"Come on, Tang San! Let's go find them right now!"
"But Teacher, my hands..."
"It's fine. Based on my observations, your injured hands won't affect your walking."
"..."
Tang San was speechless, but since his teacher had spoken, he couldn't argue. He could only follow Yu Xiaogang out of the dormitory in sullen silence.
Asking for directions along the way and following the noisy commotion, the two soon arrived at the senior students' dormitory building.
The crowd was packed in layer upon layer.
Yu Xiaogang immediately fixed his gaze on the center of the circle, where a little girl was taking on two opponents at once, effortlessly kicking them around like balls.
His eyes lit up, and he turned excitedly toward Tang San.
"Tang San, is that the girl?"
Tang San stood on tiptoe and peered through the layers of people. Once he made out the figure in the arena, he nodded gently.
"Yes, that's her."
Yu Xiaogang immediately pushed into the crowd, intending to stop the match on the spot.
Tang San hurriedly tried to dissuade him. "Teacher, why don't we wait until they finish fighting?"
At those words, Yu Xiaogang's brows knitted tightly, his face full of disapproval.
"Wait? Opportunities to research Soul Masters' combat training are so rare. How could we waste one on children's roughhousing?"
"Tang San, you're my disciple. You must learn to put the bigger picture first. Do you understand?"
Tang San nodded thoughtfully, his admiration growing. As expected of his teacher-even a few casual words could give him tremendous insight.
He bowed at the waist with utmost respect. "Your disciple will take that lesson to heart."
Yu Xiaogang nodded in satisfaction. This was the disciple he wanted.
He quickly shoved past the watching students and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Everyone, stop immediately! Xiao Wu, I have some questions for you..."
Well, look at that! This old fossil wants to interrupt our experience farming!
Hidden behind the crowd, Chen Yang cursed inwardly.
Then he quietly raised a finger and recited in his mind:
Earth Character: Earth River Cart!
The earth beneath Yu Xiaogang's feet suddenly churned. A glob of sticky mud shot out, flying straight into his mouth.
His entire mouth and throat were packed tight. The rest of his sentence lodged in his throat, and he couldn't get out so much as half a word.
"Mmph! Mmph!!"
Yu Xiaogang dropped awkwardly to one knee, frantically clawing at the mud in his mouth with both hands. His neck strained, his whole face turning red and purple, and he couldn't make a single coherent sound.
Meanwhile, the fight was drawing to a close. Xiao Wu sprang lightly into the air and delivered two crisp airborne kicks in succession.
She knocked both sixth-year students to the ground, bringing the fight to a decisive end.
She landed steadily and let out a soft breath.
Then she spotted the older man kneeling on the ground, relentlessly clawing at his throat.
Xiao Wu's brows drew tightly together. She remembered perfectly well-he was the one who had just shouted for her to stop.
"Hey, who's this guy? Anyone want to tell Sister Xiao Wu?"
But all the watching students lowered their heads. Not one dared to answer.
They hurriedly helped their fallen companions up, then scattered in a panic.
Xiao Chenyu, with a clear shoe print still stamped across his face, ran faster than anyone.
The beating had thoroughly frightened him. He secretly resolved to take a detour whenever he saw this girl in the future. She was far too ruthless, dropping a person with a single kick. He simply couldn't afford to provoke her.
Tang San hurried over. Looking at Yu Xiaogang kneeling miserably on the ground, he felt a profound respect well up inside him.
To research Soul Master theory, his teacher was even willing to set aside his dignity and seek advice from a junior. Truly worthy of being his teacher.
"Xiao Wu, this is my teacher, Yu Xiaogang. He came specifically to understand how you rapidly increase your Soul Power through actual combat."
"Mmph! Mmph!!"
Feeling Yu Xiaogang tugging at him, Tang San didn't even turn around.
"Teacher, you needn't persuade me. By kneeling, you've already shown the greatest respect. Your disciple will surely..."
"Mmph..."
Chen Yang kept Xiao Wu behind him and pointed behind Tang San.
"Tang San, you should turn around. Your teacher looks a little dead."
Tang San looked puzzled and instinctively turned to look. A moment later, his pupils widened abruptly.
Yu Xiaogang had completely stopped moving his hands. His eyes had rolled back, a strange, deep purplish-blue color had spread over his face, and his entire body kept twitching. He was moments away from suffocating and passing out.
"Teacher!!!"
Tang San hurriedly crouched down to examine him and immediately saw the sludge packed into his mouth.
"Could you help me? My hands are injured, so I can't move them."
"No."
Xiao Wu refused bluntly, disgust written all over her face.
Chen Yang also shrugged helplessly.
"I can't either. I'm a clean freak."
Seeing that neither would help, Tang San immediately grew displeased. But with his master about to suffocate to death, he couldn't worry about that now.
He kicked off a shoe and began digging the mud out with his foot.
"Ugh!! That's disgusting. Xiao Wu, let's get out of here."
Chen Yang nearly threw up his breakfast at the sight. He hurriedly pulled Xiao Wu away.
Once they reached the little grove on the hill behind the school, Xiao Wu hugged Chen Yang's arm.
"Brother, what level are you now?"
"Level sixteen. Four more to go."
"Still that many?"
Xiao Wu's ears immediately drooped.
There was nothing Chen Yang could do either. Who could blame him when everyone in the beginner village was such a low level? If only he could level up even when he wasn't fighting.
Wait...
An idea flashed through Chen Yang's mind. Although Xiao Wu was currently half human and half beast, with a bug that prevented her from gaining skills when she leveled up...
Her human identity meant she could learn cultivation methods!
Skill discs and human cultivation methods-she could reap the benefits of both!
"Xiao Wu, I'll teach you a cultivation method now. See if you can learn it."
"???"
"Listen carefully. The guiding principles are: root yourself in the sea of qi, and let the primal seed endure; when strength wanes, replenish it with qi, wither and revive; replenish every expenditure, and let primordial unity know no end.
The acupoints your Soul Power passes through are: the dantian's sea of qi → the tailbone → the gate of life → the back → the hundred convergences at the crown... the chest's center → back to the dantian, cycling without end."
After explaining the cultivation method's full circulation route, Chen Yang turned to Xiao Wu.
"Well? Did you understand?"
Xiao Wu stared blankly, utterly bewildered. All this talk of meridians and acupoints had left her head spinning.
"Buh... buh..."
Tsk, I forgot this little bunny's brain doesn't work very well.
Chen Yang silently sighed.
Then he pressed a finger against her lower abdomen.
"This is where your dantian is. Remember it."
"Huh? Oh, okay, okay."
Xiao Wu blinked and stared motionlessly at Chen Yang. Whatever had crossed her mind, a blush began spreading across her face.
His finger slowly traced upward along her meridian and pressed against the next acupoint.
"Your Soul Power follows the meridian here, then keeps moving upward..."
Following the cultivation method's circulation route, Chen Yang's finger made a circuit around Xiao Wu's body before returning to her lower abdomen.
"Did you remember it? Wait... why are you blushing???"
Seeing Xiao Wu's entire face and neck flushed red, Chen Yang was speechless.
Xiao Wu's eyes were misty as she stammered softly.
"C-could you do it again?"
"..."
Before you continue