Uncle Wang shouted, "Not good!" To avoid being injured by the kick, everyone had to retreat.
No one expected that the sudden snap of a single rope would trigger such a chain reaction.
Fang Ling was hiding to the side, but unexpectedly, the pig seemed to have locked onto him and charged straight at him.
The people around shouted for him to get out of the way.
But he was already so close, how could he dodge completely?
He could only shift as much as possible.
In this critical moment, Fang Ling didn't panic or get nervous.
His strong heartbeat helped his mind quickly calm down.
In a crisis, panic leads to defeat, even in situations where victory is assured.
There was no time to draw his knife or think further. Fang Ling quickly summoned his Scythe Martial Soul, its blade glinting with a chilling gleam.
In that instant, he instinctively struck with a slash.
The tip of the blade pierced the pig's neck, plunging deep inside.
Using that leverage, Fang Ling grabbed the pig's ear and, with powerful arm strength, flipped himself onto the pig's back.
He then pulled hard, and blood gushed out, splattering all over the ground.
Another flip, and he jumped far away. The pig let out a miserable squeal, dashed forward a few steps, and then collapsed with a loud thud.
Everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
To react so swiftly in such a dangerous situation, he truly lived up to the title of a genius Soul Master.
Fang Ling seemed to be lost in thought, standing still.
He was indeed reflecting, but not on the strike he had just made.
His plugin had activated.
A gray panel flashed in his vision.
Under the "Specialties" section, two new entries appeared, dim but still dazzling to Fang Ling.
The first: Scythe Technique Lv1 (Skill Specialty. Persistent practice has given you a decent foundation. Your instinctive strike was surprisingly impressive. Although this is only the entry level of scythe combat, it's already excellent for a beginner with no foundation. You are a natural battle maniac.)
Most importantly, the second: Battle Maniac Lv Max (Specialty. Cannot be upgraded. Your innate battle maniac nature has been awakened. Progress in combat-related techniques is now significantly faster.)
"I'm… a battle maniac?"
The panel's evaluation made Fang Ling somewhat incredulous.
In his past life, he had been a quiet and honest person. Even in the world of Douluo, he had always avoided conflict and focused on cultivation.
Until now, all the killings had been out of necessity.
How could he be called a battle maniac?
Fang Ling withdrew his Martial Soul and lightly clenched his fingers.
He could feel the warmth of his palm against his fingers.
Placing his hand on his chest, he felt the powerful beating of his heart, still echoing the thrill of danger.
His body trembled.
Not from fear, but from excitement.
His long-restrained heart had finally been released.
This is what true battle feels like.
Every slash drawing blood, every move a fight for life.
The Battle Maniac specialty wouldn't enhance his Soul Power cultivation speed, but it would greatly improve his combat skills.
Soul Power growth had the plugin, he just needed to keep killing.
But combat technique was hard-earned. It took him a year of trial and error just to reach this starting point.
Fang Ling grinned, clenching his fists tightly.
He had already chosen the path he wanted to walk.
With a Scythe Martial Soul, close combat was the way to go.
He aimed to become invincible in close combat.
To achieve that, he still needed better movement techniques, to dodge, charge, and strike effectively in order to survive.
As for long-range enemies, just get in close and fight them there.
Fang Ling didn't let the panel's words, "natural battle maniac", go to his head.
Increased speed in skill mastery only provided assurance for future strength.
Hard work was still necessary. Strength couldn't come without effort.
And this aligned perfectly with his expectations.
The future looked promising.
Everyone who had witnessed the scene was left dumbfounded.
Moments later, some began to cheer, clapping excitedly.
They kept praising him:
"Kid, you're amazing!"
"A real Soul Master prodigy!"
Old Man Liu saw that Fang Ling was still standing still, not celebrating with the others, and hurried over.
He looked him up and down anxiously and asked, "Little Fang Ling, are you hurt?"
"No serious injuries. Thank you for your concern, Grandpa Liu. Let's continue with the pig slaughter," Fang Ling replied, finally snapping out of it and exhaling deeply.
