The Legend of the Dragon King Chapter 301-310

Chapter 301 – Titan Giant Ape Martial Soul

Chapter 301 – Titan Giant Ape Martial Soul

“Alright. Do you have a blacksmith’s badge? I’ll begin your registration. In case you’re not aware, Shrek Blacksmith’s Association goes by rules

similar to those governing other Blacksmith’s Associations across the continent.” The clerk glanced at the badge in Tang Wulin’s hand as he

continued his explanation, “The greater the blacksmith, the greater their authority…”

It was an orange badge with four yellow stars on it.

T-this badge’s color scheme… He’s a fourth-rank blacksmith?

Although fourth-rank blacksmiths weren’t too hard to find at Shrek Academy, he hadn’t encountered one this young before!

The average age of Shrek Blacksmith’s Association members trended higher than those of other campus associations. After all, blacksmithing required a long accumulation of experience and a lengthy sharpening of skill..

When Tang Wulin had first stepped foot into the room, the clerk was intrigued. When the fourth-rank badge came into the picture, he was astounded.

Is that real?

Trembling hands took hold of the badge, slipping it into a tiny slot on the identification device. A detailed record of the owner’s personal information

 would be swiftly retrieved, regardless of their profession.

“Tang Wulin. Male. Born in Glorybound City. Member of Eastsea

Blacksmith’s Association. F-fourth-rank blacksmith. Second place winner of the junior division blacksmithing tournament, Skysea Alliance Tournament. Total number of completed forging missions…”

His voice dipped lower and lower as Tang Wulin’s picture flashed on the screen, confirming his identity.

The clerk didn’t doubt who he was; it was impossible to fabricate the information on the badge. Not to mention, counterfeits were so easy to expose that it wasn’t worth the time making them.

Meanwhile, Yuanen was frozen by Tang Wulin’s side. He’s a fourth-rank blacksmith?

He’d guessed Tang Wulin was talented, judging by how Feng Wuyu had personally recruited him, but never had he imagined the youth sported such a high rank!

Fourth-rank professionals were rare in the fourth grade, not to mention the first grade. People of such caliber only became common in the fifth and

sixth grades.

I’ve found a treasure! Since he’s a fourth-rank blacksmith, he has to be capable of second-grade thousand refining at the very least!

“Here’s your badge back,” the young man said, his tone clearly more polite than before. As a fellow blacksmith, he understood better than Yuanen the unprecedented genius a thirteen-year-old fourth-rank blacksmith represented, how much it shook the foundations of blacksmithing history! Perhaps the Academy bent the rules and made an exception in order to recruit him for his rich talent.

“You’re a working student?” the young man asked. Tang Wulin nodded.

 The clerk held his stare and something flashed within his eyes, something close to understanding. “I’ll explain how the pay works here.. Since the badge you got says you’re a fourth-rank blacksmith, you’ll receive two thousand points a month and access to a private twenty square meter

workshop. That’s suitable for your rank, and will be upgraded as your rank advances. Also, the Association will provide you with ten chunks of metal each month to use as you wish, and an eight percent discount when purchasing additional metal from the Association.

“You can also get a job with the Association. If you want the Association to sell products on your behalf, then you’ve got to relinquish five percent as a fee. Obviously, the rest will go to you. In exchange for all these benefits, you must complete three jobs each month. Of course, the three jobs will be suitable for your rank.

“Last but not least, if you run into any problems, please don’t hesitate to come by the Association for assistance.”

There are so many benefits for joining!

Throughout his path to becoming a blacksmith, Tang Wulin had stumbled upon many an impenetrable mountain along the way, and only now had he tasted the sweet fruits born of his labor. No matter where, blacksmiths

would always be in high demand, as evident by the benefits offered by Shrek Blacksmith’s Association.

“I’d like to accept some jobs. Please assign me a workshop.” These were his two items of priority today. A personal workshop would allow him to practice forging and complete jobs, raking up contribution points on the way.

A Tang Sect branch was likely hidden in the belly of Shrek Academy. Tang Wulin would have to ask Wu Zhangkong where it was. And once he had the information, he’d go and report in, settling into a hectic schedule packed full of missions for both Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect.

He would consolidate his fifth rank foundation while completing forging jobs for the next year, taking a slow and steady approach to spirit refining.

 “Please wait a moment.”

A while later, the clerk led Tang Wulin down a long and narrow corridor, winding and tortuous like a coiling snake, doors lining both sides. Upon closer inspection, Tang Wulin realized the how similar to a tube the hall was.

With every step, the clerk babbled on, reminding him of certain important details. For example, that every association had their own space, and all of the rooms on either side of the corridor were for blacksmiths of the fourth rank and up. Every workshop was soundproofed, so no matter how furiously one swung the hammer, not a peep would leave the rooms.

Tang Wulin’s workshop number was easy to remember: 88.

“Here’s your workshop door card. It’s free to use. If you need to buy metal or want to accept some jobs, hop by the front desk and we’ll assist you immediately.”

“Okay. I’ll trouble you when the time comes.”

Tang Wulin entered his workshop with Yuanen in tow. It was neat and tidy, empty shelves on either sides, not a dust mote in place. Right smack in the center of the room stood a forging table. One glance, and Tang Wulin knew it was the standard type, the type that, although not as fancy as Feng Wuyu’s, was what he was most familiar with.

The room was bare otherwise. Each wall was forged from metal. If he didn’t know any better, he could have sworn he’d stepped foot into a world of metal.

Even though it’s not very large, it’s still good. I can consider this workshop mine from now on.

Earlier, Tang Wulin had taken his monthly allotment—ten chunks of metal. Fourth-rank blacksmiths were treated well.

 Although none of the ten metals were particularly valuable or rare, they were all free! No way could he turn that down.

He arranged his newly acquired metals with some of the less valuable ones from his storage ring on the hungry shelves. And with that, the workshop no longer seemed so bare.

“Take your pick.” Tang Wulin pointed to the shelves.

Yuanen returned his gesture with a blank stare. “I’m not sure what I want. I need a full set of armor, so I’ll just go with whatever you recommend.”

Tang Wulin’s eyes were peppered with surprise. “You want to create a full set? You’re already preparing to become a battle armor master?”

Yuanen nodded.

“I think that’ll be difficult since your body grows too big when you use your martial soul.” Tang Wulin smiled in spite of himself. “Oh right, what’s your martial soul? It’s so powerful! It’d make things easier if I knew.”

“It’s the Titan Giant Ape,” Yuanen replied after hesitating for a moment.

“Titan Giant Ape?” Tang Wulin’s eyes popped. Of course he had heard of it before. The Titan Giant Ape was known as the king of the forest, royalty

among soul beasts. But this was the first time he met someone with it as their martial soul.

“So what do you think?” Yuanen asked.

Tang Wulin pondered for a moment, gears whirring in overdrive in his mind. “Spirit refined metal would be best for you. That’ll allow you to merge your armor with your body and accommodate you no matter how large your transformation. In today’s lesson, my class’s teacher said battle

armor is meant for the martial soul to wear. So, one-word battle armor can’t really be counted as true battle armor. In anycase, I’m too unfamiliar with how battle armor is made and don’t know if one-word battle armor can transform along with your martial soul.”

 “It can,” Yuanen said. “But the crafting process is very complicated.

Alright, how about you just thousand refine a highly ductile metal for me?”

Again, Tang Wulin delved deep into his thoughts. “Then you’ll want the same metal as my hammers. Heavy silver. It’s extremely ductile and is

considered one of the best mid-grade metals. As for making the armor, you’ll have to find a mecha designer and maker.”

“Alright.”

Thousand refining heavy silver was no walk in the park for Tang Wulin. As Yuanen was his first customer since coming to Shrek Academy, Tang Wulin allowed him to stay and watch.

Several strikes of the hammer later, a silver light shot out from the metal, leaving Yuanen gasping for his words. “Y-you’re too fast.”

“You’re getting quite the deal this time. It’s thousand refined with spirit, so it’s first-grade thousand refined. Don’t you think one thousand contribution points is too cheap for something like this?”

Yuanen carefully accepted the heavy silver and put it away, nodding. “It’s

cheap. I’ll tell you a secret about Shrek Academy if you’ll agree to continue forging for me at that price.”

“Done!” Tang Wulin agreed to the bargain immediately, heart thumping in beat with the palpable anticipation in the room. “I’m going to want you to answer a few more questions about working students also. Throw in those answers and I promise to continue forging thousand refined products for you at that price. This deal is only for you though.”

Chapter 302 – Genius Working Students

Chapter 302 – Genius Working Students “Deal,” Yuanen happily said.

Tang Wulin perceived from Yuanen’s tone that he was selling his thousand refinement for cheap this time, but information could make or break newcomers like him. Besides, Yuanen was only one person. He couldn’t possibly need too many thousand refinements.

“The Academy purchases first-grade thousand refined metal for a minimum of two thousand contribution points.”

The corner of Tang Wulin’s mouth began twitching. “But the working student thousand refining jobs rewards are all one thousand points!”

“That’s because you hadn’t joined the Blacksmith’s Association yet. Aren’t the fees only five percent now that you’ve joined? Apart from us working students who are required to accept a few missions every month, no one

will bother with the jobs given by the administration. You’ll only get cheated if you do.”

