Tang San vs. Xiao Wu

"Uncle! What do you mean by that?!"

As soon as Xiao Wu finished speaking, an unnatural flush surged onto her cheeks.

Tang San, standing beside her, also felt a wave of heat rise within him. He hurriedly sat cross-legged and circulated the Mysterious Heaven Skill, trying to suppress the heat in his body.

"Nothing in particular."

Xu Linjiu chuckled and waved his hand, dispersing the [Misty Terrain] beneath their feet. The heat within their bodies instantly flared even more intensely.

"It's true that whale glue can improve one's physique, but not many people know about that use. Most just treat it as an aphrodisiac."

"An aphrodisiac?! What are you trying to do?!"

Xiao Wu cried out and swiftly darted back twice, putting distance between herself and Xu Linjiu.

Xu Linjiu helplessly rubbed his forehead and shook his head, using Psychic to pull Xiao Wu back again.

"What are you thinking at your age? After whale glue is refined, most of its original aphrodisiac effect is already gone. Only a tiny trace remains.

As he spoke, Xu Linjiu pointed at Tang San, who was meditating nearby. "The academy has already taught you the basic Calm Mind method, right? Sit down and begin meditating now. Cultivating by resisting the desires in your body can also strengthen your Inner Focus. Killing two birds with one stone!"

Xiao Wu scratched her head, glanced at Tang San beside her, and in the end only managed a quiet "Oh." Then she obediently sat down and began to meditate.

By the time the sun had fully set and the moon slowly rose, the two had completely refined the whale glue and finished cultivating.

Tang San was the first to open his eyes. The heat in his body had long since vanished, replaced by an indescribable sense of comfort.

Lowering his head, he clenched his fist. He could clearly feel that his strength had increased, and even his soul power had improved.

"Finished refining it?"

Xu Linjiu's voice came from nearby. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground and had clearly just finished cultivating as well.

Tang San nodded. "Teacher, it seems my soul power has increased too."

"Perfectly normal. Whale glue replenishes vitality and blood, and that meditation just now was greatly beneficial as well."

Xu Linjiu took out his illustrated guide and checked. Sure enough, Tang San's soul power level was not far from Level Fifteen.

About another five minutes later, Xiao Wu, who was seated on the ground, slowly opened her eyes as well.

She first glanced at Xu Linjiu, then looked toward Tang San.

"That scared me to death..."

Xiao Wu muttered softly for a moment before belatedly noticing the changes in her body.

"Huh? Why has my soul power increased too?"

She sprang up from the ground and threw a few punches into the air.

"Uncle, your medicine might be a little improper, but the effect is really good! I feel like I'm about to break through to Level Twelve! Do you have any more? Give me some more!"

"Where do you think all these good things come from? Whale glue is most effective the first time it's used. If you want a major improvement afterward, you'll need older whale glue, and you two can't use that yet."

Xu Linjiu rose from the ground as well, brushing grass clippings from his clothes. He said to the two of them, "All right, you two. The warm-up and medicinal supplement are done. Now it's time for the real business."

"The real business? What real business?"

Xiao Wu asked curiously.

Xu Linjiu did not answer. He simply walked forward on his own.

Xiao Wu and Tang San exchanged a glance, then hurried after him.

Before long, the three arrived at an open clearing.

Xu Linjiu stopped and pointed at the clearing ahead. "Starting today, the two of you will add a one-on-one practical combat session here every night. It'll also let me get a better grasp of your abilities."

"One-on-one?"

Tang San frowned slightly. "Teacher, I'm already Level Fourteen, while Xiao Wu is only Level Eleven. Isn't that a little unfair?"

"Unfair?"

Xiao Wu suddenly cut in. "You should know that I'm the boss of Seventh Dormitory! Someone was defeated by me before!"

"I only lost because I went easy on you since you were a girl!"

"Went easy on me?"

Xiao Wu glared, planting her hands on her hips. "Come on, come on! Let's fight right now and see who's really the boss!"

Provoked by Xiao Wu, Tang San immediately got worked up as well.

He had never quite accepted his previous loss to Xiao Wu. Now was the perfect chance to prove himself.

