"'Healing'?" Flandre asked cautiously. He'd never seen an Offense-Speed martial soul grant healing powers. In fact, it was generally impossible for a soul in one category to gain abilities from another—if it could, they'd be ill-fitting and of mediocre effectiveness.
(After all, why did God King Tang San even develop the Blue Silver Overlord Spear? Because he managed to turn his primary skill into a "Binding" soul technique. If you obeyed him, you'd stop questioning his methods. The man never intended to cultivate his martial soul properly—instead, he simplified combat by using Binding directly as a soul skill, with obvious pros and cons.)
"Crazy Diamond can repair broken or incomplete objects," Jodio began after a moment's thought. "With training, perhaps…"
"Which soul skill level grants that ability?" Flandre interrupted, excited by the possibility yet reluctant to have one student sacrifice himself for another. He already had an idea for Hongjun's issue—maybe that could solve it. After all, whenever Hongjun's condition flared, he 'threw the flag'… perhaps…
"Teacher, my martial soul is an External-Release type." Jodio summoned Silver Chariot again. In an instant, the Stand projected Jodio's image and swept its rapier through a patch of weeds, cutting them cleanly in two—demonstrating its speed and precision to Flandre.
"These External-Release Stands each have their own unique abilities," Jodio explained. "Repairing incomplete objects is just an ancillary trait; it doesn't diminish their combat usefulness. In other words, even if I mastered healing soul skills, I could still manifest these Stands to fight with full strength."
"But wouldn't that still weaken your battlefield effectiveness?" Flandre asked, still uneasy.
"No, no, no. Teacher, you don't yet grasp my healing power," Jodio shook his finger. "If my martial soul is incomplete, I can repair it—if my body is damaged, I can repair that too. You understand?"
"I understand. But do you plan to repair other people's martial souls for profit? Hire a squad of bodyguards?" Flandre countered. "Jodio, helping others is admirable—but true strength comes from self-improvement. Others' strength remains conditional."
"What if I punched the ground?" Jodio leaned forward, revealing another possibility. "What if I said I could repair the ground itself into any shape I desired?"
Truly, trying to explain this to these First-Dou era primitives was exhausting. And honestly, Jodio hadn't intended to solve Hongjun's martial-soul instability—he'd have left the Soul Hall behind if not for the Seven Monsters causing trouble in the future. That Hall's resources were a hundred times richer. He'd probably hit Level 80 by the time Tang San reached Level 40 in the finals.
"Teacher Zhao, you've lost your mind! I understood Jodio's plan. Stop asking—let's follow his idea," Zhao Wuji declared, arms crossed and veins bulging in surprise.
"You Ground-Wanderer won't understand how crucial ground-based combat is for us earthbound soul masters. We'll go with Jodio—who knows his own martial soul better than anyone?" Zhao continued.
"All right, let's do it," Flandre nodded, finally convinced.
"But shouldn't we also adjust Hongjun's soul ring?" Flandre asked Zhao.
"Teacher, I know someone named Ye Lingyun," Jodio spoke up again.
"That fellow is incredible—almost unbeatable among his peers. His soul skills and main focus are simple: defense and speed," Jodio explained.
"What about offensive power?" Flandre frowned. Defensive-Speed builds rarely developed, because their attack strength couldn't compensate. Most offensive-type soul masters pair offense with a secondary attribute—Power-Speed could be awkward. At the same rank, a single strike might not kill; few Speed-types could match raw damage. If you could keep up with their speed but not kill them, or kill them but not keep up… it made little sense. Yet Hongjun already had the attack baseline for his rank; he only needed someone to supply strong stamina.
"Invincibility," Flandre murmured in admiration. It sounded as if a Speed-Defense build might indeed be unstoppable—unless an opponent was both faster and stronger, they couldn't kill you.
"Is Ye Lingyun a master? Is he your relative, Jodio?" Zhao asked with a smile.
"He's the Cloud Bat, Soul Master Ye Lingyun," Jodio replied cheerfully.
"Of course," Flandre and Zhao exchanged knowing nods.
Jodio hadn't misled them—Speed-Defense builds were extremely potent. The core of Time Erasure was that you couldn't touch King Crimson while he freely moved—embodying "defense" and "speed" in one. And Ye Lingyun's vivid example proved the concept. What's an overpowered model? This is it: at equal rank, no one outran him; those who could catch him couldn't land a killing blow. Even if they managed both, they were exceptional talents—you couldn't fault them.
(Cite Ye Lingyun's performance in Super Beast Arsenal as needed.)
Now the only question was whether Ma Hongjun's martial soul could sustain such dual focus.
"If not, we'll scrap it—give him a Power ring for his Ninth Soul Skill and play him as an assassin," Jodio suggested. "At high enough levels, raw power can compensate. For ordinary souls, stick to a single attribute."
Jodio, steeped in MOBA strategy, knew the possibilities were vast. Different "equipment" (soul rings) could yield varied playstyles. Didn't Old Poison use an innovative build? It was still a technique.
"All tactics are noble; all paths to victory are sacred. Just avoid unnecessary casualties."
"We can try it—but Hongjun, what do you think?" Flandre asked.
"I'll follow Boss Jodio's lead," Ma Hongjun said, hands on his hips, legs crossed.
"I'll be damned—'Banana Split Punishment Hymn'?" Jodio's mouth twitched. Had the JoJo virus spread like a field-effect contagion? It must have.
"Boss Jodio wouldn't joke about this—he's willing to help a new friend. I trust him," Hongjun declared proudly.
"And besides, Boss Jodio's family must be remarkable. My soul is only Level 9 innate; he has no reason to mislead me," Hongjun added.
"Well said, Hongjun," Zhao Wuji exclaimed.
"Touching—yet I still have the final say," Flandre laughed, tapping Hongjun with both fists in a playful head-drill.
"Let his First Soul Skill prioritize defense. If it doesn't suit, it can serve as a protective skill for offense, allowing room for error," Flandre decided.
A low, rumbling crash echoed from nearby. Flandre spread his wings and soared skyward to investigate, while Zhao Wuji stood guard over the three youngsters. Such a disturbance could not be ordinary.
"It's a century-old Rock Python, likely hunting prey," Flandre reported as he descended.
A Rock Python was an Earth-type spirit beast with armor plating and immense girth—usually over ten meters long with rock-hard skin. It was living tank armor, crushing victims far more often than biting them.
"This is perfect for Hongjun," Flandre noted—though the Python favored heavy armor and strength, while Phoenix excelled in offense plus speed. The matchup would still test both.
"I'll take it," Jodio said at once.
"Teacher, once I absorb the Rock Python's soul ring, you'll understand my martial soul," Jodio waved off their concerns. He knew Flandre had many questions, but soon he'd reveal the secret.
Flandre, however, flapped up again. His Fourth Soul Skill erupted: dozens of wind blades shot from his wings toward the Python's vital points. The centuries-old serpent, unable to withstand a Soul Saint's assault, collapsed under the barrage—purely tortured and unable to fight back.
"Roar—Silver Chariot!" Jodio strode forward, summoned his Stand, and delivered the final precise strike to the Python's weak spot. With no doubt, the beast fell.
Flandre and Zhao exchanged glances—this was just the confidence of a privileged child. They said no more.
Shrek Academy never lacked monsters, nor students of status. Many well-born children simply never attended—but their presence remained possible. And graduates often found excellent posts through alumni networks.
"Perhaps this cohort will be different," Flandre stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"A 400-year-old Python, humph. Don't worry—I'll honor you. Someday I'll build you a memorial shrine," Jodio murmured with closed eyes.
"Now—the crux of theory begins!"
← To Be Continued