The Legend of the Dragon King Chapter 351-360

Chapter 351 – The Right Path

Chapter 351 – The Right Path

A golden soul ring appeared around Tang Wulin, bathing him in its glow. He activated Golden Dragon Body, and the ring’s glow intensified,

enveloping his figure with brilliant light. His aura surged forth blood

essence flooded through his body, filling it with strength. Then his hands slowed down, and the flow of his blood essence reversed. He pulled one hand back toward him, then moved both of them along a peculiar path. As

he did, his blood essence became more potent, and the golden light around him grew even more radiant. The faint roar of a dragon broke the quiet of the forest. It didn’t come from Tang Wulin’s mouth, but instead resonated from his blood essence. Despite how soft the roar was, its oppressive might was clear.

It sounded as if a slumbering dragon were awakening.

Tang Wulin’s hands continued to move slower and slower and the draconic roar grew weaker. After ten minutes, the roar faded into silence and his blood essence returned to normal.

He let out a long breath, then shook his head. This isn’t how it went!

Ever since Zhuo Shi showed Tang Wulin Dragon Shocks the Heavens, he had been practicing it every day after dinner. He had determined that his blood essence was the most potent around that time. However, he had yet to succeed in mimicking Zhuo Shi movements even once.

It was hard for Tang Wulin to control his blood essence. When he practiced, his heartbeat would accelerate, and his blood essence would surge through his meridians, filling them to the brim and straining his body. Despite all the

 progress he had made thus far, Tang Wulin could only succeed in

circulating his blood essence one-third of the way. Even so, he felt his blood essence grow thicker every time, toughening up his meridians, muscles, and viscera. He was certain that this would aid him in breaking future Golden

Dragon King seals. The only unfortunate side effect was that his appetite had grown as well.

It was then that Tang Wulin understood just how much he needed to thank Feng Wuyu. If he hadn’t met that crazy old man, he would still be wracking his brains trying to figure out how to feed himself every day. With that taken care of, he could wholeheartedly throw himself into cultivating and blacksmithing!

After his blood essence settled, Tang Wulin sat down and began practicing the Mysterious Heaven Method. Cultivating in the forest allowed him to put in half the work for twice the benefits!

☀

Back in their dorm room, Xie Xie paced back and forth, struggling with indecision. In the end, he resolved himself and walked over to the curtain dividing the room. “Come here for a second, Gu Yue. I have something I need to talk to you about.”

Gu Yue was usually gone in the afternoons, be it to draft battle armor designs or go to wherever she usually disappeared to, but it was evening now, and she had returned not too long ago.

“Hm?” Gu Yue answered with suspicion, but got up and walked over to Xie Xie nonetheless.

“Can I listen too?” Xu Xiaoyan asked. “No way,” Xie Xie said firmly.

Xu Xiaoyan clicked her tongue. “Why are you being so mysterious? I’m going to tell Captain about this when he gets back!”

 Xie Xie followed Gu Yue out of the room. After glancing around for a moment, Xie Xie led her toward a quieter location.

The nervousness on Xie Xie’s face piqued Gu Yue’s curiosity. He called me out so seriously… Just what does he want to talk about?

Soon enough, they arrived in a secluded area, and Gu Yue spoke up. “So, what’s going on?”

“Listen to what I have to say, Gu Yue, but don’t be mad…” Xie Xie said anxiously.

Gu Yue frowned. “Out with it already! What do I have to be mad about?”

“It’s like this…” Just as he was about to speak, he looked into her doubtful eyes and deflated like a balloon. “Oh, nevermind. Just forget about it. Let’s head back.”

He turned around to leave for their dorm room, but Gu Yue grabbed his

arm. “Don’t just hum and haw like that. If you have something to say, spit it out. Are you even a man, or were you just pestering me with your

chirping?”

Xie Xie’s mouth twitched. Then he gulped. “Okay, fine. I’ve been thinking about this all day and wasn’t sure if I should tell you, but I’ll just say it.

We’re still young, so we still have a lot to look forward to in the future.”

“What are you on about?” Gu Yue stared at him in complete bewilderment.

Xie Xie gathered his resolve, his chest puffing out courageously, when he suddenly saw someone enter their dormitory.

Yuanen Yehui walked by, wearing a male uniform as usual. She saw Xie Xie and Gu Yue, and Xie Xie saw her. She stared at them in surprise.

“Out with it already!” Gu Yue shouted, growing impatient.

“Shush! I’ll tell you in a bit.” Xie Xie gestured to Gu Yue, indicating that Yuanen Yehui was present.

 Then Gu Yue saw her and acknowledged her with a nod. Yuanen Yehui responded with a cold nod of her own and left with large strides.

Xie Xie let out a deep breath, regaining his composure, and moved to

whisper into Gu Yue’s ear, but she pushed him away. “You can tell me from over there,” she said.

“Why do you have to be so difficult!” Xie Xie said grumpily.

Gu Yue raised an eyebrow. “Who’s the annoying one between the two of us? Are you going to tell me or not?”

“Fine, fine. I’ll tell you now.” Xie Xie looked around, checking for any eavesdroppers. “Wulin and Yue Zhengyu have an improper relationship with each other!”

Quite a distance away, Yuanen Yehui was just about to enter her room. Her was hand on the doorknob when her ear suddenly twitched and she went

stiff.

Meanwhile, Gu Yue just stood there in utter stupefaction. She regarded Xie Xie with a blank stare. “What do you mean by ‘improper relationship’?”

Xie Xie lowered his voice. “Do I really need to explain? It’s exactly as you think. I never expected Captain to swing that way, but he’s still young! I’m sure we can still bring him back to the correct path. If I’m not mistaken, you like him, right? We need to think of a way to fix this. Maybe there’s some remedy for it. If we can’t fix it, then Captain is…”

Gu Yue took an unsteady step backward. “N-no way! He never showed any signs of that! That’s impossible! Are you sure you’re not just imagining it?”

Xie Xie grimaced. “I saw Captain in Yue Zhengyu’s room today. Yue Zhengyu tore his clothes from him, and it looked like he was rubbing him somewhere near his stomach. I didn’t see anything more than that, but it was clear to me…”

 Gu Yue immediately went pale. Without another word, she ran like the wind, heading straight for the grove. Left behind, Xie Xie scratched his

head awkwardly. He saw where she was running off to, and worry welled up inside of him. He let out a long sigh. “Captain, I’m doing this for your

sake. We might be free to do whatever we want here, but if you do that, Gu Yue would just be too pitiful.”

Gu Yue rushed toward the grove like a mad gale, fully aware that this was where Tang Wulin meditated every day. She was certain that he was there right now. The moment she entered the grove, she found Tang Wulin sitting at its center.

“Huh?” Tang Wulin cried out in surprise. “Gu Yue?”

Gu Yue approached him in an instant, grabbed him by the lapels of his shirt, and shook him. “Why? Why are you doing this?”

The shaking addled Tang Wulin’s brain and it took him a moment to get over his confusion. “What? What did I do?”

Gu Yue’s lips quivered, her face ghostly white as she stared at him with

soulless eyes. “Why do you like men? What’s so good about men? Tell me! Why!”

Tang Wulin was stunned. “Who told you I like guys? Where’d you get that idea? Gu Yue, why are you thinking about such things at our age? We’re

students! Our job is to diligently study and cultivate. Aren’t we working toward becoming battle armor masters? Just what has been going on in that head of yours?”

His words left her in a daze. “B-but… Xie Xie said you…” Then she

suddenly realized something. She was far more familiar with Tang Wulin than Xie Xie was, and she was certain he had never shown any signs of veering toward that path. Realizing the error of her impulsive actions, she blushed a furious crimson. This misunderstanding had caused her to

embarrass herself.

She bit her lower lip, then stammered out what Xie Xie had told her.

 “Xie… Xie…” Tang Wulin seethed with anger. Now that he knew who caused this commotion, he turned toward the dorm and flew off.

Gu Yue stood there in a daze, watching Tang Wulin leave. After a moment, she couldn’t help but giggle. “His angry face is cute too.”

Tang Wulin burst through the door to their dorm room, his face a stone mask devoid of emotion. Xie Xie looked up to see who had arrived, concern flashing on his face when he saw that it was Tang Wulin.

“Captain, did you see Gu Yue?” Xie Xie asked. “She was just looking for you.”

Chapter 352 – Tower Attack

Chapter 352 – Tower Attack

“Yeah, I saw her.” Tang Wulin nodded. “Xie Xie, I really have to thank you for what you did. How about we go out for a moment and you explain what happened? We’re good brothers, aren’t we? There shouldn’t be any misunderstandings between us.”

Upon hearing Tang Wulin’s words, Xie Xie sighed in relief. He shot up from his bed and followed Tang Wulin outside.

Just beyond the curtain dividing the room, Xu Xiaoyan stared at the door in confusion. “What happened today? They’re all acting so strange.”

After closing the door behind them, Tang Wulin headed for a secluded location with Xie Xie in tow.

“Captain, it’s good that we’re getting this matter out in the open,” Xie Xie said as they walked. “It’s easy to get confused at our age, and Yue Zhengyu isn’t a good guy either. If it weren’t for him, would the misunderstanding between Yuanen and I have occurred? Well, don’t worry! I won’t tell

anyone your secret. Actually, I have nothing against you for having that kind of preference, but I still think girls are the best. So, what did you want to tell me?”

“Yeah, sure.” Tang Wulin replied. “That makes sense.”

They soon turned a bend, arriving in the forest that separated the working student dormitory and Spirit Ice Plaza.

Xie Xie wore a carefree smile as he walked over to Tang Wulin and patted him on the shoulder. “You really scared me though! So what happened

 between you and Yue Zhengyu today? I happened to catch a glimpse of you two while I ran some errands, otherwise I’d still be in the dark…”

Tang Wulin smiled in response, but it didn’t quite show in his eyes.

