Chapter 101 – The Battle Begins!

Chapter 101 – The Battle Begins!

Tang Wulin noticed that the Light Dragon Dagger in Xie Xie’s hand had reduced in size by one circle and
its light had become dimmer, yet it seemed to have grown more solid. The lines on the dagger were even
clearer to see and now carried a terrifying aura to it.

Two rings? There’s actually a student in class five with two rings?

Despite having just arrived at the sidelines, Long Hengxu’s mouth was already agape. In comparison to
class one with its three Soul Grandmasters, the fact that a Soul Grandmaster appeared in class five was
even more shocking. It was an unprecedented event in all of Eastsea Academy’s history!

Long Henxu felt his face heat in pain as though he’d been smacked in the face.

Oh Wu Zhangkong, Wu Zhangkong. You truly are capable!

The whole of class five began to cheer when they saw that there were actually two rings beneath Xie Xie’s
feet.

In a flash of light and shadow, the two of them rushing towards the other. With a grave expression, Xie Xie
sped up, turning into a golden light, spiraling in an arc towards Wei Xiaofeng and pressing him back.

Before they even clashed, Xie Xie’s oppressive aura made Wei Xiaofeng feel as if he was being chopped up.

What powerful soul power! He must have just broken through, while I’m already at rank 22! How can his
soul power still be so oppressive?

Naturally, Wei Xiaofeng didn’t know that with his twin souls, Xie Xie’s soul power was far mightier than
others at the same rank.

None of the other four remained idle while these two clashed.

Tang Wulin didn’t immediately release his martial soul, but rather he rushed forward madly, making a
beeline for the opponent’s commander, Zhang Yangzi.

Gu Yue’s figure flickered for a moment before quickly reappearing behind Tang Wulin, as if she were his
shadow. Although Tang Wulin only relied on his tyrannical strength and was nowhere near as fast as Xie
Xie, he was certainly not slow either. Gu Yue was light as a feather, as if she were a ghost. From beginning
to end, she stuck herself to Tang Wulin’s back.

Zhang Yangzi stood there without budging a single inch, as if he paid no mind to Tang Wulin’s charge at
all. Rather, it was Wang Jinxi who moved from his side.

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Similar to his teammates, Wang Jinxi also had two soul rings. His slim figure seemed to swell a bit, but
what had grown in size weren’t his muscles, but rather, his skeleton. He looked like a bony rack as he
raised his arms to let forth a stream of black gas.

This… He actually has martial soul with the darkness attribute?

Wang Jinxi took large strides forward to meet Tang Wulin, his arms extended in front of him the whole
time. Two black flames seemed to ignite within his eyes as he advanced. His spirit soul was nowhere to be
found and no one knew what it was.

Despite this, Tang Wulin’s expression remained unchanged. A white soul ring appeared underfoot as he
raised his arms forward and the little Goldlight slithered out from his shirt collar to expose its tiny head.

Of those present, it was only Wu Zhangkong in the audience who noticed that Goldlight’s head had grown
much larger than before. But with its body hidden within Tang Wulin’s clothing, he couldn’t get a clear
look at it.

A layer of earthen yellow light enshrouded Tang Wulin, causing his figure to appear even thicker than
before. His speed, however, slowed down a bit.

A red ball of light flew by his shoulder from behind, just barely missing. Surprisingly, it was a fireball!

Pow! It struck Wang Jinxi’s right hand, but in a flash of black radiance, the fireball was extinguished. In
the moment following, he began his exchange of blows with Tang Wulin.

A face to face battle was the domain of an Assault System Soul Master.

Bang! A muffled bang was heard. Tang Wulin came to a stop with a trembling body while Wang Jinxi
retreated three steps after receiving Tang Wulin’s punch.

The unmoving Zhang Yangzi’s face colored with astonishment. He understood how much strength Wang
Jinxi possessed, as he had a first class close combat martial soul that made him an excellent Assault
System Soul Master. In fact, even he himself could not compare in physical strength with Wang Jinxi. He
had been absolutely convinced beforehand that within Eastsea Academy’s intermediate division and for
those with less than three rings, there were few who could compete in strength. After all, Wang Jinxi’s
martial soul was just that powerful!

Yet, an unbelievable scene played out before him. A mere one ring Soul Master with a ten year soul ring
actually possessed strength that surpassed Wang Jinxi’s? This was simply inconceivable!

It wasn’t just Zhang Yangzi who thought this way; Wang Jinxi was equally as shocked at Tang Wulin’s
strength. In the moment when they had exchanged blows, he felt as if he was a lone man facing an
unshakable mountain. That tremendous strength of Tang Wulin’s was something he was completely
unable to contend with. He couldn’t help but retreat.

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Gu Yue didn’t follow up with another attack, but instead continued to hide behind Tang Wulin’s back.
They still had one opponent who had yet to make their move, so she wanted to conserve her strength.

In the moment Tang Wulin’s fist struck Wang Jinxi, the peculiar feeling within Gu Yue’s heart grew even
further.

On the other side, Xie Xie and Wei Xiaofeng were still engaged in an intense clash.

Faced with the threat of Xie Xie’s assault, Wei Xiaofeng’s first soul ring lit up as he used his first soul skill.
His body suddenly became illusory as a series of phantoms appeared behind him. These phantoms
appeared unreal as they revolved around him and he blended in among them, making it hard for others
to identify the real one.

For his Green Shadow Snake martial soul, Wei Xiaofeng’s first soul skill was Green Shadow Clones.

Wei Xiaofeng’s spirit soul and martial soul backed up his arrogance. With their extreme compatibility
with each other, the soul skills he obtained had been a level higher than what other Soul Masters could
get.

Although these Green Shadow Clones were simply clones, they were nearly identical to the real thing and
possessed an illusory air to them. Wei Xiaofeng’s foot quietly reach out, winding about Xie Xie’s leg.

Could Xie Xie distinguish between the phantoms and the true body? Naturally, the current him couldn’t.
But he still had means.

Wu Zhangkong had taught him that if he ever encountered an opponent with abilities he could not
analyze, the best method to deal with them was to fully display one’s own abilities. With the use of his
strongest abilities, Xie Xie would forcefully break through.

Thus, Xie Xie activated his first soul ring, lighting up the Green Shadow Clones for a moment. A radiant
golden blade slashed out.

Why do I care how many phantoms you have? One attack and I’ll know which one is real and which are
fake.

After reaching rank 20, Xie Xie’s soul power had reached another realm, causing the might of his Light
Dragon Blade to grow substantially.

The blade of golden light was just like a crescent moon slashing out. A series of shrill sounds could be
heard as the edge of the blade sliced through the wind.

Wei Xiaofeng was startled. He hastily pulled back his foot and jumped in an attempt to evade Xie Xie’s
attack.

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But destroyed phantoms were still destroyed phantoms. When he leapt up in retreat, the phantoms
followed right behind him. In that moment, he was revealed.

Xie Xie exploded off the balls of his feet, raising his Light Dragon Blade as his body spun, heading straight
for Wei Xiaofeng.

Wei Xiaofeng’s Green Shadow Clones were assembled together in a desperate attempt to ward off Xie Xie,
but these clones only had ten percent of Wei Xiaofeng’s strength. Whenever Xie Xie’s Light Dragon Blade
passed by, one clone after another would be crushed. He had broken through Wei Xiaofeng’s soul skill.

The spectators from the first grade’s class one were dumbstruck. Wei Xiaofeng was actually being caught
in this wind? His clones had actually been annihilated with such a brute force method?

Only Ye Yingluo was able to identify the problem. Xie Xie’s martial soul was unusual. At first glance, it
would appear to be merely a dagger, but it was far sharper than a dagger and possessed its own innate
aura which exerted a level of pressure on Wei Xiaofeng. Wei Xiaofeng’s usual confidence had been stifled
and his full strength couldn’t be displayed at all.

One blue vine after another shot from the ground to bind Wang Jinxi. At some point in time, a pair of
metal hammers had also appeared in Tang Wulin’s hands.

In order to face such a powerful opponent, he couldn’t hold back this time. The hammers he brought out
were his Thousand Refined Heavy Silver Hammers.

He could already tell from their previous clash that Wang Jinxi’s martial soul had something to do with
his bones. I don’t care what kind of martial soul you have. If I can forge uncommon metals, then why can’t
I smash your bones?

“Hou!” Wang Jinxi was enraged by the loss he had just suffered in their exchange. Beneath his feet, his
first soul ring began to shine and a strange transformation overcame his body.

His entire right arm rapidly expanded, especially his hand as his five fingers fused into four extremely
thick ones, his fingernails turning pitch-black. This enormous arm of his now gave off a tyrannical feeling.
His transformation complete, he threw himself straight at Tang Wulin.

Wang Jinxi didn’t bother to concern himself with Tang Wulin’s Bluesilver Grass.

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 Chapter 102 – Golden Palm
Chapter 102 – Golden Palm

Although a blue vine twisted around Wang Jinxi’s body, binding him, in the next moment, a strange scene
occurred. The vines came off by themselves as Wang Jinxi’s body became illusory.

At some point in time, Wang Jinxi had activated his second soul skill, the corresponding soul ring shining
brightly beneath his feet. He had actually used his soul skills in quick succession.

Zhang Yangzi revealed a smile when Wang Jinxi had utilized his second soul skill. Even if it’s him, it’ll be
difficult for him to defeat Wang Jinxi.

It had to be known that Wang Jinxi’s martial soul was actually a first-rate darkness type soul, the Bone
Dragon King!

Wang Jinxi’s martial soul was superior to Wei Xiaofeng’s in every single aspect.

First soul skill: Bone Dragon Claw.

Second soul skill: Bone Soul Transformation.

Wang Jinxi’s Bone Soul Transformation could transform a part of his body incorporeal. Although the
transformation only lasted for a short duration, he was immune to everything during that time.

Naturally, with his current cultivation, he could only turn a quarter of his body incorporeal. Under his
meticulous control, the incorporeal part was precisely the parts that the Bluesilver Grass had latched
onto.

Despite his anger, Wang Jinxi was very cool-headed. Zhang Yangzi had told them before the battle that
they couldn’t underestimate class five. Naturally, it was because this supposedly trash class had the
strength to defeat three classes in a row. As a result, their battle plan was to have Wei Xiaofeng engage
one in close combat, while Wang Jinxi went all out, taking care of the other two. Zhang Yangzi was left to
clean up.

After all, their goal wasn’t just to defeat those in their grade; it was much higher than that. They had
decided to hide Zhang Yangzi’s abilities in this battle. Without a doubt, Zhang Yangzi was the core of their
team.

The gigantic Bone Dragon Claw was already in front of Tang Wulin, spreading its claws wide to grab hold
of him.

Poisonous darkness came from the Bone Dragon Claw. It possessed an extraordinary strength as it made
Wang Jinxi’s bones ten times stronger and his strength five times greater. Furthermore, the amplification

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effect would be greater as he continued cultivating. One day, if he managed to attain seven rings and
reach the level of martial soul true body, he would be able to transform into the Bone Dragon King and
reveal its true body.

Even Zhang Yangzi’s martial soul was somewhat inferior to Wang Jinxi’s. Ye Yingluo had told them before
that if they cultivated to become a seven ring Soul Sage, the strongest among them would be Wang Jinxi.

At two rings, although Wang Jinxi could only execute a single claw, he was confident in his chances of
winning. Even if he faced a three ring Soul Elder, he would still be confident.

“Wulin, be careful.” Gu Yue moved in a flash, removing herself from Tang Wulin’s back as a burst of light
came from her body.

“It’s fine, you have me.” A bizarre radiance appeared within Tang Wulin’s eyes and grew in intensity as he
raised his right arm.

He didn’t even try to dodge the gigantic Bone Dragon Claw; nor did he use his Bluesilver Grass to ward it
off. In fact, the hammer in his right hand had disappeared too. In the depths of his eyes, a golden light
flickered.

He curled his right hand into a fist and punched straight at the center of the Bone Dragon Claw. By his
side, Gu Yue suddenly heard a succession of popping sounds from Tang Wulin’s bones as an astonishing
aura suddenly burst forth from Tang Wulin’s body.

This aura had only appeared for a split second, with only two people on the competition stage reacting to
it.

Right when Xie Xie was pursuing Wei Xiaofeng, he body went sluggish as he felt an extreme sensation of
fear flash from the bottom of his heart. Not only did it slow him down, it also caused him to tremble as his
soul power became unstable.

The other person who had reacted was naturally Tang Wulin’s opponent, Wang Jinxi.

Although Xie Xie had reacted to Tang Wulin’s aura, Tang Wulin hadn’t directed it at him. Thus, the
feelings invoked within Wang Jinxi were far stronger.

In that split second, Wang Jinxi no longer saw his opponent as a person, but rather, he saw Tang Wulin as
a ferocious beast. His power, which originated from his within blood, suddenly turned into a restrictive
force. His tremendous strength transitioned into intense trembling while his claw slowed down.

Afterward, he could only stare blankly as Tang Wulin extended his right arm. He grabbed one of the Bone
Dragon Claw’s digits, then exerted a tremendous amount of strength to toss him.

How can this be?

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In the moment that Wang Jinxi had been thrown, regardless of whether it was the students on stage or
the spectators and teachers off stage, everyone was dumbstruck at this scene.

Long Hengxu had just been preparing to intervene and block Wang Jinxi, fearing that the Bone Dragon
Claw would seriously harm Tang Wulin. In fact, he was already rushing forward to intervene when the
situation took a drastic turn.

Wang Jinxi’s Bone Dragon Claw had slowed for some unfathomable reason, and in the moment following,
he was transformed into a human artillery shell!

Only Gu Yue, who had been right by Tang Wulin’s side, had seen his hand glow a golden color the moment
he threw Wang Jinxi. Having seen this, her eyes were somewhat dull.

That aura and power… It resembles…

In the depths of her beautiful eyes, an indescribable look of shock flickered. Within her heart, the same
question many others were asking appeared: How can this be?

But there was a difference between her ‘How can this be’ and everyone else’s.

Bang! Wang Jinxi landed in a confused mess in the distance. Despite the disarray he was in, however, he
no longer felt that trembling.

Wei Xiaofeng was the most fortunate. He hadn’t been able to use his second soul skill in time as Xie Xie
drew closer, but for some baffling reason, Xie Xie had slowed down. This had given him the chance to
quickly put distance between them as he dashed towards Zhang Yangzi.

Tang Wulin clenched his fist, his expression radiating with happiness. There really is a chance!

Without pause, he threw the hammer in his left hand straight at Zhang Yangzi with a strand of Bluesilver
Grass connected to its shaft, quietly trailing behind it. As it shot towards Zhang Yangzi, the hammer gave
off an ear-piercing whistle. In a flash, it was right in front of him.

At that moment, an ominous green light appeared by Zhang Yangzi’s side. He felt his body tense up as he
was no longer able to move a single inch.

Gu Yue had used her control over the wind element to bind Zhang Yangzi.

Her binding and Tang Wulin’s hammer attack had happened in perfect concert.

It seemed as if that hammer, which weighed over a hundred kilograms, was unavoidable. Tang Wulin
held onto the strand of Bluesilver Grass connected to it. If Zhang Yangzi truly couldn’t do anything to
resist, then he would stop the hammer at the last second. After all, this was only a competition.

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A trace of shock flashed through Zhang Yangzi’s eyes, but there wasn’t a single trace of panic. Two soul
rings lit up beneath his feet and immediately, the loud cry of an eagle came from his mouth. With a shake
of his body, he seemed to have overcome the wind element which trapped him, allowing him to take the
single step necessary to evade Tang Wulin’s hammer.

Having released his martial soul, a shadow flew out from his back as a pair of black wings appeared from
his back.

A flying-type martial soul?

Zhang Yangzi flapped his wings and flew into the sky. The astonishing thing was that his body was now
pitch black and he had violet eagle eyes. The build of an eagle wasn’t too large, but its eyes were
exceptionally sharp and vigorous.

Rather than attacking Tang Wulin immediately, Zhang Yangzi used his flight speed, which surpassed even
Xie Xie’s speed, to arrive at Wei Xiaofeng’s side in a flash. His first soul ring lit up, inducing his wings to
suddenly grow ten meters in length, and became an even deeper shade of black. He enveloped Wei
Xiaofeng and Xie Xie with his large wings.

This was…

When one saw a flying-type martial soul, the first thing one would think of was an Agility System Soul
Master. However, Zhang Yangzi had actually used a control-type soul skill! Could it be that he was
actually a Control System Soul Master?

It was at this moment that Wang Jinxi crawled up. After leaving Tang Wulin’s vicinity, that feeling of fear
and dread within his heart had disappeared. Despite the unfathomable mystery they had encountered
just now, he had still known Zhang Yangzi since childhood, hence knowing that he should immediately
run toward the area of darkness.

“This isn’t good. Xie Xie!” Tang Wulin shouted for Xie Xie. His foot made an indent in the ground as he
madly dashed straight at that black area. Along the way, he retrieved his hammer and began spreading
his Bluesilver Grass in full force, moving it to cover that area.

A green light appeared beneath his feet, lightening his entire body. His speed increased by a margin, but
at that moment, a golden light began to shine above that black mass.

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 Chapter 103 – Bluesilver Whip
Chapter 103 – Bluesilver Whip

Under that golden light, the area of darkness dissipated, revealing four figures inside.

Light attribute? Off stage, Ye Yingluo was shocked once again. Even Xie Xie having two rings didn’t shock
her to such an extent. Just what is this class five girl’s martial soul? Ever since the start of the competition,
she has used wind element, fire element, and now the light element. How can she control three elements?
This is simply inconceivable.

Regardless, it was useless. With Xie Xie besieged by three people, how could he possibly endure?

What was truly astonishing, however, was that despite them assembling together, Zhang Yangzi, Wang
Jinxi, and Wei Xiaofeng were unable to catch Xie Xie in that short period of time.

The golden ball of light that shone above the mass of darkness suddenly exploded and began to spin.
Amidst the chaos of the light’s flurry, a series of clashes could be heard.

Xie Xie’s second soul skill, Light Dragon Storm!

That’s right, this was the powerful soul skill Xie Xie had obtained after making his breakthrough. With his
body as the axle, he would spin rapidly whilst holding his Light Dragon Dagger, turning the edge of his
dagger into the winds of a violent storm that spiraled and slashed at his surroundings. This was a skill
that encompassed both attack and defense!

It was only by relying on this powerful soul skill that he was able to withstand being attacked by all sides.

Tang Wulin had already arrived, once again punching out with his right hand.

Just like before, only Xie Xie and Wang Jinxi reacted to his punch.

Xie Xie’s Light Dragon Storm halted for a moment, while Wang Jinxi couldn’t bear the pressure at all, his
entire body turning rigid.

One after another, strands of Bluesilver Grass entered the area, heading out to bind their three
opponents. At the same time, the hammer in Tang Wulin’s left hand furiously smashed at Wang Jinxi.

Zhang Yangzi moved quickly, but with Wang Jinxi’s rigid body, it was easier for Tang Wulin to fight.

A green light wrapped around Wang Jinxi’s waist and in the next moment, three shadows retreated back
together. A black shadow helped open up a distance between them.

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It was Wei Xiaofeng who had grabbed Wang Jinxi. His right leg seemed boneless as it continued to bend at
impossible angles.

The three of them retreated while Xie Xie stopped his soul skill, regrouping with Tang Wulin and Gu Yue.

The battle returned to a three versus three.

“Good, very good!” Zhang Yangzi’s face was colored with excitement, but his battlelust and confidence
took precedence.

Xie Xie was gasping for breath beside Tang Wulin. He stole a glance at his teammates. He didn’t know
why, but from beginning to end, he felt a terrifying aura coming from Tang Wulin.

“Are you okay?” Tang Wulin whispered.

Xie Xie shook his head. “I’ve used quite a bit of soul power, but I can still persevere.”

He wasn’t the only one alarmed by Tang Wulin. The opposing Wang Jinxi looked at Tang Wulin as if he
were a monster. He was flabbergasted by Tang Wulin, but more than that, he was terrified of him.

What’s going on? How come I can’t control my martial soul when I face him? Wang Jinxi’s mind
overflowed with questions.

Zhang Yangzi said, “Very good. You’re even stronger than we thought. Still, it is only till here. The three of
us have grown up together, become Soul Masters together, and cultivated together. We’ll let you see our
coordination next.”

As he spoke, the two wings on Zhang Yangzi’s back unfolded once more. The black light suddenly
strengthened, hiding the three of them within it.

The corner of Gu Yue’s mouth curved into a smile. “Darkness attribute control, huh?”

She pulled Tang Wulin back, preventing him from rushing forward as she took two steps forwards
herself. Standing in front of their opponents, a yellow ring glimmered beneath her feet. In that moment, it
seemed as if Gu Yue’s eyes had begun to shine.

A faint silver light flashed in the depths of her eyes as she raised her right hand. Suddenly, a golden light
burst into life above her palm, as if she were holding a miniature sun. An overwhelming radiant aura
rushed forth from her.

Xie Xie was alarmed. In the instant that Gu Yue’s light element shone, his whole body felt an indescribable
feeling of comfort, helping him recover his spent soul power.

As Xie Xie’s Light Dragon Daggers were of light attribute and his Shadow Dragon Daggers were of space
attribute, basking in this golden light would naturally feel extremely comfortable.

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Zhang Yangzi’s curtain of darkness received the light’s attack, immediately diminishing as the three
figures within were now faintly discernible.

A blazing red light followed the golden light, fusing to create a golden-red flame that ignited Gu Yue’s
surroundings.

“Element fusion?” Ye Yingluo gaped at that one-ringed girl on stage. A genius. She is absolutely a genius!
Although I don’t know what her martial soul or soul skill is, for being able to merge the two elements of
light and fire at such a young age, even the word ‘genius’ isn’t enough to describe her!

As the black curtain approached the golden-red flame, it began to melt away, just like snow. It was
impossible for it to come any closer.

Right at that moment, a Bone Dragon Claw shot out of the black curtain with lightning speed, heading
straight for Gu Yue.

Following the Bone Dragon Claw was a figure surrounded by several large green snakes. There were six
in total, their mouths wide open as they revolved around the Bone Dragon Claw. Unlike the Bone Dragon
Claw, the snakes went around Gu Yue and shot towards Tang Wulin and Xie Xie in an attempt to bite
them.

Devouring Green Shadow! This was Wei Xiaofeng’s second soul skill.

A golden-blue vine pulled Gu Yue back while the golden-red radiance spread across all of their bodies,
covering them in a layer of light. This light warded off that darkness while Tang Wulin controlled his
Bluesilver Grass to attempt a binding once more. Suddenly, Xie Xie exploded forward with great speed. In
that moment, his entire body seemed illusory as light and shadow flickered upon his Light Dragon
Dagger, creating an even brighter light that met the Devouring Green Shadow head on. None of the snake
heads were able to press their assault.

As Tang Wulin pulled Gu Yue back behind him, he moved up to face the Bone Dragon Claw once more. He
smashed apart a snake head with his left arm while his right arm turned golden again as he threw a
punch to meet the claw.

The Bone Dragon Claw withdrew, and in its place, a black figure suddenly shot out toward Tang Wulin.
The light and fire elemental light covering Tang Wulin’s body clashed with that black figure’s black light,
causing an explosive boom. He nimbly avoided Tang Wulin’s right arm and landed a punch on Tang
Wulin’s stomach.

This black figure arrived too suddenly; Tang Wulin hadn’t been able to react at all! With regards to speed
and combat techniques, he was far inferior to Xie Xie, and that black figure had cunningly avoided the
Bluesilver Grass covering the ground!

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It can’t be avoided! Tang Wulin’s eyes twinkled as his Heavy Silver hammer once again appeared in his
right hand. Since it can’t be avoided, then I won’t try to dodge at all!

His hammer smashed into that darkness, warding off his opponent.

Pu! A punch landed lightly on Tang Wulin’s body while his hammer swept past.

What was strange, however, was that the black figure, after being struck by his hammer, unexpectedly fell
apart and scattered into countless black lights. Seeing this, a chill rose from within his body and
numerous bones began popping as he was overcome with a cold trembling.

Not good. I fell into his trap.

Zhang Yangzi’s second soul skill, Shadow Clone, created clones of himself that possessed half of his
combat strength. Anything hit by the clones would be infected by the corrosion of darkness. Their soul
power would be unceasingly devoured and their body would corrode.

Right at that moment, Tang Wulin’s Bluesilver Grass finally managed to penetrate the mist of darkness.
Tang Wulin groaned as he resisted the corrosion within his body and suddenly exerted all of his soul
power.

A strand of Bluesilver Grass abruptly rose into the air, flying towards that curtain of black light.

It didn’t bind, but rather, it was a Bluesilver whip!

That soft-looking Bluesilver Grass suddenly turned tough in that moment. It covered the screen of
darkness, striking towards the interior.

Even if it was that Bone Dragon Claw, it still would have been driven aside.

For a moment, Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and Wei Xiaofeng suffered from the move, causing them to
stagger backwards at different degrees.

Who would have imagined that the weakest-looking Bluesilver Grass with a measly ten year soul ring
could actually exert such power! Zhang Yangzi had relaxed a bit when he’d successfully attacked Tang
Wulin, and as a result, he fell prey to this strand of Bluesilver Grass. It whipped him, sending a scorching
pain throughout his body. Wei Xiaofeng also suffered at the hands of this whip, making him to lose
control of his Devouring Green Shadow. Wang Jinxi, however, had relied on his powerful body to endure;
but was still trembling from the pain of the whip and couldn’t help but stagger back.

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 Chapter 104 – Gu Yue Erupts
Chapter 104 – Gu Yue Erupts

“Are you okay, Wulin?” Gu Yue gently pressed a hand onto Tang Wulin’s back, causing light attribute soul
power to enter him. A wave of warmth suffused through his body, lessening the discomfort.

“I’m fine.” Tang Wulin sucked in a deep breath. Although there was still some chilliness and pain within
his body, it was nothing compared to what he had experienced these past few days. If that previous pain
had made him want to die, then the current pain was just like having an upset stomach.

When Zhang Yangzi saw the condition Tang Wulin was in, he was startled. Despite being hit by his
Shadow Clone and being weakest of his group members, Tang Wulin was still able to stand tall. Just what
kind of situation was this?

“You can go die!” Gu Yue suddenly shouted. Before Tang Wulin even had a chance to grab her, she’d
already rushed forward.

Gu Yue suddenly accelerated, a green light flickering around her body. As she sped towards them, she
motioned with both her hands, shooting a fireball and an icicle towards her three opponents.

While her attack shot towards the opposing trio, the green light covering her body shone brighter and
brighter, her eyes growing clearer. After the fireball exploded, her hands had already taken on an icy-blue
color. Then, when the icicle shattered, that icy-blue light began to blend with the green light.

A chaotic gale screamed through the air, and the spectating students and teachers were reminded of the
turbulent hurricane that had swept past just recently. In a short period of time, the wind and ice had
already grown into a tornado five meters in height and one meter in diameter and quickly advanced
towards Zhang Yangzi and his teammates.

The temperature onstage plummeted as the ice shards within the swirling gale became sharp blades that
cut through the air, releasing waves of ear-piercing screeches.

The opposing trio’s expressions soured. Wang Jinxi was the first to take the initiative and act as the
vanguard, while the other two used their soul power to protect their bodies.

Evade? The entire stage seemed to be under the control of this miniature tornado as it drew them into its
center. Their speed had also been cut in half, making it basically impossible for them to escape its range.

Long Hengxu looked upon the stage with a dumbstruck expression once again. This, this is the soul skill of
a one ring Soul Master? Can a Soul Elder with a thousand year soul ring even achieve this?

Blizzard! This was a combination of ice and wind.

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Among the trio from class five, the strongest one wasn’t Xie Xie, who possessed both twin martial souls as
well as the greatest soul power among them; rather, it was Gu Yue.

Gu Yue had never used her true strength until this match. Today, however, Tang Wulin had been injured
by their opponents, incurring her wrath. Thus, she’d cast her strongest elemental attack.

After creating her blizzard, however, her face became deathly pale, her body tottering on the verge of
collapse. Fortunately, Tang Wulin gently held and supported her, preventing her fall.

Constant collisions were heard from within the blizzard as it tore through the trio from class one. A
twinkling light could vaguely be seen within the blizzard, indicating that they still had enough soul power
to defend themselves.

Xie Xie grasped his Light Dragon Dagger tightly as a light gleamed within his eyes. He had faced the
blizzard’s might long ago and clearly understood just how formidable Gu Yue was. As an Agility System
Soul Master, he was afraid that even after obtaining a second ring and with the advantage of his twin
martial souls, he wouldn’t be able to withstand the power of Gu Yue’s blizzard. If he were forced to face it,
then he would have to prepare in advance and run far away.

Although he frequently quarreled with Gu Yue, he still respected her for her strength.

The blizzard persisted for a full ten seconds before it began to disperse. In the end, the temperature of the
stage and its surroundings had dropped drastically.

The figures of Zhang Yangzi’s trio gradually appeared from within the dispersing blizzard. Standing at the
front was Wang Jinxi, his clothes in tatters and his body covered with bruises. Fortunately for him, he had
blocked his face with his arms, saving him from having his face disfigured.

Zhang Yangzi and Wei Xiaofeng’s situations were somewhat better, but their faces were still pale. Their
soul power was depleted after enduring that blizzard.

The spectating students perception of Gu Yue had changed. They all wondered, Is she really a new
student? Just how powerful will she become in the future?

Light Dragon Dagger in hand, Xie Xie walked over to their opponents and said, “Concede defeat.”

Everyone could see that the opposing trio had used up at least half of their soul power and had been
injured to varying degrees.

Long Hengxu also approached, prepared to stop the match at any moment. Even though he didn’t want to
admit it, Gu Yue’s strength was simply too terrifying. He finally understood why that arrogant Wu
Zhangkong had wanted to accept her into his class. Long Hengxu had been the pig-brained one!

“We still haven’t lost.” Zhang Yangzi’s gaze was just as sharp as before, but these words were barely
audible from behind his gritted teeth.

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Wei Xiaofeng gave him a look, before saying hesitantly, “Do you really want to…”

Zhang Yangzi resolutely looked at him, “We can’t lose. Jinxi, come!”

Wang Jinxi suddenly straightened his back, releasing a roar towards the sky as a powerful black aura
overcame his body once again.

A light of ridicule flashed through Xie Xie’s eyes. They still want to overturn the heavens in their current
situation? In a flash, he began advancing on Zhang Yangzi. After all, Zhang Yangzi was the core of their
team.

But right at that moment, a dark figure appeared. With black light spraying from its mouth, it obstructed
Xie Xie’s attack and slowing him down.

Afterward, Xie Xie was shocked to see that Zhang Yangzi had flown behind Wang Jinxi and was now
holding him by the waist.

A deep dragon’s roar and the cry of an eagle resounded throughout the stage. At that moment, Zhang
Yangzi and Wang Jinxi’s bodies became a pitch-black color, like ink. Then, they began to undergo a sort of
bizarre fusion.

Zhang Yangzi turned into a black light, quietly merging into Wang Jinxi and becoming a pair of wings for
him.

Wang Jinxi’s body began to grow. A large tail emerged from his tailbone, while his two arms became Bone
Dragon Claws, his aura soaring.

“Screw off!” Wang Jinxi bellowed with a deep voice, slashing out with one of his Bone Dragon Claws. Xie
Xie attempted to dodge, but a black light appeared around him and made him feel like he was trying to
struggle free from a swamp.

This black light had appeared too suddenly for Tang Wulin to rescue Xie Xie with his Bluesilver Grass. The
only thing Xie Xie could do was defend himself with his Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger
as he was sent flying through the air.

In the air, a spray of blood escaped Xie Xie’s mouth, and Tang Wulin could hear fractures come from Xie
Xie’s arms.

“Xie Xie!” Tang Wulin dashed over and caught him.

Xie Xie’s eyes were shut tightly, having already lost consciousness. His Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow
Dragon Dagger began to fade away with his weak aura.

“You bastard! This is only a match!” Tang Wulin snarled as he recklessly charged towards that Bone
Dragon.

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As he charged forward, a layer of golden scales began to cover his right arm starting from his fingertips.
His arm seemed to grow thicker by a whole circle.

Tang Wulin’s pupils had already turned golden, and when he suddenly stomped with his left foot, it
unexpectedly caused a boom.

He exploded forward like an artillery shell, shooting straight towards that transformed Wang Jinxi.

Wang Jinxi’s body was far different than before. With a flap of his wings, his over two meter tall body
ascended into the air. Then, with a simple twist of his body, he whipped his tail at Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin opened his mouth, releasing a puff of black gas. His right hand suddenly grew larger and his
fingers grew longer, taking on the form of a dragon’s claw.

But it was different from Wang Jinxi’s Bone Dragon Claw; Tang Wulin’s dragon claw had five claws.

Bang! Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon Claw violently clashed against that air-twisting Bone Dragon tail. A
golden light flashed on the tail before Tang Wulin was flung into the air from the force of the collision.

In midair, Tang Wulin curled his body, then used the Bluesilver Grass he had wrapped around the Bone
Dragon to pull himself back towards it. The Golden Dragon Claw descended once again, but this time,
towards Wang Jinxi’s head.

Wang Jinxi brought his two claws together, swatting at Tang Wulin. But at that moment, Tang Wulin
released an ear-piercing dragon’s roar.

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 Chapter 105 – Golden Dragon Claw
Chapter 105 – Golden Dragon Claw

A faintly discernible golden ray of light appeared from his body for a split second, causing Wang Jinxi’s
Bone Dragon Claw to immediately slow down.

The Golden Dragon Claw smacked down at his head.

“Stop!” Long Henxu and Ye Yingluo shouted out simultaneously.

But at the moment, Tang Wulin’s mind was only filled with rage over the sight of Xie Xie’s injuries. With
his Golden Dragon Claw attacking at full strength, it was impossible to stop now.

Right at that moment, a slender arm noiselessly appeared and touched Tang Wulin’s right arm, softly
pushing it aside. The gGolden Dragon Claw that was originally heading towards Wang Jinxi’s head was
deflected and smacked his right claw instead.

Bang! Despite being several times bigger than Tang Wulin at this moment, Wang Jinxi was smashed into
the ground, while Tang Wulin landed softly on the other side due to the counterforce.

“Enough!” A cold voice rang out. Just like the morning bell and the evening drum, it caused Tang Wulin to
wake from his rage.

Wu Zhangkong stood beside him, holding the injured Xie Xie.

Wang Jinxi’s Bone Dragon Claw was snapped at an angle as it lay on the ground, while his tail clearly had
a fracture where Tang Wulin had struck it.

At that moment, a black light separated from Wang Jinxi’s transformed body. When the two kids returned
to normal, they released miserable shrieks of pain.

Zhang Yangzi lay on the ground, both of his legs broken, while Wang Jinxi’s right arm had fractured, bent
at an impossible angle. The two of them couldn’t help but utter screams of intolerable agony.

This match had developed into something so tragic that none had expected it.

“Teacher Wu, how can you allow your students to be so violent?” Ye Yingluo flew onto the stage, finger
pointed at Wu Zhangkong as she snarled the accusation.

Wu Zhangkong said to Tang Wulin, “Go.” From beginning to end, he didn’t spare a glance for Ye Yingluo.

Ye Yingluo wanted to chase after him, but Wu Zhangkong suddenly released a sharp ice-cold aura which
caused her whole body to freeze up as she felt the sensation of death.

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After Tang Wulin’s arm returned to normal, a wave of weakness came over him. Even though he had
puffed out a mouthful of the black gas earlier, some still remained of that ice-cold feeling within the pit of
his stomach.

Following behind Wu Zhangkong was Gu Yue, who was looking at Xie Xie in Wu Zhangkong’s arms.
Together, the three of them got off the stage.

Long Hengxu remained onstage with a gloomy expression as if his face was dripping with water.

This time we have a major situation.

In this Class Promotion Tournament, three students had been seriously injured and as the referee, he had
to take responsibility! This was a major situation that hadn’t happened for many years.

Wu Zhangkong brought Xie Xie directly to the infirmary to have a teacher with a recovery-type martial
soul inspect his body. Fortunately, it was only a fracture. Although his two arms had suffered some minor
fractures and these injuries couldn’t be considered light, his body was fine for the most part. His internal
organs had only been shaken up a little, so he only needed some time to rest and recover.

The dark energy within Tang Wulin was also dispersed by the teacher.

“Teacher Wu, I…” Tang Wulin looked at the silent and ice-cold Wu Zhangkong, wanting to explain himself.

“You don’t need to say anymore as you didn’t do anything wrong. You two just hurry up and go back and
rest,” Wu Zhangkong indifferently said.

“Oh. Then Xie Xie…?” Tang Wulin hesitantly asked.

“I will be here.” Wu Zhangkong gave him a look.

At that moment, Tang Wulin suddenly felt that this ice-cold teacher wasn’t so cold after all.

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue left the sick bay with complicated expressions. Xie Xie had broken both of his
arms; this was definitely a serious injury.

Tang Wulin was full of guilt. If he had been fast enough to pull Xie Xie back with his Bluesilver Grass at
that moment, then Xie Xie wouldn’t have suffered such serious injuries. He had been too careless as the
team captain.

“Don’t think about it too much.” Gu Yue turned and said to Tang Wulin, “None of us had expected a
situation like that. If my guess is correct, Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi had used a soul fusion skill.
Supposedly, soul fusion skills are nearly impossible to see nowadays in the world of Soul Masters. It can
only appear if two martial souls are exceptionally compatible with each other.”

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Soul fusion skill? Tang Wulin had heard a bit about them in class. If two Soul Masters had martial souls
that were compatible enough, then they had the possibility of using a soul fusion skill, one of the
strongest types of techniques. Soul fusion skill effects didn’t add the strengths of both sides, but rather, it
multiplied the strength of the two Soul Masters!

“What I am curious about is how you are able to defeat them, even if their soul fusion isn’t perfect! Your
right hand…” Gu Yue looked inquisitively at Tang Wulin’s right arm.

Tang Wulin went silent for a moment before he gently shook his head. “Gu Yue, we’re friends, so I don’t
want to lie to you. But I really can’t tell you about it. So, please don’t ask, okay?”

Gu Yue pondered over it for a moment before giving him her reply, “Fine then. I won’t ask, but you must
learn to control your power. It seems to be very formidable, but such great power also requires great
control. It seems that during the week of the hurricane, a change occurred in your martial soul.”

That was right! A change had indeed appeared. Moreover, it was an extremely powerful change.

Tang Wulin thought back to when he had taken those spirit medicines and attacked the seal afterward.

Intense pain. Pain so intense that Tang Wulin couldn’t even be bothered to take in the changes around
him anymore. Chill, heat, itchiness. These three sensations replaced each other frequently in what
seemed like an endless cycle. And when he thought it was over, he began to feel all three at the same time.

The only reason he had been able to succeed was by clinging onto his sense of existence. Regardless of
how intense the pain was, he never gave up in his heart.

This was the reason he had been able to surpass his limits.

After some time, he grew muddle-headed. At that moment, he could vaguely see that his body as well as
his surroundings had turned golden.

The golden veins within his skin came alive, slowly creeping up his body. With a clanging sound, it
seemed that something within his body had been torn to shreds. At that time, he still didn’t understand
the meaning of pain. Suddenly, an indescribably powerful and fantastic energy drilled into every single
corner of his body.

Cold, heat, itchiness. All disappeared. In its place was a feeling of being bloated.

His bones, meridians, viscera, and skin all felt as though they had inflated and would pop at any moment.

This, this is the seal’s energy?

551
In that instant, Tang Wulin no longer doubted Old Tang’s words. The energy that was sealed from the
Golden Dragon King’s soul could definitely cause his body to explode if his body wasn’t strong enough.
Faced with the assault of such tyrannical energy, he was afraid that his entire being would shatter.

The pain from that feeling of bloatedness gradually reached a peak before receding.

He had survived and hadn’t blown up. In that moment, Tang Wulin was sure that he was fine.

Is the seal breaking done? His mind gradually relaxed as the pain receded, until finally, he lost
consciousness.

The golden veins along Tang Wulin’s body broke apart, becoming tiny specks of light that moved away
from his body while the golden veins on his vertebra became even clearer. Gradually, the golden veins
reappeared on his body, but this time they were much more prominent and deeper in color. The golden
specks of light slowly merged with his right arm, while the rest of his body underwent an imperceptible
transformation.

After surviving the onslaught of the seal’s energy, he now had to assimilate it and undergo a
transformation.

The little Grass Snake, Goldlight, slithered onto Tang Wulin’s body. It lazily curled up atop his body, the
golden lines on its skin now closely resembling those on Tang Wulin’s.

Goldlight trembled slightly, as if it was experiencing tremendous agony. Its trembling, earthen yellow
body gradually turned golden as it grew longer and larger. It no longer looked as weak and frail as before.

A strand of Bluesilver Grass quietly appeared within the palm of Tang Wulin’s right hand. The golden
veins along its body no longer seemed as illusory as before, but rather, a golden light could clearly be
seen within. This vine-like grass was now taller and straighter, no longer seeming as delicate as it had
been.

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Chapter 106 – A Pleasant Surprise in the Future?
Chapter 106 – A Pleasant Surprise in the Future?

When Tang Wulin woke up, his entire body felt relaxed and at peace. All of the previous pain and
suffering had vanished. The first thing he did was enter his mind’s spiritual world.

“You have awoken.” Old Tang rejoiced.

“I succeeded in breaking the seal?” Tang Wulin asked.

“En. You have succeeded in breaking the first seal and have absorbed the Golden Dragon King’s soul. All
things begin with hardship, so this first breakthrough can be considered you laying down your
foundation. After some time passes, you will experience more and more of the benefits from this
breakthrough.”

Tang Wulin impatiently asked, “What kind of benefits? Will my soul power increase by a lot?”

Old Tang said, “No. The Golden Dragon King’s soul will mainly affect your body. Though there will be
some improvement to your soul power with each broken seal, it will not be as significant. The important
thing is that your body will transform under its influence, gradually gaining the strength of the Golden
Dragon King. After breaking through your first seal, you now possess a trace of a dragon’s might. In the
future, when facing dragon-type beasts that are inferior in rank to the Golden Dragon King, you will be
able to suppress them with your dragon aura. Naturally, the larger the gap in cultivation between you and
your opponent, the weaker the effect will be.

“Secondly, the part of the Golden Dragon King’s power you have absorbed is its right hand. After you have
thoroughly absorbed this piece of its soul, you will be able to transform your right hand into a dragon’s
claw. The Golden Dragon Claw’s strength is tremendous, and it also possesses a special property — that
is, ‘crushing’. Simply said, there is almost nothing it cannot overcome. Assuming the hardness of the
object is within a certain range, anything you attack with your Golden Dragon Claw will definitely be
broken.

“After you break through more seals in the future and fuse with more of the Golden Dragon King’s power,
the benefits you receive will be even greater. Do not lightly use the Golden Dragon Claw, however.
Although it is now a part of your body, using it will still consume an enormous amount of your soul
power.”

Golden Dragon Claw? I can control the Golden Dragon Claw now?

Tang Wulin unconsciously looked toward his right hand. With a single thought, his right hand
transformed and a layer of golden scales began to cover it, but that was the extent of the current changes.

553
“Don’t be so anxious. You still need some time to absorb the Golden Dragon King’s soul before you will be
able to use it. Alright then, onto the second seal now. You must undo the seal before you turn fifteen. To
do this, you will need to find or purchase four different heaven and earth treasures. I will brand their
descriptions into your mind. Oh, and one more thing. If you are able to break the second seal, there will
be a pleasant surprise for you.”

“A pleasant surprise?” Tang Wulin wanted to ask what it was, but Old Tang’s figure was already fading
away.

When Tang Wulin returned to his dorm, Yun Xiao and Zhou Zhangxi were already there.

“How is Xie Xie?” asked his two roommates as they hurriedly got up.

Tang Wulin answered with a hint of anger, “I’m afraid that he’ll be forced to rest for a while so that he can
recover. But you know, I’d never have expected them to be so fierce. It was just a competition after all!”

Yun Xiao and Zhou Zhangxi exchanged a glance before Yun Xiao let out a few small coughs and said, “Your
moves weren’t light either. Both of Zhang Yangzi’s legs were fractured, and Wang Jinxi’s right arm was
also broken. I also heard that Wei Xiaofeng was so scared of you that he pissed his pants.”

Tang Wulin was stunned. Now that he thought about it, it did seem that Zhang Yangzi’s legs had turned
into Wang Jinxi’s tail when they were in their combined form. That must be how his legs had fractured
after suffering Tang Wulin’s dragon claw’s crushing property.

He had not noticed because they had truly been in a desperate situation at the time. In hindsight,
however, when he had struck the fused form of Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, they had continued to move
despite their somewhat sluggish motions. It seemed that their soul fusion skill was still far from perfect.

Moreover, after the fusion, the suppression from Tang Wulin’s dragon might on Wang Jinxi had clearly
lessened. If their fusion was perfect, then Tang Wulin was afraid that he wouldn’t have been able to
achieve victory in the end.

The Golden Dragon Claw increased the strength of his right hand explosively, but it also had its limits.
From his estimations, it could only double his strength at the moment. The crushing property was still the
most important part.

“Who did the director declare the winner in the end?” Tang Wulin asked.

Yun Xiao shook his head. “He didn’t declare a winner. Long Hengxu had a truly ugly expression as he was
arranging your treatments. But even so, everyone could see that if Teacher Wu hadn’t stepped in, those
two guys would have been crippled by you. I never expected you were still hiding such strength. So what
is your right hand?”

554
Tang Wulin bitterly smiled. “A variation occurred in my martial soul. I’m not sure what exactly it is either.
Anyway, I’m going to go meditate now.”

The bitterness of this competition left a profound impression on his heart. At this moment, his heart was
full of regret from his impulsive actions at the end.

I hope they’re fine.

Fortunately, we won the match, so we should be class one after the tournament ends.

Since he had to rush over to the match as soon as he woke up from absorbing the Golden Dragon King’s
soul, he hadn’t had any time to rest until now. As his body relaxed, he quickly entered a meditative state
where he was isolated from everything.

The president’s room.

“How did this happen?” With a grave expression, Yu Zhen looked at Long Hengxu from across the desk.

Long Hengxu forced out a bitter smile. “The new students this time are truly prodigies. It was my fault; I
wasn’t able to stop them in time. I take full responsibility for this. But I must say, the new students this
year are absolutely outstanding geniuses. If we can guide them properly, they will definitely become the
pillars for Eastsea Academy in the future.

“The reason today’s match had gone out of control was because at the very last moment, two Soul
Grandmasters from class one had used an incomplete soul fusion skill. Their soul fusion skill is most
likely an exceptionally powerful one that requires them to have at least three rings to be able to use to its
full extent.”

“Soul fusion skill?” Yu Zhen’s eyebrows rose in excitement, a light of surprise flashing through his eyes. In
his delighted surprise, his anger had weakened a bit.

“Yes, a soul fusion skill. Although it isn’t complete yet, its strength was able to break both of Xie Xie’s
arms. What’s even more shocking is what happened afterward. A one ring Soul Master with a ten year
soul ring from class five suddenly exploded in power. His right hand transformed into a dragon claw.
With two attacks of his claw, he was able to break through the soul fusion skill. Fortunately, he was
stopped just in time. Otherwise, he might have crippled the other students.”

Yu Zhen was startled. “A one ring Soul Master who can transform his right hand and use it to defeat the
soul fusion skill of two Soul Grandmasters? Are you trying to tell me a fairy tale?”

Long Hengxu sighed. “I’m finding it hard to believe as well, but it is a fact. Over a thousand students and
teachers witnessed it. This isn’t something I could make up even if I wanted to! If you don’t believe me,

555
then you can go investigate it yourself. In my opinion, that Tang Wulin’s variant martial soul is likely a
body martial soul from the legendary Shrek Academy!”

Yu Zhen was suddenly terrified. What did a body martial soul mean? A body martial soul combined with a
mecha would undoubtedly create a shining genius!

The two words, ‘Shrek Academy’, were enough to fill the eyes of Eastsea Academy’s president with a light
of reverence.

“If that’s true, then we can pardon the situation today. After all, it was just too unexpected. Director Long,
write a detailed report on this matter for me.”

Long Hengxu said, “Tang Wulin’s martial soul was originally the trashy Bluesilver Grass, but if a variant
body martial soul appeared within him, then it might mean he has twin martial souls. Then he wouldn’t
be trash anymore, but a genius. President, I have a proposal.”

“What is it?” Yu Zhen suspiciously eyed him.

Long Hengxu bitterly laughed. “With the condition the first grade is in at the moment, I don’t think it
would be fitting for the Class Promotion Tournament to continue. From what I’ve seen today, I don’t think
the second grade, no, not even the third grade could stand up against their might. These students might
not necessarily be a good thing. As such, I think we will need to give these new students special
treatment.”

“What kind of special treatment?”

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 Chapter 107 – Pondering the Golden Dragon
Claw
Chapter 107 – Pondering the Golden Dragon Claw

Long Hengxu said with sparkling eyes, “With geniuses such as them, an ordinary teacher wouldn’t be
enough. As such, let’s establish a special class in addition to the five classes we already have. The geniuses
of this class will have the academy’s strongest teacher to guide them from the intermediate division all
the way into the advanced division. That way, they’ll spend at least eight, no, nine years in the academy.
As long as we guide them properly, the shining future of our Eastsea Academy’s success will be just
around the corner!”

Yu Zhen pondered over it for a while. He had to say that Long Hengxu’s words moved him. A special class
for cultivating geniuses with the backing of all of the academy’s resources… With this year’s new students
and their unique talents, this proposal would give the academy a chance to truly shine in the future. If
that happened, then the academy would be able to recruit even more talented new students.

He envied those first-rate academies in major cities that were able to recruit students from all over the
federation. This was exactly one of the reasons why the strong stayed strong.

Although Eastsea Academy was in a major city flourishing with business due to the ocean’s resources,
many students were still dissuaded from picking the academy due to its location in a corner of the
continent and the nature of the surrounding terrain. Overall, Eastsea Academy could only be considered a
rank within the lower middle rankings when compared with the rest of the continent. It wasn’t
remarkable at all.

Perhaps this year’s new students truly were a turning point for them?

“Which teacher do you think is most suitable then?” Implementing this plan would be fairly easy, but the
creation of the special class would necessitate pouring all of the academy’s strength into cultivating this
class.

Long Hengxu had clearly decided on someone long ago as he said without the slightest hesitation, “Let’s
assign Teacher Wu Zhangkong to this class. He is the strongest within the academy, and the result of the
tournament was clearly influenced by his teaching ability. When he was still in the advanced division, he
didn’t conform to the group and isolated himself from the other teachers, never displaying his full
strength. I think it will be most fitting for him to train these few elite students instead.”

“En.” Yu Zhen nodded. “I agree with your plan. I’ll go make a proposal to the board of directors. Alright
then, you may leave now.”

557
Long Hengxu respectfully said, “President, I’ll take my leave then.” He rejoiced within his heart. The
president had surely been swayed by his attractive words and this matter had now come to a close
without any disciplinary actions against him. His calculating methods were actually meant to allow him to
shirk his responsibilities. Of course, he did have some hopes for this new class.

When Tang Wulin awoke from his meditation, he was gifted with the sight of dawn.

Xie Xie hadn’t returned yet as he was recuperating in the infirmary. Zhou Zhangxi and Yun Xiao were both
still meditating. With the provocation of class five’s continuous victories, everyone was now diligently
cultivating with renewed vigor.

Tang Wulin’s body was brimming with a power that made him want to face the sky and just scream.

Ever since he had broken the seal, he hadn’t had any time to carefully inspect the changes in his body
until now. He subconsciously began to stare at his hands. On the surface they appeared exactly the same
as before, but in reality, his skin had become fairer. When he touched his skin, it was also a great deal
more elastic.

His soul power had risen by at least one rank while his control over his soul power had also grown much
stronger due to his spiritual power increasing too.

In the end, Tang Wulin wasn’t sure exactly how much his power had increased. After all, he had never
tested himself in this way before.

Is this the power of the first seal on the Golden Dragon King?

When he recalled his use of the Golden Dragon King’s power the day before, he began to concentrate on
wielding that power once more, and very naturally, a familiar feeling reappeared within his right arm.

Immediately, a layer of convex, rhombus-shaped golden scales, covered his right arm like a layer of
armor. At the same time, the feeling of power within his arm increased explosively, yet his right hand
hadn’t completely transformed into the Golden Dragon Claw.

The Golden Dragon King’s aura was exposed while Tang Wulin continuously and meticulously circulated
his soul power and strength toward his right hand. It was only then that the bones within his right hand
started to show a change. His hand slowly swelled in size and dragon claws grew from his fingernails.
Apart from the feeling of immense power, he could also feel a tyrannical aura being emitted.

This was the transformation that came from breaking the first seal on the Golden Dragon King. His right
arm, now covered in golden scales, had doubled in strength. Moreover, the Golden Dragon Claw could
further increase his right hand’s strength by another fold in addition to its crushing ability.

It really does feel powerful.

558
Now that he unleashed the Golden Dragon King’s power outside of battle, he was able to clearly inspect
the changes that occurred within his body.

The most obvious change was to his soul power. His soul power was now being consumed at an
astonishing rate. After only several breaths of time, a third of his soul power had already been used up.

According to the current consumption speed, he could only sustain his Golden Dragon Claw for about ten
seconds.

Just as he expected, a wave of weakness overcame him at the ten second mark and his right hand
returned to normal. Yet, the power of the golden dragon scales was still there.

He suddenly had an epiphany. The Golden Dragon Claw required the Golden Dragon King’s bloodline
power and his soul power to sustain it, but the golden dragon scales only required the Golden Dragon
King’s bloodline power.

If it’s like this, then I had been really lucky to defeat Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi yesterday!

Looking back upon that battle, he realized that Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi couldn’t completely control
their soul fusion skill, so he was lucky to have been able to use his Golden Dragon Claw at just the right
time to counter them. The Bone Dragon King was also of the dragon bloodline, so in the face of the Golden
Dragon King, it had been suppressed and received double the effects of Tang Wulin’s strikes. This was the
reason why he had been able to win after two strikes.

In other words, the reason he had been able to win was because his Golden Dragon King bloodline was
able to suppress Wang Jinxi’s Bone Dragon King.

I’m still not strong enough! If my opponent had fought with me a bit longer and realized that I couldn’t
sustain the Golden Dragon Claw for long, then he could have won by simply evading my attacks and
waiting for my soul power to run out!

Despite his harsh self-judgement, Tang Wulin wasn’t depressed at all. When he compared himself with
his past self, he had still gained much from breaking through the first seal. His body’s strength and overall
power had increased, and the dragon scales could further increase his right arm’s strength. He now had
the explosive power of the Golden Dragon Claw.

In short, his gains had been pretty good. At the very least, he could no longer be considered trash.

Oh right, Goldlight experienced a transformation as well.

Recalling this, Tang Wulin wanted to release his little spirit soul to take a look. He shook his head in
disappointment, however, as his soul power had already been exhausted, and he wasn’t even able to
release his martial soul, much less his spirit soul! His current cultivation was still too weak!

559
Breaking the first seal had helped him with his cultivation somewhat, but he was still only at rank 13.
Moreover, everyone else was around rank 20 now. He was afraid that the gap between them would just
keep growing larger and larger.

More effort! I need to put in more effort!

He leapt down from his bed, his mind crystal clear. Careful not to disturb his roommates, Tang Wulin
quietly went to go wash his face and drink a glass of water before going out for a jog. It was the start of a
new day, and warming up was first.

He ran laps around the track in the sports field and shouted out, “I am as lithe as a swallow!”

He had always been good at running, but after absorbing a part of the Golden Dragon King’s soul, a
normal pace was simply too slow for him now. The scenery continuously flitted past him, the cool wind
brushing against his cheeks. This refreshing feeling gave both his body and mind a sense of freedom and
indescribable comfort.

Right at that moment, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him. As Tang Wulin was currently engrossed
with this experience, however, by the time he reacted, he had already collided with this person.

A pure voice called out, “Be careful!” Tang Wulin felt a gentle force move his body, causing him to spin
around in circles, dispersing all of his kinetic energy.

Tang Wulin didn’t grow dizzy due to his powerful body, but when he stopped spinning and was able to
look at the figure before him, he still experienced a split second of vertigo.

In front of him was a tall and slender girl. Tang Wulin could be considered tall among his peers, but he
was still only ten years old. The girl in front of him looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old and
was already beginning to turn into a woman. She wore a pink tracksuit which offset her milky white skin
and her long blue hair that was collected into a bundle with a comb.

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 Chapter 108 – Ouyang Zixin
Chapter 108 – Ouyang Zixin

The girl was very pretty with delicate facial features and large, limpid eyes. Under the rays of the morning
sun, it seemed as if a layer of golden light was drawn to her. She was simply too stunning for Tang Wulin.

“S, sorry.” Tang Wulin hurriedly apologized. In that moment, this girl with a golden radiance around her
left a profound impression upon Tang Wulin. So pretty! She’s even prettier than Senior Sister Liu Yuxin!

“Junior brother, pay attention when you’re running.” The young lady raised her hand to rub his head as
she spoke with a beaming smile.

“Ah! You’re very good looking.” The young lady stared at Tang Wulin’s large eyes, which were accented
by his long eyelashes and was astonished to see that his eyes were even larger than her own. She
curiously pinched his face and giggled before she quickly turned around and left.

Her pinch had hurt a bit, but it had awakened Tang Wulin from his stupor. That senior sister is so pretty.
She’s jogging here so she should also be in the intermediate division, right?

When he saw the young lady run further and further away, Tang Wulin hastened his pace to catch up with
her. With his powerful body, he caught up in no time.

“Junior brother, what’s your name?” She turned her head to look at Tang Wulin.

“My name is Tang Wulin. I’m a student in the first grade. What about you, senior sister?” He blurted out
his words with an eager heart. He hadn’t mentioned that he was in the first grade’s class five. Anyway,
after winning the Class Promotion Tournament, they should be class one now.

“You’re this young yet you’re already so naughty! You want to pick up this senior sister, huh?” The girl
shot him a crafty glance.

“I, I’m not…” Tang Wulin said in embarrassment.

“Haha. Your embarrassed face is so cute! How about this then; let’s have a ten lap race. If you win, I’ll tell
you…” Before she even finished speaking, she had already increased her speed and rushed forward.

Ten laps?

There was no way Tang Wulin was afraid of such a competition so he quickly picked up his pace and
chased after her.

The young lady was still taller than him by about half a head and had already grown into a slender and
elegant woman. As she ran, her long hair flowed behind her in the breeze, while her graceful form was

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accented by her long and flexible legs. With each step, he could see her slender hips sway. Her whole
body was just brimming with the vigor of youth.

Tang Wulin’s physical strength was exceptionally formidable, however, despite his shorter stature, he
was still faster than her. Trailing just behind her, alarms were going off within his mind for some reason,
telling him to be careful of her.

Due to this, he followed just behind her and watched her, keeping up with her pace.

That girl’s physical strength was pretty good. Not only was she able to maintain a constant running pace,
but her pace was continuously increasing. Like this, the two of them continued their race, one in front,
one behind.

Soon after, they were approaching the end of the tenth lap.

There were still a hundred meters left.

It was only then that Tang Wulin remembered the goal of this competition. He suddenly sped up,
unleashing his body’s explosive power. He flew forward and overtook the girl by the fifty meter mark.

“Ouch.” A cry of pain suddenly came from behind him,

Tang Wulin quickly turned his head to look but was met with the sight of that slow pink clad figure
suddenly speeding up, surpassing him, rushing straight toward the finish line.

“Haha. You little dummy. You’ve been fooled!” The girl’s bell-like laughter clearly rang through the first
glimmers of dawn on campus.

He had obviously been tricked, but when he saw this smile that was like a blossoming flower, Tang Wulin
couldn’t bring himself to grow angry at all.

Tang Wulin ran over to the finish line where the girl waited. He scratched his head awkwardly as he said,
“Senior sister is so amazing.”

As the young lady gazed at his bashful expression, her smile couldn’t help but grow even wider. “Alright
then. I’ll stop teasing you. Junior brother’s strength is pretty good. Keep it up!” Finished speaking, she
turned around and walked over to the dormitory, waving goodbye to Tang Wulin as she left.

Tang Wulin watched her back. A peculiar feeling had been aroused within his heart. He didn’t understand
what this feeling was, but he knew that he wanted to keep seeing this senior sister.

“My name is Ouyang Zixin. I’m in the fifth grade’s class one.” The girl’s pure voice floated on over.

Ouyang Zixin. What a pretty name.

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“Stop staring. That senior sister is already long gone.” Right at that moment, a friendly voice spoke from
behind him.

Tang Wulin quickly turned around to see Xie Xie watching him with an amused expression. His arms
were still bandaged up and while he had a smile, it wasn’t quite a smile as he looked at Tang Wulin.

“You’re better now? How are your arms?” Tang Wulin greeted him in surprise.

“It’s no big deal now. My bones have already reconnected, and they were treated by a healing-type
martial soul. I’ll still need at least ten days to make a full recovery though. But you, I return one day later,
and I find that you’re actually chasing after senior sisters. You truly are too good.”

“I’m not.” Tang Wulin hastily defended himself.

“Really now? You have enough skills to do it. That senior sister even told you her name. Have you really
never heard of Ouyang Zixin before?” Xie Xie asked with a big grin.

“I haven’t!” Tang Wulin blurted out.

Xie Xie said, “She’s the prettiest girl in our intermediate division! I can’t believe you’ve never heard of her
before. Actually, I even heard that there are countless seniors from the advanced division chasing after
her. She’s in the fifth grade so she should be four years older than us. You can just give up right now.”

Tang Wulin grudgingly said, “You’re talking about age, but why do you have such thoughts in your heart?
I only think that senior sister is really pretty, and I admire her. I don’t have any other ideas, okay? Don’t
get me wrong!”

Xie Xie’s mouth began twitching. “Fine then! You can just stare at her foolishly. You might not
acknowledge it, but who wouldn’t like this kind of pretty senior sister? Every man has a profound
memory of a pretty senior sister.”

All men have a pretty senior sister that left a deep impression on them?

Tang Wulin was shaken by Xie Xie’s words. The name Ouyang Zixin had already been engraved into his
heart.

They went to eat breakfast before going to class, where they were informed that all the students in the
first grade were to gather at the sports field for a grade assembly.

Although Xie Xie’s arms were still injured, his condition had stabilized, and he was able to attend his
classes.

A grave expression still colored Wu Zhangkong’s face like normal as he brought class five to assemble at
the field.

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It could be said that the first grade’s class one had changed now. When they arrived at the field, they
attracted the gazes of all of the other classes. Most of these gazes drifted toward Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and
Gu Yue.

Of course, the most prominent one among them was Tang Wulin! The day before he had prevailed at the
last moment in a desperate crisis, shocking countless people and engraving a deep impression upon their
hearts.

“Have we become celebrities?” Gu Yue asked in a hushed tone.

Xie Xie shot her a disdainful glance. “With how mature you act, why are you so interested in how people
see you? And besides, it would be more accurate to say that Wulin is the celebrity here. I heard he was the
one who won us that match in the end yesterday. Ah, that’s right. Wulin, I haven’t thanked you for
avenging me yesterday yet!”

Tang Wulin shook his head. “I really shouldn’t have acted that way. It wasn’t right for them to injure you,
but it also wasn’t right for me to injure them. After all, we are all fellow students.”

Gu Yue gave a cold snort. “Take a look at Wulin then take a look at yourself. In any case, I don’t care if I’m
a celebrity now or not. And besides, there was a certain someone who was so confident but was
immediately knocked out yesterday.”

“You!” Xie Xie glowered at Gu Yue.

Gu Yue disdainfully said, “What? You weren’t a match for me even when you weren’t injured, yet you’re
still trying to show off in your current condition?”

“I’ve had it with you!” Xie Xie said, smothering his anger. He simply couldn’t bear it anymore! With his
arms like this and his martial souls being two daggers, he really couldn’t do anything right now.

Tang Wulin was already used to their bickering, so he held Xie Xie’s shoulder gently and said, “It was just
a fluke yesterday. They’re actually really strong, so you should just go and recuperate properly, and we’ll
do our best to cultivate together after.”

Class five was already assembled in the field when Tang Wulin finished speaking. He noticed that Zhang
Yangzi wasn’t present among the students of class one. After all, broken legs were really too troublesome.
On the other hand, Wang Jinxi had a broken arm, similar to Xie Xie, and had that arm bandaged up.

In front of the gathered students wasn’t just Director Long Hengxu, but also President Yu Zhen.

Long Hengxu looked towards Yu Zhen before he began speaking. “Today’s first grade assembly is to
announce two things. First, due to the special circumstances of this year’s first grade, the victorious class
will no longer be continuing with the Class Promotion Tournament, but the classes of the first grade will

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still be rearranged according to the results. Namely, what was originally class five is now class one. And
all of the other classes have been rearranged accordingly.”

We can’t continue participating in the Class Promotion Tournament anymore? An uproar appeared
among the students of the new class one. If they couldn’t’ continue with the tournament, then that meant
they were no longer receiving the reward for being able to challenge the upper grades!

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 Chapter 109 – Class Zero is Established!
Chapter 109 – Class Zero is Established!

Long Hengxu continued, “In light of the new class one’s outstanding achievements in this tournament, the
entire class will be rewarded with one meal a day from the first window for one term.”

After hearing these words, the previous discontent murmuring turned into cheering. What was the first
window? It served the most nourishing food! Without even speaking of the taste, it had the most benefits
to their cultivation but was extremely expensive. Most families couldn’t afford to feed their children a
meal from the first window. One term’s worth of meals from the first window was worth an
extraordinary sum of money!

Right now, as the teacher in charge of class two, Ye Yingluo’s face grew even gloomier at those words.
Clearly, she wasn’t happy with these developments.

Long Hengxu shouted, “Quiet down!”

It was only then that the cheering gradually subsided.

Long Hengxu resumed. “Due to the excellence of this year’s first grade, the board of directors has decided
to conduct a study. We are establishing an experimental class in the first grade that will be comprised of
the best students in the grade. It will temporarily be called class zero, and Wu Zhangkong will be the
teacher in charge. The students for class zero have already been selected. From class one, we have Tang
Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue. From class two, we have Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and Wei Xiaofeng. In the
future, any other student who shows exceptional ability will also be put into class zero.”

Class zero?

What the hell is this?

All of the students assembled were in a daze. In all of Eastsea Academy’s history, there had never been a
class zero! Moreover, what did having Wu Zhangkong as the teacher in charge mean?

Tang Wulin’s trio was startled, while Wang Jinxi and Wei Xiaofeng had similar reactions on the other side.
In an almost synchronized motion, the two of them looked towards Tang Wulin’s trio.

Wei Xiaofeng’s expression was brimming with loathing and enmity, while Wang Jinxi’s gaze was focused
solely on Tang Wulin as he made a complicated face.

Wu Zhangkong was expressionless as usual, but in reality he had already been notified by the board of
directors last night after they decided on approving the plan.

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Long Hengxu said, “Aside from these two announcements, there are still punishments to be announced. In
the match yesterday between class one and class two, both sides prioritized their comrades first and the
competition second, which led to three students being seriously injured. This has raised a serious
concern with the six participants. As such, they will be deprived of the tournament rewards as a
punishment and warning to others.”

Deprived of their reward? It would seem that for this grade’s Class Promotion Tournament, even if they’d
won, there would be no rewards. Their class would only be promoted!

Long Hengxu had said these words harshly, but in reality this wasn’t even a punishment at all!

“President, do you have any words to say?” Long Hengxu asked, looking at Yu Zhen to his side.

Yu Zhen nodded and began speaking with a clear voice. “Students, I am sure you are all very curious as to
why we established class zero. This is because the students we have picked out have already far
surpassed the level of their peers. If they were to continue advancing with the other students, their talent
would be buried. In summary, if you wish to shine in the future, then you must put in even more effort! I
hope that I will see more students joining class zero later on, going on to become the greatest geniuses of
Eastsea Academy!

“Alright then, the assembly is over. You may all leave now. Teachers, lead your classes back. Long Hengxu
will act as class one’s substitute teacher until a new teacher can be found. Wu Zhangkong and the
students of class zero will remain here.”

Filled with shock, admiration, envy, and regret, the students of the five classes returned to their
classrooms, leaving only the president as well as those of the newly established class zero.

“Children, come over here.” Yu Zhen beckoned everyone over.

Although they were somewhat reluctant, the five of them still walked over.

In the presence of the academy’s president, even Wei Xiaofeng didn’t dare to act in an unbridled manner.
It was clear, however, that Tang Wulin’s trio and the other two had some tension between them.

As Yu Zhen observed the five children in front of him, he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. He coldly
said, “You guys are quite able, huh! Do you think that just because you’re a bit more outstanding than
your peers that you’re great? Look at you all, what have you accomplished? Among the five of you, two
have broken arms, and there’s still one with broken legs resting in the classroom!”

The five of them were scolded into a daze. They had never expected Yu Zhen to reprimand them like this.
As soon as they arrived, they were showered with a tongue-lashing.

Yu Zhen continued on with a stern expression. “I have already said what the purpose of class zero is: it’s
to not hold you back. But even with how small you all are, you harbor so much pride and conceit within

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your hearts. I will have you all behave with integrity in front of me, otherwise, don’t blame the academy
for being impolite. I’m warning you now; if a situation like yesterday’s happens again, you will all be
punished. Don’t think that just because you are geniuses that you don’t have to follow the rules. You are
all just viewing the sky from the bottom of a well. There are plenty of people even more outstanding than
you five throughout the federation!

“From the very beginning, this world has never lacked geniuses, nor has it lacked geniuses that die young.
If a genius wants to become great, then they will have to invest far more effort than an ordinary person.
Only then will you live up to your potential. Do you all understand?”

“Understood.” In the face of the president’s overbearing aura, none of the five children could raise their
head.

“Sign this contract.” With a flip of his hand, a pile of papers appeared, and he quickly distributed them to
the five children.

The five of them subconsciously took the pen. Tang Wulin looked it over, his attention drawn to the large
word at the top: contract.

Following the title, the content below it could be summarized as saying: Person XXX voluntarily enters a
contract with Eastsea Academy. Before XXX graduates from the intermediate division and the advanced
division, they will not change schools.

This was the general gist of the contract.

What is the meaning of this? The five of them thought in a daze.

“Now that the academy has established class zero, we will invest even more resources into you. Because
of this, the academy wants a guarantee that you will stay here for your studies. It isn’t because of some
other weird reason. Alright then. Just sign it now.”

Xie Xie meekly asked, “President, shouldn’t we discuss with our families before signing this?”

Yu Zhen blinked a few times. “Of course you can! You can go back and discuss it, but you won’t be able to
join class zero anymore. I am a very busy person, and I don’t have the time to wait for you.”

In the time they had been speaking, Tang Wulin had already signed his name on the contract. To him, this
contract didn’t mean anything at all. Apart from Eastsea Academy, he didn’t even know where else he
could go to study. Just the fact that the academy would be investing more resources into him, a good-for-
nothing, was a divine gift. He simply didn’t have any reason to refuse.

Gu Yue signed it in nearly the same time as Tang Wulin. Seeing the two of them signing it, Xie Xie didn’t
question it anymore. Not being able to leave Eastsea Academy wasn’t that big of a deal.

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On the other side, Wang Jinxi had signed it as well. Only Wei Xiaofeng was currently hesitating.
“President, I think it’s bad to not consult with my family first. I still want to discuss the matter with them
before I sign. After all, my clan might have me go to an even better advanced academy in the future.”

Yu Zhen nodded. “You’re very ambitious. You can just go back to class two. Now, there are only five
students in class zero.” As he said this, he had already snatched back the contract from Wei Xiaofeng’s
hands and began shooing him off with his hands.

Wei Xiaofeng revealed a complicated expression, but in the end he didn’t take back that contract. Instead,
he bowed to the president before returning to class.

After he left, Yu Zhen’s stern and cold expression melted into a gentle smile.

Seeing his god-like face changing skills, the four students couldn’t help but fall into a stupor.

“Alright then. You have all signed the contract so from now on, you are the elites of the academy. We will
respect Wei Xiaofeng’s decision but in the future, I definitely believe that he will regret his choice this
day. Although our Eastsea Academy isn’t ranked too highly on this continent, we are still the sole
intermediate Soul Master academy in this major city. With all of our resources poured into you, I dare say
that not even the legendary Shrek Academy could match us.”

After hearing the president’s confident words, the four students suddenly felt a bit better about signing
the contract. Standing off in the distance, Wu Zhangkong’s mouth twitched slightly when he heard those
words.

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 Chapter 110 – Battle Armor
Chapter 110 – Battle Armor

After class zero was established in Eastsea Academy, what Tang Wulin found the most shocking was just
how differently the academy treated them when compared with their treatment of the normal students.
The classroom changed to a much more open one while their dorm rooms had also been upgraded. They
no longer shared a room with four people, but rather, they each had their own room now that were
situated beside one another. Moreover, their rooms were the same as the ones given to ordinary teachers.
In other words, they were enjoying the treatment a teacher would receive.

Zhang Yangzi signed the contract without the slightest hesitation when he heard that Wang Jinxi had
signed it. Including the teacher in charge, class zero comprised of six people in total.

Wu Zhangkong was also given new living quarters alongside the dorms of his students. His previous
dorm had now been replaced with a suite.

The academy gave them one day to get themselves organized before class zero would officially begin
classes the following day.

Naturally, even if classes were to begin now, not all of them would be able to attend. After all, three of
them had suffered serious fractures and could only attend theory classes for now.

Class zero’s classroom seemed a bit spacious and empty. Although it wasn’t any different than the
ordinary classrooms, it seemed very large with only five students in it.

Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi sat on one side while Tang Wulin’s trio sat on the other. The five of them
were like two separate rivers.

Zhang Yangzi rested his legs on top of a chair, his expression dark. Wang Jinxi was his usual silent self, but
his eyes would occasionally flit towards Tang Wulin.

Wu Zhangkong entered the classroom with a stern expression and walked to the center. He swept his
gaze across the five students.

“From henceforth, your curriculum will undergo a change.”

His words drew the attention of the five students. Even if it was Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, they
couldn’t help but admire the Icily Arrogant Prince Charming’s strength. After all, they too had been
mesmerized by the battle between Wu Zhangkong’s and Guang Biao.

Wu Zhangkong said, “Due to the current conditions of your bodies, we will put off cultivation for a while.
Instead, we will begin with theory classes. Today we’ll start with mechas.”

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Mecha?

When they heard this word, all five students looked at each other in confusion.

Zhang Yangzi’s expression brightened a bit as he couldn’t help but ask, “Teacher Wu, aren’t mechas a
topic for the advanced division? We’re still in the first grade! Isn’t this just too early?”

Typically, the intermediate division would only cover foundational knowledge, and they wouldn’t cover
mechas until they entered the advanced division. After graduating from the advanced division, they
would enter an advanced academy based on their area of study, walking one step at a time towards their
goal. Anyone who could graduate from an advanced academy would definitely be an elite of society.

They had just started their first of six years in the intermediate division, yet they were already learning
about mechas? Wasn’t this just jumping ahead of themselves?

Wu Zhangkong responded naturally, “The topics in this mecha class will not be taught in detail, so the
course load won’t be too much. Among you, who wants to become a Mecha Master in the future?”

The five of them went silent in unison. Mecha Masters were already synonymous with powerful experts
in the views of the vast majority.

Wu Zhangkong continued, “With this being the case, you all better pay attention in class.” He shot a glance
at Zhang Yangzi as he finished speaking, causing him to tremble from head to toe. Zhang Yangzi no longer
dared to utter a single doubtful word.

“Modern day mechas have undergone ten thousand years of development while soul devices have went
through several thousand more years of development, becoming more and more widespread. Technology
has always been researched for one main reason: war. Soul devices are no exception. It was only after
soul devices filled the battlefield that they began to be used by civilians.

“The Soul Guide Masters of the time never would have imagined that soul guided devices, or soul devices
for short, could be used to empower a Soul Master by such a large margin. It was only after they
discovered this that they began researching mechas.

“Soul Masters have been the most essential profession within the last several tens of thousands of years.
Soul Masters were not only rare, but the majority of them were also weak. But with the advent of soul
devices, this paradigm had shifted. Low rank Soul Masters could now become much more powerful by
relying on their soul power and soul devices. Afterward, soul mechas began to appear, allowing Soul
Masters to become even stronger.

“Soul mechas are operated by using soul power from soul power batteries, thus allowing its user to
display strength far surpassing their own. The first soul mechas were developed in a larger form, the
factor being that the larger they were, the larger the soul power battery they could install as well as the
number of weapons it could be equipped with.

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“As technology progressed, mechas became operable by ordinary people with sufficiently strong bodies.
From then on, soul mechas became the main weapon of the modern army.

“In the history of mecha development, there have been periods where the form was small, medium, and
large and now they have taken the form you are all familiar with. This is the basic outline of mecha
development. This was a process of trial and error and its resulting improvements. It involved the
perfection of soul circuits, various innovations, and the advancement of technology by leaps and bounds.
Mechas have only grown increasingly more important in wars ever since their creation.”

Tang Wulin earnestly listened as this was his first proper lesson on mechas. If he wanted to become a
Mecha Master, this was crucial knowledge to him.

“But these are not the mechas I want to talk to you about.” Wu Zhangkong paused right there, letting
astonishment wash over the five students.

Not these mechas?

Wu Zhangkong indifferently said, “Didn’t you all think that as technology developed, ordinary people
could control soul devices better and better? Then let me tell you, that’s only what ordinary people think.
In the tens of thousands of years of history the Douluo Continent has witnessed, one fact has never
changed: Soul Masters are the most powerful existence!

“With the aid of soul devices, an ordinary person might be able to match up to a Soul Grandmaster, and
with a mecha, they could even possibly contend with a five ring Soul King. Mechas truly do offer
tremendous power to its user, but even so, it cannot give an ordinary person the fighting power of an
eight ring Soul Douluo or a nine ring Title Douluo. At the very least, it is impossible at this point in time.”

Xie Xie said, “Then what if they use a super-weapon? There are some super-weapons that ordinary
people can use.”

Wu Zhangkong nodded. “What you speak of is a possibility. But let me ask you in return, what if both
sides possess super-weapons then? Who will have more power? Let me tell you first though, currently,
the strongest super-weapon cannot defeat the strongest person.”

Wu Zhangkong spoke without the slightest hesitation, causing the five students to sit down
subconsciously in shock.

After a short pause, Wu Zhangkong continued speaking. “With humanity’s trend in weapon technology
advancement, perhaps such a weapon will appear in the future. But at the moment, there exists no such
weapon.”

“Teacher Wu, this powerful person you spoke of, are they a Mecha Master or a Soul Master?” Tang Wulin
asked.

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Wu Zhangkong said, “To be exact, they are both.

“The mechas you commonly see range from five to eight meters in height and have some peculiar
differences depending on what type of mecha they are. These are the modern medium-sized mechas I
spoke of. From their research, Soul Guide Masters came to the conclusion that a combination of bulk and
flexibility along with a balance of offensive and defensive capabilities were the most suitable for the
army. But these are just the standardized mechas for the army. Or it might be better to say, these are
mechas for ordinary people. White and yellow mechas are of the same category, but that isn’t your goal.
With your talents, you absolutely cannot develop in that direction. Instead, you must develop towards
battle armor!”

Battle armor?

This was the first time the five of them heard these words.

Wu Zhangkong continued dully, “The truly powerful would not allow their body to become even larger.
The reason mechas exist is amplification of power, not to become larger. Purple mechas and onwards are
all small in size, to the point where they are almost like armor! Due to this, they are called battle armor!1

“Only Soul Masters with battle armor can truly be called powerful experts. They are experts who can
perfectly combine their martial soul and mecha together, resulting in formidable combat power.”

1. May have been retconned later to have mechas and battle armor be two separate paths. Will fix
accordingly when I actually translate that stuff. I just skim the raws.

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 Chapter 111 – Secondary Occupation
Chapter 111 – Secondary Occupation

Battle armor! This new idea completely captured the attentions of these youngsters.

After all, armor-like mechas were considered the peak.

“As everyone knows, apart from Mecha Masters who operate the mechas, there are also mecha craftsmen
who are absolutely crucial to the mechas themselves. There are three kinds of mecha craftsmen: mecha
designers, mecha makers, and mecha mechanics. The main purpose of today’s lecture on mechas is to
impart the knowledge necessary for you all to make an informed decision on your future secondary
occupation. I suggest that all of you choose one occupation from these three as your secondary
occupation as it will help you in your path to becoming stronger.”

Gu Yue asked in astonishment, “Teacher Wu, shouldn’t we concentrate all of our energy on cultivating? At
most we should just learn how to operate a mecha, right? Why do we need to take on a second job?”

Wu Zhangkong said, “If you want a powerful battle armor then you must have one that is suitable for you.
Thus, powerful Battle Armor Masters will definitely be extremely familiar with their battle armors. They
will either design, make, or fix it themselves. Only in this way can you gradually familiarize yourself with
every detail of the armor. If you don’t take on a second job, you will never be able to have the most fitting
battle armor made for yourselves and never ascend to a god altar.

“With the establishment of class zero, we only have one goal for you: that is to push you towards a god
altar! This is a long and arduous process that you may have to dedicate your entire lives to. What I first
want to do is minimize any time you may waste through inappropriate methods and then elucidate the
path you must walk.”

“As for what occupation you choose, don’t worry about it. You all still have plenty of time to think over
your choices . But at the latest, you must pick one by the third grade. Even with your talents, your path
will be similar to an ordinary person’s, and the sooner you begin, the better. This is the reason why
within three years, you must give me an answer.”

“Naturally, the three occupations I have given you are only the ones that I think are the best. They aren’t
your only choices, and there are still some occupations related to mechas that are open to you. In fact,
there is even someone among you who has chosen already.”

As he spoke, his gaze landed on Tang Wulin.

A secondary occupation? Tang Wulin immediately realized that Teacher Wu was speaking about his work
as a blacksmith.

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“Wulin had chosen to be a blacksmith at an exceptionally young age. I believe he is most likely extremely
gifted in this field. Blacksmithing is one of the jobs I also want you all to consider. That is because from a
purple battle armor onward, the creation process becomes inseparable from forging. Regardless of what
job you choose, you will not be lacking in cultivation resources if you can reach five stars or more.”

Tang Wulin was the calmest one among them as he had already picked a job and wouldn’t be
reconsidering it either. He was already a three star Grandmaster Blacksmith. Not only was he valued by
the Blacksmith’s Association but he was also already deep into his forging studies. The more he forged,
the more he understood the profundity of the craft. His father had taught him when he was young that
regardless of what he chose to do, he had to focus on it wholeheartedly without the slightest bit of
wavering.

Tang Wulin wasn’t interesting in mecha design, making, or maintenance at all since he had already
embarked on the path of a blacksmith and couldn’t bear to change his profession.

The remaining four students were silent. Clearly, choosing a secondary occupation was no simple matter.
They were still young and weren’t completely sure what they liked, but fortunately, they still had two
more years to think it over. That was plenty of time to come to a decision.

Wu Zhangkong dully said, “Good then. That ends today’s lesson on mechas. There are only two main
points for you to remember. First, truly powerful mechas are called battle armors and all mechas of the
purple grade and above are battle armors. Second, you must choose a mecha-related occupation by the
third grade.”

This was extremely easy for them to remember. After all, the information they learned in this class was
both simple and interesting to them.

Tang Wulin said, “Teacher Wu, when can we see an actual battle armor?” He had been listening earnestly
the whole time and was now finally able to voice his thoughts.

Wu Zhangkong gave him a look and said, “I’ll let you see a battle armor after you finish the first part of
your combat training. Whoever finishes first will have the opportunity to see it first. As of now, none of
you have the qualifications to see.”

Combat training? Combat training between Soul Masters?

Without giving a chance for them to ask another question, Wu Zhangkong continued, “From now on, your
curriculum will place an emphasis on combat practice. Right here. Tang Wulin, move the desks to the side
and clear a space in the center.”

Right here? But isn’t the power of Soul Masters destructive?

A sense of doubt arose within the hearts of the five students, but even so, they followed Wu Zhangkong’s
instructions.

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“Tang Wulin, come over here.” Wu Zhangkong nodded toward Tang Wulin.

“Yes.” Tang Wulin quickly walked over.

“How do you feel about your battle yesterday?” Wu Zhangkong coldly asked.

Tang Wulin considered it for a moment before speaking. “I was too shortsighted. We’re all students after
all, so we shouldn’t harm each other. We should have been careful to not overdo it.”

Wu Zhangkong waved his hand in dismissal. “I’m not asking you about those things. I’m asking about how
you felt during the battle. How did you feel your team’s battle went?”

Tang Wulin said, “I’m a bit confused about what happened as it was the first time we saw the strength of
our opponents. Our response to their attacks was too disordered and lacking in coordination. As for the
other team, they had better coordination but didn’t seem to reach a level of tacit understanding yet
either.”

Wu Zhangkong icily corrected, “Disordered? How was that disordered? It was simply a total mess.”

The five of them were stunned by these words. They were geniuses of the first grade and the academy
had established a special class for them specifically. Apart from Tang Wulin, they were all extremely
confident in their own abilities. Where had the word ‘disordered’ even come from?

Wu Zhangkong gazed into Tang Wulin’s large eyes. “To be honest, I am very disappointed. I trained you
three for three months, and you had excellent coordination skills. Yet, when the battle actually started,
you gave up your advantages. Xie Xie’s broken arms are simply a result of this.”

Xie Xie’s expression stiffened. He never expected Teacher Wu would assess him in this way.

Wu Zhangkong turned to look at Xie Xie. “Did you actually believe that you were powerful now that
you’ve broken through to become a Soul Grandmaster? And that you could now just blindly charge at
your opponents with your strength? Do you even remember the concept of a team?”

He turned back to Tang Wulin right after. “And you. I let you be the team captain because of your calm
temperament, yet you actually failed to stop him or coordinate with the team. That was your
responsibility. Your use of power was also a mess. You didn’t truly use your martial soul at all and just
charged through with brute force. What were you thinking!?”

Faced with Wu Zhangkong’s criticism, Tang Wulin was completely speechless. How could he explain to
Wu Zhangkong about his sudden increase in strength and how his Bluesilver Grass mutated due to the
Golden Dragon King’s soul, leading to the current situation where he wasn’t even completely sure of his
current abilities?

Wu Zhangkong finally turned to Gu Yue. “I told you to act as the team’s glue yet with your battle
tendencies, you created even more issues in coordinating with the team.”

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Tendencies? Tang Wulin couldn’t understand what Wu Zhangkong meant with this word at all. On the
other hand, Xie Xie displayed a queer expression.

Now that he thought about it, it really was as Wu Zhangkong said. From beginning to end, Gu Yue had
been at Tang Wulin’s side. When she exploded, it had also been due to Tang Wulin receiving an injury. But
with regard to Xie Xie, she didn’t seem to care at all even though she should have been supporting him
with her long ranged attacking abilities.

Wu Zhangkong’s few words of criticism were enough to burst a blood vessel.

Then, Wu Zhangkong’s gaze swept over to Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi. “The problem with your team is
obvious too. Wei Xiaofeng has the same fault as Xie Xie. In fact, his weakness is even more severe. Zhang
Yangzi, you didn’t immediately engage in battle at the beginning due to your arrogance, but arrogance
will only send you to your death. Among the three of you, Wang Jinxi did relatively well. Although he was
suppressed by Tang Wulin, he had been cautious and focused on fulfilling his role from beginning to end.”

Teacher Wu was actually praising Wang Jinxi?

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 Chapter 112 – Basic Combat Training
Chapter 112 – Basic Combat Training

“But!”

Sure enough, there was a ‘but’…

Wu Zhangkong coldly continued, “All five of you have a problem in common, and this will be settled
through your combat training. The problem is that you are all severely lacking in combat experience and
techniques! What I’m talking about isn’t your experience with using your martial soul and soul skills as
you are all somewhat decent at that, but still not excellent of course. No, what I am speaking about are
your basic combat techniques when you aren’t using your martial soul.”

Basic combat techniques? Soul Masters need something like that? Don’t Soul Masters only need to use
their soul skills to attack their opponents?

Apart from Tang Wulin who was deep in thought, a look of doubt appeared on the faces of the other four
students.

“Do you actually think there is no meaning to having basic combat techniques?”

Gu Yue said, “I understand, but Teacher Wu, my ability is based solely on controlling the elements. As
long as I can control them properly in battle, I will be able to defeat any opponent. What use do I have for
basic combat techniques then? Shouldn’t I focus on increasing my soul power and spiritual power?”

Wu Zhangkong nodded.

“If that is what you really think, then let’s have a little test. Gu Yue, you and Tang Wulin will attack me. I
won’t use any soul skill, and I will suppress my soul power down to your level, about rank 13. Let’s see if
you can still defeat me. You may use your martial souls.”

As Wu Zhangkong was speaking, he turned around to walk over to the teacher’s platform and picked up a
teacher’s pointer before returning to the center.

Gu Yue had already bravely stepped forward to stand at Tang Wulin’s side. He’s not using any soul skills?
So he’s not using his martial soul at all? Isn’t he underestimating us too much?

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue exchanged a glance before retreating a few steps back, opening up some space
between them and Wu Zhangkong. They released their martial souls in preparation to attack Wu
Zhangkong.

“Come now.” Wu Zhangkong beckoned them over as he brandished his pointing stick freely.

578
Tang Wulin took the initiative to charge forward. With his immense strength, he naturally held the
advantage in a direct confrontation. As he charged forward, countless strands of Bluesilver Grass
emerged, flocking toward Wu Zhangkong on all sides.

Right behind him was Gu Yue, who controlled her elements with a deft wave of her hands. Suddenly, she
released seven to eight swift wind blades. They sliced toward Wu Zhangkong from tricky positions that
cut off all avenues of escape.

Suppressing his soul power also greatly limited his own speed, and he was now facing Tang Wulin and Gu
Yue, both of whom could be considered Assault-Control System Soul Master hybrids. If they couldn’t
grasp victory immediately in the beginning, then they would just have to control Wu Zhangkong’s
movements to increase their chances of victory at a later time.

After cultivating together these past few months, they were able to understand the other, even without
verbal communication. This led to a coordination that seemed almost telepathic.

Wu Zhangkong stood in the center motionlessly with only his pointer raised. In his hand, that pointer was
no different from the sharpest of swords.

They all saw that when the pointer in Wu Zhangkong’s hand trembled, the motion was followed by a
phantom image emerging behind it.

The wind blades reached Wu Zhangkong first, but something strange happened next. Right as they
entered the range of his pointer stick, the wind blades were immediately dispersed into a cool breeze.

Trailing behind the wind blades were Tang Wulin’s vines. The Bluesilver Grass twisted to surround Wu
Zhangkong, but the moment they came too close, they were cut apart just like the wind blades. It was
impossible to get within a one meter range of Wu Zhangkong.

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue revealed troubled expressions.

Gu Yue felt Wu Zhangkong’s pointer stab the core of her wind blades each time, sowing disorder among
the gathered wind elements, thus causing the wind blades to dissipate.

Tang Wulin had found what happened even stranger. His Bluesilver Grass was like a snake the moment
he released it, yet Wu Zhangkong’s pointer was able to accurately stab the seventh inch point of the
‘snake’, effectively stopping the flow of his soul power to that strand. As a result, the Bluesilver Grass
couldn’t resist Wu Zhangkong’s attacks at all as its power was now restricted.

Just what was this?

Gu Yue raised her hand, firing off a few fireballs. The teacher’s pointer is made of wood. Maybe using fire
would be more effective. By then, Tang Wulin had already arrived in front of Wu Zhangkong.

579
His right hand reached out to grab at Wu Zhangkong’s chest while golden scales began to cover his right
arm.

After a few experiments, Tang Wulin had gained some understanding of his Golden Dragon King power.
Those golden scales weren’t just for decoration. Aside from increasing his power, it also increased his
defense and thus raised his overall strength by quite a bit. It was because of those scales that he decided
to directly launch an attack at Wu Zhangkong.

Bang! Wu Zhangkong’s pointer struck sharply at Tang Wulin’s sparkling, golden-scaled wrist.

Tang Wulin’s arm slightly swayed after being struck by the pointer, but its momentum was unchanged,
and it was still heading straight for Wu Zhangkong’s chest.

Wu Zhangkong was unaffected by the approaching scaled arm as he stood there with the same icy-cold
expression. He shifted backwards by a step. Despite it seeming to be a simple step back, it opened up
some distance between him and Tang Wulin as well as put him out of the path of the fireballs.

What shocked the students even more was that even as he was retreating, Wu Zhangkong hadn’t
forgotten to thrust a few times at the fireballs with his pointer, causing their power to dissipate and
preventing the classroom from acquiring damages. This could only be described as brilliant!

His pointer shot out once more, stabbing Tang Wulin’s elbow. His arm felt a weird sensation spreading
throughout, but the power of the pointer was not enough to pierce through his scales. It had been blocked
automatically.

A trace of astonishment finally appeared in Wu Zhangkong’s eyes, but once again, he simply took a step
out of the way of Tang Wulin’s right hand.

Bang!

A scorching pain burst from Tang Wulin’s neck and seeped all the way down to the marrow of his bones.
He stumbled to the side in retreat. His right arm might have scales protecting it, but his neck did not!

The pointer in Wu Zhangkong’s hand struck once again, but this time, it was aimed at Tang Wulin’s waist.
If it made contact, Tang Wulin definitely wouldn’t be in fighting condition afterward.

But right at that moment, Wu Zhangkong’s expression changed.

The reason was simple. Seven to eight fireballs were shooting toward the surrounding classroom
equipment in a scattered manner.

Gu Yue’s elegant face revealed a sinister smile. Aren’t you afraid of the classroom taking damage? Then
you’ll have to stop if I attack it.

580
As expected, Wu Zhangkong had no choice but to abandon his pursuit of Tang Wulin. Yet, in the next
moment, the students of class zero finally understood the meaning of true strength.

Wu Zhangkong’s figure suddenly flickered. In an instant, his countless phantoms appeared throughout
the classroom, obliterating all of the fireballs. He was so quick that the students couldn’t even see him
move clearly. It was all just a blur to them.

The teacher’s pointer struck Gu Yue’s waist, giving rise to a sharp pain that made her collapse. Before
Tang Wulin could even react, he felt a numbness overcome his body, forcing him to fall flat on his butt
like Gu Yue.

This…

So powerful!

Silence now enveloped the classroom. Wu Zhangkong walked over to face Tang Wulin once more. With a
pensive expression, he watched the scales on Tang Wulin’s right arm gradually disappear.

Despite being unable to use his martial soul at a rank similar to theirs, he had still condensed his
suppressed soul power. Yet, even with that, he hadn’t been able to pierce through the defenses of Tang
Wulin’s joints. He had only caused Tang Wulin’s arm to bend for a split second, that was all. The defensive
power of those scales were extraordinarily formidable when faced with attacks of the same rank.
Moreover, Tang Wulin hadn’t unleashed the might of his Golden Dragon Claw yet. That would only boost
his power even further!

“Teacher, were you actually only using basic techniques just now?” Xie Xie asked Wu Zhangkong with
wide eyes.

Wu Zhangkong nodded. “Do you still think basic techniques are useless? Basic techniques are
fundamental. Although martial souls and soul skills can make a Soul Master powerful, the way they are
used will determine just how powerful one will be. This is how basic techniques should be used. It’s the
same even when using battle armor or an ordinary mecha. Starting today, we will begin a lengthy period
of combat technique training. Do not slack off; this is a crucial subject for you all.”

581
 Chapter 113 – Test
Chapter 113 – Test

Tang Wulin was quite miserable. As one of the two who received no injuries as well as being a male, he
had been used as a living teaching example by Wu Zhangkong. With him as the opponent, Wu Zhangkong
continuously used him to demonstrate combat techniques and important topics to the other students.
Tang Wulin was knocked down time and time again by the teacher’s pointing stick.

He felt that this was Teacher Wu’s revenge for him being late to the match. But even so, this type of
training was effective as it was clear just how quickly Tang Wulin was improving. This was the so-called,
‘pain and joy’.1

News of class zero’s establishment quickly spread throughout the academy, turning its five students into
celebrities in an instant. Naturally, they couldn’t reveal what they were doing in class, so the curiosity of
others died down after a few days and the academy returned to its usual tranquility.

As their only teacher, Wu Zhangkong provided them with plenty of guidance. Their curriculum required
that they study different theories from those of regular classes and become more inclined toward combat
training. And just as President Yu Zhen promised, the academy poured a tremendous amount of
resources into the class. Regardless of whether it were the teaching methods, nourishing food, teachers,
or facilities, all were provided and of the highest quality.

Ten days later, Tang Wulin was no longer the only one being beaten up by Wu Zhangkong’s pointing stick.
Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi had all recovered and could now join Tang Wulin in being beaten
up for combat training. Ever since their recovery, inhuman cries of pain would constantly ring out from
class zero.

They had rejoiced in Tang Wulin’s misfortune when they were still bystanders that were watching him
being beaten up, but after experiencing the painful strikes of the pointing stick for themselves, they had
gained a thorough understand of what pain truly was.

Wang Jinxi fared a bit better than the others as his Bone Dragon King made his body much stronger. But
for Zhang Yangzi and Xie Xie… they were definitely suffering. Zhang Yangzi was an Agility-Control System
Soul Master and Xie Xie was a pure Agility System Soul Master so both of their bodies were suited for
nimbleness and couldn’t compare in toughness with Tang Wulin or Wang Jinxi.

From the very beginning, Wu Zhangkong didn’t even know the concept of ‘starting off leniently’. Instead,
each strike of his pointing stick would create a pain that penetrated all the way to their bone marrow!
Yet, despite this unfathomable pain they were subjected to, they didn’t suffer any real injuries.

In Wu Zhangkong’s words: ‘Only pain can deepen your learning!’

582
The only one who was fortunate enough to be spared was Gu Yue. Perhaps it was because she was a girl,
but Wu Zhangkong reined in a bit of his harshness when he taught her. Even when the occasional pointer
struck, it only made her feel a bit numb.

“Today we will be running a few tests on your bodies so combat training will be suspended.” Wu
Zhangkong announced this piece of good news the moment he entered the classroom.

They all harbored a fear of combat training now. That bone-piercing pain was simply too much.

Tang Wulin was the only one who felt some disappointment.2 Having absorbed a portion of the Golden
Dragon King’s soul, he had discovered over the past ten days of combat training that his body’s strength
had risen to another level. Apart from his right arm, any place Wu Zhangkong’s pointer struck would
experience extreme pain, but he would recover from it extremely fast without even leaving a bruise.
Moreover, he felt that his soul power cultivation rate increased after receiving a good beating.

