The Great Dao Is Utter Simplicity
Though both the small farming sickle and the large war scythe have the word "sickle" in their names, they are entirely different weapons.
That's why the combination of soul skills seemed a bit strange.
Still, having enhanced neural reflexes was definitely useful.
"When did your martial soul evolve?" Qin Ming realized something was off.
"A little over two months ago, when I got my soul ring in the Star Dou Great Forest," Fang Ling replied honestly.
Du Guyan's face was full of surprise.
"So you adapted to a completely different martial soul in just two months?"
Fang Ling didn't act smug. He made a modest gesture with his fingers, leaving a tiny gap between his thumb and forefinger.
"Just a little bit of talent."
"That's not just a little bit of talent," Yu Tianheng said, clearly impressed with Fang Ling's combat instincts.
Even though he was slightly slower than Oslo, a pure agility-type soul master, he made up for it with sheer offensive power.
He had both agility and strength, sharp reflexes, and a special soul skill that could suddenly activate and boost his damage by 250%. Plus, he had an intuition that could yield unpredictable results.
Even someone like Yu Tianheng could fall for his moves. It was unlikely anyone else would fare better.
That made it easy to quickly take down one opponent during battle.
Even if his soul skills were known to the enemy, it wouldn't matter.
Could they really afford to take the hits head-on? Not block? Not dodge?
That kind of blatant strategy created intense psychological pressure, leading to more mistakes and easier victories.
As long as they could gain a numbers advantage, the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy team had a great shot at winning.
Of course, that depended on Fang Ling's cultivation catching up.
Yu Tianheng subconsciously glanced over at the elegant, almost feminine-looking Oslo.
He froze, then suddenly came to a realization.
Right!
Yufeng could fly, so he wouldn't conflict with Fang Ling in terms of positioning.
Fang Ling might be slower, but his attacks were much stronger, far stronger!
He was more likely to break through enemy lines. So what should Oslo do?
"Ahem... Survival of the fittest. The weaker one becomes the substitute."
Qin Ming coughed lightly at just the right time, breaking the slight tension in the air.
He used to worry about how to select students willing to train and compete for the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, or where to recruit new talents. Never did he expect to be in this kind of situation.
"We'll go with what the teacher says,"
Yu Tianheng made the final call, so the good team dynamic wouldn't be affected.
Qin Ming clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.
His usual gentle expression was now calm and emotionless, radiating a quiet authority.
"Time for our daily training."
"What kind of training?" Fang Ling asked curiously.
As the top academy directly under the empire, surely Heaven Dou Royal Academy had some special methods?
"Running. Laps around the academy."
That slightly mocking voice came from Yufeng, whispering beside him.
"Huh? Running?" Fang Ling's eyes widened.
That familiar tone reminded him of Shrek Academy's eternal, never-changing classic teaching methods.
Qin Ming, one of the few Shrek graduates who survived until graduation, might have grasped the true essence of training, but he certainly hadn't forgotten those old-school methods.
"What? You don't want to do it?"
Qin Ming's expression turned cold.
Even nobles like Yu Tianheng had resisted this kind of training in the beginning.
Was Fang Ling, despite his humble background and resilience, about to show the same problem?
Fang Ling quickly shook his head.
"No, I don't mind. Back at the War King Academy, I trained from dawn till dusk without ever complaining."
"Then?"
"I just meant, is it really only running? No other training?"
"No agility drills, reflex training, or maybe running with added weight using gravity-type soul skills?"
Qin Ming immediately understood the root of Fang Ling's confusion.
It was the prestigious reputation of Heaven Dou Royal Academy that had given him overly high expectations.
The training felt too basic and failed to live up to those expectations.
This wasn't about avoiding effort, it was about unmet anticipation.
Qin Ming calmly explained:
"First of all, running without enhancements. Your bodies are still developing. Running under the effects of gravity-type soul skills would hinder growth and negatively impact your future."
"I can't take responsibility for that."
That was a very reasonable point.
Qin Ming paused, then continued:
"Second, you all come from noble or powerful families."
"Yu Tianheng, direct heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
"Du Guyan, granddaughter of the Bi Phosphor Douluo."
"Yufeng…"
"All of you have inherited legacy training methods and deep understanding of martial souls. I'm just a Soul King. I don't think I have the qualifications to override techniques that have been passed down through generations."
"Still, life has been too comfortable. Even with supervision, some of you have grown a bit complacent. That's why basic physical training that builds willpower is the most suitable approach."
After hearing that, everyone smiled awkwardly.
The love of comfort is a universal human trait, hard to avoid.
But a fighter's will, forged through trials of life and death, helps soul power circulate faster and levels rise more quickly.
Conversely, the innate laziness of nobility can weaken one's will, obstruct cultivation, and bring side effects.
That's why, even with natural talent and abundant resources, progress can be so slow.
Willpower makes all the difference!
Such is the rule in a world tinged with fantasy and idealism.
If it weren't for the system interface clearly showing how willpower affects soul power, Fang Ling wouldn't have realized this either.
Suddenly, it all made sense to him.
Qin Ming's reasoning was solid.
Truly, the Great Dao is simple!
And perhaps, this constant push beyond one's limits could elevate his warrior's will to Level 4.
That way, he could avoid making so many reckless decisions in the future.
Fang Ling was deeply moved, his eyes shining with clarity.
"Any more questions?" Qin Ming noticed the clarity in Fang Ling's gaze, his words had clearly made an impact.
"No more," Fang Ling quickly shook his head.
"Then let's begin!"
With a sharp command, everyone started running.
They wouldn't leave the academy grounds, to avoid unexpected danger, so the training was done inside the school.
Near the tall iron fences used for soldier patrols, the terrain was flat, but that's not where they ran.
These were soul masters, far superior in endurance, strength, and speed, so jogging on flat ground wouldn't be enough.
Instead, they ran along a designated forest path.
Jagged rocks, winding tree roots, and only a narrow dirt trail formed from repeated foot traffic.
It was essentially cross-country running.
Since the academy grounds were safe, Ye Lingling led the group, and Yu Tianheng, the powerful beast martial soul user, brought up the rear.
To Fang Ling, this arrangement made perfect sense.
Ye Lingling was a healing-type soul master and might fall behind easily.
Having her set the pace meant they could stop and rest whenever she couldn't keep up.
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