Both Yu Xiaogang and Flender were genuinely surprised by Yang Xiong's exceptional performance, because after completing the entire grueling course, only Ning Rongrong and Yang Xiong remained fully conscious and alert. It was particularly noteworthy that Yang Xiong's total weight burden had probably already exceeded the theoretical limit for any Spirit Grand Master.
Flender expressed his puzzlement with obvious curiosity. "Xiaogang, where exactly do you think Yang Xiong's physical limits actually lie? I honestly feel like these stones can't suppress or challenge him at all."
Yu Xiaogang's expression remained serious and contemplative. "I'm genuinely not sure about that either. You should understand that this time I assigned Yang Xiong a full two hundred and twenty pounds of total weight, yet he still appears so relaxed and comfortable. He's even capable of helping both Oscar and Ning Rongrong with their burdens. I'm beginning to suspect that he doesn't possess an ordinary body-type spirit, but something more resembling a powerful beast spirit. However, Dai Mubai's White Tiger should already be considered among the pinnacle of beast spirits, yet Yang Xiong's strength and stamina are simply too extraordinary to explain."
Flender considered this carefully for several moments. "Xiaogang, is it possible that the issue isn't related to his spirit type, but rather to Yang Xiong himself as an individual? He has been bearing additional weight and taking specialized medicinal baths since early childhood, and his teacher is none other than Bone Douluo. Perhaps his physical body has become stronger than ordinary people through various intensive body refining exercises and techniques."
Yu Xiaogang nodded in agreement. "That's probably the only logical possibility. It seems I significantly underestimated Bone Douluo's comprehensive training methods with him. Maybe Yang Xiong can genuinely reach the absolute limit of his spirit's cultivation potential."
In the following days, the house sponsored by Yang Xiong was finally completed to everyone's satisfaction. Each student now had their own independent room, which made it much easier for everyone to pursue relatively private activities and personal cultivation.
Everyone absolutely loved the new living arrangements. Although the construction had been sponsored by Yang Xiong, teenagers of twelve or thirteen years old naturally have their own privacy needs and desires. Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun were particularly enthusiastic about the change, and even Tang San expressed sincere gratitude to Yang Xiong for the improved accommodations. Now they wouldn't have to sneak out every morning for their individual training routines.
Yang Xiong and Tang San actually departed for their morning practices at almost exactly the same time each day, but Tang San focused on practicing his Purple Demon Eye technique, while Yang Xiong mainly practiced ordinary martial arts moves and performed Tai Chi exercises outdoors. Everything in nature recovers and rejuvenates during the early morning hours, and the air feels particularly fresh and pure. Yang Xiong found that he gained deeper insights and understanding when practicing Tai Chi in this natural environment.
Over the next three months, Yu Xiaogang maintained basically similar training regimens. In addition to the standard running exercises while carrying stones, there were cross-country mountain races with heavy loads, and even organized Soul Fighting competitions between the students. The focus remained consistently on physical conditioning and body tempering.
Yu Xiaogang also made certain strategic adjustments to the individual combat training. In addition to standard one-on-one and two-on-two matches, he introduced various other competitive formats and challenges.
However, during every fighting session, Yang Xiong was consistently arranged to fight against multiple opponents simultaneously. Yu Xiaogang obviously understood very well that no single person could pose a real challenge to Yang Xiong in simple one-on-one combat, so he invariably arranged multi-person battles to test his limits.
For example, Yang Xiong once fought against Tang San and Xiao Wu working together as a team, and another time he faced the combination of Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai. He even once battled against both Tang San and Dai Mubai simultaneously in an intense confrontation.
However, these Soul Fights primarily focused on consuming physical stamina and soul power reserves. Especially when fighting against both Tang San and Dai Mubai at the same time, even someone as strong as Yang Xiong couldn't endure indefinitely. He was eventually exhausted by their coordinated efforts and nearly collapsed to the ground from complete fatigue.
It was precisely because of Yang Xiong's excellent individual combat power that auxiliary Spirit Masters were never arranged to fight directly against him. After all, auxiliary Spirit Masters couldn't keep pace with Yang Xiong's incredible speed and were typically defeated in the opening moments of any confrontation.
According to detailed analysis conducted by both Zhao Wuji and Flender, Yang Xiong's physical fitness was extraordinarily outstanding in all measurable aspects. His strength, speed, and defensive capabilities basically had no apparent weaknesses or shortcomings. His only disadvantage was a lack of effective long-range attack options, but Yang Xiong happened to master a teleportation ability that more than compensated for this limitation. This single technique alone caused tremendous difficulty for opponents and made him nearly impossible to avoid or counter.
Zhao Wuji personally took care of Yang Xiong's specialized medicinal baths every single day. Additionally, Yang Xiong sought combat training from Zhao Wuji almost daily. The relationship between the two developed much closer bonds, and Zhao Wuji became willing to share stories about his past experiences, including embarrassing incidents about being pursued by Spirit Hall agents.