After those ten days of training, he sensed as though his body was on the verge of breaking through once
more. It seemed that the fragment of the Golden Dragon King’s soul hadn’t been completely absorbed by
him yet. The more he cultivated, the more completely he absorbed the soul.

He was also growing more and more skilled at controlling his bloodline power. Apart from the Golden
Dragon Claw, which he couldn’t use too often due to the excessive amount of soul power it consumed, he
could use the golden scales as he wished due to its minimal costs. Thus, his right arm had turned into his
strongest weapon.

Wu Zhangkong brought them to a room that was filled with a scientific feeling. The interior of the room
was covered in a layer of a silver metal which made them feel as if they had entered a silver world the
moment they stepped inside.

Table after table of strange apparatuses were arranged within this room.

“We’ll start with the spiritual power test. Xie Xie, you’re first.”

Wu Zhangkong was holding onto a form, ready to record Xie Xie’s results.

Xie Xie’s spiritual power growth was quite normal. Compared to last time, his spiritual power had
increased by two.

After Xie Xie was Wang Jinxi. His spiritual power was quite low, a mere 18 points.

“Wang Jinxi, you must spare no effort in improving your spiritual power otherwise you won’t be able to
fuse with any more spirit souls in the future,” Wu Zhangkong dully advised him.

Wang Jinxi was normally very quiet. Just like usual, he merely nodded after hearing Wu Zhangkong’s
words.

583
Zhang Yangzi’s turn was next.

“Spiritual power of 41. Not bad. If you do your best you might be able to break through from the Spirit
Origin realm within a year.”

Tang Wulin was the second last to go.

Zhang Yangzi’s gaze was fixed on him. Among his three ex-opponents, he bore the greatest grudge against
Tang Wulin for breaking his legs. He couldn’t help but feel the need to compare himself against Tang
Wulin now.

In the past few days he had interacted with Tang Wulin, he discovered that Tang Wulin’s main power
came from his body that was gifted with strength and that peculiar right arm of his. As for his martial
soul, it was merely Bluesilver Grass. It wasn’t even worth mentioning to Zhang Yangzi. The more he found
out about Tang Wulin, the more he felt that his loss that day was unjustified.

Since he’s an expert at assault like Wang Jinxi, just how high could his spiritual power be? It can’t possibly
be that high.

Tang Wulin walked over to the apparatus and sat down. The spiritual power testing machine slowly
descended, enveloping his head.

The test was beginning!

This spiritual power testing machine was the most advanced one the academy had. It displayed the
spiritual power on a graduated scale with different colors. Thus, one could differentiate the spiritual
power level based on the color shown.

Spirit Origin was white. The number representing Tang Wulin’s spiritual power kept on rising, and soon,
it surpassed Wang Jinxi’s 18 points.

It steadily increased. 20 points. 25 points. 30 points…

Zhang Yangzi stared at the scale in astonishment. No way. He’s just an Assault System Soul Master with
one ring’s worth of cultivation. How can he have more than 30 points of spiritual power? Even Jinxi pales
in comparison to him…

40…

43. He had now surpassed Zhang Yangzi and yet, the number was still increasing!

Xie Xie proudly said to Zhang Yangzi, “You see that? Wulin’s spiritual power is so great!”

Zhang Yangzi had an unsightly expression as he snorted. I refuse to acknowledge him!

584
“Fifty!” The quiet Wang Jinxi suddenly shouted.

That was right, Tang Wulin’s spiritual power surpassed 50. This meant that his spiritual power had
already gone from the Spirit Origin realm to the Spirit Connection realm.

Sure enough, the scale turned from white to yellow.

Spirit Origin. Everything started from the origin and would grow from there. The moment one was born,
they would be in the Spirit Origin realm with the most basic of spiritual powers. Spiritual power in the
Spirit Origin realm was enough to bear a yellow spirit soul.

The Spirit Connection realm was when the heart could connect with the spirit, conveying simple
thoughts. Once one attained Spirit Connection, one would be able to truly control one’s spiritual power
and have it move to one’s needs as well as being able to support two yellow spirit souls or one purple
spirit soul.

There didn’t seem to be much of a difference between Spirit Origin and Spirit Connection, but it was truly
a qualitative leap! It was only natural for Wang Jinxi to be shocked. After all, reaching the Spirit
Connection realm meant that Tang Wulin could already fuse with a purple spirit soul.

Dumbstruck, Zhang Yangzi stared at Tang Wulin with his mouth gaping. This guy’s martial soul is nothing,
but his spiritual power is so amazing! He had never heard of someone who could break through to the
next realm while still in the first grade of intermediate academy before!

Anyone who could break through to the next realm in the intermediate division would already be
considered talented. It had to be said that the greatest obstacle for graduating from the advanced division
was attaining Spirit Connection! This one requirement had already stopped countless Soul Masters from
graduating.

Yet, Tang Wulin had already broken through while still being in the first grade! This was simply
unfathomable!

66!

Tang Wulin’s spiritual power reading finally stopped at 66 points.

Xie Xie had been bragging for him just now, but he was still stupefied after seeing this number.

It has only been a few days yet this guy’s spiritual power has already grown this much? His spiritual
power growth rate is almost like a cheat!

66? Tang Wulin was also startled when he saw the results. Although he had felt that his spiritual power
had increased after absorbing the Golden Dragon King’s soul, he had never expected to directly enter the
Spirit Connection realm. This was simply too amazing for him! Strong spiritual power would be

585
extremely beneficial for him when he fused with another spirit soul in the future as well as when
controlling his martial soul and soul skills!

1. TL: I think Tang Wulin might be going down a dark path…

2. Nooooo. Don’t embark on this path Wulin!

586
 Chapter 114 – Monstrous Numbers
Chapter 114 – Monstrous Numbers

The final one to take the test was Gu Yue.

A thought suddenly struck Zhang Yangzi. Does the order Teacher Wu arranged us in mean anything?
Aside from Xie Xie in the beginning, the spiritual power ratings have only been increasing high afterward.
Spiritual power is also essential to Gu Yue… Could it be? Has she also broken through to the Spirit
Connection realm?

His question didn’t go unanswered for long as the testing machine gave him the results shortly after.

Gu Yue’s spiritual power flew past the white line and into the yellow zone. Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi
gawked as the number broke through 100 points in the blink of an eye, and even then it was still
skyrocketing! Their jaws dropped in shock!

The final number displayed on the machine was 153.

How, how can she be this amazing!? Even if we disregard Eastsea City, I don’t think there is a single Soul
Master on the entire continent that is this young yet has such high level spiritual power!

A human’s spiritual power would grow as their body matured, increasing all the way until they reached
forty years of age. After the age of forty, however, an ordinary person’s body would begin to deteriorate,
but Soul Masters could continue increasing their spiritual power until they were sixty years old.

Gu Yue was only nine years old, the exact same age as the rest of them, yet her spiritual power was
actually in the Spirit Connection realm with over 150 points! With her talent, wouldn’t she break through
to the Spirit Sea realm by the time she graduated from the intermediate division!?

In the Spirit Sea realm, the spirit was as vast as the sea and one’s spiritual power could be considered to
have finally attained a high enough level to be considered the foundation for an expert. The ones who
stood at the pinnacle of both Mecha Masters or Soul Masters would need to have at least reached the
Spirit Sea realm. At this level, one would be able to support five yellow spirit souls or three purple spirit
souls. In fact, one could even support a single black spirit soul!

Apart from the effects on spiritual power, the Spirit Sea realm could also help a Soul Master cultivate to
six or seven rings. Thus, to become a powerful Soul Master, it was necessary to reach Spirit Sea.

Silence. The room was enveloped in silence.

Wu Zhangkong seemed to have expected this result as after Gu Yue left the machine, he casually said,
“Next is the strength test.”

587
The order for the strength test was also very peculiar. The first one up was Gu Yue.

Similar to when she tested her powerful spiritual power, Gu Yue’s strength once again blinded everyone.

The strength test simply measured the power of one’s punch, and it didn’t measure anything like carrying
capacity or how much stress their bodies could undergo.

After all, only attack power held any meaning to Soul Masters.

Bang! Left fist, 115 kilograms.

D, damn! Zhang Yangzi nearly fell flat on his butt. Isn’t, isn’t she an elementalist Soul Master? Isn’t she just
nine years old? How can she have 115 kilograms of strength?

Xie Xie’s reaction was identical to his. In fact, he was even trembling a little bit.

As Gu Yue turned her head, she shot a cold glance at Xie Xie, her eyebrows slightly raised.

Xie Xie swallowed a mouthful of saliva and quickly averted his gaze. This was his first time finding out
that Gu Yue’s strength was actually so frightening!

Bang! Right fist, 143 kilograms.

Zhang Yangzi and Xie Xie practically had tears streaming down their cheeks now. Can’t she give us just a
little bit of face? Is she even a girl? Isn’t she actually a female T-Rex!?

A trace of surprise flashed through Wu Zhangkong’s eyes as he announced, “Next, Zhang Yangzi.”

Bang! Left fist, 61 kilograms.

Bang! Right fist, 69 kilograms.

He was able to attain these results because in addition to his speed, he was also a two ringed Soul
Grandmaster, making his body much stronger than an ordinary person’s.

Zhang Yangzi originally hadn’t thought his strength to be subpar because after all, he mainly relied on his
special attribute. Yet, when he compared his power with someone else’s, and that person was one who
was similar as they relied on controlling the elements, he nearly wanted to weep.

“Xie Xie!”

Bang! Left fist, 153 kilograms.

Bang! Right fist, 164 kilograms.

588
Xie Xie wiped away his sweat as he relaxed and let out a deep breath. At the very least, he was physically
a bit stronger than Gu Yue. Although he was an Agility System Soul Master, the nourishing effect his twin
martial souls had on his body couldn’t be overlooked. Thus, despite being suited for nimbleness, his body
was still fairly strong, which was also the reason why Wei Xiaofeng had suffered at his hands during the
Class Promotion Tournament.

“Wang Jinxi!”

The slim-figured Wang Jinxi walked up to the strength testing machine. He inhaled deeply, mulling over
what his results would be. Subconsciously, his gaze began to drift toward Tang Wulin, who was watching
the machine for the results..

At that moment, a thought suddenly appeared in Wang Jinxi’s heart. Just how large is the gap between our
strengths?

Bang! Left fist, 423 kilograms.

Bang! Right fist, 468 kilograms.

Terrifying numbers appeared. These numbers exceeded those of ordinary Assault System Soul Masters
by far. In fact, it was comparable to a pure Power System Soul Master’s.

The total strength of his two arms already approached one thousand kilograms.

“Good!” Zhang Yangzi loudly proclaimed as if to vent the gloom he felt within his heart.

Wang Jinxi was fairly satisfied with this result. Even though his arms had recently been broken, his
strength had still increased, so this result was considered to be pretty good.

“Tang Wulin.”

Wu Zhangkong observed Tang Wulin with a steady gaze. Naturally, he had also arranged the students in
this test according to his estimates, from lowest to highest. It was just that Gu Yue’s strength had been
outside of his expectations.

Tang Wulin walked over to the strength test machine with bright eyes and an intense desire to know just
what level his power had reached after absorbing the essence of the first seal.

His hands subconsciously clenched into a tight fist, popping sounds emitting from his entire skeleton. The
aura of the Golden Dragon King appeared, causing a slight change in Wang Jinxi’s expression.

He hadn’t even made a move yet, but his oppressive aura already differentiated him from the previous
students.

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Zhang Yangzi’s muscles began to twitch as he thought to himself, It won’t be that high. It won’t be that
high. It won’t be that high…

Bang! Left fist, 1156 kilograms.

Bang! Right fist, 1348 kilograms.

A rumble resounded throughout the room, stunning the other four students.

Even though they knew Tang Wulin was very strong, they had never expected him to be this strong.

Even Wang Jinxi, who simply burst with power, was only barely able to match up to a third of Tang
Wulin’s strength.

Wang Jinxi quickly recovered from his shock because he already had a rough estimate of the gap between
the two of them from the Class Promotion Tournament match after Tang Wulin had knocked him back a
few steps. He had been able to do this despite the fact that Wang Jinxi had released his martial soul
together with his strength increasing soul skills. Moreover, Tang Wulin’s martial soul was Bluesilver
Grass; would it be able to increase his strength at all? Simply put, Wang Jinxi hadn’t expected the gap to
be this large. He had thought Tang Wulin would only be twice as strong, not three times.

“Is… Is he even a human?” Zhang Yangzi muttered in shock.

Wu Zhangkong didn’t let Tang Wulin return, rather, he coldly instructed, “Once more with your right
hand covered in the scales.”

“Oh.” Tang Wulin raised his right arm as a golden light appeared, covering his arm with a layer of golden
scales.

As the Golden Dragon King’s oppressive aura emerged, Wang Jinxi subconsciously retreated back a step
as his martial soul began to tremble in fear, and perhaps even submission toward Tang Wulin.

Bang! 2,700 kilograms.

Numbness. Zhang Yangzi’s entire body was numb now.

Everyone else would already be impressed when the total strength of two arms was over one thousand
kilograms. Yet, for this guy, one arm already had over two thousand kilograms of strength!

When this number appeared, everyone, including Tang Wulin, was fired up. This number was truly too
monstrous!

No wonder my Heavy Silver hammers feel so light now, especially my right hammer. So my strength has
reached this level now, huh?

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“Test your dragon claw now,” Wu Zhangkong said with a wooden expression.

“Oh!” Tang Wulin wanted to try it too. After raising his right fist, however, he lowered it and asked Wu
Zhangkong, “Teacher Wu, if I break the machine, do I need to pay for it?”

Wu Zhangkong wrinkled his brows. “No. This machine can bear up to five thousand kilograms of strength.
Even if you somehow manage to break it, you won’t need to pay.”

“Okay!”

A golden light quietly filled Tang Wulin’s eyes, turning his pupils into slits while a tyrannical aura burst
forth from his body.

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 Chapter 115 – Martial Soul Awakening?
Chapter 115 – Martial Soul Awakening?

Wang Jinxi was overwhelmed with shock. He knew that under the suppression of Tang Wulin’s tyrannical
aura, he could only exert, at most, half of his strength. And even if he wasn’t opposing Tang Wulin, the
suppression he felt was still too much.

Tang Wulin’s hands began to grow, his joints becoming thick and solid as his hand transformed into the
Golden Dragon Claw.

That dazzling Golden Dragon Claw was covered in fragmented scales while the three inch claws were as
smooth and glossy as a mirror.

Honglong, kacha!

A number flashed on the screen, but not a moment later, the place on the machine where Tang Wulin had
punched it exploded into bits of metal fragments, leaving only a hole behind.

This was the effect of the Golden Dragon Claw’s ‘crushing.’

It really did break…

Then just how strong was he?

Having just witnessed Tang Wulin absolutely destroy the strength testing machine, the four students
were completely in shock and couldn’t even recall the number that had briefly flashed on the screen.

Only Wu Zhangkong had been able to catch the number.

He recorded it into his book, silently writing down ‘3998 kilograms’.

Even the steady and ice-cold Wu Zhangkong couldn’t help but swallow a gulp of saliva somewhat
uncomfortably.

Zhang Yangzi felt his legs ache, but at the same time, he no longer felt that the condition his legs were in
was that bad anymore. If he didn’t have the defensive powers of a soul fusion skill at that time, he feared
that he wouldn’t have gotten off so lightly with only broken legs.

I don’t want revenge against this guy anymore. At that moment, Zhang Yangzi only had this thought filling
his grieving heart.

Wang Jinxi was simply at a loss for words as he stood there in shock. His expression gradually returned to
normal, but a slight trembling in his hands could still be seen.

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“Next, reaction speed test.”

Just as expected, Xie Xie had the best reaction speed. What was surprising, however, was that it wasn’t
Zhang Yangzi in second place, but Tang Wulin. Following Tang Wulin in third place was actually Gu Yue,
leaving Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi in fourth and fifth place respectively.

After seeing the results of this test, Zhang Yangzi’s self-doubt only grew greater and greater.

In addition to reaction speed, they continued to test all aspects of the body. Number one was Tang Wulin,
followed closely by Gu Yue.

Are they even human? Are they human? Human?

Did they eat the fodder for beasts of burden when they were growing up?

“The testing is finished now. Today’s tests were primarily on your body’s abilities and doesn’t represent
everything. Martial souls are still crucial to Soul Masters, so some students shouldn’t be discouraged.
Now, class dismissed. Tang Wulin, follow me.” Wu Zhangkong gracefully walked away with Tang Wulin in
tow.

Zhang Yangzi stood there, as if a cold wind was blowing on his forehead.

Some students? Which ones?

Wu Zhangkong’s office.

“Take a seat,” Wu Zhangkong said as he pointed at a sofa.

“Thank you, Teacher Wu.” Tang Wulin sat down.

Wu Zhangkong indifferently said, “I want you to tell me what’s going on with your body. Tell me how
your spiritual power increased by a third in such a short period of time, how you gained control of the
scales on your arm, and what that dragon claw ability is. Your strength has increased immensely in
addition to the increase in your reaction speed and resilience. According to the recent events, something
should have happened to you during the hurricane. Am I correct?”

Tang Wulin had already guessed that this was what Wu Zhangkong had called him for. He also knew the
he wouldn’t be able to hide it, especially those things that could be seen on the surface.

“Teacher Wu, the bloodline transformation I talked to you about previously occurred. I endured immense
suffering during the hurricane, and after I woke up, my body was like this. I’m not quite sure what
happened either, but it seems that there’s some sort of special energy within my blood. It transformed my
body and even my Bluesilver Grass and spirit soul.

As he spoke, Tang Wulin released his Bluesilver Grass and Goldlight to show Wu Zhangkong.

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Wu Zhangkong exclaimed in astonishment when he saw that the little snake had grown and its scales
now golden. “Even your spirit soul transformed? This sort of situation is very rare… This should mean the
energy within your bloodline is extremely powerful. Hmm. I think I’ve seen this kind of situation in some
ancient records before.”

There’s something like this in the ancient records? Tang Wulin was startled. If that was true, then it
would be great for him. At the very least, he would be able to find out how this sort of thing progressed
from here

Regardless, he wouldn’t speak of Old Tang. After all, it was simply too outrageous to tell someone else.

Wu Zhangkong paced back and forth within his office, his eyes shining as he pondered things over.

A while later, he suddenly stopped and raised his head. “I remember now. Your situation is similar to a
martial soul awakening.”

“Martial soul awakening?” Tang Wulin was a bit confused.

Wu Zhangkong nodded. “That’s right, a martial soul awakening. Think about it; what is the most likely
thing to cause a spirit soul to change?”

Tang Wulin spoke without the slightest hesitation. “It’s when a Soul Master fuses with it. When the
martial soul and spirit soul fuse, the spirit soul will be influenced by the martial soul and experience some
mutations.” When he had first fused with Goldlight, the changes Goldlight experienced weren’t that large
due to how weak his Bluesilver Grass was. If it had been a powerful martial soul, the influence would
have been much larger.

Wu Zhangkong said, “Correct. Your spirit soul’s change is similar to the mutation a spirit soul experiences
when first fusing with a martial soul. There is an example of this in the history records. That example was
caused due to a second martial soul being hidden within your body. This martial soul wasn’t able to
awaken during the awakening ceremony, but as the Soul Master’s body grew, it began to awaken and
caused a series of mutations. It influenced both the Soul Master’s martial soul as well as the Soul Master
himself.”

Tang Wulin understood one thing after hearing Wu Zhangkong’s words: the two situations were
completely different! Within Tang Wulin’s body was the unfathomable mystery of the Golden Dragon
King’s soul and the eighteen seals, not a second martial soul.

Wu Zhangkong continued. “These types of situations usually have two paths of development. Fortunately,
both are good. The first is to completely awaken the second martial soul, so you will become like Xie Xie
with his twin martial souls. The second one is to fuse it with your current martial soul, causing your
current martial soul to transform even further and for the two powers to begin complementing each
other. The martial soul will become much more powerful like this. It seems that your current situation is
similar to that of the second path as mutations keep occurring.”

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Tang Wulin was secretly admiring Wu Zhangkong in his heart. Although Wu Zhangkong’s guess wasn’t
exactly correct, he had still been able to guess much of the true situation. At the very least, this was proof
of how vast Wu Zhangkong’s knowledge base was. Moreover, his explanation based on his observations
was the best one Tang Wulin currently had.

“That sounds about right,” Tang Wulin said with a monotone voice.

Wu Zhangkong gave a slight nod. “But during the martial soul’s mutation process, you may encounter
danger. This is because your body needs to be able to endure the mutations too. So the next time you feel
something wrong with your body, you must immediately come to me. I will protect you and help ensure
your mutation succeeds. I will minimize the danger you face.”

Tang Wulin nodded as a trace of warmth filled his heart.

Although this shockingly handsome Teacher Wu always had a cold expression, Tang Wulin felt that on the
inside, Wu Zhangkong wasn’t as ice-cold as his exterior.

“En. No need to think about it too much. These changes you are experiencing will only bring you benefits.
It will strengthen your body, which will be very useful to you in the future. Thus, you just need to silently
bear with it. The more changes you experience, the greater your future potential. Do you understand?”

“En. En. I understand. Thank you, Teacher Wu.”

“Head back then!” Wu Zhangkong bluntly sent him back.

Tang Wulin quickly got up to leave.

But right at that moment, Wu Zhangkong suddenly stopped him. “Hold on a moment.”

Tang Wulin halted in place before turning around to face Wu Zhangkong. He was curious as to what else
Wu Zhangkong had to say.

Wu Zhangkong’s brows were furrowed,and his eyes filled with a pensive light. After a moment, he began
to speak. “Do you still remember the footwork I used during combat training? Are you interested in
learning it?”

Tang Wulin’s eyes were colored with surprise. “Of course I’m interested. Teacher Wu, are you going to
teach us it?”

Wu Zhangkong heavily said, “This footwork is actually very mystical and doesn’t actually belong to me. It
belongs to a very powerful organization. If you wish to learn it, you must first join this organization.
Unfortunately, I don’t have the authority to directly recruit you and can only recommend you to take their
entry test.”

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 Chapter 116 – Mysterious Organization?
Chapter 116 – Mysterious Organization?

A mysterious organization? Teacher Wu is a member of some mysterious organization? This piece of

information immediately caught Tang Wulin’s interest. Yet, did he really want to join it?

Tang Wulin was somewhat hesitant. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Wu Zhangkong, but his parents had
disappeared due to a mysterious organization! Because of this, he harbored some ill feelings toward such
‘mysterious organizations’.

“Teacher Wu, what kind of organization is it? What does it do?” Tang Wulin asked.

Wu Zhangkong sternly said, “It is an organization with righteousness, equality, justice and protection as
its main principles. This organization spans across all three continents. As for its name… You will only
find out after passing the test.”

Tang Wulin shook his head. “Sorry, Teacher Wu, I don’t think I will join.” He had come to this decision in
an instant.

Wu Zhangkong was slightly stunned. He had never expected Tang Wulin to decline in such a
straightforward way.

“How can you refuse when you still haven’t completely understood what the organization is?” Wu
Zhangkong curiously asked.

Tang Wulin shook his head once again. “My parents were taken by a mysterious organization and even
now, I haven’t heard anything from them. So I…”

Wu Zhangkong’s face wrinkled into a frown. “Your parents? Do you have any clues?”

Tang Wulin forced out a bitter smile as he was once again forced to shake his head in denial. Apart from
the one million federal coins his father had left him, he had no clues at all.

Wu Zhangkong spoke heavily, “If your parents didn’t go voluntarily, then I am certain it isn’t the
organization I speak of. Regardless, you can take your time to think it over. If you change your mind and
want to take the test, you will find out the organization’s name after passing the test. I am certain that
once you do, you will change your mind. But if you don’t pass the test, then we don’t even need to speak
of this topic any further.”

“If that’s the case, I think I can do it.” Tang Wulin no longer had any reason to decline. After all, what if Wu
Zhangkong was a part of a really good organization?

596
Leaving Wu Zhangkong’s office, Tang Wulin did not return to his dorm and instead left the academy
grounds to head for his forging workshop.

He was short on time. After listening to Wu Zhangkong’s lesson about the importance of a secondary
profession, his passion for forging was rekindled and became a soaring blaze. For the sake of having
battle armor in the future, he would have to persist…

Tang Wulin needed to break the second seal before he turned fifteen, so he still had five years of time left.
This may seem like a long period, but after seeing the list of the four spirit items he needed, he no longer
felt that he had that much time.

The four spirit items were a set, and he also wasn’t too clear on what they were. But these four items all
had two words in common: ‘thousand year’. He could only imagine how much they would cost…

Forging was his greatest source of income. First, he still had to pay back his debt to the association, and
then he would put all of his efforts into raising his forging ability to earn even more money. He would
save the profits in preparation for buying those four spirit items in the future. After all, how could he be
so lucky as to just find those four items? Purchasing them was a much more reliable method.

As the tests had revealed, the absorption of the Golden Dragon King’s soul fragment had increased his
body’s coordination, control of power, strength, and speed. All of these gains would be beneficial to his
forging.

The Thousand Refinements was no longer that difficult for him, so he began accepting tasks to forge all
sorts of uncommon metals. In the past few days, Mang Tian had only come once to instruct him. During
his visit, Mang Tian told him that he must diversify and Thousand Refine all sorts of different metals to
gain a deep understanding of their characteristics. Only when he could fuse with them like he had with
the Heavy Silver would he be able to take a step toward grasping the secrets of forging and thus, become
a fourth rank blacksmith.

As a result, Tang Wulin accepted tasks that required him to Thousand Refine a variety of metals.

It had to be said that the reward for completed Thousand Refinements was still astonishingly high. Even a
common metal that was Thousand Refined would still be worth at least 100,000 federal coins.

Even so, the most profitable Thousand Refinement tasks were worth 400,000 to 500,000 federal coins.
The tasks that paid that much, however, required him to infuse the spirit into those uncommon metals,
which Tang Wulin didn’t dare to attempt yet.

Despite that being the case, he had calculated that with his current task completion speed, it would take
him three months at most to pay back the Blacksmith’s Association.

Tang Wulin was now accepting and completing two Thousand Refinement tasks each week.

597
Moreover, he practiced forging two to three nights each week as it helped him circulate his soul power
and improve his control over it. In fact, it even refined his spiritual power a bit, so the time he spent on
forging wasn’t wasted at all.

Not only was he completing his final task today, but he was also going to hand in the finished products
and accept a new week’s worth of tasks.

Aluminium purification, Thousand Refinements!

This was the simplest Thousand Refinements task. After accepting it, Tang Wulin discovered that
although it was easy to Thousand Refine Aluminium, sensing the mysteries hidden within was no easy
project!

Compared to ordinary steel, aluminium possessed the hardness of steel while also possessing its own
resilience. With this combination of hardness and resilience, Tang Wulin could gradually sense the
changes and mysteries within the metal as he Thousand Refined it. After the Thousand Refinements was
completed, the aluminium’s hardness and resilience increased substantially, as if it had completely
transformed. It could be said that this was an uncommon metal that experienced the greatest change
after being Thousand Refined.

Tang Wulin could vaguely hear the words of Grandmaster Cen Yue echoing within his mind: ‘Thousand
Refined aluminium is the most commonly used metal for making purple battle armor.’

It was because of these words that Tang Wulin possessed such great interest in aluminium. With
aluminium being so cheap, wouldn’t he be able to forge his own battle armor in the future?

Lately, he had been accepting many aluminium forging tasks and was now beginning to gain the ability to
feel the inner changes of the aluminium as he forged it. There was never a shortage of Thousand Refined
aluminium tasks, so by relying on the powerful Stacked Hammers effect of his Heavy Silver hammers, his
output rate was simply outrageous, and he had no need to worry about making a mistake.

Tang Wulin had a slight feeling that if he was able to gain an even deeper understanding of the essence of
aluminium, of its breath of life and its character, then he would make another breakthrough on the path
of forging.

Today’s forging finished without a hitch, and as he looked at the brilliantly shining Thousand Refined
aluminium in front of him, he couldn’t help but crack a knowing smile.

Mang Tian had once told Tang Wulin that just by relying on his perception and innate divine strength, he
was already on the threshold of becoming a fourth ranked blacksmith. After all, Tang Wulin was able to
bring about simple special effects in uncommon Thousand Refined metals.

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Yet, the gap between his current level and a true, fourth ranked blacksmith was by no means small. In
order to advance to the fourth rank from the third rank, it required an accumulation of experience. Also,
reaching the fourth rank wasn’t necessarily a good thing if one’s foundation was not firm enough. This
was the reason Mang Tian wanted him to understand the inner properties of all of the uncommon metals
on the market and to be able to Thousand Refine them completely before attempting the fourth rank test.

Having learned from Mang Tian for over three years now, Tang Wulin’s foundations were definitely
sturdy. Now he was improving his comprehension of metals in the third and fourth ranks in order to
better prepare himself for Spirit Forging in the future. If he were to actually enter the Spirit Forging
realm, he would then be considered to truly be one of the federation’s elites.

Just what sort of level was Spirit Forging? Was it to understand the spirit of the metal? Or was it to
bestow spirit into the metal?

Di, di, di. Tang Wulin’s soul communicator rang as soon as he turned it on.

“Teacher Mang Tian,” Tang Wulin respectfully said.

“If you’re free right now, then come to the Blacksmith’s Association.” Mang Tian’s deep voice rang out.

“I was just getting ready to head over there. Teacher, are you at the association right now?” Tang Wulin
asked in surprise as he hadn’t seen Mang Tian these past few days.

“En. Come then. I’m waiting for you in the president’s office.” Tang Wulin heard a trace of loneliness in
Mang Tian’s voice.

He didn’t dare delay and quickly packed up the finished products for his accepted tasks. He quickly left
the workshop and headed straight for the association.

The association was nearby, so he arrived in only a few minutes.

He then rode the elevator all the way to the top floor.

Inside of Mu Chen’s office were Mu Chen and Mang Tian. The two were seated across from one another,
but Mu Chen had a serene expression while Mang Tian had a slight frown.

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 Chapter 117 – Teachers
Chapter 117 – Teachers

“Teacher, president.” Tang Wulin hastily greeted the two as soon as he entered the room. Since Mang
Tian’s call had seemed urgent, he didn’t have the chance to change out of his dusty and metallic smelling
work clothes.

As soon as Mu Chen and Mang Tian saw his outfit, they knew he’d come straight from the workshop.

Mu Chen sighed. “Oh Wulin! I know you’re an overly anxious child and that you want to quickly repay the
association, but you must take care of your body. You’re still only nine years old; you can’t run yourself
into the ground like this. It’ll affect your future development, understand?”

“Yes,” Tang Wulin respectfully answered, but his gaze was focused on his teacher. This was his first time
seeing his teacher in the Blacksmith’s Association.

Mang Tian beckoned him over, then indicated that Tang Wulin should take a seat beside him.

“Wulin, I called you over to discuss something with you,” Mang Tian heavily said.

“What is it, teacher?”

Mang Tian raised his head and looked into Mu Chen’s eyes. He was met with a look of regret.

Mang Tian took a deep breath before speaking. “To be honest, I had originally accepted you as a disciple
due to your father’s request. At first, I hadn’t really wanted to accept a child like you. After all, you had
only been six years old at the time. But after I gained an understanding of you, of your innate divine
strength, and of your effort and your perseverance, I was moved. In that moment, I could see that you
were gifted. Since then, as your teacher these past three years, I have given you a solid foundation for
forging.”

Despite not really understanding the meaning behind Mang Tian’s words, Tang Wulin repeatedly nodded.
Although Mang Tian was strict, Tang Wulin knew it was for his own sake, thus allowing him to progress
so quickly on the path of blacksmithing.

Mang Tian paused at this point, letting out a long sigh, before continuing to speak. “All my life, I have
always dreamed of becoming a Divine Craftsman, but clearly, I did not have the talent to do so. My martial
soul isn’t good enough, and I had taken a detour in cultivation during my early years. The greatest
achievement in my life was becoming a sixth rank blacksmith.

“You, on the other hand, are already a third rank blacksmith, and your talent gives you a chance at
becoming a Divine Craftsman. In fact, I dare say that in the entire Blacksmith’s Association, you are the
one most likely to reach that level. Now that you are approaching the fourth rank, you will need more

600
guidance on your path of blacksmithing. I have only just barely reached the realm of Spirit Forging, and
my guidance cannot be considered complete. Therefore, I hope you are willing to accept the president as
your new master and study forging under him.

“In the federation’s world of forging, the president is an outstanding person. He’s a Saint Blacksmith that
has reached the Soul Forging level. If you study under him, you will definitely be able to go even further
down this path.”

Mang Tian had difficulty saying those last few words. After all, who would want their talented disciple to
take on another master?

But Mu Chen had spoken with him today and said something that moved his heart.

Mu Chen had asked him only one question—if Mang Tian wanted Tang Wulin to become even greater in
the future.

Mang Tian sunk deeply into thought when faced with that question. Until today, he had believed in his
own ability to continue teaching Tang Wulin until the end. But now that Tang Wulin was preparing to
attempt Spirit Forging, it was inevitable that he would eventually no longer be able to support Tang
Wulin. After all, he was just barely at the Spirit Forging level and hadn’t completely understood its secrets
yet.

After carefully pondering the matter over, he decided to hand over his position as Tang Wulin’s teacher.
Tang Wulin’s emerging talent had already far exceeded his expectations as well as the scope of his
teaching abilities. Having Mu Chen take over to teach Tang Wulin would be the best choice.

“Teacher.” Tang Wulin stood up and fell to his knees with a lowered head before Mang Tian. “A teacher
for a day, a father for life. This is what my own father taught me. Teacher, you can’t abandon me!”

His mother and father had suddenly left, and Na’er had disappeared. Now, the only person he considered
a close relative in this city was Mang Tian. When he heard Mang Tian renounce his position as master,
Tang Wulin’s eyes immediately turned red as a feeling of helplessness and loneliness surged from his
heart, penetrating into every corner of his body.

“Foolish child, how could your teacher want to leave you? Even if you study under me, it doesn’t mean
that Mang Tian is no longer your teacher. It just means that you will have one more teacher. That’s all.”
Mu Chen’s gentle voice reassured Tang Wulin.

Mang Tian looked at Mu Chen in surprise. In the world of blacksmiths, the tradition was to follow a single
line of inheritance. In other words, a disciple could only have one teacher. Taking a second teacher would
be equal to betraying the first, earning them the scorn of the entire association.

Tang Wulin wasn’t aware of this fact, but Mang Tian understood it clearly. If Tang Wulin took Mu Chen as
his teacher, it would mean that Mang Tian could no longer remain as his teacher.

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Yet, Mu Chen’s words went against this long-standing tradition.

Mu Chen looked at Mang Tian with sincere eyes. “I have to confess, a selfish part of me wants to take Tang
Wulin as my own disciple. After all, who wouldn’t want to be the sole teacher of a remarkable disciple?
But more than that, I want him to grow properly, eventually becoming a legend in the world of
blacksmiths. You are the start of this legend. Why can’t a legend have two teachers?”

“President, you…” Mang Tian’s emotions were surging uncontrollably within his heart.

He understood the intent behind Mu Chen’s decision—it meant that Mu Chen was treating him as an
equal.

Truthfully, Mang Tian really hated to part with Tang Wulin as well!

Tang Wulin looked at Mu Chen. Another teacher? If it’s like that, then…

“What are you still waiting for? Hurry up and take him as your master. The president is actually an
outstanding Saint Blacksmith that reached the Soul Forging level many years ago. You can count the
number of people who are a match for the president’s forging abilities on one hand.” Mang Tian patted
Tang Wulin’s head as he urged him on.

Tang Wulin glanced at Mang Tian, reconfirming Mang Tian’s sincere wish for him to take Mu Chen on as a
master. Then, he turned to Mu Chen and respectfully said, “Teacher.” Luckily for him, he was still kneeling
down so he had no need to change his position.

Mu Chen revealed a smile. “Come, stand up.”

Tang Wulin hastily stood up, easing the atmosphere within the office.

Mang Tian let out a sigh and forced a smile. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” He gave Mu Chen a
somewhat begrudging look.

Mu Chen laughed. “Why would I have told you ahead of time? You were like a zombie the whole day. And
anyway, I have already seen you in a bad mood for so many years. I know that you are talented in forging,
but your soul power simply isn’t enough to help you progress any further. This has always been a point of
discontent for you, but you still accepted reality and didn’t neglect the talents you already possess.”

Mang Tian’s face grew awkward as Mu Chen talked about his matters. He could only bitterly laugh and
say, “Stop bringing up old wounds. What I want to know is how you intend to teach Wulin?”

Mu Chen said, “Wulin, your most important task is to study properly. I have already heard that you’re in
the academy’s newly established class zero and that you had excellent results in the Class Promotion
Tournament. This is great, and you should continue to put in your best efforts. What you need to do now
is focus on improving your soul power and cultivate to a higher rank.

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“Innate divine strength has allowed you to progress more quickly than other blacksmiths your age, but
you must remember that in order to become a first-rate blacksmith, soul power is absolutely necessary.
Nearly all of those at the peak of their professions are Soul Masters. The amount of soul power you have
will determine your future level. I believe I’ve told you this before, but I must stress it again. You do not
need to worry about resources because the association will nurture you with all of our strength. We’ll
also take care of your next spirit soul and find you a method to cultivate your spiritual power. You still
need to put in effort to increase your spiritual power, otherwise you won’t be able to absorb another
spirit soul.

“Under our guidance, you will continue to further deepen your forging studies, and I will guide you in
laying down a good foundation. You must remember, the Thousand Refinements is only the gateway
leading to the world of blacksmiths. If you want to enter this world, you must reach the realm of Spirit
Forging. I hope you will be able to reach this level before you turn twenty years old, then Soul Forging by
the time you are thirty.”

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 Chapter 118 – Senior Sisters
Chapter 118 – Senior Sisters

Mang Tian was shocked at Mu Chen’s words. “Isn’t that too quick? Saint rank by thirty?”

Mu Chen revealed a wry smile. “You know what they say; the sooner the better. The important thing is
that people have the most energy in their youth, and if they don’t take advantage of that time to
accomplish something, both the body and mind will begin to decline. My plans for him might seem hasty,
but don’t forget, he’s only nine years old. He still has 21 years until he reaches thirty. If he can’t do it in 21
years, then I fear it will be near impossible for him to ever reach that level. Wulin, what level is your
spiritual power right now?”

Tang Wulin answered, “I just tested it today and it’s 66 points.”

“Spirit Connection realm?” Mu Chen and Mang Tian exclaimed in unison, eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Nine years old and already at Spirit Connection. Just what did this mean? The two of them couldn’t even
comprehend it.

Mu Chen blurted out, “No wonder your perception in forging is so great. It’s because of your immense
spiritual power. This is great; I don’t have to worry anymore about whether you can fuse with another
spirit soul or not. Now you just need to put all of your effort toward cultivating your soul power.

Tang Wulin said, “I am certain I can earn enough money through forging to buy my own cultivation
resources, so long as the association can help me find the items I’m looking for when the time comes.”

His confidence came from the fact that his income was increasing and that he would soon become a
fourth rank blacksmith.

This was considering the fact that he still had to balance this with his studies. If he solely focused on
forging, then he could support a prosperous family with his output and success rate.

Mu Chen wasn’t anxious to guide Tang Wulin on how to practice forging yet. Instead, he simply arranged
a time for when Tang Wulin would come to the association next.

Mang Tian and Mu Chen let Tang Wulin return to the academy first while the two of them stayed behind
to discuss some matters.

After handing in his task and receiving his reward, Tang Wulin left the Blacksmith’s Association.

Tang Wulin’s mood was great. After all, President Mu Chen was a Saint Blacksmith! With him as a second
teacher, Tang Wulin wouldn’t take any detours on the path of forging and would also have the

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association’s resources at his disposal. Those four thousand year spirit items wouldn’t be that hard to
find anymore, as he would be able to obtain them as long as he had enough money.

He would forge and cultivate with all of his effort and break the second seal by the time he turned fifteen.
This was Tang Wulin’s goal.

He clearly remembered what Old Tang had told him: there would be a nice surprise for him after
breaking the second seal. But just what was this nice surprise?

The golden scales and dragon claw he had obtained after breaking the first seal had already greatly
boosted his power and enabled him to barely enter the class of geniuses, class zero. Wouldn’t he be on the
same level as those geniuses after breaking the second seal then? The only issue remaining was his low
soul power.

Although he was on the verge of breaking through to rank 14, Tang Wulin could feel the effects of the
Golden Dragon King’s soul fragment disappearing. In other words, he couldn’t continue as he had before
as his soul power continued to increase naturally. In the end, cultivation was an endless process! The
Golden Dragon King’s soul had mutated his Bluesilver Grass and made it much more powerful, but it
didn’t increase his cultivation speed at all.

Tang Wulin pondered over his future cultivation path as he left the Blacksmith’s Association

“Hey!” A voice called out to Tang Wulin, rousing his from his contemplations. When he turned around, he
was met with the sight of Mu Xi standing in the doorway. She stared at him with a complex expression.

“Hello senior sister.” Tang Wulin was surprised to see her. He didn’t have any good impressions of Mu Xi
after she displayed her bossy attitude in front of him.

Mu Xi said, “You’ve taken my dad on as your master, so you should call me senior disciple sister in the
future.”

“Hello senior disciple sister.” Tang Wulin greeted her in a docile manner. That’s right! She really is my
senior disciple sister now.

“You’re going back to the academy now?” Mu Xi asked.

“En.” Tang Wulin nodded.

Mu Xi said, “Then let’s go.” She took the lead to walk ahead.

Tang Wulin hurriedly caught up to her and began to awkwardly scratch his head. He really didn’t
understand why Mu Xi wanted to walk with him back to the academy.

“So what do you think of Heavy Silver?” Mu Xi asked.

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A discussion about forging? Tang Wulin’s interest was piqued. Although Mu Xi’s blacksmith rank wasn’t
as high as Tang Wulin’s, she had been learning how to forge from Mu Chen all her life. Her views were
definitely much broader than his own.

“Heavy Silver is very dense, but its internal structure is actually granular. I am able to sense these
granules transforming during the Thousand Refinements so I continuously try to pound them to decrease
the gaps between the granules. Once the gaps are small enough, my Thousand Refinements is basically
complete. I think Heavy Silver is actually very much suited for the Thousand Refinements because I can
sense their joy during the process. They tell me just how much strength I need to use to make them the
most comfortable. Like this, my Thousand Refinements require half the work with twice the effect.” Tang
Wulin spoke without the slightest hesitation of his experiences with Heavy Silver.

“The metal speaks to you?” Mu Xi was amazed by what Tang Wulin had said. This was because Mu Chen
had spoken to her of the very same thing when she was a child.

At that time, she had asked her father how she should forge and in response, Mu Chen told her that the
metal would tell her how.

Although Mu Xi was prideful, she couldn’t help but submit to Tang Wulin at this moment. He actually
experienced it himself!

The Thousand Refinements was when one understood the thoughts of the metal.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Tang Wulin didn’t mind the silence at all, he was just
cheerfully thinking about his own matters.

Just like this, the two of them maintained a serene silence until they reached Eastsea Academy.

The sky was now blanketed in darkness.

As he walked toward the dormitory entrance, he saw someone sitting on the stairs leading to the door.
Mu Xi was still lost in thought and didn’t notice this person as she continued walking forward.

“Senior disciple sister, be careful.” Tang Wulin hastily pulled her back, preventing her from colliding with
that person.

Mu Xi only felt a powerful pulling force on her hand so she instinctively began to struggle. Yet the hand
that held her’s was simply too strong and didn’t move a single inch.

So powerful. He really does have innate divine strength.

The person sitting on the stairs finally lifted his head to look at Tang Wulin. “You’re finally back.”

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“Oh, it’s you.” Tang Wulin looked at him with mild surprise. The person sitting on the stairs was his
classmate and the Bone Dragon King Soul Master, Wang Jinxi.

Wang Jinxi’s expression was haggard, but his eyes were sparkling.

“You can let go now.” Mu Xi’s cold voice interjected.

“Sorry.” Tang Wulin quickly let go of Mu Xi’s hand.

“Ah, Little Xi. You know each other!?” At that moment, a pleasant voice came from behind. Tang Wulin
turned around, his eyes shining.

A white-robed Ouyang Zixin stood there daintily. Under the focus of the dormitory’s soul lights, her figure
shown even further, making her seem even more beautiful. Her slender and straight legs created the
appearance of a tall beauty who was brimming with the vigor of youth.

Fifth grade’s class one? They should be classmates.

“Zixin? What are you doing here?” Mu Xi brightened upon seeing her.

Ouyang Zixin walked over to Mu Xi’s side and hooked arms, quietly whispering a few sentences into Mu
Xi’s ear.

Mu Xi blushed slightly. “Go then. Let’s go now.” She began dragging Ouyang Zixin into the dormitory the
moment she finished speaking.

Ouyang Zixin smiled at Tang Wulin and waved him goodbye. As he watched the two of them leave, he
couldn’t help but recall Xie Xie’s words.

‘There is a senior sister in the hearts of all youngsters.’

Is she the senior sister in my heart?

A cold shiver overcame his body. What am I thinking? But… she really is so pretty!

Wang Jinxi had already gotten up and now stood in front of Tang Wulin. “There’s something I want to talk
to you about. Are you free right now?”

Tang Wulin helplessly said, “You’ve been waiting here so long already, so how can I refuse? Let’s go then.
Do you want to go to my place or yours?”

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 Chapter 118S – Wang Jinxi’s Troubles
Chapter 118S – Wang Jinxi’s Troubles

“Let’s go to my place then,” Wang Jinxi suggested. They were now special students and had their own
rooms so they didn’t need to worry about anyone interrupting them.

Mu Xi and Ouyang Zixin entered the dormitory halls, then Mu Xi turned and looked at Ouyang Zixin,
asking, “Do you know Tang Wulin?”

Ouyang Zixin nodded. “I guess you could say I know him. I met him one morning when I was out for a jog,
and he was just too handsome! I saw him holding your hand earlier. Don’t tell me that… you and him…
Hehe.”

Mu Xi’s face blushed red. “You have such a dirty mind! There’s nothing between us.” She repeatedly
denied it and didn’t even admit that Tang Wulin was now her father’s disciple.

Ouyang Zixin looked at her and smirked. “So there’s really nothing, huh? Then why didn’t you shake him
off when he grabbed you? That didn’t seem like our Fiery Queen at all.”

Mu Xi said, “So annoying. Don’t call me Fiery Queen! Let’s just go back and rest up.” They were not only
classmates but also best friends who shared a dorm together.

“Zixin, how do you feel about Tang Wulin?” Mu Xi curiously asked as they ascended the stairs.

“So fine! He may look like the bashful junior brother type, but he’s actually super talented. I heard he’s in
that newly established class zero. He’s also very fast; I can’t even outrun him when neither of us are using
soul power,” Ouyang Zixin exclaimed.

“Oh.” Mu Xi nodded.

“You’re still saying there’s nothing between you two? When have you ever shown interest in a boy? The
age gap isn’t that large either; he’s only three or four years younger than you. In any case, no one said that
a girl three years older with a golden brick can’t go after him!”

“You still dare—” Mu Xi pounced on Ouyang Zixin in annoyance, but Ouyang Zixin stepped out of the way
with a brilliant smile on her face.

Tang Wulin and Wang Jinxi had just arrived at their dormitories.

After closing the door, Wang Jinxi invited Tang Wulin to take a seat. Tang Wulin hadn’t been in his room
today, and because he didn’t have Tang Wulin’s contact information, he had no choice but to ask Xie Xie,

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only to discover that he had gone out. Unfortunately, he didn’t know when Tang Wulin would return, so
he could only wait all the way until now!

Wang Jinxi sat down and lowered his head in silence. It seemed there was something weighing heavily on
his mind.

Tang Wulin could guess what Wang Jinxi wanted to talk about, but he didn’t dare to take the initiative and
ask.

Eventually, Wang Jinxi raised his head and said, “Your martial soul seems to suppress mine. I know I
shouldn’t ask about it, but I still want to know.”

Tang Wulin frowned. “I shouldn’t tell you my secrets.”

Wang Jinxi stared at him. “Sorry. I know I shouldn’t ask, but this matter has been on my mind these past
few days, and I haven’t been able to calm down enough to cultivate at all. This is why I looked for you
today. If you won’t tell me, then I won’t force you. But, I truly want to know the cause of this situation.

“My martial soul is the Bone Dragon King, and I understand that it’s an extremely powerful martial soul.
Moreover, it’s a rarely seen one of the darkness attribute, suitable for both assault and power. If I
cultivate to the necessary rank and get a suitable spirit soul in the future, then I might even be able to fly.
So far, my soul power has also been rapidly progressing, and I believe I’ll certainly become a powerful
Soul Master. Because of that, I’ve been pouring all my efforts into improving myself. That is, until I met
you.

“I heard from the teacher that martial souls can subdue one another, but I had never thought that
suppression would be this powerful. Your martial soul should be a great deal more powerful than mine
since it suppresses my strength by that much. I’m beginning to doubt myself, wondering if my cultivation
efforts have all been meaningless. Even if I cultivate harder, I wouldn’t be able to do anything against
your suppression. This is very troubling for me, so I had no choice but to come find you. Well, if you’re not
willing to talk about it, just forget about it .”

He lowered his head bitterly as he spoke.

He was far calmer than his peers, but in the end, he was still only nine years old and was actually quite
frail. His steadiness had come from his assiduous cultivation efforts, but after encountering Tang Wulin,
his efforts no longer seemed that important. How could his mindset not be affected by such an event?

“It’s not a martial soul.” Tang Wulin’s words caused Wang Jinxi to stare at him, wide-eyed.

Releasing a gentle sigh, Tang Wulin began to speak. “I understand what you’re thinking because I was in
an even worse place before. At that time, my martial soul had just awakened, and it was the weak
Bluesilver Grass. Everyone told me it was a trash martial soul, and if it wasn’t for the fact that some soul
power was present in my body, I would never have had the chance to become a Soul Master.

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“Even though I was in the same situation as you, I wasn’t discouraged. Instead, I put in even more effort
toward cultivation and began learning how to forge in order to earn money to buy a spirit soul. My
family’s situation wasn’t that good, and we had problems with money. In the end, I was able to earn
enough money to buy a spirit soul. But then I was told that I only had enough for a random selection
spirit soul and even after that, my spirit soul was a defective one. I have no doubt that my despair at that
moment was far greater than yours.

“Regardless of my circumstances, I still took one step forward after another. The reason I suppressed you
wasn’t because of my martial soul. After all, how can Bluesilver Grass do that? It’s actually my bloodline.
Even I’m not clear as to what power my bloodline has, but I know it should be related to dragon type soul
beasts and is at an extremely high level. You weren’t able to display your full strength because you were
suppressed by my bloodline’s power.”

Wang Jinxi was earnestly listening to Tang Wulin’s story and was moved by the despair Tang Wulin
experienced. Although his defeat in the Class Promotion Tournament had left him perplexed, it was still a
far cry from the trials Tang Wulin had gone through.

“Bloodline’s power?” Wang Jinxi’s eyes brightened as he went deep into thought.

A trace of hesitation colored Wang Jinxi’s eyes. “Wulin, can you let me feel your bloodline’s aura again?”

“Alright!” Tang Wulin cut right to the chase. He raised his right arm and, with a thought, golden scales
along with a mighty dragon’s aura appeared.

Wang Jinxi began to tremble. It was clear to him that Tang Wulin’s mighty dragon aura was influencing
his own martial soul.

A moment later, Wang Jinxi’s expression changed from one of perplexity to one of shock.

“No, no way! The feeling is different from before.” Wang Jinxi gaped at Tang Wulin in astonishment.

“How is it different?” Tang Wulin didn’t have a clear understanding of his Golden Dragon King power, so
anything Wang Jinxi felt with his Bone Dragon King martial soul would be extremely useful in aiding Tang
Wulin’s cultivation

“Previously, I felt my martial soul being suppressed by your dragon aura, so I was unable to exert my true
strength. This time, however, your dragon aura seems to be making my soul power flare up. It’s like some
sort of mysterious power has overcome it. The main point, though, is that I don’t feel weakened. Rather, I
feel much stronger. Just what is going on?”

He’s not being suppressed anymore? Rather, he feels more powerful?

Tang Wulin said, “Punch me once then. I want to feel your strength.” He raised his right hand, preparing
to accept the punch.

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Wang Jinxi nodded and quickly threw a punch at Tang Wulin.

Bang! Tang Wulin didn’t budge a single inch, but Wang Jinxi’s entire body shook as he fell backward, onto
the sofa.

He stared dully at Tang Wulin. Originally, he had simply been astonished, but now he found it
unfathomable!

“It changed, it changed!”

Tang Wulin asked, “What changed? Your punch didn’t feel that strong at all! It actually felt kind of weak.”

Wang Jinxi stared at him, dumbstruck. “As I was preparing to attack you, it felt like my strength was
rapidly declining, and when I finally hit you, the feeling was completely different from before.”

Tang Wulin was stunned. He’s weakened when he attacks me? What’s going on?

The two of them wore odd expressions before Tang Wulin began to speak. “I think we should ask Teacher
Wu about this problem. At the very least, it’s much better than us wildly guessing.”

“Alright!” Wang Jinxi agreed without the slightest hesitation. He feared that if he didn’t get to the bottom
of this matter, he wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly tonight.

The duo quickly got up and headed for Wu Zhangkong’s living quarters.

When Wu Zhangkong received them, he was dressed in a loose white robe with his long hair hanging
gently over his back. He could be described perfectly with two words right now: ‘pure’ and ‘cold’.

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 Chapter 119 – Complementing One Another
Chapter 119 – Complementing One Another

After hearing the reason behind their visit, Wu Zhangkong promptly made a decision and said, “Let’s go
test it out.”

Class zero had many special privileges, among which included the right to use any of the academy’s
testing equipment.

In fact, a brand new strength testing machine had already replaced the one Tang Wulin had broken.

Wu Zhangkong said, “Tang Wulin, release your dragon’s might. Wang Jinxi, try attacking the strength
testing machine after receiving the power boost.”

“Yes!”

Bang! When Wang Jinxi felt his soul power flare up, he threw out a powerful punch.

“Right fist, 643 kilograms.” Wang Jinxi and Tang Wulin were stunned speechless.

He had only just recently taken the test and at that time, his strength was only around 400 kilograms
worth. Yet now, it had increased by nearly fifty percent!

“Your feeling was correct. Tang Wulin’s dragon’s might has an amplification effect on you,” Wu
Zhangkong heavily said.

Puzzled, Wang Jinxi asked, “But during the Class Promotion Tournament, why was I suppressed instead
of amplified?”

“Hostility.” Wu Zhangkong answered without thinking about it. “It was because you were feeling hostile
toward him. His dragon’s might reacts differently depending on the situation. If either of you harbors
hostility toward the other, then there will be a suppressive effect. If neither of you are hostile toward
each other, or even have some goodwill, then that suppression turns into amplification. This should be
how it works.”

Wang Jinxi asked with a foolish face, “So I can never be his enemy?”

Wu Zhangkong nodded. “In a sense, that is true. But if your cultivation surpasses his by far, then the
influence of Tang Wulin’s dragon’s might should be minimized. If my guess is correct, Tang Wulin might
be awakening a second martial soul, and an extremely powerful dragon-type one at that. This is the
reason why he has such a strong influence over you. In fact, it’s not just you; all dragon-type martial souls
should be under its influence. Only someone with a martial soul on the same level or higher can ignore its
influence.

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“Honestly speaking, this is my first time seeing this type of situation because there is very little research
on martial soul suppression. It’s known that top tier martial souls can certainly suppress lower tier ones,
but there is no record of a situation like your own, where the suppressive effects are so powerful.”

Wang Jinxi gazed at Tang Wulin with a strange expression.

Just what kind of bloodline is this? It actually has such a strong influence over me. There’s an easy
solution to my problem though—I just have to kill Tang Wulin. As long as he’s dead, I won’t have to
encounter something like this again.

Wang Jinxi came from a large clan, so his thoughts and imagination surpassed that of his peers.

Wu Zhangkong said, “Tonight, the two of you can test this out. Tang Wulin, you and Wang Jinxi will
meditate together tonight and see what the effects are.”

“Oh. Alright,” Tang Wulin promptly agreed.

Meditating together?

Wang Jinxi had a distracted look on his face. Just a few moments ago, he had been harboring dark
thoughts about murdering Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin’s special martial soul was a potential threat, not only to him but also to his entire clan in the
future.

If he asked an expert from his family to act, then there would definitely be a chance to have him killed.
But did he really need to go that far? He was in the midst of an internal struggle. After all, nobody liked
the feeling of being suppressed.

When they returned to Wang Jinxi’s room, the two of them sat cross-legged and began to meditate.

Wu Zhangkong was also present in order to observe the changes in their aura.

Tang Wulin soon entered a meditative state, but the turbulent condition of Wang Jinxi’s heart delayed
him.

Wu Zhangkong silently observed the two of them. Their soul power circulation proceeded smoothly, but
at a certain point, a slight change occurred. Unfortunately, he would have to wait until they woke up the
next day before questioning them on their experience.

As Tang Wulin quietly meditated, his soul power circulated throughout his body and he could feel the
absorption of external energy as it entered his body. It was as if an excess of energy was being poured
into his body, causing his cultivation to progress even faster than normal. Although the difference wasn’t
too clear, there was definitely a qualitative change.

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It seems that Teacher Wu’s assumption was correct. There’s really an effect on my body!

The next morning, Tang Wulin was the first to rouse himself from his meditative state. He could clearly
feel that his cultivation speed had been faster than normal, giving him some benefit. In fact, he was
certain that he had now reached rank 14.

Wang Jinxi opened his eyes a few moments after Tang Wulin.

“You’re both awake?” The nearby Wu Zhangkong stood up from the floor. “Tell me what you felt.”

“My cultivation speed increased,” Tang Wulin answered.

“What about you?” Wu Zhangkong turned to Wang Jinxi.

Wang Jinxi looked at Tang Wulin with a complicated expression. “I felt the same thing, but there seemed
to be some energy leaving my body as I cultivated. The energy seemed to be floating toward Tang Wulin.
Overall, my cultivation gains were larger than normal, but not by much; about ten percent more.”

Tang Wulin said, “It increased by about five percent for me.”

“You complemented one another.” Wu Zhangkong exposed a pensive expression.

“You two hold hands and circulate your soul power while expressing goodwill. I want to see what
happens.” Wu Zhangkong wanted to test his hypothesis.

Tang Wulin and Wang Jinxi exchanged a glance before they grasped each other’s hands and began to
circulate their soul power.

Immediately, a bizarre scene appeared. Golden scales appeared on Tang Wulin’s right arm, but even more
shocking was that a layer of black scales had also materialized on Wang Jinxi’s right arm. Although they
were not as distinct as Tang Wulin’s, their existence was indisputable.

Wang Jinxi felt his strength swelling within his body as his soul power grew even more frenzied than
before. At the same time, his soul power was now being rapidly consumed.

“My strength has increased, but my soul power is being rapidly depleted.” He hastily announced his
observations.

Isn’t that almost the same as my dragon claw? Tang Wulin thought to himself.

The black scales continued spreading until they covered all of Wang Jinxi’s right arm, then started to
extend toward his neck and torso. At this point, Wang Jinxi’s soul power could no longer support the
transformation. Despite this, they were able to see a black vein pattern appear on Wang Jinxi’s left hand.

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Tang Wulin observed the vein pattern on his own body and compared it with the one on Wang Jinxi.
Wang Jinxi’s was a far simpler pattern. It was just a couple of black lines that lacked any sort of decorative
design to it. In comparison, Tang Wulin’s golden veins had a complex arrangement with a mesh-like
pattern.

“This is…” Wu Zhangkong gasped. “This isn’t as simple as complementing one another; it’s actually
similar to a soul fusion. In other words, Tang Wulin can amplify your power to its peak and, for a short
time, you will become extremely powerful. Although your soul power consumption rate will be great, this
is still an increase to your overall strength. Tang Wulin, your martial soul has a really invasive nature!”

Tang Wulin scratched his head awkwardly. He had never expected his martial soul to have this kind of
effect. After all, it didn’t seem to have any effect on Xie Xie when they had cultivated in their room
together.

“Teacher Wu, why doesn’t it affect Xie Xie? His martial souls are related to dragons as well.”

Wu Zhangkong said, “Maybe it’s because his martial soul isn’t a genuine dragon, but rather a dagger. I
think if it were a true dragon, he would be greatly influenced by your bloodline. On the other hand, this
also means that Xie Xie doesn’t experience that much suppression from you.”

Wang Jinxi bitterly smiled. “All dragon-type martial souls are top-tier. Wulin, if other Soul Masters know
about your ability, they would think you are simply defying the heavens!”

Tang Wulin’s eyes brightened. “Teacher Wu, is it possible that if I cultivate with many Soul Masters with
dragon-type martial souls, the amplification effect will be even greater and, thus, raise my cultivation
speed?”

Wu Zhangkong shook his head. “That’s impossible. How did you feel when you were connected with
Wang Jinxi? You were a bit distracted with absorbing that foreign energy, right?”

Tang Wulin nodded. “That’s right, but it wasn’t that difficult to do.”

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 Chapter 120 – Spirit Ascension Plane
Chapter 120 – Spirit Ascension Plane

Wu Zhangkong said, “This is because your spiritual power has already reached the Spirit Connection
realm. With your current strength, although you are able to dual cultivate with a dragon-type Soul
Master, if you cultivate with more people, it would be too distracting. Similar to fusing with a spirit soul,
the greater your spiritual power, the more spirit souls you can fuse with at one time. In this case, you
need to guide this foreign energy to merge with your body, so you will use up some of your spiritual
power. Even if your spiritual power reaches a really high level, the number of Soul Masters you can
cultivate simultaneously with is still limited.”

Tang Wulin was still scratching his head awkwardly. There really were no shortcuts in cultivating! But
even if there were, cultivating with Wang Jinxi was still faster than normal, and it was beneficial for the
both of them too. In fact, Wang Jinxi benefitted more than Tang Wulin.

“Tang Wulin, I will rearrange your bedrooms so that you can remain connected to Wang Jinxi with a
strand of Bluesilver Grass at night. You shouldn’t have any problems meditating together this way. From
tonight onwards, you two will meditate together, and if you experience any other changes, inform me
immediately,” Wu Zhangkong continued.

“Yes.” They both agreed simultaneously, so Wu Zhangkong left to wash himself.

“I’m also going to go then.” Tang Wulin waved goodbye to Wang Jinxi.

“Wait a minute,” Wang Jinxi called out.

“What is it?” Tang Wulin eyed him suspiciously.

Wang Jinxi wore a strange expression as he began to speak. “There’s something that I forgot to tell
Teacher Wu. After cultivating with you, without knowing why, I now feel a bit submissive when I see you.
Do you think this feeling is weird?”

Tang Wulin laughed. “How is that a weird feeling? You cultivation speed increases when we cultivate
together, so it’s only natural that you feel friendlier towards me. Anyways, I’m going now!” He waved
goodbye to Wang Jinxi once again, before returning to his own room.

Neither of them noticed that as Tang Wulin left, a faint golden pattern glowed on Wang Jinxi’s forehead.
The lines were very faint but bore a resemblance to the one on Tang Wulin’s body.

Tang Wulin was in a good mood. It was still early, so he went to wash up before heading to the field for a
morning run.

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The fact that they both complemented one another by dual cultivating was a good thing for both him and
Wang Jinxi. After all, they were classmates and would have to cultivate together for the next five years.

Just as he began running, a familiar figure appeared on the track.

It’s her…

Ouyang Zixin had also noticed Tang Wulin. She waved at him, before continuing on her run.

Tang Wulin didn’t purposefully approach her this time. Instead, he continued running at his own pace
while watching the energetic and youthful figure running in front of him.

He really enjoyed this feeling. Being able to admire something beautiful made one even more joyful, was
that not so?

Run, eat, then attend class!

Tang Wulin was the last one to arrive to class. There was nothing he could do about it, since he had a
great appetite and took longer than others to eat his fill.

Ever since he absorbed the power of the Golden Dragon King, Tang Wulin’s appetite had grown
exponentially, making him a bizarre wonder within the academy.

The benefit of joining class zero that made Tang Wulin the happiest was the fact that they were able to
eat at the first window free-of-charge. With his large appetite, Tang Wulin gave Long Hengxu a constant
headache, but the director endured it due to Tang Wulin’s outstanding performance in the Class
Promotion Tournament. After all, it wouldn’t be right for him to forbid a student from eating their fill.

“Today we will be going to the Spirit Pagoda.” Apart from his lectures, Wu Zhangkong’s words were
always concise.

Going to the Spirit Pagoda? To do what? None of us need a spirit soul though?

The five students sank into confusion, but Wu Zhangkong didn’t bother to explain.

Although leaving the academy while classes were still in session made them feel weird, all five class zero
students also felt superior.

Wu Zhangkong explained as they walked. “From now on, you will all cultivate in the Spirit Pagoda’s spirit
ascension platform once a week. You must treasure this opportunity; the academy fought hard to allocate
some funds for this.”

Spirit ascension platform? What’s that? Tang Wulin silently thought to himself.

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Gu Yue and Tang Wulin wore similar expressions. On the other hand, Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi and Xie
Xie had faces full of awe.

Xie Xie spoke with a voice full of admiration. “Wow! The academy sure knows how to spend money.
Looks like joining class zero was a good choice after all!”

Tang Wulin softly asked, “What’s the spirit ascension platform?”

Xie Xie stared at him in shock. “You don’t know what the spirit ascension platform is? It’s a great place!”

Tang Wulin grew impatient. “Hurry up and tell me. I really don’t know.”

Xie Xie explained, “On our Douluo Continent, only the Spirit Pagodas of major cities have a spirit
ascension platform. In total, there are eighteen on this continent. They are the best place for us Soul
Masters to cultivate.

“The spirit ascension platform was created by the Spirit Pagoda. Soul Masters can go there to gain
experience and increase their strength. Moreover, you can experience the charms of the ancient Soul
Master’s world. I’m not really sure what principles it operates on, but I heard that over ten Title Douluos
were involved in its creation, and the greatest researchers of the time poured their efforts into it. Only
after the Spirit Pagoda invested an enormous amount of resources was the spirit ascension platform
completed.

“Originally, the spirit ascension platform was used as a step in the Spirit Pagoda’s research into artificial
spirit souls. They hoped that it would be able to upgrade artificial spirit souls, and hence manufacture
even stronger spirit souls. After completion, however, they discovered that it was only a partial success.
Although the spirit ascension platform could upgrade spirit souls, its effects weren’t as great as they
expected, and its nature wasn’t too clear.

“Naturally, after making such a large investment, the Spirit Pagoda couldn’t discard the product. After
another period of development, the spirit ascension platform became a unique place. To put it simply, it’s
the crystallization of the continent’s best soul devices and the efforts of the greatest Soul Masters and
researchers. After entering the spirit ascension platform, a Soul Master will feel that they had entered a
whole different realm, yet they would still be protected by the spirit ascension platform. The danger
inside isn’t too high, but Soul Masters can battle with soul beasts to increase their combat experience in
there. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to improve your spirit soul. I’m not sure how to attain the
spirit ascension effect though, because this is only what I have heard from others. I’ve never actually been
in there.”

Xie Xie’s explanation had piqued Tang Wulin’s interest. The spirit ascension platform can upgrade spirit
souls?

“How are spirit souls upgraded?” Tang Wulin asked.

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Xie Xie dismissively answered, “It’s not easy at all! Our spirit souls are actually pretty good. In the past,
you would directly absorb a soul beast’s soul ring, and its power would be limited by its cultivation age.
Nowever, however, when we upgrade a spirit soul, we actually increase its cultivation age. This reminds
me, since you have a ten year spirit soul, you have a decent chance at upgrading it. If you can cultivate for
an extended period of time in the spirit ascension platform, you will have an even greater chance of
upgrading it to the hundred year level. Although, I heard that the higher its age, the harder it is to
upgrade it.”

Tang Wulin was shocked, but at the same time, he felt his heart beginning to heat up. If he could upgrade
Goldlight to a hundred year spirit soul, then his Bluesilver Grass would naturally be upgraded too!

Although he possessed the Golden Dragon King’s bloodline, his martial soul was still the Bluesilver Grass.
If he upgraded Goldlight, his soul skill would grow even more powerful too. Furthermore, a hundred year
spirit soul would provide him with two soul skills, removing the need to buy another spirit soul at rank
20. This would conserve both his spiritual power and his money. After all, he still had to save enough
money to buy the items necessary to break the next seal.

“What do you need to enter the spirit ascension platform?”

“Two things; money and space!” Xie Xie mischievously laughed.

The moment he heard ‘money’, Tang Wulin’s heart began to ache. Money and cultivation really can not be
separated! It’s a good thing I know how to forge, otherwise I wouldn’t have any way to continue
cultivating.

“How much money?”

Xie Xie answered, “The spirit ascension platform has multiple layers. It costs about 500,000 federal coins
per entry into the elementary spirit ascension platform. Space is even more valuable though! There are
only one thousand spots each month for the elementary spirit ascension platform. There are over a
million Soul Masters on the continent right now, so can you imagine the demand… And spaces for the
intermediate and advanced spirit ascension platforms are even fewer. This is because they consume even
more resources, so the cost of entry is also several times higher.”

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 Chapter 121 – Eastsea Spirit Pagoda
Chapter 121 – Eastsea Spirit Pagoda

“As such, the academy spent a lot of money this time around!” Xie Xie’s voice was full of awe. “It isn’t easy
to buy a spot. Most of the quotas are given to the large and influential clans, so it seems that our academy
actually has some influence. I reckon that if Wei Xiaofeng were to know we could enter the spirit
ascension platform to cultivate, his intestines would immediately turn green with regret.”

Zhang Yangzi turned around and glared at Xie Xie. “Why do you say so many useless words?”

Xie Xie let out a cold snort. “You still haven’t submitted? We can fight as much as we want in the spirit
ascension platform; you can try it for yourself then.”

Zhang Yangzi’s eyes held a cold twinkle in them. He wanted to continue arguing, but Wang Jinxi held his
shoulder and reined him in. When he turned around, he saw Wang Jinxi shaking his head in disapproval.

What’s going on with him? Lately, Zhang Yangzi felt something suspicious was happening as Wang Jinxi
had been acting quite restless. He had a vague idea that it was related to the suppression Wang Jinxi
experienced at Tang Wulin’s hands, but that had happened such a long time ago… Unless, he still hadn’t
recovered from it?

Eastsea’s Spirit Pagoda was incomparable to the one in Glorybound City. This Spirit Pagoda was one of
the eighteen great pagodas, collectively known as the Eighteen Pillars of Heaven.

The towering pagoda was visible from kilometers away. It was at least one hundred stories tall,
surpassing a height of 400 meters. Even among a forest of skyscrapers, it was tall enough to become a
giant landmark.

Spirit Pagoda’s foundation was in the shape of an octagon and covered a large area. The pagoda then
narrowed every ten layers until it reached the peak of the spire.

Even by just admiring it from a distance, one could feel its grandeur.

This pagoda branch already looked quite grand; what would the Spirit Pagoda headquarters look like?
How majestic would it be?

Tang Wulin had heard from others that the Spirit Pagoda headquarters was situated in the heart of the
continent, inside Shrek City. That was the greatest city in the entire federation! As a comparison, the
federation’s headquarters was instead located in Bright City, the second greatest city on the continent.

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After a long flight of stairs, the group were greeted by Director Long Hengxu. Clearly, the academy had
been prepared for them.

When Long Hengxu saw Wu Zhangkong leading the students up the stairs, he quickly walked over and
greeted, “Teacher Wu.”

“Director Long,” Wu Zhangkong bluntly called out, his face as wooden as usual.

Long Hengxu said, “Follow me.”

After entering the pagoda’s first floor, they were met with a dazzling sight of the interior. Dark gold stone
tiled the floors, creating a beautiful granular pattern. Several obelisks stood tall in the center of the space,
propping up a dome over ten meters in diameter. The most shocking thing, however, was that the dome
being held up by those obelisks had a magnificent and colorful mural on it.

The mural was resplendent, the scenery painted on the mural seemingly recounting its characters’ tales.

Wu Zhangkong explained, “This mural portrays the tale of the Spirit Pagoda’s founder, a legendary Soul
Master and inventor of spirit souls. It tells of how the Spirit Ice Douluo guided humanity’s Soul Masters in
resisting a tide of soul beasts. This is merely a part of the complete mural, that mural having eighteen
parts in total.

“The mural within the headquarters depicts the Spirit Ice Douluo battling the strongest Soul Beast God, Di
Tian. The Spirit Ice Douluo disappeared after that epic battle, never to be seen since. Yet, it is rumored
that he was victorious, for the Soul Beast God, the Golden-eyed Black Dragon King Di Tian, hasn’t
appeared since.”

Although he was only listening to Wu Zhangkong’s narration of the tale, Tang Wulin’s heart was filled
with awe. He could feel the impressiveness of the scene that the mural depicted. Within the soul beast
tide, one giant soul beast after another advanced toward the walls of a great city, creating an atmosphere
of extreme terror.

Floating above the city was a person with shining eyes. Surrounding him were several floating figures.
One of them was a beautiful woman in white, another a woman dressed in green. Upon his shoulder was
an existence that looked like an ice crystal, a gigantic bear, and an enormous white worm. Brilliant soul
rings revolved around his body.

That’s the Spirit Ice Douluo!

Tang Wulin had heard the legend of the Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao in his childhood. He was the bastard
child of the White Tiger Duke of Star Luo Empire, so his name was actually Dai Yuhao.

He was a genius from ten thousand years ago. Despite being an ordinary child, he entered the legendary
Shrek Academy and, taking one step at a time, walked the path toward becoming a peak expert, resulting

621
in might that caused the entire continent to tremble. Rumours had it that he had broken through the
boundaries of humanity and left for the Divine Realm.

The origin of this rumour was due to the fact that his wife had disappeared soon after he did.

Tang Wulin gazed intently at the Spirit Ice Douluo when the brilliant figure beside the Spirit Ice Douluo
caught his eye.

A beautiful woman with a pair of gigantic, radiant butterfly wings floated beside the Spirit Ice Douluo.
Despite the numerous companions beside the Spirit Ice Douluo, everyone’s attention would be drawn to
this couple.

“Dragon Butterfly Douluo Tang Wutong, wife of Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao. Look, Wulin, isn’t the Spirit
Ice Douluo’s wife beautiful!? Apparently, she was also extremely powerful and possessed a formidable
soul fusion skill with the Spirit Ice Douluo. Combined, they transformed into a supreme existence. In that
era, that was the peak!” Xie Xie said as he admired the mural.

“Tang Wutong; it’s so similar to your name, Wulin,” Gu Yue exclaimed in astonishment. “Also, did you
notice that Wulin looks rather similar to Tang Wutong? Especially their eyes.”

“No way. The Dragon Butterfly Douluo’s hair and eyes are light blue, while Wulin’s are black. How do they
look alike?” Xie Xie said dismissively.

An odd feeling grew within Tang Wulin’s heart as he listened to his two friends converse. There really
was a feeling of intimacy in his heart whenever he looked at the Dragon Butterfly Douluo.

He shook his head in self-mockery. How can I compare myself to the Dragon Butterfly Douluo? I only feel
like this because we have similar names, that’s all.

“Alright, let’s go.” Long Hengxu’s voice roused the five students. He smiled and continued, “I was just like
you guys when I first came to one of the Eighteen Pillars of Heaven. I got used to it after a few more visits
though. In any case, every single one of the Eighteen Pillars of Heaven has a mural worthy of admiration.”

Wu Zhangkong said, “Restrain yourselves until you enter the spirit ascension platform. You’ll only have
yourselves to rely on once you enter.”

Surprised, Tang Wulin asked, “You’re not entering with us?”

Wu Zhangkong explained, “Only Soul Masters with four rings or less can enter the elementary spirit
ascension platform.”

Long Hengxu nodded. “But you can rest assured, we will be watching all of you carefully from the outside.
If you encounter a dangerous situation, it will be your duty to take the initiative to withdraw. We’ll give
you the full explanation in a bit.”

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With Long Hengxu and Wu Zhangkong in the lead, everyone entered the elevator. Contrary to their
expectations, they began to descend instead of ascend.

A faint feeling of weightlessness told them that they were penetrating deep underground. As for how
deep, it was impossible to tell.

The Spirit Pagoda was indeed worthy of being called the number one organization on the continent; they
possessed both the strongest power, as well as the greatest resources. The amount they spent on
engineering such a thing was simply astronomical.

This elevator had no numbers displayed to indicate the time or level, but at least three minutes passed
before it gradually came to a stop.

Everyone exited the elevator and entered an expansive hall where 19 staff members were present.
Behind them were countless metal passages

Long Hengxu took out a peculiar card and handed it over to one of the staff members. The staff member
didn’t utter a single word, simply gesturing for them to follow.

Ten meters down the corridor, they entered another elevator and continued their descent. This time they
stopped after 19 seconds, finding themselves in a circular room upon exit.

This room was still made entirely out of metal, but hanging on the wall was a giant soul screen. An image
of a green world flickered on the screen. It seemed to be a jungle.

The staff member turned around and began to speak. “There are five quotas open for entry to the spirit
ascension platform. When you can no longer bear the danger, press the emergency distress button and
you will immediately return here. Pay attention to what I say next.”

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 Chapter 122 – Entering
Chapter 122 – Entering

“The spirit ascension platform is the fruit of a millennium years of our Spirit Pagoda’s efforts and
knowledge. We had invested an enormous amount of resources and used our spatial technology to create
a different world, therefore, the first thing you need to note is that the spirit ascension platform is a
virtual world. To be precise, it is half virtual and half real. This is because a lot of the virtual data relies on
your input. However, it can be considered purely virtual within the elementary spirit ascension platform,
so there is no need to fear for your lives.”

“You can do anything you want in the spirit ascension platform, but your main objective will be to
survive. Do your best to survive as long as you can. The longer you survive, the greater the benefits you
will reap.”

“Secondly, don’t believe that it is completely safe in there. Although your life will not be in danger as only
your brain waves are active in there, in some extreme circumstances, there is a possibility that your brain
waves will be damaged and cause danger to your corporeal body. As such, the moment you face danger
beyond your power to deal with, press the emergency exit button; and you will immediately exit the
spirit ascension platform. Understood?”

“Understood.” The five students responded quickly.

The staff member nodded. “As for the rest, you will learn them after experiencing it inside. Today is the
first time you will be inside, so you probably won’t survive too long, but it should leave a deep impression
on you. Prepare yourselves mentally and remember this: don’t panic if you run into a dangerous
situation. Soul beasts aren’t that scary if you know how to react properly.”

The five children were filled with anticipation after listening to the staff member’s explanations. Tang
Wulin and Gu Yue were especially excited since this was their first time learning about the spirit
ascension platform.

They would enter with their brain waves? Just how would that feel?

With a press of a button, five metal boxes came out of the wall. These boxes were laid horizontally, each
with a person sized-hollow within it, which made them slightly resemble a coffin.

“Lay down inside.”

The five of them followed the staff member’s instructions and laid down in the metal boxes. The boxes
were so cold that it snapped their minds into focus.

The interior was lined with electrodes, which quickly began to stick to their body snuggly.

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“We’re going to start now. Prepare yourselves. Relax your bodies and wait for the scan to begin. You may
feel some discomfort during the scan, but just bear with it for a moment.”

That was the last piece of instruction the five students received from the staff member before the five
metal boxes had slowly slid back into the wall. They were enveloped in darkness.

A sudden numbness encompassed Tang Wulin’s body and agitated his excited soul power and blood; it
was as if something was tunneling through his body. His body became paralyzed as the numbness grew
stronger.

This sort of pain was nothing to Tang Wulin compared to the pain of breaking his seal; in fact, this feeling
made him drowsy.

A while later, his body suddenly started trembling, rousing him from his drowsiness. To his surprise, he
now stood in a brightly lit place.

The numbness had disappeared along with the metal box, replaced by a metal device that had a big red
button. It was attached to the back of his hand.

Is this the emergency exit button?

Where is this?

Tang Wulin already had an initial impression of what the spirit ascension platform would be like from Xie
Xie’s explanation, but now that he had actually entered, he was utterly shocked. Only now could he
understand how much the Spirit Pagoda had poured into their research.

He was surrounded by gigantic trees and large thickets of shrubbery. There wasn’t a single path in sight.
It felt like he had entered an ancient forest.

However, what was most astonishing to him was how realistic this place felt. He lightly pinched his own
cheeks in disbelief, before examining his surroundings, touching everything, and finally, confirming that it
was real.

Heavens! This spirit ascension platform is just too magical!

His heart overflowed with awe. Such a place was simply too magical for him to fathom.

Only after a few moments of admiration was Tang Wulin finally able to calm himself down. In the first
place, he was already far calmer than his peers. After all, his many years of blacksmithing hadn’t been for
nothing.

He looked down at his hands, confirming that his bracelets and rings were still there. With this, he
concluded that everything on him had been brought over to this world. Next, he roused his bloodline
power, and was relieved to see the golden scales appear.

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Everything is the exact same as in reality.

Tang Wulin was not the type of person to make rash decisions, so having heard that the spirit ascension
platform wasn’t completely safe, he concluded that it was probably dangerous instead. It was possible to
encounter an enemy at any moment, just like Wu Zhangkong had mentioned during combat training.

With this being the case, the only thing he could do now was to always be on guard, and to survive for as
long as possible.

Now that Tang Wulin had a clear objective in mind, he silently crouched down and surveyed his
surroundings. His spiritual power had already reached the Spirit Connection realm, so it was far more
sensitive to changes in the external world.

The first thing he felt was the breath of life that permeated the forest. Only this could be considered an
authentic ancient forest! Where could one even find such a forest in the modern day federation? The
majority of ancient forests had already been cut down by humanity. In fact, it was said that the
continent’s greatest forest, Great Star Dou Forest, was only a husk of its former self, left with a meagre
one percent of its original area.

So ancient forests are actually so beautiful… The air is so refreshing. Ah, it feels so wonderful here.

Tang Wulin’s eyes were twinkling with excitement as he fully absorbed this wondrous feeling. He felt as if
he was back in Glorybound City, in the little park beside his home.

His cultivation speed had always been faster when he had meditated among the Bluesilver Grass in the
park back then, and it was also there that he had broken through to rank 10, becoming a true Soul Master.

And now, he was surrounded by a breath of life that was several times stronger than the one in the little
park back home. In fact, there was actually Bluesilver Grass hiding below the shrubbery! The Bluesilver
Grass here, however, had flourished much better than the ones he had seen back home. It was extremely
difficult for Bluesilver Grass to grow past 15 centimeters in height, yet the grass here had grown well
over 30 centimeters in height, reaching up to his calves.

Sitting down from his squat, he gently ran his fingers through the Bluesilver Grass around him. At the
same time, he subconsciously released his martial soul. A strand of Bluesilver Grass had quietly appeared
among the surrounding thicket.

The aura of life he sensed grew stronger in an instant, as if all the plants in his surroundings were
joyously cheering. Tang Wulin immersed himself in this quiet forest that was brimming with life, feeling
everything within.

……

The fifth region of the Spirit Pagoda’s elementary spirit ascension platform.

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“What is he doing?” Long Hengxu was pointing at a screen that was displaying Tang Wulin sitting down
with his eyes closed. He was leaning against a tree with his mouth slightly curved, a pleasurable smile
gracing his face.

No matter how he looked at it, Long Hengxu felt that this child was taking a nap! Tang Wulin had such a
wonderful opportunity to enter the spirit ascension platform, yet, he was taking a nap?

Wu Zhangkong said, “He seems to be contemplating something. Don’t forget, his martial soul is the
Bluesilver Grass, and it’s rare to find such lush Bluesilver Grass in the real world. Look, he seems to have
comprehended something; he has already released his martial soul.”

Long Hengxu finally realized what Tang Wulin was doing. “That’s right, this simulation of the Great Star
Dou Forest is really suitable for plant-type Soul Masters to cultivate in. It seems that this child’s
perception is quite good after all.”

Wu Zhangkong nodded in approval.

Within the class of five, Tang Wulin was not the most talented student. He didn’t have Xie Xie’s twin
martial souls or Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi’s soul fusion skill. He didn’t even have Gu Yue’s skillful
control. Yet, despite all of this, Wu Zhangkong paid special attention to this child.

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 Chapter 123 – Zhang Yangzi’s Bad Luck
Chapter 123 – Zhang Yangzi’s Bad Luck

Wu Zhangkong felt that there was something special about Tang Wulin, as if he was a block of unpolished
jade. Although Tang Wulin’s cultivation speed didn’t seem particularly fast, Wu Zhangkong knew that
Tang Wulin’s rate of improvement was actually the fastest out of his five students.

Originally, there was an enormous gap between him and the others when he had first entered the
academy, but in the last few months, he had drastically changed and now stood on equal footing with his
peers. The most crucial aspects to his success were his tenacious personality, remarkable perception and
high spiritual power. If his bloodline power also continued to grow, then perhaps he would be the most
outstanding among the five students in the future.

After landing with a jolt, Zhang Yangzi steadied himself and took in his surroundings with eyes full of
amazement.

This, this is a forest?

Zhang Yangzi found himself in a vibrant forest filled with the lively cacophony of insects and songbirds.
The overwhelming vitality of the forest went against his dark-attribute martial soul, making him feel
uncomfortable and discordant.

After the initial shock, however, he was astounded to discover that the forest’s aura had caused his soul
power to circulate more quickly.

I need to prepare myself to fight at any moment.

Without the slightest hesitation, he released his martial soul; a pair of black wings unfurled from his back.

His martial soul was the powerful Shadow Phantasm Eagle, so his soul fusion skill with Wang Jinxi was
called the Shadow Eagle Dragon. Unfortunately, their cultivation was still too shallow and their soul
fusion skill incomplete, allowing Tang Wulin to defeat them so quickly at the Class Promotion
Tournament.

That was right, Zhang Yangzi was still unconvinced. He refused to believe he was weaker than Tang
Wulin, and the only reason he had lost during the tournament was because he had been unable to display
his full power. He truly was bitter about it.

Hmph! You three better not let me find you.

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With a flap of his wings, he shot up, just high enough to begin rapidly climbing a tree. He figured the best
course of action for now was to secure a high vantage point and survey his surroundings.

It would be best if he could reunite with Wang Jinxi. With their powers combined, they would mutually
augment the other’s strengths.

After transforming his hands into eagle claws, he quickly climbed to the top of the tree. At a height of
about ten meters off the ground, his view of the surroundings drastically increased.

The tree he had chosen was the tallest one in the area, allowing him to view an astonishing scene.

It was an ocean of green as far as the eye could see. There was simply no end to it. With clear skies and
boundless greenery, the giant treetops gave him a feeling of indescribable, vibrant vitality. It was as if this
world was simply an endless spring of life.

This really is so lifelike!

He had heard about the spirit ascension platform previously too, but despite his family having the means
to send him, he hadn’t been able to enter due to his insufficient strength and young age.

“Huh, what’s that?” Zhang Yangzi gazed at the vast sky.

A large, green bird was soaring high in the skies, but with a flap of its wings, it suddenly veered and
headed straight for him.

Such a pretty bird! Zhang Yangzi was moved, but at the same time, arrogance appeared within his heart. I
already have a chance to engage in real combat so early on. Let’s see just how strong the soul beasts are
in here.

Two soul rings appeared underfoot while his spirit soul, the Dark Devil Eagle, appeared on his shoulder.
Zhang Yangzi pushed off the tree trunk and used the rebound to spring into the sky. He spread his wings
while his second soul ring started to shine.

Second soul skill, Eagle Soars the Sky.

From the very beginning, he had already unleashed his most powerful soul skill. He hadn’t had a chance
to use this soul skill during the Class Promotion Tournament as he needed to coordinate with Wang Jinxi
and their team. Having lost without being able to display all of his abilities, only the heavens knew how
sullen his heart was.

Now that he was in the spirit ascension platform, the first thing he wanted to do now was to vent his
frustrations.

629
His body shone with a brilliant, black radiance, his figure becoming illusory. As the Dark Devil Eagle fused
into his body, his wings enlarged and his speed suddenly tripled. A powerful aura burst from his body,
and like a black arrow, he pierced toward the large, green bird.

An eagle’s cry resounded through the sky.

Eagle Soars the Sky increased both his speed and power, combining to create a powerful attack. Zhang
Yangzi had always believed that this attack-type skill was unequalled among his peers. After all, a single
use of this skill consumed over fifty percent of his soul power.

His evaluation of his skill had greatly diminished, however, after encountering Tang Wulin’s Golden
Dragon Claw. The tyrannical might of the Golden Dragon Claw was simply too terrifying for him to face.
Furthermore, his skill was a close-combat type, which increased the risk of injury.

The gap between him and the bird rapidly closed before his eyes.

The large, green bird was also frightened by how quickly Zhang Yangzi had reached it. It spread its wings
once more and flapped them, shooting out several green wind blades at Zhang Yangzi.

As the wind blades shot toward Zhang Yangzi, the bird issued a sharp screech, like it was flaunting its
power.

Bang! Although the wind blades were smashed apart in the collision of black and green, they had
succeeded in stopping Zhang Yangzi’s momentum, forcing him to spread his wings.

This is bad! Zhang Yangzi cried out within his heart. He still wasn’t strong enough to fly with only his
wings. He depended on Eagle Soars the Sky to stay aloft for a period of time. When he smashed apart his
opponent’s attacks, it had forced him to halt and start falling.

He quickly glided down with his wings spread. He really was clever. From the bird’s five-meter wingspan,
he had deduced that, the bird wouldn’t be able to pursue him any further if he took shelter in the forest.

However, his expression turned ghastly in the next moment.

One green figure after another appeared from the treetops. Wind blades shot at him from all directions
from a multitude of large, green birds.

How did things turn out like this? This was the only thought running through Zhang Yangzi’s mind as he
pressed the emergency exit button. Only at that moment did he finally understand the profound look the
Spirit Pagoda staff member had given them before they had entered.

Darkness covered his eyes while his surroundings became tranquil. All of the attacks that had been flying
toward him disappeared. He felt his body cooling down as light poured into the box.

“Get up.” Long Hengxu spoke without a single trace of happiness.

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It was only after he sat up that Zhang Yangzi snapped out of his stupor and realized he was back in the
Spirit Pagoda.

The screens in the room switched scenes at that moment, letting Zhang Yangzi know that he was actually
the first one out. Upon realization, his face immediately blushed. He embarrassedly crawled out of the
metal box.

Wu Zhangkong remained silent, simply pointing at the chair beside him for Zhang Yangzi to take a seat.

Taking in a deep breath, Zhang Yangzi calmed himself. He was still a bit dazed, a side effect of entering the
spirit ascension platform, but he could clearly remember everything that had happened in there.

His gaze suddenly changed when he noticed the flock of green birds soaring in the sky on one of the
screens. They seemed to be searching for something. Isn’t that where I was just now?

There were no less than one hundred birds on screen, covering the clouds and the sun. Their bright cries
resonated throughout the skies, bringing more green birds to join their flock.

He swallowed a gulp of saliva when he realized that the flock of birds were actually searching for him! If it
had been the real world, he would have already been dead even if there had been ten of him.

Long Hengxu only spared him a glance before continuing to watch the events occurring on the screens.
Wu Zhangkong didn’t give him any words of criticism either.

True combat experience was best gained when experienced for themselves.

Zhang Yangzi began to ponder over his mistakes. His eyes displayed strong excitement. Apart from being
embarrassed, he found that he really enjoyed entering the spirit ascension platform. It was extremely
realistic inside, and he was determined to survive even longer next time.

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 Chapter 124 – Xie Xie’s Adventures in the Spirit
Ascension Platform
Chapter 124 – Xie Xie’s Adventures in the Spirit Ascension Platform

Xie Xie was quietly and cautiously traversing through the forest, shifting from the shadows of one tree to
another. Compared to Zhang Yangzi, he was far more vigilant. This was because he had heard countless
stories of the spirit ascension platform’s forest when he was a child. He knew that danger lurked
everywhere in this forest. If he wasn’t careful, then he would quickly turn into one of the many corpses
that littered the ground.

However, danger also meant opportunity. If he was able to kill a few soul beasts, then his spirit soul
would gain some strength in the real world.

His spirit soul was actually a metal spirit soul that had been specially manufactured by the Spirit Pagoda.
When he had fused it with his Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger, a mutation had occurred.
Of course, this mutation was nowhere near as large as the one Goldlight had experienced after fusing with
Tang Wulin. Xie Xie’s metal spirit soul had received a small mutation. As long as he had enough spiritual
power, he could absorb two spirit souls and fuse them together as one.

At that time, this was the only hundred year spirit soul, so his family had to pay the equivalent of a
thousand year spirit soul for this hundred year spirit soul. Thus, his Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow
Dragon Dagger both benefited from this spirit soul fusion. And like his first two soul skills, he also kept
this hidden.

In a certain sense, Xie Xie’s twin martial souls were actually a bit weaker than true twin martial souls.
This was because the Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger were originated from the same
place and had very little differences between them. As a result, they did not complement one another, and
their powers were only additive instead of multiplicative. The most crucial difference, however, was the
fact that Xie Xie needed to obtain soul rings for both of his martial souls whenever he hit a bottleneck
preventing him from reaching the next rank. This was completely different from true twin martial souls
where only one of them needed a soul ring to continue advancing; the other one could be saved to
upgrade in the future.

Naturally, no one else apart from him and his family knew this secret.

Xie Xie’s first spirit soul was extremely compatible with him, but he knew that it would be impossible to
find a spirit soul as compatible as his current one in the future. Despite his twin martial souls giving him
an advantage in the early stages of cultivation, due to his average spiritual power, his growth would be
restricted unless he had enough spiritual power to support spirit souls for both of his dragon daggers.

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The spirit ascension platform was one solution to his problems. The first thing he had to do was upgrade
his metal spirit soul. If it reached the purple thousand year level, then it would be able to provide him an
additional soul ring. If it reached the black ten thousand year level, then there would be another one on
top of that.

The fewer spirit souls a Soul Master absorbed, the less spiritual power they would need to sustain them.
Moreover, if his spirit soul was upgraded, then the soul skills it provided would be upgraded too. This
was simply the best method to increase one’s strength.

For this reason, Xie Xie’s anticipation for the spirit ascension platform had also been the highest among
the five students.

Even after exploring the forest for a while, Xie Xie had yet to encounter a single soul beast. His steps were
light and his breathing weak as he carefully surveyed his surroundings, just waiting for a soul beast to
appear at any moment.

It would be best if a lone soul beast appeared. Even if he could only kill one, his spirit soul would still
receive some benefits.

Xie Xie’s eyes twinkled with nervousness and excitement.

“Huh?” A strange feeling suddenly washed over his body.

He dived forward without the slightest hesitation.

Several dozen lights flew over him, just narrowly missing his head. He stood up with a powerful twist of
his body.

This attack…

He was horrified to see dozens of pairs of twinkling scarlet eyes open up on the trees. The attacks had
been from them.

Plant-type soul beast, Scarlet Demon Tree.

This is bad. These trees appear in large groups!

Compared to Zhang Yangzi, Xie Xie was far more knowledgeable about soul beasts. At the very least, he
wasn’t one to recklessly attack a soul beast he couldn’t identify.

He didn’t have any intention on fighting them. Instead, he rolled to the side and dashed away from them.

Sure enough, the Scarlet Demon Trees shot out rays of light at him just after he moved. Had he been any
slower, he would have been turned into a pincushion and died.

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So close, so close!

Xie Xie was panting.

“Zizi!” A screech was heard just before a yellow shadow shot straight at Xie Xie.

Xie Xie hastily stopped and slashed out a Light Dragon Blade at his charging opponent while veering off in
another direction to escape.

That whip-like yellow shadow twisted in the air and easily avoided the Light Dragon Blade. A gigantic
mouse taller than a man dug up from the ground. That yellow shadow was actually its tail. It swung its tail
like a javelin piercing toward Xie Xie’s chest.

It was a Longtail Mouse over two meters tall. This was a hundred year Longtail Mouse!

Rather than fear, Xie Xie was filled with joy at the sight of this mouse. He knew that this was a powerful
loner-type soul beast that usually preyed on insects, but wasn’t a great carnivore. It could launch shrewd
attacks with its fickle tail, and was also equipped with a mouth full of steel-like teeth that could chew
through uncommon metals.

Xie Xie kicked off a tree, suddenly shooting up into the air. He released a Light Dragon Blade at the
Longtail Mouse while his left hand waved slightly in a seamless manner.

The Longtail Mouse swayed a little as it thrusted it’s tail at the Light Dragon Blade. A ray of light flashed
on the tip of its tail.

The Light Dragon Blade was split in half, sweeping right past the Longtail Mouse. The mouse was actually
surprisingly fast and its leap exceptionally powerful as it quickly caught up to Xie Xie.

Right at that moment, the Longtail Mouse suddenly shrieked in pain. A bloody line burst from its body
and its body was splattered.

How could Xie Xie let go of such a good opportunity? He exploded off of a tree trunk and into the air,
spinning his body at the same time. With his Light Dragon Dagger as the starting point, he dropped onto
the Longtail Mouse like a drill.

The Longtail Mouse’s body was swallowed by the Light Dragon Storm and turned into a splatter of blood
in the blink of an eye.

Xie Xie and the Longtail Mouse’s body landed on the ground at the same time. A ball of light emerged
from the hundred year Longtail Mouse’s body and moved to merge with Xie Xie. Xie Xie flicked his Light
Dragon Dagger happily, but he knew that he couldn’t stay in the area for long, so he quickly ran off in a
random direction.

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In this forest of soul beasts, the smell of blood was the easiest way to attract other soul beasts, especially
carnivorous soul beasts.

Naturally, he had only been able to kill the Longtail Mouse so quickly because he could launch a sneak
attack with his Shadow Dragon Dagger.

His second attack with his Light Dragon Blade had actually been used to mask the Shadow Dragon Blade
that had been quietly heading toward the mouse. It had been surprisingly effective, and with his Light
Dragon Storm prepared beforehand, he had been able to eliminate his opponent in one go.

Bang, bang, bang! Before Xie Xie even had the chance to run too far, muffled booms resounded from the
earth.

Xie Xie was dumbstruck. That sound… Why does it sound so terrifying.

On top of a giant tree, Wang Jinxi was gasping for breath as his enlarged body began to return to normal.

He had just fought a fierce battle; he had met a pack of ten year Wind Wolves earlier. Although they
weren’t strong, they were fast and numerous.

