The Legend of the Dragon King Chapter 291-300

Chapter 291 – Give Me Her Number!

“Haven’t you heard of Shrek’s Sea God’s Fated Date Festival?” Xie Xie’s wide eyes drilled into Tang Wulin’s. “I heard if you are in the inner court and are of a certain age, you’ll qualify to participate in the festival. It’s a

grand occasion for everyone in the inner court! Even us outer court students can catch glimpses of it later.I’m not sure about the details, but apparently the festival has been held ten thousand years straight! Countless couples

sprang up there. Legend has it the Spirit Ice Douluo and the Dragon Butterfly Douluo started dating at this festival!”

Tang Wulin was not amused. “You’re already thinking about those things at your age? We’re too young for that stuff. Besides, you have to get into the inner court first if you want to participate! We still have a long ways to go, you know? Think about the student number two who beat you into a pulp during the trials. He’s that strong and he’s not even an inner court student.”

“I’ll figure it out once I have a target. And we definitely have a shot at making it into the inner court if we give it our all.” Xie Xie bounced up and down from his seat.

Tang Wulin smiled, raising his cup. “Congratulations everyone! We’ve made it into Shrek Academy. Let’s consider this a late celebration.”

Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan perked up when they heard Tang Wulin’s words, their ice cream forgotten on the table. The four exchanged smiles. Not just anyone can get accepted into Shrek Academy!

Calling it the continent’s number one academy was no understatement.

Merely the entrance exam alone tested so many aspects: strength, potential, secondary profession, character, and patience among other things. It was a thoroughly comprehensive exam. Failing a single trial would have greatly hindered their chances of making it into the academy.

Yet now, they sat there as students of Shrek Academy. Wu Zhangkong and Eastsea Academy hadn’t wasted their time grooming the four afterall.

Expectation filled their hearts. They all wondered what they would learn here at Shrek Academy, and just how different it would be from a mundane academy such as Eastsea Academy.

“Waitress, over here!” During the four’s celebration, the person at the table next to them shouted.

They turned a deaf ear to the commotion, but that was only the beginning. “Give me your number.” The stranger’s words were coated with arrogance. Who dares to be so demanding in Shrek Academy?

Tang Wulin and the others turned to check out who this self-important person was.

A young man sat at a neighboring table. He didn’t wear a Shrek Academy uniform, and instead accentuated his handsome features with a white suit. He seemed about one or two years older than Tang Wulin and his group.

His hair was reminiscent of spun gold, combed back and held in place with some product, not one hair out of place.

A strange air exuded from the depths of his mystical golden eyes, as if his existence itself radiated light.

Of all the customers in the drink shop, only Tang Wulin could rival this person in the looks department. Even so, Tang Wulin was no match for the golden-haired young man’s overbearingness.

The waitress stood in front of him. She wore a long black skirt and a white apron. She had jade-white skin, short fiery-red hair, and a pair of large and beautiful black eyes. Her beauty made men want to protect her.

“I’m sorry, that is out of the scope of my job responsibilities,” she politely responded.

“Then what will it take for me to get your number?” he asked. The waitress shook her head and turned around to leave.

“What kind of service is this? Get me your manager.” The man slammed his palm on the table, instantly attracting the eyes of the surrounding

customers. Yet for some reason, those wearing the Shrek Academy uniform averted their gazes when they saw it was this young man making the

commotion.

“Please wait a moment.” After saying this, the waitress scurried off.

A few moments later, a middle-aged man came forward to the table. “Sir, may I ask what the problem is? I am the manager of this drink shop.”

“Give me her communicator number.” The young man pointed at the waitress.

The manager made a regretful face. “My apologies, but I cannot divulge the private information of the staff.”

The young man raised a brow. “Then what do I need to do to get her number?”

“I’m sorry that we can’t help you. Please don’t make things difficult for us. I can’t tell you her private information no matter what.” The manager’s tone was polite, but firm.

The pressure within the shop increased tenfold.“Get me your boss.”

Though the manager hesitated, brows dipping, he nodded in the end. “Please wait a moment.” He turned around and left.

True to his word, the manager returned soon after, a richly-dressed middle- aged man in tow.

“Sir, how can I help you?”

“I want that waitress’s number.” Once again, he exhibited the arrogance of someone used to getting their way.

The owner of the shop didn’t flinch at the demand. “I heard your request from the manager, but I’m sorry, we won’t divulge the private information of our employees no matter what. Please excuse me for being unable to help you.”

The young man narrowed his eyes. “So you won’t agree no matter what?” The owner nodded.

“Fine.” The young man rose from his seat and snapped his fingers.

A finely dressed man stood up from a nearby table and approached the scene, giving the young man a slight bow. “Young master, what is your command?”

“Negotiate with the owner. I want to buy this drink shop.”

The owner was stunned, but his expression soon turned ugly. “Sir, I’m sorry, but I have no intentions of selling.”

Stepping forward, the butler greeted the owner with a smile. “Hello, I am Sun Bo. How about we speak in private?” He handed a golden card over to the shop owner as the words left his mouth

One look at the card and the owner’s eyes went wide with shock. He obediently nodded to the butler’s suggestion and led the butler away to discuss matters.

While the corner of Xie Xie’s mouth twitched, Tang Wulin sighed at the farce. “These city people sure know how to play.”

Gu Yue coldly snorted.

Contrary to her companions, Xu Xiaoyan was all smiles. “So, do you guys think he’ll be able to get that girl’s number?”

Tang Wulin shrugged. “We’ll see soon enough. I never expected to have such a show play out in front of us when we’re going out for drinks. The shop owner seemed stubborn, but that young man is probably from a

wealthy family. Let’s see if the owner can be swayed by money.”

Just as Tang Wulin finished speaking, the butler and the shop owner returned.

“Young master, I have negotiated a price with Boss Yang over here, and I’ve already sent payment. From now on, this drink shop is your property.” The butler spoke with measured disinterest as if this was a normal occasion.

The young man nodded, flicking his gaze back at Boss Yang. “Give me her number.”

From the beginning, the young man had not bothered to restrain his voice. Everyone around could hear him loud and clear, flabbergasted expressions plastered over their faces. For the sake of a single girl’s number, he spent loads of money to acquire this drink shop. The shops in Shrek Academy’s perimeter had unimaginable property values. Not just anyone could waltz in. As such, the golden-haired young man’s background was a topic of high discussion for spectators.

Boss Yang sighed, approaching the red-haired waitress.

At this scene, Tang Wulin shrugged once more. “It seems money can sway anyone.”

A moment later, the waitress walked over to the young man. “What do you want?”

The young man smiled. “Nothing much. I just thought you were pretty and wanted to get to know you better.”

Without uttering another word, the girl began unbuttoning her apron.

“I didn’t tell you to undress!” the young man shouted, flabbergasted by her actions.

Snorting, the girl threw her apron on the table. “I quit, so I’m not your employee anymore.” She turned to leave.

The young man’s smile grew wider as he mirrored her actions. “Even better!” he said as he chased after her shadow.

“I can’t believe something like this can happen in Shrek City. Really, if this is tolerated, then what isn’t?” Xie Xie shot out of his seat and followed the two.

Unable to stop Xie Xie, Tang Wulin went after him.

Even if you want to fight for justice, at least pay the bill first! He thought this as he threw some bills on the table.

With one foot out the door, Tang Wulin felt a powerful wave of soul power rippling through the air, golden light permeating the sky and dispelling the shadows of the night.

Chapter 292 – The Holy Angel and the Fallen Angel

The golden radiance of this young man that had been harassing the waitress stunned Tang Wulin. His entire being emitted an aura of holiness. A pair of pure white wings unfolded from the man’s back, and his holy aura

skyrocketed.

This…

Three soul rings rose from beneath the golden-haired young man. The truly shocking thing, however, was that all three were purple!

The red-haired girl not far from the man turned around, her expression glacial and grave. She eyed him coldly then spread her arms. Darkness began swirling around her, twisting and shifting as a pair of jet-black wings extended from her back, a dark aura now surrounding her.

That’s…

Those white wings… Tang Wulin thought to himself. They should belong to the legendary martial soul, the Holy Angel! But then… what are those black wings?

“It seems like I was right.” The man in white smiled. He flapped his wings, golden light radiating from his body. “Just as I thought. How interesting. So very… interesting…”

The girl stared at him with an icy expression. She flapped her wings, lifting herself from the ground as two purple soul rings appeared beneath her.

“Two rings versus three rings,” the man in white said. “You don’t stand a chance. Just surrender and let me take you to be judged.”

The girl pursed her lips. Her eyes flashed and darkness enveloped her.

“Trying to run?” The golden-haired man snorted, his first soul ring shining as golden light erupted from his body.

The man’s holy radiance dispelled the encroaching darkness and spread toward the girl. He thrust a hand forward as his second soul ring lit up,

commanding the holy light to surge toward the girl enveloped in a violet- black aura.

