Out Cold at First Touch

In Lin Xuan's view, the core competitive strengths of a Soul Master in the Early Stage were nothing more than three things: Soul Power, strength, and speed. Things like Spiritual Power could be put aside for now.

Although Spiritual Power could greatly enhance a Soul Master in the later stages, even allowing it to merge with Soul Power to achieve effects similar to a Self-Created Soul Skill.

Lin Xuan's Soul Power was too low. Even if Level 3 Soul Power merged with Spiritual Power, it would not produce much offensive deterrence.

Therefore, his Early Stage research still had to focus on the body, where improvements would be most obvious.

His Soul Power cultivation was progressing steadily, and his strength continuously improved through blacksmithing. Only his speed remained a problem. Charging straight ahead with pure explosive strength made it too easy for experienced people like Tang San to catch his openings. It was not a long-term solution.

So, he found the most reliable speed teacher—Xiao Wu. As the former Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit and the owner of a rabbit Martial Soul, Xiao Wu held absolute authority in the fields of speed and running.

Though he did not understand why she had abandoned the Agility Attack Type in the Original Work and switched to the Power Attack Type, there was no doubt about her understanding of speed.

After some subtle probing, Lin Xuan somehow got Xiao Wu to agree to teach him.

For instance, how to adjust his body during explosive acceleration and even make a right-angle turn.

As expected of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit, Xiao Wu had a muscle-memory-like mastery of explosive turns.

Though she found it difficult to describe it precisely with words, she still demonstrated it hands-on, allowing Lin Xuan to gradually grasp the techniques for controlling explosive speed.

Even more unexpectedly, Lin Xuan had begun training his flexibility at the age of three and was actually a perfect fit for Soft Skill!

Xiao Wu's jaw nearly dropped. It was hard to imagine someone with the boundless strength of a Titan Giant Ape pulling off movements as flexible as a Sky Azure Bull Python.

With the mindset of "I'm already teaching him anyway," and since high-speed turns required a flexible body to support them, Xiao Wu simply taught him Soft Skill as well.

Having learned Soft Skill, Lin Xuan could be said to have completed an all-around evolution. Soul Power, strength, and speed now stood as three pillars, and all had improved tremendously.

At that moment, Lin Xuan was relying on the techniques Xiao Wu had taught him to weave nimbly through the dense Blue Silver Grass.

His movements were as nimble as a rabbit's. Every time the Blue Silver Grass was about to Entangle him, he would evade in an unexpected manner, nearly making Tang San cry out "cheating" several times.

Tang San's proficiency with Blue Silver Bind had indeed improved, but under the guidance of a professional "master teacher," Lin Xuan's reflexes and turning techniques had improved at an even more geometric rate.

Seeing his Soul Skill become Lin Xuan's "training tool" once again, Tang San angrily withdrew the Blue Silver Grass and charged forward with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track beneath his feet.

He wanted Lin Xuan to understand that battles could not be won through strength alone. Technique was king.

Lin Xuan had not expected Tang San to be so decisive. A trace of vigilance flashed through his eyes, but he did not retreat in the slightest. He shot forward directly, charging at Tang San like a Missile.

Seeing that familiar charging posture, Tang San's mouth twitched. If he had not been certain Lin Xuan was a native, he would have suspected that Lin Xuan was the inheritor of the Toad Skill.

Tang San abruptly stopped, pushing Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to its limit. His body spun sharply, and he narrowly dodged the human cannonball attack.

Excitement flashed through Tang San's eyes after he dodged that fatal strike. He had fallen to this move last time. Now that he could avoid it, Lin Xuan would no longer be able to handle him so easily.

"Dodge? Can you really dodge?" Lin Xuan saw through his smugness and immediately put on a performance of the Big Windmill. His Right Hand dug into the ground, and his body spun like a giant pendulum. His flexible body whipped around as though boneless, and one foot lashed fiercely across Tang San's face.

