The Legend of the Dragon King Chapter 321-330

Chapter 321 – Divine Blacksmith Zhen Hua

Chapter 321 – Divine Blacksmith Zhen Hua “You sure have the cheek to threaten me!”

The entire room shook as the voice thundered through, splitting eardrums along the way. It was a peculiar-looking room, stretching over three hundred square meters in area and made entirely of metal. Be it the chair, the table, or the equipment, all of it was metal. It was a futuristic metal

world in here.

The voice belonged to a tall man with long legs and lean muscles. His thick black hair accentuated his features, drawing out his chiseled jawline and fierce gaze. It was hard to guess his age from his appearance alone.

He didn’t look to be more than thirty years old, but his eyes betrayed the wisdom of one had had experienced many decades. The hair at his temples was a snowy white, contrasting with the rest of his dark mane.

But most striking of all were his hands. They were much larger than an ordinary person’s. The joints were inconspicuous, fair and slender like a maiden’s, and his palms were as translucent as jade.

But his eyes. They blazed like fire.

“That’s right! I’m threatening you!” chirped a middle-aged man, his lips revealing a carefree and daring smile.

If Tang Wulin were here to witness this scene, he would hardly believe his eyes.

 Currently, his mild and refined teacher looked the part of a ruffian.

The grinning man was, without a doubt, the President of Eastsea

Blacksmith’s Association and the Skysea Alliance’s greatest blacksmith, Mu Chen!

“When you said you wanted to move to that city where even the birds won’t shit at, I let you have your way. The Skysea Alliance’s economy is thriving under your guidance, yet now you’re telling me that you want to resign?

Did you get kicked in the head by a donkey?” The black-haired man’s voice was thick with irritation. He gritted his teeth as he settled the raging fire of his thoughts.

Why does this guy get my blood boiling every time I see him?

Mu Chen was all smiles. “It’s precisely because the Skysea Alliance is on the right track that they don’t need me anymore! So I want to resign now. I’m a Saint Blacksmith, and I want to one day become a Divine Blacksmith. Zhen Hua, you’ve already eaten your fill, so you don’t understand what it’s like to still be hungry. This whole time I’ve been slowing consolidating my foundation in preparation to attack the next level.”

“Bullshit! You’re not even a Title Douluo yet. Trying to become a Divine Blacksmith now is nonsense. Tell me your actual reason otherwise I won’t allow you to resign.

The smile on Mu Chen’s lips gained a touch of mischief. He eyed Zhen Hua, the President of the Douluo Continent Blacksmith’s Association and

the only Divine Blacksmith on the continent. “Whatever. I don’t care if you approve or not anymore. I’m leaving.”

Mu Chen rose from his seat and made for the door.

“Get back here!” In a flash, Zhen Hua threw his body in front of Mu Chen, obstructing his path.

“I’ll allow it, but you have to give me a legitimate reason first. In case you didn’t realize, I still need to give an explanation to the other high-ranking

 members in the Association! As one of the Association’s pillars, how can you just leave like this?” Zhen Hua shook a finger at him. Voice growing louder by the second. “What do you want me to do? Aren’t we brothers? I can’t believe you would just abandon me like this. Have you no

conscience?”

Mu Chen’s eye twitched. “Don’t try that with me. It won’t work. We’ve known each other for far too long for you to play that kind of game. Alright. Fine. I’ll give you some face. I won’t completely resign, but I want you to transfer me to another branch. I’ve been in the outskirts of the continent for too long now. I want to live in the core of the continent.” He placed a hand to his chin, giving off the impression of thinking hard. “You know, Shrek

City seems pretty nice. Make me the president of the branch over there. If you do, I’ll stay in the Association. If you don’t, then I guess it’s time for me to go.”

“You want to be the president of the Shrek City branch? Was this your aim all along?” Just as Mu Chen understood him, he understood Mu Chen.

Well, it wasn’t hard for this to be so. They had known each other since

childhood and became blacksmiths together. Both were geniuses, inspiring the awe of those around them. There were many similarities between them. And while they were best friends, they were also rivals.

In fact, they had even fallen in love with the same girl.

In the end, the two were faced with a difficult choice: chase the dream or chase love.Zhen Hua chose to further his career. Mu Chen chose to marry the girl.

Mu Chen wasn’t at the remote Eastsea City just because it was his hometown.

“Fine. Go to Shrek City then. But let me remind you of what sort of place Shrek City is. All associations are weak there because of Shrek Academy’s influence. Don’t forget, Shrek’s own Blacksmith’s Association houses that lunatic. You need to be careful if you’re going there. You and that old

 lunatic are at the same blacksmithing level, but in a fight? Not even ten of you could match one of him. Don’t provoke him.”

Mu Chen smiled wryly. “So what if he gets angry? Don’t I have your backing? If he troubles me, I’ll just throw him your way.”

The corner of Zhen Hua’s mouth began to twitch. “Do I owe you something?”

“That’s right!”

Taken aback, Zhen Hua forced out a bitter laugh. “Fine, fine. You win. Is Bao’er doing well?”

“She’s doing great,” chirped Mu Chen.

Zhen Hua scratched the back of his head. “You always know how to take advantage of people. Back then, if it wasn’t for… Oh whatever. I’m done with you. I’ll just treat this as a favor to you and your wife. When do you plan on leaving for Shrek City?”

“Immediately,” Mu Chen answered. If he didn’t hurry, he was afraid his disciple would be swiped right under his nose.

“Is Little Xi going with you too?” Zhen Hua asked.

“Yeah. My daughter and wife are coming along. Can you pull some strings to get Little Xi into Shrek Academy?”

Zhen Hua’s cheek twitched again. “Why are you blabbering that like that’s an easy thing to do?”

“But isn’t it?” said Mu Chen, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Simple?” The room shook once more from thundering voice. “You’re just trying to make me suffer, aren’t you?”

“That’s right!”

 “Get out! Get out now! I don’t want to see your smug face any longer!”

☀

“What are you doing?” Tang Wulin watched as Yuanen washed some items in front of the tap, eyes curious.

He’s already cleaning so early in the morning? Is he a clean freak?

Yuanen held a dour expression, gaze settling on the younger boy. “An annoying pest came, so I switched rooms. Now I need to clean.”

“Yue Zhengyu?”

“You know about it?” Suspicion peppered Yuanen’s expression.

“Yeah. I heard it from him. You guys are in the same class anyway.” Yuanen nodded. “I don’t want anything to do with him.”

“Is he in the dormitory now?” “Yeah.”

Tang Wulin smiled. “Then I’ll go welcome our new fellow working student.” With that, he made his way to Yuanen’s old room.

Yuanen frowned while watching him leave. For some reason, he had the gut feeling Tang Wulin was up to no good. Well, he’s scheming against Yue Zhengyu, so it’s fine.

Once he reached his destination, Tang Wulin knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” After opening the door, Yue Zhengyu was surprised to come face to face with Tang Wulin.

“I heard you’ve moved in, so I came to welcome you.” “Come on in.” Yue Zhengyu didn’t seem at all happy.

 This was because after exploring the entire dormitory, Yue Zhengyu came to a depressing realization. The conditions here were far too shabby for a young master like him.

But true to his proud nature, he found it impossible to abandon a plan halfway through. And if Yuanen could live here, then so could he!

Yue Zhengyu’s dorm room was like Tang Wulin’s, simple and practical. It was already quite clean, a sign of Yuanen’s previous efforts. He sat on the side of his bed.

“Sorry, I don’t have much to entertain guests with yet. Just take a seat wherever you can. I’ve got to say though, the living conditions for you working students are absolutely horrible.”

Tang Wulin shrugged“You’re a working student now too, you know. Well, there’s nothing we can do about it. We’ll just have to suffer some hardships. Oh right, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about. Maybe you’ll be interested.”

“What is it?”

Tang Wulin extended both his hands, and in a flash of light, two pieces of metal appeared in his palms.

The moment the metals materialized, light scattered off of them into an array of bright specks, painting the room like a sea of stars.

Yue Zhengyu’s eyes lit up at the sight. “This is… meteoric iron?” With his background, there was no way he wouldn’t recognize what was in front of him.

Chapter 322 – Everyone Schemes

Chapter 322 – Everyone Schemes

Tang Wulin smiled. “It’s just as you say. This is first-grade thousand refined meteoric iron. I’m sure you know of its high quality. Unfortunately, because of how arrogant it is, it’s impossible to spirit refine it. So, its limit is first- grade thousand refined. But this is still the best material for a mecha or one- word battle armor. If you’re interested, then make me an offer.”

Indeed, the metal in his hands were the two chunks of meteoric iron he had obtained from Feng Wuyu. He could sell them to Yuanen, but that would mean he couldn’t gouge him for a high price: they had too good of a relationship for such schemes.

Not only was meteoric iron rare, it possessed many amazing qualities.

Because of this and several other reasons, these two pieces of first-grade thousand refined meteoric iron were comparable to spirit refined metals of other kinds. He would be ashamed if he couldn’t sell these two pieces for a high price! No way was he missing a single contribution point. After all, those points added up to pay for expensive meals.

“State your price,” Yue Zhengyu said.

With a flip of his hands, the two metals vanished from sight. “I guess you’re not that interested then.” Tang Wulin spun on his heel to leave.

“Hey! Hold on a second! How can you be so impatient?” Yue Zhengyu hastily called out.

The number one priority for people their age and cultivation level was to become a one-word battle armor master. As a result, top quality metal was

 in high demand at Shrek Academy. It was a miracle for meteoric iron to even be put on sale!

“I don’t have too many points,” Yue Zhengyu said helplessly. “I just resumed my studies here at the Academy. But what I do have is money. Since it’s impossible to buy points with money, why don’t I just pay you with money?”

Tang Wulin’s pulse quickened, his greed creeping to the front of his mind. But in the end, he shook his head. “No. I’ll only accept contribution points or spirit items.”

“Spirit items? What spirit items do you want?”.

