Everyone followed Yu Luowu to a row of animal-hide sandbags.
It was worth mentioning that Yu Xiaogang had also brought out his Luo Sanpao. He believed that if Luo Sanpao learned to fight as well, his own talent might improve a little.
The act was utterly absurd, but as long as Luo Sanpao didn't drop pig turds everywhere, Yu Luowu couldn't be bothered with him.
"Yu Lin, you're first." Yu Luowu raised a hand and pointed at a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan disciple.
"You still remember the ten common fighting kicks I taught you, right?" he first asked to make sure.
Yu Lin said, "Fifth Elder, I still remember."
"Good. Demonstrate all ten kicks on the sandbag in front of you. Any order is fine, but no using Soul Power." Yu Luowu raised a hand to gesture him forward.
"Hah!"
Yu Lin walked up to the sandbag, his body driving his leg as it swept out like a stick and struck the bag, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle.
That was the low roundhouse kick.
High roundhouse, middle roundhouse, front push kick, angle-changing kick, spinning back kick, switch-step front push kick, double flying kick, spinning hook kick, and side kick.
Yu Lin performed all ten kicks in succession.
Seeing that his movements were reasonably proper, lacking a little force but without any obvious major flaws, Yu Luowu nodded lightly. "Not bad. You passed the test. Next, Yu Xuan."
Hearing the Fifth Elder call his name, Yu Xuan immediately stepped forward, raised his knee, thrust his hip forward, and drove out a fierce kick. The sandbag swayed with a dull thud!
"That kick had power!" Approval showed on Yu Luowu's face.
To have that much strength at a level in the teens, he was truly worthy of being the young master of their Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's eyes flashed with jealousy.
Damn it, why did big brother get praised just for kicking a sandbag? This was so unfair!
After that kick, Yu Xuan performed the other nine kicks in succession.
Like the first, these kicks surged with force, tyrannical beyond compare.
"Very good. Yu Xuan performed the best among you. You should all learn from him, not from Yu Xiaogang. He's a lump of rotten mud."
As Yu Luowu praised Yu Xuan, he didn't forget to give Yu Xiaogang a reprimand.
Gangzi really was too useless. Yu Luowu had taught fighting techniques for decades and had never seen anyone with such abysmal talent for combat.
Next, a few more Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan disciples stepped forward.
Their performances were all ordinary. Though they passed, none was particularly outstanding.
Finally, it was Yu Xiaogang's turn to go last.
Yu Luowu had deliberately put him last because his usual performance was so poor. He might waste twenty minutes just kicking, and the other direct disciples' time couldn't be held up by him alone.
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, walked up to the sandbag, and delivered a feeble front push kick. The bag didn't sway in the slightest.
Yu Luowu frowned and continued watching him demonstrate the kicks.
High roundhouse, middle roundhouse, double flying kick...
When Yu Xiaogang got to the double flying kick, his left knee accidentally struck the sandbag. His rhythm broke, he lost his balance, and, unable to keep his footing, he toppled straight to the ground.
"What trash! You can't even do a double flying kick properly!" Yu Luowu's face darkened.
Yu Xiaogang pushed himself up with his hands, keeping his head lowered. He didn't dare meet Yu Luowu's gloomy expression, and he avoided his classmates' mocking gazes as well.
Just then, there was movement at a sandbag nearby.
Everyone froze and looked toward that sandbag.
They discovered that Luo Sanpao was kicking.
He seemed to have watched for a long time, and he had copied the moves quite convincingly.
Front push kick, angle-changing kick, spinning back kick, switch-step front push kick, double flying kick, spinning hook kick... He performed all these kicks very well, his movements even more proper than those of a few disciples.
Yu Luowu clapped his hands and chuckled. "What a clever external Martial Soul. I thought you were a useless pig, but I didn't expect you to have this kind of intelligence."
"There are no trash Martial Souls, only trash Soul Masters."
No one knew which anonymous person had suddenly said those words.
But the words couldn't have been more fitting for the scene, perfectly capturing its meaning.
Yu Xiaogang's face flushed bright red, and he glared fiercely at Luo Sanpao.
Damn Luo Sanpao, he must have stolen my talent and intelligence!
Before I awakened my Martial Soul, I was so clever that I even wrote a laudatory essay like "My Titled Douluo Father." But after I awakened my Martial Soul, everything changed.
It's all big brother's fault, all Luo Sanpao's fault!
Yu Xiaogang seethed in impotent rage.
Seeing him standing there in a daze, Yu Luowu spoke up, interrupting his thoughts. "Yu Xiaogang, what are you thinking about? Get on with your kicks. Your Martial Soul has already finished all ten common kicks!"
"All right." Yu Xiaogang suppressed his distracting thoughts and reluctantly resumed kicking.
And those kicks took him nearly half an hour, longer than anyone else...
During that half hour, everyone secretly laughed at Yu Xiaogang, comparing him with Luo Sanpao.
Time passed in a cheerful atmosphere.
Before anyone knew it, the final ten days quietly slipped by.
After studying fighting techniques under Yu Luowu for two months, Yu Xuan finally completed his training.
On the day he completed his training, Yu Xuan had just returned to the residence when Yu Yuanzhen arrived.
The two brothers went out together to see him.
"You've learned the fighting techniques very well. Yu Luowu told me you're the most talented person in combat he's taught since he began teaching."
Yu Yuanzhen looked down and patted Yu Xuan lightly on the shoulder, satisfaction on his face.
This was his son, his most outstanding son.
The other didn't seem like his flesh and blood at all. Not only was his talent abysmal, but his character was poor too.
Yu Yuanzhen even wondered if he had taken home the wrong child back then.
"The Fifth Elder praises me too highly." Yu Xuan smiled faintly, then asked, "Father, did you borrow any books about medicinal herbs from the other clans?"
"Haha, that's exactly what I came to talk to you about."
Yu Yuanzhen took out a book. "This is a handwritten copy of the Rare Treasures Pharmacopoeia, sent by the Breaking Clan."
"The pharmacopoeia contains information on a great many herbs I've never heard of. I happened to find a record of that spinach in it."
As he spoke, he opened it to a page and pointed at an illustration that looked ninety percent like the fire spinach.
Scarlet Fire Crimson Spinach.
A pure-yang immortal-grade herb, shaped like spinach and vermilion throughout. Legend said it was born from a fire dragon's fire Qi. Consuming it strengthened the body, nourished the sea of consciousness, and increased fire-attribute power and resistance. If consumed by a Soul Master without the fire attribute, it could easily scorch the meridians and had to be taken with caution.
Scarlet Fire Crimson Spinach? It really is an Immortal Herb, but I keep feeling that its effect of boosting the fire attribute won't help me much... Yu Xuan thought to himself.
As for its other effects, both strengthening his body and nourishing his spiritual power were useful to him.
Looking at it that way, this Immortal Herb was quite good.
It could both strengthen his spiritual power and enhance his body, though he didn't know how effective the enhancement would be.
Yu Yuanzhen looked at the pensive Yu Xuan and said with a smile, "The pharmacopoeia says it's an immortal-grade herb."
"I don't know what an immortal-grade herb means either, but judging by its effects, it's exceptionally remarkable. You should take it."
With that, he took out a jade box. Lying inside was that very Scarlet Fire Crimson Spinach.