Chapter 28: What is the meaning of these tears? And what on earth is that look on your face!

"No, you cannot rest yet."

"Ah, is this really all you've got?"

"You can still breathe, can't you? Get up and keep going!"

"If you don't even have the resolve to train until you pass out, how can you ever become strong? Move! Your discomfort is your own concern; keeping you alive is mine. No resting!"

Watching Wu Feng go from ease to struggle, and finally to the point of collapsing in self-abandonment, Ning Wuque felt neither pity nor compassion. He simply commanded her again and again to get up and continue.

At first, it had some effect, but by the fourth time, Ning Wuque watched as Wu Feng barely managed to push herself up. She was so exhausted that small pearls of tears spilled from her eyes, pattering onto the floor.

The only reason she could persist was partly because Ning Tian was watching, and partly because she didn't want to be looked down upon by her rival.

However, instead of praising her, Ning Wuque became even more demanding:

"What is with those tears? And what is with that look in your eyes? If you want to become strong, show me the resolve to match it!

Is crying the behavior of someone who wants to be strong? Move! Stop crying! Tell your body who its master is; you must make your will unshakable!"

"Wuque..."

Even Ning Tian couldn't bear to watch any longer and wanted to intercede for Wu Feng. This was only a test, after all.

But Ning Wuque shook his head slowly, saying with cold severity:

"It is precisely because this is a test that I need to know where Wu Feng's limits lie. I have it under control; I won't let her get hurt."

As he spoke, Ning Wuque tapped the storage soul tool on his wrist. He was prepared at all times.

Real training would, of course, not look like this; progressive advancement and scientific planning were the core of physical conditioning. Wu Feng had not yet been exposed to such training, and Ning Wuque had not taught her the methods or techniques yet. Starting with high-intensity training from the very beginning would not yield good results.

However, a person's will determines the heights they can reach, and the greatest external manifestation of will lies in the process of undertaking the unknown. This test was designed to find Wu Feng's limit so that Ning Wuque could tailor a plan to help her maintain and eventually break past that threshold.

He had done the same himself, testing his limits safely under Zhang Can’s supervision before planning based on accurate data. He hadn't been that strong from the start; on his first day of training, he hadn't even lasted six hours.

Thud.

Soon, Wu Feng could no longer hold on and collapsed, face-planting onto the floor with a loud smack.

Seeing this, the prepared Ning Wuque sprang up from his chair, reached Wu Feng’s side, turned her over, and helped her stand up, gently patting her back to help her catch her breath.

"Is Feng'mei alright?"

"It's a minor matter. She's much tougher than I was when I started. The passive enhancement that a high-quality martial soul provides to the body is quite significant."

Ning Wuque mused. Wu Feng's limit had lasted longer than he anticipated. Could one expect anything less from a super martial soul like the Red Dragon?

Soon, after Wu Feng had rested, Ning Wuque helped her to the table, flipped his hand to retrieve a specially made meatball from his storage tool, and stuffed it into her mouth, instructing:

"It doesn't taste very good, but make sure to swallow it. Don't spit it out."

Afterward, he picked up the fruit drink pitcher from the table, filled her cup, and held it to her lips.

Gulp, gulp.

With the aid of the drink, Wu Feng managed to swallow the bland meatball. As the nutrients were absorbed, her strength quickly returned, and she looked at Ning Wuque with a resentful expression. At the same time, she felt a surge of guilt.

So, this was what it felt like for him to train every day? The snide remarks she had made seemed... truly excessive!

Only when one experiences something can one truly understand. That was the case for Wu Feng. After experiencing Ning Wuque's daily routine firsthand, she realized how much effort he put in while she was busy playing.

This guy... he wasn't as annoying as she thought. Though, it would be even better if he didn't compete with her for Ning Tian's attention.

After this one limit test, Wu Feng’s impression of Ning Wuque changed significantly.

Sitting in her chair, Ning Tian looked at the recovering Wu Feng and praised her:

"Feng'mei, you were amazing. Most people would have chosen to turn a deaf ear and give up long ago."

"I... I am, aren't I? Of course, I'm the strongest!"

Flushed with pride from Ning Tian's praise, Wu Feng straightened her posture and accepted the compliment with a shy smile.

...

Time passed like youth, slipping away.

Ning Wuque had no intention of staying overnight—who knew if he’d wake up the next day with seven fixed-shell soul artillery shells in his back, ruled a suicide? He wisely took his leave.

Afterward, he began to customize a training plan for Wu Feng, compiling a list and sending it to her so she could have her father gather the supplies.

Worth noting is that because Wu Feng was a young girl and quite concerned about her image, Ning Wuque moved the training ground to Ning Tian’s residence from then on. It was a nice perk for him, as the dense soul power there was truly refreshing.

As for the rest of his studies? What were those? He just kept his name on the registry; he had nearly finished self-studying the material anyway.

And so, from that day on, two shadows disappeared from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan’s elementary soul master academy, and occasionally, three.

Ning Tian’s residence became Ning Wuque’s new base of operations. Almost as soon as the sky turned gray, one could see him exercising while carrying a massive piece of Soul-Nourishing Jade. It was something Ning Tian had lent him.

Believe it or not, training while carrying this thing even had the effect of boosting soul power growth! It saved him so much time in nightly meditation that he could better focus on researching self-created soul skills.

Just like that, time drifted by, and two years had passed.

"Alright, Wu Feng, you've qualified. Your body can definitely withstand a soul ring from a sub-dragon that has just entered the thousand-year level!"

This year, the three of them were eleven. Ning Wuque looked at the disciple he had trained and nodded with satisfaction.

In front of him, a sweat-drenched Wu Feng, wearing a specially made athletic suit, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and said with dissatisfaction:

"Wuque, that last punch of yours was really brutal!"

"If I didn't use a Soul Venerable-level punch to increase the intensity, how would I know what level your physical fitness had reached? A thousand-year soul ring, especially a high-quality one, is no child's play!"

"I know that without you telling me, hmph!"

Wu Feng crossed her arms, tossed her red ponytail, and turned her head away.

Although she was only eleven, due to her martial soul, combined with the training plan Ning Wuque had customized for her and the expensive medicinal herbs used, Wu Feng was now 1.7 meters tall.

Her body was filled with symmetrical, elegant muscle lines, giving her the aesthetic of a fitness-conscious young girl; her slim figure and defined abs were enviable.

Furthermore, thanks to the specific requirements given to Ning Wuque by a certain middle-aged man, who had provided top-tier heavenly treasures, Wu Feng still maintained delicate, fair skin. As long as she wore appropriate clothing, anyone who saw her would praise her as a spirited, heroic young beauty!

Sounds great, right?

She paid for it with strength.

Ning Wuque despised yet envied this behavior.

Damn it!