Meanwhile, the other girls were curious about what reward Su Ming would receive today and wondered if he would write about it in his diary.
But no matter how long they waited, nothing appeared, leaving them slightly disappointed.
"Did he get something useless again?" they thought. Little did they know, Su Ming was in his room, busy absorbing the energy from the Azure Dragon's essence blood.
Then, they suddenly heard the system's voice.
Ding! The heroines mentioned by name today are: Xiao Wu (32 times), Zhu Zhuqing (8 times), Ning Rongrong (9 times), Ye Lingling (2 times), and Dugu Yan (1 time).
Today's heroine mentioned the most is Xiao Wu. Congratulations! A critical hit has been triggered. Xiao Wu can select two techniques from the Navy Six Styles to learn!
The other heroines were not surprised that Xiao Wu won the prize again. After all, her relationship with Su Ming was the closest at the moment. Even Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing couldn't compete with her; the difference was too vast.
However, today's diary entry was different. The girls noticed the mention of two new names: Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan! Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing were curious to know what these two women looked like.
Given the system's track record, they were sure they'd be beauties too! They'd find out when they went to the Great Spirit Arena in Soto City.
Xiao Wu, meanwhile, saw her reward and was thrilled. A critical hit reward after so long! She felt extremely lucky. Of course, it was all thanks to Su Ming. She decided she'd reward him next time! The thought made her blush a little.
Also, Su Ming had just mentioned the Navy Six Styles in today's diary, and now the system was offering them. Was it just luck or some behind-the-scenes manipulation by the system?
System: ...
Xiao Wu eagerly read through the descriptions of the Navy Six Styles.
First Style - Shave (Soru): A high-speed movement technique achieved by kicking the ground dozens of times in an instant to create immense force.
"Hmm, I don't need this one," Xiao Wu thought. "I can already teleport, and I also have the Wind God Leg technique. I don't have any trouble with high-speed movement."
Second Style - Iron Body (Tekkai): Tightens the muscles and controls blood flow to harden the body like iron, primarily used for defense.
"This is more suitable for defensive spirit masters. I already have my Invincible Golden Body, which is much better."
Third Style - Paper Art (Kami-e): By relaxing the muscles, the user can sense changes in the air, making it easier to evade enemy attacks.
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. "This could be useful!" This style reminded her of Tang San's Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, which was a powerful evasion technique. While Xiao Wu had both teleportation and the Invincible Golden Body, they weren't foolproof. If her opponent had a domain skill, her teleportation range would be greatly reduced. In those cases, a good evasion technique would be invaluable!
Fourth Style - Moonwalk (Geppo): By kicking off the air, the user can move mid-air, making it appear as if they are flying.
"I won't need this either," she thought. "Once my level increases, I'll be able to fly naturally."
Fifth Style - Tempest Kick (Rankyaku): A high-speed, powerful kick that generates a vacuum blade for long-range attacks.
Xiao Wu's eyes sparkled. "This must be the Tempest Kick that Su Ming was talking about!" Not only did it rely on speed, but it also unleashed a vacuum blade. "With this, I'll finally have a long-range attack!"
Sixth Style - Finger Pistol (Shigan): A technique that hardens the fingers or uses Armament Haki to turn the fingers into a piercing weapon, capable of penetrating the human body like a bullet.
"This one isn't for me," Xiao Wu thought. "I'm more of a leg fighter, and using a vacuum kick in front of Su Ming seems more natural." She figured the Finger Pistol would be better suited for someone like Zhu Zhuqing, who had speed on her side. Combining this with her agility would make her incredibly deadly in battle.
Though Xiao Wu didn't quite know what a bullet was, she could guess it was a powerful weapon based on the description.
After weighing her options, Xiao Wu said, "System, I choose Paper Art and Tempest Kick!"
Ding! Congratulations to Xiao Wu for selecting Paper Art and Tempest Kick from the Navy Six Styles. The techniques have been successfully learned!
Xiao Wu immediately felt a mysterious power settle into her body, and knowledge of how to use both techniques flooded her mind. She already felt proficient in both, which amazed her.