“C-captain, what are you doing?” A shiver ran down Xie Xie’s spine, and he stumbled backward. Fear and suspicion began creeping into his heart. “Hey! Didn’t you say you were going to explain things to me?”

Tang Wulin cracked his knuckles. “Explain things your ass!” “Ah! No! Captain, please! Have mercy!”

Miserable screams pierced the serenity of night’s embrace.

☀

Back at the dorm, Gu Yue entered her room and flopped onto her bed. She thrust her face, still flushed crimson, into her blankets.

“Big Sis Gu Yue, you’re finally finished? What is it that all of you are hiding?” Xu Xiaoyan asked, pouting. “I thought we were friends!”

Gu Yue glanced at her. “If you don’t know… that’s probably for the best. Where’s Xie Xie?”

“Captain came back and took him outside to talk. He said he had to explain something to Xie Xie… to clear up some sort of misunderstanding? What’s that all about?” Xu Xiaoyan asked curiously.

After a moment of hesitation, Gu Yue went over to Xu Xiaoyan and whispered into her ear.

The longer Xu Xiaoyan listened, the wider her eyes opened. They

eventually got to the point where they were almost popping out of their

sockets. “N-no way! Xie Xie’s just talking out of his ass! I bet he’s feeling miserable right about now.”

 Gu Yue nodded. “No, not just miserable. He probably regrets being alive at all!”

Half an hour later, Tang Wulin walked in with Xie Xie slung over his

shoulder. He threw Xie Xie onto his bed, snorted, then climbed into his own.

Silence reigned on the other side of the curtain.

Xie Xie’s face twitched with pain as he lay on his bed. No bruises or

wounds could be seen on his body, but his convulsing limbs betrayed his suffering.

Then, without warning, Gu Yue’s voice cut through the air. “Xie Xie… don’t you need to explain things to me as well?”

The ice in Gu Yue’s voice made Xie Xie’s eyes open wide. His entire body began to spasm violently, and terror grasped his heart.

The remainder of the evening passed quietly. The usual chirping of crickets couldn’t be heard. Instead, a constant slap of fist against flesh softly resounded in its place, the calming rhythm lasting well into the night.

☀

Early the next morning, Gu Yue returned to the dorm just as Tang Wulin and Xu Xiaoyan finished practicing with their Purple Demon Eyes. Her entire being seemed refreshed and free of all pent up stress. She walked

over to Tang Wulin and Xu Xiaoyan. “Wulin, I made a few inquiries at the Spirit Pagoda for Xiaoyan and discovered that students at Shrek Academy can get spirit souls by means other than purchasing them. There’s even a way to get higher quality spirit souls. Considering Xiaoyan’s situation, she absolutely has to get a thousand-year spirit soul, but such a spirit soul

would cost an astronomically high price and it isn’t even guaranteed that she’ll get one that’s suitable. There’s another method to get spirit souls at

the Spirit Pagoda, but it’s much more difficult than simply gathering funds.”

 “Oh? What method is that?” Tang Wulin asked.

Xu Xiaoyan, on the other hand, stared at the two of them with a strange look on her face. The way they acted, pretending as if the song of pain from last night hadn’t been sung, clearly surprised her.

“The tower attack,” Gu Yue answered. “The Spirit Pagoda has it set up so that it’s possible to get a thousand-year spirit soul from the tower attack. They built a spirit soul tower with 108 floors and different defense mechanisms on each one. If we conquer a floor, we’ll get the opportunity to purchase the spirit soul found on that floor at a fifty percent discount.

“There are only two types of people who can do the tower attack: members of the Spirit Pagoda or prodigies that the Spirit Pagoda has bestowed its

approval upon. I can help Xiaoyan with getting approved, but I can’t help her clear the tower myself.

“Since different soul masters need different kinds of spirit souls, and also taking support-type soul masters into account, the Spirit Pagoda allows the tower attack to be done in teams of up to seven people. As a result, the difficulty is also tailored to fit a seven-man team. The first eighteen floors are filled with thousand-year spirit souls, but the strength of those souls

increases with every floor. The Spirit Pagoda has populated each floor from the eighteenth to the thirty-sixth with ten-thousand year spirit souls that it has collected over the years. Hundred-thousand-year spirit souls can be found from the thirty-sixth floor onward, and the final nine floors

supposedly contain the spirit souls of the strongest soul beasts to ever exist.

“The Spirit Pagoda only allows soul masters aged thirty or under to participate in the tower attack, so even a member of the Spirit Pagoda like me won’t be able to enter the tower to get spirit souls once they pass the age of thirty. From then on, we’ll have to buy them. I heard that Shrek Academy also has a way to grant spirit souls, but that privilege is reserved for those in the inner court. Right now, our best bet is to gather some people to help

Xiaoyan clear the tower. It’ll be a learning experience for us as well. What do you think?”

“No problem!” Tang Wulin replied instantly. “Of course I’ll help.”

 “Ugh. How come I never knew about something as great as that until now…” a voice groaned from the side of the room, and a person walked over.

It was Xie Xie, but his face was so bloody and swollen that, if the others hadn’t known him for years, they wouldn’t have been able to recognize him. Tang Wulin had shown him some mercy by avoiding his face when he beat him, but Gu Yue hadn’t been nearly as kind.

Gu Yue glanced at Xie Xie. “I only found out after coming here. The tower attack is only available here at the headquarters of the Spirit Pagoda, and no other spirit soul tower exists on the continent. Even the Spirit Pagoda’s staff members need to undergo strict audits before they can be approved for

entry.”

Tang Wulin turned to Xu Xiaoyan. “It’s settled then. When do you want to go?”

“The audits will take several days, so I think our next day off should work,” Gu Yue interjected. “We still need to prepare and find three more people. If we want to get as far up the tower as we can, we’ll need a full team of

seven. Wulin, I’ll let you handle the search for more team members. I’m sure you’ll find the best people to join us.”

“Alright, I’ll go think about who to invite. Are there any specific requirements for our teammates?”

“Yeah. The ages of everyone on the team have to fall within a range of three years.”

Tang Wulin furrowed his brow. The first person to pop into his mind was Wu Zhangkong. He knew for a fact that their teacher had yet to turn thirty. If they could bring him, then the first eighteen floors would pose no problem. However, it was clear that the Spirit Pagoda has foreseen such

situations and created rules to prevent people from gaming the system. “Then we can only invite people from our grade or the second grade.”

 “How about Yuanen Yehui?” Xie Xie flubbed with his swollen face. Tang Wulin looked him in the eye. She’d be a pretty good choice, but…

considering how rocky our relationship is at the moment, would she agree to come?

Chapter 353 – Ninety-one Percent

Chapter 353 – Ninety-one Percent

Although Yuanen Yehui only had three soul rings, she was a force to be reckoned with. In fact, with her two great martial souls, the likelihood of her strength surpassing the four-ringed Wu Siduo’s was high.

“Let me think about it first. If we’re looking for someone from our class, then Wu Siduo, Luo Guixing, Xu Yucheng, and Yang Nianxia each fit the bill. But if we want someone from the second grade, then our choice is cut short to only Yuanen Yehui and Yue Zhengyu.”

This event was a rare opportunity that would be packed full of new

experiences. It was set in stone that the four teammates from the original class zero would be going together. For the last three spots on their team, however, Tang Wulin would choose from a pool of six people.

After mulling it over some more, he was hit with a sudden idea, his eyes lighting up.

However, he didn’t voice it for now.

“Captain,” whispered Xu Xiaoyan. “Actually, I don’t really want to ask for help from people in our class.”

Tang Wulin looked at her in bewilderment. “How come?”

“Everyone in our class is competing against each other, and at the end of the academic year, ten percent of the class will be expelled. I don’t want to reveal the spirit soul I obtain or my Starwheel Ice Staff so early. Besides,

we can do the tower attack whenever we want. I don’t want to put myself in a disadvantageous situation before the end of the term.” Due to Xu

 Xiaoyan’s weakness in one-on-one combat, she had to be especially prudent, hiding several tricks up her sleeve.

Tang Wulin nodded. “That makes sense. Then we’re down to only Yuanen Yehui and Yue Zhengyu. We’re still missing one person. It’s fine though, I have someone in mind. If he’s up for going, then he’ll be a major asset to our team.”

“Who is it?” Xu Xiaoyan asked curiously.

Taking care to look for eavesdroppers, Tang Wulin whispered a name to his companions. As the words left his lips, Xu Xiaoyan’s eyes glistened and Gu Yue and Xie Xie gestured their approval.

“Alright, now I’ll see if I can persuade Yuanen Yehui and Yue Zhengyu.” “Mn. Okay.”

☀

Tang Wulin banged on the door.

“Who is it?” Yue Zhengyu called out from inside. “It’s me!”

Yue Zhengyu opened the door, still wearing his pajamas, eyes full of sleep. He stifled a yawn. “Why are you bugging me so early in the morning? What do you want?”

“I have something I want to talk with you about.”

“Fine. Come on in.” Yue Zhengyu ushered Tang Wulin into his room. The difference between his current attitude and yesterday’s was day and night.

“So, how did the appraisal go?”

Yue Zhengyu rolled his eyes. “Just how greedy do you think I am!”

 Tang Wulin chuckled. “What? You’re a scion of the Holy Angel clan. Why would I be afraid of you stealing from poor little me?”

Yue Zhengyu’s laugh was sharp as a knife. “I see now. Wulin, shouldn’t we be good brothers to each other?” As he said this, he moved to wrap his arm around Tang Wulin’s shoulder.

Tang Wulin sidestepped in one fluid motion, dodging the incoming physical contact. His plan to reveal his status as a fifth-rank blacksmith yesterday had worked out perfectly, minus Xie Xie getting the wrong idea. With the mishap fresh on his mind, Tang Wulin was desperate not to act in a way that would birth a new misunderstanding. His reputation couldn’t take another hit.

