After coming to an agreement, Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei spent their intense preparation phase training solely in the Defense Formation.

Furthermore, to hide their strength, on the night he returned, Rong Taotao spent a long time wheedling and pestering Si Huan Nian at bedtime.

In the end, under the assault of bag after bag of Little Rascal snacks, Si Huan Nian agreed to let the two of them temporarily use the indoor training grounds of the Martial Arts Hall.

Yes, although the Martial Arts Hall did have indoor training grounds, the students’ destructive power was considerable. Under normal circumstances, the hall wasn’t open to the public. Hmm... it was practically no different from a vanity project.

The great Songjiang Soul Martial University had to have an indoor training ground, right?

As for whether it got used... well, we have one. Whether or not anyone was allowed to use it was up to the person in charge of the Martial Arts Arena!

Si Huan Nian, the eternal GOAT!

The GOAT of eating, the GOAT of taking the blame...

After more than a week of practice, Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei’s Defense Formation, under Xia Fangran’s meticulous coaching, was finally presentable.

As for why Rong Taotao felt they had succeeded, it was because... well, Xia Fangran had started cursing and grumbling again!

At this moment, inside the brightly lit Martial Arts Hall, Rong Taotao held his Heaven-piercing Halberd horizontally, firmly planted in a horse stance, his eyes vigilantly fixed on Xia Fangran opposite him.

Gao Lingwei stood behind Rong Taotao, also holding a Heaven-piercing Halberd. She rested its Ironspear Point on Rong Taotao’s shoulder, like a venomous snake ready to strike at any moment.

"Tch... fighting you is a real pain in the ass." Xia Fangran glanced left and right, finally curling his lip and grumbling, "It’s disgusting."

Rong Taotao’s expression was extremely serious, as if facing a great enemy. His body was tense as he looked at Xia Fangran and said, "That’s because you’re a good teacher."

Xia Fangran took a step to the left. Rong Taotao pivoted in place to face him, while Gao Lingwei behind him also took a step sideways.

Xia Fangran took a step to the right. Rong Taotao continued to pivot, always keeping his front toward Xia Fangran. Gao Lingwei hurriedly kept pace, and with those long legs... she was in position in a single step!

Xia Fangran stood his Heaven-piercing Halberd on the floor, wrapped an arm around the Halberd Shaft, and leaned his body to one side. He craned his neck, scrutinizing their formation while muttering, "You’re already this disgusting as a Soul Warrior. If you ever become a Soul Captain, what then?"

But Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei didn’t dare relax in the slightest. Xia Fangran was extremely treacherous; even though he looked all laid-back, he could thrust his halberd at them the very next second!

"Well, I’ll be. A living iron barrel. Rong Taotao is already an iron barrel on his own, and with Gao Lingwei behind him, you’re a whole spiked iron barrel." Xia Fangran picked up his Long Halberd and, with an unhurried motion, gave a token thrust forward.

Rong Taotao directly deflected Xia Fangran’s Ironspear Point and, bracing against the Halberd Shaft Gao Lingwei had propped on his shoulder, took another step back.

"Alright, that’s enough. You two can just go out there like this tomorrow." Who would have thought that Xia Fangran’s thrust was really just a token gesture, and then he just dispelled his Snow-made Heaven-piercing Halberd?

Rong Taotao wore a strange expression. "Is it really enough?"

"It’s good enough!" Xia Fangran glared at Rong Taotao. "I’m the kind of guy who takes down the enemy general in the midst of a thousand-man army, but with a student like you, I have to teach you how to be an iron barrel. Sigh... Gao Lingwei is still better."

Rong Taotao scratched his head. "Huh?"

Xia Fangran smoothed his parted hair and fastened the top button of his plaid shirt. "She just charges forward relentlessly! Not like you."

As he spoke, Xia Fangran even mimicked Rong Taotao’s tone of voice, "Retreat! Da Wei, fall back! Left, retreat again! Right, retreat again! Da Wei, why aren’t you retreating!?"

Rong Taotao: "..."

’Jeez, you’re one of the great Pine Soul Four Seasons, and you’re clowning on me like this?’

"Heh." Gao Lingwei couldn’t help but chuckle. She dispelled the Heaven-piercing Halberd in her hand, but upon feeling Rong Taotao’s resentful glare, her smile slowly faded, and she turned her head to look at the weapon rack on the side.

"That’s all for tonight. Turn off the lights in a bit and go find Yang Chunxi. She sent me a message on my way here, said she wants you two to go to her office after training to study your opponents together," Xia Fangran said casually, waving his hand and walking away without looking back.

"Oh," Rong Taotao replied. He ran to the side, grabbed a broom, and swept the snow from the floor. Only after cleaning the room did he turn off the lights and run up to the third floor.

"KNOCK~ KNOCK~ KNOCK~" Rong Taotao knocked on the door. "Sister-in-law?"

"Come in." From behind the door came Yang Chunxi’s beautiful, gentle voice.

In the bitterly cold Snow Realm, the appearance of such a warm, spring-like person was truly a blessing from the heavens for the Junior Class.

Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei opened the office door and saw Yang Chunxi sitting behind her desk, hunched over and writing furiously, scribbling and drawing on a piece of paper.

Without looking up, she said, "Come here."

The two walked over. Yang Chunxi pressed two fingers on the paper and pushed it forward, sliding a list in front of them.

Yang Chunxi looked up and said softly, "The fourth-batch list will be announced tomorrow, right at the moment you go on stage. So we don’t know who your specific opponents will be."

"But we’ve already gone through three rounds of selections, so most of the teams that are going to appear have already shown up. You should focus on these few—they’re all teams that were unfortunately eliminated in the first three batches."

A warmth spread through Rong Taotao’s heart. Looking at Yang Chunxi’s earnest expression, he couldn’t help but say, "Thank you, Sister-in-law."

"Heh," Yang Chunxi smiled, her face full of warmth. She tucked a stray strand of long hair behind her ear. "If you two can break through, that would be the best way to thank me."