For Wang Li, running was not a drain at all. The reason he didn't refuse and argue was because Qin Ming was from Shrek, and if he had learned everything Flender taught.
If Wang Li refused, Qin Ming would criticize him and then make him continue his running training. So be it, running was easier than listening to a bunch of grand principles.
He came to Heaven Dou Royal Academy mainly for Dugu Yan and Dugu Bo; everything else was irrelevant trivial matters.
One lap, two laps, three laps, four laps, five laps…
After Wang Li finished five laps and returned to the field, he still looked relaxed. Besides a slight sweat, he wasn't out of breath or disheveled at all.
Qin Ming had been watching him, which made him even more puzzled. Running twenty laps first, then another five laps, still hadn't pushed Wang Li to his limit.
He admitted that he had underestimated Wang Li. To possess twenty-fifth-level spirit power at nine years old, Wang Li himself could not be judged by common sense.
But if Wang Li's limit wasn't pushed, subsequent teaching would be difficult. Qin Ming thought long and hard. Continuing to run, he didn't know how long it would take, so he decided to use an opponent Wang Li absolutely couldn't defeat to force out his limit.
Therefore, he calmly said:
"Alright, Wang Li, come back for now. Warm up your body; don't sit down or lie down immediately. Today is your first day of class, and your first combat opponent will be Yu Tianheng."
Wang Li was quite surprised, not expecting Qin Ming to find him such a difficult opponent on the first day. However, he also wanted to witness a true Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Spirit, so he didn't refuse and agreed:
"Teacher, I understand!"
The other students, meanwhile, showed expressions of amusement. Yu Tianheng was their undisputed number one. His domineering lightning-attribute Beast Spirit made people lose three points of their momentum before even fighting.
Only Dugu Yan was thinking of speaking up for Wang Li. In her opinion, this was very unfair to Wang Li. She said:
"Teacher, Wang Li just finished twenty-five laps, and he's only a Spirit Grandmaster. Yu Tianheng is already a Spirit Elder. This is simply incomparable!"
Qin Ming was a little surprised. Dugu Yan, who was usually not very sociable and always kept to herself, was helping Wang Li, who had only been there for one day, speak up again and again. He wasn't sure why, but he still explained in a deep voice:
"If you leave the academy and a powerful expert, a major realm higher than you, comes to kill you, can running away solve the problem?!"
"Only actual combat is the ultimate standard for judging a person's strength. You should be fortunate that within the academy, you can engage in battle with powerful opponents and powerful Spirits. These combat experiences can benefit you for life!"
What Qin Ming said made a lot of sense, but Dugu Yan was very uncomfortable. Originally, her impression of Wang Li remained at an "interesting" level in her heart. Now, it had risen to a "pitiable" level.
Perhaps she herself hadn't truly realized that the impression Wang Li left on her was becoming deeper and deeper.
Just then, Yu Tianheng, Wang Li's opponent, also stepped forward, pulling a smile onto his stiff face. He said:
"After all, it's just a spar. I'll definitely go easy. Yanzi, I wouldn't be so harsh on a junior who's only a Spirit Grandmaster, would I?"
...
A few arguments did not affect the gradual unfolding of this actual combat!
Qin Ming and the other students all left the center of the training ground at this time. Only Yu Tianheng and Wang Li remained in the center.
Finally, when Qin Ming saw that both were in position, he shouted loudly:
"Prepare yourselves, summon your Spirits!"
Wang Li was relatively ordinary. After he summoned his Spirit, he was surrounded by Blue Silver Grass, and two yellow spirit rings appeared, floating up and down around him.
Yu Tianheng was much more explosive, truly explosive. His whole body crackled with power, his muscles bulged, his hair stood on end, and blue-purple lightning flickered around him.
If that still seemed like a normal Spirit Possession, what he did next was very abnormal. The sleeve of his right arm completely burst open, and his entire right arm became one or two sizes larger. It didn't look like a human hand but more like a dragon claw.
This was the special nature of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Spirit. At level thirty, after acquiring the third spirit ring, a part of the body would undergo draconic transformation, gaining true dragon power.
The optimally configured three spirit rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—circled his right arm, making him appear incredibly domineering.
After completing his Spirit Possession, Yu Tianheng boldly shouted:
"Wang Li, be careful! My Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Spirit is the number one attack system Beast Spirit in the world, and I am a thirty-second level attack system Spirit Elder!"
Then, he fiercely initiated an attack. As an attack system Spirit Master facing a control system Spirit Master, he naturally had to take the initiative to attack. However, he didn't directly use a Spirit Ability, which indeed showed he was holding back, just as he said.
Wang Li's gaze sharpened. Yu Tianheng's attack method had nothing special in his eyes; he was just relying on his powerful Spirit and strong body to charge forward head-on.
But those streaks of blue-purple lightning greatly concerned Wang Li. Fire had a restraining effect on plant-type Spirits, and lightning similarly had a restraining effect on plant-type Spirits, or rather, lightning had a certain restraining effect on all living beings.
"Today, I'll see how difficult a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Soul Master truly is to fight," Wang Li thought to himself. Only through actual combat could he devise a countermeasure.
Thinking this, Wang Li used his first Spirit Ability. The Blue Silver Grass around him grew explosively in the wind, and thick Blue Silver Vines appeared. Wang Li focused on three tasks simultaneously: all the Blue Silver Vines were divided into three groups—one sweeping out, one poised to strike, and one ready for rotation.
Facing the sweeping Blue Silver Grass, Yu Tianheng sneered. He swung his right arm and punched out, and the blue-purple lightning surged violently, instantly charring the Blue Silver Grass in the blink of an eye.
"Nothing more than this!"
Yu Tianheng thought, but then the Blue Silver Grass attacked again, and he was momentarily stunned. However, he didn't pay it much mind and swung another punch, producing a crackling sound of abundant lightning.
All the Blue Silver Grass that approached him was shattered by the lightning, once, twice, thrice... But why did this Blue Silver Grass seem endless?
Now Yu Tianheng was somewhat annoyed. It was obvious whose spirit power consumption was greater: Wang Li's in cultivating Blue Silver Grass or Yu Tianheng's in generating lightning.
Falling into an endless entanglement was actually more disadvantageous for Yu Tianheng. With electric light flickering in his eyes, he roared:
"First Spirit Ability, Thunder Dragon Claw!"
This time, violent lightning condensed on his right arm. A large amount of blue-purple lightning gathered without being released until the Blue Silver Grass attacked again, and then he fiercely swung his right arm.
Boom! Boom!
Violent lightning shot out, and the blue-purple electric light stung people's eyes. When the lightning gradually dissipated, there was not a single strand of Blue Silver Grass left within seven or eight meters in front of Yu Tianheng.