Qin Ming: Do You Believe I Can Outrun You!

"If you can't answer my question properly, then get out!"

"The academy isn't lacking support-type soul masters. There are even Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda soul masters studying here. Do you think you're that special?"

Ye Lingling had never expected one casual remark from her to draw this string of Qin Ming's rhetorical questions, like he was making an example out of her.

Though that really was what she had thought.

As one of only two Nine Heart Begonia soul masters on the entire continent, the sole function of her martial soul was healing.

Her father was treated as an honored guest by all the major factions, so even though he had not joined any of them, his status was still anything but low.

After all, the Nine Heart Begonia could also be considered a top-tier healing-type martial soul rarely seen in the world.

Most importantly, because of the difficulty in inheriting the Nine Heart Begonia martial soul, generations of Nine Heart Begonia soul masters had never taken part in major events on Douluo Continent.

Naturally, that included things like wars, or punitive campaigns between great factions.

At most, they would only appear afterward to save and treat people.

"Teacher Qin."

A voice rang out, and Qin Ming looked toward its source.

"Xia Yuan, what, do you want to go against me too?"

"No," Xia Yuan shook his head. "I just want to ask Teacher Qin a few questions."

Qin Ming relaxed and said offhandedly, "Since you have questions, then let's hear them."

Ye Lingling also looked toward Xia Yuan, biting her lip.

Because of her own personality, she rarely spoke, and even when she did, she would not argue with others.

Facing a "superior" like Qin Ming, she wanted even more to explain her special circumstances, but she did not dare clash with this teacher again.

Xia Yuan said, "Just now, Teacher Qin used the battlefield as an example, so I'll use the battlefield as an example too."

"On the battlefield, soul skills have no eyes. Teacher Qin first mentioned running, then asked how support-type soul masters protect themselves. Are you trying to say..."

"That support-type soul masters on the battlefield should rely on running to save their lives?"

Qin Ming said proudly, "Naturally."

"My teacher once said that a support-type soul master who can't run away is not a good soul master."

"What does running away require? It requires stamina."

"Perhaps Ye Lingling has the aid of her own soul power, and her physical quality is stronger than an ordinary person's, but what will she face on the battlefield?"

"Very likely, enemy battle soul masters."

"So, if she can take one more step at a critical moment, perhaps she can survive on the battlefield."

"In fact, this point doesn't only apply to support-type soul masters. It's the same for you assault, agility, control types, and so on."

"That is the importance of running. This should not have been something I needed to tell you, but something you should have understood on your own."

"My original plan was to have you run fifty laps around the plaza today first. It doesn't matter if you use your martial souls to assist you."

"As long as you can finish before noon, you can go eat lunch. Otherwise, don't even think about eating!"

"You students in your ivory towers are used to being privileged in your daily lives. How could you understand such valuable experience?"

Yu Tianheng nodded thoughtfully.

Qin Ming was already the most capable teacher he had ever met, and now this theory about running enlightened him even further.

That was right!

Wasn't reality exactly as Qin Ming had said?

On the battlefield, the faster he ran, the more efficient he would naturally be at escaping with his life.

The others all looked toward Xia Yuan, wanting to see how he would refute Qin Ming.

Xia Yuan looked at Qin Ming and asked in return:

"Teacher Qin, can you tell me, under normal circumstances, between a support-type soul master and a battle soul master of the same level, who is faster?"

"Naturally, the battle soul master!" Qin Ming said without thinking. "Is there any need to ask that?"

Xia Yuan said, "So you make support-type soul masters train hard at running."

"Just so that when they get to the battlefield, they have no one protecting them and no ability to protect themselves."

"Then, after everyone else has been killed by the enemy, they choose to run, running until their soul power is exhausted and their legs go weak."

"And then they watch helplessly as the enemy soul master strolls over as if taking a walk and slaughters them?"

Qin Ming's face instantly flushed red. "You are clearly twisting words and forcing logic!"

"Every extra step you run is an extra chance at survival!"

"You call that an extra chance at survival?" Xia Yuan cut in. "I think that's called delaying death."

"Or do you think struggling for two more breaths before dying counts as winning?"

A few quiet laughs sounded around them. Dugu Yan covered her mouth, and Ye Lingling's lashes also trembled.

Qin Ming flew into a humiliated rage and shouted, "You're completely unreasonable! Do you even know what real combat is? Do you even know what a battlefield is?"

"I think you're the one who doesn't." Xia Yuan's voice turned cold as well.

"Have you ever thought about what it means for support-type soul masters to go onto a battlefield?"

"They stand in the rear and support their teammates in achieving victory, not charge up alone to survive on their own."

"You teach support-type soul masters to run away. Are you trying to make them lose their nerve before the fight even starts, or abandon their teammates?"

Qin Ming's expression darkened. "So you think support-type soul masters shouldn't train their stamina?"

"If Ye Lingling is assassinated by a battle soul master, what is she supposed to use to block it?"

"Don't tell me she's supposed to dodge an assassination by running?" Xia Yuan immediately shot back.

Dugu Yan couldn't help letting out a "pfft."

She covered her mouth, but her shaking shoulders were impossible to hide.

Xia Yuan continued, "Besides, why wait until she's being assassinated?"

"Your logic was wrong from the very start."

"The moment a support-type soul master lets an enemy get close, they've already lost."

"What they should truly practice for that situation isn't a long-distance race with the enemy, but their on-the-spot reactions, their judgment of the situation, and even their awareness of positioning."

Ye Lingling nodded instinctively. "...That's right."

Qin Ming's face went from red to white. His lips moved several times, but he couldn't force out a single complete sentence.

But Xia Yuan did not stop there and continued, "An outstanding support should always remain within the protective circle of allied soul masters, or use the traits of their martial soul and other abilities to kite and create a situation where they don't need to flee."

"Even if they really have to run, do you think the leg strength a support-type soul master trains up can compare to the soul skills of an agility attack-type soul master?"

"Besides, your so-called stamina training is just taking up precious cultivation time for endless running with no bottom line?"

"Do you know what damage overexerting the body can cause? Do you know what happens when the burden on the heart suddenly spikes after excessive training?"

"Do you know that forcibly training the body and bones while fatigued can cause irreversible damage?"

"Or is running the only thing you know about stamina training, and nothing else?"

"You... you..." Qin Ming's chest heaved violently, his face flushing the color of pig liver.

His emotions finally erupted completely, and he pointed at Xia Yuan's nose as he roared, "You can't outrun me, do you believe that?!"

The roar echoed across the plaza.

Everyone froze. After Qin Ming finished roaring, even he himself froze.