Chapter 381 - Undiscouraged
Chapter 381 - Undiscouraged
Wu Siduo passed Tang Wulin without speaking a word. Xu Yucheng followed, staring at Tang Wulin with narrowed eyes.
“What the hell are you looking at? Beat it!” Gu Yue said, shooting up from her seat.
Xu Yucheng glanced at her coldly, then turned back to Tang Wulin. He raised his hand, pointed his thumb up, then turned it down.
“You!” Gu Yue was about to explode, but Tang Wulin grabbed her arm.
Tang Wulin looked straight into Xu Yucheng’s arrogant gaze. “We’ll settle things on the stage.”
After the five rankers left, half of the class stood up and left as well. Xie Xie hung his head, his fists clenched tightly. Steeling his resolve, he stood up and exited the classroom. Xu Xiaoyan looked to Tang Wulin anxiously,
who returned her gaze with reassuring steadiness before standing up as well and leading his friends out.
Tang Wulin had already told Ye Xinglan about the restriction placed on her. She watched the entire confrontation with cold detachment from her seat in the back.
“Big Sis Xinglan, just what is the Academy thinking?” Xu Lizhi asked from beside her.
She flicked her gaze to him. “You still don’t get it? The administration thinks very highly of Tang Wulin.”
“Huh? And this is how they’re showing it?” Xu Lizhi was dumbstruck.
“Yes. They view him as very important,” Ye Xinglan answered without hesitation. She got up from her seat and followed Tang Wulin out.
☀
Thoughts looped around endlessly in Tang Wulin’s mind the entire day, but in the end they all focused on one thing: just how can we win? The coming tournament would be a great challenge for him. If he didn’t emerge victorious, then his status among his classmates would plummet and his reputation dragged through mud. With all eyes watching him, there was no backing down now.
☀
Xie Xie rushed back to the working student dormitory, but he wasn’t returning to his room. Instead, he headed straight for Yuanen Yehui’s room and banged on the door with all his strength.
“What is it?” Yuanen Yehui opened the door but upon seeing it was Xie Xie, her expression instantly chilled and her eyes reflected wariness.
Xie Xie’s eyes were red, his nails digging into his palms as his entire body trembled from an unknown emotion. Upon seeing Yuanen Yehui, he
stepped forward and bowed deeply. “Please help me!”
Yuanen Yehui took a step back, still leery. “Explain the situation to me first.”
Xie Xie sucked in a deep breath. Determination shone in his eyes as he resolutely said, “Please spar with me. I want to improve myself.”
Surprised,Yuanen Yehui asked, “What’s got you so worked up?”
Xie Xie didn’t answer. He bowed to her once more. “I beg of you, help me! Please!”
Yuanen Yehui raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down. Xie Xie was clearly like a volcano, about to erupt at any given moment.
“Alright. Fine.” She nodded.
Xie Xie raised his head, stunned. Then he let out a long breath of relief. “Thank you. Let’s spar then. I’ll pay for all of the costs!”
“Of course you are,” snorted Yuanen Yehui.
☀
Tang Wulin was deep in contemplation while sitting on the forging table in his workshop when Ye Xinglan walked over. “Tang Wulin, do you feel discouraged now?”
He raised his head. Ye Xinglan started with surprise. Instead of looking defeated, Tang Wulin’s gaze held immeasurable willpower and determination. He shook his head. “No. This is just another obstacle for me to surpass. When my martial soul awakened, it was bluesilver grass, and I only had an innate soul power of rank 3. My family is utterly normal and didn’t have money to support my cultivation. I began blacksmithing at six to earn enough money for a ten-year spirit soul, but then the Spirit Pagoda
staff member told me that I could only afford the random spirit soul draw. It was from that draw that I got Goldsong. Do you know what the staff member told me back then? He said Goldsong is a defective spirit soul. No one had any hope for me. Even my parents tried to dissuade me from
walking the path of a soul master. They wanted me to focus on blacksmithing instead. I possess innate divine strength, so they thought being an ordinary blacksmith suited me.”
A faint smile formed on his lips and he jumped off the forging table. “I overcame all of it.”
He didn’t need to say anything more. Everyone understood his meaning. He started out as a mediocre person. Yet now, through his tenacity and hard
efforts, he became the class president of Shrek Academy’s first grade class! The coming tournament may pose a great challenge to him, but it was nothing in comparison with his martial soul being bluesilver grass, nothing compared to having a defective first spirit soul. He always forged forward, step by step, and this time would be no different!
