A full week had passed before Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo finally returned. Judging from Ning Fengzhi's expression, he was very pleased,likely because he had obtained a strong eighth spirit ring.
Surprisingly, Yang Xiong's eldest brother didn't return. It was said that he went out to train with Oscar and Qin Shuang. Yang Xiong strongly suspected that his brother Yang Wei was intentionally avoiding Zhao Wuji's combat training.
After a week of training under Bone Douluo, Yang Xiong's body had been pushed to its limits,every training session left him battered and miserable.
However, Yang Xiong gradually began to understand the purpose of Bone Douluo's training. Facing so many opponents at once helped his body instinctively dodge attacks or at least deflect some of the force.
If this kind of training continued over time, it could indeed make his defense stronger, and even improve his reflexes.
With his body repeatedly subjected to beatings, the process of tempering his physique through blood was somewhat similar to the effect of soaking in a medicinal bath after extreme exertion.
But compared to that, this training method was far more brutal. Although it posed no immediate life-threatening danger, he was becoming increasingly numb to pain. His skin thickened, and even his bones seemed to grow stronger under the stress.
Yang Xiong couldn't help but think of Tang San training under a waterfall with the Clear Sky Hammer. The force of the waterfall was somewhat similar to the impact of Bone Douluo's iron rods.
After Sword Douluo returned, Bone Douluo disappeared without a trace,apparently off on some mission for the sect.
Early in the morning, Yang Xiong arrived at the training field and waited more than ten minutes before Sword Douluo finally arrived, somewhat leisurely.
Compared to Bone Douluo, Sword Douluo felt even more distant,like an icy glacier.
Yang Xiong quickly greeted him, "Teacher, please begin today's instruction."
Sword Douluo nodded. "Old Bone and I have already discussed this. He trained you for one week, and now I'll train you for the next week."
"Our training methods are completely different. While his methods are torturous, mine are simpler,but also more deadly."
"Use your full strength to attack me. I want to see what you're capable of. Of course, I'll only use Spirit Ancestor-level strength."
Yang Xiong was speechless. Why did both his teachers want him to attack them? Could so many flaws really be spotted through attacking?
This time, Yang Xiong came prepared. He swiftly summoned his martial spirit and spirit rings. His hands transformed into dragon claws and he lunged at Sword Douluo with great speed.
Sword Douluo seemed completely unbothered. Just as Yang Xiong was about to strike, a Seven Kill Sword appeared out of nowhere. It didn't clash with his claws; instead, it flashed like lightning and aimed directly at his joints.
Yang Xiong's heart tensed. This was the Seven Kill Sword,known as the most powerful offensive tool spirit in the world. He probably wouldn't survive a direct hit.
Yang Xiong paused, redirecting his claws to face the sword instead.
But the Seven Kill Sword, even though it wasn't held by Sword Douluo directly but controlled by spirit power through two fingers, changed direction before impact and aimed for Yang Xiong's neck.
Yang Xiong reacted quickly, pulling back his hands to block the sword's path.
But the Seven Kill Sword pressed forward, slamming directly into his claws. Despite using all his strength, Yang Xiong couldn't stop its sharp edge.
Gritting his teeth and ignoring the pain, he suddenly appeared behind Sword Douluo and threw a full-force punch,using the body's momentum to deliver his spirit skill, Bone-Shattering Fist.
Yet Sword Douluo didn't even turn his head. The Seven Kill Sword shot forward past his shoulder and struck Yang Xiong's silver fists directly.
In just one hit, Yang Xiong felt like his fists were about to split open. The force from the sword was so strong it knocked him backward.
Before he could react again, sword energy condensed out of thin air from above, threatening to pierce through his entire body.
Gritting his teeth, Yang Xiong teleported in front of Sword Douluo again and slammed a golden Rasengan-like attack at him with all his might.
But Sword Douluo made the sword flick rapidly, producing a flower-like motion. The spiral ball was gently deflected.
Before Yang Xiong could react, the sword moved with a wicked angle, reaching his neck. A thin line of blood began to seep from the shallow cut.
Yang Xiong swallowed hard. The Seven Kill Sword's attack was too fierce,too fast. Judging from the speed and force, Sword Douluo really was using only Spirit Ancestor-level power.
With a wave of Sword Douluo's hand, the sword at his neck vanished, and Yang Xiong finally let out a breath of relief.
Sword Douluo nodded slightly. "Not bad. Your reflexes are solid, and your attacks are passable. Among Spirit Ancestors or even Spirit Kings, few can match your offensive power."
