Bena nodded and crouched slightly, ready to respond to anything unexpected. He knew Xisuo’s special ability was Spiritual Chains, so he remained vigilant, prepared to face an attack at any moment.
Xisuo’s eyes snapped open, flashing with a blue light.
His hands moved swiftly. With each gesture, several nearly invisible chains flew from his palms, silently winding their way toward Bena.
Bena’s reaction was incredibly fast. He immediately sensed a disturbance in the air and dodged to the side. However, the Spiritual Chains seemed to have a life of their own, changing direction with his movements and pursuing him relentlessly.
’So fast!’ Bena was shocked. He hadn’t expected Xisuo’s ability to activate so quickly, nor for the chains’ tracking to be so powerful.
Bena quickly adjusted his tactics. Instead of just dodging, he began to counterattack. He threw his fists, generating powerful air pressure in an attempt to blast the Spiritual Chains apart.
However, the Spiritual Chains were far tougher than Bena had anticipated. Despite the force of his blows, the chains merely trembled, refusing to break apart.
’So this is an ability that materializes Spiritual Power. It’s really something else.’ Bena gained a deeper appreciation for Xisuo’s power.
Xisuo didn’t let up. His hands moved unceasingly as more Spiritual Chains shot from his palms, completely encircling Bena.
Bena felt the pressure mounting. He knew that if those chains caught him, he would be severely restricted, no matter how strong he was.
’Looks like I have to get serious.’ A sharp glint flashed in Bena’s eyes as a powerful aura suddenly erupted from him.
This was a technique Bena had discovered after his power broke through the 10-point mark, allowing him to push his body past its limits for a short time.
Of course, this state also rapidly drained his physical and mental stamina, so he couldn’t maintain it for long.
Bena’s strikes grew even more powerful, each one carrying the force to split mountains and shatter stone.
Though the Spiritual Chains remained tough, they finally began to waver under Bena’s powerful blows.
"Xisuo, that’s enough," Ye Yun said suddenly.
Hearing Ye Yun’s words, Xisuo immediately retracted the Spiritual Chains and ceased his attack.
Bena also stopped counterattacking, his muscles quickly returning to their normal state.
Ye Yun asked,
"Bena, what did you think?"
Bena caught his breath and answered, "Xisuo’s Spiritual Chains are incredibly powerful. They’re not just extremely fast; their durability was far beyond what I expected. If this were a real fight, I probably would have been overwhelmed."
Ye Yun nodded in understanding. "Xisuo’s ability is certainly exceptional for control, but as you’ve experienced, it also consumes a great deal of Spiritual Power. Xisuo, how did it feel to use your ability? Did you find it difficult to sustain?"
Xisuo considered for a moment before replying, "Yes, Sir. When I use the Spiritual Chains, I have to concentrate my Spiritual Power intensely. After a while, I get a headache and feel exhausted. I also noticed my radiation levels rising, which is probably a side effect of being an incomplete transmutation."
Ye Yun frowned. He had to find a way to help Xisuo and Simon control this side effect; otherwise, it could become a fatal weakness at a critical moment.
"Yiming, make a note of this," Ye Yun said to Zhou Yiming. "We need to research a solution for the issues with Xisuo and Simon’s incomplete transmutations."
Zhou Yiming noted it down diligently. "Understood. I’ll work with Zhou Mei to see if we can find a way to mitigate the rise in their radiation levels."
Ye Yun thought for a moment, then said to Xisuo, "Xisuo, your Spiritual Chains have already demonstrated excellent control. Next, I want you to experiment with different tactics, like coordinating with other team members in combat and adapting to various environments."
Xisuo listened intently to Ye Yun’s guidance and nodded in understanding. "I’ll try different tactics to improve my adaptability and coordination in real combat situations."
Ye Yun turned to Zhou Yiming. "Yiming, you’ll be recording how Xisuo’s ability performs with these different tactics so we can better understand his capabilities."
First, Xisuo and Bena began practicing one-on-one coordination drills.
Using his extraordinary strength and speed, Bena simulated the attack patterns of various hostile ability users, while Xisuo focused on accurately deploying his Spiritual Chains within the constantly shifting combat environment.
They practiced scenarios where Bena would tie down an enemy, allowing Xisuo to find an opening and lock onto the target with his Spiritual Chains.
He worked on everything from rapid, close-range suppression to precise, long-range projections, with each distance requiring different tactical considerations.
During the long-range tests, Xisuo found that the accuracy of his Spiritual Chains decreased with distance, forcing him to learn how to predict an enemy’s movements.
Xisuo also practiced fighting in complex terrain.
In a simulated environment of ruins and obstacles, he learned to ricochet the Spiritual Chains off walls and corners to attack the enemy from unexpected angles.
This tactic not only made his attacks stealthier and more unpredictable but also gave the team more strategic options.
During one drill, Xisuo successfully wrapped his Spiritual Chains around a broken pillar, then rapidly guided them to ricochet around an obstacle and accurately capture the simulated enemy. This use of the environment impressed everyone watching.
Zhou Mei also joined in the tactical exercises.
Her agility and bestialization ability made her a perfect scout and rapid-response operative.
Xisuo and Zhou Mei practiced coordinated attacks, with Xisuo using his Spiritual Chains to control an enemy’s movements while Zhou Mei used her superior speed to close in and finish them off.
In one specially designed drill, Zhou Mei scouted ahead, luring an enemy into a pre-planned kill zone. At the perfect moment, Xisuo unleashed his Spiritual Chains, cutting off the enemy’s path.
Immediately after, Zhou Mei transformed, striking the final blow with astonishing speed and power.
Through this intensive and targeted training, Xisuo not only deepened his control over his ability but also learned how to coordinate effectively with his teammates.
Ye Yun acknowledged Xisuo’s progress and pointed out areas for further improvement.
"Xisuo, your ability has great potential," Ye Yun concluded after one of the drills. "But remember, you must be flexible and adapt to the situation on the battlefield. At the same time, focus on keeping your Spiritual Power stable and avoid overexerting yourself."
[Author’s Note: Final exams are coming up, so I need to focus on studying. I’ll probably only be able to post two Chapters a day until they’re over. Sorry about that!]