There had been over twenty wolves in the pack. If he didn’t have the great strength and sturdy defenses
of his transformation, then he likely wouldn’t have made it out of the encounter in one piece.

Unfortunately, his spirit soul didn’t benefit much from the slaughter as the wolves were only ten year
soul beasts. HIs spirit soul was a bone spirit similar to Xie Xie’s metal spirit soul in that it had also been
fused directly into his martial soul.

He only had about forty percent of his soul power left, while his physical strength was exhausted. For
now, he had to rest and recover.

What he wasn’t aware of, however, was that a large figure was slowly descending toward him.

Why does it seem a bit darker now? A peculiar feeling had crept into the back of Wang Jinxi’s mind. He
subconsciously raised his head to look at the sky but was shocked to find a person’s face rapidly
descending toward him.

It was a beautiful woman’s face. when she opened her mouth, though, a rows of sinister fangs were
exposed. But what was even more terrifying to Wang Jinxi was the fact that this woman’s face was
actually on the stomach of a giant spider!

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 Chapter 125 – Hundred Year Demon Spider and
Thousand Year Soul Beast
Chapter 125 – Hundred Year Demon Spider and Thousand Year Soul Beast

A Man-Faced Demon Spider. This was the soul beast hunting Man-Faced Demon Spider! It was considered
a powerful top-tier soul beast. Even at the hundred year level, it could contend with thousand year soul
beasts on equal footing.

Wang Jinxi threw himself away from it without the slightest hesitation. Even if he’d been in good
condition, it was impossible for him to win against such a powerful opponent. With his weakened
strength and spent soul power, his only choice was to flee for his life.

Pu!

Wang Jinxi’s whole body tensed as he felt something coiling around his body. Despite his enormous
strength, he was unable to break free.

Even if he wanted to, it was now impossible for him to press the emergency exit button.

A ‘xixisuosuo’ sound emerged from the cold forest. In the next moment, Wang Jinxi felt a sharp pain
before his body turned numb and cold from the inside out.

The Spirit Pagoda staff member urgently ordered, “Prepare for emergency treatment.”

Wang Jinxi’s body was shivering when the metal box slid out. The affliction didn’t stop even after the
electrodes were pulled off him.

A dozen staff members dressed in white rushed over to him in a flash. One of them took out a needle and
stabbed it into Wang Jinxi’s neck, delivering its contents into his bloodstream.

“Is it that Man-Faced Demon Spider again?”

“Yes! That thing is so violent. It didn’t even give this child a chance to press the button. Ah, this child’s
luck is truly terrible.”

Wu Zhangkong and Long Hengxu calmly watched on as the white-clothed people busily moved to do their
work.

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After no less than ten minutes, the leader of the white-clothed group heaved a sigh of relief. “Not bad.
This child’s willpower is very strong and he shouldn’t have any problems now. Just let him rest for a
while and he’ll wake up.”

Finished with his explanation, the man left with the rest of the people in white. The scene returned to
normal, as if nothing had even happened.

Zhang Yangzi had been flabbergasted since the moment the people in white came in. Wha, what’s going
on?

“Teacher Wu, Director Long, is Jinxi okay? Isn’t the spirit ascension platform a virtual place? How did he
end up like this…” Zhang Yangzi’s words trailed off as he glanced at Wang Jinxi’s pale face, his previous
excitement now replaced by fear.

The staff member said, “I have already told you; although the spirit ascension platform is virtual, it still
contains a degree of reality. Everything you sense inside of there would be just as if you were feeling it in
reality. So if you’re harmed inside, then you will still feel all of the pain. For example, if you had been
sliced into a corpse by the wind blades of those big green birds, then you would also feel the exact same
sensations as a corpse. The sensations would be exceedingly real and would attack your mind.

“Simply said, if someone witnesses their wrist being slit, then they will also feel the gushing of their
blood, the sound of it dripping down. Even when the wound closes and they stop bleeding, they will still
sense the blood dripping, so their brain will think they’re already dead. After this thought appears in their
brain, they will truly begin to die.

“The spirit ascension platform has this problem, especially so for first-timers like you. Fortunately, the
effects will gradually decrease as your spiritual power increases. By the time you can ignore the effects
though, I don’t think you’ll be able to enter the elementary spirit ascension platform anymore and will
have to enter the intermediate ascension platform instead. The sensations in the intermediate ascension
platform are even more different. Hehe, the intermediate ascension platform…”

Zhang Yangzi’s expression took a turn for the worse at these words. He was truly afraid now. This spirit
ascension platform could actually result in a true death!

Gu Yue was wandering about the forest in a daze. The lush forest, the clean air, it reminded her of
something she had seen a lifetime ago.

So beautiful. I really like this feeling!

The fact that the Spirit Pagoda had created the spirit ascension platform could be considered nothing
short of a miracle.

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She continued to head deeper into the depths of the forest. During her travels, she had encountered
several soul beasts, but fortunately, they had been weak and easy to deal with. Each time she killed a soul
beast, a faint light would radiate from her body.

Her eyes grew wider and wider every time she felt this light.

Amongst the five students, she and Tang Wulin had the least knowledge about the spirit ascension
platform.

As she was walking, a bush rustled, then a tall figure suddenly jumped out in front of Gu Yue.

It was a giant bear over three meters tall and covered in light brown fur. This bear had a pair of large
claws and glistening yellow eyes.

The beast released a thunderous roar when it saw Gu Yue, then charged toward her.

“Thousand year, a thousand year soul beast appeared. Do you want to warn her?” A staff member looked
toward Wu Zhangkong with a questioning gaze.

“Just watch for now.” Wu Zhangkong’s eyes were fixed on the screen.

It was a rarely seen thousand year Crystal Bear. Even in ancient times it would be exceedingly rare.

This thousand year Crystal Bear was a mutated from the same species as the Fear Claw Bear. Only, its
mutation made it far weaker than the Fear Claw Bear.

Although it was weaker than the Fear Claw Bear, the Crystal Bear did possess a special ability. Every
single one of its attacks would cause its opponent’s body to crystallize by a fraction, stacking until its
opponent eventually shatters from its subsequent attack.

Only with strong soul power and a quick removal of the crystallized areas would one be able to avoid
massive losses from a Crystal Bear.

The Crystal Bear also had a weakness; it lacked ranged combat abilities.

Even without two soul rings, Gu Yue was considered the strongest among the five classmates due to her
incredible control over the elements. Furthermore, with her control over the spatial element even Xie
Xie’s attacks could be evaded.

The greater the pressure, the greater the growth of a Soul Master. Wu Zhangkong firmly believed in this.
He wanted to see just how his only female student would react in the face of a powerful thousand year
Crystal Bear.

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Just as anticipation filled Wu Zhangkong, the Crystal Bear launched its attack.

Gu Yue wasn’t flustered at all. A single yellow soul ring rose from beneath her feet while her aura
strengthened.

First soul skill, Elemental Tide.

Gu Yue’s body grew light as a green glow flashed out. Then, with a flash of silver light, she disappeared
from her current position and teleported to another.

The Crystal Bear’s charge met nothing but air. Unable to stop itself, it ran headfirst into a large tree.

With her back to the thousand year Crystal Bear, Gu Yue ran away. Clearly, she had no intention of
fighting the thousand year Crystal Bear. She waved her hands behind her, releasing a tornado. This
tornado definitely wasn’t meant to harm the Crystal Bear; after all, its defenses were too stout to be
affected by some wind.

However, this wind was sufficient to stir the leaves on the trees. A gale of leaves fluttered about,
obscuring the Crystal Bear’s line of sight. Gu Yue seized this chance to teleport once more, changing her
direction then bolting.

“Beautiful. Her response was clever, fast as well,” praised Long Hengxu.

Wu Zhangkong gave a slight nod. He was pleased with Gu Yue’s steadiness in the face of such a terrifying
opponent. She’d judged her opponent’s strength at the very beginning and compared it to her own before
quickly choosing how to react. In the end, she’d chosen to flee. Although fleeing was easy, the difficult
part was in making such a choice in an instant. This just showed how calm and intelligent Gu Yue was.

He turned to look at another screen, one which had three dots on it. These three dots meant that there
were only three people remaining in the spirit ascension platform.

Gu Yue was actually running in Tang Wulin’s direction at that moment.

“Yi!” Wu Zhangkong let out a light sound of surprise at this discovery.

Two loud booms put Xie Xie on alert. The origin these booms was fairly close and he could tell it was
getting nearer to him.

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One had to be truly confident in themself if they were willing to cause such a ruckus within this soul beast
forest. Xie Xie didn’t dare to ignore it, so he climbed up a tree with lightning speed before hiding his
presence, waiting calmly.

This time, staying still was a better option than escaping for Xie Xie. After all, he’d consumed quite a bit of
soul power when he killed that Longtail Mouse.

A giant figure charged madly out of the thickets not too far from him. Xie Xie was startled by its
appearance because it was actually running toward him!

The beast stood on two feet and reached a height of over four meters. Its entire body was covered in
metallic scales while a single horn grew from its head. It was actually an extremely ferocious Horned
Dragon!

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 Chapter 126 – The Golden Dragon Claw’s Might
Chapter 126 – The Golden Dragon Claw’s Might

Xie Xie’s mouth felt a bit dry after seeing such a ferocious soul beast. He had seen all the soul beasts he
had encountered today in books before.

He had an excellent memory and could clearly remember this two-legged Horned Dragon. It was a
dragon-type soul beast of the land dragon variety. It possessed tremendous physical strength and was
considered among the top ranks of land dragons. Even in the complexity of this forest, it was able to
maneuver around at lightning speed with its leaping ability and jerky motions. Although it lacked any
ranged attack abilities, it possessed an unstoppable temperament. As long as it had a prey in its sights, it
would go to the ends of the earth to kill it.

Just what kind of luck was this to run into a hundred year Horned Dragon? In the past, Agility System Soul
Masters feared this type of soul beast the most. Not only was it quick, its attack, defensive power, and
endurance were all amazing.

Xie Xie had only just recently obtained his second ring. Even at his peak, his efforts would have been
meaningless when faced with such an overbearing opponent, much less to say his current condition. Why
is this bastard heading straight for me?

Bang! Just as Xie Xie was feeling panicked, the Horned Dragon had reached him and charged headfirst
into the tree Xie Xie was hiding in without the slightest hesitation.

A boom resonated throughout the forest as the tree, thicker than two people’s arms wrapped around it,
snapped. Xie Xie hurriedly jumped to another large tree. A doubt arose within him. This guy’s front arms
seem weak. It shouldn’t be able to climb up here right?

Hope was a beautiful thing, but reality was cruel. After breaking the first tree, the Horned Dragon
immediately turned and charged at the tree Xie Xie had found refuge in once again. This time however, it
didn’t run into it headfirst; rather, it jumped. It jumped all the way up to Xie Xie, its gaping maws closing
toward him.

A golden blade of light landed on the Horned Dragon’s armor of scales, leaving behind a mere centimeter
deep white scar. Xie Xie understood now that he was helpless against this beast, so he could only jump to
another tree.

The Horned Dragon was both large and agile. By pushing off of a tree trunk with its powerful legs, it was
actually able to continue chasing Xie Xie up in the trees. It was extremely fast and didn’t lose a single inch
to Xie Xie.

It truly was worthy of being called the nemesis of Agility System Soul Masters!

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Xie Xie did not dare to face it in a direct confrontation as he knew that even with his Light Dragon Storm,
he would simply be throwing his life away. This Horned Dragon’s scales was as sturdy as an Armored
Dragon, but it was also exceptionally nimble!

He was escaping at full speed, yet the Horned Dragon was actually slowly gaining on him! Meanwhile, Xie
Xie’s soul power and stamina was being depleted; he could only run for so long…

Is my only choice left to press the emergency exit button? Xie Xie’s heart was smoldering with his
unwillingness; after all, this was his first time in the spirit ascension platform! How could he just let it end
in such an unsatisfying way?

“Hou!” The hundred year Horned Dragon’s ear-splitting roar caused Xie Xie to slow down a step as a gale
assaulted him from behind.

Xie Xie closed his eyes and moved to slap the button. He didn’t want to relieve the sensation of having his
bones broken again.

Right at that moment, he felt something tug at his waist, pulling him to the side. The Horned Dragon
crashed into another tree, its attack missing completely.

Xie Xie secretly rejoiced within his heart; he was familiar with this feeling of being pulled. He stopped
himself from pressing the button.

The Horned Dragon was truly stubborn in its pursuit. However, just as it turned to continue chasing Xie
Xie, a silver light flew past Xie Xie and whizzed toward the dragon.

“Get lost!”

After that shout, the Horned Dragon’s movements suddenly turned sluggish under the owner of the
voice’s aura. Due to its sluggishness the silver light was able to directly smash into its head.

Bang! The Horned Dragon, which stood over three meters tall, was smashed and sent reeling onto the
ground. Only after rolling a few times on the ground was it able to stand up once more.

Although it was only one strike, there had been three booms. It shook its head a few times before looking
in the direction the silver light had come from.

Tang Wulin pulled Xie Xie back with his Bluesilver Grass and asked, “Are you okay?” Tang Wulin had
actually been nearby, and the Horned Dragon’s heavy footsteps had woken him. He had climbed up a tree
to survey what was going on when he saw Xie Xie faced with the Horned Dragon’s onslaught.

It seemed that Xie Xie was actually quite lucky since Tang Wulin was nearby. During Tang Wulin’s
meditation, he had grown intimate with the surrounding plants and had been able to clearly detect Xie
Xie’s activities from the rejection of the plants. Furthermore, he had been able to vaguely tell that the
plants were rejecting a human, which was why he had been able to reach Xie Xie so quickly.

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“I’m fine.” Xie Xie said as he gasped for breath. He had faced a life and death situation just moments ago
and now his back was already drenched with sweat. “Be careful. The Horned Dragon is very stubborn and
won’t stop at anything once it has identified its prey.”

Tang Wulin laughed. “It seems you forgot that dragon-type soul beasts are the least terrifying to me. I’ll
just go compare my strength with it.” Golden scales covered his right arm as he spoke while a dragon’s
mighty aura began to emanate from him.

Normally, with its tyrannical nature, the Horned Dragon would have already charged at them, but Tang
Wulin’s aura caused it to hesitate.

Its claws were dug into the ground, as if it were waiting for something.

The Heavy Silver hammer he had thrown earlier was retrieved with a pull of the Bluesilver Grass
connected to it. Now, with a hammer in each of Tang Wulin’s hands, what did he have to fear from the
Horned Dragon?

“I’ll harass it from the side so I’ll have to rely on you to face it head on.” Xie Xie turned into a blur and
reappeared in the shadows of a nearby tree. This was to be expected since Agility System Soul Masters
excelled in backstabbing rather than frontal confrontations.

Despite Tang Wulin’s dragon aura, the Horned Dragon’s instincts were beginning to take over. After only
a slight hesitation, it released a dreadful roar before charging at Tang Wulin. The target of its wrath had
already shifted to Tang Wulin after that hammer strike.

A brilliant light twinkled within Tang Wulin’s eyes as a strand of Bluesilver Grass shot toward a tree
branch and firmly coiled around it. With a pull of his hand, Tang Wulin soared into the air. He
somersaulted midair over the Horned Dragon and landed atop its head. With his feet firmly planted, he
released a vicious strike with his left arm onto the Horned Dragon.

After experiencing its might once, the Horned Dragon knew just how terrifying this hammer was. It
turned its head while raising it, shooting its horn toward Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin didn’t dare ignore such an attack, and so he released his Golden Dragon Claw and evaded the
horn while grabbing the dragon’s head.

For a moment, The Horned Dragon clearly became more sluggish after Tang Wulin released his Golden
Dragon Claw. Although it was only a moment, its reaction speed had still slowed down.

Even though Tang Wulin’s soul power and physical strength were great, it was no match for the Horned
Dragon. However, this was balanced by the Golden Dragon King’s influence over the Horned Dragon.

Pu! The Horned Dragon’s scale armor was strong and its skull sturdy, but in a split second, it was pierced
by Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon Claw like it was rice paper.

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The hundred year Horned Dragon’s body lost all its strength. It was unable to even cry out as it collapsed
on the spot.

A yellow halo emerged from its body and fused into the little snake, Goldlight, who let out a cry of
pleasure as a golden layer of light covered its body after the light merged with it.

Tang Wulin stared at his right hand as it returned to normal. His heart was filled with an unfathomable
feeling at the moment. When his Golden Dragon Claw had made contact with the Horned Dragon’s skull, it
had felt like tofu to him, unable to put up the slightest resistance to his tyrannical strength. It seemed that
dragon-type soul beasts and martial souls made excellent opponents for him. Indeed, his bloodline
suppression effect was too formidable. He wouldn’t have had such an easy victory without it!

He made a fist with his left hand and punched the Horned Dragon’s head. A dull thud was heard. The head
moved back a bit, but the rebounding force made his fist ache.

Indeed, the Golden Dragon Claw’s crushing effect was extraordinary. He needed to test its effects and
limitations further so he could utilise it to its fullest.

In any case, using it for such a short period of time had actually consumed thirty percent of his soul
power. This was definitely one of the downsides of using the Golden Dragon Claw. Its consumption rate
was simply monstrous. However, without his bloodline power, he likely wouldn’t have been able to
unleash an attack of this level.

“So ferocious!” Xie Xie said as he walked over, his face expressing shock. The Horned Dragon had been
chasing him to the gates of heaven, yet, it had been crushed in an instant by Tang Wulin.

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 Chapter 127 – The Trio Versus the Crystal Bear
Chapter 127 – The Trio Versus the Crystal Bear

“If this was a real soul beast, then you would have been able to absorb its hundred year soul ring directly,
but too bad it’s not,” Xie Xie said as he gave Tang Wulin a thumbs-up.

Tang Wulin said, “It wouldn’t have been this easy if it wasn’t a dragon-type soul beast.”

Suddenly, a delicate voice called out from the side. “It’s not exactly a dragon. Now hurry up and help me!”

A silver light flashed and a delicate figure appeared not too far from Tang Wulin and Xie Xie. With a green
light beneath her feet, Gu Yue reached them with lightning speed.

A howl came from behind her, announcing the giant figure as it rushed out of the thicket.

“Damn, that Crystal Bear is huge…” Xie Xie went wide-eyed at the sight of the bear, while Tang Wulin
stood stunned.

The thousand year Crystal Bear was practically no different from a bulldozer as it barrelled through the
thicket. Any small trees unfortunate enough to stand in its way were simply crystallized, then smashed
into fine powder. It was simply overbearing.

The silver light flashed again, and Gu Yue appeared right in front of the two. Her face was pale from
exhaustion as she mustered her strength one more time and teleported to hide behind Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin swallowed a gulp. His instincts told him that this bear was far stronger than the hundred year
Horned Dragon he had just killed!

Squatting down, Tang Wulin grabbed the stiff Horned Dragon and hefted it up with both arms.

The scales on his right arm began to shine brilliantly when Tang Wulin released a roar and threw the
gigantic Horned Dragon corpse at the thousand year Crystal Bear.

……

“Heavens, his strength is insane!” Long Hengxu’s eyes had widened in shock at the scene of Tang Wulin
lifting up the Horned Dragon’s corpse.

At that moment, Wang Jinxi awakened from his slumber, his complexion still deathly pale. He couldn’t
help but shudder when he recalled the feeling of the spider’s leg entering his body, and the subsequent
chill that had spread throughout him. The residual sensations Wang Jinxi was experiencing were far more
severe than what Zhang Yangzi went through.

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When Zhang Yangzi watched Tang Wulin kill the Horned Dragon in a single attack, his eyes had already
turned dull, for he knew that even with his powerful martial soul and soul skill, he would never have been
able to take out the Horned Dragon in one hit. In fact, he doubted he would even be able to penetrate its
defences.

Not to mention that now an even more powerful beast had appeared.

A single attack from Tang Wulin’s claw had killed the hundred year Horned Dragon, so Zhang Yangzi
could only imagine the horrifying scene of himself receiving the claw’s attack.

Too terrifying. It was simply too terrifying for him to imagine.

During the tests, Tang Wulin’s power had merely been displayed as numbers, but now, Zhang Yangzi
could clearly see just how powerful Tang Wulin was.

He had thrown that giant Horned Dragon’s corpse so casually… It seemed several thousand kilograms
worth of strength really was nothing to scoff at.

Will those three really be able to kill a thousand year soul beast? Zhang Yangzi thought nervously to
himself. As he watched the three of them face off against such a powerful soul beast, his grudge against
the trio cooled off and he began to cheer for them.

……

“Hou!” The thousand year Crystal bear roared as it grabbed the incoming Horned Dragon’s corpse by the
legs. Dark golden crystals formed on the dragon’s legs, creeping up the upper body of the corpse. In but a
moment, it covered over half of the dragon’s corpse. The bear lowered its head and threw it down.

Bang! The lower half of the dragon’s corpse shattered into a shower of countless crystal shards.

“Damn, it’s so ferocious. Just what kind of trouble have you brought us, Gu Yue? Why would you provoke
something so powerful…? I think it’s actually one of the strongest thousand year soul beasts in the
elementary spirit ascension platform.” Before he finished speaking, Xie Xie had already been flying
toward the bear with his Light Dragon Dagger in hand. He had to prepare to launch a sneak attack at any
moment.

Gu Yue was panting for breath as she said, “Who provoked it? It was the one that provoked me, okay?”

Tang Wulin remained silent as the two of them bantered. With Bluesilver Grass attached to his two
hammers, he sent them flying toward the bear’s head.

Ah, this big guy is so hard to deal with! It might not be as nimble or as quick as the Horned Dragon, but its
attack and defense far exceeded the hundred year Horned Dragon.

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This, this is a thousand year soul beast? The thousand year soul beasts that produced purple soul rings in
the past!?

Tang Wulin wasn’t scared at all, rather, he was brimming with a desire to battle. After all, this was the
spirit ascension platform. They could escape from the battlefield at anytime and there wasn’t anything
more satisfying than true combat. He had never encountered a soul beast in the real world, so today could
be considered an eye-opener for him.

Bang, bang! The Crystal Bear wasn’t particularly quick as it remained in place and simply blocked the two
hammers with a raised arm.

The powerful impact of the two hundred-kilogram hammers knocked into the Crystal Bear, making it
stumble back a step. However, the Crystal bear had now become infuriated..

A yellow light flashed on the Crystal Bear’s body as it charged at Tang Wulin with a roar.

Tang Wulin shouted out, “You two retreat! Xie Xie, what is this thing’s weakness?” Although he had also
studied soul beasts, Xie Xie was undoubtedly the most knowledgeable amongst the three. After all, Xie Xie
had received a strict education since childhood.

“The Crystal Bear’s skin is as hard as copper and its bones are as hard as iron, but its weak point is its
neck. Its neck is the weakest part of its body and all of its nerves are gathered there as well.”

“Got it.” Tang Wulin pulled on a strand of Bluesilver Grass, sending himself soaring into the air and out of
the way of the Crystal Bear’s pounce.

It was good that the beast had a weak point since Tang Wulin wasn’t too nimble. And maybe, just maybe,
Tang Wulin would manage to defeat it with his Golden Dragon Claw.

In any case, they were in the spirit ascension platform! If they didn’t experiment with things in here, then
where would they test the Golden Dragon Claw?

“You two distract it and I’ll look for a chance to give it a fatal blow.” Tang Wulin shouted from the air.

The thousand year Crystal Bear’s attack was met with nothing but air. It was smarter than the Horned
Dragon though. It tore a small tree out of the ground and threw it into the air at Tang Wulin.

With his hammers already back in his hands, Tang Wulin smashed the tree apart, but was sent flying in
the air afterward.

The bear made a beeline for him with its arms spread wide open.

Pu! An invisible blade of light struck its neck, sending a wave of pain throughout its body. The bear
growled in rage as it turned to look at its attacker.

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Xie Xie shouted at the top of his lungs, “Come if you dare!” He slashed with his Light Dragon Dagger and
sent out another blade of light flying toward the bear.

Meanwhile, Tang Wulin quickly stopped falling when a green light covered his body. With another tug on
the Bluesilver Grass and the aid of the wind element, he soared back into the air.

Over a dozen icicles flew over to provide Tang Wulin with footholds in the air, allowing him to change
directions once again.

A halo appeared underneath him as vine after vine of Bluesilver Grass twined around the Crystal Bear’s
legs.

Tang Wulin didn’t expect his Bluesilver Grass to halt and bind the Crystal Bear; he had merely hoped that
it would be enough to slow the bear down.

However, a bizarre scene appeared.

The Crystal Bear exerted its strength in an attempt to break free of the Bluesilver Grass twined around
his legs. Normally, it would have succeeded, but at that moment, a golden light appeared on the Bluesilver
Grass. Although it was for but a split second, it was enough to halt the bear for a second.

It was only a second before the Crystal Bear broke free from the Bluesilver Grass, but that second was all
Tang Wulin wished for.

In that second, Tang Wulin’s soul power hadn’t been depleted like previously. In fact, it hadn’t been
consumed at all, as his Bluesilver Grass had grown far more tenacious innately after he absorbed the
power of the first seal.

Xie Xie took full advantage of the Crystal Bear’s momentary stillness to turn around and retreat. His
retreating speed, with the aid of Gu Yue’s wind element, was simply explosive.

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 Chapter 128 – Comrades!
Chapter 128 – Comrades!

While Xie Xie retreated, a giant fireball exploded on the other side of the Crystal Bear’s head. Gu Yue was
starting her assault from the side.

The three of them stood in a triangle formation, with the Crystal Bear in the center. It stomped furiously,
unable to decide which of the three to attack.

“Xie Xie, attack its belly. Gu Yue, attack its eyes.” Tang Wulin loudly instructed as he shot a strand of
Bluesilver Grass at a tree branch, pulling on it to quickly fling himself to the Crystal Bear’s rear.

This level of coordination was to be expected after all their time spent cultivating together. Xie Xie didn’t
bother to hide himself at this moment. With a flash of his figure, he brandished his Light Dragon Dagger
and Shadow Dragon Dagger, one tangible and the other invisible. He slashed the air, sending a pair of
light blades at the Crystal Bear’s belly.

Pu, pu! The Crystal Bear was furious. It may not have known previously which one to target, but now it
did.

It immediately took large strides toward Xie Xie.

At that moment, however, blazing fireballs flew into its eyes. Although these fireballs were smaller than
the previous ones, the quantity was far greater.

The Crystal Bear raised a paw in front of itself while lowering its head. When it had received those attacks
to its belly earlier, it had already begun to lower its stance. Now, it was forced to hunch in on itself even
more.

It was then that Tang Wulin chose to sweep in. The hammer in his right hand was held back while the
hammer in his left was positioned in a defensive stance in front of his chest. With a golden brilliance, he
released his Golden Dragon Claw as his hammer descended on the Crystal Bear’s neck with an earth-
shattering force.

Tang Wulin understood that victory or defeat would be decided by this one move. With his current soul
power, he only had enough in him for this one attack. He had to bet everything on this attack;if it didn’t
kill the bear, then the trio would be forced to escape from the spirit ascension platform.

Tang Wulin’s attack was accompanied by an ear-piercing whistle as a green wind blade cut through the
air and struck the Crystal Bear’s belly. Gu Yue had exploded with strength to match Tang Wulin’s gambit
and conceal the sound of his attack.

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Considering the fact that they were still nine-years-old and didn’t have any powerful soul skills, what they
had achieved so far in this battle was already amazing.

He arrived!

Without the slightest hesitation, Tang Wulin swiped at the bear’s nape with his Golden Dragon Claw.

A crunching ‘kaka’ noise came from the bear’s neck as Tang Wulin tightly gripped it using his Golden
Dragon Claw’s crushing effect at its full power. The Crystal Bear’s neck had crushed.

It had to be said that Tang Wulin’s full strength was over a thousand kilograms! And with the added
crushing effect, one could only imagine its tremendous might…

However, Tang Wulin discovered that compared to the hundred year Horned Dragon, the Crystal Bear’s
skin was exceedingly tough and had actually put up some resistance that prevented him from completely
crushing its neck. If he didn’t have such immense strength or didn’t attack the Crystal Bear’s weak point,
he feared that the attack likely would have failed.

Is it finished?

Xie Xie stared as the thousand year Crystal Bear fell head first. This sight, in addition to the sound of its
neck crunching, were enough to make him jump for joy.

With two soul rings, he had the highest cultivation among them, so the fact that they could actually take
down such a powerful soul beast was something to be proud of.

At that moment, a layer of brilliant yellow light suddenly erupted from the Crystal Bear’s body.

The scope of this light wasn’t too far, only about one meter in radius, but it actually enveloped Tang
Wulin completely.

“No—” Gu Yue shrieked as the yellow light immediately crystallized Tang Wulin’s body. His body was
frozen in its stance. He gradually began to tip over and fall toward the ground.

Crystal was frail and would fracture into shards upon impact. Tang Wulin was about to be shattered!
Although this was the spirit ascension platform, there would still be residual effects after experiencing
the trauma of shattering into pieces! In fact, it might even result in permanent injuries!

Gu Yue appeared beside him with a flash of silver light. She hastily extended her arms out to hold up Tang
Wulin’s body.

Not only did Tang Wulin’s crystalized form increase his weight, but he was also still holding onto his
Heavy Silver hammers. One could not guess how much he weighed now…

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Gu Yue was pushed onto the ground by the crystal Tang Wulin. The thud rang out and gave her a bout of
dizziness, but she relied purely on her physical strength to keep Tang Wulin from falling onto the floor
and shattering.

As long as he wasn’t smashed into pieces for a while after the crystallization, the crystals would gradually
recede on their own and vanish. It was due to this that the most terrifying time was right after being
crystallized by the Crystal Bear.

Tang Wulin’s consciousness was blurring, but he felt a stuffiness and a sharp pain in his chest. He couldn’t
perceive his surroundings, but when he looked within himself, he was astonished to find golden thread-
like energy that seemed to have emerged from his stifled state to connect throughout his body.

A dark, yellow energy poured into every corner of his body, but was resisted by the golden threads. He
knew that these golden threads were not soul power since he had already consumed all of it when he
used his Golden Dragon Claw. He was also certain that the appearance of these golden threads served to
alleviate the suffocation he felt.

“Tang Wulin, Gu Yue!” Xie Xie hurriedly rushed over to their side. He carefully lifted Tang Wulin and
pulled Gu Yue, who was trapped beneath him, out.

Gu Yue had her eyes closed, her face like a golden sheet of paper and her breathing weak. She had been
injured when the crystallized Tang Wulin fell on top of her.

Xie Xie looked around him. He hesitated slightly, before slapping the exit button on the back of Gu Yue’s
hand. In an instant, she turned into a ray of light and disappeared.

Tang Wulin was still covered in crystals, so it was impossible for him to hit Tang Wulin’s button.

Suddenly, the surrounding thicket rustled fiercely. It seemed there were a number of beasts approaching
them.

What do I do? Tang Wulin is still crystallized, and I can’t send him back. What should I do?

Xie Xie firmly held his Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger as he mulled over his options. He
should escape now while he still could, since his soul power was nearly depleted, but if he left, then the
crystallized Tang Wulin would remain here all alone.

Faced with such a dilemma, he didn’t hesitate to choose the harder path. He knelt beside Tang Wulin to
conserve what little remained of his strength and began to regulate his breathing. His gaze shone with a
resolute light.

His comrade was right beside him, so how could he leave him at such a moment? When he was small, his
father had told him that a true man could support both heaven and earth!

He had to be a man who could support both heaven and earth!

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Men had to be loyal, face danger head-on, and never abandon their comrades, even at the price of their
lives!

This was Xie Xie’s first time encountering a situation like this, and despite the fact that he was like a
newborn calf, he wasn’t gutless at all. Rather, he felt himself getting fired up.

One dark green figure after another slowly emerged from his surroundings. There were at least ten of
them. They were wolves with dark green fur on their backs, their amber eyes filled with ice-cold
ruthlessness. Slowly, they advanced in Xie Xie and Tang Wulin’s direction.

Half of them headed for the remaining Horned Dragon’s corpse while the other half continued advancing
towards Xie Xie and Tang Wulin, surrounding the two.

Green Wolf, a ten year soul beast. Among the ten year soul beasts, it was considerably powerful, with a
violent nature and naturally inclined towards living in packs.

Powerful Green Wolves were able to cultivate to the hundred year level by relying on decaying corpses
for food. Frankly speaking, they were scavengers of the forest.

Xie Xie shifted into a defensive stance with his two daggers and watched the slowly advancing wolves. He
shouted at the top of his lungs, “You can have the Crystal Bear’s corpse, but if you attack me, then don’t
blame me for being rude!”

He didn’t know whether or not these ten year soul beasts could actually understand his words, but his
yelling still made them hesitate for a few moments, and that was enough for him. As long as he could
delay them for long enough, Tang Wulin would break free of the crystallization, and then they could
escape together.

However, the Green Wolves were clearly far more interested in him than the corpse of the Crystal Bear.
They didn’t understand a single word he said and simply continued to tighten their circle around him.
Under the gaze of their grim eyes, Xie Xie’s heart couldn’t help but race anxiously.

I can’t hesitate anymore. I have to take initiative and make the first move.

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 Chapter 129 – End of the Spirit Ascension
Platform Trials
Chapter 129 – End of the Spirit Ascension Platform Trials

Xie Xie slashed out a Light Dragon Blade while sliding to the side, rapidly closing the distance between
him and another Green Wolf.

Pu! One of the Green Wolves had their neck sliced open by the Light Dragon Blade, uttering a sad cry as
blood sprayed out.

Xie Xie agilely moved toward another Green Wolf, but it opened its mouth and released a green wind
blade at him.

Xie Xie responded to this attack by bending his body, completely avoiding the wind blade. With his back
bent, he pounced on the Green Wolf. After a sweep of his two daggers, the wolf’s throat was torn open
and he arrived at another wolf’s side. With a flick of his wrist, he cut open an artery on the wolf’s neck
with his Shadow Dragon Dagger, immediately releasing another burst of blood. It only took a moment
before life ceased to course through the wolf’s veins.

Although his attack had gone according to his plan, causing three wolves to die, the wolves were
launching their assault now too. Dozens of wind blades were flying toward him at that moment.

Xie Xie dodged with all his might, but he sustained some injuries on his back and left leg from the wolves
he had just engaged with. His jacket was already dyed crimson.

“Bastard!” Xie Xie screamed, then rolled to the side, evading another wind blade as he brandished his two
daggers and continued to wage war against this pack of wolves.

He didn’t dare to use a soul skill with the meager amount of soul power he had left. His left leg was
injured and proved to be a burden on his speed now, while his entire body was covered in scars and
bruises. It had only been a few moments, yet he was already soaked in blood.

The scene of their battle could only be described as one of desperation. For every wolf he killed, multiple
wounds were inflicted on his body in exchange. Despite being completely soaked in blood, he didn’t falter
and retreat. From beginning to end, he was moving in circles around the crystallized Tang Wulin,
protecting him from the wolves. With his Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger in hand, he
continued his reckless defense against the wolves’ attacks.

The dark yellow energy finally receded, and Tang Wulin’s senses gradually began to return to him. The
first thing he smelled was the stench of blood.

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After a moment, he saw a crimson figure that was barely able to remain standing.

“Wooo!” A wolf howled, drawing an especially large Green Wolf to pounce on the bloody figure.

“I’ll fight you to the death!” Xie Xie’s crazed roar woke Tang Wulin from his stupor.

The Light and Shadow Dragon Daggers scattered at that moment. The Green Wolf landed on Xie Xie and
pushed him down. It opened a mouth full of sharp daggers and bit at Xie Xie’s neck.

Bang, bang, bang! A silver light flew over and three booms resounded one after another. The giant wolf
cried out in pain as it belatedly realized that its skull had already been cracked open.

Dazed, Xie Xie only felt someone slap the back of his hand, and in the next moment, darkness entered his
eyes. He didn’t know what was going on anymore.

After crushing the skull of the wolf that was on top of Xie Xie, Tang Wulin took in the bitter scene around
him, renewing his determination. He didn’t see Gu Yue anywhere and guessed that she had already
returned. He hit the button on the back of his hand, and darkness entered his eyes just like the others.
After disappearing from the forest, the wind blades shot by the wolves were met with nothing but air.

Darkness was replaced with light as Tang Wulin quickly shot out of the metal box and shouted, “Xie Xie!”

Tang Wulin squinted his eyes to avoid being dazzled by the sudden presence of light as he searched for
Xie Xie.

He saw Zhang Yangzi, the twitching Wang Jinxi and Gu Yue, who was sitting pale-faced. Then there was
the open metal box beside him.

Tang Wulin rushed over to the box that Xie Xie was in.

“Xie Xie, Xie Xie!” Tang Wulin anxiously called out.

“I, I’m fine. Just a bit sore.” Xie Xie said weakly, as he struggled to open his eyes.

Tang Wulin was finally able to relax now that he knew Xie Xie was alright. A wave of exhaustion and the
feeling of the crystal’s suffocation overcame him. His legs lost strength, making him fall onto his butt.

Wu Zhangkong and Long Hengxu stood to the side. Long Hengxu was thoroughly shocked, while Wu
Zhangkong remained as unperturbed as usual.

The Spirit Pagoda staff member exclaimed sincerely, “Geniuses! They truly are geniuses worth nurturing!
Are you sure these children are only nine-years-old?”

The gaze of the staff member was burning with expectation, especially when he turned his gaze to Tang
Wulin, Xie Xie and Gu Yue.

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He had watched their whole performance.

The most breathtaking scene was undoubtedly when Tang Wulin had taken down a powerful soul beast
in only two strikes. His transformed right hand had clearly possessed strength several times higher than
normal. Not only was it able to kill the hundred year Horned Dragon in a single strike, but it had also been
strong enough to crush the thousand year Crystal Bear. If they had been a bit more knowledgeable about
the Crystal Bear, then they wouldn’t have suffered at the end, and their kill would have been considered
perfect.

Gu Yue’s performance was equally worthy of admiration. Her coordination with Tang Wulin had been
amazing. She had used a variety of elements at optimal moments to aid him, and it was also thanks to her
that Tang Wulin hadn’t been harmed at the end. She had actually used her own body to hold up his
crystallized form, which weighed over five hundred kilograms, to prevent it from shattering.

The staff member knew that in situations like those, people normally wouldn’t have the time to consider
whether things were real or virtual. The fact that Gu Yue had been able to make such a quick decision to
save Tang Wulin meant that even in reality, she would have been just as decisive.

They were only nine-year-old children! With such a strong friendship, how could their coordination not
be this deep?

No wonder Eastsea Academy is willing to spend so much money to bring them here. Although they
weren’t in the spirit ascension platform for long, they were faced with the greatest obstacles the whole
time!

And Xie Xie at the end… Despite knowing he was no match for the wolves, he had stayed behind for the
sake of his comrade! He had continued to protect Tang Wulin until the crystallization disappeared and
was finally sent out only when Tang Wulin had been freed!

Although one wouldn’t truly die in the spirit ascension platform, the injuries they sustained all felt
exceedingly real.

Xie Xie had suffered tens of cuts on his body, yet he had still continued to fight and protect Tang Wulin all
the way until the end. During that whole time, he had been minimizing the injuries he sustained while
maximizing the number of enemies he killed! He had simply been extraordinary!

This staff member had never seen such outstanding first-time performances from Soul Masters before.
Even more so astonishing was the fact that these children only had either one or two rings.

Wu Zhangkong slowly walked over to the five students, his dull voice filling their ears. “From now on, you
five are a mini battle squadron. The captain is Tang Wulin, and the vice-captain is Xie Xie. Let’s go.”

Finished speaking, he began leading them toward the elevator.

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The five looked at each other in dismay and shock as a single thought entered their heads. Mini
squadron?

Wang Jinxi looked at Tang Wulin, then Zhang Yangzi, whose face was unsightly, but more than that, it was
full of shame. Before coming here, Zhang Yangzi had been full of ambition and competitiveness, but after
witnessing the events in the spirit ascension platform, his ambitions had been completely washed away
from his heart.

Without even speaking of his strength, just his actions in the spirit ascension platform had been severely
lacking in comparison with his peers.

Regardless of whether it was Tang Wulin who had killed two powerful soul beasts, the self-sacrificing Gu
Yue, or Xie Xie who had fought nearly to the death for his comrade, every single one of them had been
remarkable. When compared with those three, he and Wang Jinxi were simply too lacking.

Wang Jinxi had met his demise after encountering a powerful soul beast, but him? He had simply been
courting disaster!

On the road home, the five students were still brooding over the events in the spirit ascension platform.
Zhang Yangzi was full of remorse, while Tang Wulin pondered over the situation inside of the spirit
ascension platform, the battles replaying over and over inside his mind.

What he was certain about, however, was that their battles in the spirit ascension platform today had
been incredibly stimulating.

Tang Wulin had a particularly profound impression. I actually fought with a soul beast! So that’s what it
feels like to battle against a soul beast… Even though I know everything was virtual inside of the spirit
ascension platform, I can’t help but feel a bit frightened when I recall it. That was the pressure of a battle
of life and death. Cultivating in situations like that really is far better!

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 Chapter 130 – Spirit Soul Evolution
Chapter 130 – Spirit Soul Evolution

Tang Wulin suddenly felt warmth spread from his spine to his whole body. At first, it was so faint that he
could barely feel it, but the closer they got to the academy, the more apparent the feeling became. As the
warmth diffused into his four limbs and seeped into his bones, he felt exceptionally comfortable, but at
the same time, exhaustion washed over him.

To his side, Gu Yue discovered that Tang Wulin’s entire body was swaying as he stumbled forth. She
quickly supported him, worriedly asking, “Wulin, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know, I just feel really sleepy.” With Gu Yue’s support, it was like a switch had been flipped. His
entire body went weak and collapsed into Gu Yue’s arms.

Wu Zhangkong halted mid-step and quickly turned around, astonishment coloring his face. The others
had also started to notice Tang Wulin’s abnormal behavior.

In a flash, Wu Zhangkong appeared in front of Tang Wulin, quickly taking his wrist.

Tang Wulin’s skin shined with a golden-blue layer of light as he lay unconscious, his breathing haggard.

“This kind of situation…” When Long Hengxu arrived and saw the state that Tang Wulin was in, he
couldn’t help but think of a certain possibility. His gaze grew rapt with attention.

Wu Zhangkong hefted Tang Wulin onto his back. “He’s fine, it’s just that his spirit soul is evolving.”

“Ah?” All four students exclaimed in unison.

Spirit soul evolution?

On their way to the spirit ascension platform, Xie Xie had already explained to Tang Wulin how it was
possible to evolve his spirit soul inside of it, but he had only been speaking of a possibility! A spirit soul
evolution was so rare that it was like winning a lottery ticket.

The opportunity to enter a spirit ascension platform even once was hard to come by, much less a chance
to kill powerful soul beasts. Furthermore, the thousand year Crystal Bear they had encountered today
had been an extremely formidable foe, such that even three-ringed Soul Elders would have found it
challenging. In fact, they would have needed at least a team of seven people to defeat it.

In such a situation, everyone who had paid a large price to enter the spirit ascension platform would
always dispute over who would land the final strike on the soul beast and reap the rewards. However,
either way, they would suffer many casualties fighting against such a powerful soul beast.

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Under the shocked stares of everyone, Wu Zhangkong spoke calmly. “His spirit soul is naturally weak, so
it’s easier for it to evolve. For every soul beast you kill in the spirit ascension platform, you obtain one-
tenth of its cultivation energy. That energy, in turn, will be spread evenly among your soul rings. In other
words, if you kill a ten year soul beast, your spirit soul will gain one year’s worth of cultivation energy. If
your spirit soul has 110 years of energy, then it will become 111 years of energy. When it accumulates till
it reaches 1000, then it will evolve. Tang Wulin’s spirit soul is only ten years. He gained at least twenty
year’s worth of energy from killing the hundred year soul beast, and one hundred year’s worth of energy
from the thousand year soul beast. Furthermore, since he only has one soul ring, all of the energy was
concentrated into that one ring, allowing him to evolve his ten year spirit soul into a hundred year spirit
soul. As for the rest of you, you will need to kill at least 18 or 19 thousand year soul beasts to evolve your
spirit soul. With this in mind, do your best in the future.”

That was right! Apart from Tang Wulin and Gu Yue, everyone else had two soul rings. This meant that the
energy they obtained from killing a soul beast would be split between two soul rings, with each ring
receiving five percent of the original! Although there would still be some benefits, it was far harder to
evolve their spirit soul!

Not mentioning killing a thousand year soul beast, even if it was just trying to find that many thousand
year soul beasts in the elementary spirit ascension platform, it was already exceedingly difficult!

So in the end, there were still benefits to having one ring .

After returning to the academy, Wu Zhangkong silently dismissed everyone to return to their dorms and
cultivate. They needed to digest today’s combat experiences, and Tang Wulin would remain muddle-
headed until his spirit soul finished its evolution. An analysis of today’s events was better left for
tomorrow.

Wu Zhangkong brought Tang Wulin back to his dorm. The only thing was… Wu Zhangkong stayed, even
after dropping Tang Wulin off.

For anyone else, Wu Zhangkong wouldn’t do such things, but Tang Wulin was different. Tang Wulin had a
unique, mutated martial soul. Wu Zhangkong had to ensure that Tang Wulin wouldn’t be endangered
during his spirit soul’s evolution.

Tang Wulin’s experience this time was a far cry from when he had broken the first seal. As his spirit soul
evolved, he felt as if he was soaking in a warm pond. This warmth penetrated into the bones of his body,
gently circulating inside of him. He was completely free of any worries in such a comfortable state. His
body was beaten and his spirit exhausted, but his tiredness gradually dissolved under this warmth.

Tang Wulin didn’t even want to open his eyes as he basked in this wonderful feeling.

As he continued to soak in the warmth, the golden halo around his body gradually turned blue.

Strand after strand of Bluesilver Grass began to extend from his palms, surrounding him.

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Wu Zhangkong gently twirled a strand of Bluesilver Grass around his finger. He carefully examined it,
eyes brightening with astonishment.

Is this really Bluesilver Grass? It wasn’t abnormal for Bluesilver Grass to become vine-like or elastic, but
what really amazed him was the fact that he could see energy channels within the Bluesilver Grass.

These energy channels glowed with a faint, golden light. Together with the faint, blue glow of the grass
itself, it greatly resembled the golden-blue light that was covering Tang Wulin’s body right now.

Moreover, Wu Zhangkong discovered that the faint, vein lines grew more distinct under the light of the
energy channels, as if they were some sort of fine imprint. All of these details were noted under Wu
Zhangkong’s careful observation.

Just as I thought, his bloodline is causing his martial soul to mutate again. From what I can see, this
should be a very beneficial mutation. He already has his Golden Dragon Claw, which gives him power
beyond his rank. Although it can’t be sustained for long and is restricted to close combat, it’s still a huge
boost to his power. The only thing I’m uncertain of is whether or not his bloodline can evolve further. If it
can, that would truly be a sight to behold.

Right at that moment, a faint golden light flashed from Tang Wulin’s chest, and Goldlight slithered out. It
had grown to be approximately ten centimeters long, and about as thick as Tang Wulin’s little finger.
Although it was still as slender as before, its golden scales were far more eye-catching now.

The scales on its forehead were a different shade of gold. Compared to the other scales on its body, the
gold shined dazzlingly. With each breath it took, the scales grew even more radiant, and its previously
murky eyes clearer.

A dim, yellow halo appeared from Goldlight’s body, incomparably stronger than its previous white.

It evolved, it really evolved!

It was a hundred year spirit soul now!

Tang Wulin’s defective spirit soul had evolved to a hundred year spirit soul due to his hard work in the
spirit ascension platform and his bloodline’s power! It finally had some value to it.

Wu Zhangkong nodded slightly. Not bad. Tang Wulin has finally made up for his shortcoming. But how
will his soul skill change after his spirit soul’s evolution? Will its transformation make him even stronger?

As a teacher, Wu Zhangkong couldn’t be clearer about Tang Wulin’s weak points.

His strong points were obvious; he had innate divine strength, and a bloodline power that allowed him to
dominate his peers.

His weaknesses, though, were just as obvious.

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When it came down to it, a Soul Master’s strength came from their martial soul. If their martial soul
wasn’t powerful, then they wouldn’t be able to walk far on the path of cultivation. Physical strength and
bloodline power certainly had their benefits, but there had never been anyone in the entire history of
Soul Masters who had climbed to the peak with just these two things.

Tang Wulin wanted to grow stronger, so his martial soul had to grow stronger too. The spirit soul was a
part of the martial soul, so any improvements to it would have a significant impact.

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 Chapter 131 – Bind Post Spirit Soul Evolution
Chapter 131 – Bind Post Spirit Soul Evolution

Tang Wulin’s martial soul had already become an extension of his own body, but his control over it
during combat wasn’t great—he simply used it like rope.

Wu Zhangkong was able to clearly discern these issues, but he didn’t talk to Tang Wulin about them
because he knew just how amazing Tang Wulin’s perception was. He had faith in that Tang Wulin would
discover these flaws himself.

Moreover, Wu Zhangkong wanted to see if Tang Wulin’s bloodline power would gain any other effects
when he reached rank 20.

But now, he didn’t even need to wait until Tang Wulin reached that rank. The answer had already
presented itself.

If it’s like this, then the growth of his martial soul is something to look forward to.

Wu Zhangkong had never believed that Bluesilver Grass was a weak martial soul. After all, the strongest
member of the first generation of Shrek Seven Monsters, who was also the strongest Soul Master in
history, had eventually ascended to godhood with Bluesilver Grass at the beginning. It was through using
Bluesilver Grass that he had taken one step after another on the path toward godhood.

In the last 20,000 years, apart from the Spirit Pagoda’s founder, no one else had been able to ascend to
godhood.

Thus, Bluesilver Grass wasn’t necessarily as weak as one may think.

The radiance emitting from Tang Wulin gradually dim. Little Goldlight opened its mouth wide as if to
yawn before lowering its head, disappearing into Tang Wulin’s body.

With the evolution now complete, Tang Wulin stopped glowing and entered a deep slumber.

The evolution of a spirit soul would lead to many changes both in the martial soul and the Soul Master. An
improvement in one’s martial soul also led to gains for the Soul Master as a whole. Whether it be in terms
of strength, speed, soul power, reaction speed, or the tenacity of one’s body; all of them would be
increased.

The evolution had taken a long time and left Tang Wulin exhausted.

That was some great sleep! Tang Wulin woke up the next day feeling incredible.

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Ever since he broke the first seal on the Golden Dragon King, he felt as if his whole body were swollen.
But now, this feeling had disappeared, leaving a pleasant surprise in its place. His soul power had
increased a bit, and though it had yet to reach rank 15, this increase was still something that would have
taken far longer had he cultivated normally.

It seems I benefited a lot from yesterday’s battle!

“You’re up?” The sudden voice gave Tang Wulin quite the scare. He looked over to discover Wu
Zhangkong sitting legs crossed on a chair nearby.

“Teacher, you…” After staring blankly at Wu Zhangkong for a moment, Tang Wulin started to recall the
events of the previous evening, and of how Wu Zhangkong had watched over him throughout the night.
His heart surged with warmth as he quickly got off his bed.

Wu Zhangkong met his eyes and said, “Wash up and go eat breakfast. Your spirit soul has evolved so we
can go test the changes that your soul skill gained after that.” Having finished speaking, he got up, patted
Tang Wulin on the shoulder, then left.

Spirit soul evolution? A spirit soul evolution! My spirit soul evolved!

Tang Wulin stood there stunned. His spirit soul had always been a sore spot for him. His heart would ache
whenever he saw his comrades and their hundred-year spirit souls. He compared them with his own
mere ten-year spirit soul. With his competitive spirit, it had simply been too demoralizing!

When Xie Xie told him about the possibility of a spirit soul evolving in the spirit ascension platform, he
hadn’t seriously taken it to heart. After all, it wasn’t something he would even dare dream of.

But Wu Zhangkong wouldn’t lie to him!

With a flash of light, his Bluesilver Grass appeared and a halo rose from beneath him.

The originally white soul ring had been transformed into a soul ring with a gentle yellow glow!

It was yellow! A hundredyear soul ring!

Little Goldlight slithered out onto Tang Wulin’s shoulder. Tang Wulin lifted his hand toward it and it
slithered onto his palm. After carefully examining Goldlight, Tang Wulin’s eyes became a bit dull as he
reminisced for a moment.

Not too long ago, he had been filled with sorrow to the point of wishing for death due to this little
Goldlight. It had been a defective spirit soul that represented three years worth of hard earned money.
Amidst his despair at that time, it had only been due to his sheer willpower that he had been able to
persevere! At last, his source of sorrow had now turned into a source of joy!

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Goldlight could no longer be considered trash now that it had evolved. As a hundred-year spirit soul, it
could provide him with two soul rings. This meant that he didn’t need to purchase another spirit soul for
a while longer. With Goldlight’s evolution, he could save even more money and buy the spirit items
needed to break the second seal.

Tang Wulin released a long sigh as these thoughts crossed his mind. He felt that now, endless possibilities
had opened up to him.

“Bind!” With his command, strand after strand of Bluesilver Grass shot out and bound everything in his
room.

Along with the evolution of his spirit soul, Tang Wulin discovered that his Bluesilver Grass had grown
thicker, become more tenacious, and consumed less soul power than before.

When he used his soul skill, a golden color, the same as Goldlight’s color, appeared in his mind.

This had never happened before.

“Goldlight, what’s this? You…”

Without even waiting for Tang Wulin to finish speaking, Goldlight suddenly sprang forth and sank into
the numerous strands of Bluesilver Grass.

Immediately, several strands of Bluesilver Grass turned golden as they were covered by a fine layer of
scales .

This is…

Is this a fusion of the spirit soul and martial soul? It is! Little Goldlight isn’t a defective product anymore.
He can help me in combat now!

When Tang Wulin tugged on a strand of golden Bluesilver Grass, he immediately discovered that not only
was it tougher than before, it was also stronger than the other normal strands of Bluesilver Grass. This
strand of Bluesilver Grass felt as if it were an extension of himself, like an additional limb. Although it
wasn’t nearly as strong as his right arm with the golden scales, it was still only just slightly weaker than
his left arm.

This is a hundred-year spirit soul! With how strong my Bluesilver Grass is now, my Bind will definitely be
much more impactful from now on!

Tang Wulin’s face was plastered with a knowing smile as he rushed out of his room, cheering.

It was still early in the morning and the first glimmers of light had just then creeped up over the horizon.
After washing his face, he madly rushed over to the training field.

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Evolved. My spirit soul evolved! I’m the same as the others now. I have a hundred-year spirit soul too!
With a hundred-year soul ring!

Tang Wulin shouted with excitement in his heart as the wind swept past him, seemingly dispersing the
haze within him.

This spirit soul evolution didn’t only upgrade his strength, it had also given him peace of mind. He was
able to circulate his soul power more smoothly than before, while the power of his bloodline and martial
soul seemed to fuse under these bizarre circumstances.

Standing outside the dormitory’s doors, Ouyang Zixin stared at the scene in shock. A youngster was
running wildly on the training field with his arms spread wide.

What’s going on with him? Ouyang Zixin couldn’t help but smile at this scene. This boy is really
interesting.

After running for some time, Tang Wulin caught sight of a beautiful figure and slowed his pace at last.

“Good morning senior sister!” Tang Wulin wasn’t his usual bashful self today and had actually taken the
initiative to call out to Ouyang Zixin.

Tang Wulin’s large eyes were shining and his cheeks flushed with wildness, showing off his youthful
vigor.

“Why are you so happy junior brother?” Ouyang Zixin curiously asked.

Tang Wulin laughed. “It’s nothing really. I merely made a breakthrough in my cultivation so I’m pretty
happy.”

Ouyang Zixin beamed a smile at him. “That’s good then. Fight on! Mn. This is how a kid should act. You
shouldn’t always be so depressed, looking like an old man. After all, you’re still only ten years old.”

Child? Tang Wulin was stunned and awkwardness filled his heart. So I’m just a child in her eyes…

Tang Wulin’s body was feverishly hot by the time the sky had lit up and he went to the dining hall. The
first window provided nourishing gourmet food that comforted Tang Wulin’s gloomy heart. After all,
wasn’t a good frame of mind beneficial to his cultivation speed?

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 Chapter 132 – Summary
Chapter 132 – Summary

“Tell me about your thoughts on your experiences in the spirit ascension platform yesterday.” Wu
Zhangkong stood at the lectern and unenthusiastically told his five students.

Wang Jinxi’s and Zhang Yangzi’s eyes were puffy and dark. Clearly, they hadn’t had a good night’s rest.
The difference, though, was that Zhang Yangzi’s restless night was due to depression, while Wang Jinxi’s
was caused by nightmares. Wang Jinxi simply couldn’t forget the chill the Man-Faced Demon Spider
instilled in him. That chill had reached to the depths of his very soul. He had felt like he was truly about to
die at that moment. It was a terrifying feeling that was permanently etched into his heart.

Xie Xie’s complexion wasn’t too healthy either. After fighting a bloody battle yesterday and receiving
countless injuries, his nightmares were filled with wolves throwing themselves upon him, one after
another It had been impossible for him to meditate calmly and recover properly under such
circumstances. In fact, he had tumbled onto the ground midway through the night, waking him from his
nightmare.

Contrary to the others, Gu Yue was just the same as usual.

Tang Wulin was the only one in high spirits. After all, how could he not rejoice after his spirit soul
evolved?

“We’ll go in order of yesterday’s eliminations. Zhang Yangzi, you first!” Seeing that no one wanted to be
the first to speak, Wu Zhangkong singled out Zhang Yangzi by name.

“Yes!” Zhang Yangzi responded in embarrassment and quickly stood up. “My performance yesterday was
simply horrible. Teacher Wu, I was wrong.”

Wu Zhangkong rebuked him with a wave of his hand. “I don’t need you to tell me you were wrong, it’s
your own life after all. What you can do, however, is use this chance to acknowledge your errors and
improve yourself. If you had really been in a soul beast forest yesterday, then all that would have
remained of you would be a corpse. In fact, your skeleton might also have been destroyed. So tell me then,
what do you think of your experience and of yourself in the spirit ascension platform yesterday?”

Zhang Yangzi’s face twitched awkwardly. “The world of the spirit ascension platform is too realistic. I
couldn’t feel anything unauthentic about it at all! I was really curious about the world when I first
entered, so I climbed up a tree to survey my surroundings. With my martial soul’s ability to glide, I
thought I would be able to fly in any direction I wanted, so I did.

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“In the beginning, I didn’t do anything wrong. My mistake was underestimating my opponent afterward. I
was arrogant and didn’t carefully observe my surroundings when I chose to impulsively battle it. In the
end, I was besieged on all sides and was quickly eliminated.

“The next time I enter the spirit ascension platform, I will be far more careful and place preserving my life
as the number one priority. That way, I’ll be able to survive even longer.”

Finished with his summary, Zhang Yangzi sat back down.

Without any words of criticism or praise for Zhang Yangzi’s assessment of himself, Wu Zhangkong simply
moved on to Wang Jinxi. “How about you?”

Wang Jinxi forced out a bitter laugh. “Teacher Wu, right now I can’t really remember too much about
what happened in there, the only thing I remember vividly is that face falling on me from above and the
soul freezing chill that followed it. The way it trapped me still gives me nightmares. I’m not even sure
how I should react if I were to face it again in the future.”

Wu Zhangkong calmly spoke. “You need to relax your mind and take several days to recover. Your
situation is actually a bit special. The Man-Faced Demon Spider is an extremely rare and powerful soul
beast. Even at the hundred-year level, it’s able to hunt thousand-year soul beasts. Although there’s no
shame in dying to it, you must remember to immediately press the exit button the moment you encounter
such a powerful soul beast next time. You actually faced some danger to your real self when it killed you
this time.”

Teacher Wu is consoling someone? No way!

“Thank you, teacher.”

Wu Zhangkong then turned to Gu Yue.

Gu Yue was prepared and quickly gave her analysis. “The spirit ascension platform is an exceedingly
realistic world and I felt that I was truly in an ancient forest during my stay there. I really like it in there.
It’s great. Battles with soul beasts are really realistic, I can’t see a single difference from real combat.”

“Is that it?” Wu Zhangkong made a slight frown when he saw Gu Yue sitting down so quickly.

Gu Yue nodded.

Wu Zhangkong prodded her on. “Then explain to me, how were you able to find Tang Wulin?’

Gu Yue was stunned. “It was just by chance.”

“Chance?” Wu Zhangkong’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Xie Xie running into Tang Wulin can be
considered chance since they weren’t too far from each other in the beginning and Xie Xie had only
encountered Tang Wulin after running around chaotically. But you, you were quite far from Tang Wulin,

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yet as soon as you encountered the Crystal Bear, you immediately chose a direction to flee in; and this
was precisely in the direction of Tang Wulin. Furthermore, the direction you fled would continuously
adjust for Tang Wulin’s position when he moved elsewhere. How could you have encountered him by
chance? It’s simply impossible to be that lucky.”

Gu Yue remained silent while Tang Wulin looked at her in shock. How was she able to pinpoint my
position?

Tang Wulin didn’t have a complete understanding of all the events that had happened yesterday. All he
knew was that Xie Xie had fought a bloody battle against a pack of wolves for him. As for Gu Yue, he had
no idea how or why she left.

“I’ll admit it. I have a way of tracking him by controlling the elements. I can place a marker on the bodies
of my comrades by manipulating the elements. This marker let’s me find them easily. I thought that being
with Tang Wulin would be the safest decision, so I prioritized finding him first.” Gu Yue finally gave a
seemingly far-fetched explanation.

“I see.” Wu Zhangkong didn’t pry too deeply and simply moved on to Xie Xie. “It’s your turn.”

Xie Xie began going over his experience. “I really like it in there too. The feeling of hunting soul beasts in
the forest is so invigorating. That sort of forest environment is really suitable for us Agility System Soul
Masters, and my ability to survive increases with the improvement of my speed. My final battle against
those Green Wolves felt amazing too. I had to carefully avoid any fatal injuries while fighting a battle of
attrition. I learned the theory of such battles before, but that was the first time I had actually experienced
the bitterness of such a bloody fight. I gained a lot of combat experience this time, and I learned the
importance of avoiding injuries to vital parts.”

The very last person to go was Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin muttered a few words under his breath, before he began voicing his thoughts. “We were
actually really lucky to be able to kill a thousand-year Crystal Bear this time. If we made even the slightest
mistake, we would have died. Although I knew that the forest is virtual, it was so realistic that I was no
longer able to differentiate it from reality. I subconsciously began treating everything like it were real.
Especially the injuries; I could feel all the pains and aches of the injuries I had sustained in there.

The sensation of battling with an actual soul beast is also very helpful to improving my combat abilities. I
think that if we could continue to cultivate in such an environment, we will be able to become true Soul
Masters. Furthermore, I feel that we need to strengthen our cooperation as a team, so that we’ll be able to
face even stronger soul beasts in the future.”

Wu Zhangkong nodded in approval after hearing their evaluations.

“If I were to score your performances in the spirit ascension platform this time, then: Zhang Yangzi, 0
points. Wang Jinxi, 1 point. Gu Yue, 5 points. Xie Xie, 5 points. And Tang Wulin, 4 points.”

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Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi expected that they would receive low scores, but when they all heard Tang
Wulin’s score, they were shocked. If Tang Wulin hadn’t killed the hundred-year Horned Dragon and
thousand-year Crystal Bear, then Xie Xie and Gu Yue would have died far earlier!

“Tang Wulin, do you know why you scored less than Xie Xie and Gu Yue?” Wu Zhangkong’s burning gaze
locked onto Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin lowered his head and pondered over it. Although he had also been stunned when he heard
his score since he thought he’d done the best, Wu Zhangkong challenged him to come up with the
reasoning, so he began to consider it seriously. As he continued to mull over the events of the day before,
Tang Wulin gradually understood Wu Zhangkong’s reasoning.

“Gu Yue’s score is higher than mine because of the coordination in our joint attack. It was only because of
her excellent control over the elements that we were successful in killing the Crystal Bear. Xie Xie’s score
is higher because he risked his life to defend me from the pack of wolves.”

Wu Zhangkong corrected him. “That’s not all of it. If Gu Yue hadn’t sacrificed herself to catch you when
you were crystallized, you would have shattered into pieces. Although you wouldn’t have died in reality,
you would have suffered from residual effects like Wang Jinxi and experience some dangers. If we count
the minor details, then Gu Yue would actually have the highest score out of all of you.

“As for Xie Xie, his score isn’t higher than yours because he saved you, but because of his greater
knowledge of soul beasts. You were deducted points because you were crystallized after killing the
Crystal Bear. If you had studied more and had known the traits and features of a Crystal Bear, then you
would have known that its soul power explodes when it is on the verge of death, crystallizing everything
in a certain radius. You would also have known that the stronger the Crystal Bear, the greater the radius
of its soul power explosion. Clearly, however, you were lacking in such knowledge.”

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 Chapter 133 – Before the Final Exam
Chapter 133 – Before the Final Exam

“If you had been able to kill the thousand-year Crystal Bear without being crystallized, then neither Xie
Xie nor Gu Yue would have needed to sacrifice themselves for your sake, and together, the three of you
wouldn’t have had any problem taking out the pack of wolves. Their sacrifices, were all because of you.”

Wu Zhangkong’s words seemed especially cold to Tang Wulin’s ears at that moment. He had been proud
of the battles’ results, yet, Wu Zhangkong’s words were like a bucket of cold water being poured over
him. So the battle was actually like that?

That’s right! If it had been a true battlefield, then my mistake would have caused the whole team to
collapse and my comrades to die for my sake! How can I consider that a victory then?

Wu Zhangkong continued to speak dully. “You need to strengthen your knowledge and understanding of
soul beasts. Don’t think that just because soul beasts are rare nowadays, studying them is useless. On the
contrary, a deeper understanding of soul beasts will greatly benefit your future cultivation. Research has
shown that over 90% of the soul skills we Soul Masters possess have belonged to a soul beast at one point
or another, so a greater understanding of soul beasts is the equivalent of understanding your
competitors. It will also increase your odds of survival in the spirit ascension platform.

“You all should understand by now that the longer you survive in the spirit ascension platform, the
greater the benefits are. You all still have a long ways to go.”

Tang Wulin’s previous joy from having his spirit soul evolve disappeared completely. That’s right! All
because I lacked knowledge, I was a burden to my comrades!

Bitterness encroached his heart the moment he realised this. Gu Yue and Xie Xie died because of me!

“In today’s morning lesson, I’ll be discussing the soul beasts you encountered yesterday. I will explain any
special traits they have and their abilities at each level.” Wu Zhangkong indifferently announced the day’s
lesson.

A chill suddenly swept through Tang Wulin’s body. He looked to his side to see Gu Yue giving him a nod.

A drop of cold water slid down his neck. He trembled, which immediately cleared and awakened his
mind.

“Thanks,” Tang Wulin whispered.

“What’s up?” Xie Xie looked over and asked.

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After their adventures in the spirit ascension platform, the five students tackled studying with renewed
vigor, as if their desire to study had gained a soul ability itself. Their desire to improve left no room for
Wu Zhangkong to spur them on. In fact, Zhang Yangzi even dropped his grudge against Tang Wulin’s trio.
All that were on their minds were studying and cultivation.

With a strand of Bluesilver Grass connecting them, Tang Wulin and Wang Jinxi attempted to dual
cultivate at night. As expected, their cultivation speed was a bit faster than cultivating alone, so both of
them found this arrangement to be very beneficial. Furthermore, Tang Wulin’s cultivation speed was
much faster now due to the evolution of his spirit soul. Even if he had yet to catch up with the other
geniuses, at the very least, the gap between them was rapidly closing. Nevertheless, it was impossible for
him to overtake them in such a short period of time considering the large gap between their cultivations.

A bustling life made one feel enriched, or, at least, Tang Wulin felt this way.

Tang Wulin would study and cultivate throughout the week and go to the Blacksmith’s Association to
learn from Mu Chen on rest days.

Mu Chen may have seemed kind on the surface, but when he acted as a teacher, he was extremely fierce.
He was actually stricter than Mang Tian and, after a day of forging, Tang Wulin would be left even more
exhausted than after a week’s worth of studies.

Despite his constant state of exhaustion, Tang Wulin could feel his forging abilities gradually improving
under Mu Chen’s tutelage.

Mu Chen’s style of teaching didn’t differ too much from Mang Tian’s. He hadn’t started teaching Tang
Wulin about Spirit Forging yet; instead, Mu Chen focused on solidifying Tang Wulin’s foundation and
correcting any mistakes he had. Even for the slightest errors he would force Tang Wulin to practice them
until perfection.

A perfect foundation! Tang Wulin had never thought that having a perfect foundation was important
since he was already a third rank blacksmith, but after a month of studying under Mu Chen, Tang Wulin
was astonished to find that he could complete third rank Thousand Refinement missions 10% faster now!

As he continued to forge tirelessly, Tang Wulin gradually started to understand the importance of a
perfect foundation. The most important aspect of a perfect foundation was that it would rid him of any
useless movements.

Put simply, if a hammer strike was perfect, it would possess its full power, but if it strayed even a little bit,
then the results would also suffer! This wouldn’t actually affect the refinement process, but just how
many strikes did it take to Thousand Refine a metal? If every single strike was perfect, then the Thousand
Refinements would be more efficient, thus saving time.

When Tang Wulin told Mu Chen what he felt while forging now, Mu Chen smiled for the first time since he
had taken Tang Wulin in as his disciple. He then explained the differences between Thousand

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Refinements. These differences lied in the number of hammerings a metal received during the Thousand
Refinement process. The less strikes it received, the greater the effects of the Thousand Refinements. A
blacksmith’s ability was representative of their efficiency in Thousand Refinements!

After understanding this point, Tang Wulin studied with greater diligence than before.

It became a requirement for class zero to enter the spirit ascension platform once a week. After entering,
the five of them were exceptionally cautious and would only engage soul beasts they encountered after
thorough preparations.

However, being cautious did not necessarily mean that they would reap the greatest benefits in the spirit
ascension platform. Luck was also essential. If they were unlucky enough to meet an opponent beyond
them, then they would be eliminated quickly and ejected.

One time, as soon as Tang Wulin entered the spirit ascension platform, he met an extremely agile
thousand-year soul beast. Before he could even make a move, he was heavily wounded and had no choice
but to exit.

In the blink of an eye, the end of the first term approached.

“Teacher Wu, do we also need to take a final exam too?” Tang Wulin asked in astonishment.

The other four students also had surprised expressions.

For their class, the first grade’s final exam was useless. This wasn’t arrogance, but confidence in how
greatly they had changed in the last three months.

Gu Yue was already at the peak of rank 19 and was only a step away from reaching rank 20.

Tang Wulin had also reached the peak of rank 15 and wasn’t too far off from rank 16. In a short six
months, he had improved from rank 11 to rank 15. Tang Wulin hadn’t even dreamt of making such
progress before coming to Eastsea Academy.

Most importantly, however, was the increase in their combat abilities. Their experiences in the spirit
ascension platform had proved useful as it pressured them to cultivate even harder. At the young age of
ten, they actually had such unbelievable combat ability.

President Yu Zhen had invested greatly into class zero; they were provided with the best teaching
facilities and equipment, as well as entry into the spirit ascension platform. This was the only way for
them to raise these little monsters properly.

“Yes, you need to take them,” Wu Zhangkong said with his usual stony expression. “Your final exam will
test two things. The first is the spirit ascension platform.”

Spirit ascension platform?

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In these last three months, they had already entered the spirit ascension platform a total of eleven times
and were already familiar with it. As long as they weren’t unlucky, they would be able to survive for at
least one hour each time. The current record for the longest survival time was actually held by Xie Xie,
with his stay of three hours.

The more they experienced it, the more they sensed the changes the spirit ascension platform was had on
their combat abilities. Whether it was their application of soul skills, combat techniques and so on, they
had all greatly improved.

As they now understood the benefits of the spirit ascension platform, they began to greatly anticipate
their weekly visits there.

“You must survive for at least an hour to pass the exam. However, this time you will be entering the
rebellion spirit ascension platform.”

Xie Xie asked in shock, “Teacher, what is the rebellion spirit ascension platform?” He had never heard of
it, but it seemed to be a special type of spirit ascension platform.

Tang Wulin and the others all stared at Wu Zhangkong in shock and curiosity. If the spirit ascension
platform had already proved to be extremely effective at improving their combat ability, then what about
the rebellion spirit ascension platform…?

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 Chapter 134 – Rebellion Spirit Ascension
Platform?
Chapter 134 – Rebellion Spirit Ascension Platform?

Wu Zhangkong said, “Twice a year, the spirit ascension platform will rebel. At first, they were caused by
the unstable energies that the spirit ascension platform was made of. As the technology progressed,
however, they were able to gain control over the rebellion periods and turned them into a special feature
of the spirit ascension platforms. During a rebellion period, the soul beasts will grow excited and become
more visible, increasing the danger within the spirit ascension platform. The Eighteen Pillars of Heaven
imposed a limit of 300 people to enter the rebellion spirit ascension platform each time. This time, you
five are fortunate enough to be one of those 300 people after the academy spent an enormous amount of
resources to secure five quota spaces for you. You should appreciate just how great of an opportunity this
is.”

“During the rebellion period, you will be able to enter the spirit ascension platform as a team, but your
number cannot surpass seven. Since there are only five of you, so there will be no problems for you to
enter together. This will serve to test your coordination as a team. Don’t forget though, in addition to soul
beasts, you might encounter other Soul Masters. They will pose just as much of a danger to you as soul
beasts, because if you are ejected from the spirit ascension platform within the 100 seconds it takes to
absorb a soul beast’s spiritual energy, the remaining energy will go to the nearest Soul Master. These are
the special rules of the rebellion spirit ascension platform.”

Zhang Yangzi asked, “So you’re saying that other Soul Masters can steal our spiritual energy, and we can
steal their spiritual energy too?”

Wu Zhangkong spoke dismissively, “If you’re confident you can try, but don’t forget that Soul Masters
with up to three rings can enter the elementary spirit ascension platform, and those that want to enter a
rebellion spirit ascension platform have to pay an enormous price. This means that there is a high chance
that three ringed Soul Masters will appear and kill as many soul beasts as they can to try to upgrade their
spirit soul. If you truly decide to attack them, then you should be prepared to face a powerful opponent.”

Tang Wulin said, “Don’t worry, teacher. We will rely on our strength as a team!”

Zhang Yangzi’s relationship with the others had mended long ago. After all, they were young and had the
temperament of children. How could he hold a grudge considering that? Moreover, as Tang Wulin and
Wang Jinxi grew closer together, Wang Jinxi had astonishingly advanced two ranks to reach rank 23. On
the other hand, both Zhang Yangzi and Xie Xie had only just reached rank 22.

“You will enter the spirit ascension platform in three days. You can take the next three days off as a
vacation to rest and prepare.”

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Vacation? Ever since they had entered class zero, they hadn’t had any opportunities to rest apart from the
one rest day they had every week.

But now they were given three days off! Xie Xie and Zhang Yangzi immediately took the lead to express
their joy with cheers.

Tang Wulin turned pensive at the thought of three days of free time. What should I do in these three
days? That much time isn’t enough to make any improvements for battle.

After school, they all headed back to the dormitory.

“Wulin, what do you plan on doing in these three days? How about we go out to play instead?” Xie Xie
mischievously laughed.

“Play? Play what?” Zhang Yangzi looked over and asked.

Xie Xie rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t talking to you.”

Zhang Yangzi laughed. “I’ll treat you guys to dinner then, how about it? Will you bring me now?”

Xie Xie said, “I’ll have to consider it then. That’s right, I just remembered something. Teacher Wu said our
final exam has two parts to it, and the spirit ascension platform is only one part! What’s the other part
then? What do you guys think?”

After pondering over it, they were at a loss and could only shake their heads.

Wang Jinxi answered with a bitter smile, “The rebellion spirit ascension platform is a wonderful
opportunity, but it’s still a bit early for us. I heard that the competition within the rebellion spirit
ascension platform is extremely fierce and there is no room for empathy inside. After all, the chance to
evolve your spirit soul is simply too valuable.”

Tang Wulin said, “The academy has invested a lot to give us the opportunity to enter the spirit ascension
platform this often. I think they want us all to evolve our spirit souls to the thousand-year level by the
time we graduate. Have any of you measured and calculated the growth of your spirit soul yet?”

When they heard these words, they all froze in place.

A thousand-year spirit soul? Just what did that signify?

A thousand-year spirit soul, a thousand-year soul ring! Their first ring would become a thousand-year
soul ring!

If their first spirit soul was a thousand-year one, then it would be able to provide them with three soul
skills and help them conserve some spiritual power. They could then fuse with another thousand-year
spirit soul in the future and not need to worry about obtaining their first six soul rings.

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The number of spirit souls one could support had always been one of the greatest limitations that
prevented Soul Masters from reaching higher levels of cultivation.

If one’s spiritual power was insufficient, then any attempts at fusing with a spirit soul would only end in
failure. This was one of the reasons why Wu Zhangkong emphasized cultivating spiritual power.

After researching spirit soul fusion for the last 10,000 years, 3000 years ago, the great Soul Master
organizations released a report which detailed that a correlation between a Soul Master’s spiritual power
level and the number of spirit souls they could fuse with existed.

At the basic Spirit Origin realm, only one spirit soul could be fused with. With spiritual power at the Spirit
Origin realm, one could support up to a single yellow spirit soul.

At the Spirit Connection realm, one’s spirit could then communicate with their spirit soul and gain basic
control over their spiritual power. By controlling one’s spiritual power, one could support two yellow
spirit souls or even a single purple spirit soul.

At the Spirit Sea realm, one’s spirit became as vast and as boundless as the sea. It was at this realm that
one’s spiritual power could be considered high and was a sufficient foundation to become a powerful
expert. All Mecha Masters and Souls Masters who reached the apex had reached this level at the very
least. At this realm, one could support either five yellow spirit souls, three purple spirit souls or a single
black spirit soul.

When one entered the Spirit Abyss realm, their spirit would act like an abyssal prison. If the spirit was the
world, then the upper boundary would be heaven while the lower boundary would be hell! Should one
have such powerful spiritual power, they would also possess a legendary spirit soul that acted as their
foundation. One could fuse with any level of spirit soul at this realm; even orange spirit souls and red
spirit souls could be fused with. If one fused with an orange or red spirit soul, then their remaining power
would only be at the Spirit Sea realm. However, if one didn’t have an orange or red spirit soul, it was
possible to fuse with a maximum of five spirit souls of any color. Normally speaking, the Spirit Abyss
realm was considered the limit of humans, but there was still the Spirit Domain realm.

Should one reach the Spirit Domain realm, their spirit sense would become a domain, a world unto itself.
Their spirit sense would control the domain and their spirit souls become the foundation of their world.
Their mind would then be boundless, and their spiritual power able to fuse with spirit souls of any level.
In theory, the limit was nine legendary spirit souls, just like the fabled founder of the Spirit Pagoda and
creator of spirit souls, the almighty Spirit Ice Douluo.

Then, there was the rumored Divine Origin realm. One would transform into the primordial state, while
their spirit sense would become omnipotent and change into the primordial spirit. Spiritual power would
convert into primordial spirit power; that was the realm of the gods. With a single thought, one would
know everything under the heavens and could peek into the realm of the gods. Once one reached the
Divine Origin realm, they could already be considered a demigod. Only a god’s inheritance was missing.

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For Soul Masters, the first four spiritual power realms were the most important as Spirit Domain realm
and Divine Origin realm were only attainable by pure spirit attribute Soul Masters.

The Spirit Origin realm was something everyone possessed innately as soon as they were born. From
there, it wasn’t too hard to cultivate 100 points of spiritual power and reach the Spirit Connection realm.
However, a huge gap existed between Spirit Connection and Spirit Sea, preventing the majority from ever
reaching the latter.

The Spirit Sea realm required 500 points of spiritual power.

The Spirit Abyss realm required 5000 points of spiritual power.

The Spirit Domain realm required 20,000 points of spiritual power.

As for the Divine Origin realm, it required a terrifying 50,000 points of spiritual power.

There were rumors that an even higher realm existed: the legendary Godking realm. This was the current
extent of Tang Wulin and his classmates’ knowledge.

Among the five students of class zero, Gu Yue possessed the greatest spiritual power and would easily
reach the Spirit Sea realm in the future. Only after reaching the Spirit Sea realm would it be possible for a
Soul Master to have nine rings, assuming these nine rings were all thousand-year rings at most.

As for the other four students, Tang Wulin was second in spiritual power strength since he was already at
the Spirit Connection realm. The remaining three were all at the boundary of the Spirit Connection realm
and would soon reach it.

Even so, with how talented they were, reaching Spirit Connection would be easy, and considering their
young age, it was very likely that they would be able to reach the Spirit Sea realm too.

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 Chapter 135 – Closed Door Forging
Chapter 135 – Closed Door Forging

If they were to actually have a purple thousand-year soul ring as their first ring, then when they reached
the Spirit Sea realm, they would be able to have three thousand-year spirit souls. This meant that they
would have the chance to become a Title Douluo.

Naturally, this was only a chance. An extremely small chance too, since a Title Douluo with only three
thousand-year spirit souls — a total of nine purple rings — had never appeared before; they would be too
weak!

Take Wu Zhangkong for example. He currently possessed six rings and had a ten-thousand-year spirit
soul. Just how powerful was he?

“It seems like the academy really is planning for that?” Zhang Yangzi gulped. Although his ambitions had
always been to become a powerful expert, his nature was actually that of a straightforward and kind
person. It was due to these ambitions that he had acted so arrogantly when he’d first met Tang Wulin’s
trio.

Xie Xie said, “That’s probably what they’re planning. If this really is true, then that’ll be great for us. We
will definitely have to treasure every chance we get when we enter the spirit ascension platform.”

Tang Wulin said, “I’m not going to go out to play then. I plan on going to the Blacksmith’s Association to
temper myself a bit.”

Gu Yue said, “I’m going to meditate.”

Wang Jinxi looked at Tang Wulin with grief-filled eyes, forcing Tang Wulin to laugh. “Jinxi, I’ll be back at
night. Don’t worry.”

“Ahem! Jinxi, when did you become a jealous woman?” Zhang Yangzi poked fun at Wang Jinxi as he patted
him on the shoulder.

Everyone knew that Tang Wulin and Wang Jinxi complemented one another when dual cultivating.

Wang Jinxi shot him a glare. “If you can help me cultivate an extra half a rank in three months, then I’ll
also act like a jealous woman to you too. Wulin, can I go with you? Or maybe I’ll pick blacksmithing as my
secondary occupation too? Do you think I have any talent for it?’

Tang Wulin said, “I still think it’s best if we all have secondary occupations different from one another so
that in the future, we’ll be able to help each other out when we start making our own battle armor.”

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Xie Xie said, “That makes sense. I’ve already decided on my secondary occupation anyway. I’ll be a mecha
maker! A mecha maker doesn’t require too much technical knowledge, but instead focuses on practicing
technique. I think it’s quite suitable for me. What about you guys?”

Zhang Yangzi said, “I’m still not sure yet.”

Gu Yue said, “I think I’ll study mecha mechanics.”

“Ah? You want to study mecha mechanics? But you’re a girl! I thought you would choose mecha
designing,” said Xie Xie with shock.

Gu Yue coldly said, “Only brainless people would think like that.”

“You…”

“Alright, you two hurry up and go back to rest and eat.” Tang Wulin could only helplessly look at his two
quarreling friends. He’d already gotten used to their bickering long ago.

After getting to know the others these last few months, Tang Wulin discovered that Zhang Yangzi and
Wang Jinxi had the best relationship, while Xie Xie and Gu Yue were like fire and water. Although Gu Yue
seemed gentle on the outside, her real personality was rather haughty, and she kept a distance from the
other three.

The funny thing was, everyone had a good relationship with Tang Wulin, so he acted as the team’s
mediator.

Tang Wulin was grateful for having companions such as these. He had been born with a trash martial soul
and his cultivation was the weakest among them, yet he was allowed to enter class zero and study
together with these geniuses. He couldn’t slack off now that he had found himself in a good situation.
Although his cultivation speed was still the slowest among them, he had improved greatly compared to
his old self.

Tang Wulin’s attitude went through an amazing change ever since he’d come to Eastsea Academy. He no
longer compared himself against these geniuses, and simply compared himself to himself. As long as his
cultivation speed kept increasing, he would be satisfied.

The final exam was approaching, and it was also a team exam. As the captain and the one with the
weakest cultivation, he carried within him an enormous amount of responsibility.

After eating dinner and doing some light exercises, he started meditating. During his meal, he had already
decided on his plan for the next three days.

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Early morning of the next day.

Tang Wulin ran out of the academy grounds and headed straight for the Blacksmith’s Association. He
bought a few things from there, then entered a forging workshop and began a three-day period of closed-
door forging.

Hammering sounds rang out without pause from within the workshop. For the next three days, Tang
Wulin would come here during the day to forge. At night he would return to the dorms, beaten and
exhausted, to dual cultivate with Wang Jinxi via a strand of Bluesilver Grass.

“Tang Wulin, come over here for a moment.” After he finished forging for the day, he received a call from
Mu Chen, summoning him.

“Yes teacher. I’ll head over now.”

When he arrived at the association, he directly walked toward Mu Chen’s office. By now, the association
employees already recognized him as Mu Chen’s disciple, but they still didn’t know that this nine year-old
kid was actually a third rank blacksmith.

Under Mu Chen’s special orders, all of the tasks that Tang Wulin accepted went through Cen Yue first to
hide the fact that he was a third rank blacksmith.

A nine-years-old third rank blacksmith was simply too shocking. Mu Chen instructed Tang Wulin that
before he reached the Spirit Forging level, he wasn’t allowed to cause a ruckus in the outside world. This
was the reason why Tang Wulin never wore his blacksmith’s badge, as it would give away his rank.

“Teacher!” The moment Tang Wulin walked in, he saw Mu Chen perusing something.

“Ah, you’re here. Come and take a seat.” Mu Chen was a mild-mannered person outside of the times he
taught Tang Wulin forging.

After Tang Wulin seated himself opposite Mu Chen, he was handed a metal card.

Tang Wulin took the metal card and inspected it. It had unusual complex and fine lines on it. Although
Tang Wulin hadn’t reached a high enough level yet, he could tell that it likely held a profound soul circuit.

Flipping it over, he saw three familiar words inscribed into it: spirit ascension platform.

“Spirit ascension platform?” Tang Wulin asked in surprise.

Mu Chen nodded. “The spirit ascension platform is about to enter a period of rebellion, and that will be a
great opportunity for you to gain experience. This is an invitation card that will let you enter it. But be
careful; a rebellion spirit ascension platform is far more dangerous than normal, and you will be under
even greater pressure. Of course, the opportunities are just as great. Go participate in it and temper
yourself. Temper yourself well.”

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Tang Wulin was well aware of how few slots a rebellion spirit ascension platform had, so when he saw
how carefree his teacher was being, he couldn’t help but feel warm within his heart. Ever since he’d
joined the Blacksmith’s Association, this was the very first time he had received aid from his teacher.

“Thank you teacher, but this is too precious. You should just give it to big sister Mu Xi instead.” As he
spoke, Tang Wulin returned the card.

Mu Chen revealed a warm smile. “She already has one. You two should look after each other inside there.”

Tang Wulin, somewhat awkwardly, said, “The academy has already arranged for us to take part in a
rebellion spirit ascension platform as our final exam, so I already have a slot.”

Mu Chen was surprised. “Your class zero is actually treated this well? It seems Eastsea Academy really
does value you guys!” Although Mu Chen knew that Tang Wulin had joined a class of geniuses, he also
understood that Tang Wulin’s cultivation was only just barely above average. With his young age taken
into consideration, however, his cultivation speed certainly couldn’t be considered slow.

For a blacksmith, however, the martial soul wasn’t nearly as important. As long as a blacksmith had
sufficient soul power, they would be fine. He hadn’t expected that this class of geniuses that Tang Wulin
joined would actually be treated so well.

Despite this, Mu Chen didn’t accept the card back. He simply smiled and said, “You can just keep it then. I
obtained two cards anyway. With an extra card, you can go in one more time. After all, a rebellion spirit
ascension platform lasts for seven days. Entering it another time will still be a great experience for you.”

Entering another time? Tang Wulin’s heart stirred at the thought.

“Tomorrow marks the beginning of the rebellion period, So you should hurry back and prepare soon. I
don’t have any other warnings to give you since you’re already far more level-headed than your peers,
but if you happen to run into Mu Xi, I hope you two will take care of each other.”

“Yes teacher.”

The relationship between Tang Wulin and Mu Xi had never been particularly good because in Mu Xi’s
heart, she still harbored some rejection toward Tang Wulin. Mu Xi would often say that Mu Chen treated
Tang Wulin even better than her, rousing her competitive spirit.

While she went through the hard labor of forging, she was able to control, to some degree, the
temperature with her martial soul, which was a skill she had inherited from Mu Chen. She was gifted in
forging and had a firm foundation, and was now preparing for the Thousand Refinements. Mu Xi still
needed some time, however, before she could reach the third rank.

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Chapter 136 – Thousand Refined Cloud Titanium
Vests
Chapter 136 ‐ Thousand Refined Cloud Titanium Vests

After returning to the dormitory, Tang Wulin didn’t return to his room first. Instead, he knocked on
someone else’s door.

“You’re back. What’s up?” After Xie Xie opened the door and saw Tang Wulin, he said these words
somewhat discontentedly. He hadn’t seen anyone around these last few days so he had no one to go out
and play with. In the end, he could only cultivate in boredom.

“Come over to my room. I have something to tell everyone.” Tang Wulin waved, then proceeded to the
next room.

It was already late into the evening and everyone had just returned from dinner, so they were all resting
in their rooms. It didn’t take long for Tang Wulin to round them up and assemble them in his room.

“Mr. Captain, what did you call us all here for?” Zhang Yangzi said in a teasing manner.

Tang Wulin said, “I have something to give all of you. Here, try it on and tell me if I need to adjust it.” As
he spoke, a pile of metal objects poured out of his storage ring. He then proceeded to distribute them.

“This is…” When they saw the items that Tang Wulin handed out, everyone was shocked.

They were vests, vests forged from metal. This metal vest was made from numerous thumb-sized silver
metal disks linked together in an ingenious manner to form a chainmail.

What was even more astonishing was how flexible and light the vest was. It was made in the style of
chainmail, and if one inspected it closely, they would discover faint cloud patterns sprawling across the
pieces of metal, exuding an exotic aura.

“It’s so light. What is it made of?” Zhang Yangzi curiously asked.

Tang Wulin said, “It’s made from an uncommon metal called Cloud Titanium. I used the Thousand
Refinements to purify it then forged chainmail from it. Although it’s light, it’s still extremely tough. When
we enter the spirit ascension platform, we’re scanned and everything on our person will be brought
inside, so if we wear this vest when we enter, we’ll be able to use it inside and it’ll increase our chances of
survival.

Wang Jinxi spoke slowly. “Is this considered cheating...?”

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Zhang Yangzi said craftily, “How could this be considered cheating? We’re just taking advantage of the
rebellion spirit ascension platform to improve ourselves.”

“Although it doesn’t fit perfectly, it doesn’t hinder my movements either. It doesn’t encumber my agile
movements. Jinxi, try punching it.” Zhang Yangzi said eagerly.

“Okay.” Wang Jinxi punched straight at Zhang Yangzi’s stomach.

With a ‘bang’, Zhang Yangzi was knocked onto his butt.

“Ouch, you should have taken it easier!” Zhang Yangzi complained.

Wang Jinxi cooly said, “What use is there in going easy? Captain really made these well. When I hit it, it
felt as if I was striking solid armor or an iron panel. Technically, you were only pushed over by my force,
you weren’t knocked down.”

Zhang Yangzi got up and rubbed his stomach. That’s right! My stomach doesn’t hurt at all.

Gu Yue looked at Tang Wulin. “Is this the reason you were gone the last three days?”

“Yea. It’s just making some preparations before the battle. Jinxi and Yangzi were both correct, this can be
considered cheating in a way, but at the very least, we can ensure that everyone won’t be as fragile when
faced with those soul beasts anymore. As long as we can survive even a minute longer in the spirit
ascension platform, it will be considered an achievement in our exam and allow us to hunt even more
soul beasts.”

Xie Xie looked at the Thousand Refined Cloud Titanium vest in his hands. He then shifted his gaze to Tang
Wulin, a hint of shame filling his eyes. So this is what that guy was doing…

“Hurry up and try them on!” Tang Wulin urged them on.

Everyone started experimenting with their vests. Though Tang Wulin had little experience with making
clothes, a vest was simple enough for him to make.

He had also taken Wang Jinxi’s martial soul transformation in consideration and made his vest a bit
larger.

“Alright, that’s all. Let’s all do our best tomorrow.” Tang Wulin stretched out his right hand. Xie Xie was
the first one to pick up on Tang Wulin’s intent and quickly placed his own hand atop Tang Wulin’s.
Afterward, Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi and Gu Yue took their cue and added their own hands underneath
his palm.

The five of them cheered in unison, “Let’s do it!”

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Early morning. A heavy fog had enveloped Eastsea City during the night, hindering visibility and making
it seem like everything were just hazy figures.

Despite the usual lack of cheer haunting the city at this time, the Spirit Pagoda was bustling with
excitement. As one of the Spirit Pagoda’s Eighteen Pillars of Heaven, it was one of the entrances into the
rebellion spirit ascension platform.

A single entry card for the rebellion spirit ascension platform auctioned for over 100,000 federal coins
and it had no set market price. The Spirit Pagoda organized the distribution of these cards every year.
Even though the chance to achieve spirit ascension was miniscule, everyone would go crazy for that
chance.

The moment that the first glimmers of dawn peeked over the horizon, Wu Zhangkong and the students of
class zero had arrived at the Eastsea Spirit Pagoda. The earlier they entered, the less likely they were to
encounter any competitors.

“You all must remember that at its peak, the spirit ascension platform will be filled with many other
people, of whom many will be your enemies. You only have one mission inside of there: survive! Anyone
who doesn’t pass the final exam will be penalized.”

After hearing Wu Zhangkong’s warning, Xie Xie couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Teacher Wu, what’s the
penalty?”

Wu Zhangkong shot him a glance. “Your vacation days will be cancelled.” After every term was a month-
long vacation, so when he heard that their vacation might be cancelled, Xie Xie immediately went wide-
eyed in shock. He had been looking forward to the month-long vacation for so long already.

The others also exchanged looks of panic, while only Tang Wulin maintained a calm expression. Even Gu
Yue had frowned at the prospect of losing her vacation.

“Let’s go.”

After the five students handed over their entry cards, they were lead by a staff member to a familiar
room. As Eastsea City’s only intermediate academy, not only did Eastsea Acaademy have tremendous
influence, they also maintained a cordial relationship with the Spirit Pagoda. If not, they wouldn’t
necessarily have been able to secure spirit ascension platform spots even if they had money.

Eastsea Spirit Pagoda had set up this room especially for them, which allowed Wu Zhangkong to monitor
them. This wasn’t normal but was actually preferential treatment.

“The spirit ascension platform is highly dangerous during the rebellion period. You have all entered the
spirit ascension platform numerous times now and understand what it’s like inside, so I don’t need to
give you any more warnings. Just remember to immediately hit the exit button the moment you are in
danger.” The staff member gave them a few words of warning.

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The more times one had entered the spirit ascension platform, the less chance one would encounter
danger like Wang Jinxi had during his first time.

The five students separated and entered their own metal boxes. Under the staff member’s control, the
boxes closed and the light disappeared. The scan initiated, preparing to send them into the spirit
ascension platform.

The staff member inserted five cards into a slot then pressed a big red button. This was a part of the
safeguard system for the rebellion period. These cards allowed one to enter into the spirit ascension
platform, as well as the designation of the coordinates one would appear at.

After a moment, the five of them them awoke from their daze and were greeted with the sight of a
boundless great forest. The forest was no different from the one they were used to, but this time, the five
of them had entered together.

The air was fresh and the plants a vibrant green, just like how they remembered it. They couldn’t see any
difference from the normal, peaceful spirit ascension platform.

Tang Wulin ordered, “Into formation.”

He took a few steps forward to stand as the vanguard of the group while Wang Jinxi took position behind
him, facing the opposite direction. Zhang Yangzi and Xie Xie were arranged on the left and right. They
were all facing outward, while Gu Yue was situated right in the center.

A gentle green light flickered, covering the five of them. It was precisely Gu Yue controlling the wind
elements to lighten them and increase their agility.

Tang Wulin raised his right hand, releasing two strands of Bluesilver Grass as a yellow soul ring appeared
beneath his feet. The two strands of grass were like snakes as they slithered forth and sweeped the
surrounding shrubbery, creating a path for them.

“Our number one priority is to survive for at least an hour to pass the final exam, while our second
priority is to hunt as many soul beasts as we can. Be careful everyone.” Four strands of Bluesilver Grass
spread out from underneath his feet, connecting him to his four comrades by their waist. This way, he
would be able to save them at a moment’s notice.

Zhang Yangzi released his spirit soul, and a little black eagle soared into the sky. Beside the boost to his
combat abilities his little black eagle gave him, it was also able to share its vision with him as long as it
was within ten meters of him. Like this, they would have another set of eyes with a broader view.

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 Chapter 137 – Rebellion Spirit Ascension
Platform
Chapter 137 – Rebellion Spirit Ascension Platform

They weren’t naive and released their martial souls as soon as they entered.

Inside the Spirit Pagoda’s monitoring room.

The staff member turned to Wu Zhangkong and said, “These kids are pretty good. Teacher Wu really is
very good at teaching.”

Wu Zhangkong gave a humble nod. “Let’s see how they do first.”

Although he had always been the type to suppress his emotions and keep a stony expression, he couldn’t
help but feel pleased with his disciples.

As he watched them undergo their trials, a 20,000-year-old motto popped into his mind: Shrek Academy
only accepts monsters, not ordinary people.

Regardless of the time period, Shrek Academy had never failed to uphold that motto. This motto was
engraved into every single student of Shrek, instilling them with a sense of pride.

I wonder how far these brats will be able to go.

In order to become a monster, other than having first-class talent, one also needed unyielding
perseverance. From his observations, all five of his students possessed talent, with Gu Yue being the most
talented among them. There were no records of her martial soul or anything similar within Shrek
Academy and the Spirit Pagoda’s history. Miraculously, she was able to control five elements, and despite
the fact that her soul skill could only increase how effectively she utilizes her soul power to control the
elements, she was still able to combine the five elements into a variety of attacks. What need did she have
for extra soul skills then?

