

[Mission Requirements: Be the first to Arrive at the finish line, with the load intact and without violating the rules by using a Martial Soul to destroy the course.]

[Mission Reward: Epic Can ×1]

The Corner of Mouth lifted slightly as his sword momentum abruptly quickened. The Azure Water Sword slashed out three consecutive waves of Sword Qi, and the thorns ahead seemed to be swept by a fierce wind, instantly clearing into an open path. The supporting force of the Universe Cauldron increased by another thirty percent, and the iron bucket rested as steadily upon the cauldron phantom as a boulder. Then he suddenly noticed a faint Soul Power Fluctuation glittering within the thorns on his right. Looking closely, he found a small blade of grass with a Light Blue glow—it was the Qi Condensing Grass mentioned in the earlier chapters. Though it could not compare to an immortal herb, it could slowly restore Soul Power.

Lin Che did not stop. He merely Operated the Universe Cauldron and gave a gentle pull, causing the energy of the Qi Condensing Grass to turn into a streak of blue light and Merge Into the cauldron. This trace of energy was insignificant to him, but it was enough to keep his Soul Power consumption at a very low level. Tang San, on the other hand, had no choice but to swallow a Recovery Sausage Oscar had given him beforehand. Nearly half his Soul Power had already been Consumed, while Lin Che had likely used less than twenty percent.

"Only the time it takes to burn one incense stick remains! Anyone who hasn't reached the peak, move faster!" Flender's voice came through the Thorn Forest, carrying a Soul Power vibration that startled the forest birds into scattering. Tang San looked up. The distant mountain peak was faintly visible, but Lin Che's figure had long since vanished in that direction. Anxiety rising in his heart, he pushed the Mysterious Heaven Skill to its limit. Blue Silver Grass suddenly burst forth, wrapping around a thick branch overhead and swinging him forward.

"Pfft!" Sharp thorns tore across the back of his hand, and blood immediately seeped out. He Operated Mysterious Jade Hand in time to stop the wound, but the additional Soul Power consumption made his vision darken. He finally understood that the gap between himself and Lin Che was not merely in their Martial Souls, but in their efficiency at controlling Soul Power. Lin Che used every bit of Soul Power where it mattered most, while Tang San kept wasting energy through trial, error, and recovery.

When Tang San finally rushed out of the Thorn Forest and staggered onto the mountaintop, Lin Che was already leaning beneath an ancient tree with his eyes closed in rest. The iron bucket sat steadily beside him, the cauldron phantom long since Converged. Only the tassel of the Azure Water Sword still swayed slightly. Flender held a pocket watch, his brows raised high. "Lin Che, two quarters of an hour. Tang San, four quarters of an hour—exactly two incense sticks behind."

Tang San collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. He Operated the Mysterious Heaven Skill to inspect the Soul Power in his body and found that less than thirty percent remained. He had Consumed over thirty percent more than Lin Che. What made him even more frustrated was that Lin Che looked perfectly calm, without the slightest disorder in his breathing.

"This is the gap." Lin Che opened his eyes and looked at Tang San. "Your Mysterious Heaven Skill is exquisite, but you rely too heavily on technique to make up for lacking raw ability. When you encounter a real predicament, technique will never be as reliable as strength." He was not deliberately mocking him, only stating the facts. From the Mandala Snake to the Ghost Vine, and now this morning training, the gap between them had continued to grow.

Tang San clenched his fists, his fingernails digging deeply into his palms. He knew Lin Che was right, but this realization did not bring enlightenment. Instead, it made his unwillingness even stronger. He looked at the sword sheath at Lin Che's waist and silently made a vow: One day, I'll have the vines of Blue Silver Grass bind that sharp Azure Water Sword.

The other students Arrived at the mountaintop one after another. Dai Mubai was covered in wounds, Ma Hongjun's clothes had been torn to rags, and Oscar and Ning Rongrong were so exhausted that they fell directly to the ground. Only Jiang Zhu was in slightly better condition. Her Seven-Colored Sacred Staff Emitted a faint Golden Light, clearly showing that she had secretly used healing Soul Power along the way to ease her fatigue.

"Not bad. No one exceeded the time limit." Flender put away his pocket watch, his gaze lingering longest on Lin Che. "Lin Che, you performed the best this time. You get an extra chicken leg at noon." Though he spoke of the reward, a trace of deep thought Flashed in his eyes. This kid's Dual Martial Souls were working together with increasing skill, especially that cauldron, which always seemed to save Soul Power at critical moments. It was practically a Martial Soul tailor-made for prolonged battles.

A notification Appeared on Lin Che's system panel at just the right moment:

["Morning Training Victory" mission completed. Reward: [Epic Can] ×1 has been deposited into System Space and may be opened at any time.]

He touched the sword sheath at his waist, considering when to open the Epic Can. The previous Rare Can and God-Tier Can had both brought enormous gains. The Epic Can surely would not disappoint him.

The rising sun gradually Dispelled the mountain mist. The Shrek students sat atop the peak to rest. Oscar took out Recovery Sausages and handed them around, while Jiang Zhu used the Seven-Colored Sacred Staff to treat Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun's wounds. Tang San sat alone in a corner, silently Operating the Mysterious Heaven Skill to restore his Soul Power, his Purple Demon Eyes occasionally glancing in Lin Che's direction.

Facing the sunlight, Lin Che spun the Azure Water Sword in his palm, making a sword flourish. He could feel that with the end of morning training, Shrek's adjustment period had officially begun. And the contest between him and Tang San had gradually extended from merely fighting over opportunities into Every Time of their daily training.

In the direction of Suotuo City, a Black Shadow quietly swept past. Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan watched Lin Che's image in a Crystal Ball, a cold smile curling at the Corner of Mouth. "His Majesty the Pope, this kid's growth rate has exceeded expectations. The marvelous uses of the Universe Cauldron are becoming more and more apparent." On the other end of the Crystal Ball, Bibi Dong gave a Light Laugh. "The more so, the less we can let him live to obtain the remaining immortal herbs. Pass down the order. Have Ghost Douluo prepare himself. It is time to cause Shrek a little trouble."

The people on the mountaintop knew nothing of this. Lin Che put away the Azure Water Sword, rose to his feet, and looked at Flender. "Dean, what is the afternoon training?" Flender grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Don't rush. This morning was only an appetizer. The afternoon's Soul Power Competition will be the real test."

Tang San suddenly raised his head, a trace of Fighting Spirit flashing in his eyes. The Soul Power Competition was exactly his chance to win back a round. Lin Che, meanwhile, remained calm as the Universe Cauldron quietly Appeared in his palm. No matter what the test was, he was confident he could lead once again.

Though this contest centered around morning training had ended, Shrek's devil training had only just begun, and the hidden danger lurking in the shadows was quietly Approached.