“Alright. I’ll help you then. Gu Yue has already finished the design for your hand armor. I need a piece of star silver to make it,” Ye Xinglan said.
Tang Wulin’s eyes lit up. “Star silver? Will you make it in time…?” The match between the first and second grade was set to take place in a week, and the representative selection tournament in three days time. With only three days, there was no telling whether she would succeed in making a battle armor part.
Although spirit alloys were capable of maximizing the amplification effects of battle armor and opened a path for improving one-word armor in the future, the difficulty of crafting with it also increased proportionally.
“I’ll give it a shot,” answered Ye Xinglan. “I took your divine foundation metal, so I have to return the favor.”
“Okay, I’ll begin forging star silver,” said Tang Wulin.
At that moment, a beeping noise sounded in the workshop. Tang Wulin took out his communicator to check who was calling him. Upon seeing the name on the screen, he immediately picked up the call. “Teacher.”
Feng Wuyu’s deep voice was transmitted through the line. “Come see me.” His words were short and concise.
“I’ll head over right away.” Tang Wulin turned to his companions. “Elder Feng just called for me. I’ll see what he wants, then come back right away.” He left after saying this.
Reaching Feng Wuyu’s office, Tang Wulin knocked once then entered. He lowered his head in respect. “Teacher.”
“I heard what happened in your class. Sounds like the class president isn’t that great!” Feng Wuyu said.
“Mn. That’s right. I’m not qualified for the position.” Tang Wulin smiled bitterly. He didn’t bother explaining himself. With the situation coming to a head like this, explanations were useless. He had to settle the problem with action.
Feng Wuyu snorted. “Are you ready for the tournament?” “Yes,” Tang Wulin answered.
Feng Wuyu was taken aback, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Tang Wulin. “I heard your opponents are quite something. Are you confident?”
Tang Wulin’s eyes shined with courage. “I have to be even if I’m not.” His conviction was unshakeable.
“That’s good then. You have to face hardship head-on. You’ll grow a lot from this ordeal. Here, take this.”
Tang Wulin hurriedly reached out and caught the object Feng Wuyu tossed to him. It was a brilliant silver metal, specks of gold accenting its silver
aura.
“Star silver?” he blurted out. Tang Wulin looked at Feng Wuyu. “Teacher…”
Even without testing it, Tang Wulin could tell that it was an extremely high quality piece! Its harmony rate was ninety percent at the very least.
“It’s ninety-nine percent. It’s a masterpiece from my early years. There’s no point just leaving it lying around, so I’m giving it to you.”
Tang Wulin was stunned. Warmth filled his heart. He had always thought Feng Wuyu was a harsh teacher and had never expected the old man to
show such care and concern for him.
“Teacher, I can’t accept this.” Tang Wulin walked forward and placed the star silver on Feng Wuyu’s desk.
Feng Wuyu smiled. “Where’d all your greed go, kid? I thought you would just accept it right away instead of acting so politely.”
Tang Wulin scratched his head in embarrassment. “I have my own pride too!”
“What pride? Enough of that! Just accept it. Don’t let it go to waste.” Feng Wuyu grinned at him.
A long sigh escaped Tang Wulin, and he shook his head. “Teacher, you’re right that I’m greedy. But that’s because I grew up poor. Even so, I can’t accept this. It’s not that I’m embarrassed to accept it. I would never feel
embarrassed with you. But it’s because I’m a blacksmith!”
Feng Wuyu was dumbstruck, but he quickly understood what Tang Wulin meant and nodded. “Excellent! Your heart isn’t swayed so easily. I’m
convinced that you really are confident now.” He waved his hand and put the star silver back into his storage ring.
In order to craft the best battle armor, one had to be involved in the crafting process regardless of whether it was as the blacksmith, designer, maker, or mechanic. Feng Wuyu understood the meaning behind Tang Wulin’s words. He wanted to create the greatest battle armor possible for himself, so he had to be the one to forge the metal with his own hands!
Chapter 382 - A Small Bet
Chapter 382 - A Small Bet
“I was just about to try to forge star silver when you called, Teacher. The design for my one-word battle armor’s right gauntlet is completed, so now I just need a high-quality piece of star silver to forge it. It would be of great help to me if you had any good star iron I could use. I won’t ask for much.
Just as much star iron as that piece of star silver you wanted to give me
would be greatly appreciated,” Tang Wulin said, a smile forming on his lips.