At the same time, Xiao Wu wondered if the system could help her master the Wind God Leg technique just as quickly. But she quickly dismissed the thought. The system had already given her so many useful rewards—there was no need to be greedy!
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, who had been watching, couldn't hold back their curiosity any longer.
Ning Rongrong was the first to ask, "Xiao Wu, what did you get as a reward tonight?"
Xiao Wu, always happy to share with her friends, replied, "I was really lucky today! I got to choose two of the Navy Six Styles techniques mentioned by Su Ming! I found two that suit me well, and using them won't even raise Su Ming's suspicions."
She then explained the details of the Navy Six Styles to both of them.
Ning Rongrong was envious. "You're so lucky, Xiao Wu! You keep getting all these rewards. I wish I had some combat ability too; otherwise, I won't be able to protect myself."
Zhu Zhuqing, on the other hand, was intrigued by the Finger Pistol technique. With her speed and ability to break through defenses, this skill could be devastating in her hands.
Xiao Wu comforted Ning Rongrong, saying, "Don't worry, Rongrong. Maybe one day, Su Ming will give you the Lingbo Weibu technique. Even though you won't have offensive abilities, at least you'll be able to run away!"
Then she teased, "If you interact with Su Ming a bit more and build up his affection for you, maybe he'll have a reason to give you something! After all, you already like him, so why not try making the first move?"
Ning Rongrong blushed. "Making the first move?" she thought.
Although she did like Su Ming, she wasn't sure if her feelings were strong enough to act on. Even if she wanted to, what could she offer him? Su Ming didn't seem to lack anything. Her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan could only offer him money, but Su Ming had probably already earned tens of thousands of gold soul coins from the system over the years. He certainly wasn't short on funds.
Suddenly, an idea struck her. Once Su Ming mastered the art of making talismans, he would need a lot of money to buy the necessary materials, right?
Ning Rongrong now knew how she could help Su Ming. She just had to wait for the right moment—once Su Ming was ready to start making talismans.
The next morning, everyone gathered at the training field, summoned by the bell. From a distance, Su Ming noticed that Yu Xiaogang and Flender were already waiting. On the surface, Yu Xiaogang didn't seem much different from the day before, except for a hint of sorrow in his expression.
Once everyone had gathered, Yu Xiaogang stepped forward and said in a serious tone, "Now that everyone's here, let's go over the shortcomings from the third group battle yesterday. We postponed this until today due to... some unexpected incidents."
"First of all, Tang San, you bear the primary responsibility for yesterday's failure!"
He continued, "Xiao San, knowing full well that Xiao Wu's strength far exceeds yours, you didn't prioritize guarding against her charm skill. As a result, Ning Rongrong was eliminated immediately!"
"If you had been more cautious, even with Xiao Wu's teleportation, your reaction speed would have been fast enough to protect Ning Rongrong. With her support, it wouldn't have been impossible for the three of you to defeat Xiao Wu! But instead…"
Tang San hadn't expected his teacher to call him out so bluntly. But it was true that the battle was lost due to his mistakes.
His emotions had been in turmoil, and his focus had been solely on Xiao Wu, which led him to neglect activating his Purple Demon Eye in time. That's how he fell prey to her charm.
Moreover, Xiao Wu's first teleportation move seemed to anticipate his thoughts, as she appeared in front of him rather than in front of Ning Rongrong. It felt like a diversion tactic, and he misjudged the situation.
Thus, Tang San sincerely admitted his mistake, "Teacher, you're right. As a control-type spirit master, I failed to make the necessary preparations, which led to our team's support-type spirit master being taken out instantly. That was my fault!"
Yu Xiaogang didn't want to criticize Tang San, but his mistake yesterday was too significant to overlook. If Yu Xiaogang had sugarcoated the criticism, it would only have backfired.
However, he was satisfied with Tang San's attitude in admitting his fault. He believed that under his guidance, Tang San's future achievements would be unimaginable!
As for becoming a "rootless man" due to Tang San, Yu Xiaogang had accepted that there was nothing he could do. The incident happened too suddenly. Last night, he reflected on it. Since it had already happened, he would just have to move on. Fortunately, Tang San's external spirit bone was powerful, and with his background, his future would surely surpass even that of his father, Tang Hao!