“If you have something to say, then say it. Don’t go groping me.” Tang Wulin glared.

Taking a step back, Yue Zhengyu said, “Alright, so it’s like this. I had your jade silver appraised and I found out its harmony rate is really high. Ninety- one percent! Are you sure you’re the one who forged it?”

Tang Wulin nodded. “Of course.”

“Then can you forge more metals with the same quality?”

“How would I know? The harmony rate is affected by my mood that day, the quality of the metal, and all sorts of other tiny factors. Do you have any idea how hard it is to forge spirit alloys?”

Yue Zhengyu let out a dark laugh. “Of course, of course. That’s good then. I want to order a large batch of jade silver from you, but they must have at least a ninety percent harmony rate. You can set the opening price,

contribution points or spirit items, you name it. How does that sound?”

“You’ll let me set the opening price?” He stared at Yue Zhengyu, eyes wide. “Yes, that’s right.”

 “I’ll have to think about this. But even if I do agree, I can’t guarantee

success. It’s too hard to forge alloys with above a ninety percent harmony rate. I don’t have the money to buy all the raw materials either.”

“I’ll supply you with the raw materials.” Yue Zhengyu fired back, flaunting his riches.

“I’ll trade the spirit item you asked for the other day for your piece of jade silver. I’ll also put down a thousand kilograms each of high-grade heavy

silver and magic silver for you to forge into jade silver. But you’ll have to sign a contract that stipulates any pieces above a ninety percent harmony rate will be sold to me. We can discuss a price later. How about it?”

“Things are a bit more complicated than that,” Tang Wulin countered. “I’ll trade you the jade silver now and we can discuss the price for the future jade silver later on.” Although that piece of jade silver was very valuable, it was only thousand refined. Its price would skyrocket if it were spirit refined. That said, it was about as valuable as the meteoric iron he had sold Yue Zhengyu in the past, definitely worth a two-thousand-year spirit item.

“Alright, the heavy silver and magic silver will be delivered to you within three days.” Yue Zhengyu said without missing a beat, a twinkling light in his eyes.

Unknown to Tang Wulin, Yue Zhengyu had his family’s butler test the jade silver immediately the day before. When the results came back as a ninety- one percent harmony rate, the butler could not believe his eyes. Not even their clan’s Saint Blacksmith could forge an alloy with such a high quality!

Moreover, their clan’s Saint Blacksmith wouldn’t bother to forge for the clan’s younger generation. The Holy Angel clan’s rules were strict, and unless one reached a certain level, the support given by the clan would be very limited. All the children in the clan had to claw their way up by their own efforts.

As a result of the clan rules, Yue Zhengyu had learned to take full advantage of every resource available to him since childhood.

 The reason he was so interested in the jade silver was because it was highly compatible with his martial soul. Jade silver amplified the elemental and physical attributes, both of which the Holy Angel martial soul was

concerned with and balanced. Despite not being a top-grade metal, it was the perfect material to make his two-word battle armor. Of course, that was assuming it was spirit refined.

The harmony rate of an alloy was significant because for every five percent above sixty, it was possible to reforge the alloy with an additional metal.

It was common knowledge the more metals an alloy consisted of, the stronger it was, assuming the ratios were correct.

An alloy with a ninety-one percent harmony rate allowed for six reforging attempts! The success of future reforgings was anyone’s guess, but this piece had six tries to succeed. This was why it was so valuable.

Jade silver with a sixty percent harmony rate was nowhere near the price of the spirit item Tang Wulin wanted. His jade silver with the ninety-one percent harmony rate, however, was a priceless treasure well worth Yue Zhengyu’s offer, even if it was only thousand refined.

While Tang Wulin had his schemes, Yue Zhengyu wasn’t sitting around twiddling his thumbs either.

With the matter settled, Tang Wulin flashed Yue Zhengyu a pleasant smile. “Zhengyu, I need your help with something else. If you agree, I’ll give you the other piece of meteoric iron.” As stingy as he was, Tang Wulin knew how to treat his best clients.

“What do you need?’ Yue Zhengyu asked.

“Are you familiar with the Spirit Pagoda’s spirit soul tower?”

“Of course I know. Are you going to do the tower attack? Aren’t all your soul rings already thousand-year?” Yue Zhengyu asked, puzzled. Since

Tang Wulin had a purple spirit soul, he had automatically obtained his third

 soul ring when he made his breakthrough. For the time being, he had no need for another spirit soul.

“It’s not for me, but my friend. She’s also a working student and her name’s Xu Xiaoyan. She’s ready to get her third ring, but needs another spirit soul to do so. You’re strong. Will you lend us a hand?”

“No problem!” Yue Zhengyu answered in delight. “I’ve been wanting to exercise my body.”

Tang Wulin chuckled. Achieving his goal, he casually tossed the promised piece of meteoric iron to Yue Zhengyu. “I’ve paid you now, so make sure you get me my spirit item. As for the jade silver matter, let me try it out first. We can discuss a price when I actually manage to forge another one of that level.”

Yue Zhengyu was powerful. Although he wasn’t quite Yuanen Yehui’s match, he didn’t fall too short of her. The Holy Angel martial soul

combined high offense, support, and control into one deadly package. The Fallen Angel didn’t lose out to the Holy Angel in terms of offense or

control, but wasn’t able to provide support to the vast majority of soul masters.

After leaving Yue Zhengyu’s room, Tang Wulin glanced at the door leading to Yuanen Yehui’s chambers. In his moment of hesitation,, he decided not to disturb her. Their paths crossed every morning anyway, courtesy of busy

student life, and they attended classes in the same building. There was still time to talk to her later

Chapter 354 – Yuanen Yehui’s Condition

Chapter 354 – Yuanen Yehui’s Condition

Shrek Academy’s curriculum was by no means simple. The available lectures spanned a wide variety of topics. However, there were few

assessments of learning. The students were responsible for making sure they thoroughly understood the material. The Academy followed an old

saying: the master shows the door, but the student walks through it. Every student of Shrek Academy was a genius, so a teaching style fit for geniuses was necessary.

Everyone spent their afternoons consolidating their knowledge, cultivating, refining their bodies, studying, or practicing their professions. Everyone had their own path, so none of the teachers could tell students how to

cultivate. Students could ask a teacher if they had any questions, but this cost contribution points.

It only took a few days for new students to realize the importance of

contribution points. Contribution points could buy the very best cultivation resources that Shrek Academy had to offer, but without them, one would get nothing. In the case of the latter, the only thing students could do was

earn points or work hard cultivating the old fashioned way.

Plant-type soul masters like Tang Wulin could spend their contribution points on entrance to a special cultivation space called the Boundless Forest. This forest was constructed by Shrek Academy, and it was filled with every plant imaginable. It practically pulsed with life. If a plant-type soul master cultivated there, their cultivation speed would double!

 However, entry came at a steep price. An hour in the Boundless Forest cost five hundred points.

Back when they first entered Shrek Academy, Yuanen Yehui bought Tang Wulin lunch in exchange for his services. Tang Wulin managed to save points that way, and he later used those points to try cultivating in the

Boundless Forest. The effects of that miraculous space had been clear to him. In the time he spent there, both his soul power and bluesilver grass grew far more than they would have in the outside world. Tang Wulin had

calculated the cost-efficiency of using the Boundless Forest. He came to the conclusion that, if he continued using it everyday, it would only take him at most three years to reach rank 40, and that was a conservative estimate.

The Academy offered everything its students could ever need. Even the selection of spirit items here surpassed that of the auctions in the outside world. However, federal coins were useless in the Academy. Only

contribution points were accepted. Every student lacked contribution points. The thought of exchanging points for federal coins never crossed their minds.

Although Tang Wulin was embarrassingly short on points at the moment, he was happy enough that he no longer had to worry about food expenses. He currently devoted all his time to improving his forging skills and had no time to think about making a profit.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of student life, everyone trudged forward, one step at a time. They all prayed and worked hard, desperate to not be one of the first students facing expulsion.

Shrek Academy gave the students just as much freedom as it did stress. This was the only way that one’s potential could truly blossom.

Tang Wulin was busy. Gu Yue was busy. Xu Xiaoyan and Xie Xie were busy. They understood where they stood among their peers. They knew they couldn’t relax for even a moment. This was clearest to Xu Xiaoyan. Back at Eastsea Academy she had been lazy, and that laziness had compounded.

Now that Tang Wulin had surpassed her, out of the four of them, she was the weakest.

 ☀

“Are you there, Yuanen?” Tang Wulin said as he knocked on the door to her room. They had only two days until their day off. After thinking about things over and over again, he came to the conclusion that Yuanen Yehui

was the best person to invite to their group, and he finally found time to come visit her.

The door opened, and Yuanen Yehui stepped into view with a cold glare. “What do you want? Are you here to pay me the contribution points you owe?”

“Contribution points?” Tang Wulin nearly choked. “I, uh, don’t have enough just yet.” He smiled meekly.

Yuanen Yehui rolled her eyes at him and began closing the door.

“Wait a second!” Tang Wulin thrust his hand toward her, sticking a metallic object into the gap of the door before it could close.

She opened the door once more and took the metal object in her hand.

“I’m sorry about the incident from before, Yuanen, but our side was already punished for it. We’re all working students, so we shouldn’t be hostile to one another. I came to make amends. If you have anything to say to me, please say it.”

“What is this?” Yuanen asked, looking at the metallic stone in her hand. It was cool to the touch.

Tang Wulin grinned. “It’s a spirit alloy. Have you heard of it?”

Yuanen Yehui’s eyes shot up to meet his. “This is a spirit alloy?” She clearly wasn’t as knowledgeable as Yue Zhengyu.

“Yes. This is jade silver. Yue Zhengyu ordered it from me. It’s an alloy made from heavy silver and magic silver. The harmony rate of this piece

 isn’t too bad. It’s a little over seventy percent, but it’s too low for him, so I was planning on selling it to the Academy.”

