Chapter 73

Ge Bai and Teacher Xiaolu looked at each other for a while, then lost the battle and said helplessly.

"Yes, the Jinggang Spirit Plant Research Institute, Professor Luo Wan knows."

"This bonus is mainly because the wild spirit plant I contracted has huge growth potential; it's not something that can be explained in one or two sentences."

After explaining briefly, Ge Bai saw that the atmosphere was not right, so she very deliberately changed the subject and said with feigned ease.

"Teacher Xiaolu, I'm very amazing now; today I made it onto the shortlist for the city-level arena tournament auditions."

Seeing Ge Bai pretending to be relaxed, Teacher Xiaolu found it hard to keep a straight face, sighed helplessly, and her tone became a bit low.

"Ge Bai, promise me, you must, must, must pay attention to safety."

"Teacher Xiaolu?"

Ge Bai was confused; why did she suddenly bring this up? She thought that arena battles weren't that dangerous.

"Promise me!"

Teacher Xiaolu repeated again, her tone stern.

"Okay."

Seeing Teacher Xiaolu's serious expression, Ge Bai couldn't help but take it seriously and answered very solemnly.

Hearing Ge Bai's answer, Teacher Xiaolu stopped mid-sentence, wanting to say something more, but not knowing where to start. She sighed again, touched Ge Bai's head, and went back into the room.

Watching Teacher Xiaolu's back, Ge Bai sensibly did not pursue the matter between her and Professor Luo Wan.

She knew very well that if Teacher Xiaolu didn't want to talk about it, it would be useless to keep asking. When she wanted to talk, she would naturally tell her.

In any case, her Teacher Xiaolu wouldn't harm her, so what was there to worry about?

I should come back to visit often in the future, Ge Bai decided to herself.

Looking up at the sky, the sun was setting, and golden sunlight spilled over the courtyard.

There was still time, so Ge Bai didn't follow Teacher Xiaolu back, but turned and walked toward the open space behind the mountain.

"Qian Dai, let's talk about you first. You won the match just now very smoothly, but that was mainly because everyone is unfamiliar with your skills. We occupied the first-mover advantage and caught the opponent off guard, which is why we could achieve such good results."

"In the next battle, no matter who the opponent is, they will focus on guarding against your Space Shift skill."

The summary meeting was late but arrived nonetheless.

Ge Bai placed Da Liu and Qian Dai on the ground, sat down cross-legged herself, and didn't forget to call Xiao Tao out from the Spirit Awareness Space to listen as well.

"So what if they guard against it? If they can't stop it, they still can't stop it."

Qiandai Lan was someone who would talk back. She had been happy about winning the match today, but didn't expect Ge Bai to say she wasn't good enough as soon as she got back.

"If you keep swaying around like this, anyone will be able to beat you next time, and you'll have a time when you'll cry!" Ge Bai was not polite at all.

"Woo." Qian Dai was so scolded that her little flower bud drooped.

Ge Bai glanced at her without comforting her, moved her spirit sense, opened the Spirit Plant Cultivation Manual, and pulled up Qian Dai's current attribute panel.

【Species: Qian Dai Chun Jian Lan (Overlord Race)】

【Age: Spirit Plant Biological Age 2, Spirit Consciousness Birth Age 2】

【Spirit Power Value: Mortal Spirit Realm Level 8 (362.39/800)】

【Primary Attribute: Space Element】

【Skill: Space Shift - Entry (89/100)】

【Skill: Qian Dai Sword - Mastery (21/200); Pseudo Qian Dai Sword - Entry (17/100)】

She knew it was difficult to improve the mastery of high-level skills, but Qian Dai was still too slack.

"Like this, Qian Dai. Your task tonight is to practice the Qian Dai Sword."

Actually, for the past two days, Ge Bai had been turning Qian Dai's cultivation plan over in her mind.

But thinking it over, no matter which direction she cultivated in, Qian Dai needed to improve the mastery of her two existing skills first.

