Shrek Academy, back mountain.
Five vines rose like seaweed, twisting and trembling, slowly converging toward the center.
Tang San clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, as though straining to control something.
After a short while, his body suddenly slackened. He bent over, gasping for breath, while the vines collapsed to the ground like deflated sacks.
"Still not working?" Tang San frowned, clenching his fist as he looked at the limp vines.
It had been several days since they returned from the Great Spirit Arena. Because his bones and tendons had not fully healed, he hadn't engaged in high-intensity training. Instead, he sat down to practice more refined control of his vines.
But no matter what he tried, he couldn't get it right.
Forming a whip was simple, but weaving them into vine armor or vine buds was impossible. He couldn't simultaneously control multiple vines, much less manipulate them intricately to weave together. As for redistributing soul power to strengthen certain parts of the vines — that was completely beyond him.
'Am I being too impatient?' he thought.
Footsteps approached. Tang San looked up to see his teacher, Yu Xiaogang.
"Xiao San, don't rush. Yang Yunhai only reached this level of control after nearly 4 years of practice. It's normal that you can't grasp it right away. The beginning is always the hardest. Once you break through, the rest will come easier." Yu Xiaogang stepped forward, comforting him.
"Don't worry. I've already spoken to Rongrong. She will share the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's secret art, Distraction Control, with you. Once the team arrives in Heaven Dou City, she'll ask Sect Master Ning. I'm absolutely certain he will agree."
"Teacher, what is Distraction Control?" Tang San asked in confusion.
Yu Xiaogang explained patiently.
"Incredible!" Tang San's eyes widened, flashing with excitement.
But Heaven Dou City was still 2 months away.
And he already felt he couldn't wait that long. Such a wondrous method — the sooner he mastered it, the better.
Yu Xiaogang nodded. "Distraction Control is indeed profound. Yang Yunhai's method may be similar in concept, but compared to Distraction Control it's crude and wasteful, nothing more than a clumsy workaround that consumes far too much time."
Tang San agreed. A technique passed down by one of the Three Upper Sects was naturally beyond anything Yang Yunhai had pieced together.
He smiled and said, "Teacher, I'll focus on refining my soul skills first."
Yang Yunhai's combination of three soul skills was also worth studying.
"Good." Yu Xiaogang nodded and turned to leave.
As soon as Yu Xiaogang walked away, Tang San's expression darkened. He glanced up at the sky, then stood.
In a few leaps, he vanished from the clearing.
Soon, he reached a hill and hid behind a large tree.
Ning Rongrong's martial soul was gem-type, and as an auxiliary, the academy didn't have a suitable training environment for her. So she always trained inside her room. Tang San knew this well.
"Purple Demon Eye!" His eyes glowed as he activated his technique. Instantly, he could see everything within her room from over 100 meters away.
Inside, Ning Rongrong was cycling through her soul skills, casting buffs on herself. Each ability was released at a slightly different rhythm, with careful timing and intervals. As she rested and resumed, her control became sharper, her timing more precise, her transitions smoother.
Eventually, perhaps tired, she stood and lay down directly on her bed.
Only then did Tang San withdraw his gaze, thoughtful, as he walked back.
'It doesn't seem too difficult. All it takes is casting multiple skills at once, then carefully controlling the timing and rhythm until they become seamless. Then gradually increase the number of simultaneous releases. For me, it should mean practicing simultaneous control of multiple vines.'
His steps quickened. Soon he reached a secluded clearing in the back mountain.
'Three Apertures Governing Heart, four Apertures next… I'll start with three vines.'
With a thought, he summoned three vines.
Time passed. After half an hour, his head was spinning, his mind felt split apart, and his body was in turmoil.
'Could it be that my understanding is wrong?' Tang San frowned. He shook his head and muttered, "I'll wait until Rongrong gets approval from her father to pass me the real training method. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's secret art won't be something I can grasp just by watching. Without the true method, I'll only end up hurting myself."
With that, he returned to his dorm.
—
Two days later, in a town near Heaven Dou City, the group stayed in an inn.
Qin Ming gathered everyone. "Once we're back at Heaven Dou City, I plan to give you a one-month break. Use it to relax, but also reflect on what you've learned in training. If you encounter any issues, you can come to the academy dorm to find me. And don't slack on your daily training just because I'm not watching."
