"It looks like being wrapped in black fungus is also effective."
Tang San nodded to himself in satisfaction. Then, without wasting any time, he began teaching Guangling how to read and write. He wanted her to become familiar with the most commonly used characters before the school term began at Nuoding Academy.
Next, he turned his attention to testing Xiao Wu's physical condition following the acquisition of her second soul ring.
He soon confirmed one of his longstanding suspicions—that a 100,000-year soul beast, even after transforming into human form, would still be affected by the enhancements granted by a soul ring. The Soft Boned Rabbit martial soul had undergone subtle changes as a result.
This validated one of his critical theories: that a transformed 100,000-year-old soul beast was essentially a human now, no longer a beast.
Physiologically, their bodies were fully human, down to internal organs and biological functions. But due to their soul beast origins, their martial souls maintained perfect compatibility with their new human bodies. Although this couldn't yet be confirmed with total certainty, based on existing examples—and barring unusual mutations—Tang San felt confident in the conclusion.
Their martial souls could still generate a soul ring of 100,000 years based on their cultivation history. The soul skill granted could even evolve based on their will. However, the martial soul itself would inevitably change, influenced by the enhancement of the soul ring.
In short, while the ring might be "perfect," the soul skill might not.
So what if they had lived for a hundred millennia?
Most of their lives were spent in primeval forests. At most, they had an understanding of local soul beast populations and behaviors. Beyond that, they lacked comprehensive knowledge or strategy.
In essence, a freshly transformed 100,000-year-old soul beast was little more than a human child with a reservoir of cultivation and a very eccentric personality.
"Now that the test is over," Xiao Wu summarized, "the soul skill Wind Listening mainly enhances my spiritual power. I can sense air vibrations, which sharpens my five senses and allows for more precise control of soul power."
"According to your classifications, I'm now a close-range assassination-type agility attack soul master. But right now, I only have one offensive soul skill—Waist Bow. If I run into an enemy with strong defenses, I can't do much other than harass them."
"That's true," Tang San nodded. "So, while you continue practicing soul power control, you also need to expand your combat methods."
As he spoke, he took three short knives out of his white jade belt—two forged from iron, and one made of wood without a handle.
"I'm going to practice with knives?" Xiao Wu looked surprised as she picked up the iron blades and gave them a few experimental swings. "These feel pretty handy. But… what's with the handle-less wooden one?"
"Exactly," Tang San said. "You're incredibly fast. It'd be a waste not to train with short blades or daggers. Remember, outside of official Soul Master Competitions, there aren't many rules."
"I chose short knives for you instead of daggers because they're longer—you gain some close-quarters capability without sacrificing agility."
"As for that wooden knife," he continued, "I want you to practice the Three-Sword Style."
"Three-sword what?" Xiao Wu blinked. "I don't have three hands."
Tang San pointed at her hair. "But you do have a third hand—your braid."
"You said you didn't want to cut it short, right? That long braid of yours is more than just decoration. In a formal duel, your opponent might not exploit it—but out there, on the road, there are no rules."
"That braid of yours? It's like a whip. But if you use it as a whip, it's dangerous. It's part of your body. If someone grabs it, you're in trouble. Plus, compared to an actual whip, it's too short."
"That's why—if you attach a knife to it and swing it properly, it becomes a hidden weapon. With the right technique, it could become a deadly tool."
Xiao Wu's eyes sparkled. She immediately grabbed the wooden, handle-less knife and passed her hair through the ring at its base. She tried a few swings—
"Ah!"
The knife rebounded and smacked her on the head, making her cry out in pain.
"That's exactly why I had you start with a wooden blade," Tang San said calmly. He summoned his Blue Silver Grass and gently healed the bump forming on her head.
"If you'd used an iron knife from the start, you might've seriously injured yourself."
Xiao Wu pulled out a mirror from her white jade belt and examined her reflection. Seeing that her face was unharmed, she sighed in relief.
"It's really hard to swing it with my hair…" she muttered. "What about the two short knives? Do you know any knife techniques?"
"I don't," Tang San admitted. "But at the end of the day, it all comes down to three words: fast, ruthless, and accurate."
"The two knives I forged for you have flat blades and no curvature. Their tips are slanted—not symmetrical like swords—so they're easier to stab with."
"You're already fast enough. If you strike the right place at the right time, that's all it takes."
"But…" he added thoughtfully, "I don't think you've even killed a chicken before. You'll need to train your mindset. Learn to be ruthless."
"I understand!" Xiao Wu nodded vigorously. "Fast, ruthless, accurate. Are those three enough?"
"Not quite." Tang San smiled. "When you return to Nuoding Academy, ask Teacher Zhang for advice. Her martial soul is a short knife—she has real experience with this kind of weapon. Bring her some gifts, and I'm sure she'll teach you."
"Also, speak with Teacher Li. His martial soul is a whip. He can help you train the swinging motion for your hair-knife technique."
"A whip? Got it." Xiao Wu nodded. She knew that whips were extremely painful weapons. With a single flick, the tip struck like lightning.
That was the whip-tip effect.
When swinging a whip, the energy traveled in a curved arc-like wave. As the wave moved toward the tip, its mass decreased—but due to conservation of energy, the velocity increased. In fact, the tip could even reach sonic speed.
If Xiao Wu mastered her scorpion-tail braid technique, it could theoretically strike as hard as a whip-crack—and with a blade tied to it, potentially lethally.
Of course, that so-called "instant kill" would only work if her opponent stood completely still and let her hit them. In reality, if she faced a Soul King head-on as a mere Great Soul Master, she'd be flattened by a single blow.
"As for your third soul ring," Tang San added, "you should already be considering which part of your body to strengthen, right?"
He smiled slightly. "If used right, your scorpion-tail braid could become an advantage—not a weakness."
"I know!" Xiao Wu puffed up her chest. "I'll strengthen my neck, right? After all, I need head and neck strength to swing my braid properly!"
Tang San sighed, exasperated.
"You're close," he said, "but… still a little stupid."