Her spiritual power had also reached unprecedented heights, especially when compared to her peers.
Just the fact that she was able to reach the Spirit Connection realm at her age, combined with her speed of
improvement, meant that by the time she graduated in six years, she might actually reach the Spirit Sea
realm. If she actually managed such an unprecedented feat, then her future potential would be limitless,
rocking the Soul Master world.

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Xie Xie was undoubtedly the second most talented individual. His twin martial souls were a rare and
amazing gift, regardless of era, and though his twin martial souls were artificial rather than natural, they
were still beneficial for him. No one could say for certain, but in the future, Xie Xie might just be able to…

As for Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi’s talent, it could only be considered as decent. Neither the Bone
Dragon King nor the Shadow Phantasm Eagle could be considered as peak level martial souls, but the two
were compatible. If they could one day perfectly control their fusion skill, their combat strength would
then be on the same level as a peak genius.

Although, only time could tell whether or not they perfect their soul fusion skill. After all, their grasp of
their fusion skill was still at a rudimentary level.

Lastly, there was Tang Wulin. Wu Zhangkong had appointed him as the team captain because he saw a
quality in Tang Wulin’s character that couldn’t be found in his peers. He was tenacious, his so-called trash
martial soul having never discouraged him from cultivating hard. He slowly followed behind his
classmates, step by step. He also had innate divine strength, making him the strongest one amongst them
and could make up for the deficiency of his martial soul at these lower ranks.

What was even more notable, though, was that he had a variant martial soul and possessed the peculiar
Golden Dragon Claw. Out of the five individuals, he was possibly the strongest,, but it was still too soon to
tell. If his martial soul continued to mutate, then there was a high chance he would become a super genius
like Gu Yue.

Tang Wulin’s steady temperament made him the best choice for a leader, and he was also a natural at
taking care of everyone at his side. The most important point, however, was that he was brave enough to
shoulder this responsibility. Wu Zhangkong’s greatest hope for Tang Wulin was for him to mature and
become one of the geniuses of this generation.

The Thousand Refined hammers also made it clear to Wu Zhangkong that Tang Wulin was a first class
genius in the art of forging and that he would not stray in his secondary profession.

Although blacksmithing wasn’t as popular as the three great Mecha Master professions, fifth rank
blacksmiths and higher were one of the scarcest talents on the continent. Although battle armor
designing and crafting were extremely high level skills, blacksmithing was the foundation they built upon.
With excellent materials, the designs could be even better and the workmanship of even higher quality,
allowing the battle armor to reach the peak.

Wu Zhangkong truly wished for Tang Wulin to travel as far down this path as possible. If he had to choose
which of the five students to take the exam to enter his organization, then Tang Wulin would definitely be
the most suitable. He couldn’t make heads or tails of Gu Yue, but he could tell that she carried many
secrets and would have to keep a close eye on her.

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Tang Wulin used his Bluesilver Grass vines to part the grass in front of them and create a path, allowing
them to advance slowly and carefully.

As this was their end-of-term final exam, their number one priority now was to survive. As such, hunting
soul beasts was a secondary priority placed at the back of their minds.

Finding a safe area to occupy was their most important objective now.

“No signs of souls beasts at the rear or sides,” reported Zhang Yangzi.

As Tang Wulin nodded in acknowledgement, a Heavy Silver hammer appeared in his left hand with a flash
of light. His right hand was empty in case he needed to use his Golden Dragon Claw.

Suddenly, a low growl came from ahead of them, announcing the arrival of a large beast as it leapt out.

It was a giant ape as tall as a human. A faintly fishy odor wafted from its ash-black furred body as it glared
at them with crimson eyes.

After his first experience in the spirit ascension platform, Tang Wulin earnestly studied the various
species of soul beasts. That, combined with his experiences in the spirit ascension platform, increased his
understanding of soul beasts to a level incomparable with before.

With a single look, he identified this ape to be a hundred-year Ironarm Ape, a type of human-like soul
beast. It was both quick and strong and possessed arms like steel. The most troublesome aspect,
however, was its crowd skill, Threaten. If someone with weak spiritual power was hit by its Threaten,
then they would receive its full effect and may even lose their desire to do battle immediately. Thus, the
best method of dealing with an Ironarm Ape was to strike first and gain the upper hand.

Whoosh!

Tang Wulin instantly threw his hammer, sending it flying in an arc toward the beast. As it flew through
the air, Tang Wulin took large strides forward and charged. Golden scales crept up his right arm as he
launched his frontal assault. As he did so, a strand of Bluesilver Grass slithered along the ground, twisting
around the Ironarm Ape and binding it.

Xie Xie had also acted the moment Tang Wulin made his move. He dashed forward and stuck behind Tang
Wulin. Tang Wulin grabbed one of the strands of Bluesilver Grass tied around his waist and swung it
upward, launching Xie Xie into the air. Xie Xie somersaulted beautifully over the Ironarm Ape’s head. His
Light Dragon Dagger flashing as he stabbed toward the back of the ape’s head.

As a humanoid soul beast, the back of the Ironarm Ape’s head was a weak point.

A pair of small fireballs with faintly discernable green glows pierced through the air like arrows. This
might seem unremarkable, but wind accelerated the fireball. Although the fireballs may have been weak,

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they were blazingly fast. A silver light appeared in front of the Ironarm Ape at that moment, blocking its
view of Xie Xie soaring through the air and over it.

Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue’s coordination was amazing. It had reached a point where it could be said
that they were a hair’s width away from reaching the peak.

Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi hadn’t launched their own attacks. Instead, they had gathered together
quickly and observed their surroundings. Even though their fusion skill hadn’t yet been completed, it
would still be a formidable option should they encounter a powerful foe. Their current goal was to guard
against any other soul beasts that might appear while the other three took care of the Ironarm Ape.

The hundred-year Ironarm Ape could do nothing in the face of the quick little fireballs; it couldn’t even
raise an arm in time to protect itself. All it could do was lower its head and knock them away with its hard
forehead, sending sparks flying everywhere. At the same time, it swung its arm and met the Thousand
Refined Heavy Silver Hammer head on.

Bang!

The hammer flew backward, but the Ironarm Ape had also been shaken. After all, that hammer had
carried over five hundred kilograms of force. It wouldn’t have been easy to receive such an attack, even if
the ape had innate divine strength.

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 Chapter 138 – Meeting Mu Xi
Chapter 138 – Meeting Mu Xi

Tang Wulin was the last to arrive in front of it, yet he suddenly stopped in place and raised the retrieved
hammer while a yellow ring emerged from beneath him.

Strand after strand of Bluesilver Grass climbed up the ape’s body like ivy, binding it completely. Even
with its tremendous strength, the Ironarm Ape was unable to break free.

A light flashed behind its head as Xie Xie took advantage of its reaction to the fireballs to quickly stab it in
the head.

“Hou!” The hundred-year Ironarm Ape released a roar as its red eyes flashed with an ominous glint. It
moved to sweep an arm at the back of its head.

Before it could even raise its arm halfway, however, the glimmer of life in its eyes disappeared, and its
large, two meter tall body toppled over with a loud thud.

Xie Xie’s first soul ring pulsed with light as a ball of gentle light floated over from the hundred-year
Ironarm Ape and circled around him. This was undoubtedly the spirit energy of the Ironarm Ape.

Just as they were told, the spirit energy absorption rate during the rebellion period was far slower than
usual. Fortunately, it had only been a hundred-year beast, so it wouldn’t take too long to digest.

When Xie Xie had stabbed the Ironarm Ape with his Light Dragon Dagger, he hadn’t been able to kill the
beast immediately, as after all, the ape’s skull was extremely hard. What he did to make up for it,
however, was use his first soul skill while his dagger was still in the ape’s head. Like that, he was able to
shoot his dagger forward into the ape’s brain, destroying it.

Tang Wulin gave a thumbs up to Xie Xie and proceeded to recall his Bluesilver Grass when Zhang Yangzi
called out from behind him, “Reporting on the left side, it’s safe for now.”

Tang Wulin did not hesitate in leading the others to the left side. They didn’t dare stay in one place for too
long after killing a soul beast.

From the moment the Ironarm Ape had appeared to the moment it was killed by the trio, only a dozen or
so seconds had passed. During the battle, Gu Yue’s only role had been to confuse it, yet it was crucial in
allowing them to achieve such an amazing and neat victory with their low cultivations.

This was the result of their three months of combat experience in the spirit ascension platform.

An individual’s strength wasn’t solely dependent on their cultivation and soul skills; their application and
techniques mattered just as much.

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There were many gifted Soul Masters, but the ones who lacked combat experience wouldn’t be able to
display their full power in a battle. As such, Wu Zhangkong’s actions had all been for the sake of laying a
good foundation for the students of class zero. With the growth of their combat experience, they would be
able to display 120% of their strength!

In his experience, combat Soul Masters were meant to battle, not serve as decorations. Thus, the best way
for them to improve was through combat!

For example, Xie Xie had used his Light Dragon Blade soul skill while his dagger was stabbed into the
ape’s head, allowing him to puncture the ape’s brain. Only through combat experience could this type of
decision making skill be cultivated.

After running to their left side for several hundred meters, they hadn’t encountered any other soul beasts,
so Tang Wulin ordered, “Stop! We’ll rest here for a bit. Yangzi, you’re responsible for scouting this time.”

“Yes!” Zhang Yangzi affirmed before nimbly climbing up a nearby tree to a vantage spot. From there, he
observed one side while his black eagle spirit soul observed the other, allowing him to keep an eye out in
all four directions.

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie were seated cross-legged, intently recovering the soul power consumed in the
previous battle.

Although they hadn’t used much soul power in that one battle, it was best to maintain their peak
conditions in the spirit ascension platform. Only like this could they survive for even longer.

“There are three people approaching in our direction. Two males, one female. They seem to be about 15
or 16-years-old. One of them has three rings while the other two have two rings. One of the ones with two
rings seems to be absorbing spirit energy right now.”

Zhang Yangzi succinctly reported his evaluation of the approaching group. Without any warning, a red
light streaked across the horizon, shooting straight towards the branch Zhang Yangzi was perched on.

I’ve been discovered!

Zhang Yangzi immediately leapt off the tree and spread his wings while Tang Wulin and Xie Xie shot forth
like a bullet.

Xie Xie’s figure blurred for a moment and then reappeared in the shadow of a tree. Meanwhile, the other
four stood together, waiting for Xie Xie to alert them of their opponents’ arrival.

Three people, two male and one female, approached, giving Tang Wulin a shock when he saw them.

There stood one girl in the middle with the two boys to her side. Tang Wulin didn’t recognize the boys,
but he recognized the girl. It truly was a coincidence; that girl was Mu Xi.

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Floating above Mu Xi was a fireball as fiery as the sun. Clearly, she had been the one to shoot that fireball
earlier.

Mu Xi’s Shining Sun martial soul was powerful and excelled in long distance artillery, with firepower that
Gu Yue couldn’t even hope to compare with. The truly shocking thing was the fact that Mu Xi now had
three soul rings. She actually had three soul rings now!

“It’s you?” Mu Xi was equally shocked when she saw Tang Wulin, and her Shining Sun’s radiance
weakened a bit.

“Senior disciple sister.” Tang Wulin hastily took two steps forward and loudly greeted her.

“Mn.” Mu Xi nodded at him. “We’re going.” She immediately turned around and took large strides
forward.

Tang Wulin had long since become accustomed to Mu Xi’s cold indifference towards him, but what he
didn’t see was the proud look in her eyes after she turned around to leave. She was quite proud of herself
after seeing Tang Wulin’s reaction to her third ring, and she also noticed that Tang Wulin still only had
one ring.

Aren’t you a genius? Weren’t you born with innate divine strength? Yet, your soul power is so lacking.
You’re making quick progress in the early stages of forging, but just wait until you reach Spirit Forging.
Then you’ll understand the importance of soul power. I’ll definitely surpass you when that time comes!

“Senior disciple sister?” Zhang Yangzi gave Tang Wulin an astute look. “So it’s like that! Your senior
disciple sister is so pretty! Why haven’t you ever introduced us to her before? Senior disciple sister, won’t
it be better if we go together?” His final words were shouted at the departing Mu Xi.

Mu Xi didn’t even bother to look back and simply left with the two boys, soon vanishing into the forest.

With her current strength, she was definitely one of the strongest Soul Masters in the elementary spirit
ascension platform, so it wasn’t worth her time to babysit Tang Wulin’s group of one rings and two rings.
And besides that, she didn’t really want work together with Tang Wulin either.

Tang Wulin said somewhat helplessly, “She’s the daughter of my teacher. I don’t think she likes me all
that much, so we haven’t really interacted much.”

Xie Xie let out a mischievous laugh. “This senior sister of yours sure is cruel. Yangzi, you can try getting to
know her better if you’re interested. We’ll support you as your classmates.”

Zhang Yangzi shook his head earnestly. “Forget about it. I’m not into being subdued, and we’re too young
for this stuff anyways. We should focus on studying and cultivating right now.”

Xie Xie raised an eyebrow at this. “Just what are you thinking? I only said you could try getting to know
her better. Stop thinking about it too much. You’re only a brat in her eyes anyways.”

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“Hmph!” Zhang Yangzi proudly raised his head. “Just wait until this big brother is in the fifth grade. I’ll
definitely have three rings, too.” With his current cultivation speed, it wasn’t impossible for him to reach
three rings by the time he was 14.

Gu Yue asked Tang Wulin, “What are we going to do next?”

Tang Wulin didn’t hesitate at all with his answer. “Wait. There aren’t too many soul beasts in this area, so
we should be able to survive in this area until we pass. After that, we can go hunt soul beasts, so there’s
no need to be so anxious right now.”

The five of them once again moved into position and with the large trees surrounding them, they were
able to to maintain a perfect defense.

During the rebellion period, the number of soul beasts in the spirit ascension platform was far higher
than normal, and they were also much more aggressive. In a short timespan of twenty minutes, they had
encountered over ten soul beasts. Most of them were at the ten-year level, so they were able to make
quick work of them. There were also some hundred-year soul beasts, and though they weren’t
particularly strong, they required more effort to kill. Everyone shared the spirit energy, not for the sake
of being fair, but for the sake of quickly absorbing all of it.

Xie Xie had taken about ten minutes to absorb the spirit energy from the hundred-year Ironarm Ape,
gaining about five years each for his two soul rings.

Evolving a spirit soul to the next level was a gradual process, and it would be a long time before Xie Xie’s
spirit soul reached the thousand-year level.

They had already survived for half the necessary time to pass their final exam and were relatively relaxed
as they hadn’t encountered any strong soul beasts yet.

“The rebellion period isn’t that bad after all.” Zhang Yangzi had loosened up a lot from his previous
nervousness since they had only encountered weak soul beasts until now.

The most dangerous situation for them was to encounter a powerful soul beast that they had no choice
but to flee from. In their panic, they may run into one powerful soul beast after another and die.

Although their current course of action restricted the number of soul beasts they could hunt, it was a safe,
defensive plan that maximized their survival time.

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 Chapter 139 – Reencounter with the Man‐Faced
Demon Spider
Chapter 139 – Reencounter with the Man-Faced Demon Spider

“Captain, should we take the initiative to attack?” Zhang Yangzi asked Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin calmly replied, “There’s no need to be anxious, we’ll see after one hour passes. All we need to
do in this first hour is survive.”

Just then, Zhang Yangzi suddenly paled and his body swaying in shock. “Not good, Little Black…”

The five of them simultaneously looked up to see a yellow-green net descending from the sky.

At the same time, they were faced with the shocking scene of Little Black being impaled by numerous
limbs. He immediately disintegrated. When a Soul Master’s spirit soul was killed, they would suffer from
recoil and it would take them a very long time to restore their spirit soul. In a flash, Zhang Yangzi’s
cultivation dropped by a third.

A violent gale appeared within the formation of the five students. Gu Yue was the quickest one to react
with her immense spiritual power.

Yet, against all expectations, that yellow-green net didn’t even sway in the face of her fierce gale and
directly cutting through it.

“Retreat!” Tang Wulin decisively ordered as dozens of strands of Bluesilver Grass shot up to obstruct the
net. However, Tang Wulin was aghast to see that the moment his Bluesilver Grass touched the net, it
started smoking from corrosion.

If Little Black hadn’t been flying up in the sky, the net would have ambushed and trapped them. It was
likely their trials in the rebellion spirit ascension platform would have been cut short there.

A massive figure descended from the sky after Little Black’s figure disintegrated completely. Eight long
legs were extended like eight spears, surrounding the five.

The five of them took advantage of the few seconds the Bluesilver Grass bought them to escape the range
of the net. In their rush to escape, however, their formation had been broken.

Apart from Zhang Yangzi being deathly pale, Wang Jinxi also started trembling once he saw that beast.

Black and white lines ran along a body as large as a millstone. Every single one of its legs were over two
meters in length, while its body emitted a strange splendor. They had clearly seen a beautiful human face
on its abdomen when it had descended, which only served to increase their fear.

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“Man-Faced Demon Spider!” The five of them shouted in unison.

That was right! It was the same Man-Faced Demon Spider that had nearly destroyed Wang Jinxi’s mind.
Wang Jinxi could even sense that this was the same one that had ambushed him before.

Even with Little Black’s extra vision, it hadn’t been able to discover this Man-Faced Demon Spider and
had been swiftly killed. The Man-Faced Demon Spider truly was a terrifying killer in the world of soul
beasts.

Gu Yue shot out a fireball which exploded on the face of the Man-Faced Demon Spider while the others
quickly assembled.

Tang Wulin’s heart sank. It’s a hundred-year Man-Faced Demon Spider. Even though it’s only at the
hundred-year level, it’s far stronger than other beasts of the same level! This guy is going to be really
difficult to deal with! Even if I use my Golden Dragon Claw, it would be impossible for me to approach it
with those eight legs acting as defence. Its body is also highly toxic and the slightest contact could wipe
out my whole team!

Although the battle had yet to truly begin, Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi were already shaken. It might not
be a good idea for them to fight this battle.

They had originally thought that they were lucky to not have met a powerful foe in their first half hour,
but it seemed that their fortune had come to an end.

“Are we running?” Xie Xie asked Tang Wulin.

They had learned a lot about the Man-Faced Demon Spider since their first entry. They knew that even if
its cultivation was only at the hundred-year level, it was still a terrifying existence that could hunt
thousand-year soul beasts! Moreover, they were currently in the spirit ascension platform, so even if they
killed it, they would only gain the spirit energy of a hundred-year soul beast. Simply said, the potential
profits did not outweigh the risks.

In their moment of hesitation, the hundred-year Man-Faced Demon Spider revealed it’s might. Two of its
legs flashed, destroying all of the fireballs Gu Yue had shot out with lightning speed. All that was left of
the fireballs were drifting sparks. The Man-Faced Demon Spider wasn’t guarded against them at all;
rather, it slowly circled around them, a yellow-green thread of silk dragging along from its spinnerets.
Anything that touched this silk would immediately wither.

“We’re not running! We’re defeating of it!” Tang Wulin ordered without the slightest hesitation.

They had already been here for a while now and had some understanding of the area, so they knew that if
they carelessly ran around during the rebellion spirit ascension platform, it would be likely that they
would meet some powerful soul beasts. In that situation, it would be very hard to survive for another half
hour.

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Moreover, Wang Jinxi’s fate was linked to the Man-Faced Demon Spider’s now. If he didn’t kill it, then it
would continue to influence him. They had happened to run into it today with their full team of five; if
they didn’t take advantage of this opportunity to kill it, then a chance as good as this one wouldn’t come
again.

These were the reasonings that ran through Tang Wulin’s mind when he made his quick decision. No
matter what, they had to kill the Man-Faced Demon Spider before them now.

Strand after strand of Bluesilver Grass slithered along the ground while he grasped his two hammers
tightly. His mind went over all that he had learned of the Man-Faced Demon Spider.

Man-Faced Demon Spider. Excels in quick and toxic attacks. Has a strong defense, but not particularly
strong physically.

It’s the killer of the forest. Whenever it appears, fear strikes the hearts of its prey.

Tang Wulin’s greatest advantage was his strength. The best plan would be for him to land attacks on its
weak points, so he didn’t even think about utilizing his Golden Dragon Claw. In this situation, his
Thousand Refined Heavy Silver Hammers were the best choice.

“Everyone, stick together, we’ll face the enemy head on. Gu Yue, provide assistance. Xie Xie, look for an
opening. Yangzi, Jinxi, observe for now and wait for an opportunity to strike.”

“I’m fine!” Wang Jinxi’s gloomy voice shouted.

Tang Wulin turned to look at him. Although Wang Jinxi was still trembling, his eyes burned with the will
to battle.

As he and Tang Wulin cultivated together, Wang Jinxi gradually became influenced by him. His cultivation
speed had increased and he had also felt slight changes to his martial soul under this influence.

Dread had filled his heart when he had seen the Man-Faced Demon Spider, but when he heard Tang
Wulin say, “We’re not running! We’re defeating of it!”, a surge of courage replaced the dread in his heart.

Tang Wulin’s words had caused his blood to boil and fill him with valiance. He felt that as long as Tang
Wulin was at his side, he would be able to face any trials that came his way. In a sort of special state, he
locked eyes with Tang Wulin, expressing complete trust in his gaze. Rather than trembling from fear, he
was actually trembling from excitement.

Even before they had cultivated together, he had felt an affinity with Tang Wulin, but it had never been
this strong. This time, faced with the Man-Faced Demon Spider, he felt as if he was about to explode.

Defeat it!

It’s merely a hundred-year soul beast. What’s there to be afraid of?

695
The Man-Faced Demon Spider was still circling around them, its silk thread continuously trailing from its
spinneret to form a ring.

The Man-Faced Demon Spider was naturally cold, cruel and extremely patient. In fact, it was its patience
that made it so terrifying. It would quietly stalk its prey for hours, all the way until an opportunity
presented itself.

The five students weren’t anxious at all. They would wait for it to slow down. Besides, it had already used
up quite a bit of its silk.

Instantly, its thread was wrapped around a large tree. Although the tree began to wither, it still stood tall.

Gu Yue launched a variety of elemental attacks at the spider, but they proved to be uneffective. Toxic
spider threads protected it. Even flames had little effect.

“It’s creating a prison for us and when it’s finished, it’ll shrink the prison until we’re trapped.” Xie Xie said
grimly.

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 Chapter 140 – Team Battle Against the Demon
Spider
Chapter 140 – Team Battle Against the Demon Spider

“Mn! Wait for a chance.” Tang Wulin sternly ordered. From below his feet, strands of Bluesilver Grass
arranged themselves into a formation as he continuously supplied them with soulpower. The Man-Faced
Demon Spider is giving us a chance, how could he not take it?

Gu Yue silently sat cross-legged in the middle, meditating to restore her soul power. Wang Jinxi stood
next to Zhang Yangzi, trembling with excitement. The two were prepared to use their fusion skill at any
moment.

Coordination didn’t matter anymore in the face of the Man-Faced Demon Spider. What was important,
however, was whether they had the power to defeat it.

Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon Claw possessed immense power, but the problem was he didn’t know how
to approach this gigantic poisonous spider.

“Xie Xie, if I’m unable to break free, then you’ll be the acting captain.” Tang Wulin warned Xie Xie.

Considering the toxicity of the Man-Faced Demon Spider, the possibility of all of them to constantly evade
its attacks were small.

None of them were anxious to attack as this was their final exam. Their chances of passing were more
uncertain now that they had to face the Man-Faced Demon Spider, but they still had to fight for as much
time as they could get in order to pass their exam. After all, they couldn’t truly die in the spirit ascension
platform. As long as they were able to persevere for one hour, they would pass their exam.

Naturally, none of them wanted to pass the exam that way.

Tang Wulin’s eyes shrunk in shock. Suddenly, he threw the hammer in his right hand straight at the Man-
Faced Demon Spider. With a strand of Bluesilver Grass connected to it, it streaked through the air like a
shooting star.

The Man-Faced Demon Spider’s legs powerfully launched its massive body out of the the web it had
weaved.

The hammer smashed into the spider webs, stretching it backwards. The webs were too resilient and
elastic though, so not only was the hammer unable to break through them, it even became glued onto the
web.

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Tang Wulin forcefully pulled to retrieve his hammer but the spider webs caved in and were dragged
along with it. The area that the hammer touched the webs had already turned pitch-black. Fortunately,
the hammers were Thousand Refined and its internal structure denser so it hadn’t been corroded just
yet.

These webs… are really strong.

Tang Wulin had only thrown his hammer as a probing attack, yet he had already lost it to the webs. It
seemed that the Man-Faced Demon Spider’s nimbleness and cunning was far higher than they first
thought.

They all knew that it was waiting for just the right moment to pounce on them, and the moment it did, its
assault would be as swift as lightning and as powerful as thunder.

The ball of webs tightened continuously around the five students and restricting their movements. Of
course, there was a silver lining to their situation. At the very least, other soul beasts could not attack
them right then.

“We’re still not attacking?” Xie Xie asked in a hushed voice.

“Patience.” Tang Wulin sternly said.

Xie Xie didn’t utter another word when he saw that Tang Wulin’s gaze was intently fixed on the Man-
Faced Demon Spider.

Ten minutes later, the original hundred meter radius of webbing shrunk only about a dozen or so meters
in radius.

Squatting down next to Gu Yue, Tang Wulin whispered a few words into her ear, to which she nodded in
agreement. With their plan settled, the two stood up.

The Man-Faced Demon Spider halted in place when it noticed Gu Yue stand up. With icy eyes that seemed
to possess a wisdom far beyond a soul beast, it watched the five while its abdomen began to swell.

“It’s preparing to attack.” Xie Xie shouted.

On Tang Wulin’s signal, Gu Yue’s eyes narrowed as a wave of soul power surged from her body and a soul
ring rose from beneath her. This was her first soul skill: Elemental Tide!

Pew!

The hundred-year Man-Faced Demon Spider suddenly turned around and shot a yellow-green net from
its abdomen straight at them. After shooting out this net, it screeched and charged straight at them.

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This net was far bigger than the first one, and was large enough to cover all of the class zero students this
time. They quickly retreated in this cramped space and narrowly avoided the net. There was no room for
them to maneuver at all, especially since the walls were toxic. One wrong move and they would meet
their end. Now that its net had failed to ensnare the students, the Man-Faced Demon Spider brandished
its eight legs as if they were sharp blades.

At that moment, however, Gu Yue stood up and released a yellow radiance from the center of their
formation. From this radiance, a giant obelisk with a diameter of approximately a foot long skyrocketed
out of the ground and pierced into the sky.

The spider webs that had been woven into a net were extremely strong, but fortunately for the students,
it possessed no attacking power. The obelisk shot at just the right spot, piercing through the peak of the
toxic spider web dome.

At that moment, the Man-Faced Spider was finally upon them.

Xie Xie rapidly climbed up the obelisk while Zhang Yangzi used his first soul skill, covering him in a pitch-
black fog.

The strongest point of Zhang Yangzi’s Curtain of Darkness was the fact that it could differentiate between
friend and foe, so it only obstructed those he was hostile towards. Moreover, its coverage was directly
proportional to the amount of soul power he expended.

As soon as the Curtain of Darkness descended, the Man-Faced Demon Spider lost all traces of the five
students. It had no choice but to slow its pursuit.

Suddenly, a strand of Bluesilver Grass shot up from the ground toward Man-Faced Demon Spider while a
figure valiantly flew into the sky. Astonishingly, Wang Jinxi had been thrown into the air by Tang Wulin.

A pair of soul rings shined brightly on Wang Jinxi’s body. Using his first soul skill, Bone Dragon Claw, his
right arm quickly transformed while the rest of his body also transformed to a lesser degree under the
effects of his second skill, Bone Soul Transformation. His transformation finished just in time for him to
smash into the Man-Faced Demon Spider midair.

It was at this moment that the Man-Faced Demon Spider was forced to reveal the grace of a super soul
beast.

Faced with the Bluesilver Grass shooting up from below, it spun its body while unfolding its eight blade-
like legs.

Although Tang Wulin’s Bluesilver Grass was tenacious, it was no match for the Man-Faced Demon Spider
and was promptly cut into pieces. It didn’t have a the slightest chance of binding the spider.

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As Wang Jinxi descended upon the Man-Faced Demon Spider, it spun around and shot out a yellow-green
spider web at him. The web this time was smaller than before, but it was still more than enough to cover
Wang Jinxi.

They exploded into battle, starting at the climax from the very beginning. Victory or defeat would be
decided at any moment.

Suddenly, the Bluesilver Grass tied around Wang Jinxi’s waist pulled him back toward the ground.

Meanwhile, a single strand of Bluesilver Grass had managed to wrap itself around the Man-Faced Demon
Spider. Right then, it turned gold. The corrosion and toxicity of the spider was no longer effective against
it, while the spider’s body abruptly became sluggish. The binding of the Bluesilver Grass was finally
beginning to bear fruit.

At that instant, a golden whirlwind appeared out of nowhere.

Its target was the Man-Faced Demon Spider’s rear!

Clang!

The golden whirlwind of light ferociously landed a sharp blow on the spider’s rear, issuing an ear-
piercing screech as an explosion of sparks showered from the collision.

The Man-Faced Demon Spider shrieked in pain as it shook the figure off of its back. Yellow-green blood
oozed from where its carapace had been cut open.

The second figure who had appeared was precisely Xie Xie with his Light Dragon Storm!

Wang Jinxi had used his two soul skills for the sole reason of catching the Man-Faced Demon Spider’s
attention and drawing its second attack. After taunting it to use up its spider web, he was pulled back into
the Curtain of Darkness by Tang Wulin.

Xie Xie took advantage of that moment to launch his assault. Although his Light Dragon Storm wasn’t
strong enough to tear the Man-Faced Demon Spider to shreds, its powerful penetrating power could still
wound the spider.

Bang!

The golden Bluesilver Grass finally snapped from the Man-Faced Demon Spider’s frantic struggles. To be
more precise, however, it snapped after it had lost its golden color.

Suddenly freed from the restrictive force, the Man-Faced Demon Spider was unable to adapt. Its eight legs
which were using their utmost power suddenly felt no resistance, causing them to slip outwards, and its
whole body to sink down. Two lumps of earth opportunely shot out, knocking against two of its legs and
setting it off balance, creating a small crack in its defense.

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A figure quietly passed through the crack in its defenses, thrusting a golden claw at the human face
underneath its abdomen.

Pu!

The Golden Dragon Claw stabbed into its abdomen, causing yellow-green blood to gush out.

A layer of ice rapidly covered Tang Wulin’s body, preventing the blood from touching him. He used his
Bluesilver Grass to bind the Man-Faced Demon Spider once more while he retreated back into the
darkness.

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 Chapter 141 – True Control
Chapter 141 – True Control

The Man-Faced Demon Spider’s giant body shuddered as yellow-green blood continuously gushed from
its abdomen. It wanted to attack, to shoot some spider threads, but they only flew a few meters before
hitting the ground. They were completely unsuitable to use as an attack now.

It continually struggled like this as it grew weaker by the minute. Simultaneously, a yellow light shot out
from the Curtain of Darkness.

The darkness gradually vanished while the yellow light lingered on the pale-faced Tang Wulin. His arm
had already transformed back to its normal human form, with only golden scales covering it now. Thanks
to those scales, he hadn’t suffered any corrosion from the Man-Faced Demon Spider’s blood.

Hundred-year Man-Faced Demon Spider, killed!

Xie Xie had already been pulled back awhile ago, so the five of them stood there, exchanging looks of
astonishment from prevailing over such a calamity. Wang Jinxi couldn’t help but embrace Tang Wulin
with an ardent expression that overflowed with passion.

This battle had fully displayed the team’s ability and was the culmination of the knowledge and
experience they had gained. In the end, the formidable Man-Faced Demon Spider had died by their hands!

From start to finish, there had been no room for luck. They had claimed this victory purely with their own
strength.

Even as they blatantly stared at the corpse of the Man-Faced Demon Spider that was a few meters away
from them, they still couldn’t believe that they had succeeded. Tang Wulin was the most surprised of
them all; he had been prepared to sacrifice himself in their plan, yet they had actually achieved victory.

If his Golden Dragon Claw had been unable to resist the toxins, or if Gu Yue’s ice had been incapable of
shielding him from the corrosion of the spider’s blood, he would have died.

Fortunately, the two of them were able to give a perfect performance. His Golden Dragon Claw proved its
might once again with its immunity to the toxin’s corrosion, while Gu Yue’s control of ice had been able to
isolate the toxic blood for a few moments. These two elements had combined to give him enough time to
break away from the corpse and toxins.

Every single moment of their battle had been ridden with extreme danger.

……

The Spirit Pagoda staff member stared at the screen dumbstruck. He was completely speechless.

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Just how perfect were their tactics!? That was actually a hundred-year Man-Faced Demon Spider that
even four or five ring Soul Masters would avoid! They wouldn’t even dare to engage it without thorough
planning. Yet, this group of kids, who at most have two rings, actually performed a miracle and defeated
the Man-Faced Demon Spider! This is unbelievable!

Even Wu Zhangkong was a bit shaken by this. A smile had actually appeared on his ice-cold face.

“He meets the requirements of a Control System Soul Master,” he quietly muttered under his breath.

He’s also the one who has made the most progress in the last three months.

This battle had tested not only the limits of their strength but also the breadth of their knowledge. During
their battle, Wu Zhangkong took note of every single detail with his experienced eyes. Even if the
students were baffled, Wu Zhangkong observed the events with clarity. It wasn’t until Tang Wulin
appeared beneath the Man-Faced Demon Spider that he suddenly realized Tang Wulin’s intentions.

“Teacher Wu, are these children thinking about joining the Spirit Pagoda? If I send a recording of this
battle to the higher-ups, I think an exception can be made to accept these children as members. Their
potential is simply astonishing.”

The Spirit Pagoda staff member finally snapped out of his daze, but his eyes were still filled with shock
and admiration.

As a staff member of the Spirit Pagoda, he had a comprehensive knowledge of various soul beasts as well
as Soul Master battle styles. Yet, after witnessing the unconstrained battle style of class zero, every single
inch of his body was in awe.

He could only describe the battle as ‘shocking.’

To prevail over the Man-Faced Demon Spider, the first thing the students needed was a deep
understanding of it.

At first, he assumed the children to be foolishly standing still, letting the Man-Faced Demon Spider weave
its webs and continuously tighten it around them. After their remarkable performances in their previous
battles, it came as a disappointment. He’d been anticipating just how these children would deal with a
powerful soul beast such as the Man-Faced Demon Spider.

The staff member thought that the best course of action would have been to immediately flee. Although
the Man-Faced Demon Spider was fast, it was lacking in long-range attacks; as long as they were ahead of
it, they would have a chance at escaping. The second best choice, in his opinion, was for one of them to
sacrifice themselves in order to allow the others to escape. This way, they would minimize their losses.

There was once a team of Soul Masters who similarly encountered the Man-Faced Demon Spider in the
spirit ascension platform and had verified that these two choices were indeed the best.

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Yet, the response Tang Wulin initiated with his team today had widened the staff member’s horizons.

Gu Yue hadn’t revealed her control of the earth element until this battle. Against the Man-Faced Demon
Spider and its toxic spider webs, it wasn’t her other elements, but her use of the earth element, that had
the greatest impact on the battle.

As the Man-Faced Demon Spider continuously decreased their area of mobility, thinking them trapped, it
was, in truth, the one to have been tricked instead. Soul beasts were also living creatures, and so they
shared some similarities with humans. Once it felt that its victory was all but assured, it subconsciously
relaxed a bit.

None of their soul power fluctuations were particularly strong, and they were trapped in a cramped
space. To the hundred-year Man-Faced Demon Spider, they were as good as dead. It didn’t consider any
other possibility of survival remaining for them.

At that moment, it decided to shoot out its largest spider web net, minimizing the maneuvering space of
the five opponents.

Thus, the five students were forced to attack the Man-Faced Demon Spider. Clearly, it never imagined an
obelisk would suddenly shoot out of the ground to block the spider web though, as it had been stunned
for a split second.

Then there was the Bluesilver Grass which had shot up from the ground and bound both the spider and
Wang Jinxi, who had appeared out of nowhere. Just this was enough to praise their coordination.

The Man-Faced Demon Spider responded amazingly as well. It effectively used the sharp points of its legs
to resist the Bluesilver Grass and bought it the time necessary to shoot out another spider web.

Yet in the end, it was tricked. Wang Jinxi was pulled back by a strand of Bluesilver Grass, and the spider
web it shot out was met with nothing but air. Then, Xie Xie’s Light Dragon Storm appeared out of
nowhere to begin the first wave of their assault.

It was at that moment that the staff member began to shower them with praise. After all, who wouldn’t
exclaim in admiration of children who could reach such a level? At the very least, they had secured a
chance at victory.

There was also the vital golden strand of Bluesilver Grass, which was the result of fusing it with a spirit
soul. Tang Wulin controlled it perfectly to trap the Man-Faced Demon Spider.

However, how could he have imagined the miraculous scene that occurred after? That strand of golden
Bluesilver Grass had broken with meticulous precision and timing. Thanks to the strand’s pulling force,
that final moment caused the Man-Faced Demon Spider to stumble as the child dragged himself under its
body. At the same time, Gu Yue had manipulated the earth to propel him even further, ensuring he slid
beneath the spider completely.

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When the staff member saw Xie Xie unleash his Light Dragon Storm on the spider’s rear, he thought the
children didn’t have the necessary understanding of the Man-Faced Demon Spider’s weakest point on its
underside.

He was proven wrong, however, in but a few moments. It turned out that the chain of attacks didn’t stop
with Xie Xie, and the final attack was the most marvelous and shocking one.

Covered in ice to protect himself from the toxins, Tang Wulin pulled himself underneath the spider, his
toxin resistant golden claw ready to attack.

A total victory, it had been a total victory! They hadn’t lost a single member. These children who had two
rings at the most were actually able to kill a hundred-year Man-Faced Demon Spider! If anyone heard
this, they would find it completely unbelievable!

Was the Man-Faced Demon Spider stupid? Of course not. This was all due to the meticulous planning of
these five students. The staff member couldn’t help but stare at the handsome, young teacher. This is the
man who taught them!

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 Chapter 142 – Massacre of the Toxic Spider Web
Chapter 142 – Massacre of the Toxic Spider Web

As a side effect of exhausting his soul power, Tang Wulin felt fatigue wash over him as he sat down on the
ground.

Right. That feeling of controlling everyone had left an indelibly deep impression upon his heart. This
sense of satisfaction just couldn’t be gained elsewhere.

He had used little Goldlight to strengthen his Bluesilver Grass, but there were no benefits that didn’t
come with a cost. During the time his grass had been strengthened, his soul power had also been rapidly
consumed.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to keep the Man-Faced Demon Spider bound the whole time. If he could do
that, he would be able to easily kill the Man-Faced Demon Spider with his Golden Dragon Claw, regardless
of whether he struck a vital spot or not.

However, the soul power consumption was simply too great for him to sustain. He had no choice but to
recall Goldlight from his Bluesilver Grass in order to preserve enough soul power to use his Golden
Dragon Claw.

Although his actions seemed to have been in perfect concert with Gu Yue at that final moment, in reality,
it was simply that everything had gone according to their plan. Of course, no one would actually believe
this. All of their actions incorporated a deep understanding of one another. In fact, even Tang Wulin and
Gu Yue were surprised by the depth of their mutual understanding.

“That was an incredible victory!” Zhang Yangzi exclaimed, giddy with excitement and admiration. His
words echoed everyone’s thoughts at that moment.

“Everyone, rest here and recover your soul power,” Tang Wulin said weakly, before taking the lead and
closing his eyes to begin meditating.

As for the issue of safety? Why did they need to worry about that now? They were surrounded by the
highly toxic spider webs of the Man-Faced Demon Spider, preventing both humans and soul beasts from
approaching. They were in a perfectly safe position to rest right now.

The five sat in a circle with Tang Wulin in the center. Although they had been acting as a team for several
months already, it wasn’t until a few moments ago in their triumph that they truly acknowledged Tang
Wulin as their team captain.

Tang Wulin had controlled their entire battle against the calamity known as the Man-Faced Demon
Spider, and had even fought with it face-to-face. Even though he may have potentially suffered torturous

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pain at the hands of the Man-Faced Demon Spider, he had not backed down from his duty. His unyielding
will had truly been admirable to them.

Not only had he fulfilled his duties as the team captain, but he had also demonstrated the Bluesilver
Grass’ power over control. Regardless of whether they were friend or foe, the degree of control would be
unparalleled and would likely be even more amazing if his soul power had not been so weak.

The dim yellow light of spirit energy was slowly being absorbed into Tang Wulin’s body. Despite its
outward similarities to other yellow spirit energies, the energy from the hundred-year Man-Faced Demon
Spider was far different from those of ordinary soul beasts. The thousand-year soul beast’s energy they
had killed before hadn’t been like this either. Due to it currently being the rebellion period, the energy
was even more rich and distinct.

The benefits of killing a hundred-year Man-Faced Demon Spider soon appeared. As it was currently the
rebellion period, there were more soul beasts actively roaming the forest than usual. Very quickly, soul
beasts began to appear.

Not all soul beasts possessed sharp senses and different soul beasts possessed different ways of
perceiving the world. As such, they were all taking a detour around the remains of the chaotic battle.

The Man-Faced Demon Spider possessed a terrifying toxin within its body, as well as its webs.
Furthermore, its webs were extremely tough, to the point that even large soul beasts might not be able to
break it if they charged into it. And after that… they would only be met with tragedy.

Ten-year soul beasts would be killed in a flash by the toxic spider web while hundred-year soul beasts
would only be able to struggle for a few moments, before they too, met their demise.

As long as one was ensnared by the spider webs, there was no hope for survival. Those with keen senses
could avoid the webs, but those with dull senses could only fall prey to the Man-Faced Demon Spider.

Spirit energy overflowed from the soul beasts that died within the webs. If it were the normal spirit
ascension platform, the energy would quickly disperse, but it was currently the rebellion period so the
dispersion rate was much slower. Not too far from the spider webs, the five students of class zero
meditated in the only calm of the webbed chaos. They were subconsciously slowly absorbing all of the
spirit energy of the beasts that fell prey to the webs.

In the beginning, there were only a few weak soul beasts that died, but gradually, the number and
strength of soul beasts increased. More and more spirit energy drifted over to the five students.

……

“This… how can this be? There must be some issue with the spirit ascension platform.” The staff member
stood there, dumbstruck as he watched the spirit energy surrounding the five coalesce and grow stronger
and stronger. His expression was almost as if he had seen a ghost.

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Could he say the five of them were cheating? Absolutely not! However, the amount of spirit energy the
five would be able to absorb would only increase as time passed. This spirit energy didn’t come from thin
air either, its origin the Spirit Pagoda’s greatest secret. Yet, it was being consumed rapidly right now.

It could be said that the students of class zero had accidently exploited the strength of the Man-Faced
Demon Spider to obtain such a wonderful opportunity.

“Teacher Wu, I’ll definitely have to report this situation to the higher-ups,” the staff member solemnly
stated.

Wu Zhangkong merely glanced at him. “What rules have my students broken? They defeated the Man-
Faced Demon Spider and now they’re just meditating and recovering. Everything happened naturally.
With my impression of the spirit ascension platform, you shouldn’t have the power to change any of this
either. The spirit ascension platform runs by itself; you can only provide maintenance, nothing more.”

Beads of sweat dripped down the staff member’s forehead. “Yes, the spirit ascension platform cannot be
easily altered. But if this continues on, your students will also experience difficulties. Can their spiritual
power and body bear the pain of their spirit soul evolving to the thousand-year level? Especially the two
children with only one ring, their pain will be even greater. They will definitely be in danger if their spirit
soul’s level surpasses what they can handle.”

That was right. In their current situation, their spirit souls were continuously undergoing small
evolutions and eventually, their bodies would meet the limit of what they could support. Fortunately,
they were still quite far from meeting their limits.

As for whether a one-ringed Soul Master could support the rebound of gaining a thousand-year spirit
soul… there was not one bit of worry in Wu Zhangkong’s heart. Tang Wulin’s body was far stronger than
an ordinary Soul Master and he was also at the Spirit Connection realm, so a thousand-year spirit soul
would be no problem for him. He was even less worried about Gu Yue. She was on the boundary of
reaching rank 20 and gaining a second soul ring while both her body and spiritual power were superb.

These brats have really gone above and beyond this time for their final exam!

Seeing Wu Zhangkong void of any sort of reaction, hesitation crept into the heart of the staff member.
Still, he picked up the communicator and dialed a number. Anyway, the original reason why they existed
was to ensure that the spirit ascension platform operated normally.

Tang Wulin’s body felt bloated after he finished recovering all of his soul power. When he opened his
eyes, he was met with a frightening scene.

An extremely thick yellow light surrounded him and his comrades. Is, is this spirit energy?

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A bit further away was a pile of soul beasts corpses. Some of them had already been dissolved by the
spider web’s corrosion, but many were still mostly intact, and there were even some that were still in
their last moments of struggling for their life.

He had exhausted the most amount of soul power, so he was also the last one to awake from his
meditation. Everyone else had long awakened and were all staring dully at the scene outside.

“What…, what’s going on?” Tang Wulin quietly asked.

It’s the toxins, the Man-Faced Demon Spider’s toxins,” the normally quiet Wang Jinxi said with an odd
expression.

Tang Wulin quickly understood their current situation. The Man-Faced Demon Spider truly was worthy
of being called a soul beast killer; its toxic spider webs had killed numerous ten-year and hundred-year
soul beasts. Moreover, all of the beasts’ spirit energy had been absorbed by them. Their spirit souls had
continuously evolved in such a fortunate situation.

Without any conscious thought, Tang Wulin looked down to see Goldlight on his chest shaking its head.
Its body had expanded by a whole circle.

“If we continue like this, won’t our spirit souls…” Tang Wulin said in shock.

A bitter smile forced its way onto Wang Jinxi’s face. “Not really. There’s only so much our bodies can bear
right now. Those of us with two soul rings definitely can’t do it. At the very least, I know for certain that I
can’t support two thousand-year soul rings with my current level of spiritual power. I estimate that my
limit is five hundred years for both my soul rings. Yangzi’s limits should also be similar, maybe just a bit
better actually. Only you and Gu Yue haven’t gotten your second rings yet, so you two might still have a
chance at obtaining thousand-year soul rings.”

Tang Wulin immediately made an awkward expression. Considering their current situation, if their spirit
souls grew saturated with spirit energy, then they wouldn’t be able to enter the spirit ascension platform
anymore and battle soul beasts. There was also the potential danger of their spirit souls exploding due to
their insufficient spiritual power.

“You guys don’t need to look so confused. The Man-Faced Demon Spider’s webs will disappear soon. We
need to prepare to depart.” Gu Yue’s voice cut in.

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 Chapter 143 – Another Chance at Spirit
Ascension
Chapter 143 – Another Chance at Spirit Ascension

Tang Wulin swept his gaze over the spider webs in his surroundings and sure enough, they were
beginning to weaken. There were even some cracks visible in the webs now. Although the Man-Faced
Demon Spider was extremely toxic, there was still a limit to its toxicity. Once the protection of the webs
disappeared, they would no longer be safe to rest in this spot as after all, they, too, were afraid of the toxic
spider webs!

Tang Wulin asked, “How much spirit energy do you all think we’ve absorbed?”

Gu Yue frowned. “We all should have absorbed four to five hundred years worth of spirit energy. You and
I have it all concentrated in our single soul ring, while the others have increased each of their two soul
rings by about two hundred years. There should also still be about one or two hundred years worth of
spirit energy in our surroundings, but it’ll take us too long to absorb it. We’ll need to be especially careful
of other Soul Masters after we depart. They’re a much greater threat to us now than soul beasts.”

Gu Yue’s deduction was correct. A thick air of spirit energy currently hung around their bodies, and if
another party of Soul Masters saw them, they might immediately be targeted. After all, there were no true
deaths in the spirit ascension platform, and who wouldn’t want to absorb such rich spirit energy?

Tang Wulin responded with a calm smile, “Take it easy. In one move, we’ve already passed our final exam
and absorbed far more spirit energy than usual. Even if we encounter a powerful foe and get ejected from
the spirit ascension platform, that’s okay, too. Everyone’s recovered now, right? Let’s go then.”

Tang Wulin’s words had injected vigor into everyone’s minds. He took out his hammers once more and
reminded his comrades, “Everyone, pay attention to how much your spirit soul can bear. If you feel like
you’re approaching the limits of how much it can absorb, then immediately press the button to exit the
spirit ascension platform. Don’t be greedy, or else your body or your spiritual power might collapse, and
then you’ll really be in trouble.”

Although he himself was beginning to feel a bit bloated, he hadn’t reached the limits yet. According to Gu
Yue’s assessment, he should still be able to absorb a lot more spirit energy, so he didn’t have to worry
about it for now.

After all, the strength of his body and spiritual power was directly related to how strong of a spirit soul he
could support. There was no need to even speak of his body’s strength and his spiritual power growth
rate. They were both outstanding, allowing him to already reach the Spirit Connection realm, so he
certainly had the capabilities to bear a single thousand-year spirit soul.

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A thousand-year spirit soul… Would he truly be able to walk this path?

Tang Wulin led his team out, carefully avoiding the toxic webs. They left their miraculous, safe heaven
and once again returned to the dangers of the forest.

The chaos of an assortment of noises soon entered their ears. There were the sounds of collisions, the
roars of soul beasts, and occasionally, some wretched screams from Soul Masters.

It truly was a rebel period!

Tang Wulin mulled over their choices for a moment before he decided to have everyone absorb the
remaining spirit energy in the area. Normally, they would have to kill countless soul beasts before
earning this much spirit energy. Though it would take awhile to absorb all of this energy, it was a rare
opportunity for them. Wu Zhangkong could help them out in the matter of combat experience, but not in
evolving their spirit soul. This was the most important goal in entering the spirit ascension platform after
all!

A sudden realization dawned on Tang Wulin. Those with fewer soul rings actually have an advantage in
the spirit ascension platform. Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi and Xie Xie all have two soul rings. Furthermore,
Xie Xie’s rings come from two spirit souls, and they’ll need to evolve all of their soul rings to the
thousand-year level in order to evolve their spirit soul. In other words, the more soul rings someone has,
the more spirit energy necessary to evolve the spirit soul!

The strength of a Soul Master’s spiritual power and body also determine how much spirit energy they can
bear to absorb.

Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi can’t handle having two thousand-year soul rings then. Their spiritual
powers are both too weak.

Having come to this realization, Tang Wulin’s heart began to stir. If it’s like this, then isn’t being a one-
ringed Soul Master the best for the spirit ascension platform? If my spirit soul actually evolves to the
thousand-year level, then once I hit rank 20 and get a second soul ring, that ring will also be at the
thousand-year level. And when I get my third, it will be at the thousand-year level, too! Wouldn’t I save a
lot of money like that?

Tang Wulin’s heart sped up at this discovery, but he soon calmed himself at the thought of the rare
situation they were in.

First of all, the spirit ascension platform was strictly monitored by the Spirit Pagoda, and they had
already calculated the maximum level of spirit soul a one-ringed Soul Master could bear to be a little over
four hundred years. Basically, it was impossible for a one-ringed Soul Master to attain a thousand-year
spirit soul. However, the spirit energy they absorbed would be split when they reached rank 20 and
gained a second soul ring.

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Tang Wulin’s current situation could be said to be truly marvelous. One reason was that he coincidentally
found himself such a wonderful cultivation environment while the other was that his body was far
stronger than normal people’s, allowing him to absorb more spirit energy. These two factors combined to
allow him to potentially obtain a thousand-year spirit soul.

Following this line of thinking, his original guess that the academy wanted them all to obtain thousand-
year spirit souls was wrong. The others wouldn’t even be able to support two thousand-year soul rings
even if they wanted to! At most, they would only be able to absorb enough spirit energy until they
reached their current limits.

In the future, as he grew stronger and gained more soul rings, it would only grow increasingly harder to
evolve his spirit soul. This was the reason why spirit evolution was rarely seen in the spirit ascension
platform. Ordinary Soul Masters with ten-year spirit souls wouldn’t even be lucky enough to enter the
spirit ascension platform, and even if they did, they wouldn’t be able to defeat any soul beasts. Those with
the means to directly obtain a hundred-year spirit soul wouldn’t opt for such a convoluted method of
evolving a ten-year spirit soul either. As for those who wanted to evolve their hundred-year to a
thousand-year spirit soul, the vast majority had bodies that were too weak to bear it.

Everything was clear to him now and more importantly, he had found the path he would travel from now
on. Others might not be able to evolve their spirit souls, but I can! My body is far stronger than normal,
and my spiritual power is high too. Though, I can’t even compare myself to Gu Yue.

With his current circumstances, he could absorb as much spirit energy as he wanted, until his body
reached the saturation point.

He wasn’t clear on the strength of his body after absorbing the power of the Golden Dragon King’s first
seal, but he knew he was about as strong as an ordinary Soul Master with three or four rings. With this in
mind, he deduced that he would have no problems obtaining a thousand-year spirit soul. After this was
over, he planned on having Wu Zhangkong assess him.

Then there was the matter of his spiritual power. The level his spiritual power attained would determine
just how much spirit energy he could absorb in the spirit ascension platform.

Teacher Wu said that if I joined his organization, I’d be able to obtain a cultivation method. It seems I
should really consider joining it now…

As for talent, my comrades are all far more talented than me. After all, my martial soul is just Bluesilver
Grass. Tang Wulin had no way of knowing whether or not his Bluesilver Grass would continue to mutate
as he broke the seals on the Golden Dragon King, but a Soul Master’s spirit souls and soul rings were
directly representative of their strength!

If I can evolve my spirit soul once more, then I’ll have paved the path for my next two soul rings.

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Even if I absorb as much spirit energy as my body can handle, my body will strengthen again when I
break the next seal on the Golden Dragon King, and then I’ll be able to absorb even more spirit energy. I
need to have two rings before I break the next seal, but what if I break it when I’m only approaching two
rings? Will I be able to survive it?

Countless possibilities continuously appeared within Tang Wulin’s mind, as if numerous, brilliant doors
were slowly opening up to him.

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 Chapter 144 – Ice Staff Siblings
Chapter 144 – Ice Staff Siblings

Tang Wulin was unaware that his current thoughts and ideas were laying a foundation for his future. A
path never traveled before was quietly opening before him thanks to the power of the Golden Dragon
King.

“Careful!” Xie Xie’s warning jolted Tang Wulin out of his exciting train of thought. He instinctively
responded by activating his Bind skill to send out a mass of Bluesilver Grass at the lean leopard in front of
him.

Xie Xie reacted in a flash, his Light Dragon Blade streaking across the sky and slashing the ten-year soul
beast.

“Sorry everyone, my mind was wandering just now,” Tang Wulin bluntly apologized while a cold shiver
ran down his spine. This is still the spirit ascension platform. Instead of being preoccupied by my ideas, I
must focus on absorbing the remaining energy here. That should be my main goal for now.

Zhang Yangzi gently chuckled. “My mind was wandering just now, too. After all, the events just now
changed the way we think about the spirit ascension platform. In any case, our harvest this time is
already quite good. Even if we’re to be eliminated, it’ll still be fine.”

Tang Wulin sternly said, “Don’t think like that. Since we’ve been blessed with luck this time, we have to
do our best to secure the opportunity and not let it slip away! Otherwise, we’d be letting down the
expectations of the Heavens. Everyone, let’s all do our best.”

He’d prepared these words to say at the moment of their departure. With their distracting thoughts
dispelled, Tang Wulin took the lead once again, ready to intercept any potential dangers.

Soon, a roar announced the presence of a monstrous, six-armed python ahead of them.

“A hundred-year Six-armed Fire Snake. Everyone, be careful,” Tang Wulin grimly ordered.

Suddenly, a bright, white light flashed from far ahead of them and heavily wounded the Six-armed Fire
Snake. A bizarre ice wheel fluttered in the breeze, its points dripping with the blood of the soul beast.
Although the Six-armed Fire Snake couldn’t be considered a powerful soul beast, especially with regards
to its defense, it was still shocking that it had been cut up so easily and quickly by that ice wheel.

A figure with three soul rings underfoot appeared before them, quickly absorbing the spirit energy of the
fallen Six-armed Fire Snake.

It was a youth, about seventeen or eighteen years old. Two yellow soul rings and one purple soul ring
coiled around his body, identifying him as a Soul Elder. In his right hand, he held a snow white staff which

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was topped by an icy, blue crystal. His expression was cold and arrogant, and the yellow aura around him
was similar to that of the five students of class zero.

Powerful!

The five teammates could already tell how powerful this Soul Elder was just by his aura.

Not only that, he actually wasn’t alone!

A girl seemingly around the same age as Tang Wulin’s group popped her head out from behind the youth.
Her blue hair was styled in twintails, and she looked as if cut from jade. Her beauty was stunning and far
exceeded that of Gu Yue’s. In her hand was a staff nearly identical to the youth’s, only hers being a bit
smaller. A single yellow soul ring flickered beneath her, illuminating her frightened expression in the face
of such killing.

The male youth’s gaze immediately fell upon the students of class zero. When he saw the rich aura of
spirit energy surrounding them, his eyes brightened a bit and he started taking large, decisive strides
towards them.

Tang Wulin’s eyes narrowed as he signaled with his left hand to those behind him.

“Withdraw from the spirit ascension platform voluntarily and leave behind your spirit energy. Then you’ll
be spared from some pain,” the youth with the ice staff stated, as if it was only natural.

The corner of Xie Xie’s lips curled in disdain. “Is he some sort of soul beast in human form? Apparently,
this human-shaped soul beast can even speak now. It’s done a good job evolving.”

The youth’s eyes sharpened as a cold light flashed through them. He pointed his ice staff at Xie Xie, and
immediately, an ice wheel shot straight toward him.

Xie Xie wouldn’t take it lying down, as he swiftly responded with a slash of his Light Dragon Dagger,
shooting out a Light Dragon Blade.

Tang Wulin and the others didn’t make a single move. Their opponent had three soul rings, with one of
them even being a thousand-year soul ring, so they couldn’t underestimate his strength. It was best to let
Xie Xie probe him first.

The ice wheel flew through the air, slashing in a bizarre arc and easily avoiding the Light Dragon Blade.
Then, it sped up, transforming into a whirlwind that appeared in front of Xie Xie in a flash.

It changed directions and sped up! Such formidable control!

This was Tang Wulin’s first impression. Xie Xie was also given a fright, but he quickly adapted. He simply
lowered his body to let the ice wheel fly over him.

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Just as he was about to launch his counterattack, Gu Yue shouted, “Let me try!”

A sparkling icicle shot forth and hit the ice wheel precisely on its core, smashing it into pieces.

The youth was stunned for a brief moment. The weakest point of his ice wheel was the center, but it was
extremely difficult to hit it due to its rapid spin and his precise control. Moreover, his opponent had
accurately hit it with a mere icicle. This keenness of eyesight and level of control couldn’t be considered
weak at all!

Gu Yue walked forward from beside Tang Wulin, who was shocked to see that Gu Yue didn’t just have one
soul ring anymore, but two!

That was right, during the battle with the Man-Faced Demon Spider, Gu Yue had made a breakthrough!
Although none of them knew what her spirit soul was, there was no doubt that it had already provided
her with her second soul ring.

A pair of yellow soul rings twinkled on her body, making her seem even more imposing than before.

Even with a single soul ring he had been able to defeat a two-ringed Soul Master, as well as causing the
twin-souled Xie Xie to cower in fear. Just how powerful was she now that she had two soul rings and had
absorbed all that spirit energy? It was impossible for Tang Wulin to even guess.

“Let me take a shot at him,” Gu Yue told Tang Wulin.

“Okay!” Tang Wulin understood her intentions; she wanted to verify what her current strength was, now
that she had two rings.

The youth looked at Gu Yue and frowned. After seeing her attack with an icicle, he had come to the
conclusion that she had a martial soul similar to his own.

It was normal for Soul Masters with similar martial souls to feel an affinity with each other.

“Ice attribute?” the youth asked.

“You’ll find out in a moment,” Gu Yue indifferently said as she raised her right hand to shoot another icicle
while a bright light suddenly exploded out of her left hand.

The youth was blinded and cried out in alarm.

Bright Light technique—an application of the light element.

The youth unleashed his strength. Despite his temporary blindness, he wasn’t disoriented. He raised the
staff high, releasing a series of dazzling blue lights from its peak. Everyone was bathed in the light,
including the young girl beside him.

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The icicle rapidly dissolved in the light, leaving not even a drop of water.

Although Gu Yue’s teammates had also been bathed in the blue light, they were further from the source
and were able to vaguely make out the youth’s shining, second soul ring.

Taking advantage of her opponent’s momentary blindness, Gu Yue activated both her soul rings. With the
activation of the first, it only seemed as if her aura had grown stronger, but when the second began to
shine, they couldn’t sense any changes to her.

In a silver flash of light, Gu Yue suddenly appeared behind the youth. Countless lights covered the sky and
flew forth, some of them attacking, while some shot straight into the sky instead.

There were fireballs, wind blades, icicles and rocks. Water, fire, earth and wind. She brilliantly controlled
all four of these elements simultaneously. In another moment, the sky was painted with these elemental
colors.

Is she even human? The youth had nearly recovered from his blindness when he heard the girl beside
him cry out in fear, “Big brother, big brother, I can’t see anything. What do I do? I can’t see.”

“Don’t panic. Just close your eyes, and you’ll be able to see again in a few moments.” The youth’s vision
had already returned, only to find that his opponent had disappeared, leaving her teammates behind.

Xie Xie kindly pointed behind the youth who automatically turned his head to look and was greeted with
the sight of the magnificently brilliant Gu Yue.

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 Chapter 145 – The Powerful Gu Yue
Chapter 145 – The Powerful Gu Yue

A green tornado gradually whipped up as Gu Yue waved her hands in a mystical rhythm mid-air. Its
viciousness increased as numerous icicles flew inside

The youth wielding an ice staff thought he was going to lose his mind. He simply couldn’t figure out what
this lady’s martial soul was. If he said that her martial soul was of the ice attribute, then what was with
that bright light? And then, what about this current tornado…

As the icicles merged with the tornado, Gu Yue’s aura grew at an insane rate. Even though the youth was a
fair distance away from her, he could sense just how crazy this soul skill of hers was. It’s a dual attribute
soul skill. So powerful!

His second soul skill receded as his purple soul ring lit up.

Tang Wulin’s group watched the battle raptly. A thousand-year soul skill!

They had never witnessed the might of a thousand-year soul skill before. Furthermore, a thousand-year
soul skill was already considered high-end in the current era of Soul Masters. As for ten-thousand-year
soul rings… Tang Wulin had only ever seen the one Wu Zhangkong had.

Extremely pure ice energy erupted from the peak of the ice staff, slowly coalescing into a spear.

Fury of Ice! A powerful soul skill attack!

The ice spear grew to two meters in length. Faint magic patterns shone in its shaft. The students of class
zero could instinctively sense its power just by looking at it. They were certain that none of them could
survive a single strike from that spear.

This thousand-year soul skill is so powerful!

“There’s still time for all of you to voluntarily withdraw,” the youth said to Gu Yue. His expression wasn’t
as cold as before. In his eyes, the fact that Gu Yue was able to release such powerful elemental waves
despite only having two rings made her worthy of praise. Although he had always been prideful, he now
felt a bit of pity for her.

The corners of Gu Yue’s lips curled. It wasn’t a smile, as only one side of her mouth curled up. It was
clearly a derisive smirk.

The youth’s eyes dulled with frost as he pointed his staff at Gu Yue once again. The ice spear shot forward
in a flash, piercing toward Gu Yue like lightning.

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But in that split second, the icicle tornado in front of Gu Yue crumbled apart and she disappeared in a
flash of silver.

Space attribute soul skill? Is it that legendary teleportation skill, the godly skill that can evade the lock-on
of another soul skill? How can this be!?

Countless possibilities flashed through the youth’s mind in a single moment. His Fury of Ice had already
flown off into the forest and disappeared.

“Big brother, what’s that above us?” The young girl beside him suddenly pointed at the sky.

The youth looked up. He stared, dumbstruck, at the sight of brilliant fireworks raining down upon them
from the sky.

Even though his soul power had reached rank 35 and he was the strongest amongst his peers, it still
didn’t change the fact that he didn’t have enough time to prepare another thousand-year skill attack
which drained so much soul power.

How can this be!?

As that last thought ran through his head, he moved to hit the button on the back of the girl’s hand. He
couldn’t let his little sister suffer. Immediately afterward, he was baptized in water, fire, earth and wind…

Two lights flickered one after another, then disappeared.

Only, one of them had been sent out by the button, while the other had been destroyed by the four
elements.

Tang Wulin muttered, “That guy’s actually decent. He knew to protect the person at his side first.” As he
finished muttering, Tang Wulin abruptly felt as if there was something wrong with the atmosphere.

When Gu Yue turned back to her team, she saw Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi standing there
frozen, as if they were statues. Their faces looked even weirder since their emotions were in chaos..

“What’s wrong with you guys?” Tang Wulin asked, puzzled.

Xie Xie respectfully bowed to Gu Yue. “Big sister. From now on, you’re my big sister. I won’t ever argue
with you again.”

Zhang Yangzi hastily mimicked Xie Xie’s actions. “Hello, big sister.”

Of the three, only Wang Jinxi remained as he was, bashfully staring at Gu Yue with eyes filled with both
admiration and fear.

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Gu Yue silently walked over to Tang Wulin’s side and dully said, “What’s so amazing about defeating that
arrogant guy? Come on, let’s go.”

As she spoke, the spirit energy that had surrounded the ice staff wielding youth flew over to them like a
storm. Of course, the one who absorbed most of it was Gu Yue, followed by Tang Wulin who was standing
next to her.

The spirit energy released from a Soul Master was no different from the energy received from killing soul
beasts. After losing its host, the spirit energy would be absorbed by the closest being to it. On top of that,
the closer one was to it, the more one would absorb.

Tang Wulin finally understood why the other three had reacted like that.

That was right! That was a three-ringed Soul Master, and not just any three-ringed Soul Master; it was
one with a thousand-year soul ring! That meant he had two spirit souls at the very least. They had seen
just how powerful of a Soul Elder he had been when he had instantly killed the Six-armed Fire Snake. Yet,
Gu Yue had only needed a few minutes to defeat him! They could only imagine how strong Gu Yue was
now that she had two rings…

Tang Wulin’s heart began to race as he guessed what Gu Yue’s second soul skill was. Her first soul skill
was Elemental Tide, which strengthened her ability to attract elemental energy, but in the previous
battle, she had been able to launch numerous low-level attacks as well as a icicle tornado. Using those
attacks, she had provoked her opponent to use his thousand-year soul skill, giving her an opening to kill
him with a mass of low-level attacks afterward. This level of control was simply too powerful and was
definitely impossible to attain with just her spiritual power. If it wasn’t for her second soul skill, then just
how had she managed to cover the sky with low-level elemental attacks?

Although neither of Gu Yue’s soul skills were directly related to attacking, did she really need them to be?
She could control six elements! With this array of elements, she could not only fight in countless styles,
but also constantly change her tactics. And then there was her powerful spiritual power… Among the
students of class zero, she was undoubtedly worthy of being called the strongest!

It was no wonder that Xie Xie no longer had any dreams of defeating her. How could he even possibly be a
worthy opponent for the powerful Gu Yue?

Although, Gu Yue had been right. That ice staff wielding youth had been careless and hadn’t even
bothered trying to understand her abilities. If he had been more cautious and immediately used his
second soul skill to defend, he likely wouldn’t have lost so easily. Furthermore, Gu Yue couldn’t possibly
match him in a battle of attrition.

“Do you want to rest for a while?” Tang Wulin asked Gu Yue.

Gu Yue shook her head. “Let’s go.”

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Without the protection of the Man-Faced Demon Spider’s webs, it was extremely dangerous for them to
stay in place for an extended period of time.

“Soul beasts are approaching.” Zhang Yangzi, who was in charge of reconnaissance, urgently informed
them. “There are a lot. It seems to be a group of soul beasts, and there are at least thirty of them. They
seem to be Blazing Demon Lions.”

Horror took over everyone’s faces when they heard his words.

Lions were one of the strongest types of soul beasts that lived on land. Generally speaking, the greater a
soul beast’s individual strength was, the greater its inclination toward being independent. That way, they
would be able to obtain even more resources. Only lion-type soul beasts were unique in this aspect. With
a single leader lion as the head of a pride of lionesses, they formed a powerful force regardless of whether
they were in the forests or the prairies. Even soul beasts that were far stronger than the head lion
wouldn’t dare to provoke the pride lightly. The combined power of the whole pride was simply too
fearsome.

“Run!” Tang Wulin shouted the order without the slightest hesitation before turning around to flee.

Gu Yue waved her hands and enveloped them in a green light. Its effects were stronger than before and
now they felt as if they were light as feathers, giving them a large boost to their speed.

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 Chapter 146 – Successive Eliminations
Chapter 146 – Successive Eliminations

The greatest and most powerful advantage of Gu Yue’s control over the elements was the fact that she
could use them to attack, defend, and control, making her strong in every aspect of combat. Now that she
had gained her second soul ring and become a Soul Grandmaster, her strength had received a massive
boost, firmly cementing her position as the strongest member on the team.

Xie Xie took the lead and scouted for a path ahead while Zhang Yangzi continued to direct his little Black
Eagle spirit soul to watch their rear. During his meditation, he had restored his spirit soul enough to come
out again, but it was still too weak to contribute in combat and could only share its vision with Zhang
Yangzi. If he wanted to completely restore it, he would need to meditate for several more days.

A roar rumbled behind them. Soon, numerous red figures could be seen madly rushing toward them.

Soul Masters weren’t the only ones who could absorb spirit energy; soul beasts could too. It was precisely
due to the powerful waves of spirit energy emanating from their bodies that had attracted the soul
beasts. Blazing Demon Lions were one of the strongest soul beast races and could easily sense the
student’s spirit energy fluctuations, spurring their rapid pursuit.

Run! If they could run for even a moment longer, then it was a moment longer they would live. Even a
fraction of a second more would allow them to absorb a bit more spirit energy.

They stood no chance against a whole pride of Blazing Demon Lions. Perhaps if they all possessed three
soul rings, they might have had a glimmer of hope.

In a previous trip into the spirit ascension platform, they had been unlucky enough to encounter a pride
of Blazing Demon Lions and were met with a deadly fate. That horrific slaughter was still fresh in their
memories.

The Blazing Demon Lions had surrounded them, and despite their best efforts to resist, they had been
slaughtered within moments. For the rest of that day, they were plagued by the sensation of being burned
alive.

This pride of Blazing Demon Lions was definitely an existence that stood at the very apex of the
elementary spirit ascension platform. Though the Man-Faced Demon Spider was extremely powerful as
an individual, even it wouldn’t be able to survive an onslaught from a pride of wild lions. In such a
scenario, its only choice would have been to flee.

The head lion of a pride of Blazing Demon Lions was equivalent to a thousand-year soul beast. As for the
remaining lionesses, every one of them had the cultivation of a hundred-year soul beast at least, if not a
thousand-year level. They were able to become so powerful simply because they had very few natural

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predators in this forest. Regardless of whether it was an individual Soul Master or a group of them, it was
practically impossible to defeat the Blazing Demon Lions with only three soul rings.

This was the reason why Tang Wulin had immediately given the order to flee the moment he heard that
they were being chased by Blazing Demon Lions. The only thing they could do now was to run until they
either lost the lions or perished.

Of course, there was a silver lining to this. The roars of the Blazing Demon Lions scared off all other soul
beasts. After all, the lions were just as terrifying to soul beasts as they were to humans! Regardless of
which lion species, they all shared one thing in common: they were carnivores! They hunted both humans
and soul beasts alike.

As such, not a single soul beast dared to block their way in their mad escape. Even if a soul beast were to
appear before them, they would soon flee in fear when they heard the declarations of the lions’ hunt.

Despite their best efforts to flee, however, the Blazing Demon Lions were natives and were able to
traverse the great forest far more quickly than humans.

Coordination was useless in such dire circumstances.

Surprisingly, the slowest one among them was Wang Jinxi. Just as the lions were about to reach him, he
helplessly slapped the button on the back of his hand.

Wang Jinxi disappeared in a flash of light, the spirit energy he had yet to fully absorb drifting over to the
remaining four Soul Masters.

The next slowest person was Gu Yue. Although she could enhance her speed with the wind element, she
still couldn’t hope to match Agility System Soul Masters or Tang Wulin, who had been born with innate
divine strength. She was the second one to hit the button on the back of her hand. Perhaps it was due to
her meticulous planning, but after she disappeared in a flash of light, all her unabsorbed spirit power flew
toward Tang Wulin with barely any dispersion.

The remaining three were too preoccupied with the Blazing Demon Lions drawing closer and closer to
question her control over the spirit energy.

For the time being, they were able to gain a little breathing room thanks to Gu Yue as she had cast a giant
blizzard at the pride behind them before she exited, slowing them momentarily.

“Captain! I have an idea,” blurted out Zhang Yangzi.

“What?” Tang Wulin urgently asked as he continued to madly flee. His method of running was different
from Xie Xie’s and Zhang Yangzi’s as he wasn’t an Agility System Soul Master, and lacked their raw speed.
Instead, he possessed tremendous power. He would launch off the ground like an artillery shell, leaving a
deep imprint in the ground each time. Every leap was filled with so much momentum that he didn’t even

723
bother dodging the branches. Instead, he plowed straight through them, just like a bulldozer. Tang
Wulin’s actions simply left Zhang Yangzi and Xie Xie speechless.

This wasn’t the point though. The important thing was that with this method, Tang Wulin was actually a
bit faster than the other two! In fact, Zhang Yangzi and Xie Xie could enjoy a clear path as long as they
stayed right behind Tang Wulin.

“There should definitely be some soul beasts flying in the sky. I’ll try and lure them down here, and
maybe they’ll attack the Blazing Demon Lions.”

“Don’t go, It’s too risky.” Tang Wulin immediately rejected the proposal.

Provoking the soul beasts in the sky was an easy matter, but with one mistake, Zhang Yangzi would die.

Zhang Yangzi smiled mischievously. “This is the spirit ascension platform; we won’t really be in danger. If
worst comes to worst, I’ll just be a bit shaken for a few days. We’ve already made enough gains to make
up for the losses this trip anyway. I haven’t contributed much this time, so let me try this at least.” After
he finished speaking, without even waiting for Tang Wulin’s reply, Zhang Yangzi kicked off a tree branch
and swiftly climbed up the tree with the aid of his wings.

Zhang Yangzi had yet to forget his first experience in the spirit ascension platform. His failure that time
had brought to light many of his shortcomings. It was then that he had truly understood he wasn’t the
most outstanding student in his class anymore.

As he approached the top of the tree, a shocking scene filled his eyes.

In his first trip into the spirit ascension platform, he had only seen a single green bird flying, but this time,
he witnessed flocks of all kinds of flying soul beasts that covered the sky.

There were a few green birds among the mass of beasts and were in a chaotic battle against each other.
Every once in awhile, a killed soul beast would drop from the sky and into the forest thicket.

“What, what is this?!” Just as he was about to reach the tree’s peak, he saw a giant nest with several pitch-
black eggs within.

The eggs were large, each similar to the size of a large ball.

“These should be a flying soul beast’s eggs. Big brother is really apologetic, but I’ll have to crack you.”
Zhang Yangzi quickly picked up an egg and lifted it overhead. Utilising his second soul skill, Eagle Soars
the Sky, he rushed into the sky.

“Hey, whose egg is this? Quickly come claim it!” Zhang Yangzi shouted at the top of his lungs.

The nearby flying soul beasts turned their gazes to this newly ascended human. A moment later, a
gigantic black soul beast released a sharp cry full of wrath.

724
“Hehe. Catch!” While saying this, Zhang Yangzi threw the egg toward the speeding red specks on the
ground. After provoking the flying soul beasts, he slapped his escape button with lightning speed.

Mission accomplished!

Zhang Yangzi disappeared in a flash of light while dozens of gigantic flying soul beasts dove into the
forest.

As the spirit energy contained within Zhang Yangzi’s body began to disperse, the flying soul beasts
arrived just in time to absorb it.

I stole your egg, but you’re gaining so much spirit energy that you’re profiting from this. Of course, you
still need to survive the battle with the Blazing Demon Lions. These were Zhang Yangzi’s final thoughts as
he disappeared from the spirit ascension platform.

The last two remaining heard a cacophony of twigs breaking and leaves rustling from behind them.
Following that, the pressure of the lions’ pursuit dissipated. Tang Wulin and Xie Xie exchanged a knowing
look. They knew that Zhang Yangzi had succeeded.

“Nicely done!” Xie Xie couldn’t help but praise their fallen comrade.

Zhang Yangzi had given up on absorbing more spirit energy in order to create an opportunity for his
teammates to survive.

“Although, I don’t think he had enough spiritual power to absorb much more spirit energy anyways.
Haha!” Xie Xie heartily laughed as he sped up once more.

Tang Wulin couldn’t help but crack a smile too. Although he was absorbing more and more spirit energy,
he had yet to reach his limits. As for his teammates with two rings, however, they were probably feeling
awfully bloated by now.

Suddenly, a dark golden radiance flashed ahead of them.

Xie Xie wasn’t able to stop his mad dash forward in time, so his body was instantly sliced up into pieces
and scattered onto the forest floor.

Xie Xie’s corpse then disappeared in a flash of light.

Tang Wulin’s scalp began to tingle. Without any hesitation, he shot Bluesilver Grass out of his hand
toward a tree, forcefully changing his direction.

Another dark gold light flashed by and an ear-piercing hissing sound came from where he had been
standing just a split-second ago. Three lines in the air could be made out.

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 Chapter 147 – The True King
Chapter 147 – The True King

Half of Xie Xie’s spirit energy flew toward Tang Wulin while the other half flew in another direction. As he
watched the energy fly away, a giant figure emerged.

It was an enormous bear, its fur dark-gold in colour. Standing over three meters tall, it had thick arms and
its majestic shoulders, akin to a great wall. Four golden claws of at least one meter in length extended
from each paw.

Xie Xie! Tang Wulin screamed in agony within his heart, for he knew just what sort of backlash Xie Xie
would experience after being slashed into pieces. Although dying in the spirit ascension platform did not
signify a true death, Soul Masters would still face powerful mental backlash from their death experience.
Though they all had plenty of experience in this by now, it was still Xie Xie’s first time being killed in such
a gruesome manner.

Tang Wulin could instantly recognize the formidable soul beast before him. As a matter of fact, it would
be impossible for him to not recognize it; it was simply too famous in the world of Soul Masters.

Reputed to be the strongest soul beast in the world, the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear.

It was rumored that the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear was one of the most powerful bears within history and
when mature, it would not need to fear any predator, not even true dragons. Should a battle between
titans come to pass, the outcome would be difficult to guess.

The Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear preferred to to live independently. Whether it be attack or defense, it
possessed overwhelming power in every aspect. It truly was an existence that stood at the apex of the
soul beast world.

If the Blazing Demon Lions were said to be one of the top predators in the elementary spirit ascension
platform, then when faced with the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear, all they would be able to do was beg for
their lives. The reason was simple. Throughout the ages, the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear had always been
an existence that stood at the very peak!

This Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear before his eyes was only three meters tall, but should still be at the
hundred-year level, if not higher. In comparison to other hundred-year soul beasts, if it was said that a
hundred-year Man-Faced Demon Spider could kill a thousand-year soul beast, then a hundred-year
Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear could make even ten-thousand-year level soul beasts run away in fear! That
was just how frightening it was.

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Never in his wildest dreams did Tang Wulin expect to run into this legendary bear within the rebellion
spirit ascension platform. After all, wouldn’t such an amazing beast appear in the higher leveled spirit
ascension platforms instead?

Fight it? You have got to be joking with me.

Tang Wulin threw his hammer straight at the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear before turning around and
fleeing.

Clang!

A metallic note rung out as the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear tore the hammer apart with one swipe.
Furthermore, it had already completely absorbed the spirit energy left behind by Xie Xie.

Such a powerful claw!

At this moment, a bizarre thought popped into Tang Wulin’s mind. Is my Golden Dragon Claw stronger, or
its Duskgold Dreadclaw?

Pressured by the dangerous aura behind him, Tang Wulin felt as if the entire forest had darkened. As
soon as the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear had appeared, the entire forest fell into a complete silence. Not
even the chirping of birds could be heard.

Having dealt with the unexpected troubles from the sky, the Blazing Demon Lions roared and rushed
toward Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin knew that it was impossible for him to escape. He clenched his teeth and run headfirst into
the pride of lions. Regardless of who kills me, you won’t get off lightly either.

He didn’t immediately hit his ejection button. To him, even a little bit more spirit energy absorbed could
lead to a wonderful situation. He wanted to hold out and absorb as much energy as possible.

The head lion stood over four meters tall and had a fiery red mane like a flickering flame. Its entire body
was coated in an orange fire. A domineering aura emanated from its body, which was only bolstered
when it roared wrathfully as if it was proclaiming its sovereignty. It was telling all the surrounding soul
beasts that it was the ruler of this forest.

With one glance, it spotted Tang Wulin, his rich aura of spirit energy instantly catching its attention. The
Blazing Demon Lion snarled a command to its lionesses, who quickly split up and surrounded Tang Wulin
while it pounced directly at him. With such a fat slab of meat in front of it, how could it share with others?
Its strength would leap substantially if it absorbed all of Tang Wulin’s spirit energy.

At that moment, however, Tang Wulin suddenly leapt up. A strand of Bluesilver Grass shot out. Pulling on
it, he instantly changing his direction.

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A dark-gold light flew out, announcing the arrival of the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear.

Its speed was completely uncharacteristic of its gigantic body. It hadn’t made a single noise while
running.

Aflame with arrogance and wildness, the thousand-year Blazing Demon Lion took one look at the bear
and, as if a switch had been flipped, it immediately pressed down on all four legs and skidded to a halt.
The flames on its body blew out and even its fiery mane had become dull. It flipped over a few times and
landed in front of the bear with its tail between its legs. Rather than immediately trying to flee, it crawled
on the floor and let our some sad cries.

“This, this is the Blazing Demon Lion King? Is it really a thousand-year Blazing Demon Lion?” Tang Wulin
was dumbstruck as he witnessed such a shocking scene. Isn’t that guy just a little kitty now?

That was right. In front of the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear, the thousand-year Blazing Demon Lion and its
lionesses were merely kittens. All their fires had extinguished as they crawled on the floor, swishing their
tails as they begged for pity.

The Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear didn’t even put them in its eyes. Its icy gaze had been fixed on Tang Wulin
the entire time.

Tang Wulin urgently raised his right claw just as a dark-gold light flashed, filling his heart with panic. He
immediately pulled on the strand of Bluesilver Grass he had shot out and swung in another direction.

A gigantic dark-gold figure destroyed everything in the place he had been just a split-second before.

That was right! Everything!

There wasn’t even any rumbling as the trees, bushes and even the earth were torn to shreds.

Duskgold Dreadclaw… That’s a real Duskgold Dreadclaw! It could even tear open a dragon’s body!

The humongous Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear soared into the air with a terrifying leap, overtaking Tang
Wulin in a flash.

I’ll risk it all!

A golden light twinkled in Tang Wulin’s eyes as he directed all his soul power into his right arm. A wave
of golden scales covered his arms and his Golden Dragon Claw appeared.

Compared to the huge Duskgold Dreadclaw, Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon Claw was simply tiny. He
fiercely slashed at the Duskgold Dreadclaw with his dragon claw.

While attacking, Tang Wulin adjusted his posture in the air, keeping his head away from the bear. Even if
his Golden Dragon Claw was torn apart and his body was cleaved into two, it would be fine as long as his

728
head wasn’t destroyed immediately. If it were, the split-second of pain he would experience would leave
many residual effects.

He had just decided on this retaliation, because if he didn’t test the true might of his Golden Dragon Claw,
he would regret it.

Clang!

The Golden Dragon Claw met with the Duskgold Dreadclaw in an explosive collision.

In the brief moment that their two claws had clashed, Tang Wulin felt all his soul power being drawn out
and his blood boiling. In particular, a spot between his eyebrows was burning as a faint golden light
appeared.

As the Duskgold Dreadclaw swept past, it not only missed his head, but also his entire upper body.
Unfortunately, Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon Claw disappeared in the next moment while the Duskgold
Dreadclaw continued to slash across his body.

Xie Xie had been torn in half vertically, while Tang Wulin was cleaved in half horizontally. The last thing
he felt was his lower body separating from his upper body.

An icy numbness washed over him as darkness enveloped his mind.

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 Chapter 148 – Full Marks and 99 Points
Chapter 148 – Full Marks and 99 Points

“Hurry! Quickly go save him! Does this child not recognize the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear? Why didn’t he
hit the ejection button!”

An anxious voice echoed in Tang Wulin’s mind as he gradually regained consciousness, the icy numbness
fading from his body at the same time.

A metallic friction sound rang out and in the next moment, light filled his eyes.

I’m back. I’m fine. Those were Tang Wulin’s first thoughts, but then he noticed something strange about
his state. Why do I feel fine?

His body had been shredded into pieces so he should be experiencing strong residual effects, and yet, he
didn’t feel anything in particular.

“How are you doing?” Wu Zhangkong’s face appeared above the metal box.

Staff members also came over, prodding Tang Wulin’s body with a sort of popsicle-looking thing. “Are you
conscious? Do you feel cold?”

“Yes,” Tang Wulin answered.

“He’s awake and has feeling. This is odd! He recovered this quickly?”

Tang Wulin grabbed the edge of the metal box and slowly pulled himself up.

A burst of weakness struck his brain, as if his mind had tired. Apart from this, everything else felt normal
for him.

“Teacher, I’m fine.” After confirming that his body had no abnormalities, Tang Wulin got out of the metal
box.

Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi and Gu Yue were waiting at the side. Standing right beside his box, Gu Yue only
let out a breath of relief when she saw Tang Wulin sit up.

However, the box next to his was bustling with people.

Xie Xie, that’s Xie Xie’s box.

Xie Xie should be fine, right?

730
Tang Wulin anxiously asked, “How is Xie Xie’s state right now?”

Wu Zhangkong said, “He managed to avoid having his head destroyed at the final moment, but the
spiritual backlash for the rest of his body is still great. He’s currently unconscious, but he should wake up
after resting a bit. Oh, he’s conscious.”

A long sigh of relief escaped from Tang Wulin after hearing that Xie Xie was awake. The most important
thing after exiting the spirit ascension platform was waking up. As long as one was able to wake up, the
body would be able to slowly recover. After all, they hadn’t truly sustained any injuries.

Tang Wulin quickly reached Xie Xie’s box and peered inside. Xie Xie’s complexion was pale and his body
was twitching. Abnormal twitching of the body was a typical residual effect from dying in the spirit
ascension platform.

Twitching is normal after dying in there, but there aren’t any effects in my body at all. Why aren’t I
twitching too?

Tang Wulin wasn’t the only person thinking of this question. Within Wu Zhangkong’s heart, he was asking
himself the exact same question. It was obvious, however, that Tang Wulin was unable to answer this
question.

“As long as everybody is fine, then that’s good.” Wu Zhangkong dully said.

“Wulin, thank you.” Xie Xie’s weak voice called out from the metal box.

“Huh? What are you thanking me for?” Tang Wulin smiled bitterly.

Xie Xie forced out a difficult smile. “Thank you for your Thousand Refined Cloud Titanium vest. If I hadn’t
worn it on my shoulders, helping to block some of the attack and giving me enough time to react, then my
head might have been shredded too. That would have been truly troubling.”

It was only then that Tang Wulin understood Xie Xie’s words. Although it had seemed to him that Xie Xie
had been sliced apart, the vest had still slightly protected him. With his sharp reflexes as an Agility
System Soul Master, he had just been able to narrowly avoid having his head destroyed.

Come to think of it, it was also like that when the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear tore me apart from the waist
down. It’s just that I was already dodging at that time.

“You guys cheated.” Wu Zhangkong’s cold voice suddenly cut in as he stood there holding a vest. That vest
was undoubtedly Xie Xie’s, stripped off during his post-ejection medical inspection.

Tang Wulin immediately blushed with embarrassment and awkwardness. “Teacher Wu, that shouldn’t be
considered cheating, right? I only made it because I was afraid everyone would suffer like Wang Jinxi the
first time.”

731
Wu Zhangkong handed the vest to Tang Wulin and indifferently commented, “The craftsmanship is not
bad. You can already Thousand Refine?”

“Ah?” Tang Wulin was stunned.

“Yes!”

Wu Zhangkong said, “For the first part of your final exam, everyone gets full marks except for you, the
captain. You get points deducted because you cheated and encouraged your teammates to cheat. Your
final exam score is…”

Tang Wulin listened anxiously for the final verdict, his heart racing.

“Just 99 points.”

“Huh?”

Ninety-nine points? That’s not a huge difference from one hundred though? At that moment, Tang Wulin
was at a loss as to how to react. The Zhang Yangzi at the side had already started yelling, “Long live
Teacher Wu!”

Wu Zhangkong coldly responded, “Don’t get so excited just yet. There’s still one more section to your final
exam. You will need to pass this section too in order to pass your exams.”

A staff member brought out a machine to stabilize Xie Xie’s conditions. This machine sent electric
currents into his body to alleviate the side effects of the spirit ascension platform.

Xie Xie had suffered from many residual effects after being killed, so it took him over an hour before he
was able to muster enough strength to sit up.

Everyone else had already recovered and were all waiting for Xie Xie. Tang Wulin walked to Wu
Zhangkong’s side and softly asked, “I still have another entry card for the rebellion spirit ascension
platform. Am I actually able to go in again?”

“Mn?” Wu Zhangkong stared at the card in Tang Wulin’s hand, a trace of astonishment flashing through
his eyes.

“The Blacksmith’s Association gave this to me.” Tang Wulin didn’t bother trying to hide it.

Wu Zhangkong’s impression of Tang Wulin changed. He then shook his head and said, “You don’t need to
go in again. There’s no meaning in it for you. As the rebellion period progresses, the spirit ascension
platform will grow increasingly powerful, and even more rabid soul beasts will emerge. If you go in right
now, you won’t be able to survive for long at all. You can just hold onto the card for now and use it during
the next rebellion period. The card itself is also worth a lot. You could auction it off for quite a sum.”

732
Tang Wulin had originally wanted to return to the rebellion spirit ascension platform to absorb more
spirit energy, but after hearing Wu Zhangkong’s words, he understood that his thoughts had been too
naive.

“Teacher Wu, I have an idea, but I’m not sure if it’s possible to achieve or not. It’s about the spirit energy
we absorbed. This time we…”

Just as Tang Wulin was about to explain, Wu Zhangkong’s hand shot out and covered his mouth. Wu
Zhangkong’s eyes shifted to the nearby Spirit Pagoda staff members then whispered, “We’ll discuss this
when we get back.”

Tang Wulin realized his error. That’s right! We had absorbed so much spirit energy this time that we
must have surpassed the average. I really shouldn’t talk about this in front of the Spirit Pagoda members.

“Yes!”

Xie Xie was piggybacked by Tang Wulin all the way back to the academy. Although Xie Xie was recovered
now, he still didn’t have full control over his body and all his movements were uncoordinated. According
to a Spirit Pagoda staff member, he would need at least a day to recover from this state. Fortunately, there
would be no lasting effects. As for whether a shadow had been cast over his heart, only Xie Xie could
answer that.

“I’m fine? I didn’t even see what soul beast killed me, so why would I have a shadow over my heart?” Xie
Xie said, all thick-skinned.

“That’s good then.” A faint smile appeared on Tang Wulin’s lips after hearing such a typical response from
Xie Xie.

Xie Xie grumpily complained, “It’s so unfair. You were slashed apart too, yet why are you completely
fine?”

Tang Wulin shrugged. “I don’t know either. Anyways, I’m just happy I made it out alright. Perhaps it’s also
related to your body strength. Your body is still too weak. How about you come with me on morning runs
from now on? It’ll increase your constitution and strength.”

Xie Xie teased, “Alright! I can go meet that senior sister with you then.”

Tang Wulin blushed crimson. “What meeting with the senior sister? Stop talking about things you don’t
know about.”

Gu Yue’s gaze instantly locked onto Tang Wulin, while Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi cast curious glances
in his direction.

Tang Wulin said dismissively, “It’s nothing. There are a lot of people going on runs in the morning so
naturally I’ve met a few seniors.”

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Even though the words he spoke denied it, a delicate face appeared within his heart.

It was just as Xie Xie had said; every day he would be able to see Ouyang Zixin on his morning runs.
Although he only greeted her each time and occasionally spoke a few words with her, the more he ran,
the more familiar he had grown with her.

Moreover, he was so accustomed to seeing her every morning that disappointment would fill his heart if
she wasn’t there one morning.

“Go back and rest properly. We’ll be summarizing your experiences tomorrow. Tang Wulin, come to my
quarters.” Wu Zhangkong immediately issued out these commands the moment they arrived at the
academy.

Tang Wulin first delivered Xie Xie to his room and laid him down to rest before heading over to Wu
Zhangkong’s office.

“Wulin, you must remember that in the future, regardless of whether it be the spirit ascension platform
or the Spirit Pagoda, you mustn’t speak of any ideas. Instead, wait until you come back. Understood?” Wu
Zhangkong advised.

Tang Wulin nodded. “Understood, teacher. But why? If the spirit ascension platform has a problem,
shouldn’t I tell the Spirit Pagoda?’

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 Chapter 149 – It’s Possible In Theory
Chapter 149 – It’s Possible In Theory

Wu Zhangkong said, “You’re still young and there are some things you needn’t know about just yet. As
long as you remember my words, you’ll be fine. The Spirit Pagoda doesn’t think the same way you do.
They possess so much power that even the Federation is afraid of them. Moreover, the Spirit Pagoda
spans across to other continents too.”

Tang Wulin was stunned. Other continents? The Star Luo Continent and the Heaven Dou Continent?

“Teacher, have you ever been to the other two continents? Do you know what’s different about them?”
Tang Wulin curiously asked.

Wu Zhangkong calmly answered, “There are many different kinds of places in this world, and you’ll know
what they are like when you visit them in the future, but for now, you shouldn’t be thinking about that.
Now tell me, what did you feel in the spirit ascension platform today?”

Seeing that Wu Zhangkong didn’t wish to talk about the other two continents, Tang Wulin wisely chose to
drop the topic and quickly began explaining his thoughts.

“Teacher Wu, after absorbing all that spirit energy today, I realized that it’ll be extremely hard for my
teammates with two soul rings to evolve their spirit souls. In fact, it’s practically impossible for them to
evolve them to the thousand-year level since the spirit energy is split between their two rings evenly.
Even if they did evolve their spirit souls to the thousand-year level, their bodies wouldn’t be able to bear
two thousand-year soul rings, not to mention that neither Wang Jinxi’s nor Zhang Yangzi’s spiritual
power is strong enough to handle a single thousand-year spirit soul yet. Isn’t this the reason it’s so hard
for Soul Masters to evolve their spirit souls in the spirit ascension platform?”

Wu Zhangkong nodded. “The fact that you’ve arrived at this conclusion shows just how seriously you
have been thinking about this. Not bad. Even if you had enough resources to enter the spirit ascension
platform more times, there is still a limit to what your body can handle. In the end, your chances of
success would still be tiny. What you really should be considering isn’t that.”

“Mn.” Tang Wulin nodded in understanding. “I think my situation is actually a bit special. My body is
stronger than an ordinary Soul Master’s so I’m actually able to support a thousand-year soul ring despite
only having one ring. I’m not restricted to an up to four-hundred-years ring like other one-ring Soul
Masters. My spiritual power is also at the Spirit Connection realm, so if I absorb enough spirit energy, I
should be able to gain a thousand-year spirit soul, right?”

For a moment, a glimmer of surprise twinkled in Wu Zhangkong’s eyes before he nodded and said, “It’s
possible in theory, but you will have to absorb enough spirit energy to evolve your spirit soul before you

735
gain a second soul ring. Moreover, your body will need to be able to bear two thousand-year soul rings
when it comes time for your second soul ring.”

Wu Zhangkong’s words immediately reminded Tang Wulin of something. That’s right! If I evolve my spirit
soul to the thousand-year level, that means my second soul ring will also be at the thousand-year level.
It’s no problem for me to handle one thousand-year soul ring right now, but will I be able to handle two
thousand-year soul rings by the time I become a Soul Grandmaster?

Wu Zhangkong continued, “How about this, we’ll run some tests on your body later and figure out just
how much you can bear. We already know your spiritual power can support a single thousand-year spirit
soul, so all that’s left to determine is whether or not your body can bear two thousand-year soul rings.
You’ll really be a unique case if you can.”

“Thank you, teacher.”

Teacher Wu isn’t the only person I can ask about how much my body can bear. I can also ask… Old Tang!

After Tang Wulin left, Wu Zhangkong sat there in deep thought. There really is something special about
Tang Wulin. I think he’ll actually be able to do it.

Should he actually obtain a thousand-year spirit soul, then even though his martial soul is weak, it will be
enough to make up for it and make him strong! This set of circumstances is even rare in Shrek Academy.

However, this isn’t a certainty. After all, I’ve never entered the land of the true monsters of Shrek.

He should only be a step away from evolving his spirit soul once more. It seems I’ll need to conduct some
special tests on him.

Wu Zhangkong narrowed his eyes. It’s best to keep this matter a secret from the Spirit Pagoda.

At the very least, this can’t be revealed until he’s stronger.

As his train of thought traveled along this path, a series of plans began to form.

He had never expected these children to make such a great harvest this time in the rebellion spirit
ascension platform. Without a doubt, having survived the longest, it was Tang Wulin who had benefited
the most. He had absorbed the most spirit energy with Gu Yue in second place. She had suddenly broke
through to become a two-ringed Soul Grandmaster, gaining enough power to even defeat a three-ringed
Soul Elder who had two spirit souls and a powerful martial soul! It was true that her opponent had been
careless, but it would have been impossible to grasp victory without her insane control over the
elements!

Nobody knew just how strong Gu Yue’s spiritual power was after gaining her second soul ring. This little
girl had a chance of reaching the Spirit Sea realm by the time she turned fifteen!

736
The others’ spirit souls had also made some progress, but now they were faced with a problem. They
couldn’t enter the spirit ascension platform again for a while, otherwise they might accidently absorb too
much spirit energy which would negatively influence their bodies.

He had never expected they would make so much progress in a short six months. According to the
original plan they had for class zero, they shouldn’t be this powerful until the third grade.

It seems I’ll have to adjust the originally planned curriculum.

