Douro Continent

Chapter 371 A Sudden Understanding (Part 2)

Tang San had already realized the danger. To avoid Xiao Wu's long legs entangling him, he leaped into the air, intending to use the pull of her hair to change direction. But the hair suddenly slipped away, leaving him powerless, and his body was instantly thrown into the air.

No matter how magical the Ghostly Shadow Stalking technique is, there must be something to rely on. But how can Tang San rely on something at this moment?

Xiao Wu's earlier kick that wrapped around his waist was just a feint. As she pulled her hair back, she crouched slightly, then sprang up and chased after Tang San in the air.

Her soft little hands once again wrapped around Tang San's neck. Helpless, Tang San could only raise his arms to block. But were Xiao Wu's hands so easy to block? Her soft hands and boneless arms extended along Tang San's arms in an instant, successfully wrapping around his neck, and her whole body was pressed against him.

Tang San felt a tightening around his waist as Xiao Wu's powerful long legs wrapped around him. Whether it was her arms or legs, Xiao Wu's movements were incredibly supple, even more so than his own Blue Silver Grass. What was most terrifying was that Xiao Wu's suppleness was as smooth as her long hair. As soon as Tang San exerted his strength, the force he released was immediately dissipated by the slight undulations of Xiao Wu's delicate body.

If we were to use Tang San's martial arts from the previous world as an analogy, then Xiao Wu's current abilities were like the ultimate use of minimal force to deflect a great weight. No matter how hard you tried, you simply couldn't shake her off. Tang San's arms and neck were completely locked in place by Xiao Wu's arms, making it impossible for him to attack.

If he were facing an enemy, Tang San would only be able to charge headlong into them, but how could he bear to do that to Xiao Wu? What if he hurt her? Moreover, if Xiao Wu were truly an enemy, her waist bow should have been activated the instant it wrapped around his neck, giving him no chance to resist.

But Xiao Wu didn't activate her waist arch. Her black hair fluttered behind her, and the arms wrapped around Tang San's neck tightened, and the two of them descended from the sky face to face.

Even after his feet touched solid ground, Tang San still couldn't believe it was real. Looking at Xiao Wu, who was so close to him, breathing sweet fragrance, he was speechless.

Tang San was certain he hadn't been careless; he knew Xiao Wu's close-combat abilities, and from the very beginning, he had used Ghost Shadow Tracking. Yet, he still fell for it in the end. The key lay in Xiao Wu's long hair and the changes in her body.

Xiao Wu's close combat skills have clearly improved, but this doesn't seem to be something granted to her by her spirit rings. Tang San is very curious about how she managed to do it.

"I won!" Xiao Wu looked at Tang San with a grin, her legs wrapped around his waist and refusing to come down. The close contact made it possible to hear each other's breaths.

Looking at Xiao Wu so closely, Tang San's gaze froze. A flame seemed to burn within him, and his breathing became noticeably heavier.

Xiao Wu quickly noticed Tang San's change. The smile on her face gradually faded, and she gazed at him as well. With a slight movement, she released Tang San's arms, but her hands remained wrapped around his neck. Her breathing also began to become heavy, and she could even hear her own heartbeat accelerating.

"Chirp—" The cry of a night bird suddenly broke the silence. Tang San's mind cleared, and he quickly composed himself.

She's my younger sister, what's wrong with me?

Subconsciously releasing his hands from her waist, Tang San grabbed Xiao Wu's shoulders in a panic, turning his head to ask, "Xiao Wu, how did you do that? Your close combat ability seems... seems to have improved a lot." At this moment, all Tang San could do was change the subject; only in this way could he alleviate some of his inner embarrassment.

"Hmm..." Sensing Tang San's emotions cooling down, Xiao Wu gradually calmed down as well. However, she was unwilling to break off her contact with Tang San. Although her legs slid off Tang San, she still wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned her body against him, rested her head on his shoulder, and naturally revealed a faint smile on her face.

Tang San wanted to push Xiao Wu away, but hesitated. Xiao Wu then spoke up, "Brother, do you know why my close-combat abilities have increased so much?"

Tang San shook his head blankly. Although he was intelligent, he had now somewhat lost the ability to think.

