Chapter 87: Giving Guidance
Wu Bingji's eyes brightened, "Can you teach me this technique?"
Tang San looked at him, slightly hesitant. The techniques of Hidden Weapon Hundred Separation of the Tang Sect were truly intricate, and while his own use could be attributed to some kind of unique talent, teaching them all to Wu Bingji was a different matter. This was unlike his time in Wind Wolf Town; this place was an important stronghold of the Redemption Society. If Wu Bingji learned these skills, it would likely arouse the organization's suspicion. Even with the mayor providing cover as his “master,” it wasn't good.
Wu Bingji noticed his hesitation and said, "I can compensate you with a task. Would that be alright?"
Cheng Zicheng suddenly spoke up, "What need is there for compensation? We are all friends, Little Tang, come on, be a good sport, will you?"
Tang San glanced at her, thinking, This girl is exactly as Du Bai said! The charm of the eldest senior brother is indeed astonishing.
Before Tang San could speak, Wu Bingji seriously said, "Zicheng, you can't say that. Our teacher has always taught us the principle of equivalent exchange. This is an internal rule of the academy, and that’s why we have the task lists. To obtain something, we must give something in return. Little Tang, you can name a price, and if I can afford it, I will pay you."
Tang San replied, "Eldest senior brother, it's not that I don’t want to teach you. It's just that these techniques I created myself are good for controlling the wind element, but I’m not sure they would work as well for the ice element. I need to think about it for a bit, there might be something that would work for you."
Wu Bingji gratefully said, "Thank you for that. You're right; different elements have very distinct characteristics. The ice element is one of the more stable among the elements, and it’s suitable for both offense and defense. Actually, that’s my problem right now. I've been somewhat confused recently, I’m not very sure whether to focus more on offense or defense. Today's battle with you was quite enlightening. I never expected that you could make the wind element so powerful with your fifth-order cultivation. It seems there is no inherent strength or weakness among the elements; it all depends on the user."
Tang San nodded. "Yes, I also don’t think there are stronger or weaker elements. Well, it’s true that some elements have some special characteristics. Like Gu Li's Chrono Croc Transformation today, controlling time is an incredible ability, even if it can’t be used that much. But besides that, I think they’re all the same. All we can do is do our best to understand our own elements, make use of their strengths, and cover for their weaknesses."
Wu Bingji deeply agreed. "Exactly. Little Tang, how much do you understand about the ice element?"
Tang San responded, "I don’t really have a deep understanding, to be honest, but I've always felt that although the ice element seems very reserved, it contains a lot of power behind that restrained appearance. Ice is formed from water, but it doesn’t work like water. Water is the softest thing, ice is rigid. This works for defense, and I think you’re doing that right with your shields, but I think you can also make good use of that hardness for offense. You know what they say, the best defense is a good offense."
Wu Bingji's eyes shone brightly when he heard his last sentence, "Right, right, the best defense is a good offense—well said. I understand now, I think I get it. Little Tang, thank you. I think I see a clear path now."
Guan Longjiang was his teacher, but his guidance wasn't as straightforward as what Tang San had just explained.
Seeing his radiant face, Tang San smiled. As a God King, guiding these youngsters was an effortless task. Although he had lived in the Daemon Continent for only ten years and had taken a while to adapt to this identity, at his core, he was a being of three lifetimes.
Cheng Zicheng looked somewhat confusedly at Tang San and then at Wu Bingji, not entirely understanding what Wu Bingji had realized. But she had never seen Wu Bingji so elated; usually, the eldest senior brother was the very picture of composure.
With that said, as long as he was happy, Cheng Zicheng was naturally delighted.
"Little Tang, you are amazing! What about me? What do you think of my Golden Roc Transformation?" Cheng Zicheng looked at Tang San in expectation.
Tang San said, "I actually heard a saying from my teacher back in the village. A roc rises with the wind in a single day, and it soars ninety thousand kilometers in one swoop. The Golden Roc is probably the strongest flier among the demon clans, especially over long distances. As Teacher Mu said, you have to make more use of your flight advantage.
"There are two things that you need: speed and agility. The problem is, your flight lacks a bit in both. I think the best thing for you is to just fly more often. Try flying in the forest as fast as possible and dodge the trees in your way. If you practice like that, you’ll become a lot faster and more agile. Also, you’re not transforming fast enough. The more time you spend on the ground, the more you let your opponent profit from your weakness. After all, you can’t do much when you’re not flying. The longer you stay down, the worse it is for you."
Cheng Zicheng, who had asked casually, didn't expect Tang San to provide so many detailed suggestions, more than even her teachers. She was momentarily stunned.
Wu Bingji, who was listening from the side, nodded repeatedly. "That makes sense. Are you trying low-altitude flights in the forest? That's interesting! Zicheng, I think you should try it. 'A roc rises with the wind in a single day and it soars ninety thousand kilometers.' That's a very interesting thing to say. Little Tang, you are truly talented."
Tang San smiled and said, "I was just repeating what I heard from a teacher a while back. Anyway, senior sister, if you find it helpful, you could try it."
"Uh-huh!" Cheng Zicheng was not stupid, and she knew she would do well to remember Tang San's advice, especially with Wu Bingji's support.
Wu Bingji asked, "Little Tang, what about your method for compressing wind elemental energy? The wind element is volatile, and compressing it is no easy task. How can you control this instability?"
"Well, the thing is, this is related to how I understand elements. You say that the wind element is unstable, but that’s not really it. I just think people don’t know the right way to control it. You can’t just force elements to do what you want, you have to learn what they like and what they don’t. Let me show you a simple experiment."
As he spoke, he raised his right hand. With a flicker of light, a small green cyclone emerged in his palm. The green cyclone moved back and forth across his palm, naturally exhibiting the free nature of the wind element.
Tang San extended his other hand, and similarly, another cyclone emerged in his palm, about the same size as the previous one.
He then brought his hands closer together, and the wind generated by the two cyclones made them repel each other and wobble unstably as they approached.
"Watch closely," Tang San said. Then, he separated his hands slightly, distancing the two cyclones. As the green light flickered, subtle changes appeared in the two cyclones.
Gradually, even Cheng Zicheng noticed the change—the rotational frequencies of the two cyclones were synchronizing.
When Tang San brought the two cyclones closer again, they still trembled slightly, but the sense of repulsion was noticeably less intense than before. When they came close together, they suddenly generated a suction force, collided with each other, and quickly fused into one.
The original two cyclones became one, with a color that was noticeably darker than before, and the wind it generated was also more robust. It rotated steadily in the palm of Tang San's hand.
This scene was bizarre for Cheng Zicheng; for Wu Bingji, who had been diligently studying elemental control, it was like discovering a new continent.
"They’re rotating at the same speed?"
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