"Teacher, I want to learn this!"
In the classroom of Taoyuan Academy, Ning Rongrong said, biting her lip, all thoughts of quitting forgotten. She was determined to see how a support-type could possibly "add some defense."
"So you're not leaving? Then write a letter of self-criticism to admit your mistake," Su Ran said calmly, sitting at the teacher's desk.
Ning Rongrong looked utterly aggrieved. She had never endured such hardship in her entire life.
"How do you write a self-criticism letter?"
"It seems you still don't recognize your error. In that case, there's no need to teach this today. Wang Sheng, go to the school gate and see if any other students with good potential are passing by. We'll recruit someone new."
"I was hoping to cultivate an unprecedented support-type disciple who wouldn't need a Spirit Master's protection and would possess top-tier defense of her own. But it seems I won't have the chance to teach it now," Su Ran said languidly, placing a book of secret techniques on the desk. He was in no hurry. A little princess like Rongrong had to be tamed slowly.
"Huh?"
A support-type Spirit Master... with top-tier defense of her own?!
Ning Rongrong's heart pounded with excitement at the very thought. But... she really didn't know how to write a self-criticism letter...
A quarter of an hour later.
"Respected Teacher Su Ran, I know I was wrong. Rongrong shouldn't have been late for class, and I certainly shouldn't have gotten angry and threatened to quit just because the teacher punished me."
"I deeply recognize my mistake. I beg the teacher to forgive me. I will never dare to be late or leave early again, and I will never speak of quitting. A teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime. Teacher Su Ran will forever be my dearest teacher."
"It's barely acceptable," Su Ran said lightly. "If you make the same mistake again, it won't be as simple as writing a letter of self-criticism."
He wasn't a petty person. Since his student had obediently admitted her fault, he wouldn't press the matter further.
Ning Rongrong pressed her lips together, her little face a picture of misery. She had wracked her brain to come up with those two short paragraphs.
"So, Teacher, can you teach me now? How to become a support-type Spirit Master who doesn't need others' protection?"
"Naturally. However, it will likely require you to endure a great deal of hardship. Can you handle it?"
"I can!" Ning Rongrong's eyes were filled with unwavering determination. If she could overcome the inherent weakness of a support-type Spirit Master needing a protector, she could become the most powerful support in the history of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, completely changing the status of support-types in the Spirit Master world!
Su Ran glanced at Ning Rongrong and reached out, taking her hand in his. Her small hands, which had never known a day of manual labor, were red and swollen.
"Does it hurt?" Su Ran asked.
Ning Rongrong looked at her teacher. Although he wore a mask, the bright eyes visible beneath it shone like stars in the vast night sky. A faint, fresh fragrance wafted from him.
In that instant, Ning Rongrong's heart skipped a beat, and a blush crept onto her cheeks. Is Teacher worried about me? Does he regret punishing me? Hmph, well then, I suppose I can reluctantly forgive him...
"Ah—!"
A girl's shrill scream echoed through the campus of Taoyuan Academy.
Su Ran had given her already swollen hand a sharp pinch with two fingers, causing what felt like the most intense pain she had ever experienced in her life. The sudden agony made her burst into tears, her face a mess of pearly droplets.
Ning Rongrong looked at Su Ran pitifully.
Sure enough... I was overthinking it.
Teacher Su Ran has absolutely no compassion for a lady!
"It will hurt more than this. Ten times, a hundred times more," Su Ran said, waiting for her to calm down a little before placing the secret manual in front of her. "Seven Treasure Golden Bell Shield. This is an ultimate technique that is highly compatible with your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Do you still dare to learn it?"
The cover of the manual depicted the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul, but it was slightly different from her own. The pagoda in the illustration was enveloped in seven layers of domineering, golden bell-shaped energy, making it look indestructible.
Ning Rongrong stopped her sobs, wiping her tears as she choked out, "If I learn this, can I become the best support on the continent? A perfect support who doesn't need teammates to protect her?"
"While it may not make you a 'perfect' support, it will allow you to develop the potential of your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to its absolute limit," Su Ran explained, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at her tear-streaked yet cute appearance.
"Each spirit ability of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is fixed. No matter what Spirit Ring you absorb, the abilities remain the same. However, as a pagoda-type Martial Soul, it inherently possesses defensive properties. It is only because its body is made of glazed tile and is relatively fragile that its focus is on support."
"But if you master this Seven Treasure Golden Bell Shield, not only can you reinforce your pagoda for defense, achieving a state of unity between yourself and the pagoda, but after cultivating the seven layers of Glazed Golden Bell Qi, you will become impervious to blades and spears, and invulnerable to water and fire."
"Once you have achieved great mastery, Spirit Masters of the same rank will find it difficult to harm you. You will have mastered both support and defense, and you may even possess some offensive capabilities."
"However, to reach that stage, you must refine not only your qi and your body but also your blood and your bones. Each step will be far more painful than the smacks you received today. Can you do it?" Su Ran asked.
"Impervious to blades and spears, invulnerable to water and fire, the strongest support!"
Those twelve words were enough to set Ning Rongrong's blood boiling.
"I'll learn it! I can endure any hardship!"
It was precisely because support-types lacked the ability to protect themselves that her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School needed Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone to guard them. If she could create this miracle, she would definitely make her father and the others look at her with new eyes!
"Since you've decided, you must press forward without hesitation. No matter how hard or tiring it gets in the future, you must endure it. I will not lower my standards for you just because you are a girl. Think it through clearly."
"I've thought it through! I want to add some defense for myself! I want to learn the Golden Bell Shield!"
In the classroom, amidst the falling blossoms and the gentle breeze, Ning Rongrong forgot the pain in her palm. She held the [Seven Treasure Golden Bell Shield] manual, her eyes shining with absolute resolve.
Looking at the girl before him, Su Ran could see the yearning in her eyes, and he suddenly understood the meaning of taking on a disciple. Perhaps the Great Path should not be so narrow as to only allow him to walk it alone. And perhaps his disciples should not be so few as to consist of only one girl.
"As long as you genuinely want to learn, I will teach you well."
"The first step in practicing the Golden Bell Shield is to train your qi, followed by tempering your body. Starting today, you must practice the horse stance at the training posts for four hours every day. You must also practice breathing exercises at noon and midnight, when the essence of the sun and moon is at its peak, to feel the qi points throughout your body. This must be done regardless of the cold or the heat."
Su Ran immediately began to prepare a training plan for Ning Rongrong. As her teacher, he also had the ability to share and upgrade the techniques his disciples practiced.
Watching Su Ran's serious expression, Ning Rongrong's eyes suddenly lit up. "Teacher, since I'm going to practice diligently and I'm your direct disciple, shouldn't you show me what you look like?"
"What kind of disciple doesn't even know what their own teacher looks like?"
Su Ran was taken aback for a moment. "It's just a physical shell. My Peach Blossom Branch Martial Soul is one of a kind. Knowing my Martial Soul is enough."
"Honestly! You won't even let me see your face," Ning Rongrong muttered. "Wang Sheng must have been lying. He said the teacher was very handsome. If you're so handsome, why do you wear a mask every day?"
"Then you can just assume I'm plain-looking."
"Even if you're plain-looking, I still want to see! What kind of disciple doesn't even know what her own teacher looks like?" Ning Rongrong grumbled.
Su Ran simply smiled. "If you really want to see, then once you've gained a basic mastery of the Seven Treasure Golden Bell Shield, I will take off my mask and let you see me. I just hope you won't be disappointed when the time comes."
"It's a deal!"
(End of Chapter)