Chapter 334: A Quiet Competition in Cultivation, The Small Forest by the Academy’s Back Hill

Seeing Xiao Wu sneakily hiding nearby, I couldn't resist the urge to play a little prank on her. Although I knew she was waiting specifically for me, I just had to tease her a bit, haha.

I initially sped off in the direction of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, vanishing in a flash. Knowing Xiao Wu, she'd be curious and would step out to look for me. Then I doubled back, catching her off guard. To my surprise, her reaction was much bigger than I expected, causing her to yelp in shock.

This, of course, attracted the attention of everyone around us, so we ended up with all eyes on us, practically socially "dead" right then and there. I had no choice but to scoop Xiao Wu up in a princess carry and swiftly flee the scene.

After that, we practiced a bit of, well… breathing exercises. It turned out that Xiao Wu didn't know how to regulate her breath very well. My original plan was to teach her everything last night, but our stomachs got the better of us. So we decided to grab a bite to eat, leading to yet another sleepless night.

After writing quite a bit, Su Ming figured he had made up for the previous day's lack of entries. Maybe I can get a little extra reward?

System: Dream on, even if it is daytime!

Naturally, Su Ming wasn't serious about it. After so many years, he knew the system's quirks all too well.

After reading the latest entries, the girls decided to get back to their own business.

As for Xiao Wu, she was exhausted. Aren't girls supposed to have the advantage in matters like this? So why did she always seem to lose when she was with Su Ming?

Every time, she'd be utterly defeated, left trembling, and forced to plead for mercy. Soul master battles aren't just about level; they're about actual strength!

With an hour left before class, Su Ming decided to check out the academy cafeteria. After last night's activities, he was starving. Heaven Dou Royal Academy's food had to be better than Shrek's, right? With this thought in mind, he headed off, realizing he'd yet to visit the cafeteria since he enrolled.

An hour later, Su Ming arrived at the small forest by the academy's back hill as planned. To his surprise, he saw Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling approaching from the opposite direction. They were early, despite not yet being at the agreed time.

Su Ming hadn't expected that two girls would arrive early like this. In his previous life, it was usually the guy who waited, while the girl, for various reasons, would barely make it on time—if she wasn't late.

What he didn't know was that after he'd mentioned wanting to surpass her in cultivation, Dugu Yan had become even more competitive. Her strength was hard-earned, and now that she was ahead of Su Ming, she couldn't afford to be overtaken. Her spirit's evolution into the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor had enhanced her talent significantly.

The combination of her newly improved cultivation method, the benefits of the immortal herb Su Ming had given her, and her newly evolved spirit meant she couldn't slack off.

Dugu Yan's diligence also inspired Ye Lingling. Though her talent hadn't changed, seeing her good friend so dedicated pushed her to train even harder.

The rest of the members of the Emperor Team had no team leader since Qin Ming was dismissed. With only nine months left until the Soul Master Tournament, they focused on their individual cultivation to be ready. The addition of Su Ming, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing threatened their positions on the main team. Despite their pride, they knew they couldn't afford to end up on the second team. They wanted to use the tournament to make a name for themselves!

Thus, an unspoken, intense competition began quietly, with everyone training hard for the tournament.

From afar, Su Ming waved to Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, calling out, "Over here!"

The three of them chose a secluded spot in the small forest to practice, since they would be attempting to use a martial spirit fusion technique—something best done out of sight.

Once they settled in, Dugu Yan took a step back and grinned at them. "Go ahead and do your thing; pretend I'm not even here. I'll just watch."

Su Ming: …

First, she tells us to pretend she's not here, then she says she'll watch. Make up your mind!

He had a pretty good idea why she insisted on staying. Besides her curiosity, she wanted to make sure nothing unexpected happened. After all, it was just him and Ye Lingling, two people alone in a secluded spot.

As much as Su Ming liked beautiful things, he wasn't desperate. He preferred things to unfold naturally.

"Ye Lingling," Su Ming started, "you've read up on what's needed to perform a martial spirit fusion technique, right?"

Ye Lingling's cheeks reddened slightly, and she nodded.