Sparring Match with Qin Ming

A year later, Xing Tian, Osler, Shi Mo, Shi Mei, Ye Lingling, and Yu Feng had all successively broken through to level 25, promoting to Tianzhu Level students and becoming classmates with Dugu Yan and Yu Tianheng.

Among them, Osler made the most rapid progress, leaving Ye Lingling and Yu Feng behind and even catching up to the Shi brothers. This was largely thanks to Xing Tian giving him special guidance, often using his own soul power to assimilate Osler's.

During this year, aside from normal studies and cultivation, the thing Xing Tian encountered most often was various noble female students approaching him or delivering love letters.

Xing Tian had long since clearly rejected these noble female students, but they remained persistent, and Xing Tian could not resort to force.

Fortunately, with Osler and Yu Feng acting as proactive "flower protectors" to block these buzzing bees and butterflies, Xing Tian did not have to consider applying for withdrawal.

A month later, Yu Tianheng approached Xing Tian.

Dugu Yan's gaze was very guarded. Although Osler and Yu Feng knew that Yu Tianheng's personality had changed significantly, they could not help but feel nervous. Only Xing Tian and Ye Lingling remained composed.

Yu Tianheng paid no attention to the others; his gaze was fixed solely on Xing Tian, with no room for anyone else, not even sparing a glance for the others.

He said solemnly, "Xing Tian, I have broken through to level 30 and am preparing to return to the sect to hunt for a Soul Ring. This means I will soon be able to practice the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique. Xing Tian, I hope you can also level up as soon as possible and fulfill our agreement!"

Given Yu Tianheng's talent, it should have taken at least three more months to break through to level 30.

However, after his crushing defeat by Xing Tian and receiving guidance from Yu Yuanzhen, he had experienced a profound awakening, and his cultivation speed had improved significantly.

Xing Tian responded domineeringly, "I won't keep you waiting too long."

"Promise me, before I defeat you, you are not allowed to lose to anyone else!" Yu Tianheng's gaze burned.

Xing Tian's lifted chin and curled lips displayed his confidence: "Among our peers, no one can defeat me!"

Yu Tianheng said nothing more, merely emitting a faint sound from his throat, an "mm," before turning and leaving.

"Interesting!" Xing Tian felt a slight thrill.

Osler scratched his head and said, "Why do I feel like Yu Tianheng is obsessed with you, Boss? This feeling is so weird."

Ye Lingling spoke up, a rare occurrence: "This is the persistence and mutual appreciation of geniuses. Yu Tianheng sees Xiao Tian as a target to chase, or perhaps his only rival in this lifetime. This is something even some powerhouses dream of, much like those two elders of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"Oh—so that's it."

With Ye Lingling's hint, Osler understood immediately.

At this moment, Ye Lingling added another sentence: "Just like you and Yu Feng."

"Who wants to be like him!" X2

The two bristled simultaneously: "Don't copy me!"

"Hmph!" Both turned their heads away, saying no more.

Xing Tian remained somewhat excited, his eyes revealing a sense of longing, "I am looking forward to Yu Tianheng's breakthrough; I really want to see just how powerful the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique is. It's just a pity that if I challenged him the moment he returned, he certainly wouldn't accept. He would only think it unfair. Time is truly a hateful thing."

At this moment, a man who looked to be thirty years old, with an ordinary appearance but deep, bright light in his black eyes, walked into the classroom.

"Everyone, gather at the training ground. Prepare for combat training!"

Dugu Yan was a little panicked: "It's Teacher Qin Ming, hurry up, don't be late!"

Osler and the others followed immediately, heading to the training ground.

Qin Ming, the most popular young teacher at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, was only thirty years old and already a level 55 Soul King. He was certain to break through to Soul Emperor within five years and carve his name onto the list of the youngest Soul Emperors.

Once achieved, he would become the youngest Tiandou Level teacher. Therefore, ever since he joined the academy, he had been viewed by the Three Education Commissioners as their successor.

