Level Eight Soul Power, the Hundred Battles Hall's True Reward

Whoosh!

Three pebbles whistled through the air at once.

Dong Jian had barely heard the sound when the melee mirror image closed in on him from the left.

The same level eight Soul Power.

The same physical strength.

Even the habit of shifting his center of gravity inward when his right foot landed was identical to Dong Jian's.

The melee mirror image struck at his chest with a palm.

Dong Jian raised a hand to redirect the force.

But the moment his wrist touched his opponent, a sharp rush of wind came from behind him.

The second mirror image swept past from the right rear, its footwork an imitation of Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.

A pebble struck Dong Jian squarely on the shoulder blade.

Bang!

The searing pain made him falter.

The melee mirror image seized the opportunity at once, dropping its shoulder.

Mountain-Leaning Collision!

Dong Jian only had time to shield his chest before the head-on blow sent him flying.

Before his back hit the ground, the high-speed mirror image appeared in midair.

It kicked at his waist.

Bang!

Dong Jian tumbled into a stone wall.

Above the Hundred Battles Hall, the stone stele lit up red.

Challenge failed.

Both mirror images stopped at once.

Then they slowly returned to either side of the hall.

Dong Jian sat on the ground, rubbing his nearly numb shoulder.

"One up close, one at a distance."

"One knows all my moves, and the other makes sure I can't get close."

"They really think highly of me."

On his first attempt, he had tried to deal with the melee mirror image first.

But the high-speed mirror image had kept throwing pebbles from a distance, disrupting his balance.

On his second attempt, he had switched to pursuing the high-speed mirror image.

The melee mirror image, however, had stayed close behind him, using Circular Force Redirection to change his direction whenever Dong Jian tried to accelerate.

Individually, neither mirror image was stronger than him.

But once they worked together, Dong Jian couldn't last even an incense stick's worth of time.

"I can't treat them as two separate opponents."

Dong Jian stood up.

"Their abilities aren't exactly the same."

The high-speed mirror image was fast and excelled at interference from a distance.

The melee mirror image, however, knew all his habits and could counter Mountain-Leaning Collision and Circular Force Redirection head-on.

If he fought them separately, Dong Jian wasn't confident he could beat either one quickly.

But putting the two fighting styles together didn't mean there were no openings.

"Again."

Dong Jian walked into the center of the hall.

Both mirror images opened their eyes at once.

The high-speed mirror image moved first.

Its footsteps shifted from left to right.

Three pebbles flew at him from different angles.

Dong Jian closed his eyes.

Listening to the Wind to Discern Position!

The first pebble came from the front.

It was relatively slow.

A decoy.

The second came from the right, aimed at his knee.

The third made almost no discernible sound, hidden behind the second.

Dong Jian didn't dodge toward the open space.

Instead, he moved toward the melee mirror image.

Bang!

The second pebble grazed his right leg.

The melee mirror image raised a hand to block.

But Dong Jian didn't throw a punch.

He suddenly ducked.

The third pebble, hidden behind the second, passed over Dong Jian's head.

Smack!

It struck the melee mirror image squarely on the shoulder.

The mirror image's body jolted slightly.

The damage was minor.

But it confirmed Dong Jian's idea.

The high-speed mirror image wouldn't stop attacking just because its companion was in the way.

It simply interfered with Dong Jian along the most effective path.

"Just as I thought. It works."

Dong Jian didn't retreat.

The melee mirror image smashed a fist toward his face.

Dong Jian tilted his head aside, his right hand pressing against the other's wrist.

He activated Circular Force Redirection.

The mirror image adjusted its center of gravity as well, preparing to redirect Dong Jian's force back at him.

But this time, Dong Jian made no attempt to throw it down.

He simply used their shared rotation to pull the melee mirror image behind him.

Whoosh!

The high-speed mirror image threw more pebbles.

Dong Jian suddenly let go and moved to the side.

All three pebbles flew at the melee mirror image.

The melee mirror image raised a hand to block.

Dong Jian had already circled around to its side.

Mountain-Leaning Collision!

Bang!