Tang Wulin said, “Okay. I get it now. It’s a good thing I didn’t find out too late. So I want to ask you, is there some secret about working students?

Why do people act strange when they find out I’m a working student?”

“That’s because working students are freaks,” Yuanen answered bluntly. “The Academy usually accepts any person who doesn’t pass the exam but performs spectacularly in one area as a working student. Well, those with

 extraordinary qualities are admitted as working students too. For example, that Elder Feng you met earlier used to be a working student. Relying on his blacksmithing talent, he graduated from the outer court at the age of thirty- four. But in that same year, he succeeded at soul refining and broke into the seventh rank, becoming a Saint Blacksmith. The Academy made an

exception for him, the youngest Saint Blacksmith on the continent, and

accepted him into the inner court. Then his cultivation soared. He rose from six to nine rings in twenty years. He became a Title Douluo and an eighth rank Saint Blacksmith. He’s the greatest blacksmith of Shrek Academy and holds an exalted position.

“Working students created a precedent of reaching to the top. In the eyes of ordinary students, working students are unpredictable and absolutely must not be offended. The chances for graduating working students to enter the inner court is thirty percent, much higher than ordinary students. Naturally, we’re under a lot more pressure than them too.

“The Academy established the working student system for those who

excelled in one particular field, but didn’t meet the criteria for admittance.

But now, after many generations of working students, these two words alone are enough to demand respect from ordinary students in the outer court.”

Tang Wulin finally understood why the administrator had told him not to bring shame to the working students that day.

So then, Elder Cai wasn’t punishing us by making us working students! “Do you have any other questions?” Yuanen asked.

Tang Wulin said, “I still have a question. You’re so strong, so why haven’t you entered the inner court yet? How old are you?”

“I’m fifteen years old. I entered Shrek Academy when I was twelve. As for why I haven’t entered the inner court yet, I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.”

A trace of loneliness flickered in Yuanen’s eyes. “Alright, if you don’t need anything else, I’m leaving now. I still need to finish my own tasks. Oh right,

 I’m a third-rank mecha designer. If you need any designs in the future, come find me and I’ll give you a discount.”

Tang Wulin smiled. “Not for free?’

Yuanen stared at him. “Free? Shrek Academy advocates a system where the more work you put in, the more you benefit. In order to gain something, you have to pay the price.”

“Fine, fine, stop being so serious. Let’s go. We’re going the same way so I’ll leave with you.”

Tang Wulin had gained much this outing. Joining the Blacksmith’s

Association would make his life much easier; that is, providing him with the means to feed himself.

“You got what you wanted, so don’t forget to treat me to dinner.” “You’re such a glutton.” Yuanen gave him a helpless look.

They left the school building and walked back to their dormitory. Just as they exited the forest, however, Yuanen raised his head and stared into the distance.

Tang Wulin noted Yuanen’s sudden stillness. He also looked in the same direction.

A person sat on the edge of the forest, his body turned to face the dormitory.

The man wore the green uniform of Shrek Academy, his golden hair neatly combed back. Tang Wulin thought he looked a bit familiar.

Yuanen stopped walking. At the same time, the golden-haired man also noticed them and turned his head.

Tang Wulin instantly recognized him.

Isn’t he the rich kid from yesterday who bought out the drink shop because he wanted a girl’s number? He also had the angel martial soul, right?

 Seeing Tang Wulin and Yuanen, the man stood up and strode over.

“Have you two seen a red-haired girl here? Actually, does a red-haired girl live here at all?” The man stared at them arrogantly, his mere presence

stifling to others.

He’s still looking for that Fallen Angel girl? Tang Wulin’s heart thumped.

That’s right! Didn’t she say she was a working student as well?

He subconsciously turned toward Yuanen. As a second grade student, Yuanen knew more about working students. Besides, this Yue Zhengyu man was also a second grade student. The fact that he didn’t recognize Yuanen was puzzling.

Yuanen looked at Yue Zhengyu with indifference. “I don’t know anyone like that. Please move out of the way.” Not waiting for his reply, Yuanen began walking forward.

Yue Zhengyu’s eyes flashed. “I’ve already waited half a day, but I’ve only met you two working students. Now, you say you don’t know anything?” He raised a hand to push Yuanen in the chest.

Yuanen’s expression instantly darkened. An imposing aura burst forth from his body, and he rammed Yue Zhengyu with his shoulder.

Astonishment flickered in Yue Zhengyu’s eyes. He hadn’t been in Shrek

Academy for long despite being an outer court student. If not for his clan’s requirements, he would have entered the inner court long ago. He had been forced by his clan to go into seclusion to awaken his martial soul immediately after being admitted, so he started straight in the second grade upon completion. This was why didn’t recognize Yuanen.

Facing Yuanen’s attack, he also lowered his shoulder to ram into Yuanen’s.

Tang Wulin retreated two steps. He didn’t want to become collateral damage.

 As Tang Wulin expected, the aftermath of their collision resulted in Yue Zhengyu being sent flying. A burst of radiance later, wings unfurled behind Yue Zhengyu’s back and he fought to steady himself in mid-air. Finally, his body righted itself. Yet, tremors still ran down his right shoulder.

Though the Holy Angel martial soul was formidable, its strength did not lie in power. When facing the tyrannical might of the Titan Great Ape, a soul beast whose mere punch could cause shockwaves, even Tang Wulin wasn’t confident in his strength! It would take all of his bloodline power for Tang Wulin to contend against Yuanen.

If Yue Zhengyu were fine after receiving such an attack, it would be strange “You!” Fury blazed in Yue Zhengyu’s eyes.

Chapter 303 – Mu Chen Resigns

Chapter 303 – Mu Chen Resigns

The look Yuanen shot Yue Zhengyu was cold enough to freeze. “This area is for working students only. Please leave. Are you aware of the

consequences for private battles on campus?”

Yue Zhengyu snorted, eyes flashing with irritation. “Private battles are not permitted on the Academy’s premises. But swapping pointers? That’s a different story. It’s pretty much encouraged. In fact, come join me in a spar if you think you’ve got what it takes.”

“Not interested.” Without sparing him another glance, Yuanen left for the dormitory, footsteps trailing behind him.

“You!” Yue Zhengyu cut himself short before he boiled over. Somehow, he had the sense of mind to understand his place; it wouldn’t do for him to

erupt here. Chest heaving, he huffed, “You’re hiding an evil soul master. It wouldn’t be in your best interests to cover for her.”

Yuanen stopped mid-step, turning his neck and fixing him with a heated glare. “Evil soul master? The Academy has judged there to be nothing of the sort here, so who are you to say there are?”

Yue Zhengyu returned his stare, intense. “I saw it with my own eyes.”

“Then think of a way to prove it,” Yuanen said dismissively. “Let me remind you that only working students can enter the working student dormitory. If you set foot in our territory, by the Academy’s rules, we have the right to deal with you as we see fit. You’ll be disciplined harshly as

well.”

 There are rules in place for the working student dormitory? Tang Wulin’s eyes popped. Being a working student seemed more attractive than ever.

“You! What’s so amazing about working students!” Yue Zhengyu scoffed in disdain.

“I invite you to try something then. Can I take your words as a declaration of war against all working students?” Word after word of Yuanen stabbed into Yue Zhengyu like daggers.

Yue Zhengyu’s determined expression wavered. He had some understanding of working students. For one, they were basically a group of geniuses. Disregarding the current batch, working students of previous generations had stepped foot within the inner court, cultivating much power and influence, rising up to become inner court elites.

“Of course I have a way to prove it!” Yue Zhengyu narrowed his eyes so tight they resembled slits. A crafty smile crawled its way across his lips in the meanwhile. With a soft thud, his feet touched the ground, and he flicked one last glance at Yuanen before leaving.

At the sight of the other man’s departure, Tang Wulin approached Yuanen’s side. “Do we really not have a red-haired student here?”

Yuanen furrowed his brows. “Why are you asking too?”

Following this question, Tang Wulin recounted what he had witnessed at the drink shop back then. At the end of his story, a crack appeared in Yuanen’s calm mask, though he shook his head. “I’m absolutely certain there isn’t anyone like that here. Anyway, I’m going to return first.”

Watching him leave, Tang Wulin had the sinking suspicion Yuanen was brushing this matter under the rug. A normal person wouldn’t have caught on, but the advancement in his bloodline amplified his perception. There was something off about Yuanen.

Back in his room, Tang Wulin was surprised to find his teammates nowhere in sight. He hadn’t a clue where they went, and as he contemplated their

 location, he was hit with the reminder to do something he’d planned a while ago. Shoving a hand into his pockets, he pulled out a soul communicator.

He dialed a number with practiced precision.

“Teacher, I made it into Shrek Academy.” Tang Wulin couldn’t contain the excitement in his voice, and it spilled through the device.

“You did it? Great! As expected of my student.” Mu Chen broke into roaring laughter.

