Chapter 119: If You're Bad, Just Practice More

Ma Hongjun returned, having worked hard to reach level 30 only to come up empty-handed in the Sunset Forest.

Even though the soul beasts in the Sunset Forest weren't particularly high-level, the severely injured Golden Iron Triangle no longer had the ability to help him obtain a soul ring. Staying any longer would mean risking an attack from a high-level soul beast.

After learning the full story, Ma Hongjun felt resentment, and the targets of his resentment were none other than Dai Mubai and Tang San.

Having been terrified by Shen An, Ma Hongjun had no desire to provoke him again. This incident, which had cost him the chance to obtain a soul ring, only deepened his resentment.

As for Xiao Wu, she was both shocked and frightened. There was actually a Title Douluo in the Sunset Forest!

When she learned that Tang San had been severely injured and taken away by a mysterious person, Xiao Wu's fear turned into hatred directed at Shen An.

Yes, she blamed Shen An. She didn't dare to provoke a Title Douluo—that would be like delivering herself as a gift package.

'One day, he'll go to the Star Dou Forest. When that happens, I'll make sure Da Ming and Er Ming grind him to dust,' Xiao Wu thought with hatred.

But just as Xiao Wu was thinking this, in the Star Dou Forest, Da Ming looked at the lake, which was now only one-fifth full, and felt a surge of hatred as well.

A lake that had existed for a hundred thousand years, and now it had been drained by a cat. It had been sleeping naked for who knows how many days.

However, Er Ming's water-carrying speed had improved recently. Da Ming was pondering why when it saw a Titan Giant Ape holding a large basin of water in its massive hands, while also spitting water from its mouth.

Da Ming leaped out of the shallow lake in shock, glaring at the Titan Giant Ape.

"Er Ming! Change the water!"

——

Shen An's eyes gleamed with excitement as he stared at the small firecrackers and rockets in his hands. These items regenerated daily, making them incredibly powerful tools.

Although Shen An had previously obtained small firecrackers through draws, he had been reluctant to use them due to their scarcity. Now, with Tuffy's arsenal at his disposal, Shen An decided to test their power.

In the back mountains of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School, Shen An lit a finger-sized firecracker and quickly threw it, covering his ears tightly.

Tom and Jerry also shut their eyes and covered their ears. They had been blown up by these before, and it hurt.

"Boom!"

A bright flash of light and smoke erupted.

The firecracker exploded, leaving a charred crater. Shen An estimated that even a Soul Grandmaster like Yu Xiaogang wouldn't be able to withstand such an explosion.

Shen An took a deep breath. This kind of firecracker was probably the lowest-tier item in Tuffy's arsenal, yet it still had such destructive power.

Shen An looked at Tom, who was cowering with its head tucked in, and couldn't help but feel admiration. 'Tom is such a brave cat, daring to balance such a powerful firecracker on its nose.'

This wave of fame points was well spent. As for the small soul power experience packs, Shen An decided to save them for now. These items not only increased soul power but also restored it quickly.

Since using them now wouldn't push him to the Soul Ancestor level, it was better to save them for future battles, where they could have a significant impact.

Shen An felt that it had been a fruitful day, but he knew he had to keep pushing. Fame points were always in short supply.

The next day.

Chen Xin arrived early in the morning, full of enthusiasm. After improving his swordsmanship, he felt confident again. In his eyes, Tom's sword techniques were no longer as unfathomable as before.

Naturally, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong were also present. Chen Xin had been boasting about Tom's swordsmanship, and while they believed him, seeing was believing. They were curious to witness it for themselves.

Thus, early in the morning, Master Tom was forced to start its day, holding Shen An's Nine-Leaf Sword Grass while Jerry watched unhappily from the side.

'I, Jerry, am no less skilled than Tom. Why do you only pay attention to that stinky cat?'

Soon, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong witnessed Chen Xin, the pinnacle of swordsmanship in their eyes, being utterly defeated.

Tom had a temper when it came to being woken up early. Chen Xin had disturbed its sleep, demanding a sword duel, which put Tom in a bad mood.

As soon as the duel began, no matter how intricate Chen Xin's sword techniques were, Tom dismantled them with just a few strikes. By the end of the match, Tom had used its sword to carve four characters into Chen Xin's clothes.

Chen Xin stared at the four characters on his robe, feeling as if his years of swordsmanship training had been for nothing. It turned out that Tom had been going easy on him all along.

The four characters read: "If you're bad, just practice more."

Could such swordsmanship really be achieved by a human?

Oh, Tom's a cat. Never mind.

After the duel, Chen Xin stood frozen in place. Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong wanted to comfort him but didn't know how.

After all, Chen Xin had previously described Tom's swordsmanship as only slightly superior to his. Who would have thought that Tom hadn't been taking him seriously before? Now, with Tom's morning grumpiness in full effect, Chen Xin was utterly crushed.

After a long silence, Chen Xin finally spoke: "From now on, no one is allowed to call me the Sword Douluo. If anyone does, I'll lose my temper."

Shen An chuckled awkwardly. He had warned them not to disturb Tom in the morning. The cat's morning temper was no joke.

Shen An exchanged a glance with Ning Rongrong, and the two quietly slipped away with Tom and Jerry in tow.

For the next six or seven days, Shen An visited the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena daily.

This was the simplest and most straightforward place to grind fame points.

On one particular day, after defeating a Soul Ancestor opponent, Shen An teamed up with Ning Rongrong for a 2v2 match, crushing their opponents with ease.

The entire arena erupted in cheers for Shen An.

The audience loved nothing more than seeing underdog victories.

Unfortunately, the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena wasn't lacking in popularity, so they declined Shen An's request for consecutive matches.

Shen An looked at his rapidly increasing fame points and regretfully left with Tom and Jerry in tow. The Great Spirit Arena was great, but he'd have to return tomorrow.

This public appearance also made many factions take notice of the name "Shen An." Anyone capable of defeating higher-level opponents was undoubtedly a genius, especially someone like Shen An, who achieved such dominant victories.

As Shen An was leaving, he noticed a group of well-trained guards surrounding a familiar figure.

Xue Qinghe smiled and said, "We meet again, Shen An."

Shen An was also surprised to see Xue Qinghe. "Brother Xue, long time no see. I didn't expect to run into you here."

Of course, Xue Qinghe didn't mention that he had instructed his subordinates to keep an eye on Shen An's movements. Upon learning that Shen An was at the Great Spirit Arena, Xue Qinghe had orchestrated this "chance" encounter.

As the only person on the continent with innate soul power of level 20 and a divine-level martial soul, Xue Qinghe harbored a highly self-assured heart beneath his humble exterior.

To put it bluntly, even the so-called Golden Generation of the Spirit Hall was nothing special in his eyes. However, Shen An was different.

Whether it was Shen An's martial soul, which was no less impressive than the Six-Winged Angel, or his unchanging attitude upon learning Xue Qinghe's true identity, Shen An had left a deep impression on him.

Xue Qinghe waved his hand, signaling the guards to disperse, and walked up to Shen An, extending his right hand. "Shen An, you came to Heaven Dou and didn't even look for me first. I'm disappointed."

"Haha, I was afraid Brother Xue would be too busy with official matters to spare time for a layman like me," Shen An replied with a smile, shaking Xue Qinghe's hand.