Five years passed in the flick of a finger.
The old locust tree on the rear mountain had grown thicker and sturdier, its branches gnarled and its crown spreading wide.
The ground of the training field beneath it had long since been trampled flat, with not a blade of grass growing there.
Li Hanqiu stood in the field, wearing a blue-green robe washed almost white, yet looking more refined and handsome than ever.
The mountain breeze lifted the stray hair over his forehead, revealing eyes so clear they bordered on cold.
Li Hanqiu was now a Soul King of level fifty-three.
Over these five years, he had continually refined his soul power and carefully selected his soul rings. Even in his spare time, he never rested, devoting himself to honing his soul marks without missing a single day.
It seemed to be because Li Hanqiu's fourth and fifth soul rings both combined the holy light system and the sub-dragon system.
Together with the complete removal of the Radiant Sacred Dragon's genetic limiter under the effects of true dragon's blood, Luo Sanpao's bloodline had undergone a further transformation.
Judging by soul power level alone, Li Hanqiu was still a Soul King.
In an actual fight, an ordinary Soul Emperor might not be able to beat him. Even against a Soul Saint who did not activate their Martial Soul Avatar, Li Hanqiu could hold his own.
Today was a special day. Just seven days earlier, Tang San and Xiao Wu had officially obtained their third soul rings, becoming three-ring Soul Elders.
Li Hanqiu therefore planned to conduct a practical combat assessment to see how much his two disciples had improved.
On the field, Tang San and Xiao Wu stood shoulder to shoulder opposite Li Hanqiu.
After five years of growth, the two youngsters were no longer the little bean sprouts they had once been.
Tang San had grown considerably taller and more slender, his features increasingly delicate. His long hair was tied neatly behind his head, exposing his smooth forehead.
On the back of his right hand, a pale blue-green grass-shaped mark flickered faintly-the Blue Silver Grass Soul Mark.
Xiao Wu had changed even more. She had a graceful figure, long legs, and a slim waist, her scorpion braid hanging below her waist, her eyes bright and wild.
On the outside of her right leg was a small rabbit-shaped mark that glowed faintly with her breathing. Naturally, this was the Soft Bone Rabbit Soul Mark.
"Teacher, we're ready," Tang San said.
Xiao Wu bounced twice on the spot and shook out her wrists. "Let's get this straight first! We're teaming up today, so don't activate your domain right off the bat!"
Li Hanqiu's lips curved slightly. Behind him, Luo Sanpao slowly walked to his side, the ground seeming to tremble faintly with every step.
Luo Sanpao was no longer the soft, adorable little puppy it had once been.
It was nearly two meters long, covered in golden scales like flames, with a dragon's tail trailing along the ground, powerful limbs, and two small protrusions already growing from its forehead.
It stood quietly, a deep rumble rolling from its throat and making the little stones on the ground quiver.
"Come at me together," Li Hanqiu said calmly. "Let me see how much you've improved since obtaining your third soul skills. Don't go down in defeat like before."
"Hmph, we'll let our skills do the talking. Don't underestimate us. Here I come, Teacher-you'd better watch out!" Xiao Wu cried, moving first.
She stamped down hard, launching herself forward and leaving only an afterimage behind.
She crossed five meters in an instant.
Xiao Wu teleported above Li Hanqiu's head. He looked up to see a deep purple soul ring around her waist slowly fading.
At the same time, Xiao Wu raised her right leg high, and a dark yellow soul ring appeared.
"First soul skill, Waist Bow. Hah!"
Li Hanqiu smiled faintly. Facing Xiao Wu's sharp, air-cleaving strike, he unhurriedly explained her soul skills.
"First you used your third soul skill, Teleportation, then switched at the last moment to your first soul skill, Waist Bow. Unfortunately, the transition wasn't smooth enough. It seems you've still been slacking off, Xiao Wu."
Xiao Wu abruptly drove power through her waist and abdomen, her whole body like a bow drawn taut. Her leg lashed like an iron whip toward the side of Li Hanqiu's neck with a crack.
Li Hanqiu did not move.
Luo Sanpao shifted sideways and curled its dragon's tail, blocking the kick with a bang.
Xiao Wu used the impact to flip backward. The moment her toes touched down, the purple soul ring at her waist flashed, and she vanished again.
Xiao Wu had used her third soul skill, Teleportation, once more!
The next instant, she appeared behind Li Hanqiu, her right leg already about to hook behind his calf. She lowered her waist, ready to exert force.
