Chapter 15: Gotta Find More Sparring Partners For Big Willow
Ge Bai was stunned, somewhat hesitant.
She glanced at Little Monkey Jin Rui, then looked at Big Willow.
She bent down to pick up a fist-sized stone from nearby, weighed it in her hand, and shouted to Big Willow.
“Big Willow, launch a Wind Blade in our direction.”
Big Willow heard her and didn’t hesitate, directly aiming a Wind Blade at Ge Bai’s side.
Ge Bai aimed at the Wind Blade and threw the stone at it.
Smack.
The Wind Blade hit the stone.
The stones on the nearby mountains were all quartzite, with decent hardness.
Ge Bai bent down to pick up the stone; it wasn’t split in half, but the Wind Blade had left a deep mark about five centimeters on it.
She handed the stone to Liu Hao and said, “Look, this is the strength of the Wind Blade.”
“For the strength of Willow Whip, check out the rock wall over there.”
On the distant rock wall, there were three marks from shallow to deep.
Every forty minutes or so, Ge Bai had Big Willow use Willow Whip on the rock wall.
The marks were all made today; they weren’t too deep, but it was clear the force was gradually increasing.
Liu Hao assessed it and nodded.
“This attack strength isn’t low for spirit beasts under First Order.”
“Jin Rui would probably hurt a lot if hit, but it shouldn’t cause serious injury.”
Pet Beast Battle is a great way to improve both sides’ skill proficiency. There are many paid venues in Jinggang City that provide Pet Beast sparring partners, and the prices aren’t low.
In battles, Pet Beasts getting injured is normal.
Minor injuries will slowly recover after the Pet Beast returns to the Spiritual Consciousness Space.
More serious injuries can seek help from treatment-type spirit plants or spirit beasts.
So a little injury really isn’t a big deal.
As he spoke, Liu Hao looked down at the little monkey in his arms.
“Jin Rui, are you willing to spar with Big Willow?”
“Just use Evasion skill to dodge the Wind Blade.”
Jin Rui was a bit hesitant and shrank in Liu Hao’s arms without making a sound.
Big Willow’s Wind Blade launch speed wasn’t fast right now; it took nearly ten seconds to fire one.
If they could spar, it would also be very beneficial for improving Big Willow’s skills.
Big Willow heard the commotion and stopped practicing, watching eagerly, itching to try.
Ge Bai saw Big Willow’s intent and tempted from the side.
“Jin Rui, if you can rush to Big Willow’s side, you can touch Peach too.”
The little monkey, who had been hesitant, instantly ignited with fighting spirit upon hearing he could touch Peach.
He jumped down from Liu Hao, adjusted on the ground, and prepared to sprint.
Seeing Jin Rui ready, Big Willow infused spiritual power into its Willow Threads, ready to launch Wind Blade at any time.
The open ground was about fifty meters apart at both ends.
In an instant, Jin Rui’s hind legs exerted force, leaping forward.
Almost simultaneously, Big Willow flung a Wind Blade.
With a smack, Jin Rui rolled to the right front, barely dodging; the Wind Blade nearly grazed his left arm.
7 meters.
Two strands of monkey fur drifted by; the Wind Blade landed, kicking up dust, and Jin Rui readjusted his posture, continuing to charge at Big Willow.
After firing the first Wind Blade, Big Willow didn’t stop channeling spiritual power and directly prepared the second one.
Jin Rui advanced another 11 meters.
Meeting Big Willow’s second Wind Blade.
This Wind Blade was low and horizontal, aimed at Jin Rui’s legs.
The little monkey nimbly jumped up, but was still a bit slow; the Wind Blade grazed his right leg.
“Squeak.”
Pain made him instinctively cry out, and his movements slowed.
Whoosh, whoosh—two air-splitting sounds less than a second apart.
Ge Bai’s eyes lit up from afar.
This was? Consecutive Wind Blades.
Sparring really works; Big Willow was very engaged.
The third Wind Blade smashed into Jin Rui’s right front, forcing him to dodge to the left side.
Without surprise, Jin Rui’s left chest collided with the closely following fourth Wind Blade, and he fell to the ground.
21 meters, four Wind Blades.
This was the result of the first spar between the little monkey and Big Willow.
Seeing Jin Rui fall, Big Willow also stopped.