"I've observed that you have now mastered two forms of the Qian Dai Sword: one is the Qian Dai Sword that can perform space distortion explosions, and the other is the Pseudo Qian Dai Sword that does not contain space power."

"These two skills complement each other; when the proficiency of one increases, the proficiency of the other skill will also grow."

"Using the two skills alternately in battle can effectively paralyze the opponent."

"But this requires you to be able to issue the Qian Dai Sword or Pseudo Qian Dai Sword at will. Tonight, let's focus on the Pseudo Qian Dai Sword first. Theoretically, the Pseudo Qian Dai Sword, which does not contain space power, requires much less energy and spirit power. Since you have mastered the method, if you can't use it proficiently, what you lack is practice."

Ge Bai spoke in great detail, and every word made sense.

Qian Dai couldn't find any point to refute, and instead found herself nodding as she listened.

Beat them with a stick and give them a sweet date; Ge Bai understood this principle. After saying so much, she had to give Qian Dai something to look forward to.

"If you can practice the single-shot frequency of the Pseudo Qian Dai Sword to two shots per second, then you can replace Da Liu and become the main sparring partner for the Sheli!"

At the Yunhe Martial Arts Hall, Ge Bai saw clearly that Qian Dai coveted Da Liu's position as the main sparring partner.

Sure enough, when she mentioned this, Qian Dai's eyes lit up, "Really? Can I really be a sparring partner myself?"

"Yes! If you can achieve it, you can!"

Ge Bai nodded very seriously, preparing to keep dangling this carrot in front of Qian Dai.

If things go smoothly, it is estimated that when the Sheli sparring goal is achieved, Qian Dai's Pseudo Qian Dai Sword skill will be able to jump up a big level directly.

While promising Qian Dai, Ge Bai didn't forget to wink at Da Liu.

Da Liu, who had suddenly had his job snatched, was still confused, looking at Qian Dai for a moment and then at Ge Bai, very much wanting to say something.

Qian Dai was impatient; upon receiving Ge Bai's affirmative answer, she immediately jumped up, "I'm going to practice now!"

Saying this, she ran to the other side of the open space and buried herself in hard practice.

"The Space-type Nutrient Solution is in your space bag, remember to drink it when you're tired!" Ge Bai shouted toward Qian Dai's direction.

"Got it!"

One solved! "Bai Bai."

Da Liu looked at Ge Bai longingly and called out in a low voice.

Ge Bai hadn't held back when she scolded Qian Dai just now. He knew in his heart that his own problems were no fewer than Qian Dai's, so it was better to be honest.

"Hey, Da Liu, you watched the matches for a whole day today too. Sparring, being a sparring partner, and arena matches are different, right?"

"Mm-hmm."

Da Liu was playing the role of a good boy today—ah, no, a good tree? Seeing Da Liu was sensible, Ge Bai wasn't as sharp.

"Although you were guaranteed to win the first match, a lion fighting a rabbit still needs to use its full strength. How do you know the opponent didn't have a hidden trump card? If you can solve the opponent in one blow, don't drag it out to the next round. This is the first thing you need to pay attention to."

"Okay, Bai Bai, I've remembered it."

Actually, Ge Bai didn't need to say it; after that match was over, Da Liu also realized something was wrong.

"Also, your Wind Blade is not flexible enough. I know that after full preparation, you can fire 12 Wind Blades at once. This is very good, but don't count on being able to stun the opponent by firing rounds and rounds of Wind Blades."

"How many to fire in each round? At what angle? How to use the least consumption to achieve the best effect? These are things to think about in future battles."

"When it really comes to needing one blow to decide the outcome, aren't the Wind Weaving Domain and the Storm Willow Blade Hammer better than firing Wind Blades all at once?"

"Also, the connection between Wind Blade and Willow Whip, the alternating use of Wind Blade and Wind Weaving Domain, and the use of the Storm Willow Blade Hammer after flashing are all still very rough."

