"Sparring? Lying on the ground and sparring? What kind of behavior is this? How did your parents raise you? Judging from the looks of it, you must be this year's first-year students. Flirting at such a young age—what will you become when you grow up?"
The teacher's tirade rattled off at them like popping beans. Tang San stole a glance at Xiao Wu, and Xiao Wu was already looking at him, sticking her tongue out at him.
Hearing the teacher mention their parents, Tang San couldn't help but say, "Teacher, we really were sparring with Soul Skills." He had only heard the term "Soul Skill" from Wang Sheng earlier that day, so this was rather apt on-the-spot application.
The female teacher gave him a look of disdain. "You just enrolled in the academy—what Soul Skills could you possibly have? At least come up with a believable lie. Come on, come with me to the administrative office."
"No." Tang San and Xiao Wu answered almost in unison.
Tang San said earnestly, "Teacher, we really were sparring with Soul Skills. How about this—we'll demonstrate for you."
Xiao Wu patted her chest. "I'll do it. Teacher, if you don't believe us, I can spar with you too."
Before the female teacher could react, Xiao Wu had already sprung to her feet. True to her Rabbit Martial Soul, she jumped remarkably high—more than a full meter off the ground—her hands reaching straight for the teacher's neck.
The height of Xiao Wu's leap startled the female teacher, who instinctively raised both arms to block Xiao Wu's arms.
Tang San laughed to himself. This teacher was probably about to have a bad time.
He didn't know the full extent of Xiao Wu's abilities, but he was very clear about his own. Although his Mysterious Heaven Skill hadn't advanced to the next level, relying on his natural physical strength combined with the first-level peak of the Mysterious Heaven Skill—and setting aside the extra abilities granted by Martial Souls in this world—even an opponent whose cultivation was slightly higher than his would be no match for his Tang Sect martial techniques.
And Xiao Wu was the person who had just defeated him. Her Soul Skill was so peculiar and bizarre that anyone facing it for the first time would almost certainly suffer for it.
Sure enough, the female teacher's hands were entangled by Xiao Wu's arms almost the instant they made contact. In the next moment, Xiao Wu's scorpion braid lashed out, wrapping precisely around the teacher's neck.
This was, after all, only an elementary Soul Master Academy. The teachers were generally around the level of Great Soul Masters—most at approximately rank twenty-five. In principle, any Soul Master below rank thirty would be nearly impossible to possess their own Soul Skills. These teachers were far below Tang San in terms of combat technique. Moreover, this female teacher, facing two first-year students, naturally had no intention of using her Martial Soul. She herself was a Tool Soul Master, primarily a support type. And so, in barely a single exchange, she had already taken a serious disadvantage.
Xiao Wu's scorpion braid wrapped firmly around the female teacher's neck while her arms locked the teacher's hands in place. Her leaping legs kicked out simultaneously, landing squarely on the teacher's abdomen. The instant these movements were completed almost all at once, Xiao Wu's upper body snapped violently backward, the braid and her hands pulling back hard. A faint glimmer of white light could be seen shimmering around Xiao Wu's body.
The teacher cried out in alarm as she lost her balance. Xiao Wu's hands released at just the right moment, executing a back handspring as her legs kicked and pushed, sending the female teacher's body flying.
Xiao Wu was not nearly as gentle with the teacher as she had been with Tang San—this kick sent the teacher's body a good three meters before she crashed heavily to the ground. Even with the female teacher's Soul Power protecting her body, she was thoroughly dazed for a moment, unable to tell east from west.
Xiao Wu walked over to the female teacher, blinking her big eyes with an expression of perfect innocence. "Teacher, are you all right?"
The female teacher channeled her Soul Power with some difficulty and managed to climb to her feet. She stared at Xiao Wu, her eyes flickering with a mixture of shock and uncertainty.
Soul Skills—yes, they were definitely Soul Skills. Otherwise, even if she wasn't a Battle Soul Master, there was no way a girl that young could have thrown her. And when Xiao Wu had locked her arms, they had suddenly become incredibly flexible and supple—that had to be the effect of a Martial Soul's innate ability. Just who was this girl?
The female teacher could perhaps afford to dismiss Xiao Wu herself, and she believed that with her Martial Soul deployed she could certainly subdue the child. But she had to consider Xiao Wu's background. Generally speaking, the powerful Soul Masters across the continent inherited their Martial Souls through family bloodlines. For someone so young to already possess Soul Skills spoke volumes about how formidable her Martial Soul must be. The female teacher couldn't help but feel uneasy. She was merely a Great Soul Master, and behind this girl could very well stand the power of an entire Soul Master clan. That was not something a commoner-born Soul Master like herself could afford to provoke.
"You two—from now on, if you want to spar, don't do it on the training grounds. There must be a teacher present to supervise. Understood?" The female teacher delivered a few curt instructions and slunk away, thoroughly humiliated. In her mind, she had already decided that tomorrow she would look into this girl's background first thing.
Watching the female teacher's retreating figure, Tang San lowered his voice and asked Xiao Wu, "What was that move just now? It seemed pretty impressive."
Xiao Wu said with a touch of pride, "I already held back. If I hadn't, the consequences would have been much worse. It's called Rabbit Kicks Eagle—it's my most prized technique." At this point, she suddenly fixed Tang San with a wary look. "Why are you asking so specifically? Trying to figure out how to counter it next time?"
Tang San shook his head helplessly. "You're obviously judging a gentleman by the heart of a petty person."
Xiao Wu snapped, "You dare call me petty? Then let's keep sparring!"
Tang San looked at Xiao Wu and found himself at a loss for words. This girl seemed to have gotten addicted to bullying him. But if she wanted to spar, he certainly wasn't going to back down. He curled a finger at her. "Then come at me."
Xiao Wu was right beside him. Without hesitation, she swung a palm at him.
Having learned his lesson twice already, Tang San wasn't about to let her wrap him up so easily. He knew that against an opponent like Xiao Wu, who had countless close-range techniques at her disposal, maintaining distance was the best approach. His body flickered as he retreated rapidly, already several meters away.
(End of Chapter)