Yang Xiong thoroughly enjoyed these conversations. After all, Zhao Wuji was an experienced Spirit Saint expert who possessed insights and knowledge far beyond what could be learned from books alone. Yang Xiong listened with genuine fascination every time, and he sometimes shared his own cultivation ideas and theories. His profound spirit knowledge and understanding often impressed Zhao Wuji in return.
After months of continuous intensive training, the Shrek Seven Devils had developed a solid understanding of each other's capabilities and personalities. Everyone seemed much more familiar and comfortable, having become teammates who underwent common challenges and hardships together every day.
However, the group had also naturally divided into three smaller teams based on compatibility and shared interests. Yang Xiong, Oscar, and Ning Rongrong preferred to spend time together, especially since both Oscar and Ning Rongrong were auxiliary Spirit Masters who felt a sense of security and protection when they were around Yang Xiong.
Tang San's attention and focus had always centered on Xiao Wu. Although he had gained the trust and friendship of the others, everyone with observant eyes could clearly see that the two were developing romantic feelings. Others felt it wasn't appropriate to interfere too much with their growing relationship.
As for Dai Mubai, he and Ma Hongjun shared somewhat similar personalities and interests, but Dai Mubai consistently showed special attention toward Zhu Zhuqing. Even the normally cold and distant Zhu Zhuqing was beginning to show signs of warming up to his persistent efforts.
On this particular day, Yang Xiong was soaking alone in his bathtub for his evening medicinal bath. The bathtub actually contained both red and blue liquids that seemed to divide the entire container into two distinct halves. These were specialized poisonous herbs that Yang Xiong had personally prepared, which could serve dual purposes for medicinal baths and body refining. They were particularly suitable for Spirit Masters to absorb and process.
Yang Xiong had immersed himself in deep meditation. In his mind's eye, he seemed to perceive changes occurring throughout his entire body, and he could even visualize a silver giant within his consciousness. This giant figure looked up toward the sky and down toward the earth, appearing incomparably proud and majestic, even displaying a hint of contempt for all living beings in the world, as if the entire universe was under his control.
The entire mental space resembled a vast ocean, with the whole area divided into two sections—one half red and one half blue. The red and blue energies collided and merged with each other continuously, as if two fundamental forces were competing and seeking balance.
Upon closer mental examination, the torso and head of the silver giant were obviously much brighter and more developed, while the limbs remained relatively dim and incomplete. The limbs were covered with intricate silver lines that were gradually becoming brighter and more defined, resembling an elaborate network of meridians.
After three months of intensive training, combined with Yang Xiong's personal research and experimentation, he could barely control his soul power to circulate through his limbs. Now, he was only one crucial step away from achieving complete mastery.
Time seemed to pass without his awareness, but the silver markings on his limbs became increasingly dense and complex, eventually becoming so concentrated that they appeared to form a unified whole. Yang Xiong suddenly felt that his limbs and torso were gradually becoming complete and integrated, while his circulating soul power began to merge into a single harmonious system.
At this critical moment, Yang Xiong suddenly opened his eyes, and golden light seemed to shoot forth from his gaze. All his limbs lit up with brilliant energy, and his original martial soul appeared to reach completion at this exact moment. His entire body gleamed with silver radiance, appearing as a perfect unified whole.
"It's finally done!" Yang Xiong exclaimed with satisfaction.
At this moment, Yang Xiong felt the true perfection of Tai Chi principles. The soul power throughout his body was surging naturally, as if it had become an organic part of his being. His entire person seemed to suddenly become extremely relaxed and liberated, as if he had broken through profound shackles and constraints. He even became more acutely aware of the surrounding space and his connection to the world.
At this pivotal moment, Yang Xiong's Yin-Yang Meditation Method was finally completed successfully. The soul power throughout his body seemed to surge endlessly, flowing as naturally as breathing itself.
The silver giant in his mind also appeared to complete its transformation entirely at this moment. The red and blue spaces gradually merged into one unified field, forming a massive Yin-Yang symbol that represented perfect balance.
Yang Xiong also achieved a breakthrough to level twenty-eight in this instant of completion. This advancement meant he was no longer at the bottom among the Shrek Seven Devils in terms of cultivation level.
Yang Xiong was particularly excited to discover that his Yin-Yang Meditation Method could now operate autonomously throughout his body without conscious effort. With future improvements in his soul power, the effectiveness of his cultivation would definitely improve dramatically. It might even become stronger than Tang San's renowned Mysterious Heaven Skill. After all, Tai Chi's Yin-Yang rotation represented eternal life and endless cycles, and it was considered the supreme existence within Taoist philosophy.
This day marked the final day of the three-month training period. During these intensive months, everyone had been training desperately, and their physical fitness had improved dramatically. Tang San and Dai Mubai appeared significantly stronger and more muscular, Ma Hongjun had lost considerable weight and looked much healthier, and even Oscar could now complete the entire course while carrying his assigned weight load.