“Get out of here!” Feng Wuyu barely restrained the impulse to kick Tang Wulin out of the room. He had doled out a few words of praise, yet his disciple wasn’t satisfied with that!
Tang Wulin laughed. “I know you have it, don’t you? I’m willing to bet there aren’t many blacksmiths in the entire world with a greater stash than you! Is there really a need to be stingy with me? Just hand it over, please.”
Who’s being stingy here… Feng Wuyu’s anger dissipated in the face of
Tang Wulin’s radiant smile. He took out some star iron and placed it on his desk.
“I don’t have anymore, take it and go. Before I get angry.” Feng Wuyu waved his hand in dismissal.
Tang Wulin giggled at his teacher’s resignation. “When are you going to teach me how to forge three-metal alloys?”
Feng Wuyu eyed him up and down. “You haven’t even mastered walking, and now you want to learn how to run? Wait until you can forge ten different two-metal alloys, spirit refine consistently, and forge a divine foundation metal. Then we’ll talk about three-metal alloys.”
“Oh… I’m still far from that.” Tang Wulin sighed, his head drooping. He made for the door, muttering to himself, “I still have two of the three goals to complete. It’s going to take me at least a year to do the other two.”
“Hold on a minute!” Feng Wuyu shouted when he heard what Tang Wulin muttered.
“Huh? Is there something else?” Tang Wulin looked back.
“You said you only have two goals left? Which one did you complete?” Feng Wuyu stared at Tang Wulin wide-eyed. Impossible! Asking him to meet those three goals was harsh! Even I couldn’t complete all of them until I reached the sixth rank!
Feng Wuyu set those three requirements in an effort to put more pressure on Tang Wulin. Of the three, learning to forge ten different two-metal alloys
and becoming skilled at spirit refining were fairly easy to master and would come naturally with time. Tang Wulin had already succeeded once at spirit refining, but he hadn’t practiced that since his first success. As far as the
alloys went, he’d been practicing for a few days now and could forge a couple of them. Yet he still muttered about completing one of the three requirements!
Feng Wuyu never even considered the possibility that Tang Wulin had forged a divine foundation metal. A sixth-rank blacksmith only had a sliver of a chance to succeed, and even a Saint Blacksmith had to rely more on luck than skill to forge a two-metal divine foundation alloy. A fledgling fifth-rank blacksmith succeeding was unheard of.
Tang Wulin smirked, but remained silent.
Feng Wuyu threw a bit of iron at Tang Wulin’s head. “What are you smiling for? Tell me before I beat your ass! Which one did you finish? Did you
sneak off to Mu Chen to learn how to forge more alloys? Or did you
secretly practice spirit refining? There’s no way you did any of that with what little time you have!”
“Why couldn’t I have forged a divine foundation metal?” Tang Wulin words dripped with condescension.
Feng Wuyu rolled his eyes and snorted. “In your dreams maybe. But this is reality! Wake up and tell me. Or did that not hurt?”
Tang Wulin looked wronged. “Of course it hurt! How about we make a bet? If I managed to forge a divine foundation metal…”
Feng Wuyu glared at him. “Still talking about divine foundation metals? Do you want another bump on your head?”
“Teacher, you shouldn’t bully kids! There’s no way I can fight back against you! How about this? If I win the bet, you pay me twenty thousand
contribution points. I was penalized for the fight last time and I need to
clear some debts. But the thing is, cultivating and blacksmithing is taking up all my time so I can’t earn more points. What if the Academy expels me because I don’t pay the fine?”
Feng Wuyu fought down his laughter at his disciple’s overacting, and forced his face into a serious expression. “Save it! You’ve successfully forged more than one alloy. Twenty thousand points is nothing if you sell some off. Besides, you’re my disciple. Do you really think the Academy would dare expel you?”
“If you’re too scared to bet with me, then I’ll just go to Grandteacher.” Tang Wulin turned around to leave.
“Now you just hold on a minute! Who said I’m too scared? You little brat, do you actually think that senile old fool Zhuo Shi has more guts than me? Fine! I accept your bet. Let’s see if you really can forge a divine foundation metal. But first things first, what do I get if I win?”
Hmph! You dare question me? Let’s see what you can do…
Tang Wulin’s smile had all the character of a predator about to pounce. “Teacher, I’ll do anything you want if you win!”
Feng Wuyu thought about it for a moment before saying, “Alright. If I win, I get everything you forge in the next three months.” That was an enormous sum. Even with Tang Wulin’s current success rate, the number of alloys he could forge in three months clearly exceeded 20,000 contribution points.
“Deal!”