……

“Old Tang, now that I have fully absorbed the power of the first seal, how many soul rings and spirit souls
can my body handle?” The moment Tang Wulin returned to his room, he began meditating to call out Old
Tang.

Old Tang’s body was still bathed in a golden light, but for some reason, Tang Wulin felt as though the light
had grown a bit more resplendent than before. Old Tang also no longer seemed as transparent to him.

Old Tang asked, ”Oh? What do you mean? Is there a problem with your soul rings?”

Tang Wulin didn’t know why, but he placed an immense amount of trust in this mysterious Old Tang that
dwelled within his body. He didn’t bother to hide anything as he explained what had happened in the
spirit ascension platform, as well as his thoughts on the spirit soul evolution he had already experienced.

After hearing his explanation, Old Tang suddenly blurted out, “I understand what you’re thinking. You’re
worried that your body won’t be able to absorb that much spirit energy, correct?”

“That’s right! That’s what I’m worried about.” Tang Wulin hurriedly added, “So what level of soul ring do
you think my body can bear right now? And my spirit soul?”

Old Tang said, “This is actually a very simple matter since there’s no one more familiar with your body
than I. Your spiritual power is gradually increasing, but your job to find a way to improve faster. It would
be best for you to find a spiritual power cultivation method that will help you increase your spiritual
power improvement rate. With your current level, you should be able to support a single thousand-year
spirit soul or two hundred-year spirit souls. As for soul rings, you need not worry. Having absorbed the
power of the Golden Dragon King’s first seal, it’ll be no problem for your body to bear two thousand-year
soul rings.”

Tang Wulin said, “Then, is it possible for me to break the second seal before I reach rank 20? And what
level will my body reach after absorbing the second seal’s power?”

Old Tang answered, “Based on your body’s current condition, it should be possible. However, you will
need to find the items I told you about first. You can only break the second seal after obtaining those
items. You will also need to strengthen your body further by that time. Actually, if you really can evolve

737
your spirit soul and soul ring to the thousand-year level, it will provide you with an overall improvement
to both your body and essence, so I fully encourage you to evolve them before you reach rank 20. When
that time comes, I’ll give you some new advice. Just remember though, the earlier you break the seals, the
higher the chance they will break on their own in the future and so your period of safety will become
even smaller.”n

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 Chapter 150 – The Xu Clan’s Siblings
Chapter 150 – The Xu Clan’s Siblings

“The seals will break on their own? They can do that?” Tang Wulin doubtfully asked.

Old Tang said, “Of course. If you grow old enough or accidentally run into something that purifies the
Golden Dragon King’s essence, then there’s a chance that a seal might break forcefully. Should that
happen, you’ll be faced with great danger. More importantly, the latter seals will become even firmer.
Basically, the more seals you break by yourself, the lower the chances are that the following seals will
break automatically and endanger your life. It would be best you if they never break by themselves,
otherwise…”

Old Tang didn’t finish his sentence, but the grim tone in his voice made his meaning clear.

“Thank you, Old Tang. I’ll definitely do my best! My goal now is to first evolve my spirit soul to the
thousand-year level!”

“That’s right. Do your best.”

……

“You all scored highly on yesterday’s exam, and this can be attributed to each of you doing exactly what
was necessary. It seems that the last three months haven’t been a waste after all. At the very least, you are
now a functional team.” Strangely enough, although Wu Zhangkong was clearly praising his students, his
voice was still as icy as ever. The five students were doubting whether they should be happy or ashamed.

“Tang Wulin, your control has obviously made much progress. Good work, and continue to do your best.
Unfortunately, every one of you has absorbed too much spirit energy yesterday, so once the final exam
period is over, we’ll run some tests again and figure out just how much more spirit energy your bodies
can bear. Keep in mind that it is absolutely crucial that you do not absorb energy beyond your limits.”

Based on his initial observations, Wu Zhangkong proceeded to summarize the battles from the previous
day and gave them his assessment.

The five students couldn’t help but beam proudly as he talked about the rebellion spirit ascension
platform, especially when he mentioned the Man-Faced Demon Spider. A sort of wonderfully
unfathomable feeling still lingered in their hearts at the thought of that battle.

Although Gu Yue had not yet broken through to two rings at the time of that battle, her tactics had been
absolutely perfect.

739
“Tang Wulin, I have a question for you. Was it part of your plan to use the Man-Faced Demon Spider’s
toxic webs after its death to kill even more soul beasts?” Wu Zhangkong’s burning gaze bore into Tang
Wulin.

Tang Wulin ardently shook his head. “I was thinking that if I let it spin its web, then it would lower its
guard and we would be able to use the webs as a protective barrier after it died. I’d never imagined that
the webs would actually kill so many soul beasts for us, letting us absorb so much spirit energy.”

Wu Zhangkong gave a slight nod. “While your coordination control was exceptional, you must keep in
mind that the essence of a Control System Soul Master is to never let your opponent know your intent.
This time, your constant, coordinated attacks served to misdirect the enemy’s attention, creating a vital
opening for you.”

At the mention of this, Tang Wulin could only scratch his head in embarrassment.

Wu Zhangkong continued, “But you are still not calm enough! After killing the Man-Faced Demon Spider,
it was clear that you all lost your previous tension. Compared to your state of mind from before the battle,
the difference was too great! Did you feel satisfied after gaining that much in the spirit ascension
platform?”

The students looked at each other in dismay. Even Tang Wulin was no different in that he had harbored
the same thoughts at that time. After all, by then, they had already gained far more than they had planned.

Wu Zhangkong said, “Then let me ask you one question. What if you had been in a real forest that time,
facing a horde of rebellious soul beasts? Would you still be standing before me now?”

No one dared to utter a word.

Wu Zhangkong continued his lecture, “Remember this: no matter how enticing or how beneficial
something is, it cannot compare to the value of your life.”

Xie Xie meekly said, “Teacher Wu, I have a question. If we encounter something like the Duskgold
Dreadclaw Bear in the future, what should we do?”

Wu Zhangkong answered without the slightest hesitation. “Run. If you don’t run, then you die.”

“Eh…” Xie Xie stared at Wu Zhangkong in shock.

Wu Zhangkong said, “The Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear is a special kind of soul beast. From the moment of
its birth, it is a king. Its strength simply can’t be measured in years, unlike normal soul beasts. But there’s
no point in continuing this conversation. It would be miraculous for you to encounter a Duskgold
Dreadclaw Bear in the future, since they have already been hunted to near extinction long ago.”

“Is it because they’re dangerous?” Zhang Yangzi asked.

740
Wu Zhangkong shook his head. “No. It’s because there’s a high chance of collecting a soul bone from them.
From the perspective of soul beasts, humanity is the greediest existence in the world. Soul beasts are on
the brink of extinction not because they are a danger to us, but because hunting them brings us too many
benefits.”

Tang Wulin was dumbstruck at these words. For the first time, he was exposed to the true relationship
between humanity and soul beasts. When he thought back to all the soul beasts he had killed in the spirit
ascension platform, his feelings of triumph couldn’t help but turn a bit sour. Those soul beasts had only
been illusory existences, but still…

“Big brother, don’t be so angry,” Xu Xiaoyan timidly begged her brother.

Xu Xiaoyu’s distorted expression looked ready to erupt. He couldn’t feel anything but anger at the
moment. Their clan had paid such a heavy price to obtain entry cards to the rebellion spirit ascension
platform for the two of them, yet, due to his moment of carelessness, they had both been eliminated!

The sensation of being annihilated by that elemental attack remained vivid in his mind. It had taken him a
full day of rest to recover.

“The only people in the rebellion spirit ascension platform region we entered yesterday should’ve been
Soul Masters from Eastsea City. From their age, they should currently be attending an intermediate
academy. Could they really be students of Eastsea Academy?” Xu Xiaoyu narrated his thoughts with an
ashen expression.

Xu Xiaoyan remained stunned for a moment. “Really? If that’s true, then they should be my seniors.”

Although Xu Xiaoyu was the only son in their clan, his stubbornness and arrogance displeased the elders.
On the other hand, the gentle and timid Xu Xiaoyan was an absolute treasure in their eyes.

Despite the fact that Xu Xiaoyan was gifted with innate soul power, she didn’t like to cultivate.
Fortunately, with an outstanding elder brother like Xu Xiaoyu protecting her, no one dared force her.

When she had first awakened her martial soul three years ago, the clan had run tests on her using their
equipment, only to discover that not only did she have soul power at rank 17, she also had a martial soul
that had undergone a starlight phenomena rarely seen throughout the history of their clan. After this,
they realized that she was an even greater genius that the outstanding Xu Xiaoyu.

The Xu family was the largest clan in Eastsea City, and Xu Xiaoyu and Xu Xiaoyan’s father was the
minister of Eastsea City’s financial affairs, which was a position with much prestige and influence. When
he found out that his daughter possessed the legendary martial soul of their clan, he was simply
overjoyed. He used his power and influence to obtain another entrance card so that his son and daughter

741
could enter the rebellion spirit ascension platform together. Before they entered, he had repeatedly
warned Xu Xiaoyu to take care of his little sister and to help her gain as much spirit energy as possible.

Due to Xu Xiaoyan’s timidness and her lack of Soul Master training, she had been cowering in fear behind
her brother from the moment they entered the spirit ascension platform. She didn’t have the courage to
kill a single soul beast. Xu Xiaoyu was able to absorb a great amount of spirit power, but his younger
sister, with her reluctance to kill, had barely absorbed any.

As he tried his hardest to convince her to at least attack the next soul beast they came across, they
accidentally stumbled upon Tang Wulin’s team of five. Afterwards, they were met with tragedy…

Upon returning home, not only did he have to suffer the side effects to his body, he also had to endure a
lecture from his father. It would have been strange if he was still in a good mood after all that.

“Don’t let me find out who they are, otherwise, I won’t be able to stop myself!” Xu Xiaoyu said grimly.

Despite his words, Gu Yue’s apathetic expression and serene appearance appeared within his mind.
Although she wasn’t as pretty as his little sister, she possessed an amazing temperament. Just how had
she been able to control that many elements?

Even now, Xu Xiaoyu’s heart was in turmoil with his doubts and confusion.

“Teacher Wu, the final part of our exam is about to start. Will today’s combat class be postponed?” Zhang
Yangzi flatteringly asked Wu Zhangkong the moment he entered the room.

This was to be expected of course. With their holidays upon them, it was only normal for students to start
feeling a bit lazy.

Wu Zhangkong dully said, “Due to the amount of spirit power you all absorbed this time in the spirit
ascension platform, the academy has arranged for you to test your soul ring year levels and your bodies
again. Don’t think that you can squander your time just because you are young. If you don’t put in effort at
this age, it’ll be useless to begin putting in effort when you grow old. Don’t you all have a good
understanding of each other? Combat class will still proceed as planned. I’ve thought about it for a while,
and considering your current situations, it wouldn’t be suitable for you all to enter the spirit ascension
platform again for a while. Your combat classes will actually need to be modified a bit. Follow me.” Wu
Zhangkong immediately turned on his heel and walked out.

Crestfallen, Zhang Yangzi muttered, “Teacher Wu is so unreasonable.”

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 Chapter 151 – A Problem Appears
Chapter 151 – A Problem Appears

Xie Xie’s mouth twitched as he said, “Just be content with how things are. I can’t even count the number of
advanced department students that want Teacher Wu to teach them.”

“Catch up,” Tang Wulin cut in.

The five students followed Wu Zhangkong to the academy’s training facilities.

These facilities were specially prepared for students to engage in real combat. It was equipped with a
soul barrier to minimize the damage caused by stray soul skills.

“Are we being demoted?” Zhang Yangzi covertly whispered to Wang Jinxi. This training facility was
frequently used by the ordinary students. After joining class zero for several months, they hadn’t come
here as much, so it was only natural that Zhang Yangzi was confused. Their combat training had largely
been conducted in the spirit ascension platform against the various soul beasts as, after all, they wouldn’t
be sufficiently challenged otherwise.

Wang Jinxi shot him an annoyed glare. “You really speak a lot of nonsense.”

“Eh…”

Wu Zhangkong found the teacher in charge of the building and reserved a training field for them.

The training fields varied in size, ranging from 30 to 50 meters in diameter. The facility had three floors
in total. Each floor had four training field of differing sizes, and each field was usually bustling with
students from all grades training.

Wu Zhangkong had requested a field on the third floor as it was currently empty. This way, they would be
able to train in peace.

Wu Zhangkong brought them to a large training field that reached 50 meters in diameter.

Xie Xie eagerly asked, “Teacher Wu, are we three going to fight against them two? Hehe.” Xie Xie shifted
his gaze to Zhang Yangzi, a mischievous grin on his lips as he geared up for battle.

“No.” Wu Zhangkong said in a cold voice. “The five of you willing be battling me.”

“Five against one, that’s very unfair… Huh? Against you…” Xie Xie stared at Wu Zhangkong, dumbfounded.

With his usual indifference, Wu Zhangkong said, “Don’t forget, this no longer is the spirit ascension
platform. You won’t revive here in the real world and I might not be able to properly hold back. I will

743
suppress my soul power to the same rank as you all, and I won’t amplify my soul rings. This time,
however, I will be using my martial soul. Begin.”

Without even giving the students a chance to respond, soul rings immediately rose up from beneath his
feet.

Two yellow, two purple and two black soul rings appeared. An unstoppable aura engulfed the students
for a split second before his soul power rapidly decreased to about rank 20.

An ice blue sword appeared in his right hand. It was as if his usual coldness had condensed into that
glacial sword; a rarely seen tender expression graced his face.

White robes and blue sword, sky ice and snow cold!

These words couldn’t help but pop into Tang Wulin’s head.

The memory of when Wu Zhangkong revealed his martial soul in the battle against Guang Biao was still
crystal clear in his mind. He hadn’t even been able to make out what sort of attacks Wu Zhangkong had
used back then and the battle had already ended in a few brief moments.

Yet today, they were supposed to face his Skyfrost Sword?

“Into formation!” Tang Wulin’s thunderous order shocked the rest of his comrades out of their stupor. Gu
Yue was the first to respond, appearing behind Tang Wulin in a flash. Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi and Xie
Xie moved into their positions, forming a cross with Gu Yue at the center and poised to face Wu
Zhangkong.

Tang Wulin shouted, “Everyone, be careful! I’ll restrain him, Gu Yue, you control the battle. The rest of
you, focus on attacking. Go!”

Bluesilver Grass gathered in his right hand as he spoke. Tang Wulin had learned from his experiences in
the spirit ascension platform and was far more skillful in his control over the vines now.

Strand after strand of Bluesilver Grass issued forth, closing in on Wu Zhangkong’s position. At his rear,
two soul rings sparkled as Gu Yue raised her hands to shoot out a series of blazing fireballs at Wu
Zhangkong. With some flying straight at him and others arcing toward him, Wu Zhangkong faced a fiery
assault.

Although ice could indeed extinguish fire, fire could also melt ice. After taking into consideration the fact
that Wu Zhangkong had lowered his soul power rank to their level, Gu Yue decisively chose to first
suppress his attribute.

Dozens of fireballs filled the air, some quick, some slow. Regardless of which, in the end, they all shot
toward Wu Zhangkong. The fireballs besieged him from all sides, seemingly impossible for him to deal
with the all at once.

744
Tang Wulin’s Bluesilver Grass exploded forth at the same time. A multitude of strands engulfed Wu
Zhangkong, binding his body.

Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi dashed forward from different directions, but all three converged
towards Wu Zhangkong. With strands of Bluesilver Grass tied around their waists, Tang Wulin was in
complete control of them.

The first to arrive were the fireballs. Despite this, Wu Zhangkong’s gaze never left his Skyfrost Sword. He
took a slow and calculated step to the side as the fireballs seemed to slow down.

In the blink of an eye, the Skyfrost Sword’s chilly aura filled the training grounds. Dozens of fireballs
extinguished quietly, and as their warm light disappeared, the surroundings returned to its original
luster.

For a brief moment, a sliver of emotion made it past Gu Yue’s grim expression. She had felt the cores of
her fireballs obliterated instantly by Wu Zhankong’s move.

The next second, Wu Zhangkong moved in an eerie rhythm, his mystical footwork dodging the bindings of
Bluesilver Grass as they shot forth one after another.

At that instant, he was no different from a ghostly general, his body almost illusory. This scene shocked
and dazzled the assault team of three to their very bones.

Not good! Tang Wulin pulled ferociously on several strands of Bluesilver Grass as he shouted,
“Withdraw!”

It’s best not to aim too high against an opponent like Teacher Wu. We need to avoid making any mistakes
and prioritize our safety first.

His reaction was swift enough, but his actions were still lacking in power.

Xie Xie had understood Tang Wulin’s thoughts from the very beginning, so the moment he heard the
order to withdraw, he had immediately changed directions and flown back at his maximum speed.

Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, on the other hand, were a moment too slow. The frost had already crept
onto their bodies.

They were not fools though. Having learned from past experiences, they instantly locked hands and were
enshrouded in a black light.

Martial soul fusion skill!

Shadow Eagle Dragon!

They didn’t dare to hold back against Wu Zhangkong!

745
Waves of darkness rippled out, unveiling a monstrous scene. Wang Jinxi’s aura had clearly grown
stronger; however, there was a hint of dissonance between him and Zhang Yangzi. The two of them let
out a groan before their bodies quickly separated.

Two cold lights landed on their bodies, causing them to stiffen in place as Wu Zhangkong appeared before
them.

“What’s going on?” He didn’t continue attacking and began to examine the two instead.

Their soul fusion skill failed?

Although they had only partially succeeded in using their soul fusion skill during the Class Promotion
Tournament, it was still considered a success. But now, their soul fusion skill had actually failed?

Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi paled. They both knew that their martial souls weren’t particularly
powerful, and it was only because of their soul fusion skill that they had been able to enter the ranks of
geniuses with a slim possibility of becoming famous powerhouses in the continent in the future.

Yet, their soul fusion skill had just failed. They were dumbstruck.

“Try it again.” Wu Zhangkong moved back and brandished his Skyfrost Sword once again. The chill
immediately returned.

Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi exchanged a knowing look as they charged at each other once again, their
soul powers pushed to their very limits.

A pair of wing unfurled from Zhang Yangzi’s back as he swept Wang Jinxi into his arms.

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 Chapter 152 – Wang Jinxi’s Pain
Chapter 152 – Wang Jinxi’s Pain

Wang Jinxi mirrored Zhang Yangzi, and the two collided in the next moment.

A deep dragon’s roar rumbled from Wang Jinxi as his Bone Dragon King and Zhang Yangzi’s Shadow
Phantasm Eagle fused in an instant. They could feel Wang Jinxi’s body rejecting the fusion immediately. It
was as if his body was trying to push Zhang Yangzi out the moment it saw the Shadow Phantasm Eagle.

Zhang Yangzi stumbled away from Wang Jinxi and landed his butt. Suddenly, he was filled with rage as he
shouted, “Wang Jinxi, what is the meaning of this?! Why won’t you fuse with me?!”

“I, I didn’t do anything!” Wang Jinxi stared at him in confusion. He couldn’t comprehend what was going
on either.

Wu Zhangkong knitted his brows and turned to Zhang Yangzi. “Calm down. This isn’t something Wang
Jinxi can control. I fear that there really might be a problem with your soul fusion skill now.”

Zhang Yangzi got up from the floor, breathing heavily. On the other side, Wang Jinxi’s eyes clouded with
apprehension as a vague reason formulated within his mind.

Wu Zhangkong went silent for a moment. “Jinxi’s martial soul has probably mutated, so now your two
martial souls aren’t compatible enough to use your soul fusion skill anymore.”

Wang Jinxi looked at Tang Wulin with a conflicted expression.

Similarly, Tang Wulin also wore odd expression. Is it possible that his Bone Dragon King was influenced
by our dual cultivation?

His gaze alternating between Wang Jinxi and Tang Wulin, Zhang Yangzi began to have an inkling as to the
cause. After all, he was a bright kid. “Could it be because the two of you are cultivating together?”

Wang Jinxi let out a sigh that was filled with all his pent up emotions. “I can’t think of any reason other
than that.”

Wu Zhangkong said, “Today’s classes will end here. Tang Wulin, Wang Jinxi, you two follow me. I need to
examine your martial souls.”

“Yes.”

It was a very simple process to examine their martial souls; Wu Zhangkong simply used his own soul
power to scan their bodies and observe any changes that had occurred when they used their martial
souls.

747
“Jinxi, I am almost certain that the problem was caused by Tang Wulin’s influence on your martial soul. As
an individual, it’s something fortunate since your martial soul is mutating to a higher level under the
influence of Tang Wulin’s bloodline. As for how far it will mutate, I have no way of knowing. The one thing
I can be certain of, though, is that if you continue to cultivate with Tang Wulin, your martial soul will
continue to mutate, but you will likely no longer be able to use your soul fusion skill with Zhang Yangzi.
That is the drawback of this situation. You need to carefully think things over and decide which direction
you want to develop in.”

Wang Jinxi stilled, completely dumbstruck. “Then, will I return to normal if I stop cultivating with Tang
Wulin?”

Wu Zhangkong grimly said, “From what I have seen so far, it should be possible. You two have only
cultivated together for a few months and his soul power is weaker than yours, so he hasn’t influenced you
much. As a result, your martial soul mutation is still not firm, and you should be able to slowly return to
normal if you stop cultivating with Tang Wulin. His bloodline’s influence affects similar martial souls
within a certain range though, so if you choose to stop, I will rearrange your rooms further apart from
each other.”

Wang Jinxi raised his head to look at Tang Wulin, his eyes flickering with conflicting emotions.

“I’m sorry, Jinxi! I didn’t know things would turn out like this.” Tang Wulin earnestly apologized. He was
well aware just how important a soul fusion skill was to Soul Masters.

Wang Jinxi shook his head. “How can I blame you for this? No one could have predicted it. Teacher Wu, is
it fine if I return to my room and think about this before deciding?”

Wu Zhangkong nodded. “Of course. This is an important decision. It’s best for you to go back and think
about it carefully.”

Wang Jinxi looked at Tang Wulin with a deep gaze before giving him a curt nod.

Wu Zhangkong said, “There’s something else I must remind you. From my current observations, Tang
Wulin’s bloodline is actually gradually growing stronger. If you continue to cultivate with him, your
martial soul could potentially grow even stronger than a soul fusion skill. Furthermore, that would purely
be your strength as an individual. This is an important point to consider.”

“Thank you, Teacher Wu.”

Sadness and bitterness found its way into Tang Wulin’s heart after Wang Jinxi left. He had never expected
that their mutually beneficial cultivation method would have such a large drawback.

Wang Jinxi was still benefiting either way, but what about Zhang Yangzi? Without Wang Jinxi, he would
no longer be able to use their soul fusion skill.

748
Tang Wulin hated to see a situation such as this, but it had already happened, and the decision rested in
Wang Jinxi’s hands. It wasn’t his place to try to influence Wang Jinxi’s decision.

A strange mood fell over class zero from that day onward.

Zhang Yangzi became uncommunicative while Wang Jinxi was even more taciturn than usual.

Two days quickly passed and the second part of their final exam was upon them.

“Follow me. We’re going to take the second part of the exam now.” Wu Zhangkong said with his usual
indifference.

“Teacher Wu.” Wang Jinxi suddenly stood up.

“Hm?” Wu Zhangkong gave him a curious look. Tang Wulin also turned to stare at Wang Jinxi, a hint of
dread welling within his heart as he anticipated what would happen next. Wang Jinxi hadn’t been
cultivating with him these last few days, and the moment they were dismissed from class he would
immediately return to his room and not come out.

“Teacher Wu, I’ve decided. I won’t cultivate with Tang Wulin anymore.” Although Wang Jinxi spoke
quickly and monotonously, his voice was resolute.

Stunned, Zhang Yangzi stared at Wang Jinxi with wide eyes.

Wu Zhangkong gazed at him for a moment before asking, “And you have really thought this over
carefully?”

Wang Jinxi earnestly nodded. “While I might be able to reach even greater heights in the future if I
continue cultivating with Tang Wulin, only I would benefit that way. I grew up with Zhang Yangzi, and
we’re the closest of childhood friends. We played with each other everyday. We’re inseparable and are
practically brothers. I can’t abandon him for my own sake, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to live with
myself. Besides, we’re already two-ringed Soul Grandmasters and have a soul fusion skill, so we can
definitely be considered geniuses already. This is why I choose to cultivate with Zhang Yangzi.”

At this point, Wang Jinxi took a moment to stop and swept his gaze at Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue. He
took in a deep breath, beating the drums of courage as he readied his next words. “Also, Teacher Wu,
thank you for this semester’s guidance. I also thank my comrades as well, but I’m sorry; I want to transfer
academies. I’ll transfer schools together with Yangzi. Wulin’s bloodline influence is just too much. As long
as I stay within this academy, I’ll continue to be influenced by him. Even during the last two days where I
haven’t been cultivating with him, I still felt oppressed by him. The only thing I can do now is leave.”

Tang Wulin was rendered speechless at these words. He had never expected that his mere presence
would force Wang Jinxi to transfer academies.

749
“Jinxi, I can try to keep myself away from you if my effect is really that strong. You won’t have to transfer
academies then…” Tang Wulin hastily interjected.

Wang Jinxi relaxed as he let out a deep breath. A gentle smile found its way to his lips as he shook his
head. “Don’t be silly. Wulin, you can’t blame yourself for this. This decision isn’t related to you at all.
These changes happened to my body, not yours. You also could never have predicted that your bloodline
would have such great influence either. This change won’t affect our friendship at all, we just can’t
cultivate together any longer. It’s not just my martial soul that’s being affected; my mind is as well. Maybe
if I leave you and go cultivate somewhere else for some time, I’ll be able to return to normal. Ever since
the Class Promotion Tournament, I’ve felt this mental pressure, but I just never wanted to acknowledge it
until now. Yangzi and I can still cultivate properly together, so you don’t have to worry about us.”

“Teacher Wu, I’ll have to trouble you to handle the contract with the academy. I have already discussed
things with my father and we’ve decided to pay for the resources that were used on Yangzi and I this
semester. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.” Wang Jinxi bowed deeply before Wu Zhangkong, expressing
his deep regret. Tang Wulin saw two water droplets fall to the floor as Wang Jinxi bowed.

How could Wang Jinxi actually want to leave? They hadn’t just become friends after a semester together,
they had reached a rarely seen level of tacit understanding between Soul Masters! They had come
together to form a squad; a squad that was able to kill a hundred-year Man-Faced Demon Spider! How
could he be willing to part with his cherished comrades now?

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 Chapter 153 – Leaving
Chapter 153 – Leaving

It was just as Wang Jinxi said. If he continued to stay here, he would inevitably be influenced by Tang
Wulin and reap many benefits by cultivating together. During the two days they had been apart, however,
Wang Jinxi discovered just how deeply he had been affected. He could no longer sleep soundly at night
and he wasn’t even able to meditate properly. His heart was in turmoil.

It was only after contemplating his situation deeply these last two days that Wang Jinxi realized that if he
continued to cultivate with Tang Wulin, he might not be able to part with him. In fact, he might
subconsciously become Tang Wulin’s vassal.

Regardless of which type of martial soul, it was a fact that bloodlines and martial souls would affect each
other. The stronger one’s soul power was, the stronger their bloodline would be. Currently, he was a level
higher than Tang Wulin, yet he was already being influenced so greatly; then what would happen if Tang
Wulin overtook him in the future? He feared just how much he would be affected then.

Despite his young age, Wang Jinxi clearly understood this terrifying concept. Furthermore, in
consideration of his relationship with Zhang Yangzi, he had finally arrived at this decision. It was a hard
decision, and although it pained him to do so, he had no other choice.

“Jinxi!” Zhang Yangzi suddenly rushed over and embraced Wang Jinxi. He couldn’t hold back anymore;
tears began to stream down his face.

Hadn’t he also been suffering these last few days? Losing his soul fusion partner would leave him as
nothing more than an ordinary Soul Master. His cultivation speed would take a hit, and his clan would no
longer place as much value on him. After all, strength was what decided his position within his clan.

Yet, Wang Jinxi’s staunch words had washed away all the worries within his heart. Friendship truly
prevailed over all and his heart was touched by such a deep friendship.

Wu Zhangkong still stood there like an unfeeling statue, but Xie Xie had noticed it. For just a brief
moment, a tinge of sadness had flashed across the depths of Wu Zhangkong’s eyes.

“Fine then. Since you have already decided on this, you don’t have to worry about the rest. I will settle
things with the academy and handle it with your clan. Perhaps this really is the correct choice.” Wu
Zhangkong’s reply was utterly simple. “Then, do you two still want to take the second part of the final
exam?”

Wang Jinxi could only force out an awkward smile. “Teacher Wu, I’m sorry. I don’t think Yangzi or I am in
any frame of mind to participate in the exam today. Wulin, Xie Xie, Gu Yue, good luck! Please don’t let our
decision disturb you. You three are amazing. We’ll meet again in the future; at that time, we might even

751
be challenging you then. The two of us will definitely become strong soon. We won’t let you leave us
behind.”

Tears fell down Wang Jinxi’s face as he spoke with a bright smile and clenched fists. It took all his
willpower to just wave goodbye at Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin suddenly charged over and brought the two of them into his embrace, letting out a few quiet
sobs.

“We will conduct the exam tomorrow.” After stating this, Wu Zhangkong left the classroom with large
strides.

Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi returned to their rooms to pack up their belongings. Tang Wulin didn’t
know what agreement their clans and the academy had made. What he did know, however, was that class
zero only had three students left.

Wei Xiaofeng was the first to leave, and now Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi are leaving too. Mom and dad
left me. Na’er left me too. Why do the people I hold dear always leave me?

Tang Wulin looked out the window, staring listlessly at the field outside as sorrow and dejection welled
within his heart.

His heart pained from the loss of his friends, as well as self-blame.

“Hey! What’s up with you?” A pleasant voice suddenly called out from the field.

Tang Wulin turned toward the voice. It was the pretty Ouyang Zixin, and she was waving at him.

“Senior sister.” Tang Wulin blankly stared at her. He didn’t know why, but for some unfathomable reason,
his mood instantly uplifted the moment he saw her.

“You’re so big already yet you’re still snivelling like a child?” Ouyang Zixin said with a teasing smile.

Tang Wulin touched his cheeks, completely unaware that he had been crying.

Now that he noticed his tears, he quickly wiped them away with his sleeve, embarrassed. “I’m fine, senior
sister.”

“Come down here.” Ouyang Zixin beckoned him.

“Oh…” He climbed onto the window sill. With a strand of Bluesilver Grass attached to the window, he
jumped from the fourth floor which was dozens of meters tall, and landed gently.

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“Wow! So cool!” Ouyang Zixin beamed sweetly at him.

Tang Wulin awkwardly scratched his head. “No way! I’m just…”

Ouyang Zixin giggled. “Okay, okay. You don’t need to explain yourself. It’s normal for children to like
showing off. So, why were you crying? Come tell senior sister.”

Tang Wulin bravely shook his head. “It’s nothing much. Two of my classmates are just transferring
academies, so I’m a bit sad.”

Ouyang Zixin said with an air of maturity, “You’re such an emotional kid; it’s not like you won’t see them
again in the future. They’re simply transferring academies, that’s all. Alright then! Life is just like this and
the world is ever-changing. Who would know what tomorrow holds for them? As long as you live, then
live each day happily! Go pursue your goals and your own happiness. You’ll be fine as long as you do
that.”

She rubbed Tang Wulin’s head as she spoke. “Come on, I’ll take you out for some good food.” She grabbed
his hand and immediately began dragging him toward the academy gates.

Ouyang Zixin’s hand felt soft and delicate over his own, and as she pulled him forward, he was able to
catch her fragile fragrance.

Warmth filled his heart for a brief moment. He had always devoted himself wholly to cultivating his
martial soul and blacksmithing, but at that moment he was in desperate need of affection.

Both his parents and Na’er had left him. All the people he held dear had also left him without a single
trace. All he could do was throw himself into cultivating to numb the pain. Yet, it was precisely because of
this that Ouyang Zixin’s gentleness made him warm; it was the feeling of being loved.

“Big sister will bring you out for some barbecue skewers and grilled fish.”

A normal person’s appetite would grow when they were in a good mood and Tang Wulin was naturally
no different.

Ouyang Zixin’s beautiful eyes simply stared in shock as Tang Wulin continued to stuff more and more
barbecue skewers into his mouth.

There was a mountain of bamboo skewers in front of of Tang Wulin, attracting curious glances from the
surrounding customers.

Ouyang Zixin was on the verge of crying. “Junior brother, big sister brought you here to comfort you, but
do you hold some kind of grudge against me? You’ve already eaten a week’s worth of my food budget!”

“Huh?” Tang Wulin finally noticed just how much he had eaten. He looked up and was instantly attacked
by Ouyang Zixin’s lovable pout. His appetite today was a bit bigger than normal, especially since he hadn’t

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eaten much in the morning with the matter of Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi’s still weighing down on his
mind.

“Ah, sorry! Senior sister, I’ll pay today. A man should treat a lady anyways.” Tang Wulin hastily put on the
airs of a gentleman. In any case, he had more than enough money to pay for food with all the forging he
had been doing.

Pa! Ouyang Zixin hit his head with a karate chop. “What do you mean by man? You’re still just a child.
What kind of big sister brings her little brother out to eat and actually lets him pay? Come on, eat, eat.
Even if you eat away all my money, I’ll just have to rely on the academy’s dining hall then. Oh right, could
you be the rumored Super Rice Bucket of the lower grades? I heard that even the academy fears your
appetite.”

“Eh… That’s probably me…” Tang Wulin said with a hint of shame.

“Seriously though, you can eat so much! Your future wife is going to be worked to death cooking for you!”
Ouyang Zixin teased.

“Zixin,” a voice suddenly called out.

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 Chapter 154 – The Arrogant and Pampered Ice
Staff Guy
Chapter 154 – The Arrogant and Pampered Ice Staff Guy

Ouyang Zixin turned toward the voice, her eyes lighting up when she saw who it was. Hastily standing up,
she walked over and greeted, “Senior brother, are you here to eat?”

Tang Wulin’s vision was obstructed by her body, so he could only make out that the person she was
talking to was a tall male youth.

“Yeah! I brought my little sister out for a nice meal. It’s only been two weeks since the last time I saw you,
and you’re even prettier than before,” the youth said with a bright smile.

Ouyang Zixin held her face as she bashfully said, “Really? Thank you for the compliment, senior brother.
Ah, there aren’t any free tables right now. Do you want to eat with us?”

“Sure!” the youth said with a laugh.

Tang Wulin didn’t know why, but a feeling of dissatisfaction crept into his heart when he heard Ouyang
Zixin speaking to the youth with such a tender voice. An inkling of hostility grew within him, but he didn’t
raise his head, instead choosing to wallow in his bitterness.

“Damn, you guys really ate a lot!” the youth exclaimed in astonishment.

Ouyang Zixin proudly explained, “That’s right! My little brother here has quite the big appetite. Senior
brother, please, I’ll treat you today.”

The youth revealed a gentlemanly smile. “How can I let a girl pay for me? Boss, I want to order some more
food. I want to order one dish of broiled cod and one dish of roasted chicken wings. Xiaoyan, is there
anything else you want?”

“I want some barbeque skewers. Lamb skewers and beef skewers. Big brother, can I have some beer too?
I like it, and it’ll be refreshing.” A melodious voice attracted Tang Wulin’s attention.

However, he could only stare in shock at the two people who sat across from him.

Just how small is the world that I managed to run into you here! Isn’t this the arrogant and pampered ice
staff guy and his little sister?

That was right. The one Ouyang Zixin called senior brother was actually Xu Xiaoyu, and naturally, the girl
at his side was Xu Xiaoyan. He had been in a bad mood these last few days, so he wanted to bring his little

755
sister out to eat some good food to cheer up. Yet, who would have thought that he would run into Ouyang
Zixin and Tang Wulin.

Xu Xiaoyan was excitedly picking out what foods she wanted to eat while Xu Xiaoyu was turned toward
the restaurant owner, so neither of them had noticed that Tang Wulin had raised his head yet.

“Hey, little guy, slow down a bit! You’re going to frighten the others.” Ouyang Zixin took this as a chance
to scooch closer to Tang Wulin and whispered this warning into his ear.

Indignance instantly attacked his heart. Could senior sister actually think of this arrogant and pampered
ice staff guy that way? Although Tang Wulin was young, he wasn’t ignorant to the affairs between men
and women after all the things Xie Xie had told him.

Tang Wulin lowered his head once more. It’s best if they don’t notice. Otherwise, there’ll be some trouble.
I’ll just focus on eating then.

Finished ordering food, Xu Xiaoyu turned back to see the sweetly smiling Ouyang Zixin and said, “Junior
sister, is this your actual little brother? Or does he attend our academy?”

Ouyang Zixin laughed. “He’s not my actual little brother, I just treat him like one. Ah, that’s right! This
little brother of mine is actually a genius. He’s in the newly created class zero!”

“Eh? Class zero?” Xu Xiaoyu’s voice was full of surprise, exchanging curious looks with his little sister.

Ouyang Zixin said, “You know about class zero even though you’re in the advanced division?”

Xu Xiaoyu said, “I only started hearing about them in the last few days. My little sister will be attending an
intermediate soul master academy starting next year, but father said that he wants her to enroll early and
transfer into class zero. I think his arrangements should be nearly finished.”

“Transfer student?” Without thinking, Tang Wulin raised his head and asked. The ice staff girl is joining
class zero?

His sudden outburst attracted the gazes of Xu Xiaoyu and Xu Xiaoyan. The two siblings were immediately
dumbstruck when they saw Tang Wulin.

The gloom that hovered over Xu Xiaoyu had originated from Tang Wulin and his friends, so there was no
way he wouldn’t recognize Tang Wulin. His gaze immediately sharpened. “It’s you!”

Xu Xiaoyan covered her mouth as she cried out in surprise, “Ah! You…”

Realizing that he had exposed himself in his excitement, Tang Wulin could only show an abashed
expression.

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Ouyang Zixin directed a puzzled glance at him, before turning to ask Xu Xiaoyu, “Senior brother, do you
know my little brother?”

Xu Xiaoyu was about to say yes, but after thinking about it once more, he realized that it wouldn’t be too
good for his reputation if Ouyang Zixin found out he had been beaten by a bunch of brats in the spirit
ascension platform. He still wanted her to have a good opinion of him.

“I don’t know him. It just seems like our meeting is fated,” Xu Xiaoyu coldly said.

“Big brother, isn’t he…” The pure Xu Xiaoyan was quickly cut off with a nudge from her brother.

With her cleverness, Ouyang Zixin could immediately tell that something was off, but since Xu Xiaoyu
didn’t want to speak about it, she wouldn’t pry. Instead, she cheerfully said, “I’ll introduce the two of you
then. This little guy is from the first grade’s class zero, Tang Wulin. Wulin, this senior brother is our
academy’s most outstanding genius. He’s in the advanced division’s second grade’s class one; our senior
brother, Xu Xiaoyu. He’s already a three-ringed Soul Elder, and he might even make a breakthrough to
four rings by the time he graduates. And then he’ll be a Soul Ancestor! Pretty girl beside him is his little
sister, Xu Xiaoyan.”

Upon hearing Ouyang Zixin’s introductions, Xu Xiaoyu felt his face grow hot, as if he had been slapped in
the face. If not for the presence of Ouyang Zixin and his junior brother, he wouldn’t have been able to
restrain himself from making a scene.

“Hello, senior brother,” Tang Wulin said as he forced himself to offer a handshake.

Xu Xiaoyu snorted. “This junior brother sure is capable! Could your class zero be the ones I ran into the
other day? Or was it someone else?”

Tang Wulin’s scalp numbed. Is this guy out for revenge? Gu Yue might have defeated him that day, but
that was only because he was acting so despicably! The terrifying memory of the Fury of Ice skill was still
fresh in his mind, so he didn’t dare utter a word to contradict him.

Ouyang Zixin quietly prodded Tang Wulin. “Senior brother asked you a question.”

Shifting his gaze toward her, Tang Wulin realized that Ouyang Zixin’s gaze had never left Xu Xiaoyu even
when she was speaking to him. A repressed tenderness exuded from her eyes.

“Senior sister, I’m full now. Let’s go.” Tang Wulin took a napkin and wiped his fingers, then got up to
leave.

“Wulin, what’s going on with you?” Ouyang Zixin hastily scolded him before quickly turning back toward
Xu Xiaoyu. “Sorry, senior brother! I’ll take him back first. You two go ahead to eat, I’ll be back in a bit.”

Xu Xiaoyan watched with curiosity as Ouyang Zixin chased after Tang Wulin. “So he’s actually from class
zero. It seems class zero is really powerful! That big sister can even defeat you, big brother!”

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A dark frown instantly settled on Xu Xiaoyu’s face as he lightly smacked Xu Xiaoyan’s head. “Can’t you
keep quiet about that?”

Feeling wronged, Xu Xiaoyan cried out, “You hit me! I’m going to go tell dad!”

“How can that be considered hitting? It was just patting, okay, patting!” Xu Xiaoyu helplessly denied.

“Wulin, what’s going on with you?” Ouyang Zixin finally caught up to Tang Wulin to ask him.

Tang Wulin had already regained his senses from the chilling winds. He realized that he had acted
inappropriately. His senior sister had been so kind to treat him to a meal yet he had actually run out like a
little kid.

“I’m sorry, senior sister,” Tang Wulin apologized. “I haven’t been in my right mind these last few days.
Let’s go back.”

Ouyang Zixin shook her head. “Forget it. I’m already full from watching you eat. Why don’t you just head
back first? I’ll go keep them company for a bit longer.”

“Huh?” He finally understood when he saw the look in Ouyang Zixin’s eyes as she gazed back toward the
restaurant. Xu Xiaoyu occupied a larger place in her heart than he did.

“Okay. Thank you, senior sister, for treating me today. I’ll return the favor some day,” Tang Wulin said
with the utmost courtesy.

“Eh, forget about it. It’s fine. We can talk about it next time. I’ll be going back to the restaurant now. You
be careful on the road back.” With these parting words lingering in the air, Ouyang Zixin quickly rushed
back toward the restaurant.

Tang Wulin laughed in self-ridicule. He still liked Ouyang Zixin, but there was still the gap in their ages.

Huh, but is there really going to be another student joining class zero? Xu Xiaoyan doesn’t seem that
strong though! She didn’t even have the courage to attack that day. All she did was hide behind that
arrogant and pampered ice staff guy.

I’ll just go back and ask Teacher Wu. If we don’t get another classmate, then we’ll really be a small class
with just me, Gu Yue and Xie Xie…

Once he got back to the academy, instead of returning to his room, he went over to Wu Zhangkong’s room
and knocked.

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“Come in.” Wu Zhangkong’s cold voice penetrated through the door.

Knowing that the door was unlocked, Tang Wulin opened it and walked in to see Wu Zhangkong clad in
white, as per usual, sitting cross-legged on his bed as if he had been meditating.

“What’s the matter?” Wu Zhangkong dully said.

Tang Wulin asked, “Teacher Wu, I met someone today who said that they’re going to join class zero. Are
we really getting another classmate?”

Wu Zhangkong suddenly opened his eyes, a purple light flashing through them for a split second. “This
isn’t something you should be concerned about right now. Instead, you should be thinking about how you
will pass the second part of your final exams. Let me remind you, the exam was originally prepared for
the five of you to take together, but now you’re down to two people. That means the three of you will be
taking a test meant for five.”

“Huh?” How can this be called reminding? I found out just now!?

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 Chapter 155 – You have the scent of a woman on
you!
Chapter 155 - You have the scent of a woman on you!

Tang Wulin stared at Wu Zhangkong, dumbstruck. He felt dazed as a thought popped into his mind, So
there really exists someone this unreasonable!

Wu Zhangkong continued, “If there isn’t anything else, you may leave now.”

“Oh.” Tang Wulin left the room dejected, but could not wait inform Xie Xie and Gu Yue of what Wu
Zhangkong had said.

“If it’s a test for five, then it’s a test for five.” Gu Yue was unperturbed by this revelation. On the other
hand, Xie Xie was a bit nervous, but he knew that it was useless to worry about things they had no control
over.

“Wulin, actually, there’s something I want to try with you,” Xie Xie mischievously whispered into Tang
Wulin’s ear.

Tang Wulin eyed him suspiciously. “What is it?”

Xie Xie said, “I was thinking, when I stabbed you with my dagger back when you were still unable to
control your bloodline, you suddenly exploded with power. Now that you’re able to control it, do you
think even more power will burst out?”

After a moment of astonished silence, Tang Wulin answered, “I don’t know either.”

That mischievous smile returned to Xie Xie’s lips. “Then, do you want to test it out?”

“Unacceptable! Why don’t you go stick a knife in yourself?!” Gu Yue smiled brightly while kicking Xie Xie
away.

Xie Xie groaned out, “I knew you would be overprotective of him! Jeez, can’t you be a bit more unbiased,
Gu Yue? We got to know one another at the same time, so why do you favor Tang Wulin so much?”

Gu Yue’s smile grew wider. Her smile was beautiful, giving a sense of homeliness. Despite its beauty,
though, all it did was strike panic and fear into Xie Xie’s heart. “What, what are you smiling about?”

“You want to know why I treat Tang Wulin better than you? The answer is very simple; he’s more
handsome than you!” Gu Yue said maliciously.

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“Eh… How can you be like this!” Xie Xie’s voice was filled with indignance.

Tang Wulin couldn’t help but chuckle at their banter. “Settle down, you two. Let’s figure out how we’re
going to tackle the exam first.”

Gu Yue said, “We’ll just do things the same way we moved in the spirit ascension platform. We have the
best coordination between just the three of us anyway, so we should just adapt to the situation as we see
fit. Besides, Teacher Wu wouldn’t give us an impossible test.”

Tang Wulin nodded in understanding. “I think Teacher Wu will target our usual arrangements. How
about this then, we’ll change things up a bit. Xie Xie, you’ll still be our main assault-support force. Gu Yue,
you’ll also join in the assault this time. I’ll be in charge of defense and control.”

Gu Yue nodded. “Alright. I’m fine with anything.”

“Okay, we’ll go with that then.” After the two of them left Xie Xie’s room, Gu Yue pulled on his arm before
he could return to his room.

“Wait.”

“What is it?” Tang Wulin asked, puzzled.

Gu Yue moved closer to him and circled around him once, sniffing the whole time. “There’s the scent of a
woman on you. Speak; what you were doing earlier?”

Tang Wulin was astonished. “Your nose is so sensitive! You’re actually able to distinguish the scent of a
woman over the smell of barbecue. Amazing, so amazing!”

“Don’t try to change the subject. Out with it already,” Gu Yue fiercely interrogated.

Tang Wulin awkwardly smiled. “It’s nothing much! I wasn’t in a good mood today, so senior sister Ouyang
treated me to some barbecue. Can you guess who I met there?” He explained how he had went out to eat
with Ouyang Zixin and had run into the Xu siblings.

Even after she heard his explanation, Gu Yue still eyed him suspiciously. “So you’re telling me that this
senior sister Ouyang likes that arrogant and pampered ice staff guy?”

Tang Wulin grudgingly said, “It seems so. Oh right, Xu Xiaoyan is probably joining class zero. What do you
think about that?”

“I don’t mind!” Gu Yue’s answer was normal, considering her usual attitude of indifference. “That Ouyang
girl is no good, valuing love over friendship. You should distance yourself from her.”

Tang Wulin frowned. “Don’t talk about her like that. She was kind enough to treat me to a meal. Senior
sister Ouyang is a kindhearted person!”

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Gu Yue said, “Kindhearted? If she was kindhearted, then she would have walked you back. The restaurant
you guys went to was so far away, and you’re still so small…”

“Where am I small?!” Tang Wulin asked in dissatisfaction.

Placing her hands on her hips, Gu Yue retorted, “Anyway, just don’t meet her so much in the future. One
look and I could already tell that she wasn’t any good. Go get some sleep.” Having proclaimed her decree,
she quickly turned around and left.

Tang Wulin couldn’t make any sense of what had just transpired. Choosing to forget about it, he returned
to his room to focus on cultivating. Although his day had been full of gloom and suspicions, becoming a
powerful expert was still his ultimate goal so he couldn’t stray from his routine just because of a small
psychological attack.

After returning to her room and closing the door, Gu Yue’s eyes seemed to twinkle with an unusual light.
She walked over to the window by her bed and opened it, basking in the cool night air.

As her hair fluttered in the evening wind, her eyes gradually changed from their usual black and began to
emit a faint purple light.

She held out her palms, letting several lights dance within her palms. Blue was water, yellow was earth,
red was fire, green was wind, silver was space and gold was light. Yet, a dark purple light also danced
about. In the next moment, it disappeared.

Dawn of the next day.

Tang Wulin was jogging on the fields per usual when a familiar figure entered his sights.

“Good morning senior sister,” Tang Wulin called out to Ouyang Zixin in greeting.

Beaming her usual smile, Ouyang Zixin said, “How are you? Are you in a better mood now?”

Tang Wulin scratched his head in embarrassment. “I’m good now. No problems at all.”

Ouyang Zixin giggled at his embarrassment. “That’s good then. Oh right, it was senior brother Xu who
paid the bill yesterday. You should go thank him when you get the chance.”

“He paid the bill?” Once again, gloominess shrouded his heart immediately.

Ouyang Zixin said, “Yeah. He paid the bill to give me face. Ah, this sister is just joking with you. You can
treat me next time instead. Come on, let’s pick up the pace. Let’s see if I can beat you this time.”

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It was clear that Tang Wulin held the advantage as they sped up. Ouyang Zixin was by no means slow, but
there was definitely a gap between her and him. Tang Wulin, however, restrained himself to maintain a
pace that matched Ouyang Zixin’s.

Finished with their run, Ouyang Zixin went back to wash her face as she always did. Meanwhile, Tang
Wulin went about his usual routine too; rushing off to attack the dining hall with his one man Rice Bucket
Brigade.

Unexpectedly, the second part of the final exam was also not conducted on the academy’s grounds. Wu
Zhangkong led them out of the academy and onto a soul bus that headed to the outskirts.

“Teacher Wu, can’t you at least give us a hint of what today’s test is about yet?” Xie Xie asked with a grin.

Wu Zhangkong merely glanced at him. “You’ll know when we get there. It’s similar to the spirit ascension
platform, but not really.”

“Eh…” Xie Xie gave a slight nod.

Although Tang Wulin had already lived in Eastsea City for over half a year, he hadn’t really explored
anywhere else besides the academy, the Blacksmith’s Association, and their vicinity. He was unfamiliar
with the rest of the city.

Unfamiliar scenery flitted past them as the bus entered the suburbs.

Although it was still crowded and bustling with activity, the suburbs were clearly more spacious than
other parts of the city.

After getting off in the outskirts, Wu Zhangkong brought them to a gigantic park called Eastsea Soul
Technology Park.

The park was filled with greenery and buildings that had a variety of styles. Every single building had its
own unique characteristics, but the majority of them were made of metal.

“Do you know what this place is?” Tang Wulin quietly asked Xie Xie.

In a similarly hushed voice, Xie Xie answered, “I heard that Eastsea City’s best tech companies are based
here. Apparently, they even have a mecha factory here.”

“Mecha?” Tang Wulin’s eyes instantly lit up at this word. Although Wu Zhangkong had explained to them
that high-end mechas were battle armors, they had never seen one yet, so in Tang Wulin’s mind, mechas
were still the coolest!

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 Chapter 156 – Eastsea’s Little Zhangkong
Chapter 156 – Eastsea’s Little Zhangkong

The park was enormous, so it was only after half an hour did Wu Zhangkong lead them to a smaller park
within the park.

They were greeted with a wide expanse of greenery. There was a small building in the center, tiny in
comparison to the other buildings they had seen on the way there. Along with the vast emptiness that
surrounded it, the scene looked disproportionate.

When they reached the building, the students were surprised to see that it didn’t have a name plaque.
They couldn’t make heads or tails of just what this place was. Is the second part of the exam really being
conducted here?

The building was dark blue, and its walls shimmered like a mirror, each wall seemingly cut from a block
of glass. There was a bizarre sense of beauty to this reflective-like quality. Every angle refracted the light
in a different way. It was breathtaking.

No one guarded the dark blue double doors that were also made of glass. Wu Zhangkong walked up and
pressed onto the glass.

A blue light suddenly appeared. It projected an image that was accompanied by an amused voice. “Oh,
long time no see! It’s Eastsea’s Little Zhangkong!”

Wu Zhangkong coldly said, “Open the doors.”

The voice answered back willy-nilly, “You’re still so boring.”

With a crisp ring, the doors wordlessly opened up.

Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue stood there dumbfounded. Eastsea’s Little Zhangkong? What in the devil?

Zhangkong is Teacher Wu’s name, and ‘Eastsea’ should be referring to Eastsea City right? But… this way
of calling him is just… Ahem.

Entering the door, they saw the same dark blue walls, but there was now a shining white floor and gentle
fluorescent lights overhead. They came together to paint a scene of calm and order, further emphasizing
the lack of people. A circular metal platform holding three metal wristbands hovered over.

“Put them on,” instructed Wu Zhangkong.

Xie Xie curiously asked, “Teacher Wu, what does it do?”

764
Wu Zhangkong answered back, “It’s to identify you. If you wear it, you won’t be considered an enemy by
the defense systems here.”

Xie Xie gasped. “So high-tech!”

Without wasting any more words, Wu Zhangkong lead the trio over to another dark blue glass door. A
bright blue light swept out once more, but without the voice this time. After scanning them and taking
note of their wristbands, it quieted down.

Past the door was a long tunnel with several bends in it. As Wu Zhangkong lead them through the tunnel,
he passed through another glass door and disappeared in a flash of light.

Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue instinctively stopped. This is…

“Spatial technology?” Xie Xie exclaimed. He had been born to a large clan so it was only natural that he
had a deep understanding of just how advanced the continent’s technology was now. He clearly
remembered that spatial technology was still in its development stage, and was far from being
implemented into practical uses. Yet, what they had just experienced was the result of spatial technology!

“Forward.” Wu Zhangkong’s voice resonated from all sides.

Exchanging glances with his two companions, Tang Wulin lead the way forward.

After entering the area Wu Zhangkong had just been in, an odd feeling swept over them. Tang Wulin felt
as if his whole body was being wrapped up in pure energy. In the next moment, he found himself in a
completely different place.

It was a dark blue space. Dark blue stalagmite and stalactite crystals surrounded him. The walls were
made from a silver-white metal. The crystals and metal came together to refract light in astonishing ways.

Shortly after, Xie Xie and Gu Yue appeared by his side with two flashes of light.

“Wow! It really is spatial technology! Our final exam location is so high-tech!” Xie Xie’s voice was full of
awe.

Wu Zhangkong was leaning against a wall. A moment later, some unknown mechanism seemed to have
been activated as one wall suddenly split open to reveal a large screen with a myriad of symbols on it. A
keyboard popped up and Wu Zhangkong began typing. The sounds of his typing was like the pitter-patter
of rain that struck down with lightning speed.

“Identity confirmed. Eastsea’s Little Zhangkong.”

“Test difficulty: medium. Participants: three. Commencing in ten seconds.”

“Ten…”

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“Nine…”

“What’s going on? Why is it starting a countdown?” Xie Xie asked, startled.

Wu Zhangkong turned to stare at them. “Don’t tell me you still want more preparation time? Just go do
what you always do.”

“Eight, seven, six… Three, two, one. Begin!”

Three blue lights descended onto the trio and in a flash, they disappeared.

Tang Wulin felt that energy wrapping him up again. This time, though, the feeling was far stronger and
lasted longer.

Tang Wulin hastily circulated his soul power and sped up his blood flow when he felt the sensation that
he was being pulled apart. He could now clearly hear his own heartbeat continuously accelerating.

Each powerful beat of his heart fended off the pain, allowing him to calm down and steady himself.

After some unknown period of time had passed, another light flashed and Tang Wulin lost control of his
body. He was enveloped with a sense of weightlessness.

Not good!

He didn’t hesitate to release and shoot his Bluesilver Grass downwards to latch onto something while he
frantically took in his bearings.

The first thing he felt was the world spinning around him. He then felt a strong pull on his body. His
Bluesilver Grass had finally attached itself to something. As two other lights descended near him, he
hastily exerted all his strength in controlling his Bluesilver Grass to slow his fall and act as a spring for his
other two comrades.

The elastic force of the grass disappeared just as he gently landed on the ground.

Xie Xie and Gu Yue were nowhere to be found. He was alone now, and astonished to discover that this
place was somewhat familiar to him. The ground was white and there was no sky, yet, there seemed to be
no boundaries to this world.

This place resembled the world he had met Old Tang in. It was different, of course. This place had far
more things present and couldn’t possibly be the space within his consciousness.

This…

Just what is this place?

766
“Welcome to the Hall of Heroes. First trial, medium difficulty. Name: Tang Wulin. Age: 10.”

“Test objective for the first round: survive for thirty seconds.”

Without even giving Tang Wulin a second to understand what was going on, a beam of light appeared in
front of him, revealing a pretty girl. She had gentle eyes and wore a kind smile.

“Begin!” The electronic voice announced.

The girl’s eyes lit up and a powerful light enveloped her body. As the light grew brighter, a yellow ring
rose from beneath her feet.

Tang Wulin saw her figure flicker and in an instant, she appeared right in front of him. She struck out a
palm straight toward his stomach.

This footwork! It’s similar to Teacher Wu’s!

Having experienced Wu Zhangkong’s strange footwork before, Tang Wulin was prepared when the girl
charged him. With a wave of his hands, dozens of strands of Bluesilver Grass shot out in front of him to
create an all-encompassing defense.

A three-legged cauldron materialized in front of her all of a sudden. Too quick for Tang Wulin to even
react, the cauldron descended with an eruption of black gas.

The ground trembled and a loud rumble resounded, jolting Tang Wulin into launching his Bluesilver
Grass net upward. He was completely powerless to resist his opponent.

Taking advantage of the opening, a delicate palm struck out.

It was too late for Tang Wulin to even attempt to dodge. The moment her soft palm pressed into his
stomach, he felt an attractive force. Combined with the sudden straightening of her arm, it delivered an
explosive strike that sent him flying.

Fortunately, he was wearing the Thousand Refined Cloud Titanium vest. When the palm had struck him,
every piece of the vest had locked together and distributed the palm’s force evenly. Even after
distributing the force, Tang Wulin felt as if his stomach had been struck by a battering ram.

Of course, with a body far stronger than that of his peers, he could endure it.

He wasn’t given a chance to even stand up, however, as the black cauldron was already rushing toward
him. Tang Wulin simultaneously noticed that there was a purple light within the girl’s eyes. A bout of
dizziness struck him, and his attempts to remount his defense paused.

The black cauldron struck like thunder, but Tang Wulin retaliated with an explosive right punch.

767
A golden-scaled punch met the cauldron, their collision creating a rumbling boom.

He had long since activated his bloodline power. Even while he was dazed, he had managed to force his
fist forward.

However, it was impossible for him to exert his full strength in such conditions, so he was sent flying once
again.

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 Chapter 157 – A Formidable Opponent
Chapter 157 – A Formidable Opponent

After a vigorous shake of his head, Tang Wulin realized how shocking his opponent was. They both had
one ring. They both only had one ring! Yet, her combat prowess was so great!

He couldn’t let himself be shaken though. Taking a moment to compose himself, Tang Wulin waved his
arms in flurry, sending Bluesilver Grass shooting toward the black cauldron. For now, he wanted to try
binding his opponent’s martial soul.

Falling short of his expectations, the girl didn’t mind her martial soul at all. Instead, she chose to
accelerate her charge at Tang Wulin.

She wants to fight me in close quarters?

Tang Wulin sucked in a deep breath as a wave of golden scales covered his right arm. He stood there, as
steady as a mountain. He could tell from their previous exchange that her attack possessed tremendous
power. Other than attacking with her soul power, she also seemed to have other tricks up her sleeve.
Since Tang Wulin couldn’t beat her in speed, he chose to steady his person and meet her head on.

A subset of the Bluesilver Grass Tang Wulin had shot out split apart and returned to him, assembling
protectively around his body.

The girl’s figure flickered again and then disappeared without a trace. This time, however, when she
reappeared, she was everywhere around him. The only thing Tang Wulin could do to resist was to lash
out with the few strands of Bluesilver Grass he had, trying to stop her.

Suddenly, a phoenix’s cry pierced the air.

A flute had appeared in the girl’s hands all of a sudden. The moment the harsh note attacked Tang Wulin’s
ears, he felt as if his entire world had slowed down, which was clear from the sluggishness of his
Bluesilver Grass. In his sluggish state, the cauldron was easily able to escape the entrapment of the grass
as it soared high into the sky before crashing into Tang Wulin.

Bang!

Tang Wulin was felt a jolt which was promptly followed by numbness. He had been sent flying with
greater force than before. Meanwhile, the girl had pulled apart his Bluesilver Grass defense using her
jade-like hands. His defenses having been broken, the girl reached Tang Wulin in a flash before moving to
attack his stomach, this time using both hands.

I’m finished!

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Despite the intense threat he felt from the girl in that instant, only one thought occupied his mind. Twin
martial souls. This girl has twin martial souls!

And she can even use them both at the same time! She doesn’t need to switch between them at all!

The moment her white-jade-like hands landed on his body, Tang Wulin trembled as a bizarre power
rushed into him, washing away his numbness.

Tang Wulin only had enough time to sweep his right arm out in front of him.

Bang!

A bone-breaking force met his right arm, leaving it in tatters. It rebounded back into his chest, pushing
him back even further.

This time, however, he didn’t fly too far back. As he crashed into the cauldron which was right behind
him, darkness filled his eyes. Drawing strength from who knows where, the girl continued to chase after
Tang Wulin. She struck out with her right hand which possessed some sort of attractive force, sending
Tang Wuling flying back towards her, while her left hand curled into a fist as she punched towards his
chest.

Although his right arm was in acute pain and Tang Wulin was being continuously beaten, this had
actually roused his blood.

He let out a deep roar as his right hand transformed into the Golden Dragon Claw in a splendid burst of
light. Meanwhile, he lashed out with a vine of Bluesilver Grass that Goldlight had slithered into.

This strand of golden Bluesilver Grass was just like a spear as it pierced into the ground. Using all the
strength his body could muster, Tang Wulin suddenly changed directions and barely evaded the girl’s
palm attack.

Taking advantage of the attractive force of the girl’s attack, he rushed toward her and soared over her
head, taking this chance to grab her head with his Golden Dragon Claw.

This had been the first time since the start of the battle that he could launch a counterattack.

Another note of a phoenix’s cry rang out. Tang Wulin immediately froze in place while a wave of dizziness
assaulted his senses.

As the girl descended from the air, she pointed one finger at Tang Wulin, commanding the black cauldron
to smash him.

Tang Wulin forced his Golden Dragon Claw to move, brazenly smacking it into the black cauldron.

Bang!

770
The black cauldron was smashed into pieces, completely falling apart. The girl’s body was still swaying
from the rebound when Tang Wulin descended.

At that moment, Tang Wulin had figured her out. As he withdrew his Golden Dragon Claw after smashing
apart her cauldron, a strand of golden Bluesilver Grass shot out from the ground, propelling him forward
and into the air like a bullet.

Haven’t thirty seconds passed yet? They should almost have.

The girl stared at him blankly for a moment. She charged forward in pursuit once again, but when she
arrived before the golden Bluesilver Grass, she hesitated for a moment.

In reality, Tang Wulin wasn’t in a good condition either. He was already running low on soul power after
using his Golden Dragon Claw and golden vine.

The Bluesilver Grass propelled him further away from her. Meanwhile, the golden Bluesilver Grass
vanished as Goldlight returned to him.

He was currently maximizing his time airborne to open up the greatest distance he could between him
and the girl.

“Thirty seconds have passed. First trial over.”

The long awaited voice appeared once more. He rolled when he landed to mitigate the force, then stood
up and looked behind him.

“The second trial begins. Defeat your opponent or survive for another thirty seconds.” Tang Wulin was
speechless at the ball-breaking objective the electronic voice announced.

Just before, he had been forced to use two-thirds of his soul power just to survive the short battle against
her. Yet now, he had to survive another thirty seconds?

Seemingly unaffected by the electronic voice, the girl charged toward him once more. This time, however,
she only wielded the flute.

What do I do?

Run? I’m nowhere near as fast as her. My footwork can’t compare with hers. I can’t run.

A battle of attrition?

If she really is only a one-ringed Soul Master, then there shouldn’t be a big difference between our soul
power capacities. She’s a bit stronger with her twin souls, but using both their soul skills consumes a lot
of soul power too. Assuming my guess is true, then I need to engage her as much as possible now. Even if I
can’t beat her, I should be able to survive another thirty seconds.

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Arriving at this conclusion, Tang Wulin turned around and ran. A second less spent in combat meant a
second more of survival.

Though he was low on soul power, his physical strength was in no way affected. With every stomp of his
feet, he shot forward like a cannonball. With this method, he was oddly quick.

Yet, the girl was still a bit faster than him. Fortunately, it wasn’t that easy to catch up to him. With one
fleeing and the other pursuing, ten seconds had soon passed. Just as the girl was about to catch up to him,
Tang Wulin suddenly leaped with all his strength while summoning his two Thousand Refined Heavy
Silver Hammers.

“Wu~”

Here it comes again…

Tang Wuling turned sluggish, and a sense of dizziness overcame him, so he hadn’t been able to fully turn
his body as he wanted to. He had only managed to turn halfway when the girl arrived before him.

This time, she didn’t immediately attack him. She instead reached out and grabbed his right shoulder and
pulled him toward her while kicking his calves with her right leg.

Tang Wulin was immediately thrown off balance, dropping onto the ground.

He waved his arms in an attempt to fight back, but the girl was jumping about like a fairy, dodging every
single one of his attacks. Even while evading his attacks, she had somehow been able to land two more
punches into his stomach.

Bind!

“Wu!”

Slowed!

Once again, his Bind soul skill was slowed down. In fact, the slow effect was so great that the girl grabbed
a strand of Bluesilver Grass and threw him up.

All Tang Wulin could do now was go into a fetal position in an attempt to protect his head and vital
organs.

Bang bang bang bang bang!

He was like a human punching bag, getting pounded from all directions.

After some time, the electronic voice appeared once more. “Thirty seconds has passed. Second trial over.”

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Tang Wulin felt as if his whole body had lightened and the aching of his bones had been washed away.

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 Chapter 158 – Tang Sect
Chapter 158 – Tang Sect

Tang Wulin rejoiced that he had the Thousand Refined Cloud Titanium vest to protect his body. He also
realised that the strength of the girl’s attack lessened as her soul power ran out. A single glance at her
martial souls made it clear that she wasn’t a Power System Soul Master, but rather a Control System Soul
Master. It was shocking, however, that a Control System Soul Master was able to display such attack
power. If I hadn’t shattered her cauldron, would I have been able to endure?

Tang Wulin crawled up from the ground. The girl had already disappeared, but he was still in the same
space as before.

It’s already been two trials. Is it possible that the test isn’t finished yet? Tang Wulin harbored this
suspicion in his heart.

“Advanced test, first trial. Get ready.” Advanced? It’s been upgraded to advanced now?

A figure appeared with a flash of light. Surprisingly, it was the same girl as before. This time, she
appeared to be slightly older. Tang Wulin felt aggrieved as he saw two soul rings rise from her feet. He
knew just what he was in for now.

Tang Wulin stumbled out of a flash of light, his face green and purple from bruises. He truly made for a
sorry sight.

When he looked up, he saw Xie Xie standing relatively close, his appearance even more haphazard than
his own. Xie Xie’s complexion was truly unsightly.

“How many trials did you pass?” Tang Wulin asked him thoughtlessly.

Xie Xie’s face darkened. “One trial. This test is too hard, my opponent was way too powerful! There wasn’t
anything I could do against her. She surpassed me in both explosive power and speed, and even in close
combat ability! I was helpless to defend against her even with my twin martial souls.”

“What about Gu Yue? She still hasn’t come out?” Tang Wulin asked.

Xie Xie nodded. “In the end, she’s the strongest! How many trials did you pass?”

A bitter laugh escaped Tang Wulin’s lips. “Just two trials. I passed the second trial only because I’m good
at taking a beating.”

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From when they had entered until now, Wu Zhangkong hadn’t moved an inch from his previous position.
The screens here were different from those of the spirit ascension platform; they didn’t show everything
that had occurred within the test, so all he could do was wait patiently.

Another minute passed before a pale-faced Gu Yue stumbled out of a flash of light. Tang Wulin, who just
happened to be standing right in front of her, saw shock in her eyes.

“How many trials did you pass?” Xie Xie asked.

“Advanced, two trials. The final level was too hard, And I was defeated in the first trial. What about you
guys?”

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie stood there, utterly speechless. They truly felt that comparing themselves to
others could only lead to madness!

Wu Zhangkong turned towards the trio and nodded. “Come here.”

The trio approached before him. Having the worst results, Xie Xie hung his head low, his heart filled with
self-deprecation.

As these thoughts surged in his mind, a bright light flashed, and the trio disappeared in a spatial wave.

With another light flash, they found themselves in an expansive office. It was at least 200 square meters
in area. Off to one side, there was a large office desk and a white sofa across from it.

“Take a seat. There are a few matters I need to discuss with you three,” Wu Zhangkong said as he pointed
to the sofa.

Confused, the three sat on the sofa nonetheless.

Wu Zhangkong took a seat across from them.

“Each of you must have felt that today’s test was strange. You all had different opponents who, at some
point in time, were all Soul Masters that had lived on this continent. Unfortunately, only seventy percent
of their true strength can be replicated by the simulation. How did you compare to your opponents?”

They were real Soul Masters?

Tang Wulin immediately recalled that girl with twin souls, while Xie Xie recalled the tall and beautiful girl
whose waist seemed as flexible as a bow.

As for Gu Yue, she recalled the black-haired youth whose eyes twinkled with a bizarre splendor. He had
easily defeated her in the ultimate level trial. She shuddered at the memory of their battle.

775
“I brought you all here for two reasons. First, you are nearing the limits of how much spirit energy you
can absorb in the spirit ascension platform. After entering a few more times, you’ll reach that limit, so you
need another place to gain real combat experience. Compared to the spirit ascension platform, the Hall of
Heroes can provide even better combat experiences as the injuries you receive in there are all real. Of
course, you’ll automatically be ejected when you’re injured to a certain degree. There also won’t be any
mental rebounds like you received in the spirit ascension platform when you had your bodies destroyed.
In other words, the experience you gain in the Hall of Heroes is even more valuable than in the spirit
ascension platform.

“Second, this test is actually unrelated to your final exam. Your final exam had already ended in the
rebellion spirit ascension platform and your scores have already been given. The test here is instead an
entrance test to an organization. If you become a member of this organization, you’ll be able to
accumulate points in the future to use the Hall of Heroes again.”

Organization? This word, coupled with the memory of his opponent’s footwork from earlier, made Tang
Wulin realize immediately that this was the organization that Wu Zhangkong had told him about before.
The very organization he had originally refused to join.

Xie Xie and Gu Yue stared at Wu Zhangkong with curiosity while thinking, So Teacher Wu is actually part
of some organization.

“Teacher Wu, what does this organization do?” Xie Xie asked. He was from a large clan, so he couldn’t
casually join any organization; the fact that this organization was able to have a base here in Eastsea
City’s technology park, however, meant that its background should be nothing to laugh at.

Wu Zhangkong asked, “Have you heard of the Tang Sect?”

Tang Sect?

Hearing these two words, the trio began to tremble with excitement.

The Tang Sect? It’s the Tang Sect!

How could they not have heard of it before? There was practically no one in this world who didn’t know
of the Tang Sect! Legend had it that the Tang Sect had existed from the ancient era until now. It could be
said that the greatest historical events of the Douluo Continent all involved the Tang Sect in one way or
another.

The Tang Sect’s founder was the guardian of the continent 20,000 years ago. It was rumored that he had
ascended to godhood!

With the Tang Sect’s founder leading the first generation of Shrek’s Seven Monsters, Shrek Academy had
also risen to power in that era. It could be said that without him, Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect would
not have become such legendary existences.

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At that time, the Martial Soul Hall had been ambitious in its attempts to conquer the entire continent and
unite it under one banner. Against them, the Tang Sect founder assembled the forces of nations and Soul
Masters to fight with the Martial Soul Hall in a final, decisive battle. In the end, he stood on the side of
victory.

It was said that while wielding the Sea God’s Trident, he had ascended as the Sea God.

Tang Wulin had always loved to listen to the Tang Sect founder’s story because he also possessed the
Bluesilver Grass martial soul!

It was possible for someone on the continent to not know of the Spirit Pagoda, but it was impossible for
them to not know of the Tang Sect.

As time went on, the Tang Sect had nearly withered away due to the advancement of soul device
technology, when suddenly, another legendary figure appeared out of nowhere. That was right, he was
the founder of the Spirit Pagoda, as well as the creator of spirit souls. His mark on history had completely
altered the structure of the world of Soul Masters to this very day.

After the Tang Sect’s resurgence into power, they had never declined again. Though, it was rumored that,
along with the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire, they had long relocated to the two other
continents. In the last thousand years or so, they were rarely spoken of, but their legend had never been
forgotten.

The trio was truly shocked at the utterance of the two words that represented such a legendary
organization. Could it be that we’re in the Tang Sect right now?

“Teacher Wu, didn’t the Tang Sect already disappear? Or move to the other two continents?” Tang Wulin
blurted out in disbelief.

Wu Zhangkong shook his head. “No, the Tang Sect never truly disappeared. While it’s true that the Tang
Sect has founded bases on the other two continents like the Spirit Pagoda, but the Tang Sect has never left
the Douluo Continent. The federal government knows of the Tang Sect too, but for the sake of adapting to
the current societal norms, the Tang Sect now operates in a low-key manner. After all, the Tang Sect’s
reputation is truly too great. The building we’re in is actually owned by a company under the Tang Sect;
the Dazzling Era Tang Sect Technology Company. They developed the Hall of Heroes as a learning system,
and the opponents you just fought were once members of the Shrek Seven Monsters.”

Tang Wulin was electrified. He recalled his opponent with the newfound realization of her identity. “My
opponent… was she in the same generation as the Spirit Pagoda’s founder from the Shrek Seven Monsters
ten thousand years ago? The possessor of the Three Cycles Soul Cauldron and the Nine Phoenix Flute,
Xiao Xiao the Phoenix Flute Douluo?”

The dumbstruck Xie Xie gasped. “Then, wasn’t my opponent also from the same generation of Shrek’s
Seven Monsters, the Demon Rabbit Douluo Jiang Nannan?”

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 Chapter 159 – Gu Yue’s Decision
Chapter 159 – Gu Yue’s Decision

Gu Yue’s eyes were blank. Wu Zhangkong glanced at her, not particularly surprised at her expression. “Gu
Yue, your opponent was the Spirit Pagoda’s founder, the Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao back when he only
possessed two soul rings.”

“So you three shouldn’t be discouraged. You were defeated by powerful legends after all. If you do well in
the Hall of Heroes and keep rising up, you might even get the chance to battle the original Shrek Seven
Monsters one day.”

Tang Wulin subconsciously swallowed at these unbelievable words. He didn’t even need to think about
his answer and directly shouted out, “I want to join!”

Having heard the tales of the legendary Tang Sect since childhood, one could only imagine his burning
desire to join the organization. These stories, however, weren’t the main reason behind his willingness to
join—it was his idol, the founder of the Tang Sect who possessed the same martial soul as him! Any
previous doubts he held towards joining Wu Zhangkong’s organization were blown away after hearing
that it was the Tang Sect.

Xie Xie came to a similar conclusion after a moment of hesitation. “I want to join too.”

Wu Zhangkong cautioned them, “You don’t need to decide so quickly. You can go home and ask your
family first.”

Xie Xie shook his head. “There’s no need. I don’t want to miss out on such an opportunity. Teacher Wu, I
will join. I’m sure I can convince my family too.”

Tang Wulin’s and Xie Xie’s gazes drifted to Gu Yue. Neither of them knew whether she would join or not,
but it was indisputable that her performance was the best out of all of them today.

In reality, their only requirement was to pass the first trial of the medium level to be eligible for
membership. The trials after that were to push them to their limits.

“I’m sorry, Teacher Wu. Wulin, Xie Xie, I won’t join,” Gu Yue said with utmost calm. There wasn’t a single
shred of regret in the depths of her eyes, as if she was only dealing with a mundane matter.

“Huh, why?” Xie Xie and Tang Wulin asked in unison.

Gu Yue simply shook her head. “There’s already another organization that I want to join, so I can’t join the
Tang Sect.”

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Tang Wulin wanted to say something, but Wu Zhangkong cut him off. “That’s fine. Everyone has their own
ambitions, so it’s fine as long as you have thought things through properly. Gu Yue, you’re very talented
and would be able to shine no matter where you go in the future. With this being the case, I’ll make some
other arrangements for the combat component of your education.”

“Thank you, Teacher Wu.” Gu Yue curtly nodded.

Still in disbelief, Tang Wulin approached Gu Yue. “But Gu Yue, it’s the Tang Sect! The Tang Sect that has
traditions from 20,000 years ago and countless mysteries!”

There was a slight change in Gu Yue’s expression, but her mind was firm. She shook her head once more
at Tang Wulin’s words. “I’m sorry Wulin. I had already decided to join the Spirit Pagoda before we came
here, and they require that I don’t join any other organization.”

While Tang Wulin was stunned at these words, Wu Zhangkong’s eyebrows jumped up in surprise. When
did the Spirit Pagoda approach Gu Yue? They made their move so quickly!

But Gu Yue’s excellence had been apparent from the beginning. Regardless of whether it was during the
rebellion period or the ordinary spirit ascension platform, Gu Yue had always demonstrated
extraordinary strength and potential. Neither Tang Wulin nor Xie Xie could compare to her, especially
with her never-before-seen martial soul which could control six elements. Moreover, her control power
was formidable, allowing her strength to far surpass her peers. The Spirit Pagoda had undoubtedly paid a
tremendous price to rope her in.

It was exactly as she had said. There would be some disputes if she joined the Tang Sect after joining the
Spirit Pagoda.

Wu Zhangkong’s gaze returned to Tang Wulin and Xie Xie. “What Gu Yue said was correct. Both the Tang
Sect and the Spirit Pagoda are top-notch organizations on the continent. An organization isn’t like an
association; you can only join one organization. If you choose to join the Tang Sect, then in the future, you
cannot join the Spirit Pagoda. If you want to leave the Tang Sect, then you’ll need to return everything you
received from it, including cultivation methods. With this in mind, you two should carefully consider your
decision again and tell me at a later time.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Tang Wulin said, “I don’t need to think it over. I want to join the Tang
Sect. It’s my dream!” That was right, he had dreamed of joining the Tang Sect since childhood.

Though he didn’t want to separate from Gu Yue, he had to prioritize his dream!

Xie Xie looked back and forth between Tang Wulin and Gu Yue before nodding to himself. “Teacher Wu, I
have also settled on joining the Tang Sect.”

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“Fine. We’ll end today’s testing here. After filling in some forms later, you will officially become outer
members of the Tang Sect. I’ll explain to you at a later time everything you need to know about the
organization such as rules, benefits and duties.”

On the bus ride home, Tang Wulin stared off into the distance with a lonely expression.

Wang Jinxi had left. Zhang Yangzi had left. Even Gu Yue was choosing a different path from him. His
companions were leaving one by one, and he truly felt powerless since he had no basis to influence their
decisions. If joining the Tang Sect hadn’t been his dream, he definitely would have chosen to join the
Spirit Pagoda with Gu Yue. Companions had to stay together after all!

Yet, it was as if fate had decreed that he must be alone. His family and friends were leaving one after the
other, and the only one left by his side was Xie Xie. Will Xie Xie leave me too?

Seated beside him, Xie Xie prodded him with a few words. “What’s up? Are you feeling down because Gu
Yue isn’t joining the Tang Sect?”

Tang Wulin shook his head. “I just feel like everyone I hold dear is leaving. My parents and Na’er left.
Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi left, and now Gu Yue has chosen a different path. Maybe I really am meant
to be alone.”

Xie Xie heartily laughed. “How can that be? Don’t you still have me? I won’t leave.”

A depressed sigh escaped Tang Wulin’s lips. “Maybe you won’t have a choice but to leave me in the future
too.”

“Who said I’m going to leave?!” Gu Yue suddenly appeared beside them. She pulled Xie Xie out of his seat
before stealing it to sit beside Tang Wulin.

“You’re so emotional,” Gu Yue said, displeased.

Tang Wulin was startled by her words. “Maybe.”

Gu Yue pressed on. “I only chose not to join the Tang Sect, and it’s not like I’m leaving class zero.
Whatever organization I join doesn’t change the fact that I’ll always be together with you guys.”

Seeing an opening, Xie Xie took this chance to cut in. “If you just say ‘you’ instead of ‘you guys’, he’d be far
more moved.”

“Go away!” Tang Wulin and Gu Yue yelled at him in unison.

“You guys are bullies!” Xie Xie said with grievance.

780
Tang Wulin chuckled. “Sorry Gu Yue, I didn’t mean to blame you. Everyone makes their own decisions. I
just feel a bit frustrated. You were right. Maybe it’s because my family left, but I’ve been very emotionally
weak. I’ll do my best to fix that.”

Poking his head in once more, Xie Xie said, “Just vent your feelings whenever you need to. For example,
let me beat you up once.”

Tang Wulin snorted. “I’m not so certain I’d be the one getting beat up.”

The end of a semester was a joyous occasion for all students as it marked the start of their one month
long vacation. They could finally relax and forget about studying or cultivating during this time. Despite
their status as prestigious Soul Masters, in the end, they were only children.

After one more trip to the Dazzling Era Tang Sect the next day, class zero also began their vacation. Gu
Yue and Xie Xie chose to spend their vacation away from campus.

Naturally, they were both going home to play and relax, leaving Tang Wulin the only one left in the
dormitory.

Where can I even go? Back to Glorybound City?

Mom and dad aren’t there anymore, so can that place even be called home anymore? Tang Wulin bitterly
laughed at his lonesome thoughts.

The only place he had now was Mang Tian’s workshop. He hoped that by devoting himself to cultivating
and work, he’d be able to forget about his family.

He had already filled out the Tang Sect’s registration form and handed it to Wu Zhangkong, who
submitted it to the Dazzling Era Tang Sect for review. Only after approval would he officially become a
member of the Tang Sect.

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 Chapter 160 – The Rules of the Tang Sect
Chapter 160 – The Rules of the Tang Sect

Tang Wulin sighed as he packed what he needed for the next month’s stay at the workshop.

“Wulin,” a familiar voice called out.

“Teacher Wu.”

Wu Zhangkong stood in the hallway, patiently waiting for Tang Wulin.

“What plans do you have for your vacation?” Wu Zhangkong stoically asked.

Somewhat at a loss, Tang Wulin shook his head. “I don’t really have any plans yet. I figured I’d just focus
on forging and cultivating.”

Thinking it over, Wu Zhangkong set out a proposal. “Since you don’t have any plans, how about you come
with me? I’m visiting another city in order to take care of some business. If you come along, you’ll be able
to learn more about the world outside of school and relax at the same time.”

“Huh?” Tang Wulin stared at Wu Zhangkong in astonishment.

Wu Zhangkong considerately asked, “Do you want some time to think it over?”

Tang Wulin quickly shook his head. “No, I’ll go with you.” In that split-second, his mood brightened up
from his previous lonely depression. I wonder where Teacher Wu will be taking me?

Since Wu Zhangkong didn’t say, Tang Wulin didn’t bother to ask.

A short hour later, they were waiting for the train at Eastsea City’s soul train station.

As usual, Wu Zhangkong was clothed in his white garbs and carried no luggage. Clearly, he possessed a
soul storage device similar to Tang Wulin’s. As for Tang Wulin, he had packed lightly, only bringing along
a few sets of clothes and his two forging hammers.

The white-clad Wu Zhangkong caught the attention of many women in the train station. Regardless of
their age, their eyes would naturally drift to Wu Zhangkong. Surprisingly enough, there were quite a few
younger girls who chose to eye Tang Wulin instead.

782
Tang Wulin’s appeal was different from that of the mature and handsome Wu Zhangkong’s. His large,
limpid eyes as well as the calm aura that was beyond his years easily drew the gazes of girls around his
age.

Today, Tang Wulin wore white sportswear that he had purchased himself. They were the cheapest of the
cheapest clothes he could find. Though he was in no way hurting for money right now, his frugal nature
wasn’t something he could easily change. He couldn’t even imagine what kind of high-quality materials
Wu Zhangkong’s white robe was made of.

After spending a semester together, it was clear to Tang Wulin that Wu Zhangkong liked silence, so as
long as Wu Zhangkong didn’t say anything to him, he didn’t try to engage him in conversation either. He
was resolved to be a quiet and well-behaved child.

The train’s arrival was preceded by a low, rumbling noise. At the sight of the train they were to take, Tang
Wulin finally realized their destination.

They were headed toward Heaven Dou City.

Heaven Dou City? Didn’t that use to be the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire? It was a large metropolis
that could still be considered one of the greatest cities on the Douluo Continent today.

The distance between Eastsea City and Heaven Dou City was by no means small!

Wu Zhangkong had bought them economy class seats. Each carriage could seat four passengers, two on
each side separated by an aisle in the middle. The cheap price of the ticket was obvious from how
cramped the carriage was. Tang Wulin was fine since he was still a small child, but Wu Zhangkong’s long
legs were already leaning against the back of the seat in front of him.

While Tang Wulin was seated by the window, Wu Zhangkong had taken the outer seat, acting as a human
barrier between him and the rest of the crowd. In his isolated space, Tang Wulin felt a sense of security.

“Here.” Wu Zhangkong handed him a booklet.

Tang Wulin curiously examined it. There wasn’t a single word on its cover, making him assume it was a
notebook. When he opened it, however, there were drawings of people alongside many notes.

“What is this, Teacher Wu?” Tang Wulin inquired.

“The Tang Sect’s investigation into your background shouldn’t turn up with any issues, so I’m giving you
this booklet right now. Inside it is the Tang Sect’s cultivation technique, the Mysterious Heaven Method. It
can also be used to meditate, so you could also call it a meditation method. The benefits you get from it
should be far better than what you’re receiving now. Later, when you learn other Tang Sect techniques,
this Mysterious Heaven Method will serve as the foundation.”

783
The Tang Sect’s methods? Tang Wulin’s eyes instantly lit up with excitement. So far, he’d been using the
basic cultivation methods provided by the academy, but now he would be able to replace it with a method
from the legendary Tang Sect! Considering its reputation, he had no doubts about its quality.

However, Wu Zhangkong had to caution him. “When you first join the Tang Sect, you’re initially only
allowed to learn the Mysterious Heaven Method since it’s the foundation of everything. Only after
familiarizing yourself with it will you be able to cultivate in the other methods and techniques of the Tang
Sect. But in your case, since you entered by passing the medium level test, you can also pick one more
technique to cultivate.”

“Teacher Wu, wait a minute.” Tang Wulin suddenly interrupted Wu Zhangkong and then lowered his
voice. “Can we really talk about the Tang Sect’s methods in such a crowded place?”

Wu Zhangkong shook his head dismissively. “They won’t hear our voices. Listen and see for yourself.”

“Huh?” It was only then that Tang Wulin noticed the total silence that surrounded him. The people
continued to clamber onto the train, but not a peep could be heard.

As he focused on his surroundings, he observed a thin layer of soul power separating them from the
crowd.

“What is this?” Tang Wulin looked back at Wu Zhangkong in astonishment.

Wu Zhangkong casually explained, “This is merely a way of using soul power. You’ll be able to do this
once you reach a certain level as well. Now back to the topic of Tang Sect techniques.

“There are a total of six: Mysterious Heaven Method, Mysterious Jade Hands, Controlling Crane Capturing
Dragon, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Purple Demon Eyes, and Hidden Weapons Hundred
Separations. Among them, Hidden Weapons Hundred Separations has already fused with the
development of soul device technology and is incorporated into the Tang Sect’s unique battle armors. As
for the other five techniques, you’d still learn them as you normally would.

“You may learn one extra technique after passing the medium level test, the advanced level test, and so
on. So right now, you can choose another one in addition to the Mysterious Heaven Method. I personally
recommend that you choose Purple Demon Eyes. It’s a method to cultivate your eyes’ strength while also
increasing your spiritual power.

“Eyes are the windows to the mind, and this is the easiest way to increase your spiritual power. You will
gain many advantages, so you really should pick Purple Demon Eyes.”

“Okay!” Tang Wulin’s gaze sparkled. It’s a Tang Sect technique!

“Then, Teacher Wu, what obligations do I have to keep for the Tang Sect in return?” Tang Wulin asked.

784
Wu Zhangkong said, “You must memorize and abide by the rules of the Tang Sect. As long as take care not
to break any of them, your status as a member of the Tang Sect will be guaranteed. In this world, nothing
comes freely. If you want to increase your position in the Tang Sect, you will have to contribute to the
sect. For example, you can complete missions in order to earn some contribution points, which you can
then exchange in the sect for many different items that you can’t obtain anywhere else. You may also use
them to increase your contribution level in the sect.

“As for the matter of documenting your contribution points, even as you spend them, your total, recorded
contribution points never change. As such, you can call that total your effective contribution points value.

“I’ll explain these things more in detail later, but what you really need to remember right now are the
rules of the Tang Sect. If you break any of them, the lightest punishment you will receive is expulsion and
having to return everything you received from the sect. In the worst case scenario, there are much
harsher and more severe punishments that may follow. As such, pay attention.

“The first rule of the Tang Sect: be filial to the sect and to your teachers. This one is pretty simple. Just
don’t join any other sects or organizations and you’ll be fine.

“Second rule of the Tang Sect: you will not commit rape or robbery.

“Third rule of the Tang Sect: you must not divulge the secrets of the sect.

“Fourth rule of the Tang Sect: It is the duty of everyone in the Tang Sect to uphold virtue and condemn
evil.

“Fifth rule of the Tang Sect: you must not deceive others.”

“…”

Wu Zhangkong continued to profoundly list off one Tang Sect rule after another, and Tang Wulin took
each of them to heart. Though there were ten rules in total, none of them were particularly harsh. The
intent behind their regulations could be summarized in one phrase: be a good person who cherishes the
Tang Sect.

“Tang Wulin, are you capable of following all of these rules?”

“I am,” Tang Wulin solemnly answered.

With a more solemn tone than usual, Wu Zhangkong said, “Remember, this is a lifelong commitment. The
Tang Sect’s objective is to uphold virtue and condemn evil while supporting the continent’s steady
development. There aren’t many restrictions other than the ten rules, but you must absolutely never
break them. As your teacher, as well as the person who recruited you, I will be held responsible for any
mistake you make.”

785
Sensing the sudden severity in Wu Zhangkong, Tang Wulin’s pulse began to race, and he nodded
solemnly.

“Alright then. Return the book to me after you’ve finished reading it.” Wu Zhangkong let out a long sigh,
then reclined in his chair and closed his eyes. He was now quietly waiting for the train to arrive at their
destination.

Yet, the clamoring of the crowd didn’t return, and they were still enveloped in the same peaceful calm as
before. Tang Wulin understood that Wu Zhangkong was maintaining the barrier of soul power so that he
could read in peace.

The section on the Mysterious Heaven Method wasn’t particularly long, and Tang Wulin finished reading
it within half an hour. Despite that, he still had some confusion about some of the acupuncture points and
things of that nature.

Wu Zhangkong gave him detailed explanations to any questions he asked about the cultivation method
and even had him begin moving his soul power along some of the paths outlined in the booklet.

786
 Chapter 161 – Mysterious Heaven Method
Chapter 161 – Mysterious Heaven Method

Though the seat was narrow, Tang Wulin was fortunately still a child so there was just enough room for
him to sit cross-legged. And with the tall and reliable Wu Zhangkong blocking any prying eyes, he could
continue his lessons without any worries.

He gently urged his soul power to slowly circulate through his body. He was still unfamiliar with the
complicated pathways of the Mysterious Heaven Method, and he needed to circulate his soul power
through meridians he’d never even noticed before. There was one area that proved to be quite a
challenge for him, where his meridians were particularly complex. The only thing he could do was slowly
explore within himself and build his understanding bit by bit.

Luckily for Tang Wulin, Wu Zhangkong was present to provide him with guidance whenever he ran into
any troubles. Every time he ran into an impasse, a cold stream of energy would enter his body and guide
his soul power back onto the right path. Through trial and error and with Wu Zhangkong’s guidance,
Tang Wulin’s understanding of his meridians grew deeper and deeper.

In such a manner, Tang Wulin was finally able to complete one cycle of soul power circulation as outlined
in the Mysterious Heaven Method. He gradually tuned out his surroundings and wholly focused on the
task at hand. Slowly but steadily, his soul power was on its way to completing another cycle.

Withdrawing his hand from Tang Wulin’s stomach, Wu Zhangkong gave a slight nod of approval.

This child’s perception is pretty good. He only took two hours to complete his first circulation cycle with
my guidance. Not bad. When he was helping Tang Wulin, Wu Zhangkong was also pleasantly surprised to
discover that Tang Wulin’s meridians were far stronger than normal. Not even three or four-ringed Soul
Masters had meridians that could compare. With Tang Wulin’s tough meridians and his soul power at the
one-ringed level, he would be able to circulate his soul power quickly without worrying about his body.

This was the advantage of a powerful physique!

The soul train steadily sped along, but even with its high speeds, it would take one day’s worth of travel
to reach Heaven Dou City. Fortunately for the passengers, there were over a dozen stops at major cities in
between, giving them a chance to stretch their legs.

Even though it was Tang Wulin’s first time cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Method, he had somehow
managed to enter a state of deep meditation, not leaving it once. Wu Zhangkong could feel the soul power
within Tang Wulin’s body circulating more smoothly and with greater speed.

This was the result of possessing both great perception and a strong body. The deep meditative state he
was in was highly beneficial to Soul Masters, but rarely entered. Wu Zhangkong was a bit frightened

787
though; from the looks of things, Tang Wulin might not even wake up when they arrived at their
destination.

Entering a deep meditation as soon as he was introduced to the Mysterious Heaven Method meant that
he would come out of this meditative state with a complete understanding of the method and the optimal
benefits from it. He would not need to familiarize himself with the method any further.

Wu Zhangkong held up a hand to stop a passing train attendant.

“Hello, what may I help you with?” The train attendant’s eyes widened a bit at Wu Zhangkong’s
handsomeness and a blush found its way onto her cheeks. Her voice was clearly sweeter now than when
she had been talking to the other passengers.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m looking for the conductor,” Wu Zhangkong said in his usual cold tone.

“You’re looking for the conductor? She’s busy at the moment, so could you tell me what matter you’re
looking for her first? Perhaps I’ll be able to assist you instead?” Although Wu Zhangkong’s handsome
figure had set her heart aflutter, she still retained her professionalism.

“You won’t be able to help me. Please ask the conductor to come here.” As he spoke, Wu Zhangkong
raised his right hand to reveal several floating halos.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black! Six soul rings rose in this order. They were visible only to the
attendant as she was currently positioned in a way that obstructed the gazes of others.

“Ah!” The attendant couldn’t help but cry out at the shocking sight.

After the soul rings disappeared in a flash, Wu Zhangkong curtly nodded at her. On the Douluo Continent,
this was the easiest way to demonstrate one’s strength. Soul rings equalled strength and status after all.
Not only was Wu Zhangkong a six-ringed Soul Emperor, he was even a powerful expert that possessed a
pair of ten-thousand-year black soul rings! How else was the attendant supposed to have reacted?

“Hey, you, don’t use your handsomeness to take advantage of young ladies.” A tall and robust man had
appeared beside the attendant. He hadn’t seen Wu Zhangkong’s soul rings, but he had heard the
attendant’s cry of alarm.

Wu Zhangkong only shot him a glance and remained seated with his signature cold and silent manner.

“Boy, I was talking to you. Stand up!” The tall man clearly had a short temper.

“It’s nothing, nothing at all.” The train attendant had finally snapped out of her daze and hastily stopped
the man from approaching Wu Zhangkong. “I was just surprised at their credentials. They really do have
an important matter to talk to the conductor about. Thank you for looking out for me, but you can return
to your seat now.”

788
The tall man cast a doubtful look at the attendant before mischievously laughing. “Don’t be afraid, little
sister. I didn’t like that pretty boy from the start. If he dares to try anything with you, just tell this big
brother, and I’ll help you punish him.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” the attendant quickly assured. She turned back to Wu Zhangkong and respectfully said,
“Please wait a moment. I will immediately get the conductor.”

Stating this, she hurriedly left. Perhaps it was because of the attendant’s deferential attitude to Wu
Zhangkong, but the tall man no longer bothered them.

Not too long after, the attendant returned, followed by a middle-aged woman.

“Hello, I am this train’s conductor. What may I help you with?” The train conductor spoke with the utmost
courtesy. This was only natural of course. In front of her was a young, six-ringed Soul Emperor.
Considering his age and the strength he possessed, she could only imagine how high his status must be
and from what great clan he hailed from.

The conductor saw a slight change in Wu Zhangkong’s expression before she discovered with alarm that
they had been isolated from the clamor of their surroundings.

“My disciple has entered a state of deep meditation, and I don’t know how long this will last. May I know
if this train is heading anywhere else after reaching Heaven Dou City?”

Deep meditation? For someone who wasn’t a Soul Master, these two words didn’t have much meaning,
but she still answered quickly. “We will be resting in Heaven Dou City for one day before continuing
westward all the way to Sun Moon City. This train runs from east to west, across the whole continent.
That is why this train is also called the Traveler.”

Wu Zhangkong frowned. “Then is it possible to stop in Heaven Dou City for a while longer?”

The conductor made an awkward face. “I’m afraid that’s impossible. Many travelers have already bought
tickets, so we wouldn’t be holding up our end of the deal if we didn’t continue on.”

Nodding in understanding, Wu Zhangkong said, “Okay. I understand. I’ll think of some other way then.”

“Alright. Sorry for the inconvenience. If there’s anything else I may help with, please notify me,” the
conductor said with a smile.

After she left, the tall man from before said with disdain, “What kind of farce is this? The conductor came
yet you guys didn’t even speak a word.”

As if he hadn’t heard the man’s complaints, Wu Zhangkong closed his eyes and ignored him.

Bored now, the tall man didn’t continue deriding Wu Zhangkong.

789
Like this, the soul train smoothly reached Heaven Dou City.

“To all passengers, please make sure to take all of your luggage and exit in an orderly fashion. Due to the
cramped quarters, we ask that you watch out for your belongings and your step to prevent any injuries
from falling.”