With a flap of his wings, he flew at her.

“I already told you,” he said. “You have two rings and I have three. You don’t stand a chance against me, so stop resisting.”

Seeing the man rushing at her, a sneer surfaced on the girl’s face. She furled her wings again and withdrew her martial soul.

“This is Shrek, you dumbass.”

A sharp wave of force split the clouds and obliterated the light and the darkness. The force pressed down on the golden-haired man, suppressing him and forcing him to the ground.

A tall man appeared in the sky. His figure was indistinct, but his imposing voice reverberated throughout the street.

“Who dares break the laws of Shrek City?” The golden-haired man answered first.

“Honorable enforcer, I am the Angel Clan’s Yue Zhengyu, a student from the second grade’s class one. I discovered a Fallen Angel on campus, and as

everyone knows, Fallen Angels always become evil soul masters. In light of that, I chose to take action and capture her to take her to my clan for judgement.”

His words had no effect on the girl. She simply took a card out of her pocket and presented it to the enforcer. “Respected enforcer, I am a working student here at Shrek Academy. The Academy has already verified my identity and determined that I am not an evil soul master.”

She’s a working student?

This revelation stunned Tang Wulin and the others. They never expected that this Fallen Angel girl with two rings would be a working student like them. Unlike Yue Zhengyu, however, she didn’t bother to reveal her name.

An attractive force pulled the card from her hand and to the enforcer. After inspecting the card, he turned to Yue Zhengyu. “I have confirmed her identity as a working student. It’s impossible for her to be an evil soul master. I won’t punish you since you thought you were apprehending an

evil soul master, but next time you’ll be punished two-fold. Now break it up.”

The enforcer sent the card back to the girl then disappeared in a blur. Tang Wulin and the others trembled in awe.

Now this is Shrek City!

In Shrek City, they couldn’t do whatever they wanted or harass others. Doing so would they provoke the wrath of the enforcers.

The girl put her card away then turned to Yue Zhengyu.

She punched a fist out, stuck her thumb up, and slowly turned it to point down at the ground.

“You…!” Yue Zhengyu’s eyes went red with fury.

The girl snorted and left, her figure quickly disappearing into the dark of night.

Yue Zhengyu moved to pursue her, but his butler grabbed his arm.

“You mustn’t offend the dignity of Shrek, young master,” the butler said, shaking his head. “Since Shrek Academy has confirmed her identity, there is no point in pursuing this matter any further.”

Yue Zhengyu snorted in response. “So they’re saying a Fallen Angel isn’t an evil soul master? It seems like Shrek is…”

“Young master!” the butler exclaimed, hastily silencing him with a ripple of power. “Watch what you say!”

Yue Zhengyu stormed off in a huff.

Though this farce finally came to an end, Tang Wulin and the others wanted to see it play out a little longer. They were beginning to understand how

abnormal Shrek Academy was.

Not a single one of them felt tired when they returned to the shabby dormitory for working students.

“Captain, don’t you think there’s some strange secret about working

students?” Xie Xie whispered to Tang Wulin. “Everyone in the dining hall became respectful the moment they heard you were a working student.

They even seemed to fear you a bit. The guy who defeated me during the exam, and even that red-haired girl from earlier… both were working

students. Maybe we should investigate this?” Tang Wulin shook his head.

“We’re new here,” he answered. “Our number one priority at the moment is to get used to Shrek Academy and understand its customs. We’re still insignificant here, so it’d be best for us to not look for trouble. We can investigate once we’ve settled in, but we currently don’t have the energy to spare for it. Put your curiosity aside for now.”

“Okay,” Xie Xie replied glumly then turned around to look at Xu Xiaoyan. They had yet to rest because the curtain for separating the room still hadn’t been set up.

“How come you’re such a gossiper?” Xu Xiaoyan rolled her eyes at him. “And you call yourself a man…”

Gu Yue stood up and hung the curtain, splitting the room into two halves, and the four of them began to meditate.

Although he had stopped Xie Xie from sticking his nose into the matter,

Tang Wulin felt restless. He had heard of the Angel and Fallen Angel martial souls in legends before. For the red-haired girl to face off against the golden-haired man on even ground, her martial soul must’ve been just as powerful as his.

Then there was the matter of evil soul masters. He didn’t know what they were, but judging by their name, they clearly weren’t good news. The young man wouldn’t have persecuted the girl if they were.

The soul master world is even more amazing than I thought! I wonder if Teacher Wu will continue to instruct us when we start classes tomorrow?

The night passed in silence. When morning came, Tang Wulin and Xu Xiaoyan woke up early to cultivate their Purple Demon Eyes together.

After washing up, they faced their first problem of the day—breakfast.

As working students, their first order of business in the morning was to go to the administration building to receive their jobs for the day. Fortunately for Tang Wulin, he still had black steamed buns and was able to eat enough to tide him over until lunch.

When they arrived at the administration building, they ran into a student number two.

Being a working student himself, it was natural for him to come here in the morning as well.

They then went to the administrator who said, “You four, continue cleaning Spirit Ice Plaza today. You did well yesterday. Continue working hard today.”

Thus Tang Wulin and the others had their jobs for the day.

Chapter 293 – The Headmaster of the Outercourt

Tang Wulin couldn’t help but ask, “Teacher, besides cleaning the plaza, can we accept other jobs?”

“You want more?” Startled, the administrative teacher looked up from his papers and stared at Tang Wulin with curiosity. It would be more normal for working students to be unaccustomed to doing jobs.

“Yes.” Tang Wulin made a bitter face. Without contribution points, he

couldn’t eat! He also couldn’t go out to buy food. When he paid for the bill at the drink shop the night before, the amount had almost given him a heart attack! Everything was far more expensive in Shrek City, and he couldn’t bear to part with his most beloved money.

“Alright, you can.” The administrator handed him a soul screen. “. Look through this list and choose for yourself.”

Xu Xiaoyan, Gu Yue, and Xie Xie peered at the screen over Tang Wulin’s shoulder. At that moment, a young man entered and went to the

administrator.

“Teacher, I’ve finished my job.”

“Hmm? The design plans are done? That was quite fast. Yuanen, your efficiency is improving.” The administrative teacher took his card and added contribution points to it.

“Come take another job.”

So his name is Yuanen. Tang Wulin glanced at him. This person’s outer appearance was truly too unassuming for his strength. He had no striking traits and seemed utterly average.

Yuanen quickly selected a job and departed in silence. Throughout the

entire time, he had only given Tang Wulin and the others a single nod of

acknowledgement. Even then, Tang Wulin believed that this small greeting was only because they were fellow working students.

“I’ll take this one.” Tang Wulin pointed to a first-grade thousand refining job.

The administrative teacher stared at him in surprise. “Are you sure? Your points will be deducted if you fail and you will be expelled if you don’t have enough points to pay for your studies. As working students, all four of you have to pay three hundred contribution points a month as tuition.”

Tang Wulin smiled bitterly. “Teacher, I’m certain.”

Tang Wulin was surprised when, while scrolling through the job list, he found there were just as many thousand refining tasks as Eastsea City.

After thinking it over some more, Tang Wulin realized why. Shrek

Academy could not be compared with other places—not a single one of its students aimed to become a mecha pilot. No, they strove to become battle armor masters!

Thousand refined metal was the foundation of one-word battle armors! Though Shrek Academy had stringent requirements to accept a student, the outer court still had over a thousand students. He didn’t understand how the outer court worked yet, but with this large population of prospective battle armor masters, thousand refined metal would definitely be in high demand.

A mere first-grade thousand refined job was worth one thousand points.

The average fourth-rank blacksmith couldn’t produce first-grade thousand refined products with absolute success, but it was a walk in the park for Tang Wulin.

But now he was a fifth-rank blacksmith! While he had barely stepped into the rank and couldn’t spirit refine again at the moment, he had still breached it! This, coupled with all his thousand refining practice, meant his first- grade thousand refining success rate was almost one hundred percent!

Completing such a job was beyond simple for him. If not for fear of drawing too much attention to himself, Tang Wulin would accept a few more thousand refining jobs. As a newcomer, however, it was best not to rock the boat.

“Teacher, where can I buy some metal and forge?” Tang Wulin asked. Naturally, he needed a forging table to do his work.

The administrative teacher waved dismissively. “Just wait until after the opening ceremony. You can ask your teacher then.”

“Oh. Okay.”

After leaving the administrative building, Xie Xie slid over to Tang Wulin’s side. “So that guy’s called Yuanen.”

Tang Wulin turned to Xie Xie. “What, are you still holding a grudge? I don’t think you can beat him as you are now. Besides, I think we’ve misunderstood something. Second grade students here aren’t older than us by just a year, but by three years.”