“You can forge spirit alloys?” Yuanen Yehui asked, her tone far more respectful than it had been just moments before.

Tang Wulin snickered in his heart. Everything was going according to plan. He had suffered countless hardships growing up as a blacksmith, and he knew how to make the best of any situation.

“Mn. I’m a fifth-rank blacksmith,” he said, rubbing his blacksmith’s badge as he spoke. After the incident with Yue Zhengyu, he didn’t dare to flaunt it as casually as he used to.

In that instant, a crack formed in Yuanen Yehui’s mask of indifference, but it immediately disappeared. She returned the jade silver to him and said,

“Alright. So what did you come here for?”

Here’s my chance! Tang Wulin smiled. “You were my first client, and I remember my promise to sell you first-grade thousand refined metal at a

cheap price. That promise still holds weight, and I came here because of it.

I’ll come forge for you whenever you need it. You don’t have to pay me either, just consider it part of what I owe you.”

His words eased her stern expression. “Mn.”

“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Tang Wulin

continued. “Xu Xiaoyan is ready to get her third ring, but she needs to get a new spirit soul as well. We’re planning on bringing her to the Spirit Pagoda to climb the spirit soul tower and help her get a strong spirit soul. As of now, we still need one more person to round out our team, so we would like you to join us. We aren’t asking you to help for free, of course. I’ll spirit refine a metal or forge a spirit alloy of your choice afterward.”

“Spirit soul tower?” Yuanen Yehui’s eyes lit up.

“Yeah, the spirit soul tower. I’ve always wanted to build a good relationship with you. After all, out of everyone in the first and second grades, you’re

 the strongest. If you’re willing to help us, our chances of success will be far higher. Xiaoyan is weak, and we don’t want to see our comrade get expelled at the end of the year. So… please. Help us.”

“Alright, I’ll go with you.”

“Huh?” Tang Wulin never thought she would agree so easily.

“I don’t want your spirit refining or spirit alloy though. We can talk about that in the future. I have a different condition for my help.” Yuanen Yehui’s eyes twinkled as she stared at Tang Wulin.

“A different condition?” he echoed.

“I want approval for the tower attack.”

Tang Wulin’s heart thumped, and when he realized the meaning behind her words, and blurted, “You’ve already reached rank 40?”

Yuanen Yehui had three purple soul rings and two powerful martial souls.

The only reason she would want approval for the tower attack was to get

another spirit soul. Only the spirit soul tower offered spirit souls suitable for martial souls as great as hers.

She’s only fifteen, yet she’s now rank 40! I can’t even dream of reaching rank 40 by the age of fifteen! Tang Wulin would turn fourteen in half a year. He didn’t have a shred of confidence when it came to reaching rank 40 in just a year and a half. Even if he spent every waking hour cultivating in the Boundless Forest, he still believed he had no chance of getting to rank 40 in such a short time.

Chapter 355 – Little Fatty Became a Big Fatty!

Chapter 355 – Little Fatty Became a Big Fatty!

“That’s my only condition. If you agree to it, then I’ll go.” Yuanen Yehui’s expression gave no room for negotiation.

“I can’t give you an answer to that right now. I’ll have to discuss with my friends first,” said Tang Wulin.

“Mn.” Yuanen Yehui closed the door on him in one swift motion, clearly still wary of him.

Left standing in the hall, Tang Wulin returned to his room and explained her condition to his friends.

“Just forget about her then. We’ll be fine without her. I don’t want to trouble Big Sis Gu Yue too much,” said Xu Xiaoyan.

Although she didn’t know the price Tang Wulin had paid to invite Yue Zhengyu, she could vaguely guess it had not come cheap.

Similarly, she had no idea what Gu Yue would have to pay for another spirit soul quota for the tower attack.

Gu Yue waved dismissively. “It’s fine. No trouble at all. Yuanen Yehui is a really strong assault-type. I’m certain if we have her on our team she’ll be a huge help to us and you’ll get a good spirit soul. It’s worth it to consider

accepting her condition.”

 “Besides,” Tang Wulin interjected. “This is a chance to ease our tense relationship with her. We can restore it to what it was like before the incident. She’s really skilled too, and she’s practically guaranteed to enter the inner court in the future. Since we’re all working students, we should be friends.”

“I agree,” Xie Xie chimed in, leaping up from his bed.

Xu Xiaoyan shot him a dirty look. “Of course you agree. Everyday you’re cleaning the front of her room, wiping the windows, drawing water for her, and wagging your tail for her like a good little puppy…”

Tang Wulin threw his gaze at Xie Xie, eyebrow quirked. “What are you up to?”

“I’m just trying to atone.”

Tang Wulin shook his head in resignation, then turned to Gu Yue. “Are you sure it wouldn’t be too much trouble to get another quota?”

“It should be fine. I’ll go ask tomorrow after lunch. Whether we get another one or not doesn’t really matter. If we don’t, we’ll be short one person, but we’re more than strong enough to tackle the tower.”

“Alright.”

All of a sudden, a knock sounded at the door.

The four friends looked at each other in surprise, pondering the identity of the uninvited visitor. The only possible people they could think of were Yue Zhengyu and Yuanen Yehui.

Xu Xiaoyan jumped off her bed and made a beeline for the door. To her surprise, her entire line of sight was obstructed upon opening it.

“Who are you?” she asked, shocked.

A perfectly round meatball towered over her. Despite standing slightly over 180 centimeters tall, his waist was as wide as he was tall. He grinned at her,

 chubby cheeks round like a chipmunk’s.

“Hello, I’m looking for Tang Wulin. Is he in?” His voice was gentle and pleasing to the ear.

Hearing his name, Tang Wulin approached the doorway. “You’re…” He had a guess as to who the visitor was from their voice, but upon laying eyes on the meatball before him, he grew unsure.

“It’s me, Xu Lizhi!”.

Tang Wulin was stunned. In the past few years they hadn’t met, the little fatty had grown into a big fatty!

“Come on in.” Tang Wulin quickly waved him over to the boy’s side of the room.

Apart from nighttime, when they retired, the curtain dividing the room was kept open. Xu Lizhi swept his gaze from Tang Wulin and Xie Xie on the left to Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan on the right, surprise painting his face. “Y- you guys are rooming together?”

The two girls immediately blushed crimson, glaring at him once they recovered themselves. Tang Wulin pointed at the curtain dividing the room. “It’s not what you’re thinking. We’re sharing this room because the living conditions for working students aren’t good.”

Xu Lizhi nodded in understanding. “You really surprised me when you called me the other day. I never expected you to join Shrek, and even

become a working student. Congratulations! Also, don’t worry about how fat I’ve gotten. I just ate something I shouldn’t have eaten, which made me inflate like a balloon.”

Tang Wulin had decided on Xu Lizhi for their seventh man a few days prior.

Considering the utility of Xu Lizhi’s martial soul, there was no better choice.

 As an inner court student, Xu Lizhi could be counted on for his abilities as a food-type soul master. Having tasted Xu Lizhi’s buns in the past, Tang Wulin was aware of their incredible effects. In fact, they were especially beneficial for him, restoring his depleted blood essence so he could

continue using more of his Golden Dragon King abilities. With Xu Lizhi’s support, his strength would increase by thirty percent, not to mention how his teammates would benefit. The missing cog of their machine had been a pure support-type soul master.

Unlike Yuanen Yehui and Yue Zhengyu, Xu Lizhi had jumped at the opportunity to help Tang Wulin with no strings attached.

And today, he had personally come to visit.

“Xu Lizhi, what’s the inner court like compared to the outer court?” asked Xu Xiaoyan.

Xu Lizhi awkwardly scratched his head at the question. “It’s not really that different. The teachers are just stricter. Things are slightly relaxed for me though, since I have a food-type martial soul. The only thing It have to focus on is cultivating soul power everyday. That’s about it.” His mouth

suddenly widened as he clapped once. “Oh yeah, I heard the inner court is being reformed soon. I’m not too clear on the details though. With how low my cultivation base is, there’s a good chance I’ll be kicked into the outer

court. It looks like the inner court might change their acceptance requirement to battle armor masters from now on. Honestly, I’m not sure what to do.”

“You’re coming to the outer court?” Tang Wulin’s eyes lit up. Xu Lizhi was about their age, so if he were to enter the outer court, there was a high possibility he would join the first grade! Which was great, as there was no one who liked Xu Lizhi’s martial soul more than Tang Wulin.

Xu Lizhi chuckled. “I don’t know yet. Anyway, did you say you guys are going to do the tower attack? Have you decided a time yet? I’ve already freed up my schedule on our day off, so just give me a call and I’ll come running.”

 Xu Xiaoyan was touched by his sincerity. “Thank you. I can’t thank you enough for agreeing to help me.”

“Don’t worry about it. I didn’t have anything planned anyway.” He blushed when he saw Xu Xiaoyan’s teary-eyed expression, doing his best to hide his bashfulness.

“Alright, let’s go eat then. Lizhi, I’ll treat you to dinner.”

Due to how fat he was, Xu Lizhi’s eyes were normally crescents, but at the mention of food, they opened wide. He vigorously nodded, rows of fat from his chin rippling. “Yeah! Let’s go! You know, I still can’t forget the taste of that baked fish. It was so good!”

Xie Xie slapped his forehead. These two really are a pair of gluttons!

The closer they got to their destination, the more apprehension crept into his heart, causing sweat to drench his back. He pictured the disastrous scene of the two gluttons tearing through the dining hall, shuddering. Nothing would be left.

Although the dining hall always had extra food in stock for extreme

situations, ever since Tang Wulin had stepped foot into the area, the staff were forced to increase their stockpiles. Because Xu Lizhi was

accompanying Tang Wulin today, without a doubt the dining hall’s stores would be eaten clean.