“I want a thousand-year Earth Dragon Crystal, Ice Essence, Dragon Spiritgrass, and Longevity Grass.”

“Are you a bandit? That’s robbery!” Yue Zhengyu huffed, shaking his head. “Do you think I’m an idiot? The total value of those four spirit items is way higher than that of your two pieces of meteoric iron. There’s no

comparison! Just a thousand-year Longevity Grass is already so much rarer than meteoric iron. It can extend longevity, you know? Anyone who eats it will have their lifespan increased by five years! You can search as hard as you want, but it’ll be a miracle if you find it on the market. And even if you do, it’d cost a arm and a leg! No deal. You’re asking for far too much. At best, I can get you two of the four spirit items.”

“Two?” Tang Wulin was taken aback. He quickly regained himself, however, a smile blossoming on his lips. “Alright. We’re both working

students so I understand how hard things are for us. Two is fine. I want a thousand-year Longevity Grass and a thousand-year Dragon Spiritgrass. Sound good?”

Yue Zhengyu rolled his eyes. “Tell me how you got these two pieces of meteoric iron first.”

Tang Wulin didn’t hide anything. He explained how he was abducted by Feng Wuyu, forced to thousand refine some metal, and came out of it

 successful.

“So you’re telling me you first-grade thousand refined these two pieces yourself? And at the same time?” With each question, Yue Zhengyu’s eyes sparkled brighter and brighter..

Tang Wulin nodded. “There’s no point for me to lie about it. If you don’t believe me, then just ask Elder Feng. Here, take a look at my fourth-rank blacksmith’s badge.”

Yue Zhengyu carefully accepted the badge in his hands. After a moment of inspection, he nodded. “Yeah. This badge is definitely real. Alright. You’ve got a deal then. I’ll get you a thousand-year Longevity Grass and a thousand-year Dragon Spiritgrass. It’ll take me about a week, so don’t you dare sell the meteoric iron in the meantime!”

“It’s settled then.” Tang Wulin held out his hand. In a matter of seconds, Yue Zhengyu accepted and they shook hands.

One step out of Yue Zhengyu’s room, Tang Wulin sported a fox-like

expression. He had originally aimed for one spirit item, and even then he hadn’t thought he’d get it. Although meteoric iron was valuable, it was not much rarer than other metals. It couldn’t compare in rarity or value with

spirit items. Tang Wulin estimated each piece of his meteoric iron to be

worth about two or three million federal coins. So, about five or six million in total.

Each of the listed spirit items was necessary for breaking his third seal, and any one of them alone was well worth over six million federal coins. Yue Zhengyu had been spot on about Longevity Grass. It was extremely rare

with few opportunities to purchase it. Money was important, but even more so was life. Throughout the ages, lifespan increasing spirit items were

always the most expensive.

So, Tang Wulin had fought to contain a grin when Yue Zhengyu offered to pay with two spirit items.

 For the previous seal, he had barely been able to buy the four required spirit items after saving up money for three years straight. But now, he was

already halfway done for the third seal!

With this stroke of luck, he could relax and focus on cultivation for a while.

However, with his back turned to Yue Zhengyu, he didn’t see the older youth’s expression.Yue Zhengyu revealed a similarly sly and fox-like smile.

“Working students really are geniuses! He has to be at the peak of the fourth rank to first-grade thousand refine! I’ll butter him up for now and make him feel like he’s in the superior position. Then he’ll give priority to my requests in the future! My clan doesn’t lack in money or spirit items

anyway.” He laughed, mischief thick in his voice. “That guy’s only about thirteen years old too. I’ve never heard of a fourth-rank blacksmith so young. Moreover, he’s at the peak of the fourth rank! I have to forge a firm connection with him!”

In Yue Zhengyu’s view, not just anyone could act like a rich man. A rich man had to be knowledgeable. By suffering a loss now and giving Tang Wulin the illusion of the upper hand in their relationship, he would become one of Tang Wulin’s favorite customers! For the rich, networking was far more important than money. Fledgling businessmen could never compete with the networks of old money.

The chances of treasure falling into old money’s hands were higher than for new money. The reason was simple: established businessmen could leverage their connections for access to these treasures!

Tang Wulin’s mistake had been only considering the market price of meteoric iron. He had failed to consider his value as a blacksmith prodigy. Yue Zhengyu had eyes for the future, and sprang at the chance to create a favorable relationship. No matter how one thought of it, Yue Zhengyu had been cheated in their deal, but he still came out ahead!

☀

 Shen Yi stood at the lectern, a stern expression on her face. “Before I start teaching today, I want to say two things. First, for the council representatives, count the number of people in your profession after class and have them register for the appropriate association. Of course, membership is not required. But they will receive preferential treatment if they join. All of you will also need the backing of the associations to progress in your profession, otherwise you’ll have to pay for the costs out of pocket. Naturally, the price is in contribution points.

“Second of all, Wu Zhangkong will be instructing the class today.” Shen Yi nodded to Wu Zhangkong, offering her position at the lectern to him.

Teacher Wu! Tang Wulin subconsciously straightened his posture.

Once Wu Zhangkong ascended to the lectern, he swept his icy gaze through the whole class like a winter tide. The entire lecture theater’s temperature

seemed to drop a few degrees, everyone’s focus sharpening.

“Today is the first official day of classe. The curriculum here will be nothing like what you’re used to. For any questions about your martial souls or what cultivation path to take, you may ask Teacher Shen or me after

class. Today, we will be going over the basics of mecha making.” Mecha making? Tang Wulin’s gaze was devoid of their usual spark as he stared at Wu Zhangkong. Teacher Wu, why are you teaching us that? Aren’t we

working to become battle armor masters?

Chapter 323 – Dividing the First Grade

Chapter 323 – Dividing the First Grade

“Among you, there are designers, makers, mechanics, and blacksmiths,” Wu Zhangkong said, cold as usual. “Simply put, creating a mecha requires these four professions to work together. I’m sure you’re all curious about why the Academy is teaching you the basics of mecha making. In order to become a battle armor master, you first have to study the foundation of battle armor: mechas!

“High-end mechas are just about as powerful as low-end battle armor. A blacksmith forges the metal used to make the mecha, a designer drafts the mecha’s blueprint, a maker assembles the mecha, and a mechanic decides how long the mecha can be used. Battle armor is made in much the same way.

“Now let’s discuss the fundamental principles of mechas…”

Wu Zhangkong began his lecture. However, he didn’t cover the basics of mecha making alone. He also discussed how makers worked with blacksmiths, designers, and mechanics. It was a comprehensive lecture.

By the time morning classes were over, Tang Wulin’s understanding of mechas had grown far more profound.

After counting the students of each profession, this class of 101 students discovered that it only had eight blacksmiths. This was reportedly the highest number of blacksmiths in a class in recent years, not to mention blacksmithing geniuses like Tang Wulin and Yang Nianxia.

 Mecha designers were the majority, tallying up to thirty-four in total. Mecha makers followed closely at thirty-one, and the remainder were mechanics.

The three main professions were relatively balanced.

“Class is over,” Shen Yi announced. “Class council members, stay behind.” Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, Wu Siduo, and Luo Guixing stayed in their seats.

“Go to your respective associations and get their help with registering all of the people in your profession. Then discuss how to divide the class into groups with an even balance of each profession. We only have eight blacksmiths. Excluding Tang Wulin, you need to distribute seven, so it

would be best to create seven groups, one around each blacksmith. Get familiar with the abilities of the students in your profession and divide them so that the groups are about equal in talent.”

Tang Wulin nodded. The class council received an allowance of contribution points, but it definitely wasn’t free!

“Here are everyone’s school registration forms. The profession and rank of each student is recorded. Their martial soul and soul power rank are listed as well. You four will have to go over every single form and analyze the

strengths of each student.”

As the last of the other students trickled out of the classroom, only Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, Wu Siduo, and Luo Guixing remained in the classroom. The four of them flipped through the stack of papers in silence. It wasn’t unusual for Luo Guixing to keep quiet, but Tang Wulin occasionally caught a glimpse of a rare, mysterious smile on his lips. Tang Wulin couldn’t even begin to guess what was going on in Luo Guixing’s mind.

On the other hand, Wu Siduo crossed her arms and gave Tang Wulin a cold glare.

Gu Yue simply leaned back in her chair, an aura of serenity around her. “This is our first time working together, so I’ll say a few words.” Tang

Wulin flashed a radiant smile at them. As class president, he couldn’t shirk

 his responsibilities. His position was lofty and his responsibilities were just as heavy. “According to Teacher Shen’s instructions, we’ll be dividing

everyone into groups centered around the profession with the lowest number of students. Aside from me, we have seven blacksmiths, so we’ll have seven groups with one blacksmith each. I have already skimmed through the papers and ascertained that we have one blacksmith at the first rank, five at the second, and one at the third. There’s a gap between the

second and third ranks, but it isn’t too large. The difference between first and second ranks, however, is gigantic. In order to be fair, I will be troubling you three to help me place stronger designers, mechanics, and makers in the first-rank blacksmith’s group. After all, Teacher Shen was pretty clear about wanting the overall skill level of each group to be balanced.”

Gu Yue nodded. “I have no problems with that. Designers make up a majority of the class. With thirty-four of them, there’ll be six groups with five designers and one group with four. The third-rank blacksmith’s group should have four designers. I’ll make sure the skill levels are balanced.”

“I don’t have a problem with that either,” Luo Guixing gave Tang Wulin a friendly grin as he spoke. “It shouldn’t be too hard to distribute them fairly. I’ll get started. The sooner we finish, the sooner we get off.”

Wu Siduo simply nodded silently.

Making each group wasn’t too hard. It was impossible to make every group perfectly equal in ability, but they got as close as they could.

After a while, the four of them finished up and Tang Wulin took the papers in his hands.

“Alright, looks like we’re done,” he said. “You guys can go home and rest. I’ll submit the groups to Teacher Shen.”

“I’ll trouble class president to do so then,” Luo Guixing said, and he stood up and left.

