Combat Training, Ban Shu's Technique Flaw

"Xiao Ban! Are you all right?"

Just as Ban Shu was sent flying by Li Ling once again, Bibi Dong suddenly appeared and stepped between them.

Bibi Dong spread her arms wide, glaring at Li Ling. "Who are you? What are you trying to do to Xiao Ban?"

"I..."

Startled by Bibi Dong, the fighting spirit Ban Shu had ignited in Li Ling vanished in an instant, and he returned to his usual timid self.

"I—I really am not a bad person..."

Afraid the two of them might start fighting, Ban Shu hurried to his feet and brushed the dust off himself, showing that he was unharmed. "Sister Dong'er, I'm fine."

Then he pulled Li Ling over in front of Bibi Dong. "Let me introduce you. This is Li Ling, Uncle Li's son. He's here to train with me."

"This is Bibi Dong, my older sister and also my junior sister."

Hearing Ban Shu explain things, Bibi Dong rolled her eyes at him and gave him a sharp flick on the forehead. Then she turned to Li Ling and smiled apologetically.

"Hello. I'm really sorry about just now. I spoke harshly because of Xiao Ban. I'm sorry."

"It's all right."

Li Ling hurriedly waved his hands. "You were just worried about Xiao Ban's safety. I don't blame you. If I were in your shoes, I'd be worried too."

"Then that settles it."

Bibi Dong relaxed at his words. If she had embarrassed him over a misunderstanding, she would have felt terrible.

Seeing that the misunderstanding was cleared up, Ban Shu stepped forward and took one of their hands in each of his. "All right, now that we've cleared things up, we're friends."

"Perfect timing. It's getting late, and it's almost mealtime. Come on, let's eat out this time. It's on me."

"How could I let you do that? I'll treat this time, as an apology."

Bibi Dong waved her hand excitedly. "I know a great restaurant in Spirit City. The food there is delicious. I'll take you both!"

"Sister Dong'er, you snuck out to have fun again. Have you finished the practical training the teacher assigned?"

"Oh, don't sweat the little details. You can do that sort of thing anytime."

"How is that the same..."

"Oh, come on. Let's go!"

Time flew by. Before they knew it, more than a month had passed, and Ban Shu and Li Ling were beginning another round of combat in the training grounds.

On the field, Li Ling turned into countless afterimages, flickering around Ban Shu as he tried to confuse Ban Shu's senses and win with a single strike.

Faced with this predicament, Ban Shu remained calm. He slowly closed his eyes, settled his mind, and sharpened his hearing to its limit, carefully listening for the vibrations of footsteps against the ground.

Thanks to the all-around enhancement granted by his God-Demon Body, Ban Shu's five senses had improved greatly. And with his eyesight temporarily set aside so he could focus on listening, his hearing grew sharper still.

Ban Shu waited patiently for Li Ling to make his move. Li Ling seemed impossibly fast and elusive, but his attack could only come from one direction. As long as Ban Shu could hear the approaching footsteps, he could counter.

Sure enough, when Li Ling saw Ban Shu close his eyes, he decided the moment had come. He seized his spear and thrust it toward Ban Shu.

"Now!"

Ban Shu abruptly opened his eyes and stepped back, twisting aside to dodge Li Ling's thrust. As Li Ling's momentum ran out, Ban Shu swung the Painted Halberd in his hand around in a half-circle and delivered a powerful sweep.

Li Ling was no pushover, either. He forced his spear into a new move, laying the shaft across the crescent blade to block Ban Shu's attack.

They struggled against each other for a while. Ban Shu was the first to lose ground from exhaustion, so he surged forward and forced Li Ling back, then swept his weapon across to stop Li Ling's advance.

Seeing this, Li Ling retreated several steps to evade the attack, then lowered his weapon.

"Xiao Ban, you've improved so quickly."

Li Ling lowered his spear and gave Ban Shu a thumbs-up. "In just one month, you can already fight me to a draw."

"Not at all. You're the one who taught me so well, Brother Ling."

Ban Shu waved a hand and smiled. "Besides, you still haven't gone all out."

"Heh, heh. It's not good to be too modest."

Li Ling stepped forward and handed Ban Shu a water bottle. "You're only six, yet you already have this much strength. Your future is limitless."

"I'll take your word for it."

Ban Shu unscrewed the cap, clinked bottles with him, then tipped his head back and drank.

Over the past month, Ban Shu and Li Ling had put themselves through grueling training, never stopping until their Soul Power was completely spent.

It was exhausting, but Ban Shu felt fulfilled. The feeling of growing stronger step by step was wonderful.

Bibi Dong often complained that Ban Shu pushed himself too hard, but afterward, she would still massage him with tender concern and ease his fatigue.

Li Ling had powerful Soul Power but a rather timid personality. Under the guidance of Bibi Dong and Ban Shu, those two "social terrors," he was gradually becoming more outgoing.

This was a great comfort to Li Yan. His son was good in every way except that his personality desperately needed to change. Thanks to Ban Shu coming to the rescue, he could now leave with his wife for their honeymoon without worrying.

"By the way, Xiao Ban, is something on your mind?"

As the two sat on chairs resting, Li Ling suddenly brought this up.

"Hm? What makes you say that?"

Ban Shu looked bewildered. Had his behavior been giving away his feelings? Besides, he wasn't troubled by anything right now.

"Oh, nothing. I just feel like there's something strange about the way you use your spear."

Li Ling shook his head and frowned in thought. "It's like watching a child swing a giant hammer. It looks awkward."

"So that's what you mean."

Ban Shu held out his hand and summoned the Painted Halberd. "Actually, you're not the only one who's noticed. Even I can feel how awkward it is."

"After all, my weapon is quite different from a spear. When I use spear techniques, I feel like I can't bring out my Martial Soul's true power."

Ban Shu was troubled by this too. There was no one on the Douluo Continent who could teach him how to wield a Painted Halberd. How was he supposed to solve this problem?

"I see."

Li Ling nodded, then offered a suggestion. "In that case, why not use your own experience to develop a set of halberd techniques that suits you?"

"Develop my own?"

Ban Shu looked at the Painted Halberd and nodded. "Looks like that's all I can do."

Some time passed, and Ban Shu began studying how to wield his halberd as effortlessly as his own arm, but he still had no real leads.

He hadn't studied enough techniques yet. He needed to seek out more fighting styles.

That was what Ban Shu thought.

Just then, Bibi Dong found him. "Xiao Ban, the teacher wants us. Let's hurry over."

"Oh, I'm coming."

Ban Shu put aside his thoughts, got up, and followed Bibi Dong to the Pope Palace.

"Sister, did the teacher say what it's about?"

"Well..."

Bibi Dong thought for a moment. "I heard the knights nearby talking. They said we're going on a Wolf Bandit Hunt, or something like that."

"Wolf Bandit Hunt? What's that?"