There was no denying it; Mu Chen felt happy for his student from the bottom of his heart. Although Tang Wulin was a heaven-defying genius blacksmith, his lacking soul power restricted his growth in that field. But things were different now that he was in Shrek Academy. Even if Tang Wulin only managed to graduate from the outer court, his cultivation foundation would be incredibly stable, guaranteeing success as a soul master. With a wealth of soul power to draw on, there’d be few bumps in his path as a blacksmith. Not to mention, he was just fourteen years old! His future was boundless!

“Teacher, there’s something I need to talk to you about,” Tang Wulin said after a moment of hesitation.

“What is it?”

“I’ve broken through.” Tang Wulin’s eyes gleamed.

“Broken through? To rank 30? No way. Weren’t you just rank 26 or 27 before you left? How could you break through so quickly? Did you eat some heavenly treasure?” Mu Chen asked, shock thick in his voice.

“That’s not what I meant. I made a breakthrough in forging. I tried spirit refining and succeeded.”

The line went silent.

“Teacher, are you still there?”

 “Yes, I’m still here. Explain to me what happened.” Mu Chen’s lack of reaction left Tang Wulin flabbergasted.

Isn’t becoming a fifth-rank blacksmith at thirteen something surprising?

“On the day of the exam…” Tang Wulin proceeded to recite the events, not sparing a single detail. He even explained how he had felt during the process, the sensations that cascaded through his body, in hopes that Mu

Chen would help analyze the entire situation and shed light on his current level.

“Good preparation is the key to success!” Mu Chen said, after listening to Tang Wulin’s recount. “But that was far too dangerous. You absolutely must not attempt spirit refining again before you reach rank 30. I’ll come visit you in a few days and we can continue our conversation then.”

“Yes, Teacher. You’re coming to Shrek?” Tang Wulin asked, astonished.

“Mhm. I’ve been here too long now. It’s about time for a change in scenery and Shrek is a pretty nice place. In any case, congratulations. Although you’ve only succeeded spirit refining once, you’re still a fifth-rank blacksmith now, and you’ve accomplished this at the tender age of thirteen! You’re an outstanding genius no matter the profession.”

“Thank you, Teacher.” Tang Wulin grinned.

Tang Wulin then recounted in vivid detail his experience right after his

classes began and his encounter with Feng Wuyu. Through it all, Mu Chen listened in silence, withholding his opinions.

☀

Over in Eastsea City, Mu Chen wore an expression that was anything but calm. After the call with Tang Wulin ended, he quickly dialed another number.

“I want two train tickets to Shrek City, scheduled for three days from now.”

 I can’t sit here twiddling my thumbs anymore. If I don’t go, my disciple might get snatched away! No matter what, I can’t let him steal my treasured disciple.

Following this thought, Mu Chen made another call.

“Hello, I’m Mu Chen. Please connect me to the President.”

“Oh, he’s holding a meeting right now? Okay. Tell him that I’m resigning.”

☀

Tang Wulin sat there at a loss. He didn’t know how much of a shock he had given Mu Chen nor where his teammates were. He chose to remain in the room.

After joining Shrek Blacksmith’s Association, he secured a steady source of contribution points. He gained a deep insight regarding the background of working students too. Now standing at the top of his list was self- improvement, his goal set at reaching rank 30.

He spent an entire afternoon meditating. The Mysterious Heaven Method was slow to cultivate, but it emphasized creating a firm foundation.

Tang Wulin met with Yuanen for his free dinner, engaging in his alternative cultivation method once more.

For the sake of not drawing too much attention, he found a table in the

corner and dragged his friends to eat with him, introducing them to Yuanen at the same time.

“Senior Yuanen, how many working students are there right now?” Xie Xie’s eyes sparkled after hearing the legend of the working students, and couldn’t help himself from asking this question.

Yuanen turned to him. “There were six of us last year. Two graduated, two entered the inner court, and one withdrew from the Academy. So I’m the

 only one left of the previous batch. Counting you guys, there are five of us now.”

“You’re the only one left?” Tang Wulin stared at Yuanen in confusion.

But I clearly remember seeing a working student’s badge on that girl! Even the enforcer recognized it! If Yuanen’s telling the truth, then who is that girl?

Huh. Then those rooms that looked lived in should be empty now.

Before he could finish his thoughts, someone came over to their table.

“Who are you trying to trick, saying you’re the only working student left in your year? What about that red-haired girl?”

Yuanen glowered toward Yue Zhengyu. “You’re really a leech that never lets go!”

Yue Zhengyu made a dignified face. “To eradicate evil is the duty of every Holy Angel soul master! This is merely my responsibility. Stop hiding her from me, otherwise you’ll face the consequences of doing so once I catch her.”

“You’re not welcome here,” Yuanen said coldly.

A smile formed on Yue Zhengyu’s lips. He pulled a chair from another table over and sat down. “Why aren’t I welcome? Don’t you working students have to pay for your food? I’ll treat you all this time.”

“No thank you,” Tang Wulin said.

Yue Zhengyu flicked a leisurely glance at him. “You sure do have a lot of backbone.”

Chapter 304 – Yue Zhengyu

Chapter 304 – Yue Zhengyu

“This has nothing to do with having a backbone,” Tang Wulin said. “Today’s meal has already been paid for.”

Yue Zhengyu was taken aback by this fact. “Tomorrow then.”

Gu Yue made a grim expression, eyes narrowed and face pinched. “We won’t accept food from someone as dishonest as you.”

At the sound of her words, Yue Zhengyu’s smile widened. “Then what if I were an honest person? It embarrasses me to say this, but please take care of me in the future. I went to the administration earlier and had my working student application approved.”

Yuanen’s brows arched when he heard this, his eyes instantly locking on to Yue Zhengyu.

With a smirk, Yue Zhengyu met Yuanen’s glare head-on, not at all fazed. This guy actually became a working student?

Dread creeped into Tang Wulin’s heart as he imagined their future as working students.

“I’m done eating.” Yuanen stood up with his food tray and left, not sparing the group another glance.

At his departure, Yue Zhengyu beamed as if he were proud of an

accomplishment. “Now I can enter the dormitory for working students too. If that girl is there, I’ll definitely find her!”

 “You! You’re such a senseless person!” Xie Xie said, nostrils flaring in irritation.

“How am I senseless?” Yue Zhengyu demanded.

“How could you be anything but senseless to go to such lengths to find one person? Especially since the enforcer already said she isn’t an evil soul master. Even if you find her, what do you think is going to happen?” Xie

Xie stared at Yue Zhengyu with eyes of ridicule.

“How could a Fallen Angel soul master not be an evil soul master?” Yue Zhengyu fired back, unconvinced. “I’ll definitely dig up proof that she is! And by that time, she won’t have any way to cover it up. Just you wait and see.”

After speaking, Yue Zhengyu also stood up to leave. But Tang Wulin raised a hand to stop him.

“Wait a minute,” Tang Wulin said. “What do you want?”.

Tang Wulin smiled. “Remember when you bought that drink shop? Well, we were there too and witnessed everything. I have some questions I want to ask you.”

“You guys were there? Oh! I think I remember you now. You were sitting at the table next to me, right? So what do you guys think? Didn’t that girl

seem like an evil soul master?”

“We’re unrelated to that matter,” Tang Wulin cut him off. “What I wanted to ask you is this: since you’re so rich, does that mean you have a lot of

contribution points too?”

Yue Zhengyu straightened his back with pride. “How could my Holy Angel clan be lacking in contribution points? In fact, we have a lot of businesses on campus. We have no shortage of points.”

 Unflinching, Tang Wulin said, “Then do you need any metals forged? I’m a blacksmith, and I’m sure you know how poor us working students are.”

“You’re a blacksmith? What can you forge?” A hint of disdain crept into Yue Zhengyu’s voice.

Tang Wulin paid it no mind, a smile sliding across his mouth. “See for yourself.” He revealed his fourth-rank blacksmith’s badge, waiting for Yue Zhengyu to examine it.

As a member of the Holy Angel clan, it was natural for Yue Zhengyu to recognize the badge for what it was. He was instantly struck stupid. “Y- you’re a fourth-rank blacksmith?”

“Yeah.” Tang Wulin nodded. He didn’t dare proclaim himself a fifth-rank blacksmith before obtaining his fifth-rank badge.

“How old are you?” Yue Zhengyu felt shivers coursing down his spin, hairs springing.

“Thirteen.”

“What? Working students really are monstrous! Are you all new students?” “That’s right! What about you? How old are you?” Tang Wulin asked.

“I’m fifteen and a second grade student,” Yue Zhengyu answered. “But I had to spend all of my first grade in seclusion with my clan, so I haven’t attended classes until now.”

Puzzle pieces began falling into place in Tang Wulin’s mind. So that’s why he didn’t recognize Yuanen even though they’re in the same grade!

“I’ll come find you when I need things forged in the future!” Yue Zhengyu shot out of his chair like a rocket, a giant grin plastered on his face. “But you’re still just at the fourth rank, so keep on working hard! Blacksmiths

are only truly amazing once they reach the fifth rank.”

 As Yue Zhengyu finally departed, Xie Xie watched his shrinking back with discontent eyes. “Boss, that guy is way too arrogant! Why are you trying to get closer to him?”

Tang Wulin responded with a wry smile. “Since he’s a working student now, we’re standing on even ground with him. Besides, just think of how many contribution points we can milk from someone that rich.”