"But you're overly reckless, and your control over power is poor. Why did you stop your attack when my sword first aimed at you? Just because the gap between our strength is too great?"
Yang Xiong quickly replied, "Teacher, the power of your Seven Kill Sword is too overwhelming. Even if I had landed a hit, my hands would've been chopped off."
Sword Douluo snorted. "Having power and technique without the will or resolve means nothing. There are countless geniuses in this world. Only those who dare challenge the strong, who are unafraid of death, can become true experts. No Title Douluo is an exception."
"Back during the Spirit Master Tournament, your performance was decent, but your hesitation was obvious. Who were you showing that to? You had a chance to defeat Yao Mei, but you held back your spirit skills and didn't use your full power. What was the point of entering the tournament?"
"Spirit Hall may be powerful, but if we don't even have the courage to challenge them, we might as well surrender early and live as ordinary people."
Yang Xiong broke into a cold sweat. Over the years, he'd made many calculations, but his indecisiveness was clear. He didn't know how to reject when he should have, nor did he risk everything when it counted. He had never done anything without absolute confidence,completely lacking the courage to challenge the strong.
Sword Douluo continued, "Analyze the last fight. Why did you lose so easily?"
After thinking for a while, Yang Xiong said, "Teacher, the main reason is the gap in our control over spirit power. Your Seven Kill Sword felt like an extension of your body,so fluid and natural."
Sword Douluo shook his head. "That's a poor analysis. I already said I limited myself to Spirit Ancestor-level power,speed, strength, attack, even the sword's sharpness. Yet you were intimidated and didn't have the courage to fight seriously."
Yang Xiong responded, "Thank you for your guidance, teacher. I won't let this happen again."
Sword Douluo snorted. "You think you'll get another chance? In battle, if you don't go all out from the start, do you expect your enemy to give you another opportunity?"
"In our fight just now, you never once had your own rhythm. You fell completely into mine,that's a critical mistake for any spirit master duel."
Yang Xiong's expression turned determined. "Teacher, I understand now. Thank you. I'll fight with my life from now on."
Sword Douluo nodded. "That attitude is at least salvageable. The Spirit Master Tournament is just a game between children. No crippling injuries are even allowed,it's meaningless to me."
"Your strength may surpass that of the average student, but you haven't reached the point of domination. Your speed, power, and defense are all excellent, which makes you stand out only because your experience is broader than theirs."
Yang Xiong reflected on the past few years and realized he had indeed grown complacent.
Sword Douluo added, "Since you've acknowledged me as your teacher, I'll do my best to teach you. But if you disappoint me, you may one day die by my Seven Kill Sword. My disciples must never show cowardice."
Yang Xiong gritted his teeth. "Teacher, I will never be weaker than others. I'll fight harder than anyone."
Sword Douluo said, "Now that's more like it. My martial spirit is the Seven Kill Sword. You don't have a sword-type spirit, so I won't teach you sword techniques. Given your abilities, it's unlikely you'll progress far in swordsmanship."
"What I can teach you comes down to two words: attack and kill."
"Attack means using every means necessary to defeat your enemy,charging forward without hesitation. Kill means murderous intent,using all possible methods to destroy your opponent."
As soon as Sword Douluo finished speaking, a powerful killing aura burst from him. Yang Xiong felt his entire body tremble as if he were standing atop a mountain of corpses. Even his soul was shaking.
This killing aura rivaled even that of Tang Hao from back then,it was clearly the Seven Kill Sword's unique trait.
With a wave of his hand, a surge of sword energy poured into Yang Xiong's body, suppressing his martial spirit and spirit power entirely.
Yang Xiong could only sigh,both of his teachers loved suppressing his abilities. Did even attacking require this kind of harsh training?
Before he could say anything, several disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect wheeled out a massive cage. Inside was a large spotted tiger over six meters long,clearly a two-thousand-year-old spirit beast.
Sword Douluo said, "Use any means necessary,except hidden weapons,to kill this thousand-year spotted tiger. Go all out."
After he spoke, he slashed two arcs of sword energy into the training ground, forming a modest-sized ring. He then stepped outside the area.
The spotted tiger roared loudly and looked at Yang Xiong like prey. But it clearly feared the aura from Sword Douluo's sword energy and dared not approach him.
Yang Xiong grew nervous. He had killed thousand-year spirit beasts before, but not under these circumstances,without his martial spirit or spirit power. Killing the spotted tiger like this would be incredibly difficult.
Yet he had no choice.
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