The three girls had become relatively slimmer and more athletic. They were no longer as reserved and hesitant as before, and their relationships with the male students had improved considerably.
Ning Rongrong had particularly changed during this period. She no longer displayed the kind of spoiled behavior she had exhibited initially. Instead, she had developed a hint of heroic spirit and determination. Her temper had also become much more controlled and mature, though she still enjoyed teasing and joking with Yang Xiong. She treated him without any formality or distance, as if he were family.
On the final weight-bearing run of the training period, Ning Rongrong insisted stubbornly that Yang Xiong not carry her, even when all the stones from her basket had been transferred to Yang Xiong's load. She gritted her teeth with determination and persisted independently, finally completing the entire course through her own efforts.
Although the little princess was completely exhausted at the end, she appeared extremely happy and satisfied, as if she had returned to her usual confident and commanding presence.
During these three months, most students' soul power levels hadn't improved significantly. Only Ma Hongjun had advanced by one level and was now at level twenty-eight. Ning Rongrong had also improved to level twenty-nine during the training process.
When everyone learned that Yang Xiong's soul power had advanced to level twenty-eight, they were collectively stunned. It was important to remember that Yang Xiong had only been at level twenty-six when he first entered the academy. In just a few months, he had reached level twenty-eight, which seemed almost unbelievable.
The cultivation process for normal Spirit Masters follows a gradual progression. No matter how diligently ordinary Spirit Masters practice, regardless of their natural talent, they typically only improve by two to three levels each year. Yang Xiong's improvement speed simply exceeded everyone's imagination and understanding. Zhu Zhuqing's face showed a trace of loneliness and disappointment, as she remained the only Spirit Master at level twenty-seven among the entire group. Her soul power level was now at the bottom among everyone.
Ning Rongrong seemed somewhat unwilling to accept this development. "Little Xiongzi, are you doing this intentionally? Originally, I was two full levels higher than you in soul power, but now I'm only one level ahead of you."
Yang Xiong smiled warmly and responded, "Rongrong, you need to be careful about your cultivation efforts. If you don't work hard consistently, I might actually surpass you in the future."
Ning Rongrong's expression changed with mock indignation. "You wish that would happen! This young lady's natural talent is much better than yours. Don't ever think you can surpass me in soul power cultivation."
Yang Xiong smiled without saying anything more. It was beneficial to give this competitive little girl some gentle motivation and stimulation.
After three months of living together and training intensively day and night, the relationship between Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong had become much closer and more intimate. Especially after each weight-bearing training session, Yang Xiong had consistently carried Ning Rongrong to complete the final few laps. This little girl had been shy and somewhat resistant at first, but now she seemed completely accustomed to and comfortable with the arrangement.
However, this little girl obviously possessed strong vanity and pride. She always liked to call out "Little Xiongzi" in front of others as if to show off her special relationship with him and demonstrate her status. This behavior prompted Xiao Wu to also start calling him "Little Xiongzi," which made Yang Xiong feel somewhat embarrassed by the attention.
When Yu Xiaogang announced that the first stage of training had been completed successfully, and that they would have seven days of rest before beginning the next stage of training, everyone cheered with genuine relief and excitement. Even Yang Xiong breathed a sigh of relief at the news.
It wasn't that Yang Xiong felt this type of training was ineffective, but rather that the intensity of these exercises was only average for his current capabilities. The benefits had been significant at the beginning, but the effects gradually diminished over time. After all, Yang Xiong's physical body had already reached the limits of his current cultivation realm, so it would be more beneficial for him to engage in additional combat training with Zhao Wuji.
However, when Yang Xiong returned to his room that evening and was enjoying his medicinal bath, someone suddenly knocked on his door. Tang San's voice came from outside, sounding somewhat hesitant.
"Is Yang Xiong there? I have something important I'd like to discuss with you."
Yang Xiong responded from the bathtub, "The door isn't locked, so just come in. It's not convenient for me to get up and open the door right now."
After Tang San entered the room, he immediately sensed that the atmosphere felt somewhat abnormal and different. This was Tang San's first solo visit during the past few months, and it was also the first time they had been completely alone together since they had moved to separate rooms.
At this moment, Yang Xiong was soaking peacefully in his tub with his eyes slightly closed, appearing to be either meditating deeply or contemplating important matters.
Tang San followed the unusual energy emanations to Yang Xiong's side. "Yang Xiong, why do I sense that the aura from your medicinal bath is different from the ones the rest of us use? Your medicinal bath seems to contain poisonous elements."
Only then did Yang Xiong open his eyes and focus on his visitor. "That observation is correct. The medicinal materials for my baths were specifically prepared by my master for my unique needs. In addition to providing the standard medicinal bath benefits, they are primarily designed for advanced body refining and strengthening."
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