Chapter 41: Bai Shasha, Soul Disciple

Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Bai Shasha, Soul Disciple

Bai Shasha was quite formidable, and her movements and Body Technique weren’t sloppy, but she still wasn’t a Soul Pupil and had no experience fighting soul beasts.

So, even though the Snowflake Little Demon was a relatively manageable opponent for the team, Bai Shasha’s solo fight against it looked strenuous and was fraught with danger.

Of course, the team wasn’t about to let a non-Soul Pupil like Bai Shasha fight a soul beast all on her own. At opportune moments, Lin Tao would fire a few arrows to distract the Snowflake Little Demon and guarantee her safety.

In truth, Zheng Zhuoran, Zhang Jian, or Lin Tao could have handled the Snowflake Little Demon in a one-on-one fight, but they would risk injury. Ganging up on it not only saved time and effort but also best ensured their safety.

’Is Bai Shasha using this battle to hone her short-range weapon skills and her Body Technique?’

Zheng Zhuoran had a sharp eye. As the battle wore on, he discovered that the petite girl possessed a terrifyingly unyielding spirit.

She was already covered in scrapes, but she didn’t even knit her brow. The next moment, she would force herself to swing her short knife and press the attack.

Moreover, her movements had evolved from barely parrying the Snowflake Little Demon’s onslaught to now trading blows evenly!

The number of times she was getting injured was also gradually decreasing.

’She’s using this fight to break through to the Soul Pupil Realm!’

As Bai Shasha’s Wolf Claw Curved Saber swung faster and her footwork quickened, everyone could see it: the flat-chested loli, whose attacks were growing increasingly vicious, was on the verge of breaking through to the Soul Pupil Realm.

Soul Pupil Realm!

According to the standards set by the Soul Energy Alliance, one had to max out their basic skills and reach a certain level of physical fitness.

At this stage, meeting the standards for strength and agility wasn’t an issue as long as one’s basic skills were maxed out. But often, even after maxing out those skills, many people were still missing that one final push.

Because Li Heng had his system, all his attributes were displayed as data, so he knew that this final push was one’s Spirit.

And the only known way to increase it was to maintain intense focus during combat, pushing one’s mental state to its limits. The attribute would only increase after the battle was over.

The flat-chested loli was doing exactly that—using this battle to temper her mental state.

Barring any accidents, as long as she successfully killed this Snowflake Little Demon, Bai Shasha’s breakthrough to the Soul Pupil Realm was all but guaranteed.

While Bai Shasha and the Snowflake Little Demon fought, Lin Tao would periodically harass it from a distance. Li Heng and the others, though mostly focused on the fight, also kept an eye on their surroundings to ensure their safety.

「Ten minutes later...」

The sleeves of Bai Shasha’s school uniform and leopard-skin top were torn to shreds, revealing skin covered in bloody scratches. Her eyes were shut tight, and her left calf trembled uncontrollably.

Despite this, no one on the team moved to help. Even Xue Qing waited in silence. It wasn’t out of callousness; they all knew this was a critical moment for Bai Shasha.

It was best not to disturb her.

The Snowflake Little Demon was on its last legs. Several minutes ago, it had run out of energy to use its Soul Energy Skills. Since then, it had been relying purely on its physical body, locked in close combat with Bai Shasha.

Seeing that the petite human before it also seemed on the verge of collapse, the Snowflake Little Demon decided to attack one last time.

The moment it decided to attack, the Snowflake Little Demon was certain it would succeed. It would have no problem grievously wounding its opponent!

It was getting closer and closer to its target, yet the human before it remained motionless. As far as the demon was concerned, the battle was already won!

It extended its right claw, aiming straight for Bai Shasha’s forehead!

Lin Tao had his bow drawn taut, his gaze locked on the Snowflake Little Demon.

"I! Will not be a burden again!"

Just as Lin Tao was about to loose an arrow, Bai Shasha’s eyes snapped open. Her entire body abruptly dropped backward, but the Wolf Claw Curved Saber in her right hand didn’t fall with her. Instead, it streaked upward in a flash of cold light!

It was an uncanny movement from an impossible angle—a special attack unique to Short-range Martial Cultivators that required incredible flexibility.

A back-arching upward slash!

The Snowflake Little Demon’s claw was fast, but Bai Shasha was nearly flat against the ground, and the Wolf Claw Curved Saber in her hand was faster still!

With a single upward slash, the claw the Snowflake Little Demon was attacking with was severed from its body.

The battle was indeed over. But it wasn’t the Snowflake Little Demon’s claw tearing into Bai Shasha’s face; it was the now-clawless demon crashing to the ground.

Her strike successful, Bai Shasha didn’t pause. Almost at the exact moment the Snowflake Little Demon hit the ground, her Wolf Claw Curved Saber plunged into its eye.

The red light in the Snowflake Little Demon’s eyes faded. Bai Shasha’s first battle against a soul beast was a victory.

"Phew~"

With the battle over and the kill secured, a wave of exhaustion suddenly washed over Bai Shasha. The wounds on her body began to throb with pain, and she collapsed onto the snow, panting heavily.

"That was a spectacular kill!"

"Incredible short-range weapon technique!"

"Amazing, Bai Shasha!"

"Bai Shasha, quick, let me see your wounds!"

Everyone on the team except for Li Heng rushed forward to congratulate Bai Shasha on her successful kill.

Xue Qing, meanwhile, carefully began treating Bai Shasha’s wounds.

Li Heng also stepped forward, but before he could say a word of praise to the flat-chested loli, he found her staring into his eyes, her tone resolute.

"I’ve become a Soul Pupil!"

Li Heng smiled slightly and nodded. "Congratulations! You’ve always been strong."

’Is it my imagination?’ Li Heng wondered. ’The flat-chested loli barely reacted when the others praised her, but after I said one thing, the tips of her ears turned red.’

Li Heng didn’t dwell on it. ’She’s probably just shy from all the sudden praise,’ he thought. ’Or maybe it’s just the blood rushing to her head after such an intense fight, making her blush.’

Hearing that Bai Shasha had become a Soul Pupil, the others were genuinely happy for her. This meant that everyone on the team, aside from their healer, was now a Soul Pupil, making them that much stronger.

Their safety in the Wind Snow Area was that much more assured!

A six-person team with five Soul Pupils was, conservatively speaking, a top-tier lineup for this exam. And the one person who wasn’t a Soul Pupil—their healer—was, in some ways, perhaps even more valuable than a Soul Pupil.

"We’ve had a good haul for today," Zheng Zhuoran proposed. "Considering Bai Shasha’s injuries and the fact she just broke through to the Soul Pupil Realm, she’ll need some time to adjust. How about we head back to the gathering point for the day?"

As the one who had brought the team together, Zheng Zhuoran had a strong sense of group awareness. He waited until Xue Qing finished treating Bai Shasha’s wounds before making the suggestion.

The team was initially in unanimous agreement.

But Bai Shasha voiced her objection. "My injuries are nothing. I’m a Soul Pupil now, and I have the cold-warding pearl. I won’t be a burden! I can protect Xue Qing, no problem!"

Hearing this, Xue Qing’s eyes glistened with a hint of moisture that quickly vanished. She turned to Bai Shasha and said, "Then I’ll be in your care, Bai Shasha!"

Bai Shasha’s persistence caused Zheng Zhuoran and the others’ opinion of her to rise even higher. At the same time, their thoughts also turned to Li Heng. ’No wonder those two are teammates. Their mindset, their strength... they’re both just on another level!’