 A grim expression on her face, Wu Siduo stood up without saying a word and left as well.

After the other two left, Gu Yue’s impassive expression thawed a bit as she shot a glance at Tang Wulin.

“Wow, the president is so well respected,” she cooed. “Neither of them accept him yet.”

“That’s to be expected,” Tang Wulin replied, giving her a wry smile.

“Everyone at Shrek is a genius, so who wouldn’t be proud? I’ll just win them over slowly. In the future, if I no longer qualify for the position or

someone better comes along, I wouldn’t want to be class president anyway. Well, let’s get going. I’ll deliver these papers to Teacher Shen then go back and meditate.”

Although food consumed a large chunk of his contribution points every day,

Tang Wulin could clearly feel how beneficial it was for for his blood essence and the cultivation speed of the Mysterious Heaven Method.

Regardless of the circumstances, increased growth in soul power was a good thing. Tang Wulin wasn’t far from reaching rank 30. He understood that gaining his third soul ring was currently his number one priority. He

would then be able to spirit refine and his contribution point worries would vanish.

It was possible to fail when making battle armor. In fact, the usage of higher quality materials increased the probability of failure. In light of this, every

student in Shrek Academy, all of whom were prospective battle armor masters, was always on the prowl for spirit refined metal.

Tang Wulin already had a sneak peek at the benefits of being a high-ranked blacksmith. He knew that, once he firmly established himself in the fifth rank, he would have no problems obtaining anything he needed in exchange for his work.

His current plan was to reach rank 30 and perfect his spirit refining skills all while studying mechas and battle armor. He could push combat practice and

 other things back until later. Goldlight was a thousand-year spirit soul, so he didn’t have to worry about obtaining one for his third soul ring either.

Once Tang Wulin arrived at the teacher’s office with Gu Yue, Shen Yi accepted the papers from him. She quickly flipped through them before giving him a nod of approval. “Excellent. All of you have worked hard. Tang Wulin. As class president, you will be burdened with many responsibilities in the future. Prepare yourself.”

“Understood!” Tang Wulin knew that, as his responsibilities grew, he would learn even more.

“Shrek Academy has always focused on nurturing well-rounded geniuses, but we also raise specialized geniuses. As a blacksmith, you are blessed by the heavens, but that doesn’t mean you can relax just yet.” Shen Yi watched him carefully. “I heard you were abducted by Elder Feng the other day?”

Tang Wulin forced out a bitter smile and nodded. “You don’t have to worry. I’m a member of Shrek’s Blacksmith’s Association now.”

When it came for Feng Wuyu, Tang Wulin was at a loss. The man was a true eccentric, but fortunately for Tang Wulin, his teacher would arrive soon. At the very least, he was confident in his teacher when it came to blacksmithing skill.

“Who said my name?”

At that moment, the blazing-haired Feng Wuyu walked in.

Upon seeing Tang Wulin, his eyes lit up and he roared with laughter. “I was just looking for you! I sure am lucky to find you so soon. Wait to the side for a bit, kid. I have to talk to that girl Shen Yi about something.”

“Hello, Elder Feng.” Shen Yi had long since stood up and given Feng Wuyu a respectful salute.

Feng Wuyu waved his hand dismissively. “It’s fine, it’s fine. I just have a small matter to talk with you about. It’s about this kid actually. He’s a

 blacksmithing genius blessed by the heavens, and I want to carefully nurture him, but he won’t accept me as his teacher. What do you think should be done here?”

Shen Yi stared at him, dumbstruck. How am I supposed to know what you should do? Am I a blacksmith? No! I can’t force him either!

She sent a pleading look over to Wu Zhangkong who stood nearby.

“Hello, Elder Feng,” Wu Zhangkong spoke up as he walked over. “As I’m sure you know, we only have the authority to make suggestions regarding our students’ professions. We can’t force anything upon them, and it’s up to them to decide. Could it be that you haven’t been able to persuade him?”

Wu Zhangkong’s expression was as icy as usual, but his words were sharper than ever. He passed the ball right back into Feng Wuyu’s court.

Chapter 324 – Rejection

Chapter 324 – Rejection

Feng Wuyu snorted. “You brat. Don’t think I’ve forgotten how many years you’ve been away without so much as a peep. You want to talk back to me? Fine. I won’t bother with you two anymore. Anyway, I’m just here to tell you not to give him too many responsibilities in the future. He needs as much time as he can get to learn from me. Well, I’m off then. Kid, come

with me. Since you’re a student here at Shrek, you should treat me as a teacher. I don’t care if you agree or not. I’m your teacher now.”

He grabbed Tang Wulin and threw him over his shoulder as he walked out.

Tang Wulin was helpless against Feng Wuyu. “Elder Feng, can you put me down? I’ll walk with you.”

Feng Wuyu revealed a sly smirk as he acceded. “So you’ve finally accepted me as your teacher?”

“What you said is right. Here on campus, I’m already one of your

students!” Tang Wulin forced his stare upon Feng Wuyu as if daring him to look away.

Feng Wuyu exhaled forcefully, underscoring his contempt, before

continuing,“It’s taken you so long to finally understand this simple fact. Follow me and you’ll have a future much brighter than with that brat from that whatever Blacksmith’s Association.” The moment they stepped foot outside the teachers’ office, Feng Wuyu grabbed Tang Wulin once more and dashed off, arriving at his workshop a few seconds later.

Back in the office, Shen Yi and Wu Zhangkong exchanged looks of dismay. “Elder Feng acts so quickly!” Shen Yi muttered. “Do we need to tell

 Teacher about this?”

Wu Zhangkong nodded. “We definitely need to inform Teacher. Elder Feng has an eccentric personality, and though Wulin is clever and knows how to behave himself, he’s still stubborn at heart. It’d be good to have Teacher

around as insurance in case those two get into an argument.”

A hint of worry flashed through Gu Yue’s eyes. “Teacher Wu, Wulin’s not in danger, right?”

He shook his head. “Most likely not. Elder Feng is one of the most powerful people on campus. He might be strange, but he is very devoted to blacksmithing. To be fair, he isn’t suited for blacksmithing in the traditional sense. Elder Feng got to where he is now through sheer perseverance alone. He started blacksmithing when he was forty-eight years old, and after pouring blood and sweat into his work, he’s now an eighth-rank Saint

Blacksmith. For that reason, Elder Feng has his own unique perspective on blacksmithing. Wulin could potentially learn a lot from him.”

“That’s good then. Teacher Wu, Teacher Shen, I’ll be taking my leave.”

Gu Yue didn’t immediately set forth for the dormitory. Instead, she headed off-campus after a moment of thought..

☀

Cornered in Feng Wuyu’s workshop, Tang Wulin stared helplessly at the eccentric man. “Elder Feng, I can’t forge right now.”

Feng Wuyu’s glare could scorch. “Why not? Are you getting arrogant now that you have some achievements under your belt? Let me tell you, perseverance is the key to success. ‘Perseverance is victory.’ Haven’t you ever heard that saying before? Don’t get complacent just because you have some talent. No matter the profession, you will have to devote blood and

sweat to reach the peak.”

This prompted Tang Wulin to throw up his hands. “I understand everything you’ve just said, and I’m not just being lazy. But I have to deal with more

 important matters first! Like cultivating! I’m sure you can sense I haven’t yet reached rank 30. In fact, I’m only at rank 28 at the moment My soul power is holding me back as a blacksmith. We both know I could spirit refine right now if not for my soul power. Although my body is far stronger than my peers’, if I want to spirit refine safely, my soul power needs to be at least rank 30. I would love to study spirit refining under you, but my soul power is too lacking right now. There’s nothing that can be done about it!”

Taken by surprise, Feng Wuyu’s blazing confidence dimmed, his eyes glossing over as he digged through his thoughts. He scratched his head.

“That makes some sense. Oh right! You’re already at the peak of the fourth rank at your age, so you can try to spirit refine now. You said you’ll try it once you hit rank 30?” When Feng Wuyu had started blacksmithing, his

cultivation base was firmly laid out. As such, he didn’t have to consider soul power restrictions. Only after this exchange with Tang Wulin did he realize this was a legitimate issue.

“My innate strength is adequate and my body is sturdy, which makes up for some of my lacking soul power. But even so, I need to at least be rank 30 to spirit refine without risk.” There was a qualitative leap between two and three rings, and the boost in power would be more than enough to ensure his safety when spirit refining.

Feng Wuyu knitted his brows then nodded. “Alright. That’s reasonable. But kid, don’t think this is enough to stop me from teaching you how to forge.

Isn’t it just rank 30? I know some methods to get you there. But it’ll cost you.”

“There are ways?” Tang Wulin was taken by surprise. There are shortcuts to soul power cultivation?

Feng Wuyu threw his head back and laughed, a mischievous glint in his

eyes. “Of course there are! I can help boost your soul power to rank 30 and help you breakthrough, but the price… It’s a bit high. It’ll cost you ten spirit refined metals once you’ve become a fifth-rank blacksmith. How about it?”

 “No thanks,” Tang Wulin declined straightaway.

Feng Wuyu’s face froze. “Kid, what are you saying? As a soul master, you should be jumping on this chance to increase your soul power. I can even guarantee there will be no side effects! Don’t you know a soul master’s age and rank have a huge influence over their future? Your current level isn’t

anything remarkable, so if you don’t put in the time now and grab any opportunity that comes by, the gap between you and your peers will

continue to widen.”

Tang Wulin turned a deaf ear to Feng Wuyu’s advice. “I’m fine, Elder Feng. I think it’s best if I take cultivation one step at a time. I’m certain I’ll reach rank 30 in two months at the latest.” After breaking the second seal, his blood essence had grown more vigorous and his soul power climbed to rank

28. His cultivation speed had increased thanks to the seal breaking, and he was confident in his estimate of two months. Although he lagged behind his teammates at the moment, he would surely overtake them one day as long

as he continued breaking the Golden Dragon King seals.