Ge Bai was now talking to Da Liu about the method of skill usage, which was much higher than the requirements for Qian Dai just now. Although it seemed like she was tearing Da Liu apart, neither Ge Bai nor Da Liu knew that if this set of requirements were truly met, it would be no worse than the pet beasts used in Overlord-level professional battles.

Da Liu felt a bit low; he understood, but felt it was a bit difficult.

It's so hard, he really didn't know how to practice it. With his head lowered, Da Liu, who kept stirring his willow silk, didn't make a sound.

Ge Bai saw Da Liu's fear of difficulty; actually, Da Liu was already doing quite well.

【Species: Weeping Willow (Commander Race)】

【Age: Spirit Plant Biological Age 212, Spirit Consciousness Birth Age: 11】

【Spirit Power Value: Zero Order (Mortal Spirit Realm) Level 5 (21.63/500)】

【Primary Attribute: Wind Element】

【Skill: Willow Whip - Mastery (197/1000)】

【Skill: Wind Blade - Mastery (569/1000)】

【Skill: Storm Willow Blade Hammer - Entry (62/100)】

【Skill: Wind Weaving Domain - Entry (75/100)】

"Don't worry, I'm just giving you a direction. As long as you carry this awareness and pay attention during each battle, it will be fine. That's why I told Qian Dai to work hard; the task of being a sparring partner is more suitable for her right now than for you."

"Da Liu, get ready. If Qian Dai can take on the sparring task, then I'll arrange sparring matches for you in the mornings from now on."

"Okay!"

Only after hearing Ge Bai say this did Da Liu feel slightly relieved.

"Practice of skill proficiency cannot be relaxed either. There is a world of difference between skills at the Mastery level and skills at the Esoteric level."

"I don't require you to raise the proficiency of Wind Weaving Domain and Storm Willow Blade Hammer to Mastery or Esoteric in a short time, but Wind Blade and Willow Whip are two that can be quickly improved through effort."

Da Liu was familiar with the matter of grinding skill proficiency. Hearing Ge Bai say this, he nodded vigorously.

"Also."

Seeing that Ge Bai was about to continue, Da Liu's face changed.

Ge Bai didn't soften her heart; the problems that needed to be addressed had to be addressed.

"It's the issue of spirit power value. A while ago, we paid more attention to practicing skill proficiency; now, the improvement of spirit power value must also be put on the agenda."

Speaking of this, Ge Bai thought for a moment, "Like this, starting today, I will take you to the Plum Garden for two hours every night. The efficiency of running the meditation method there is a bit higher. In a while, I'll go exchange for some Wind-type resources for you. Once our new house is settled, I'll set up a Wind-type Spirit Power Field for you, and the effect of absorbing spirit power will be even better then."

"Okay! Bai Bai, I like the spirit power field at the Spirit Plant Research Institute."

For many pet beasts, the improvement of spirit power value is much simpler than the improvement of skill proficiency.

Finding high-level resources can even quickly pile up spirit power value. Although it's a bit "hollow," "hollow fat" is still fat.

Ge Bai didn't intend to use resources to force Da Liu's spirit power value up, but since she had this ability, she would also do her best to find resources for Da Liu.

As long as there is a clear path of effort, Da Liu is not afraid at all. Being competitive—who isn't?

"Alright, you decide what you want to practice. After I finish talking to Xiao Tao, we'll go to the Plum Garden."

"Mm!"

Da Liu, with a pile of training tasks in his heart, glanced at Xiao Tao, who was sitting obediently in place, and extended a willow silk to poke Xiao Tao's head.

There shouldn't be much of a problem; Xiao Tao didn't participate in the competition, so Ge Bai shouldn't scold Xiao Tao too harshly.

Da Liu left with peace of mind, found a rock wall not far from Qian Dai, and started practicing the Willow Whip.