“What are the plans for tonight?” Xie Xie bounced from his seat, the previous topic already forgotten. Still unfamiliar with Shrek Academy, they were filled with curiosity.

“I need to report to the local Spirit Pagoda branch,” Gu Yue said.

A thought struck Tang Wulin like a stray lightning bolt. “The rest of us also need to report to the Tang Sect. But first thing’s first, we must find Teacher Wu.””

“Can’t we look for him after tomorrow’s class? Let’s go have some fun tonight,” Xie Xie said eagerly.

Tang Wulin shot him a stern look, face drained of anything less than

serious. “We may have passed the entrance exam, but that doesn’t mean we can slack off. The competition here is fierce. A single mistake could leave us behind in the dust. Don’t forget, Shrek Academy emphasizes the importance of secondary professions since we need them to become battle armor masters. Because we have to be personally involved with at least one part of the battle armor creation process, we must spend our free time practicing our professions. Xie Xie, curb your playfulness for now. In fact,

you should all join the associations of your respective professions and begin climbing to the next rank with their support.”

Both Xu Xiaoyan and Gu Yue were mecha designers, and Xie Xie was a mecha maker. Of the three, Gu Yue had advanced the furthest, already at the second rank. The other two were still stuck at the bottom. So, there was

actually a silver lining to them missing the fifth trial during the entrance exam.

 Xie Xie deflated like a balloon. “Alright then. Let’s go join an association first.”

He understood just as well as Tang Wulin did that time waited for no one!

Taking in Xie Xie’s look of resignation,Tang Wulin sighed in his heart. He knew without a doubt their hardships at Shrek Academy had just begun.

From then on, Tang Wulin cultivated, went to eat dinner, and immediately returned to the dormitory, not letting a second go to waste. He was beginning to fall into a routine now. He attended classes in the morning,

spent two hours forging in the afternoon, then utilized every spare second cultivating. He wasn’t anxious to enter the spirit ascension platform since all of their spirit souls had been saturated with spirit energy. Soul power

cultivation was his number one priority now. He needed to reach rank 30 as soon as possible and obtain his third soul ring. When that time arrived, he

could attempt to spirit refine once more.

A single success in spirit refining did not mean he had a complete grasp of the process. He still needed to practice and refine his skill.

What set fifth-rank and fourth-rank blacksmiths apart were that fifth-rank blacksmiths only needed to present their identification to accept spirit refining jobs, and they bore no consequences in the event of failing to forge a metal.

These were the advantages of being in the fifth rank, which made sense in light of spirit refining’s enormous rate of failure. If blacksmiths had to guarantee the success of a spirit refining, no one would want to be one.

This was why Yue Zhengyu had said blacksmiths only became formidable at the fifth rank. By then, one could accept commissions while using those requests to practice spirit refining.

Back in Eastsea City, Tang Wulin had saw that the minimum reward for

spirit refining was ten times that of thousand refining. His eyes hadn’t been playing tricks on him; it was actually ten times!

 Although Tang Wulin wasn’t familiar with Shrek Academy’s inner- workings, he found it safe to assume the same rate existed here as in

Eastsea City. After all, spirit refined metal was the foundation of two-word battle armor. Tang Wulin was convinced that two-word battle armor masters were rare in the outer court. As such, the entire outer court should be his potential customers.

In order to break the next Golden Dragon King seal, not to mention purchase items to assist his cultivation, Tang Wulin would have to farm

contribution points bit by bit.It was a cycle of working and cultivation that continually fed back into itself.

The order of things was important. As long as Tang Wulin had a clear-cut plan, he would know what to focus on in each stage as he progressed.

Chapter 305 – The Battle for Class President

Chapter 305 – The Battle for Class President

“Today we will be electing the class representatives.” With Elder Cai absent as usual, Shen Yi took charge of the lectures while Wu Zhangkong stood to the side in silence. He swept his icy gazy over the entire class.

“Here at Shrek, strength reigns supreme. We have already tested your

characters, so we don’t care who becomes a class representative. A class battle will be held, and the final victor will be the class president. Those

who demonstrate exceptional talent will fill in the other positions. There are seven representatives in total. One class president, two vice-presidents, and a council made up of the four secondary professions.

“Don’t look down on the position of class representative. Each representative will be in charge of different parts of the class and receive bonus contribution points. The president and vice-presidents are the leaders and represent the whole class. Each month the class president will receive one thousand contribution points, the vice-president six hundred, and the members of the profession council will each receive five hundred points. As long as a representative can become a battle armor master by twenty-five years of age, they will automatically be admitted into the inner court upon graduation. Also, they may take the graduation exam at any time they wish. Remember, you must graduate from the inner court by the time you turn thirty-five. Don’t even dare to proclaim yourself a member of Shrek otherwise. Anyway, these seven positions will be filled in today. First, I will declare Tang Wulin as the blacksmith representative.”

Tang Wulin did not expect this at all.

 “Stand up. Let your classmates get acquainted with you,” Shen Yi said. Tang Wulin stood up, turning around to face all of his classmates.

Everyone’s gazes landed on Tang Wulin, each with different reactions. The girls instantly brightened the moment they saw him, for one simple reason: he was handsome!

Tang Wulin, at the young age of thirteen, stood 165 centimeters tall and was only a head shorter than an adult. Long eyelashes accentuated his large

eyes. With a lean build and a radiant smile, his pretty-boy look easily captured the hearts of the girls.

The boys, however, did not look too kindly on him. Just by the fact that they attended Shrek Academy was enough to attest to their genius status and so they all naturally regarded themselves highly.

“Teacher!” A student in the back row raised his hand. “Speak,” Shen Yi said.

“Why doesn’t he need to compete for the blacksmith representative position?” The young man stood up, revealing his unbelievably muscular build. He stood over 190 centimeters tall and had a deep voice. Oddly

enough though, his eyes were extremely small. So small, that they were like slits.

“Yang Nianxia, you’re not exactly wrong. Tang Wulin doesn’t need to compete for the blacksmith representative position because no one can

compete with him. He’s a fourth-rank blacksmith.” Shen Yi’s words roused the entire class.

Fourth-rank blacksmith? A fourth-rank blacksmith who’s not even fifteen years old? That’s just ridiculous!

Yang Nianxia froze, stunned. Originally, he had objected because he himself was a third-rank blacksmith, a remarkable achievement for his age.

 Now, however, words failed him—he couldn’t hope to compare to a fourth- rank blacksmith!

He stared at Tang Wulin in shock. Though he could not accept it just yet, he sat back down.

Tang Wulin gave Yang Nianxia a nod, his expression unchanging. “Any other questions?” Shen Yi swept her gaze across the class.

Little did the class know, Shen Yi was still understating Tang Wulin’s level.

After all, he had yet to receive his badge for the fifth rank and couldn’t spirit refine at the moment.

Everyone changed their suspicious attitudes within an instant. Although Shrek Academy students constantly competed against each other, assisting each other was also possible. After all, it would be foolish not to form close ties with talented people. Everyone was painfully aware that they could not become battle armor masters through their own efforts alone. They would need outside help, and their classmates were their best bet.

These students, having come from all over the continent, had all heard numerous tales of Shrek Academy that instilled caution into their hearts. Everyone knew that they had direct all their efforts into self-improvement.

In the end, they were all geniuses that made it into Shrek Academy.

Seeing no one else object, Shen Yi smiled. “Good, that’s settled then. A competition will be held for the other positions. The contest for the president and vice-president seat will start in a moment. We’re going to a

practice field where you can fight to your heart’s content. There’s only one requirement to become the class president: survive until the very end. The two runner-ups will be the vice-presidents. Let me remind you, it’s not a fight to the death. As long as your four limbs or your torso touches the ground, you will be eliminated.”

“Of course, if you wish to withdraw from the position, that’s fine too. There are many perks to being the class president, but the responsibilities are just

 as heavy. If there’s one benefit that makes it worth it though, it would be the extra credit you receive when you take the inner court entrance exam in the future, and the greater influence on campus. As I’m sure you all know, the highest authority in Shrek City and Shrek Academy is the Sea God’s Pavilion. Nearly all the elders of the Sea God’s Pavilion were past class presidents or vice-presidents. The Academy has six grades and only six

classes, so there are only six class presidents in total. Every one of them has a higher chance of making it into the inner court.”

How can she say withdrawing is fine? Now she’s just trying to provoke us!

Still standing up, Tang Wulin clearly saw Shen Yi’s words ignite a fire in the eyes of his fellow classmates.

And he was no exception. There wasn’t anyone who didn’t want to stand above their peers This was especially true at Shrek Academy. But in order to climb to the top, they had to fight.

“Alright, you have fifteen minutes to prepare. Naturally, you can also form groups, it’s up to you. We will only observe the battles.”

Fifteen minutes to form teams?

Tang Wulin’s heart thumped. He understood the underlying meaning in Shen Yi’s words. This wasn’t merely a test of their individual strength; in order to become the class president, it would take more than a single person’s power.

The Shrek Academy entrance exam already weeded out every weakling. Right now, wisdom was more important than strength.