Xiao Wu said, "I know the flaws in my skills, but I recently grasped the 'softness' aspect of soft techniques. Soul skills don't necessarily have to be granted by soul rings. True powerhouses also possess many abilities that are no less powerful than soul skills. Just like your Purple Demon Eye's mental impact, isn't that how it works? We all have a lot of potential, and developing one of them is a soul skill. Soul skills created by oneself can be understood more deeply and are more practical than those granted by soul rings."

Upon hearing Xiao Wu's words, Tang San was momentarily stunned, forgetting to push her away, and immediately fell into deep thought. Xiao Wu's words could be said to have opened another door for him. If Dugu Bo's earlier enlightenment had given him a rudimentary understanding of his future skill development, then Xiao Wu had cleared away the blur before his eyes, making everything clear.

Xiao Wu leaned on Tang San's shoulder and said, "Also, when we use soul skills, we can be more precise. The combination of our own soul skills and the combination of our partner's soul skills, although not a martial soul fusion skill, will definitely be more effective than one plus one equals two."

Tang San said in surprise, "When did you see things so clearly? This is exactly what I wanted to tell everyone. We can further improve our coordination in terms of soul skills, especially the coordination of our own soul skills. For example, with your current three soul skills, I think the best way to coordinate them is Charm, Teleport, and Waist Bow. Use Charm to stun the opponent, Teleport to close the gap instantly, and then unleash the power of Waist Bow. In this way, we can undoubtedly maximize our combat power. As long as the opponent is even slightly careless, they will have no chance to fight back."

Releasing her arms from Tang San's broad chest, Xiao Wu smiled at him in the moonlight and said, "Now that you've figured it out, I'm relieved. Brother, I believe you'll definitely be the best Soul Master. I won't bother you any longer, I'll be going now."

After saying that, she went into the wooden house, picked up the packed food box, and prepared to leave.

"Wait a minute." Tang San called out to Xiao Wu, took a few steps to her back, and carefully picked up her long hair that was already dragging on the ground with both hands.

"Let me comb your hair. Then you can leave."

A blush spread across Xiao Wu's pretty face. She handed over a comb and gently lowered her head.

His hair was two meters long and so smooth that it wouldn't normally require much effort to comb, yet Tang San spent a full half hour on it. Compared to last time, the braid he combed this time was much better, and in that tranquility and warmth, his heart suddenly became incredibly clear.

After Xiao Wu left, Tang San didn't return to the cabin. Instead, he walked into the forest and slowly strolled through the trees. He walked without stopping, using the cabin as the center. If you observed closely, you could see that his steps were very even, with each step covering almost the same distance.

What's even more peculiar is that Tang San always keeps his eyes closed and doesn't use them to see, yet he never bumps into trees and slowly moves forward along the most correct path.

A faint white light began to appear on him, and wherever he walked, the vibrant blue silver grass on the ground would sway gently.

And so, Tang San walked all night. When he returned to the wooden house to meditate after the night, the Blue Silver Grass in the entire forest seemed to have become more lush than before.

A month isn't a long time, but it wasn't easy for the Shrek Seven Devils. Tang San only spent ten days in seclusion in the wooden house. After ten days, he returned to his companions and underwent the master's grueling training with them.

The training the master gave them was not the same as before. In the master's own words, this training was called the Potential Unleashing Program.

What is potential unleashing? The master's explanation is simple: the greater the pressure, the greater the motivation, and the easier it is to unleash potential.

Therefore, this potential-unleashing plan involves constant battles. The Shrek Seven Devils face only one opponent: the Killing Horn, Liu Erlong.

Liu Erlong is not the strongest in the academy; her soul power is slightly lower than that of Zhao Wuji and Flander.

However, in terms of actual combat ability, neither Zhao Wuji nor Flander dared to face her. Her attack style was completely insanely oppressive, as frenzied as a volcanic eruption. She would not give her opponents any chance to breathe.

Before Tang San returned from the wooden house, Dai Mubai and the other six were subjected to daily torment by Liu Erlong's relentless attacks. However, after Tang San's return, the situation changed somewhat. Although they were still being abused, it wasn't as bad anymore.

"Seven in one!" Tang San shouted, his body retreating rapidly.

He was now completely unable to breathe, and the enormous flames transformed into a colossal dragon, surging forth and overwhelming him. Although he was immune to the flames, the immense impact they contained was something he could not withstand.

(End of this chapter)