Romantina also picked up a blueprint depicting a soul guidance core formation and examined it carefully. "So this is the core that makes soul guidance devices function?"
"Exactly." Tang San selected ten untested blueprints from the pile and suddenly thought of something. Turning to Romantina, he said, "Speaking of which, Romantina, your martial soul is the brain—a mental-type one. If you were to study these, you'd pick them up incredibly fast."
"No way, absolutely not!"
Romantina immediately shook her head. Just because her martial soul was the brain didn't mean her actual brain was that advanced. The dense, intricate patterns on the blueprints gave her a headache just looking at them.
Study?
How many years would that take?
"Then I'll take my leave." Seeing Romantina's lack of interest, Tang San didn't press further. He simply bid farewell to Zhou Qing.
"Wait."
Zhou Qing stopped Tang San and asked, "Can you teach Romantina the Eye Training Method?"
"It's up to you." Tang San smiled faintly, unconcerned about Romantina learning the Purple Demon Eyes. After all, she and the Skydream Iceworm had helped him complete the secondary refinement of his soul rings—that alone was reason enough to teach her the technique.
"Thanks."
But the moment the word "thanks" left Zhou Qing's lips, Tang San's expression darkened. He said sternly, "Between us, is there any need for thanks? Do you still consider me a friend?"
"Hahaha!" Zhou Qing was taken aback, then burst into laughter. "Fine, from now on, if I come across any good stuff, I'll just keep it for myself. Don't regret it later."
"Don't worry—you won't make me regret it."
A smile returned to Tang San's face.
Watching Tang San's carefree retreating figure, Zhou Qing felt a pang of guilt. After all, he had always planned to use Tang San in the past, but now...
"Eye Training Method? Is it for training the eyes?" Romantina asked curiously.
"Yes, one of the legacies left behind by the Soul Sage of Holy Soul Village." Zhou Qing attributed the origin of Tang San's technique to the Soul Sage, since Tang San himself had used that excuse.
"Did you learn it too?"
"No."
Zhou Qing's Innate Meridian Diagram cultivated the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit simultaneously, so he hadn't practiced the Purple Demon Eyes. However, he had studied some of its mental energy application techniques to complement his own cultivation method.
"I'm not asking you to follow the Purple Demon Eyes' training method exactly. You should focus on meditating on your martial soul and how it guides the flow of soul power and mental energy. Adapt the mental energy techniques from the Purple Demon Eyes to suit your own needs."
"So, for the next while, you'll need to study the basics of meridians and acupoints with me. You'll also have to locate them in your own body through comparison."
Romantina gave an awkward laugh and tried to leave, but Zhou Qing grabbed her. "Don't even think about running. Since we're in this together now, you have to learn this."
"Ahh, let me go! Don't force me~ No! Really, no!" Romantina flailed her tiny fists, eyes squeezed shut, lips pursed, struggling violently.
But her protests were in vain.
Without the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's possession, Romantina, a twelve-year-old girl, was already physically weaker than Zhou Qing, a six-year-old who had reached the fifteenth rank as a one-ring Soul Master.
"Don't call me that so intimately. If outsiders hear, they might think we're in a teacher-student romance," Zhou Qing said flatly.
"Isn't that the case?"
Romantina blinked her eyes, looking as innocent as a little lamb.
But Zhou Qing wasn't about to let her off the hook. He pulled out a meridian atlas and handed it to her, saying, "Memorize this. Every three days, I'll test you on how much you've retained. Only after you've mastered this will I give you the next part. Also, keep this atlas with you at all times—don't show it to outsiders to avoid unnecessary complications. These things shouldn't be made public at this stage."
"Oh." Romantina flipped open the atlas and was immediately overwhelmed by the dense network of meridians. The so-called "teacher-student" dynamic felt completely reversed—
She was supposed to be the teacher!
And yet, being ordered around by her "student"...
Somehow...
It felt kind of thrilling!
Seeing the drool at the corner of Romantina's lips, Zhou Qing instinctively took a few steps back, retreating to the library entrance before bolting outside without a second glance.
[This girl is hopeless!]
Shaking his head inwardly, Zhou Qing arrived at an open space, pondering how to improve his combat skills—specifically, his physical techniques—without relying on soul skills.
Sparring with Tang San?
That was one option, but most of Tang San's combat methods leaned toward the "underhanded" side. Whether it was Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track or Mysterious Jade Hands, none were suited for direct confrontations.
Then again, the Tang Sect was fundamentally an assassination-oriented sect. Its techniques and fighting styles weren't meant for open battles like those in the Spirit Arena.
Besides, aside from essential studies and cultivation, Tang San spent most of his time forging and researching soul tools and hidden weapons. He wouldn't be available for sparring anytime soon.
"Hey, Zhou Qing, not holed up in the library today?"
The school bell rang, and Xiao Wu emerged from the teaching building, immediately spotting Zhou Qing gesturing something on the field. She grinned and teased, "Did you lose to me last time and now you're secretly training to win?"
"You came at the perfect time—let's fight." Seeing Xiao Wu, Zhou Qing's eyes lit up. This hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form was the ideal training partner!
True combat experience had to be honed in actual battle!
During her time as a soul beast, Xiao Wu likely hadn't fought human Soul Masters, but as a naturally combative rabbit, she had probably sparred with the lenient Sky Blue Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape. She might have even demanded they capture weaker carnivorous soul beasts for her to practice against.
Moreover, after taking human form, she had trained in so-called "soft skills"—likely a self-created fighting style developed by her mother, who had transformed earlier, based on their human bodies and martial soul traits, before passing it down to Xiao Wu.
In short, she definitely had plenty of unorthodox but rich combat experience.
"Fine."
The moment she spoke, Xiao Wu's figure blurred forward at near-teleportation speed, stopping abruptly in front of Zhou Qing just like last time. She planted one hand on the ground, flipped into a handstand, then arched her back and kicked straight at him.
But Zhou Qing was already on guard. At that critical moment, he stepped back with his right leg, twisted his body to the side, dodging Xiao Wu's rabbit-kicks-eagle strike while simultaneously grabbing the ankle of the leg she'd kicked out with. With a powerful yank, he sent Xiao Wu flying backward through the air.
Crack!
Yet mid-air, Xiao Wu wasn't helpless. With a twist of her head, her scorpion-tail braid whipped through the air like a cracking whip, wrapping tightly around Zhou Qing's neck.
"Again?!"
Zhou Qing's eyes flashed with intensity. Grabbing the braid, he took a deep breath and planted himself in a horse stance, leaning backward. After a brief stalemate with the airborne Xiao Wu, he employed the Crane Catches Dragon technique—using her own momentum against her—and began spinning in place like a human windmill.
"Stop! Stop it! My scalp hurts!"
Snap!
Hearing Xiao Wu's shout, Zhou Qing released the braid. As it unwound from his neck, Xiao Wu went flying outward—only to execute a perfect 720-degree mid-air flip before landing in a graceful crouch.