Combat experience

After waking up, Lu Yang headed to the academy's training grounds as he always did.

The early morning air was fresh, and the breeze brushing over him felt pleasant. He soon slipped into a meditative state.

Lu Yang had thought that, now that Yu Xiaogang had taken Tang San as his disciple, he would finally get some peace. Things did not turn out as he had imagined, however.

"Hey, Lu Yang, I challenge you!"

He had barely begun cultivating when someone interrupted his meditation.

Lu Yang opened his eyes to see Xiao Wu standing before him, backlit by the morning sun.

Xiao Wu stood with her hands on her hips, looking eager to have a go. She had hardly slept all night, convinced that she should not have lost to Lu Yang with her soft techniques.

So, first thing that morning, Xiao Wu had turned down Wang Sheng and the others' invitation to breakfast, casually munched on two carrots, and hurried to the training grounds. There, she found Lu Yang still meditating and challenged him.

"Let's do it, then." Lu Yang did not refuse. He knew perfectly well that, powerful as his martial soul, The Winged Dragon of Ra, was, his own combat experience fell far short.

He had lived in peaceful times in his previous life and rarely even had a chance to get into a fight. Where would he have gained combat experience? Xiao Wu, on the other hand, was a hundred-thousand-year soul beast who had taken human form. Although her cultivation was sealed now, she should still have far more combat experience than him. Sparring with her could only benefit him.

The two quickly took their stances. This time, Xiao Wu had no intention of testing the waters. The moment they began, she activated her martial soul and charged at Lu Yang.

Lu Yang did not dare let his guard down either. After activating Martial Soul Possession, he blocked Xiao Wu's kick head-on with his arm. It carried considerably more force than her kicks during their spar in the dormitory yesterday, making his upper body sway slightly.

Without the restrictions of the cramped space this time, Xiao Wu had much more freedom to maneuver. Her attacks also grew fiercer, leaving Lu Yang struggling somewhat to fend them off.

"Heh, I told you Sister Xiao Wu wouldn't lose to you! Take my soft techniques!"

After successfully pinning Lu Yang down under her attacks, Xiao Wu regained her confidence. She used her speed to circle around him, seized an opening, and launched another attack.

Her body arched, and she delivered a kick using an unusual way of generating force. It struck Lu Yang's shoulder and sent him stumbling.

"Well? Had enough?" Xiao Wu straightened up and raised her chin slightly, asking with swagger.

Lu Yang smiled. As Xiao Wu delivered that last kick, she had noticed he could not block it in time and held back much of its force, leaving him uninjured.

Lu Yang was now certain that Xiao Wu had more combat experience than he did. Even so, he was not willing to admit defeat just yet.

"Again. This time, I'm getting serious," Lu Yang said.

"Pfft, big talk." Xiao Wu snorted softly, but she still took her stance and continued sparring with him.

Tang Hao, hidden in the shadows, had witnessed their entire spar. He had not left with Tang San and the others because he feared this hundred-thousand-year soul beast might run away, so he had stayed behind for the time being to assess the situation.

Besides, with his strength as a Titled Douluo, catching up with Tang San and the others would not take him long.

As he watched Lu Yang and Xiao Wu spar, Tang Hao's furrowed brow gradually relaxed. When he first saw Xiao Wu come looking for Lu Yang, he had genuinely been worried. He had his eye on this hundred-thousand-year soul beast; she was reserved as Tang San's future soul ring, and he could not let anyone else lay a finger on her. If Lu Yang did not know his place, he would not mind eliminating this "trouble."

But when he saw them exchange only a few words before starting to fight, he felt much more reassured.

It looks like nothing more than children trying to outdo each other. I'll watch a little longer. If there's no problem, I'll set off and catch up to protect Little San, Tang Hao thought.

At noon, Lu Yang and Xiao Wu went together to the dining hall in Nuoding City.

They had spent almost the entire morning sparring. As a result, both were covered in dust and looked rather grubby.

When Wang Sheng and the others saw their appearance, they thought the academy's noble students had bullied them. Upon learning that the two had spent all morning fighting each other, their gazes changed.

Today was the last day before classes began, and most of the academy's students had already returned. That afternoon, Lu Yang had intended to continue meditating and cultivating on the training grounds, but just as he was about to leave the dormitory, a student from Dorm Seven rushed in, flustered.

"Brother Yang! Brother Yang! This is bad! Wang Sheng-those noble students took Wang Sheng to the hill behind the academy!"

Lu Yang's expression immediately turned serious. When he had first moved into Dorm Seven, Wang Sheng and the others had told him about the situation at the academy. Those noble students often amused themselves by bullying work-study students like them.

After losing to Lu Yang back then, Wang Sheng had said he hoped Lu Yang would help if those people bullied the work-study students again. Classes had not even started yet, and those people were already too impatient to keep their hands off them. Naturally, Lu Yang would not sit idly by.

Xiao Wu reacted even more strongly than Lu Yang, however, springing up from her bed.

"What? Someone dares bully Sister Xiao Wu's friends?!" Xiao Wu looked furious. "You there, take me to them. Let's see who's got such a lot of nerve!"

When they reached the hill behind the academy, they saw several noble students already pinning Wang Sheng to the ground.

At the sight, little flames flared in Xiao Wu's eyes. Wang Sheng had even treated her to lunch that day. Loyal to her friends, she would never stand by and watch him get bullied.

Xiao Wu activated Martial Soul Possession and charged straight at them. This time, she did not hold back. A few kicks sent them sprawling on the ground, crying out in pain.

"Hmph! With that pathetic little ability, you still dare provoke Sister Xiao Wu? You're just begging for a beating!" Xiao Wu snorted.

"Y-you just wait! When our boss gets here, he'll make you pay!" one of the noble students knocked to the ground shouted defiantly. But instead of an argument from Xiao Wu, what he got was a kick aimed at his mouth.

Only after the noble students had left, supporting one another, did Wang Sheng speak. "Now we've really offended them. This is going to be trouble."

"What's there to be afraid of? From now on, Sister Xiao Wu's got your backs. Whoever comes, you don't need to fear them!" Xiao Wu said confidently.

Seeing her like this, Wang Sheng sighed softly. Was he afraid? He truly was. But it was not just those noble students' superior cultivation that frightened him. It was their family backgrounds, too.

On the Douluo Continent, commoners could not win against nobles. Even with Spirit Hall ostensibly keeping them in check, those nobles still committed countless evil deeds-so many that all the bamboo in the world would not suffice to record their crimes.