"Is there really no other way? "
A look of disappointment filled Qing Zhuzhu's eyes. She had hoped that Xiao Wu, with her precocious, lively nature and unusual way of thinking, might offer some inspiration—but it seemed she had overestimated her.
"Let me think... Oh! What exactly does winning a battle mean? "
Xiao Wu tried imitating Zhou Qing's way of approaching problems, pondering for quite a while before finally finding the key point.
"It's a form of succession. Two great families—eldest sons and daughters marry, and second sons and daughters marry. When they come of age, they fight a duel. The winner inherits everything. The loser loses everything... sometimes even their life." Qing Zhuzhu lowered her head, her voice growing softer and softer.
"Which lunatic came up with this inheritance system? "Xiao Wu couldn't help but feel that whoever created such a cruel competition must have been seriously deranged—and beyond cure.
Who in their right mind would let their own sons and daughters kill each other?
In the Star Dou Forest, Xiao Wu had seen some bird-type soul beasts. When they hatched two chicks, the hatchlings would often fight to the death, the stronger one pushing the weaker sibling out of the nest to monopolize their mother's care.
And the bird mother? She wouldn't intervene—just silently watch. But Xiao Wu's own mother had once told her that the bird mother wasn't encouraging the fight. The chicks' struggle was purely driven by instinct. Even if the mother tried to stop them, the fight would continue as long as the two shared the same nest—until only one survived.
Nature was cruel.
Xiao Wu had long since understood that. But she never imagined that among humans, someone would deliberately encourage their children to fight like this.
In the village where she earned a work-study student spot, she'd heard of siblings fighting over family property and farmland, splitting households and causing chaos—leaving the parents at a loss for what to do.
But to actively encourage your children to fight to the death... That was unthinkable.
"Brain... dead."
The servant clenched his fists, itching to smack Xiao Wu—
But this was all about selecting the most outstanding heir!
Even though, admittedly, it was a bit cruel...
[Family... or as Zhou Qing would say, the aristocracy? This really goes far beyond the comprehension of ordinary people!]
But Xiao Wu didn't dwell on it. She ignored the servant and continued, "Kids born into families like that... really are quite pitiful."
"Yeah... they are," Qing Zhuzhu softly agreed.
"Oh, right! I know two smart guys. Maybe they'll know what to do." Seeing Qing Zhuzhu's spirits drop, Xiao Wu grabbed her hand and dashed toward the blacksmith shop. "Hope San's not off work yet! "
"You rude brat! Slow down! "
The servant hurried after them, shouting, "Don't hurt my young lady! "
"Relax," Xiao Wu grinned mischievously, then suddenly hoisted Qing Zhuzhu onto her shoulders, letting her straddle her neck like riding a horse. "I'm speeding up now! "
Qing Zhuzhu yelped in surprise. But this playful "horse ride" was something she had never experienced before, causing a ripple of emotion deep inside. For the first time in a while, the corners of her lips curved into a faint smile...
"This girl..."
The servant subconsciously activated his soul power, shocked at Xiao Wu's speed. "She's only a Soul Master—how can she be this fast? Could she be an agility type? But even with a top-grade martial soul, at her level, she shouldn't be faster than me, a Soul Ancestor! "
By the riverside running through Nuoding City.
Inside the blacksmith shop where Tang San worked.
Zhou Qing carefully observed the blacksmith apprentices striking red-hot iron, sparks flying with each blow. He also watched Tang San's chaotic wind hammer technique, confirming his guess—that the core of forging iron and removing impurities lay in vibration.
But Tang San's chaotic wind hammer technique was far more efficient than a normal blacksmith's. Through borrowing and redirecting force, the hammer's collision with the iron created vibrations, combined with coordinated power from arms, legs, and waist, to temper not just the iron—but the body itself.
Over time, this constant training would dramatically improve one's physical strength.
In the original story, Tang San's ability to absorb spirit rings above his level wasn't just due to Xuan Tian Gong and the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. His hammer technique played a vital role, too.
[So this is the advantage of a great sect!]
Marveling inwardly, Zhou Qing asked Tang San to teach him the key techniques of the hammer method.
"If you want to learn, I can teach you," Tang San teased. "Just call me Third Brother."
"No way."
Zhou Qing shot him a disdainful look, as if saying, "So you're that kind of person," and muttered, "Besides, your dad taught you that stuff—I'd rather not learn it."
"It's fine. He never said I couldn't teach it to others," Tang San shrugged, casually sharing the hammering techniques Tang Hao had taught him.
The nearby blacksmiths all perked up their ears, trying to catch even a bit of wisdom to improve their own forging skills.
Tang San didn't mind.
After all, if he was explaining it openly in the smithy, it meant he wasn't planning to keep it secret. Besides, what he shared were only power application techniques, not the detailed method of the chaotic wind hammer itself. How these blacksmiths integrated those tips into their own forging would be up to their own ability.
But Tang San believed that with Zhou Qing's intelligence, he would surely be able to combine these power techniques with his Martial Soul, which enhanced blood circulation, and develop a way to control the power of his own life force.
"So that's how it is. Power starts from the feet... The calves are like a second heart..." Zhou Qing thought it resembled some of the stances from the internal martial arts he'd heard about in his previous life.
Maybe he needed to practice horse stance?
Power starts from the feet...
His first soul skill, Wing Chun, was inspired by the Spring Ox Martial Soul—its four hooves stomping the earth, drawing strength from the ground as it ran to enhance its power...
Even when forging, Tang San's chaotic wind hammer wasn't stationary—he shifted his stance continuously...
[So the reason power starts from the feet is because the ground supports you. Without the ground, without something to push against, that principle wouldn't apply. Everything needs something to rely on. Even vibration requires at least two particles interacting. In a vacuum, vibration doesn't even exist...]
[Wait a minute—]
[Force always works in pairs?]
Zhou Qing quickly reined in his thoughts, worried that if he kept going, the long-forgotten physics formulas would attack his brain.
For now, the most important task was to test out these body mechanics, combine them with his first soul skill, and gradually develop his own combat technique—something like a personalized hammer method that was both a training method and a battle style.
And when it came to body movements, Zhou Qing suddenly thought of something from his past life: morning exercise routines!
"Tang San! "
"Zhou Qing, you're here too? "