Teaching · Experiment

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dull impacts rang out continuously from the forest, and the culprits were naturally Wang Chuan and Zhao Wuji.

At that moment, Zhao Wuji had been ordered by Wang Chuan not to use his True Body Armor, but to control his Soul Power and engage him in the most primitive form of hand-to-hand combat. Through the collision of their Haki, Wang Chuan wanted Zhao Wuji to understand what Haki truly was.

But gradually, displeasure appeared on Wang Chuan's face.

Through his Observation Haki, he could sense a muddled jumble of emotions filling Zhao Wuji's fists.

It had even made Zhao Wuji lose focus while training with him!

Wang Chuan was so angry that he laughed.

"Damn it! Are my fists that soft? You can't even focus properly when fighting me!

Looks like I need to teach you what it means when they say a gentleman who does not strike heavily inspires no awe!

Clench your teeth, bastard!"

Along with that rebuke,

Wang Chuan's fist broke through Zhao Wuji's defense and slammed viciously into his cheek, sending his entire body flying.

Zhao Wuji had lost the ability to fight. The victor: Wang Chuan!

Wang Chuan slowly walked toward Zhao Wuji.

That punch had been somewhat heavy, but Wang Chuan believed he had controlled his strength well. It would definitely leave Zhao Wuji dazed without damaging his brain.

As the shadow gradually enveloped him, Zhao Wuji finally came back to his senses from Wang Chuan's punch.

Wang Chuan asked mildly, "Old Zhao, tell me. What were you thinking about just now? Haki training doesn't allow distractions."

Then Wang Chuan saw the hesitation in Zhao Wuji's eyes and immediately raised his fist wrapped in Armament Haki.

"Spit it out already. Stop dragging your feet!

Otherwise, I can only let you experience the Iron Fist of Love and straighten out that confused heart of yours!"

Looking at the fist that made his scalp tingle even with only Armament Haki coating it, Zhao Wuji's eyes immediately cleared.

He hurriedly waved his hands and begged for mercy.

"Don't! Don't! Boss! I'll talk, all right? I'll talk!"

Zhao Wuji then honestly explained why he had been distracted.

It turned out that Wang Chuan had shown him too much kindness and given him too many benefits. Zhao Wuji, being an honest and straightforward man, felt deeply indebted to him and had been thinking about how to help Wang Chuan.

Finally, Zhao Wuji looked at Wang Chuan with delight and excitement, speaking with utter conviction.

"Boss, I know it. A man like you definitely has ambitions of his own!

Just now, I came up with a great idea.

Since we can develop a power like Haki through our bodies, why don't we establish a sect that belongs to us?

With your talent, Boss, I'm sure your Haki will one day reach a level comparable to a Title Douluo. When that happens, you'll become one of the most influential figures on the Douluo Continent!"

Wang Chuan fell into a brief silence, completely dumbfounded.

He looked as though Zhao Wuji's words had shocked him.

At the same time, Wang Chuan questioned himself inwardly.

Ambition?

Me?

Don't I just want to become strong enough to protect myself on the Douluo Continent, then live freely?

What the hell is this nonsense about founding a sect?!

Wang Chuan immediately put on a pained expression, rubbing his forehead with a headache before earnestly saying to Zhao Wuji,

"You're thinking too far ahead, Old Zhao.

Let's put everything else aside. Even if I gained the strength of a Title Douluo in the future and truly founded a sect,

this power, which differs from that of Spirit Masters, would definitely be feared by the major factions. If everyone mastered Haki, it would shake the foundation of their rule through Soul Power.

Spirit Hall, the strongest of them all, would not even need to make a move. In order to secure their status—and because they would covet our Haki cultivation methods—the Upper Three Sects would certainly eliminate us.

So stop thinking about all this unnecessary nonsense. Staying alive is more important than anything."

Wang Chuan's words struck straight at the heart of the matter, instantly sobering Zhao Wuji up.

Although Zhao Wuji had never met any of the Upper Three Sects' "people,"

he had seen plenty of the extortion and exploitation practiced by ordinary Spirit Master factions. As someone who had risen from the very bottom, he was all too familiar with it.

Thinking that he had wanted to help Wang Chuan but had overlooked such a huge flaw, Zhao Wuji felt deeply guilty. He hurriedly apologized to Wang Chuan and cursed himself for being so shortsighted.

At the same time, Zhao Wuji secretly swore that he would cultivate diligently and become a man who could truly help Wang Chuan.

If he could grow into an existence comparable to a Title Douluo in the future, then he would definitely push Wang Chuan to an even higher position!

Wang Chuan did not suspect anything and simply continued having Zhao Wuji train in Haki.

During a break, however, Zhao Wuji asked curiously,

"Boss, I know what a gentleman means. Those nobles always like calling themselves that. It should mean someone of noble status, right?

But what did you mean earlier by 'a gentleman who does not strike heavily inspires no awe'?"

Wang Chuan subconsciously nodded when he heard the first part. Not just anyone was qualified to call himself a gentleman, and describing it as a noble status was not wrong.

He had only said it earlier because it fit the occasion. He had not expected Zhao Wuji to actually ask about it.

As for what it meant to not strike heavily and therefore inspire no awe—

Wang Chuan raised his fist and looked at Zhao Wuji with blazing eyes.

"Heh, what does it mean?

On the entire Douluo Continent, strength is supreme. What do you think it means?"

Zhao Wuji immediately gave an embarrassed laugh. Combined with what had just happened to him, he understood.

When a gentleman hit someone, if his fists were not heavy enough, how could he establish his authority through strength?

After understanding that, Zhao Wuji admired Wang Chuan even more. Compared with a rough brute like himself, who made spelling mistakes even when writing,

his boss was simply far too cultured!

Thanks to the support of two Spirit Bones, Zhao Wuji's overall physical strength had already reached the threshold of a Soul Emperor.

With that foundation, Zhao Wuji spent less than a day mastering the first stage of Haki: hardening through coating.

As for the advanced techniques of flowing emission and internal destruction, Wang Chuan did not teach them for the time being.

Zhao Wuji had already automatically mastered the former because he possessed the Vajra Palm soul skill.

The latter, meanwhile, required Armament Haki of greater intensity.

Thus, for the next stretch of time, Zhao Wuji punched relentlessly at thick, hard mountain rocks every day.

While enduring the pain of those head-on collisions, he continuously tempered his will, and the intensity of his Armament Haki naturally rose.

As for Wang Chuan, he went off to conduct experiments.

After all, Zhao Wuji's main problem in absorbing a ten-thousand-year Spirit Ring was his Mental Power. His physical strength had long since fully met the requirements.

As for how to determine whether Zhao Wuji could withstand the mental assault of a ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast, Wang Chuan had already prepared a plan.

Zhao Wuji had only just cultivated Armament Haki.

Wang Chuan tested its strength. It was roughly only at the level of a high-ranked Soul Ancestor, which was completely mismatched with the strength of Zhao Wuji's body.

In other words, Zhao Wuji's will was still insufficient to fully draw out the power of his body's Haki.

A powerful physique determined the quantity of Haki, while a powerful spirit determined its quality.

Using himself as a reference, Wang Chuan believed that this level of Mental Power might not be enough to withstand Soul Shock.

Therefore, to be safe, Wang Chuan planned to use several Spirit Beasts to test the standard for soul strength, so Zhao Wuji would not fall short at the most critical step.