Chapter 138 – Sword Training, Obsession, and an Unexpected Intrusion
"No, no, I really can't fight anymore. Let's stop here for today."
Xiao Qiang collapsed to his knees, panting heavily. His face was drenched in cold sweat, his body trembling uncontrollably. He was clearly at his limit.
"Stop here today? Are you saying you'll continue tomorrow?" Xue Di said slowly, folding her arms. "Your swordsmanship talent doesn't seem impressive. Honestly, I don't recommend that you waste time learning it."
Initially, Xiao Qiang hadn't intended to learn swordsmanship from Xue Di at all. Compared to her elegant rapier, he preferred wielding a broadsword—he liked the weight, the impact, the decisive nature of it.
However, things changed after Xue Di merged with the soul bones of the twin beasts from the other side. With her newly acquired soul transformation skill, her original rapier had shifted forms, becoming a broadsword instead. That alone changed Xiao Qiang's mind.
He had plans to develop his own sword technique in the future—the Heavenly Fire Holy Judgment. Since that would also involve a broadsword, learning from Xue Di suddenly seemed worthwhile. And so, he asked her to teach him.
Xue Di believed the fastest way to improve in swordsmanship was through combat. Conveniently, Xiao Qiang possessed the Huan Hai Yi Meng soul skill, allowing him to pull others into a consciousness space for battle.
Using this advantage, Xue Di agreed to spar with him. She suppressed her level within the consciousness space to match Xiao Qiang's. But even at the same level, it took her less than half an hour to kill Xiao Qiang over fifty times.
Her swordsmanship, refined through hundreds of thousands of years of battle, had earned her the title of Emperor Sword. Level suppression or not, Xiao Qiang—who had only just started learning—stood no chance.
Had Xiao Qiang not been aware of how one-sided this would be, and greatly reduced the pain within the consciousness space, he might have broken down completely from the sheer trauma of being slaughtered repeatedly.
Even so, the residual pain increased with each death. The helpless feeling of dying over and over again was soul-crushing. If he hadn't been able to call for a break, he might've collapsed mentally under the pressure of that unrelenting massacre.
For the first time, Xiao Qiang truly understood what Huo Yuhao had gone through when he was sent into Dog Training Valley. However, unlike Yuhao, who didn't try to revive Alex or consider what would happen to Tian Meng and the others if he died, Xiao Qiang had his priorities in order. He knew what must be accepted and what must be rejected. And if Huo Yuhao ever stood in his way—he would kill him without hesitation.
"I know I'm bad at it, but I have to try," Xiao Qiang said, finally managing to speak. "It's only the first day. You should try something for ten thousand hours before deciding whether you're good at it or not. Failing early is normal. You earn the right to speak only after putting in the effort."
His body still ached. He'd nearly vomited everything he'd eaten the day before. But even so, Xiao Qiang managed to drag himself to a clean spot and lie down, slowly recovering.
"You're quite persistent when it comes to swordsmanship," Xue Di observed as she sat nearby.
Xiao Qiang shook his head weakly. "Not really. I just work hard at anything I think might be useful to me."
"That's strange. I've never seen you work hard at cultivation."
"That's because I don't think regular cultivation is efficient for me. My progress through normal training is mediocre. But when has my level ever fallen behind? I'm already Level 66 at age fifteen. My martial soul is ultimate-level. With my talent, I can afford to be lazy when needed and diligent when necessary. It's not about working yourself to death—it's about using the right skills at the right time."
He paused, glancing at her with confidence. "Leveling up depends on how you absorb spirit rings and seize opportunities that break the norm. If burying your head in training truly decided everything, the world would be full of Ultimate Douluo."
Xue Di stared at him quietly, her eyes thoughtful.
It was true that Xiao Qiang's soul had been developed by Tian Meng Ice Silkworm. But knowing Tian Meng's inherently lazy nature, would he really create something like a soul just because he was asked?
By all logic, Tian Meng should have been asleep the moment he brought Bing Di along. Yet, he'd stayed awake—conducting experiments, applying every ounce of his knowledge about soul beasts. He was exploring how to evolve the wisdom soul ring and even how to construct full-fledged souls.
He didn't seem like the waste Bing Di used to call him.
Before he became a genius, Tian Meng had also once been considered useless.
"So when you said, 'richness lies in numerology, not in hard work'—were you referring to plotting against Tian Meng Ice Silkworm?" Xue Di asked sharply.
"Ah? Plotting against me? What are you talking about?" Tian Meng's confused voice echoed in their minds.
Xiao Qiang had already grasped what Xue Di meant.
"She's referring to the wisdom soul ring, Brother Tian Meng. My rapid growth is all thanks to the wisdom soul ring—and later, the upgraded soul system you developed."
He looked up at the sky.
"To be honest… I pushed you, Tian Meng, because I believed you weren't a waste. You just lacked a little obsession—something to push you over the edge. That's why I tried to plant that seed in your heart. And it worked. You really are a genius. You created something unprecedented. The soul system with the evolved wisdom soul ring may never be surpassed in the future. Even though I believed you could do it, I was still surprised when you actually did."
"Ah—so that's what it was," Tian Meng said with a grin. "Come on, do you really think someone as smart as me could be manipulated so easily? I just wanted to prove myself! I didn't do it for him!"
Truthfully, Tian Meng had no regrets. Creating the upgraded soul system had never felt like suffering to him. It was a passion project—an opportunity to prove that he wasn't a useless glutton. And when Bing Di finally acknowledged him afterward, the satisfaction was something he couldn't describe.
The process had been enjoyable. The results—undeniably rewarding.
And so, Tian Meng, full of confidence in his intellect, refused to believe he'd been manipulated by Xiao Qiang.
With that matter put to rest, time passed quickly.
The next day arrived.
Xiao Qiang, still sore but recovering, was preparing to resume sword training with Xue Di. Just as he got into position, a sudden boom shook the surroundings, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
From the direction of the explosion, a fiery red three-headed mastiff was sent flying through the air.
Xiao Qiang's spiritual detection immediately locked onto the creature—and in that instant, his mind froze.
It was the auspicious beast.
Memories of the original plot came flooding back. The auspicious beast was under attack.
But something felt off.
This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.
Huo Yuhao wasn't in need of a ten-thousand-year spirit ring. He wasn't even a top-tier genius at this point.
So then… why was the plot unfolding like this?
What had changed?
And what was going to happen next?
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Pump up the power stone