“We don’t know that for certain,” Xie Xie retorted. “Shrek Academy accepts anyone fifteen and under. We’re thirteen and got accepted, so

maybe he was accepted at an even younger age than us! We can’t just go

assuming his age. Anyway, we’ll be relying on you from now on, Captain.” His tone suddenly became flattering.

Tang Wulin wasn’t having any of it. “Alright! You can buy my contribution points for money. I’m fine with that.”

Xie Xie glared at him. “Boss, you’re not that much of a money grubber are you?”

Tang Wulin nodded earnestly. “Yeah, I really am that much! Did you only realize that today? I’m a super money grubber, so don’t even think about touching my money! Self-reliance is one of the Tang Sect’s traditions, you know?”

Xie Xie scowled. “You’re too heartless.”

Tang Wulin patted Xie Xie on the shoulder. “If you want to earn more contribution points, then work hard on improving in your second

profession. The money will flow naturally if you do. Besides, I don’t think our points are used just for food and tuition. Since Shrek Academy has this point system, I’ll bet there are a bunch of other useful services and goods we can purchase with them.”

☀

The opening ceremony was held within the sparkling clean Spirit Ice Plaza. It was only then did Tang Wulin understand the true immensity of Shrek

Academy’s size.

Just like any other academy, they had six grades. Each grade had around one hundred students give or take ten or twenty, and together they totalled a little over seven hundred students.

Upon careful observation, Tang Wulin discovered that the oldest group of students appeared to be in their thirties. Not only did they have

extraordinary cultivation bases, they held themselves with solemnity and gravity. Yet they were outer court students. People usually graduated from an advanced academy in their early to mid-twenties, but the age range for Shrek Academy students was bizarrely wide. If Wu Zhangkong were to be placed in an outer court grade, he would probably only be in the fifth grade.

This academy is really strange.

The newest students were naturally the youngest ones, and were fifteen or younger, with most being thirteen or fourteen.

Second grade students seemed older than them, but only by an average of three years.

Each grade of students were put into a single class instead of several classes.

So this is Shrek Academy’s outer court! I wonder how many students are in the inner court? I heard there’s not many of them and they stay cooped up in the inner city cultivating.

As Tang Wulin’s mind thought of Sea God’s Lake, he couldn’t help but grow envious of the inner court students. How long until I can go cultivate there too?

Much to Tang Wulin’s surprise, there wasn’t a podium or stage setup for the opening ceremony. When the ceremony started, however, shivers ran down the spines of the new students.

Twenty people slowly descending from the sky, their majestic aura and presence awe-inspiring.

In the middle of this formation was a figure Tang Wulin and the others were all too familiar with and could never forget. It was Elder Cai, the Silver

Moon Douluo.

She wore a dark-silver robe today, her long hair coiled into a bun and her hands behind her while gazing upon the students with awe-inspiring might. Backing her up on either side of her were imposing men and women ranging from their thirties to fifties.

Tang Wulin only recognized Wu Zhangkong and Shen Yi among them.

Will Teacher Wu be a teacher here now? Then does that mean he is going to continue being our teacher?

If Tang Wulin could be taught by someone he was familiar with in this unfamiliar environment, that would be the best.

Tang Wulin trembled as he watched Elder Cai and the group of teachers hovering in mid-air. Each and every one of of them emitted a domineering aura that made everyone watching hold their breath.

Apart from flying-type soul masters, only those with at least seven rings could fly. In other words, all of these teachers had breached the realm of seven rings.

A middle-aged man moved a step forward in the air.

“A new academic year will begin again. At this time every year, Shrek

welcomes new blood to our academy. I invite the headmaster of the outer court, the illustrious Silver Moon Douluo, Elder Cai, to say a few words.”

Chapter 294 – A Turn for the Worse

Tang Wulin’s group shared looks of dismay, their hearts filling with

apprehension. In the past, Elder Cai had proclaimed they needed to become battle armor masters before the age of twenty in order to enter the inner

court. They finally understood where her outrageous demand had come from: she was the headmaster of the outer court! As such, she had the

authority to impose such requirements on them!

Elder Cai wore a mask of indifference. “Shrek Academy has never forced its students to cultivate nor is our education compulsory. There is an annual minor exam and a major one every three years. Failing the minor exam twice will result in expulsion. So, the number of students in each grade will decrease in the next three years.

“For those in the sixth grade who have yet to meet the graduation requirements, I hope you will all work hard and fulfill them before you turn thirty-five. As for our new students, you have the option to relax and take it easy, but then you might not be here in three years.

“Of course, Shrek Academy will not hold back in your education. You can ask for guidance from your teacher and make use of the numerous facilities on campus. Naturally, you must exchange contributions points to utilize them. You new students will soon realize the importance of contribution points.

“Now, on the eve of the new academic year, let us celebrate Shrek’s generations of honor and glory, and to many more generations of

magnificence. But whether you’ll be part of the glory or left on the sidelines in the future will be up to you.”

That’s it? Isn’t her speech a bit too short?

And here Tang Wulin had thought the opening ceremony at Eastsea

Academy had been brief. It never crossed his mind Shrek Academy’s would make record time!

Even so, he learned many new things from Elder Cai’s speech. Shrek

Academy’s elimination system lived up to its fame. Anyone who wanted to graduate from Shrek would have to put in blood, sweat, and tears, progressing step by step until the day they stood at the world’s summit.

I have to work hard! Tang Wulin subconsciously clenched his fists.

With the ceremony concluded, the teachers in the air split up, each heading to their respective classes. The eyes of Tang Wulin and his friends

shimmered when they saw Wu Zhangkong and Shen Yi flying toward them.

So Teacher Wu and Teacher Shen are our teachers… Wait, what? Why is she flying here too?

Their smiles stiffened. Someone they never wanted to interact with again was soaring through the skies in the four’s direction.

Her lips curled into a mocking smile as she locked her eyes on them. No way… No way. No way!

Yet there was nothing they could do to stop her.

“I will be personally managing this year’s new class. Beside me are my

assistant teachers, Teacher Shen Yi and Teacher Wu Zhangkong. Now to the classroom.”

The moment these words left Elder Cai’s mouth, Tang Wulin’s eyes went wide, Xie Xie’s jaw dropped, Xu Xiaoyan gasped, and Gu Yue’s lips began to quiver.

Wha…

What is this?

They had never expected Elder Cai to do such a thing.

Just how far will she go to trouble us? How much does she hate us?

After Elder Cai finished speaking, she flew toward the school building, leading the way for the rest of the class. Unknown to Tang Wulin and the others, Elder Cai’s lips curved into a sly smile, her eyes shimmering with satisfaction.

There was a reason she hadn’t lost any sleep over Gu Yue’s rejection. As the headmaster of the outer court, she had them in the palm of her hands from the moment she stopped them from entering the inner court.

That was why she stipulated that they would have to become battle armor masters before the age of twenty just to enter the inner court. Not even Zhuo Shi could go against her words in this case. The division of labor between elders of the Sea God’s Pavilion were clear and absolute, and the the outer court was Elder Cai’s jurisdiction.

“Her schemes are cunning and her foresight is deep!” Tang Wulin lamented. Compared to this veteran, they were the most naive of rookies.

The three teachers landed further ahead, leaving the students to hurry after them. Perhaps Tang Wulin and the others were relegated to the back of the congregation due to their working-student status, even though they had initially been at the front.

The school building felt different from how it did during the exam.

Although the four felt depressed from Elder Cai’s presence, because they were now Shrek Academy students and their previous instructor, Wu Zhangkong, would still be teaching them, their situation couldn’t be too bad.

They entered the outer court’s classroom for the first grade, which was on the first floor.

It was a lecture theater large enough to hold three hundred people. Elder Cai ascended the platform and stood behind the lectern. On the side, Shen Yi

said, “Students, please take your seat according to what I announce. Tang Wulin, row one seat one.”

Row one seat one? I’m the first one called? Tang Wulin suppressed his surprise as he scrambled to his seat.

Row one seat one was neither on the left edge, nor the right, but dead center.

“Gu Yue, row one, seat two!” This seat was on Tang Wulin’s right. “Xie Xie, row one, seat three!” And this was on Tang Wulin’s left.

“Xu Xiaoyan, row one, seat four!” She sat next to Gu Yue’s other side.

Their seats were the closest to the lectern, no more than five meters apart. They were practically within arm’s reach of the lectern and in full view of whoever stood there.

Each of them pulled odd faces once they took their seats. A dark cloud settled over Xie Xie, and Xu Xiaoyan was pale as a ghost. On the other

hand, Gu Yue seemed to handle herself better, maintaining a semblance of calm with only her brows furrowed. They all knew Elder Cai had arranged for them to sit in this spot.

Because they had offended the head instructor before school started, there would be hard days in store for them.

Xie Xie shot a look at Tang Wulin, as if asking for the next course of action.