Tang Wulin sat down silently. He sent a meaningful look to Xie Xie. Then, in a voice only audible to his teammates, Tang Wulin said, “Xie Xie,

Xiaoyan, you two go make another group. Understood?”

A knowing smile instantly appeared on Xu Xiaoyan’s lips. Xie Xie, though taken by surprise, soon curled his lips into a mischievous grin.

 Understanding Gu Yue’s temperament, Tang Wulin did not tell her to do the same. She was too prideful to take the initiative to form her own group.

The reason why they weren’t teaming up this time was simple. After being seated together, they were already perceived as their own clique. Now that Tang Wulin was the blacksmith representative, even more eyes were on him. There was just too much attention on them right now.

If they wanted to take full advantage of the ensuing chaos, first they had to take the heat off of themselves.

The lecture theater soon grew rowdy as people turned towards the person sitting next to them in search of comrades.

With only three positions available, the teams remained small. If the team was too big, there would be conflicts over who received the positions!

Though strangers at first, the classmates soon became friendly.

“Can I join you guys? I’m a control-type soul master, so I’ll definitely be useful. I don’t want to be class president, I’m just afraid of getting hurt. If you’ll have me, I’ll withdraw when we’re the only team left.”

Chapter 306 – Forming Groups

Chapter 306 – Forming Groups

Xu Xiaoyan had a delicate appearance, like that of a frail flower. She was undoubtedly unrivalled among her peers. It didn’t take much for a relatively large team to accept her, making them a team of five with her addition.

Ignoring her team’s discussions, she glanced at Tang Wulin, completely pleased with herself.

Xie Xie also managed to join a team without a hitch. Agility-type soul masters excelled in chaotic battlefields, so he was easily able to recruit two other agility-type soul masters to form a team of three. He even came up

with a name for his team, the Scavengers.

Someone spoke up while Tang Wulin was immersed in observing his fellow classmates.

“Hi, are you really a fourth-rank blacksmith?” It was that Yang Nianxia who had previously doubted him.

“Mn. I am.” Tang Wulin took out his badge as proof. Considering Yang

Nanxia’s sturdy build, Tang Wulin was certain that he was a blacksmith as well. As fellow blacksmiths, they were bound to run into each other often in the future, so it was best to maintain a cordial relationship.

“Let’s team up then. I’m a power-type soul master. My martial soul is the Duskgold Bear,” Yang Nianxia said, cutting right to the chase.

The Duskgold Bear? Tang Wulin was startled.

 The Duskgold Bear was a variant of the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear. In all of history, a soul master with the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear as martial soul had never appeared. Maybe it was just too overbearing for a human to

contain.

The Duskgold Bear, however, was lauded as the most powerful bear-type martial soul. It possessed all the traits of the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear, except for its famed claw. Both its strength and defense were tyrannical, making it an amazing meat shield.

Tang Wulin could be considered a sort of assault-type soul master. If he were to team up with such an amazing human shield, his survivability would soar to new heights.

Tang Wulin nodded without the slightest hesitation. “Sure! Welcome to the team! I’m Tang Wulin, and this here is my companion, Gu Yue. I’m a

control-type soul master and Gu Yue is an elemental-type soul master that specializes in control, support, and ranged attacks.”

“Hi.” Yang Nianxia offered his hand to Gu Yue in greeting. However, she only gave him a nod. She never let anyone apart from Tang Wulin touch her.

Tang Wulin smiled sheepishly. “That’s just the kind of person Gu Yue is. Don’t mind it too much, Yang Nianxia.”

Yang Nianxia chuckled and he rubbed the back of his head. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Oh, right, how old are you? It’s amazing that you’re a fourth-rank blacksmith at such a young age. We should compare notes sometime.”

“Sure. I’m thirteen. How about you?” “I’m fourteen.”

The two stared at each other in astonishment. Yang Nianxia’s surprise

stemmed from how young Tang Wulin was, while Tang Wulin found Yang Nianxia’s enormous size shocking for someone at his age.

 “The three of us make quite a good team. Do you have any idea what we should do later? I’m not very good at strategizing. What are your

specialties?” Yang Nianxia asked, full of vigor.

All of the new students still weren’t familiar with each other, so this battle royale served as the perfect stage to showcase their strengths. The more formidable one appeared, the easier it would be for them to form relationships with others. Furthermore, it would elevate one’s status in the class. Everyone was eager to prove themselves.

Tang Wulin smiled wryly. “It’s quite simple really. Isn’t your martial soul the Duskgold Bear? The Duskgold Bear has amazing strength and defense. All you need to do is focus on displaying them and we’ll be fine. Leave the rest to me and Gu Yue. I’ll pull people to you, and you’ll beat them up. Gu Yue will be in charge of ranged attacks and supporting us.”

With the addition of Yang Nianxia, Tang Wulin was satisfied with the

composition of their team. He had no doubts about Yang Nianxia’s strength. He had passed Shrek’s entrance exam too after all. At the very least, he had to have three soul rings. Those who had been admitted with only two soul rings like Tang Wulin were an oddity.

As this thought crossed Tang Wulin’s mind, the image of that red-haired Fallen Angel girl popped into his head. Doesn’t she only have two rings as well? And she has purple ones like mine. The same goes for Yue Zhengyu. He has three purple rings. It seems like both Holy Angels and Fallen Angels have the physical strength and spiritual power to support a powerful spirit

soul.

Fifteen minutes soon passed. Shen Yi and Wu Zhangkong majestically led the 101 students of the first grade out of the classroom. They walked down a long hall, venturing into the depths of the school building.

The school building was simply enormous. It would take someone several years to become familiar with every nook and cranny of it.

They soon arrived in a large circular room.

 Strangely enough, this room was barely large enough to fit all of the students, but nowhere near enough room for them to do battle.

“In just a moment, all of you will enter an illusory world. I believe

everyone here has been in the spirit ascension platform before, so you can consider this world as something similar. Now, everyone move outside of the white circle on the floor,” Shen Yi said.

The students did as Shen Yi ordered and withdrew from the center of the room, leaving a large empty space there.

Shen Yi walked over to the wall and operated some kind of mechanism. A series of soul circuits lit up in response, zig-zagging all over the room. A

moment later, the floor of the center of the room opened up, and egg-shaped globes shot out.

Each globe was about 2.5 meters tall with a diameter of 1.2 meters. All of them split open to reveal a peculiar cockpit within.

“You may choose to enter whichever one you want. After entering, you will find yourselves in a forest. The boundaries of this forest are small, so you will quickly encounter each other. If you want to be near any companions, enter eggs that are near each other. You have three minutes to sort things out. Don’t forget to buckle your seat belts once you’ve entered your cabin.”

So high tech!

Tang Wulin stared at the oval cabins in admiration. They were clearly

entering the same kind of world as the spirit ascension platform! Taking the world they entered during the entrance exam into consideration as well, he could barely even begin to imagine what technology Shrek Academy possessed. Perhaps he would no longer need to visit the spirit ascension platform and could just come here instead.

Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, and Yang Nianxia swiftly chose three cabins that were clustered together. After entering, they buckled their seat belts, and the opening of their cabins closed, leaving each of them in darkness.

 Soon after that, specks of starlight twinkled into existence around Tang Wulin, as if he were floating amidst a sea of stars. Waves of energy began rippling around him, and the egg began to spin.

Dizziness struck him and left him dazed, but just as he was about to throw up from the nausea, his mind went blank.

His nausea completely vanished, and he could feel his feet planted firmly below him. He immediately dropped to the ground in a low crouch.

Crouching reduced how big of a target of he was and also gave him a

chance to let his soul power and blood essence settle. It was essential for him to be in peak condition.

Tang Wulin had a clear view of his surroundings. Just as Shen Yi had said, he found himself in a lush forest. He couldn’t see anyone else, but the dense flora severely limited his line of sight.

Now that he was in a forest, Tang Wulin felt like a fish back in water. Plant- type soul masters like him had a definite advantage in such an environment.

Tang Wulin dashed to the side and jumped into some shrubbery to hide himself. A moment later, purple eyes appeared within the shrubbery.

“Tang Wulin? Gu Yue? Where are you guys?” a voice roared nearby. Tang Wulin was stunned, but his expression soon darkened. This guy… The owner of that voice was clearly Yang Nianxia!

Chapter 307 – Duskgold Bear Martial Soul

Chapter 307 – Duskgold Bear Martial Soul

Shen Yi had said that this small forest would be filled with the students of the first grade. Tang Wulin was appalled that Yang Nianxia would brazenly shout like this, revealing himself the instant the battle royale started.

Tang Wulin leaned forward as he stealthily dashed through the shadows of the bushes toward Yang Nianxia’s voice. He had to join up with Yang

Nianxia immediately and change their location before they were surrounded.

Sure enough, he quickly located Yang Nianxia by following his booming voice.

Yang Nianxia stood in the middle of a clearing, a perplexed look on his face as he swept his gaze through his surroundings. He was tall and muscular

and practically had a giant target painted on his back.

Just as Tang Wulin was about to join up with Yang Nianxia, he noticed something and stopped, remaining in the bushes.

A figure quietly approached Yang Nianxia from behind him. It was truly strange. A shadow on the ground was the only sign of someone

approaching, but no one was there to cast it.

