Wang Teng and the other two gathered in the clearing within the grove by the playground.
“Wang Teng,” Tang San looked at him, his tone calm but carrying a note of approval, “Over these two years, we’ve both seen your progress.”
“Judging from your recent sparring performances, we think…
you’re just about ready to graduate from our training.”
“Graduate?”
Wang Teng blinked, almost wondering if he’d heard wrong.
For two years, he had essentially lived under their relentless “hammering.”
The bruises and aches on his body had never fully healed.
He had spent a total of seventeen gold coins on medicinal herbs during this time.
That sum was enough for an average family of three to live comfortably for two years.
So when he suddenly heard the word “graduate,” Wang Teng was momentarily taken aback.
“Yes, your current strength is about as good as it can get—you’ve reached your current limit.”
Xiao Wu stood with her hands on her hips beside Tang San, smiling as she said, “So today, we decided to have one more serious spar with you, to see if you truly qualify to graduate.”
“A spar?
No problem.”
Wang Teng quickly recovered and nodded.
Such spars had become routine over the past two years; he was long accustomed to them.
He took a deep breath and asked, “Who’s first?”
Wang Teng was no longer the reincarnated youth who knew nothing about combat two years ago.
Through continuous training and practical experience, he had accumulated considerable skill, and his combat awareness had grown increasingly sharp.
Of course, compared to soul masters who had experienced life-and-death battles, there was still a gap.
But within Notting Academy, aside from a few individuals like Tang San and Xiao Wu, Wang Teng’s combat ability was now on par with anyone else.
Even against Xiao Chenyu, Wang Teng was confident he could completely evade his attacks.
Note: “evade,” not “defeat.”
After all, Wang Teng was still at level nine and hadn’t obtained his first soul ring.
Nevertheless, being able to dodge attacks from a same-rank battle soul master with ease was proof enough of his progress.
As for his brother Wang Sheng, though also a battle soul master with comparable soul power, he was no longer a match for Wang Teng.
This fact had been a blow to Wang Sheng, but it also made him clearly see that the gap between them lay not just in soul power cultivation speed, but also in their understanding of battle and their control over their bodies.
In this world, geniuses existed, and Wang Teng’s aptitude for combat was indeed superior to his brother’s.
Returning to the present, Wang Teng had already taken his stance in the center of the clearing, his gaze calm as he faced his opponent.
Xiao Wu said nothing, her body moving as she charged straight at him.
“Soft Bone Rabbit, possess!”
In mid-stride, a pink glow lit up around Xiao Wu.
In the blink of an eye, a pair of long rabbit ears emerged from her hair.
At the same time, her legs became longer and more powerful, her entire bearing agile and swift.
On the opposite side, Wang Teng didn’t wait passively.
He pushed off the ground and met her charge.
“Thump!”
Two fists collided with no fancy technique, producing a dull sound.
It was an even match!
Wang Teng felt a surge of encouragement.
Though he was male, Xiao Wu had already activated her martial soul possession—her strength was far beyond that of an ordinary girl.
So matching her head-on was a testament to how much his strength had grown over these two years.
The thought flashed through his mind in an instant.
The next moment, Wang Teng closed the distance, his fists raining down in a continuous flurry.
Xiao Wu didn’t back down either.
Instead of using her speed to create distance, she matched him blow for blow, engaging in a rapid close-quarters exchange.
In the clearing, the figures of two eight-year-olds flashed and weaved; the sounds of fists and feet cutting through the air were unceasing.
Except for the very first clash, for the next half-minute, neither managed to land a solid hit on the other.
They knew each other’s patterns too well—predicting, dodging, feinting, countering—their movements flowed as smoothly as if practiced a thousand times.
Whenever one exposed an opening, the other’s attack would be aimed at it, only to be narrowly avoided at the last moment.
After a minute, both were breathing slightly faster, beads of sweat appearing on their foreheads.
“First Soul Skill: Waist Bow!”
A bright yellow soul ring rose beneath Xiao Wu’s feet.
The next second, her figure vanished from Wang Teng’s sight.
“Not good!”
Wang Teng’s heart tightened.
During the past two years of sparring, Xiao Wu had never used her soul skill.
