harleyscars Chapter 60: The Twin Stars of the Spiritual Sea, The Tempering of the Teaching Whip
Chapter 60: The Twin Stars of the Spiritual Sea, The Tempering of the Teaching Whip
Wu Changkong stepped down from the podium and paced slowly, his voice echoing in the quiet classroom:
"Mastering a solid foundation may not double the power of your soul skills, but it will allow your body to remember how to survive in the worst-case scenario and how to create opportunities with minimal cost."
A true powerhouse may excel in a particular area, but must never have a glaring, easily exploited weakness. Personal combat skills are the key piece of the puzzle that compensates for these weaknesses, bringing the circle of a true powerhouse closer to perfection.
These words were like ice water poured over their heads, causing the flippant expressions on Xie Xie and the others' faces to quickly fade, replaced by increasingly serious contemplation.
Yes, what if the soul skill is countered or cannot be used?
What if they were to fall into a protracted battle and exhaust their soul power? Those questions that they might have thought about before but had not explored in depth were now laid bare before them by Wu Changkong in a bloody manner.
"In the first lesson, we'll cover this much of the theory. The main point is to get you to value basic training from the ground up."
Next, we need to obtain your specific physical data in order to develop a targeted training plan. Now, everyone proceed to the fitness testing center.
The testing center is located on the top floor of the laboratory building. It is a pure white space covered with matte silver metal, full of a futuristic feel.
Various uniquely shaped precision instruments are quietly displayed, with a faint blue light flowing beneath the tubes and screens.
These are high-end models directly purchased from the Spirit Pagoda, and they are not available on the market at all. Even Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, who come from Soul Master families and consider themselves well-informed, couldn't help but show their curiosity and amazement.
Wu Changkong stood before the control panel like a meticulous surgeon, his voice devoid of emotion: "First item, mental strength. Wang Jinxi, you go first."
Wang Jinxi stepped forward silently, his expression tense. He was well aware that mental strength was his weakness.
After the instrument scanned the device, the display showed the number 18.
"Your mental strength is too low." Wu Changkong's voice was calm but left no room for argument.
"You must raise your spiritual power to over one hundred points and enter the Spirit Realm before breaking through to the Soul Master level. Otherwise, you will be unable to fuse with the Thousand-Year Soul Spirit, and you will have no hope of passing Shrek Academy's assessment."
"Yes," Wang Jinxi replied in a muffled voice, without any objection. His family elders and his own feelings confirmed this.
Next up was Xie Xie: 32 points. Wu Changkong still frowned, clearly far from meeting the target.
Zhang Yangzi: 42 points.
When it was Tang Wulin's turn, the result surprised everyone—66 points!
A Soul Master, whose Martial Soul was Blue Silver Grass, had temporarily surpassed several Great Soul Masters in spiritual power. Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi all felt a little embarrassed.
"Next, Yu Chen." Wu Changkong's gaze lingered briefly between Yu Chen and Gu Yue before finally settling on Yu Chen. He still remembered the surprise from the last test.
Yu Chen calmly stepped forward and sat on the instrument.
“Ding Di—”
The numbers on the display screen began to jump, 50…100…150… The starting point was the Spiritual Enlightenment Realm, and the upward momentum showed no signs of stopping!
200...250...300...500...
In the end, the dazzling number settled at—505!
"Five...five hundred and five?!" Xie Xie exclaimed in shock, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets. "Spirit Sea Realm?! Brother Chen, when did you...?"
The classroom was deathly silent, with only the faint hum of the instruments.
Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi were horrified, and Tang Wulin's mouth dropped open.
The Spirit Sea Realm! That's the foundation that supports a soul that's been around for ten thousand years! It's the spiritual realm that countless soul masters dream of!
Wu Changkong's hand holding the electronic pen tightened almost imperceptibly, his knuckles turning slightly white.
505! At such a young age, already at the Spirit Sea Realm!
This talent wasn't just amazing, it was almost monstrous! He forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart, his voice remaining calm and even:
"The data is fluctuating abnormally. Yu Chen, test again."