Xu Lizhi’s appetite had grown to match his body’s size over the years, rivaling Tang Wulin’s hunger on a regular day.

However, Tang Wulin’s ability to eat, large as it had been, was amplified by the joy he felt reuniting with Xu Lizhi. The two were evenly matched in the art of gorging, revealing the true extent of their gluttonous tendencies in

each other’s company.

In order to thank Xu Lizhi, Xu Xiaoyan took it upon herself to ferry over a continuous stream of dishes. Soon, a mountain of dirty dishes piled high

 before them, the dining hall completely devoid of any morsel. But they were still not satisfied.

“Eh, I didn’t get to eat my fill.” Xu Lizhi patted his belly as he flashed a silly smile at Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin forced out a bitter one. “Me neither. I remember you couldn’t eat more than me before, but it looks like your appetite has grown even faster than mine! You’re amazing!”

Xu Lizhi chuckled. “Back then, I couldn’t accept that I lost to you in eating, so I immediately began gorging myself when I got home. I strove to eat as much as I could every day and surpass my stomach’s limits. By

coincidence, my cultivation speed increased quite a bit as well. But unfortunately, so did my waist size. Hehe. I really envy you. You don’t get fat no matter how much you stuff yourself!”

“You should train your body. Being too fat isn’t good for you.”

“I’m fine. Like I said before, I’m this fat right now because I ate something special and couldn’t slim up afterward. It looks like I’m stuck this way now. Well, let’s go then. We can eat some more in the city. I know it like the back of my hand and there’s this amazing noodle place I have to take you to.

We’ll get ten bowls of noodles each. The bowls are really big and the noodles are delicious!”

“Go on without us.” Gu Yue groaned, rubbing her face with her hands.

During their meal, she had been earnestly reflecting on Wu Siduo’s words, and had acknowledged the mental and physical fatigue watching Tang Wulin’s gorging brought.

Free in their own world, Tang Wulin and Xu Lizhi happily left for the city to eat noodles, arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders as they rejoiced. For gluttons like them, it was a true miracle to find a comrade, and was a manner worthy of celebration. In fact, Tang Wulin decided to indulge himself a bit today and take some time off from cultivating to eat with Xu Lizhi. In any case, eating also benefited his body.

Chapter 356 – The Miracle of Food

Chapter 356 – The Miracle of Food

A sign that read ‘Founding Noodle Shop’ hung above the entrance to a

store. A fragrant aroma wafted from that entrance, filling Tang Wulin’s nose and making his fingers twitch.

“Boss!” Xu Lizhi shouted.

A stout, middle-aged man with a rugged appearance walked out of the

store. He had a stern look on his face, which was accented by his short hair and bronze complexion, and wore black pants and a black button-down gown. He carried himself like a royalty, as if daring anyone courageous

enough to talk back to him. Yet, as soon as he saw Xu Lizhi, his expression softened and a smile formed on his lips.

“Ah, Little Fatty, you’ve returned!” he exclaimed.

“Yep! I’m back to eat some of your delicious noodles again, and this time I brought my friend, Tang Wulin. I really missed your wife’s succulent noodles. I wanna order ten bowls for each of us! The extra big bowls!” By the time he finished speaking, Xu Lizhi was already drooling.

The boss turned his gaze to Tang Wulin in astonishment. “This little brother is going to eat ten bowls as well?”

“Yep, yep! He can almost eat as much as I can!” Xu Lizhi pulled Tang Wulin into the noodle shop as he spoke. “He’s my food buddy!”

Founding Noodle Shop wasn’t very large at all, but its furniture and decorations were exquisite. They lent an air authenticity to the noodle shop. Tang Wulin may not have known much about architecture or furniture, but

 he could tell that this place emphasized the elegance of simplicity.

Customers filled half of the shop, all eating quietly. Although the dishes the customers were enjoying appeared simple, the aroma coming from them told Tang Wulin otherwise. The smell alone was enough to elicit a growl from both his and Xu Lizhi’s stomachs.

The boss led the two of them to a private room in the very back of the shop. The room was quite large, and an unassuming table sat in the middle of it.

Upon closer inspection, however, one would notice the remarkable amount of detail in its craftsmanship.

“Take a seat,” the boss said. He then turned and left, and a few minutes later, he returned with a bowl in each hand. Both were over a foot in diameter and held generous portions of noodles. Before the bowls even

arrived at their table, a sumptuous smell of chili peppers struck Tang Wulin and Xu Lizhi, soliciting a growls from their stomachs. Their hunger was back in full force.

The boss placed the bowls in front of the two of them, and they examined the food like ravenous beasts. The noodles were thin but wide, drenched in slightly sour-smelling meat sauce that sang to their souls. Then a wave of spiciness roiled from the peppers, mixing with the sour scent and making Tang Wulin and Xu Lizhi go mad with desire. The two gluttons immediately began slurping up the noodles, and both could tell that they had been cooked to perfection, and not the slightest bit past. Each bite brought joy to their taste buds, wave after wave of noodles coated in fatty meat juices sliding down their throats.

Neither Tang Wulin nor Xu Lizhi spoke. At that moment, their bowls of noodles became their world. Each noodle that entered their stomachs filled them with comforting warmth. Sweat began to pour from Tang Wulin as he ate. He could feel his blood essence surge throughout his body.

These noodles are amazing! He turned to look at Xu Lizhi, and he was met with a smirk.

“You can tell, right? Boss’s noodles aren’t just any noodles!” Xu Lizhi said smugly. “He added some spirit herbs to the dough, so not only are his

 noodles delicious, they’re also extremely nourishing!”

“Then this must be expensive, right?” Tang Wulin asked in a whisper.

“Mn.” Xu Lizhi nodded. “He accepts contribution points and federal coins here. Each bowl costs about twenty thousand federal coins or two thousand contribution points.”

“Wha… how much?” Tang Wulin’s voice went up an octave.

Xu Lizhi shushed Tang Wulin hastily. “Don’t be so loud! I know it’s a bit expensive, but the noodles are so good! They’re good for your body too!

Anyway, don’t worry about the price today. It’s my treat. I’ve saved up a lot of contribution points since there aren’t many places in the inner court to

spend them. We can talk about that kind of stuff after our bellies are full.”

After eating ten bowls of noodles, Tang Wulin felt that his blood essence had become more lively than ever before. He felt as if he were about to soar into the sky at any moment. He could feel his entire body grow feverish,

and he knew he needed to let off some steam.

Xu Lizhi went to pay the bill, which came up to a total of forty thousand contribution points. It was a sum that Tang Wulin found it impossible to imagine for just a meal, and his heart ached when he saw the receipt. All those points just for one meal! No wonder the boss personally received Lizhi.

“I’m going to head back and exercise a bit. That meal was a bit too heavy for me,” Tang Wulin said with a wry smile.

“Okay. I gotta say though, I can’t believe your stomach surpassed mine yet again!” Xu Lizhi patted his stomach in satisfaction, his plump face sweating a bit from the nourishment of the spirit herb noodles. “Well, see you later then.” Xu Lizhi waved goodbye.

In contrast to Xu Lizhi’s mellow blood essence, Tang Wulin’s blood

essence raged through his body like a flood. This marked a clear difference in the way both of them digested the noodles.

 As Tang Wulin made for the exit, the boss handed him a card. On it was the word ‘Founding’ and a soul communicator number.

No longer able to suppress the energy within his body, Tang Wulin picked up the pace and was soon running back toward campus. Since the shop

wasn’t very far away, it only took him a few minutes to arrive at the Academy’s gates.

Tang Wulin thought his blood essence would settle down during the run back, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, his blood essence grew more vigorous as it continued to course through his body, almost as if it were trying to escape. Tang Wulin rushed into the grove near the working student dormitory, golden light emanating from him as his golden blood essence

soul ring grew restless and struggled out of his body. The moment the soul ring left his body, his tense nerves began to relax, and he finally had room to breathe. His blood essence surged through his body like a roaring river, filling every inch of him with a comforting heat. However, this energy had to be released somehow.

He raised his hands and slowly moved them in a circle, guiding his blood essence along the pathway of Dragon Shocks the Heavens. Due to the

excessive vigor of his blood essence, just this small gesture was enough to form a whirlpool of energy within himself. He had been practicing Dragon Shocks the Heavens for a little over ten days now. He hadn’t made much progress up to this point, however, and his blood essence could trace no more than fifty percent of the pathway. But today was different. His blood essence was more forceful than ever before, and it attacked the walls in his meridians with blazing rage. The flow of his blood essence reversed, the resistance within the whirlpool of energy gradually faded away, and then, all of a sudden, he broke through the fifty percent barrier!

A faint golden mist enveloped Tang Wulin’s body, and a draconic roar resounded from his blood essence. It pierced the night with unprecedented might, and he was now completely immersed in this mystical state. Golden scales appeared on his right arm and chest, and the soul ring activated

Golden Dragon Body on its own, bathing him in a light far more radiant than before. His blood essence raged within him, washing his meridians and

 viscera in seething energy as it poured from his body and heated up the air around him.

As Tang Wulin grew feverish from the burning energy, his eyes flashed crimson-gold as if they were ablaze. He began to tremble, his meridians

convulsing, and the energy surging from him forced the air around him to become a swirling tempest. His hair whipped back in forth in the frenzy, his clothes burned to ash, and golden lines appeared all over his body, making him resemble a young dragon preparing to soar into the heavens. Even as his blood essence rampaged with him and fought to erupt skyward, he remained steady.

Although his clothes had been burned to ash, his blacksmith’s badge remained glued to his chest. A purple-white aura emanated from it, struggling to keep him calm.

Tang Wulin’s blood essence gained momentum as his arms moved slower and slower. All of the nourishment from the food he ate had been

completely transformed into blood essence. As the rumbling of the dragon’s roar grew louder, his body began to expand as well.