He felt a warmth in his heart and gave a respectful clasp of fists to the cheering crowd.
Then he said with a sigh, "It's just a pity that so much blood was wasted."
Old Man Liu sighed with relief. "As long as you're okay. Pig's blood isn't important."
"You look like you're tired. Why don't you take a break?"
"I'm fine," Fang Ling shook his head. "I'm a Battle Soul Master, I'm not that fragile. Let's continue."
"Good kid, truly a talented Soul Master."
Old Man Liu patted his shoulder with satisfaction and said earnestly,
"You're bound to become someone great in the future!"
"I won't forget Grandpa Liu then."
Fang Ling replied with a smile.
"What's the point of remembering an old man like me?" Old Man Liu glared. "Just focus on cultivating well. If I hear you've become a famous and powerful Soul Master in the future, it'll be worth our time together."
"Yeah, we need to replace the rope," Fang Ling muttered, holding his dry, wrinkled hand.
Old Man Liu grumbled, "Of course we do! Once I find out which little brat inspected the tools today, I'll give him a good scolding!"
The rest of the process was simple. Fang Ling wasn't strong enough to help much, he only assisted with tasks like draining blood, inflating the pig, and scraping the hair.
Because of the earlier intense and thrilling scene, even though no one was hurt, Grandpa Liu still persuaded him to return to school early.
Of course, he brought back meat and offal.
Fresh, free, and tasty meat, why not eat it?
Xiao Wu had become a Soul Master and was now richer.
But one gold soul coin a month wasn't much.
She had to save up to buy other things later.
By the time he returned, it was almost dinner.
The dormitory wasn't crowded. Tang San was out forging iron, and Xiao Wu was still asleep.
From her sweet expression, she was probably having a pleasant dream.
Fang Ling was puzzled, did she really have a grudge to avenge?
Ever since arriving at the academy, he'd never seen her train seriously.
Even when Tang San urged her, she'd only practice briefly under his watchful eyes.
Then they'd end up play-fighting again.
Whenever Tang San wasn't around, she'd immediately slack off.
Other than showing off and enjoying people's admiration, she was always lying in bed.
Yet even so, her soul power kept rising rapidly.
Tang San's constant meditation couldn't even keep up.
Let alone Fang Ling.
To put it in perspective, she was like a rich second-generation heir squandering endless assets.
A hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form, no one could compete with that.
Fortunately, Fang Ling had his own plugin. As long as he kept killing, Soul Power wouldn't be a problem.
"Sister Xiao Wu, wake up and eat," Fang Ling said softly, placing the food container beside her.
"Ugh!"
A familiar scent of blood drifted to her nose. Her expression changed in her sleep, and she suddenly woke up at his call.
She covered her nose with one hand and waved with the other in disgust. "Fang Ling! You didn't shower again!"
"The food will taste bad if it gets cold!" Fang Ling argued.
"What food?" Xiao Wu snorted, sniffed again, and her expression turned to delight.
"I used your name to make a dish in the canteen, stir-fried pork intestines."
She was tired of braised meat. Now that Xiao Wu was a Soul Master and the boss of the academy, he could use the school kitchen freely.
To satisfy his appetite, he cooked different dishes every day.
Unfortunately, it didn't unlock any strange new specialty.
Fang Ling took out a bowl and scooped some rice for her.
"I even brought the rice back."
"Everyone, come and eat."
He called the others over.
"Pork intestines? Big intestines?" Xiao Wu moved her chopsticks hesitantly. Her mouth twitched. "Can you even eat this stuff?"
"This is the good stuff! My secret recipe, Sister Xiao Wu, just try it."
After some hesitation, she spotted a sweaty figure walking in through the door, and her eyes lit up.
"Tang San, come taste Fang Ling's new dish!"
"Ah… me again?" Tang San's face twitched.
He could never say no to Xiao Wu.
Besides, Fang Ling's cooking actually tasted pretty good.
Might as well eat it.
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