It was obvious Feng Wuyu didn’t understand Tang Wulin’s character. Ten spirit refined products was worth an enormous sum of money, with a

conservative estimate of at least fifty thousand contribution points! That would be enough to feed Tang Wulin for several months. His ravenous appetite didn’t allow him to ignore such a large sum.

Tang Wulin would rather have taken his cultivation step by step and not lose himself of a fortune for a shortcut. So, it wasn’t that he didn’t feel

anxious to reach rank 30, but that he absolutely couldn’t bear to give up ten spirit refined products.

“Kid, is your brain rotting? Tell you what, I’ll even provide you with the metal to spirit refine. And Don’t forget, you’ll benefit a lot from this too! With ten spirit refinings to your name, you’ll be famous in the outer court.”

“I appreciate the offer, but no thanks.” Tang Wulin continued to shake head as if that was all he knew how to do.

 “Kid, you really know how to anger me!” Feng Wuyu fumed, but there wasn’t much he could do in the face of Tang Wulin’s stubborn refusals.

“Elder Feng, you don’t have to be so hurried. I’ll steadily cultivate, and once I reach rank 30, I’ll definitely come learn from you. I’ll take my leave now then.” Tang Wulin made to leave swift as a breeze, his back burning from Feng Wuyu’s heated glower.

Feng Wuyu didn’t stop him from leaving. Everything Tang Wulin had said rang true as a bell! Namely, that he couldn’t practice spirit refining until he hit rank 30. Not only that, when Tang Wulin forged the meteoric iron, Feng Wuyu had seen for himself where Tang Wulin had stood in the realm of blacksmithing: he was a prodigy at the peak of the fourth rank. More practice wouldn’t help him grow at the moment.

But that kid won’t accept my good intentions! Isn’t it a great deal to get my help in boosting him to rank 30? Ten spirit refinings is a cheap price for

what he’d get! I’d have to put aside my pride just to acquire some of the items needed for the procedure, yet he actually refused!

Chapter 325 – Seeing What Shouldn’t Be Seen

Chapter 325 – Seeing What Shouldn’t Be Seen

With Feng Wuyu’s workshop behind him, Tang Wulin felt his whole body relax, limbs no longer held tightly together by ropes of tension. Just thinking about how an unreasonable madman like Feng Wuyu would respond to rejection sent shivers down his spine. Fortunately, Feng Wuyu showed a modicum of rationality today and let him off the hook. That

wasn’t to say Tang Wulin didn’t understand the importance of blacksmithing, but it was not his number one priority right now.

However, Tang Wulin would be lying to say he wasn’t at least curious about Feng Wuyu’s special method. Especially if it could boost his soul power

without any side effects. It likely required the consumption of heavenly

spirit items. Even so, ten spirit refined products was too large of a price for Tang Wulin to hand over.

He had no choice but to be stingy. In order to refine his blood essence, he had to shell out the money for the spirit items necessary to break his seals.

This was impossible to accomplish unless he saved every penny! Once

sixteen, he would have to break one seal a year, and judging from the items required to shatter the third seal, he could only imagine the outrageous treasures needed for the later ones. There was no way he had enough cash stashed right now.

☀

Night creeped along, each working student nestled within their dorms not letting out a peep.

 Flitting his eyes open, Xie Xie spared a glance at Tang Wulin. He was currently cultivating in his bed, a thick aura of blood essence lingering

around him. His body burst with vitality. Whenever he cultivated with Tang Wulin, Xie Xie felt more motivated. And while his soul power rank may be higher than Tang Wulin’s, he had never felt superior to him.

Climbing off his bed with the full grace of a cat, a slight tap from his feet touching the ground and nothing more, Xie Xie crept past Tang Wulin’s bed. Careful to not alarm the two girls, who slept on the other side of the curtain splitting their room in half, he kept this act and snuck out the door.

Xie Xie basked in the refreshing night breeze once outside. He looked to the sky, eyes trembling with one part frustration and two parts resolve.

For the past few days, he had been working hard reshaping and improving himself. His understanding of himself grew twofold after the competition for presidency.

Stepping foot into Shrek Academy had forced Xie Xie to reevaluate his strength relative to his peers. It was a hard thing to swallow. Back in Eastsea City, he had been among the cream of the crop, but now, he was

barely above average. He had understood Tang Wulin was strong back then, but he had thought he could still compete with his speed. However, Tang Wulin’s improvement rate went beyond his imagination. He didn’t believe it at first. Tang Wulin’s advancement did not slip one bit.The combination of his destructive golden dragon claw and Tang Sect secret arts placed him higher than Xie Xie now.

But perhaps most important was their difference in combat ability. Xie Xie had never been his match in this regard.

Elder Cai’s criticism had served as a wakeup call for him. Since then, he redoubled his efforts into mastering the mysterious Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track

He could produce clones with both his martial souls, not to mention invisible ones using his Shadow Dragon Dagger. Heeding Elder Cai’s

 advice, he worked on polishing his advantages and minimizing his weaknesses.

He realized he lacked control, since he had never invested much effort to improve it. This realization spurred Xie Xie to practice Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track with one clone. Because of this, he managed to achieve favorable results in the class competition. He had accomplished the

amazing feat of winning a one-against-two match at Shrek Academy, not to mention that his opponents were both control-types.

But after the class competition, Shen Yi had asked him and Xu Xiaoyan if they wanted to throw their hats into the ring for the vice-president positions. Although he had given up in the end, he wasn’t completely convinced.

Despite that, he understood why Shen Yi posed the question to him. He wasn’t strong enough! Not even he could deny this fact. Furthermore, he lacked the confidence to fill a vice-president’s shoes.

As Xie Xie recalled that scene, he couldn’t help but clench his fist. Aside from that, one other thing left a deep impression on him: Wu Siduo’s self- soul fusion skill.

Just like her, he had twin martial souls, though they weren’t considered true ones since he had to get each of them soul rings at the same time. However, because Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger were extremely similar, there was a possibility he could pull off a self-soul fusion skill as

well. This idea had been gnawing at Xie Xie lately.

With his current cultivation and the characteristics of his twin martial souls, Xie Xie was confident he could ascend to the Genius Youths Ranking with a self-soul fusion skill under his belt.

As such, he had been wracking his brain on how to do this. Unfortunately, he found little success.

Unable to focus on meditation tonight, Xie Xie sought fresh air. The cool night breeze cleared his mind of clutter. If I can’t do it by myself, then I’ll

 just have to ask Teacher Wu for help. Maybe he’ll have an idea on how to get me a self-soul fusion skill.

As he mulled things over, Xie Xie strolled around the dormitory. The walk helped ease his mind.

A few minutes later, he saw a bright glow spreading from one of the rooms.

Huh. Isn’t there supposed to be no one living there? Why’s the light on? Xie Xie’s gaze sharpened.

Gently pushing off the ground, he skulked over to the room’s window. He took a peek.

Although the lights were on inside the room, the curtains were pulled close and obstructed his view. That said, he could hear the faint slosh of running water.

He summoned his Shadow Dragon Dagger. In addition to making himself invisible, it could also hide his presence and silence his actions. He stabbed the dagger into the window sill, making sure not to let out any noise, pried it open, and pushed the curtain out the way.

Then his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped.

Inside the room was a fair-skinned girl wiping herself with a wet towel, long red hair draping over her back and curling slightly from the moisture. And she was completely naked.

Xie Xie could only see her profile from his position, but the curves of her body were unmistakable.

I-isn’t this her?

Even with just the side of her face in view, he instantly recognized her immediately. This girl was the red-haired waitress he and his friends had ran into on their first day at Shrek Academy. The Fallen Angel girl who had fought with Yue Zhengyu. Why is she here now? Why did she only appear now if she had been a working student?

 As a thirteen-year-old, Xie Xie had just been exposed to the charms of the opposite sex for the first time. His face grew warm, a flush spreading across his cheeks and down the sides of his neck. He gulped.

“Who’s there!” As soon as the shout broke through, a thick black fog swallowed up the room.

Not good! Adrenaline coursed through Xie Xie’s veins as he shot backward, retreating into the shadows.

But it was too late. Soon enough, he found himself in a pitch-black world, the darkness surrounding him whole. He felt a wave of fury and madness propagate through the air toward him, nearly tangible in its intensity.

In the blink of an eye, the window was smashed to smithereens. The girl leaped out of the gaping hole and chased after him with the full force of a lion. Trapped in darkness, Xie Xie could hardly move at full speed. It felt as if he were trudging through a quagmire, feet sloshing along heavy mud. He was practically a sitting duck.

Armed with no other choice, he flipped around and readied his Light Dragon Dagger.

But an explosion sent Xie Xie flying backward through the air.

The red-haired girl landed on the ground with her face flushed and her

charming eyes blazing with fury. On her was the Shrek Academy uniform.

Her anger crescendoed when she saw that the peeper was male. “You bastard!” Her second soul ring lit up and a violet-black sword materialized in front of her.

Once the sword’s handle met her hand, her imposing aura seemed to rise a level. Again, an intense darkness seeped out of her, curling around her form and darting at Xie Xie’s direction.

He had to remember to close his mouth. Even with two soul rings, he could sense that her cultivation base was far superior to his. Drowning in the

 muddy darkness, Xie Xie could do nothing to resist. Not only that, he was undoubtedly in the wrong for peeping on her. No matter which way it was put, he was at a loss.

Since the girl couldn’t read his mind, there was no way she had an inkling of his mental conflict. She appeared before him in a flash and slashed down with her sword.

Three meter-long blades of light left the tip of her sword. Ghostly wails accompanied the strike, and the instant the lights were dispatched, the

darkness around him seemed to thicken, slowing his movement, increasing his fear.

She’s trying to kill me! Xie Xie could feel her terrifying killing intent wrapping around his limbs like chains, his neck in a noose. Startled, he

summoned his Shadow Dragon Dagger as well and spun with his daggers extended. He used Twin Dragon Storm!

He spun like a top as his two daggers guzzled down his soul power. While he may not have true twin martial souls, having two martial souls still granted him an edge in the soul power department compared to normal soul masters.

