Chapter 11: Grueling Training, 3 months, Mission and Interruption.(redone)
Chapter 11: Grueling Training, 3 months, and Mission (redone)
Original titled was Grueling Training, 3 months, Mission and Interruption (felt it was a bit too longer on Web Novel as titles get cut sometimes if you aren't careful which i wasn't since this is my first book)
Original word count = 1508 on 6/27/2023
New word count = 1677 on 8/5/2023
(3rd person pov-Qian Xunji's office)
"What do you have to report about their first meeting? Was there any trouble?" Qian Xunji asks Ghost Douluo who is also in his office.
"That kid is a bit cheeky. Upon meeting Bibi Dong, he set up a hierarchy through pure reasoning. She got angry and they fought. He didn't harm her but her ego had been damaged. I found that she has been training more diligently in an attempt to surpass him" Gui Mei explains the circumstances.
"Good good, a proper rival to spur her own. I feared that she was letting her title get to her and would be like those clan young masters who can only flaunt her status.
"She did do that a bit but it was quickly shut down in the argument of strength. My only worry is that he has started using strange words that don't fit him"
"Come now, What can he say that would agitate you so that depicts him as anything other than childish?" Qian Xunji immediately shoots down the idea and dismisses the Ghost Douluo
(Back to the group from where it was left off)
With the introductions out of the way, Xue Tie and Bibi Dong began their training under Shi Yu. Both suffered equally under his hand. Xue Tie learned more martial arts and his endurance and strength were increased since he would be overstretching if he attempted agility as well. Meanwhile, Bibi Dong was taught strategy and bits of agility to make use of her spider limbs as well as positioning for better webbing control.
She has learned to set it up as traps by adjusting its viscosity to be more sticky instead of acidic. Outright turning her spirit skill into 2 abilities, a trap-control and assault-acidic. Xue Tie instead became stronger physically which naturally boosts the power of his gloves or even the manipulation of his trident since the martial arts he learned can be incorporated with it. Or even just advancing more into his trident-spear art.
Bibi Dong and Xue Tie regularly spar as well. But Xue Tie has never let Bibi Dong win. Maintaining his position as Big brother to be even more solid. Though she was able to force Xue Tie to use his 2nd spirit skill, BloodBoon against her which does indicate an increase in strength. This is afterall, under the scenario where she doesnt use her 2nd martial spirit. And thus Xue Tie is also restrained from using his 2nd martial spirit. Granted even when he uses his 2nd spirit ring, he only does it to burn the webs themselves and nothing on Bibi Dong of course. He doesnt want to actually hurt her physically.
Which is where a matter of confusion arose.
During the course of the 3 months, Xue Tie's gloves have grown noticeably heavier, and while their size or length hasn't increased, except when he rose by 3 levels, reaching level 26. It's only that Xue Tie's martial spirit has grown thicker without increasing in size, leading to a situation where his defenses grow stronger over time.
His teacher was surprised at the level of his defenses around his hands due to it being comparable to being possessed by a beast martial spirit at a stage higher than himself. So, a level 26 Spirit Grandmaster at 6 years old having defensive power equivalent to a level 30 Spirit Elder
Though the most difficult part of their training was working together against their instructor. Bibi Dong just simply declines any attempt to work with Xue Tie while he is passive about it and simply supports her but as revenge, Bibi Dong regularly changes her fighting style to throw off Xue Tie. This ends up with both of them covered in bruises. But Xue Tie's ever increasing defense allows him to hold on much better than her, even when he takes the effort to protect her from her own mistakes.
Overall there is only one real complaint regarding the Spirit Hall. Food diversity, they are located in various cities and towns all over the continent and need to stock all those places. Expenses build up and so most food is fairly repetitive, which means.
Moar Rice.