"Too slow." Li Hanqiu did not even turn around.
He stepped half a pace forward, as though he had anticipated it, avoiding the most dangerous inch of her locking technique.
Luo Sanpao slapped its dragon claw against the ground, making the footing beneath Xiao Wu wobble.
Xiao Wu drew a deep breath. The greatest trait of her martial soul, the Soft Bone Rabbit, was the extraordinary resilience it granted its host.
She gritted her teeth and barely maintained her balance, then kicked repeatedly with both legs, so fast that dazzling afterimages appeared.
"Second soul skill, Soft Bone Continuous Steps!" Xiao Wu shouted.
The next instant, Xiao Wu bent at the waist and delivered three powerful kicks, each heavier than the last.
It was hard to imagine that Xiao Wu's slender, supple legs could unleash such tremendous power. Every strike carried crushing force.
Xiao Wu's second soul skill was an excellent explosive power attack soul skill.
Unlike her second soul skill, Charm, in the original story, this came under Li Hanqiu's teaching that "the power attack system ought to act like the power attack system."
As though influenced little by little, Xiao Wu's second soul skill had also become Soft Bone Continuous Steps, which delivered multiple consecutive attacks.
Now, every one of Xiao Wu's fierce, forceful strikes went straight for Li Hanqiu's ribs.
Li Hanqiu raised his brows slightly and said softly, "Sanpao."
Luo Sanpao made no fancy movements, merely swinging its dragon's tail. Smack, smack, smack-three blows landed on Xiao Wu's insteps, neither too hard nor too soft.
Xiao Wu gave a muffled grunt, her body tilting, and teleported away again.
The moment she retreated, a swath of blue shadows swept in from the side.
It was Tang San, who had long been gathering his strength!
He thrust both hands forward, and blue silver grass surged out like a tide, dozens of stems racing along the ground.
The blue silver grass resembled blue-green snakes, heading straight for Li Hanqiu's ankles.
The deep blue grass surged endlessly, wave upon wave carrying vigorous life as it swept toward him with a roar.
The approval in Li Hanqiu's eyes deepened.
He tapped the ground with his toes and retreated three steps.
But the blue silver grass, which had initially attacked in straight lines, suddenly forked midway, surrounding him from every direction like a woven net.
"You're changing tactics at a good speed, much more smoothly than Xiao Wu," Li Hanqiu said as he retreated and dodged.
"Hmph, don't get distracted, Teacher. Little San's blue silver grass isn't some meek little herbivore!"
Xiao Wu stood beside Tang San with her arms crossed, looking indignant, clearly displeased by Li Hanqiu's teasing.
Xiao Wu's mouth seemed blessed with prophetic power. Before long, two strands of blue silver grass wound around Li Hanqiu's calves.
Li Hanqiu glanced down.
The instant the stems tightened, Tang San's second soul ring lit up.
"Second soul skill, Life-Breath Seed Planting!" Tang San called clearly.
The next moment, several blue silver grass seeds, almost invisible to the naked eye, silently crawled along the stems onto his robe's hem and clung to the fabric.
Li Hanqiu's eyes brightened. "Perfect timing. Good, very good. It looks like your teacher can't hold back anymore."
With that, he stopped holding back and unleashed a pulse of soul power.
The grass stems at Li Hanqiu's feet shattered inch by inch. The seeds flashed faintly under the shock, yet still clung tightly to his collar.
Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Wu teleported close, planted both hands on the ground, then flipped forward, scissoring her legs toward Li Hanqiu's shoulders.
If she secured that hold, she could throw even a thousand-year soul beast to the ground.
Luo Sanpao had been lying half sprawled on the ground, dozing. Seeing Xiao Wu attack, it opened its mouth in a yawn.
Then it rose unhurriedly, its golden-scaled tail deftly catching Xiao Wu's ankle before giving a slight, forceful shake.
Xiao Wu spun twice in the air and landed heavily, leaving half her backside numb.
"Xiao Wu, are you all right?" Tang San called.
"Ow! Stinking Sanpao, Sister Xiao Wu isn't giving you carrot cake next time!" Xiao Wu clutched her backside, crying, "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"
Seeing Xiao Wu defeated, Tang San stopped holding back as well. His third soul ring lit up with a hum.
A purple soul ring rose with a faint glow. Tang San drew a deep breath, an indescribable emotion entering his gaze as he looked at Li Hanqiu.
"Teacher, here I come."
"Third soul skill, Myriad Life Attunement."
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