On the academy field, Xiao Wu felt confident.
Tang San had said he was an auxiliary-type soul master, while she—according to his own analysis—was an agility-based assault type.
By both logic and custom, she should be the one attacking.
But she was curious: how would an auxiliary soul master fight back?
"Come on, Little San." Xiao Wu smirked, striking a pose. "Sister Xiao Wu will give you the first move."
"Alright."
Tang San nodded, tightening his right fist. His Blue Silver Grass wrapped tightly around it like a bandage.
He didn't reject her offer. In truth, he had little real combat experience.
During the hunt for his soul ring, it had been Su Yuntao and Si Si doing most of the fighting. Ma Xiunuo had protected him the entire time.
When his turn came, all he did was chop down the Thousand Root Banyan—not exactly a battle.
So now, this would be his first real fight against a human opponent.
And Xiao Wu, despite her age, had the instincts of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form. That alone made her dangerous.
His only real edge?
Soul power.
He claimed to be level 13.
In truth, he was already level 17.
A deliberate deception—meant to keep attention off him.
—
As Tang San sprinted toward her, Xiao Wu rolled her eyes, unimpressed.
She lashed out with a punch.
But Tang San ducked it neatly, slipping low and aiming a grab toward her shoulder.
He had considered a more direct move—perhaps a neck hold—but decided to avoid anything excessive. This was a friendly spar, not a brawl.
"Huh?"
Xiao Wu blinked in surprise, then suddenly flipped back, her legs curling gracefully in the air and snapping around his armpits.
Her soul ring glowed.
First Soul Skill: Waist Bow.
Tang San instantly felt her legs tighten, lifting him upward in a seamless arc.
He reacted quickly, gripping her ankle to keep from being flung.
But that only ensured he went with the motion.
BANG!
Tang San hit the ground hard—spine first.
The slap of impact was sharp and clean.
Though Xiao Wu had pulled her strength, an average student would have been bedridden for weeks.
But Tang San had used his soul power to reinforce his body.
Aside from a jolt of pain, he was fine.
"Hehe~ Little San, you lost." Xiao Wu grinned.
"Not quite."
Tang San released her ankle, rolled to the side, and slapped the Blue Silver Grass in his palm against the ground.
As he darted backward, Xiao Wu folded her arms. "You're sturdy, I'll give you that. Makes you a good sandbag."
"Thanks for the compliment. But I'm still not much of a fighter."
Tang San smiled.
He raised his hand—and the ground came alive.
Within a twenty-meter radius, Blue Silver Grass surged upward.
Blades like vines, long and durable, began to twist and tangle toward Xiao Wu.
"What—?!"
Xiao Wu leapt reflexively, trying to escape the radius. But she couldn't fly.
The Blue Silver Grass grew dense and fast. Each leaf extended over ten meters, and they moved like trained snakes under Tang San's partial control.
She punched a few—but hitting grass wasn't very effective.
Rabbits ate grass, yes, but this grass wasn't normal.
It was as tough as vines from an ancient forest—imbued with the strength of a Thousand Root Banyan.
It wouldn't ignite easily, nor break under casual force.
Xiao Wu's Soft Boned Rabbit martial soul didn't include fire or cutting power. She was at a disadvantage.
She kept struggling, tearing through some, but the Endless Grass Field had three key advantages:
It drew energy from the earth itself.
Tang San only needed soul power to control, not maintain.
And most importantly: his first soul skill regenerated his soul power faster than he spent it.
It was an endurance match—and Tang San had more fuel.
Three minutes passed.
And finally, Xiao Wu was bound like a dumpling, tightly cocooned in Blue Silver Grass. Only her face was exposed—Tang San had deliberately left space so she could breathe.
"I think that makes it my win."
Tang San's voice was calm, but clearly satisfied.
"You win, okay?! Now let me go!"
Her cheeks were flushed—whether from exertion or embarrassment was unclear.
To be defeated in front of so many people… Did Sister Xiao Wu have any face left?
Tang San withdrew the Blue Silver Grass, and the field dissipated.
Some grass remained sprouting from the ground.
"You said you were auxiliary." Xiao Wu pouted. "But you're clearly control-type! You trapped me like a net. And just now, you approached me on purpose—to lure me into your range, right?"
"Technically, I am an auxiliary soul master," Tang San said.
He activated his first soul skill again. A fresh leaf of Blue Silver Grass wrapped gently around her waist, radiating vitality.
It soothed her sore muscles and restored her soul power.
"See? My main soul skill is to heal and replenish."
He paused, then added honestly:
"As for the close combat… that was me trying to get a feel for actual fighting. I've memorized thousands of fist techniques in theory, but when it comes to real combat—it's very different. You threw me down in one move."
Xiao Wu's expression softened a little.
"Okay… Since you won, and I'm a rabbit of my word, I'll keep my promise."
Tang San grinned. "We can put that aside for now. But let's keep sparring in the future."
"I need to improve my combat experience," he continued. "And you could use the practice against control-type soul masters. Better to get used to it now than be caught off guard later."
He extended a hand.
Xiao Wu stared at it for a second, then reached out and slapped her palm against his.
"Not bad. But I'll never be caught again," she said thoughtfully.
Then she smiled. "From now on, you don't need to call me 'Sister Xiao Wu.' You never did anyway. Just call me Xiao Wu. I'll call you Little San, how about it?"
Tang San shook his head.
"I can call you Xiao Wu. But you can't call me Little San."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm double standard."
He said it without thinking, then coughed awkwardly and corrected himself:
"I mean—because I'm more mature. I'm not a kid."
"…"
Xiao Wu was speechless.