Wang Feng had been at it for a while, but he finally managed to do it – he managed to extract a single bone spur with the help of the fine control of his soul power. You know, sometimes, the weaker you want to make your soul power, the tougher it gets! It's like trying to put a thread into a needle with shaky hands – really delicate stuff.
Now, picture this, imagine having tens of thousands of these bone spurs. If you want to control all of them, you've got to split your soul power into tens of thousands of strands.
Sounds mind-boggling, right? Well, Wang Feng thought so too. Just the thought of it made his scalp tingle. The effort and hard work required to do that would make anyone flinch from even trying.
After some intense practice, Wang Feng finally got the hang of it. He wrangled a tiny bit of soul power and gently pulled out a bone spur from the Black Thorns Armor. And there it was, right in his hand, a little victory.
To be honest, that bone spur was not lightweight. Wang Feng was scratching his head, thinking, "I have no idea how powerful this thing is!" So, he decided to put it to the test. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the bone spur out.
And that thing went through seven or eight big trees like a hot knife through butter, before it finally came to a halt. But here's the kicker - those trees it pierced through? That little bone spur left them all corroded and broken, with holes big enough you could stick your finger through.
Wang Feng couldn't help but be impressed. He marveled, "This thing's got some serious firepower! And the best part? I can even control it!" With a snap of his fingers, the bone spur zipped right back into his hand.
He couldn't help but sing its praises, "This thing is deadly! It's like the secret weapons Xiao San used to make, only better. It's heavy, sure but it's super thin, super tough and can puncture through anything with enough force. Plus, it's got this nasty corrosive touch."
Wang Feng was feeling pretty fired up now. Not only was it powerful but he could call back the bone spurs back because it was connected to him by his soul power. No loss unless you smash it to smithereens! No wonder that Black Thorns Armor was such a beast, it was made up of these bad boys. It could defend, rebound, even corrode you name it.
But just as he was wrapping up his thought, Wang Feng sensed something. He whipped out his soul power and sent the bone spur flying in another direction, ready for action.
"Who's there?"
Boom!
The bone spur slammed and pierced into several big trees with a thunderous crash. A slim figure gracefully leaped onto one of the trees and in the darkness, her eyes glinted with an eerie light. It was none other than Zhu Zhuqing herself!
Zhu Zhuqing eyed the decaying tree with green smoke swirling around it and her gaze sharpened. This was a trick she'd never seen Wang Feng pull before. It seemed even more potent than Tang San's hidden weapons!
"Zhu Zhuqing?" Wang Feng scratched his head in confusion.
"Oops, my bad. I didn't realize it was you..."
The moment he spotted the threat, he instinctively hurled the bone spur thinking it was some spy from neighboring small kingdoms or Soul Hall.
Zhu Zhuqing gracefully landed on the ground from the tree, dressed in her ususl combat black attire that accentuated her already impressive figure. It was hard to believe she was just twelve years old this year.
Wang Feng raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, "So, what brings you here?"
Zhu Zhuqing got straight to the point, "I need you to come to Suotuo City with me, to the Great Soul Arena."
Wang Feng glanced at the darkening sky, his expression growing a tad concerned. "It's getting a bit late..."
But Zhu Zhuqing was resolute. "I want to get stronger and the fighting in Great Soul Arena will really help me."
Wang Feng fell silent for a moment. The thought of two people going to Suotuo City at night might lead to misunderstandings.
"I'll go alone then." Zhu Zhuqing said decisively, looking at Wang Feng who was hesitating with determination.
Wang Feng... well, he didn't quite know what to say. He didn't care about someone gossiping about him but Zhu Zhuqing might…
Wang Feng had a sudden realization. In the original story, Zhu Zhuqing came from a powerful, high-standing family. The internal strife within such a clan could be so severe that her life might be at risk. No wonder she had that icy demeanor.
"I'll go with you, wait!" Wang Feng offered, deciding to accompany her. It was bad for a single girl like her to roam the city at night alone, even in modern times in his previous life, not to mention in this world where might makes right.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded in acknowledgment. The two swiftly navigated through the jungle and soon arrived at the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City.
"If you want to get stronger, there's no need to rush. We'll probably have a new teacher tomorrow." Wang Feng whispered as they gazed at the bustling city of Suotuo.
"A new teacher?" Zhu Zhuqing seemed a bit puzzled.
"You'll find out tomorrow." Wang Feng replied with a smile. He recalled how, in the original story, Grandmaster had joined Shrek Academy to help Tang San grow.
"Okay." Zhu Zhuqing agreed.
As they stepped onto the arena, they were assigned to the fourteenth battle stage. Over time, they would become familiar with the Great Soul Arena.
Before long, it was Zhu Zhuqing's turn for her first match. She walked confidently to the center.
"Her opponent is a level twenty-eight control-type soul master with a Cotton thread martial soul….hm." Wang Feng observed the battle below.
Cotton as a martial soul was exceptionally lightweight and fragile. In 1v1 battles, control-type soul masters posed the most significant challenge. Just like Tang San, they were only particularly vulnerable to agility attack-system soul masters opponents and were strong against other categories.
The reason was simple, once you were under their control, there was no escaping, and victory was practically assured.
"Cotton may be sturdy but nowhere compared to Blue Silver Grass toughness of Xiao San," Wang Feng remarked with a smile.
