Chapter 14: Tang San — You Can Use Blue Silver Bind Too?
For several consecutive days, Qi Tian had been cultivating diligently while honing his killing techniques within the City of Slaughter.
Although Bibi Dong hadn't yet allowed him to step into the Hell Arena, Qi Tian had already slain several depraved souls in the inner city.
Now, a faint murderous aura lingered around him at all times.
Even those senior students who used to bully the work-study students didn't dare provoke him anymore, allowing Qi Tian to train in peace.
That afternoon, as usual, Qi Tian went to the academy's training field to clean up and trim the Blue Silver Grass.
Perhaps because he cultivated here every day, the grass had begun growing at an astonishing rate—requiring daily trimming just to keep the place tidy.
To reduce his workload, Qi Tian usually sat near the field's edge during meditation, blending his breath with the surrounding Blue Silver Grass.
In this harmonious state, his cultivation efficiency improved greatly, and his perception sharpened.
At that moment, he suddenly heard someone approaching—
not with his ears, but through his heightened spiritual sense.
Moments later, a panting student rushed onto the field.
"Qi Tian! Hurry, come to the back mountain! Sister Xiao Wu is challenging Xiao Chenyu!"
Qi Tian opened his eyes.
A faint, chilling killing intent escaped from him instinctively, making the boy flinch in fear.
"Y-You… Why are you so scary?"
Qi Tian took a deep breath, suppressing his killing aura.
Every day, he practiced the Blue Silver Domain precisely to restrain this dangerous energy.
"The back mountain? Why are we going there?" he asked calmly.
The back mountain wasn't officially part of Nuoding Academy's grounds.
Qi Tian had once taken a shortcut through there when heading out.
The work-study student, seeing that Qi Tian had calmed down, exhaled in relief.
"Those senior students keep bullying us! Sister Xiao Wu's going to stand up for us—she's challenging their leader, Xiao Chenyu!"
"They can't fight inside the academy, or the teachers would stop them, so everyone went to the back mountain instead!"
Qi Tian frowned.
"So… what if I don't go?"
"You can't skip it! Sister Xiao Wu said all work-study students have to be there!" the boy pleaded.
Qi Tian sighed in exasperation.
"They bully us, but can't we just report it to the teachers?"
The boy hesitated, scratching his head.
"W-We're soul masters… tattling to the teachers would be too embarrassing, right?"
Qi Tian was speechless.
This was clearly bullying! And yet these kids were covering for their tormentors out of pride.
Thinking back to his previous life, he couldn't help but recall how similar things had been.
Back then, too, anyone who complained would be ostracized.
Even that so-called princess from a certain neighboring island nation had made headlines after suffering from school bullying.
"I'm only Rank 2, though. Would I even be any help?" Qi Tian asked helplessly.
"But you're one of us! Xiao Chenyu said However many work-study students we have, he'll bring the same number!"
"We have ten in total, including you. If you don't come, we'll be nine against ten! We'll be crushed again!"
The boy clenched his fists.
"This time, Sister Xiao Wu's backing us up! She's just absorbed her first soul ring—she's a One-Ring Soul Master now!"
"This might be our chance to finally win! Then no one will dare to bully us again!"
Qi Tian hesitated for a moment… then smiled faintly.
"Alright. I'll come take a look."
---
The back mountain's small forest was quiet and serene.
In a higher-level Soul Master Academy, such a place might've been a romantic meeting spot for young couples.
But at Nuoding Academy, the students were still children—most under twelve—too young to realize such things.
Eight work-study students faced off against more than twenty upperclassmen.
At the head of the opposing group stood a tall youth—Xiao Chenyu, the undisputed boss among the senior students.
Among the work-study students, the one standing at the front was a delicate, porcelain-faced little girl — Xiao Wu.
Though a full head shorter than her opponent, her confidence radiated like a flame.
"Boss Xiao, let me go first! Maybe I can take them all down by myself!"