Unfortunately, Xie Xie’s soul power advantage was useless here.

Chapter 326 – Fury

Chapter 326 – Fury

As soon as Xie Xie’s Twin Dragon Storm collided with the sword lights, a boom tore through the air. The explosion sent him crashing into the dormitory’s wall.

The girl’s eyes gleamed with killing intent as she pressed her attack.

Suddenly, a burst of golden light erupted, bright and blinding, as if a miniature sun had descended from the skies. An arrogant chuckle cut through the air. “I didn’t think you’d try your hand at killing a student at night. I’m really curious what excuses you have this time.”

As the radiant figure reached the ground, his brilliance dispelled the murky darkness. A pair of white wings unfurled to protect Xie Xie from the girl. It was Yue Zhengyu.

Something blazed in his eyes as he stared the red-haired girl down. “Let’s see if you can run away again this time.”

The girl shot a cold glare at him. “Screw off.” Despite how pleasant her voice sounded, the intensity of her killing intent was as palpable as ever.

Yue Zhengyu snorted. “So you’ve finally revealed your true colors as an

evil soul master! How could a Fallen Angel possibly be anything but evil? Today, I’ll judge you in place of the heavens!”

His second soul ring lit up and a sword brimming with holy light materialized in his hand. Compared with the girl’s blade, the embodiment of darkness and a mixture of shadowy violet tones, Yue Zhengyu’s sword

 seemed entirely the opposite: radiant and golden. It was a sacred weapon created to banish evil.

She scoffed at his display, her eyes bottomless pits. “Do you really think I’m afraid of you?” In the blink of an eye, a third purple soul ring appeared beneath her and her aura thickened and soared.

Yue Zhengyu went on high alert, heart thumping and ears straining. He flapped his wings, absorbing the light element energy in the air. It struck him that this girl might possess a soul skill that concealed her true

cultivation level. Perhaps during the day, he could defeat her with complete confidence. But it was currently nighttime, the domain of darkness-attribute soul masters. Moreover, her cultivation base was equal to his.

All of a sudden, three people arrived on scene—Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan.

Noticing the crumpled body of his friend on the ground, Tang Wulin rushed to Xie Xie’s side.

“Are you alright?” Tang Wulin asked gravely.

Before Xie Xie could respond, Yue Zhengyu interjected, “Don’t you see?

Under the cover of night, this Fallen Angel snuck into the Academy to

attack us working students. Tang Wulin, what are you waiting for? Help me defeat her and bring her to the administration for judgement.”

When Tang Wulin saw blood trickling out of the corner of Xie Xie’s mouth, his expression turned grim. His friend had been injured! This was unforgivable.

After taking another glance at the mysterious girl, he recognized who she was. He marched over to Yue Zhengyu’s right and Gu Yue walked to his

left. Xu Xiaoyan stood in front of Xie Xie like a shield,releasing her martial soul without another second wasted.

Under the sea of twinkling stars, she called upon the power of her Starwheel Ice Staff!

 Despite facing off against four working students alone, the red-haired girl didn’t betray a hint fear. She pointed her sword at them. “I’m going to kill you!”

Her third soul ring lit up and once again darkness flooded the surrounding space. Her figure flickered, and she shot forward like an arrow, charging

straight at Xie Xie. As she flew toward him, her wings took on a deep purple hue. Under the effects of her third soul skill, she melted into the wave of darkness.

“Sacred radiance!” Yue Zhengyu’s first soul ring gleamed and holy light erupted from his body.

The holy light fought back against the encroaching darkness, revealing the girl’s flickering figure within. Each of her dancing afterimages seemed

ethereal, yet tangible at the same time. The sheer intensity of her aura was like a sharp spear piercing toward them. She charged straight for Xie Xie, not a single thought paid to her defense.

Tang Wulin was taken aback. How deep is her grudge? She’s ignoring her safety just to get to Xie Xie!

As Yue Zhengyu’s third soul ring began to hum with light, he aimed his holy sword at the red-haired girl. “Light of Judgement!” A beam of light descended from the heavens.

Tang Wulin made his move as well. The girl’s killing intent toward Xie Xie fanned Tang Wulin’s fury, drummed up his resolve. Golden scales rippled into existence along his right arm, and he charged forward with a punch.

Because they were still on campus, Tang Wulin restrained himself a bit and didn’t bring out his golden dragon claw. That said, even a chunk of metal would stand not a chance before his tyrannical strength.

A flash of silver, and Gu Yue appeared at Xie Xie’s side, a condensed icicle in her hands. At the same time, Xu Xiaoyan raised her staff into the air,

summoning a starwheel beneath the red-haired girl.

 Starwheel Shackles!

True to its name, shackles shot out of the ground an instant after the

starwheel appeared, binding the red-haired girl. No matter how powerful she was, she could do nothing for at least a second in the face of the

absolute restraints.

Her Starwheel Shackles had even restrained Wu Zhangkong in the past. Under the blanket of night, Xu Xiaoyan was a terrifying opponent.

Trapped by Starwheel Shackles, the red-haired girl couldn’t escape the falling Light of Judgement.

“Don’t hurt her!” Xie Xie croaked out.

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue stopped in their tracks, but Light of Judgement continued to fall.

A thundering explosion shook the very ground. The shockwave from the blast kicked up a cloud of dust and debris in a five meter radius, tossing Tang Wulin and the other three away from the blast zone.

The Holy Angel martial soul truly was formidable. While it might not be as powerful as Wu Siduo’s Hell White Tiger, it wasn’t far off! And Yue Zhengyu seemed like he still had some strength left.

Most importantly, he only had three soul rings!

The point of impact was now a charred crater, smoke hissing from it surface.

“You!” Xie Xie screamed, flinging himself toward the huge hole.

But before he reached the edge, a dark purple light shot out from the crater. “Xie Xie, be careful!” Tang Wulin shouted, reeling in the frozen Xie Xie

with a strand of bluesilver grass right before the light made contact with him. His eyes popped when he noticed how close the attack had been, missing by a few inches.

 Tang Wulin’s actions illustrated his meticulousness. The moment he had arrived on scene, he had wound strands of bluesilver grass around the

waists of his comrades, connecting them with him. It was preparation for yanking his friends out of harm’s way.

From the corner of Tang Wulin’s eyes, he noticed a line of blood oozing from Xie Xie’s skin. “Xie Xie!” The second he recognized what it was, Tang Wulin burst forward like a cannonball, face contorted into a snarl.

With a roar, he summoned his golden dragon claw. He didn’t bother holding back anymore. He unleashed his most powerful attack, Golden Dragon

Dreadclaw, firing lines of dark-gold light.

She wasn’t playing around! She truly wanted to kill Xie Xie! Even when Xie Xie told his friends to hold back, she still chose to launch a sneak

attack. If Tang Wulin hadn’t pulled Xie Xie out of range, he would be dead now.

This was neither the spirit ascension platform nor some illusory world. In the real world, people die when they were killed.

Before the blades of dark-gold light collided with the fiery-haired girl, her body expanded, swelling with power and bursting with a tyrannical aura. The ground cracked under her power, the crater’s radius doubling in size, the dormitory’s glass windows shattering and falling upon the earth like

solid rain..

Yue Zhengyu’s jaw dropped as he watched the spectacle. His first impression of Tang Wulin was a new student who managed to get into Shrek Academy on the merit of his blacksmithing genius. However, he now understood how wrong he had been. Tang Wulin was far more formidable than he had imagined! Even with his three soul rings, Yue Zhengyu felt a

chill run down his spine when Tang Wulin unleashed his Golden Dragon Dreadclaw.

Despite this, the girl in the crater managed to defend against that power.

Chapter 327 – Consequences

Chapter 327 – Consequences

The red-haired girl was nowhere to be seen. A five-meter tall titan now stood in her place.

The girl had taken on a new, clearly stronger form, yet blood trickled from the five long gashes that ran from her right shoulder and down her arm. It was impossible to come out of a clash with Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon Dreadclaw unharmed. It was a skill derived from the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear after all!

Tang Wulin did not come out unscathed either. The shockwave of their

clash sent him flying backward. Fortunately, Gu Yue conjured a wall of air to cushion his impact.

But when the dust settled and the form of the titan grew clear, everyone’s jaws dropped.

The titan’s majestic body exuded pure strength, seeming to constrict the atmosphere itself.

I-isn’t this the Titan Giant Ape? This is Yuanen’s Titan Giant Ape! What’s going on? Why did it appear here?

The titan glared at Xie Xie with eyes full of crimson fury. It was as if they were on the verge of exploding. Next to Tang Wulin, Gu Yue frowned, wind and rain swirling around her, birthing a storm. Off to the side, Yue Zhengyu flapped his wings with an aura of majesty and ascended to the air where he eyed her warily.

 She took my Light of Judgement and Tang Wulin’s claw attack head-on, but there isn’t a single scratch on her! She’s no simple evil soul master!

As doubt crept into his heart, Tang Wulin’s rage dissipated. “A-are you Yuanen?”

All of a sudden, a wave of pressure swept through the surrounding space, suppressing all everyone present.

The first to suffer was Yue Zhengyu, who was knocked from the air. He slammed face first into the ground, a human-shaped crater beneath him.

Next to fall were Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan. With Xie Xie’s injuries and Xu Xiaoyan’s weak body, neither could put up much of a fight.

Fortunately, Tang Wulin had pulled Gu Yue into his arms the moment of the pressure wave’s inception. His golden soul ring flashed into existence and he activated Golden Dragon Body. Blood essence, thick and powerful, flooded out of him in an effort to quell the mysterious pressure. Even so, he lasted no more than a second before also falling to his knees.

Compared to the others, Yuanen resisted the longest. She let out a rebellious roar before dropping down to all fours. That said, she towered above the rest, an unyielding flame burning within her eyes.

But that was all the resistance she could muster. In the eyes of this force, they were nothing but ants.