"clear."
Without much thought, Yu Chen tested it again. This time, the number soared to a high level, then, as if manipulated by an invisible hand, plummeted back down, eventually stabilizing at 106.
"Yu Chen, mental strength 106 points, initial stage of the Spirit Realm."
Wu Changkong entered the information without changing his expression, then looked at Gu Yue and said, "Next, Gu Yue."
All eyes turned to Gu Yue. Following this order… could Gu Yue's spiritual power be higher than "106"? Another Spiritual Realm cultivator?
Gu Yue smiled slightly at Yu Chen and calmly sat down. The instrument started up, and the numerical value changed from white to yellow, then quickly jumped into a deep purple area!
521!
"The machine broke down again?" Xie Xie blurted out.
But the next moment, the number plummeted in the same manner, eventually stopping at 116.
Just as Gu Yue's measured mental strength value was rapidly decreasing, Yu Chen noticed the sharp glint in Wu Changkong's eyes and the slight tension in his mental state, and understood what was going on.
Despite this, Tang Wulin and the others looked at each other in shock and speechlessness—Class Zero actually had two "monsters" with mental strength exceeding 100!
No wonder Gu Yue was able to control the terrifying Jun Yan before.
Wu Changkong silently filled in the data, his inner world far from being as calm as it appeared.
He knew the machine wasn't broken; the two children's true spiritual power had already entered the Spirit Sea Realm—what terrifying talent!
Especially Yu Chen, whose growth rate is simply defying common sense.
His forceful suppression of the true data is both a form of protection and a strategy.
The members of Class Zero have diverse backgrounds, and it would be a bad thing for Yu Chen's true potential to be exposed too early.
For other trainees, a large gap can sometimes stifle their courage to catch up.
He secretly transmitted his voice to Yu Chen and Gu Yue: "Increase your soul power as soon as possible, and strive to fuse with a ten-thousand-year-old soul spirit when you reach the Soul Master level to obtain the forty-thousand-year-old soul ring!"
Although the spiritual power of the Spirit Sea Realm is sufficient to withstand a ten-thousand-year-old soul spirit, considering their current soul ring foundation and age, absorbing it at the Soul Venerable stage is still too risky. He must plan the safest path to becoming a strong person for them.
After a slight pause, Wu Changkong raised his eyes, looked at the two of them, and asked in a calm tone as if discussing academic matters:
"Yu Chen, Gu Yue, it's only been a few months since your last test, and your mental strength has improved dramatically. Would you mind revealing the reason?"
If it involves privacy, there's no need to force it.
"There's nothing I can't say."
Gu Yue's expression was calm, even carrying a hint of nonchalant ease.
"I used a lot of the resources my family provided to nourish my spiritual power. Well, my family is fairly well-off."
It was a casual remark, yet it exuded an air of "not short of money," effectively shutting down any possible curiosity.
A complex expression, a mixture of accomplishment and unbearable regret, appeared on Yu Chen's face. He subconsciously smacked his lips, as if some terrible taste was rising again:
"I... took some 'Spirit Sea Urchin'."
"Sea urchin? What's that? Is it tasty?"
Xie Xie's gossip radar and foodie instincts activated simultaneously.
"Spiritual Sea Urchin?!"
This time, Wu Changkong couldn't completely control his tone, and his voice carried obvious surprise.
"This substance is almost extinct, and it has miraculous effects on mental power, but it is said... its taste is extremely 'unique'. You actually consumed some?"
His gaze toward Yu Chen was full of inquiry. What had this child gone through?
"I know!"
Xie Xie seemed to have finally found his chance to shine. He suddenly raised his hand, his voice loud and clear, making sure everyone in the classroom could hear him.
"It's the betrothal gift from the Gu Yue family to Brother Chen! Right, Brother Chen? A betrothal gift!"
"..."
A deathly silence.
Tang Wulin covered his forehead with his hand, unable to bear looking at him.
Gu Yue's fair cheeks flushed red at a visible speed. She glared at Xie Xie with a look that seemed to want to freeze him into an ice sculpture.
