Chapter 71: Divided Focus Control
At noon, on their way to the cafeteria, Ning Rongrong trailed right behind Dugu Feng.
She even drove Feng Ling and Feng Li off far ahead, leaving the two heartbroken followers devastated yet again.
"You promised to teach me how to cultivate," Ning Rongrong declared confidently. "But cultivation isn't just meditation.
I'll follow you—except when you're sleeping, I'll be by your side at all times!"
Dugu Feng looked at her seriously.
She was nothing like the Ning Rongrong he remembered from the original course of fate.
But when he thought of her behavior at Shrek Academy—how she'd tried to purchase Tang San's hidden weapons and recruit talents for her sect—he realized she was far more than a spoiled princess.
Having her around wasn't bad at all.
In fact, it was like carrying a bodyguard by his side.
With Spirit Hall plotting against the Dugu Family, and should Qian Renxue act recklessly—sending a Titled Douluo after him—having Ning Rongrong nearby might mean Sword Douluo or Bone Douluo wouldn't be far away.
A perfect shield, really.
Dugu Feng's mood lifted.
After lunch, they went to the simulated training environment—afternoons were reserved for practice.
There, Dugu Feng saw Ge Ying again.
The man hadn't changed much, though his aura felt stronger—closer to the Soul Emperor realm.
"Brother Feng," Ge Ying said in amazement, "what have you been through these years? Your killing aura rivals even my father's—and he's been on battlefields all his life!"
Once, Dugu Feng's coldness had made others uneasy; now his sheer presence carried suffocating bloodlust, as if he could kill without hesitation.
Ge Ying was stunned.
Ning Rongrong pricked up her ears, curious if Dugu Feng would answer.
"Brother Ge flatters me," Dugu Feng replied with a faint smile, offering no more.
The City of Slaughter was not a place one could speak of casually.
He walked to the edge of a small lake within the training ground.
"Jade Phosphor Twelve Fingers!"
Violet light flared from his hand. It struck a nearby tree—twelve leaves fell precisely, no more and no less.
"Poison Explosion Technique!"
One fallen leaf detonated violently.
"Jade Phosphor Violet Poison!"
A purple mist streamed from his lips, spreading over a small radius. Every pore on his body began exuding trace amounts of poison—his practice of the third stage of this technique still ongoing.
"Serpent Belly Blade!"
"Serpent Step!"
Round after round, he rehearsed his skills—soul ring techniques and the Dugu Family's own secret arts alike.
Watching his intensity, Ning Rongrong summoned her Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, amplifying Dugu Feng's abilities in support.
When he unleashed the Jade Phosphor Twelve Fingers again, her eyes gleamed with admiration.
"Dugu Feng, your skill is amazing! The precision—every strike hits exactly where you want. Teach me!" she pleaded, her tone suddenly sweet.
Dugu Feng sighed. "You're an auxiliary-type soul master. Shouldn't you focus on perfecting support skills?
Each of my twelve finger strikes differs—controlling them requires dividing my focus.
I can make one strike east, another west. If attacked from behind, I can listen for the sound and respond instantly with deadly accuracy."
To demonstrate, he extended his right hand over his left shoulder—one finger flicked, precisely nailing a single falling leaf.
"So cool!"
Ning Rongrong's mouth formed a perfect O. His effortless grace left her awestruck.
"I don't know your sect's techniques in detail," Dugu Feng continued, "but your boost on me just now stayed constant from start to finish—that's a flaw.
Your first soul skill enhances strength, which I barely need. Only in that brief instant when I strike with the Serpent Belly Blade is the boost worthwhile.
The rest of the time, you should save soul power for speed augmentation instead.
Even as an auxiliary soul master, you must control the battlefield.
Judge timing and need—adjust support according to your teammates' skills and the flow of combat.
That requires multiple-focus control, the same as my Twelve Fingers technique.
Soul skills may appear simple, but mastery always has deeper layers."
Ning Rongrong stared at him in surprise. "You claim you don't know our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's methods, yet what you said matches my father's teachings exactly!
And—you even know about our sect's divided-focus control!"
Dugu Feng looked at her as though she were slow.
"Is that really something secret? You think Sect Master Ning activates seven different soul skills all with identical soul power?
My twelve finger strikes each consume varying amounts of energy.
Different martial souls, yes—but mastery follows the same principles."
Ning Rongrong blinked thoughtfully, and instead of arguing, nodded slowly.
For the first time, she realized how deeply Dugu Feng understood the art of cultivation.
Originally, she had asked him to teach her mostly to learn about his experiences and gauge his growth.
She thought his rapid advancement was merely the product of relentless effort.
Now she understood—it stemmed from unmatched insight.
Is he truly more of a genius than I am?
For the first time, she admitted it—Dugu Feng was stronger.
Intrigued, she focused earnestly, engaging him in technical discussion on focus-division methods.
The Dugu Family had similar training practices—how else could he have mastered the Jade Phosphor Twelve Fingers?
Now, with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's version to compare, both began refining their understanding further.
Their conversation drifted deep into shared research, both exchanging techniques without restraint.
Meanwhile, in the distant Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—nothing escaped the eyes of Ning Fengzhi and the two Titled Douluo.
That very day, inside the magnificent, gold-and-jade hall of the sect—
A gaunt old man stood, his enormous frame dominated by bones so large they seemed to stretch his robes like scaffolding. His face was sunken, skin shriveled tight against his skull.
His appearance could only belong to one man—Bone Douluo.
He was clearly displeased as he looked toward Ning Fengzhi, who sipped tea calmly on the couch.
"Fengzhi, your daughter has been getting far too close to that boy from the Dugu Family. The way she looks at him—it's not the same as with those Wind Sect brats.
You know as well as I do, people from the Dugu bloodline are… not suitable allies."
Bone Douluo's brows furrowed deeply.
Ning Fengzhi took another leisurely sip. "I've been aware of that boy since years ago, when he fought Rongrong in the duel.
He vanished for a while after, but now he's returned with level twenty-seven soul power.
The academy record lists his innate power as level eight. I believe it was at least nine."
(END CHAPTER)
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