Chapter 357 – Little Goldlight

Chapter 357 – Little Goldlight

Tang Wulin’s eyes now shone a brilliant gold as his blood essence

continued to surge toward the heavens. It rapidly progressed along the

Dragon Shocks the Heaven’s pathway, going past the fifty percent mark and reaching sixty percent, then seventy percent! Once his blood essence travelled eighty percent of the pathway, a bottleneck appeared. Tang Wulin felt as if his entire being were working to stop his blood essence from

advancing any further. The whirlpool of energy that raged inside of his body rapidly expanded, but try as it might, it could not break through the barrier within him.

As his stomach ballooned, Tang Wulin’s entire body turned gold. He

suddenly found it difficult to breathe, almost as if the air had grown thinner.

Pain tormented him, but he couldn’t stop now. He could only let his blood essence continue to gather and compress in his stomach. All of the blood essence in his body move with his soul power to gather at that one spot.

Despite how tough his body and his meridians were, he felt as if he were about to explode.

Not good! My energies are deviating! Tang Wulin knew he had acted too impulsively. His blood essence was currently too wild for him to practice Dragon Shocks the Heavens. His actions were a far cry from progressing step by step. He was advancing by leaps and bounds! As positive as this was, it had also lead to his current crisis.

A few days ago, he visited Zhuo Shi seeking guidance. Zhuo Shi had told Tang Wulin that he would help him advance to the next level once he could fill sixty percent of the circulation pathway.

 Yet he had rushed straight through eighty percent of the pathway! He had yet to learn what to do from here and now faced a fatal problem.

If his energies completely deviated, he truly would explode!

“Fool.” A voice suddenly resounded in his mind. “Reversing the flow of your blood essence is indeed a way to refine both your viscera and meridians, but you were too hasty. You are nowhere near ready to breakthrough. Divert some of the energy to your spirit soul.”

It was the voice of Old Tang. Once again, he appeared at a critical time to save Tang Wulin.

Spirit soul? That’s right! I have Goldlight! At his bidding, Goldlight slithered out of Tang Wulin’s body and coiled around his torso.

Goldlight gently absorbed a portion of Tang Wulin’s blood essence, thin threads of gold leaving him and entering the snake. Tang Wulin’s body quickly returned to normal, and he was no longer in danger of cultivation deviation. If his raging blood essence had broken past his meridians and moved on to attack his viscera, his life would have been in danger. Now, however, his blood essence gradually calmed to the point that he could once again control its flow and direct it throughout his body. Warmth washed over him, soothing his pain as everything returned to normal.

“Don’t be so impatient next time,” Old Tang said sternly. “Take your time and slowly improve your body. It is a marvelous treasure, one you must

care for by progressing one step at a time. Only by advancing at a steady pace will you be able to endure.”

With the danger averted, Tang Wulin drifted into a deep meditative state.

The sun was rising from the horizon when he awoke, and his body was damp dew.

He noticed that his senses were sharper than before. The life force of the grove’s surrounding flora seemed to linger around him, and he could hear the voices of the plants more clearly than before. Immediately after that, he

 sensed the presence of someone nearby. He could even discern their steady breathing. He turned to that person.

A short distance away from Tang Wulin, still wearing her school uniform, Gu Yue sat at the base of a tree. Her legs were oriented to her side, her eyes were closed, and her long eyelashes were wet with dew. Soft morning light washed over her, bathing her in breathtaking radiance.

Although he had never considered her particularly beautiful in the past, at this moment, the sight of Gu Yue seized Tang Wulin’s heart. He stared at her in a daze, burning this scene into his mind.

Then Gu Yue’s voice snapped him out of his reverie. “You’re awake, I see,” she said. She slowly opened her eyes, meeting his gaze with a warm smile as she stretched her body.

“Why were you sleeping here?” Tang Wulin asked.

“You didn’t come back to the dorm no matter how late it got, so I came here looking for you. When I saw that you were deep in meditation, I didn’t want to disturb you, so I went to sleep.” She spoke as if this was just the natural thing to do.

Tang Wulin walked over to her and ruffled her hair. “Let’s go then. It’s time for breakfast.” He wanted to thank her, but for some reason he couldn’t

comprehend, he didn’t want to say the words.

After they returned to the dorm, Tang Wulin broke from his daily routine

and didn’t practice his Purple Demon Eyes. Instead, he quickly washed up, ate breakfast, went to class, then had lunch when classes finished. After lunch, Gu Yue left for the Spirit Pagoda while the others practiced their professions. It was a normal, busy day for them.

By the time evening fell, Gu Yue returned, and she brought good news with her. The Spirit Pagoda had granted them a second quota.

“Wow! The Spirit Pagoda is so generous!” Xie Xie was beaming as he gave a thumbs up. His bruised face had almost completely healed.

 With Yuanen Yehui’s condition fulfilled, they could now count her as a

comrade in the tower attack and were all the more confident because of it.

“I’ll let her know then,” Tang Wulin said. “Tomorrow’s our day off, so what time do you guys want to go?”

Gu Yue thought for a moment before answering. “Going too early would be bad, so how about after breakfast?”

“Sounds good to me,” Tang Wulin replied.

Xu Xiaoyan quietly clenched her fists, her eyes shining with determination. Her friends rarely spoke words of encouragement to he. They encouraged her with their actions instead. She understood that she was the weakest member of their team, the one most likely to be expelled. While Xie Xie might not be as strong as Gu Yue or Tang Wulin, he still had twin martial

souls and could hold his own in battle. Xu Xiaoyan and her Starwheel Ice Staff, however, were only useful at night.

I have to do this no matter what! I can’t drag my friends down!

☀

Clouds filled the sky the next morning, their shadows painting the city in bleak colors. In spite of this, the working student dormitory was as lively as ever.

Everyone gathered together after eating breakfast. The plump Xu Lizhi instantly grabbed Yue Zhengyu and Yuanen Yehui’s attention. Twice as wide as an ordinary person, he was simply too large to overlook. Yuanen

Yehui stood off to the side, away from the rest of the group, and especially Yue Zhengyu. On the other hand, Yue Zhengyu stood beside Tang Wulin, whispering into his ear. Xu Xiaoan was nervous as she stood there waiting

for everyone else. Gu Yue, however, was the very definition of serenity. Xie Xie looked almost as anxious as Xu Xiaoyan, but for a completely different reason. He occasionally snuck glances at Yuanen Yehui, but never drummed up the courage to walk over to her. He was afraid of being beaten to a pulp.

 Tang Wulin clapped his hands twice, attracting everyone’s attention.

“Alright! Since everyone is here now, let’s get ready to go. First thing we need to do is plan our approach to the tower attack today. Does anyone have any suggestions?”

Tang Wulin looked at Yuanen Yehui. She was the strongest of them all and wasn’t a member of Tang Wulin’s usual team.

Yuanen Yehui shook her head. “I don’t have any. I’ll do whatever you tell me to do. You guys just need to help me continue climbing the tower after Xu Xiaoyan gets her spirit soul.”

“No problem.” Tang Wulin turned to Yue Zhengyu. “How about you?”

Considering how strong they were, both Yuanen Yehui and Yue Zhengyu had the qualifications to take over as leader. Before Yue Zhengyu could say a single word, Yuanen Yehui cut in. “I’ll take orders from anyone but him.”

Yue Zhengyu glared at her. Just as he was about to retort, however, Tang Wulin pulled him to the side and whispered into his ear.

Yuanen Yenhui’s cheeks reddened a bit at the sight, then she averted her gaze.

Yue Zhengyu suppressed his pride and snorted. “Fine. Wulin, you take command. Aren’t you the captain of your team anyway? This matter

concerns your team, so I’ll just do as I’m told.”

Tang Wulin smiled and nodded. He only had to whisper ‘jade silver’ into Yue Zhengyu’s ear to get him to submit. Tang Wulin had been lucky in the past few days and managed to forge a piece of jade silver with a harmony rate over ninety percent. He had immediately given it to Yue Zhengyu, but had yet to ask for compensation. This was why he trusted Yue Zhengyu so much right now, why he dared to be so confident.

Before Tang Wulin could turn and ask him, Xu Lizhi waved his hand dismissively. “I just came to have some fun with you guys and help out!”

Chapter 358 – Warm and Soft

Chapter 358 – Warm and Soft

Although Xu Lizhi stood off to the side like a harmless lamb, neither Yuanen Yehui nor Yue Zhengyu dared look down on him. The reason was simple. The badge on his belt that spelled out ‘Shrek Academy’ was red.

They both understood the significance of that color. That was the mark of

an inner court student! He was one of the geniuses who stood at the peak of the continent, destined to become a battle armor master!

Tang Wulin didn’t question any of his three friends, simply nodding at them instead. “Alright. I’ll lead the team then. Xie Xie is our only agility-type.

We have three assault-types: Yuanen Yehui, Yue Zhengyu, and me. Yuanen Yehui will be positioned in the center, and Yue Zhengyu and I will support her by her side. Gu Yue will support me with control and ranged attacks.

Last but not least, Xiaoyan will be our backline fire support.” Everyone nodded, not a spark of dissent present.

Since they were a seven-man team put together at the last minute, they must rely on brute strength to climb the tower. Fortunately for them, Yuanen

Yehui was on their team. Her attack power was worth that of several soul masters in the same ring level. Additionally, Yue Zhengyu and Tang Wulin were also coming along. Although Tang Wulin wasn’t their match in overall strength, he could stand their equal when it came to explosive power.

Besides, he was also responsible for commanding the team and controlling the battlefield.

He considered the rest of his team. Gu Yue was their hidden ace. Given

enough time to charge up, she could unleash thunderous elemental attacks from afar. In contrast, Xu Xiaoyan was proficient in creating and taking

 advantage of openings, a skill she had honed from the nature of her martial soul. As an agility-type, Xie Xie wasn’t to be trifled with either. Then there was Xu Lizhi as their support. Under the influence of his food-type martial soul, Tang Wulin’s battle power increased by thirty percent! For now, he only knew of Xu Lizhi’s Recovery Pork Bun, the rest of his arsenal a mystery. Either way, the combination of their strengths formed an incredible seven-man team!

