Hearing Old Jiang's voice, Jiang He's movements froze for a moment, nearly getting sent flying by the Steel Knight's punch.
Fortunately, he managed to dodge the attack and struggled to keep circling around the Steel Knight.
The Steel Knight's mechanism was not that it grew stronger with the passage of time, but that it increased in strength according to the power displayed by the challenger.
Therefore, as Jiang He struggled to hold on, he managed to free up a bit of focus to quickly exchange information with Old Jiang.
"Don't interrupt, this is my own battle."
Jiang He was not trying to fight desperately against the enemy, but to test his own combat power.
There was no need to let Old Jiang substitute for him.
"I know you want to test your strength." Old Jiang floated beside him, watching Jiang He fight the Steel Knight.
He rubbed his stubble and said, "But your way of fighting really isn't praiseworthy."
"Right now, your combat style is purely stacking numbers from Word-Spirit buffs. Unlike Du Lingwei, who barely managed to bring out some actual ability…"
"You don't actually think being a 'stats monster' means you've got skill, do you?"
"Let me ask you this."
"Where's my eraser?"
Jiang He really wanted to argue, but found himself speechless.
Indeed, when he fought, he had completely tossed the eraser aside.
After all, it was just a low-level talent. Even if it had some power boost, it could not compare with Word-Spirits, let alone Transcendent items.
Subconsciously, Jiang He ignored it, choosing instead to use the stronger moves.
Only when he was desperate did he think of that talent.
He never expected Old Jiang to grab hold of this weakness.
Old Jiang said helplessly, "I know you want to grow stronger, but combat isn't about stacking numbers."
"The linkage between different skills, the combinations between different Word-Spirits, the integration of fire and martial arts, including the talent of the eraser—when these things link together, the power you can unleash far exceeds your imagination."
"The way you're fighting now is simply a waste of power."
"..."
Jiang He could only defend himself: "I just awakened a week ago, unlike you, an X-rank Transcendent with rich combat experience…"
"That's true." Old Jiang nodded with a smile. "So let me ask you, do you need my help?"
"Actual combat is the best training method."
"I can teach you right now how to use your body, how to use your flames, how to use your Word-Spirits…"
"That doesn't count as cheating."
"Not to mention, I myself am the Heroic Spirit summoned by your talent."
"I won't fight for you, I'll only tell you how to fight."
Hearing this, Jiang He suddenly understood.
So Old Jiang simply could not bear watching any longer and wanted to instruct him.
That was no problem—an external brain going online, an X-rank Savior providing personal guidance, far stronger than any A-rank instructor.
Learning while fighting would allow him to grow quickly.
The question was…
Wasn't Old Jiang's talent just an eraser?
Jiang He asked, "I possess both fire and Word-Spirit professions. Do you know how to use them?"
Old Jiang's face broke into a wide smile.
"I already told you, I am the eraser, with the ability to erase professions."
"For a hundred years, I experimented with many Transcendent professions, and learned a vast amount of skills, techniques, and abilities."
"In the end, I pieced together the profession path most suitable for myself."
"And all that experience also became part of my strength."
"Zhong Honglian's Sunflame Wielder series of professions? I studied them."
"As for Word-Spirits, though I never transferred to this all-purpose profession, the experience I gained is enough to be called 'universal.'"
Jiang He understood.
When it came to combat experience and profession mastery, even White Crane could not compare to Old Jiang.
That he could use the eraser talent to become an X-rank Savior already proved he had reached the pinnacle in this field!
If this was martial arts.
Then for Old Jiang to call himself a Martial God would not be an exaggeration!
"Bro, I want to learn combat!"
"You should've said that earlier."
The red scarf fluttered as Old Jiang descended, overlapping with Jiang He.
This was not a Heroic Spirit possession, but purely him using the Heroic Spirit's phasing trait, attaching himself to Jiang He's body surface, forming a phantom-like existence similar to a stand-in.
Their consciousness exchange was extremely rapid.
At this moment, Jiang He was still locked in battle with the Steel Knight.
Old Jiang effortlessly recreated Jiang He's movement trajectory and, a step ahead, rotated his form in phantom state.
He said: "Follow my movements, say it with me."
「Instant」
Old Jiang's phantom was like a prophetic illusion of the future.
Jiang He followed his motion, and with a brief burst of acceleration, easily dodged the Steel Knight's continuous attacks.
Afterwards, a blade of flame struck the Steel Knight, not only hitting its weak point, but also perfectly merging strength with fire, unleashing tremendous power!
With just one strike, the Steel Knight's intensity jumped by over a thousand!
Not only that.
Through the convenience and speed of consciousness exchange, Old Jiang explained the principles of techniques and analyzed the Steel Knight's attack logic.
He provided what was essentially perfect personal guidance.
In an instant, Jiang He's combat techniques advanced by leaps and bounds, unleashing brilliant combos one after another.
In the face of his techniques, though the Steel Knight's strength and speed were overwhelming, it seemed bound at every turn.
One moment it tried to burst forth, the next it triggered a Word-Spirit trap and was blasted into a stumble, exposing openings.
A single strike that could have gravely injured Jiang He even with a graze, was erased of its power by the eraser talent—though Jiang He's skin still tore open, it was far better than being hit directly.
It was equivalent to gaining a high-level damage reduction in battle.
The Word-Spirit 「Spirit Heal」 also took effect, healing his wounds in the process.
Amid such a battle, the Steel Knight's aura rose higher and higher!
12,000… 18,000… 23,000… 28,000…
30,000!!!
His combat ratio soared from 40 to 100, and was still climbing!
The students on the central stone pillar were practically bulging their eyes out.
Yunyang was completely dumbfounded.
An E-rank Transcendent, achieving a combat ratio above 100??!
Was this an S-rank talent?!
No, it had to be a super S-rank talent!
Zhong Honglian and the other A-rank Transcendents saw things even more clearly.
At a combat ratio of 40, Jiang He had already been at his limit, and Zhong Honglian had planned to call a stop.
But suddenly, as if enlightened, his crude combat technique improved by a tier, and then advanced at a shocking pace.
At first he was still a bit clumsy, but soon he grew more and more adept.
It was as if he had transformed from an ordinary student into a battle-hardened warrior in an instant!
Even the perpetually listless You Chunsheng lifted his eyelids, showing a look of surprise.
Clearly, something had happened to Jiang He out of their sight.
But…
It did not matter.
The purpose of this training camp was to select and cultivate geniuses to face the apocalypse.
As long as Jiang He displayed talent, then no matter its source, it was his ability.
Chi Zhenshan's gaze grew especially bright.
This was a true genius!
He could not help but glance at Chi Zhilei.
If such a genius were by his daughter's side, then when the end came, he would no longer have to worry about her safety…
Amid the silence, the battle ended, and Jiang He was teleported back.
The combat power numbers on the platform finally stopped rolling.
Initial Energy Level: 300!
Current Combat Power: 36,335!
Combat Ratio: 121.1!
The reason the battle ended was…
"Teacher Zhong, I've run out of spiritual power." Jiang He looked weary. "Are there any more supplements?"
No mana left??
Yunyang completely broke down.
We all fight until our limits, and you—yours is running out of mana?
So what you mean is, if your spiritual power hadn't run out, you could've kept breaking through?!