Her using it now meant that without it, she could no longer easily take him down.
But even as his mind raced, Wang Teng’s body moved on instinct—the muscle memory forged through long training.
He threw his upper body backward while kicking his right leg upward at a tricky angle, striking toward the air above him!
His gaze followed the kick, just in time to catch Xiao Wu descending from above.
Originally, Xiao Wu had intended to clamp his head between her legs.
Leg met foot in a heavy impact.
Xiao Wu was sent flipping backward from the upward force, while Wang Teng, overwhelmed by the downward power, lost his balance entirely and crashed to the ground.
“Ugh…”
His back hit the uneven ground, a dull pain radiating through him, and Wang Teng couldn’t help but wince.
On the other side, Xiao Wu used the recoil to adjust her position mid-air, landing gracefully on a nearby branch.
Compared to the grimacing Wang Teng, she looked far more composed, merely breathing a little harder.
Then Xiao Wu was the first to retract her soul power, her rabbit ears and physical changes slowly fading.
She hopped down lightly, walked over to Wang Teng, and reached out to pull him up.
“Not bad, Wang Teng!”
Xiao Wu patted his shoulder, a smile in her eyes.
“I didn’t expect you to actually block that move.”
“It’s because we know each other so well.”
Wang Teng stood up, brushing off the dirt, speaking honestly.
“If this were our first fight, I definitely wouldn’t have dodged it.”
“Alright.”
Tang San stepped forward, smiling.
“Your bout with Xiao Wu has proven your overall combat ability is sufficient to graduate.”
“But next comes my assessment.”
“Let me see how far your dodging reflexes and coordination with your martial soul have come over these two years.”
As he finished speaking, Tang San flicked his right hand, and several white points shot out, aimed straight at Wang Teng.
“Hey!
At least give me time to get out of the way!”
Xiao Wu cried out in mock complaint, her figure nimbly leaping aside, clear of the combat zone.
“Blast Spinning Top, go!”
Wang Teng moved almost the instant Tang San attacked.
He flicked his right hand, sending his silver-white spinning top martial soul whirling out with a roar.
At the same time, Wang Teng pushed off with his feet, dodging behind a large tree to his right.
It was a clever response.
The spinning top intercepted some of the stones, and his swift dodge removed him from the trajectory of most of the projectiles.
“Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack!”
The sound of stones striking the tree trunk rang out.
“Hum—”
The low, urgent whirring was Wang Teng’s spinning top, cutting through the air and grass as it bore down on Tang San at astonishing speed.
Tang San, meanwhile, used his exquisite footwork to retreat from the spinning top’s pursuit while his hands flicked continuously, sending stones from various angles toward Wang Teng.
Wang Teng, in turn, had to carefully manage the distance between himself and Tang San.
His spinning top’s attack range was only ten meters.
Beyond that, he had to split his focus: dodging Tang San’s projectiles while controlling his spinning top to harass and attack him from the side.
And so, Wang Teng and Tang San engaged in a high-speed chase and exchange within the grove.
Their figures darted swiftly between the trees, appearing and disappearing.
“Thump!
Thump!
Crack!
Clang!”
The dull thuds of stones hitting trees, the whispers of the spinning top slicing through grass, and the sharp ring of stones colliding with metal all mixed together—a tense and fierce battle symphony.
Outside the combat zone, Xiao Wu had already leaped onto a high branch, watching from above.
Seeing Wang Teng’s well-balanced offense and defense, the corners of her mouth curved upward in satisfaction.
His current skill filled her with a sense of accomplishment.
The sweat and effort of these two years had not been wasted.
Time passed quietly, and soon the span of an incense stick had gone by.
The sounds of combat gradually subsided.
Wang Teng and Tang San stood facing each other, the assessment over.
Wang Teng was breathing slightly hard, his hair damp with sweat.
Tang San’s breathing remained steady, revealing his deeper foundation.
Both bore new marks on their clothing: Wang Teng’s pant legs were dotted with five or six patches of grey stone dust; Tang San’s right sleeve now had a tear about a finger’s length across it.
Tang San looked down at the mark on his sleeve—it had been made when Wang Teng’s spinning top, pushed to its limit, changed direction and grazed his arm.
A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes, quickly turning into approval.