Tang Wulin knew his victory was assured. The stakes didn’t matter.
The sheer confidence that Tang Wulin displayed started to unnerve Feng Wuyu. “Kid, did you really forge a divine foundation metal?”
“Follow.” Tang Wulin smiled proudly and he turned to leave.
Feng Wuyu followed Tang Wulin back to his workshop. Doubt, curiosity, and excitement intermingled and growing with every step.
Inside the workshop, Gu Yue, Xu lizhi, Ye Xinglan, and Xu Xiaoyan were in the middle of discussing their battle armor designs. When they saw Feng Wuyu walk in behind Tang Wulin, they shot up to their feet.
“Where is it?” Feng Wu scanned the workshop.
Tang Wulin looked to Ye Xinglan. “Could you let Elder Feng see the jade silver? He can help appraise it.”
Ye Xinglan looked at him, then at Feng Wuyu. A second later, she took out the jade silver from her storage ring and presented it to Feng Wuyu.
The moment Feng Wuyu saw the it, his pupils contracted and his hand flew out to snatch it. He brought it close to his face for inspection. He stared at the gentle jade-silver glow of the metal for a long time, before finally handing it back. He turned to Tang Wulin.
“You really did forge a divine foundation metal.”
Without another word, he turned around and left. From beginning to end, his face showed no emotion.
“Teacher, you see…” Tang Wulin hastened to follow.
Feng Wuyu glanced at him. “I’ll send you the points.” Then he shoved the door of the workshop open and left, letting it slam shut behind him.
After the door shut behind Feng Wuyu, Tang Wulin turned to his companions and made a victory sign with his hand.
“What’s going on?” Gu Yue asked.
Tang Wulin smiled mischievously. “Nothing. I just made a bet with him. A small bet. Nothing to worry about.”
The moment Feng Wuyu stepped out of Tang Wulin’s workshop, his face contorted in annoyance. “That kid really got me.” Then his features
softened into a smile of satisfaction. “But it’s good that he knows how to pull one over on people.”
He shook his head and chuckled, “Kid, you really gave me a nice surprise!”
☀
Three days later in the first grade’s classroom, Shen Yi announced from behind the lectern, “In order to fully examine your combat abilities, Teacher Wu and I have decided for our selection tournament to be decided via real
combat. Now, let’s depart.”
The students stared blankly at her. Shouldn’t we be fighting in a virtual space? We could get injured in live combat!
Chapter 383 - The Selection Tournament
Chapter 383 - The Selection Tournament
Hushed whispers broke out in the classroom and everyone’s gazes shifted towards Tang Wulin and his companions. He was the class president, the representative of the entire first grade, yet the five rankers had joined hands to usurp him. To the Academy, this was a simple tournament. However, to Tang Wulin, the five rankers, and the rest of the first grade, the outcome of the selection tournament would determine the narrative of the class from then on.
Tang Wulin sat in the front, his face a mask of indifference. By his side, Gu Yue wore a similar expression. Neither seemed to care about the
announcement at all.
Luo Guixing wore his standard polite smile. When he looked at Wu Siduo however, a silent conversation passed between them. Yang Nianxia lazed in his seat. Xu Yucheng looked gloomy like usual, as different from Luo
Guixing as night and day. Zheng Yiran glared at Tang Wulin, her gaze like a predator about to devour him whole.
“Let’s go,” Shen Yi said.
“Everyone stand up!” Tang Wulin shouted. Regardless of how precarious his position was right now, he still did his duty as the class president.
The entire class of 103 students stood up and walked out in order. Everyone was bursting with excitement, eager to witness the battle between dragons
and tigers. To most of the students, it didn’t matter who won. The
competition to choose the class president was different as it was possible to avoid confronting powerful foes. This tournament, on the other hand, would be a direct clash between giants. Whoever won would carry the banner of their class.
Ye Xinglan followed at the back of the line, her complexion abnormally pale. She even needed Xu Lizhi’s assistance to walk steady. Yet, in
comparison to her weak state, her eyes shone with excitement.
“Big Sis Xinglan, don’t go. You should rest. I can go request a leave of absence for you.” Xu Lizhi said softly.
Ye Xinglan instantly turned towards him with fire in her glare. “Fatty, don’t make us lose face for the inner court!”
Xu Lizhi was stunned. Her words stabbed at him. All he could do was smile. “Okay then.”
