Daily Study Plan and Combat Training

After coming down from the mountain, Su Mo went back to wash up, changed into clean clothes, and headed to the Pope Palace with Bibi Dong.

"Greetings, Teacher," they said together as they bowed to Qian Xunji.

Seated upon the Pope's throne, Qian Xunji wore a gentle smile and gestured for them to rise.

"Xiao Mo, Dong'er, I have already arranged your studies for the coming year."

"First of all, cultivation is important, but theory is equally indispensable. Therefore, you will study theoretical knowledge every morning."

"However, theory and strength alone are not enough without practical combat skills.

So, the afternoons will be for physical training and sparring. Spirit Masters one rank above you will accompany you in practice."

The Spirit Masters assigned as sparring partners were all unwaveringly loyal to Spirit Hall.

Su Mo and Bibi Dong were still too young to reveal themselves too early. At the very least, they had to wait until they possessed a certain degree of self-protection.

If not for his busy administrative duties, Qian Xunji would have liked to teach them personally.

Qian Xunji paused before continuing, "You will inevitably be injured during training. Medicinal baths can not only strengthen your bodies, but also eliminate hidden injuries caused by training. Therefore, your evenings will be spent soaking in medicinal baths, followed by meditation and cultivation."

"This is the daily plan I have arranged for you."

"Yes, Teacher," the two answered in unison.

"The study behind the main hall has already been stocked with books for you. Go on. If there is anything you do not understand, come ask me at any time."

"Yes," they replied together.

Su Mo and Bibi Dong arrived at the study, where two desks stood side by side, each piled high with books.

The moment Bibi Dong saw the thickness of that stack, her little face immediately fell.

"Ah, Su Mo, there are so many books... When will we ever finish them?" She pursed her lips.

"Take it slowly. A year is more than enough," Su Mo said as he walked to the desk, sat down, picked up the top book, and opened it.

Bibi Dong had no choice but to sit down beside him.

Su Mo read very seriously.

The Pope Palace's collection was far beyond anything in the Orphanage library. It recorded every aspect of the Douluo Continent, and its theories were more systematic and profound.

In comparison, Bibi Dong was clearly far less interested in reading.

In less than fifteen minutes, her eyelids began to droop.

She held on for a while longer, but eventually could not endure any further. Her head tilted to one side, and she fell asleep on the desk.

Su Mo looked up, then helplessly shook his head.

No wonder Yu Xiaogang had been able to fool her so thoroughly. If she had seriously read the books in Spirit Hall's collection, she would have discovered that his so-called Ten Core Competencies were merely a patchwork of copied excerpts and summaries.

Take the Limit Spirit Ring Theory, for example. Every Spirit Ring was assigned an exact number of years, as if he had conducted thousands upon thousands of experiments.

But where could Yu Xiaogang, a mere level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster, have obtained such information?

The answer was obvious.

Su Mo withdrew his gaze and continued reading.

Who knew how much time had passed before the morning lesson was nearly over.

Su Mo closed his book and turned to look beside him.

Bibi Dong was still asleep, her little face resting on her arm, her breathing even.

"Wake up." He gently nudged her shoulder.

Bibi Dong slowly woke up, drowsily lifting her head and rubbing her eyes before abruptly becoming alert.

Oh no, I fell asleep!

She hurriedly looked at Su Mo, shrinking her neck guiltily. "I... How long was I asleep?"

"Almost an hour."

Bibi Dong: "..."

Just then, Su Mo picked up several sheets of paper from beside him and placed them in front of her.

"These are some key points. Memorize them."

In order to keep Bibi Dong from being deceived in the future, Su Mo had truly gone to great lengths.

He had extracted the important knowledge and organized it into concise, clear notes.

Bibi Dong froze for a moment before taking the sheets.

The handwriting on them was neat, and the points were clearly organized.

Holding those sheets of paper, she suddenly felt something strange stir within her.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, yet not knowing what to say.

A little embarrassed, her small face reddened as she said, "Thank you, Su Mo. I'll definitely study properly from now on!"

Then she lowered her head and began reading seriously.

That afternoon.

After the physical training ended, it was time for combat sparring.

The spacious training ground had been cleared out, leaving it quiet and empty.

Su Mo and Bibi Dong's training areas were far apart, ensuring they would not interfere with each other.

Su Mo's opponent was a man around thirty years old, tall and powerfully built, with a steady gaze.

Su Mo stepped forward and raised his right hand. The Asura Demon Sword emerged from his palm, while one yellow and one purple Spirit Ring slowly rose beneath his feet.

"Su Mo, level twenty-five assault-type Soul Grandmaster. Martial Soul: Asura Demon Sword."

Although the man had already been informed of Su Mo's details, a flicker of surprise still passed through his eyes when he saw the purple Spirit Ring in person.

He quickly composed himself and released his own Martial Soul. A long saber appeared in his hand.

Its blade was slender, its spine thick and heavy, while its edge gleamed with chilling sharpness.

Three optimally configured Spirit Rings slowly rose beneath his feet.

"Zhou Lie, level thirty-five assault-type Soul Elder. Martial Soul: Wind-Slaying Blade."

"Let's begin." Su Mo gripped the sword hilt tightly, a flash of fighting spirit appearing in his eyes.

After coming to this world for so long, he had never truly fought another person.

Today was the perfect chance to test his strength.

"Excuse me!"

As soon as Zhou Lie finished speaking, his first Spirit Ring suddenly lit up.

"First Soul Skill, Gale Step."

His body instantly became an afterimage. His speed surged as he swept toward Su Mo like a gale.

He did not charge straight ahead. Instead, he drifted unpredictably from side to side, his trajectory difficult to grasp.

Su Mo's pupils contracted slightly.

So fast. And his movements are so erratic that he's hard to predict.

Without hesitation, Su Mo's first Spirit Ring abruptly lit up.

"First Soul Skill, Asura Blood Evil!"

A faint blood-red glow instantly enveloped Su Mo and the Asura Demon Sword.

The Asura Demon Sword's attack power and Su Mo's own speed instantly doubled.

At that moment, Zhou Lie had already reached him and slashed down with his saber.

Su Mo swiftly shifted his footing and dodged to the side.

Zhou Lie's Wind-Slaying Blade sliced past Su Mo's clothes, stirring up a fierce gust of wind.

When his strike missed, surprise flashed through Zhou Lie's eyes. Yet he did not pause in the slightest. His footwork changed, his body twisted into a turn, and the Wind-Slaying Blade swept back horizontally.

Su Mo quickly raised the Asura Demon Sword in front of him.

The instant saber and sword collided, he felt a tremendous force travel into his hands. His footing sank as he slid several steps backward.

Zhou Lie's pupils narrowed slightly. He had used fifty percent of his strength in that strike, combined with the impact of Gale Step. An ordinary Soul Grandmaster would never have been able to receive it, yet Su Mo had actually blocked it.

He did not dwell on it. With a forceful stomp, he leaped backward and widened the distance between himself and Su Mo.

"Try taking my second Soul Skill." Zhou Lie's second Spirit Ring lit up. "Second Soul Skill, Wind Blade Rapid Slash!"

Zhou Lie gripped his saber with both hands and slashed through the air.

Three cyan saber lights shot from the Wind-Slaying Blade in a triangular formation toward Su Mo. They were as fast as lightning, sealing off the space to his left and right.

Su Mo's gaze sharpened. He did not have Tang San's Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, nor did he possess a Teleportation Soul Skill. This move was extremely fast and covered a wide area. With his current strength, he could not dodge it and could only take it head-on.