But when the shadow reached Yang Nianxia, it suddenly burst into

existence in the shape of a person. The shadow person threw a garrote around Yang Nianxia’s neck and pulled.

 What martial soul is that? It’s so strange. Although Tang Wulin was

startled, he didn’t rush out to save Yang Nianxia. Their alliance wasn’t that solid to begin with, and he had to be cautious of any enemies that appeared. Only the heavens knew how many people had set their sights on Yang

Nianxia now.

The assailant braced themselves against Yang Nianxia, taking advantage of their difference in height to push off of Yang Nianxia’s back to strangle him.

This was an illusory world in which even death wasn’t real, so the attacker showed no mercy and immediately aimed for a fatal blow.

Yang Nianxia’s body instantly went stiff as he resisted the force pressing against his neck. The fact that his attacker aimed for a vital part like his neck from the very beginning meant that they were a fairly powerful

agility-type soul master. Three soul rings rose from under the attacker’s feet, but only his second ring lit up.

Yang Nianxia jabbed his elbow backward, intent on striking the attacker’s chest.

However, since the attacker stood on his back, his elbow couldn’t reach.

Yang Nianxia ferociously stomped the ground and his body began

expanding. He quickly grew from 190 centimeters to 250 centimeters tall. Although his transformation wasn’t as drastic as Yuanen’s Titan Giant Ape, Yang Nianxia’s hair became dark-gold, a dark-gold luster covered his skin, and three purple soul rings rose from his feet.

This guy…

Tang Wulin’s eyes widened in shock.

Seemingly sensing that his advantage was gone, the assailant kicked off of Yang Nianxia and put some distance between them.

 At that moment, Yang Nianxia’s first soul ring lit up and dark-golden light erupted from his body.

The light revealed the true form of the illusory figure behind him, slowing them down as well.

Yang Nianxia’s hand shot backward to catch the enemy by their ankle. With a firm grasp on the enemy’s ankle, he smashed them into the ground like a rag doll.

An instant later, the ambusher’s body disappeared in a flash of light.

After confirming his victory, Yang Nianxia returned to his normal appearance, minus the clothes that had been torn apart by his transformation.

“Tang Wulin! Gu Yue! Where are you two!” Yang Nianxia shouted, clearly having no intention of stopping.

As he watched from the shadows, Tang Wulin felt a chill go down his spine.

Just as expected, no one who passed the entrance exam can be considered weak! He might be exposing himself while looking for us, but he has the strength to do so! His powerful martial soul and strange soul skill allowed

him to easily take care of that ambusher. That wire didn’t even do anything to him!

I shouldn’t go out yet. He looks honest, but he has a cunning heart. He’s an excellent teammate candidate!

“What are you hollering for?”

Three figures emerged from the forest, a group of two boys and one girl. All of them had two purple soul rings and one yellow soul ring. The girl led the way. She had a dazzlingly pretty face and was an even match for Xu

Xiaoyan in the looks department, but she was far more arrogant. A dark- green snake coiled around her right arm, surrounded by a gloomy aura.

 The two boys behind her were average in terms of height and looks, but their faces were identical.

The moment he saw the twins, Tang Wulin couldn’t help but recall the twin sisters he had encountered at the Skysea Alliance Tournament. He had lost to their powerful soul fusion skill back then. Considering the fact that these two boys were also twins, he wondered if they also had a soul fusion skill.

Since classes had just started, Tang Wulin was still unfamiliar with his classmates. He didn’t know who was powerful and who was weak!

Judging by the sound of the voice, it was clear that the girl had spoken. Yang Nianxia responded with an innocent smile.

“Hi, I’m Yang Nianxia. I’m looking for my teammates right now.”

The girl stepped forward. “I’m Zheng Yiran. You should just withdraw right now and save yourself from some pain. The position of class president is

already mine.”

Yang Nianxia stared at her in astonishment. “Didn’t the teacher say we need to fight for the position? How is the position already yours?”

Zheng Yiran frowned. “Are you stupid? I obviously meant that no one else is worthy of being my opponent. It’s guaranteed that I’ll beat everyone here and become the class president. Alright, enough of this nonsense. Zheng Long. Zheng Hu. Send him on his way.”

“Yes, young miss.” The two boys behind her shot forward, their first soul rings twinkling as an aura of darkness enveloped them.

A green tint appeared on their skin as they dashed toward Yang Nianxia. They opened their mouths and shot green lights straight at him.

Yang Nianxia stood there as if he had been stunned, not moving an inch. Then he suddenly released his martial soul and his body swelled once more.

 Isn’t he being too cocky? Tang Wulin frowned from his position in the bushes.

The two green lights struck Yang Nianxia. He shuddered as a dark-green hue corrupted the golden luster that covered him.

“Ah! Poison!” Yang Nianxia cried out as a sudden trembling gripped him.

Zheng Long and Zheng Hu approached Yang Nianxia with lightning speed. Their martial souls could only faintly be discerned as a jade-green haze.

Death clung to them, and the surrounding plants wilted wherever they went.

It was poison, just as Yang Nianxia said. It was a rarely seen poison-

attribute martial soul! Considering the fact that they had passed the Shrek entrance exam, they had to be powerful in their own right. That Zheng Yiran, who seemed to have a similar martial soul, was also there. They likely hailed from a family of poison-attribute martial souls.

Tang Wulin’s horizons were truly broadened today. Since entering Shrek Academy, he had seen countless rare and powerful martial souls.

In the blink of an eye, Zheng Long and Zheng Hu reached Yang Nianxia.

Yang Nianxia trembled more intensely than before as each of the twins raised a foot to kick him, a transparent jade-green spike sprouting from their feet. Although the spikes were beautiful, the association of the color with their martial souls took away from that.

If the two spiked kicks struck Yang Nianxia’s neck, his bid for class presidency would definitely be done.

Even so, Tang Wulin did not act. Yang Nianxia wasn’t really his comrade after all. Besides, considering how crafty Yang Nianxia was, Tang Wulin was confident that he wouldn’t lose to just two poison-attribute soul masters.

“So poisonous! How scary!” Yang Nianxia wailed.

But just as the two spikes were about to stab him, he stopped trembling.

 His arms shot out like lightning to grab each twin by the ankle. A grim smile formed on his lips. “Isn’t that enough now?”

He stomped on the ground, dispelling the green haze on him with a burst of dark-golden light.

The light made the air tremble, and when it struck Zheng Long and Zheng Hu, their bodies went weak.

They had been completely sapped of strength.

Chapter 308 – Jade Snake Zheng Yiran

Chapter 308 – Jade Snake Zheng Yiran

Yang Nianxia ruthlessly slammed the twins onto the ground. Zheng Long

and Zheng Hu disappeared in two flashes of light before Zheng Yiran could even react.

“You!” She stood there, stunned beyond belief. Never had she expected that the twin’s poison would be ineffective against Yang Nianxia.

“Hi Zheng Yiran, I’m Yang Nianxia. Please advise me.” Yang Nianxia,

without giving her a chance to process the situation, charged toward her like an unstoppable tank.

“You’re seeking death!” Zheng Yiran screamed. A bright green haze covered her as she dashed forward. The snake curled around her arm glowed, then spat green mist at Yang Nianxia.

Yang Nianxia snarled. Dark-gold light burst from his body, disintegrating the mist when they touched. He reached her an instant later.

Zheng Yiran regarded him with icy eyes as she still rushed forth, clearly not intending to dodge. Yang Nianxia was just about to smash into her, when her body went soft as if her bones had liquified and her arm shot out to meet his fist.

Light exploded around her, concealing which soul skill she used. A split second later, she wrapped herself around Yang Nianxia, constricting him.

 She lifted up her now jade-green right hand and stabbed it at his neck. At the same time, the snake on her arm glowed again and sprayed another puff of mist at Yang Nianxia’s face.

Yang Nianxia’s third soul ring lit up and he howled, his already enormous bulk growing to three meters in height. Dark-gold fur sprouted all over his body like a bed of steel needles. Light exploded from his body in an attempt to throw Zheng Yiran off of him.

However, unlike Zheng Long and Zheng Hu, she held fast onto Yang

Nianxia like glue. Even as the light increased in intensity, she held on. The two were locked in a stalemate.

At that moment, a palm appeared out of nowhere and gently rested on Zheng Yiran’s back. She trembled, then stiffened as a layer of blue frost spread across her back.

Yang Nianxia roared as he tensed his muscles, shattering Zheng Yiran’s frozen body into brilliant shards of ice. A second later, and all that remained of her was a few particles of light.

A girl with long black hair flashed next to Yang Nianxia’s side. She wasn’t particularly pretty, but she had a particular air about her. It was Gu Yue.

She had teleported in and used frost palm on Zheng Yiran, instantly turning the tide of battle.

Yang Nianxia’s body rapidly shrunk back to normal and he turned to Gu Yue to give her a thumbs up.

Gu Yue responded with a polite smile, holding her hands behind her back as if this matter wasn’t worth mentioning.

To Tang Wulin’s astonishment, Gu Yue’s eyes darted toward the bushes he hid in for a fleeting second before shifting away.

Wow! The Spirit Sea realm is amazing. Her perception is so keen now, she instantly discovered me.