"Yes, Teacher Qin Ming." The group nodded.
'A whole month?' Yang Yunhai glanced at Qin Ming. A break was necessary, but more important was digesting training through daily discipline. A month felt too long.
But then he recalled that in the original Shrek's training, they had been given 2 months. Compared to that, a month was reasonable.
'So the Shrek method is still the same… raise them loose and hope they grow.' He sighed inwardly.
When Qin Ming dismissed the group, Yang Yunhai returned to his room with Zhu Zhuqing.
"Finally, I can come out!" Silver Dove appeared in a flash, clinging to Yang Yunhai's arm.
After following him across the kingdoms, she had learned much of the human world — its culture, its customs, and even the meaning of the word "partner." Which only made her clingier.
Zhu Zhuqing simply smiled faintly. She was already used to it.
Yang Yunhai, however, looked helplessly at her.
"…." Zhu Zhuqing's face flushed as she lowered her gaze. She knew her man had been holding back for months. Silver Dove was lovely, but she was a constant third wheel.
"Alright, Silver Dove, I need to cultivate." Yang Yunhai gently tapped her arm.
"Oh." She reluctantly let go, drifting to his bedside while he sat to meditate.
'So… was I really once a soul beast?' She gazed blankly at his right leg.
After learning about soul bones and realizing she herself may be the remnant spirit of a high-level beast, doubts filled her. The soul bone Yang Yunhai carried was likely where her spirit had survived.
'He wasn't the one who killed me. His abilities don't match mine, and back then he wouldn't have had the strength. Maybe he just happened to find the soul bone afterward.'
But she didn't dare ask. She only feared he might reject her. All she wanted was to stay by his side.
'He called me his partner… that's enough.' She looked up at Yang Yunhai's face, her heart warm.
Time slipped by. As night deepened, she vanished in a flash of blue light.
"Yun, Sister Yan is here," her voice echoed in his ear.
Yang Yunhai opened his eyes, stood, and went to the door.
Knock, knock. He opened it to find Dugu Yan standing there in a light blue robe, her figure graceful, her eyes bright.
"Xiao Hai, I need to talk to you."
"Come in, Sister Yan." Yang Yunhai smiled, stepping aside.
Zhu Zhuqing stirred awake at the noise, opening her eyes just in time to see Dugu Yan walk inside.
"Good evening, Zhuqing." Dugu Yan greeted her warmly. "I came to discuss something with you both."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded and rose. "Sit and talk, Sister Yan."
"No need." Dugu Yan shook her head. "I'll be brief."
"Is it urgent?" Yang Yunhai asked.
She lowered her gaze, voice soft. "I broke up with Tianheng. I don't want to see him for now. When we return to the academy, I'd like to move in with you two for a while, and train together during the break to push for soul rank 40. Is that alright?"
Yang Yunhai and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a look. Zhu Zhuqing nodded.
"Of course. We still have an empty room," Yang Yunhai said with a smile.
Dugu Yan lifted her head and managed a smile. "Thank you."
"It's nothing," Zhu Zhuqing replied gently. "Xiao Hai trains until late every night. Sometimes it gets boring. With you nearby, I'll have someone to talk to."
'She's just finding an excuse to keep me company…' Dugu Yan felt a warmth in her chest and nodded. "No problem."
She glanced at the two of them and said, "Then it's settled. Get some rest, I'll head back now."
"Alright." They both nodded.
As she left, Yang Yunhai sighed inwardly. With Dugu Yan moving in, the number of interruptions was only going to grow. He turned to Zhu Zhuqing, a sudden idea flashing in his mind. The hotel's soundproofing wasn't bad.
He gestured toward the bathroom.
Zhu Zhuqing blinked, then her face turned crimson. She gave the faintest nod.
By midnight, Yang Yunhai carried a limp Zhu Zhuqing back from the bathroom, satisfied, and fell asleep.
Silver Dove peeked out from under the covers, her cheeks flushed red. After a long pause, she buried her head and hid under the blanket.
She would be a quiet "steam spirit" for tonight.
The night passed. At dawn, the team gathered, boarding their carriage as it rolled steadily toward Heaven Dou City.
(End of Chapter)
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