His shoulder struck its ribs head-on.

The melee mirror image slid back several steps, but didn't fall.

It possessed the same Center of Gravity Perception as Dong Jian.

An ordinary collision couldn't truly break its stance.

The high-speed mirror image seized the chance to charge in.

Its feet crossed.

Its figure flickered back and forth on either side of Dong Jian.

Dong Jian didn't turn his head to follow the afterimages.

He lowered his head and felt the vibrations in the ground.

The footsteps on the left were heavier.

It was a false direction, deliberately exposed.

The real airflow came from the right rear.

Dong Jian suddenly stepped forward, deliberately exposing his back.

Sure enough, the high-speed mirror image appeared on his right.

It struck at his shoulder with a palm.

Dong Jian seemed not to have reacted in time, and the push sent him stumbling forward.

The melee mirror image immediately moved to meet him.

It raised a hand, ready to grab Dong Jian's off-balance body.

Just as the two mirror images were about to trap him between them, the corners of Dong Jian's mouth rose slightly.

"This is what I've been waiting for."

His right foot landed.

His center of gravity sank in an instant.

The force from the high-speed mirror image's push wasn't redirected into the ground.

Instead, it traveled through his waist and abdomen into his shoulder.

Using that force, Dong Jian drove himself into the melee mirror image.

The melee mirror image raised a hand and used Circular Force Redirection.

But Dong Jian didn't continue pushing forward.

His body suddenly rotated at the moment of contact.

The melee mirror image had just changed the direction of his charge when it discovered that Dong Jian had already slipped out from between the two of them.

With its target gone, the high-speed mirror image couldn't stop in time.

Bang!

It collided head-on with the melee mirror image.

Both mirror images lost their balance at once.

The opportunity lasted only an instant.

Dong Jian turned and charged.

There was no fixed opening move.

Nor did he assume the stance for Mountain-Leaning Collision beforehand.

His right foot struck the ground.

His knee, waist, and shoulder exerted force at the same time.

The melee mirror image had just raised its head when Dong Jian slammed into its arms.

Bang!

The mirror image flew backward.

Its body dissolved into black and white motes of light in midair.

The high-speed mirror image retreated swiftly.

Pebbles appeared in its hand once more.

But without the melee mirror image holding Dong Jian back, its long-range interference could no longer stop him from getting close.

Dong Jian closed his eyes.

The footsteps were false.

The afterimages were false.

Only the airflow created by a body pushing through the air couldn't be completely concealed.

Left!

Dong Jian rolled along the ground.

Pebbles flew over his head.

The high-speed mirror image changed direction again.

Dong Jian didn't get up to give chase. Instead, he slammed his right palm against the ground.

The reactive force sent his body half a zhang sideways.

He landed directly in front of where the mirror image would place its next step.

For the first time, the high-speed mirror image hesitated.

Its imitation Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track could deceive the eyes.

But it couldn't ignore the ground or the body's inertia.

Dong Jian raised both arms.

He didn't attack.

Instead, the moment the mirror image ran into his arms, he wrapped them around its waist.

Both feet planted firmly.

His waist and abdomen rotated.

Bear Hug Throw!

Bam!

The speed mirror image slammed hard into the ground.

Its body, too, dissolved into points of light.

The Hundred Battles Hall fell silent again.

Dong Jian stood in the center, his chest heaving.

The final blow had not been complicated.

But from redirecting the pebbles, to making the two mirror images collide, to judging where the speed mirror image would land, not one step had relied on a single move.

Center of Gravity Perception.

Listening to the Wind to Discern Position.

Circular Force Redirection.

Mountain-Leaning Collision.

For the first time, all his abilities had truly come together.

Dong-

A long bell toll echoed through the hall.

First battle in the Hundred Battles Hall complete.

Reward: Kung Fu Deconstruction.

A golden light flew out of the stone stele and entered Dong Jian's forehead.

Countless scenes of battle flashed through his mind.

When the mirror image threw a punch, force rose from the sole of its foot, traveled through its knee and waist, and reached its shoulder.