Speakers projected the conductor’s voice throughout the train.

Passengers stood up one by one to make their way to the exit, but Wu Zhangkong remained still. Tang
Wulin was still in a deep meditation.

His brows wrinkled as he thought about his plans.

Not too long after, he and Tang Wulin were the only ones left on the train. The attendant tasked with
tidying up the train walked over and politely said, “We’ve arrived at the station. You must disembark
now.”

790
 Chapter 162 – Deep Meditation Troubles
Chapter 162 – Deep Meditation Troubles

Wu Zhangkong stood up. “I want to bring this chair with me. Here’s money to compensate for the cost.”
He took out some federation bills as he spoke.

“You want to bring this chair with you?” The train attendant had never met such an eccentric passenger
before. What did he mean by ‘bring the chair’ with him?

Very soon, Wu Zhangkong explained the meaning of his words with a simple motion.

A ripple of blue light welled up in Wu Zhangkong’s hand as a chill swept through the surroundings. A blue
flash later, the train attendant was shocked to see that the chair with the child sitting atop of it was
steadily hoisted up by the white-robed man. Carrying the chair with only his left hand, he took large
strides towards the train exit.

“Huh?” He really carried the chair away? Heavens! He detached the entire chair.

The attendant hurriedly took out her soul communicator. “Conductor, conductor, over here, there’s…”

And at this time, Wu Zhangkong had already left the train while carrying the chair that Tang Wulin sat on.

Since he couldn’t force the train to stop here, all he could do was take the chair and Tang Wulin along
with him. He isolated Tang Wulin in a bubble of soul power to prevent any distractions, which could lead
to deviations in his cultivation. For now, he planned on quickly leaving the train station before looking for
an inn to stay at.

Of course, as soon as Wu Zhangkong alighted from the train, he became the center of attention as he
single-handedly carried a seated child. The surrounding tourists were all dumbstruck as a single thought
crossed their minds: what’s going on?

At that moment, an alarm resounded as a group of police officers from the train station came running
over with soul laser guns in hand.

“Freeze!” They formed a line in front of Wu Zhangkong, obstructing his path. The head officer stepped
forward and gravely said, “Sir, you’ve vandalized a public train and taken a child. Please come with us and
explain yourself.”

“Fine.” Wu Zhangkong agreed without a hint of resistance.

The officers were stunned at such an icy and tranquil response. Their impression of him changed to one
of a strange man, but surprisingly easy to talk to! They were already aware of his status as a six-ringed

791
Soul Emperor—an existence impossible for them to stand against—and they were nearly trembling from
apprehension.

Fortunately for them, Wu Zhangkong didn’t resist and was actually compliant.

Still carrying the chair that Tang Wulin sat on, Wu Zhangkong was escorted to the police station in charge
of patrolling Heaven Dou City’s train station.

An officer wearing a captain’s badge welcomed them with an even larger entourage of officers
accompanied by a pair of gigantic mechas surpassing ten meters in height.

The entire police force in charge of patrolling the train station had gathered here.

“Hello, you are a Soul Emperor, correct?” The captain cut right to the chase.

Wu Zhangkong was expressionless as he dropped the concealment on his aura, six soul rings rising from
his feet. Coupled with the two black soul rings, the captain was at a loss in the face of the sheer power of
Wu Zhangkong’s aura.

“Greetings, revered Soul Emperor,” said the captain as he gave a slight bow. Although ordinary people
could use soul devices now and possessed some degree of strength, they were still conscious of the
insurmountable gap between them and true Soul Masters. And above all, before him was a Soul Emperor!

Even for the police captain, it was his first time meeting an esteemed Soul Emperor. How could he
possibly dare be disrespectful? Black soul rings were at the ten-thousand-year level, a realm that could
rend the heavens and raze the earth. Even in his wildest dreams, he wouldn’t dare to offend an expert of
this level!

Wu Zhangkong curtly said, “I apologize for troubling you, but my disciple has entered a deep meditative
state and must not be disturbed. Because of that, I could only act in such a way. If it’s possible, please
provide us with a quiet room and some food and water.”

An odd expression made its way onto the faces of all the police officers. They had never encountered a
suspect so cool that he would actually make demands before the questioning even began.

Yet, what was even more unexpected was how the captain immediately replied. “Alright. Please follow me
then. I have already heard of your circumstances from the conductor and have asked the higher-ups for
orders, so a quiet room has already been prepared for you. Please excuse me for cautiousness. After all,
you are a very powerful individual.”

“Lead the way.” Wu Zhangkong wasn’t one for small talk.

Just as promised, the room prepared by the captain was utterly silent. Even the windows had been sealed
with soundproofing material. High-class food and water were soon delivered. There really was no room
for neglect when dealing with a Soul Emperor.

792
In truth, the chief police officer had been quite reassured when he heard that Wu Zhangkong had left a
stack of bills with the attendant after slicing apart the chair. The fact that he bothered to pay for damages
meant that he harbored no malice. If he indeed possessed ill intentions, the chief would have long called
for backup. Although he had two standard mechas greet Wu Zhangkong, they couldn’t even be considered
a match for a Soul Emperor, let alone one that possessed two black soul rings! A Soul Master powerful
enough to possess a black ten-thousand-year spirit soul had a boundless future. At the very least, it was
guaranteed that he would break through to become a seven-ringed Soul Sage. At that level, his status
would be equal to that of a second-tier city’s chief executive.

Tang Wulin was completely unaware of his surroundings as he immersed himself in this state of deep
meditation. He felt as if his body was stretching out endlessly to absorb the energy of the heavens and the
earth, bringing him an indescribable feeling of comfort. The soul power within him gently undulated as
they cleansed his meridians. In return, the meridians gradually absorbed the soul power. His martial soul,
soul power, body, and bloodline were all harmonizing together in his state of deep meditation.

This type of situation wouldn’t give a major leap in strength by any means, but in this harmonization
process, his body basked in a feeling of wonder. It laid the foundation for a stronger body and smoother
cultivation in the future.

After some time had passed, Tang Wulin awoke. As he opened his eyes, he immediately felt the changes in
his body, as if it had been refined completely.

Letting out a faint, but long breath, a rumble resounded from his body as his soul power squirmed and
penetrated into every part of his body. This feeling of freedom was simply impossible to describe.

“So comfortable!” Tang Wulin joyfully exclaimed.

There didn’t seem to be any change even after his soul power returned to his dantian. In fact, there
seemed to be slightly less than before. Yet he clearly felt that his soul power had solidified by several
degrees, giving him the idea that if he used his soul skills or the Golden Dragon Claw now, he would be
able to use it a longer period of time.

Where am I?

As his soul power calmed down, Tang Wulin finally took note of his surroundings. It was only a second
later that he discovered Wu Zhangkong meditating nearby.

Teacher Wu?

Shouldn’t we be on a train? What is this little black room we’re in?

“You’re awake?” Tang Wulin was able to clearly see Wu Zhangkong’s eyes as he opened them in the
darkness.

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They seemed to contain a vast, starry sky within them. Tang Wulin felt as if his soul was being sucked into
those deep eyes.

“Teacher Wu, where is this?”

“We’ve already reached Heaven Dou City. Since you’re awake now, let’s be on our way.” Wu Zhangkong
swiftly stood up. Tang Wulin hastily followed suit and trailed behind him to exit the black room.

A loud rumble came from Tang Wulin’s stomach all of a sudden. A crimson blush immediately colored his
face, but he still trembled from intense hunger.

“Hungry?”

“Mn.” Tang Wulin lowered his head in embarrassment.

“Eat then. You can eat all of the food in the room.” Wu Zhangkong pointed to the food.

It was only then that Tang Wulin noticed that there was a pile of food on the floor and several cups of
water.

Unable to resist his hunger, Tang Wulin began to gorge himself.

For the first time, Wu Zhangkong was exposed to Tang Wulin’s eating habits. A quarter of an hour passed,
and even Wu Zhangkong’s icy expression had become dull.

Was it really the right choice to bring this kid with me after all? He… he just really eats way too much!

Tang Wulin wasn’t aware that he had actually been meditating for a full seven days. All he knew was that
he was ravenous and needed to fill himself up.

It didn’t take long before the pile of highly nutritious food disappeared into the abyss that was Tang
Wulin’s stomach. Even when all that was left was the food packaging, Tang Wulin was still hungrily
licking his lips. He was actually still hungry after devouring over a dozen boxes of food!

“Let’s go,” Wu Zhangkong said in a slightly off tone.

“Oh.”

A team of guards respectfully escorted them out of the train station.

Taking in the scenery around him, Tang Wulin finally began to understand the difference in scale
between an ancient city such as Heaven Dou City and Eastsea City.

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Heaven Dou City has existed for over 20,000 years, as early as the era of the Martial Soul Hall. This was
one of the greatest cities on the continent and had even held the title of being the greatest city back in the
age of the Heaven Dou Empire.

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 Chapter 163 – The Melancholic Prince Charming
Chapter 163 – The Melancholic Prince Charming

The pre-federation Sun Moon Empire later annexed the Heaven Dou Empire and turned Heaven Dou City
into an ordinary city. Tang Wulin clearly remembered, however, that the city was founded on a splendid
location. It was right beside the legendary Great Star Dou Forest—which teemed with soul beasts—and
was fairly close to the great Shrek City, said to be the very core of the Douluo Continent.

I wonder when I’ll be able to visit Shrek City and Great Star Dou Forest. What will it be like?

Heaven Dou City was completely different from Eastsea City. Tang Wulin had thought Heaven Dou City
would have taller and more developed buildings, but only when he saw Heaven Dou City did he realise
that it was his own imagination.

His initial impression of the city was that it was simple and plain.

That was right, simple and plain!

The city was filled with old era-styled buildings, but what was most surprising was that not a single
skyscraper could be seen. The tallest thing in his line of sight were actually some towering ancient trees.

“Teacher Wu, why aren’t there any skyscrapers here?” Tang Wulin quietly inquired.

Wu Zhangkong explained, “Heaven Dou City is a historical city; in order to preserve its historical value,
the city imposed regulations that buildings were not to surpass fifty meters in height and were, at most,
ten stories high. These regulations are the reason why you will see plenty of ancient trees taller than fifty
meters rather than skyscrapers.”

“A lot of history fanatics love this city and come here as tourists. This city is filled with culture and was
actually where the Tang Sect was first founded. Even now, there is an important branch of the Tang Sect
situated here.”

Tang Wulin’s curiosity was piqued. “Then what about the Tang Sect’s headquarters? Where is it?”

Wu Zhangkong gave him a sharp glance. “The headquarters? It’s in Shrek City of course.”

“Oh.” It suddenly struck Tang Wulin. That’s right! The Tang Sect is powerful, so its headquarters has to be
in a super city like Shrek City!

“Teacher Wu, what are we doing in Heaven Dou City then?” Tang Wulin’s interest had only grown with
this newfound knowledge.

796
Wu Zhangkong answered with indifference, “I’m here to see a friend. After that, I’ll bring you to a few
places. Let’s get going.”

The duo didn’t board another vehicle, opting to roam the historical streets of Heaven Dou City. The
weather in Heaven Dou City was pleasantly warm and slightly humid. Coupled with the abundance of
plant life, the air was exceptionally refreshing.

It only took a few minutes for Tang Wulin to develop a liking for the city. Walking along these streets was
a type of enjoyment.

“Wow! Teacher Wu, what’s that over there? It smells so nice!” Tang Wulin bounced with excitement as he
pointed toward a fragrant shop.

At a loss, Wu Zhangkong could only doubtfully ask, “You can still eat?”

Tang Wulin nodded without a thought. “Teacher Wu, let me treat you to a meal! I have money too.”

Shaking his head, Wu Zhangkong responded, “Let’s go. I’ll pay.”

The two entered the shop. It’s signboard said “Yuhao’s Roasted Fish”.

Seeing the name of the shop, Wu Zhangkong’s eyes instantly lit up. “No wonder it smells so good, it’s
actually this shop.”

Tang Wulin asked, “You’ve been here before?”

Wu Zhangkong answered, “Yuhao’s Roasted Fish is famous in the central part of the continent, especially
in Heaven Dou City, Shrek City, and Star Luo City. It was said that the recipe for their roasted fish was
passed down from the founder of the Spirit Pagoda, Huo Yuhao. That’s where the shop got its name from.
It was also said that he used his roasted fish to woo the Dragon Butterfly Douluo. Speaking of which, your
name is rather similar to the Dragon Butterfly Douluo’s; her name is Tang Wutong.”

A hint of yearning colored Tang Wulin’s eyes. “So those legendary figures loved to eat too!”

Wu Zhangkong’s face twitched. “That’s what you got out of what I said?”

“Eh…” Tang Wulin awkwardly scratched his head as he tried to suppress his impatience to eat. “Teacher
Wu, let’s go in then.”

Yuhao’s Roasted Fish bustled with noise. Even though it couldn’t be considered a proper restaurant, the
shop was filled to the brim with customers savoring the delicious fragrance of the roasted fish.

The two seated themselves in a corner. Wu Zhangkong had clearly been here numerous times so he
ordered several dishes quickly, but with Tang Wulin’s input, he just ended up ordering ten of every single
dish.

797
Roasted fish tasted the best right after it had finished roasting. The skin would be crispy yet have tender
and succulent meat. The light fragrance and delicate fish stock combined to create one of the world’s
delicacies.

For once, Tang Wulin was able to eat until he was satisfied. Although he could eat a lot in the academy’s
dining hall, there was just one problem with its food: their taste was only decent! Every meal he had had
at the dining hall was only for the purpose of filling his stomach and nothing more. Yet, every bite of
roasted fish was pure bliss!

Tang Wulin’s face was flushed from the delicious roasted fish. A brave light twinkled in his eyes, as if he
was prepared to eat his own tongue together with the fish.

After gracefully eating two roasted fish, Wu Zhangkong shifted his attention to Tang Wulin’s eating
performance.

“That’s ninety-one fish in total… The price…” Wu Zhangkong had gotten the bill.

“Thank you, Teacher Wu.” Tang Wulin was so invigorated after eating so much that he actually wanted to
eat some more.

Wu Zhangkong merely looked at him. “It must have been hard for your family to raise you.”

Only after staring blankly at Wu Zhangkong for a moment did Tang Wulin realize that Wu Zhangkong
meant his ability to eat. Teacher Wu actually knows how to tell a joke?

“Teacher, what are we going to do now?”

“We’ll find a place to stay first. You were in a deep meditation for seven days after all. After washing up
and changing into a fresh set of clothes, we’ll go out again.” Wu Zhangkong said.

“Okay.”

The inn Wu Zhangkong chose was by no means luxurious; in fact, it was very plain. Its only merit was that
it was clean.

Wu Zhangkong only rented out a single room with two beds.

The first thing Tang Wulin did was wash up and take a relaxing bath. He changed into a clean set of
clothes and felt completely refreshed.

Wu Zhangkong took a little longer than Tang Wulin to wash up before changing into a set of almost
identical white robes.

His white robes fluttered about while his long hair draped behind him. He had already used his soul
power to evaporate the water in his hair.

798
“We’re going!” A trace of melancholy swept past his eyes as he peered out the window.

Tang Wulin had a feeling that the moment he entered Heaven Dou City, there was a change in Wu
Zhangkong.

Leaving the inn, Wu Zhangkong chose to continue their journey on foot. It was clear though that their
pace had sped up. Wu Zhangkong lead Tang Wulin with familiarity along the winding streets that
gradually changed from bustling crowds to quiet cheerlessness.

Just where are we headed?

Turning onto a small, narrow road, there were even less people to be found. Only two soul cars could fit
side-by-side on this street.

On one side of the small road was a tall wall. A dense thicket of vegetation could be seen over it. On the
other side of the road was a forest.

Tang Wulin felt a clear change in Wu Zhangkong’s mood as they walked this road. Both Wu Zhangkong’s
breathing and pace clearly sped up, but what was even more obvious was the disappearance of the usual
coldness in his eyes, replaced by complicated feelings.

Depression, longing and melancholy could all be seen in his eyes. If he was usually described as ‘white
robes and blue swords, sky ice and snow cold’, then now he could only be called a melancholic man. He
had completely shed off his shell of coldness to reveal his original warmth, but this change was still
overshadowed by the complex emotions within his heart.

They followed the road for another five hundred meters before a gate appeared in the large wall.

“Heaven Dou Public Cemetery”.

Tang Wulin’s heart trembled at these four words. This… is actually a cemetery?

A chill crawled down his spine. Teacher Wu brought me to a cemetery? Who is he paying his respects to?

799
 Chapter 164 – The Grave of Long Bing
Chapter 164 – The Grave of Long Bing

Sure enough, Wu Zhangkong led the way into Heaven Dou Public Cemetery. The plant life seen peeking
from over the walls was actually part of the cemetery. A collection of large trees were orderly arranged
between the gravestones.

Wu Zhangkong’s robes fluttered behind him as he entered, seeming to fit in as a ghostly specter.

This was Tang Wulin’s first time entering such a place, and so his gaze began to wander. There were only
a few people present in the cemetery paying their respects to the deceased.

As if possessed, Wu Zhangkong didn’t stop until they arrived at a gravestone just off of the cemetery’s
center.

The gravestone was tall and adorned with a few simple words: The grave of Long Bing.

Long Bing? Who’s that? It sounds like a girl’s name.

“Wait here.” Turning around to speak to Tang Wulin, Wu Zhangkong’s tone had thawed from its usual
iciness to a warm tenderness.

“Okay.” Tang Wulin considerately moved to stand at the side.

Now holding a white cloth, Wu Zhangkong began to clean the gravestone. Each movement was filled with
heartfelt gentleness as if he was caressing a most cherished item.

The gravestone wasn’t dirty by any means; in fact, only a thin layer of dust covered it. In no time at all, it
was sparkling clean as jade. Compared to the other gravestones, it was clearly much brighter.

The tenderness in Wu Zhangkong’s expression had completely eclipsed the melancholy and sorrow he
carried before.

As if in a trance, not a single word left his lips as he caringly wiped the gravestone clean.

Though Tang Wulin wished to step forward and lend a hand, something told him that he shouldn’t
disturb his teacher in such a moment. A stifled feeling pressed down on him.

After a full hour of earnest cleaning, Wu Zhangkong finally finished and stood up to gaze upon the
gravestone, his eyes filled with a level of love and kindness never seen until now. It was as if the spring
winds had blown a smile onto his face, creating a cozy atmosphere around him.

“You were always fond of white, so I’m wearing white today.

800
“You said you liked my smile, so I will smile only for you.

“Bing’er, how are you doing in the next world?”

As he softly spoke, Wu Zhangkong’s fingers traced the grooves that made up the name ‘Long Bing.’ Not a
single tear escaped, presenting only a gentle smile.

By the time they left the cemetery, it was already evening.

Wu Zhangkong had assumed his usual cold attitude, and Tang Wulin didn’t dare to ask anything. All he
could do was follow behind his teacher. Long Bing should be a relative of Teacher Wu, right? Or could it
be one of those lovers Xie Xie talked about before?

Without bothering to explain anything, Wu Zhangkong simply led the way back to Heaven Dou City.

Crowds of people were bustling along the warmly-lit streets of Heaven Dou City. The shops had opened
long ago and were engaged in fast and hard business transactions.

Though Wu Zhangkong had regained his composure, Tang Wulin’s image of him had been irreversibly
changed.

Teacher Wu isn’t really a cold person! He said his smile is only meant for that person!

“What do you want to eat for dinner?” Wu Zhangkong peered at Tang Wulin inquisitively.

“Huh? Anything is fine!” Tang Wulin was fine with anything as long as it was food.

Not one to overcomplicate things, Wu Zhangkong decided thus, “Let’s go for noodles then. Some delicious
noodles.”

Tang Wulin’s interest was piqued. Wu Zhangkong had actually described a food as ‘delicious’, something
out of character of him.

These noodles really are delicious! Tang Wulin thought to himself for the tenth time as he devoured his
tenth bowl. The noodles were cooked just right and were perfectly complemented by the rich soup. At
first glance, it seemed to be a simple dish with only some meatballs and vegetables as toppings, but the
taste was amazing.

Wu Zhangkong had only eaten one bowl, but he had savored each and every noodle. The previous
tenderness had resurfaced in the depths of Wu Zhangkong’s eyes, astonishing Tang Wulin. Although he
wasn’t smiling, that gentleness in his eyes along with his handsome looks had the mysterious effect of
melting the hearts of every single woman that entered the small noodle shop.

In fact, there were even some courageous ladies who came up to flirt with him from time to time.

801
And every time, Wu Zhangkong had a simple, sure-kill answer prepared for these entanglements. He
would simply shift his gaze to Tang Wulin and say with his usual indifference, “This is my son.”

S-son…?

Neither of them looked similar to the other, especially when comparing the adorableness of Tang Wulin’s
large and bright eyes with the chilling handsomeness of Wu Zhangkong’s narrow and sharp eyes.

Yet, none of the pretty ladies who approached him doubted their relationship as father and son after a
brief glance at Tang Wulin.

Son? Tang Wulin didn’t refute Wu Zhangkong’s statement. Instead, he attentively watched the constant
changes in Wu Zhangkong’s expression. He could tell that the iciness of today’s Wu Zhangkong was
different from the one he was familiar with.

After half a year of cultivating with Wu Zhangkong, he had gradually begun to understand that Wu
Zhangkong’s heart really wasn’t as cold as it appeared. On the contrary, under the cold exterior, he was a
passionate person full of love and kindness.

A seed of fear had found its way into Tang Wulin when they had visited the cemetery this morning, but
the actions of Wu Zhangkong afterward had reaffirmed his thoughts. Teacher Wu really is kind.

He must have lost someone really important to him.

Soon after, another shocking scene took place in the noodle shop. In front of a child lay a mountain of
bowls while the handsome young man sitting across from him only had a single bowl before him. He was
slowly eating each noodle one by one as if they were the world’s greatest delicacy.

Such a strange combination simply demanded the attention of their surroundings.

“Let’s go.” After they finished eating and paid, Wu Zhangkong brought Tang Wulin back to the inn.

“Go meditate. We’re getting up early tomorrow morning.” Taking a few minutes to wash his face first, Wu
Zhangkong quickly climbed onto his bed and began meditating cross-legged.

Taking care not to disturb Wu Zhangkong, Tang Wulin silently crept to the front of the bed and peered
out the window. It was deep into the night, but Heaven Dou City was still thriving with warm lights and
rowdy people. Tang Wulin liked this city far more than Eastsea City. Instead of the cluster of skyscrapers
that made up the core of Eastsea City, there was history, culture and most importantly, human warmth
that permeated throughout Heaven Dou City.

At his young age, Tang Wulin wasn’t able to understand that this ambiguous feeling originated from the
culture and history of the city.

802
In the moments of twilight as the sky transitioned from darkness to a deep blue, Tang Wulin was stirred
awake by Wu Zhangkong.

Tang Wulin could clearly feel the Mysterious Heaven Method’s greater efficacy compared to the standard
methods provided by the academy. In his first session, he had entered a deep meditation and refined his
body, and in this second session, there was a tangible increase in his soul power. His soul power and body
had blended together and were now working in complete harmony, completely devoid of the unease his
bloodline had previously brought about.

Though Tang Wulin’s body hadn’t increased in power, it had definitely increased in toughness.

“Let’s go.” Wu Zhangkong beckoned to Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin hastily rushed over to Wu Zhangkong, and the moment he reached him, Wu Zhangkong
grabbed hold of his arm. A sudden gale struck Tang Wulin, and the next thing he knew, they were on the
inn’s rooftop.

From behind Tang Wulin, Wu Zhangkong reached over to grasp his head. Two fingers poked into Tang
Wulin’s jaw, the thumbs pressing into the temples, and the remaining three fingers stabbed into other
acupuncture points on his face.

“Feel how my soul power circulates. I’ll have you start cultivating the Purple Demon Eyes soon after.
Breathe according to the Mysterious Heaven Method and look to the east. Every morning, there is a
streak of white rising from the east. The moment it appears, it is followed by a trace of purple qi. The
Tang Sect’s Purple Demon Eyes is a method to absorb that purple qi and use it to improve eyesight. When
we absorb that energy, we are also cultivating our spiritual power. Understood?”

“I understand.” It wasn’t hard for Tang Wulin to comprehend such a simple idea.

Thin threads of soul power began pouring into Tang Wulin’s facial acupuncture points from Wu
Zhangkong’s fingers. His face immediately felt refreshed as if he was washing it in a crystal-clear spring.
The feeling was simply indescribable. Amidst this feeling of clarity, Tang Wulin noticed that his eyes had
grown stronger, and he was able to see faraway things even more clearly now.

In complete silence, he memorized how Wu Zhangkong’s soul power flowed throughout his face.

“Gather your soul power and follow my guidance. Steadily breathe according to the Mysterious Heaven
Method,” reminded Wu Zhangkong.

Tang Wulin quickly did as instructed.

He was already familiar with what he needed to do and spurred on by Wu ZhangKong, it didn’t take long
for him to begin circulating his soul power as needed for the Purple Demon Eyes.

803
Right at that moment, a streak of white crept up on the horizon and for the first time, Tang Wulin noticed
the purple of the morning dawn.

Suddenly, the purple light seemed to fill his eyes, and a comforting warmth permeated through them. He
didn’t know why, but tears began to well up. But instead of streaming down, they glistened and created a
thin layer across his eyes. An indescribable feeling of soothing and warmth were absorbed into his eyes,
merging into their depths and the minuscule acupuncture points surrounding it.

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 Chapter 165 – Branchmaster Zhao of the Tang
Sect
Chapter 165 – Branchmaster Zhao of the Tang Sect

How mystical!

Though he couldn’t feel a change in his spiritual power, there was an apparent change in the clarity of his
eyesight. This really is an extraordinary eye cultivation method! It really deserves to be one of the Tang
Sect’s secret methods.

The purple qi disappeared as quickly as it came. It truly was an ephemeral existence.

Wu Zhangkong had stood behind Tang Wulin, patiently guiding Tang Wulin’s soul power according to the
Purple Demon Eyes method til the end.

The horizon shone with a halo of light as the sun vanquished the darkness with its slow ascension to its
zenith. With dawn’s brief moment of twilight gone, Wu Zhangkong removed his hands and let Tang Wulin
absorb the secrets of the method completely.

“Done. From now on draw the purple qi into your eyes every morning and immediately cultivate for half
an hour. Cultivating the Purple Demon Eyes will take time and constant practice to reach a high level. You
will progress rapidly in the beginning, but it will soon be difficult to improve and you will eventually
stagnate. How do you feel now?” Wu Zhangkong said.

Tang Wulin nodded and said, “I feel warm and comfortable. I can see in greater detail than before now
that my vision is clearer. The colors are more vibrant too.”

Wu Zhangkong eyes glazed over. “You really feel like that? You’re not exaggerating?”

Tang Wulin shook his head. “Nope! It really feels like that. Thank you, Teacher Wu.”

An unknown emotion clouded Wu Zhangkong’s mind. He distinctly remembered that when he had first
begun cultivating the Purple Demon Eyes, it had taken him half a month to reach that stage. Could this
child be compatible with the Purple Demon Eyes? This is the first time he’s cultivated it yet he has already
progressed so much?

Peering into the depths of Tang Wulin’s large, bright eyes, Wu Zhangkong could only nod. “Continue
practicing. If you have any questions, you can ask me. Let’s go down now.”

The two quickly washed up and ate breakfast.

Fortunately for Tang Wulin, the inn they stayed at provided buffet-style breakfast.

805
Even a child as cute as Tang Wulin was unwelcomed once the inn discovered his unparalleled eating
prowess. This was a commonly heard tale of Tang Wulin.

“Teacher Wu, what are we doing today?” Tang Wulin asked with youthful curiosity.

Wu Zhangkong answered, “You’re staying in the room to cultivate the Purple Demon Eyes method today.
This method is still beneficial to your spiritual power even without purple qi to enhance your eyesight.”

“Oh. Okay.” Tang Wulin deflated. He had wanted to go out and see the city with Wu Zhangkong but was
tasked with cultivating inside the room.

Tang Wulin never imagined that this continued for half a month.

Every day in the early morning Wu Zhangkong would observe him cultivate the Purple Demon Eyes,
provide guidance when necessary, then head out alone to take care of some unknown matters.

Where was the relaxation mentioned? Tang Wulin was immersed in gloom and boredom. Although he
had a relatively steady temper, he was still a child. Coming to such a magnificent city yet unable to
explore it at all, it was no wonder he was dejected.

To make things worse, Wu Zhangkong had forbidden him from meditating. He was to focus on practicing
the Purple Demon Eyes method to increase his spiritual power.

Such a monotonous life truly was dull. Fortunately, the improvements were more than enough to
motivate Tang Wulin onwards.

It seemed that not only was he exceptionally compatible with the Purple Demon Eyes, it was the same for
the Mysterious Heaven Method. He had made significant and smooth progress in both of these two Tang
Sect methods.His cultivation of the Mysterious Heaven Method had stabilized; while his speed was not
considered fast, it was greater than before.

Tang Wulin’s most prominent discovery though was that could condense his soul power with the
Mysterious Heaven Method. As such, despite not increasing its volume, his soul power had become
incredibly dense. He had immersed himself into condensing his soul power after Wu Zhangkong told him
that the greater degree of purity and density his soul power was, the further he would reach in the future.

Tang Wulin’s cultivation of the Purple Demon Eyes was extremely quick. He reached the first realm of the
Purple Demon Eyes that Wu Zhangkong had mentioned in half a month.

The world seemed to slow and become crystal clear in the wake of him circulating soul power according
to the Purple Demon Eyes method. The smallest of details and changes were all observed by him in this
state.

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For instance, every speck of dust was clearly outlined under the gentle gaze of the sun; he could even
discern the faint veins of distant leaves. Without such spectacular results, Tang Wulin would have found
it too dull to persevere.

Today was their fifteenth day in Heaven Dou City yet Wu Zhangkong had only brought him around town
on the first day. He had been cooped up in their room cultivating for the other days.

After cultivating the Purple Demon Eyes and eating breakfast, Wu Zhangkong finally spoke the words
Tang Wulin had been yearning to hear. “Let’s go, you’re coming with me today.”

“Okay! Teacher Wu, where are we going?” Tang Wulin was jumping with joy at the long-awaited chance
to go out.

Wu Zhangkong turned around and said to him, “Did you feel that cultivating was very dull these last 14
days?”

Though Tang Wulin was taken aback for a moment, he quickly regained himself. He spoke truthfully, “In
the beginning, it was like that, but it got better as I continued. I like being able to see many things I
couldn’t before with the Purple Demon Eyes.”

Nodding, Wu Zhangkong reminded him, “Remember, cultivating is not for the sake of harming others but
to have the strength to protect your loved ones. Strength is the basis for everything. The efforts you put in
now are all to prevent any future tragedies.”

Tang Wulin wasn’t mature enough to comprehend Wu Zhangkong’s words completely, but within Wu
Zhangkong’s eyes were the same emotions he had in the cemetery. Tang Wulin carved those words into
his heart.

“Let’s go.” Wu Zhangkong walked away, leaving Tang Wulin to catch up.

Just like before, they walked on foot; this time though, they weren’t heading for the suburbs. No, this time,
they headed straight for the core of the city. Tang Wulin didn’t mind walking at all; in fact, Tang Wulin
was fond of it as it gave him the chance to look around.

Heaven Dou City truly was a city filled with beauty. Whether it be its historical sites, breathtaking
scenery, or culture, it had it all. The lesser soul cars compared to Eastsea City changed the mood of the
city.There was a qualitative difference between Eastsea City and Heaven Dou City, the two incomparable.
Heaven Dou City, however, was far less industrialized than Eastsea City.

Two hours on foot later, the two arrived at their destination: an antiquated garden.

The garden was surrounded by tall, mottley walls and a vermillion door. There were no signs or markings
to name this aged garden.

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Wu Zhangkong briskly strode over to the door and pressed his right hand on it with practiced movements
without any regard to its outward appearance.

This… Isn’t this the same action Teacher Wu did when we were at the Dazzling Era Tang Sect?

A faint light swept over his body and beeped once before the door opened. Wu Zhangkong lead the way
in.

The vermillion doors silently closed behind them. Inside was a space that was untouched by time and
without any signs of soul technology. It possessed an aura so pristine that it was almost as if they were
back in the ancient era.

“You’ve brought him?” A deep voice penetrated the silence before an elderly man walked out from the
only building present in the garden. The old man’s short height emphasized how fat he was. Coupled his
bald head, he looked almost like a mountain of meat.

Wu Zhangkong actually let his usual arrogance go and bowed in greeting to this old man. “Branchmaster
Zhao.”

“Come on in.”

Is this really a Tang Sect branch? Tang Wulin wondered.

Tang Wulin was awed beyond comparison the moment he entered the building. Two rows of towering
sculptures lined each side, exuding a majestic air.

The building appeared to be a single-story building that was no taller than five meters from its exterior
but he was shaken to discover that once he was inside, the ceiling was well over thirty meters tall and the
interior larger! The sculptures loomed over him at a height of more than ten meters.

These sculptures were of both men and women, all appearing to be in their twenties and were displayed
with an assortment of martial souls.

Tang Wulin suddenly found a familiar figure among the sculptures. The third sculpture on his left was a
smiling sweetly young lady with a delicate figure. In her left hand was a three-legged cauldron while in
her right was a flute.

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 Chapter 166 – The Legends of the Tang Sect
Chapter 166 – The Legends of the Tang Sect

She… Isn’t this the girl I fought in the Hall of Heroes? She appears more mature in this sculpture though;
the one I fought was when she was a young girl.

This is the Flute Cauldron Douluo, Xiao Xiao? One of the numerous titles she held was being a member of
the Spirit Pagoda’s founder’s generation of the Shrek Seven Monsters. Her Three Cycles Soul Cauldron
and Nine Phoenix Flute twin martial souls were famed for their strength.

Then the other sculptures should be of the remaining Shrek Seven Monsters in her generation, right?

Tang Wulin’s excitement soared as he recalled all his favorite tales of the Tang Sect that had been
imprinted in his heart.

The most famous were the first generation of the Shrek Seven Monsters, in particular, the illustrious
Thousand Hands Douluo Tang San, leader of the Shrek Seven Monsters and founder of the Tang Sect.

After that was the next generation that existed 10,000 years ago, the generation of Spirit Ice Douluo Huo
Yuhao, founder of the Spirit Pagoda. He rebuilt Tang Sect from its crumbling husk of an organization back
to its former glory. Tang Sect never stopped shining majestically throughout the world from then on.

Despite their achievements though, the federation had a less-than-kind view of them. After all, the Spirit
Ice Douluo had led his comrades to force the Sun Moon Empire into a peace treaty.

There were even some that said that the following generation’s great emperor was the Spirit Ice Douluo’s
illegitimate child. No one knew whether this doubtful story was true or not, however.

Ah! The person beside Xiao Xiao should be Caitou, right? Then the ones over there should be the
Mysterious Underworld Douluo, Xu Sanshi and the Demon Rabbit Douluo, Jiang Nannan. The one at the
front with shining eyes and six spirit souls should be the Spirit Pagoda’s founder, the legendary Spirit Ice
Douluo, Huo Yuhao.

Legends said that he had a million-year Skydream Iceworm as one of his spirit souls. He also had two of
the ten great soul beasts of the time, the Glacial Heaven Snow Empress and the Frost Jade Scorpion
Empress. The hundred-thousand-year Arctic Bear King and hundred-thousand-year Eight-Pointed Frozen
Grass were also among his array of spirit souls. There was no mistaking his claim as the most legendary
figure of the time!

Unfortunately no one knew what happened after his earth-shattering, heaven-turning battle with the
Beast God, Di Tian. The Beast God vanished while the Spirit Ice Douluo and his wife, the Dragon Butterfly

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Douluo, disappeared altogether. Perhaps only the other five members of that generation’s Shrek Seven
Monsters would know where the two had gone.

Tang Wulin felt as though he were right there with them as he gazed upon the sculptures and recalled the
legends of their epic adventures.

Tang Wulin’s eyes glowed brighter when he switched his gaze to the sculptures on the right. If the left are
the Shrek Seven Monsters from 10,000 years ago, then the right should be the original Shrek Seven
Monsters!

The sculpture of the Civet Douluo, Zhu Zhuqing—one of the original Shrek Seven Monsters and a
founding member of the Tang Sect—stood at the very back.

In front of her was Ning Rongrong, the Nine Treasures Douluo. There were rumors that said she
transformed her auxiliary-type martial soul, the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, into the Nine Treasures
Glazed Pagoda. With it, she had brought the sect 10,000 years of prosperity. The bloodline of the Nine
Treasures Glazed Pagoda was rare even in ancient times. Now it was merely a legend of eras long gone.
Many other powerful martial soul bloodlines of the ancient era shared a similar fate and were lost with
the passage of time.

The Demonic Fire Phoenix Douluo, Ma Hongjun with his flaming phoenix, stood before Ning Rongrong. As
one who bore the exalted title of being one of the Shrek Seven Monsters, it was only natural for his
Demonic Fire Phoenix to be known as a martial soul that stood at the world’s peak.

In front of him was the Food God Douluo, Oscar. What’s that revolving around him? Is that a sausage? Ah!
That’s right! I heard his nickname was Big Sausage Uncle!

Standing further along the line was a man with a regal air, the White Tiger Douluo, Dai Mubai. It was said
in the stories that he was the strongest member of the Shrek Seven Monsters for a long time.

Tang Wulin finally looked at the two most magnificent sculptures in the forefront.

He didn’t know why, but a shiver ran down his spine the moment he set his eyes on them. An
incomprehensible feeling of warmth and longing filled him.

His gaze rested on the girl in a pink dress first. Her sculpture was carved exquisitely, every line and curve
capturing her essence and filling her with a spark of life. Her long scorpion braid hung down her back
while her large, beautiful eyes accentuated her sweet smile.

Even though spirit souls hadn’t existed in that era, a pair of rabbit ears popped out from the top of her
head. She was the co-founder of the Tang Sect and the only member in the entire history of the Shrek
Seven Monsters to be a human-transformed soul beast—Soft Bone Douluo, Xiao Wu!

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She was supposedly a hundred-thousand-year soul beast that gained human form and became the Tang
Sect founder’s lover. When her identity was revealed and others aimed for her life, the Tang Sect founder
didn’t hesitate to protect her with his life. Yet, just when she was about to truly metamorphose into a
human, the Soft Bone Douluo chose to sacrifice herself and become the Tang Sect founder’s soul ring.

Though the Tang Sect founder lived thanks to her sacrifice, all that remained of her was a corpse.
Tormented by his loss, he sed a rare herb to just barely preserve the core of her life. He finally managed
to resurrect her after undergoing many trials throughout the world, utilising every method he could think
of and severing his own arm to return the soul bone he had received from her sacrifice.

Such a romantic tale of tragic love moved the hearts of countless people. It was also because of such a
heart-wrenching story that the original Shrek Seven Monsters were the most renowned.

Tang Wulin took a subconscious step forward as he regarded the sculpture of such an eminent figure. His
gaze wavered and his body began to feel feverish as he felt something calling out to him.

His heart in turmoil, he turned to look at the foremost figure. This striking man had long aqua-blue hair
that trailed over his shoulders while a smile warm and serene. In his left hand waved a strand of blue-
gold grass and a pitch-black hammer, and spread from his back were eight spider legs that were
stretched out like an array of spears. An air of simplicity and mystery clung to him.

But it was the resplendent golden trident in his right hand that offset those previous airs. The head of the
long trident had an elegant and regal design carved on it.

It was clear that the sculptures on the right were closer to the two words, ‘Tang Sect’, than those on the
left. The closest one of all was the founder of Tang Sect.

There was no doubt that this was the ancestor as well as the founder of Tang Sect—the peerless figure
who had ascended to godhood, praised as the strongest in all of history, the Thousand Hands Douluo,
Tang San!

As Tang Wulin stared at Tang San’s sculpture, a sense of familiarity and security embraced his heart.
Under the gentle gaze of Tang San, Tang Wulin felt his boiling blood settle down and a similarly pleasant
smile found its way onto his lips.

These two generations of Shrek Seven Monsters had each created their own eternal legends in two
different eras of the Tang Sect! They brought the Tang Sect to the zenith of glory and gave birth to a Tang
Sect saying: ‘We are all Tang Sect. We are born to be peerless’. These two provocative phrases were
actually hanging on the wall right beside the large ‘Tang Sect’.

“Three bows.” Wu Zhangkong’s sudden instruction roused Tang Wulin from his stupor.

Tang Wulin hastily straightened his back and fought back the urge to keep admiring the sculptures
around him. The two of them respectfully bowed three times to the two large words ‘Tang Sect’.

811
Pride gushed from the depths of Tang Wulin’s heart. This was the pride of being a Tang Sect disciple.

This is the Tang Sect, the Tang Sect with over 20,000 years of history!

Seeing that they finished their three bows, the old man gave them an approving nod. “Now then, you two
follow me.”

The old man led them to the left side of the hall.

Wu Zhangkong pulled on Tang Wulin’s hand, indicating for him to follow and quietly said, “This garden
was established by the Tang Sect’s founder, Tang San. It’s also the place with the longest history in the
Tang Sect. It was seized by someone else 10,000 years ago, but Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao took it back
and used this place as the starting point to rebuild the Tang Sect up to what it is today. This isn’t the Tang
Sect’s headquarters anymore, but it’s still a critical location to the Tang Sect. Every year the core disciples
of the Tang Sect come here to pay their respects. The only reason you’re able to come here today is
because your membership has been approved now.”

My membership has been approved? Then, I’m an actual Tang Sect disciple now! Tang Wulin was on
cloud nine at the moment.

Old Man Zhao brought them into a side room.

Silence pervaded the simply furnished room. Only a seemingly timeless wooden bed which exuded an air
of antiquity sat in the room.

The old man turned to face Tang Wulin, expressionlessly saying, “Get on the bed.”

“Huh?” Tang Wulin’s brain stopped working.

Wu Zhangkong quickly asserted the order. “Do what Branchmaster Zhao says.”

“Oh.” Tang Wulin replied blankly, then took off his shoes and climbed onto the bed, sitting cross-legged.

Old Man Zhao climbed onto the bed with him. When Zhao placed a hand on his shoulder, a slight floating
sensation enveloped his body. A moment later, Tang Wulin found himself facing the other direction.

Old Man Zhao sat down behind him. “Pay close attention and loosen your body. Relax both your mind and
body.”

As he complied with the old man’s instructions, two streams of soul power bore into his back, one firm
while the other gentle.

It’s the Mysterious Heaven Method! His familiarity with the method allowed him to immediately
recognize the root characteristics of the old man’s soul power. Yet, Tang Wulin had never faced such

812
vigorous soul power before. He felt like a small boat drifting along the tides of the sea that was Old Man
Zhao’s soul power.

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 Chapter 167 – Tang Wulin’s Endurance
Chapter 167 – Tang Wulin’s Endurance

Very quickly Tang Wulin felt bloated as an unknown pressure expanded within his body like inflating a
balloon.

The swollen sensation transitioned from a mere discomfort to piercing pain as time ticked on. His
meridians and internal organs began to groan with pain and in response, his blood grew frenzied and
widened his meridians, dulling the pain until it was just a numb throb.

“Ah!” Tang Wulin yelped in surprise. His already swollen body began to enlarge once again, sinking his
mind into a muddled state.

After an unknown period of time, the distended feeling subsided like the ocean tide. It was if it had never
been there in the first place, leaving Tang Wulin feeling utterly refreshed. A shiver ran down his spine
and he woke from his involuntary slumber.

Branchmaster Zhao stood by the bed, astonishment written all over his face. “Eastsea’s Little Zhangkong,
just where did you find such a freak? His soul power is obviously weak, but his body is extraordinarily
strong.”

With a respectful tone muting his usual bluntness, Wu Zhangkong said, “Branchmaster Zhao, what are the
maximum level of spirit souls and soul rings do you think he can bear right now?”

Branchmaster Zhao paused before replying, “The spirit souls’ level is dependent on spiritual power, and
soul rings are dependent on the body, so it shouldn’t be a problem for his current body to support a
thousand-year soul ring… up to 4000 years old.”

Wu Zhangkong’s face now mirrored the Branchmaster’s look of amazement. He hadn’t expected Tang
Wulin’s body to actually be able to bear this much.

An ordinary Soul Master’s first soul ring could reach up to 400 years, yet Tang Wulin’s body was already
more than ten times stronger than his peers and his meridians had proved to be extremely durable as
well. It was normal for anyone who discovered such a little freak’s capabilities to feel astounded.

Wu Zhangkong’s voice still held a trace of surprise as he clarified, “So you’re saying that if his spirit soul
evolved into the thousand-year level and he has sufficient spiritual power, if he had two soul rings, each
will be 2000 years? By the time he breaks through to two rings, his body will have grown even stronger
and at that point, wouldn’t he be able to support two soul rings of the 3000-year level?”

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Branchmaster Zhao nodded in affirmation. “You could think of it like that. Of course, that’s assuming he
has enough spiritual power to support a 3000-year spirit soul, which is approximately 200 points of
spiritual power. What is his current spiritual power level?”

Wu Zhangkong recalled Tang Wulin’s remarkable results as he said, “He has already started cultivating
the Purple Demon Eyes and he is very compatible with it, showing much insight. With such a powerful
method and coupled with his perception, he should make quick progress in his spiritual power until he
reaches the Spirit Sea realm. I estimate that his spiritual power has already broken through 100-points
since his spiritual power was already extraordinary to begin with, so it should be no problem for him to
acquire a 2000-year spirit soul and a pair of 2000-year soul rings. His spirit soul should also improve
further as he cultivates his spiritual power, but since his soul power is only rank 16 at the moment, he’ll
need at least half a year to a year to reach rank 20, and that’s only in the best of circumstances. He should
have plenty of time to increase his spiritual power.”

A mysterious smile tugged at Branchmaster Zhao’s lips as he ran his hands over his shiny bald head. “I
understand now. You’ve been planning on raising him to be extraordinary from the very beginning. Not
bad, not bad. He seems like a promising disciple.”

Tang Wulin sat there without speaking, blankly listening to the two converse and unable to comprehend
their conversation. Wu Zhangkong’s voice snapped him out of his daze. “Wulin, thank Branchmaster
Zhao.”

Tang Wulin hastily scrambled off his chair and bowed deeply in gratitude. “Thank you.”

Branchmaster Zhao dismissed his gratitude with a wave and spoke with a profoundness that was beyond
Tang Wulin. “Not bad. It seems we have another promising young disciple in the Tang Sect now.”

“We’ll be taking our leave then, Branchmaster Zhao.”

The branchmaster responded with a knowing nod. “Go then. You can give him the Tang Sect badge now.
This child has great potential. Teach him well.”

“Yes.” Wu Zhangkong gave a respectful salute and made to leave the branch with Tang Wulin.

“Teacher Wu, I don’t really understand what you two were talking about earlier. Were you saying I can
still improve my spirit soul in the spirit ascension platform?”

Wu Zhangkong nodded. “Branchmaster Zhao has a gentle and pure martial soul which is suited for
accurate measurements of bodily endurance and tested you. Now our goal is to upgrade your spirit soul
to the 2000-year level so your soul rings will be at the thousand-year level at the very least. Your
physique is already strong enough so you must focus on cultivating the Purple Demon Eyes. Quickly reach
the Spirit Sea realm, and don’t get distracted. Once you reach that realm, you won’t have to worry about
your spiritual power again until you attain six rings.”

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“Yes!” A thousand-year spirit soul? A thousand-year soul ring?

Tang Wulin’s heart raced with excitement and yearning.

Wu Zhangkong was fully aware of the effect his words had on his disciple. “Now we’re going to the Spirit
Pagoda to measure your spiritual power.”

The local Spirit Pagoda branch was situated in the center of Heaven Dou City, surprisingly closer to the
local Tang Sect branch than one would initially assume. Though it couldn’t compare in size to the one in
Eastsea City, its simplistic architecture exuded an ancient elegance.

“Be careful of what you say once we enter. Listen and observe closely instead of speaking. Do not be
fooled by appearances. There are many powerful people within the Spirit Pagoda, especially so in Heaven
Dou City.”

With his teacher’s cautionary words, Tang Wulin stepped past the pagoda’s simple doors and was
immediately assailed by noise. An endless stream of people entered and exited, bustling to and fro within
the pagoda. Compared to Eastsea City’s trickle of people, this was akin to a steady current.

Tang Wulin suspected that not only were they all Soul Masters, they were likely far more powerful than
him as well.

They conducted the spiritual power test in a small, isolated room after paying an excessive 5,000 federal
coins. The cost of living in Heaven Dou City truly couldn’t be compared to Eastsea City.

As for the results, they were unexpected, to say the least; even Wu Zhangkong had a look of shock.

124!

Tang Wulin’s spiritual power had nearly doubled! It would not have been this surprising if he were a
Spiritual System Soul Master like Gu Yue with a weaker body as spiritual power and physical strength
were typically inversely proportional for Soul Masters. Yet his spiritual power had actually grown
exponentially, exceeding the 108-point threshold to the intermediate rank of the Spirit Connection Realm
by such a large margin!

Wu Zhangkong was more certain of Tang Wulin’s chances to acquire a pair of 2000-year soul rings and a
2000-year spirit soul after seeing Tang Wulin’s two unexpected results today.

The darkness of night descended by the time they returned to the inn.

After a sumptuous meal, Wu Zhangkong summoned Tang Wulin.

“Wulin, you should have an idea of what I have planned for you by now. In all honesty, your martial soul
is very weak. After all, it’s the Bluesilver Grass that is praised as a trash martial soul.”

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Tang Wulin was beset by bewilderment. Can calling it ‘trash’ really be called praise…?

Wu Zhangkong continued without minding Tang Wulin’s brooding expression. “Your strange bloodline,
however, has caused it to mutate and has affected your spirit soul as well. Even now, they continue to
transform. This is beneficial to you. With your powerful body, you can upgrade your spirit soul further
than your peers; it would naturally be upgraded too.”

Perplexed, Tang Wulin asked, “Teacher Wu, I understand that I can upgrade my spirit soul further, but
what do you mean by naturally?”

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 Chapter 168 – Intermediate Spirit Ascension
Platform
Chapter 168 – Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform

Wu Zhangkong said, “There are unnatural existences too. Some large clans or sects use heavenly
treasures or unique methods to stimulate their disciples’ bodies. With stronger bodies, they are able to
contain more powerful soul rings and spirit souls, but this isn’t done normally. Only in rare situations
where the disciple far excels in one aspect will such a method be considered. Take Gu Yue for example.
With her high spiritual power, she only needs to strengthen her body before she’d be able to upgrade her
spirit soul as you did. Unfortunately, with two soul rings, it would be too difficult for her to strengthen
her body to the necessary level now. This is the key point that allows one to possess a pair of thousand-
year soul rings and a thousand-year spirit soul. Though Gu Yue’s physique has strengthened with the
addition of another soul ring, it only serves to amplify the areas she already excels in and widens the gap
between her existing weaknesses. It truly is a pity. If her situation was better, I would help her regardless
of whether or not she joined the Tang Sect.

“Currently, your current greatest advantage is in your soul power, which has, by nature grown inversely
proportional to your physique and spiritual power. In such a situation you are able to evolve your spirit
soul further than your peers without resorting to unnatural methods, which will free you from any future
side effects. That’s not all though; through this, you’ll be able to lay a firmer foundation, so it is absolutely
crucial to your future that you do not waste this opportunity.

“To aid you in evolving your spirit soul as quickly and as safely as possible, I’ll enter the spirit ascension
platform together with you. Before we can do this, I’ll need to obtain two intermediate spirit ascension
entry cards since only those with seven rings and under can enter. The soul beasts will be more vicious
and harder to deal with in the intermediate level, but that also means their year levels will be higher—
about the same as the ones in the Great Star Dou Forest. With my help, it shouldn’t take too long to gather
enough spiritual energy.”

Intermediate spirit ascension platform?

Puzzled, Tang Wulin asked, “But Teacher Wu, can I really enter the intermediate level with only one soul
ring?”

Wu Zhangkong assured, “There are no minimum rank requirements. As long as you have the necessary
entry card, you’ll be able to enter even an advanced spirit ascension platform. In fact, the Spirit Pagoda
actually wishes to see weaker entrants—quicker deaths mean fewer resources expended. And it’s
actually very common for large clans to escort the younger generation in like I am. The difference,
however, is that their charges usually lack the necessary physique or spiritual power to fully take
advantage of it, quickly reaching their limits at the hundred-year level.

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“Since the advent of spirit souls, it wasn’t body strength that perplexed most Soul Masters, but rather
their spiritual power. In order to grow stronger, more spirit soul fusions are necessary, yet this increases
the spiritual power requirements. Sadly, eighty percent of Soul Masters are just barely able to reach the
Spirit Sea realm and host three spirit souls. Because they’re unable to break their limits, a few are
spurred into using daring methods that forcibly raise their first spirit soul to a higher level.

“Ten-thousand-year spirit souls are the hardest to obtain since they can’t be artificially manufactured.
Luckily, my fifth soul ring is at the ten-thousand-year level despite my spiritual power, which is only at
the peak of the Spirit Sea realm. Normally, this only allows me to support three spirit souls, but with a
ten-thousand-year spirit soul, I’m able to have four soul rings, allowing me to cultivate to eight rings.
That’s my limit though. If I want to make any more progress and fuse four spirit souls, my spiritual power
will need to break through to the next realm, but that is a dream that I will likely never achieve in my
lifetime.

“As long as your first spirit soul evolves to the thousand-year level, you won’t have to worry about your
first three soul rings. Then if you obtain another thousand-year spirit soul for your second and somehow
obtain a ten-thousand-year spirit soul for the third, you will have opened the path to potentially
becoming a Titled Douluo. These are my hopes for you, and I hope you’ll make it your goal.”

An epiphany struck Tang Wulin. This entire explanation had been from the perspective of a high-level
Soul Master, a viewpoint so far above his young age and inadequate experience.

“Entry cards for the intermediate spirit ascension platform are hard to obtain and practically impossible
to buy with money. Any cards that a city possesses is completely monopolized for internal use, which
leaves us with two options: either trade for them or buy them at an auction. Tomorrow night we’ll try our
luck at the auction house and if that fails, we’ll have to arrange a trade. You should be able to trade your
rebellion spirit ascension platform entry card for two intermediate level ones.”

A new question occurred to Tang Wulin. “Teacher Wu, why aren’t we doing this in Eastsea City? Wouldn’t
it be easier since we’re more familiar with the area?”

Wu Zhangkong shook his head. “The three of you are too outstanding and caught the attention of Eastsea
City’s Spirit Pagoda. I doubt Gu Yue would have joined them otherwise. With their growing influence, it
would be troublesome to draw more attention to yourself when you evolve your spirit soul to the
thousand-year level. The situation in Heaven Dou City is more favorable for our goals. There are many
more geniuses and large clans here, with no clan explicitly dominant. The chances of drawing unwanted
attention will be far less if your talent only shines for a moment amongst the rest.”

Tang Wulin finally understood how much deliberate planning and considerations Wu Zhangkong had put
into this endeavor. “Okay. I understand.”

It wasn’t Tang Wulin’s first time visiting an auction house; he had been to the one in Eastsea City before.
The moment he walked through the great doors of the Heaven Dou Imperial Auction, however, he finally
understood how lacking Eastsea City’s auction house truly was.

819
The Heaven Dou Imperial Auction hosted their weekly events in an enormous imperial hotel. Beautiful
paintings lined the brightly lit hall and a magnificent crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.

Each seat was a comfortable leather sofa, while tables to one side of the hall held a variety of
refreshments, including pastries, fruits, drinks, and alcohol.

This was to be expected of course. Wu Zhangkong had paid a deposit of 1,000,000 federal coins to gain
entry for the two of them. It was only this cheap because Wu Zhangkong had presented themselves as
father and son again, meaning they only had to pay one deposit.

They donned the masks that every guest received with a numbered sign upon entry.

The auction house’s splendor dazzled Tang Wulin, his heart trembling at such a lavish scene.

“It’s so big!” Over three hundred people were present on the ground floor; this didn’t include the
occupants of the second floor’s private rooms.

Wu Zhangkong was unfazed by the atmosphere of luxury, his icy expression remaining steadfast.

“Teacher Wu, here, take my savings card,” said Tang Wulin as he presented it to Wu Zhangkong. “There’s
a little over three million federal coins inside. Please manage it for me.”

The intermediate entry card would definitely be expensive and Wu Zhangkong was once again acting for
his sake, so Tang Wulin felt that it was only natural that he contributed his own money.

“Where did all this money come from?” Wu Zhangkong faced Tang Wulin with a frown.

“I earned it from blacksmithing,” Tang Wulin replied frankly.

Wu Zhangkong was left speechless for a moment. He soon composed himself and asked Tang Wulin,
“What is your blacksmith rank now?”

Tang Wulin brightly answered, “Third rank!”

“I should have known. I originally thought those Thousand Refined vests had been partially forged by
you, but they were actually all your handiwork, weren’t they?”

“Mn.” Tang Wulin nodded.

Only ten years old and he’s already at the third rank of his secondary occupation… Even with his limited
knowledge about blacksmithing, he understood the significance of reaching the third rank.

But, he chose not to comment on it or pursue the topic further.

A half hour later, the lighting dimmed and the clamoring crowds quietened.

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“Welcome, honoured guests, to the Heaven Dou Imperial Auction. Our weekly auction is about to start,
and I am pleased to tell you that we have many great items to offer you. We have spirit fruits, rare metals,
battle armor, mechas and other unique items. We will now be handing out tonight’s program. Please look
through it in the twenty minutes before the official start of the auction.”

The backs of the sofas lit up with gentle lights while several scantily clad young ladies arrived, smiling
seductively as they handed out the programs.

Different auctions had different rules. Some auctions revealed the catalog in advance, but Heaven Dou
Imperial Auction did not do so. This prestigious auction was highly reputed throughout the continent,
and though it could not be deemed one of the best, it had its own distinguishing features. The goal of this
auction was to always give its guests a pleasant surprise.

Wu Zhangkong accepted the booklet and flipped through pages of illustrations, searching for
intermediate spirit ascension platform entry cards.

Tang Wulin wiggled close to Wu Zhangkong, curious about what items were being sold today.

The items in the catalog were separated into several categories.

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 Chapter 169 – The Backgrounds of the Four
Spirit Items
Chapter 169 – The Backgrounds of the Four Spirit Items

Tang Wulin’s eyes were instantly drawn to the last category: battle armors. His interest was piqued. He
had never seen one before.

Wu Zhangkong diverted Tang Wulin’s attention to the miscellaneous treasures category with a pointed
finger. Following his finger, his gaze landed on the three intermediate entry cards listed, starting at
5,000,000 federal coins each.

At least it was better than having no entry cards; furthermore, he had already contributed 3,000,000
coins of his own. Still, Tang Wulin’s heart ached; that money was saved to buy the spirit items needed to
break the next seal!

Hearing Wu Zhangkong’s explanation of his naturally advancing spirit soul the other day, Tang Wulin
inwardly knew that his situation wasn’t natural at all. After all, his powerful physique was a consequence
of absorbing the sealed Golden Dragon King’s soul.

Ah! That’s right! Wouldn’t a big auction like this have the four spirit items I need for the next seal?

Thinking of this, Tang Wulin shifted his gaze to the section containing spirit fruit.

He was taken aback by the very first item. Thousand-year! Those two words popped out at him. Even all
the spirit fruits that followed were at the minimum of a thousand-years.

This auction doesn’t sell any spirit fruit at the hundred-year level? It really is a high-class auction!

He recalled the four items he needed, two of which were spirit fruit. Will they have it?

Scanning the catalog once more, it didn’t take long to find what he was looking for. His eyes shined upon
reading the sixth line.

Thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit!

It’s a thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit! Isn’t that one of the items I need? Tang Wulin trembled at the
thought. Although he had a few years until he turned 15 and had to break the second seal, the necessary
items were far too rare! He had already searched Eastsea City’s auction houses and even the Eastsea
Museum’s auction in hopes of finding them but had come out empty-handed. He couldn’t enter the higher
levels of the auctions, and the common level wouldn’t sell anything at the thousand-year level or higher.

How could he not be thrilled by the sudden appearance of something he absolutely needed?

822
But when he saw the price… his face began to twitch.

The starting price was 2,000,000 federal coins and the estimated sale price was between 3,000,000 and
5,000,000.

So expensive…

It took half a year of hard work to earn three million, but this thousand-year spirit fruit is going to cost
three to five million! So expensive!

Nonetheless, this was his first time coming across one of the necessary items.

Compared to when he had needed the hundred-year Ice Crystal Fruit and Scarlet Flame, his mentality
now was completely different. He was no longer skeptical, his belief cemented by the rapid grow he
experienced after breaking the seal. He also wondered about Old Tang’s promised surprise that was
waiting beyond the second seal.

“Teacher Wu, I want to buy this.” Tang Wulin pointed at the thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit.

Wu Zhangkong frowned, asking, “Why do you want it?”

Tang Wulin lowered his head to think. A moment later, he answered, “Actually, Teacher Wu, I have a
secret.

“When my bloodline awakened, I instinctively knew what my body needed. Sometimes I could even
visualize them in my mind. Do you remember my growth after the hurricane? I had used a hundred-year
Ice Crystal Fruit and a hundred-year Scarlet Flame Fruit to break through during the storm. Back then, I
wasn’t sure if I was just imagining things or not, but after testing things out, my strength really did grow
exponentially. Now new spirit items have appeared in my mind, and the thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit
is one of them.”

Astonishment rippled through Wu Zhangkong’s eyes. “So you’re saying that your body is this strong
because you ate those two hundred-year spirit fruits?”

“Mn.”

It only took a moment for Tang Wulin to determine the necessity of telling Wu Zhangkong. Of course, he
couldn’t reveal the sealed Golden Dragon King or Old Tang. Those were his greatest secrets, never to be
divulged. But he knew he’d be with Wu Zhangkong for years to come and it’d be discovered sooner or
later anyway, so he needed to give an abridged version of his situation at the very least. It was also
imperative that he obtain the thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit; he knew Wu Zhangkong wouldn’t aid him
without a good reason, and without his teacher’s help, he wouldn’t have enough money!

Wu Zhangkong’s mulled over Tang Wulin’s story, his icy eyes pensive. He can feel what items his body
needs? What kind of ability is that? It’s unprecedented.

823
He would have scoffed at Tang Wulin a few years ago, but he was different now. He had been forced to
acknowledge Gu Yue’s control over six elements, so he couldn’t immediately reject the possible reality of
Tang Wulin’s strange body.

He was once again reminded of Shrek Academy’s motto: “Shrek Academy only accepts monsters, not
ordinary people.”

Maybe my students really are monsters?

“Alright, I will help you buy it. What else do you need?” Wu Zhangkong’s gaze bore into Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin shook his head after looking through the catalog once more. “There isn’t anything else in the
catalog. The other three items I need are a thousand-year Azure-Veined Vine, a thousand-year Land
Dragon Tendon, and a thousand-year Sea Dragon Marrow.” Tang Wulin could only force out an
embarrassed smile.

He only knew the names and nothing else, but it was clear that the thousand-year Land Dragon Tendon
was the tendon from a thousand-year land dragon. As for the other two, he hadn’t been able to find any
records on them. The only reason he was still so relaxed was because there was still plenty of time left.

“How will you benefit from these four items?” asked Wu Zhangkong. “Will your body transform again? Is
there any danger?”

Tang Wulin was at a loss. He himself didn’t know how to answer because he was just as clueless! The pain
from breaking the first seal had left him on the verge of death, but he didn’t know if it would be the same
for the second seal.

But how could he tell Wu Zhangkong the truth? If he knew, Wu Zhangkong would never support his
decision to break the seals. “My physique will improve and my bloodline will transform, and I’m certain
the change will be for the better. I’m not sure how much my body will improve though.”

His words were both true and false. While it was true that his body would grow more powerful and his
bloodline stronger by breaking of a seal, he skirted around the topic of danger.

Wu Zhangkong nodded. “Sea Dragons are a type of deep sea soul beasts and they’ve already vanished
from the continent. Their marrow is mainly used for consolidating foundations by strengthening the qi
and blood, and since it’s doesn’t have any side effects, it’s in high demand and extremely rare. You don’t
need to lose hope though; Eastsea City is one of the largest coastal cities on the continent so there’s a
chance we can find it there. As for the thousand-year Azure-Veined Vine, I vaguely recall hearing in Shrek
City that it’s a plant-type soul beast that used to be abundant in the Great Star Dou Forest ages ago. The
forest is dilapidated now, but if it’s to be found anywhere, it will likely be in Shrek City.

824
“The thousand-year Land Dragon Tendon should be fairly easy to find in any large city, but it will be
expensive. Just like the Sea Dragon Marrow, it strengthens the body without any side effects, thus is
another priceless and in-demand item.”

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 Chapter 170 – Thousand‐Year Frozen Grass
Chapter 170 – Thousand-Year Frozen Grass

At Wu Zhangkong’s words, Tang Wulin was delighted. He knew he wouldn’t have to worry about finding
the items needed to break the second seal in the future with Wu Zhangkong by his side.

“Thank you, Teacher Wu. I’ll work hard to earn enough money to buy them all in a few years.” Tang Wulin
glowed with optimism; he saw hope now!

According to the current estimated timeline, he still had five years to break the second seal and when he
did, he probably would not have to worry about the next seal until he turned 20. He was only ten right
now. He was certain that an opportunity to break the third seal would appear in those ten years of peace.

Wu Zhangkong responded with a slight nod and didn’t continue the conversation.

Although he certainly could help Tang Wulin find the items and it would be easier for Tang Wulin, he had
no intentions of doing so. One would never truly cherish something if one didn’t obtain it one’s self. Only
by relying on one’s self could one walk forward steadily. This wasn’t for the sake of cultivating one’s
strength, but for growing one’s character. Though the items Tang Wulin spoke of were expensive, they
were not impossible to obtain when considering the blacksmith rank he had achieved at such a young
age. It was only a matter of time before he could buy them. Wu Zhangkong determined that it was best for
Tang Wulin’s growth if he worked for it himself.

“Honored guests, we will begin the auction shortly.” A tender and melodious female voice resounded
throughout the hall. The lights dimmed while the stage lights glowed, serving as a signal for a beautiful
lady in a dark red dress to make her entrance onto the stage. She gave a slight bow to the seated guests.

Several staff members that were each charged with an area of bidders appeared from the side to aid the
auctioneer in controlling the bidders once the bidding started. The moment a bidder raised their sign, the
staff member would point them out to the auctioneer, helping facilitate the proceedings.

“First, let me welcome all of our honored guests on behalf of the Heaven Dou Imperial Auction. Now for
the first item…” The lady didn’t waste any words and cut straight to the point as she walked to the back of
a gilded wooden table with a smile.

A cart was pushed onto the stage while a screen at the back of the stage lit up.

“Our first item today is the very rare spirit fruit Frozen Grass. As everyone knows, the Frozen Grass is a
top-tier ice-attribute spirit fruits and will be of great assistance to any ice-attribute Soul Master. We
sacrificed much to acquire this thousand-year Frozen Grass so I will tell you, our honored guests, that this
is the best spirit fruit we are auctioning today.”

826
The cart was covered by a red cloth; sitting on it was a jade-white box. Mist as cold as ice overflowed
from its opening, enshrouding the light blue grass that was swaying gently within.

A faint halo of purity surrounded the crystal-clear grass as if it was carved from a gem.

So pretty! That was Tang Wulin’s first thought upon seeing it.

Wu Zhangkong’s voice cut in from beside him. “She’s not wrong; the Frozen Grass really is the best spirit
grass for those of the ice-attribute.”

Tang Wulin turned to Wu Zhangkong and asked with a quiet tone of consideration, “Then is it of any use
to you, Teacher Wu?”

Wu Zhangkong bluntly answered, “It does, but not this particular one; it’s too young. When the Frozen
Grass reaches a certain age, its leaf will produce a point. Each point represents 15,000 years of its life. Do
you remember the sculpture of the Spirit Pagoda’s founder you saw in the Tang Sect?”

“You mean the Spirit Ice Douluo, Huo Yuhao?” Tang Wulin asked.

Wu Zhangkong nodded. “Correct. One of his spirit souls was an Eight-Points Frozen Grass, meaning it was
a hundred-thousand-year level spirit grass with its own consciousness. It truly was a powerful plant-type
soul beast and the fact that it became the Spirit Ice Douluo’s spirit soul shows that.”

Understanding dawned upon Tang Wulin. So it’s like that! This spirit item is actually really ordinary!

“The starting price is 1,000,000 federal coins, and each bid must exceed the previous by at least 100,000
federal coins. Let the bidding begin.”

A wave of signs flew up throughout the auction house the moment the bidding started. This was the
auctioneer’s goal and why they placed it first. Auction houses would always sell their best items within
the first three to five shown—this way, they could set the most profitable mood of the auction. What the
auctioneers wanted most was for the bidders to lose their rationality and make bids well over the market
value of an item, thus selling the items for an exorbitantly high price and reap the profits.

The price soon exceeded three million. While the starting price was low, anyone with a discerning eye
could see just how valuable it was. It may not be worth much to a Soul Emperor like Wu Zhangkong, but it
was a priceless treasure for two to three-ringed Soul Masters that could increase their soul power by two
ranks and improve the basic qualities of their martial soul! The allure of such potential was irresistible.

The chaotic bidding soon quieted down when the price reached a level where only the bidders on the
second floor had wallets deep enough to afford it.

“Five million!” A bidder on the second floor cried out a jaw-dropping bid.

The thousand-year Frozen Grass flickered with a blue light as though it was responding to the bidder.

827
The silence was cut short, however, when another bidder on the second floor announced, “Six million.”
They immediately raised the price by one million.

“Six million five hundred thousand!” The previous bidder called out.

“Seven million!” The second bidder firmly stated.

The smile on the female auctioneer’s face grew wider and wider. Seven million exceeded the market
value of the item, a mere six million. Although it was a rare species, its was simply too young, only having
one point. If it had two points instead, the price would have truly been sky-high.

“Seven million five hundred thousand!”

Tang Wulin couldn’t see the bidder inside the box clearly, but then he remembered he had the Purple
Demon Eyes. He activated it and his eyes easily pierced through the darkness. The bidder in the fourth
box was beginning to fume with anger, gnashing his teeth.

“Eight million!” An unwilling voice called out from the sixth box.

The fourth box finally ceded defeat. The price had clearly exceeded the true value of the thousand-year
Frozen Grass.

“Nine million!” The eighth box dropped a number that left everyone speechless.

“Ten million!” Yet, the bidder of the sixth box was more resolute.

Silence filled the hall.

This time, no one raised their sign to contend.

“Ten million going once! Ten million going twice! Three times! Sold!” The auctioneer slammed her
hammer down.

The first item of the auction, thousand-year Frozen Grass, had been sold at the astounding price of ten
million.

Tang Wulin made a somewhat unsightly expression. He hadn’t expected that a thousand-year spirit grass
could sell for such a preposterous price. How much would the thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit sell for
then? If it reached a similar price, he definitely couldn’t afford it! If all the four items he needed were this
expensive, he feared he wouldn’t have enough money by the time he turned fifteen even if he poured all
his efforts into completing forging tasks.

“Frozen Grass is special. The only reason I can imagine they paid such a high price is that they wanted to
continue raising it. This isn’t a normal price; you don’t need to worry.” Wu Zhangkong whispered
assurances into his ear.

828
When Tang Wulin turned to look at Wu Zhangkong, he found Wu Zhangkong sitting upright and still with
his usual icy expression.

Is Teacher Wu really a cold person? Why does my heart feel so warm now?

Sure enough, things proceeded according to Wu Zhangkong’s words. The thousand-year spirit fruits and
spirit grass auctioned afterward sold for high prices, but nowhere near as high as the thousand-year
Frozen Grass. Tang Wulin let out a breath of relief.

“Next, our fourth item for today, a thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit.”

“Dragons are the most powerful soul beasts according to legends, and the Dragonscale Fruit thrives on
soil that has been soaked in the blood of a dragon. Its name comes from the faint traces of dragon scales
on it. We don’t know whether the legend is true or not, but we are certain that it really does need to be
watered with dragon’s blood to grow, making it extremely difficult to nurture. From our examination,it is
highly probable that this Dragonscale Fruit has absorbed the blood of a highly powerful dragon-type soul
beast, and thus more potent than other fruits.”

829
 Chapter 171 – Battle Armor!
Chapter 171 – Battle Armor!

“As I’m sure everyone knows, Dragonscale Fruits are usually light blue in color, but this one is actually
azure. This is why we have such a high evaluation of this fruit. Unfortunately, it was plucked too early and
no longer has a chance of turning into a priceless purple ten-thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit. Let us
begin the auction with a starting price of one million.”

The starting price is one million? Aside from the Frozen Grass, the previous items only had a starting
price of a few hundred thousand! Why did it suddenly jump to one million?

Tang Wulin’s originally tranquil heart began to jump with anxiety again. Can I even win this bid?

“One million one hundred thousand!” A bidder made a bid. Tang Wulin clenched his fists. The auctioneer
had said that this particular Dragonscale Fruit was special, stirring Tang Wulin’s excitement.

The stage’s screen showed the fruit that was presented with an oval shape and that still had branches
attached to ensure the preservation of its energy. It shone with a breathtakingly azure color that was as
crystalline as a gemstone. Yet, what was most remarkable was the faint pattern of jagged golden veins
that ran along its surface, its reputed scaly appearance. Those scales bore a striking resemblance to the
golden scales on Tang Wulin’s right hand when he transforms.

Tang Wulin was filled with longing just by taking a single look. It’ll definitely help me break the second
seal if I can get it!

“Your luck is pretty good. This Dragonscale Fruit isn’t an ordinary one; the auctioneer hadn’t exaggerated
at all.” Wu Zhangkong whispered into his ear, but all this did was leave him even more anxious. Wu
Zhangkong wasn’t the only one with a discerning eye, after all.

“Two million!” Wu Zhangkong calmly raised his sign, taking advantage of the current bid of 1,100,000 by
raising it straight to 2,000,000.

The hall quieted for a moment, but soon, another voice called out a bid.

A few more bids later and the price already approached three million! With each bid, Tang Wulin grew
more and more irritable.

What are we going to do?

“Five million!” A voice boomed thunderously, so loud that Tang Wulin saw stars dance around him. Five
million? It’s already at five million?

830
The bidder had not only subdued Tang Wulin, but dominated the entire hall. It was the same bidder from
the sixth box who had previously won the thousand-year Frozen Grass!

The beautiful auctioneer’s brows jumped, not with excitement, but a frown. She had a bad feeling.

This Dragonscale Fruit was valued at the same price as the Frozen Grass, roughly six million. The high
sale price of the Frozen Grass was a pleasant surprise, but if the bidder from the sixth box threw out such
a high bid once again, she feared no one would dare contend!

“Teacher Wu, what are we going to do?” Tang Wulin anxiously asked.

Wu Zhangkong looked him in the eye. “Let’s give up.”

“Huh? But…” Tang Wulin was worried. He felt that this Dragonscale Fruit was particularly suitable for
him and he just couldn’t resign himself to give up on it!

“Teacher Wu, I want it. I need it. Can you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back when we get back.” Tang
Wulin said in distress.

Wu Zhangkong shook his head and before Tang Wulin could say anything else, Wu Zhangkong released a
chilly air. A cold shiver ran down his spine, banishing Tang Wulin’s panicked state.

He didn’t know how much a thousand-year spirit fruit was worth, but since Wu Zhangkong decided to
give it up, it was surely because the price had far exceeded its true value now.

Tang Wulin possessed a far steadier temperament than his peers and it only took him several moments to
accept his frustration and loss. He sat in silence, restraining himself.

“Five million going once! Five million going twice! Three times! Sold!”

Tang Wulin quietly watched as an opportunity slipped away and as the auctioneer could only helplessly
announce the sale. The auction house didn’t harbor any resentment to the bidder; this was simply the
nature of auctions. Not every item could be sold at the ideal price and when they averaged the Frozen
Grass and the Dragonscale Fruit, the auction house still reaped a hefty profit from the sixth box.

Disheartened, Tang Wulin had lost his interest in the auction. His head was filled with images of that
thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit.

Each item was sold as quickly as it was put up, facilitating an unusually smooth auction,

Wu Zhangkong had no problem winning the bids for two intermediate entry cards at a total price of
2,600,000 coins.

Even then, Tang Wulin was numb to their success. The Dragonscale Fruit! My Dragonscale Fruit!
Incessant laments echoed in his heart.

831
“We only have three items left for today, and they’re actually three battle armor parts! It was only after
much difficulty that we were able to acquire them. I believe our honored guests should all be familiar
battle armor, which is usually only sold at the great seasonal auctions. Everyone should grab hold of this
opportunity today!”

Battle armor?

Tang Wulin’s boyish spirit ignited at these words, his eyes shooting straight toward the stage.

What does battle armor look like? I’ve never seen one before.

“Our first battle armor piece is a battle armor belt! I’m sure you’re all aware that the belt acts as the
energy core for a battle armor since it is the closest to the dantian, where Soul Masters condense their
soul power. Powerful Soul Masters will guide their soul power into the belt then disperse it throughout
the battle armor, which will give them the best results.”

This is a purple battle armor leveled belt and it’s entirely possible to build an entire set of battle armor
centered around it. Please look at the screen.”

A metal belt appeared on the screen, its exquisitely crafted body shrouded by a shimmering purple light.
Tang Wulin could tell with his experience in blacksmithing that it was made from no less than three
metals, but its composition wasn’t particularly complicated. It only took him a single glance to know it
was made from Thousand Refined metal.

However, it was different from ordinary Thousand Refined metals. Bizarre grain lines that shone with the
purple light ran around the entire belt.

This is battle armor? It’s only a bit bigger than a normal belt. At the center of the belt was a circular,
unusual metal. The purple light shined the brightest there, preventing Tang Wulin from evaluating the
material properly.

“Metal is shaped according to a mecha or soul circuit design after it is forged, before being assembled and
engraved. These are all part of a mecha craftsman’s job. An excellent battle armor requires the designer
and the craftsman to be of the same mind and level, another reason why having a secondary occupation is
so helpful to growing one’s strength. The most important reason, of course, is to increase the familiarity
between one and their battle armor and so that it’s easier to find a suitable partner.”

Wu Zhangkong outlined the basic characteristics of battle armor for Tang Wulin. The most effective
method of learning was to use situations such as this to teach.

Battle armor, this is a battle armor! Excitement swept away the gloom in Tang Wulin’s heart, his face
shining with yearning now. I’ll definitely be able to forge battle armor in the future! I may not know how
to design mecha and soul circuits or engrave, but I still know how to forge metal!

832
I can already Thousand Refine metals right now. That should be the foundation of making a battle armor.

Wu Zhangkong lectured, “Battle armor is the second life of a Soul Master. A single excellent piece of battle
armor can increase a Soul Master’s strength by thirty percent. The biggest difference between battle
armor and mecha lay in their compatibility; battle armor is made according to the user and their martial
soul.”

833
 Chapter 172 – To Lose and Regain!
Chapter 172 – To Lose and Regain!

“It’s true that ordinary people can become Mecha Masters now and that Auxiliary System Soul Masters
can become quite formidable with a mecha, but the origin of true strength hasn’t changed in the past
hundred thousand years. Only truly talented Soul Masters can become genuinely powerful entities. It is
for this reason that real Battle Armor Masters are unequivocally powerful Soul Masters. On its own, battle
armor doesn’t have any power, only serving to amplify a Soul Master’s abilities. A six-ringed Auxiliary
System Soul Master with a mecha is merely cannon fodder in front of a similarly ranked Soul Master with
battle armor. That is the unbridgeable gap between the two. Understood?”

“Yes! I understand!” Tang Wulin answered with a heavy breath.

He had long known the history of soul mecha. Soul Masters were rather doubtful when they were first
introduced since it narrowed the distance between Soul Masters and ordinary people. It also reduced the
significance of one’s martial soul; Soul Masters of similar ranks would be almost of equal strengths
regardless of their martial soul.

It wasn’t until the following era that Soul Masters finished developing battle armor, returning the world
to how it had always been. The strong were always strong!

Although Tang Wulin couldn’t comprehend the level of power a Soul Master possessed when equipped
with battle armor, Wu Zhangkong’s reverence for battle armor was clear in his tone of voice. Considering
how powerful Teacher Wu is, he must have seen one before!

“The starting price is two million, and the minimum bid increase is two hundred thousand. Let the
bidding begin.”

The three pieces of battle armor each sold for sky-high prices, their combined bids easily surpassing
twenty million. This was only natural since they were battle armor after all.

Virtually all battle armor were custom-made for specific Soul Masters and rarely sold, so it was difficult to
find a piece on the market.

Furthermore, it was challenging to make them, each piece requiring Thousand Refined metal and a design
specific to one’s martial soul. For some markedly unique Soul Masters, their battle armor wouldn’t sell
even if they put it on the market.

For these reasons, powerful Soul Masters devoted their time to create their own battle armor and the
situation was similar for divine rank mecha.

834
Even six-ringed Soul Masters rarely had a battle armor to call their own, not simply because they lacked
the strength but also from a financial deficit and plain bad luck. It was impossible to master every
secondary occupation, and even if they did, they most definitely wouldn’t have the energy required to
develop as a Soul Master. In the end, they needed to rely on craftsmen to design, make and adjust the
armor for them.

Every set of battle armor was like an extension of the user’s flesh and blood, their most valued treasure as
well as a sign of power and wealth.

Battle Armor Masters had long become the most prestigious existences on the continent; even one could
outshine an entire Mecha Master regiment.

To have even a chance of using battle armor, at least four soul rings were necessary. With such a
requirement, it was no wonder that the great clans of the Douluo Continent were able to maintain their
positions throughout the ages as they possessed both the finances to make battle armor and the Soul
Masters to equip them.

Tang Wulin still buzzed with excitement after leaving the Heaven Dou Imperial Auction. If the
Dragonscale Fruit appeared once, then it’ll appear a second time. I don’t have enough money right now
anyway. Once I earn enough money, I’ll definitely be able to get it.

After setting his eyes on the battle armor, a burning desire had been ignited within Tang Wulin’s heart,
his mind filled with scenes of donning such armor on himself in the future. The domineering figure he
conjured up made his blood boil as he wondered if Battle Armor Masters were like the generals of olden
times.

“Wait a moment.” Wu Zhangkong called out to Tang Wulin who was already making his way back to the
inn.

Tang Wulin paused, and without any explanation, Wu Zhangkong led him to stand on the side. The two
quietly observed the other bidders coming out.

Tang Wulin’s didn’t ask for the reason why, his mind still preoccupied with fanciful thoughts about battle
armor. With his adolescent temperament, this was all it took to sweep away his gloom over the loss of the
Dragonscale Fruit.

When a familiar figure entered his view, however, Tang Wulin’s brows jumped in surprise.

Isn’t that Branchmaster Zhao? The plump branchmaster exited the auction and headed straight for them.
He handed a jade box to Wu Zhangkong and dully spoke, “Pay back the money to the company’s account.
I’m going now.” He rubbed Tang Wulin’s head with a faint smile before walking away, leaving Tang Wulin
baffled.

The jade box in Wu Zhangkong’s hands disappeared in a flash of light.

835
“I’ll help you sell the rebellion entry card later. It should fetch enough to cover the price of the two
intermediate entry cards. You can pay me for the Dragonscale Fruit once we get back,” Wu Zhangkong
said in his usual cold tone.

Tang Wulin was dazed. “Dragonscale Fruit? What are you saying…?” Understanding hit him suddenly.

Remembering Branchmaster Zhao’s exit from the auction house, a possibility occurred to him. The
mysterious bidder from the sixth box was actually Branchmaster Zhao! So he was the one who won the
bid.

From this new perspective, he realized that five million federal coins wasn’t actually that expensive.
Teacher Wu was taking advantage of the intimidation from Branchmaster Zhao’s counterbid on the
thousand-year Frozen Grass to save me some money.

Although Wu Zhangkong had clearly stated the debt, this was just what Tang Wulin wanted—to earn it
through his own efforts without having to rely on other people. Only then would his conscience be clear.

“Let’s go back now.”

The master and disciple duo returned to the inn. Back in their room, Wu Zhangkong said to Tang Wulin.
“Rest properly tonight. Tomorrow morning we’re entering Heaven Dou City’s spirit ascension platform to
upgrade your spirit soul. After that, we’ll return to Eastsea City.”

“Okay!”

Tang Wulin passed the night meditating and cultivated Purple Demon Eyes at dawn. He was now
practically bursting with energy. This trip had brought him generous returns. He obtained one of the four
spirit items he needed and had an idea of where he could acquire the rest. Now he would enter the spirit
ascension platform under Wu Zhangkong’s guidance to ascend his spirit soul. It was almost guaranteed
that he would return to Eastsea City with a thousand-year spirit soul! Now his rubbish Little Goldlight
would transform into a powerful thousand-year Little Goldlight.

At this moment, Tang Wulin could finally tell himself: I’m not a loser anymore; I have the potential to
become a powerful Soul Master now!

Wu Zhangkong had Tang Wulin pack early in the morning before checking out of their room and boarding
a soul bus headed for the spirit ascension platform.

Compared to Eastsea City’s, Heaven Dou City’s spirit ascension platform was smaller in scale but
brimming with heritage. The dazzling mural in the hall clearly depicted a tale that was far more complex
than the one in Eastsea City.

Yet Tang Wulin was in no mood to appreciate it, still jumping with exitement. I wonder what the
intermediate spirit ascension platform will be like?

836
The cards were easy to use; after a simple registration they were brought to a room resembling the one in
Eastsea City except smaller in size and with glass chambers instead of metal boxes.

The staff member who guided them didn’t question the master and disciple. It was quite normal for a clan
to send a powerful adult to escort members of their younger generation and aid in upgrading their spirit
soul to the limit since a sturdy foundation was crucial. But while it wasn’t difficult for large clans to obtain
entry cards, only the most gifted children earned such an opportunity.

Before entering the glass chambers, the two were required to strip down due to additional restrictions
set before entering the intermediate level. Wu Zhangkong explained to Tang Wulin that it was a rule set
by the Spirit Pagoda to prevent others from wearing battle armor into the spirit ascension platform. No
one except the innermost members of the Spirit Pagoda knew the reason behind the regulation.

It was impossible for someone entering the elementary level to possess battle armor, but the
intermediate level was different, forcing strict inspections to enforce this rule.

After finishing their preparations, metal rings fastened onto their bodies, holding them in place as the
glass chamber’s cover closed.

“Prepare to enter!”

A golden light radiated from the metal rings, spreading a numbness throughout Tang Wulin’s body. In the
next moment, his vision of the outside was replaced by a blank void.

Only after some time did the dark space transform into a sea of green filled with a refreshing air that he
knew all too well.

Intermediate spirit ascension platform, here I come!

837
 Chapter 173 – Ice Fire Demonic Tiger
Chapter 173 – Ice Fire Demonic Tiger

Lush foliage monopolized this viridian world, the differences between the intermediate and elementary
levels minute but Tang Wulin was still aware they existed.

It was highly likely he would encounter thousand-year soul beasts in the intermediate level. There was
even a small chance of encountering powerful ten-thousand-year soul beasts!

Wu Zhangkong stood beside him, his white robes fluttering from the cold aura he emanated as he
observed their surroundings. Tang Wulin was filled with a sense of security with Wu Zhangkong beside
him.

“Follow me!” Wu Zhangkong strode forward. A ring of light rose with each step. Yellow, yellow, purple,
purple, black, and black.

It wasn’t Tang Wulin’s first time seeing Wu Zhangkong’s soul rings. Nonetheless, he was still shaken. This
is an expert! I wonder how long it will take me to reach six rings…

A blue light coalesced in Wu Zhangkong’s right hand and transformed into the Skyfrost Sword. His
actions clearly indicated how seriously he regarded the intermediate level.

Only those with less than seven rings could enter the intermediate level.

Tang Wulin followed behind him silently. Ten minutes later, they still hadn’t encountered any soul beasts.

“Don’t you find this strange? Why aren’t there any soul beasts?” Wu Zhangkong asked Tang Wulin.

“Yeah!” Tang Wulin nodded. From his experiences in the elementary spirit ascension platform, he knew
that they should have been attacked by now.

Wu Zhangkong indifferently said, “The spirit ascension platform is modeled after the largest soul beast
forest on the continent, the Great Star Dou Forest. In the past, there were Ten Great Beasts, the strongest
soul beasts in the world. All ten beasts exceeded one-hundred-thousand-years in age, and the Great Star
Dou Forest was actually home to five of them.”

“The Great Star Dou Forest is divided into four regions. The outer region, middle region, inner region and
the territory of the Great Beasts. When battle armor was introduced thousands of years ago, humanity’s
strength exploded and we began to suppress soul beasts. Yet even though we’re developing and using
most of the forest now, the territories of the Great Beasts remain untouched. I’ve have never been there,
but I heard that after some powerful Battle Armor Masters ventured into their territory, they have never
returned. Those territories are one of the few forbidden regions on this continent.”

838
“Soul beasts surpassing one-hundred-thousand-years in age can take on a human appearance so if we
send too many Battle Armor Masters to attack them, it is likely they will abandon their territories and
wage guerilla warfare throughout the continent. We have a mutual understanding with those beasts now;
as long as we don’t enter their territory, they won’t attack humanity.”

Tang Wulin’s brows knitted. “Teacher Wu, what about the soul beasts in the other regions then?”

Wu Zhangkong said, “Soul beasts have almost all been exterminated by humanity after all these years.
This is one of the reasons why the Spirit Pagoda possesses such great status. Artificial spirit souls are the
only option gain soul rings for most Soul Masters now, and natural spirit souls are near impossible to
obtain. Without any soul beasts to kill, soul rings can no longer be obtained directly.”

Tang Wulin asked, “Then are soul beasts becoming extinct?”

A sigh escaped from Wu Zhangkong’s lips. “It is certain that as soul technology continues to develop, soul
beasts will eventually be extinct. Yet, this isn’t necessarily a good thing for humanity. It’s true that battle
armor can greatly increase a Soul Master’s strength, but compared to the Soul Masters of the past, we are
truly lacking in terms of soul rings. Soul skills provided by artificial spirit souls are different from those
given by soul beasts. Furthermore, there is no doubt that their extinction will bring about an ecological
imbalance. According to the research, the number of people who possess soul power when they awaken
their martial souls has dwindled over the last several hundred years. I suspect that once soul beasts
disappear, Soul Masters will soon follow. That is the price for destroying the ecological equilibrium.”

“Now, back to the topic. Entering the elementary spirit ascension platform is similar to entering the outer
region of the Great Star Dou Forest. The outer region is filled with ordinary soul beasts that reach the
thousand-year level at most. Here in the middle region, however, the forest has thousand-year soul
beasts, and even some at the ten-thousand-year level. With soul beasts of such power present now, the
forest is definitely split up into territories, so there is a lower density of soul beasts. It’s normal that we
haven’t run into one yet, but if we do encounter one…”

Wu Zhangkong abruptly stopped mid-sentence and his gaze sharpened. An icy draft swept out as he
pointed with his Skyfrost Sword.

A deep roar reverberated through the air, announcing the arrival of a soul beast, a tiger that stood over
one and a half meters in height and over six meters from head to tail.

Purple stripes stood out in sharp relief against its bronzed fur. Its eyes were dual-coloured, frosty blue
and fiery red. Its bizarre appearance was completed with a pair of blue and red wings on its back.

“It seems our luck isn’t that good today. This Ice Fire Demonic Tiger is at least four-thousand-years in age.
It’s no wonder no other beasts roam this territory. Just focus on protecting yourself and ignore the rest.
Got it?” Wu Zhangkong had twisted his body slightly towards Tang Wulin, but his eyes never left the tiger.

839
Ice Fire Demonic Tiger? Tang Wulin recalled the records he had read on it. It wasn’t as fierce as the
Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear, but it was on the same level as the Man-Faced Demon Spider.

It excelled in both long-ranged and close-ranged attacks and could control ice and fire. It could also fly
short distances with its wings. This fearsome combination placed it as one of the most fearsome beasts.
There was a peculiar legend attached to the tiger; it was said that once killed, it would provide two soul
rings, one of ice and one of fire.

Of course, in the spirit ascension platform it couldn’t provide any rings, but still, encountering such a
fearsome beast had broadened Tang Wulin’s horizons once more.

Wu Zhangkong’s gaze never left the tiger as it spread its wings open and circled them, growing closer
with every pass. With each step, its wings of fire and ice flared brighter, as if foreboding the eminent
devastating attack.

Wu Zhangkong stood still, simply turning so that he always faced the tiger.

Tang Wulin had already released several strands of Bluesilver Grass and attached them to nearby trees.
The moment the situation took a turn for the worst, he would be able to launch himself out of there.

An overpowering odor assailed Tang Wulin as the distance closed between the two parties.

He wasn’t the same ignorant boy when he first entered the spirit ascension platform; faced with a
thousand-year soul beast now, it wasn’t fear that overwhelmed him, but excitement.

He obviously understood just how powerful the thousand-year Ice Fire Demonic Tiger was and knew that
he was no match against it, but he didn’t have to worry about that. His safety was assured, so he could
whole-heartedly observe just how strong this tiger was.

840
 Chapter 174 – The Skyfrost Annihilation of the
Demonic Tiger
Chapter 174 – The Skyfrost Annihilation of the Demonic Tiger

The Ice Fire Demon Tiger unleashed a heaven-shaking roar that released a blazing fireball straight at Wu
Zhangkong. It paid no heed to the Tang Wulin who was hiding behind Wu Zhangkong.

The fireball expanded as it shot forward, spanning a diameter of one meter.

Wu Zhangkong’s soul rings glowed as he stepped forward with his left foot and thrust his Skyfrost Sword
forward. The azure sword shone with a resplendent sapphire color as a sword light flew out to meet the
fireball.

Even though the fireball burned with a scorching heat, it was no match for Wu Zhangkong’s sword light
and burst the moment they touched. In the face of his sword, neither heat nor flame could survive.

Tang Wulin wanted to cheer. This is true strength! He couldn’t sense any soul power fluctuating around
Wu Zhangkong; clearly, Wu Zhangkong had mastered soul power compression to a high level and was
able to internalize it all.

Teacher Wu also cultivates the Mysterious Heaven Method!

Tang Wulin had discovered that the most useful aspect of the Mysterious Heaven Method was its ability
to refine soul power. His soul power would grow denser with every passing day.

Just when Tang Wulin believed the fireball to be extinguished, blue color enveloped its body and it
suddenly transformed into an icicle a half meter long. The icicle exploded into millions of jagged shards
that hailed upon Wu Zhangkong.

It seemed impossible for Wu Zhangkong to dodge this at such a close range.

Before Tang Wulin could cry out, the Skyfrost Sword in his hand became a blur as Wu Zhangkong’s first
soul ring lit up.

An icy blue arc bloomed from the tip of his sword, shattering every ice fragment. They quietly
disappeared under its touch.

This is Teacher Wu’s soul skill!

Tang Wulin stared, wide-eyed. This was the first time he saw Wu Zhangkong use a soul skill. He had
assumed that Wu Zhangkong was a pure swordsman and so his soul skills would only enhance his ice
attribute and the quality of his sword.

841
But that was not the case; he had used an offensive soul skill. Although Tang Wulin didn’t know its name,
its power was unquestionable.

The destruction of the fireball-turned-icicle marked the start of their battle.

The Ice Fire Demonic Tiger immediately pounced at Wu Zhangkong after the fireball. Its movements were
agile like a civet, at odds with its large frame.

An iceball burst under Wu Zhankong’s slash just as the Ice Fire Demonic Tiger reached him. Hovering in
midair, its unfurled wings spanned more than ten meters, shining brilliantly as they unleashed a baptism
of fire and ice.

A spectacular scene played out. Its wings magnified over ten-fold, becoming light itself as they released
an earth-scorching barrage.

Tang Wulin stopped admiring Wu Zhangkong’s magnificent swordsmanship and escaped to a nearby tree
with a pull on his Bluesilver Grass while letting his golden scales take over his arm.

He had no place participating in a battle of this level. The best course of action was to watch from far
away. As he retreated, he saw the tempest of ice and fire swallow Wu Zhangkong.

“Teacher Wu!” Tang Wulin cried out, his heart in his throat. He knew this was the spirit ascension
platform and that it wasn’t a true death, but anxiety gripped him all the same.

At that moment, a regal blue appeared amidst the chaos.

If the tiger’s wings were waves of ice and fire, then this was a royal blue reef, proud and steadfast.

The waves gradually dispersed in the face of the reef that remained staunch and valiant.

Tang Wulin realized what it was—an arctic blue cocoon! Wu Zhangkong stood within, his figure blurred
to the point it was unclear what skill he had used.

A purple light twinkled in Tang Wulin’s eyes as he activated the Purple Demon Eyes, granting him
sharper eyesight. He was just barely able to see that the cocoon was spun from countless blue threads of
ice. Just how many sword slashes did that take?

While he was still comprehending this shocking revelation, the next scene nearly stopped his heart. An
azure sword light flew out to shock the heavens, growing ten meters long as it flew toward the Ice Fire
Demonic Tiger’s head!

Chills ran down his spine the moment the sword light appeared. Frost formed, coating everything within
one hundred meters.

The tiger furled up its wings to shield its head.

842
Boom!

Its gigantic body froze over, splitting in half. An arctic mist erupted into the surroundings in the same
instant, summoning a white drizzle of snow for hundreds of meters around them.

The drifting snow and stagnant mist obscured Tang Wulin’s sight even with his Purple Demon Eyes. Tang
Wulin could only rely on his ears now that he was unable to see Wu Zhangkong, his sword lights found
everywhere throughout this mist.

A mournful roar resonated throughout the forest as countless crimson and azure lights flashed within the
snowy mist. Terrifying soul power fluctuations whipped the surroundings into a frenzied tempest. Tang
Wulin hugged a tree trunk with all his might for fear the turbulence would blow him away.

Time seemed to slow and stretch on, yet it was only a few minutes later that he heard the tiger’s roars be
replaced with resigned whimpers.

“Come!” Tang Wulin was still in awe when Wu Zhangkong reappeared before him.

With his white robes and azure sword, he seemed to be unruffled from the battle. If a difference had to be
identified, then perhaps his breath was a little more ragged.

With one hand around Tang Wulin’s waist, Wu Zhangkong slashed the void before him. All of the
surrounding icy mist flowed back to the sword.

The aftermath of the battle was clear now.

The Ice Fire Demonic Tiger laid on the ground a distance away, its wings broken and body covered in
countless small cuts that were dyed red in blood.