The control-type soul master with the cotton martial soul below was pretty skilled, boasting two-hundred-year old soul rings. The cotton martial soul seemed as tough as Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, but it lacked the toxicity of the latter as Wng Feng slowly noticed. However, this cotton martial soul was only all about toughness, emitting a faint silver-gray glow.
It seemed like this soul master had gone the pure toughness route, discarding any other attributes.
"Zhu Zhuqing might lose this one." Wang Feng commented after observing the battle for a while, shaking his head.
Although the cotton martial soul was tougher, the overall strength of this soul master was inferior to the Xiao San. He wrapped himself entirely with cotton, leaving only small gaps to observe the battlefield. Unlike Xiao San, he didn't produce large amounts of cotton, which limited Zhu Zhuqing's fighting range. However, he controlled the exceptionally tough cotton from all directions, gradually closing in on Zhu Zhuqing.
Despite Zhu Zhuqing's lightning-fast reactions, she couldn't break through the cocoon-like layer of cotton surrounding her opponent. Eventually, she had to concede defeat.
When she returned, Zhu Zhuqing's expression was very somber and a rare blush colored her face from the intense fighting making her seem more beautiful.
"You could've beaten him." Wang Feng said suddenly.
Zhu Zhuqing looked at him, surprised.
"How?"
"The guy you just fought was somewhat like Xiao San but much weaker," Wang Feng explained. "To defeat him, all you needed was this."
He reached into his pocket and handed her a stone. It felt warm and had a fiery red appearance.
"Flint?" Zhu Zhuqing's pupils contracted. "Isn't this just a common fire-making tool for regular folks?"
Wang Feng grinned. "Exactly. But in the right hands, it can be a game-changer. With your agility and precision, you could've ignited his cotton cocoon with this and turned the tables."
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes lit up with understanding, and she nodded. "I see. Thanks for the tip, Wang Feng."
Wang Feng waved it off with a smile. "No problem. We're here to help each other grow stronger."
Wang Feng replied with a nod. "From your fight with Tang San, you should have learned how to deal with control-type soul masters who try to restrain you."
He then demonstrated by holding out the flint. "Use your sharp claws to gently scratch the flint."
Zhu Zhuqing followed his instructions, her razor-sharp claws lightly scraping across the flint. In an instant, a tiny flame flickered to life.
Wang Feng smiled, pleased with her quick grasp of the technique. "There you go. With this trick up your sleeve, you'll be even more formidable against plant type or control type soul masters."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, her confidence growing as she realized the potential of this newfound auxiliary skill.
Wang Feng continued his explanation, "Whether it's Blue Silver Grass or cotton, most control-type soul masters have some connection to plants."
He went on, "Now, here's the key – most plant martial souls are vulnerable to fire, unless they possess a fire-resistant type of soul ability. But having such an ability often means sacrificing control."
Wang Feng paused, then added, "Now, you may not have a fire attribute attack-type soul ability, but that doesn't mean you can't achieve the same effect using props."
He smiled and said, "There are no rules against carrying items in this big arena. Most soul masters rely solely on their martial soul and soul skills to fight, which, in my opinion, can get pretty monotonous. Items like flint may not seem threatening to others, but in your hands, they can become a potent weapon."
Wang Feng continued, "Your claws are as sharp as ordinary iron tools. Once you touch this flint, you can create flames. One flame is a threat, but what if you have a handful?"
He grabbed a handful of flint, leaving Zhu Zhuqing speechless.
"You strike the flint with your claws, a direct hit. The Spirit Master who wraps themselves up like a coccoon, no matter how tough their cotton or Blue Silver Grass is, it will catch fire and they won't be able to use it to attack you and will try to defend themselves first." Wang Feng explained further.
He went on, "Remember that day when you fought Xiao San? If you'd had a dozen flints and hit the walls formed by his vines, his special terrain created by soul power would have been useless. It would have gone up in flames. These things can be your early weapon against control-type soul masters like Xiao San."
Zhu Zhuqing was left in silence, absorbing this newfound knowledge.
Wang Feng then whispered, "And if things really get tough, carry a small bottle of grease with you. Just sprinkle it on Blue Silver Grass or cotton and one flint will do the trick..."
Again, Zhu Zhuqing was left dumbfounded by the potential of such simple tools in battle.
"Remember this, in the battlefield, soul masters can use any means to fight. Winning is what counts. So, you need to think outside the box. It's not just about relying on your soul power, sometimes, it's about the little things in the hands of different people."
Wang Feng paused and added, "Those little things can have a massive impact when used right."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded vigorously, her eyes filled with admiration as she looked at Wang Feng, who was currently wearing a mask. She had never encountered this kind of combat wisdom before.
After all, Wang Feng had six years of fighting experience under his belt and his status as a "traverser" granted him exceptional insights and a unique perspective that is very different from the natives of this world. Compared to Tang San, who also hailed from ancient times, Wang Feng's modern background had exposed him to a wealth of knowledge, even if most of it had faded over time. But there were still valuable nuggets of information.
In this massive fighting arena, martial soul and arts reigned supreme. Techniques like Tang San's hidden weapons were the norm and there was little room for anything else.
"Thank you." Zhu Zhuqing said, though her tone remained cold.
Wang Feng simply shook his head and continued walking. However, as he descended, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly furrowed her brow.
….
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