When changing direction at high speed, the body had to shift its center of gravity toward the next landing point in advance.

When throwing a pebble, the wrist, elbow, and shoulder exerted force in a connected sequence.

Movements he could previously observe only through experience now became clearer.

Dong Jian tried to recall the sight of Tang San using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.

He did not immediately master the footwork.

But he could faintly see that, before each change of direction, Tang San's ankles and waist underwent an extremely brief shift in force.

That was Kung Fu Deconstruction.

It was not copying.

It was seeing how a sequence of movements was performed.

Once he understood the order in which force was exerted, he had a chance to find weaknesses in the transitions.

A new explanation soon appeared beneath the stone stele.

Kung Fu Deconstruction: By observing similar moves multiple times, the user can gradually analyze their movements, exertion of force, and energy flow.

Limitations: Analysis speed is affected by the gap in strength between the two parties, the user's physical abilities, and the number of observations.

Seeing a weakness does not mean being able to exploit it.

As the last sentence appeared, the melee mirror image that had already vanished suddenly re-formed behind Dong Jian.

There was no warning.

A fist came down toward his back.

Dong Jian detected it in advance with Listening to the Wind to Discern Position and turned to redirect the force.

But the mirror image was twice as fast as before.

Bam!

The fist still struck him squarely in the chest.

Dong Jian staggered back several steps.

Words appeared on the stone stele once more.

You saw the attack.

But your body couldn't keep up.

Dong Jian rubbed his chest.

"A reminder would've been enough."

"Did you have to punch me again?"

The mirror image did not answer. It dissolved into light once more.

But Dong Jian remembered the lesson.

Kung Fu Deconstruction only made it easier for him to find a direction.

If he truly wanted to counter Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Blue Silver Grass, or even Soul Skills, he still needed strength, speed, and countless hours of training.

Early the next morning.

A carriage stood outside Nuoding Academy.

Yu Xiaogang had already prepared the Soul Hunting Forest permit and basic supplies.

Tang San stood nearby with a bundle on his back.

"Little San has already reached rank ten,"

Yu Xiaogang said.

"We're going to the Soul Hunting Forest this time to find his First Soul Ring."

When the people from Dorm Seven heard the news, they gathered around.

Wang Sheng's eyes were full of envy.

"You're going to become a Soul Master already?"

"Innate Full Soul Power really is different."

Xiao Wu stood at the back of the crowd, staring at the Soul Hunting Forest permit in Yu Xiaogang's hand.

"I'm going too."

Yu Xiaogang turned to look at her.

"Has your Soul Power reached rank ten as well?"

"Of course."

Xiao Wu raised her chin.

"Innate Full Soul Power, rank ten."

The people from Dorm Seven cried out in surprise again.

Tang San alone was astonishing enough.

They had not expected that this little girl, who had only recently joined Dorm Seven, also possessed Innate Full Soul Power.

A trace of surprise flashed through Yu Xiaogang's eyes.

"What's your Martial Soul?"

"Soft Bone Rabbit."

Xiao Wu raised her right hand.

Pink light emerged over her body, and the illusory image of a snow-white rabbit flashed behind her.

The Panda Martial Soul inside Dong Jian stirred slightly.

Only he knew that it was not a Beast Martial Soul in the true sense.

It was the power of Xiao Wu's transformed form, displayed to conceal her identity as a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

"Since you've reached rank ten, you do indeed need a First Soul Ring,"

Yu Xiaogang said.

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up.

"So I can come along?"

"No."

Yu Xiaogang still shook his head.

The smile vanished from Xiao Wu's face.

"Why?"

"I applied for this Soul Hunting permit, and Tang San is the only person registered to hunt for a Soul Ring."

Yu Xiaogang explained:

"I know nothing about your Martial Soul, physical data, or the direction of your development."

"It would be irresponsible of me to choose a Soul Beast for you without proper consideration."

"Besides, the Soul Hunting Forest is dangerous."

"I can only ensure my own disciple's safety. I can't choose a Soul Ring for another student I don't know at the same time."

Those reasons were more reasonable than simply dismissing Xiao Wu's strength.

