But after a while of trying to sense the natural energy, Arthur got absolutely nothing! Just as he had suspected, Arthur knew it couldn't be that easy to feel nature's spirit energy. Even though his energy sensitivity was extremely high due to the fusion of the World Tree's core and the System Space, a deeper absorption was still required. Arthur finally decided to try sensing the nature spirit energy within the System Space itself, where the energy concentration was far denser.
Before he knew it, an hour had passed. Arthur awoke from his meditation, his eyes blinking as they adjusted to the room's light. His gaze immediately fell upon the black gloves now fitted on his hands. He examined them carefully; his fingers felt a strange material. Though they looked incredibly thin and flexible like silk, the surface felt remarkably hard and dense, as if his hands were sheathed in an invisible layer of metal.
"Hmm, this is so minimalist. Just like ordinary gloves and they're almost unnoticeable if you're not looking. Absolutely incredible!" Arthur murmured in admiration, turning his hands over to inspect them from every angle.
"Heh, of course! Who do you think made them? I know you don't like drawing attention, so I designed them that way. Besides, spirit bones are essentially supposed to be invisible, though some are made very conspicuous to intimidate opponents!" replied the Master Dwarf from within his mind, his laughter echoing like the clang of struck iron.
"Hey, Art! We're finished here... can you help me heal them?" asked Jing Liu, breaking Arthur's concentration. She pointed towards Wang Chang and the others who were still lying powerless on the ground, their breath ragged and their uniforms soaked with sweat.
"Alright, I'll help. But it might... *hurt a little*," said Arthur with a faint, subtle smile as he walked closer. His hands glowed with a warm, golden light. However, to the soon-to-be-healed victims, Arthur's smile at a time like this looked utterly terrifying and full of menace.
"Get away! Get away from me!" yelled Wang Chang, trying to crawl backward with the last of his strength, his face pale with fear.
"Hey, relax. This won't hurt," Arthur reassured him, yet his steps didn't halt.
*Thwack! Thud! Smack!*
Next, screams of pain from the members of Dormitory No. 7 shattered the evening's silence! The sound was so loud it could probably be heard clear across the field. Arthur moved swiftly like the wind, his glowing golden hands landing on the backs, shoulders, and legs of the team members. Though claimed to be healing, his style was more like pummeling a punching bag. He gave them no chance to process the situation or even complain, each strike precisely hitting tense muscle points full of training injuries.
"Hey, enough! The screaming is over the top. Was it really that painful when I hit you?" Arthur asked after it was all over, his hands no longer shining.
"What are you talking about? It really did hurt! Wait..." protested Wang Chang, before his eyes suddenly went wide. He turned his hands over and felt his own back. "Huh? That punch just now... didn't actually hurt? Weird, it actually feels really light!"
"Of course it didn't hurt. I can remove the pain from my strikes when I'm healing. But my punches can also be controlled to be very painful, if I need them to be," Arthur explained casually. "Alright, since you're all healed, we'll continue with spirit energy control training."
"Aren't we going to do that at night?" Jing Liu interjected, recalling their schedule.
"No! The night should be used for meditation practice and full rest. That's more important for recovering your spirit power and ensuring you're in prime condition tomorrow!" Arthur explained, drawing on the insights he'd gained from his intensive training in the System Space.
After that brief conversation, Arthur and Jing Liu began teaching them how to control spirit energy. The method was to focus on channeling energy to a single point, towards the head, and use it to hold a leaf between the skin. If they used too much spiritual power, the leaf would shatter to pieces! Conversely, if they used too little, the leaf would fall. This training forced them to concentrate fully and control their emotions and energy flow with perfect precision.
Time flew by. Before they knew it, a whole month had passed! In that month, their intensive training activities were finally discovered by the juniors from the Xiao Ganyu dormitory. This put the other dormitories on alert, and they too began training diligently, helped by their Level 12 senior classmates. The school's central field, usually quiet, became crowded with students practicing. However, Arthur and Jing Liu paid no attention to the commotion. Their focus was singular: to relentlessly train the members of Dormitory No. 7 without pause, with a combination of rest, good nutrition, and disciplined hard work!
Another two months passed. The results began to show. Jing Liu was firmly at Level 20, while Arthur followed closely at Level 18! Of course, during these three months, they hadn't neglected their personal training. They utilized the System Space to practice, maximizing the dense energy concentration it provided.
Even more striking was the physical transformation of Wang Chang and the others! Their bodies, which were once too thin or perhaps overweight, were now filled with dense, elastic muscle. Their posture was straight and full of confidence. This transformation was largely thanks to Arthur. Every one of his "healing" punches not only recovered new injuries but also subtly repaired old wounds, strengthened bones, and delivered nutrients directly to their body's cells.
Their cultivation levels also skyrocketed! Wang Chang, who was previously only at Level 4, had now reached Level 6 – an incredibly fast achievement for someone with average innate talent! The others weren't far behind, ranging between Levels 5 and 6.
Three months had passed. Tomorrow was the day of reckoning, the culmination of the promise they made six months ago! Even though their enemies had also trained hard, they were sure their training wasn't as harsh or disciplined as that of Dormitory No. 7. Over these three months, they had endured rain and scorching sun, constantly pushing their limits under the guidance of Arthur and Jing Liu, whom they now regarded as brothers and mentors.
Wang Chang had now reached Level 8, while the others were at Level 7! This achievement didn't make them arrogant; instead, it solidified their motivation and confidence.
On the night before the match, Arthur gathered them all. His face was stern, illuminated by the moonlight.
"Tomorrow is the day that will bear witness to all the sweat, pain, and discipline we've endured these past six months!" Arthur's voice thundered, igniting a nearly extinguished flame of spirit. "There can be no mistakes, no carelessness! We are the ones who will stand as winners! We will become an example for every junior in the future, proving that even if we come from humble families, we can make up for it with hard work, relentless training, and supreme discipline!"
"YES! We will be the example and the role models! Dormitory No. 7, discipline and never surrender!" they shouted in unison, their voices united with confidence and blazing, fiery spirit.
After that, they rested. The sleep they got was perhaps the deepest and most meaningful of their lives. Tomorrow, they would prove everything!
TO BE CONTINUED...