“Let’s go!”

The seven teammates departed for the campus gates. Before Tang Wulin could call for a taxi, a luxurious business van pulled up to their feet.

The door to the driver’s side opened, Yue Zhengyu’s butler stepping out to open the passenger’s side for them.

Flashing Yue Zhengyu a thumbs up, Tang Wulin turned to face the rest of his teammates. “Hop in.”

Yue Zhengyu sat in the front and the rest shuffled into six seats behind him.

Normally, six seats would have been more than enough room to ride comfortably, but Xu Lizhi’s plumpness occupied a seat and a half.

Tang Wulin sat in the middle row, lodged in between Xu Lizhi and Gu Yue. Yuanen Yehui and Xu Xiaoyan sandwiched Xie Xie in the back row. It forced him to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with Yuanen Yehui. His heart thumped in his chest, his mind unable to forget the forbidden scene he had witnessed.

“If you have any lewd thoughts, I’m going to kill you,” whispered Yuanen Yehui.

A shiver went down his spine and he hastily said, “No, no. There’s no way I would think that!”

His voice came out a louder than expected, and the three sitting in the middle row flashed him an inquisitive look, Xu Xiaoyan doing the same.

 Apart from Xu Lizhi, who wasn’t aware of the background story, the rest understood the situation.

All eyes on her, Yuanen Yehui immediately flushed crimson. She was still dressed in a male uniform, her masterful makeup skills masking her blush.

Xie Xie blanched. Two fingers pinched his thigh, rotating the flesh a full 180 degrees!

He covered his own mouth to prevent himself from screaming in pain. Everyone watched him with helpless smiles, not a single person speaking up in his defense.

In truth, he wasn’t the only one embarrassed. Tang Wulin found himself in a similarly awkward situation.

Xu Lizhi was simply too fat. He excessive size forced Tang Wulin toward Gu Yue, pushing him against her. But this wasn’t enough to offset Xu Lizhi’s body mass. Gu Yue had no choice but to angle her body and lean toward the window, no choice but to sit on Tang Wulin’s thigh.

There were occasional bumps as the van sped down the road, rocking those within it. As their positions moved with each bump, Tang Wulin and Gu Yue’s faces began to flush.

The tender warmth of flesh against flesh ferried heat to their cheeks,

awkwardness filling the air between them. But there was nothing they could do. They couldn’t adjust their seating arrangements while the van was in motion. As a last ditch effort, Tang Wulin tried to push back into Xu Lizhi, but the fat refused to budge.

Tang Wulin could feel the beat of his heart, the dryness of his mouth, and the butterflies fluttering about in his stomach. Never had he felt this way before. He was only thirteen years old, at the start of puberty. He was still ignorant of the matters between boys and girls. All he could do was sit

straight as an arrow, trying his best to avoid eye contact with Gu Yue.

 Soon they left the inner city, speeding toward the iconic Spirit Pagoda headquarters.

All was quiet within the van. Xie Xie had regained his normal complexion and sat like a child afraid of iminent punishment, hands clasped tightly on his knees and head hung low, not daring to look up at Yuanen Yehui.

The smell of youth was in the air.

After forty minutes on the highway, they finally reached the Spirit Pagoda. Shrek City was truly enormous..

The van cruised to a stop. As soon as the doors opened, Gu Yue burst out.

Tang Wulin could still feel her warmth on his thighs, and her scent lingered.

But he finally had some room to breathe. He let out a relieved sigh as he exited the vehicle.

The Spirit Pagoda stood right before him. He had to crane his neck just to take in its entire magnificence. Even so, he could not see the top of the pagoda. The upper half of the building pierced through the clouds, only its silhouette vaguely discernable from that point onward. It was a surreal image for him.

Following his actions, the others disembarked one after the other. Those who were visiting the Spirit Pagoda headquarters for the first time were

similarly caught in a state of awe. This was a location of absolute authority on the continent!

All in all, Shrek City was the greatest city on the continent because of two main reasons: Shrek Academy and the Spirit Pagoda headquarters.

If the two great organizations combined forces, even the Federation could only tremble before them.

Shrek City was highly autonomous. Apart from the region surrounding the Spirit Pagoda headquarters, the entire city was solely self-governed. The Spirit Pagoda, on the other hand, was far more influential. It maintained a

 good, cooperative relationship with both the Federation and Shrek

Academy. The Spirit Pagoda’s council had wisely chosen to abstain from politics and to not control any soul masters. Thirty-six members made up the entire core council. Not only that, it was run differently from the way large clans and other organizations were operated. Furthermore, some of the council members were sent by the Federation. Although numerous soul masters joined the Spirit Pagoda, the core of the forces under its command numbered less than three thousand. Coupled with the advancement of soul technology, these soul masters were no threat to the Federation.

As such, the Federation and the Spirit Pagoda shared an amicable relationship.

The Spirit Pagoda’s founder, Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao, founded the council system that allowed the Spirit Pagoda to persist for ten thousand years. And now it stood as one of the continent’s greatest powers.

No one knew how deep Shrek Academy’s foundation ran, and the Spirit Pagoda’s wealth and number of masters were anyone’s guess.

Chapter 359 – Entering the Tower

Chapter 359 – Entering the Tower

No one knew just how deep Shrek Academy’s foundation ran, and neither did anyone know how rich or how many masters the Spirit Pagoda had.

“Gu Yue, where’s the spirit soul tower?” Tang Wulin asked.

No trace of the awkwardness from the heated car ride remained.

“It’s inside the headquarters,” said Gu Yue. “It’s not actually a physical building. Think virtual. The technology used to make it is even more

advanced than what was used for the spirit ascension platform. The tower is one of the Spirit Pagoda’s most important assets. Follow me everyone.”

They climbed the stairs to the entrance. After registering their identities, they could step foot within.

“When did getting admittance into the Spirit Pagoda headquarters become so fast? They’ve really raised their efficiency!” exclaimed Yue Zhengyu.

Tang Wulin glanced at Gu Yue. He recalled her flashing a badge at the staff member while they were registering.

The first floor was a majestic hall larger than those of other Spirit Pagoda branches Tang Wulin had visited.

Murals covered the walls, stretching along the domed ceiling. Although these murals weren’t eye catching in size, through sheer number they depicted an epic tale of an age long gone.

 Tang Wulin spun around in place as he searched for the mural that began the tale. He spotted it a moment later. It hung above the center of the domed ceiling, a gigantic eye of a color Tang Wulin could not put into words. A

simple glance and it were as though it was sucking out one’s soul. A Spirit Eye? Is that the Spirit Ice Douluo’s martial soul?

Each mural in the Spirit Pagoda headquarters depicted scenes from the Spirit Ice Douluo’s legend.

Tang Wulin could spot Shrek Academy among the artwork. This hadn’t surprised him as The Spirit Ice Douluo was originally a Shrek Academy student! The murals recorded all of his great accomplishments.

“The murals are beautiful. Look, that’s the Spirit Ice Douluo’s wife, Dragon Butterfly Tang Wutong.” Xu Xiaoyan pointed at a mural. “The legends say that together with the Spirit Ice Douluo, they have a grand total of four

amazing soul fusion skills!”

Tang Wulin followed her finger and took in the image of a gigantic blue butterfly, a golden ‘V’ emblazoned on its back. The word beautiful couldn’t begin to describe her. She was a goddess.

“Let’s go. We have business to take care of.” Since Gu Yue was familiar

with the hall, the murals didn’t affect her much. She took the lead, heading deeper into the building.

This section of the hall was vast and empty. The only things present were a reception counter and some elevators. Gu Yue led them to a red elevator, flashing her badge. The door opened and she ushered everyone in.

“The red elevator is specially reserved for high-ranking Spirit Pagoda members!” Yue Zhengyu exclaimed. “Gu Yue, just who are you?”

She spared him a glance, then shook her head in silence.

The elevator ascended for a full minute before coming to a stop. They had their breaths stolen away the moment they stepped out of the elevator.

 Through the glass walls of the pagoda, a sea of clouds stretched as far as the eye could see. They could vaguely make out the shape of Shrek City through the gently billowing clouds and mist.

Gu Yue fetched her soul communicator from a pocket and dialed a number. She stepped to the side, talking in hushed tones for a minute before rejoining her friends.

Beneath the youths were milky-white patterns stretching across the floor. Coupled with the scenery outside, the impression that they were floating high above the clouds was inescapable.

Farther in was a silver sliding door. After knocking a few times, Gu Yue slid it open and continued to escort her teammates.

Before them stood a perfectly put together and spacious room.

Sitting behind a desk was a tall woman in her thirties. She had a neat look to her, red hair falling straight down her back like a curtain. The woman was the most beautiful decoration within the room, her mere presence bringing life to it.

She smiled warmly after recognizing the identities of her visitors, walking over to greet them and revealing her black uniform.

“Welcome to the Spirit Pagoda. I’m Gu Yue’s teacher, Leng Yaozhu.” “Hello, senior,” everyone said in unison.

Gu Yue’s teacher? It was Tang Wulin’s first time hearing this. Out of everyone in the group, only Yue Zhengyu seemed to react to her self-

introduction. His brows wrinkled as if he were trying to recall an important fact.

“I’m happy to get to know young talents from Shrek Academy like you all,” Leng Yaozhu said. “Well, let’s not delay any further then. I’ll escort you to the spirit soul tower.”

 She made for the door with a gentle grace, her body exuding the unforgettable charms of a mature woman.

Leng Yaozhu… Leng Yaozhu… Just where have I heard that name before?

Try as he might, Yue Zhengyu couldn’t figure out what the name was associated with.

Tang Wulin cast a questioning look at Gu Yue, but she responded with a smug smile.