Two figures in their thirties descended from the sky. One wielded seven glittering soul rings and the other six. Perhaps most shocking of all was their shining armor.

Battle armor! That has to be battle armor!

The difference in strength between them and a six or seven-ringed soul master, while large, would not have suppressed the youths so thoroughly.

Such dominance was possible due to the amplification effect of battle armor!

 With battle armor equipped, the user’s strength would increase by two soul ring levels. From the armors’ complex designs, they had to be at the two- word level! Now this was true battle armor!

“What’s going on here? Why are you working students fighting?” The

seven-ringed battle armor master’s chilling voice was like a bucket of cold water over their heads. Catching sight of the injured Xie Xie, he raised a finger, shooting a beam of light into his body. A moment later, Xie Xie’s

chest stopped bleeding.

Yue Zhengyu struggled to get up from the ground, his face still dusty and red from impact. “R-reporting!”

With a wave of his hand, the seven-ringed battle armor master dispelled the pressure weighing down the students.

“Speak!”

Yue Zhengyu pointed at Yuanen without so much as missing a beat. “It’s her! She’s an evil soul master! Her second martial soul is a Fallen Angel. She infiltrated our working student dormitory and attacked Xie Xie at night. She even said she was going to kill him! When we discovered Xie Xie in his tattered state, we rushed to subdue her and ended up engaging in battle. Esteemed enforcer, please arrest her. I’m sure you’ll find truth in my words after some investigation!”

The seven-ringed enforcer cast a doubtful look at Yuanen. “Are you the second grade’s Yuanen?”

Yuanen’s body rapidly shrunk until she was once more a delicate looking red-haired girl. Since her transformation wrecked her uniform, bursting it to pieces, all she had on now was a skintight black suit.

She threw on a jacket before returning the enforcer’s icy gaze. “I am.”

“What’s going on?” The enforcer looked at her doubtfully. “You’re the president of the second grade’s class. Why would you attack another

student?”

 “Just ask him!” Yuanen’s face flushed crimson as she jabbed a finger toward Xie Xie.

Xie Xie’s face contorted with pain as he struggled to get up. While the bleeding might have stopped, the dark energies of Yuanen’s sword had still invaded and corroded his meridians. If not for his Light Dragon Daggers light attribute, his condition would have been far worse.

“I-I…” He stared at Yuanen, tongue limp and as heavy as lead.

“Let’s hear their explanation after we return,” said the six-ringed enforcer to the seven-ringed one.

“Alright.”

☀

Half an hour later, everyone involved in the incident assembled in the teacher’s office of the outer court school building.

Along with them were Shen Yi, Wu Zhangkong, and the teacher in charge of the second grade, all whom had been summoned directly. However, none sat down. The only person seated was the headmaster of the outer court and an elder of Sea God’s Pavilion, Elder Cai.

Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan stood with strange looks painted on their faces.

Because a teacher had treated Xie Xie’s wounds, he was able to stand

alongside his classmates. Perhaps feeling regretful, he hung his head low.

Yuanen, sporting a fresh change of the school uniform, stood on the other side of the room and glared daggers at him the entire time. She looked like the incarnation of a demon bent on destroying him.

Yue Zhengyu wore the oddest expression of all. He was next to Tang Wulin, his face twitching as he fought to restrain himself.

 “Elder Cai, the situation has been explained to us already. The battle this time was all due to a misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding? A misunderstanding that all of the working students participated in? One where someone got injured? Tell me then, what was this misunderstanding?” Elder Cai’s words dripped with danger.

“From our investigations, we have concluded that the working student in the first grade, Xie Xie, went out for an evening stroll. Because he wasn’t aware Yuanen changed rooms, he mistakenly believed that a thief had broken into their dormitory and went to investigate. However, Yuanen

Yehui happened to be taking a bath at that time…” The enforcer’s mask of seriousness cracked, revealing an awkward expression.

Tang Wulin’s eyes darted to Yuanen. So her full name is actually Yuanen Yehui.

“Afterward, Yuanen Yehui discovered that Xie Xie had peeped on her maiden body. In her fury, she attacked Xie Xie. Yue Zhengyu knew of Yuanen Yehui’s Fallen Angel soul, so he misunderstood the situation. Later, Tang Wulin, Xu Xiaoyan, and Gu Yue also arrived on the scene and misunderstood as well. This is what led to their battle.”

Elder Cai was speechless after listening to the enforcer’s explanation. After a few seconds of gathering herself, she spoke, the temperature in the room dropping with each successive word. “So you’re telling me this was all because that brat Xie Xie peeped on a girl?”

The whole night had been one surprise after the next. And now that Elder Cai summarized the entire incident in this way, the situation was even more unexpected. Clearly, she stood on Yuanen’s side. Poor Xie Xie would be penalized heavily.

Tang Wulin took a step forward, grabbing the room’s attention. “Elder Cai, it’s not quite like that. The only reason Xie Xie was outside of Yuanen’s room was because he thought someone had broken into our dormitory. He didn’t know Yuanen lived there at all. It really was just a misunderstanding.”

 Normally, Elder Cai would not normally appear to oversee such trivial matters. But in this specific case, she was also the teacher in charge of the first grade. Therefore, it was her responsibility to figure out what happened.

Elder Cai directed a calm gaze at Tang Wulin. “So you’re saying Yuanen Yehui should let others see her body for free?”

“That’s…” Tang Wulin was at a loss. There was no one in the right or wrong in this situation!

Elder Cai snorted. “The matter is clear already. All six of you working

students are such a handful. You’ve only been here how long? Yet you’ve already caused such a ruckus. If I don’t punish you, then the heavens

wouldn’t be fair. Xie Xie, as the main instigator, you will be fined five thousand contribution points. I don’t care if this was a misunderstanding on your part and I don’t care if you had good intentions. Three months is all you’re getting. If you don’t pay the fine before then, you’ll be expelled. In addition, you’ll pay Yuanen Yehui ten thousand contribution points as mental trauma compensation. You have one year to pay her.”

Chapter 328 – The World Isn’t Fair

Chapter 328 – The World Isn’t Fair

Tang Wulin sighed. There’s nothing that can be done then. I’ll just have to help Xie Xie pay off his debts.

“Xie Xie, do you accept your punishment?” Elder Cai asked.

In response to those words, Xie Xie lowered his head. “Yes, I accept it. This was all my fault. If I had striven to be more aware of what was going on

around me, Yuanen Yehui wouldn’t have had to suffer such an embarrassment. I’ll accept the punishment.”

Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Elder Cai nodded, her expression softening. She turned to Yuanen. “Yuanen Yehui, he peeped on you and has admitted to being guilty. However, you were still wrong to injure him in your rage.

According to the investigation, if not for the other students stepping in to stop you, you really might have killed Xie Xie. I can understand your

embarrassment as a girl, but Xie Xie’s mistake is not worth his life.

Moreover, you already injured him heavily, so don’t think about getting revenge on him later on.”

Yuanen Yehui’s breathing grew more ragged by the second, jaws tight and hands balled into shaking fists, though she managed to remain silent.

“Hm?” Within Elder Cai’s eyes shined a perceptive light, a wave of pressure instantly crashing upon everyone present.

“Mn.” Yuanen Yehui finally nodded, tears streaming down her face.

 Satisfied, Elder Cai turned to Yue Zhengyu. “As for you, Yue Zhengyu, I know that your Holy Angel clan takes it upon yourselves to eradicate evil soul masters, but Yuanen Yehui isn’t one. She has twin martial souls, with the the main one being the Titan Giant Ape. Moreover, the Academy has

even investigated her and judged that she isn’t an evil soul master. Despite being warned by an enforcer previously, you chose to act independently

against her. Since you ignored the judgement of the Academy, we cannot pardon you for your actions this time. For your punishment, you will have to clean Spirit Ice Plaza by yourself for an entire month. In addition, you will pay five thousand contribution points to Yuanen Yehui for her mental trauma, understood?”

“I…” Yue Zhengyu still didn’t believe he had done wrong and was reluctant to accept punishment. However, as a member of the Holy Angel clan, he understood just how terrifying the Silver Moon Douluo was. Talking back was not an option for him! He could have broken something with how fast he nodded. “I’ll accept my punishment.”

Elder Cai now directed her lion’s gaze at Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan.

“As working students, you should have understood the situation clearly before you acted. Especially you, Tang Wulin. Don’t forget you are the class president of the first grade. Yet, all of you charged in like idiots. I

don’t care what you thought the circumstances were, you all mishandled the situation. Except for Gu Yue who didn’t act, and as such won’t be penalized. Xu Xiaoyan, you’re fined one thousand contribution points, and Tang Wulin, you’re fined ten thousand contribution points. Five of those ten thousand are to be paid to Yuanen Yehui as mental trauma compensation.

Understood?”

W-what? Tang Wulin raised his head to look at Elder Cai, eyes wide. Ten thousand? But Xie Xie was fined fifteen thousand for peeping on her! Why am I being fined so much when I didn’t even do anything?

“I don’t accept this!” Tang Wulin blurted out without the slightest hesitation. He would have been fine with a punishment like Yue Zhengyu’s, but it was different when it came to money! First-grade thousand refined

 metal could be sold for about two thousand contribution points, but that didn’t take into account the material costs. Acquiring the metal to forge took quite a large chunk out of his profits.

Everyone stared at him in shock the moment the words left his mouth. He actually dares talk back to Elder Cai?

“You don’t accept? Twenty thousand then.” Elder Cai said indifferently. Gu Yue stepped forward. “This isn’t fair.”

Elder Cai sneered. “You should all remember this: you’re in the real world now. Fairness? That’s ridiculous. If you don’t have strength, how can you even think of talking about fairness? If you were a small country and a larger neighbouring country attacked you, would you complain to them

about the unfairness? Do you think they would have their army retreat, or fight you in one-on-one battles instead? Come back and talk to me about being fair when you have the strength to stand on the same ground as me. If you still don’t accept this, then you can just drop out.”

Elder Cai got up and stormed out, leaving these words lingering in the air.