Tang San turned to Xu Linjiu and said respectfully, "Teacher, please serve as the referee!"

"That was my intention to begin with."

Xu Linjiu took a chair from his storage soul tool and sat down at the side. Tang San and Xiao Wu had already taken their positions in the center of the field.

They stood ten meters apart. Xiao Wu loosened up where she stood, while Tang San wore a calm expression, feet apart in a standard opening stance.

"If you're ready, then begin!"

The moment Xu Linjiu's words fell, Xiao Wu made the first move.

Her legs suddenly exploded with force, and the ten-meter distance vanished in an instant. In the blink of an eye, she arrived before Tang San, raising her right leg high and striking straight at his face.

Facing Xiao Wu's attack, Tang San no longer held back.

Purple light flowed through his eyes, and Xiao Wu's every movement appeared clearly before him.

Both hands turned jade-like as he precisely blocked Xiao Wu's chopping right leg.

Clang!

Hand and foot collided with a crisp sound.

Xiao Wu's expression did not change. Her right leg, braced against Tang San's hands, exerted force, launching her into the air. She leaped behind Tang San, and her long scorpion braid whipped out, wrapping directly around his neck.

"Admit defeat, Little San!"

Xiao Wu shouted sweetly. Her scorpion braid suddenly tightened as she simultaneously raised her leg and kicked at Tang San's lower back.

The scorpion braid was wrapped tightly around his neck, but Tang San did not panic. He was waiting for an opportunity.

Now!

At the instant Xiao Wu raised her leg to kick his back, the bright yellow soul ring beneath Tang San's feet suddenly lit up.

Blue Scale Silver Pattern Grass shot from his palm. Rather than blocking Xiao Wu's kick, it wrapped directly around her other supporting leg.

Xiao Wu only felt her ankle tighten. Her balance instantly disappeared, and the force of her scorpion braid loosened as well.

"What—!"

Before she could react, Tang San had already used the chance to break free from the scorpion braid. At the same time, Blue Scale Silver Pattern Grass whipped fiercely, flinging Xiao Wu sideways through the air.

Xiao Wu flipped twice in midair. When she landed, she supported herself with one hand on the ground and rolled twice more before barely steadying herself.

"You're cheating! You used your martial soul!"

Xiao Wu jumped up from the ground and pointed at Tang San indignantly.

"Why can't I use it?"

"I haven't used mine yet!"

"Then use it."

Xiao Wu choked for a moment, then gritted her teeth. A yellow soul ring beneath her feet lit up as well.

"Fine, I'll use it! Take this!"

The strength in her legs suddenly surged, and she shot toward Tang San like an arrow loosed from a bow.

This time, her speed was more than twice what it had been before. She had clearly activated her first soul skill, Waist Bow.

Tang San did not dare to be careless. With a wave of his right hand, three seeds of soul power shot forth, forming a triangular formation that sealed off Xiao Wu's path.

"Hmph!"

Xiao Wu gave a soft snort as her body abruptly changed direction in midair.

The immense jumping power brought by Waist Bow allowed her to turn at an impossible angle. Her entire body traced an eerie arc around the interception of the three Seed Bombs.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three explosions erupted behind her, but Xiao Wu had already closed to within three steps of Tang San.

She lifted her right leg high and delivered another axe kick straight at Tang San's face.

Tang San raised his arm to block it. The force of this kick far surpassed the previous one. Even with the Mysterious Jade Hand protecting him, Tang San's arm went numb from the impact, and he staggered back three steps.

"Good chance!"

Xiao Wu pursued the advantage, wrapping herself around Tang San's body with the momentum. Her legs twisted around his waist like scissors as Waist Bow activated, intending to flip him through the air.

Watching the fierce battle in the field, Xu Linjiu, seated at the edge, narrowed his eyes slightly.

Sure enough, close-quarters grappling was Xiao Wu's absolute domain.

With her Soft Bones Rabbit martial soul and the Waist Bow soul skill, the suppressive force she could unleash at close range far surpassed that of soul masters at the same level.

Although Tang San had the Mysterious Jade Hand protecting him and his martial soul had undergone an initial evolution, he still had few ways to deal with the flexible techniques he had never encountered before.