The Tournament Approaches

The Tournament Approaches

"Isn't your luck good enough already?"

As the transfer of power concluded, Chi Qiu reached up and gently wiped her forehead, causing the blood-red vertical eye to close and vanish. Huo Yuhao also slowly shut his own emerald Eye of Destiny. This was surprisingly difficult for him, as the newly upgraded power was incredibly vast, and gathering it back in required a fair amount of effort.

At this moment, although Huo Yuhao's soul power was still under level thirty, the vastness of his spiritual power could already rival that of some level fifty or sixty spirit-type soul masters. What remained was to familiarize himself with it, consolidate it, and learn to utilize it with complete proficiency—that was what Huo Yuhao had to do during his daily meditation practice.

"Indeed." Huo Yuhao touched his forehead and then smiled. "Because I met you, Qiu'er, I have already been lucky enough."

Chi Qiu was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly changed the subject. "Alright, it's almost lunchtime, let's go eat. How much money do you have left?"

"As for that... money is no longer a major concern. After Brother Xiao learned of my situation, he applied for a subsidy for me. Now, by helping out in the laboratory for an hour each day, I earn enough wages to get by. If you and Wang Dong run into any difficulties, you can tell Brother Xiao as well. He might be a bit arrogant, but he's actually quite decent."

Fearing that Chi Qiu and Wang Dong might be influenced by the opinions of other students, Huo Yuhao casually put in a good word for Xiao Hongchen.

"Fine." Chi Qiu didn't seem to have any particular opinion on the matter, simply nodding in agreement. "Let's go eat now, then. We won't wait for Wang Dong; she'll likely be a while longer finishing her special training."

"Are you really an agility-type, student Wang Dong?"

Wang Dong was panting heavily as she dodged two simulated soul rays, only to hear the question from Yu Rufeng.

"I suppose so, barely." She adjusted her position in the air with a hint of embarrassment.

Although she had considered herself an agility-type soul master ever since changing her cultivation method, her abilities appeared woefully inadequate when facing a true agility-type Soul Saint.

"Aside from your third soul skill and your ability to fly, there is nothing about you that resembles an agility-type," Yu Rufeng evaluated.

Since she had chosen the cultivation path of an agility-type, Wang Dong's third soul ring had not granted her the powerful, direct-assault skill known as Butterfly Goddess Slash, but had instead become the Blue Scale Feather Blade, a skill focused on speed and instantaneous destructive power.

When this skill was activated, based on her flight speed, several light blades made of feather powder would shoot from her butterfly wings. Each blade was small but sharp, slicing through hard objects as easily as cutting tofu; even a Soul Saint would be left with several bloody gashes if they didn't activate their martial soul true body.

However, compared to the power Wang Dong was currently unleashing, there was still room for improvement in this skill—specifically, her own speed.

"Too slow." Yu Rufeng sighed, and then his Xuanbing Sparrow true body flashed, appearing directly behind Wang Dong. The icy aura made Wang Dong feel as if needles were pricking her back, but given her speed, she couldn't dodge it, so she immediately raised her hands. "I concede!"

The white sparrow flickered slightly, and Yu Rufeng's martial soul true body dissipated. "Tell me the truth."

"I'm sorry, Teacher Yu. Actually, my agility-type path was a mid-course correction." Wang Dong confessed. "During the assessments at my previous school, the team was only allowed one assault-type. To be on the same team as Miss Qiu, I decided to change my cultivation route."

"No wonder." Yu Rufeng looked thoughtful. "Your first and second soul skills are both exactly what an assault-type should have."

"Teacher Yu, actually, I don't think the difference is that great." Wang Dong seized the opportunity to interject. "Speed is also power. The power of my first soul skill, Wing Guillotine, is clearly more formidable at high speeds than at low speeds."

Yu Rufeng's eyes suddenly brightened. "Is your cultivation route perhaps a combination of both?"

"Yes, Teacher."

"How is your reaction to soul tools now?" He suddenly brought up another topic. Wang Dong was stunned for a moment.

"I don't have much of a problem with auxiliary soul tools, but I haven't faced any offensive ones lately, so I'm not sure how I would react."

"Previously, student Xiao entrusted me with a set of soul tools." As Yu Rufeng spoke, he fished two small, six-pointed star-shaped soul tools from his storage soul tool.

"After he heard you were an agility-type, he crafted these level five Soul Guidance Thrusters himself. From what he implied, he seemed to want to use you as a test subject to see your resistance to soul tools. The proposal was too absurd, so for the sake of your safety, I didn't agree immediately."

"But if you have no issues, these Soul Guidance Thrusters will be a great help to your speed, maximizing the results of your cultivation method. It just depends on your attitude..."

"Teacher, give them to me." Wang Dong's tone was unexpectedly resolute.

"...Hmm, your courage is commendable. However, I still suggest you don't joke around with your own body." Yu Rufeng remained somewhat hesitant. "You should know that in less than three months, the Soul Fighting Tournament will begin. Judging by the academy's intentions, if nothing goes wrong, you and Yuhao will both be participating as reserve members."

"It's fine, Teacher, give them to me." Wang Dong said. By this time, she had retracted her butterfly wings and landed lightly on the ground.

With things having reached this point, Yu Rufeng said no more. "Spread your wings," he said. "I will find a suitable position to install them to maximize the propulsion effect."

Wang Dong nodded, and her brilliant Radiant Goddess Butterfly wings unfurled from her back. The circles of light power radiating outward made the two six-pointed star soul tools shimmer brilliantly.

Yu Rufeng took a brief look before placing the two stars in symmetrical positions near her shoulder blades. Feeling the suction of Wang Dong's soul power, the two stars leaned lightly against her, and with a faint "click," they were firmly attached to Wang Dong's back.

Wang Dong didn't wait long, immediately injecting soul power into them to activate the thrusters. The next second, a streak of light flashed by, and Wang Dong had already flown over ten meters away. Her pale face, illuminated by the golden light, wore an expression of astonishment.

"This speed..." she muttered to herself, "not only will my third soul skill be boosted, but the power of my other two soul skills will also see a major upgrade."

"How do you feel?" Yu Rufeng was clearly more worried about her physical condition. He was certain that the quality of the soul tools Xiao Hongchen made himself would not be poor.

"No problems at all. Teacher, are these thrusters a gift for me?" Wang Dong's tone was joyful.

"They were meant for you from the start; I was just holding onto them temporarily."

"That's great." Wang Dong said, joyfully spreading her wings, and in the next second, she had flown off to who knows where.

--In reality, from the moment those thrusters touched her body, the back of her head had been throbbing with a dull ache.

But she decided to ignore the sensation. To hell with being allergic to soul tools, she thought; from this moment on, she would treat this as desensitization training!

She had also considered Teacher Yu's concerns. But likewise, the tournament was coming, and if she remained unable to use soul tools, her strength would clearly fall even further behind Huo Yuhao and Chi Qiu, who could utilize them. She would never allow herself to be left behind.

That blurry figure in her dreams... whoever was trying to stop her from using soul tools, she would use them just to show that person!