"It doesn't really matter to me. Even if he's cured, he won't be mine anyway. But someone is probably going to get angry again."
"..."
"Let me see."
After Bibi Dong disappeared from the mountaintop, Qian Daoliu walked out of the Worship Hall and took the list from Golden Crocodile Douluo.
After a cursory glance, his expression changed too.
Was this robbery?
"Great Enshrined, she's plainly asking for the moon," Golden Crocodile Douluo said.
Qian Daoliu narrowed his eyes. "Give it to her."
Golden Crocodile Douluo froze. "All of it?"
"If we don't give her everything, she'll have an excuse for anything that goes wrong," Qian Daoliu said.
"But if she takes all these things and still can't cure him, that will be her problem."
Golden Crocodile Douluo was a little worried. "But what if she deliberately..."
"She won't. The fact that she dares ask me for so much proves she's confident," Qian Daoliu said.
"Besides, she won't clash with me over this matter."
Qian Renxue had already used Hu Liena as a threat. Bibi Dong wouldn't act recklessly.
For nearly half a month afterward, Xuan Ming attended classes at Spirit Hall Academy. Since he couldn't cultivate Soul Power, aside from a few theory classes, he mostly followed along to familiarize himself with his Martial Soul.
Since not everyone had parents to teach them how to use their Martial Souls, Spirit Hall Academy offered dedicated introductory Martial Soul classes.
There wasn't much to teach. After all, most Soul Masters who had just begun cultivating had no Soul Rings, so the course only covered the most basic usage, such as how Tool Martial Soul Masters should hold their Tool Martial Souls and perform simple attacks and blocks.
Only after they obtained Soul Rings would they receive more specialized instruction based on their Martial Souls and Soul Skills.
Besides that, Xie Yue and the others also took Xuan Ming to some combat training classes that weren't dangerous.
"Based on the characteristics of their Martial Souls, Soul Masters can broadly develop along the Power Attack System, Agility Attack System, Control System, Defense System, Auxiliary System, and Food System paths. You've already learned all this, so I won't go into it."
A female Soul Master wearing a teacher's uniform, who looked around thirty, stood at the front of the training grounds and introduced today's training to the students facing her.
"In a battle between Soul Masters, aside from Martial Souls, Soul Power Levels, and the strength of Soul Skills, a Soul Master's own reflexes and judgment are also extremely important."
"Everyone attending this class today is a Power Attack System or Agility Attack System Soul Master, so today's training will continue to focus on your reflexes."
"As usual, split into pairs first. Choose your own partners."
At her words, the students standing together quickly began moving.
"Xie Yue, how about you partner with Xuan Ming?" Yan asked.
"No need." Xie Yue glanced at Xuan Ming, who was already surrounded by girls.
"Little brother, pair up with your big sister."
"You're already an old auntie, and you still call yourself his big sister?"
"What did you say?!"
"You two, move aside. Such a cute little brother should obviously pair up with me..."
"With me!"
"..."
Chapter 52: It Already Hurt Anyway
"Stop! No fighting!"
Seeing Soul Rings emerge, the female teacher hurried over to stop them.
"We're in class. Are you trying to rebel?"
The girls lowered their heads guiltily, not daring to cause any more trouble.
"This is Xuan Ming's first reflex training class. I'll help him get familiar with it first. Go find your own partners," the teacher said.
"Oh..." The girls dispersed in disappointment to find partners.
Seeing the teacher personally pair up with Xuan Ming, Yan couldn't help looking rueful. "He's in for it."
Teacher Lin Lin was famous for her strict teaching. Since reflex training was done in pairs, sometimes a student would be left without a partner.
At times like that, the teacher would personally step in as their training partner.
"Not necessarily," Xie Yue said.
"Not necessarily?" Yan froze.
"Could his reflexes be faster than the teacher's?"
"Just watch and you'll see." Xie Yue said no more.
Cute children were already more likely to win adults' favor. Add a tragic background, and they became even more invincible.
Xuan Ming's appearance already drew women's attention, and his aloof demeanor inexplicably struck right at quite a few teachers' particular tastes.
