Spirit Calming Ointment at the Training Ground

The days flew by amid sweat and surging Soul Power. The Shrek Seven Devils gradually adapted to Master's near-brutal training pace. Their coordination grew stronger by the day, and every one of them rapidly matured under the pressure.

That day, the training exercise became precise Soul Power control under extreme conditions.

Master had somehow obtained a batch of peculiar metal spheres, their surfaces covered in tiny, irregular holes. The task was to condense Soul Power into extremely fine threads and guide them through the sphere's intricate internal passages without touching the walls, emerging from a designated hole on the other side.

It required astonishing concentration, delicate Soul Power control, and patience.

"How is this even possible?" Oscar picked up a metal sphere and held it to the light, studying the maze-like structure inside. His face twisted like a bitter melon.

"Enough nonsense. Start training." Dai Mubai gave a low shout and took the lead. The Soul Power of the Evil Eyes White Tiger was domineering and fierce; condensing it into a thin thread was difficult enough, let alone controlling it precisely. With a soft pop, his Soul Power thread wavered and struck the wall of a passage, leaving a patch of fine scratches inside the metal sphere.

Ma Hongjun's flame Soul Power was even more disastrous. The moment he injected any into the sphere, it became too hot to hold, much less use it for threading through holes.

Xiao Wu's Soft Bone Rabbit Soul Power was nimble, but it lacked endurance. More often than not, it would run out of strength halfway through. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing each gave it a try as well, but their progress was slow.

Tang San's performance was the most outstanding. He cultivated the Mysterious Heaven Skill, and his control over Soul Power already far surpassed that of his peers. Combined with the exceptional vision and Spiritual Power granted by the Purple Demon Eye, as well as the patience and precision he had honed while crafting Hidden Weapons, his advantage was clear. Holding his breath in concentration, he guided an almost invisible blue thread of Soul Power from his fingertips into one of the holes. It moved steadily and smoothly through the interior. Though it was not fast, he made very few mistakes.

Master watched from the side and gave a slight nod.

Xiao Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and picked up a metal sphere as well. Her Phantom Moon Fox Martial Soul specialized in Spiritual Power and Illusion Techniques, so precise Soul Power control should have been one of her strengths. Yet the old injury from overexerting her Spiritual Power was like a hidden thorn. It caused no trouble normally, but whenever she needed intense focus and precise control, a faint stabbing pain would emerge and disrupt her concentration.

She tried to calm herself and began condensing her Soul Power. Moon-white Soul Power flickered at her fingertips, transforming into a slender thread of light that cautiously entered the hole.

At first, it went fairly smoothly. The Soul Power thread moved as easily as an extension of her arm. But as it delved deeper, the internal passages became more complex and winding, requiring exponentially greater Spiritual Power. The thorn between her brows began acting up, throbbing again and again, making it difficult for her to maintain absolute focus.

Hiss—

The Soul Power thread gave a tiny tremor and grazed an extremely slight protrusion in the passage wall. Though it caused no damage, that mistake unsettled Xiao Xiaoxiao. Her subsequent control immediately warped, and the Soul Power thread collapsed in an instant.

She sighed, rubbing her temples with a hint of irritation.

"Focus." A low voice sounded beside her.

Xiao Xiaoxiao turned and discovered that Tang San had somehow finished his own practice. He was looking at her, his gaze calm and free of reproach as he simply stated, "Your Soul Power fluctuations become unstable once you reach two-thirds of the depth. Especially at the point where it turns left by seven degrees—there's a narrowing there that's difficult to notice."

Xiao Xiaoxiao froze. Even she had not noticed that detail. She picked up the metal sphere and examined it carefully against the light. Sure enough, where Tang San had indicated, the passage narrowed by an almost imperceptible amount.

"How... how did you see that?" she could not help asking. Her eyesight was already considered quite good.

Tang San pointed at his eyes. "Purple Demon Eye. It lets me see finer details." After a pause, he added, "When your Spiritual Power is insufficient, you're more easily disrupted by such small obstacles. Before reaching that point, draw in your Soul Power slightly in advance. Reduce its width by five percent, then restore it after passing through."

His tone was as calm as if he were discussing the weather, yet the guidance he gave was extraordinarily specific and precise.

Xiao Xiaoxiao followed his advice and tried again. She focused completely, making a tiny adjustment just before the Soul Power thread reached that troublesome narrow point.

It worked! The Soul Power thread narrowly passed through smoothly!

But before she could celebrate, a far more twisted and complicated multi-pronged junction ahead made her newly relaxed mind tense up again. The stabbing pain between her brows intensified, and the Soul Power thread lost control and scattered once more.

"Damn..." Frustrated, she set down the metal sphere.

A hand with distinct knuckles extended toward her, offering a small jade bottle. Its surface was smooth and warm, yet cool to the touch.

"What is this?" Xiao Xiaoxiao looked up at Tang San in confusion.

"Spirit Calming Ointment. I made it myself. Apply it to your temples; it can relieve mental fatigue and stabbing pain." Tang San's tone remained flat, as though he were handing her a candy. "Your Spiritual Power hasn't recovered. Forcing it won't help. Ease it first, then try again."

Xiao Xiaoxiao held the tiny jade bottle, her fingertips sensing both the cool jade and the faint warmth he had left behind. A strange feeling welled up inside her—somewhat warm, yet somewhat bittersweet. She had not expected him to notice the details of her mental discomfort, much less prepare ointment for her.

"Thank you..." she said softly. Pulling out the stopper, she was greeted by a cool, refreshing medicinal fragrance that cleared her mind at once. She dipped a fingertip into the milky-white ointment and gently applied it to her aching temples. A mild coolness quickly seeped in, soothing the irritating throbbing pain. It did not make it disappear entirely, but she felt much better.