Tang Wulin stood there, dumbstruck. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Although he didn’t want to admit it, he knew Elder Cai was right. He pinched his thighs as he fought to steady his breathing. In this world,

fairness did not exist. No, it could only be achieved through a foundation of strength. The powerful made the rules, not the weak.

But he couldn’t stomach the thought of having to pay twenty thousand points! My punishment is even worse than Xie Xie’s! Who’s trying to provoke who here!

Filled with grief and indignation, Tang Wulin led his companions back to their room. Not a hint of joy were on their faces.

“I’m so sorry! Wulin, I’m sorry I got you caught up in this. Just let me handle your twenty thousand point punishment! I’ll work hard and earn enough points to pay it all off!”

 Tang Wulin let out a bitter laugh. “Who are you trying to trick? That’s twenty thousand points! In any case, we’re brothers! Don’t even mention

something like that. We’ve all suffered a loss this time, so in the future, we have to be more careful.” With his blacksmithing skills, Tang Wulin could make the most money of them all.

Before they had left, Shen Yi had called him over and whispered a few words into his ear. She advised him that Elder Cai’s strictness stemmed from his title as class president.

The class president represented the entire class when they interacted with teachers. Naturally, their status was high among their peers. For that same reason, class presidents were punished more harshly than other students for the the same mistakes.

After Shen Yi pointed this out, Tang Wulin understood the significance of his position and error. He knew now that there was nothing he could do but accept his punishment.

Xie Xie forced a smile out. “It’s my fault for being too curious. If I had just come back and asked you, none of this would have happened. I still need to thank you for saving me. If not for you guys, I might have really been cut down by Yuanen Yehui. By the way, why do you think she hides the fact that she’s a girl?”

“I think it’s because of her martial soul,” Tang Wulin said. “Her main martial soul is the Titan Giant Ape, and it probably has a lot of influence over a girl’s body. Maybe she’s afraid of people mocking her for it. Then there’s her Fallen Angel martial soul, which makes it easy for others to mistake her as an evil soul master. So it’s likely she hid her gender to protect herself. In any case, she’s amazing! Both of her martial souls are peak-level existences. It’s no wonder that she’s the class representative for the second grade. I don’t think I can stand against her at all.”

“So what if she transforms into the Titan Giant Ape?” Xie Xie muttered. “That’s just during battle. Isn’t she still really pretty during other times?”

 Hearing his hushed words, Tang Wulin raised a brow. “Alright. No need to think so hard about it. Let’s head to bed early.”

While Tang Wulin had some idea what sort of circumstances Yuanen Yehui had, he decided not to look any deeper. It would be rude to pry into

someone else’s secrets after all. Considering the formidable natures of both her martial souls and her talent, which surpassed even Wu Siduo’s, he

assumed her abilities had certain restrictions. If that wasn’t the case, then Tang Wulin was clueless as to why her second martial soul didn’t also have three soul rings.

After climbing onto bed, Tang Wulin jumped into meditation. He focused on circulating soul power throughout his body via the Mysterious Heaven Method. In his dantian formed a whirlpool of soul power, sucking in more of that energy and dispersing it among his body. His blood essence coursed through his meridians, hastening the circulation. Although his martial soul and soul power improvement rates were both slow, his cultivation speed kept pace with those of powerful martial soul users.

At the first signs of light breaking through the horizon, he switched to practicing his Purple Demon Eyes. Following that was breakfast with his friends.

He caught sight of Xie Xie and frowned. Although Xie Xie had been treated the night before, he was still pale from the blood loss. On the way to class, Xu Xiaoyan teased him for peeking at what he shouldn’t look at and that his injuries only served him right. Gloom hung around Xie Xie, making him

seem like a shadow of his former self. It was as if he carried a heavy burden in his heart.

“What’s going on, Xie Xie? Are you still thinking about what happened yesterday?” Tang Wulin nudged him with an elbow.

“Yeah.” Xie Xie raised his head and looked straight into Tang Wulin’s eyes. “Wulin, do you think I acted horribly yesterday? A girl would obviously be angry if someone peeped on her, right?”

 Tang Wulin shrugged. “Of course. You saw her naked. So, you should quickly earn enough to compensate her. But be careful if you run into her again. Absolutely do not do anything to anger her. She was really trying to kill you yesterday, you know?”

Xie Xie nodded in silence.

Soon, the four found Wu Zhangkong waiting for them in the lecture hall. He continued where he had left off in the previous lesson, diving into the basics of mecha making. The topic had intrigued him since childhood so he listened with rapt attention, enjoying the intermission before thinking of his staggering debt again.

Chapter 329 – Mecha or Battle Armor?

Chapter 329 – Mecha or Battle Armor?

“This semester, you all have one assignment: create your own mechas.

Now, I will be announcing your groups. Group one: Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, Luo Guixing, and Wu Siduo.”

Tang Wulin stared at Wu Zhangkong in astonishment. Everyone else was organized into seven groups. We’re the eighth?

After declaring that group one was composed of the four class representatives, Wu Zhangkong announced the rest of the groups. Each group had at least ten people, and the sum of every group’s talents were basically on par with the rest.

“You must be able to use the mechas you make. As for how you make it, that’s up to you. I have only covered the basics of mecha making up to this point, so you should go to the library to learn about things like what materials should be used.

“In order to make your mechas, you will need the help of everyone in your group. You must make your mechas by the end of the term. If any group has a single person without a completed mecha, the entire group will lose marks. A single member failing this assignment means the elimination of an entire group, and all of you will be made to withdraw from Shrek.

“Additionally, all of you can forget about completing the assignment half- heartedly. In the second half of the semester, you will be taught how to pilot ordinary mechas. Shrek Academy’s curriculum aims to raise well-rounded

 students, so part of the final exam will be a class-wide mecha competition.

The students that rank in the bottom ten for that competition will be expelled.”

Wu Zhangkong’s proclamation sent chills down everyone’s spines and increased the pressure they were under.

Even if everyone was strong individually, it was impossible to make a mecha without the help of their classmates. In other words, they had to rely on each other. Cooperation was indispensable for this assignment.

“The exam at the end of the semester also includes a group competition

where each group will select their four strongest mecha pilots to compete as a team. The specific rules will be announced closer to the date of the

competition.” Wu Zhangkong paused to let this information sink in, then gravely said, “I will now give you half an hour to gather into your groups and discuss your plans. Be warned, you do not have as much time for this task as you think.”

Shrek Academy’s teaching methods were clearly different from what these students were used to. Here, independent studies were encouraged. Very little time, a few hours at most, was spent in class every day. Students could procrastinate and play around and no one would bother with them.

However, if they didn’t pass the exams at the end of the semester, they

would be expelled, and no one wanted to be expelled from Shrek Academy. So, their only option was to pour blood and sweat into their studies.

It was a long-established rule that the ten students that ranked at the bottom of the class would be expelled at the end of each semester. That was ten percent of the class. This danger pushed everyone, especially the weaker

students, to work hard. For them, the possibility of expulsion was all too real.

Just as Tang Wulin was about to begin discussing plans with his group, he felt someone’s gaze. Upon turning to see who was staring at him, he saw Xu Xiaoyan with a miserable expression on her face.

 Worry filled her eyes.

In terms of overall strength, Xu Xiaoyan had been the weakest of the four in class zero. She was also weak individually and only made up for it by taking advantage of openings in team battles. In one-on-one battles, however, almost anyone could defeat her, even if it were nighttime.

Although astrological-attribute soul skills had absolute power, Xu Xiaoyan couldn’t move when she used her’s. She couldn’t follow up with an attack while her opponent was restrained.

Tang Wulin stood up and walked over to Xu Xiaoyan. “Feeling anxious?” Xu Xiaoyan nodded.

“Don’t think about it too much,” Tang Wulin said. “Just work on reaching rank 30 for now. Soul masters get a major power spike at rank 30, you know? We’ll help you make a mecha that’s appropriate for your strength then. Besides, we’re just making mechas until we move on to battle armors. We’ll definitely pass our final exams.”

“Mn!” Xu Xiaoyan nodded, her spirit renewed. “I’ll do my best.”

Tang Wulin returned to his group and looked at Gu Yue, Luo Guixing, and Wu Siduo.

“Our group isn’t as simple as it appears,” he said. “We’ve already got our jobs set out for us. I forge, Gu Yue designs, Luo Guixing makes, and Wu Siduo will take care of maintenance. However, we still have some things we need to decide on. What kind of mecha will suit each of us? What materials will we use? Here’s what I propose: we’ll buy our own metals, Gu Yue will draft designs accordingly, and then I’ll forge them. I guarantee that every piece will be at least first-grade thousand refined.”

“Every piece?” Luo Guixing stared at him in shock. “What’s your success rate?”

Tang Wulin looked him in the eye and revealed a mischievous smile.

 “One hundred percent.”

Tang Wulin normally wouldn’t have boasted about his success rate, but after successfully spirit refining and reaching the fifth rank, first-grade

thousand refining was beyond easy for him. Furthermore, his heavy silver hammers had evolved to become spirit refined, further aiding him when he forged.

Just like Luo Guixing, Wu Siduo also couldn’t hide her surprise. First-grade thousand refined was already good enough for making battle armors. Using such material to make mechas was extravagant. If they really used metal of such quality, their mechas would have an overwhelming advantage against others of the same tier.

All of a sudden, Gu Yue spoke up.

“Let’s just make battle armors then. We can skip making mechas.” Her words stunned Wu Siduo and Luo Guixing.

“Thousand refined metal is the basic requirement to make battle armor,” Gu Yue continued. “Since first-grade thousand refined is already close to spirit refined and possesses some hints of life, we should be able to make one-

word battle armor. We’re the class council, so we need to do better than our peers. Learning how to control mechas is just a waste of time. We’re going to become battle armor masters in the future anyway. I’m a fourth-rank designer, so if all of you are willing to trust me, I think I have a seventy percent chance of drafting a proper battle armor design. It won’t be

anything particularly amazing though, just a one-word battle armor design. It might not even be much stronger than a mecha, but I’m sure you all understand what it will mean if we actually manage to do it.”

