Xiao Xiao: I Want to Challenge My Weakness!

The bell signaling the end of class echoed through the teaching building of the Shrek Outer Academy.

The freshmen of Class Nine were like birds released from a cage, gathering in twos and threes to hurry out of the classroom, eager to reach the playground or the Soul Fighting District to refine their newly formed teams.

Xiao Yan walked at the front, leading Xiao Xiao, Ning Tian, and Wu Feng as he navigated the academy's paths with practiced ease, arriving at the quiet grove beside the Sea God Lake.

There was no way to build team synergy in the shortest amount of time other than through actual combat.

Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Xiao Xiao stood in a circle, quickly introducing the specific effects, soul power consumption, and attack ranges of their respective soul skills.

Xiao Xiao also stated that she would use her second martial soul, the Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron, to participate in the battle, as the use of her Nine Phoenix Flute had already been perfected by her older brother; she wanted to challenge her own weaknesses!

After the discussion concluded, the three of them spread out into formation, fixing their gazes on Xiao Yan, who stood a dozen meters away with his hands behind his back, acting as their sparring partner.

The battle was on the verge of breaking out.

Ning Tian initiated the attack first, seven-colored light condensing in her palm as the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda spun rapidly.

"The Seven Treasures has a name, the first: Speed! The second: Dispel!" Two brilliant rays of colorful light landed precisely on Wu Feng and Xiao Xiao.

Bolstered by the dual buffs of speed and the removal of negative status effects, red light ignited in Wu Feng's eyes. Dense, crimson dragon scales covered her slender arms, and she transformed into a violent streak of fire, charging straight at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Xiao channeled her soul power from the rear, splitting her Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron into three, smashing them toward Xiao Yan's retreat path from three different, tricky angles in an attempt to seal him off.

Facing this seemingly imposing combined assault, Xiao Yan did not even summon his Fuxi Zither.

He simply raised his right hand and flicked his fingers casually through the empty air in front of him.

"Zheng! Zheng!"

Two invisible sound blades surged outward.

The first sound blade precisely severed the soul power trajectory of the strength-enhancing buff Ning Tian was preparing to link; the second sound blade exploded on the path Wu Feng was charging along, triggering a violent vibration in the air.

Wu Feng's forward momentum was obstructed, and she lost her balance in mid-air.

At this moment, the Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron controlled by Xiao Xiao happened to come crashing down.

Because there was no synergy between the two, not only did they fail to seal off Xiao Yan's retreat, but the heavy black cauldron nearly struck Wu Feng as she was adjusting her center of gravity, forcing her to roll across the ground in a sorry state just to narrowly avoid it.

The battle started fast and ended even faster.

The three fought individually, their skill coordination falling into complete disarray; they hadn't even touched the corner of Xiao Yan's clothes before they lost their footing.

Xiao Yan withdrew his right hand, looking at the three of them as they panted, their faces filled with frustration.

"Your raw strength is indeed much higher than the others," Xiao Yan pointed out the problem without mercy.

"Relying on level suppression, you could steamroll most freshman teams. But if you encounter a team with a martial soul fusion skill or high tactical literacy, this kind of mutual interference will only become a breakthrough point for your opponents."

Ning Tian and Xiao Xiao looked at each other, and Wu Feng bit her lip in frustration.

But they all knew that what Xiao Yan said was the truth.

Watching the somewhat dejected expressions of the three, the Fuxi Bagua formation quietly swirled in the depths of Xiao Yan's eyes.

Since he had agreed to be their sparring partner, he had to bring out some substantial methods.

He spread his arms, moonlight-white and purple-gold light shining as the complete Fuxi Zither hovered before him.

"Stand still, close your eyes, and release the defenses of your Sea of Consciousness." Xiao Yan pressed his hands onto the strings.

The three were confused, but they obeyed obediently.

Xiao Yan plucked the strings with his ten fingers, and a melody with a strange rhythm and an ethereal, profound tone resonated leisurely through the grove.

