In terms of Soul Master cultivation, Super Douluo Su Wuyan's instruction for Su Qiu focused primarily on combat.
Drawing upon years of battlefield experience and the perspective of a Super Douluo, Su Wuyan integrated his martial soul, soul skills, and numerous combat techniques to create a unique combat art,
"Falling Star Flash."
It was a purely combat-oriented technique, whose greatest principle was simple: overwhelm the weak with strength.
Exploit your strengths to attack the enemy's weaknesses.
Strike fast against the slow, strong against the weak, high against the low.
These three aspects corresponded respectively to speed, power, and martial-soul characteristics. As long as Su Qiu held even the slightest advantage in any one of them, this technique allowed him to seize that tiny opening and amplify it infinitely until victory was secured.
Of course, Su Wuyan had not yet fully perfected this art, it had only been created within the past few years.
Its primary purpose was to maximize the suppressive advantage of his light attribute against evil soul masters. Though the technique still contained many imperfections, it was more than sufficient for Su Qiu to study for years to come. Once his own horizons broadened, he could even use it as a foundation to develop a combat art of his own.
With life so full and structured, time passed quickly.
Three years later.
At the Eastsea City Blacksmith Association, a peculiar conversation echoed inside one of the rooms.
"Su Qiu, will eating this really improve forging skill?"
"Don't talk. Just keep eating."
If Mu Chen had been present, he would probably have burst in instantly and beaten Su Qiu senseless.
That blond brat was tricking his daughter again.
"I-I can't eat anymore. I'm stuffed."
"If you can still talk, you can still eat. Keep going. I have plenty more."
Holding processed whale gel, Su Qiu kept stuffing piece after piece into Mu Xi's mouth.
"Your technique is already good enough, you're just lacking strength. This whale gel will enhance your physical constitution."
"Once your strength improves and you polish your coordination a bit more, you'll be ready to challenge the Third-Rank Blacksmith level."
Under Su Qiu's constant stimulation over the past few years, Mu Xi's forging ability had improved by leaps and bounds. She was already touching the threshold of becoming a Third-Rank Blacksmith.
"Come to think of it," Su Qiu said, "your father should've noticed this issue long ago. Why hasn't he let you use whale gel?"
After swallowing another mouthful, Mu Xi, unaware of the faint blush creeping onto her face, answered in confusion, "Dad said I'm still too young. He said eating whale gel might have… undesirable effects?"
"That's it?"
Just a mild side effect of bodily stimulation, nothing serious, Su Qiu thought dismissively. "I'll bring some to you secretly from now on. It'll be fine."
"Absorb these first. Next time I'll bring some thousand-year whale gel for you. Once the thousand-year grade stops working, I'll get you ten-thousand-year grade."
"My uncle has plenty of this stuff."
Mu Xi sat cross-legged and began circulating her meditation technique to absorb the medicinal effects. After a moment, she asked somewhat shyly, "Su Qiu… why are you so good to me? I mean… I treated you like that before…"
Back when she had first been shaken by Su Qiu's talent, Mu Xi had practically picked fights with him every day, challenging him in forging from every possible angle. Even though she lost every time, she still refused to admit defeat.
"Because I was bored," Su Qiu replied honestly, without any attempt at sweet talk.
"Training every day gets dull. Whenever you came looking for trouble, it actually made things more interesting."
He had never taken her provocations seriously, just childish stubbornness. Besides, every time he teased her into frustration, it had been rather entertaining.
"Just… because of that?"
"What else?"
Mu Xi fell silent, puffed out her cheeks in annoyance, and lowered her head to focus on absorbing the whale gel.
Su Qiu, meanwhile, paid no attention. He remained fully alert, concentrating on ensuring nothing went wrong during her absorption process.
He understood what Mu Xi meant. Over the years, the girl had clearly developed feelings for him.
But he chose to ignore it.
After all, he was only nine years old.
Mu Xi was only thirteen.
Kids should just enjoy childhood and focus on cultivating soul power. Why was everyone thinking about romance all the time?
This ridiculous continent obsessed with love…
The room gradually fell silent. As Mu Xi continued absorbing the whale gel, her entire body began to feel increasingly hot.
The side effects had started to take hold.
When the absorption finished, she opened her eyes. Her head felt dizzy, and she had no idea what was happening to her, only that her throat felt dry and her body strangely restless.
"Water… no, not just water…"
Noticing Su Qiu beside her, she reached out with hazy eyes, following the impulse rising within her.
Su Qiu had long anticipated this. Clapping his hands together, he shouted,
"Great Waterfall Technique!"
Out of nowhere, surging waves filled the room, crashing over Mu Xi in powerful torrents.
Su Qiu's soul power had now reached Level 32, it should have been higher, but because he possessed Ultimate Attributes, cultivation slowed significantly after Level 30, greatly reducing his leveling speed. He had been stuck at Level 32 for quite some time.
His Holy Spear martial soul, just like when it first formed a soul ring, had once again automatically condensed special rings at Levels 20 and 30, granting him control over the water and fire elements respectively.
He didn't know the exact reason, but it was incredibly useful.
The waves washing over Mu Xi were a direct manifestation of his control over the water element.
As for the "Great Waterfall Technique"?
He had just shouted it casually.
The first surge of water left Mu Xi dazed.
The second restored her clarity.
By the third, she fully realized what had just happened and shouted through her embarrassment:
"Stop! Sto-gurgle, stop already!"
At her words, Su Qiu willed the water away.
The waves vanished, leaving only the wet floor as evidence that everything had been real.
Her soaked clothing clung tightly to her slender figure, outlining her slim waist. Her golden ponytail had come loose, droplets sliding down her fair skin.
Su Qiu couldn't help sneaking a few extra glances.
Not bad… Thirteen years old and already this well-developed. Truly the Douluo Continent.
"I- I'll go change," Mu Xi said, covering her flushed face before running out of the room.
"Wow, your speed improved a lot," Su Qiu muttered to himself. If he pushed her a few more times like this, her physical strength should soon reach the level required for Thousand Refinement forging.
Mu Xi, however, was thinking about something entirely different.
Now she finally understood why her father had refused to let her use whale gel.
Under its side effects, she had just experienced all sorts of… indescribable thoughts toward Su Qiu.
And that had only been ordinary whale gel.
Su Qiu had said he would later bring her thousand-year, even ten-thousand-year grade.
What would she become then?
Her mind was a complete mess.
After changing clothes and drying her hair, Mu Xi returned, and the two sat in awkward silence.
The girl was embarrassed by what had just happened.
The boy was simply thick-skinned, and slightly distracted.
"Um… Su Qiu, you'll be going to Eastsea Academy in a few days, right?" Mu Xi finally spoke to break the silence.
"Why don't you go straight to Shrek Academy? With your strength, you'd definitely qualify."
"Too early," Su Qiu shook his head. "I'll wait a bit longer."
Shrek Academy was still worth attending. It was the largest gathering place of talents in the entire Federation. Whether for teachers or networking opportunities, it was an excellent choice.
Of course, the main reason was simpler: Su Qiu had nowhere else to go. Eventually, he would have to build his own force.
His goal was to eliminate all evil soul masters.
There were problems within the Spirit Pagoda itself, Qiangu Dongfeng was colluding with the Holy Spirit Cult. Staying within the organization any longer left a bad taste in his mouth.