Soul Land: Heartbreak Makes Me Stronger

"Oh? Let's hear it then," Qin Jian said calmly.

Qiu Ruoshui pursed her lips and replied, "Just now, not only did I fail to wait for Bing'er's instructions, but in my nervousness when the Soul Beast attacked, I even started giving orders to Bing'er. This disrupted the entire team's coordination…"

"Exactly!" Qin Jian interrupted sharply. "Even though Bing'er didn't give immediate instructions, you should have focused on fulfilling your own role. Commanding is always the responsibility of the control-type Soul Master. Once someone oversteps their bounds, it throws off the rhythm of the entire team."

The more he spoke, the lower Qiu Ruoshui hung her head, until she could barely lift it.

"Next, Yu Hairou." Qin Jian turned his gaze to a girl with her hair tied up.

Yu Hairou spoke frankly, "First, I didn't follow orders. Second, I rushed into the fight without using my Soul Skills to enhance my attack power. As an assault-type Soul Master, forgetting to use my Soul Skills during combat is an absolute failure."

Qin Jian nodded and looked to the next person. "Shen Liuyu?"

"I didn't follow orders either," Shen Liuyu admitted. "I completely lost my composure and just kept attacking, without paying attention to what anyone else was doing or where they were."

"Gu Qingbo and Shui Yue'er," Qin Jian called.

Gu Qingbo raised her head and said, "I'm an agility-type Soul Master, not an assault-type, but I acted like one just now. I completely failed to utilize my speed advantage. For instance, when Xue Wu was attacked, if I hadn't been temporarily exhausted from the Demon Fox's counterattack, I could have saved her with my speed."

Shui Yue'er hugged her knees and murmured, "My mind went blank. All I did was follow the others, forgetting my Soul Skills and my position in the team…"

Qin Jian nodded once more, finally turning to Shui Bing'er. "And you, Bing'er?"

Shui Bing'er slowly raised her head, guilt filling her eyes. "Captain… This time, the greatest responsibility lies with me."

Her serious tone surprised the other girls.

"In the team, I am the control-type Soul Master, the one responsible for strategy and maintaining a clear perspective of the battlefield," she said, her gaze sweeping across everyone. "Yet, once again, I doubted myself. I knew I needed to command Xue Wu to support everyone, direct Hairou to lead the charge to suppress the Soul Beast's momentum, and instruct Qingbo and Yue'er to use their speed to disrupt the enemy…"

"I thought about it but didn't act. My hesitation led to Xue Wu almost getting injured. All of this is my fault."

Her self-reproach made the other girls feel a twinge of heartache.

"Bing'er, you can't blame yourself. It was my fault for not doing my part," Xue Wu quickly said.

"I didn't wait for your command," Yu Hairou added firmly.

The others chimed in to comfort her as well.

Warmth flickered in Shui Bing'er's eyes. She suddenly stood and gave them a slight bow. "Thank you for your understanding. I promise to do better in the future."

Clap. Clap.

Qin Jian clapped his hands and smiled. "You've all done a good job of self-reflection, so I won't add anything more. From now on, let's keep moving forward. Remember your roles.

"Think about how you cooperate during dance practice—how you signal each other when switching positions and how you trust your teammates. Fighting isn't so different."

He paused for a moment before adding, "No matter what happens, I'll always have your back. So don't be too nervous. Just do your best."

The seven girls stood, their gazes toward him filled with trust.

That earlier moment had been extremely dangerous. If not for Qin Jian's timely commands and intervention, their team training session would have ended in complete failure.

If they had returned to the academy in disgrace, they wouldn't have known how to face Yan Zhining…

Unbeknownst to them, Yan Zhining had been following them all along, observing everything from the shadows.

"Qin Jian's combat experience and composure are truly exceptional…" Yan Zhining mused from atop a tree branch, her gaze fixed on the scene below. "With him around, as long as they don't encounter a Soul Beast over 3,000 years old, they should be safe.

"And Bing'er… That child has grown so much. She's finally taking on the responsibility of commanding the team and is willing to shoulder the burden. This is her greatest improvement.

"I'm starting to look forward to the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Master Tournament three years from now…

"With Qin Jian as the core, just how far can this team go? Other than the Spirit Hall team, I doubt anyone else will be a match for us."

Over the following days, the Skywater Team showed remarkable progress.

Having faced a life-threatening crisis, they stopped being complacent and began cooperating earnestly.

Shui Bing'er also gradually grew more confident in her role as the commander.

Intelligent and observant, her control-type Soul Master abilities were already outstanding. Once she overcame her psychological barriers, the team naturally formed a cohesive unit around her.

"Xue Wu, boost the team's status!"

"Yue'er, Qingbo, use your speed to disrupt the Soul Beast!"

"Hairou, use both Soul Skills for a full-force assault!"

"Ruoshui, Liuyu, wait for Hairou to exhaust the beast before stepping in!"

Deep in the forest, under Shui Bing'er's command, the team surrounded a 2,000-year-old Soul Beast, fighting with seamless coordination.

"Captain, um… you guard Xue Wu," Shui Bing'er instructed.

"Hah, I'm up in the trees. This Violent Bull can't climb trees," Xue Wu joked from her perch. "Captain, just protect Bing'er. She's the one who really needs your protection—for life!"

"Xue Wu! We're in battle! Stop joking!" Shui Bing'er snapped.

Her stern expression immediately silenced Xue Wu, though none of them noticed the faint blush on Shui Bing'er's ears…

Qin Jian shook his head and said, "Alright, this Soul Beast is almost done for. Everyone else, fall back and let Hairou deliver the final blow. She'll gain her third Soul Ring."

"Understood!"

Although Shui Bing'er handled the majority of the commands, whenever Qin Jian spoke, everyone instinctively obeyed—even Shui Bing'er.

The girls retreated. The 2,000-year Violent Bull lay on the ground, its bones shattered, barely clinging to life. Yu Hairou only needed a few more attacks to finish it off.

Suddenly, Qin Jian shouted, "Hairou! Watch out!"

Whoosh!

Yu Hairou's heart jolted. She immediately sensed a pale yellow figure darting toward her, a fierce gust of wind surging behind it.

Reacting swiftly, she abandoned her attack on the Soul Beast, pivoted on her feet, and lashed out with a sweeping kick.

Bang!

The two collided forcefully and staggered backward. However, Yu Hairou retreated several more steps than her opponent…

Qin Jian frowned as he studied the young man who had suddenly appeared, his expression stirring a faint, distant memory.

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