Tang Wulin gave him a slight nod, acknowledging his concerns but affirming their lack of control over the situation.

Apart from waiting to see her plans unfold, there was nothing else they could do.

With rest of the students seated, the lecture theater was only one-third full.

“Elder Cai, there should be 101 students in this year’s new class, and I’ve counted 101 students. Everyone is present,” Shen Yi reported.

Elder Cai didn’t pay any mind to Tang Wulin and company, indifferently

saying, “I believe you’ve all heard what I said at the opening ceremony, so I won’t be repeating any of that. Here at Shrek Academy, your teachers will

show you the door, but it is up to you to step through it. Your success here depends on your own efforts. Well, that’s enough about that. Today you will be familiarizing yourselves with how things are done here. Teacher Shen

will explain the rules and education style in a moment. Teacher Shen, if you will.”

Elder Cai made to leave immediately after finishing her speech. Before she exited the lecture theater’s doors, however, she flicked a glance at Tang Wulin’s group.

All four of them let out a collective sigh of relief once she left. Without a doubt, it was better for them if she wasn’t present. In fact, it would be best if she wasn’t managing the class of new students.

Chapter 295 – The Pressure of Shrek

Since Elder Cai left the lecture hall, Shen Yi replaced her at the lectern and swept her gaze across all the students.

“On behalf of Shrek Academy, I welcome you. Everything I’m about to say concerns your future studies, so take note. It’s important that new students like you know these things, and I will not repeat myself.

“All of you are now members of Shrek Academy. Whatever you do in the outside world represents Shrek Academy. If you overstep your bounds, the Academy will punish you. Punishment will be completely unrelated to

whatever the Federation decides.”

Her voice grew somber as the last few words left her mouth.

Shrek Academy, and by extension, Shrek City, was a powerful independent organization in the Douluo Continent. Laws and punishments were determined solely at Shrek’s discretion. The Federation had no jurisdiction over it.

“Each one of you has a student identification card with your information and contribution points stored in it. I’m sure you’re all curious about what you can use contribution points for. Simply put, they can be used for

anything in the outer court. You can exchange them for cultivation resources, spirit souls, time in special facilities on campus, personal guidance from a teacher, and entrance to the spirit ascension platform.

Working students, in particular, need them to buy food. Within reason, you can exchange them for anything and everything you want.

“You’re all probably curious as to how you can obtain more points. Let me get this out of the way first: you cannot purchase contribution points with money. You have to complete jobs for the Academy in order to earn

contribution points. There is a large variety of jobs for you to choose from. For example, you have physical labor, metal forging, mecha design, mecha making, mecha maintenance, and so on. As long as you are able to

complete the job, you will be awarded contribution points. They can also be transferred between students. Private transactions will not receive the

Academy’s protection, but you can choose to make such transactions through the Academy’s public platform at a small cost. The points will be valid as long as Shrek Academy still stands, and what you spend them on is up to you. Of course, if you’re expelled, you will be given an opportunity to spend all your points before being forced to leave.

“Classes are only held in the morning. You are free to do whatever you want in the afternoon and evening. You can study on campus in any way

you wish or even go out into the city. Anything is fine as long as you do not miss your morning classes. Apart from special circumstances and the

approval of a teacher, tardiness will not be excused. Instances in which you are late to class will be considered absences. Anyone who is absent three times will face expulsion.

“Continuing on, you are not allowed to bring anything bought with Federation money onto campus. Anyone who is caught doing so will be fined contribution points ten times the price of the items. You can try your luck in smuggling things in, but I wouldn’t suggest it. Some places on

campus do accept Federation money, but as I’m sure those of you who have been there already know, they are very expensive.”

“Those of you who are working students will have it harder. You will have to pay for your own meals. No one will stop you from going off-campus to eat, but I advise that you consider how much time would be wasted if you did. Time is the most important thing for students here. If you fall behind, you risk being expelled.

“There’s one thing you should know that Elder Cai didn’t mention earlier. In Shrek Academy’s elimination system, anyone in the bottom five of the yearly minor exams will be expelled. Shrek Academy only raises monsters.

You could spend your time here in a leisurely manner, but then your stay would only last a year.

“A list of optional courses will be passed around later. Some of those

classes are free to normal students while others require payment. Working students, however, will have to pay for any optional classes they choose to take. All students will need to exchange contribution points for the resources used in these classes.

“That is all you need to know for now, so we will stop here for today. You can go familiarize yourselves with the campus or perhaps try doing some jobs to earn points. Oh, right, be careful of point deductions. If any of you reach negative one thousand points, you will be expelled.”

Shen Yi explained how Shrek Academy worked as if she were reading from a script, but every word stabbed at Tang Wulin’s heart.

The curriculum seemed easy, and classes only took place in the morning, yet the elimination and contribution point systems pushed students to strive for the best. Anyone who didn’t spend their afternoons and evenings improving themselves risked falling behind. They also had to find time to do jobs and earn contribution points. In truth, they had a packed schedule.

It was clear to Tang Wulin that competition here was fierce. Shrek

Academy was far more challenging than Eastsea Academy, and he could only rely on himself to get what he needed.

Even so, there was nothing he could do but work hard. Tang Wulin’s eyes

shone with confidence. Now that he was a fifth-rank blacksmith, he and his teammates wouldn’t have to worry about contribution points. He only told Xie Xie to improve in his second profession that morning because he feared that the others would become dependent on him for contribution points, letting their second professions stagnate. They needed to be involved in the creation of their own battle armor to be able to use it. Before they could do that, they had to improve in their respective professions and reach the fourth

rank. To forge two-word battle armor, however, they had to reach the fifth rank. This requirement was not up for negotiation.

The greatest benefit that Shrek Academy provided the four of them was the broadening of their horizons. Here, they could truly develop themselves as future battle armor masters!

“Alright,” Shen Yi said. “I’ve finished explaining the important stuff. Let’s move on to the topic of this morning’s class.”

She’s jumping straight into lecturing? Things move so quickly at Shrek!

“Today’s first topic is battle armor masters.” Shen Yi’s words immediately caught everyone’s attention. “What is a battle armor master? What does it mean to become one?”

Every single soul master dreamed of becoming a battle armor master.

Regardless of where they came from, each and every student here was a genius at their previous academy, and it was obvious where their goals lay.

“I’m sure some of you are confused as to why the first class is about battle armor masters,” she continued. “Well, that’s because you already learned the basics before you came here. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have passed the entrance exam. In light of that, we won’t be covering them here. For the next five, ten, fifteen, or maybe even twenty years, your goal is to become a battle armor master.

“As all of you heard from Elder Cai’s speech during the opening ceremony, you will only be able to stay in the outer court until thirty-five years of age. If you fail to become a one-word battle armor master before you turn thirty- five, you will be sent home without graduating. If you do manage it, however, you will be able to graduate from the outer court. This is the

standard for all of Shrek Academy’s students. Let me tell you all right now

—only thirty-three percent of outer court students graduate. In other words, a third of all outer court students have what it takes to become a battle

armor master.

“If you’ve already laid down a sturdy foundation for your secondary professions before coming here, then congratulations. It will be easier for you to progress from here on out. However, if you haven’t, you better put more effort into improving in your profession.

“Anyone capable of becoming a one-word battle armor master at twenty- five years old or younger will be eligible to join the inner court. If you don’t pass the inner court exam, then you will just graduate as an outer court

student and leave. Unlike what you all may think, you don’t have that much time here.”

She paused, letting her words hang in the air for just a moment.

“Now let’s move on to the topic of battle armor masters. Just what is a battle armor master?” she asked. “I’m confident that most of you will say they’re just more powerful mecha pilots, yes?”

A wave of subconscious nods spread throughout the class. “Then you are all gravely mistaken.”

Chapter 296 – Time Waits for No One

“If all of your believe battle armor masters are merely that, then you are all gravely mistaken.

“Battle armor masters are completely different from mecha pilots,” Shen Yi firmly stated.

“A mecha pilot puts clothes on their person, but a battle armor master puts

clothes on their martial soul because at their core, they are still soul masters. This is the fundamental difference between the two. Let me emphasize this.

One-word battle armor masters are simply the beginning. Only at two

words, when you’re one with your armor and it becomes an extension of your body and martial soul, are you truly considered a battle armor master.”

“It is for this reason that you must fuse your battle armor with your martial soul first. They must resonate with each other, attract each other until they become whole.”

“There are four levels of battle armor: one-word, two-word, three-word, and four-word battle armor.”

“Four levels may not seem like much, but the gap between each one is immeasurably deep. If you want to become a battle armor master, you must pick a secondary profession relating to building the armor. At the moment, the most efficient professions are mecha maker and mecha designer. Mecha makers carve circuits into their battle armor, easing the fusion of battle

armor and martial soul. Designers create battle armor that perfectly

complements their martial soul as you know yourself better than anyone. I

suggest you all choose one of these two. Of course, you’re all free to choose to become a blacksmith or a mecha mechanic instead. Blacksmithing is both demanding and strenuous, and forging armor is much more difficult.