Yu Chen touched the tip of his nose, his eyes darting around for a moment, then a subtle, even slightly... smug, curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi's jaws nearly dropped to the floor. They looked at Yu Chen, then at Gu Yue; the sheer volume of information was overwhelming, their brains were about to overload.
On Wu Changkong's perpetually icy face, the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, and his fingers gripping the recorder tightened slightly.
Dowry?! Marrying into the family?! This kid... his actions are just too "amazing"!
This isn't dating, it's straight to the point, getting it done in one go!
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, ultimately culminating in a sigh that only he could hear: These young people nowadays…
"cough,"
Gu Yue tried to remain calm, but the blush on her ears betrayed her. She abruptly changed the subject, her voice slightly higher than usual.
"Ms. Wu, it's getting late. Shouldn't we proceed with the strength and reaction tests?"
Wu Changkong took a deep breath, suppressing his surging urge to complain, and resumed his signature cold expression. He then turned and walked towards the door.
"Next, a strength test. Keep up."
During the subsequent tests, everyone else seemed somewhat distracted.
Yu Chen's inhuman power data left everyone numb.
Tang Wulin's terrifying punch, unleashing 2700 kilograms of force with his Soul Master body, drew the attention of Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, who began to truly take this "Blue Silver Grass Soul Master" seriously.
The impact of Xie Xie's earlier mention of "betrothal gifts" and the combined effect of the two Spirit Realm spiritual powers was still fresh in everyone's minds.
Seeing that the group was in a daze, Wu Changkong had no choice but to release a wisp of cold and sharp soul power to wake them up, and only then could the test be completed step by step.
Reaction time, speed, endurance, flexibility... a series of tests were finally completed.
When everyone returned to Class Zero's classroom, the atmosphere was different.
The initial sense of competition was replaced by a complex mix of shock, curiosity, scrutiny, and a subtle excitement.
Wu Changkong stood behind the podium, like a pillar of strength, suppressing all the restless emotions.
"Data has been entered. Starting tomorrow, the morning will be either theory or physical training, and the afternoon will be sparring. The first phase of sparring will focus on only one theme—basic combat skills."
"The so-called basic combat skills are about integrating combat awareness into your bones and forming a physical instinct that requires no thought."
It determines the precision of every micro-operation you make when piloting the mech, and affects the efficiency of your explosive power after wearing the battle armor.
Enough with the nonsense. The only way to learn how to fight is through fighting itself.
His training methods were brutal and direct: sparring.
However, unlike the special training that focused on teamwork during the fifth class period, this time it is one-on-one training, a precise attack on each person's weaknesses.
As a result, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi came to deeply understand the meaning of "a strict teacher produces outstanding students" in the days that followed.
Wu Changkong held a specially made black whip, the material of which was unknown. When it struck his body, it did not injure his muscles and bones, but it caused excruciating pain, with the pain shooting straight to his brain.
Any disordered footwork, improper exertion, mishandling of the block, or sluggish dodging will immediately result in a whip strike as fast as lightning.
"Snapped!"
The crisp sound, accompanied by gasps of cold air, became the most frequently heard accompaniment in the training room.
As for Yu Chen, who was marked by Wu Changkong as a "key target for refinement", he enjoyed "VIP treatment" - Wu Changkong personally stepped in as his sparring partner and examiner.
The price of this treatment was that every time Yu Chen left the training room, he would inevitably have many bruises and welts on his body.
Although he recovered very quickly thanks to the dragon blood in his body, he looked quite disheveled at the time.
Every time Gu Yue watched the battle from the sidelines, her eyes were filled with undisguised heartache and anxiety. Several times, soft water or vibrant greenery would condense at her fingertips, only to be forcibly dispersed.
She knew this was a necessary trial for Yu Chen, a crucial step in transforming his astonishing potential into real combat power.
She could only offer him water and a towel when he was exhausted, gently wiping the sweat from his forehead with her fingertips. All her worries and support were reflected in her eyes that silently watched him.