Wu Zhangkong brought Tang Wulin onto the tiger’s back in a flash. Tang Wulin could still feel the faint
beat of life within the tiger’s body.

“Use your Golden Dragon Claw.”

Tang Wulin understood Wu Zhangkong’s intentions. Apart from his Golden Dragon Claw, he had no other
method to penetrate the thousand-year Ice Fire Demonic Tiger’s defense.

Soul power surged and the Golden Dragon Claw struck out!

His claw stabbed into the back of the Ice Fire Demonic Tiger’s head, ending the life of this powerful soul
beast.

A mass of dense spirit power flowed into him. Goldlight appeared, basking in the spirit power as its eyes
lit with joy.

843
Wu Zhangkong nodded. “Considering the age of your spirit soul now, your spirit soul should evolve after
absorbing this Ice Fire Demonic Tiger’s spirit energy.”

After the rebellion period of the elementary spirit ascension platform and their constant training within
the regular spirit ascension platform, Goldlight’s spirit energy had already surpassed 700-years.

This four-thousand-years Ice Fire Demonic Tiger would convert into about four hundred years of spirit
energy. With this, Goldlight would reach the thousand-year level.

Goldlight’s body dazzled brighter with every bit of spirit energy it absorbed while Tang Wulin sensed a
slight change within his body.

His bloodline power stirred and the golden light emanating from Goldlight enveloped him. The golden
scales on his right arm rippled. A golden-veined pattern appeared on his other hand.

What he wasn’t able to see, however, was that the gold pattern actually extended all over his body.

My spirit soul is ascending?

A prickling numbness spread throughout his body. Tang Wulin instinctively sat down cross-legged,
silently exploring the changes within him.

As Goldlight returned to its usual splendor, the golden light enveloping Tang Wulin also vanished along
with the numbness.

“Teacher Wu, I…” Tang Wulin looked to Wu Zhangkong in confusion, his eyes clouded with anxiety.

Wu Zhangkong shook his head. “Don’t worry. All you’re doing is accumulating spirit energy here in the
spirit ascension platform. This isn’t your real body, so your spirit soul will only ascend properly after
exiting. The process you just experienced was your spirit soul absorbing the spirit energy, and the large
influx of spirit energy made your body respond.”

844
 Chapter 175 – Wu Zhangkong’s Soul Skills
Chapter 175 – Wu Zhangkong’s Soul Skills

Tang Wulin understood now that there wasn’t any problem with his body.

“Teacher Wu, then what’s next…”

“We’re continuing,” Wu Zhangkong dully answered. “Let’s bring your spirit soul up to two thousand
years, which is just under your current limit. We shouldn’t waste this trip to the intermediate level after
all.”

“Okay!” Tang Wulin earnestly nodded, happy to do whatever Wu Zhangkong wished. Although he hadn’t
been able to clearly see the course of the battle, it was more than enough to convince him. Teacher Wu
isn’t just a normal Soul Emperor if that Ice Fire Demonic Tiger wasn’t able to harm a hair on him! Now
that’s true strength!

The two proceeded onward, Tang Wulin following with complete faith in Wu Zhangkong.

Not even a minute later, Wu Zhangkong grabbed Tang Wulin’s shoulder as a blur flitted past followed by
several twinkling lights.

Just as Wu Zhangkong gripped Tang Wulin and pedaled backward using the Ghost Shadow Perplexing
Track, a host of ivy-green needles silently rained down from the sky. Their tips stabbed into the ground
and corroded the area around them to a rotten black.

The desiccated plants cried out, but even as Tang Wulin heard them, he had no time to share in their grief.
Wu Zhangkong continued retreating before landing a few seconds later on a tree branch where he
deposited Tang Wulin.

Before their eyes, an enormous figure stepped into view.

At five meters tall, it couldn’t compare with the Ice Fire Demonic Tiger’s towering figure, yet its five-
meter girth made it resemble a giant sphere, larger than the Ice Fire Demonic Tiger by far.

Its body was ivy-green and two elongated fangs jutted out of its mouth from which it issued a low growl
that reverberated through the air. Without giving any more time to examine it, it madly dashed forward
and rammed into the tree they were on.

With a deep rumble, the tree snapped.

Wu Zhangkong grabbed Tang Wulin and leaped into the air, but the beast had already anticipated this,
spraying a rain of needles that blocked any path of retreat.

845
This bastard’s body is covered in poison!

Wu Zhangkong thrust the Skyfrost Sword, summoning a storm of sword waves that easily cut down the
needles. The defense was not perfect, however, as an overwhelmingly saccharine smell assaulted Tang
Wulin’s nose, bringing a bout of dizziness.

Soon after, a chilling mist rolled off of Wu Zhangkong and enveloped the two of them, immediately
restoring Tang Wulin’s lucidity.

It’s a giant porcupine!

It should be the Venomquill Porcupine! With such a large body, its cultivation should be at least three-
thousand-years!

Only now did Tang Wulin finally understand his place in the intermediate spirit ascension platform—this
was not a place he could enter. With his current cultivation, coming in alone meant he would die from the
first soul beast he encountered without a chance to put up an honorable fight.

The Venomquill Porcupine possessed not only highly toxic quills but also an astonishing ability to launch
them at its opponents. Upon hitting its target, the toxins would quickly invade and wreak havoc within
the victim’s body—truly terrifying. And even with a bulky body that lent it a fearsome ramming power, it
was also remarkably agile.

“It’s covered in thorns. I don’t think I can leave your side this time,” Wu Zhangkong stated.

For once, Tang Wulin was able to clearly see Wu Zhangkong’s attack.

His third soul ring, the thousand-year purple one, lit up and the Skyfrost Sword slashed out, filling the sky
with a ten-meter-long sword wave.

Skyfrost Slash, Wu Zhangkong’s third soul skill!

From the side, Tang Wulin observed Wu Zhangkong’s eyes as he attacked and saw the telltale purple
shimmer of the Purple Demon Eyes, which was clearly far more advanced and powerful than his own.

The mighty sword wave struck the Venomquill Porcupine. Despite its thick and tough defense, it was not
enough to withstand the attack as a jagged gash appeared, and from its wound, an icy blue rime spread
across its body until it was entirely frozen.

Its mad snarls soon turned into miserable shrieks. Wu Zhangkong descended with Tang Wulin then
activated his fourth soul skill that enlarged his Skyfrost Sword by ten-fold into an azure greatsword. He
stabbed the greatsword straight into the wound, nailing the porcupine into the ground.

Wu Zhangkong gripped the sword hilt with one hand while he lifted Tang Wulin with the other. He
floated in midair, his white robes fluttering in his frosty aura. The mighty Venomquill Porcupine’s spirit

846
energy flowed into him, yet he acted as if this triumph was nothing at all. Afterward, he held Tang Wulin
tightly and leaped away, out of range of the porcupine’s toxins.

So powerful!

The gigantic icy sword shrunk back to its original form, sending chills once more down Tang Wulin’s
spine. He couldn’t help but ask, “Teacher Wu, what is that soul skill’s name?”

“Frost Song,” Wu Zhangkong indifferently said.

“Frost Song?” Tang Wulin repeated, baffled. Although he didn’t understand the meaning behind the icy
greatsword’s name, he had to admit that it was beautiful.

This is Teacher Wu’s thousand-year soul skill! I don’t think that was the full power of his Frost Song. That
was just a small glimpse!

The Venomquill Porcupine wasn’t considered weak among thousand-year soul beasts, but to Wu
Zhangkong, it was simply a pig waiting to be slaughtered.

“First soul skill, Frost Scar!” Wu Zhangkong started listing his soul skills.

“Second soul skill, Frost Mist!”

“Third soul skill, Skyfrost Slash!”

“Fourth soul skill, Frost Song!”

“Wulin, take note of this: there isn’t only one way to use a soul skill; in fact, there are infinite ways to
utilize it. Pay attention to how you use them from now on.”

As he spoke, Wu Zhangkong lightly raised his Skyfrost Sword and activated his first soul skill. A sword
wave instantly flew through a tree leaf a dozen meters away, yet it remained undamaged.

“This is Frost Scar!”

From off the ground he walked ten meters forward. With a slight tremble of his right hand, the Skyfrost
Sword projected sword waves that flew out, interweaving to become the azure cover from before.

The light cocoon blossomed and then unraveled into a tempest of sword waves.

“This is also Frost Scar.” Wu Zhangkong’s cold voice penetrated Tang Wulin’s mind.

Tang Wulin trembled with excitement. It’s the same soul skill, but with minute differences in control and
soul power output, the result was entirely different!

847
In Wu Zhangkong’s hands, the Skyfrost Sword became an instrument used to weave a work of art at any
time! This is the true Teacher Wu—a white-robed enigmatic man with a blue sword in hand, dominating
the frozen skies!

“Understood?” Wu Zhangkong asked.

“I think I understand a bit. What you mean is that even with a weak soul skill, as long as I can use it
properly, it will be powerful. There are endless possibilities with soul skills, and the crucial point is how I
utilize it.”

“Mn.” Wu Zhangkong nodded. “Let’s go.”

Only in actual combat were lessons most effective. Wu Zhangkong believed in the saying that “the master
leads you to the door, but the rest is up to you.” In line with his beliefs, he didn’t give detailed
explanations but rather, he let Tang Wulin fully comprehend things on his own.

A tremor ran through Tang Wulin’s body from his revelation. He now realized his mistake. After receiving
Bind as his first soul skill, he wanted to die from dejection. In his eyes, a trash spirit soul had given him a
similarly trash soul skill.

Now he realized though that the only thing that was trash was himself. There were no trash soul skills.
Compared to Xie Xie’s Light Dragon Blade and its valiant brilliance, Frost Scar was an exceedingly simple
soul skill, yet it had brilliantly blossomed in Wu Zhangkong’s hands.

848
 Chapter 176 – Three‐Eyed Demon Ape
Chapter 176 – Three-Eyed Demon Ape

When Teacher Wu battled the Soul Emperor Guang Biao, he didn’t use a single soul skill! He completely
destroyed Guang Biao with only his comprehension of his martial soul! So in the end, it wasn’t a disparity
of soul power, but one of insight!

It was as though a door unlocked within his heart, revealing a new path to him. While Soul Masters were
divided into systems such as Assault, Agility, Control and so on, in reality, these classifications were not
mutually exclusive but instead interconnected. This meant that the crux of the matter was in how a Soul
Master utilized their martial soul and abilities.

Why was Gu Yue so powerful? Her miraculous six-element martial soul alone couldn’t make her strong;
rather, it was her nimble control over the six elements.

“Teacher Wu, spiritual power isn’t as simple as a container for spirit souls, right?” Tang Wulin suddenly
asked.

Wu Zhangkong looked back at him with pleased eyes and nodded. “The fact that you’ve understood this
proves that you have felt it for yourself.”

Thrilled to have his hypothesis confirmed, Tang Wulin vigorously nodded. I need to improve on a lot
more than just my soul power!

Perhaps it was due to the sparsity of soul beasts, but the intermediate spirit ascension platform was lush
with foliage, undisturbed by wandering creatures. As the two penetrated deeper into the forest, the dense
trees towered into the heavens and blotted out the sun, creating a world of evergreen gloom.

Their advance slowed a bit when four soul beasts appeared before them, but it gave Wu Zhangkong
another opportunity to gift spirit power to Tang Wulin. While one was at the thousand-year level, the
others were at the hundred-year level, yielding very little spirit energy.

“Follow closely. Now that we’ve entered the middle region, we could run into a ten-thousand-year soul
beast at any time. At this level, soul beasts have undergone a qualitative change. Their intelligence far
surpasses that of beasts at the thousand-year level, with some even on par with humans.”

Intelligence? It wasn’t something humans particularly cared for having grown to take it for granted over
the ages. Soul beasts, however, depended on it to display their full might, especially when faced with
humans.

849
A truly terrifying soul beast possessed high intelligence. If Tang Wulin and his friends had encountered a
shrewder hundred-year Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear in the spirit ascension platform, he would have had no
chance of survival—Xie Xie would have died the moment he attempted a sneak attack.

A ten-thousand-year Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear could single-handedly destroy a town armed with both
foresight and strength.

Tang Wulin calmly released his Bluesilver Grass in preparation for any sudden attacks. He understood his
vulnerability in this forest that forced him to rely on Wu Zhangkong’s strength. Since he’d be useless in
battle, all he could do was act prudently and prepare to defend himself against any soul beasts they
encountered. I still have a long ways to go…

“Stop!” Wu Zhangkong halted in his tracks forcing Tang Wulin to do the same, nearly bumping into his
teacher’s back.

“Something’s off.” Wu Zhangkong’s expression became solemn.

“What’s going on, Teacher Wu?”

Wu Zhangkong answered, “It’s too quiet. Even if soul beasts are sparse in the intermediate level, there
should still be some insects around. Don’t you feel that it’s getting dimmer and dimmer? And it’s not just
because of the trees blocking the light either. No, this is something else. We may have encountered a
powerful soul beast, and if my guess is correct, we’re in for a lot of trouble.”

Wu Zhangkong’s vigilance alarmed Tang Wulin, but even so, he could only continue relying on him.

Tang Wulin disliked this feeling of powerlessness as if he had no control over his own fate. Unfortunately,
he knew it all too well.

Wu Zhangkong stood in place, poised with his Skyfrost Sword. Waves of frost rolled off of it as he
surveyed their surroundings with icy yet calm eyes that occasionally glowed with a purple sheen.

Tang Wulin felt it now; it was eerily quiet, devoid of even the sound of the wind through the trees. This
definitely isn’t normal. I wasn’t paying enough attention.

Around them, shadowy figures suddenly appeared and glided towards the duo, faintly discernable among
the trees.

What are they?

Wu Zhangkong remained still, aware of the encroaching figures. Though the Skyfrost Sword swayed in his
hands, pointing from one direction to another, the movements were calm and unhurried. The last of the
light snuffed out, and an absolute darkness descended on the forest.

Even as the shadowy figures grew near, Tang Wulin couldn’t sense anything.

850
Then, fast as lightning, a black figure suddenly shot toward them. With the Purple Demon Eyes activated,
Tang Wulin could just barely discern its true appearance. Shockingly, that black figure was himself!

Without a doubt, it was an exact copy of Tang Wulin! The only difference was that it was shrouded in
darkness and exuded a chilling, bloodthirsty aura.

Wu Zhangkong slashed out, releasing a Frost Scar from its tip that sliced toward and through the shadow
Tang Wulin. Completed unaffected, the shadow suddenly sped up and pounced on Tang Wulin.

“Hmph!” Wu Zhangkong let out a cold derisive snort. Purple light flashed in his eyes, and the shadowy
figure shrieked as it dispersed in a puff of smoke.

Wu Zhangkong swung his head around, glaring at a mirror figure of himself that was dashing toward him.
The shadow Wu Zhangkong shrieked and turned into smoke.

This is possible? The Purple Demon Eyes can do this?

Tang Wulin contemplated the wonders of the Purple Demon Eyes as the purple shimmer faded from Wu
Zhangkong’s eyes. Teacher Wu is so awesome! What can’t he do?

Wu Zhangkong’s face still carried a grave expression. “A darkness and spiritual dual-attributed soul beast.
How powerful.”

The remaining shadows no longer dared to approach, intimidated by the frightening power of the Purple
Demon Eyes. They quietly turned around and retreated, but in their place, a black fog appeared. The
moment he laid eyes on the billowing smog, fear gripped Tang Wulin’s heart.

At that moment, Wu Zhangkong’s second soul ring lit up, and a chilling mist spread out to envelop the two
of them, eventually clashing against the black fog.

When the two met, the black fog condensed to become drops of black liquid that released a bizarre smell
into the air.

This was a collision between elements of ice and darkness. Could this darkness-attribute soul beast
possess the rumored domain ability?

He heard that within the domain, the ability user had absolute control. Despite some exaggerated
elements, it was certainly true that their strength would be greatly amplified in the domain.

The trouble now wasn’t resisting the opponent’s ability but locating their opponent! If they couldn’t find
their enemy, then they couldn’t defeat it!

Domain?

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Tang Wulin had a revelation. He immediately crouched down and touched the Bluesilver Grass on the
ground, closing his eyes.

As he grew to understand his martial soul, he became more intimate with all plant life, especially wild
Bluesilver Grass. Sometimes, he could even sense their emotions.

Through the network of Bluesilver Grass, he attempted to extend his sensory range. Considering the
forest’s lush environment, it would have been an amazing place for him to cultivate had it not been the
spirit ascension platform.

During the previous battle, Wu Zhangkong had reminded him of the importance of spiritual power and
creative uses of abilities, and now he was putting that advice to use. He silently concentrated on the
gentle spiritual fluctuations of the surrounding Bluesilver Grass.

It’s true! The corner of Tang Wulin’s mouth lifted; he knew how to find their opponent now. Its ability to
strike fear into the hearts of both him and the Bluesilver Grass ultimately allowed him to locate their foe.

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 Chapter 177 – Ten‐Thousand‐Year Soul Skill
Chapter 177 – Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skill

So then, where was the source of their fear? Tang Wulin tried to convey this question to the plants using
his own spiritual senses.

Although he had never attempted this before, he thought it was worth a try.

As his conscious melded into the spiritual network of the plants, his senses broadened and the fear grew.

Where is it? Where is the cause of our fear? He asked again.

He suddenly felt the surrounding Bluesilver Grass’s consciousness ripple in one direction.

“It’s over there.” Tang Wulin opened his eyes and pointed.

Trusting Tang Wulin, Wu Zhangkong immediately brandished his sword and released a gigantic Skyfrost
Slash in that. It sliced through the black fog, leaving a trail of frost-covered plants in its wake.

“Awoo!” A deep howl filled the air, and the black fog converged into a newly-appeared purple light.

The Skyfrost Slash collided with the purple light and dispersed.

Tang Wulin patiently waited for the darkness to disappear and reveal their foe.

A two-meter tall black ape appeared from the black fog. A head full of peculiar blazing gold hair, it didn’t
look particularly strong, though it was clearly agile.

A shimmering purple aura surrounded its body as it stared at Tang Wulin and Wu Zhangkong with bright
topaz eyes, incredulity on its face.

What soul beast is this? Tang Wulin couldn’t remember any records of such a beast.

“It’s a Three-Eyed Demon Ape! Be careful, it has already reached the ten-thousand-year level and has
opened its third eye. It will be a difficult opponent.” Wu Zhangkong immediately dashed forward, aiming
to enter a melee combat with the ape.

Wu Zhangkong had never acted hastily in previous battles, but this time was different. He knew that
against such a formidable opponent, he would not be able to protect his charge if they stuck together.

The Three-Eyed Demon Ape snarled, baring its large white fangs. Tension curled in its body before it shot
forward like a whirlwind to welcome Wu Zhangkong.

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The fear emanating from the Bluesilver Grass fed his own until Tang Wulin’s entire being screamed of
danger as the two clashed. Tang Wulin instinctively dashed ahead and rolled to the side, latching onto a
distant tree with his Bluesilver Grass to alter his trajectory. His gut feeling had been right. While the
Three-Eyed Demon Ape and Wu Zhangkong fought back and forth, the ape suddenly turned into mist and
reappeared where Tang Wulin had just been. It had swiped at the air, forming a hexagon of amethyst
light. If Tang Wulin had acted any slower, he would have been pulverized.

He broke out into a cold sweat. How terrifying. It even deceived Teacher Wu!

“Hmph!” Wu Zhangkong’s expressionless face finally showed traces of anger. Tang Wulin sensed
something from behind him and turned around in time to see countless azure sword waves explode,
swallowing the Three-Eyed Demon Ape.

The Three-Eyed Demon Ape lacked the ability to teleport, and its sudden disappearance just now was
attributed to the illusion it had created to trick Wu Zhangkong. But that’s all it was, a trick. It would not
work a second time.

Wu Zhangkong’s eyes glowed amethyst, his Purple Demon Eyes in full force now as a barrage of Frost
Scars flew out.

The Three-Eyed Demon Ape’s reaction speed was remarkable; it lowered its body and a ball of violet light
burst forth and ensconced him. The light deflected the Frost Scars before exploding outwards to repel Wu
Zhangkong.

Its other arm fired a tanzanite light that flew past Wu Zhangkong and headed straight for Tang Wulin.

Just where did I provoke it? Why is it still after me?

Tang Wulin didn’t dare to relax and launched himself out of the way with a wrench on the Bluesilver
Grass he prepared.

A tanzanite flame blazed into existence at the spot he just vacated, crystallizing all the plants touched by
its fire into amethysts that melted soon afterward. Tang Wulin paled at this hauntingly beautiful scene.

Once the strength of a darkness attribute reached a certain level, it could achieve such terrifying effects.

Meanwhile, Wu Zhangkong relentlessly pursued the Three-Eyed Demon Ape, unwilling to let it escape.
Frost Scars cut through the air and struck the ape, but it dissipated into purple lights once more, merely
another illusion.

Wu Zhangkong, having expected this, immediately dodged to the side and evaded the ape’s attack while
countering with a Skyfrost Slash.

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This Skyfrost Slash was different than before; its energy was now condensed into a one-meter sword
wave and shone with a blinding azure light. The soul power was condensed to the astonishing point that
not even a drop of energy leaked out.

The Three-Eyed Demon Apes violet barrier split open and the sword wave sliced right toward it.

This was the first time the battlefield had gone out of its control, throwing it into a panic as it fiercely
swung its arms and threw up another shield. The Skyfrost Slash and the shield of light collided and
paused momentarily, giving the ape just enough time to leap out of the way.

Wu Zhangkong didn’t chase after it, motionless as the sword wave and shield clashed. He switched to a
two-handed grip on the Skyfrost Sword and his sixth soul ring lit up.

That’s…

His sixth soul ring? It’s a ten-thousand-year soul skill!

Tang Wulin stood rooted in place, his eyes wide open and unblinking to capture every moment.

Ten-thousand-year soul rings were almost on the same level as myths. In the world of Soul Masters, out
of ten thousand, perhaps only one person would be lucky to have it! I wonder just how amazing Teacher
Wu’s ten-thousand-year soul skill is?

The Three-Eyed Demon Ape continued moving to the side, leaping and rolling. It was fuming with fury, its
eyes shining a brilliant gold and its black fur tinged with indigo. It looked like a blazing violet flame. A
golden light appeared on its forehead and finally revealed its third eye. Golden light gushed out as its
body swelled until it was three meters tall.

So formidable!

The ape stood up on its hind legs and raised its hands in Wu Zhangkong’s direction. Violet light gathered
in its hands and coalesced into a ball of light that kept growing larger.

It’s getting bigger? Will Teacher Wu’s sixth soul skill be more powerful?

Tang Wulin looked back to Wu Zhangkong with anxiousness. Though Wu Zhangkong’s sixth soul ring still
flickered, he stood as still as a statue. It was as though he didn’t care about his opponent any more, and
had even gone as far as to close his eyes, his mind seemingly free from mundane worries as it drifted off
to another world.

If it wasn’t for the fact that the black soul ring continued to enlarge and the increasing radiance of the
Skyfrost Sword from icy blue to pure white, Tang Wulin would have believed Wu Zhangkong had given
up.

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An indignant roar sounded from the Three-Eyed Demon Ape. Its palms struck the one-meter in diameter
ball of violet light and the moment they touched, a beam of indigo power shot straight at Wu Zhangkong.
The ape’s energy quickly drained as it maintained this attack.

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 Chapter 178 – Breaking Through the Crisis!
Chapter 178 – Breaking Through the Crisis!

The Three-Eyed Demon Ape unleashed a second attack in concert with his first, shooting a golden beam
of light from its third eye at Wu Zhangkong’s head.

This… is a spiritual attack?

Wu Zhangkong’s eyes flashed open the instant the third eye attacked. A golden violet light, far more
resplendent than before, burst from within his eyes. This was clearly the full strength of his Purple
Demon Eyes.

Purple and gold clashed mid-air, fighting for dominance as they released waves of spiritual power that
rippled outwards.

Tang Wulin was still hit by the energy waves while watching from afar. Without any methods to defend
himself against a spiritual attack, pounding nausea assailed his mind before his eyes went blank and he
lost his grip on reality.

Tang Wulin had been perched atop a tree when the spiritual wave swallowed him and amidst his
confusion, he fell to the ground.

Back on the battlefield, Wu Zhangkong raised his head. His complexion was pale, blood flowing freely
from his nose and ears. He had taken some damage from that spiritual confrontation just now.

The moment the dust from their spiritual battle settled, the violet energy arrived before him.

In the split second before it arrived, Wu Zhangkong closed his eyes. Then he finally made his move.

His jet-black sixth soul ring rose into the air, enveloping his entire body before flaring with a resplendent
white light that flew into the Skyfrost Sword.

Both Wu Zhangkong and the Skyfrost Sword appeared to be as white as snow. His figure vanished an
instant later, becoming a white blur that flitted across the battlefield.

Ice bloomed behind the blur’s wake as it shot forth and froze the light in place when it swept past it.
Cracks formed at the core of light as it struggled within its icy prison.

Then the frozen casing split open and that radiant violet light exploded in all directions.

The white blur flashed by once more. Clad in white and armed with a white sword, Wu Zhangkong
appeared behind the Three-Eyed Demon Ape.

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The ape’s smug expression froze in place.

A vertical white line appeared on top of its head, slicing through its third eye and all the way to its crotch.

“Wulin, the third eye!” Wu Zhangkong’s booming voice sobered Tang Wulin. His head was still splitting
from the spiritual shock-induced headache when he heard his teacher’s call.

It felt like a thousand needles were stabbing his brain, a pain that overwhelmed his senses to the point
where he wanted to smash his head into a wall.

Although his vision was fuzzy, he still managed to send out his Bluesilver Grass with a thought.

Goldlight slithered out of his body and bore into a strand of Bluesilver Grass. The strand seemed to
breathe into life as it transformed from azure to gold and hardened. It pierced through the Three-Eyed
Demon Ape’s third eye like a spear before penetrating into the ape’s brain.

Tang Wulin collapsed in exhaustion as dark spots darkened his vision and sweat poured from his body.

At that moment, an immense wealth of energy flowed into him through the golden vine.

While it wasn’t his first time absorbing spirit energy, this time was the most unique. The energy was split
into two; Goldlight was rapidly absorbing one part of the energy as it rested within the grass, while the
other was flooding into Tang Wulin’s brain. It was this latter energy that was the cause of the stabbing
pain in his brain. Releasing a muffled groan, Tang Wulin immediately lost consciousness.

Wu Zhangkong silently stood there, pale-faced as he took notice of Tang Wulin’s situation. He appeared
beside his disciple like a bolt of lightning, brows furrowed and eyes bewildered.

He had been so focused on obtaining this ten-thousand-year soul beast’s spirit energy for Tang Wulin,
that he forgot a crucial fact; the beast was of the ten-thousand-year level that could range from the
beginning of the realm all the way to the peak. If it was more than the maximum age, just how much
excess spirit energy was Tang Wulin absorbing?

During the previous evaluation, it was determined that Tang Wulin’s spiritual power was strong enough
to endure little more than two-thousand-years worth of spirit energy. Any more than that would risk his
mind and body crumbling apart.

Tang Wulin’s spirit soul had reached about 1,300 years after absorbing the energy of the previous soul
beasts. Currently, he was absorbing the spirit energy of this ten-thousand-year Three-Eyed Demon Ape—
a minimum of 1000 years worth. The question now was whether Tang Wulin’s body was strong enough
to endure this magnitude of spirit energy!

Furthermore, this Three-Eyed Demon Ape was different from ordinary soul beasts; it possessed a
tremendous amount of spiritual power. Although there was no method to obtain soul power in the spirit

858
ascension platform, spiritual-attributed soul beasts possessed a special characteristic. Should a Soul
Master absorb their spirit energy, they would be faced with a spiritual attack.

Wu Zhangkong’s eyes held a trace of rarely seen worry. His mind had been muddled after the spiritual
clash with the Three-Eyed Demon Ape, thus leading to his thoughtless decision of having Tang Wulin
absorb its energy and ending up in this perilous situation.

There was nothing he could do now but wait. The moment a Soul Master began to absorb spirit energy, it
would fuse and evolve the spirit soul. No external interference was possible once this process began;
even a Title Douluo could only be forced to watch on helplessly as Tang Wulin absorbed the energy.

Not only did the spirit ascension platform increase the age of spirit souls, it also influenced the soul
power and spiritual power of Soul Masters. Wu Zhangkong could only silently wait and pray for Tang
Wulin’s success. Should Tang Wulin fail, it would end up as more than just a major problem.

Waves of dizziness slammed into Tang Wulin. Though he felt no pain, he was numb to any other feeling as
well. Chaos reigned in his spiritual world.

After some time, a sliver of his consciousness woke. He opened his eyes, only to find himself floating in a
pitch-black space. In its wake came endless, torturous, pain.

“Wher-where am I?” The pain drilled into his head, making him tremble.

The darkness gradually waned and a pale gold appeared. He watched as Goldlight slowly grew stronger,
but then, so too did his pain. The pain was so unbearable that he seemingly yearned for the release that
only death provided.

Nothing could alleviate his agony, so he surveyed his surroundings. Cracks appeared within this golden
world soon after, numbing his pain.

An idea struck him. Could this be my spiritual world? The space of my consciousness?

“Old Tang!” Tang Wulin screamed in panic. He could sense that as the cracks gradually widened, his
impending death was also likely to become a reality.

“Hah…” A sigh resonated throughout the space, announcing the arrival of the golden light before him. The
golden light possessed a shape similar to that of a weapon with a long shaft, but that was all Tang Wulin
could discern.

Golden rays of light blossomed from the long-shafted weapon and entered the cracks of this golden
world.

The cracks paused before slowly beginning to repair itself and restoring the world to its original pristine.

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His piercing torture also eased as warmth filled Tang Wulin, healing his suffering mind.

“My powers are limited, you know. You absorbed more energy than you could handle, forcing me to use
some of my power to aid you in this crisis. While you should be fine for now, the problem is that I won’t
have as much power to help you break the next seal anymore. The pressure you will have to face will be
several folds higher than what it should have been. Prepare yourself. Even though you received a large
upgrade this time, you absolutely must not do this again, otherwise I will run out of power needed to help
you and you will risk your life each time you break a seal.”

Old Tang’s voice resounded throughout this golden world. Tang Wulin felt as if he had reunited with a
long-lost relative, but in the next moment the gold faded away and darkness returned. He lost
consciousness once more.

A fit of dizziness unlike anything before hit Tang Wulin when he woke up and left him paralyzed, unable
to move a finger or raise his head. It was one of the greatest struggles of his life just to simply open his
eyes.

It’s cold!

The first thing he noticed was the chill in the air. Sensation returned to his body, but it was still as heavy
as lead and uncontrollable.

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 Chapter 179 – Another Spirit Soul Evolution
Chapter 179 – Another Spirit Soul Evolution

The world around him gradually came into focus; then, he saw Wu Zhangkong.

Wu Zhangkong’s white robe was in tatters and he haggardly stood while using his Skyfrost Sword as a
cane.

His long hair was a disheveled mess, creating a sight of him that Tang Wulin had never seen before. Yet he
still stood tall, despite his injuries and exhaustion.

Looking out further, Tang Wulin realized that a dozen soul beasts circled them while several beast
corpses littered the ground.

He’s…

He’s protecting me… We’re still in the spirit ascension platform?

“Tea-Teacher Wu…” Tang Wulin feebly called out.

A tremble ran through Wu Zhangkong as he looked back.

Although Wu Zhangkong cut a sorry figure, Tang Wulin’s appearance was far more frightening. Little
snakes of blood seeped from his eyes, ears, nostrils and mouth.

“You’re awake?” Wu Zhangkong dashed to Tang Wulin’s side. The ice in Wu Zhangkong’s eyes thawed to
reveal a burning self-blame, but Tang Wulin didn’t notice this—his mind was still muddled.

“Mn.” Tang Wulin simply responded.

Wu Zhangkong ordered, “We’re returning!” He let out a deep breath, relieved that Tang Wulin was fine.
Even though it would take some time for Tang Wulin to recover, everything was good so long as he lived.

He slapped the escape button on the back of Tang Wulin’s hand before hitting his own. The two instantly
disappeared with a beam of light.

Tang Wulin remained motionless as the glass cover opened slowly. The murkiness of his mind hadn’t
disappeared even after leaving the spirit ascension platform but rather, it became more obvious and
pronounced. His body felt bloated and he was unable to move his body.

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The glass cover of the container beside him opened and Wu Zhangkong got out. He rushed over to Tang
Wulin and lifted him out of the glass case.

Tang Wulin’s case could only be described as a rag doll-like body right now. His limbs were so feeble that
he could do nothing but be at the mercy of others. Wu Zhangkong helped Tang Wulin into his clothes
before clothing himself. Gently lifting Tang Wulin’s limp body, Wu Zhangkong carried Tang Wulin on his
back.

“He absorbed too much spirit energy. Does he need an inspection?” A staff member asked.

Wu Zhangkong shook his head. “No need. I’ll be enough to take care of him and he’ll be fine once he wakes
up.”

“Alright. But once you leave it will no longer be a concern of the Spirit Pagoda,” warned the staff member.

Wu Zhangkong nodded then left the Spirit Pagoda with Tang Wulin on his back. He had planned on
heading back to Eastsea City immediately after their venture in the Spirit Pagoda, but right now he
needed to find an inn to stay another night.

It was necessary for Tang Wulin to adjust to the sudden influx of energy at the moment, otherwise he may
be faced with some residual effects.

Tang Wulin’s mind was still befuddled, so he immediately dozed off the moment he hit the bed. Wu
Zhangkong also yearned for rest. His complexion was pale after a day-long adventure in the spirit
ascension platform, one that was plagued with challenges far more difficult than he had expected. There
were very few beasts that posed a threat to him in the intermediate level, yet they actually managed to
run into one today.

The Three-Eyed Demon Ape’s advantage lay in its spiritual-attribute. Not only could it employ spiritual
attack, it was also bestowed with intelligence far beyond its peers.

Even so, it wasn’t really that difficult for him to defeat the Three-Eyed Demon Ape. What he never
expected was to make such a grave mistake while his mind was rebounding from the spiritual attack. If it
hadn’t been Tang Wulin who absorbed the energy, then the consequences would have been far worse.

It took a full night’s rest before Tang Wulin awoke, yet his mind was still murky, preventing him from
sensing the changes in his body.

“Are you feeling any better?” Wu Zhangkong asked.

Tang Wulin strained himself to nod, having finally regained some control over his body.

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Wu Zhangkong helped him sit up. “Your mind received a powerful attack and you will need some time to
recover. I know you’re in pain right now but you must still cultivate your Purple Demon Eyes to adjust
your spiritual power. There may be some residual effects left otherwise.”

“Okay!” Tang Wulin readily agreed.

Wu Zhangkong took a seat behind Tang Wulin and pressed one palm into Tang Wulin’s back while the
other lay against the back of his head. A gentle stream of soul power seeped into Tang Wulin’s body,
facilitating his cultivation of the Purple Demon Eyes.

Tang Wulin had never found cultivating hard, but now he faced some difficulties in controlling his soul
power. Without Wu Zhangkong’s help, he would have been unable to circulate his soul power properly in
this state.

He circulated his soul power according to the Mysterious Heaven Method, gradually filling every inch of
his body with power. Warmth spread throughout his body and restored his vitality.

With the immense gap between their cultivations, it required practically no effort on Wu Zhangkong’s
part to guide Tang Wulin along.

After cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Method for a whole day, he was able to start practicing the
Purple Demon Eyes. His body felt refreshed and his mind grew clearer, relaxing him.

Tang Wulin’s suffering gradually subsided as his mind and body regained their normalcy. It took him a
few more circulation cycles before he was able to cultivate on his own again.

Wu Zhangkong withdrew his hands and released a long sigh. This child really is a genius! Who else would
be able to bear an over two-thousand-year spirit soul!

Tang Wulin’s spiritual world barely contained all of this energy but his body was more than sturdy
enough. His soul power had also been refined through this process and was now at rank 16.

His spirit soul, however, had not yet finished its evolution due to his insufficient spiritual power and it
would take a while longer before the process was complete. Danger shadowed him during this process,
forcing the two to sit there and wait until it finished. Even once it finished, they would have to continually
examine Tang Wulin’s state.

Unexpectedly, they stayed for a whole week.

Tang Wulin meditated nonstop the entire time. A golden glow appeared on his body the third day,
signaling the beginning of the spirit soul evolution.

Goldlight resonated with Tang Wulin’s breathing and gradually began to change.

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Compared to the first spirit soul evolution, the changes were much more distinct this time. Goldlight grew
to one foot in length and its scales rose up slightly, gaining a sparkling and limpid luster. Its entire body
was now a dull gold while two small points appeared on its head. The golden veined pattern on it became
more distinct.

Its bright eyes possessed a violet gloss as the evolution progressed.

It had grown from a ten-year to hundred-year to thousand-year spirit soul in such a short period of time.
It was as if Goldlight had been born again, possessing an aura completely unlike before. With each breath,
the golden veined pattern on Tang Wulin brightened.

When the spirit soul evolution finished four days later and Tang Wulin roused from his meditation, there
was an imperceptible change to him.

His skin became more fair and radiant, his height had increased by at least three centimeters, his eyes
were practically sparkling now, and his aura had transformed.

Tang Wulin was well aware of these transformations. He also discovered that as he practiced the
Mysterious Heaven Method, a small whirlpool of soul power began to form in his dantian. When this
whirlpool appeared, both his cultivation and recovery accelerated.

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 Chapter 180 – Improvement
Chapter 180 – Improvement

This whirlpool compressed his soul power and barely took up any room in his dantian.

The bitterness had ended and the sweetness began the moment Tang Wulin awoke.

“We should go now.” Due to their one week delay, their one month vacation had already passed. In fact, as
a teacher, Wu Zhangkong was supposed to report in a few days earlier than students and was already
late.

“Teacher Wu, thank you.” Tang Wulin sincerely spoke his thanks as they walked to the soul train station.

This trip actually wasn’t particularly enriching for him as he spent most of his time cultivating, but still,
he was bursting with joy.

During this trip in Heaven Dou City, he laid eyes on the sculptures of the almighty and legendary Tang
Sect figures and officially joined the Tang Sect. He also started cultivating two Tang Sect methods; the
Mysterious Heaven Method and the Purple Demon Eyes. In both he had reached a relatively high level
and held a basic comprehension of the two.

He managed to acquire a thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit, one of the four spirit items he needed and
later evolved his spirit soul. Every one of these events had been a major event for him.

Although he didn’t know how much his strength had grown, he could feel a fundamental change in his
entire being.

The Mysterious Heaven Method helped consolidate his understanding of the changes brought about by
his spirit soul’s evolution on his own body. I have a thousand-year spirit soul now, a thousand-year spirit
soul! I’m probably the only student in the academy whose first soul ring is at the thousand-year level!

These events solidified his foundation and would aid him as he developed as a Soul Master. Although the
timeframe posed some problem to him, especially the risk he faced when it came time to break the
second seal, all of this was a problem for the future. For now, he was developing quite nicely.

“I only showed you the way. The only person you can rely on is yourself.” Wu Zhangkong said.

Tang Wulin stared, dumbfounded. He clearly remembered his father telling him the same thing. ‘In this
world, the only person you can rely on and trust is yourself.’

These words were carved into his heart. He never expected Wu Zhangkong to say something so similar.

Yearning welled up in his heart. Mom, dad, where are you? Na’er, where did you go?

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☀

After entering the soul train, Tang Wulin didn’t waste any time and immediately began meditating. He
didn’t let his spirit soul’s evolution get to his head; he clearly knew how weak his martial soul and innate
soul power were as well as how his cultivation rate lagged behind Xie Xie and Gu Yue.

Soul power was the foundation of all Soul Masters and all he could do was work hard to compensate for
what he lacked. His spirit soul had evolved and he would soon become a rank 20 Soul Grandmaster.

Tang Wulin was filled with confidence, now convinced that he would reach that level within the next year
or two, depending on his luck. He would become a Soul Grandmaster by the time he turned twelve.

A rank 20 at twelve years old was the definition of genius.

Once they reached Eastsea City and the familiar skyline filled with skyscrapers entered his view, Tang
Wulin though he gained an appreciation for the city. Every city was different and had their own unique
character. It’s a pity I didn’t get a chance to properly sightsee inside Heaven Dou City. In the future, I
definitely have to travel the continent and see all the famous sights! Maybe I’ll even travel to the other
continents. I wonder what kind of scenery I’ll see in the other two continents?

“There are still three days left until school resumes. Use this free time for yourself and relax a little.” Even
as his words lingered in the air, Wu Zhangkong was already walking away.

Tang Wulin didn’t immediately return to the dormitory but instead went to the blacksmith’s workshop.

He hadn’t touched the forging hammer for a whole month and his skills were beginning to rust. I’ll go visit
Mu Chen first and accept two tasks to warm up my forging.

I still owe Teacher Wu over one million coins! I need to pay it back quickly and earn enough money for
the other three items.

He had felt wealthy saving three million but after buying the thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit, he
understood just how frighteningly expensive it would be to break through his second seal. He resigned
himself to spending every free hour earning money.

If I continue to improve my forging, will I be able to forge my own battle armor when I have four rings?

The very thought of having a battle armor got his blood pumping. On the road home, he recalled Wu
Zhangkong’s explanation about battle armors. If I had a battle armor, that Three-Eyed Demon Ape
wouldn’t have even stood a chance!

Teacher Wu is so awesome! Tang Wulin had witnessed five of Wu Zhangkong’s six soul skills, and though
he didn’t really know what the ten-thousand-year soul skill was, the unparalleled might of that slash
which killed the Three-Eyed Demon Ape was obvious.

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Will I be that strong in the future? Tang Wulin had unknowingly placed Wu Zhangkong as his goal.

Tang Wulin visited the Blacksmith’s Association and immediately went to find Mu Chen.

“Teacher, I’m back.”

At the sight of his enthusiastic disciple, Mu Chen cracked a smile. “How are you? Was your vacation
relaxing?” He was the most easy-going among Tang Wulin’s teachers. As long as he wasn’t in the middle
of teaching, he would reveal a warm temperament.

“I gained a lot from it, but I didn’t have a chance to practice forging the whole time.” Tang Wulin lowered
his head in shame.

Mu Chen let out a hearty laugh. “You’re such an honest child. Don’t worry about it so much; relaxing is
also a part of cultivating. Once you reach a certain level of forging, practicing constantly is no longer as
important as accumulating and consolidating your experiences.”

“Dad, you’re too nice to him. Why didn’t you let me go out and play during my vacation? You made me
forge every day,” a familiar voice whined. Mu Xi entered the room with a pouting face.

Mu Chen said, “When your own forging level is as good as Tang Wulin’s, then you can have a vacation
too.”

“Hmph!” Mu Xi shot a glare at Tang Wulin before stomping out.

Tang Wulin was at a loss as to how to deal with his senior disciple sister’s hostility. She really is
unbridled.

“This kid…” Mu Chen knit his brows. He understood the competitive nature of his daughter but he never
thought about correcting it. It was a virtue for youngsters to have such a personality. A competitive heart
would drive one to work harder.

Mu Xi definitely made Tang Wulin her goal, otherwise she wouldn’t have acted like that. This is good, but
it’s a pity that her rival is a little freak like Wulin. It won’t be easy for her to surpass him!

“You’ve just returned; go rest first. But let me warn you, your training will be even more rigorous from
now on, so prepare yourself. Since you have three days until school resumes, use one day to rest and
return to learn the other two days.”

“Yes.” The lack of any admonition set Tang Wulin at ease, but still, he resolved himself. I can’t let Teacher
down!

After leaving Mu Chen’s office, Tang Wulin went to accept two rank three blacksmith tasks before
returning to the workshop.

867
He had meditated the entire ride home so he wasn’t tired at all and planned on completing these two
assignments before he went to learn from Mu Chen. They would count as a warm-up and prevent his
hands from being shaky when he was with Mu Chen.

He adjusted the forging table, set the metal down, and began forging.

He became more comfortable with the Thousand Refined Heavy Silver Hammers as time passed and was
surprised to discover the truth in Mu Chen’s words. He hadn’t simply said them to comfort Tang Wulin.
After a month away from forging, the process he made was actually going more smoothly than before. He
could easily sense the fine changes within the metal and its spirit now.

Tang Wulin had assumed he would produce a failed product the first time as he readjusted himself to
forging, but contrary to his expectations the entire process flowed smoothly. Every chunk of metal was
Thousand Refined successfully and was of an even higher quality than before the vacation. With the aid of
the Purple Demon Eyes, his efficiency had also increased by fifty percent. His soul power had also
increased, and aided by the compression due to the Mysterious Heaven Method, he now possessed more
stamina to forge for longer lengths of time.

This was a markedly pleasant surprise. In the past, he could only Thousand Refine two chunks of metal in
a row, but now he could work with four and end up with even higher quality results.

Regardless of whether they were Hundred Refined or Thousand Refined, there were several grades
assigned to the quality. There were three grades for Hundred Refined: low, medium and high. The
Thousand Refined had five grades total with first grade at the top and fifth grade at the bottom.

868
 Chapter 181 – A New Semester Begins
Chapter 181 – A New Semester Begins

Tang Wulin usually produced fourth-grade Thousand Refined items. When the occasional luck was with
him, he would create third-grade metal, while when it was against him, he would forge fifth-grade items.

Although making fifth-grade products were enough to complete the tasks, items of the third-grade and
higher would receive additional payment. Tang Wulin was pleased to discover that after forging a third
and a fourth-grade metal in the beginning, the rest were all second-grade. That was a lot of extra money!

The fact that the quality of his products had improved signified that he had bettered his understanding of
metal. Teacher Mu told me before that when I can forge first-grade metals with a thirty percent success
rate, I’ll be ready to try Spirit Refining.

He had originally thought that it would take three years before he could attempt it, but now it seemed
that he would be able to try it sooner than he expected. If he could easily produce second-grade metals
without trying his best, how far off could first-grade be?

What Tang Wulin wasn’t aware of was that his harvest from his trip to Heaven Dou City truly was
astounding. Apart from the Dragonscale Fruit, his experiences and gains in the intermediate spirit
ascension platform had broadened his view on soul beasts and soul skills. What was most significant of
all, however, was the complete upgrade he had received from absorbing the Three-Eyed Demon Ape’s
spirit energy.

As a spiritual-attribute soul beast, the Three-Eyed Demon Ape’s spirit energy was far more volatile than
that of normal beasts. Combined with the excess spirit energy that surpassed his bodily limits, Tang
Wulin had faced a tremendous amount of danger.

If Old Tang hadn’t come to his rescue, his cultivation would have deviated, resulting in permanent
injuries at the best and an agonizing death at the worst. Wu Zhangkong’s guilt had stemmed from this
grave possibility.

But, Tang Wulin had survived and made an extreme breakthrough. Although he hadn’t benefited as much
as breaking a Golden Dragon King seal, his gains were clear.

His spirit soul had reached heights he never thought possible and the Mysterious Heaven Method had
improved both his spiritual power and soul power.

After refining these two energies, his fundamental strength had increased significantly. No matter which
occupation a Soul Master has, these two energies were an essential part of their foundation. This was why
Tang Wulin’s improvement in this regard had aided his forging.

869
Having finished earlier than he expected, Tang Wulin didn’t immediately go turn in the tasks. Instead, he
chose to cultivate the Mysterious Heaven Method. His understanding of metals deepened over the next
three days as he comprehended many things during this meditation.

Eastsea City’s month-long calm came to an end with the new school semester starting and was once again
bustling with noise and excitement.

Students streamed into the academy, all of them brimming with positivity. This was their second
semester. After they finished it, they would advance to the next grade. Though they looked forward to
moving up a grade, the dreaded grade promotion exams loomed over them.

For those attending an intermediate Soul Master academy, they absolutely had to have reached two rings
by the time they graduated from their six years in the elementary division, otherwise they wouldn’t be
issued a graduation diploma. On the other hand, those in the advanced division needed to have three
rings to properly graduate.

Regardless of the academy, not every student could meet this requirement. Those in the upper grades
would be extremely pressed for time.

Students in the first two grades were still able to relax though. The urgency of advancing their cultivation
was still at the back of their minds.

Yun Xiao and Zhou Zhangxi were exploring the academy while chatting about various things. The two had
become good friends after a semester together.

“Have you seen Wulin or anyone else from class zero? Speaking of them, there’s something really weird! I
heard that Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi transferred to another academy.” Zhou Zhangxi smirked.
“They’re probably too ashamed to be in the same class as those three.”

Yun Xiao rolled his eyes. “Do you think a genius who already has two rings in the first grade would feel
ashamed? It’s definitely something else. You know, I bet Wulin is feeling the pressure now. I heard Gu Yue
is already a Soul Grandmaster now and he’s the only one in their class who still only has one ring. I
wonder how much longer class zero will last?”

Zhou Zhangxi’s eyes lit up. “It would be good if the class shuts down, that way they would have to come
back. We’re class one right now, but we both know how strong our class really is. What will we do for this
semester’s Class Promotion Tournament? Won’t we just get demoted at this rate?”

Yun Xiao shrugged. “We’ll just drop down to class two I guess.”

Zhou Zhangxi’s twisted with displeasure. “Don’t you feel even a shred of team honor?”

Yun Xiao said, “You need strength to win honor. Shouldn’t you focus on cultivating instead of thinking
about such useless things?”

870
The two continued to converse as they made their way to the dormitories. Suddenly, something caught
Yun Xiao’s eye. He nudged his friend and whispered, “Look, it’s Gu Yue.”

Zhou Zhangxi followed Yun Xiao’s gaze and found an expressionless Gu Yue that was wearing the
academy uniform.

She had a delicate appearance, but wasn’t particularly pretty. At least, she was still far from Ouyang
Zixin’s level. Her unique temperament, however, had a dominating effect on others. Even Xie Xie found
himself affected by her; only Tang Wulin seemed immune to her charms.

Yun Xiao and Zhou Zhangxi were no exceptions. They felt suppressed the moment they saw her as if they
were a low-level soul beast seeing a powerful soul beast.

Gu Yue had grown taller and prettier over the last semester, which somehow condensed her domineering
aura.

Gu Yue didn’t notice the duo and continued to walk toward the academy’s entrance.

“She really doesn’t have any regard for others!” Zhou Zhangxi waited for her to leave before he whispered
to his friend.

Yun Xiao snickered. “What do you understand? I found out long ago that Gu Yue is actually the strongest
in class zero. I don’t think anyone below the fifth grade is her match. If class zero participates in the Class
Promotion Tournament… Hehe. I can’t even imagine how much she will shine.”

“She’s that strong? Even stronger than Xie Xie?”

Yun Xiao smirked. “Should be.”

Outside of the teacher’s building.

“Teacher Wu, please take care of this student. We’ve examined her and she definitely qualifies to enter
class zero.” Long Hengxu solemnly told Wu Zhangkong.

Wu Zhangkong shifted his eyes towards Long Hengxu before lowering his head to look at the timid girl
before him. He coldly said, “My class only accepts monsters, not ordinary people. Do you really think she
qualifies? She only has one ring.”

Long Hengxu frowned. “Speaking of which, Teacher Wu, I think your class zero could use some
adjustment. There’s no problem with Gu Yue and Xie Xie, but why did Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi leave?
The academy principal explained what happened to me, but I don’t think forcing a pair of Soul
Grandmasters to leave for the sake of the one-ringed Tang Wulin is right. Also, why does class zero still
need to exist? I found a genius for you yet you’re making all sorts of excuses. I’m going to ask the academy
to close down class zero since you only have three students then.”

871
Wu Zhangkong gazed at him with icy eyes. “You should say that to the principal instead of me. Students
have their own choice, and I have my own choice. You’re Xu Xiaoyan right? I’ll give you a chance. You have
one month to obtain mine and my student’s approval. If you don’t, then regardless of your background, I
won’t accept you as my student. Understood?”

Xu Xiaoyan listened with her head lowered, timidly nodding. She wanted to bury her little head into her
chest right now.

“Follow me. I’ll arrange your dorm assignment.” Wu Zhangkong didn’t bother to say goodbye to Long
Hengxu, quickly turning around and leaving.

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 Chapter 182 – Transfer Student Xu Xiaoyan
Chapter 182 – Transfer Student Xu Xiaoyan

Xu Xiaoyan hastened after Wu Zhangkong.

Long Hengxu’s gaze followed their departure as his lips quirked up at the edges. Not for a second did he
think Wu Zhangkong’s behavior to be unreasonable or irritable. “That guy, he really cares about class
zero! He wouldn’t submit otherwise. This is good. It’s good that he cares since it’ll motivate him to give
his best effort. I’m looking forward to the results!”

He sat down and quickly dialed a number on his soul communicator.

“Hello, President. So, I have an idea. This past semester, we poured our resources into class zero, yet ever
since the two students left, the board of directors has been questioning your decision, correct? I believe
it’s time to display class zero’s strength while also determining whether to continue supporting this
endeavor or not. What do you think?”

Long Hengxu listened to the other line and nodded. “Right, that’s exactly what I was thinking. We’ll have
them go. While I’m unsure of how it’ll develop, they’re still young, so it should be fine so long as they
achieve decent results and garner some prestige for our academy. This way, everyone will note the
superiority of our academy’s teachers. Once they realize this, won’t even more geniuses apply to our
school?”

“Yes, yes. I’ll start making the arrangements.”

As Xu Xiaoyan followed behind Wu Zhangkong, her sparkling eyes took in the unfamiliar surroundings.
Her previous school had been an ordinary one, and since her family excessively doted on her, her life was
devoid of any hardships.

It was the mutation in her martial soul that led her onto this path.

She had originally set on this path unwillingly, but after meeting Wu Zhangkong, her rejection rapidly
diminished.

Handsome! Teacher Wu is so cool and good-looking. Her heart hammered inside her chest.

The next moment, however, she remembered her classmates whom she had investigated after meeting
them once before when they had pummeled her brother. Big brother was careless, but they were still so
strong! Brother couldn’t even struggle against that girl who’s only a bit older than me!

873
Unfortunately for Xu Xiaoyu, he was unaware of Xu Xiaoyan’s thoughts, or else he would have choked to
death.

“This is your dorm room,” Wu Zhangkong said as he opened the door and entered.

Xu Xiaoyan followed him inside, only to be shocked by the sight of the single bed. It seemed almost too
good to be true.

What kind of student dorm has such nice conditions? I was given special treatment before, but I still had a
roommate!

“Remember, everything you receive is because you’re currently in class zero, but you still have one month
to prove yourself.” Wu Zhangkong turned on his heel and exited the room.

Left behind, Xu Xiaoyan eyed the room doubtfully, but a smile soon appeared on her charming face.

“It looks like I really need to do my best. I have a handsome teacher and strong classmates. Things are
going to be fun. Huh, what’s this? Why’s there a hole in the wall?”

After she caught sight of the depression in the wall of her new room, Xu Xiaoyan got onto her stomach to
peep through it and saw another room on the other side.

“Where does this lead?” she mumbled to herself. She took a cloth and cautiously covered the hole, fearing
any peeping toms on the other side.

Bang bang bang!

She gave a startled jump at the violent knocking and quickly went to open her door, thinking someone
was outside.

But when she stuck her head out, there was no one there. Instead, she saw a familiar figure rapping on
the door of the room beside hers.

He was a delicately handsome boy who carried himself with a slight aura of coldness. “Wulin, are you
back yet? Jeez, he always appears and disappears in a flash.”

It’s him! Xu Xiaoyan could immediately identify the boy. Isn’t he the dagger-wielding boy?

“Hey, there’s no one in there,” Xu Xiaoyan said.

“Who are you, and why are you here?” Enough time had passed since their last encounter that together
with her weak presence, Xie Xie didn’t recognize Xu Xiaoyan.

Xu Xiaoyan snorted. “Why can’t I be here? You’re in class zero, right?”

874
Xie Xie nodded.

“I’m going to be a student in class zero too. Remember this, my name is Xu Xiaoyan.” Away from Wu
Zhangkong, the timid girl from before transformed into a pretty, little tyrant.

“I’m Xie Xie.” No different from any other boy, Xie Xie was drawn to pretty girls.

“Thank you1?” Xu Xiaoyan stared blankly at him.

With some annoyance, Xie Xie said, “The second ‘Xie’ is the one used to write ‘chance encounter2’. That’s
my name.”

“Pft.” Xu Xiaoyan snickered. “Your name is really meaningful. Please take care of me in the future.”

Xie Xie’s curiosity was piqued. “How did you enter our class when it’s already the second semester? I
thought they weren’t accepting new students anymore.”

Xu Xiaoyan stated matter-of-factly, “My family has some connections, got a problem?”

Xie Xie was dumbfounded. “Teacher Wu allowed someone to enter through connections? I don’t believe
it.”

Xu Xiaoyan smiled sweetly. “It’s fine if you don’t believe me. Actually, we’ve met before in the rebellion
spirit ascension platform. Where is the big sister who beat my brother?”

Xie Xie carefully looked her up and down before he suddenly realized her identity. “Ah! You’re that ice-
staff guy’s little sister. No wonder I thought you looked familiar.”

“The ‘ice-staff guy’? That’s what you’re calling my brother? Haha! That’s hilarious. But wait, I have the
same martial soul as him, what do I do?” Xu Xiaoyan’s expression became anxious. She couldn’t bear to be
called ‘Ice-Staff Girl’!

“Don’t worry, we won’t call you that,” Xie Xie said. “How many rings do you have?”

“One ring!” Xu Xiaoyan said.

Xie Xie became mute. How did she join our class with only one ring? That ice-staff guy’s strength was
extraordinary, especially his thousand-year soul skill, but he had three rings. Xu Xiaoyan was able to join
us with only one? Does she have some special skill or something?

“Alright then, call me if you need anything. I’m going back to my room now. My room is across from Tang
Wulin’s. Oh right, your next-door neighbor is our captain and boss, Tang Wulin.”

“Tang Wulin? Is that the big sister’s name?” Xu Xiaoyan curiously asked.

875
Xie Xie burst into laughter. “Of course not. Wulin is a guy. The big sister is on the other side. Her name is
Gu Yue.”

Astonishment flickered through Xu Xiaoyan’s eyes.

The battle between her brother and Gu Yue had left a deep impression on her. With her own strength, Gu
Yue had been able to bridge the gap between ranks and defeat him—simply brilliant. Yet such a powerful
girl wasn’t the strongest person in class zero?

With only three students in class zero, wouldn’t the strongest be the captain?

“Tang Wulin also has two rings?” Xu Xiaoyan asked.

Xie Xie shook his head. “No. He’s the same as you—only one ring.”

“Someone with one ring is the captain?” Her curiosity toward Tang Wulin grew.

She wanted to continue questioning Xie Xie, but he gave her a mysterious smile and refused to reveal any
more.

The morning of the next day, a ceremony was held to welcome the new semester. Class zero stood at the
very front of the first grade, three students neatly lined up in a row.

Indeed, there were only three students; Tang Wulin was missing.

Starting from the outside, Gu Yue stood, followed by Xie Xie then Xu Xiaoyan.

Meanwhile, Wu Zhangkong expressionlessly stood with the teachers, completely unconcerned about
Tang Wulin’s absence.

Xie Xie whispered to Gu Yue, “Wulin couldn’t have forgotten that the semester starts today, right? Why do
you think he’s so late?”

Gu Yue indifferently replied, “Do you think he’s you?”

Xie Xie was speechless. “Just how biased can you be? When have I ever been late? Wasn’t it him last time,
too?”

Gu Yue said, “Then he definitely has a good reason.”

As the academy president began his speech, a hunched-over figure snuck over from the back to the very
front before nudging Gu Yue’s side.

A radiant smile blossomed on Gu Yue’s indifferent face. “Why are you so late?”

876
Tang Wulin had no excuse to give.

The time he spent in deep meditation wasn’t something he could control, so by the time he woke up, it
was already the morning of the new semester ceremony. Because he had dashed out without eating
breakfast, his gnawing hunger was forcibly shoved to the back of his mind.

The deep meditation this time, however, had yielded great results; his individual comprehensions and
abilities were now consolidated into a whole.

1. Pronounced as xie xie in mandarin.

2. 邂逅 is ‘chance encounter. His name is 谢邂.

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 Chapter 183 – An Explosion of Spiritual Power
Chapter 183 – An Explosion of Spiritual Power

Tang Wulin resolved to thoroughly investigate the results of the deep meditation later. For now, he was
certain that his soul power had increased to a stable rank 16 on the verge of breaking through to rank 17.

His growth rate wasn’t particularly outstanding when compared to Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi, or Xie Xie,
but his progress came as a wonderful surprise considering that he wielded the Bluesilver Grass.

“I cultivated too much,” Tang Wulin sheepishly said.

Even as he said this, he felt a stare boring into him from the direction of the stage. Looking up, he met
Long Hengxu’s glare and hastily straightened his posture without another word.

Xu Xiaoyan furtively glanced his way. So it’s him!

She encountered Tang Wulin twice before—the first time in the spirit ascension platform and the second
at the barbecue skewers restaurant with Ouyang Zixin—and on both occasions, he had left a lasting
impression on her.

Of all the boys her age, Tang Wulin must be the most handsome one she had ever seen. Long, delicate
eyelashes framed his large eyes, and paired with his rosy-white skin were his straight nose, supple lips,
and rounded earlobes. From beneath his beautiful exterior, he also radiated a warm energy like that of
the sun.

Clothed in the academy’s uniform, Tang Wulin seemed even brighter, and despite his tardiness, he
remained unruffled. This guy is so calm! Isn’t he afraid of being criticized?

Like everyone else, Wu Zhangkong’s eyes were set on Tang Wulin but for an entirely different reason. He
could distinctly see a luster in the depths of Tang Wulin’s eyes which signified a breakthrough, yet he
noticed no major change in soul power.

From experience, he knew this to be the best outcome. For Soul Masters, if it wasn’t a breakthrough in
soul power, then it had to be one in comprehension, which was absolutely vital in progressing further in
cultivation. Although Tang Wulin’s innate talents didn’t amount to much, his extraordinary perception
weighed far more heavily than even his mutated martial soul.

The ceremony continued without another hitch and after the customary motivational speeches, it soon
came to a close. Teachers led their charges back to the classroom where they gave their own words of
wisdom and encouragement before dismissing the students until the next day when classes would
officially begin.

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Naturally, class zero had the simplest proceedings with only four students including the newly arrived Xu
Xiaoyan.

“Introduce yourself,” Wu Zhangkong said to Xu Xiaoyan as soon as they entered their classroom.

Facing Wu Zhangkong with her usual bashfulness, she stood and said, “Hello, everyone. I’m Xu Xiaoyan.
I’m 10 years old and my martial soul is the Starwheel Ice Staff. My soul power is at rank 17.”

The corner of Tang Wulin’s mouth began to twitch when he heard her last sentence.

Noticing Xu Xiaoyan the moment he arrived, he originally thought, She’s a new student? A transfer
student? He mistakenly assumed that with his recent progress, his soul power would at least outrank the
new student’s. He didn’t expect that instead, Xu Xiaoyan’s soul power surpassed his.

Wu Zhangkong nodded. “Over the next month, you need to prove your strength and adaptability with
class zero. At the end, I will decide whether or not you will stay.”

“Yes,” Xu Xiaoyan cutely answered.

Wu Zhangkong turned to the other three. “You’ve had a month to rest, so I need to test your bodies again
as well as run another combat test. You have half an hour to meditate and prepare.” He turned back to Xu
Xiaoyan. “Same for you.”

Considering Tang Wulin’s recent near explosion from absorbing an excess of spirit energy, Wu
Zhangkong was curious about the other children’s progress; only with accurate data could he properly
plan out their curriculum. Since he knew that they wouldn’t be so lucky every time, he wanted to avoid
another similar problem cropping up in the future.

In the results that followed, however, his usual calm bearing was breached.

There weren’t any major changes in their physical strengths. Only Tang Wulin’s number observed a slight
increase, but it was nothing of note except to Xu Xiaoyan who was left stupefied.

She wanted to turn to Xie Xie and ask, Is this guy even human? Are you sure he isn’t a soul beast?

Xu Xiaoyan’s body strength was feeble to the point of being tragic, no different from an ordinary person’s.

What shocked Wu Zhangkong instead were the results of the spiritual power test.

The first to take the test was Xie Xie.

His spiritual power had surprisingly broken past 50 and was now at 59. Finally progressing from the
Spirit Origin realm to the Spirit Connection realm, he could now upgrade his spirit soul to the thousand-
year level.

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The second to go according to Wu Zhangkong’s plan was the newcomer, Xu Xiaoyan. He believed that
since the academy allowed such a physically weak girl to join class zero, her special strength must lie in a
combination of spiritual power and her ice-attribute trait.

Contrary to his expectations, however, Xu Xiaoyan’s spiritual power was at 61 points, placing her in the
Spirit Connection realm. Strangely enough, she only just barely eclipsed Xie Xie in this respect yet it
seemed to be her strongest point.

Tang Wulin went next; his results left Wu Zhangkong and his classmates utterly flabbergasted.

“212 points?” Xie Xie read out the displayed number, incomprehension clear in his voice.

“Teacher Wu, are you sure there’s no problem with the machine?” Xie Xie blankly stared at Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin was also shocked. 212 points? My spiritual power went straight from the elementary level to
the intermediate level of Spirit Connection?

The threshold for the intermediate level was 150 points while the advanced level was 350 points. Once it
reached 500 points, he would enter the Spirit Sea realm, marking a major breakthrough in his strength
that would increase by leaps and bounds. Then he would join the vast number of powerful experts at the
Spirit Sea realm.

His mediocre spiritual power had surpassed Gu Yue’s first monstrous result now. A spiritual power of
212 points was enough to make the hearts of geniuses tremble.

Xu Xiaoyan finally understood why Tang Wulin was the captain. Isn’t this too monstrous? He’s only ten
years old and has 212 points of spiritual power? Her bafflement deepened further when she considered
spiritual power’s trend of rapid growth until twenty years of age before its growth would slow to a crawl.

Having over 200 points at ten-years-old meant that even if he halted all cultivation, his spiritual power
was still guaranteed to reach the Spirit Sea realm. He would then have the foundation of spiritual power
to become a powerful figure!

“Heavens! Boss, what elixir did you drink this last month? How did your spiritual power increase by over
one hundred?” Xie Xie stared at Tang Wulin, his expression disbelieving.

Tang Wulin understood the reason behind his monstrous results since he had absorbed the spirit energy
of the Three-Eyed Demon Ape. The ape’s energy changed his spiritual power in a method that was
wrought with danger, yet he succeeded and made a breakthrough in his spiritual power.

“Gu Yue, your turn.” Wu Zhangkong’s momentary astonishment vanished, returning his expression to
normal shortly after. Similar to Tang Wulin, he presumed the cause of the tremendous growth could only
be attributed to the Three-Eyed Demon Ape.

“T-two-hundred-seventy-eight?” Once more, they were stunned, but this time by Gu Yue’s number.

880
Gu Yue clipped her chin towards Tang Wulin as if to say, ‘I’m still better than you!’

A trace of a smile crept onto Wu Zhangkong’s lips. These two brats are really starting to look like
monsters.

881
 Chapter 184 – Tang Wulin’s Thousand‐Year Soul
Ring
Chapter 184 – Tang Wulin’s Thousand-Year Soul Ring

Xu Xiaoyan had thought one month was plenty of time to prove herself but after seeing these numbers,
she finally understood how large the gap between her and the other three.

Xu Xiaoyan raised her hand. “Teacher Wu, I’d like to test my spiritual power again at night.”

“Hm?” Wu Zhangkong turned to look at her. “Does the night affect your spiritual power?”

“Mn.” Xu Xiaoyan nodded.

This had been her greatest secret, but her competitive nature dragged it out of her.

“Alright.”

“The combat test will begin in a moment. You’ll battle in pairs; Tang Wulin with Xu Xiaoyan, Xie Xie with
Gu Yue.” Wu Zhangkong instructed.

Xie Xie went silent. Gu Yue frowned and said, “Teacher Wu, that’s not fair. We have two rings, while they
only have one ring. We should pair a one ring with a two ring. How about I go with Wulin, and the agile
Xie Xie pairs with Xu Xiaoyan’s Starwheel Ice Staff? Xie Xie’s soul power is the highest after all.”

Her words nearly caused Xie Xie to be in tears. Just how much do you loathe me! Notwithstanding the fact
that my soul power is the highest, if you pair up with Tang Wulin, how am is my group supposed to fight?
In his eyes, Xu Xiaoyan was like a child brought from a previous marriage, void of any hope.

“Do as I said. Who said that a battle must be fair?” Wu Zhangkong said indifferently.

Xu Xiaoyan stood next to Tang Wulin while Xie Xie and Gu Yue stood opposite of them. A mysterious
calming aura exuded from Tang Wulin, giving her with a sense of security.

“Do you have the same aptitude as your brother?” Tang Wulin asked Xu Xiaoyan.

Xu Xiaoyan nodded. “I’m a long-ranged elemental attacker like him. My first soul skill is the same as my
brother, Ice Wheel, although my control is a bit better than his. Actually, I’m a lot more powerful at night.”

Tang Wulin smiled. “It’s a pity that it’s still daytime. Well, whatever. Try to stay behind me; I’ll protect
you. Let’s do our best together.” His impression of Xu Xiaoyu wasn’t anything good especially after the

882
incident with Ouyang Zixin, but he harbored no malice toward Xu Xiaoyan. In fact, he sympathized with
her when Wu Zhangkong had said that she only had one month to prove herself. Her situation reminded
him of the pressure he was under before his Bluesilver Grass had mutated.

“Mn, mn.” Xu Xiaoyan repeatedly nodded.

“Let’s start then. Do your best.” Wu Zhangkong said from a distance.

“Then Wulin, I won’t be polite. Wahaha!” A strange laugh left Xie Xie’s mouth and a moment later, he sped
towards Tang Wulin like the wind. It was obvious that he had spent his one month vacation improving,
not playing around as he had said.

Gu Yue raised her hand and shot fireballs at Tang Wulin while enveloping Xie Xie in the wind element.
She slowly advanced upon her opponents.

She’s firing from so far away? Would it reach us?

They were still separated by fifty meters. From Tang Wulin’s knowledge, there was no way the fireball
could fly that far.

However, Gu Yue soon displayed the might of having 278 points of spiritual power.

After flying ten meters, the fireball suddenly split into five small collinear fireballs. Each consecutive one
sped up and rammed into the one in front from behind until they compressed together into a far more
powerful and swift fireball.

It was smaller compared to the original fireball, and an orange hue surrounded it now. It shot towards
Tang Wulin’s stomach like like an artillery shell.

An ear-piercing blast tore through the air as heat mirages tailed the tangerine ball of flame.

Xie Xie nearly jumped in fright when the little flame whizzed past him.

The fireball finally arrived in front of Tang Wulin. He had never looked down upon Gu Yue’s strength.
Though he had never dueled her, he knew that she could easily restrain him, so he didn’t use his Heavy
Silver Hammers.

After his trip to Heaven Dou City, he understood now that strength stemmed from one’s self. Even battle
armor merely enhanced one’s own abilities.

His eyes flashed violet as he abruptly stepped forward with his left foot and his right fist exploded out in a
magnificent straight. Golden scales appeared in a wave on his arm while Bluesilver Grass blossomed
behind him like a peacock spreading its tail. Several strands wrapped around Xu Xiaoyan’s waist,
connecting her to him, while the remaining strands weaved together to form a protective screen.

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Boom!

His fist smashed into the fireball. A blazing explosion erupted, illuminating his sparkling golden scales.
Under the tyrannical might of his fist, not a single spark landed on his body and the remaining vestiges
were promptly obstructed by his Bluesilver Grass.

Xie Xie sucked in a deep breath while he charged at Tang Wulin.

When a brilliant purple soul ring arose from beneath Tang Wulin’s feet, his expression froze in shock.

Purple? That’s a thousand-year soul ring!

Goldlight slithered onto Tang Wulin’s left arm. Now a full foot in length, it could coil three times around
Tang Wulin’s arm.

Goldlight emitted a golden brilliance that turned all of Tang Wulin’s Bluesilver Grass gold. The grass’s
veins became distinct and the strands emitted a sapphire radiance.

Thousand-year? When did he evolve his spirit soul again? And it’s thousand-year?

Not only were the combatants flabbergasted, Long Hengxu, who had dropped by to observe, was beyond
stupefied.

Wu Zhangkong had told Long Hengxu to come watch this morning’s battle in response to his doubts over
Tang Wulin.

The moment Long Hengxu arrived, he was greeted with a magnificent violet.

It was in this split second that Long Hengxu realized that the academy’s investment into class zero was
worth it! Despite Tang Wulin only having one ring right now, it was a purple ring! This was an even better
surprise than him possessing three rings! It was guaranteed that Tang Wulin would have soul rings at the
thousand-year level and above. He couldn’t be considered a genius anymore; he was a monster! No
wonder Wu Zhangkong said class zero only accepts monsters and not ordinary people. That motto came
from Shrek Academy and is their source of confidence and strength!

The peacock tail-like of Bluesilver Grass went into a frenzy as Tang Wulin narrowed his eyes. Right this
moment, he was filled with a new and weird sensation. He could sense the vitality of each strand of
Bluesilver Grass he had released; they were all connected to his mind and he could exercise complete
control over them.

His Bluesilver Grass’s thickness hadn’t changed, but its very essence had undergone a qualitative change
during his spirit soul’s evolution. If they were said to be merely vines before, then now they were living
snakes. Each strand was quick-witted, tenacious, strong, and in his control.

This was his thousand-year Bluesilver Grass!

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Xie Xie was already within ten meters of Tang Wulin but he immediately backflipped and slashed out a
Light Dragon Blade at the sight of Tang Wulin’s transformed Bluesilver Grass. He also summoned his
Shadow Dragon Dagger.

The Bluesilver Grass knitted together in front of Tang Wulin to form a shield against the Light Dragon
Blade.

Light burst out in the clash between the Bluesilver Grass and the Light Dragon Blade. A moment later, the
result proved unexpected. Not a single scratch was apparent on the shield of Bluesilver Grass.

Sharing! Upon reaching the thousand-year level, his Bluesilver Grass gained the ability to mitigate
damage by spreading it equally between every strand.

This sharing wasn’t a soul skill, but an ability derived from Tang Wulin’s spiritual power control. The
number of strands he could spread the damage over was wholly dependent on the number of strands he
could control in that split-second.

You want to run?

The defensive formation of Bluesilver Grass instantly transformed into an array of spears chasing after
Xie Xie. Tang Wulin activated his first soul skill, Bind!

This was the thousand-year soul skill, Bind!

Strand after strand of of Bluesilver Grass weaved together to form a giant net in the air. Tang Wulin
recalled the difficulty they had with battling the Man-Faced Demon Spider and its dangerous spider webs.
With his Bind now at the thousand-year level, he could easily imitate that spider.

Control subdued agility, this was a known fact in the Soul Master world.

Before, Tang Wulin’s ability to control was weak and was completely unable to restrain Xie Xie’s agility.
Now that his first soul skill had ascended to the thousand-year level, however, everything changed.

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 Chapter 185 – The Power of Thousand‐Year
Bluesilver Grass
Chapter 185 – The Power of Thousand-Year Bluesilver Grass

Xie Xie’s response was just as swift. He instantly activated his second soul skill, Light Dragon Storm, and
spun like a whirlwind while attacking Tang Wulin.

But the Bluesilver Grass was too quick and tenacious! Each time Xie Xie shredded the grass another wave
would overwhelm him a moment later, eroding at the power of his Light Dragon Storm.

This isn’t good!

Xie Xie sucked in a deep breath. He descended from the air and launched a second Shadow Dragon Storm.
The two skills merged together, increasing its power and speed. He returned to Gu Yue, his speed so fast
that he seemed like a phantom.

The Light Dragon Storm and the Shadow Dragon Storm combined to make the Twin Dragon Storm!

This was Xie Xie’s greatest accomplishment over the last month. After all, who wouldn’t feel pressured to
improve in such an environment?

Tang Wulin was momentarily stunned. He had believed that his thousand-year Bind could easily restrain
Xie Xie, but he hadn’t expected Xie Xie to progress this much.

Xie Xie landed far away, his complexion pale at the unpleasant oppression he had felt and the massive
consumption of soul power by the Twin Dragon Storm.

Gu Yue halted her advance. She gave Tang Wulin a thumbs up, an amused smile gracing her face as her
eyes glittered.

Having known each other for so long now, Tang Wulin naturally understood her intention; she wanted to
battle seriously now.

Xie Xie dashed out from the side. As an Agility System Soul Master, he shouldn’t have charged from the
front anyway. Meanwhile, Gu Yue waved her arms and summoned an array of elemental attacks that
surrounded Tang Wulin from all sides.

If it was Tang Wulin’s previous self, he would have been hard pressed to deal with such an assault. But he
had changed. His Bluesilver Grass slithered through the air as it weaved into a large net to shield him
from the onslaught of elements. It was a battle of attrition now.

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Tang Wulin’s advantage lay in his thousand-year spirit soul which minimized his consumption while Gu
Yue’s lay in her Elemental Tide and her control of the elements, which also had a relatively low
consumption rate. Gu Yue gradually gained the upper hand in this battle with her higher cultivate base.
After all, the two were a Soul Master and a Soul Grandmaster, separated by a whole realm!

Yet, Tang Wulin wasn’t worried at all. He hadn’t forgotten that Gu Yue had no one to protect her!

Tang Wulin had completely disregarded Xie Xie—who was on the peripheral of the battle—and charged
toward Gu Yue.

As long as he took out Gu Yue, then Xie Xie would be no problem. He hadn’t even taken Xu Xiaoyan into
consideration. They had never worked together before and Xu Xiaoyan’s strength was a mystery to him,
so he had treated the battle as a one on two from the very beginning.

With his thousand-year Bluesilver Grass and his intermediate level Spirit Connection realm spiritual
power, he had infinite possibilities to attack and defend.

The sharing ability of Bluesilver Grass alleviated any fear Tang Wulin had toward Gu Yue’s six element
assault. Of course, his confidence only lasted as long as his soul power did.

With such a restriction placed on him,what he needed to do now was use a blitzkrieg strategy.

Gu Yue ran backwards to escape from Tang Wulin’s charge. Although her speed couldn’t compare with
Tang Wulin’s, each step bought her precious seconds.

She threw up her hands and made some complicated hand gestures that forth two balls of light, one
cobalt and the other crimson. Waves of unstable power rippled out as the two fused. Gu Yue quickly
threw it toward Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin would have directly crashed into the fused elemental ball had he not cultivated the Purple
Demon Eyes. Fortunately, he had and could clearly discern how volatile this fusion of ice and fire was!

She combined the two opposing elements, fire and ice? Although the fusion was unstable, he couldn’t
fathom how Gu Yue managed to reach this state in the beginning! Even though the fusion was only
temporary, its true power lay in it exploding!

Tang Wulin didn’t hesitate to command Goldlight to retreat.

Goldlight shot into the air, carefully avoiding the ball of ice and fire by gently deflecting it with a wiggle of
its tail. At the same time, Tang Wulin saw an alarming violet glint in Gu Yue’s eyes.

A wave of dizziness struck her as she lost control over the elemental ball. The ball, deflected by
Goldlight’s tail swipe, flew off to the side towards the bystanders.

Tang Wulin took advantage of this opening to close the distance between them and use Bind on her.

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Not only did the Purple Demon Eyes enhance eyesight, it could also send a powerful spiritual attack. Once
cultivated to a sufficiently high level, one could kill with just a simple look.

With Tang Wulin’s talent for Purple Demon eyes, he had made rapid progress. Though he couldn’t kill
with a glance yet, he could easily disturb his opponent’s mind.

In this state, Gu Yue’s hands moved too slowly to defend herself. By the time she regained lucidity, Tang
Wulin’s Bluesilver Grass was already in front of her.

In this moment of crisis, Gu Yue used her strongest element, disappearing in a flash of silver light. This
was her control over space!

In the next instant, the strands of grass that had swept out grabbed nothing but air.

Incredulity spread across Tang Wulin’s face. Just when he thought Gu Yue had evaded far away from him,
she appeared before him in a flash of light!

That was right, she had chosen to teleport right in front of him. She thrusted an azure palm at his chest.

Her actions had been too unexpected for Tang Wulin to even process, let alone react to! She had rushed
past his net and turned the most dangerous area into the safest area! Against all his expectations, she
charged right into his arms!

He only had one option now: to retaliate with his Golden Dragon Claw! He was confident that even if he
froze over, there was a fifty percent chance he could hit her back; but there was also a chance that she
would immediately crumble apart under his claw. This was the claw that could kill a thousand-year soul
beast!

Tang Wulin’s subconscious was in a state of chaos. His raised right arm lowered a moment later. She’s my
comrade! A loss is just a loss!

But at that instant, Gu Yue’s palm struck a white light that had enveloped Tang Wulin’s chest instead!

A chill swept out from his chest, repelling Gu Yue’s palm.

Tang Wulin didn’t let this chance slip away. He immediately summoned his Bluesilver Grass to restrain
Gu Yue.

Tang Wulin lightly pinched Gu Yue’s neck with his claw, interrupting her control over the elements.

He looked back at Xu Xiaoyan in astonishment. Her ice staff was raised and pointed in his direction and
her expression the definition of smug.

Xie Xie was the most miserable one.

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He hadn’t expected Gu Yue’s attack to come flying his way.

He had just finished his preparations to break through Tang Wulin’s defences with his Twin Dragon
Storm and join Gu Yue in a coordinated attack, but who would’ve expected that the ball of fire and ice
would out of nowhere and explode!

The violent blast let Xie Xie experience what was called two heavens of fire and ice.

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 Chapter 186 – Welcome to Class Zero
Chapter 186 – Welcome to Class Zero

The two elements worked in tandem, the ice freezing Xie Xie while the flame scorched him—a terrifying
combination. Had he not quickly reacted by using his Light Dragon Storm to mitigate the majority of the
blast, he would have ended up in a far worse condition.

Just as he celebrated his survival, an ice wheel slammed into his back out of nowhere. Disbelief spread
across his face as his body went rigid and toppled over.

Tang Wulin’s Bluesilver Grass trap untangled itself as he released one hand from Gu Yue’s neck while
supporting her with the other on her waist, thus restoring her mobility.

Their bodies were so close that Gu Yue could enjoy Tang Wulin’s clean and crisp scent. She could have
easily escaped his trap by teleporting, continuing the battle and eventually winning through guerilla
tactics. She chose instead to let him grab her, as only in close combat could she have a chance of defeating
him in one strike.

The result, however, went against her expectations. She had lost. She and Xie Xie had both lost.

The battle might have looked like Tang Wulin was fighting alone against the two of them from start to
finish, but, as observers, Wu Zhangkong and Long Hengxu had clearly seen Xu Xiaoyan’s two decisive
moves. Her actions had been made at the exact moments needed to turn the tide of battle.

This girl’s perception and control are pretty good. She supported Tang Wulin excellently. Even compared
to her peers, she is excellent!

Upon arriving at this conclusion, Wu Zhangkong met eyes with Long Hengxu and the two exchanged nods
of tacit understanding.

Long Hengxu approved of Tang Wulin, while Wu Zhangkong was beginning to approve of Xu Xiaoyan.

“You took many risks,” Tang Wulin said as he released Gu Yue.

She snorted. “I was just afraid I would hurt you. otherwise, I would have used even more elements that
you can’t defend against.”

Tang Wulin came to a startling realization. That’s right! Gu Yue can control many more elements; water,
fire, earth, wind, light and even space. Each and every one of them is powerful. Ice is an extension of
water, but it’s not necessarily her strongest ability. With her control, she could have attacked me with
three elements at once!

I went easy with my Golden Dragon Claw, but wasn’t she going easy on me too?

890
An awkward smile tugged at his lips. “You’re still the most amazing.”

Gu Yue laughed. “You’re amazing too! You would’ve injured me if I didn’t restrain you in time.”

“Ow, ow! I know you guys are busy admiring each other, but can you spare some time to help your good
friend off the floor?” Xie Xie’s painful groans interrupted their exchange. He painstakingly crawled back to
his feet with an irritated expression.

Only Xu Xiaoyan was nice enough to walk over and help him up.

Xie Xie looked at her and rolled his eyes. “Is slicing me up that fun?”

Xu Xiaoyan giggled and revealed a harmless, toothy smile.

The other two students walked over. Tang Wulin extended a hand to Xu Xiaoyan. “Welcome to class zero.”

Xu Xiaoyan accepted the handshake. “Thank you, class captain. You guys are too awesome though! The
only thing I could do was look for opportunities to aid you.”

Her words were not exaggerated. As soon as the battle begun, she found that the most she could do was
just stand there foolishly!

These guys, are they really monsters? How is this Tang Wulin’s soul ring at the thousand-year level? Isn’t
the limit for the first soul ring about four hundred years? Even if he used some heavenly treasures,
there’s no way he could upgrade it to the thousand-year level! Only at three rings do people begin to have
thousand-year soul rings!

Xie Xie’s swiftness and Gu Yue’s control over six elements also instilled an equally deep shock. She felt
utterly insignificant in front of these three monsters.

But she had keen observation skills and hadn’t acted blindly, waiting instead for the right opportunity to
act. She knew she couldn’t even hope to compare with this trio during the day, so she had to do her best
to at least leave a good impression by grabbing any chance she got to display her strength.

Opportunities would always come to those who were well prepared. Her success served to prove this
statement.

Two one-ringed Soul Masters had prevailed over two two-ringed Soul Grandmasters. The very notion of
this coming to pass was inconceivable, yet they had accomplished it.

Long Hengxu walked over to Wu Zhangkong. “Now I have more confidence in your class. I’m sure I can
persuade the president to increase your resources. Teacher Wu, is there anything you need?”

Wu Zhangkong said, “The children could use more nutritious food. Nutrients are very important at their
age. The martial soul is an extension of the body; it needs to be properly nourished.”

891
Long Hengxu forced a smile. “That wouldn’t be an issue if they all had normal appetites, but Tang Wulin is
just a glutton He can clean out all the food the first window makes!”

Wu Zhangkong indifferently said, “You’ve seen his strength and his thousand-year soul ring; do you think
they just appeared out of thin air? That he can grow so strong just from eating is amazing in and of itself.”

“I guess there’s some sense to that,” Long Hengxu muttered.

Wu Zhangkong added, “Eastsea City is rich in many kinds of seafood, of which some are highly nourishing
sacred foods. Get some for the children. They need sturdy foundations to grow.”

Long Hengxu nodded reluctantly. “I’ll tell the president. Teacher Wu, keep in mind that the president is
facing a lot of pressure because of class zero. Just counting the cost for admittance to the spirit ascension
platform, the amount of resources invested into class zero is enormous. Thankfully, things have been
successful so far; you even managed to train a monster like Tang Wulin. What the academy truly desires,
however, is glory. You understand, right? The academy wants your students to participate in the Skysea
Alliance Tournament. You should prepare for it. Even if they don’t place too high, they need to at least
amaze people and win the academy some fame. The goal is to have them win the Outstanding Newcomer
Award or the Outstanding Newcomer Group Award.”

“The Skysea Alliance Tournament?” Wu Zhangkong’s eyes flashed with comprehension and he nodded
without the slightest hesitation. “I have no problems with fulfilling their request.”

Long Hengxu stared at Wu Zhangkong in surprise. He had assumed Wu Zhangkong would refuse since the
children were only ten years old, yet he had readily accepted.

“You agree?”

Wu Zhangkong said, “The best method to temper someone is through real combat. So far, they’ve only
focused their energy on cultivating and they lack combat experience. This is a good opportunity to fix that
issue.”

“Excellent! I was worried you might not agree. I will immediately report this matter. I can guarantee
you—until the Skysea Alliance Tournament starts, your meals won’t be lacking even when compared to
those at the Shrek Academy! This time, the academy is going to spend all of its capital.”

“Good!”

“All of you, come here.” Wu Zhangkong stepped onto the arena and beckoned to the children.

The four students quickly ran over.

Wu Zhangkong nodded and turned to Tang Wulin. “You still need to practice more. There were too many
holes in your defences.”

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“Yes, Teacher Wu.” Tang Wulin couldn’t contain his excitement. Now that his soul ring was at the
thousand-year level, his combat strength and control precision had skyrocketed! He believed that after
breaking the second Golden Dragon King seal, his Bluesilver Grass would evolve once more and receive
another huge power up.

Wu Zhangkong turned to Gu Yue. “You were a bit unfocused. You should be stronger than that.”

Gu Yue lowered her head and said quietly, “But we’re teammates, not enemies.”

Wu Zhangkong said, “You’ve progressed quickly. Continue striving hard to improve. As for you…”

He turned to Xie Xie. “You’ll have to put in more effort if you want to keep up with them.”

The corner of Xie Xie’s mouth began to twitch. I really can’t catch a break! Or is it just that Wulin and Gu
Yue improve too quickly?

Wu Zhangkong finally turned to Xu Xiaoyan. “You have some ability. Just remember that you only have
one month to prove yourself. Alright, you’re dismissed for the day. Tomorrow, we’ll start training. I will
be your opponent for three fights every day.”

“Yes,” Tang Wulin, Gu Yue and Xie Xie said with bitter faces. Meanwhile, Xu Xiaoyan couldn’t contain her
excitement and eagerness towards the following day. I heard this ruthless and handsome Teacher Wu is
really strong. I wonder just how strong he is though?

“I will be using my soul skills.” Wu Zhangkong’s left after speaking these shocking words, his white robe
fluttering in the breeze.

“Sou-soul skill?” Xie Xie stammered. “Did I hear that right? Just who is Teacher Wu? Why does he need to
use soul skills against us? Did he make some mistake?”

Tang Wulin gaped in disbelief. He had personally witnessed the might of Wu Zhangkong’s soul skills and
knew that even if he suppressed his cultivation to their rank while only using Frost Scars and Frost Mist,
it was more than enough to slaughter them.

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 Chapter 187 – Forging at the Skysea Alliance
Tournament!
Chapter 187 – Forging at the Skysea Alliance Tournament!

“It seems like we need to start studying tactics properly,” Tang Wulin said earnestly.

“Let’s go, we’ll plan in our room,” Xie Xie replied.

To them, Wu Zhangkong was a goliath that they had to face.

At that moment, Tang Wulin’s soul communicator rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw that it read
“Teacher” and immediately knew who was calling.

“Wulin, come see me as soon as you’re free. I have something to talk to you about.” Mu Chen’s voice was
lower, different from his usual calm self.

“Yes. Teacher, I’m free at the moment so I’ll go right away.” Although Tang Wulin didn’t know what the
matter was, Mu Chen had always treated him well. He naturally had to show respect in return.

“Mn. I’ll be waiting.”

Tang Wulin hung up and turned to his friends. “I need to pay a visit to the Blacksmith’s Association. You
guys go ahead and talk without me. Just update me when I return. However, I’ll give you a rundown of
Teacher Wu’s soul skills first. We will most likely be facing his first soul skill, Frost Scar, and his second
soul skill, Frost Mist…”

Tang Wulin continued to explain what he had observed of Wu Zhangkong’s first two soul skills. By the
time he left for the Blacksmith’s Association in a hurry, everyone was still gaping in shock at the tales of
their teacher’s power.

Tang Wulin discovered that there were other people there as well when he arrived at Mu Chen’s office.
Apart from Mu Chen, Cen Yue and Mu Xi were also present. Mu Xi had clearly rushed over as soon as the
ceremony had finished.

“Teacher.” Tang Wulin bowed to Mu Chen.

“Mn. Take a seat.” Mu Chen pointed to the two-seater sofa in front of his desk. Cen Yue was already sitting
in one of its spots, and Mu Xi stood at Mu Chen’s side. This pampered girl stared at Tang Wulin with an
odd expression that she had never shown him before.

894
When Tang Wulin sat down, he discovered a familiar object on the desk. It was a cerulean metal with
irregular, life-like veins running through it. Depending on the angle from which one looked at it, the lines
would take on a completely different appearance.

It was the rare metal, Blue Coppertite. It had a powerful innate ability to amplify soul power, but its
internal composition was highly complex and wrought with numerous impurities. Only after being
Thousand Refined could it be used to make goods.

Tang Wulin only needed a single glance to recognize that he had Thousand Refined this chunk himself.
After all, to Thousand Refine, a blacksmith had to grow extremely familiar with the item and treat it as if
it were their own child.

“Do you recognize this?” Mu Chen said with a frown.

“Yes, I do.” Tang Wulin shot up from his seat and stood straight as a pillar. “Teacher, did I do something
wrong?”

Cen Yue awkwardly smiled at Tang Wulin. “No, it’s not that you did something wrong, but you did
something too well. Did you know that you’re quickly approaching your teacher’s level?”

“Huh?” Tang Wulin gave Cen Yue a blank stare.

Mu Chen said, “Tell me what the characteristics of Blue Coppertite are.”

Tang Wulin quickly answered, “Blue Coppertite is a type of copper alloy that is composed of thirty
percent copper, a trace of coppertite, and a variety of other trace elements. Coppertite is a special
compound and the origin of the metal’s name. It’s an excellent conductor of soul power and is even called
a soul power amplifier. Soul Masters usually choose this metal when building their battle armors, but
since it has numerous impurities and a complex internal structure, it is extremely difficult to forge. It
cannot be properly Hundred Refined and instead needs the Thousand Refinement to purify it. Only when
the properties of Blue Coppertite have been stabilized and condensed can it be considered completely
Thousand Refined. Its value—”

“That’s enough,” Mu Chen interrupted him. “Not only have we verified that this is the Blue Coppertite you
forged, we’ve also determined that it’s at the peak of the second-grade. In other words, it’s only one step
away from being a first-grade metal. Do you understand what this means?”

Tang Wulin mumbled, “More money?”

Cen Yue burst into laughter.

Mu Xi helplessly said, “Do you only have eyes for money?”

Mu Chen shot a glance of annoyance at his daughter, warning her not to say anything else.

895
Tang Wulin sunk into thought.

Is it bad if I’m focused on money? Blacksmithing is currently the only way I have to make money, and who
knows how much I’ll need in the future.

“This means that you are on the verge of Spirit Refinement.” Mu Chen’s words startled Tang Wulin out of
his thoughts of self-doubt.

On the verge of Spirit Refinement? Dazed, Tang Wulin raised his head to look at his teacher.

In a deep baritone, Mu Chen said, “Thousand Refinement is also known as Half-Spirit Refinement. This is
because, at that point, blacksmiths are able breathe life and spirit into metal which they can then shape
according to their will, improving the quality of the final product. Second-grade Blue Coppertite can
amplify the power of a battle armor part by 110 percent, while first-grade Blue Coppertite can amplify it
by 112 percent. If it were Spirit Refined, it would amplify the power of a battle armor part by 115
percent.

“This is why anyone in the blacksmithing world who can produce a first-grade metal is only a step away
from becoming a Spirit Blacksmith. I inspected the metals you handed in to complete your tasks, and
most of them were of the second-grade. This means you’re already a fourth rank blacksmith.”

Fourth rank?

These two words finally made Tang Wulin realize the significance of his second-grade products.

According to the Blacksmith’s Association’s regulations, one needed to be able to Thousand Refine and
shape two metals in a row to become a fourth rank blacksmith. Yet Mu Chen said that he was already a
fourth rank blacksmith since he could forge second-grade metals. This was the first time he had heard of
something like this.

“Do you find this strange? What I’m saying is different from the association’s regulations, right?” Mu Chen
asked.

“Mn. It’s a bit strange. I haven’t even tried forging a mecha component yet,” Tang Wulin probed.

Mu Chen sighed. “The association doesn’t have this in writing because very few people are able to forge
second-rank metals before becoming a fourth rank blacksmith, not to mention you who has a success rate
of over 50 percent. My original plan was to have you rest during this time as it might help with your
comprehension, but you’re just too amazing. You’ve really surprised all of us and made major progress!.
According to the unwritten rules of the blacksmithing world, just having a 20 percent success rate in
forging second-grade metal makes someone worthy of becoming a fourth rank blacksmith. In light of this,
congratulations!”

896
Fourth rank? That means I can accept even harder tasks that will bring in twice as much money! If I can
reach Spirit Refinement, then the money will more than just double!

Tang Wulin’s eyes began to shine.

“Isn’t this little money grubber only imagining how much money he can make now?” a gentle voice
sounded off to the side.

“Mn.” Tang Wulin unwittingly grunted in agreement, but a strange feeling came over him soon afterward.
He saw that Mu Xi was standing at his side, clearly harboring some evil plans for him.

Mu Xi let out a disdainful laugh. “Dad, just look at how immature your disciple is. All he knows is money.
He doesn’t even have a dream.”

“Be quiet,” Mu Chen said in displeasure. “You’ve always been given what you wanted, but him? If he didn’t
need money to live, would he have to care about it at such a young age? Wulin, just ignore her. There’s
nothing wrong with wanting money. We’re a business after all, and a business is all about money. It’s
good that you’re currently saving money. It’ll help when you are able to Spirit Refine.”

“Huh? Does Spirit Refining cost money?” Tang Wulin stared at Mu Chen in shock.

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Chapter 188 – Thousand Refined Blue Coppertite
Chapter 188 – Thousand Refined Blue Coppertite

Mu Chen nodded. “The rarer the metal is, the easier it is for a blacksmith to Spirit Refine it. You have to
buy your own metal when the time comes because if you fail to Spirit Refine it, the metal would become
worthless. It wouldn’t be suitable to be handed in for tasks since the value would be too low. Considering
your talent, the association will gift you some metal at that time, but you’ll still need to buy a lot of it
yourself. Every blacksmith suffers when it’s time for them to attempt Spirit Refinement.”

Cen Yue laughed mischievously. “It’s not just suffering. It took me five years to pay off my debt, and Mang
Tian still hasn’t finished paying his yet. Why else do you think he accepts so many tasks?”

Tang Wulin swallowed his saliva.

Teacher Mang Tian still hasn’t repaid his debt? Just how much does he still have?

Mu Chen shook his head. “Alright, let’s not talk about such things just yet. I called you here today for two
things. The first was to confirm your status as a fourth rank blacksmith. You need to Thousand Refine two
metals in a row and submit it. If one of them is a second-rank product, we can end your test there and
officially make you a fourth rank blacksmith.”

“Yes! Thank you, teacher.” In the end, Tang Wulin was still a child. Although the potential cost of Spirit
Refinement made him anxious, he could easily distract his mind from a matter that was so far in the
future.

He remembered that Spirit Refinement wasn’t just a forging technique—it required one to have at least
three soul rings to succeed. Considering this, Tang Wulin had plenty of time until he gained his third ring.