However, it is the most appropriate profession for creating powerful battle armors.”

“Not one person can reach the peak of all four professions, so choose

wisely. Don’t forget that you also need others to help you finish creating your armor, so consider how to best earn contribution points in order to commission them. If their work is good, I suggest befriending them and helping each other out. Personal relationships is a part of one’s strength too.”

“The strength your battle armor can exert depends on your compatibility with it. Perfect unity can boost your power by twenty soul ranks.”

“The requirement to become a one-word battle armor master is five soul rings and the third rank in your second profession. Not only that, the metal must be thousand refined, the design drafted by a grandmaster designer, and the armor assembled by a grandmaster maker. Its compatibility rate must be at least sixty percent, and at least nine pieces of armor are needed for it to be considered battle armor.”

Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan attentively listened to Shen Yi’s lengthy explanations, not daring to miss a single word about how to become a battle armor master.

Tang Wulin also realised at that moment just how much more Elder Cai demanded from them than normal students. Normal students had to become battle armor masters by twenty-five years old, but Tang Wulin and his team members were only given until they were twenty years old! That five year difference was huge!

Reaching soul rank 50 was challenging enough. They needed to increase 20 soul ranks in six years! The fact that soul power cultivation slowed with progression only made things worse. Yet apart from that, they also had to

advance in their secondary professions so they could actually make their battle armor. They really had their work cut out for them.

But time waited for no one!

Tang Wulin lamented inwardly. He couldn’t waste even a second of his life for the next six years.

Morning classes didn’t have breaks in between, just one lecture after another.

After classes finished, Tang Wulin pondered over Shen Yi’s explanation of battle armor while they walked towards the dining hall.

“Captain, what are you going to eat?” Xie Xie asked.

“Huh?” Tang Wulin snapped out of his daydream, surprised to find they

were in the dining hall already. The tantalizing aroma of food assaulted his senses and his stomach immediately growled in response. Hunger overwhelmed his mind.

It was at this moment Tang Wulin faced his greatest crisis of the day: lunch.

He only had one hundred contribution points, and that was nowhere near enough to fill him.

Despite the mountain of food he ate the day before, his appetite was just as large today. Even the leftover black steamed buns he had for breakfast

could only temporarily tide him over and save him a few points. One hundred points was enough to feed twenty people, but he could eat for far more than twenty!

Recalling the blacksmithing job he accepted, Tang Wulin said, “You guys go eat first. I’ll figure something out for myself.”

Then he turned and walked towards the dining hall’s door, internally making some calculations. Once he completed it, he would have the points necessary to eat.

His friends turned to look at each other.

“Where is Captain going?” Xie Xie asked doubtfully.

“Why do I feel like he’s up to something?” Xu Xiaoyan muttered. “Well, let’s just eat first.”

Standing next to the door, Tang Wulin retrieved a board from his storage device, wrote a few words, then held it in front of himself.

Fourth-rank blacksmith capable of first-grade thousand refining. I’m short on points, so I’d trade first-grade thousand refining for a year’s worth of meals. Anyone who is interested, please treat me to a meal.

Xie Xie, who was walking over to see what Tang Wulin was up to, bolted back the moment he read the board.

“Boss really is willing to do anything for food! But isn’t this a bit too embarrassing? Why is he selling his body to everyone?”

Xu Xiaoyan giggled. “Captain doesn’t care about anything as long as he can eat. Let’s quickly eat lunch then leave. Besides, after his display yesterday, I don’t think anyone is going to take him up on his offer. Imagine the cost to feed him for a year! It would be way more expensive than all of his first- grade thousand refinings. A month might work, but Captain’s stomach is just a bottomless pit.”

Watching Tang Wulin advertise himself at the door Gu Yue frowned. She lowered her head and ate with renewed vigor, her mind seemingly occupied.

An unending stream of people passed through the door during this lunchtime. Many of them noticed Tang Wulin, but not a single person showed any interest.

Tang Wulin had chosen to act modestly and omitted the fact that he was fifth-rank blacksmith. Yet, considering his age and how he looked no more than fifteen years old, no one would believe him anyway. It was almost unheard of for there to be such a young fourth-rank blacksmith.

In Shrek Academy, mecha designers or makers were as common as clouds. On the other hand, blacksmiths were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

Just as Shen Yi said, it was hard to become a blacksmith, and even harder to climb up the ranks. Most importantly, blacksmiths took longer to progress through the first three ranks compared to designers and makers.

Once mecha designers and makers reached a certain amount of soul power, their growth relied solely on their comprehension. Of course, progressing past the third rank becomes exponentially harder.

Blacksmithing was a whole other story.. Understanding the metal was not enough. No, a blacksmith had to steadily build themselves up to the next level. They needed to wield their hammer every day, devoting their heart and soul to the craft.

With his innate divine strength and comprehension level, Tang Wulin was a naturally gifted blacksmith. He started forging at six years old. Now, seven years later, he was coincidently able to harness the power of the Golden

Dragon King to spirit refine at thirteen years old. This feat was unprecedented in all of history!

Chapter 297 – Working Student Yuanen

In the past, some heaven-defying genius mecha designers and makers had reached the same heights as Tang Wulin at his age. However, it was easier to progress through later stages as a blacksmith than as a designer or maker.

After reaching the fifth rank, blacksmiths only needed to keep forging in order to one day reach the sixth. Designers and makers, on the other hand, had to overcome huge hurdles to progress to each rank after the fifth.

Most people found designing or making mechas more appealing, and due to the fast rate of growth early on, many chose to become designers or makers. Not all soul masters were suited for blacksmithing. Forging took a toll on one’s body, and it was a tedious job.

Tang Wulin’s stomach growled. It had been ten minutes since he had begun advertising at the door, yet no one had so much as looked at him.

Gloom haunted Tang Wulin as he fought back his hunger. I’m starving! If no one bites, then I’ll just have to chug some water to fill my stomach. At least I’ll earn one thousand points after completing the forging job and have enough for dinner. If I have to miss a meal, there’s nothing I can do about it.

Tang Wulin came to terms with his misfortune with gritted teeth. All of a sudden, he heard a soft voice.

“You can thousand refine?”

“Huh?” Tang Wulin raised his head and to his astonishment, saw his fellow working student, Yuanen. “Yeah! That’s right!”

Yuanen looked as ordinary as he usually did, but his eyes blazed with intensity.

“Instead of treating you for a year, I’ll give you 1100 points for a first-grade thousand refining,” Yuanen offered. “What do you say?”

Eleven hundred? That’s more than what the Academy is offering!

“Alright!” Tang Wulin had no reason to refuse. Right now, food was the most important thing. “But you have to pay me first. I don’t have any money to buy food.”

“Fine. You cover the transaction fee though,” Yuanen said.

“Transaction fee?” Tang Wulin exclaimed, confusion on his face.

“All contribution point transactions between students are subject to a one percent fee that the Academy takes,” Yuanen explained.

That’s horrible! Absolutely criminal! Tang Wulin thought in horror.

“How about you just treat me to a meal instead?” Tang Wulin countered “You won’t have to pay me directly.”

Tang Wulin calculated the costs and came to the conclusion that, if he didn’t gorge himself as much as he did yesterday, 1100 points would be enough to feed him for the day.

After yesterday, however, he understood how important it was for him to eat good food.

Highly nutritious food helped increase his blood essence. Furthermore, Old Tang said that breaking later seals would be easier if he ate such food every day. An increase to his blood essence meant an improvement in his body as well as his blood essence soul ring, so eating was another method of

cultivation for him.

During today’s class, Shen Yi told them that the stronger a soul master’s body was, the sooner they could try using battle armor. Even two-ring soul masters could use battle armor, but they would obviously only be able to use the smallest of parts. If a blacksmith spirit refined the metal used to

create battle armor, the user’s body would then have to be even stronger to use it.

Rank fifty soul power was required to become a battle armor master because, by then, a soul master’s soul power would have tempered their body enough. The process of a user fusing with battle armor would cause a shock to their mind, body, and martial soul. The more armor parts they fused with, the stronger the shock would be.

Since that was the case, refining and increasing his blood essence would not only help him break seals in the future, it would also increase his chances of becoming a battle armor master. Investing his hard-earned contribution points was painful for Tang Wulin, but first-grade thousand refining was nothing to the current him. Now that he was a fifth-rank blacksmith,

completing ten first-grade thousand refinings in a day posed no problem.

However, such success required him to devote all of his attention to forging. Despite him being such a penny pincher, even Tang Wulin understood there were some things he couldn’t cut corners on!

