Chapter 94: Training

Unable to summon one's Martial Soul meant being unable to use soul skills. For a Soul Master, this would reduce combat power by at least eighty percent. Even for someone like Xu Yang, it was still a reduction of at least fifty percent.

Xu Yang looked at Chen Xin with a puzzled expression, silently asking for an explanation.

"Aren't you here to learn the Seven Kill Sword Technique? I have used secret arts to temporarily seal your Martial Soul. This is the first step for a non-Seven Kill Sword Martial Soul user to learn the Seven Kill Sword Technique. From now on, you must train without using your Martial Soul," Chen Xin explained.

After giving this explanation, Chen Xin continued forward without hesitation. Xu Yang hurried to follow. This time, their training would be on foot—no transport tools were used.

Even the storage spirit device was taken away. If thirsty, they had to find water themselves; if hungry, hunt and cook for themselves. The goal was to temper Xu Yang's will.

At first, Xu Yang found this life fresh and interesting. But as the novelty wore off, he began to feel awkward and uneasy. In both his past life as a lowly peasant and his current orphan existence, he had never worried much about daily survival.

Now, although not starving every day, he often didn't have enough to eat.

As the sun set in the west, Xu Yang suppressed the hunger in his stomach and found Chen Xin standing on the grass, holding a wooden stick. Summoning the Sun Sacred Blade with an auxiliary soul bone, Xu Yang charged forward, swinging his blade to spar with Chen Xin.

Chen Xin was teaching him the Seven Kill Sword Technique, but not by demonstration or imitation. Instead, it was direct combat—the teacher guiding him with the wooden stick.

Chen Xin struck mercilessly. Each blow left a bluish-purple bruise on Xu Yang's body. After every training session, he was bruised and battered all over.

Fortunately, only his Martial Soul was sealed, not his soul power. His self-developed secret techniques could still be used to quickly recover and maintain training intensity.

He had already progressed from barely lasting ten minutes at first to half an hour now. Even when his arms felt powerless, he pushed himself to endure a little longer.

For Xu Yang, this was the best learning opportunity. As the saying goes, "The first step is the hardest." The initial persistence was undoubtedly the most painful. Once familiar with the pain, motivation to persevere would naturally grow.

After seven days of adapting with the healing secret art, he was used to this lifestyle. Each day, traveling, hunting, cooking during daylight, then sparring with Chen Xin at night, practicing the Seven Kill Sword Technique, meditating, and visualizing his cultivation.

Though harsh, Xu Yang's eyes grew brighter, his handsome face set with resolute determination.

A month later, the two arrived at a vast plain. Xu Yang's hair was messy, as if a dog had chewed it, but his eyes shone brilliantly like the sun in the sky—his spirit and energy clearly abundant.

Chen Xin took out a map, glanced at the nearby grassland, and smiled: "We've arrived!"

"Arrived where?" Xu Yang asked, looking at the empty grassland. Apart from a distant small valley, he saw no signs of life and frowned in confusion.

"This is your first training ground. According to information from the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect, there's a small pack of wolf bandits in that valley, about thirty in number. Your task is to kill them all!" Chen Xin pointed toward the valley, explaining their purpose.

Xu Yang's expression grew serious, his brow furrowing.

Wolf bandits were not to be underestimated. As hybrids of Gale Demon Wolves and humans, they possessed the physique, speed, and wind-control abilities of the Gale Demon Wolves, alongside human intelligence. Each wolf bandit had the strength ranging from Great Soul Master to Soul Sovereign level, and their bloodthirsty nature meant they would fight to the death—extremely difficult opponents.

Yet, Xu Yang was only a Soul Sect-level cultivator, with his Martial Soul sealed, facing thirty wolf bandits was a near-impossible task.

Moreover, among the thirty was surely a Wolf King, whose strength definitely exceeded Soul Sovereign level, making the challenge even more daunting.

Glancing at Chen Xin's indifferent expression, Xu Yang took a deep breath and his eyes hardened with resolve. "I understand."

Without hesitation, he charged toward the distant valley.

Watching Xu Yang's retreating figure, Chen Xin slowly ascended, murmuring with complex emotions, "Brat, if you want to learn my Seven Kill Sword Technique, you must experience killing! These wolf bandits are naturally bloodthirsty, fighting relentlessly. They're the perfect trial for you—not only to learn the Seven Kill Sword Technique, but to transform that awkward mindset of yours. No more overcautious hesitation before battle."

Caution itself was not wrong, but excessive caution was the reason Xu Yang couldn't unleash his full potential. In Chen Xin's eyes, if Xu Yang could fully exert himself, thirty wolf bandits were nothing—even for a Soul Sect cultivator.

Xu Yang's running speed was fast, but as he neared the valley, he slowed down, lowering his steps and fully concealing his soul power within, silently sneaking forward.

Facing thirty wolf bandits at the level of Great Soul Master or even Soul Sovereign, a frontal assault was pure folly. His goal was to silently eliminate as many wolf bandits as possible, especially the Wolf King.

Near the valley entrance, Xu Yang spotted four wolf bandits patrolling, with two on each nearby mountainside, forming a pincer formation guarding the entrance. Anyone approaching would be easily detected. Clearly, these wolf bandits were as intelligent as humans.

"It's impossible to enter the valley stealthily from the front. One wrong move and they'll be alerted."

Xu Yang frowned, carefully scanning the valley surroundings, seeking a way to silently eliminate the sentries and infiltrate unnoticed.

"These wolf bandits are clever, but ultimately beasts. They have no systematic knowledge of formations. I've found a weak spot—in the northeast corner of the left mountainside."

Soon, Xu Yang discovered a flaw and curled his lips into a cold smile. Although the terrain was steep there, climbing a hundred meters was easy for a Soul Master. He could silently climb up, eliminate the sentries on the left mountainside, and slip into the valley, waiting for the chance to assassinate the Wolf King.