Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated.
******
"Hah? What are you laughing at? Your physique is far too weak—you can't compare to those power-attack-type Soul Masters."
Lan Minghua glanced at Oscar, a hint of disdain in his eyes. As a support-type Soul Master, Oscar had always lived a pampered life. Other than running, he had done almost no training to strengthen his body. Flender's regimen for him focused almost entirely on escaping and self-preservation. Aside from being a fast runner, he was no different from any other weak support-type—a total pushover.
Oscar was speechless. Everything Lan Minghua said was true. Still, deep down, he desperately wanted to be stronger and not always have to hide behind his teammates.
"Then, Master, what do I need to do to become as strong as a power-attack type?"
Lan Minghua tossed him the book titled Indestructible Vajra. "Open it. The path to strength is inside."
Without hesitation, Oscar began flipping through the manual. In an instant, a torrent of information flooded his mind as the methods for cultivating the technique flashed before him. As he turned each page, the text on it vanished.
Each of these manuals was a divine text; only one person could learn from a single copy. For someone else to learn it, Lan Minghua would have to personally rewrite it. Those who learned from the manuals assimilated the knowledge as pure muscle memory, making it impossible to explain verbally. Even if their souls were searched, the contents of the manual could not be extracted. Thus, Lan Minghua could entrust them to his disciples without worrying about the techniques being shared without his permission. Never intend to harm others, but always be on guard against them. No one can ever be certain they won't be betrayed.
When Oscar finally reached the last page, he snapped out of his trance.
"What a powerful self-created soul skill! If I master this, my defense might even surpass Teacher Zhao's!" Oscar exclaimed, overwhelmed with excitement.
"So? Impressive, isn't it?"
"Impressive? It's unbelievable! Master, you're a genius! To create such a powerful soul skill on your own—it's even stronger than one from a ten-thousand-year soul ring!"
Seeing his excitement, Lan Minghua poured cold water on him. "Your physique is too weak right now. You don't even meet the most basic requirements to begin cultivating Indestructible Vajra."
Oscar's face fell. "Then how do I start, Master?"
Lan Minghua stroked his chin, thinking. "It's getting late. Go back for now. I'll tell you how to begin your training tomorrow."
Without giving Oscar a chance to ask more, he gave him a gentle push out the door and shut it.
Oscar stood before the closed door, gave a deep, respectful bow, and finally left, reluctant to go.
After sensing Oscar had departed, Lan Minghua began crafting soul tools.
"My Divine Ingenuity has reached perfection. Crafting a gravity-sensing bracelet and a devouring pouch should only take about an hour."
The gravity bracelet was to strengthen Oscar's physique, sparing him from having to foolishly run around carrying rocks. The devouring pouch was a spatial artifact—a gift for his new disciple. Even that good-for-nothing Yu Xiaogang had given Tang San the Twenty-Four Bridge Moonlit Night pouch; there was no way Lan Minghua would be outdone by him.
He set to work immediately, using basic materials as substitutes. After all, these were just temporary items; they didn't need to be of the highest quality.
Meanwhile, Oscar skipped back to his dorm. The moment he opened the door, a large hand seized him by the collar.
"Xiao Ao, why were you with that beggar?" It was Dai Mubai. Fueled by Ma Hongjun's exaggerated retelling, his grudge against Lan Minghua burned fiercely. Besides, ever since the incident, he felt he hadn't been quite the same… in a certain department.
"Boss Dai, I went to become his disciple! Teacher Zhao himself said my master's strength is no less than the Headmaster's!" Oscar didn't notice Dai Mubai's thunderous expression and continued to praise Lan Minghua's power.
As expected, Dai Mubai's rage exploded. He lifted Oscar and slammed him hard against the wall.
"Oscar, how could you betray us?!"
"Betray? How did I betray anyone?" Oscar was completely baffled. He had simply taken Lan Minghua, Shrek's new teacher, as his master. How was that a betrayal?
"Hmph! He humiliated Boss Dai and me in public, without a shred of respect. By becoming his disciple, you've betrayed us!" Ma Hongjun finally chimed in, twisting the facts as usual.
Dai Mubai nodded slightly, endorsing Ma Hongjun's version.
Oscar knew both of their personalities well and realized Dai Mubai had been manipulated. He exposed the lie immediately. "Fatty, don't you have any clue why my master hit you in the first place?"
"You couldn't find Cuihua to vent your evil fire, and you were too broke to find relief elsewhere, so you lashed out at a random person."
"You were lucky it was my master you ran into. If it had been any other Soul Sage, you'd already be six feet under."
Oscar had noticed earlier that Ma Hongjun hadn't managed to suppress his fire, but it was a common occurrence, so he hadn't paid it much mind. Though he had only met Lan Minghua a few times, he knew his master wasn't a troublemaker. In contrast, Ma Hongjun, who was raised on the principle that "only cowards don't dare to cause trouble," was the one who loved it. Oscar could guess what had happened without even seeing it.
His words seemed to sober Dai Mubai up. While Lan Minghua had embarrassed him, it was true that he hadn't used lethal force. And they all knew Ma Hongjun's nature: troublemaker, stubborn, petty. Anyone who thought Ma Hongjun was dumb was a fool; he was cunning.
Dai Mubai's face darkened as he stared at Ma Hongjun. "Fatty, care to explain?" he asked coldly.
Ma Hongjun fidgeted, unable to speak. Their stares felt like needles on his back. Finally, he exploded.
"So what?! It was his bad luck to run into me! He's so powerful, couldn't he have just let it go?"
Both Dai Mubai and Oscar were left speechless. The man was merciful enough not to kill you, and you're still complaining?
Ma Hongjun didn't care. He threw a tantrum, rolling on the floor. "I don't care, I don't care! Xiao Ao, either you cut ties with him right now, or we're no longer brothers!"
Dai Mubai remained silent, his stance unclear. He disliked Lan Minghua as well; the man had deeply humiliated him, Dai Mubai, the young lord of Soto City.
Oscar laughed bitterly. He couldn't believe their long-standing brotherhood was about to break over something so trivial. Following Lan Minghua felt like his path to a brighter future, a road he had finally found for himself.
Dai Mubai was clearly from a rich and powerful family. Ma Hongjun was treated like a son by Flender; Shrek was basically his inheritance. Oscar, too, had been taken in by Flender, but as a support-type, he knew he wasn't as important in Flender's eyes as Ma Hongjun.
Those two had their futures secured. He was the only one with nothing and no one to rely on. Every time they had a disagreement, he was always the one to compromise. Because he was the weak one. The support-type who needed them.
Thinking this, Oscar let out another self-deprecating laugh. Looking at the tantrum-throwing Ma Hongjun, he chose not to back down this time. He had to think about his own future, not some shallow, so-called brotherhood.
"Fatty, if that's how you feel, then let's go our separate ways from now on."
With that, Oscar turned and left without a shred of hesitation.
Ma Hongjun was stunned. He hadn't expected Oscar to be so firm. Still, he was convinced that without them, a mere support-type like Oscar wouldn't get far.
"So ungrateful. He'll come crawling back once he gets a taste of reality," Ma Hongjun scoffed sarcastically.
Dai Mubai nodded in agreement. He also didn't believe Lan Minghua could take Oscar very far.
Little did they know that in that moment, the gap between them had already begun to widen into a chasm.
On the rooftop of the dorm, Lan Minghua had appeared at some point, silent as a ghost.
Watching Oscar's retreating back, he murmured, "It seems my first disciple has a strong resolve to grow stronger. In that case, I suppose I'll help you surpass them."
(End of Chapter)