“Alright,” Yuanen agreed readily. Many students did such things to avoid paying the fees.

Tang Wulin put away his advertisement board and followed Yuanen into the dining hall. In spite of how hungry he was, he didn’t dare to cause a scene like the night before. He utilized all of his experience eating at Eastsea

Academy’s first window to choose the most nourishing foods to feast upon.

Once he had picked them out, his meal totaled roughly 420 contribution points. He had never eaten so extravagantly before. After all, if a meal paid for with a first-grade thousand refining wasn’t luxury, then nothing was.

“I have a question for you, Tang Wulin.” Having finished eating long ago, Yuanen watched Tang Wulin digging, an eyebrow raised.

“Huh? What’s up?” Tang Wulin set aside his thirtieth plate and wiped his mouth. He nearly felt satisfied now, but he definitely still had room for more.

Gu Yue, Xie Xie, and Xu Xiaoyan had long since finished eating and left. Yuanen had only stayed because he still needed to pay for Tang Wulin’s food.

“Are you really human?” Yuanen asked earnestly.

“Eh… Of course I am,” Tang Wulin said. “I can just eat a bit more than normal, that’s all.”

“But… you know that overeating is bad for you, right?” Concern filled Yuanen’s voice.

Tang Wulin shook his head.

“I’m not overeating,” he replied. “Overeating is when you occasionally gorge yourself beyond your limit. I, however, eat this much every day, so you can’t call it that. This is normal for me.”

“It’s a good thing I didn’t promise to feed you for a year then. I’d go broke if I had. Well, let’s go then. You still need to forge for me.”

“Oh, that’s right. I wanted to ask you, where I can find a workshop to use?” Tang Wulin asked as the two got up from the table.

They had already discussed things over lunch. The cost of the meal would be considered Yuanen’s down payment. Tang Wulin would then thousand refine a metal of Yuanen’s choice. After that, Yuanen would pay the value of the product minus the cost of lunch by treating him to dinner. If that still wasn’t enough, he would cover Tang Wulin’s breakfast too. “The

Academy’s Blacksmith’s Association has some,” Yuanen replied. “But if you’re not a member, you’ll have to pay a fee to use one.”

“Blacksmith’s Association?” Tang Wulin exclaimed in astonishment. “The Academy has its own Blacksmith’s Association?”

“Yeah. There are a lot of associations on campus. All of them were

established by students that have rented land on campus though. Since they provide experience related to cultivating, you new students will probably receive invitations from the various associations soon. You won’t be able to improve in your second profession without joining an association here.

Since you’re a blacksmith, you might as well join the Blacksmith’s Association.”

As they conversed with each other, someone ran through the doors of the dining hall. Since Tang Wulin and Yuanen were just about to leave, that person barred their way.

The person standing before them was a middle-aged man with disheveled hair as red as flame and a scorching hot aura. He wasn’t particularly tall, only about 170 centimeters tall, but his shoulders were broad. His arms were thick with muscle, each much larger than Tang Wulin’s waist. He looked like a human fortress as he stood there.

His thick beard blazed red, working with the hair on his head to give him the appearance of a lion.

Immediately after entering the dining hall, he took a deep breath in and roared.,

“Who is Tang Wulin? Come here!”

Although the man’s presence wasn’t all that impressive, his shout instantly silenced the droning of over a thousand students and attracted all of their gazes.

Tang Wulin stood only ten steps away the red-haired man, struck numb by his explosive aura..

What kind of strength is that? He exclaimed inwardly, staring at the man in awe. He’s so powerful!

“I-I am.” Tang Wulin inadvertently raised his hand. With this man blocking the doorway, he couldn’t leave anyway. Besides, Tang Wulin hadn’t

offended him, so he had no reason to hide his identity.

“You are?” Confusion spread across the man’s face as he glared at Tang Wulin with his crimson eyes. Tang Wulin could now tell that the man was about fifty years old. He just didn’t care about his appearance and dressed slovenly.

“Come with me!” The red-haired eccentric walked over and reached out to grab Tang Wulin’s shoulder.

“Who are you?” Tang Wulin asked, subconsciously raising his hands to stop the man.

He took a step backward, bent his leg, and shoved both hands outward. Yet his attack was useless against the man.

Tang Wulin’s two hands were no match for the single hand the man reached out with. The force in his arms were easily diverted to the side, and as if the man’s arm had instantly grown longer, his large hand clamped down onto Tang Wulin’s shoulder.

A wave of dizziness washed over Tang Wulin as the man abducted him from the dining hall.

“Hey!” Yuanen shouted. Seeing that he was about to be left behind, he quickly ran after the two.

He still needed to get his first-grade thousand refining after all.

Chapter 298 – Meteoric Iron

“Hey!” Yuanen shouted. Seeing that he was about to be left behind, he quickly ran after the two. After all, he still needed to get his first-grade thousand refining.

Tang Wulin’s surroundings blurred as they flew. He struggled within the man’s grasp, but the scorching energy enveloping him made all attempts futile. Several seconds later, his body lightened and he found himself

standing in an unfamiliar location.

It was in a large, messy room. Two shelves lined the walls, filled with an assortment of metals that made Tang Wulin’s eyes light up. If not for his

teacher back in Eastsea City, it would have been near impossible for him to obtain some of the truly precious metals on the shelves.

A large forging table stood in the center of the room, its sparkling silver exterior a clear testament to its grade.

T-this workshop is enormous! “You can spirit refine?”

Tang Wulin turned around and came face to face with the red-haired eccentric. “Who are you? Why did you bring me here?”

“Answer my question first. Can you spirit refine?” the man insisted. Tang Wulin answered, “I succeeded once by chance.”

The red-haired man’s brows jumped, then he pointed to the forging table. “Good. Then show me your luck again.”

Tang Wulin shook his head. “No, I won’t try it. Last time was a fluke. I don’t even have three soul rings yet, how can I even hope to succeed? I’ll be gravely injured if I fail. I’m not doing it.”

“You don’t have your third ring yet?” Taken aback, the red-haired man scratched his head as he took in this piece of information.

“That’s right, I’m only thirteen years old right now! You can’t expect everyone at my age to have three soul rings.” Tang Wulin exclaimed.

“Indeed, that’s a bit too low.” The man nodded seriously. “Then thousand refine for me. I want to watch.”

Tang Wulin instantly hatched a scheme in his devious mind. “Alright, I’ll thousand refine for you. But I have a condition.”

The red-haired man rubbed his forehead. “You have a condition for me? Fine! I’ll accept one condition. Tell me, what is it?”

“You let me forge any metal I like in here and keep it after I’m done,” Tang Wulin stated.

“No problem.” The man answered without the slightest hint of hesitation as he nodded.

“Then can you tell me how to use this forging table? I’ve never touched one this expensive before,” Tang Wulin said.

The man used a few simple words to explain the mechanics of the forging table. With his years of forging experience, Tang Wulin instantly grasped how to use it.

“Okay. I’m going to start now.” Tang Wulin walked over to the shelf of metals as he spoke.

Just a while ago he had agreed to first-grade thousand refine for Yuanen. Now, luck had practically delivered a shelf full of metal to his doorstep.

Although he also had the metals obtained from participating in the

competition on behalf of the Eastsea Blacksmith’s Association, those were his own. It was best if he didn’t use them, as he still needed to make money and earn contribution points at the Tang Sect. Fortunately for him, he had obtained some rare metals for a relatively cheap price back in Eastsea City

Tang Wulin sood before the shelf and inspected each metal. When he spotted two chunks of metal on the lowest shelf, he smiled anddidn’t hesitate to take them.

“Hey! Not those ones,” the red-haired man shouted.

The two chunks of metal Tang Wulin held in his arms were ashen-gray, as remarkable as random stones on the ground.

“Didn’t you say I can choose anything? Are you going back on your word now?”

“Only those two won’t do. You only need to thousand refine once, what do you need two for?” The man’s cheeks ached as he tried to conceal his

agitation.

“Why can’t I use two? Efficiency is important to us blacksmiths, so to save time I usually forge two metals at once! Since I have a one hundred percent success rate, this is the most efficient way for me to forge.”

Tang Wulin put the two chunks of metal in the forging table as he spoke and began the calcining process.

This forging table was truly advanced. With enough space to calcine five different metals at once, any blacksmith of sufficient skill could continue forging without stopping with this table. Moreover, its advanced soul battery meant it could reach higher calcining temperatures.

“You…” The man anxiously rushed over when he saw what Tang Wulin

was doing, but he was too late. The two metals already entered the furnace.

Tang Wulin beamed at him.

Anger blazed in the red-haired man’s eyes. “If you can’t thousand refine, no, if you can’t least second-grade thousand refine it, then you’re dead! You’ll work for me until you pay off those two chunks of meteoric iron.”