On top of that, the story of Xuan Ming's tragic background, which had spread from some unknown source, had sent quite a few teachers' maternal instincts overflowing.
Soon, everyone had paired up, and today's class officially began.
But looking at the little hammers and hats handed out and placed on the tables, they struggled to keep their composure.
Hadn't reflex training always used cups of water and little shields before?
One person splashed water, and the other blocked it.
What were these hammers and hats supposed to mean?
"Teacher... did you perhaps bring the wrong equipment?" a student asked nervously.
"No, this is the right equipment. We always used water in our previous classes, and I felt you weren't very interested, so I specially had this batch of hardwood hammers made for you," Teacher Lin Lin said with a smile.
"The rules are more or less the same as before."
"There's a hammer and a hat on the table."
"The two partners play rock-paper-scissors first. The winner picks up the hammer to hit the other person's head, while the loser picks up the hat to protect their own head."
"The person holding the hammer must attack before the other person puts the hat on."
"If the hat goes on first, the person holding the hammer gets punished with a hammer blow!"
"Teacher, can we... use Martial Soul Possession?" After testing the little wooden hammers' power, quite a few students panicked.
Almost everyone here was still only a One-Ring Soul Master, and these wooden hammers were really hard!
Wouldn't a few dozen blows turn them into idiots?
"No. That would be unfair to Tool Martial Soul Masters," Teacher Lin Lin said.
"Besides, this is reflex training. Martial Souls are not allowed."
"When I had you splash water before, every one of you had the time of your lives fooling around. Now that we're switching to hammer blows, let's see if you can still laugh."
"Hurry up! Start training!"
At her words, the students could only obediently stand at their tables and begin training.
"Do you understand the rules?" Teacher Lin Lin came over and sat down opposite Xuan Ming.
"Yes." Xuan Ming nodded.
"Then let's begin." Teacher Lin Lin held out her right hand.
"Rock-paper-scissors!"
Seeing her paper and his own little fist, Xuan Ming instinctively reached for the hat. But before his hand could grab it, Teacher Lin Lin's hammer landed on his head.
It gave him a gentle tap.
"..."
Seeing this, the other students followed her example. None of those holding hammers struck very hard. After all, fortune's wheel kept turning!
But before they had played many rounds, Teacher Lin Lin came over and began making her rounds to check on them.
"Didn't you eat? Why are you hitting so lightly?"
"Harder!"
"Give it everything you have! This is training, not a game!"
"If anyone isn't taking this seriously, I'll have to teach them personally."
Bang!
"Ow! My head! Xie Yue! Damn it, go easy!"
"Go easy? Yan, do you want to practice with the teacher?"
"N-no..."
"Then hurry up! Get training, all of you!"
"Unless I see heads covered in bumps, none of you are leaving class today!"
"..."
After making a round, Teacher Lin Lin returned and sat down opposite Xuan Ming.
"Come on, let's continue."
"Yes." Xuan Ming nodded.
"Rock-paper... scissors!"
Once again, a large hand faced a little fist. Xuan Ming hurriedly reached for the hat.
Unfortunately, just like before, the hammer opposite him landed on his head before he even touched the hat.
It was still gentle.
"Come on, again." Teacher Lin Lin put the hammer back.
Xuan Ming said nothing about this special treatment. After all, he wasn't a masochist, and judging by Yan's state, getting hit by that little hammer seemed to hurt quite a bit.
Time flew, and the afternoon's class soon ended.
"Look at your pathetic selves!" Teacher Lin Lin looked impatient.
"Even Xuan Ming did better than you in his first class. Aren't you ashamed?"
"I'm very disappointed in you!"
"???"
Looking at Xuan Ming, who had lost from beginning to end yet remained completely unscathed, the students clutched their bump-covered heads, feeling utterly aggrieved!
Seriously, Teacher, why don't you listen to what you're saying?
"What, do you have objections?" Teacher Lin Lin narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Then how about trying it with me?"
"..."
"No objections!"
The Pope's Palace.
After Golden Crocodile delivered all the necessary items, Bibi Dong was ready to begin repairing Xuan Ming's Martial Soul.
"Have you been settling into your studies at Spirit Hall Academy lately?"
"Yes."