Right! There’s no way the Spirit Pagoda wouldn’t see how talented Gu Yue is! Her teacher’s probably some big shot here.

Leng Yaozhu led the seven students down a corridor. Whenever they ran into another staff member, the staff member would stop and stand to the side in deference, their head slightly bowed as they snuck glances at the students.

They soon arrived before a large golden elevator. Leng Yaozhu pressed her hand on the door and it immediately slid open.The students followed her in.

The elevator was spacious enough to accommodate a dozen people, not to mention a mere eight. The interior was painted a sparkling gold, energy humming in the air.

With a jolt, the elevator sprang into motion. It came to a stop seconds later, ushering the group into a circular hall several hundred meters in diameter and fifty meters tall. At the top of the roof sat a triangle with a gem dangling from its midpoint. It emitted a faint golden light.

At the center of the hall was a lofty hexagonal platform, a flight of stairs leading to its top. It gave off the impression of an altar. The platform

covered at least one hundred square meters, and in the center was a golden door towering fifteen meters.

All sorts of equipment were littered throughout the room, staff members bustling about.

 Leng Yaozhu’s arrival hadn’t affected them. Only those that noticed her stopped to salute before continuing with their work.

“You kids can go now. I’ve already arranged things for you.” She pointed at the large golden door.

“Thank you, Teacher.” Gu Yue smiled. Rather than treat her teacher respectfully, she was more intimate in their interactions.

Leng Yaozhu beamed a doting smile. “It’s your first time entering the spirit soul tower, so don’t be careless. It isn’t the same as the spirit ascension platform. Everything you encounter in there is real. Pay attention to your

safety. I’ll be monitoring you all from outside, so the moment you’re in danger, I’ll bring you out.”

“Thank you, senior.” Tang Wulin stepped forward and expressed his gratitude as the team captain.

She examined him for a moment, then warmth entered her smile. “I take it you’re Tang Wulin?”

“Mn. I am.”

Leng Yaozhu sighed and shook her head. “It’s a real pity. I’d definitely want to recruit you if you hadn’t joined the Tang Sect. Well, alright then. You kids go on now. We can continue that topic after you’re done. I’m opening the spirit soul tower.”

The moment those words left her lips, the surrounding staff members immediately changed gears and saluted Leng Yaozhu, shouting out, “Yes, Ma’am!”

Yue Zhengyu’s eyes lit up. He remembered who she was now. But at that moment, Tang Wulin gave the order to enter the door.

Gold filled their eyes the second they stepped through the doorway, their figures vanishing into the golden light.

 Watching them disappear, Leng Yaozhu revealed a trace of disappointment in her eyes. “Weren’t we like this back then too? Seeing them, I’m reminded of how we used to be,” she muttered. “But you’ve long since forgotten about me.”

Unlike entering the spirit ascension platform, the seven students weren’t hit with a wave of dizziness. Instead, everything felt normal, as if they had

walked through an ordinary doorway. The gold faded from their vision, eyes sharpening as they took in their surroundings.

They found themselves in a large hall. Thick pillars jutted out from the

ashen-gray brick floor to support the ceiling. The hall was humongous, over one thousand square meters in area, empty apart from them. The place felt

ancient, like they had travelled back in time.

Not a second after they had finished examining the environment, the golden door behind them disappeared. Then before their eyes, an illusory pagoda formed .

Not a second after they finished examining their surroundings, the golden door behind them disappeared. Then, right before their eyes, an illusory pagoda formed, layer after layer swirling into existence.

Chapter 360 – Charging Through the Tower

Chapter 360 – Charging Through the Tower

As soon as it completely took shape, the illusory spirit pagoda faded away, and moments later, the hall was empty once more. Octagonal in shape, the hall had a diameter of at least three hundred meters. Tang Wulin’s team of seven stood in the center of the hall. Eight doors, each ten meters tall and five meters wide, surrounded the students, towering before them.

“Yuanen, Zhengyu, triangle formation. Xie Xie, adapt to the situation. Gu Yue, Xiaoyan, Lizhi, stay in the center,” Tang Wulin barked as he stepped forward to form one of the triangle’s points. Yuanen Yehui and Yue Zhengyu immediately did as they were told and moved into position.

And three soul rings appeared beneath Xu Lizhi, all of them purple.

Tang Wulin was certain that Xu Lizhi only had two yellow soul rings the last time he saw him. Shock filled him as he realized that Xu Lizhi’s spirit soul had ascended. He knew just how hard it was for a food-type soul master to have their spirit soul ascend, especially when they already had two soul rings.

“I have a pork bun,” Xu Lizhi muttered, and his first soul ring lit up. A pork bun appeared in his hands and he threw it to Tang Wulin, who caught it and devoured it two bites. Warmth filled Tang Wulin after eating the bun. His blood essence roared and his mind sharpened. He and Xu Lizhi truly were a perfect match! Xu Lizhi recited the chant several more times and distributed buns to the rest of the team. These pork buns restored their stamina and soul

 power, as well as providing some basic healing. Without looking back at Xu Lizhi, Tang Wulin gave him a thumbs up.

At that moment, a low rumble resounded throughout the hall as all eight doors slowly slid open.

Just beyond the doors, dozens of green eyes peered through the darkness at Tang Wulin’s team.

“They’re wolf-type soul beasts,” Xie Xie said. “They excel at attacking in packs.”

Tang Wulin firmly met the gazes of the predatory eyes. His three purple

soul rings rose up while bluesilver grass began swarming out of the ground around him, swiftly slithering outward to cover a radius of around a dozen meters.

“Conserve your soul power. We won’t have a chance to rest as we climb the tower,” said Gu Yue.

This was everyone’s first time here. Even Yue Zhengyu didn’t have the

strength to participate in the tower attack when he got his first soul. No one within a three-year age range of him had been able to help him either, so there was no point in him even trying back then.

After distributing pork buns, Xu Lizhi sat down on the floor and began meditating. He was no combatant. In spite of that, Tang Wulin had undoubtedly been right to invite Xu Lizhi. Although he couldn’t fight, his

support would allow them to endure longer and display even more strength.

Soul beasts began pouring out of the doors, wolves with dark-green fur and emerald eyes. They were wind wolves, a type of soul beast usually found in forests. Despite the fact that none of them were powerful alone, they were terrifying in packs. Their strength lay in their numbers and how they didn’t fear death. They would attack until either they or their prey were wiped out.

Over a hundred wind wolves surrounded Tang Wulin’s team. The wolves slowly circled around the seven students, gradually drawing closer and

 closer. This was just the first floor of the spirit soul tower, and they were beginning to understand just what sort of challenges awaited them now.

“Stay back, everyone. Gu Yue and I will take care of this,” said Tang Wulin.

Yuanen Yehui stood stock still while Yue Zhengyu withdrew his soul rings. In order to advance as far as possible, they had to work as a team and take advantage of each other’s strengths.

The wolves drew nearer, but had yet to breach the domain of Tang Wulin’s bluesilver grass. They continued watching from the perimeter, patiently

waiting for an opportunity to pounce. The seven that made up Tang Wulin’s team remained unmoving. The battle would begin the moment either side took action.

Tang Wulin looked at the wolves with contempt, and the bluesilver grass suddenly stirred, shooting out like vipers and binding several wolves. The grass then yanked the wolves toward Tang Wulin. A wall of earth erupted from the ground, protecting everyone but Tang Wulin, and the pouncing wolves crashed into it.

As if he had just poked the hornet’s nest, the wolves reacted instantly,

swarming toward him in a ferocious onslaught. Wind wolves had the innate ability to lash out with blades of wind, and in the blink of an eye, hundreds of criss-crossing wind blades slashed at the earth wall. Most of the wolves, however, focused on Tang Wulin, and although he wasn’t protected by the first earth wall, another sprang up to defend him from the slicing winds. He thrust his hands into that giant wall and hoisted it into the air, using it like a shield against the onslaught of attacks.

All of the wind wolves pounced at Tang Wulin at the same time, but his

second soul ring lit up. Spears of bluesilver grass skewered the closest ones mid-air. Many of the wolves were impaled through their stomachs by the grass spears, and all of them went rigid upon getting struck. At the same time, an icy light burst from the center of the earth wall, shooting three meters into the air and exploded into a storm of countless jagged icicles.

 A baptism of ice rained down upon the wind wolves, every single icicle aimed at their eyes.

Death came for the wolves, raining from above and piercing up from below. Tang Wulin’s Bluesilver Impaling Array stabbed them from the ground and Gu Yue’s icicles speared them from the sky.

Everyone knew that wolf-type soul beasts had bones as hard as metal, but their bellies were as soft as tofu. As a result, most soul masters took

advantage of that. However, be it the lowliest soul beast or a tyrannical overlord, the eyes were always a weak point. If the icicles were just an inch off target, they would harmlessly shatter against the hard skulls of the

wolves. However, they struck the eyes with keen accuracy.

The grass spears swiftly withdrew and the earth wall collapsed. When Yue Zhengyu and Yuanen Yehui stepped out from the rubble, they only saw was a sea of corpses. The sight stunned them. Not a single wolf had survived.

They understood how amazing such a feat was. After they were enclosed in the earth wall, Tang Wulin displayed powerful crowd control abilities and restrained all of the wolves. But that wasn’t what amazed them. The truly

amazing person was Gu Yue, who had masterfully directed hundreds of icicles to pierce through the eyes of all the wolves! Not a single wolf didn’t have an icicle sprouting from their eye sockets. They couldn’t even begin to fathom just how much spiritual power she possessed. Even Tang Wulin, as familiar as he was with Gu Yue, turned to look at her in surprise. Her

spiritual power had definitely progressed by leaps and bounds once again. There was no way she would be able to control each and every icicle so precisely otherwise. Tang Wulin had thought that he and Xie Xie would need to clean up the stragglers.

But Gu Yue proved him wrong.