Meteoric iron was a first-rate metal that didn’t form naturally on the Douluo Continent and could only be extracted from meteorites. It was extremely dense and heavy, but its most interesting trait was the unusual energy

contained within it. Weapons forged from meteoric iron possess a penetrating effect, so it was a common material for the weapons of powerful mechas.

However, meteoric iron was just too rare. Few were fortunate enough to

even lay their eyes on it. Even Tang Wulin was only able to recognize this unassuming metal because of the countless detailed lectures on metals found within the world Mu Chen had given him.

Although this piece of meteoric iron had a dull gray appearance, Tang Wulin’s Purple Demon Eyes would never let the dark golden lines running through them go unnoticed. These two chunks were undoubtedly the most precious metals in the room and were the only pieces of meteoric iron present. It was no wonder that the red-haired man was distressed.

Of course, Tang Wulin also had another reason for choosing it. Meteoric iron was impossible to spirit refine, so it was only used for one-word battle armor or mechas. This trait drastically lowered its value, such that only mecha pilots and a few battle armor masters would use it.

If not for this fact, the red-haired man never would have permitted Tang Wulin to forge it.

The calcining soon finished, and Tang Wulin pressed a button to make the blazing-red chunks of metal emerge.

“I’m going to start then?” Tang Wulin glanced at the man. The man nodded. “Kid, you better be careful with that.”

Tang Wulin responded with a radiant smile, choosing to let his actions speak for him. Two hammers appeared in his hands in a flash of golden light. Then he struck down.

A series of booms reverberated throughout the room, pleasantly surprising Tang Wulin.

Last time he had been fortunate to forge his thousand refined hammers to spirit refined, but hadn’t had the chance to test them out yet. This single strike, however, was all he needed to determine the wonders his spirit refined hammers.

Chapter 299 – The Might of Spirit Refined

Tang Wulin’s hammers weighed so little to him, he might as well have been holding air. Due to the spirit refinement, they were connected to Tang Wulin as an extension of his own body. Even though their weight meant nothing to him now, he could still feel the recoil from every blow he struck against the iron. That recoil was enough to tell him that the hammers, despite not increasing in size, were twofold heavier than they were before.

The stacking effect of the hammers still remained, but Tang Wulin was

surprised to discover that the number of stacks increased by one. Each of his hammers now stacked three times. On top of this, he could now make use of the connection between himself and his hammers to sense and

control the power of each individual stack, making every strike more precise than it had ever been before.

The strangest change he noticed was the way his soul power naturally flowed into his hammers, which not only empowered his strikes, but also enabled him to enlarge the hammers at will.

That one blow from his spirit refined hammer was now more effective than five strikes from his thousand refined hammer.

A ringing peal echoed through the air as Tang Wulin’s hammers cleaved into the two pieces of meteoric iron, despite the extreme density that made it notoriously difficult to forge. The iron was nothing before his soul power imbued strikes and the stacking effect of his hammers.

So this is the effect of spirit refining! Not only does it help me forge even better, it also helps bridge the gap between me and the metal. It tells me what the metal is feeling and how best to forge it!

The instant Tang Wulin’s hammers descended, the eyes of the red-haired man behind him flashed with astonishment.

Spirit refined forging hammers?

But immediately after the thought occurred to him, the man furrowed his brow. Are those hammers the reason he can perform such high-level forging? If someone forged those hammers for him, it would only be natural he would be ahead of his peers. But then that would mean his foundation is lacking.

Tang Wulin continued his forging, completely obliterating the man’s presumptions in the process.

Tang Wulin raised his hammer into the air, beginning to twist his body at the same time.

This was a secret art of the Tang Sect—the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer technique!

This was one of the first arts that Tang Wulin bought from the Tang Sect. The Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer technique utilized the centripetal force that a person created by winding up their body, channeling it into their hammers. As one continued to build momentum, winding up their body

strike after strike, the power in their hammers increased. The only drawback that this technique had was the recoil. The user had to be strong enough to

endure it.

Before he succeeded at spirit refining, Tang Wulin had only been able to use his innate divine strength and Golden Dragon King bloodline to

successfully execute forty-eight strikes in a row. He needed to strengthen his body in order to increase that number.

According to legend, the Disorder Splitting Wind Technique had the potential to reach eighty-one consecutive strikes. If anyone reached that level, they would be a force to be reckoned with. Even the blacksmithing prodigy, Tang Wulin, had stagnated at forty-eight consecutive strikes for more than half a year now. He could only begin to imagine how arduous it would be to walk the path to eighty-one strikes.

The room shook with a constant, ear-splitting pounding. The steady rhythm of Tang Wulin’s hammering, as well as how immersed he was in his task,

served as a testament to his level of skill.

Spirit refined hammers could be forged for other people to use, but such a tempo could only be achieved when one forged day in and day out.

Tang Wulin’s hammering continued to transform the two chunks of meteoric iron, their dull gray giving way to a faint golden sheen. Evidently, this was an effect caused by the spirit refined hammers. With every fall of his hammers, the two pieces of iron became smaller and more of the gray

exterior faded away.

When Tang Wulin spirit refined the heavy silver, it only took him a few hits to hundred refine it. Yet this time, with his improved hammers and the meteoric iron, it took him over ten strikes to achieve hundred refinement.

Booms continued to thunder without end, growing more frequent as his hammers flew faster and faster. His hammers whirled through the air,

creating powerful, hissing gusts of wind that flowed throughout the room.

As the rumbling continued, two soul rings rose up from beneath Tang Wulin. He poured soul power into the iron through his hammers, taking advantage of the special properties of spirit refined metal to increase the efficacy of his forging.

It would have been impossible for Tang Wulin to simultaneously forge two metals prior to reaching the fifth rank. Not only would he have had to focus on one at a time, it would have taken him longer as well.

Yet now that he had spirit refined hammers, he needed to remember the

experience of spirit refining and use it to elevate his work. By using what he learned from spirit refining to thousand refine, he could make it so that he only put in half the effort for twice the gain.

A boom thundered when Tang Wulin spun around, unleashing the forty-

eighth strike. He no longer had any control over the power coursing through his body, yet despite that, confidence blossomed forth from his heart. As he spun around once more, his purple soul rings disappeared and his golden

soul ring rose. A suffocatingly thick aura of blood essence poured out, increasing the strength of his body to a new plateau.

He swung his hammer!

The forty-ninth strike exploded, the rumble of hammer on iron tearing through the air.

A pair of golden lights soared into the air, a clear sign that this was a thousand refining with spirit, and an indication that it had reached the first- grade.

The two pillars of light gradually dissipated after ten seconds, accompanied by the faint draconic roar emanating from the pulsing dragon pattern on

Tang Wulin’s hammers.

Tang Wulin stood there pensively, his mind deep in contemplation. So it’s actually like this…

The red-haired man watched with bated breath from behind Tang Wulin. When the forty-ninth strike fell, he sucked in a deep breath, his crimson eyes bright as stars.

“I understand now!” Tang Wulin shouted in excitement, bouncing with joy.

The red-haired man made a strange face at the proclamation. “What do you understand?”

“Now that my hammers are spirit refined, they need to be fed blood essence in order to bring out their full power. They can also give me feedback,

sending the shock of the collision into me through our blood connection. This allows me to conserve my stamina, enabling me to forge longer and more effectively.”

The feedback that the forty-ninth strike sent to his Golden Dragon King Bloodline made his blood boil over with excitement. In that instant, his body exploded with strength and the effects of his forging soared!

Since it’s like this, my chances of successfully spirit refining will be greater and less taxing than normal. Once I get my third ring, the next time I spirit refine will be easy!

Seeing the excitement in Tang Wulin’s expression, the red-haired man said, “Good. You pass. From this moment forth, you are a member of Shrek

Blacksmith’s Association. You can rejoice at the achievement.”

As he spoke, the red-haired man conjured a black badge out of nowhere and moved his hand toward Tang Wulin’s chest.

“Huh? Wait a second! I haven’t agreed yet!” Tang Wulin jumped back in alarm, but the red-haired man was too quick. All Tang Wulin felt was a warmth on his chest, and the next thing he knew, the badge was stuck to him.

“You don’t have the right to refuse. As a blacksmith yourself, what

association are you going to enter but the Blacksmith’s Association?” the man drawled nonchalantly.

Tang Wulin smiled bitterly. “How can you be so forceful? You haven’t even told me who you are yet.”

“Me?” The red-haired man pushed his bangs out of his eyes, revealing a pair of arrogant yet tender eyes. “I am the president of Shrek Blacksmith’s Association and the eighth-rank Saint Blacksmith, Feng Wuyu! So, do you still dare refuse?”

A Saint Blacksmith? Tang Wulin was shaken by the revelation. So Shrek Academy also has a Saint Blacksmith!

“Alright, I accept,” Tang Wulin said sincerely.