Mu Chen said, “You’ve earned fourth rank status much faster than I expected, so I want you to broaden
your horizons now. In the near future, the five great eastern coastal cities will be holding the Skysea
Alliance Tournament, a grand tournament that is held once every three years. There are competitions for
everyone—Mecha Masters, Battle Armor Masters, Soul Masters, blacksmiths, mecha craftsmen, mecha
designers, mechanics, and so on. The events are divided according to age. There is a division for those
aged fifteen and under, a division for youths aged fifteen to twenty, and a division for adults aged twenty
to thirty. Anything beyond that is too old. I plan to have you and Mu Xi represent Eastsea Blacksmith’s
Association in the blacksmith competition for those aged fifteen and below.”

The Skysea Alliance Tournament?

The name of the tournament itself piqued Tang Wulin’s interest. “Teacher, will I be competing with young
blacksmiths from other cities at this tournament?”

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Mu Chen nodded. “That’s correct. You only have one objective: to come back as the champion. I’m
convinced that there aren’t any blacksmiths in the fifteen and under division that will be more
remarkable than you. Don’t you want to earn money? This is a good opportunity to do that. The
champion’s prize is three million federal coins. In addition, the association will award you with ten
chunks of rare metals if you win. That should save you plenty of money when you attempt Spirit
Refinement.”

The chunks of rare metal that Mu Chen mentioned had dimensions of approximately a third of a meter on
each side.

“Okay, I’ll listen to you.” Tang Wulin was already eager for the tournament.

Teacher Mu Chen said it would be easy for me to win the championship and win a lot of money! At the
very least, it’ll be enough to pay Teacher Wu back.

Mu Chen nodded. “The Skysea Alliance Tournament is hosted by the five great eastern coastal cities. As a
result, it is also called the Grand Banquet of the Sea and the Sky. I’m absolutely certain that you will shine
brilliantly and bring glory to our Eastsea Blacksmith’s Association.”

“Yes, teacher.”

Mu Xi pouted. “Dad, I could do that even if we didn’t have him.”

Mu Chen shot her a glance. “You think you can win? Even if you’re a genius, all your competitors will also
be geniuses! With Wulin here, victory is certain. You only need to work hard and prepare to attempt the
Thousand Refinements. This time, the minimum requirement to participate is middle-grade Hundred
Refined. They will assess you more carefully after you meet this requirement.”

The Grand Banquet of the Sky and the Sea… the Skysea Alliance Tournament.

Tang Wulin carved these words into his heart.

“Let’s conduct your test then, Wulin. Mu Xi, you come along too. You can watch and learn from Wulin.”

“Mn.” Strangely enough, Mu Xi didn’t put up as much of a fight this time. She simply gave her father a cute
nod.

Only four people were present in the forging room: Tang Wulin, Mu Chen, Mu Xi, and Cen Yue. Mu Chen
personally selected two metals for Tang Wulin to forge, one of which was Blue Coppertite.

Mu Chen’s astonishment regarding Tang Wulin’s accomplishment could be attributed to two things. One
was the sheer difficulty of Thousand Refining Blue Coppertite to the second-grade. It was even harder
than forging a first-grade product using an ordinary metal. The second was the speed of Tang Wulin’s
development—it was so fast that the only thing holding him back was his soul power. Tang Wulin

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currently only had a single ring, but Mu Chen was sure that he would reach Spirit Refinement within
three years if he had three rings.

Soul power, however, was extremely hard to increase! There was nothing he could do unless he spoil
things by getting ahead of himself. The more that Tang Wulin’s talent revealed itself, the more Mu Chen
hesitated to give him any heavenly treasures that would boost his cultivation. Mu Chen didn’t want Tang
Wulin’s foundation to be unstable; it would damage his future prospects.

What was strength? What Tang Wulin currently displayed was strength. Tang Wulin’s talent for forging
was something that even a first-rate genius like Mu Chen could only spend his whole life looking up to.

The forging began.

Three crisp tones echoed through the air when Tang Wulin lightly tapped the Blue Coppertite. The
Stacked Hammers effect was occurring in full force.

Tang Wulin’s ear twitched slightly and a violet shimmer appeared in his eyes.

Without a doubt, Blue Coppertite was extremely difficult to forge. When he had previously forged Blue
Coppertite, there were countless times during the process where he was forced to use Purple Demon
Eyes to prevent failing.

The pattern that ran along the surface of the Blue Coppertite transformed, rippling with each strike of
Tang Wulin’s hammer.

This was the reason why Blue Coppertite was so hard to forge. Its internal structure constantly changed
under the pressure the Thousand Refinements. A single incorrect strike could turn it into a lump of trash.

There was no hesitation in Tang Wulin’s movements. The moment one arm rose, the other fell, resolutely
pounding the metal unceasingly.

Cen Yue’s eyebrows leaped upward. So quickly? Doesn’t he need to examine it?

Even if he were the one forging the Blue Coppertite, a sixth rank blacksmith like him would need at least
three minutes to inspect the metal before he could begin hammering. And yet, Tang Wulin never even
paused!

The intensity of Tang Wulin’s strikes continued to grow. His hammers hurtled through the air as if their
several hundred kilograms of weight was the same as a straw of rice. One after another the hammers
descended upon the metal like a storm. With the Stacked Hammers effect, a bizarre rhythm similar to that
of rain falling upon a forest of banana trees began to resonate throughout the room. It was as if a
multitude of blacksmiths were all working in harmony.

Mu Xi’s attitude toward Tang Wulin had changed significantly because of Tang Wulin’s strength.

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When one person competed with another and there was a gap in strength, jealousy would appear.
However, once that gap grew large enough, that jealousy would quickly disappear.

Mu Xi had yet to become a third rank blacksmith because she was still struggling with the Thousand
Refinements, yet Tang Wulin was already a fourth rank blacksmith! Such a gap couldn’t be closed in only
a few days.

When she saw Tang Wulin’s second-grade Blue Coppertite, the way she viewed him completely changed.
She no longer saw him as just a rival and could see his other strengths now. When she saw him today, the
first thing she that came to mind wasn’t “It’s this annoying guy again.” She actually thought, “Actually, this
guy is kind of handsome.”

Such a subtle psychological change went unnoticed by Mu Xi. Even if she did realize this change, she
would never admit it.

Mu Chen’s eyes were electric as he stared at that chunk of Blue Coppertite. He discovered that although
Tang Wulin’s strikes were swift, they also hit the exact center of the Blue Coppertite’s ripples. Tang Wulin
took advantage of the Stacked Hammers effect to withhold the strength of his strike such that the force
would be just enough. He had complete control over this chunk of Blue Coppertite.

A moment later, Mu Chen noticed the purple glow of Tang Wulin’s eyes.

That looks like…

If it really is that, it would explain a lot.

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 Chapter 189 – The Halo and the Fourth Rank
Blacksmith
Chapter 189 – The Halo and the Fourth Rank Blacksmith

The clock slowly ticked by. It was normal for the Thousand Refinements to take a few hours, but the
relentless storm of Tang Wulin’s twin hammers had already reduced the Blue Coppertite to one-third of
its original size in only a quarter of an hour. Its blue hue grew brighter and brighter while the ripples on
its surface began to slow down and stabilize.

He’s almost done?

So fast!

The Stacked Hammers effect may have helped Tang Wulin, but it was his strength, judgement, and
understanding of the metal that allowed him to finish so quickly.

Having already become one with his hammers, Tang Wulin’s concentration could not be broken.
Surprisingly enough, he was actually beginning to resemble his hammers.

Bang bang bang!

The final hammer strike descended, and an azure halo that was a third of a meter in diameter burst from
the Blue Coppertite, fusing back into the metal a moment later and disappearing.

“A halo emerged!” Cen Yue cried.

Only metals at the second-grade and above could release a halo. Furthermore, the appearance of a halo
signified the degree to which spirit was imbued into the metal. This was the origin of the name, “Half-
Spirit Refinement.”

That halo just now wasn’t an ordinary second-grade halo! Cen Yue wiped cold sweat from his forehead.
Did this boy just forge a first-grade metal? Is he trying to astonish us even more?

Mu Chen’s eyes lit up. He raised one hand to stop Tang Wulin and used his other to grab the metal. “You
don’t need to do anything else. We’re ending the test here. You’ve succeeded at Thousand Refining a
second-grade Blue Coppertite and officially passed the fourth rank test.”

Since Tang Wulin could forge a second-grade Blue Coppertite, they didn’t even need to check if he could
do the same with lesser metals.

“It isn’t of the first-grade?” Cen Yue asked Mu Chen.

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Mu Chen shook his head. “It falls a bit short, but it’s nearly there. You’ll make a lot of money off of this
Blue Coppertite the next time you accept some tasks. Go back and prepare for the Grand Banquet of the
Sea and Sky. It begins in one month.”

“But… teacher, don’t I still need to attend class?” Tang Wulin asked.

Mu Chen said, “You don’t need to worry, the association will help you take care of that. You need to spend
the remaining time forging. I’ll continue to teach you once a week. It seems like I need to start teaching
you the technique needed to forge first-grade metals.”

Tang Wulin smiled. “Yes, thank you, teacher.”

“I’ll go with you.” Mu Xi took the initiative to accompany him back to the academy.

After the two left the Blacksmith’s Association, Mu Xi suddenly pinched Tang Wulin’s cheek.

“Ow! Senior disciple sister, what are you doing?” Tang Wulin complained.

Mu Xi snorted. “I’m checking if you’re even human. Isn’t everyone supposed to be equal? You don’t have
another face, so how are you able to progress so quickly?”

“Senior disciple sister, I don’t have a second face,” Tang Wulin said in embarrassment.

Mu Xi suddenly became all smiles. “I know. Can I talk to you about something? If no one ends up being
better than me at the Skysea Alliance Tournament, can you let me win? I’ll give you the prize money too,
and then you’ll have the money for both first and second places. I’ll even give you the metals that are
awarded as well. How about it?”

Tang Wulin stared at her in a daze. “Okay.”

Okay? Mu Xi thought she misheard him. He agreed so easily?

“Hey, do you even understand the significance of the Skysea Alliance Tournament? How can you agree so
easily?”

Tang Wulin said, “It’s just fame. The difference between first and second place can’t be that large anyway.
If I can earn more money by giving up first place for second place, then I’m all for it!”

“I’m convinced now—you really only think about money!” Mu Xi smacked the top of his head lightly. “I’m
just joking with you. If I stole first place from you, dad would kill me!”

A trace of a smile appeared on Tang Wulin’s lips. “Teacher wouldn’t do that. He actually looks at you with
doting eyes. I’m serious, senior disciple sister. If no one is better than you, I’ll give you first place. I’ll be
taking that prize money though.”

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Tang Wulin’s earnest insistence left Mu Xi in a daze. “I don’t want you to do this for my dad.”

With her intelligence, she immediately realized what Tang Wulin intended. He was doing a favor to Mu
Chen.

Tang Wulin shook his head. “It’s not what you’re thinking. Teacher once said that the tallest tree in the
forest will be ravaged by the wind. I’m still very young, so what do you think would happen if I reveal that
I’m already a fourth rank blacksmith? I’m still a long ways from three rings and Spirit Refinement, so
what does first place even mean to me? If I just take second place, then I can keep a low-profile while
earning some money.”

Mu Xi curiously asked, “Can you tell me why you need so much money?”

Tang Wulin forced out a bitter smile. “My cultivation path is a bit different from other people. I need a lot
of heavenly treasures to continue evolving my martial soul. My strength comes from that evolution. You
know that my martial soul is Bluesilver Grass. Take a look!”

Tang Wulin raised his right hand and summoned his golden scales.

The sight of the golden scales left Mu Xi speechless. She slowly raised a finger and tapped on the scales,
creating a sharp metallic tone.

“This is why you’re in class zero? This is the source of your strength?” Mu Xi asked in disbelief.

Tang Wulin nodded.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell my dad?” Mu Xi asked suspiciously.

“I don’t intend to hide this from teacher!” Tang Wulin said.

“Forget about it, then!” Mu Xi nodded at Tang Wulin’s answer in satisfaction. “I’ll look out for you in the
academy from now on. If anyone dares bully you, just tell me their name.”

Tang Wulin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Senior disciple sister, what are you saying? I don’t get
into fights anyway.”

“You don’t get into fights? Who was it that sent his roommates flying out of their second-floor window on
the first day, hm? I can’t seem to remember…”

“Me…”

“Oh, right, do you like Zixin?” Mu Xi asked suddenly.

Tang Wulin was blindsided by this question, and his face immediately went beet red before he waved his
arms in denial. “N-No! No, I don’t! I don’t…”

904
“Hahaha! Look at how flustered you are! Aren’t you usually super calm? I understand. You’re confused
about the matters of the heart and are trying to deny it, but it’s clear that you like her! Just what are you
learning at such a young age?” Mu Xi pinched his face over and over.

Tang Wulin was distressed. “I really don’t! Senior Sister Zixin is just a really nice person, and we
frequently run into each other during our morning jogs. Even if I did like her, it would be because she’s so
pretty and gentle. I can appreciate those qualities, you know! Don’t go having any weird thoughts!”

Mu Xi raised her eyebrows. “So you’re saying that I’m not pretty or gentle enough for you to like… and
you don’t appreciate me?”

Tang Wulin was still a ten-year-old child, so how could he hope to win an argument against a developing
young lady? Mu Xi was fourteen years old this year and was far more mature than him.

“I-I…” Tang Wulin gawked at her, speechless.

Isn’t that right though? You’re not gentle at all!

Tang Wulin had to admit Wu Xi was pretty, but he would never say so out loud.

After pinching Tang Wulin’s face a bit more, Mu Xi was satisfied.

Bullying him is even more fun than being cold to him! Her mouth curled into a wicked smile.

They soon arrived at the academy and Tang Wulin let out a sigh. He flew back to his dorm while rubbing
his aching cheeks, the sound of Mu Xi’s witch-like cackling chasing after him.

“The Skysea Alliance Tournament?”

Tang Wulin mentioned the tournament during lunch and immediately caught Xie Xie’s ear. He hadn’t
realized just how much Xie Xie knew about the tournament!

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 Chapter 190 – Starwheel Ice Staff
Chapter 190 – Starwheel Ice Staff

“That’s amazing! There are eighteen first-class cities in our federation and they’re divided into the five
regions—the north, the east, the south, the west, and the center. Each region has a few major cities, but
the center region only has two: Heaven Dou City and Shrek City. Even though that’s less than the other
regions, these two cities make up for it with their influence. Our eastern region actually has five first-class
coastal cities that form the Skysea Alliance. Eastsea City is ranked second among the five.

“The Skysea Alliance Tournament is held every three years to scout excellent geniuses and check out the
strength and development of all the cities. Naturally, those who show the most talent are practically
guaranteed to shine brilliantly in the future. The most outstanding people may even be chosen to
represent the Skysea Alliance in the federation-wide tournament that’s held every five years! That’s a
grand tournament that involves the entire continent! Have you seriously never heard of this before?”

Tang Wulin awkwardly scratched his head. He really hadn’t heard of this before! Who would even
mention such a thing in a small town like Glorybound City? Even if someone had, he would have been too
young to remember it.

“Isn’t the federal tournament usually held in Shrek City?” Xu Xiaoyan asked, staring at Tang Wulin in
shock as he inhaled all of the gourmet food before him.

“That’s right! It’s held in Shrek City. Fortunately, Shrek Academy doesn’t participate in that tournament,
otherwise, the results wouldn’t be suspenseful. It’s been the number one academy on the continent for
the past ten thousand years after all.”

Xu Xiaoyan grew excited. “Doesn’t that mean we have a chance, then?”

Her words made Xie Xie dispirited. “What chance? We’re still too young. I looked it up a long time ago.
The federal tournament is being held next year, and we’ll only be eleven years old then. According to our
age, we would be put into the ten-to-fifteen division. Considering that we’ll only be eleven years old, we
would be at a severe disadvantage. We would be facing the continent’s greatest geniuses after all! And
that’s assuming we even qualify to enter. In order to qualify, we would need to participate in this year’s
Skysea Alliance Tournament and place in the top six of our age group. Next time the federal tournament
is held, we’ll be sixteen years old and get bumped up to the fifteen-to-twenty division. It would be strange
if we did well in that tournament. We really were born at the wrong time.”

Tang Wulin continued to gorge himself as he said, “Don’t worry about rankings. It’ll be fine as long as we
gain some experience and knowledge. You don’t have to be so determined to win.”

Gu Yue said, “Who cares if we’ll be eleven? Who said that an eleven-year-old can’t be the champion? If you
don’t have believe in yourself, who will believe in you? If you want to do it, then do it.”

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Finishing her speech, Gu Yue stood up to put her tray away.

Xie Xie’s mouth curled in disdain as she left. “She’s talking as if we’re actually going to participate in the
Skysea Alliance Tournament. Aren’t you the only one participating, Wulin?”

Tang Wulin couldn’t be bothered to speak anymore; today’s meal seemed more filling than usual.

That was some delicious seafood!

Tang Wulin had grown up on the coast, yet he had never eaten such amazing seafood. Aside from the
mouth-watering flavor, an indescribable feeling of warmth spread throughout his body when the food
entered his stomach.

After lunch, all of them gathered to discuss Wu Zhangkong’s strength and what tactics they could use to
restrain him.

As for victory over Wu Zhangkong… they had never even considered it. Their only goal was to survive
against him as long as possible.

Tang Wulin was confident about today’s combat training since his Bluesilver Grass had become so
powerful after reaching the thousand-year level. Furthermore, Goldlight could finally play an active role
in battle. If it hadn’t been for Goldlight, Tang Wulin would have been too focused on neutralizing Gu Yue’s
explosive ball of fire and ice to defend against her follow up attack.

In his opinion, Gu Yue’s greatest strength lay in her control over the element of space. She could teleport
all over the battlefield with it and employ a myriad of different battle tactics.

They eventually came to the simple conclusion that they could only prolong their survival by working
together.

“Xiaoyan, you said you’re even stronger at night, so can you show us after dinner?” Tang Wulin wanted a
thorough understanding of his new teammate to further develop their teamwork.

Xu Xiaoyan hesitated for a moment before saying, “Okay.”

In truth, her family had specifically warned her not to reveal her unusual power. However, now that she
came face to face with the greatest geniuses of Eastsea City, she simply felt too powerless during the day.
She knew that staying in class zero depended on whether or not she could obtain the approval of her new
classmates.

For this reason, she only needed a moment of thought before agreeing.

If I don’t show my strength, how am I supposed to fit in with these geniuses? There’s no way I can match
them with just observation skills and precise control!

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☀

Night fell soon after they finished dinner.

The four classmates were walking toward a grove in the corner of the fields.

Regardless of whether it was Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, or Gu Yue, all of them were curious about what change
Xu Xiaoyan would experience at night. Throughout the Douluo Continent, fantastical martial souls of
every description could be found. If it was possible, then it likely existed. For example, Gu Yue’s martial
soul allowed her to control six elements. This was something that had never been heard of before, so just
how unique was Xu Xiaoyan’s martial soul?

Inside the gloomy grove, Gu Yue raised her hand and summoned a resplendent golden light, illuminating
their surroundings.

Anticipation welled up in Xie Xie. It was only natural since they were quietly doing mysterious things in a
forest at night.

Xu Xiaoyan stepped forward and looked toward the stars. This grove’s canopy was nowhere near as lush
as the one in the spirit ascension platform, so starlight easily pierced through it.

Specks of starlight twinkled in the sky. She nodded once. “I’m starting.”

She raised a hand toward the sky while a yellow soul ring rose from beneath her feet and a slender ice
staff appeared in her hand.

The golden light from Gu Yue’s hand struck the ice staff, giving it a holy aura with a golden glow.

Xu Xiaoyan’s expression turned grave. She raised the staff higher as light burst from her eyes.

“The stars in the heavens that shine forever tranquil, grant me strength! My starwheel!” Summoned by
her gentle call, the tip of her staff suddenly began to shine, and a golden beam of light descended from the
heavens!

An orb of light instantly appeared at the tip of the staff. It gradually changed to become a six-pointed star
of golden light.

This is…

A variant martial soul?

This possibility instantly popped into Tang Wulin’s mind. Furthermore, it was a mutation that could be
controlled!

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Xu Xiaoyan’s aura transformed the moment the starwheel appeared, changing from weak and delicate to
confident and bold. She seemed more refined and pure under the sparkling starlight.

Specks of starlight even found their way onto her soul ring, and a golden star adorned her forehead.

With a wave of her staff, the starwheel shot out and embedded itself at Xie Xie’s feet.

In that moment, Xie Xie felt his body seize up as a chill permeated his body, stealing away his mobility.

The starwheel grew bright, then exploded into icy shackles around his body.

Xie Xie quickly circulated his soul power in a bid to resist, but he was shocked to discover that there
seemed to be some sort of mysterious seal on him that slowed his circulation.

This…

Xu Xiaoyan’s complexion paled and she looked toward Tang Wulin. “I can draw upon the starwheel’s
strength at night, so my martial soul is called the Starwheel Ice Staff. It’s different from my big brother’s
ice staff. The Starwheel Ice Staff is a special variant martial soul that has been passed down through my
clan since ancient times. It’s been several hundred years since someone last awakened it. The power of
the starwheel will grow with me, so whatever spirit soul I fuse with will influence the starwheel.
However, I can only display its full strength at night. I’m just an ordinary Soul Master with an ice staff
during the day, but at night, I am blessed by starlight.

“The starwheel is separate from my ice attribute and is actually an astrological attribute that lets me
draw power from the stars. The strongest aspect of the astrological attribute is how absolute it is. With
my current strength, I can use the starwheel to seal one person for a minimum of one second, but it also
depends on my target’s strength.”

How terrifyingly absolute.

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 Chapter 191 – Requesting a Match
Chapter 191 – Requesting a Match

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue exchanged glances, and their eyes mirrored the other’s current emotion: shock!

An astrological attribute? They had never heard of such a thing before, but its power was evident. Xie Xie,
the one with the highest cultivation among them, had his soul power sealed for five seconds.

Five seconds was a lot of time in which they could accomplish a great deal! Not even Tang Wulin was
confident that he could resist Xu Xiaoyan’s starwheel.

“Can you still fight after using the starwheel at full-strength?” Gu Yue asked.

Xu Xiaoyan shook her head and smiled bitterly. “Nope. I won’t be able to move once I use the starwheel,
otherwise, the seal will unravel and its power will weaken. This ability is best used in coordination with a
team. However, according to my clan’s records, the astrological attribute will gain more abilities as my
cultivation progresses. It’s almost like a second set of soul rings—as if I had twin martial souls.
Unfortunately, during the day I’m pretty weak and can only use my ice staff.”

As expected, greater strength came with greater restrictions. Xu Xiaoyan couldn’t move when she used
her starwheel, nor could she launch any other attacks. Worst of all, it could only be used at night! These
restrictions were just excessive, but even so, this ability’s potential in a team setting was amazing! They
could turn the tides in the crucial moments the starwheel bought, enabling them to seize victory!

They could do a lot in a single second.

“I swear on my great aunt… that’s amazing!” Xie Xie said bitterly.

A sweet smile graced Xu Xiaoyan’s lips. Her Starwheel Ice Staff lit up for a moment, and the golden light
and icy shackles on Xie Xie quickly disappeared. In truth, she couldn’t sustain the seal any longer. If her
opponent was too strong, it would be very costly to maintain such an absolute seal. If her opponent
struggled against those shackles, they might be able to easily break free after a second or two.

Tang Wulin gave Xu Xiaoyan a big thumbs up. Her first soul skill, Starwheel Shackles, was a great addition
to the team.

It was a mystical martial soul found on the mystical Douluo Continent! Sure enough, nothing was
impossible in this land.

“It’s a pity that we don’t have any way to change day into night, otherwise we might’ve been able to give
Teacher Wu a nice surprise,” Xie Xie said with a trembling body.

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His body still felt a bit stiff. Those shackles were a fusion of astrological and ice attributes after all. It
couldn’t possibly have been comfortable to be restrained by them.

Tang Wulin smiled. “It doesn’t matter. We can find Teacher Wu and spar right now. There’s no way he
will refuse.”

He exchanged looks with Xie Xie, and a wicked glint immediately appeared in the depths of their eyes. Xie
Xie couldn’t bear to be the only one on the receiving end of such a sinister ability.

One second of absolute sealing… Hehe. Maybe we’ll be able to surprise Teacher Wu.

In the next moment, the four sat down cross-legged in tacit understanding and began meditating.

“All of you want to challenge me right now?” Wu Zhangkong stared at his four students, flabbergasted.

“Yes! Please give us pointers,” Tang Wulin said earnestly.

“Let’s go then.” Wu Zhangkong nodded. It was already late into the night and was lights out for the dorm.
Instead of the designated combat arenas, he brought them to the training fields. Regardless of whether
these children were looking for trouble or had a surprise in store for him, he would gladly entertain them.

A silent darkness hung over the field. Wu Zhangkong walked to the field’s center and gently removed his
white robe. “Come.”

Tang Wulin said, “Teacher Wu, you’re so powerful. Shouldn’t you suppress your strength while battling
us? The strongest one of us only has two rings, so why don’t you restrict yourself and only use those two
rings as well?”

Wu Zhangkong narrowed his eyes. He was an adult, and if he couldn’t even guess what kind of schemes
these children came up with, he wouldn’t be fit to call himself a teacher. From the way these kids were
speaking, he could clearly tell that they had challenged him with victory in mind!

He was well acquainted with the strength of three of them. Xu Xiaoyan, however, was still a mystery.

“Alright,” Wu Zhangkong answered coldly.

Tang Wulin and his teammates exchanged looks, immediately jumped backward, and got into formation.

As usual, Tang Wulin was in the front with Xie Xie beside him. Gu Yue was right behind him, and Xu
Xiaoyan positioned herself behind Gu Yue.

The four of them now moved as one.

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Soul rings rose from beneath their feet, even more resplendent in the dark of night. Tang Wulin’s purple
soul ring shone the brightest of all of them, as if it were a noble among commoners.

Strand after strand of Bluesilver Grass appeared in the surroundings, sheltering the comrades behind him
while golden scales appeared on his right arm in a burst of light. Tang Wulin released a low growl and
ferociously charged Wu Zhangkong, immediately using his first soul skill, Bind!

Hundreds of strands of Bluesilver Grass whistled through the air, a display of the thousand-year soul
skill’s monstrous might. A roaring tempest arose the moment Tang Wulin launched his assault. One
strand of Bluesilver Grass had sneakily launched Xie Xie into the air. The moment that he arrived above
Wu Zhangkong’s head, he angled his body and descended upon his teacher. He didn’t hold back at all and
immediately initiated with Twin Dragon Storm.

But it wasn’t just a two-pronged attack. A wind blade, a fireball, and an icicle flew through a small crack in
the barrier of Bluesilver Grass! They converged on Wu Zhangkong—Xie Xie was just the opening act!

They knew that one thing was certain: the longer they waited, the slimmer their chance for success would
be. If they wanted to succeed, they had to immediately launch an all-out attack!

Wu Zhangkong stood rooted in place, merely raising his Skyfrost Sword and gently pinching its tip with
his other fingers. In the face of the children’s attacks, he remained still like an immovable mountain. Not
even a flicker of emotion appeared on his face. It was as if there were nothing in this world that could
affect him.

The moment the onslaught reached Wu Zhangkong, he suddenly lashed out with his Skyfrost Sword. An
azure halo that seemed to possess some sort of limitless gravitational force formed around him. The halo
pulled Gu Yue’s elemental attacks inside of it, ripping control of them from her hands.

It was simple and effective, two things Wu Zhangkong excelled at.

The Twin Dragon Storm easily drilled through the elements, but Wu Zhangkong’s move had done its
job—the might of Twin Dragon Storm had been greatly diminished.

Wu Zhangkong’s eyes flashed with a violet hue, and Tang Wulin defended with his own Purple Demon
Eyes. It was futile, however, as a wave of vertigo struck him, and the Bind slowly unraveled.

Just how shameless is Teacher Wu? He’s actually using the Purple Demon Eyes! He might not be using the
full extent of its power, but that’s still so shameless!

This thought faded as quickly as it had appeared, and Tang Wulin charged again with renewed vigor and
an entourage of Bluesilver Grass.

Wu Zhangkong swung his Skyfrost Sword. Its previous dignified aura had been replaced with blinding
speed. Hundreds of sword waves shot out, accurately chilling and cutting through the slithering mass of

912
Bluesilver Grass. It was just a single slash, yet hundreds of sword waves appeared! Each one clashed
against the strands of Bluesilver Grass and kept them at bay.

In a split second, Tang Wulin had been cut off from his teammates. However, he still continued rushing
toward Wu Zhangkong.

The Twin Dragon Storm finally descended from the sky, but Wu Zhangkong disappeared in a blur. After-
images of him appeared all around the field as he evaded with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.

In the beginning, Xie Xie could follow Wu Zhangkong’s movements and adjust his assault accordingly, but
soon his teacher’s movements proved too fast for him to keep up with. By the time he touched the ground
with his Twin Dragon Storm, his aim had been thrown off. His attack met nothing but air.

A wave of frost flew out and Xie Xie reflexively tried to defend against it with his Light Dragon Dagger. His
strength was already exhausted, however, and he was immediately sent flying.

913
 Chapter 192 – Victory!
Chapter 192 – Victory!

At that moment, Tang Wulin arrived before Wu Zhangkong so that two were facing each other.

Choosing not to fall back, Tang Wulin attacked Wu Zhangkong with his radiant Golden Dragon Claw!

Even if Wu Zhangkong had suppressed his cultivation to their level, he didn’t have a single opening or
weakness. Yet, in this single battle, he made a stunning choice.

Icy mist exuded from him as sword waves burst forth and quickly weaved together to form a net, forming
a protective barrier.

And at that moment, a golden six-pointed star appeared beneath Wu Zhangkong’s feet while shackles of
ice shot out of it and latched onto his body.

A metallic screech resounded. Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon Claw had seized the sword wave net and
crushed it! With the improvements in his cultivation and the aid of the Mysterious Heaven Method, Tang
Wulin could maintain his Golden Dragon Claw for a full twenty seconds.

But the results were far from his expectations!

Though the Starwheel Shackles had activated at just the right moment, Wu Zhangkong’s stalwart defense
exceeded their calculations! It had deflected the shackles within the split-second, and while Tang Wulin
had been able to crush the net, he had received backlash as well.

The might of the sword wave sent a tremble down his spine and forced him to step back.

This single step back had broken his offensive stance. Wu Zhangkong’s eyes lit up and the ice shackles on
his body splintered before falling to the ground. Despite the fact that he had suppressed his cultivation to
two rings, his two rings and theirs were as different as the heavens and the earth due to his application of
compressed soul power. The Starwheel Shackles could only last two seconds before his overwhelming
strength.

The Frost Scars had fended off Tang Wulin for two seconds and now that he was freed, Wu Zhangkong
pointed his sword at him.

But at that instant, Wu Zhangkong saw Tang Wulin smile. He instantly had a bad premonition and
unleashed another Frost Scar net without hesitation.

However, he was too late.

A palm gently landed on his back and an explosive tempest of fire and ice bombarded him!

914
A layer of protective frost instantly coated his body, but it was not enough to prevent him from staggering
forward from the blast. He released his full might, sending the four children flying.

His icy expression cracked, revealing an unsightly face!

“Woohoo!” Xu Xiaoyan was the first to celebrate!

That was right! They won!

In the last minute, Wu Zhangkong had clearly revealed a strength far beyond two rings in order to protect
himself.

He withdrew his Skyfrost Sword. Considering his status, it was impossible for him to admit his defeat so
instead, he asked indifferently, “Whose plan was this?”

Tang Wulin snickered. “Teacher, it’s mine.”

Wu Zhangkong nodded. “Very good. We’ll continue again tomorrow. And this time, I’ll use three rings. Of
course, this also means I’ll be using my three corresponding soul skills.” He turned around and left after
dropping this bomb, his white robe fluttering in the wind and his aura as glacial as ever.

The excited four children froze with shock and disbelief written all over their faces.

Three rings? Three rings is vastly different from two rings! It’s the same as comparing the Hundred
Refinements to the Thousand Refinements!

They had thought that their victory would spare them tomorrow’s training or cause Wu Zhangkong to
alter their training program. What they had not predicted was that not only would their dreams be
crushed, they had summoned forth a nightmare instead…

“Boss, this wasn’t part of the plan!” Xie Xie was on the verge of tears.

In their strategy, Xie Xie was cannon fodder used to distract Wu Zhangkong. In fact, they had even told
him directly that he would be cannon fodder.

Wu Zhangkong definitely wouldn’t have believed that Xie Xie was their main assault force. However, the
Twin Dragon Storm possessed a terrifying power against those of the same rank, forcing Wu Zhangkong
to divert a part of his attention to dealing with him.

Tang Wulin had taken many things into consideration when he drafted up their battle plan. He had
known that Wu Zhangkong would be skeptical if they suddenly challenged him during the night. With Wu
Zhangkong’s thorough understanding of the three’s strengths, his suspicions would naturally fall onto Xu
Xiaoyan.

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The ingenuity of Tang Wulin’s plan lay in misleading Wu Zhangkong. With Wu Zhangkong’s character, he
would naturally assume that the entire team was set up so that Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon Claw would
make the final strike.

The truth was, they really had set up their formation like that.

From Tang Wulin’s very first attack to Xie Xie’s descent from the sky and Gu Yue’s coordinated assault,
everything had been building up to that one claw.

But their plans had been exposed too quickly. Tang Wulin’s claw was uncovered, and his Bluesilver Grass
was repelled by Frost Scars. Even so, the grass had done its job. All it had to do was conceal the actions of
Xu Xiaoyan and Gu Yue at the rear!

Gu Yue had begun preparing her fire and ice explosion barrage the moment she unleashed her first wave
of elemental attacks. Her preparations had only been able to finish without interruption thanks to the
masking effect of the thousand-year Bind.

In the final moment of the battle, Wu Zhangkong had relaxed after freeing himself from the starwheel’s
restraints even though Tang Wulin had broken through his defense. Everything had gone according to his
predictions of the children’s plans and sure enough, they had figured a way to disturb him. He had
assumed that they had exhausted all of their means.

And the minute he relaxed his guard, Tang Wulin’s dragon claw would shoot out!

It would have been the decisive strike!

As Wu Zhangkong thought that, the explosion of fire and ice blasted him in the back.

Not only had he suppressed his soul power down to their rank, he had also restrained his spiritual power,
diminishing his awareness substantially. This was the reason why he hadn’t noticed the true plan devised
by these children. If he hadn’t released his full strength at that last moment, there was no doubt that he
would have suffered some injuries.

The children’s plan had been perfect. Not only had they coordinated their abilities impressively, they had
even exploited the fundamental character flaw of their opponent. After realizing how detailed their plan
had been, Wu Zhangkong needed to know who had devised it. The fact that such a brilliant plan had been
hatched by a ten-year-old child meant the child possessed indescribable potential.

Unseen by the children, a smile tugged at his lips as he left.

As a teacher, how could he be dissatisfied with such amazing students? Xu Xiaoyan’s Starwheel Shackles
had also left a deep impression on him. It had completely sealed his soul power for an instant—a truly
terrifying ability.

It seems they’ll be giving the academy and I a nice surprise at the Skysea Alliance Tournament.

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☀

The children sullenly returned to their dormitory and into their beds, dreading the next day. The
Starwheel Shackles couldn’t possibly have much effect on a three-ringed Wu Zhangkong. What were they
to do? All they could do now was play by the ear.

Their intense lives of studying and cultivating resumed once more.

Xu Xiaoyan quickly found her place in the team. Not only was she was clever and working well with the
team, she was also bright and adorable, the exact opposite of Gu Yue. Due to her pitiful strength during
the day, she always worked hard to improve herself. What left Tang Wulin helpless, however, was how
talented she was. Her soul power had increased to rank 18 in just one month, while he still struggled to
reach rank 17. Even with the Mysterious Heaven Method, his cultivation speed was extremely slow.

“Tomorrow we’re going to Skysea City,” Wu Zhangkong announced. “Tang Wulin, stay behind after class.”

We’re going to Skysea City? The largest city on the east coast?

The four students looked at each other in confusion. Xie Xie was the first to give in to his curiosity. “Are
we going there to watch the Skysea Alliance Tournament, Teacher Wu?”

Wu Zhangkong looked at him. “You’re participating, not watching.”

Participating?

Xie Xie went wide-eyed at Wu Zhangkong’s words. We’re participating in the Skysea Alliance
Tournament?

Wu Zhangkong waved them out, forcing Xie Xie, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan to leave in a daze.

Tang Wulin stood up, waiting for Wu Zhangkong to speak.

“The academy told me that the Blacksmith’s Association wants you to participate in the blacksmith’s
competition at the Skysea Alliance Tournament. Is that true?”

“Mn.” Tang Wulin nodded.

Wu Zhangkong said, “I did some research. It shouldn’t conflict with any of our class’s matches, so it
should be fine.”

“Oh.” Tang Wulin acknowledged. “Teacher Wu, what competition are we participating in?”

Wu Zhangkong said, “The three-man team event in the juvenile division. The Skysea Alliance Tournament
is very large and will have countless events. Obviously, there will be events for soul masters, but they’re
divided into individual and team competitions. Team competitions are either groups of three, five, or

917
seven. You should pay close attention to the seven-man matches. You, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue will form a
group and participate in the three-man team competition with Xu Xiaoyan as a substitute. As the team
captain, you need to think about how you will obtain good results in the team competition, as well as the
blacksmith’s competition. Your goal is to become the champions.”

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 Chapter 193 – For the Money!
Chapter 193 – For the Money!

“Champion? But we’re still eleven! Xie Xie told me that we would have to compete against people who are
ten to fifteen years old. That’s a bit…”

Wu Zhangkong coldly said, “Age does not determine one’s strength. You just need to try your best. The
outcome is not the most important thing, understood?”

“Yes,” Tang Wulin answered.

“You can leave now. Go prepare for tomorrow’s trip to Skysea City. All of the participants from Eastsea
City will be leaving together, so you don’t have to worry about meeting up with your colleagues from the
Blacksmith’s Association.”

“Yes.”

For the past month, Tang Wulin had been entirely focused on preparing for the blacksmith’s competition.
Although he could not yet forge a first-grade metal, his success rate for second-grade metals had already
risen to more than eighty percent. Even among other fourth rank blacksmiths, such a success rate was
rarely seen.

As Mu Chen had said, Tang Wulin’s inability to forge a first-grade metal was not due to a lack of
understanding, but a deficiency of soul power.

Soul power was the foundation of soul masters, and it was also crucial to blacksmiths. The higher one’s
soul power, the higher the chances of imbuing spirit into metal during forging. Even if he was a divine
genius in the realm of blacksmithing, his status as a one-ringed soul master would only hinder his
advancement in the craft.

According to Mu Chen’s guess, Tang Wulin would immediately be able to forge first-grade metals once he
possessed two rings.

His training menu under Mu Chen did not change; it was still focused on solidifying his foundation in
preparation for the future. After all, he was still young and did not need to take risks in order to achieve a
first-grade Thousand Refined creation.

What Tang Wulin had not expected, however, was that they would be one of the teams representing
Eastsea Academy and they would be competing in the junior division for the soul master team battles, no
less.

Although he was shocked, he was also eager for combat.

919
Locked within an abyss of suffering for the past month, Tang Wulin t had not visited the spirit ascension
platform even once. Instead, he faced Wu Zhangkong in battle every day. He would rather face a ten-
thousand-year soul beast than fight Wu Zhangkong; after all, he had personally witnessed his teacher
slaughter a ten-thousand-year soul beast as if it were just a walk in the park!

The only fruit that was born from that night’s victory was an escalation in the intensity of their training.
Even while combining their forces and utilizing the dirtiest of schemes, they could not hold a candle to a
three-ringed Wu Zhangkong. As the team captain, Tang Wulin took the brunt of Wu Zhangkong’s attacks,
each battle leaving him covered in bruises and cuts.

Yet, it was precisely because of such harsh circumstances that their coordination and soul power
improved so quickly.

Tang Wulin could sense that he was but one step away from reaching rank 17 now.

However, his intense cultivation schedule conflicted with his forging practice leading him to be unable to
meet his task quotas. Naturally, his income tanked.

Whenever Tang Wulin thought of the Skysea Alliance Tournament, his pulse would pound incessantly
and his eyes redden until they were bloodshot at the thought of the award money that would solve quite
a few of his current problems.

Now that he was a fourth rank blacksmith, his potential income skyrocketed and he had been able to
clear his debt to Wu Zhangkong. His wallet wept at its empty pockets.

“Teacher Wu.” Before walking through the door, Tang Wulin suddenly spun around. “Is there an award
for participating in the tournament?”

Wu Zhangkong stared at him. “If the team performs well, there will be one. Although there is a monetary
award given to the top thirty-two, the sum only becomes significant once you breach the top sixteen. As
for receiving an endowment from the academy, all of you are already draining the academy’s resources
dry. Especially you. Your food expenses are nearly enough to feed the entire intermediate division. Tell
me, do you still want a reward?”

Tang Wulin dared not speak out. Instead, he stuck his tongue out like a little rascal.

But was the truth not spoken? He knew that he was just shoveling in that high-class, nutritious food that
aided in his cultivation, seemingly to no end. Obviously, the expenses for such nourishment were high.
With all that healthy food, his cultivation was progressing at a magnified rate, even to the point where
preparing to break through the second seal seemed more feasible than ever

The fact that he could even eat such delicious food often brought him joy.

920
“Teacher Wu, can I participate in the individual competition then? Maybe I’ll be able to enter the top
thirty,” Tang Wulin probed. He could not afford to let a single lucrative opportunity slip away.

His attitude toward money had changed after all the pain and suffering he went through just to be able to
purchase his first spirit soul. If he had more money back then, then he would not have been forced to
settle for a trash spirit soul.

Since then, Tang Wulin vowed to rake in the money in the future, to the extent where he would never
have to worry about making ends meet.

If Mu Chen ever discovered his disciple’s true reason for forging, he would have hopped up and down
from rage.

“If you’re not worried about being tired, then you can go ahead,” Wu Zhangkong answered with an
apathetic edge.

Tang Wulin said, “As long as the schedules don’t in conflict, I’m confident I won’t get tired. I’ll have to
inconvenience you to help me sign up then.” At the very least, the boy had some faith in his strength.
Although he did not wield two rings as of yet, he did hold a thousand-year soul ring! His thousand-year
Bluesilver Grass was a major source of confidence for him.

When he returned to the dormitory, Tang Wulin found his friends already at the door waiting for him.

“How was it? What’s the situation?”

Faced with their inquiries, Tang Wulin quickly briefed them on his conversation with Wu Zhangkong.

“I’ll join the individual competition too,” Gu Yue said earnestly.

Xie Xie loftily said, “Me too!”

Xu Xiaoyan shook her head. “I think I’ll pass. The competition isn’t held at night, and even if it was, I lack
the confidence. Participating as a substitute in the team competition is enough for me.”

A mischievous smile appeared on Xie Xie’s lips. “Say, if we really do become the champions, do you think
Shrek Academy will come scout us? Maybe they’ll invite us to join them?”

The corner of Xu Xiaoyan’s mouth twitched ever so slightly. “Quit dreaming. Even if we do win first place,
it’s still just an unremarkable three-man competition at the Skysea Alliance Tournament. Use your
common sense and think about what sort of status they have. I heard that there have never been more
than one hundred students part of the inner court of Shrek Academy at a time, and each and every one of
them is a monster. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a pond of dragons and a den of tigers. I also
heard that even the chairman of the federation personally pays a visit to Shrek Academy’s president

921
twice a year. If Shrek Academy hadn’t maintained a neutral stance during the three continent’s feuds, do
you think the Star Luo Continent and the Heaven Dou Continent would still exist?”

In shock, Tang Wulin asked, “Is Shrek Academy really that great?”

With utmost seriousness, Xu Xiaoyan said, “That’s right. My family told me that it’s a place completely
separate from the world of us normal people. Shrek Academy recruits students once every three years,
and each time there are less than one thousand people qualified to apply. It would be a small miracle if
more than one hundred people are accepted at a time. In fact, sometimes only twenty or thirty people are
accepted. But of those students, only one in ten can enter the inner court. It’s quite obvious just how high
their standards are.

“ Shrek Academy’s unfathomable quality is not something we have the privilege of understanding.”

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie both exchanged a look. Although it was impossible for them to know what Shrek
Academy was like, there was bound to be someone who did!

Teacher Wu! Don’t the rumors say that Teacher Wu came from Shrek Academy?

If the admittance standards for Shrek Academy are that high, then just how amazing is Teacher Wu?

Tang Wulin said, “Even so, this is a great opportunity for us. Don’t think too much about getting a high
rank everyone; just do your best and gain some good combat experience. As long as we don’t give up,
we’ll definitely have a shot at entering Shrek Academy one day!”

922
 Chapter 194 – Setting Off for the Tournament
Chapter 194 – Setting Off for the Tournament

“Let’s do our best, guys!”

Tang Wulin was the first to reach out a hand. Gu Yue placed her hand on top of his, before quickly
grabbing Xu Xiaoyan’s hand so that it rested on hers.

Although he was an agility-type soul master, Xie Xie’s reaction lagged behind the rest and he was the last
to join in. He glared daggers at Gu Yue. “Just how much do you loathe me!”

Gu Yue thought it over for a moment, then flashed a smile. “About as much as one would loathe a
housefly.”

“You!”

Night crept by without a peep. Once the rays of the sun pierced through the horizon, Wu Zhangkong and
the four students departed from the academy. Their destination: Eastsea Square located at the city’s
center.

Tang Wulin and the others wore Eastsea Academy’s uniform. This time, Director Long Hengxu joined the
children and Wu Zhangkong.

There was another team representing the academy apart from Tang Wulin’s group, though they were
from the advanced division.

The latter team would be participating in the fifteen to twenty youths division. Tang Wulin spotted a
couple of familiar faces among the crowd. The first was Xu Xiaoyan’s older brother, Xu Xiaoyu. To his
surprise, the other one was the beautiful senior sister he met during his first days at Eastsea Academy,
Liu Yuxin.

It was clear that Liu Yuxin hadn’t spared him a thought. Instead, her gaze was glued on the face of a man
with fluttering white robes, never letting him out of her sight. Her eyes were practically in the shape of
hearts.

“Xiaoyan, let me know if they try to bully you.” Walking past the four students of class zero, Xu Xiaoyu
showcased a display of force.

Xu Xiaoyan rolled her eyes at him. “Just worry about yourself. At least make it through the preliminaries
this time.”

923
At such a statement, Xu Xiaoyu’s expression stiffened. “Of course. Everyone on our team has at least three
rings this time. We’ll definitely achieve a good result.” They were participating in the team competitions
as well. This was not just any team event. It was the most illustrious one—the seven-man team
competition.

The corner of Xu Xiaoyan’s mouth twitched.

From the conversation between the two siblings, Tang Wulin could infer at least that Eastsea Academy
held some hope of glory at the tournament. In fact, their chances of attaining victory were pretty high.

As Eastsea City was ranked number two among all the cities in the east coast, achieving glory and
maintaining their status was a crucial goal and a touchy subject.

In truth, Tang Wulin’s guess hit the nail right on the head. While Eastsea Academy was Eastsea City’s only
intermediate soul master academy, its students were not particularly outstanding.

The Skysea Alliance Tournament was so large that it required not just the five first-class cities on the east
coast to host it but had even summoned the aid of some second and third-class cities. Eastsea City had
produced dismal results for a first-class city in the previous tournaments. Both the academy and the city’s
government lost much face.

It was no wonder that Long Hengxu’s proposal to create a ‘class zero’ for their newly found geniuses was
approved so quickly.

If things continued on like this, then Eastsea City’s prestige would definitely suffer. The city’s bustling
economy might also be adversely affected, plummeting the markets. The academy was placing their bets
on a group of ten-year-old children this time, hoping that they would showcase the city’s potential at the
Skysea Alliance Tournament while also gaining the support of the city’s government.

After all, they were only ten years old. Their future was limitless.

Crowds of people and luxurious soul busses assembled at Eastsea Square to set off together.

“Hey, why are you so late?” Mu Xi jogged over to Tang Wulin and grabbed him by the ear.

“What are you doing?” Before Tang Wulin could speak up, Gu Yue swatted away Mu Xi’s hand and stood
protectively in front of him.

Stunned, Mu Xi stared at Gu Yue in a daze before bursting out in laughter. “Not bad! Tang Wulin, you’ve
already become a deviant at such a young age. Who is your little girlfriend?”

“No, no! Senior disciple sister, don’t say such nonsense.” Mu Xi’s voice had been particularly loud,
attracting the attention of those around them like bees to honey. With the proverbial spotlight shining on
him, Tang Wulin flushed as red as a tomato in embarrassment.

924
His handsome looks, coupled with his rosy-red, abashed face tempted Mu Xi to pinch his cheeks.

“Wow. You’re bringing so many people with you?” Ignoring Gu Yue, Mu Xi asked Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin said, “We’re participating in the junior division’s soul master’s team competition.”

“The soul master’s team competition? You guys?” She did not try to hide her disdain at all.

“What about us?” Xie Xie said indignantly.

Mu Xi sneered. “It’s nothing much. Just that we’re also entering the junior division of the soul master’s
team competition. Do you guys still think you have a chance?” As she spoke, three soul rings appeared
from beneath her feet.

Yellow, yellow, purple! She was a three-ringed Soul Elder!

Mu Xi was currently a fifth year in her second semester, so she was four years older than Tang Wulin. At
fourteen years old, she just barely qualified for that division’s age limit.

Mu Xi said, “We’ll also be entering as a three-man team. Our goal is the top eight. There are currently
thirty-six east coast cities competing in this tournament with over one hundred participants, and the first
two rounds are knockout competitions. Can you guys even pass the first round?”

At their age, every single year signified a great gap in strength.

Tang Wulin went silent.

Even though they had beat Xu Xiaoyu once before, they had to admit it was due to Xu Xiaoyu’s
carelessness and their strength in numbers.

Yet in this coming tournament, they would be facing the most powerful of their peers. There would even
be those that were older than them. Against such formidable opponents, just what kind of hopes did they
have?

“Alright, don’t be discouraged. I’ll treat you guys to a meal after the first round.” Mu Xi rubbed Wulin’s
head then whispered into his ear, “You might not have a chance at the soul master’s tournament, but you
can definitely rank high in the blacksmith one. I’ll be cheering for you when the time comes! Go become
the champion!”

Since the time Tang Wulin had agreed to give up first place for her, the thorns in their relationship had
blunted.

Tang Wulin nodded helplessly. She really knew how to surprise people.

925
The square was in chaos as the representatives of every association participating in the tournament
organized themselves.

There were even representatives from other academies.

The Skysea Alliance Tournament had numerous events, including mecha and battle armor competitions.

Like how Eastsea City held an embarrassing position in the alliance, the Skysea Alliance were ashamed of
their rank in comparison to the rest of the continent. Although their economic status was unrivaled,
whether it were battle armor masters, mecha pilots, mecha technology, or the quantity and quality of soul
masters, they ranked near the bottom in all of these elements.

The cities that dominated these categories were the Sun Moon City and Heaven Dou City. As for Shrek
City, it could neither be evaluated by the Federation properly nor be put on the same scale as the others.
Basically, Shrek City exceeded their comprehension.

“The teachers and students of Eastsea Academy, board your bus now.” Hearing this, the teachers began
leading the students onto the sixth bus.

Without a single break in her stride, Gu Yue sauntered forward and kicked Xie Xie out of the way,
plopping down on the seat beside Tang Wulin. Xie Xie could only settle for the next best thing and sat
next to Xu Xiaoyan. Unfortunately for him, however, Xu Xiaoyu picked him up and stole the seat beside his
sister.

“You…” Xie Xie was annoyed, but he could do nothing against the much stronger Xu Xiaoyu. He resigned
himself to sit beside Wu Zhangkong. After descending into his seat, he felt countless eyes stabbing his
body as the surrounding women glared as though they wanted to rip him to shreds.

I don’t want to sit here either!

Xie Xie immediately stood up to find another seat.

“Don’t stand up if you know what’s good for you.” Wu Zhangkong’s cold voice sounded.

Xie Xie didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Is this counted as provoking whoever I meet?

The Xu siblings sat right behind Tang Wulin and Gu Yue. As he stared at Gu Yue, a scowl materialized on
Xu Xiaoyu’s face.

After facing defeat at the hands of Gu Yue, indignation and depression had filled his heart. As time
progressed though, Gu Yue appearing in his dreams more and more frequently. Every once in awhile, Gu
Yue’s face would pop up in his conscious mind.

She is so young, yet possesses such power and an amazing martial soul. Just how formidable will she be
once she matures?

926
This girl piqued his curiosity, as well as some of his other sentiments.

Xu Xiaoyu was easily considered an outstanding elite in the advanced division, but that was just within
the walls of the weak Eastsea Academy. He would be entering an advanced academy in a year, walking on
his chosen path in life. Despite aspiring to be a battle armor master, he struggled with the fact that this
was an exceedingly difficult occupation. In particular, the process of making battle armor required more
than just money. Not only would he have to pour his all into cultivation, he would also need to divert his
time and energy into battle armor research. He was already seventeen years old; though his potential was
not lacking, it was unknown whether he had it in him to realize such a goal.

927
 Chapter 195 – Sleeping to Rank 17
Chapter 195 – Sleeping to Rank 17

If he could not obtain a suit of battle armor for himself, then he would just have to settle with becoming a
mecha pilot.

There was a reason battle armor masters were recognized as the strongest—the path to becoming one
was difficult and few ever succeeded.

The chances of failing were simply astronomical. In order to craft a battle armor successfully, one needed
to accomplish multiple steps: refine rare metals, forge them, create a design, craft it, and then maintain
the final product. The troubles of obtaining and owning battle armor were tenfold to that of mechas.

To obtain a suitable mecha, one only needed to hire a capable mecha designer and craftsman. But
regarding battle armor, this process was much more convoluted; one needed to be personally involved in
the creation of one’s battle armor. This was to determine the most suitable path such that the armor
becomes an extension of one’s body.

Such a feat was not something just anyone could accomplish. It was a taxing road. Hardly any battle
armor masters could create a complete set of battle armor even after ten whole years of painstaking
work. Even if they did somehow finish a set by then, they might find that their growth during the years of
forging rendered their final product obsolete. Once again, one would have to start anew. The act of
creating battle armor truly was a form of torment.

If too much time was spent on developing the battle armor, then one’s cultivation may fall behind. When
that happens, they would become even weaker than a mecha pilot. However, mechas were also
tremendously powerful and their gigantic bulk gave them many options.

For these reasons, Xu Xiaoyu decided on specializing in mecha control. He would walk down the path of
becoming a mecha pilot when he entered an advanced academy.

I might not have much hope of becoming a battle armor master, but I wonder if she can pull it off? She
already has two rings at ten years old and will definitely hit three rings by the time she turns fifteen. I
can’t even compare to her in terms of potential!

He did not feel any jealousy toward Gu Yue. In fact, he was confused by his own turbulent sentiments.

Tang Wulin leaned against the window, resting with his eyes shut as he attempted to calm his muddled
heart. Mu Xi’s words still lingered within his mind. He had witnessed her strength before when she
wielded only two rings, but now, she already possessed three. Yet with her strength, she only aimed for
the top eight position.

928
They’re so strong, but what about class zero? I’m the sole one-ringed contender among our main force.
Although our teamwork is great and I’m confident in my strength, there is still a significant difference in
cultivation between our teams. That’s a gap we can’t bridge quickly enough.

The ones who rank the best will receive a reward.

Like Tang Wulin, Gu Yue was also resting quietly with her eyes closed.

A tense atmosphere permeated the bus as some occupants sent hushed whispers to one another. Other
more courageous students chatted loudly. Like this, the bus slowly shrank into the distance, leaving the
square behind and gradually speeding out of Eastsea City.

Those in the bus showed glimmers of optimism as soon as they left the city bounds, entering the highway
and accelerating onward.

The soul highway utilized a combination of maglev and soul technology, allowing the bus to safely
maintain high speeds up to half of soul train’s. For shorter distances, the bus was more suitable than the
train.

As Tang Wulin’s eyes slowly opened, he took the time to observe the breathtaking landscape flitting by.

On the east was the ocean. Since the highway was built right on the shore, the azure sea stretched out
infinitely beside him, unburdening his heart and relaxing his spirit.

Tang Wulin could not help but recall the times he visited the beach with Na’er to enjoy the scenery
together. Back then, he had pulled her by the hand to gaze at the sea, watch the sunrise, and collect
seashells. If luck smiled down on them, they would also catch some large crabs to bake and eat.

“Na’er!” Tang Wulin softly called out.

“Hm? Wulin, you…” Gu Yue turned to him in surprise.

Turning toward her voice, he was met with her astonished expression. He gave a half-hearted smile and
shook his head. “I’m fine. Just thinking about my little sister. I don’t know how she’s doing right now or
whether she’s happy. I bet if she knew I’ve become a soul master, she would be really happy for me.”

Gu Yue nodded, a slight smile tugging at her lips. “Of course she would. Would you like some water?” She
brought out a bottle from her backpack.

“Huh? Okay. Thank you.” Tang Wulin twisted open the bottle’s cap and took a few gulps of water. The
water was pure and tepid, relieving both his throat and heart.

After Gu Yue retrieved the bottle from him she took a few drinks herself, paying no mind that he had just
drunk from it.

929
Tang Wulin stared at her, flabbergasted. The light shining through the window met with her cheek, giving
the illusion of sparkling purity. She’s actually so pretty…

Gu Yue tilted her head and beamed an oblivious smile at him. “What’s with you?”

Tang Wulin pulled the curtains quickly over the window, shrouding the entire space with shade. “It’s too
bright right now. That’s bad for your eyes.”

Gu Yue placed the bottle back into his hands then leaned her head against his shoulder. “I’m sleepy. Let
me lean on you, okay?”

Tang Wulin did not know what to do. You’re already leaning on me. How am I supposed to reject you?

It seemed she really was sleepy for her breathing soon steadied as a relaxed smile appeared on her lips. It
was as if to her, leaning on him was particularly comforting.

After sucking it up as Gu Yue’s personal pillow, Tang Wulin started to feel the lull of slumber. Even though
he had already shut the curtains, the warmth and coziness did not dissipate!

Unwittingly, he closed his eyes. Immediately, his fatigue from constantly cultivating washed away.

Totaling about four hours in travel time, the trek from Eastsea City to Skysea City was a prolonged one.

Tang Wulin slept through the whole trip and would have likely continued sleeping once they arrived had
Xie Xie not called for him.

“You two sure are enjoying sleeping, huh! You’ve slept the whole trip!” Xie Xie slyly shot his gaze from
Tang Wulin to the waking Gu Yue.

Gu Yue stood up to stretch her body before turning back to pinch Tang Wulin’s shoulder. “Is it numb?”

Tang Wulin shook his head. “It’s fine.”

That was a really nice nap. I don’t think I’ve ever slept that well in my whole life. Circulating some soul
power within his body, he noticed that it seemed to have sped up while flowing more smoothly than ever.

This change signified a breakthrough; he had finally broken through to rank 17!

A strange expression stretched across his face. He had been struggling to break through the bottleneck to
rank 17 these past few days but never had he expected to wake up in success.

While his foundation was mediocre, he had progressed from rank 11 to rank 17 in the past year. Such
speed was simply astonishing.

930
As if only natural, Gu Yue chose to lead them to exit while Tang Wulin and Xie Xie trailed behind her. For
no apparent reason, warmth filled his heart as he took in her figure.

Partner? Little sister? He did not know why, but Gu Yue’s kindness reminded him of Na’er.

Skysea City and Eastsea City were similar in that they both were situated on the coast, boasting a
beautiful landscape and the continent’s largest harbors and docks. The Federation’s navy was stationed
right outside of Skysea City. The silhouette of a gigantic cruiser anchored out at sea entered the eyes of
some.

Because of the great military forces stationed there, Skysea City was considered the top ranked city on
the east coast. The area was of utmost strategic importance comparable to major cities inland.

Ordinary people would enter military service once they turned eighteen, and for those within Skysea
Alliance’s domain, Skysea City’s navy was the first pick.

Tang Wulin still had many years before he turned eighteen. As a soul master, he had some level of
influence over his military service. This, of course, did not take into account his status as a fourth rank
blacksmith. Fourth rank blacksmiths were considered members of the elite, enjoying a lofty position.

For now, Tang Wulin could not see much of a difference between Skysea City and Eastsea City. As they
approached the city’s core, skyscrapers piercing the clouds came into view, passed by the magnificent
harbor. Several types of advanced equipment and facilities lined the harbor, all of which Tang Wulin
struggled to name. The harbor smelled of trade.

931
 Chapter 196 – Struggle to the End!
Chapter 196 – Struggle to the End!

“Yes.” Tang Wulin, Mu Xi and a few other youngsters said respectfully.

In the sea of green that was this group of blacksmiths, Mu Xi stood out brightly as a speck of red—the
only woman among them.

After listening to Cen Yue’s warnings, Tang Wulin and Mu Xi set off.

“Good luck, junior disciple brother!” Mu Xi rubbed Tang Wulin’s head and pinched his cheeks before
releasing him.

Helpless to the pinching, Tang Wulin began to miss her frigid disposition. At least back then, his cheeks
were spared.

He could feel the shift in atmosphere at their hotel as the start of the tournament drew near.

Nearly all of the hotel’s patrons were here for the event. Besides participants from Eastsea City there
were also numerous people from other places, all preparing hastily.

When he returned to his room, Tang Wulin was greeted by Xie Xie’s tremendous snoring, the culprit
already sound asleep. Starfished on the bed, he barely resembled a human.

Tang Wulin descended on his own mattress. Instead of pulling at the coattails of slumber, he sat cross-
legged and peered out the window. His gaze wandered past the sharp edges of the deep blue sea,
zigzagging across the surface to no end. The rush and ebb of the tide granted him a peace of mind. He shut
his eyes slowly and began meditating.

Like how the most inept bird in a flock must fight tooth and nail for a worm, he could not squander any
opportunity to cultivate. Blacksmithing, on the other hand, was not a problem. As Cen Yue had informed
him, finding anyone who could surpass his craft at his age was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Although he would be advancing through the competition with Mu Xi, Tang Wulin understood that when
the final rounds approached he would need to carefully make a decision. If Mu Xi seemed to have a shot at
becoming the champion, then he would yield the spot to her. However, in the event that Mu Xi could not
proceed, he would remove his handicap, aiming for victory instead.

As for the soul master’s competition, he could not shake off his nervousness. Despite being considered
pretty formidable among his peers, he would be facing soul masters several years older than him in the
Skysea Alliance Tournament! The difference in cultivation from a single year was tremendous. He could
only imagine what a gap of five years would be like.

932
While wielding three rings, Mu Xi only hoped to place in the top eight. He possessed one ring and his
teammates held two at most. Just how far could he hope to go?

At the very least, we can’t lose in the knockout phase! That would be too depressing for both us and
Teacher Wu.

I’ve got to do my best! Struggle to the very end!

Tang Wulin dispelled such distracting thoughts. Regardless of what happens, I’ll persevere!

The opening ceremony of the Skysea Alliance Tournament was held in Skysea Stadium. It was the largest
stadium in the Skysea Alliance, boasting a maximum seating capacity of eighty-thousand people.

For the economic bloc that was Eastsea Alliance, the Skysea Alliance Tournament was a grand occasion
that the entire federation paid attention to. Outstanding geniuses would emerge each time the
tournament was held.

In reality, the Skysea Alliance Tournament’s original goal was to filter through the masses for geniuses to
raise. Then they would be groomed into pillars of the alliance.

Within the Federation existed a myriad of factions, with the Skysea Alliance as one of the most
prominent. Economic-wise, however, it stood as one of the Federation’s major players.

In spite of its economic power, the Skysea Alliance was not satisfied. Although it was easy to jumpstart
the economy, building a sturdy foundation was a different story. Not to mention, they had started
developing later than other regions. The continent’s mainland was filled with major cities, each
possessing thousands to tens of thousands of years of history. These cities were littered with countless
ancient clans that raised powerful geniuses with profound backgrounds.

Due to its difference in history, the Skysea Alliance was woefully deficient in talents. In fact, the quality
and quantity of its geniuses were beginning to decline.

All of the powerful experts were found inland. Only able to boast of its economic might, the Skysea
Alliance could not be considered powerful by any means and hovered around the continent’s middle
levels of prominence.

But how could the Skysea Alliance resign itself to lose in power and prestige? In a bid to select and grow
talents, the Alliance established the Skysea Alliance Tournament roughly two hundred years ago. They
offered not only a generous amount of prize money but some unique prizes as well. This way, the talents
would receive the support needed to further pursue their paths, which would bolster the Alliance’s
strength.

At the crack of dawn, representatives from the various cities flooded into the stadium.

933
The arena was gigantic, hordes of people teeming within as far as the eye could see. The terrace had long
since been filled with spectators. It was Tang Wulin’s first time in such a grand stadium. Excitement
permeated the air as the opening ceremony proceeded. Surrounded by so many taller people, Tang Wulin
could hardly see what was happening. He could only hear a few encouraging words that marked the end
of the ceremony.

Next came the drawing of lots for the various competitions.

This matter was handled by the teachers, leaving class zero twiddling their thumbs.

A platform materialized at the center of the arena. Immediately the mood erupted as if an ocean of gaiety
poured in.

“What are they doing?” Tang Wulin asked Xie Xie.

Xie Xie answered, “Right, you wouldn’t know about this. They’re about to hold an exhibition match. I
heard they paid an enormous sum to invite some powerful people from Shrek Academy this time. Their
opponents will be the champions of the seven-man team competition from the last tournament. The
Alliance is doing this to show everyone the gap between our strengths. Though, I’m not sure if this is the
best decision.”

Gu Yue cut in from the side, “Why do you think so?”

Xie Xie simply shrugged. “Isn’t it obvious? Within a certain range, the gap in strength can be encouraging,
but once the gap surpasses a certain level, it transforms into a chasm. It’ll be an insurmountable reminder
that only discourages people.”

A giggle escaped from Xu Xiaoyan’s lips. “You sure know how to explain things. You’re just a child and
you’ve already thought it out. Don’t you think the Alliance’s higher-ups would have come to the same
conclusion? I bet they have some plan in place on how to handle this.”

“I’m starving. Does anyone have anything to eat?” A voice sounded out suddenly.

Tang Wulin turned toward the source of the noise and saw a little fatty scurrying about the crowd, asking
random strangers for food as they passed by.

“Huh. Another glutton has appeared.” Xu Xiaoyan absentmindedly said.

Xie Xie coughed. “Xiaoyan! You really have a way with words.”

Xu Xiaoyan realized her indiscretion. She hastily pursed her cherry-red lips and stuck out her tongue.

Tang Wulin didn’t mind the quip since there was no denying he was a glutton. He walked toward the little
fatty.

934
“Here, eat this.” Tang Wulin handed him some dried fish.

Due to his high energy consumption, Tang Wulin always carried some snacks on him like dried fish, beef
jerky and other portable foods loaded in protein and calories.

“Thank you, thank you.” The little fatty’s eyes lit up at the sight of the snack. He immediately began
devouring it while nodding in satisfaction.

Seeing the little fatty eating so happily, Tang Wulin couldn’t help but feel a similar urge overtake his body.
Unable to fight it, he started nibbling on some fish too.

“It’s pretty tasty! There isn’t any dried fish as good as this where I’m from. Thank you, big brother.” The
little fatty looked around Tang Wulin’s age and had a way with flattery.

“You don’t need to call me big brother. My name is Tang Wulin. You might even be a bit older than me.
How old are you?” Tang Wulin asked.

The little fatty said, “I just turned ten. How much older than me are you? There’s no way you’re younger,
right?” He stood half a head shorter than Tang Wulin.

935
 Chapter 197 – The Students of Shrek
Chapter 197 – The Students of Shrek

Tang Wulin smiled. “Then I should be about half a year older than you. What’s your name?”

The little fatty said, “My name is Xu Lizhi, but everyone just calls me Little Glutton. You can call me by that
nickname too.”

A bitter laugh escaped from Tang Wulin’s lips. “We still don’t know for sure who’s the real glutton
between the two of us, so I’ll just call you by your name. Are you here to participate in the competition
too?”

Xu Lizhi nodded. “Yeah, that’s right! It’s really nice here. This is my first time seeing the sea so I’m
planning on going for a swim later. Can you tell me what sorts of delicious seafood there are?”

He really is a glutton! Activating his storage ring, Tang Wulin retrieved another piece of dried fish for him.

“There are tons of delicious seafood here. These include briny sea urchins, tasty sea cucumbers, and
scrumptious bluefin tuna. Oh right, there are also eels that taste as sweet as honey. If you’re in the mood
for something different though, I recommend the goldhair crab; it beats the king crab at taste by a
longshot. Even the meat is more tender. Now, if you’re in the mood for lobster, you can’t go wrong with
the eastsea lobster from Eastsea City. It might be a bit pricy, but the meat is simply exquisite. The skysea
lobster might have firmer meat, but its nutritional value is quite lacking. Not to mention, it’s a pain in the
butt to chew.” Tang Wulin explained effortlessly like a food connoisseur.

Xu Lizhi’s eyes grew brighter as he listened to Tang Wulin’s summary, swallowing down a gulp of saliva.
“Great! This is great! So, after the competition is finished, do you mind showing me around? I’m already
itching to try them all.”

Tang Wulin said helplessly, “It’ll depend on the time, but here’s my communicator number. You can call
me about this later.” He doubted the Skysea Alliance Tournament could have prepared a meal big enough
to satisfy him and already assumed he would need to hit the streets later for some grub. Therefore,
having a fellow foodie tag along was not a hassle.

Just as the two finished exchanging soul communicator numbers, an icy but pleasant voice called out.
“Little Glutton, how did you run all the way over here? All you know is how to eat. Hurry up and come
back.”

Tang Wulin and the Little Glutton, Xu Lizhi, turned toward the voice. The speaker was a girl around Xu
Lizhi’s age, dressed in the same green exercise clothes as him. In comparison to Xu Lizhi’s fat-filled form,
her clean-cut silhouette brought out the best in the clothes. Her golden hair was combed up into a

936
ponytail, accentuating her large, bright, blue eyes framed by long eyelashes. They were nearly on par with
Tang Wulin’s. Her skin glistened under the light, tender, and white.

Although she was likely Tang Wulin’s age, her face was a mask of stone compared to his, as if she were a
little adult.

Upon the sight of her, Xu Lizhi was like a mouse facing a cat. He stood straight and said earnestly, “Big
Sister Xinglan, I know I made a mistake but I’m still starving! You know right? If I don’t eat enough, then I
won’t have any strength!”

“Let’s go.” As the girl was waving Xu Lizhi over she noticed Tang Wulin nibbling on dried fish beside him.
Disdain colored her words. “Don’t just eat anything you get from a stranger! Don’t you know how many
bad people there are nowadays?”

Xu Lizhi’s chubby face twitched for a moment before he turned back to face Tang Wulin, gesturing that he
would call him later. He swiftly ran off, obediently following the girl.

Tang Wulin rubbed his face absentmindedly. Do I look like a bad guy?

“Who was that just now?” Xie Xie asked as he walked over. With just one glimpse of the blonde girl, his
breath had nearly been taken away.

Shrugging his shoulders, Tang Wulin replied. “I don’t know either. I was just chatting with Xu Lizhi about
food.”

Suddenly, an announcement was broadcasted.

“Today marks the start of the Skysea Alliance Tournament. We have invited a team specially from Shrek
Academy to exchange pointers with last year’s champions. Accounting for the gap in strength, this match
will be held between different age groups. The contenders are last year’s youth division champions of the
seven-man team competition and Shrek Academy’s seven-man team from the junior division. Now, will
both sides please come on stage.”

The youth division against the junior division?

Tang Wulin’s eyes shifted to stare at Xu Xiaoyan. Everything was going according to her predictions. Sure
enough, the higher-ups of the Skysea Alliance had considered the difference in strengths and came to this
conclusion. However, if the youth division lost to the junior division…

What happened next shocked Tang Wulin even further.

The representatives of the Skysea Alliance arrived on the platform. Since they were the winners of the
previous tournament, they were now all over twenty years old and should be placed in the adult division.

937
There were five men and two women clad in silver team uniforms, standing with confidence and valiance
imbued in their hearts. Their synchronous movements illustrated their rigorous training while their eyes
shined with excitement.

But that wasn’t what truly caught Tang Wulin by surprise. When the delegation from Shrek Academy
arrived, he didn’t recognize the frontmost five people. They all wore green sportswear and were about
fourteen to fifteen years old. Nevertheless, behind them were two people he could identify. In fact, he just
met them not too long ago! Isn’t that the little fatty Xu Lizhi and that Xinglan girl? They were far younger
than the rest of the team and immediately caught everyone’s attention.

“Huh. Hey, it’s those two! Why are they up there on the stage?” Naturally, Xie Xie recognized them too.

Dumbfounded, Xu Xiaoyan said, “Our ages are the same, yet the gap between us is so great!”

That’s right! We’re all just ten years old yet they’re already fighting in an exhibition match. More
importantly, they’re representatives of the legendary Shrek Academy!

Even the usually level-headed Tang Wulin couldn’t help but admire and envy them. No wonder that
Xinglan girl was so arrogant. She has the power to back it up! Just how strong are they though?

They’re only ten years old; could they actually possess three soul rings?

The two sides greeted each other courteously. The team of seven from the Skysea Alliance towered over
the students from Shrek Academy, a manifestation of their age gap.

After all, there was more than a difference of five years between them!

A fifteen-year-old boy lead the Shrek Academy’s team. Though his looks weren’t particularly flattering,
his temperament held an indescribable quality. He stood tall and astute. Simply by taking a few steps
forward, he drew the attention of the whole stadium.

Tang Wulin’s eyes were peeled in anticipation of the match. It was seven versus seven, the most common
form of team battles. In the last 10,000 years, this formation proved to be the optimal setup for a team of
soul masters.

The two groups on stage were the cream of the crop from two different generations, especially the
youngsters from Shrek Academy. It was a mystery to all just how powerful they were. Unwittingly, Tang
Wulin already began comparing himself to them. For those with ambitions, it was important to set a high
goal.

Both teams gave simple self-introductions, revealing the arrogant little girl’s name. It was Ye Xinglan, a
good name.

An old man served as the referee. With his profound air, after a single glance anyone would know his
strength was not shallow.

938
“Now, let the match begin!”

The stage wasn’t particularly large, spanning less area than class zero’s arena. There hadn’t been enough
time to build a grander one and as such it was only fifty meters in diameter. Occupied by only fourteen
people, the area didn’t seem too crowded. Even so, there wasn’t much space to maneuver.

Right as the referee announced the start of the match, Shrek Academy broke into action.

Surprisingly, the first to make his move was Xu Lizhi.

With a wave of his arm, two yellow soul rings appeared under him. Mysterious objects flew out of his
hands as his first soul ring lit up. Because he was so far from the arena, Tang Wulin couldn’t see what
were thrown. Yet for some reason, he thought they resembled steamed buns.

Xu Lizhi’s six teammates each consumed one of the objects. The female teammate beside Ye Xinglan
roared as three soul rings materialized beneath her feet. Two were yellow and one was purple—the
optimal soul ring configuration. Light coalesced in her right hand to form a seven-tiered pagoda. As the
first three levels of the pagoda sparkled brilliantly, its glow enveloped the stoic youth spearheading their
formation.

The youth released a draconic roar as his body swelled. His arms especially grew thick and solid. Four
rings rose from beneath him—two yellow, one purple, and one black. Shockingly, he had a ten-thousand-
year soul ring!

Tang Wulin grew feverish as an unknown feeling welled up inside of him. It continued to expand as
thunder shook the arena.

Few in the audience saw the whole process clearly. What they did see, however, was cyan light exploding
on stage, followed by a baptism of lightning and thunder.

939
 Chapter 198 – Drawing Lots
Chapter 198 – Drawing Lots

Although Tang Wulin activated the Purple Demon Eyes in a moment’s haste, he still could not penetrate
the forest of azure and bolts of violet lightning zipping through the stage with his sight. The Purple
Demon Eyes only magnified the details of each chaotic lightning strike.

At that moment, Tang Wulin noticed that three of the Skysea Alliance team’s members had four rings
while the rest wielded three. He was able to discern the ring compositions of the three soul masters—two
yellow and two purple each. However, he failed to make out the individual spirit souls. At that moment,
they were engulfed by the tempest of electric bolts and thunder.

I…

I can’t see anything in this match!

The rumbling storm didn’t let up. Instead, it grew more potent! Tang Wulin could see the silhouette of a
lightning dragon wreaking havoc within the electric blitz.

He saw the dragon and after… there was no “after”.

A minute later, the match ended

The seven representatives of the Skysea Alliance collapsed on the stage while the delegation from Shrek
Academy stood rooted in their previous formation. Xu Lizhi and Ye Xinglan were stationed in the back.
The young girl didn’t attack the entire battle and the little fatty was just stuffing his face with the dried
fish snack, complimentary of Tang Wulin.

Silence dominated the stands. For a single moment, not a single peep sounded from the audience of
80,000 people.

After bending over in a slight bow, the leader of Shrek Academy’s team led his teammates off the stage.

How could a battle between generations last no more than a minute? It was simply a massacre. The
Skysea Alliance team didn’t even have a chance to display their strength.

The Shrek team’s assault had been swift like an eagle, arriving instantly like a howling gale. It was as if a
sleeping dragon awakened to swallow its foes in the blink of an eye.

Tang Wulin heard a gulp beside him.

He turned to see Xie Xie wide-eyed and gaping, mouth opened as if attempting to catch a fly. “Th-this is
the strength of Shrek Academy? Are they even human?”

940
A gentle sigh escaped from Tang Wulin’s lips. “They look human. Our gap in soul rings isn’t that large, yet
their coordination and explosive power are truly terrifying. No wonder Teacher Wu always stresses the
importance of teamwork. These guys are just too strong.”

“Their teamwork doesn’t seem like much on the surface, but their strengths are multiplied by supporting
one another. If it wasn’t so, then there’s no way their leader could have single-handedly defeated the
opposing seven-man team, even if he were that much stronger. They must have a secret to their strength.
I don’t think they only spirit souls; they must possess pure soul rings too. They’ve probably hunted real
soul beasts, and maybe even have a soul bone,” Xu Xiaoyan said with a grave expression. Within class
zero, she and Xie Xie were the most knowledgeable about such matters by far.

“That’s all they are.” Gu Yue’s indifferent tone startled Tang Wulin and when he faced her, he was met
with arrogant eyes.

‘That’s all they are’? Then what does she consider powerful?

“We’ll definitely be stronger than them once we reach their age.” Gu Yue’s tone left no room for doubt.

“It’s not that hard to surpass them.” An icy voice washed over them like chilling a tide, drawing their
attention. Unknown to them, Wu Zhangkong had appeared beside the group.

“The ones just now were merely Shrek Academy’s outer court students,” Wu Zhangkong said, his voice
dropping the surrounding temperature by several degrees.

Outer court?

Everyone knew that Shrek Academy had both an inner and outer court. Only the inner court nurtured the
academy’s true elites.

This time, even Gu Yue was shocked.

Wu Zhangkong continued, “The outer court’s brightest and most capable students are still required to
pass an inspection in order to enter the inner court. Matriculating inner court disciples must be sixteen
years old or younger. Therefore, none of those on that Shrek Academy team should be inner court
disciples. The ones you should all take note of are the two youngest contenders. Since they were sent to
represent Shrek Academy at such a young age, their talent surpasses that of common men without a
doubt. They have likely already been selected as inner court candidates. As such, they will also be… your
greatest rivals.”

Wu Zhangkong word’s shook the hearts of his students. Our greatest rivals? What does that mean?

“Teacher Wu, why would we compete with them?” Xu Xiaoyan was flabbergasted.

Wu Zhangkong glanced at her. “That’s because I’m training you all to enter Shrek Academy’s inner court
and fulfill my unfulfilled desire.”

941
Tang Wulin said, “Teacher Wu, are you saying you couldn’t join the inner court?”

Bitterness tugged at the corners of Wu Zhangkong’s mouth. “I entered, but I never graduated.”

Long Bing? Tang Wulin suddenly recalled this name. Could Teacher Wu’s failure to graduate from the
inner court be because of that person?

“These matters are too far in the future for you to worry about. Just do your best for now. Entering Shrek
Academy will be a long and arduous road. I’ve drawn the lots; the matches begin tomorrow.”

Wu Zhangkong didn’t bother informing them of their opponents. For both the individual and team
competition, the first round would be a knockout battle. Anyone who loses would be immediately
eliminated from the competition.

Two events would be conducted the next day.One of them would be the blacksmith’s, which would also
have a knockout round. As such, Tang Wulin would be participating in a total of three competitions.

His eyes landed on the matchups, pupils darting left and right as they followed the various interweaving
lines linking their competitors to their fights.

Due to the low number of participants and minimal space requirement, the blacksmith’s event would be
the opening act. As for the individual and team battles, they would occur across the eight arenas prepared
by the Skysea Alliance Tournament. For the individual event, Tang Wulin was assigned to the Skysea
Stadium, a short trek away from the blacksmith’s competition. Luck seemed to be smiling down on him.

The team competition was also conducted in the stadium, but in the afternoon. Since the blacksmiths
would compete in the morning, Tang Wulin should make the individual event by the skin of his teeth.

Wu Zhangkong offered his students neither helpful analyses nor advice; instead, he simply told them to
return to the hotel later to prepare. As for him, he would be going ahead.

“Teacher Wu is such an irresponsible man!” Xie Xie muttered.

Gu Yue looked at him. “Do you dare say that to his face?”

Xu Xiaoyan was even more direct. “I’m telling on you to Teacher Wu!”

Xie Xie said in indignance, “What have I done to provoke you two! Am I your mortal enemy?”

Xu Xiaoyan giggled. “Who told you to grow up not as handsome as Teacher Wu and Tang Wulin?”

“This big bro is handsome! People will understand in the future! You just can’t yet comprehend how
dashing I am.” Disdain tinged Xie Xie’s words.

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“Let’s go back. I think the reason Teacher Wu didn’t give us any advice is because it would be pointless.
Since that’s the case, we’ll only have ourselves to rely on. We have the individual competitions tomorrow
morning; let’s all do our best. We’ll formulate some tactics when it comes time for the team matches.”

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 Chapter 199 – Eating Together
Chapter 199 – Eating Together

Tang Wulin had pretty much hit the nail right on the head in regards to Wu Zhangkong’s line of thought.
Practical combat experience at their age was more beneficial to their growth than anything else. The
battles in the spirit ascension platform and spars with their teacher were engraved into their very being.
Such experiences culminated into growth.

So what if our opponent is strong? Today, the Skysea Alliance’s team clearly had the edge in soul rings,
yet they still lost in under a minute!

So what if they’re older and have better soul rings? All that matters is how much strength we’re able to
display and if we can grasp victory!

Tang Wulin was convinced that no matter how formidable their opponent was, as long as they brought
out their full power, then even Wu Zhangkong couldn’t say anything should they lose.

The city bustled with activity now that the Skysea Alliance Tournament was in full-swing. Tournaments
attracted people, so visitors from all over the east coast had traveled to Skysea City.

The city came to life once night fell. People swarmed the restaurants, delighting in delicacies and fine
liquor.

“Did you sneak out?” Tang Wulin asked Xu Lizhi. The little fatty was sitting beside him, gorging himself on
food.

Xu Lizhi had invited him out to eat in the afternoon. Tang Wulin was happy to agree of course, but when
they met, he saw that Xu Lizhi had disguised himself. He had clearly snuck out.

“Mhmm. This tofu fish is really good. It’s delicate and soft, yet so fragrant, so delicious. Tang Wulin, you
really know how to eat!” The little fatty Xu Lizhi exclaimed as he stuffed himself.

Although Tang Wulin wasn’t a resident of Skysea City, there wasn’t much of a difference between Skysea
City and Eastsea City’s seafood. Furthermore, he had spent his entire life on the coast, so how could he
not know what was tasty?

“Hey, why aren’t you eating?” Xu Lizhi asked.

Tang Wulin smiled. “There would be nothing left for you if I eat.” What he didn’t mention was how
expensive this food was. Eating would bring him both joy and suffering in this case. Treating Xu Lizhi to a
meal was enough.

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Xu Lizhi said, “Come on, eat! It’s more fun to eat together. You lead the way and I’ll pay. You’re not a
resident of Skysea City anyway so you don’t have to host me, alright?”

Tang Wulin burst into laughter. “You really want me to eat? Are you sure you want to treat me? Let me
tell you; I’ve got quite the stomach.”

Xu Lizhi waved a hand dismissively as if swatting a fly. “It’s just a bit of money to eat. Come on, let’s feast.
We’ll deal with it after we’re full.”

“Alright! Boss, I want to order one salt-crusted baked bluefin tuna.” Tang Wulin immediately called out.

Hesitating, the boss asked, “Do you have more guests coming?”

Tang Wulin shook his head.

The boss said, “Do you know how big a bluefin tuna is?”

Tang Wulin said, “Of course. It should be at least fifty kilograms, so you should start preparing it now
since it will take a long time to bake. Right, I also want fifty rose sea urchins, two baked fish heads and…”
Tang Wulin continued listing dishes.

Xu Lizhi didn’t mind and instead applauded him.

Soon, the entire restaurant was swept up by their pace.

Despite lagging behind Tang Wulin, Xu Lizhi could keep eating without pause, showcasing his frightening
endurance. They were children after all. When they saw one another going at it, they couldn’t help but
compete.

As the dishes piled up on the table, the two increased their tempo, cheeks trembling as they chewed and
swallowed.

The legend of the gluttonous Tang Wulin had been confined to Eastsea City, but today it debuted in
Skysea City.

A short while later, shells and dishes piled up like a mountain across two tables.

“You really know how to eat! This is the first time I’ve met someone who could compete with me in terms
of eating. Stuffing myself has never been so cool.” Xu Lizhi exclaimed in admiration and flashed Tang
Wulin a big thumbs up.

Tang Wulin laughed mischievously. “This is also my first time meeting someone who can eat as much as I
do. This seafood is really filling and high in protein. Here, try some. This rose sea urchin is delicious. Not
only is the meat fragrant, it’s also filled with flavor. If you let it sit for two hours, the flavor completely

945
transforms! That’s why you can’t say you’ve tasted its true deliciousness until you’ve visited a coastal
city.”

“Wow! It really is delicious.”

Xu Lizhi gradually found it harder and harder to continue devouring food. His belly swelled until it was a
perfect sphere and all he could do was lean back against his chair, gaping at Tang Wulin. Tang Wulin’s
pace hadn’t slowed at all even now, and his stomach was still as flat as always It was almost as if he were
a starved man seeing food for the first time.

“I-I can’t continue. You’re amazing; I concede. Since you can eat so much, I’ll call you Big Bro from now
on.” Xu Lizhi patted his stomach as he panted, his face a picture of contentment and respect.

“Ah hah! So you’re here!” At that moment, a familiar voice cut through their sweet atmosphere like a
knife.

Without pausing from feasting, Tang Wulin turned toward the voice to see a furious Ye Xinglan barging
her way in. She headed straight for Xu Lizhi.

“D-don’t hit me Big Sister Xinglan! I know I was wrong, but I ate really well! Please don’t hit me! I’ve eaten
so much so that if you do, I might puke it all out. Wouldn’t that be a waste? This is really delicious. Do you
want to join us?”

Ye Xinglan’s mood lightened at his words. This guy is such a glutton.

But when she shifted her gaze to their table, she nearly jumped up from fright. Did a whole army come to
eat?

Plates, bowls and debris from all sorts of food were scattered across two round tables. Seated across from
Xu Lizhi, Tang Wulin continued to pull apart a crab’s leg with expert movements. After biting both sides,
he broke open the shell, squeezed out the white crab meat and slurped it up without leaving a single
scrap.

Seeing him eat so merrily, Ye Xinglan couldn’t help but feel a bit hungry herself.

“Are you the one who seduced him to come out?” Ye Xinglan’s brows shot up as she recalled their meeting
earlier today. She had taken note of him due to his good looks and large, warm eyes. The fact that he
invited Xu Lizhi out, however, seemed suspicious to reek of taking advantage of their Shrek Academy
affiliation to her.

“You want to join us?” Tang Wulin ignored her accusation.

At that moment, the boss called out, “Here’s the salt baked bluefin tuna!”

As Ye Xinglan turned around and saw the fish, her eyes went wide.

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That’s… that’s just too big!

Just how massive was a fish that weighed over fifty kilograms? It was one meter in length, thick and solid.
The sizeable crust of sea salt on its surface was like a mountain’s peak. Due to its size, the fish was
delivered to the table by trolley.

The boss was convinced now—these two gluttons really could devour an entire bluefin tuna. The
mountain of plates was a testament to that.

Laughing heartily, the boss said, “Just wait a moment, I’ll get a hammer to smash it open for you. My salt-
crusted baked bluefin tuna is definitely one of the best dishes in Skysea City.”

Tang Wulin smiled. “You don’t need to trouble yourself. I can do it.”

He made his way to the bluefin tuna.

To ensure that the inner meat stayed tender and juicy, it was protected by a thick coating of salt.
Furthermore, because the bluefin tuna was bulky, it needed at least a centimeter of coating; any thinner
and the taste would suffer, no matter how much shorter the cooking time would be. By now, dusk had
already swept through the skies.

With such a thick layer of salt, even an adult needed a hammer to crack it open.

But to Tang Wulin, this was nothing.

His heavy silver hammer materialized in his hands in a flash of light and he swung at the salt crust.

A dull thump echoed throughout the room. Following that, a crack snaked its way along the crust. After
two successive swings of the hammer, it split open all the way.

Tang Wulin put away his hammer and brushed the salt off with his hands, revealing tender white meat
beneath. A heavy fragrance immediately burst out, flooding his nostrils.

This prompted Xu Lizhi to shoot up from his seat, staring at the bluefin tuna with the intent to swallow it
whole.

“Y-y-you, why didn’t you tell me about this sooner! What do I do, I’m too full right now! N-no! I can’t let
things end like this. I’m going to go exercise for a bit. Don’t you dare finish it without me! I’ll be back in a
few minutes.” The little fatty lurched outside.

Tang Wulin casually retrieved a clean plate and used his knife to carve a large chunk of meat for himself.

Just as he was about to sit down and eat, he remembered the girl in front of him. Accustomed to caring for
Na’er in his childhood, he took another plate and handed it to her. “Why don’t you have some?”

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In truth, Ye Xinglan had already succumbed to shock after taking in the size of the bluefin tuna.

This was her first time seeing such a giant fish. Not to mention, it was served with expert cooking
techniques. Although she was stronger and had a steadier temperament than her peers, she was still a
ten-year-old child. Ye Xinglan couldn’t help but be enticed by such a delicacy.

“Mn, okay.” She didn’t hesitate to accept the plate. She grabbed a clean fork from the side, sat herself in Xu
Lizhi’s seat and began eating.

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 Chapter 200 – Paying the Bill
Chapter 200 – Paying the Bill

Tang Wulin grinned as he approached the tuna’s head and pulled apart the salt crust, and revealing its
delicate meat underneath. He slid a knife between the cheekbones and cut out a chunk of meat the size of
his palm with one swift circular motion before placing it on a second plate.

He offered the plate to Ye Xinglan. “Try this; it’s the best part of the fish. Bluefin tuna has a lot of collagen
because it swims in the deep sea, and this section is packed full of it. The collagen, when combined with
its tender flesh, bursts with flavor on the tongue.”

Once he handed the plate to her, he grabbed his own and carved out another piece for himself. He sat
down with a grin and continued to eat.

Such carefree indulgence brought forward a splendid feeling.

It’s really good! Ye Xinglan thought to herself as she savored the supple meat. She sent a furtive glance
toward Tang Wulin. There’s no way this guy can be this nice; he must be hiding something. I need to be
careful of him.

This fish is so delicious though! I’ll finish eating first before dealing with him.

The two continued to gorge themselves. The only dissatisfaction Ye Xinglan harbored was that Tang
Wulin had never raised his head once to look at her—he was too preoccupied eating.

She had thought that Xu Lizhi was the pinnacle of gluttony, but today Tang Wulin had proven she was
wrong. Tang Wulin thoroughly surpassed Xu Lizhi in this regard. She found it truly frightening. Heaps and
heaps of meat entered his stomach like factory products traveling on a conveyor belt, yet his pace never
faltered. It even seemed to accelerate.

Ye Xinglan mulled things over as she chewed and swallowed. This guy really is an unrivaled glutton. Well,
I admit that the fish is delicious.

The sea salt complimented the meat’s savouriness, preserving the juiciness and creating an umami-filled
adventure. Her plate had the most delicious tidbit, courtesy of Tang Wulin. The fragrant collagen and the
tuna’s soft flesh would forever be engraved in her memory, standing out as her most spectacular food
experience.

Half of the tuna had been consumed by the time Xu Lizhi returned. He howled at the sight before
promptly diving in to join the glutton forces.

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In the midst of the excitement, Tang Wulin set aside a finger-licking morsel for the other boy. The
moment Xu Lizhi dug into the piece of tuna cheek, his face went slack with contentment. It was as if he
had transcended to a higher realm.

A while later, the restaurant’s boss stood stupefied as he stared at the trio with his mouth agape. Three
kids had actually succeeded in devouring a fifty kilogram fish. Ye Xinglan’s cold haughtiness cracked open
like a shell, revealing a demeanor irreconcilable with the initial impression of her. She leaned back into
her chair. This was the first time in her life that she had felt so full. If she moved another inch, her belly
would burst.

“Hey, what’s your name?” Ye Xinglan asked Tang Wulin.

“Tang Wulin.” Despite eating the most, Tang Wulin was still as calm as ever. He may have ingested more
protein than usual during this meal, but the sheer amount of food he ate didn’t stray too far from the
norm.

“How are you able to eat so much? Don’t you feel bloated at all?” Ye Xinglan asked in disbelief.

Tang Wulin beamed, “Let me tell you guys a secret; actually, I have a dragon in my stomach and it’s the
one eating all this food.”

His half truths left Xu Lizhi and Ye Xinglan in a daze.

“A dragon in your stomach? How did it get there?” Xu Lizhi asked.

Tang Wulin shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I was born with it. This is the reason why I can eat so
much. By the way, your match today was so awesome! By the time I blinked, you guys had won.”

A look of pride crossed Xu Lizhi’s face. “Of course. We’re Shrek after all. We’ve always been peerless.”

Those words seemed to trigger Ye Xinglan’s alertness. She kicked the little fatty’s leg under the table
before craning her neck toward Tang Wulin. “We’re leaving now. You settle the bill.”

“I already said I’m hosting!” Xu Lizhi was a man of his words.

Ye Xinglan scowled at him. “Do you have money?”

“Eh…” Xu Lizhi was at a loss for words. “How did I forget about that…”

Tang Wulin was speechless. Can’t he be more reliable… If I had known this earlier, I wouldn’t have eaten
so much!

“What kind of expression is that?” Ye Xinglan said as she glared at Tang Wulin’s stiffened face. “You
should know, it’s an honor to treat us to dinner.”

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After a moment of incredulity, Tang Wulin nodded his head. “Yeah! It really is an honor. You guys sit
down first. I’ll go settle the bill.” Saying so, he stood up and walked away.

Since they were sitting in a lounge, he had to turn and make a beeline for the front desk.

Once he was out of sight, Ye Xinglan smacked the top of Xu Lizhi’s head. “Why did you sneak out! Let’s see
how I’ll deal with you once we get back.”

Xu Lizhi pulled an indignant face. “Big sister Xinglan, I made a mistake, but didn’t you eat happily, too?
Everything’s fine if you had a good time. What are you hitting me for?”

Ye Xinglan snorted. “We’re from Shrek; just how many people do you think are scheming about us? I don’t
think that Tang Wulin is any good. I bet he approached us with ulterior motives.”

After a few blinks, Xu Lizhi retorted “No way. When we first met, he gave me some dried fish to eat. That
was before he knew which academy I’m from.”

The corners of Ye Xinglan’s mouth began to twitch. “How are you so sure about that? I bet the Skysea
Alliance has been watching you and making plans on how to approach you. If you don’t believe me, then
just wait. Once he he comes back, he’ll definitely think of some way to get closer to us.”

Xu Lizhi faced the direction Tang Wulin had departed. “Huh, shouldn’t he be back by now?”

Disdain dripped from Ye Xinglan’s words, “He probably went to the washroom after eating so much.”

“Oh.”

After another quarter of an hour, Tang Wulin still hadn’t returned.

“He sure is taking a long time in the washroom! He ate a lot, so a lot comes out?” Xu Lizhi mumbled.

“Go look for him.” Ye Xinlan ordered Xu Lizhi, the beginnings of a storm rumbling in her chest. The reason
she had been so forceful in having him pay was that she didn’t have any money either! Since they were
here to represent Shrek, she hadn’t brought any cash.

It wasn’t long before Xu Lizhi dragged his chubby self back.

“I-I can’t find him. Big Sister Xinglan, I think he left! I bet it’s because you were so rude to him. He
probably dipped after paying the bill. See? I told you he wasn’t trying to get close to us.”

Ye Xinglan said, “This is the so-called ‘capturing by letting loose’, you know? Let’s go then.”

She got up with Xu Lizhi and set off.

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“Hey, you two children. Hold up. Aren’t you going to pay the bill?” The boss came over and stopped the
two.

On his trip back to the hotel, Tang Wulin couldn’t help but feel invigorated as the cool sea breeze brushed
against his face.

As for the bill? He wouldn’t have acted that way had Xu Lizhi not promised to pay. It was a pricy meal
after all! He didn’t believe that students from Shrek Academy’s students could be short on money.

What really put him in a bad mood, however, was how Ye Xinglan tried to take advantage of him and how
cheaply she treated him. She acted as if having a meal with me was charity work! Since that’s how she
views it, then she can pay the bill herself. I’ll save myself some money. The thought of her made him roll
his eyes.

For this reason, Tang Wulin didn’t hesitate to leave immediately. Why should I kiss the asses of those
Shrek Academy students if they look down on me! If they don’t want to be friends, then I’ll just keep my
distance. Naturally, Tang Wulin had his own bottom line and paid his share of the bill—one third.

He was really self-indulgent today, so he began meditating as soon as he returned to the hotel. Of course,
he didn’t forget to block Xu Lizhi’s number from his soul communicator. He didn’t want any trouble; he’ll
pretend that he had never met them.

In reality and unknown to Tang Wulin, Ye Xinglan’s arrogant eyes had aroused his own pride.

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