As for his own "root," Yu Xiaogang believed that somewhere in the vast world, there must be a spirit master who could help him recover. After all, the continent had countless varieties of martial spirits—surely, one of them had the capability to help him.
Next, Yu Xiaogang turned to Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, saying, "Rongrong, I know you're a support-type spirit master, and Tang San failed to protect you yesterday, but your reaction time was too slow. You have no self-defense capability. At the very least, you could have tried to run!"
"You're lucky Xiao Wu was a teammate. Otherwise, you'd be dead by now!"
Ning Rongrong felt indignant at Yu Xiaogang's critique. "Even if I tried to run, I can't outrun Xiao Wu's teleportation! How would running help?"
She also thought to herself, "Aren't your reflexes slower than mine? Otherwise, yesterday wouldn't have happened..."
Su Ming frowned slightly upon hearing Yu Xiaogang's comments. His critique of Rongrong seemed out of place. He decided to wait and see what else Yu Xiaogang had to say.
"And Zhuqing," Yu Xiaogang continued, "your performance was the most absurd. You fell for Xiao Wu's charm too, even after seeing what happened to Tang San! You got knocked out so easily!"
Zhu Zhuqing, maintaining her calm demeanor, didn't react to Yu Xiaogang's criticism. She had purposely held back, after all. Now that she understood the true reason behind Yu Xiaogang's battle arrangements, she felt no obligation to play along.
Finally, Yu Xiaogang turned to Xiao Wu, saying, "Xiao Wu, you and Tang San have known each other since childhood and attended Nuoding Academy together for six years. Why did you hit him so hard yesterday?"
Xiao Wu wasn't about to let Yu Xiaogang off easy. She snorted coldly and replied, "It's because you made me fight a one-on-three battle! You said we needed to go all out in this fight to fully assess our abilities. Doesn't that mean I should use my full strength?"
"And since I had to use my full strength, everyone knows my strongest technique is the Eightfold Slam. You've never seen it in action before, so I figured yesterday was the perfect time to show it off against Tang San, right?"
Xiao Wu gave Yu Xiaogang a playful smile and said, "What do you think, Master? Makes sense, doesn't it?"
"And by the way, I went easy on Tang San! Given the gap in our strength, if I hadn't held back, all of Tang San's bones—except maybe his skull—would have been shattered!"
She added with a smirk, "Master, you don't actually think my self-created spirit skill is limited to just eight kicks, do you?"
Yu Xiaogang felt uneasy despite Xiao Wu's smile. Why did it feel a bit menacing? Was it just his imagination?
Quickly changing the subject, Yu Xiaogang turned to the group and declared, "After yesterday's battle, I've gained some understanding of your abilities. To be honest, I'm disappointed!"
Su Ming sighed inwardly, knowing Yu Xiaogang was about to start boasting again.
"I had high expectations when Flender told me that this year's academy recruited several exceptional students. But after witnessing yesterday's performance, I have to say... none of you met the mark! Your combat awareness and skills were lacking!"
Su Ming watched Yu Xiaogang silently, wondering, "Do you even realize what you're saying?"
Sensing Su Ming's gaze, Yu Xiaogang coughed awkwardly and added, "Of course, Su Ming is an exception. His abilities far surpass the rest of you."
Flender, observing Yu Xiaogang's behavior, couldn't help but feel a bit disdainful. "Oh, Xiaogang, what are you doing…?"
Yu Xiaogang then continued, "I won't dwell on this any longer. However, due to your performance yesterday, I've come up with a punishment!"
"I've prepared weighted packs for each of you outside the academy. You will all wear them and run from the academy to Soto City and back—ten times! Understood?"
"Especially you, Ning Rongrong and Oscar. As support-type spirit masters, you need to work on your physical fitness for your own self-defense!"
Flender was shocked by this punishment and whispered, "Xiaogang, you can't be serious, right? Do you even know how far it is from here to Soto City? And without using spirit power?"
The mere thought of the distance brought back memories for Flender—memories of getting beaten by Bone Douluo. This route was far longer than the one he had previously made Ning Rongrong and Oscar run!
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