“Then hurry up and pay your respects to me as your teacher. In light of your prodigious talent, I shall graciously accept you as my disciple, take you under my wing, and guide you,” Feng Wuyu said.

Shrek Academy has so many eccentrics! Tang Wulin thought.

“My apologies! I already have a teacher so I cannot kowtow to you as my teacher.”

“You already have a teacher? Who? Who could possibly be as great as I?” A trace of anxiety appeared in Feng Wuyu’s eyes.

“My teacher is also an eighth-rank Saint Blacksmith. He’s the president of Eastsea Blacksmith’s Association. He should be a few years younger than you.”

Though Tang Wulin didn’t explicitly say Mu Chen was better than Feng Wuyu, just mentioning his age was more than enough to get his point

across.

Chapter 300 – Feng Wuyu

Feng Wuyu pinched his lips so tight they seemed to disappear into his face. “You mean that kid Mu Chen? What kind of dog shit luck does he have to snatch you as a disciple?”

This didn’t sit well with Tang Wulin, prompting a strained frown. “I’m the one who’s lucky enough to study under him. I still have another teacher as well, Teacher Mang Tian. It was only thanks to their guidance that I am here today. Someone like you, the president of Shrek Blacksmith’s

Association, shouldn’t be asking me to betray my teachers.”

“That’s…” Feng Wuyu was at a loss for words. “Betraying them isn’t that serious. That kid Mu Chen is pretty good at forging, but his strength is a bit lacking. He barely managed to break through as a Soul Douluo, and that

was with external help. He isn’t even a Title Douluo. It’s damn near impossible for him to become a Divine Blacksmith, but me? I’m different! My cultivation base puts his to shame! See for yourself.”

As the last word left his lips, a red aura permeated the air from which Feng Wuyu stood, the temperature in the room surging several degrees. All this through the exertion of his soul power.

Tang Wulin felt as if he’d been tossed into a furnace, taking a few steps back out of reflex. At the same time, he urged his blood essence to protect him from the inferno. But it still wouldn’t have prepared him for what was coming next, his pupils dilating from shock.

Ring after ring rose from beneath Feng Wuyu, surrounding him like blinding stars in a spiraling nebula.

Purple, purple, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, and red!

He has nine soul rings! He actually has nine! He even has a red one! From his soul ring configuration, he shouldn’t be any weaker than Elder Cai!

Never had it struck Tang Wulin that the person who abducted him would be a Title Douluo. And it wasn’t an exaggeration to call him exceptional

among this group either.

If he counted his grandteacher, then Shrek Academy already boasted at least three Title Douluos. It blew his mind to think he met so many, all who had unimaginable soul ring configurations.

In tandem with his materializing soul rings, Feng Wuyu’s body grew a bit fuller, a bit wider, but otherwise not disturbing his overall appearance. Tang Wulin couldn’t recognize his martial soul. This was the strength of a Title Douluo: total control on how much of the martial soul was revealed.

“Take a good look. Aren’t I powerful? No matter where you go on the continent, no one will dare cross you if you become my disciple. And if

anyone does touch a hair on your head, I’ll burn them to ashes!” There was a fire blazing in Feng Wuyu’s eyes.

This guy isn’t normal at all! Tang Wulin laughed in his heart. Nevertheless, he did not immediately reject the offer. After witnessing Gu Yue’s dealings with Elder Cai, he had learned better. Any response he gave had to be nuanced and tactful. “Senior, you are too great. However, I cannot forsake my teachers for your strength. If I’m willing to betray them today, then

wouldn’t that make me capable of betraying you in the future?”

“That’s impossible. You won’t ever meet a blacksmith better than me. At the very least, not one who’s more powerful.” Feng Wuyu’s eyes caught a glazed look, mind wandering the universe, before snapping back into the present. “Even that guy’s cultivation base isn’t as good as mine.”

It was as if the words were pilfered out of his mouth, and Tang Wulin could not summon anymore in the face of such a demanding person.

“Alright, how about this. Next time I receive lessons from my teacher, I’ll ask if he agrees with you guiding me as well. And if he does, I’ll have no objections. Is that fine? I’ll also accept joining this Blacksmith’s

Association for now. In any case, I’ll be spending a lot of time on campus, so you won’t have to worry about me disappearing, right?”

Feng Wuyu scratched his head as he mulled it over. “Okay. Fine. You’re such a troublesome kid. But like they say, the able ones cause all the trouble, just like how others always say I’m causing always trouble.”

“Senior, can I go then?” Tang Wulin probed.

Feng Wuyu waved his hand dismissively. “Go on, leave. But don’t forget, you can’t join any other association!”

“Got it! If anyone tries to lure me into their association, should I make use of your name?”

Feng Wuyu’s glare was hot enough to melt butter. “Of course you should! No one would dare steal you from me!”

Tang Wulin returned to the forging table, grabbing the two pieces of meteoric iron and moving them into his storage ring.

The metals were a dusky gold, speckles of light twinkling over the surface, reminiscent of the night sky. He made off with quite a profit this time.

Didn’t Yuanen say the Academy can sell things on our behalf? I’ll bet these two chunks of meteoric iron are worth a lot. I won’t have to worry about my meals for a while.

“I’ll come find you later!” Feng Wuyu shouted at Tang Wulin’s retreating figure, throwing his thoughts asunder and causing him to stumble.

With his back to the room, Tang Wulin was surprised to find himself on one of the upper levels of the school building. He patted his chest a few times to settle his heartbeat. For Tang Wulin, Feng Wuyu was an enigmatic puzzle

and facing him had been terrifying. He was lucky, pure and simple, to catch

the fancy of a Saint Blacksmith. That said, he couldn’t shake off the tendrils of doubt clinging to his body.

He’s a nine-ringed Title Douluo! I wonder what’s his title… I need to go ask a teacher about it later.

Still unfamiliar with the layout of the school building, Tang Wulin took some time to find the stairs. As he descended, he ran into Yuanen.

“I’ve been looking for you for half a day now, and you’re here just as I thought. Are you alright?” Yuanen asked.

Tang Wulin nodded. “I’m fine.”

Yuanen’s eyes drifted toward Tang Wulin’s chest. “You’ve joined the Blacksmith’s Association?”

At his inquiry, Tang Wulin followed Yuanen’s gaze to his chest. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when he saw a crude looking badge depicting a black hammer. Without a doubt, it was what Feng Wuyu had forced upon him.

“I guess you could say so.” Tang Wulin forced a smile out.

“You’re pretty lucky to have Elder Feng personally recruit you. You must be quite the blacksmith.” Yuanen nodded in approval and heaved a sigh of relief.

“Mad elder?” A twitch of Tang Wulin’s lips. That guy really is crazy!

“Well, there’s no need to leave now. The Blacksmith’s Association is based here on the fourth floor. You can use the forging tables for free since you’re a member, but you’ll still have provide your own metal for forging.”

“Huh? So the Blacksmith’s Association is on this floor. Can you take take me to it?” Ever since he had stepped foot in Shrek City, Tang Wulin had

craved for a forging table to call his own. Especially so now that he was a fifth-rank blacksmith.

The workshop Feng Wuyu had taken him to was at the edge of the fourth floor, tucked deep within winding corridors and the such. Yuanen led him elsewhere, back straight and proper, brimming with confidence. They

arrived at the foot of a large sign shortly after.. Blacksmith’s Association!

The words were written with an air of grandeur.

He pushed the door open and entered. The first thing he saw was a counter stretching over twenty meters long, with more than fifteen windows for helping visitors. At the moment, three staff members with youthful

appearances sat behind the windows. They were likely students as well.

Yuanen spoke softly, “It’s quiet right now because it’s lunchtime, but once that’s over this place will be bustling The Blacksmith’s Association is very popular because even though there are so few blacksmiths in Shrek, the demand for their forging is off the charts.”

Hearing these words, Tang Wulin’s heart thumped.

In a flash, he was in front of one of the windows. “Hello, I’m a new student and my name is Tang Wulin. I just joined the Blacksmith’s Association.

Elder Feng gave me this badge.” He pointed to his chest. “I was wondering if there is anything else I need to do?”

A young man, about eighteen years old, glanced at the badge from behind the window. At the sight of it, he asked, “Elder Feng personally recruited you?”

“Yes!” Tang Wulin said.

Cerita silat IndoMandarin

The Legend of the Dragon King Chapter 291-300

Chapter 291 – Give Me Her Number!

Chapter 292 – The Holy Angel and the Fallen Angel

Chapter 293 – The Headmaster of the Outercourt

Chapter 294 – A Turn for the Worse

Chapter 295 – The Pressure of Shrek

Chapter 296 – Time Waits for No One

Chapter 297 – Working Student Yuanen

Chapter 298 – Meteoric Iron

Chapter 299 – The Might of Spirit Refined

Chapter 300 – Feng Wuyu

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