"What kind of move was that?"
Xiao Wu immediately smoothed her braid, carefully protecting it while curiously asking about Zhou Qing's earlier technique of borrowing force to counterforce.
She had never seen him use it before.
Was it something new he came up with?
"Controlling Crane and Capturing Dragon—a technique that redirects force. If soul power is applied, it can produce even more powerful effects," Zhou Qing explained with a smile. "After you caught me off guard last time, I started thinking about how to improve my combat skills without relying on soul skills. I managed to figure out a few things."
"So you used me as a test subject?" Xiao Wu pouted, displeased. "You're something else."
"Well, you're pretty tough-skinned now—"
"Who's tough-skinned?!" Xiao Wu cut him off angrily. "Whatever! I want to learn this move too."
"No problem, but you'll have to ask Xiao San—he's the one who taught me," Zhou Qing said. "Once Romantina learns it too, we can all practice together and improve."
As for Controlling Crane and Capturing Dragon, Zhou Qing had an idea: Could he combine it with his first soul skill?
First Soul Skill: Wing Chun—rooted to the earth, drawing power, unleashing explosive punches... Though it was a soul skill, Zhou Qing could feel the way his soul power flowed through his body, guiding the rhythm of his bones and muscles.
In theory, the effects of this first soul skill could be replicated even without activating it—though its power would be proportional to his soul power level, physical fitness, and mastery of body movement.
Controlling Crane and Capturing Dragon, while primarily a method of borrowing force to counterforce, also emphasized control—particularly the precise manipulation of soul power, but it also involved the body.
Zhou Qing's first soul skill allowed him to unleash a Moo Chun Ox, a construct of vital energy and soul power, but at its core, it was simply a concentrated burst of fist force.
Thus, the two techniques shared common ground.
Soul power was a given—with the Innate Internal Meridian Diagram, he could circulate and channel it freely. But vital energy was different from soul power. It required a deeper understanding of force control, even mastery of various power-release techniques, to truly grasp its usage.
Though Zhou Qing had early exposure to vital energy due to his martial soul—the Circulatory System—he could only barely touch upon it when his martial soul was active and his first soul skill was in use.
"Xiao Wu, do you know about vital energy?"
After Xiao Wu completed her second refinement of her soul ring, her physical abilities had improved dramatically—possibly reaching the level of a 400-500-year-old Soft Bone Rabbit. Because of this, Zhou Qing wondered if she might know something about it.
"Vital energy?" Xiao Wu frowned, activating her martial soul. A pair of rabbit ears sprouted from her head, and a spherical rabbit tail appeared at her lower back.
But what was different this time was that, after her martial soul manifested, a faint golden light shimmered across her entire skeletal structure.
Though the glow vanished in an instant, Zhou Qing saw it clearly—it was no illusion.
[Could this be Xiao Wu's passive ability after refining her soul ring a second time? Is it related to Invincible Golden Body?]
While Zhou Qing was still pondering the reason, Xiao Wu spoke up, "After completing the secondary refinement of my spirit ring, when I activate my martial soul possession, I can feel a surge of heat flowing from my spine through all the bones in my body, further strengthening my physique. Could this be what you called the power of qi and blood?"
"That heat—does it feel like your entire body is filled with energy?" Zhou Qing recalled his own state during martial soul possession and spirit skill activation. It was as if his whole body brimmed with energy, carrying an exceptionally unique scorching sensation.
This scorching heat was intense, seemingly capable of melting everything, yet it couldn't harm him. Instead, it made every cell in his body more active.
"Pretty much," Xiao Wu nodded.
"Then it's confirmed—it must be the so-called power of qi and blood." Zhou Qing couldn't help but feel envious. As a hundred-thousand-year-old transformed spirit beast, Xiao Wu was naturally gifted. After just the secondary refinement of her spirit ring, she had already come into contact with the power of qi and blood.
Moreover, Zhou Qing suspected this wasn't merely a superficial encounter—she might have even grasped a method of utilizing this power.
Perhaps Xiao Wu herself wasn't fully aware of the specific process or principles, only able to use it instinctively, similar to a passive skill from an already-formed spirit ring. But there was no doubt she had gained control over it.
"The power of qi and blood shouldn't just strengthen your physique in a simple way. In your future cultivation, every time you activate martial soul possession, you should try to sense the flow of that golden energy from your spine to your bones and strive to actively control this process," Zhou Qing advised.
"I believe that once you master its patterns, your strength will undoubtedly grow even stronger."
"Of course! I am Xiao Wu, after all!" Xiao Wu said proudly. "Once I master it, I'll teach it to you, Tang San, and Romantina, to see if you all can grasp this cultivation method too."
"No, during this process, you'll need to come back periodically to undergo inspections by the Sky Dream Iceworm within Romantina's body," Zhou Qing shook his head. He couldn't let Xiao Wu experiment recklessly on her own.
Only with him and Tang San—both knowledgeable about meridians and acupoints—supervising, and with the Sky Dream Iceworm controlling Romantina's body to observe Xiao Wu's entire process of mastering the qi and blood power through its spiritual detection skill, could they truly deduce the proper cultivation method for this power.
After all—
Xiao Wu was a hundred-thousand-year-old transformed spirit beast. What worked for her might not necessarily work for him, Tang San, or Romantina. They had to be meticulous.
"Ugh, so troublesome!" Xiao Wu immediately deflated at the mention of interacting with the Sky Dream Iceworm. She wasn't particularly fond of spending time with it.
It wasn't that she disliked the Sky Dream Iceworm, but as a hundred-thousand-year-old transformed spirit beast herself, she feared prolonged contact might one day accidentally expose her true identity.
From their brief encounters, Xiao Wu's impression of the Sky Dream Iceworm could be summed up in one word: an arrogant, narcissistic, and conceited—yet somewhat adorable—silkworm.
"This is a necessary step," Zhou Qing insisted. "The next few months in Notting City might be turbulent. We must further enhance our strength, whether it's for you to continue your dominant days at Notting Academy or for my own steady development."
"I get the reasoning, but—"
Xiaowu roared, "How exactly was I acting like a tyrant at Notting Academy? I'm not some kind of villain or anything!"
"Huh? Aren't you? Then why do I get the feeling all the teachers and students at the academy are terrified of you?" Zhou Qing feigned contemplation, tilting his head with innocent confusion in his eyes.
"That's respect!"
Xiaowu was so angry her rabbit ears stood straight up, her teeth grinding audibly—she truly looked like an enraged rabbit about to bite someone.