'Damn it. Ill introduce some proper fucking food to all these people once i have the power. I don't care if they don't like the change. That is what natural selection is for. I take away the rice, they will treat it as something expensive and rare and thus make do with proper food like potatoes and meat. What was that, cows increasing CO2 levels, fuck it. We have spirit power, just hire an elemental spirit master to change the weather. Problem solved'
Xue Tie rants to himself one night after another boring meal. Sure it's good and provides him with plenty of energy due to it including meat from low level spirit beasts. 'It's definitely higher end food but it's just so repetitive.' Xue Tie had begun asking for leftover bones from various animals that the Spirit hall cooks and they don't want.
He was provided a small storage device in his room to keep the bones cool until he could get to work. He got this after trading a favor with his teacher to get one for him. (A/N: essentially a mini fridge since those are still fairly expensive but he gets a salary so he made due. It is technically half an artifact due to it running on spirit power rather than battery or some other energy. And no, he cant afford a storage item like Tang San's just yet)
With the 3 month training period over, Bibi Dong has also reached level 20 and requires her 2nd spirit ring. Shi Yu, their instructor, had decided to take a mission near Great Star Dou Forest. This was done so after making some minor contributions to Spirit Hall, they would then go get a spirit ring for BiBi Dong.
After receiving permission from Qian Xunji and acquiring a suitable mission, the trio of Shi Yu, Bibi Dong and Xue Tie had left Spirit City and began making their way South. It is a week's journey before they arrive at their destination. Bib Dong and Xue Tie calmly cultivate while inside the carriage as their way of passing time as they had been quarreling like usual just before entering and so now Bibi Dong is in a bad mood.
On the other hand, Xue Tie is simply enjoying himself. He feels closer than he has ever been to someone in this life.
'Yup, she is definitely fun to tease. Gonna need a doctor to come check up on me should it ever get out of hand and I'm attacked but I can handle her for now. Unless she hits me when i don't expect it then i'll be fine.'
The carriage faces very few interruptions. Mostly resupplying at various cities, yet before they could reach their last destination. They had encountered quite a troubling obstacle. A trap. A very obvious one at that. A set of trees had fallen along on the road and so we are forced to stop and move the trees out of the way. The instructor Shi Yu told Xue Tie to do it as training since he needs to build up his physique more since he is still growing.
The thing is that the trees aren't even indigenous to the area and already quite damaged in multiple locations from low quality axes or even being thrown/dragged around for a long time. Essentially all the trees are long dead and have moss on them….which is growing on the opposite side of the way they are laid down.
So begrudging being sent first to an obvious trap. The boy begins shifting the giant trees of this area. It takes him an hour and only when he finishes does a set of 12 people show up. Most have swords, pitchforks and various size clubs or hoes and shovels.
"What's this, the local recruitment area for the nearby farm house? Sorry but i'm not interested in dealing with cow shit. Though i will buy a chicken off you if you have one to offer. Need to spice up my meals during the rest of my journey" Xue Tie says upon seeing their pitchforks and clubs
"Hehe, seems we got a wise kid over here. SHUD'up unless you wanna be knocked over the head. You collect all the money from the carriage you came from and we might be kind enough to let you join us. After All, that do be looking like a fancy carriage there. Sure to be full of valuables." One of them says,
"You are correct sir. There are plenty of valuables, but none more than a 7 year old girl that I call my little sister. Granted her status is a bit too high for vagabonds like you all"
"Oi, brat, don't be going all jolly just cause we haven't bashed you upside the head. Who cares about your sister? Probably ugly as a cow. Now get the money from inside and we won't kill you all." They say getting more aggravated and committing a sin worse than the original 7. They insulted BiBi Dong, the future wife of our 'friendly' MC.
In fact, he is so friendly that when one of the bandits tried to push Xue Tie back to the carriage. He was delivered the most gracious gift he could be given. A quick Death via a trident through his eye that pierced his brain.
With his body collapsing, the remaining 11 are startled and one of them yells out "GET HIM". They all charge at Xue Tie.