Chapter 116: True Luck

Romantina's words were shocking.

Xiao Wu: "???"

Tang San: "…" Once again, he questioned the name "San." Somehow, it always seemed to take on strange meanings.

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Zhou Qing snapped back to his senses and shouted at Romantina, "If you're going to have a breakdown, at least pick a better time! I'm injured, you know!"

He had first taken a surprise kick from Xiao Wu, then gotten his ankle entangled by the scorpion-tail braid on her head, resulting in another hard fall.

If it weren't for the Innate Meridians Diagram automatically activating to circulate his energy, he'd be bedridden for two or three days.

"Boo hoo hoo~ You have a mistress and now you're ignoring your legal wife? You're the worst kind of scum!" Romantina cried out with mock despair, her face blushing red—more like someone excited from betrayal than someone truly angry.

[Hey! Hey!! HEY!!!]

[This isn't some Japanese isekai light novel!]

Zhou Qing's inner thoughts were full of complaints.

"What mistress?" Xiao Wu snorted, "At best, he's just one of my many pursuers."

"Why are you getting involved in this mess?" Zhou Qing was stunned. He looked toward Tang San and shouted, "Little San, come get your future wife!"

"Don't pair people up like that!" Tang San, thrown off by Zhou Qing's words, countered, "Also, I'm only six!"

"When did I become his future wife?" Xiao Wu narrowed her eyes. "At most, he's just one of my admirers. And you—what exactly are you thinking at your age?"

"Sh-Slutty girl…"

Romantina got even more excited, staring at Xiao Wu in shock, as if witnessing the unimaginable. "Two-timing?! I thought only men did that! I didn't think you could be like that too. It's just—"

"Wonderful!"

"Being with you all might be the best decision I've made in my entire life!"

Zhou Qing collapsed back onto the ground, his gaze filled with existential despair—What kind of storyline is this even? I didn't transmigrate into some lewd Douluo fanfic, did I?!

Tang San remained silent, recalling an old saying from his previous life: "Emerging from the mud without being stained, washed by pure water yet not seductive."

A helpless thought.

Due to the Skydream Iceworm, the four of them had formed a real adventuring team—mainly consisting of Zhou Qing, Xiao Wu, and himself. They had learned things they weren't supposed to know, so they had no choice but to stick together.

So all he could do now was silently treat everything as a test—a test of his inner will. He believed he would never become some sort of pervert!

As for Xiao Wu?

At this moment, she was both angry and amused.

Angry—because Romantina had accused her of two-timing.

Amused—because Romantina's sincere attitude was somehow… touching?

[Damn it! I must be insane to think Romantina's craziness comes from genuine feelings!]

In the end, Romantina, Xiao Wu, and Tang San carried Zhou Qing together and brought him back to Dorm Seven so he could rest for half a day...

"Looks like I really need to start working on my training in physical combat—punches, kicks, movement techniques, self-created styles," Zhou Qing reflected as he lay in bed. His match with Xiao Wu had made it clear that without soul skills, all he could do was flail.

As for Tang San, there was no need to mention him. In the original story, even with just 10 ranks of soul power, he could kill a 400-year-old Mandala Snake using Tang Sect techniques and hidden weapons.

And Xiao Wu?

She was a 100,000-year-old soul beast in human form. Even though she had the Sky Blue Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape to protect her, she had likely fought many ferocious beasts below her level.

Only Zhou Qing was different. While his first soul ring ability was powerful, his overall combat foundation and experience were seriously lacking.

[Suddenly, I understand why the teachers at Shrek made students participate in soul battles...]

Why?

Because the Shrek teachers all came from rough backgrounds. Their battle techniques had been honed through actual combat.

But the skills they developed were based on their own martial spirits, and not universally applicable to students with different spirits.

So to them, the most effective and fastest way to improve a student's combat experience and abilities was through soul battles—especially the kind with loose rules. Fighting against a variety of martial spirit users not only broadened the students' horizons, but also helped them develop their own unique fighting style based on their martial spirits.

The risk, however, was high—

In the original story, Tang San brought out the Godly Zhuge Crossbow and distributed it among the Shrek Seven Devils, completely wiping out the Sadistic Battle Team who enjoyed torturing opponents. The anime toned this down to just "severe injuries"... but the point remained: in this kind of arena, any weapon—anything at all—was fair game.

If you encountered a soul master who didn't care about morals, you could die.

This was different for major sects and great clans.

Take the Clear Sky Sect for example. They had unique combat techniques like the Chaotic Wind Hammer Method and Clear Sky Nine Arts, which not only trained the body but could be used in battle without relying on soul skills. It was a win-win.

"If Tang San hadn't taught me all that knowledge about the body's meridians, and passed on the key techniques for Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step, Mysterious Jade Hand, Controlling Crane, Catching Dragon, I—someone without cheats, born as an ordinary civilian but with a gifted martial spirit—would have had no choice but to rely solely on soul ring abilities, fighting in soul arenas again and again, slowly forging my own martial arts skills."

Just as Zhou Qing was mentally refining his future plans—

Xiao Wu found out that Romantina would also be joining the mission to guard the soul bone auction, and she cheerfully tagged along to meet the other adventurers involved.

She just loved lively scenes.

Tang San's path was simpler. He went to the blacksmith shop to forge, collecting scrap iron and purchasing refined steel from the shop owner. He was working on crafting a sword blank.

"Tang San, you started forging this sword yesterday, didn't you?" the shop owner asked.

"Yes, boss… But don't worry, I've finished all my work for today. I just wanted to craft something for myself, and I paid for everything except the scraps," Tang San explained quickly.

"Haha, don't be so nervous. I'm not blaming you." The blacksmith, though rough in appearance, was kind at heart. He examined the sword blank Tang San had forged and said in amazement, "Your forging skill is exceptional. I'd guess you've already struck this blank over thirty thousand times? All the impurities have been driven out. Are you still going to keep refining it?"

"Yes."

Tang San resumed using the Chaotic Wind Hammer Method, hammering the sword blank as he spoke to the shopkeeper.

"I want to gift this sword to a friend who's helped me a lot. I hope it encourages him—to not hesitate, to not underestimate himself. He's capable… it's just that lately he seems lost, not quite himself. I hope he regains his confidence."

Ever since he had seen Zhou Qing show a moment of self-doubt, Tang San had resolved to do something to encourage him.

And so, he decided to forge this sword—as a gift to be given at the end of the semester.

"Your friend is truly lucky," the shopkeeper said with heartfelt emotion. He had been forging weapons for many years and could already imagine how remarkable this blade would be once it was complete.

"No,"

Tang San shook his head and smiled.

"Meeting him—that was my true luck."