Before the smile on Tang San's face could fade, his vision went dark, and he passed out on the spot.

The force behind Lin Xuan's kick was terrifying. It sent Tang San flying more than ten meters before he landed on the ground and "peacefully" fell asleep.

If Lin Xuan had not been afraid that kicking him to death would provoke Tang Hao's retaliation, that blow would have been enough to smash Tang San's head open. After all, Lin Xuan had once shattered a rock with this move.

When Xiao Wu used Soft Skill, she was a "whip." When he used it, he was a "meteor hammer."

There was no need for any flashy tricks. Since Tang San's attacks posed no threat to him, Lin Xuan could not be bothered to play house with him.

"Done and dusted! Dinner's on me tonight!" He pulled his fingers from the floor tiles and raised a Gold Soul Coin as he shouted.

Of them all, Xiao Wu was the most excited. In her eyes, Lin Xuan was practically her student—at least half her student.

Since Lin Xuan could defeat Tang San, didn't that mean that, rounding things up, she had defeated Tang San too?

"Boss is the best!" Surrounded by a crowd of Work-Study Students, Lin Xuan and the others marched grandly toward the cafeteria, leaving Tang San lying there alone.

Unlike last time, no one was willing to notify Yu Xiaogang for him. Only when a passing Teacher discovered him was he sent to the infirmary.

"I'm..." Tang San woke groggily, and the familiar infirmary ceiling came into view.

"Teacher!" He sat up guiltily, sweeping his gaze across the room before finally spotting Yu Xiaogang. This time, his injuries were not severe. He had only lost a few teeth, and they would grow back after a while.

But Yu Xiaogang's expression was especially stern. He truly could not understand why Tang San kept seeking trouble when he clearly knew that Lin Xuan's Innate Divine Strength was an Early Stage advantage. Couldn't he wait until he became a Soul Grandmaster before taking revenge?

"Teacher..." Tang San shrank his neck, feeling both uneasy and warm as he looked at Yu Xiaogang's stern expression.

This concern was precisely the kind of emotion he had lacked since childhood.

In order not to make Yu Xiaogang angry, he put on a dejected look and walked over, appearing as though he sincerely intended to correct his mistake.

"Ah!" Looking at the swelling that had yet to fade from Tang San's face, Yu Xiaogang helplessly rubbed his Eyebrow Center.

"Xiao San, I know you're competitive, but you must also learn to play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses.

"Lin Xuan's Innate Divine Strength cannot be challenged right now. Wait until your Soul Power completely overwhelms his, until his strength no longer poses a threat, then it won't be too late to take revenge. You were too impatient!"

"I understand, Teacher." Tang San lowered his head and spoke dejectedly, but inwardly he was grinding his teeth in hatred.

His concern over apologizing to Yu Xiaogang was fake. What he truly coveted was Lin Xuan's pair of Hundred Refinements Tungsten Steel Hammers.

He simply had never imagined that Lin Xuan's rate of improvement would actually be faster than his own.

Seeing Tang San's meek appearance, Yu Xiaogang swallowed all his remaining reproaches.

"Xiao San, you're a good child. You're just too impatient. My plan has yet to reach its expected results. The First Soul Ring is only the beginning. If you want to be invincible among those of the same level, you must at least wait until Level 20.

"Believe me. Once you obtain your Second Soul Ring, Lin Xuan will absolutely no longer be your opponent."

"Don't worry, Teacher. I won't do this again." Tang San answered obediently, but inwardly he was shouting, I'll try to control myself, but I really can't stop myself from wanting to hit him!

Yu Xiaogang nodded in satisfaction, never noticing the fighting spirit and unwillingness still burning deep in Tang San's eyes.

Meanwhile, Lin Xuan was feasting in the cafeteria, calculating inwardly: with Xiao Wu's Soft Skill boosting him, if Tang San came to challenge him again next time, perhaps he could earn a few more Gold Soul Coins.