Su Ming didn't dare continue training all the way to noon because he was worried Ning Rongrong might tire out first. After about an hour, he stopped. After all, it was still his first time training, and the number of times he nearly turned into a toad was simply too frequent.
However, even in just one hour, he gained a lot. He found that the speed at which he transformed into a toad slowed down. Moreover, he realized that natural energy seemed to be more advanced than life energy; otherwise, with his current life energy attributes, it wouldn't have been so overwhelming.
Stretching his limbs, Su Ming stood up and asked the two girls, "How are you? Tired?"
Ning Rongrong sighed, "Yeah, a bit. I'm almost numb at this point, and I've lost count of how many times I had to hit you. This Sage Mode is really difficult!"
Su Ming hadn't expected natural energy to be so domineering at first contact. It was much more intense than he thought. Still, he smiled and said, "It's definitely more challenging than I imagined. I originally thought natural energy would be similar to life energy, but I was wrong. That's why it's tough to adapt to on the first try. Give me about another hour, and I should be able to move on to the second phase, and you two will be free!"
Su Ming then used his fourth soul skill to restore some of their energy, adding a bit of vitality so they wouldn't feel as exhausted.
Seeing how serious Su Ming was, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu quickly perked up, realizing that the frequency of their strikes had indeed lessened compared to the first few minutes.
Just as Su Ming was about to apply more toad oil and resume his training, Ah Yin's voice echoed in his mind.
"Su Ming, there are a few people approaching."
Su Ming's eyes sharpened. He expanded his spiritual sense and discovered that Tang San, along with Oscar, Yu Xiaogang, and Flender, were heading their way.
Su Ming immediately turned to Ning Rongrong and said, "Rongrong, some people are coming. Let's pretend we're taking a break. Once we deal with them, we can continue."
Ning Rongrong nodded in agreement.
As Yu Xiaogang and the others arrived, they found Su Ming and the two girls seemingly resting.
Flender instantly realized that Su Ming had sensed their approach and deliberately set this scene. On Oscar's side, the attempt to learn Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track had already ended in failure. Oscar hadn't grasped even the basics. When Yu Xiaogang saw this, he suggested they go check on Ning Rongrong's progress, so they all came together to see if Su Ming's training was going any better.
"Su Ming, why are you taking a break all of a sudden?" Yu Xiaogang asked, his tone carrying a hint of reproach.
Su Ming casually waved it off, "We're resting because we're tired. Rongrong is a support-type soul master, so we have to pace ourselves."
"Master, didn't I tell you not to come without my permission? Learning Lingbo Weibu is dangerous. If you had interrupted us while we were practicing, it could have affected Rongrong's progress. Then what?" Su Ming's previous laid-back demeanor vanished, replaced by a sharp, piercing gaze that made Yu Xiaogang instinctively step back, flustered and angry. He was a teacher at this academy, after all!
Tang San, seeing how Su Ming was speaking to his teacher, stepped in and said, "Su Ming, the teacher is only concerned about your progress! Why are you being so hostile?"
Yu Xiaogang glanced at Tang San with a pleased expression. This disciple was truly loyal.
Su Ming, however, looked at Tang San with amusement. "Oh? How about this, then? Right now, why don't you use your Mysterious Heaven Skill for cultivation, and I'll disrupt you? Let's see if the flow of your soul power doesn't go awry. Worst-case scenario, your... meridians... might get... damaged!"
Tang San's eyes widened in shock. How did Su Ming know about meridians?!
In all the time he had spent in this world, he hadn't encountered anyone who knew about meridians. How could Su Ming possibly know? Could it be... Su Ming was also a transmigrator?
Tang San's mind raced. Since he had transmigrated into this world, it wasn't impossible for others to have done the same. Was Lingbo Weibu something Su Ming brought from his world?
Seeing Tang San's face change several times, Su Ming knew exactly what he was thinking. He chuckled to himself—he had deliberately mentioned meridians to mess with him. After all, Tang San's current strength wasn't a threat, and even his hidden weapons and poison couldn't harm Su Ming. By the time Tang San managed to develop top-tier hidden weapons, Su Ming would likely already be a Title Douluo, and his Wood Release and spiritual power would far surpass Tang San.
Moreover, Tang San's greatest secret was his identity as a transmigrator, which he wouldn't dare reveal to anyone. He could only speculate internally, growing more suspicious.
Tang San's face was dark as he realized that Su Ming had a point. If someone had interrupted Ning Rongrong during her training, it could have damaged her meridians, which would have been a serious problem. However, he hadn't expected Lingbo Weibu to involve meridians. He had assumed it was simply a product of Su Ming's natural talent!
Now, Tang San understood that Su Ming had his own secrets. That explained why Su Ming's cultivation was progressing faster than his. Su Ming must have a cultivation technique similar to his own!
Still, Tang San refused to believe that Su Ming's technique could surpass the Mysterious Heaven Skill, the ultimate technique of the Tang Sect!
Aside from Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu, the others were confused. What exactly were these meridians?
"Xiao San, what are meridians? Do you know?" Yu Xiaogang asked.
Tang San explained, "In simple terms, they're the pathways through which our life energy flows. Each pathway serves a different function."
"When we circulate soul power within our bodies, it travels through these pathways."
The others suddenly understood, but they were also curious about how both Tang San and Su Ming had this knowledge.
Yu Xiaogang prided himself on his unrivaled theories. During his time at Spirit Hall, he had read countless ancient texts, but he had never come across anything about meridians. It seemed both Tang San and Su Ming held secrets that were far greater than he had imagined.