Painting

"Xiao Jiu, your butt is so perky."

Jiang Jiu: "?"

"I'm just here to help you check your form."

Jiang Jiu held the empty barbell across his shoulders, maintaining a half-squat position.

The fifteen-kilogram empty bar was still quite light for him.

Even as a level ten Spirit Scholar, his basic physique was already superior to that of an average adult, let alone now that he was a Spirit Master.

As for asking Xiao Wu to help him check, although she didn't know the correct form for a Barbell Squat, the mechanics of movement were often universal.

She could certainly offer some insight into which motions were fluid and which might cause compensatory strain elsewhere.

Jiang Jiu could feel the contraction and relaxation of his muscles while squatting, and by combining that with Xiao Wu's external observations, he believed it wouldn't take long for him to gradually optimize his squat form.

Furthermore, Jiang Jiu had no issues with his posture, which was a great advantage for quickly mastering the correct technique.

"But it really is very perky." Xiao Wu snickered again, though she stepped forward immediately after to help guide him.

If nothing else, she knew how to adjust a center of gravity, as well as the alignment of joint axes.

As a master of joint locks, Xiao Wu was crystal clear on which movements would avoid joint injury or how to minimize damage while enhancing athletic performance.

"So, Xiao Jiu, are you trying to train your lower body strength?"

Xiao Wu could perceive which muscle groups Jiang Jiu was primarily engaging as he squatted with the iron bar, and she understood that the bar served as weight training.

"Yes. You can train too when you have time, once I've prepared the other equipment."

"Sounds exhausting."

Naturally, Xiao Wu didn't think Jiang Jiu would just stick to this iron bar forever; just like his morning runs where the distance kept increasing, the weight he carried would surely get heavier over time.

"Think of it this way: the more strength you have in your legs, the more satisfying your kicks will be, right?"

Xiao Wu blinked her large eyes, as if she had realized something, and her eyes crinkled into crescents as she smiled.

"Is there a problem?"

"None at all."

He checked the sky; it was about time for their usual cultivation.

For now, this was just to demonstrate the use of the empty bar to Xiao Wu, and perfecting his strength training form could be done slowly.

However, there was one difference from before: Jiang Jiu could now take a comfortable shower.

Having a private bathroom was just too great.

"Uh."

"What's there to be shy about? Hurry up and wash so we can cultivate."

Although he had expected it, Xiao Wu was truly becoming more brazen.

She dressed neatly in Dorm Seven, but at home, she naturally wore whatever was most comfortable.

Jiang Jiu could only pretend not to see, finishing his wash quickly before returning to bed to begin his cultivation.

Over the next few days, Jiang Jiu spent his time refining his form for squats, deadlifts, and bench presses with the empty bar, while also pondering how to attach Barbell Plates to the smooth iron rod.

Not only that, but he also needed a rack to hold the bar and the plates.

He and Xiao Wu could polish the technique themselves, but for the rest, he would have to drop hints to the blacksmiths.

When it came to crafting practical items, these veteran smiths with their rich forging experience could offer very effective methods.

All Jiang Jiu had to do was absorb that experience and then use better materials to forge the final products.

The only issue was that his little treasury was running dangerously low; making money was still too difficult, while spending it was like water flowing away.

Another development was that Tang San had moved out, and his new place was quite close to theirs—they could practically be called neighbors.

Jiang Jiu breathed a sigh of relief.

With Tang San living nearby, Jiang Jiu's safety rating had soared.

Returning from the Blacksmith Shop in the evening, the three of them walked together.

"San, do you want some Iron Essence? Nine Gold Soul Coins per kilogram."

Tang San's mouth twitched. Although Jiang Jiu's price was indeed cheaper than the market rate, he could still get an internal price at the Blacksmith Shop.

Besides, the scraps he was using for now were sufficient.

If he truly lacked Iron Essence, he could forge it himself.

"Wouldn't it be better to sell it to someone else for ten Gold Soul Coins?"

"Just kidding. I don't even have enough for myself yet."

Tang San was curious about what Jiang Jiu was doing with so much Iron Essence—was he really just forging an iron bar?

"See you later."

"See you later."

Tang San watched as Jiang Jiu and Xiao Wu strolled slowly toward their house. He headed back to his own room first; he still had to go to Nuoding Academy later, as the evening was reserved for Yu Xiaogang's lessons.

Even though it meant walking back and forth a few extra times each day, Tang San felt that renting this room was the right choice, if only because he could wash away the exhaustion of his blacksmithing before heading off to see his teacher.

Over on Jiang Jiu's side.

"Tang San doesn't seem to spend much time cultivating day to day. Xiao Jiu, do you think he's even lazier than me?"

Hearing Xiao Wu's words, Jiang Jiu felt it was somewhat counterintuitive.

How could Tang San possibly be lazier than Xiao Wu?

But thinking about it carefully, Tang San attended classes in the morning, worked at the forge in the afternoon, and had to attend Yu Xiaogang's lessons at night. By that count, the time he had for actual cultivation was extremely limited.

Under Jiang Jiu's influence, Xiao Wu would occasionally cultivate from evening until bedtime, or sometimes join Jiang Jiu for cultivation during the morning.

If one only considered cultivation as the "real work," it was hard to say who was lazier.

"His blacksmithing is actually a form of cultivation."

