Feng Xiaotian: Master, I Understand

"Yes and no." Feng Xiaotian put down the Ju Zi, looked up, and stared intently at Jiang Lan. "I want to know why you're so strong. You're only six and a half, yet you could easily overpower me with a single punch in the competition. After that day, I went through all the information I could find about you, and the more I looked, the more... outrageous it seemed."

Feng Xiaotian paused, his face showing an almost sincere confusion. "I'm not reconciled. I created the Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes, and I have no rivals in the Godwind Academy. But when facing you, I can't even catch your shadow. Can you tell me, where exactly am I lacking?"

Jiang Lan looked into Feng Xiaotian's eyes. Those eyes were bright, without jealousy, only a thirst for power and resentment.

Jiang Lan paused for a moment, then held up three chubby fingers. "You yourself said that you spent a lot of time Self-Created Soul Skill."

"That's the culmination of my hard work," Feng Xiaotian said.

"I didn't say it was bad." Jiang Lan wagged her finger. "But what's your level? Level 44, right? The average level of the main force of your Godwind Academy this year is less than 40. You're very strong among your peers, but the time you spent on the Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes could have allowed you to reach level 50 or even higher."

Feng Xiaotian frowned. "You mean, I should give up the Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes and focus on improving my Soul Power?"

"It's not about giving up, it's about prioritizing." Jiang Lan peeled the Ju Zi, broke off a segment, and put it in his mouth, saying indistinctly, "You treat the Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes like your lifeblood, practicing for eight hours a day, yet your Soul Power Level remains stagnant."

"No matter how flashy your attacks are, if your opponent's Soul Power Level far surpasses yours, you won't even be able to finish the first strike. Conversely, once your level increases, you can go back and refine your Self-Created Soul Skill, and the speed, power, and versatility will be completely different."

Feng Xiaotian sat there, silent for a long time.

He recalled how he had spent years refining the Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes, working day and night to achieve perfection, meticulously perfecting the angle and force of each strike.

However, his level progression has indeed slowed down, and many younger generations have already caught up with him.

"I've always felt that Self-Created Soul Skill is a Soul Master's most core competitive advantage," Feng Xiaotian said slowly. "The teachers at the academy always say that those who can Self-Created Soul Skill are geniuses and should develop them as early as possible."

"You are indeed a genius," Jiang Lan said, "But even a genius can't rely on one Soul Skill for a lifetime. You are currently at level 44, and your next goal is level 50. Level is the foundation, and Soul Skill are the techniques built upon that foundation. If the foundation is not solid, no matter how fancy the techniques are, they won't hold up."

Jiang Lan thought for a moment and continued, "If I remember correctly, you were Innate Full Soul Power. With your talent, you shouldn't only be around level 40; you should be at least level 50 or even higher. It's very likely that you'll become Titled Douluo in the future."

Feng Xiaotian listened to Jiang Lan's words and carefully recalled them.

Indeed, he felt that his cultivation speed far surpassed that of others, so he thought of creating his own Self-Created Soul Skill Self-Created Soul Skill, which wasted a lot of time.

Jiang Lan looked at Feng Xiaotian and said with a smile, "If I remember correctly, you like Sister Huo Wu from the Blazing Fire Academy, right?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Xiaotian's face flushed red at a visible speed, from his neck all the way to his ears, and he didn't even know where to put the Ju Zi he was holding.

"I... I didn't! Don't talk nonsense, kid!" Feng Xiaotian stammered, his eyes darting around. The young man who was sitting upright and earnestly asking for advice just now had instantly turned into a brat whose secret had been exposed.

"You're blushing." Jiang Lan tilted her head, mercilessly adding insult to injury.

"That's because... it's too hot!" Feng Xiaotian stiffened his neck, picked up the iced tea on the table and took a big gulp, but he drank it too fast and choked, coughing repeatedly, looking quite disheveled.

Jiang Lan had no intention of letting him off the hook. She slowly peeled Ju Zi, her face bearing the innocent yet cruel expression unique to a six-year-old. "Have you never told Huo Wu about liking her?"

Feng Xiaotian's coughing grew louder, almost crushing the cup in his hand. "Why... why am I telling you all this! What do you know about likes and dislikes, you're just a little kid!"

"I understand," Jiang Lan said, popping a segment of Ju Zi into her mouth. "My Mom Bo Saixi, said that if you like someone, you should pursue them openly and honestly. There's no use in sneaking around like a follower. The more you fawn over someone, the more they'll take you for granted. People don't really care about things that are too easy to get."

Feng Xiaotian's hand stopped.

He looked up at Jiang Lan, the blush on his face still lingering, but his eyes already showed some hesitation.

"You're just fawning over Sister Huo Wu like this, she definitely won't like you." Jiang Lan continued to add insult to injury, her tone as casual as commenting on the weather. "You're always following her around, and you run away faster than a dog at the slightest look from her. But you know her temper; she likes men who can keep her in check. Do you think you can keep her in check now, or will she just kick you aside?"

Feng Xiaotian opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself unable to utter a single word.

Huo Wu's attitude towards him was indeed always lukewarm; when she was in a good mood, she would give him a smile, but when she was in a bad mood, she wouldn't even bother to say a word.

He tried again and again, only to be met with rejection each time, but he always felt that as long as he treated her well enough, he would eventually win her over.

But Jiang Lan's words today were like a small knife, lightly slicing away his layer of self-pity.

"Girls like Sister Huo Wu, the more you chase after them, the more they'll run away." Jiang Lan finished peeling the last segment of the Ju Zi, put the peel on the table, and swung her short legs on the bamboo chair. "When you stop chasing after her and start becoming strong enough, she'll come looking for you. You have to become the strongest person in the room first before she'll even look at you."

"So you mean... I should put down Huo Wu and try to reach level 50?" Feng Xiaotian asked, his voice much lower than before.

"That's right. Only if you level up and stop being such a simp will you have a chance to win the heart of your sweetheart," Jiang Lan said, looking at Feng Xiaotian.

Feng Xiaotian pondered for a long time before slowly nodding and saying in a low voice, "I understand."

Although creating your Self-Created Soul Skill takes a lot of time, the main waste of time is on Huo Wu and the others.

He spent a lot of time befriending Huo Wushuang, and never won against the two siblings in their sparring matches.

Thinking about it carefully, if I had spent that time cultivating, I would have been over level 50 long ago.

"Do you really understand?" Jiang Lan looked up, appearing like a little adult.

"Understood." Feng Xiaotian stood up and bowed deeply to Jiang Lan. "This trip was worthwhile."