Chapter 105: The Ultimate Contrast The Violent Bear Girl
The next morning, Han Li didn't skip his daily training. Now that he had resumed his routine cultivation, the soul masters who assisted his training after enjoying a long break returned to their posts.
Because of this, Dugu Yan witnessed firsthand how the most elite soul masters trained, and more specifically, how the direct descendants of the most powerful factions in Spirit Hall underwent their training.
Compared to Han Li, she felt completely outclassed. Even Xiu'er, who was merely "tagging along" in training, received better treatment than her. She was utterly speechless. But instead of being discouraged, she became even more eager and immediately joined in.
Han Li, feeling a bit embarrassed, smiled apologetically at the soul masters assisting in the training and slipped each of them a gold soul coin card before diving back into his exercises.
That afternoon, just after lunch and before their combat training session, Guang Ling and Qing Luan showed up at his estate.
Behind them, they dragged in a half dead Darkgold Bear, beaten into submission it was clear that Xiu'er's second spirit ring had arrived.
After introducing Dugu Yan to Qing Luan, they moved to the training grounds.
Dugu Yan subtly tugged at Han Li's sleeve and whispered, "Are you really letting Xiu'er absorb a 5,000 year old second spirit ring? Isn't that too risky? I read in books that Darkgold Bears carry the bloodline of the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear, which makes their spirit rings particularly difficult to absorb. Xiu'er is so delicate I'm afraid she won't be able to endure the pain. Maybe you should reconsider?"
???
Han Li was filled with question marks. Sure, Xiu'er looked delicate, but in reality, her endurance was exceptional. In battle, she was nothing short of a berserker. Was Dugu Yan misunderstanding something?
Suddenly, he recalled something. Over the past two days, their training had been mostly fundamental. Even that morning, he had lowered the intensity slightly to accommodate Dugu Yan. As a result, both he and Xiu'er had breezed through the session without breaking a sweat.
Could that be why she had this misconception?
Although Dugu Yan had spoken in a hushed tone, the two Title Douluos present had clearly heard her concerns. They turned to glance at Xiu'er.
Truthfully, since Han Li was always methodical in his approach, they weren't exactly sure of his limits.
But Xiu'er? They had watched her grow every step of the way. In terms of resilience and determination, she was second to none. To keep up with Han Li, she trained relentlessly pushing herself to the brink of collapse without ever compromising her potential.
Dugu Yan's concerns were completely unnecessary.
However, neither Guang Ling nor Qing Luan said anything. They could tell Dugu Yan's worry was genuine.
"Don't worry, Yan jie. Xiu'er can handle it. Her body is strong enough to withstand a Darkgold Bear's spirit ring. Besides, in terms of willpower and endurance, she's got more than enough. Her martial soul is a combination of offense and defense, so her training is tailored to both aspects."
"How should I put it…? You haven't seen Xiu'er during actual combat training yet. Otherwise, you wouldn't be worried about her endurance. She's far more aggressive than I am when she fights."
Han Li thought about Xiu'er's fighting style and fell into a brief silence.
It wasn't a matter of pity or concern. The reality was that bear type martial souls had a natural tendency toward brute force combat. He couldn't just turn her into a ranged spellcaster out of nowhere.
"Don't worry, Yan Yan. I'm very strong you don't have to be concerned."
Xiu'er, understanding the context of their conversation, gave Dugu Yan a sweet smile.
"Alright, if you're all so confident, then I won't worry either."
Seeing that even the two Title Douluos had no objections, Dugu Yan reluctantly nodded in agreement.
As Xiu'er activated her martial soul, she effortlessly slapped the life out of the incapacitated Darkgold Bear before adjusting her state to absorb the spirit ring.
Han Li stepped closer to Dugu Yan and gently squeezed her hand.
"Just wait until Xiu'er finishes absorbing her spirit ring and starts combat testing. You'll understand what I meant."
Dugu Yan nodded thoughtfully, shifting her focus to Xiu'er.
The absorption process was surprisingly fast. Thanks to Xiu'er's already formidable physique, combined with the lingering effects of the Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, she completed the absorption in just over an hour.
"As expected, she reached level 25."
Guang Ling had recently assessed both Han Li and Dugu Yan at this stage, so his judgment of spirit power fluctuations was precise.
"Xiu'er is now a true genius."
Qing Luan commented warmly.
"It's all thanks to Xiao Li."
Xiu'er smiled brightly, her gaze naturally shifting to Han Li.
"Congratulations, Xiu'er jie! You now have the highest second spirit ring among the younger generation."
Han Li walked over and gave her a light hug.
"Too bad she didn't get an external spirit bone."
Guang Ling had seen too many external spirit bones lately and was starting to expect one every time a spirit ring was absorbed.
"There's also no reaction in her heart area. It seems the spirit bone there still hasn't fully formed."
Han Li chuckled. The biggest regret was the unawakened heart positioned spirit bone.
Perhaps, when Xiu'er first absorbed the bear's remains, she had been too weak, and the power had been used primarily to awaken her martial soul. Over the years, even with the nourishment of immortal herbs and her recent power ups, the spirit bone remained dormant.
A heart positioned spirit bone was an unprecedented phenomenon. If it fully awakened, even without considering its abilities, the sheer boost to vitality alone would be extraordinary.
Hearing their conversation, Qing Luan and Dugu Yan both facepalmed.
"Alright, Xiu'er, let's test your combat strength."
The advantage of training at home was convenience.
Unlike Han Li, who had struggled to control his power in earlier tests, Xiu'er could engage in full combat immediately.
"Understood."
Xiu'er's expression turned serious.
"You. Spar with Xiu'er. You're level 35, also a beast martial soul user. Don't hold back."
Guang Ling randomly selected a sparring partner from the training squad.
"Yes, sir."
The chosen soul master didn't hesitate, immediately stepping into the training grounds.
Dugu Yan watched closely, eager to see Xiu'er's combat style for herself.
There was no drawn out prelude. After a simple nod of acknowledgment, both fighters charged at each other.
They didn't even activate their martial souls right away closing half the distance before their martial souls flared to life. By then, they were already less than three meters apart.
The opponent had a tiger martial soul, nothing fancy, but he followed the same combat approach as the Dai family of Star Luo Empire.
In other words, aside from minor differences in martial soul quality, he was essentially a copy of Dai Mubai.
His spirit rings flashed activating his first and third skills at the same time. His muscles swelled, his claws extended, and his golden fur took on a faint glow.
However, rather than engaging in direct melee combat, he lowered his head slightly before suddenly snapping it up. His second spirit ring flickered as he unleashed a condensed energy sphere straight at Xiu'er.
The next second, Dugu Yan's eyes widened in shock.
Now she understood why the others hadn't been concerned about Xiu'er's endurance.
Xiu'er didn't flinch. She didn't even try to dodge.
Her first and second spirit rings shone simultaneously, and she simply slapped the energy sphere aside.
Without even pausing, she closed the remaining distance and engaged the opponent in a brutal exchange trading blow for blow.
She dodged what she could, tanked what she couldn't, and within five hits, she shattered his protective barrier, sent him flying, and then followed up with a finishing blow to ensure he was down for good.
Finally, she turned to the others with an innocent, radiant smile.
After witnessing this sheer contrast the same Xiu'er who, moments ago, had ruthlessly shattered her opponent now standing there beaming sweetly Dugu Yan felt as if her heart had stopped for a moment.
Unconsciously, she swallowed.
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