"Qian Dai, give me two bottles of Wind-type Nutrient Solution!" While practicing, Da Liu shouted toward Qian Dai's direction.

Qian Dai didn't even lift her head; she grabbed five bottles of Wind-type Nutrient Solution from her space bag and threw them directly to Da Liu.

Da Liu extended his willow silk and caught them steadily.

Qian Dai glanced in Ge Bai's direction, then fished out two bottles of Young Plant Nutrient Solution from her space bag, but didn't dare to throw them; she used the Space Shift skill to send them steadily to Ge Bai's side.

Xiao Tao was empty-handed right now; Ge Bai would definitely ask her for nutrient solution in a moment.

This Young Plant Nutrient Solution—what kind of nutrient solution is it? Qian Dai had tasted that flavor; it was sweet and fragrant, like milk, a thing for coaxing children.

Ge Bai took the Young Plant Nutrient Solution and, watching one willow and one flower practicing vigorously, nodded with satisfaction.

Turning back to look at the cute Xiao Tao, Ge Bai's heart melted again.

After all, this was a little spirit plant she had watched be born, and she was also a talented player who could "lie down and win," so she really couldn't bear to scold her too harshly.

【Species: Golden Powder Peach Demon Tree (Commander Bloodline)】

【Spirit Power Value: Mortal Spirit Realm Level 3 (271.99/300)】

【Primary Attribute: Life Element】

【Skill: Spirit-Restoring Peach - Entry (45/100)】

【Skill: Phantom Peach Fragrance - Mastery (175/1000)】

【Skill: Golden Powder Peach - Entry (0/100)】

Recently, as a sparring partner, Xiao Tao has had to actively emit Phantom Peach Fragrance, which is very beneficial for the improvement of this skill's proficiency. After the Phantom Peach Fragrance skill entered the Mastery stage, Xiao Tao has been able to autonomously choose not to emit it passively.

As for the Spirit-Restoring Peach skill, Ge Bai didn't even want to talk about it.

9! From the time she condensed the first Spirit-Restoring Peach at the Jinggang Spirit Plant Research Institute until now, Xiao Tao had only condensed a total of 9 Spirit-Restoring Peaches.

A few of them were condensed by Xiao Tao when she was bored while sparring and used for tossing around.

Ge Bai had observed carefully; condensing one Spirit-Restoring Peach consumed less than one-fifth of Xiao Tao's spirit power.

That is to say, even Xiao Tao as she is now, under full-effort conditions, could continuously and uninterruptedly condense 5 Spirit-Restoring Peaches.

Condensing one Spirit-Restoring Peach increases skill proficiency by 5 points; grinding this skill to high proficiency is simply a matter of minutes.

"Xiao Tao, how have you been feeling these past two days? Are you having a good time?"

Although she was complaining in her heart, looking at the cute little peach, she couldn't say a single harsh word.

Ge Bai unscrewed a bottle of Young Plant Nutrient Solution, handed it to Xiao Tao, and pulled Xiao Tao into her arms, rubbing her vigorously for a while.

Hmm, there's a sense of comfort like petting a cat.

"It's pretty good, Tao."

Xiao Tao's voice was soft and glutinous.

"In the future, how about we condense a few more Spirit-Restoring Peaches every day? If we give them to Da Liu, we have to give them to Qian Dai too."

Look, look, this standard, this tone—it's a good thing Da Liu and Qian Dai both treat Xiao Tao like a child and never argue with her.

"Okay, and give them to Bai Bai too."

This request from Ge Bai posed no pressure for Xiao Tao.

Hearing that Xiao Tao was still thinking of her, Ge Bai felt even warmer in her heart.

"Also, Xiao Tao, can you condense another kind of fruit?"

Ge Bai coaxed Xiao Tao as if coaxing a child.

"Hmm, it seems so, eh."

Xiao Tao pondered for a moment, felt it, and gave an affirmative answer.