Tang Wulin was just as shocked as the others, but he had to admit that,

although it was daring and reckless, Gu Yue’s proposal made sense. After

seeing and learning about battle armor, he longed for the day he would have his own set. All of them hoped to become battle armor masters one day. If there was a chance that day would come sooner, even if they would only be using one-word battle armor, they would be hard-pressed to fight the

 temptation. Besides, this plan would give them experience useful for making their two-word battle armor in the future.

“Do we even have enough time?” Luo Guixing asked in a tone lower than normal, his usual carefree smile nowhere to be seen.

“I should be able to finish all the designs,” Gu Yue replied curtly. “You’ll have to begin making them while I design though. But… if you’ll be the only one making them, we definitely won’t have enough time.”

Battle armors weren’t like mechas. Mechas were made of several large parts that could be roughly put together, and as long as the inner circuit core was fine, it could be used. On the other hand, battle armors required meticulous craftsmanship since they had to work as an extension of the user. Not even one-word battle armor had room for error when it came to this. Battle

armors were composed of numerous small parts, each with its own circuit core. Furthermore, each circuit core had to be compatible with the soul master using the battle armor. As a result, the complexity of battle armor

designs were much higher than those of mechas, which didn’t even take the difficulty of making battle armor into account.

Luo Guixing knitted his brow. “I’m a third-rank mecha maker. Honestly speaking, I don’t think I can make battle armor. It’s too difficult. I’m not sure if I could make even a single set by the end of the semester.”

“I like Gu Yue’s idea,” Wu Siduo chimed in. “I want to try making battle armor too. Teacher Wu didn’t say that we needed to make a full mecha.

Even if each of us only have an incomplete set of battle armor and fight

against the other students who will be using mechas, why would we need to be afraid? A soul master has to have five rings in order to be able to use one-word battle armor, but you know we aren’t ordinary soul masters. We

should be able to use incomplete sets of battle armor. I can help you with make them. We should only strive to make quality products. If we can’t finish in one semester, we’ll finish in two. If I’m not mistaken, we’ll probably start learning how to make battle armor in the third grade.

Becoming one-word battle armor master is the requirement to graduate after all. We should start laying a solid foundation for entering the inner court as soon as possible.”

 Luo Guixing looked at Tang Wulin. “What do you think, class president?” “This plan is quite a gamble,” Tang Wulin answered.

Wu Siduo frowned at Tang Wulin, Gu Yue stared at him with blazing eyes, and Luo Guixing gave him a slight nod. This truly was a risky plan. They were assigned with making a mecha, yet they wanted to play with fire and make battle armor! Success would be fantastic, but if they failed or made too few battle armor parts, their evaluation at the end of semester exams

would be uncertain.

“If we succeed, we will definitely reap spectacular rewards. I think making battle armor would be the best way to further our skills in our professions as well.”

Tang Wulin’s eyes shone with resolve as he clenched his hands into fists. He had never been one to back down from a challenge.

“I think we should try it.”

Chapter 330 – Objective: One- word Battle Armor

Chapter 330 – Objective: One-word Battle Armor

Ever since he had awakened the weak bluesilver grass as his martial soul, Tang Wulin had no choice but to trudge forward, persevering until he found his path to greatness. Now that one had presented itself, he’d be an idiot not to take the risk.

“Alright. Let’s give it a shot.” Luo Guixing’s eyes brightened with determination like the rest of them. Naturally, he understood the advantage of making their battle armors in the first grade. While this plan was a

challenge, it was also an opportunity.

Tang Wulin turned to Gu Yue. “Since we’ve decided on this, we should begin as soon as possible. We’ll need a place to make the battle armor first. Furthermore, we’ll need to keep what we’re doing a secret. Even the teachers can’t catch a whiff of it. Second, I’ll need you all to pick out metals most suitable for your battle armor. We can’t use a complete set of battle armor as we are now, so I suggest choosing one metal for the meanwhile. That way, there will be fewer possible complications during process of making them.”

Gu Yue, Luo Guixing, and Wu Siduo nodded. Attempting to make battle

armor was beyond the scope of their abilities, an additional weight on their shoulders. However, if they settled for mechas, then they wouldn’t be

challenged at all. Ordinary mecha didn’t require rare metals, and only needed to be hundred refined. They understood that without challenge, their improvement would be limited.

 That said, they had to exercise caution in the execution of their plan. Battle armor was not to be underestimated.

“So, figure out what metal you want as soon as possible,” Tang Wulin

continued. “After you’ve decided, bring it to me. I’ll thousand refine it for you. I’m very confident in my thousand refining skills. Gu Yue, begin drafting the designs immediately. We don’t have time to waste. But I don’t think you should design a whole set at once, since if you did that for

everyone it would take too long. We should approach this one part at a time. For example, we should start with a right forearm piece for everyone.

You’ll design, then Luo Guixing and Wu Siduo will make them. Then once we all have a right forearm piece, we can move on to the next part. That

way, we’ll complete each step gradually and methodically. This should be the most efficient method.”

While the rest had been voicing their thoughts on Gu Yue’s proposal earlier, the gears in Tang Wulin’s head had spun in overdrive. He understood that because they had just been acquainted and forced to cooperate, there was limited trust between them. Making one person’s armor first wouldn’t

appear fair and their motivation would drop.

All four of their professions were required in the battle armor creation process. For example, as a mechanic, Wu Siduo had the crucial job of improving and fine-tuning mechas and battle armor.

Luo Guixing smiled. “Class president is really insightful. I think this way is the best as well. Let’s quickly begin then. I’m sure we all have several metals in mind that might be most suitable for ourselves. Tang Wulin, I’ll tell you what metal I choose tomorrow.”

Wu Siduo hesitated for a moment, before relaxing her shoulders. “I’ll tell you tomorrow too.”

Gu Yue also made her acceptance clear.. As for Tang Wulin, this wasn’t an issue for him. With his years of forging experience, he already knew what sort of metals suited him.

 Tang Wulin swept his gaze through the group. “Remember, when you’re choosing the metal you want to use, take into consideration the extent of your abilities. Five rings is the requirement to use one-word battle armor, and we all fall very short of that. Wu Siduo, your cultivation base is the

highest though, so you have some more leeway. However, the other three of us can’t choose a metal that’s too strong. If we do, we might not be able to use the finished product.”

The other three nodded, their spirits blazing with eagerness.

Making one-word battle armor might be a towering challenge to face, but

even if they didn’t succeed, they would learn far more than they would have by making mechas.

Compared to them, other groups were bustling with discussion. There were far more people in the other groups, so naturally there was more they needed to discuss.

Tang Wulin’s was the first to wrap up. As he observed the other groups in their heated discussions, he couldn’t imagine them finishing before night came. Perhaps this was what the Academy wanted to see.

As for what metal suited Tang Wulin the best, he already knew the answer!

Oftentimes, one had to believe in fate. Heavy silver was the first metal he thousand refined, the first he first-grade thousand refined, and the first he spirit refined.

It could be said that heavy silver was his lucky charm. Even his prized hammers were made of a spirit refined version of this metal.

Heavy silver was considered a lower mid-tier metal. It had decent ductility and soul power amplification. The one-word battle armor he planned to make was a crucial stepping stone on his path to becoming a full-fledged battle armor master. However, his current goal wasn’t to create a powerful one-word battle armor, but to succeed in making one in the first place. He had to succeed and find the type of battle armor most suitable for him. After all, only two-word battle armor could fuse with its user’s body, and only

 then was it considered to be true battle armor. When that time came, he

would need higher quality metals to upgrade his his set. He would walk this path for the rest of his life.

I’ll use heavy silver. Tang Wulin didn’t bother overthinking things.

“Gu Yue, do you know what metal you want to use?” Tang Wulin asked.

As he had thought, Gu Yue met his expectations and already had something in mind. “Magic silver.”

“Magic silver?” Tang Wulin stared at her, face caught in a mixture of

astonishment. Then, he nodded approvingly. “Good choice. It’s very fitting for you. Although magic silver isn’t as ductile or hard as heavy silver, it possesses the property of element connection. It’s very suitable for the

circuit core of long-ranged soul devices. It’s also a mid-grade metal. Relatively speaking, magic silver is more precious than heavy silver.

Luckily, it’s not too expensive. Magic silver is used extensively for circuit cores after all, especially in the equipment of high-ranking army officers. Because your martial soul is Elementalist, the elemental connection property is crucial for you. I can’t say it enough how great your choice is.”

“How about you?” Gu Yue asked.

“I’m choosing heavy silver,” Tang Wulin answered. “We’re already aiming for something beyond our abilities, so maximizing the chances of success is our number one priority.”

“You don’t want to try to spirit refine? Couldn’t we try making two-word battle armor immediately?” Gu Yue asked.

Tang Wulin shook his head. “I don’t want to aim too high. Currently, I’m still at two soul rings. It’ll take me about two months to reach three rings. Even then, three rings is nowhere near the six ring requirement for two-

word battle armor. I don’t think I could spirit refine anything good enough for two-word armor either. Once it’s at the two-word level, the armor will likely follow us for life. We’ll have to connect our hearts with it and treat is as an extension of our bodies. That’s why we need the perfect metal. I had

 actually thought about going for two-word armor once I have four rings and am a sixth-rank blacksmith. Unfortunately, that’ll take at least three years.

But your idea has its merits! Once we have some experience making one- word armor, it’ll be easier to make two-word armor in the future.

“So, here’s what I think: we’ll complete a full set of battle armor within two years and then master using it. Once we enter the fourth grade, we can probably start on two-word armo. If we can finish a two-word set before the graduation exam, then it’ll be easy to enter the inner court.”

Gu Yue nodded in agreement. “That makes sense. We shouldn’t bite off more than we can chew. What about Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan? They’re weaker in their professions. I don’t think things will go too well in their groups.”