Seeing that she had used it, Tang San withdrew his gaze and picked up another metal sphere to resume practicing without another word.

Xiao Xiaoxiao took a deep breath, feeling considerably clearer-headed. She condensed another thread of Soul Power, and this time, it felt much smoother.

Time passed amid silent, focused practice. The only sounds left on the Training Ground were the faint hissing of Soul Power threads moving through the passages and the occasional soft sound of Soul Power collapsing after a mistake.

Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun had long since given up on this "embroidery" practice and were punished by Master with weighted running. Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong were still struggling to persist, but they made mistake after mistake. Zhu Zhuqing was doing somewhat better, her expression cold and stern as she concentrated fully. Oscar, meanwhile, was working hard at the side to make sausages that could restore Spiritual Power, though their effect was minimal.

Before they knew it, the setting sun had spread a layer of warm gold across the Training Ground.

Xiao Xiaoxiao finally succeeded in guiding her Soul Power thread out through the designated hole. It had taken a long time, and she had made several small mistakes along the way, but she had completed it in the end. Letting out a long breath, she felt more exhausted than after a team battle. Yet thanks to the ointment, her mental fatigue had eased considerably.

She instinctively looked toward Tang San. Three successfully completed metal spheres already lay at his feet. He was working on a fourth, his expression focused. The blue Soul Power thread at his fingertips was frighteningly steady, and much faster than before.

Perhaps sensing her gaze, he finished his exercise, set down the metal sphere, and looked over.

"Did you succeed?" he asked.

"Mm." Xiao Xiaoxiao nodded and gave the metal sphere in her hand a little shake. "Though I was very slow."

"That's normal. You'll improve with practice." He rose to his feet. "Time to gather."

The others gradually ended their exercises as well, most of them looking miserable. Master inspected their results one by one. Tang San's performance did not surprise him in the slightest, and he acknowledged Xiao Xiaoxiao's completion. As for everyone else, they received a round of icy critiques.

"Control is the foundation of a soul master. Having Soul Power without the ability to wield it precisely is like a child swinging a heavy hammer—you hurt yourself more than your opponent. Do additional training on your own after you return." Master's words made Oscar and Ma Hongjun's faces fall completely.

On the way to the cafeteria with their exhausted bodies, Xiao Wu sidled up to Xiao Xiaoxiao and sniffed at her like a little dog. "Sister Xiaoxiao, what's that smell on you? It smells so nice—cool and refreshing."

"Ah? Is there?" Xiao Xiaoxiao instinctively touched her temple.

Xiao Wu's sharp eyes caught the trace of milky-white ointment remaining on her fingertip. Then she glanced at Tang San walking ahead of them and immediately understood. Drawing out her voice, she said, "Ooh—so it's an exclusive special medicine—" with a mischievous grin.

Tang San, walking ahead, seemed to pause for a moment before continuing onward as if he had heard nothing.

Xiao Xiaoxiao's face heated up. She poked Xiao Wu on the forehead in annoyance. "What nonsense are you saying? It's just... just ordinary ointment!"

"Yes, yes, ordinary~ Tang San's specially made~ Spirit Calming Ointment~" Xiao Wu giggled as she dodged away, then ran over to whisper with Ning Rongrong, leaving Xiao Xiaoxiao standing there alone, red-faced.

During dinner, Xiao Xiaoxiao found that her head truly felt much lighter, and even her appetite had improved. She secretly glanced at Tang San, who was quietly eating across from her. He still wore that calm, unruffled expression, as though giving her the ointment and guidance that afternoon had merely been a casual gesture.

But she knew in her heart that the bottle of ointment and those precise instructions had not been merely casual. This seemingly indifferent and taciturn boy actually possessed extraordinarily keen powers of observation and... an awkward way of caring for people.

After dinner, they continued with deep meditation at the Martial Soul mimicry cultivation area.

Perhaps it was the lingering effect of the Spirit Calming Ointment, or perhaps the sense of achievement from completing the training, but Xiao Xiaoxiao entered meditation exceptionally smoothly that night. She could still sense the peaceful Life Aura coming from the Blue Silver Forest. She did not deliberately try to catch it again, but its mere presence was like a silent harbor, allowing her little boat—rocked by Spiritual Power overexertion—to rest more securely.

Moonlight flowed like water, slowly nourishing her damaged Spiritual Power. Her Soul Power circulated steadily through her body, gradually becoming more solid.

When she finished meditating and opened her eyes, she felt better than ever before. The hidden damage to her Spiritual Power seemed to have healed by more than half.

At the gathering point, Master's gaze lingered for an instant on Xiao Xiaoxiao's slightly rosier complexion. He gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"Tomorrow will be a day of rest," Master announced.

"Yeah!" Everyone nearly cheered. Even Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing showed a trace of relief in their eyes.

"The day after tomorrow, we will enter the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain Oscar's third soul ring."

The news invigorated everyone. At last, another breakthrough was coming! Oscar was so excited that he nearly jumped up.

On the way back to the dormitories, the atmosphere was noticeably livelier. Even the night seemed especially crisp and pleasant.

Xiao Xiaoxiao walked at the very back, watching her companions laugh and fool around ahead of her. Feeling the long-lost clarity in her mind, the corners of her lips rose unconsciously. She instinctively touched the empty little jade bottle in her pocket. Its cool surface seemed to retain a trace of warmth.

The Star Dou Great Forest? She raised her head and looked toward the dark, rolling mountain shadows in the distance. That place was filled with unknown dangers, but it also held opportunities and challenges.

Suddenly, she did not feel quite so afraid.