A tall, muscular youth stepped out from behind Xiao Chenyu, grinning arrogantly.
As soon as he spoke, laughter burst from the crowd of senior students.
On the work-study side, Wang Sheng clenched his fists.
"Sister Xiao Wu, let me go first!"
Xiao Wu nodded, assuming the demeanor of a bossy big sister, and granted his request.
"Liu Long! Come on!"
Liu Long sneered.
"A loser like you actually brought a little girl to back you up? Have you no shame?"
"When I beat you again, don't start crying like one, you hear me?"
"You—!" Wang Sheng's face flushed red with anger.
Soul power surged from his body as he charged forward, his tiger-like martial soul roaring faintly in resonance.
Unfortunately for him, Liu Long's martial soul manifested as a two-meter-long wooden staff—longer than his height.
In battles between low-rank Soul Masters without soul skills, reach determines dominance.
With that long staff, Liu Long struck relentlessly, soon leaving Wang Sheng covered in bruises.
But Wang Sheng had endured worse before. Gritting his teeth through the pain, he seized an opening—his clawed hand lashed out and landed squarely on Liu Long's chest, sending him tumbling backward.
Liu Long fell, defeated.
Though Wang Sheng had won, his soul power was nearly exhausted, his body mottled with welts and bruises.
"Sister Xiao Wu, I… I won!" Wang Sheng said excitedly, panting heavily.
Xiao Wu nodded approvingly.
"Not bad. Take a rest. We'll handle the rest from here."
"Alright then, my turn," said Tang San, stepping forward calmly.
But before he could move, Xiao Wu caught sight of Qi Tian, who had just arrived with another work-study student.
Her brows knitted slightly, irritation flashing in her eyes.
Hmph! Xiao Chenyu even dared to boast about keeping me—the boss of Dorm Seven—as his pet rabbit, and this little underling of mine still dares to dawdle?
"Wait, Tang San!" she called out. "Let him go first!"
She pointed straight at Qi Tian.
After all, this was a wheel battle—each side sending out fighters one by one until an entire team was defeated.
She didn't expect Qi Tian to win; she just wanted to teach him a small lesson—to remind him who truly led Dorm Seven.
"Me?" Qi Tian pointed at himself, dumbfounded.
"I'm only Rank 2. If I go up, won't I just slow everyone down?"
He hadn't come here to fight. He just wanted to observe Tang San's battle, to learn from his techniques.
How had things suddenly turned into this?
"Don't worry, Qi Tian," Xiao Wu said with a teasing smile. "Even if you lose, I'll cover for you! We'll make sure to avenge you!"
Qi Tian sighed helplessly. "Fine…"
They'd put it that way—how could he refuse now?
He understood exactly what Xiao Wu was thinking. Still, if fighting once could buy him some peace for future cultivation, he'd take the stage.
"New kid, huh? Ling Feng, you go. End this quickly," ordered Xiao Chenyu.
Ling Feng stepped forward, his lips curling into a confident grin.
With a sudden leap, he soared nearly two meters high, descending toward Qi Tian like a hunting hawk.
"It's an Agility-type martial soul," Tang San whispered beside Xiao Wu. "Qi Tian's doomed."
He had recently learned a lot from his teacher. Even though Ling Feng hadn't reached the level of martial soul possession, Tang San could already identify the type of martial soul he was using.
But Qi Tian wasn't as weak as he appeared.
His days of training within Bibi Dong's body in the City of Slaughter hadn't been for nothing.
With a subtle twist of his waist, Qi Tian sidestepped Ling Feng's swift dive.
Then, lifting a hand, a faint blue light flared in his palm.
"Blue Silver Bind!"
A strand of Blue Silver Grass sprouted from his palm, coiling upward like a living serpent.
It shot out, wrapping tightly around the midair Ling Feng before he could land a second strike.
Qi Tian gave a light pull— and with a heavy "thud," Ling Feng was yanked out of the air and slammed to the ground.
—
End of Chapter