The Substitute

Under Xiao Wu's incredulous gaze, the Explosive Burning Chili seedling grew and spread rapidly, with a speed that caught her completely off guard.

It slammed right into her!

"Argh~~~"

That thick, massive vine, brimming with scorching heat, struck her stomach with brutal force.

Xiao Wu's mind went blank, and she immediately rolled her eyes back.

The vine sent her flying straight into the air.

She had been launched by a plant.

Physically speaking, at least.

Xiao Wu descended from the sky, smashing a human-shaped crater into the floor tiles.

When she crawled out, her steps were wobbly, as if she were drunk:

"Why... are there so many stars..."

"Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu, are you alright? How are you holding up?"

Tang San rushed over, hurriedly checking on her condition.

Fortunately.

She had only fainted; it wasn't a major issue, and she would be fine after a short rest.

"Brother, you're so concerned about her—did you fall for her?"

Seeing Tang San's nervous appearance, Tang Wu raised an eyebrow and winked teasingly.

Facing Tang Wu's gaze, Tang San waved his hands repeatedly, hurriedly denying it:

"No, Wu, don't talk nonsense..."

"Tch, look at how cowardly you are."

"I know you too well; your eyes are practically glued to her, yet you're still playing tough."

Tang Wu didn't believe a single punctuation mark of what Tang San said.

Having spent these years together, he could understand most of what the other was thinking just by a single look.

After all...

In his past life, Tang San was a shut-in who spent most of his life researching hidden weapons; he couldn't be easier to read.

Tang Wu didn't dwell on the topic, instead shifting the conversation:

"By the way, I had a new idea during my spar with Xiao Wu just now."

"Brother, how about... we have a spar ourselves?"

As soon as Tang Wu said this, Tang San shook his head so hard it became a blur:

"No, absolutely not!"

His tone changed as he spoke, showing just how much he feared the "ideas" Tang Wu mentioned.

The previous experience was still fresh in Tang San's mind.

It was just that.

Tang Wu's ideas were a bit too brutal.

He was even more "Tang Sect" than a Tang Sect disciple himself.

Too underhanded!

Xiao Wu accepted her loss, and the next day, she acknowledged Tang Wu as the boss, with herself as the second-in-command.

Tang San's status dropped by one; despite being the oldest of the three, he ended up as the third.

The natural order had been turned upside down.

It really had!

"San, Brother Wu, what are you two doing out here at the back mountain?"

Xiao Wu tilted her head, looking at the two brothers with a puzzled expression.

Early in the morning, Tang Wu and Tang San had come to the back of Notting Academy, and she had no idea what they were up to.

As for why Xiao Wu called Tang San "San" and Tang Wu "Brother Wu."

It was because, according to the bet, she had to address them as brothers.

However, every time she said it, Xiao Wu felt a sense of awkwardness.

"Sister Xiao Wu" was usually how she referred to herself.

Calling them this way made it feel as if she had changed her own gender; it felt extremely strange.

Tang San finished his practice of the Purple Demon Eye, a flash of brilliance shining in his eyes, looking full of vigor.

Seeing that the person who arrived was Xiao Wu, the vigilance on his face instantly dissipated, replaced by a smile:

"Xiao Wu, we came to the back mountain because we are practicing a cultivation technique."

"Pfft, so it's just cultivation. You made it sound so mysterious."

Xiao Wu curled her lips, her curiosity instantly vanishing into thin air.

She didn't care at all about Tang San's Tang Sect techniques.

With her lazy personality, she couldn't be bothered to work hard at cultivation.

Anyway...

When the time came, the origin of her hundred-thousand-year transformed soul beast would naturally push her level up.

"Brother, I've thought of a way to improve control over one's own martial soul."

Tang Wu, who was standing to the side, suddenly spoke up at this moment.

"What method?"

Tang San immediately looked over.

He was also very expectant in his heart.

Although his younger brother had many wild ideas and sometimes played tricks that could be fatal, the results were always surprisingly good.

Moreover...

Tang San had long yearned for and envied Tang Wu's natural, super-strong control over his martial soul.

"Then you'd better watch closely."

Under the incredulous gazes of Tang San and Xiao Wu, several Blue Silver Grass vines appeared in Tang Wu's hands.

However, these vines were much thinner and longer.

They intertwined and tangled with each other, and a humanoid outline gradually began to form.

First the limbs, then the torso, and finally the head.

This was a substitute formed entirely from Blue Silver Grass, exuding a refreshing aura of life from head to toe.

"This... this process of condensing a substitute is even more mentally taxing than I imagined."

Tang Wu was panting, large beads of sweat sliding down his temples and dripping onto the grass at his feet.

Clearly, the consumption of soul power just now was not small.

Tang San looked at the substitute that had formed before him, unable to help but open his mouth wide, stunned:

"Xiao... Xiao Wu, what is this?!!"

"This is a humanoid melee form composed of Blue Silver Grass. It has the ability to change its shape at will and can switch between a humanoid and a linear form as it pleases."

"I call it... a Stand!"

Tang Wu was very satisfied with Tang San's expression.

You have to know, his brother rarely showed such a look of shock on his face.

Immediately following...

Under Tang Wu's control, the Stand performed all kinds of movements in his hands.

Including but not limited to: rapid-fire punches, detaching fists, weaving through gaps...

All sorts of flashy actions left Tang San and Xiao Wu, who had never been exposed to modern knowledge, feeling stirred and incredibly shocked.

"Brother, next, I will teach you how to condense a Stand."

"Alright, let's do it!"

Tang San said impatiently.

"When controlling the Blue Silver Grass, don't treat it as an external object; instead, view it as your own hands and feet."

"Because it is essentially another you. Do not resist; you need to accept it."

The first thing Tang Wu had to do was not to teach Tang San any techniques.

Rather, it was to make him feel that resonance originating from the depths of his soul.

Only by achieving a high degree of unity with the martial soul could one achieve twice the result with half the effort when condensing it.

Tang San was a martial arts prodigy; this could be seen from the fact that he had reached a very high level in Tang Sect techniques even without anyone teaching him.

In just a short while, he successfully entered a state of harmony between heaven and man.

After a few attempts, he actually succeeded.

However, unlike Tang Wu's Stand, Tang San's Stand possessed more of the toughness inherent to Blue Silver Grass.

It lacked that vitality of Tang Wu's...

After condensing the Stand, Tang San was like a child who had received a new toy, unable to resist starting to experiment.

He tried throwing punches, then controlled it to walk.

Although the movements were very stiff, for a first attempt, Tang San had already done quite well.

As for Tang Wu...

He was simply a monster, completely incomparable.

"Brother Xiao Wu, look at me, look at me, I want a substitute too."

Seeing the substitutes of the two brothers, Xiao Wu couldn't help but feel incredibly envious.

Both of them had one, but she was the only one left out; how could she possibly be content with that?

"Ha~~~" Tang Wu immediately let out a disdainful scoff:

"A bumpkin beast spirit like you trying to latch onto our noble tool spirits? You'd better stop daydreaming."