Jin Rui patted the dirt off himself, rubbed his left shoulder, and got up.
He looked at Big Willow, then turned to Liu Hao, letting out a aggrieved squeak toward Liu Hao.
Liu Hao felt a bit heartbroken watching, beckoned to Jin Rui; the little monkey hurriedly ran to him, jumping straight into his arms, burying his small head in the crook of his arm, whimpering nonstop.
After all, he was still just a little monkey.
“Liu Gu, Liu Gu.” Big Willow shook its Willow Threads in the distance, proudly calling out to Ge Bai.
“Bai Bai! Did you see? I can fire two Wind Blades at once now!”
Ge Bai saw Liu Hao comforting Jin Rui and didn’t want to be too happy.
She walked to Big Willow, smiled and nodded firmly at it, then at an angle Liu Hao and Jin Rui couldn’t see, gave Big Willow two thumbs up.
Big Willow got even more excited upon seeing this, its Willow Threads shaking like a dog tail.
When she reached Big Willow’s side, she softly told it.
“Big Willow, Jin Rui isn’t an enemy; he’s a friend practicing skills together.”
“What we need to practice now is the accuracy and speed of your Wind Blade swings.”
“Try to reduce the Wind Blade’s strength as much as possible?”
Big Willow nodded as if understanding.
“Wind Blade strength? Bai Bai, does it mean adjusting the amount of spiritual power infused into the Willow Threads? Or adjusting the force of swinging the Willow Threads?”
Ge Bai thought for a moment.
“I think it’s the spiritual power strength; you try it.”
Big Willow obediently tried, aiming at the same rock wall used earlier for Willow Whip.
Sure enough, Ge Bai was right; different amounts infused into the Willow Threads produced Wind Blades of different strengths.
She patted Big Willow’s branches and encouraged.
“Good, just like that. Next, try firing more Wind Blades.”
Ge Bai felt that if Big Willow fired enough Wind Blades to a certain extent, it should be able to evolve a new skill based on Wind Blade.
Meanwhile, Liu Hao carefully checked Jin Rui’s injuries: the right leg had some fur scraped off, the left shoulder hit by Wind Blade showed clear bruising and minor bleeding, but not too serious.
“Jin Rui, want to try again?”
“Squeak!”
The little monkey poked his head out from Liu Hao’s arms, nodding with firm eyes in response.
Ge Bai also walked back.
“I told Big Willow to try reducing Wind Blade strength.”
After explaining to Liu Hao, she bent down and said to the little monkey.
“Jin Rui, let’s set some game rules. This time, if hit by Wind Blade, return here and start over, okay?”
Ge Bai smiled at the little monkey.
The little monkey looked at Ge Bai, then Liu Hao; Liu Hao gestured and softly explained again.
This time he seemed to understand, nodding to both; Ge Bai rubbed the little monkey’s head.
Liu Hao put him on the ground; he moved his left shoulder and prepared to sprint again.
The two watched for a while, seeing Big Willow and Jin Rui’s sparring gradually become proficient, and felt relieved.
“Bai Bai, your Weeping Ancient Willow is amazing. The Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey is already top-ranked in flexibility among Pet Beasts, yet it couldn’t get through the Wind Blades to approach the willow tree—simply heaven-defying.” Liu Hao sincerely exclaimed.
“And this is just Wind Blade; up close, Weeping Ancient Willow also has Willow Whip skill, right?”
“I reckon same-tier flexibility Pet Beasts facing your Big Willow would have to step aside.”
Ge Bai was fairly satisfied with Big Willow’s current training but seriously analyzed.
“We’re still far off; after skill proficiency, I think Wind Blade and Willow Whip can both be instant-cast.”
“Firing multiple at once is also a direction to work on.”
Liu Hao swallowed, wanting to say something but hesitating, as he saw Ge Bai seriously timing Big Willow’s Wind Blade firing intervals.
He still said nothing.
He thought to himself: As expected, that’s the competitive Ge Bai from childhood.
Liu Hao looked at Ge Bai’s serious profile and suddenly had a thought.
“Maybe Ge Bai really will become a very powerful Spirit Planter, even more amazing than many Beast Tamers.”
In this nameless little mountain hollow at sunset, a boy named Liu Hao seemed to witness the dawn of a new era for Interstellar Spirit Planters.
