Tang San had just lain down when Zhu Shen picked him up. "Xiao San, your special training isn't over yet."
"Teacher, I'm out of Soul Power..." Tang San's voice was weak.
"Out of Soul Power? Perfect!" Zhu Shen's eyes lit up. "Only by pushing yourself to the limit can you break through!"
He pointed to a tree in the distance. "See that? Climb to the top, then jump down. You're not allowed to use Soul Power."
Tang San's face turned green. That tree was thirty meters tall!
"Teacher, I'll die if I fall..."
"Don't worry. I'll catch you!" Zhu Shen thumped his chest, his gaze "sincere."
Tang San sighed and resigned himself to climbing. When he reached the top, he looked down and saw Zhu Shen yawning.
[ Ding! Tang San's fear of falling from a great height has skyrocketed! Evolution Points +30! ]
Zhu Shen was over the moon. Tang San closed his eyes and jumped.
Only when Tang San was about to hit the ground did Zhu Shen lazily raise a hand, giving him a gentle push to break his fall. Tang San landed hard on his backside.
"Ow! Teacher, you..."
"My mistake, my mistake!" Zhu Shen hurried over to help him up. "Want to try again?"
Tang San rubbed his backside, on the verge of tears. This teacher had definitely done it on purpose!
The next day, the lottery venue was packed with people.
Zhu Shen rubbed his hands together and muttered at the draw box. "Strong team, strong team, strong team..."
Tang San's eyelid twitched. "Teacher, wouldn't it be better to draw a weak team?"
"How would a weak team train you?" Zhu Shen glared at him. "Don't worry. I've got everything under control!"
He reached into the box and secretly released a trace of the Dragon God Bloodline's aura. The box trembled almost imperceptibly.
He drew a slip and took a look: Thunder Academy!
"Great!" Zhu Shen slapped Tang San hard on the back. "A top-tier team! This is your chance to shine, Xiao San!"
Tang San staggered from the slap, wailing inwardly. That familiar feeling of being set up again!
Back at their lodging, Wang Sheng and the others gathered around the tournament schedule and groaned.
"Thunder Academy is full of Power Attack System fighters! How are we supposed to beat them?"
"Teacher, please think of something!"
Zhu Shen rubbed his chin. "A plan? Sure, I've got one!"
He looked at Tang San, beaming. "Xiao San, you'll be the main attacker. Take on all seven!"
"Pfft!" Tang San sprayed out the water he had just drunk. "Teacher, I..."
"Don't be modest!" Zhu Shen waved a hand. "Your Blue Silver Grass control combined with the Clear Sky Hammer's offensive power is perfect!"
"But the Clear Sky Hammer..."
"Save it for the critical moment!" Zhu Shen lowered his voice. "If you can't beat them, just show them the hammer. Scare the wits out of them!"
Tang San's mouth twitched. Was this teacher trying to get him killed faster?
After dinner, Zhu Shen slipped into Tang San's room.
"Xiao San, I've got a secret weapon for you!" He pulled a little bottle from his pocket, acting mysterious.
Inside was a green liquid that gave off a sweet fragrance.
"What is it?"
"Super Vitality Potion!" Zhu Shen lowered his voice. "Drink it, and your Soul Power will instantly be restored!"
Tang San's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Of course! Would I ever trick you?" Zhu Shen thumped his chest. "Drink it before the match tomorrow!"
Tang San accepted it gratefully. "Thank you, Teacher!"
[ Ding! Host successfully tricked Tang San into taking "Ten-Year Lone Bamboo Concentrated Juice" (mild laxative version). The prank was a smashing success! Evolution Points +50! ]
Zhu Shen slipped out, stifling his laughter. Tomorrow's match was going to have a "surprise."
On the day of the match, lightning flashed across the arena.
Thunder Academy's captain, Yu Tianxin, was a fearsome sight with his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul.
Tang San took a deep breath and secretly drank the "potion." It tasted... a little bitter.
At the referee's signal, Yu Tianxin surged forward like a bolt of lightning!
Tang San was just about to release his Blue Silver Grass when a sudden cramp seized his stomach!