Phantom Dream: Martial Drill Melody.

This piece carried no killing intent or buffs; it had only one purpose—to weave an illusion.

As the zither music entered their ears, Ning Tian and the others felt their eyelids become incredibly heavy, and the sound of the Sea God Lake and the rustling of leaves in the wind quickly faded away.

Their consciousness sank into a brief darkness, and when they opened their eyes again, they found that they were no longer in the small grove by the Sea God Lake, but standing on a massive circular arena paved with pure white stone.

The sky was gray, and there was nothing else around.

Xiao Yan's clear, resonant voice sounded above this strange space, echoing in every corner.

"Welcome to the Dream Arena. Here, I will conjure the most suitable opponents for you. You can accumulate experience by constantly fighting in the dream, and you don't have to worry about physical damage."

Before the three could recover from their surprise, light flickered on the pure white ground in front of them.

Three figures wearing black tight-fitting suits with blurred faces condensed out of thin air.

Judging from the soul power fluctuations emanating from them, each one was a genuine high-level Soul Elder!

Moreover, the positioning of these three was extremely meticulous—one defensive, one control, and one assault-type, forming a tripod formation with no flaws.

"The first battle, begin."

Following Xiao Yan's declaration, the three black shadows opposite them suddenly launched their attack.

The battle in the dream was no different from reality; pain and soul power consumption were perfectly simulated.

In this grueling training session that offered no room to breathe, Xiao Xiao, Ning Tian, and Wu Feng were met with a brutal, crushing defeat.

In the first match, in less than three minutes, Wu Feng was isolated and focused down, while Ning Tian and Xiao Xiao were subsequently broken.

In the fifth match, Xiao Xiao's cauldron smashed into the wrong position, blocking Wu Feng's retreat route, and they were wiped out.

In the twelfth match, Ning Tian's buff was half a beat too slow, and the defensive line collapsed.

They had failed nineteen times in a row!

These nineteen high-intensity combat experiences pushed their muscle memory and mental reflexes to the limit.

In this space with no way out, the proud young master of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, the unruly Red Dragon soul master, and the ambitious twin-martial-soul genius finally smoothed out their rough edges, beginning to truly pay attention to their teammates' movements, breathing, and the wind-up animations of their soul skills.

The twentieth match.

Ning Tian's Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda glowed at the most perfect moment, Xiao Xiao's Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron precisely blocked the enemy control-type soul master's skills, and under the cover of the cauldron, Wu Feng unleashed her strongest blow; the Red Dragon Claw tore through the enemy defense-type soul master's shield.

"Boom!"

A violent collision of energy exploded in the center of the arena, and both sides' attacks hit their vital points simultaneously.

A draw.

At this very moment, the gray mist in the sky churned violently, and the pure white arena became covered in cracks before shattering with a roar.

The real world, by the shores of the Sea God Lake.

The horizon was already stained with a dim, twilight yellow.

Xiao Xiao, Ning Tian, and Wu Feng opened their eyes at the same time.

The excitement from the dream battle still lingered in their eyes; even though it was only a draw, the sense of accomplishment brought by such tacit cooperation left them wanting more.

"Just a little! We were just a little bit away from winning!" Wu Feng clenched her fists, looking at Xiao Yan with a face full of regret.

"Squad leader, one more time! This time we can definitely beat those three phantoms into the ground!"

Ning Tian and Xiao Xiao nodded repeatedly, eager to try again.

Xiao Yan did not respond, but instead stepped forward.

He raised his right hand and, without the slightest hesitation, gave each of them a crisp flick to the forehead.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The three of them covered their foreheads, shrinking back in pain with aggrieved expressions.

"Do you think the Dream Arena is free to run?" Xiao Yan lowered his hand, looking at these three tireless battle-maniacs.

"Every time you get injured or release a soul skill in the dream, it consumes your real mental strength. Your Sea of Consciousness has already been squeezed to the limit."

