The Legend of the Dragon King Chapter 111-120

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.

“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.

 “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.”

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?

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.

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.

 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.

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.”

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!’

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.

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!

“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 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!

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.”

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.

 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.

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?

“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.

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.

“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.

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.”

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.”

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?

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.

 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.

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.

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 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.

 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.

“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.”

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 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.

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.”

“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?”

“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, 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.

 “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.

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’.

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.

“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.

 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.

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.”

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.

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.

 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.

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.”