"Ugh!" His body stiffened, and cold sweat broke out at once.
Yu Tianxin's dragon claw was already right in front of him!
"Xiao San, dodge!" Zhu Shen shouted "anxiously" from below the arena.
Tang San gritted his teeth and rolled sideways, barely evading the attack. His stomach gurgled, and his face turned pale.
[ Ding! Tang San suffers an emergency on the arena, and his public humiliation index skyrockets! Evolution Points +80! ]
Zhu Shen dug his nails into his thigh to keep from laughing out loud. This was a huge win!
Clutching his stomach, Tang San could barely even swing his Blue Silver Grass properly.
Yu Tianxin frowned. "What are you doing?"
Tang San couldn't explain. He could only grit his teeth and endure it, forcing himself to use the Mysterious Heaven Skill to suppress the churning in his gut.
"Third Soul Skill, Blue Silver Bamboo Prison!" He endured the cramps and unleashed his Soul Skill.
A sturdy bamboo cage burst from the ground and trapped Yu Tianxin.
"Great!" the Notting Academy team cheered.
Yu Tianxin roared, and lightning exploded! The bamboo cage shattered instantly!
"Give up!" He thrust his dragon claw toward Tang San's face.
A flash of purple light shone in Tang San's eyes. The Purple Demon Eye saw through the attack's trajectory, and he pole-vaulted away just in time.
While he was in the air, his stomach churned again!
"Pfft—" A loud fart boomed through the Amplifying Soul Tool, echoing throughout the arena!
The whole arena fell silent.
Tang San froze in midair, his face turning scarlet to the tips of his ears.
[ Ding! Tang San has achieved the epic public humiliation milestone! Evolution Points +200! Dragon God Bloodline purity increased to 27%! ]
Zhu Shen gaped, then covered his face and burst out laughing. "Xiao San! You... Pfft, hahaha!" The effect had far exceeded his expectations!
Yu Tianxin was stunned too, forgetting to attack.
Tang San landed, mortified beyond words. He just wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
"I give up!" he nearly shouted, then turned and leaped off the arena, sprinting away.
The whole crowd burst into thunderous laughter.
"Hahaha! Couldn't beat him, so he farted?"
"Notting Academy's people sure are interesting!"
Still laughing, Zhu Shen wiped away his tears. "Ahem! It was an accident! A complete accident!" He hurried after Tang San.
In the passage by the rest area, Tang San crouched in a corner with his head buried between his knees.
"Xiao San... pfft... are you all right?" Zhu Shen struggled to hold back his laughter.
Tang San raised his head and gave him the mournful look of a wronged woman shut away in her chambers. "Teacher... that potion..."
"Oh, it must've been a fake from the black market!" Zhu Shen said with "indignation." "I'll smash their shop when we get back!"
[ Ding! Detected that the host successfully shifted the blame. Deception Skill +1. ]
Tang San looked at him in silence, believing not a word. The same old trick again!
"All right, all right!" Zhu Shen patted him. "Victory and defeat are commonplace in battle! Come on, I'll treat you to a big meal to make up for it!"
"I'm not eating!" Tang San grumbled.
"Really? They've just opened a place in Spirit City that serves roasted Soul Beast meat. I hear..."
Tang San's stomach betrayed him with a loud growl. His face grew even redder.
Zhu Shen stifled a laugh. "Come on! Turn your anger into an appetite!"
At the table, Tang San turned into a bottomless pit, devouring three huge plates of meat.
As Zhu Shen piled food onto his plate, he calculated: he had enough Evolution Points to upgrade his bloodline twice. What a delight!
"Xiao San," he said earnestly, "even though this time was... um... an accident, you still gained valuable experience!"
Tang San kept his head down and mumbled through a mouthful of meat, "Next time, I'll bring my own food."
[ Ding! Tang San's trust in the host -1. ]
Zhu Shen didn't care in the slightest. So what if it dropped? Evolution Points were the real prize! He smiled at Tang San. "Slow down, or you'll choke. There's a team match tomorrow, so you need to eat your fill to have the strength to get... tricked—cough, I mean, to fight!"