The reason Dugu Yan and the others were so panicked was that while Qin Ming was gentle and understanding in private, he placed great importance on etiquette in formal settings and was extremely strict when educating students.

He treated every student equally, acting strictly according to teaching rules. Regardless of the student's noble status, if they made a mistake, they would be punished with extra training.

When Dugu Yan first promoted to the Tianzhu Level class taught by Qin Ming, she relied on her grandfather being a Title Douluo and her own talent, disregarding the rules and frequently arriving late or leaving early, which resulted in her being scolded to the point of tears by Qin Ming.

Although Dugu Bo doted on his granddaughter, he understood that he could not spoil her, so he did not intervene.

Since then, Dugu Yan had been both respectful and fearful of Qin Ming, strictly following his teaching rules.

Arriving at the training ground, Dugu Yan said proactively: "Teacher Qin Ming, I want to spar with Xing Tian!"

Qin Ming said with a serious face: "No! I have already arranged your training partners. In the one-on-one training session, excluding the support-types in the class, you will have one person left over."

"Therefore, I have a separate arrangement for Xing Tian."

After handing out the combat list, Qin Ming looked at Xing Tian and said: "Xing Tian, although your Soul Power Level is in the middle of the class, I firmly believe that your combat power is even above most Tiandou Level students."

"So, ordinary combat training is ineffective for you. Therefore, my arrangement for you is to spar with me!"

With that, Qin Ming's entire body ignited with crimson flames, and a melodious wolf howl erupted from within his body.

Qin Ming's hands transformed into wolf claws, his black hair turned orange-red, a pair of crimson wolf ears grew from the top of his head, his eyes turned yellow, and a flaming wolf tail unfurled behind him.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple—a total of five Soul Rings shimmered brilliantly.

Dugu Yan said anxiously: "Teacher Qin Ming, isn't this too exaggerated? Xiao Tian is very strong, but you are a Soul King!"

Qin Ming said indifferently: "Of course I won't use my full strength. I will only use level 30 soul power. As long as Xing Tian can force out my fourth soul skill, he passes the training."

At this moment, Xing Tian had already begun to loosen his muscles, his eyes full of excitement: "Teacher Qin Ming, I was worried you might assign me some boring training projects, but you really have given me a surprise!"

Qin Ming was very satisfied with Xing Tian: "This is how a genius should be. Our match will be the first one; all other students, watch closely!"

Before Xing Tian took the stage, Dugu Yan said to him: "Teacher Qin Ming's martial soul is the Blazing Wolf, which belongs to the mutated martial soul category."

"Ordinary wolf martial souls are mostly wind, ice, darkness, or other cold attributes, but the Blazing Wolf goes against the grain with a fire attribute. This reverse mutation has allowed Teacher Qin Ming's cultivation speed and combat power to improve significantly compared to soul masters of the same level."

"Teacher Qin Ming excels at close-quarters combat; he is agile, swift, and possesses immense explosive power."

"Furthermore, Xiao Tian, you must not grow careless just because Teacher Qin Ming's fifth Soul Ring is only a thousand-year-level one."

"Teacher Qin Ming's fifth Soul Ring was hunted with the personal assistance of Committee Member Meng Shenji, and it came from a top-tier spirit beast, the Three-Headed Red Demon Mastiff. The Three-Headed Red Demon Mastiff possesses hellfire, which burns at an incredibly high temperature."

"Although its age is under ten thousand years, its power surpasses that of an average ten-thousand-year soul skill."

"Even though Teacher Qin Ming will not use his fifth soul skill, the boost a Soul Ring provides to a spirit master is secondary; most importantly, the attributes of the Soul Ring also enhance the spirit master and their martial soul, potentially even causing them to evolve."

"Since the Three-Headed Red Demon Mastiff and the Blazing Wolf are both canine-type beasts, Teacher Qin Ming's Blazing Wolf martial soul has inherited at least half of that hellfire."

"You must be careful!"