There couldn't be anyone lazier than Xiao Wu, or else she would feel perfectly justified in slacking off.

"Is that so?"

"It is."

Jiang Jiu wasn't lying; using soul power to forge iron did count as a form of cultivation, though it had to be paired with meditation.

"Forget it, let's not talk about him. Xiao Jiu, don't you think I should teach you some knowledge about soul beasts?"

Xiao Wu's Soft Technique had already been passed on for the most part; the rest relied on Jiang Jiu mastering it and innovating on his own.

Of course, Xiao Wu still had a few explosive ultimate moves up her sleeve, which were better left for when Jiang Jiu had higher soul power and a better physique in the future.

Now that the "physical education" was mostly covered, Teacher Xiao Wu wanted to try her hand at "academic education."

"You know how?"

"Of course I do!"

Since Xiao Wu had brought it up herself, Jiang Jiu couldn't find a reason to prompt her to teach him in this area.

Back in the Soul Hunting Forest, he had been completely clueless, and there was nowhere in Nuoding Academy to learn such things.

"Really?"

"Forgot? I was the one who identified your first soul ring!" Xiao Wu said proudly.

"My apologies for my lack of insight."

"Hmph, hmph."

Once Jiang Jiu began his cultivation, Xiao Wu started to worry.

She had said she would teach him, but how exactly should she go about it?

The Soft Technique was primarily physical, so she and Jiang Jiu were the teaching equipment.

But when it came to identifying soul beasts, she couldn't just open her mouth and name them one by one.

Even if she pointed out their characteristics, there might be a discrepancy between her descriptions and reality; if he failed to recognize them or misidentified them, it would be her fault as a teacher.

If they actually encountered such a soul beast, it could lead to a very serious situation.

"Huh? I've got it!" Xiao Wu noticed the paper-cuts she had bought and stuck on the wall.

The next day, Xiao Wu dragged Jiang Jiu out to buy a large stack of white paper, along with a few pens.

"Ta-da!"

In the room, Xiao Wu held up a piece of paper, looking as if she had accomplished a great feat.

"A fur ball?"

"A fur ball, my foot! I clearly drew our Soft Bone Rabbit!"

"Soft Bone Rabbits look like that?"

Xiao Wu looked closely at her drawing and couldn't bring herself to be stubborn. "It doesn't seem to look like that, does it?"

A real little rabbit was ten thousand times cuter than what she had drawn.

Jiang Jiu studied it a few more times.

"Is this the neck?"

"Yes, yes!" Xiao Wu nodded excitedly.

"The chest?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Xiao Wu was even more excited.

"And the butt?"

"Ugh, I forgot to draw it." She wilted instantly.

Jiang Jiu himself did not know how to draw, however.

Xiao Wu's idea was excellent, but unfortunately, Jiang Jiu could not offer any constructive advice.

He had to resort to the art of encouragement.

"It's quite good for a first attempt."

"Really?"

"My first attempt was definitely not as good as yours."

"But if it's drawn so poorly that it's unrecognizable, isn't that just a waste of effort?"

Especially since Xiao Wu was drawing a Soft Bone Rabbit, the soul beast she was most familiar with.

Learning this way and failing seemed no better than teaching through verbal description.

"Take your time, you'll improve eventually. Besides, I can always ask you about the parts that aren't clear."

Cultivating a hobby for Xiao Wu was a good idea, provided she could truly grow to love painting.

Furthermore, painting was not entirely a useless endeavor.

Just as blacksmithing could temper the body and even integrate into soul power cultivation, perhaps painting could also be incorporated into cultivation techniques, such as focusing mental energy to paint?

It didn't feel entirely baseless; once Xiao Wu obtained her Charm soul skill and gained a certain understanding of how to utilize mental energy, who knew?

"Then, I'll just keep drawing?"

"Just don't try to become a master overnight."

"I wouldn't become a big fatty." Xiao Wu nudged Jiang Jiu with her little hip.

Before long, Jiang Jiu began his morning cultivation. If there was no Soft Technique training scheduled, that time was usually reserved for soul power cultivation.

Xiao Wu held the brush, looked up at the meditating Jiang Jiu, and then looked at the paper on the table.

Suddenly, she didn't want to draw soul beasts anymore.

She giggled as she recorded Jiang Jiu on the paper.

"This is the eyebrow, this is the nose, this is the mouth..." Xiao Wu muttered to herself.

"This is... hmm, if Xiao Jiu sees this, he might get angry. Better erase it, erase it."

Blacking out the "model" on the paper, Xiao Wu took out a fresh sheet and began to redraw the Soft Bone Rabbit.

"Mom, I've met a male rabbit, just like how you met Dad."

"We'll probably have a daughter as cute as me, too."

"Hehe, it would be best to have a few more, then I'd have company."

"Oh dear, I forgot about Daming and Erming."

Xiao Wu looked at the four "furballs" on the paper, slowly added a monkey that didn't look like a monkey, and a snake that looked like a line, before blacking out this sheet as well.

"It seems I really have no talent for painting," Xiao Wu muttered.

"Let me try the Ghost Leopard I encountered the other day."

It was a soul beast she had seen recently, and most importantly, Xiao Jiu had seen it with his own eyes.

By comparing them, perhaps she could understand the difference between her drawings and the real soul beasts.