But Xiao Wu was still dissatisfied.

"I don't need you to choose for me."

"I know what Soul Ring I want."

"Soul Hunting isn't a decision a child can make on a whim,"

Yu Xiaogang said in a deep voice.

"Once you choose the wrong First Soul Ring, it will affect your entire future development."

Xiao Wu gave a soft snort.

Of course she knew what Soul Ring she needed.

Because she did not need to hunt other Soul Beasts at all.

As long as she left the crowd, she could use her own origin to condense the First Soul Ring best suited to her Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul.

But she could not say any of that aloud.

Tang San walked up to her.

"Teacher didn't mean any harm."

"The preparations this time were too rushed."

"When I get back, I can tell you about the Soul Hunting Forest."

Xiao Wu looked at him.

"Do you listen to everything your teacher says?"

"Teacher has more experience with Soul Rings than we do."

Tang San answered quite naturally.

The corner of Xiao Wu's mouth twitched slightly.

"Then go on."

"I'll find my own way to get my Soul Ring."

She turned and left the academy gates.

Her scorpion-tail braid swayed gently behind her.

Dong Jian watched her retreating figure, already guessing what would happen next.

Tang San would follow Yu Xiaogang to hunt a Mandala Snake.

Xiao Wu would find a chance to leave Nuoding Academy and use her Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast origin to condense her First Soul Ring herself.

When the two returned-

Dorm Seven would have two more true Soul Masters at the same time.

"Once I get my First Soul Ring,"

Tang San said,

"let's have another match."

He clearly had not forgotten their previous spar.

"All right."

Dong Jian did not shy away.

"But next time won't be like last time."

Tang San nodded.

"Neither will I."

The carriage slowly drove away from the academy.

Dong Jian watched the direction Tang San had gone, the pressure in his heart no lighter for having gained Kung Fu Deconstruction.

Understanding a move was only the first step.

He needed a stronger body, higher Soul Power, and a Soul Ring that truly belonged to a Soul Master.

"You're planning to keep training nonstop again?"

Li Man's voice came from beside him.

Dong Jian withdrew his gaze.

"I want to break through to rank nine before he gets back."

"Impossible."

"How do you know if I haven't tried?"

"Your rank eight has only just stabilized."

Li Man opened her record book.

"If you keep increasing the intensity of your training, your black and white Soul Power could become unbalanced again."

"The Hundred Battles Hall can improve my control."

"Mental exhaustion won't disappear just because your control improves."

The two disagreed once again.

Dong Jian fell silent for a moment.

This time, he didn't insist on having his way as he had before.

"Two more actual combat sessions every day."

"But all fluctuations in Soul Power and your physical condition must be recorded."

"If you become unbalanced, stop."

Li Man thought it over.

"All right."

"And you have to get proper rest."

"Deal."

That night.

Dong Jian entered the Hundred Battles Hall again.

He planned to use Kung Fu Deconstruction to continue analyzing ways to counter control, something he currently lacked most.

In the center of the hall, a blue light slowly rose.

Countless slender vines emerged from the ground.

A simulated opponent with indistinct features stood amid the vines.

It raised its right hand.

Blue Silver Grass surged in from all directions in an instant.

Dong Jian closed his eyes.

Kung Fu Deconstruction activated.

The directions in which the vines grew, the points where they crossed, and the points under stress gradually became clear.

He turned sideways to avoid the first.

He raised a hand to brush aside the second.

But the third coiled around his ankle from below.

Immediately afterward, more than a dozen strands of Blue Silver Grass tightened at once.

Dong Jian's arms were bound fast.

He saw the weak point where the vines crossed.

But his physical strength was nowhere near enough to break free.

Cold words appeared on the stone stele.

Simulation target: basic Entanglement.

Success rate for breaking free: less than ten percent.

Reason: insufficient physical strength.

Dong Jian looked up in the direction of the Soul Hunting Forest.

At that very moment, a faint fluctuation of Soul Power seemed to shoot into the sky in the distance.

The storyline of Tang San's First Soul Ring-

Had already begun.