 Yet, even so, she did not call out to him, nor did he come out.

“Gu Yue, what should we do now?” Yang Nianxia asked with an innocent look on his face.

“Weren’t you doing well just now? Continue.” Gu Yue walked toward the bushes Tang Wulin hid in once she finished speaking.

“But my soul power will run out!” Yang Nianxia said with a wronged expression.

“That’s your problem.” Gu Yue didn’t look back. Instead, she crouched down and entered the bushes.

She casually sat next to Tang Wulin.

At that moment, Tang Wulin’s eyes flashed and his right arm shot out like lightning.

A ding rang through the air as a pair of sharp talons were knocked away by Tang Wulin’s arm. They had been aimed at their backs.

Spears of bluesilver grass shot out from the ground and shook the

surrounding bushes so violently, they released two people whose bodies were paralysed.

In the same instant, a pair of meter-long wind blades flew out and turned the two attackers into flashes of light.

Tang Wulin hadn’t turned around the entire time. Even now, he only revealed a smirk as he gave a thumbs up behind him.

A figure crawled forward not too far from behind Tang Wulin and picked up a strand of bluesilver grass. Not a sound came from this person, as if he had completely blended in with the environment. It was precisely Xie Xie.

The team he had formed with two other agility-type soul masters had

eliminated five other people beforehand. After all, agility-type soul masters had both speed and attack power Ambush was their forte.

 But when Xie Xie’s two teammates had set their eyes on Tang Wulin, neither sensed their impending doom.

It was a pity. They had been betrayed. After spending all these years together, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie didn’t need to verbally communicate.

As soon as Xie Xie realised that the person within the bushes was Tang Wulin, he pinched a strand of bluesilver grass found everywhere because he knew of Tang Wulin’s grass surveillance network.

After being warned, Tang Wulin had passed this on to Gu Yue with a signal only their team knew.

The tragic fates of the two agility-type soul masters played out afterward. The most important part of this chain of events, though, was that they had never suspected Xie Xie’s betrayal.

Once restrained, only one path left for agility-type soul masters. It wasn’t that they weren’t strong, but their advantage lay in ambushing and guerilla tactics. With their speed, it naturally lowered the strength of their defences.

Yang Nianxia noticed this commotion and approached the bushes, his pupils contracting in shock when he saw two flashes of light. However, he soon regained his calm and gave a thumbs up. He ran over to join Gu Yue in the bushes.

“Y-you! When did you get here?” Yang Nianxia exclaimed, surprised to see Tang Wulin in the bushes as well.

Tang Wulin gave a wry smile. “I just got here a moment ago.”

A naive smile formed on Yang Nianxia’s lips. “Oh. Keep watch for me then. I need to recover some soul power.”

They had already eliminated six people within a few short minutes.

Moreover, all of their opponents had been powerful, especially that Zheng Yiran with her tyrannical poisonous martial soul. Despite this, the Duskgold Bear’s stalwart defences restrained her martial soul and she met her demise

 at the hands of Gu Yue’s frost palm. Of course, victory wouldn’t have been so easy for them had she not been so arrogant.

Yang Nianxia sat down and began meditating without a hint of worry. He had complete faith in Tang Wulin and Gu Yue to protect him.

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue exchanged a look. They didn’t speak as Tang Wulin willed his buesilver grass into the ground to link with the

surrounding plants. He poured soul power into the plants through his grass, empowering them to mask their aura.

Chapter 309 – Demon Scythe

Chapter 309 – Demon Scythe

The sound of combat pierced through the air. It was chaos incarnate, thundering booms shaking the earth and sending debris flying sometimes meters away. Battles had broken out throughout every corner of the forest, spreading like wildfire.

However, this was natural, as 101 participants were scrambling for a measly three positions. They all believed themselves destined to stand at the

summit, special and extraordinary among crowds of the mundane.

And today was the best chance to showcase just that to their teachers.

☀

“Senior brother, who do you think will become the class president?” Shen Yi asked, eyes glued to the large screen on the wall, analyzing.

“Tang Wulin,” Wu Zhangkong answered. “Tang Wulin? Are you sure?”

Wu Zhangkong nodded.

“But Gu Yue and several other students are stronger than him. He doesn’t shine in any aspect and we have a lot of good newcomers flooding in this year,” Shen Yi said. “The inner court’s standards are extremely strict now.

In fact, the outer court is practically used to toughen students without letting them enter the inner court directly. Do you really think Tang Wulin has a

chance against those students?”

 Wu Zhangkong shook his head. “It’s not his strength that will allow him to win, but his character. I know Tang Wulin isn’t the most gifted of his

classmates, and Gu Yue is obviously stronger than him. In fact, Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan are about equal to him as well. Not to mention, there are numerous students with more talent than him. That said, I am certain no one is more suited to be class president.”

Shen Yi was taken aback. “Is it because he’s a schemer? Because he’s so two-faced?”

Wu Zhangkong shook his head again. “No. It’s because he has the temperament of a leader.”

“A leader’s temperament? Aren’t you exaggerating a bit too much?” Shen Yi prodded.

Once more, Wu Zhangkong shook his head. “I’m not. Watch him carefully from now on. It took me three years to uncover what sort of person he is.

He may be rotten at times, but his character truly shines when he’s faced with a challenge and still manages to make the right decision. You say he’s two-faced, but when his comrades are in danger, he doesn’t hesitate to step

forward to help. Even then, he somehow manages to minimize the damage.

Furthermore, his situational awareness is a level above his peers. If he

wasn’t in charge of his team, then their fighting strength would decrease by twenty or maybe even thirty percent. But under his lead, they act as one

cohesive whole.

“His charisma unites the people at his side and makes the willingly accept his commands. Both Gu Yue and Xie Xie are proud kids, but they never forget to call him captain. It’s his actions that demand their heartfelt

admiration. So like I said before, just watch. I am convinced that out of everyone out there, he’s the most likely to become class president.”

Shen Yi hummed, eyes glazing over thoughtfully. “I’ll sit back and observe then. And I’ll await an excellent performance from him.”

☀

 Farther out into the distance, a blood-soaked figure dressed in tattered attire leaped out of the bushes. On his back were a pair of white wings, nothing like the Holy Angel ones Tang Wulin had seen before. Instead of feathers, white hair covered the surface area of the wings, black stripes knitted like

spiderwebs.

These same stripes snaked throughout his body. If not for his humanoid form, it would be easy to mistake him for a tiger.

This person had a muscular body covered in wounds. Yet, he managed to rush forward like a roaring gale.

They said clouds come from dragons and winds come from tigers. Tiger- type martial souls were powerful, but he outdone even that by possessing a winged tiger martial soul!

As he dashed from the bushes, three figures followed chase. Leading was someone shrouded in a black haze! The pack moved in complete silence; not a single rustle of a leaf could be heard as they shot through the forest. The area around them dimmed as if the light was being sucked into their pitch-black haze.

The black figures flashed forward, leaving afterimages behind as they

closed the gap between them and their prey. It seemed that the winged tiger wasn’t truly capable of flight, especially with a gaping hole in his right

wing.

Compared to their leader, the two behind the shadowy figure were slower, trailing behind as the one in front overtook the winged tiger soul master.

A jet-black light exploded. Even fifty meters away, Tang Wulin broke out into a cold sweat at its sheer power. This chill came not from the weather, but from the very depths of his soul.

What martial soul is that?

Stricken with dread, the winged tiger soul master barrel rolled in the air, activating his purple third soul ring. His body expanded, a golden shine

 dusting his hair as he spun around roaring to face the attack.

As soon as he did, a wave of darkness descended, engulfing both the winged tiger and the shadowy figure pursuing him!

A blink, and the winged tiger soul master blasted out of the darkness like a rocket. He smashed into the ground and slid through it, his damaged wing snapped off clean.

Then the shadowy figure left the darkness’ embrace, the black haze

covering their body thin enough for Tang Wulin to discern their appearance.

Ashen hair. Sickly pale skin. It was a youth whose physical appearance bore nothing attractive to say so the least, and the only features worth a second glance were perhaps his hair and eyes. That said, he seemed to have sprang out from another world.

In his right hand was a large scythe. The handle was no less than three meters long and its blade stretched to one meter, alluring violet patterns etched into the metal. In fact, those decorations sucked in the soul of the observer.

That’s…

The gray-haired youth lifted his scythe as he approached the winged tiger soul master, one leisurely step at a time.

“Show some mercy!” begged the wounded party.

But his pleas were left unanswered. A flash of shadow, followed by blinding white light. And the powerful winged tiger soul master was no more.

Moments later, the two people following the ashened-hair youth finally caught up to their leader.

“Captain, you’re so awesome!” One of them flashed a big thumbs up.

 Wearing a perfect impassive mask, the aforementioned captain continued on as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. “Let’s go.”

Hidden in the trees far away, Tang Wulin and his team had witnessed this one-sided battle with bated breath.

Their eyes trembled with shock.

It wasn’t just the strength of the gray-haired youth that came as a bombshell. It was his soul rings too.

He had four yellow soul rings! Although none of them were of the thousand-year level, he still had four rings! A whopping four!

