Lin Xia stood in the center of the field, slightly out of breath, surrounded by vibrant dark blue grass that resembled the ruins of a war.
His face was slightly pale, but his eyes were bright and determined.
Yue Guan slowly descended into the center of the arena, his soul power easily dissolving the Blue Silver Grass that was entangled with the children.
He looked at Lin Xia, who was slightly disheveled but stood stubbornly, and a smile of approval appeared on his lips:
"Lin Xia wins!"
On the high platform, the magnificent figure who had been silently watching the battle finally stood up.
Pope Bibidon looked down at the figure standing alone amidst the weeds, and a profound light finally flashed in the depths of her calm eyes.
She gently raised her hand, and the scepter echoed crisply on the ground.
The sound wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire training ground.
"Lin Xia, from this day forward, you are a core disciple of the Spirit Hall. From this moment forward, Elder Yue Guan will personally instruct you in basic cultivation. I look forward to seeing just how high you, this extraordinary Blue Silver Grass, can reach."
Her gaze swept over the dejected "sprouts":
"As for you, today's defeat should serve as a warning! Disband!"
The authoritative voice fell, marking Lin Xia's formal entry into the core ranks of the Spirit Hall.
A test designed specifically for him, Blue Silver Grass conquered all his opponents with his resilience and wisdom, and also won Bibi Dong's initial approval.
Just as Lin Xia relaxed slightly, a hostile voice rang out from behind.
"Lin Xia, right? Don't be so smug. Don't think this is the end. You're in for a surprise!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Xia subconsciously turned around to look at the person who had come.
The newcomer was a boy of about twelve or thirteen years old, with long, fiery red hair and flame patterns all over his body. Although Lin Xia had some guesses, she still asked a question.
"Who are you? What are you yelling about for no reason!"
Seeing Lin Xia's impolite manner, the young man immediately retorted loudly:
"Yan, the future Holy Son of the Spirit Hall!!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Xia couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter.
"Child, you're invincible!"
After saying this, Lin Xia turned and walked towards Yue Guan.
When Yan heard Lin Xia's merciless laughter, he was furious and was about to teach Lin Xia a lesson when he saw Yue Guan standing behind Lin Xia.
In the end, he could only leave awkwardly.
"Xie Yue, not to be rude, but do we really need to be so careful?"
"Isn't the other person just a child?"
"Although the battle just now looked flashy, I could have burned his Blue Silver Grass to ashes with a single fire!"
Seeing Yan's reaction, Xie Yue looked helplessly at his younger sister.
"Lena, have you figured something out?"
Hu Liena shook her head.
"Although there are many martial souls like Blue Silver Grass, this is the first time I've seen one that can be cultivated. I have absolutely no clue about it, let alone one with innate full soul power."
Xie Yue sighed.
"You all saw His Holiness the Pope's attitude just now. Originally, there were only three of us competing for the positions of Holy Son and Holy Daughter, but now there might be one more. We must be careful!"
Seeing her brother's reaction, Hu Liena nodded in agreement.
Only Yan remains unyielding and difficult.
"If you ask me, you're all being too cautious. This kid has only passed the initial test. It's not like any of us failed back then. Besides, there are still a lot of tests waiting for us. I don't believe that a Blue Silver Grass can compare to our martial souls."
After careful consideration, Hu Liena and Xie Yue realized that this was indeed the case.
.....
Although Lin Xia didn't know why Yan had targeted her, she figured it probably wasn't a good thing.
If the other party harbors hostility towards you, Lin Xia will naturally not sit idly by and wait for her fate.
Upon arriving beside Yue Guan, before Lin Xia could even speak, Yue Guan's voice rang in her ears.
"What your martial spirit has shown has far exceeded my expectations. I thought you wouldn't be able to pass His Holiness the Pope's test!"
Lin Xia smiled slightly and said modestly:
"It was just luck. If they had flying soul skills or martial souls that allowed them to fly, I definitely wouldn't have been able to win!"
Yue Guan was very satisfied with Lin Xia's attitude.
To remain humble in victory, to reflect on one's combat experience, and to recognize one's weaknesses—this already surpasses many Soul Masters.
"That's true, but it's not just that!"
Upon hearing Yue Guan's words, Lin Xia immediately fell into deep thought.
That's not all?
Lin Xia pondered her performance in the battle just now. Apart from not releasing the Blue Silver Grass in the jade pendant space, she had displayed almost everything else.
What exactly is still not done well?
Seeing Lin Xia deep in thought, Yue Guan was not in a hurry. Instead, he watched Lin Xia with great interest.
After a long while, Lin Xia suddenly realized one of her problems.
"Elder Yueguan, when you mention shortcomings, are you referring to my physical condition?"
Yue Guan paused for a moment, completely surprised that Lin Xia was so quick-witted and had discovered the shortcomings in what she had said so soon.
"That's right, you have two shortcomings: one is combat experience, and the other is physical strength!"
"The former can be compensated for through combat, and the fact that you've reached this level is already considered exceptionally talented!"
"The latter has both innate and acquired factors. Generally speaking, soul masters with beast martial souls and power-attack type weapon martial souls generally have strong physical qualities. This is an advantage brought by the innate martial soul!"
"I've also checked your physical condition. You did some training before your martial soul awakened, but the results were so-so, right?"
Lin Xia nodded. Before awakening his martial soul, he often exercised. Although he didn't have a cheat-like technique like the Mysterious Heaven Skill, Lin Xia had at least learned some Tai Chi in his previous life, so he could still strengthen his body!
However, when she found that the effect was not very good, Lin Xia did not practice hard and just treated it as a daily task.
Seeing Lin Xia's reaction, Yue Guan smiled.
"Come with me, I'm going to teach you some real skills. How much you learn depends on your own comprehension!"
Lin Xia was a little confused, but she still followed Yue Guan's footsteps.
Instead of taking Lin Xia to the usual training ground, Yue Guan led him through a winding corridor deep within a palace, to the heart of a secluded garden.
Various exotic and precious plants grow here, and the air is filled with a life force so rich it's almost liquefied. Even just breathing it out, Lin Xia felt all her fatigue being slowly washed away.
"Close your eyes, concentrate, and feel your surroundings."
Yue Guan's voice carried an unusual air of solemnity.
"Plant-type martial souls, especially your Blue Silver Grass, are rooted in life and reproduction. People often think they are weak, but they overlook the resilience and power of life itself."
"Your first soul skill has mastered its essence. It weakens the enemy by using the environment and absorbs dissipated energy to replenish itself. This is the manifestation of the Blue Silver Grass's way of life in battle."
With just one sentence from Yue Guan, Lin Xia realized that Chrysanthemum Douluo, who had studied flowers and plants all his life, was truly capable of seeing through the essence of Blue Silver Grass at a glance!
(End of chapter)