Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon

At those words, both Chu Heng and Tang San froze.

I thought Xiao Wu hated losing. Why did she give up so suddenly? Chu Heng was puzzled, but asking now would only make it look as if he were stirring up trouble.

Tang San recovered and smiled at Xiao Wu. After a few polite exchanges, it was nearly time for class. Tang San and the others said goodbye to Chu Heng and hurried off.

[Congratulations, host! You have completed the plot sign-in task!]

[Distributing task reward...]

[Congratulations, host! You have obtained the Tang Sect secret art: Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon.]

Once Tang San and the others were out of sight, the system notification finally sounded, confirming that Chu Heng had completed the task. His eyes lit up when he saw the reward.

Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon?

I can learn that?

Chu Heng felt he had struck gold. What he lacked most right now was close-combat technique, and this reward filled that gap perfectly.

But when Chu Heng closed his eyes and examined it, he discovered something unusual about Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon.

He had always assumed it was simply a way to turn an opponent's force against them. Only now did he realize he had been wrong.

Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon blended hardness and softness. It worked by circulating the inner power of the Mysterious Heaven Skill—Soul Power, in his case—along specific meridians and into the limbs and body to counter incoming attacks.

It consisted of two moves: Controlling Crane and Capturing Dragon. Controlling Crane was the soft form. It included the redirection Chu Heng had imagined, allowing a small force to move a much greater one. Capturing Dragon was the hard form, using one's own strength to strike the weak point of an opponent's attack and restrain them.

Once he grew strong enough, Chu Heng could even use the technique to project his Soul Power and retrieve objects from a distance.

For now, though, he tried moving his limbs through the motions and found he had no one to practice with.

Oh well.

Chu Heng shook his head helplessly. Since Su Xianling was teaching him, Spirit Hall had not assigned him a sparring partner. Of course, they might also have decided that someone who did not even have a Spirit Ring had no need for combat training yet.

With the plot sign-in task complete and Tang San and Xiao Wu in class, Chu Heng had no reason to stay at the Soul Master Academy. He left and headed into the city.

Whoosh!

On the road back, something sliced through the air. Before Chu Heng could react, an arrow buried itself in the ground beside his foot.

He glanced down and recognized it as standard Spirit Hall equipment. Looking toward where it had come from, he saw Su Xianling crouched in a tree, smiling down at him.

"Big sister!"

Chu Heng jumped up and waved, beaming.

Su Xianling leaped down in front of him and ruffled his hair.

"You finally came to visit your friends, and you're leaving so soon?"

She wore an indulgent smile as she spoke.

"They have to go to class... Big sister, have you been following me to keep me safe?"

Chu Heng looked up at her with wide, innocent eyes.

"Of course not. I just happened to be passing by."

Su Xianling turned her head away, her gaze wandering.

"Yay! Then it must be fate that we ran into each other."

Chu Heng affectionately nuzzled his head against her hand.

Su Xianling blushed, then composed herself.

"You've been training your body for quite a while. It's time you practiced some combat techniques. I'll be your opponent."

Chu Heng stared at her.

"Huh? Here?"

Su Xianling nodded, stepped back, and took a fighting stance.

Come on! You saw that I didn't fight Xiao Wu, so you came up with this on the spot... And now you're saying it's because I've trained for so long.

Chu Heng saw through her excuse, but he did not dare say so. Still, her quiet protectiveness touched him.

"Here I come, big sister!"

With a low shout, Chu Heng pushed off the ground, rushed forward, and threw a straight punch.

Su Xianling intended to teach him, so she used neither her Martial Soul nor Soul Power. Fighting with physical technique alone, she turned sideways and easily dodged his head-on punch.

"You put too much force into it. If I dodge, you leave your entire side open."

Su Xianling turned to face Chu Heng, who had only just checked his momentum, and spoke calmly.

Chu Heng's heart tightened, but he kept moving. Once he had pulled back his fist, he ducked and drove his elbow sideways, holding back some strength so he could respond.

This time, Su Xianling did not dodge. Her fingertips touched his elbow and gave it a light nudge, dispersing most of the impact. Chu Heng's slight frame tilted with the motion.

"Your moves are rigid, you don't adapt, and you lack force."

Chu Heng had already steadied himself, but her words made him stumble again.

When I go all out, she says I overcommit. When I hold back, she says I lack force. Chu Heng knew she was criticizing how he applied his strength, not how much he used, but he still found it strangely funny.

They exchanged moves several more times, and Chu Heng kept up easily while Su Xianling guided him.

As her commentary continued, Su Xianling gradually increased the pressure. She shifted her feet and lowered her stance to accommodate Chu Heng's height, keeping herself within a child's reach.

The nimbleness of an Agility Attack Soul Master emerged bit by bit. To Chu Heng, Su Xianling seemed to drift from place to place.

Even with her lowered stance, their difference in size remained. Chu Heng had to look up and keep his short legs moving just to stay with her. Yet every swing of his small fists missed even her sleeves.

Sweat ran down the boy's temples. His breaths quickened, his chest heaved, and his stamina drained fast.

Pushed to his limit, the principles of Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon suddenly became clear in his mind. A thread of Soul Power rose from his core and flowed through his meridians toward his palm.

At that moment, Su Xianling leaned forward and gently pressed her palm toward Chu Heng's shoulder, intending to end the lesson. Her tall figure loomed over him, its pressure almost overwhelming.

Now!

Chu Heng loosely curved his hand. Meeting the descending force, he sank slightly with its momentum and guided it with the edge of his palm. The pressure aimed at his shoulder followed his hand, veering just a fraction off course.

Surprise flickered in Su Xianling's calm eyes. She adjusted instantly, turning her wrist and sending out a gentle force that dissolved Chu Heng's clever move. Her palm then struck his shoulder, pushing him back a little.

"Not bad. You've got a knack for this. If you can use that move freely, you'll grow much stronger."

A genuine smile appeared on Su Xianling's face, her eyes bright with delight.