Since he was a new student like them, he was fifteen at the oldest. Yet he was a Soul Elder! Only one word came to mind to describe him: terrifying!

However, what was truly baffling was despite his strength, he did not have a single thousand-year soul ring.

Then again, this was to be expected of Shrek Academy, the congregation point of all things bizarre.

“I recognize him. He’s from Bright City.”

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue turned to the owner of the voice, Yang Nianxia.

Gone was the sparkling honesty in his eyes. Instead, a fierce light flickered in their depths, as if he were some ferocious beast on alert.

“Bright City? Who is he?” Tang Wulin asked.

“His name is Xu Yucheng. It’s an ordinary name, but he’s super famous in Bright City. He’s from the Imperial Sun Moon Soul Engineer Academy. I hear he is nicknamed ‘Immortal’! Immortal Xu Yucheng! His martial soul is the Demon Scythe, also know as the Reaper’s Scythe. Pay attention to him. The reason he has four rings with not a single purple one is because his body can’t handle it.

 “The Demon Scythe isn’t a peak-level martial soul. But that’s not because it isn’t powerful. No, it’s because it’s so powerful it begins devouring the soul master’s body. Because of that, his body is so frail he doesn’t dare fuse with a thousand-year spirit soul yet. In fact, having that many hundred-year soul rings is impressive for his situation.”

Yang Nianxia’s eyes grew wide, his words becoming more and more grave. “He’s not just the strongest student under fifteen at the Imperial Sun Moon Soul Engineering Academy—he even dominated everyone eighteen years old and under! Remember that. I never expected him to enter our class!

This is going to be troublesome. Also, the two following him should be from the Imperial Sun Moon Soul Engineering Academy. Like Shrek

Academy, that academy has over ten thousands years of history, and I even hear that back then, they stood toe to toe with them.”

Chapter 310 – Continental Rankings

Chapter 310 – Continental Rankings

Xu Yucheng truly was a formidable opponent. With four soul rings, he stood at the peak of the first grade.

Tang Wulin’s team would have to face him sooner or later, but from what they had seen, victory would be no easy feat.

“He really is too powerful. I’m not sure if we even stand a chance against him. Big brother Yang, do you think you can withstand his attack?” Tang Wulin asked with a worried face.

Yang Nianxia thought about it for a moment.

“I can probably endure for a short while,” he replied. “I think suppressing him with ranged attacks is the best approach. If we do face him, I’ll keep him occupied while Gu Yue showers him with her ice-attribute attacks. He has a frail body so he will be more susceptible to elemental attacks. Don’t worry, we still have a chance. Wulin. You’re a control-type soul master, right?”

“Yeah.” Tang Wulin nodded.

“Our team composition is pretty good then. You control, I’ll be the vanguard, and Gu Yue can attack from a distance. Alright, we got this!” Fire blazed in Yang Nianxia’s eyes.

Tang Wulin relaxed, a trace of admiration flashing through his eyes. “I have a suggestion, big brother Yang. I think you should be the captain of our

 team. Gu Yue and I are from Eastsea City, a distant place, so we’re not as knowledgeable as you. You’re strong and experienced. With you as captain, we’ll be able to last even longer in this competition. If we last until the end, you should be class president and we’ll be your vice-presidents.”

Yang Nianxia smiled wryly and patted Tang Wulin on the shoulder. “Sure, sure. Don’t worry. I’ll definitely protect you two.”

Gu Yue lowered her head, hiding the twitching of her mouth from Yang Nianxia as she fought to contain her laughter.

Tang Wulin beamed. “Big brother Yang, what should we do now?”

“I’ve almost fully recovered, and my martial soul is still fine. Once I’m ready, we’ll go join the fray and pick some fights too,” Yang Nianxia

answered. “The class president is whoever lasts the longest, but if someone wins the position by just hiding the entire time, I don’t think our classmates would accept them. The class president isn’t just a figurehead after all.

They’re responsible for leading the class. To that end, strength is paramount.”

“Oh. So it’s like that,” Tang Wulin said. “I thought just being the last person standing would be enough.”

A slight smile formed on Yang Nianxia’s lips, then he stood up. “You have to look at things on a deeper level. Now let’s get going.”

Tang Wulin pulled Gu Yue in front of him so she stood behind Yang

Nianxia. She turned around and glared at him, puffing her cheeks out. He simply smiled in response.

Yang Nianxia was cautious as they advanced. Their path always zigzagged to take advantage of the shadows the foliage provided, and they silently made their way toward the most chaotic part of the forest.

A flash of white light suddenly bathed the area before them. Yang Nianxia raised a hand and Tang Wulin and Gu Yue came to a halt.

 Another competitor had been eliminated.

A group walked out ahead of them. It was a team of seven.

Leading the way was a tall youth with a shield in his hands. He had three soul rings, two yellow and one purple.

Behind that youth was a handsome boy, the most eye-catching of the seven. He had long blue hair flowing down his back and an air of stability around him. Wu Zhangkong also had blue hair, but their auras differed like black

and white. Wu Zhangkong was the Icily Arrogant Prince Charming,

whereas this youth wore a lukewarm smile as if he had everything under control.

He was slender and had pale skin, blue hair, and blue eyes. Every single one of his movements was as natural as drifting clouds and flowing water, as if he were one with nature.

Even watching from afar, Tang Wulin could tell that this person was the core of that team.

Two people flanked the blue-haired youth, both of whom looked slender and agile.

But behind him was someone that Tang Wulin and Gu Yue were all too familiar with.

It was Xu Xiaoyan.

With her cute face and sweet smile, Xu Xiaoyan naturally found her place behind the blue-haired youth, occasionally exchanging a few words with him.

Following Tang Wulin’s team from a distance, Xie Xie had climbed a tree. When he saw Xu Xiaoyan with that team, the corner of his mouth began to twitch.

“The old saying really is true,” Xie Xie mumbled. “Life really is like a drama, and everything is an act!”

 Yang Nianxia motioned to Tang Wulin and Gu Yue. He quietly squatted into the shrubbery, concealing his presence as much as possible.

There were 101 students in the first grade, but surprisingly enough, there was a seven-man team. This was likely the largest team in the competition. Considering how organized their ranks were, they definitely worked well together.

Yang Nianxia turned to Tang Wulin and whispered, “It’s actually a seven- man team. This is a bit troublesome. Three-man, five-man, and seven-man teams all have different tactics, and a team of seven is the optimal number. They are able to advance or retreat however they want without a single member being redundant. We should avoid them for now and let other teams weaken them first.”

“Do you recognize them?” Tang Wulin asked. “I know that girl in their team. She’s also from the Skysea Alliance. Her name is Xu Xiaoyan. She has an ice staff martial soul, and she’s a ice-attribute controller. Her abilities are a bit similar to Gu Yue’s, but slightly weaker. I don’t recognize any of the others.”

“I only know about the guy in the center. He’s really annoying to deal with, maybe even more than Xu Yucheng.”

“Huh?” Tang Wulin stared at Yang Nianxia in astonishment. “He’s more powerful than that Demon Scythe guy?”

Yang Nianxia shook his head. “He isn’t more powerful—he can’t even hope to compare with Xu Yucheng. However…”

Yang Nianxia paused for a moment, then said, “He’s from Heaven Dou City. His name is Luo Guixing. He’s a control-type soul master that has three soul rings, but his spiritual power is his most noteworthy quality. I

heard that he’s already reached the Spirit Sea realm. Aside from that, he’s a space-type soul master. I was in the same entrance exam group as him. I

was there to witness him get a total of ninety-three points in the end, which is supposedly the highest score in the last fifty or so years. Considering his ability, he shouldn’t have any problems with entering the inner court. His

 space abilities are extremely powerful, and he’ll be annoying to deal with when he has such a large group of teammates.”

Space-type? Tang Wulin subconsciously glanced at Gu Yue.

Elemental-type soul masters were rare, and the most common elements wielded were the four base elements: water, fire, earth, and wind. As for light, darkness, and space, they were called the three higher elements and were the most powerful. Of the three, space was the most mysterious and

deceptive. Developing the space element for control would only result in a powerful combination. Furthermore, all space-type soul skills were strong.

“Luo Guixing also has a nickname: Shackler. Both Shackler Luo Guixing and Immortal Xu Yucheng are top geniuses of our generation and were

supposedly already chosen to enter the inner court. The girl that Gu Yue helped me defeat a while back is also quite famous. She’s a poison-type

soul master, and her martial soul is the Jade Phosphorus Snake Emperor, a martial soul that excels at guerrilla warfare. She’s quite arrogant, but fairly weak in one-on-one combat. Her name is Zheng Yiran, also known as Jade Snake Zheng Yiran. Have you guys heard of the Continental Rankings?”

“The Continental Rankings? What’s that?” Tang Wulin blankly shook his head. This was his first time hearing of it.

Yang Nianxia stared at him in shock. “You really don’t know about it? It looks like Eastsea City really is a remote place. The Continental Rankings is a series of rankings specially curated by the Spirit Pagoda for us soul masters. The objective of these rankings is to promote the development of soul masters as a whole, as well as individually. Several smaller lists make up these rankings. The main one is the Douluo Continent Ranking, which lists the top one hundred battle armor masters in order.”