He pointed at their slightly unfocused pupils.

"Don't think you're fine just because you feel okay now; that's just an illusion caused by the adrenaline. I guarantee that within half an hour, you'll all pass out on the spot. You still want to continue? If you can't get up tomorrow morning and miss the Freshman Assessment, don't come crying to me."

Hearing Xiao Yan's stern warning, the three looked at each other and finally noticed the needle-like pain and irresistible fatigue deep within their minds, leaving them no choice but to smile awkwardly.

Xiao Xiao was the best at reading the room; she immediately stepped forward to hug Xiao Yan's arm, shaking it gently while acting spoiled in a soft, sweet voice.

"Brother, I know I was wrong. We've been fighting for so long that I'm starving. Let's go get dinner, okay?"

As a true wealthy heiress, Ning Tian also chimed in at the right moment, showing the boldness of a Nine Treasures Glazed Sect young master: "My treat today! Order whatever you want!"

With a wealthy backer paying the bill, the atmosphere instantly livened up.

The four of them left the small grove and headed toward the snack street outside the academy.

As the evening lights came on, the snack street was bustling with people, and the scent of various grilled meats and spices drifted into their noses, making their mouths water.

The four sat down at a barbecue stall they frequented.

Ning Tian ordered a whole table of signature skewers in one go, and Xiao Xiao excitedly grabbed a bamboo stick and began to feast.

Wu Feng held a skewer of lamb that was grilled to a charred, oily yellow, chewing it in large bites.

However, as she chewed, her movements grew slower and slower, and her eyelids felt as if they were filled with lead, uncontrollably sticking together.

As a pure assault-type battle soul master, her mental strength was the weakest of the three.

She had been at the forefront in the Dream Arena, bearing the brunt of the "death" experiences.

Now that her tightly wound nerves had finally relaxed, the fatigue came crashing down like a broken dam.

Her eyes rolled upward, and her head slumped forward abruptly.

"Thump!"

Wu Feng's face slammed solidly onto the wooden table piled with empty bamboo sticks, the meat in her hand fell onto the plate, and she lost consciousness, passing out in spectacular fashion.

Within three seconds, a light snoring sound could even be heard.

The stall owner, who was flipping skewers nearby, heard the commotion and turned to look. He was so startled that the brush in his hand fell into the charcoal fire, and he waved his hands repeatedly, his voice trembling.

"Y-young students, my meat is absolutely fresh, I didn't poison it!"

Ning Tian quickly reached out to check Wu Feng's breathing. Realizing she had simply fallen asleep, she let out a long sigh of relief, explained to the owner that she had just exhausted herself from training, and paid an extra gold soul coin as compensation.

Dinner was, naturally, off the table.

As the young master, Ning Tian had no choice but to carry her guard, Wu Feng, on her back.

By the time they reached the freshman dormitory, Ning Tian had also reached her limit; her eyelids were fighting a losing battle, and her footsteps were so unsteady she felt as if she were walking on cotton.

She clung to the last shred of her clarity, bid Xiao Yan and Xiao Xiao farewell, and then dragged Wu Feng stumbling toward her dormitory.

Xiao Yan brought Xiao Xiao back to the corridor.

Just as they reached the door, Xiao Xiao skillfully put on a pitiful expression, clutching the doorframe with both hands as she attempted to use her old trick to sneak into his room.

"Brother, my head is so dizzy too. How about tonight I..."

Xiao Yan did not look at her masterful performance; he gripped the doorknob with his right hand, his tone steady and devoid of ripples.

"Take your hands off and go back to sleep."

Xiao Xiao pursed her lips, knowing that playing the victim was useless, and could only retract her hands in disappointment.

"Click."

Xiao Yan ruthlessly shut the door, sealing out all the clamor from outside.

He walked to the center of the bed, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and continued his practice of the Art of the Fuxi Emperor for the night.