“Wang Teng,” Tang San spoke, his tone affirmative, “You’ve passed my assessment too.”
“Thank you…
really, these past two years, I’m grateful to you both.”
Wang Teng said earnestly as he caught his breath.
Though he knew Tang San hadn’t used his full strength, nor had he employed his mysterious Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, leaving even a small mark on him still filled Wang Teng with an irrepressible thrill of excitement and accomplishment.
The moment the words left his lips, Wang Teng suddenly felt his soul power, which had been flowing steadily, stir without warning—like a stone thrown into a calm lake, sending up turbulent waves.
He instinctively focused, calming his mind and guiding his soul power through the meditation technique.
Level ten soul power—achieved naturally.
At the very instant he passed the assessment, Wang Teng had broken through.
“Congratulations, Wang Teng!
You finally reached level ten!”
Xiao Wu leaped down from the branch, beaming as she offered her congratulations.
“Thank you, Xiao Wu!
And Tang San!”
“Once I’ve hunted my soul ring, I’ll treat you both to a proper celebration.”
“For now, I need to rush back and tell my big brother the good news!”
Before he finished speaking, Wang Teng had already turned and was running toward the dormitory.
His heart was full of joy, and he couldn’t wait to share the news with Wang Sheng.
Running all the way back to Room Seven, he pushed the door open and, before even catching his breath, called out, “Big Brother!
I’ve got great news!”
To his surprise, Wang Sheng was also smiling at him, and replied, “What a coincidence, little brother—I’ve got something to tell you too.”
“You go first!”
Wang Teng took a breath, suppressing his excitement.
“I just broke through.
I finally reached level ten!”
Wang Sheng’s face was alight with barely contained excitement.
“Really?
That’s great, Big Brother!
Congratulations!”
Wang Teng grabbed his brother’s arm and shook it vigorously.
The two celebrated together for a while before Wang Sheng remembered, “Oh, right—what was it you were going to tell me?”
“I broke through too.”
Wang Teng said with a smile.
“Hahahaha!”
The room filled with their unrestrained laughter.
The laughter lasted a good while before slowly subsiding.
They sat down on their respective beds and began to seriously discuss their upcoming soul hunting plans.
“Little brother, now that we’re both at level ten, we really need to plan our soul ring hunt.”
“But…
the hundred-year soul ring you mentioned before—I don’t think it’s realistic.”
Wang Sheng frowned slightly, his tone turning serious.
“Even for some weaker Great Soul Masters, hundred-year soul beasts can be quite dangerous.”
“In previous years when the academy organized soul hunting expeditions during breaks, the teachers generally didn’t specifically hunt hundred-year soul beasts.
Most students just absorbed whatever they encountered.”
“So your idea…
it probably won’t work.”
He looked at Wang Teng, worried he might be disappointed.
But Wang Teng’s expression remained relaxed.
“Big Brother, I’ve already thought about all those concerns.”
“In fact, I’ve come up with a way to help us get hundred-year soul rings.”
“What way?”
Wang Sheng leaned forward with curiosity.
“Here’s the thing—it’s called ‘soul hunting on credit.'”
Wang Teng’s eyes sparkled; clearly, he’d already worked out the details.
“Soul hunting on credit?”
Wang Sheng asked, confused.
“Once we obtain our first soul rings, won’t the Spirit Hall give us subsidies?”
“Soul hunting on credit means using those future subsidies as collateral to hire someone to hunt for us.”
“Even though we don’t have the money right now, we can pay it back with the subsidies after the hunt.
It’s using future money to get things done now!”
Wang Teng finished and looked at his brother confidently, believing his plan was a good one—at least enough to solve their immediate problem.
Wang Sheng sat stunned, his mouth opening and closing, unable to speak for a long moment.
In all his years, he’d never heard of “soul hunting on credit.”
If Wang Teng knew what he was thinking, he’d have laughed and said, “That’s because I wasn’t here before.
If I’d come earlier, you’d have known all about it.”
“Your way…
it’s really…”
Wang Sheng scratched his head, mulling it over before finally coming up with, “…really something else!”
“Basically, it’s trading the future for the present—using cultivation now to drive cultivation later,” Wang Teng said with a grin.