Shrek Academy had the most advanced sparring facilities. Students could use them by paying a fee. The main benefits of this arena were that it was isolated and prevented energy from running wild. A seven-ringed healing- type soul master was also always monitoring the facilities. The moment a participant suffered a grievous injury, staff members would extricate the person from the arena and treat their injuries. For some reason though,
when the first grade class entered the facility, they only saw a single person.
A pure and elegant beauty stood on the stage, long evergreen hair flowing down her back. With a slender figure and bright complexion full of life, she seemed to be in her thirties.
Shen Yi and Wu Zhangkong quickly walked over the moment they saw her and bowed. “Your Highness.”
“Please, no need to stand on etiquette.” The woman smiled gently at them, filling the room with a comforting warmth.
Tang Wulin was surprised. He stood at the front of the line, so he had heard how his teachers addressed the woman.
Your Highness? Only Titled Douluos are referred to like that. This beautiful woman is a Titled Douluo? Tang Wulin was further shocked by the respect within Wu Zhangkong’s normally icy eyes. That was all it took to convince Tang Wulin. This woman was a powerful Titled Douluo.
Just how many Titled Douluos does Shrek have…?
“Everyone, pay your respects to the esteemed Holy Spirit Douluo,” Wu Zhangkong ordered.
“Greetings, Your Highness!” Tang Wulin stepped forward and bowed. The rest of his classmates bowed a second later.
The Holy Spirit Douluo? Wow! Her title is so cool!
The Holy Spirit Douluo looked kindly upon them. “You’ve come to the arena to compare notes, but you also need to display your strength and
stimulate your potential. Alright, enough of that. I’ll leave you all to your matches.” She then floated up into the air, drifting towards a tall chair at the fringe of the arena.
Wu Zhangkong turned around to face the students, his face stern. “This
selection tournament will be held in public, and will be judged fairly. There are seventeen teams, so matches will be decided through lots. One team will get a pass. It will be a knock out tournament. Whoever the victor is today
will represent our class against the second grade in four days. The representatives for the four professions will be the members of the class council. Let us begin.”
Tang Wulin went up and drew his lot. “The empty lot has been drawn by Tang Wulin’s team.” He stared at the stick blankly.
After getting off the stage, Tang Wulin sat down cross-legged, his
expression wholly serene. His companions sat down beside him, all six of them meditating together.
Shrek Academy lived up to its reputation. Even the first round of battles was fierce, every participant fighting hard to shine the brightest.
The Holy Light Douluo acted as the tournament’s referee today. She would make a move when a victor emerged, or someone was in dire straits. With a simple wave of her hand, light would descend on the arena and halt the match. What truly left everyone amazed was her healing ability. By the time the next match started, the participants of the previous match would be in perfect condition.
The eight matches of the first round took about an hour to finish. Luo Guixing’s team breezed through their matchup as their opponent had
immediately forfeited. Although they hadn’t drawn the pass, the result was the same.
In the second drawing, Luo Guixing’s team drew the empty lot. Everyone’s face scrunched up in disbelief as they began to understand what was going on. Considering that Tang Wulin’s team had drawn the empty lot first then Luo Guixing’s team, the tournament was clearly rigged so the two teams
would only face each other in the finals!
The tournament demanded teams of at least five, so Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, Xu Xiaoyan, and Xu Lizhi stepped onto the stage. They had the first match of the second round. Their opponents was a team that had won the first round, though only barely. They understood how large the gap was between them and Tang Wulin’s team.
Tang Wulin controlled the flow of battle and served as the vanguard, Xie Xie stood ready in the battlefield in wait of an opening, and Gu Yue provided ranged control. They achieved victory without much effort.
The second round finished twice as fast as the first. Nine teams trickled down to five, and the third round began.
“We surrender!”
“We’re forfeiting!” “Forfeit!”
Before any of the matches of the third round even began, the other three teams forfeited. It wasn’t that they weren’t confident, especially against
Tang Wulin’s team. However, they didn’t wish to get in the way of the five rankers. They all understood that the rankers were unsatisfied with his leadership and targeting Tang Wulin. It was because of this that they thought it was better to step out of the way and let the final confrontation
come quicker. Even if they managed to defeat Tang Wulin’s team, the outcome wouldn’t necessarily be good for them. Luo Guixing had already declared that they would crush Tang Wulin with their own hands.
The Holy Spirit Douluo looked at them in surprise, but when she saw the sparks flying between the two remaining teams, she understood what happened.
“Okay. Since it’s like this, we’ll immediately begin the final match. Tang Wulin’s team versus Luo Guixing’s team,” Wu Zhangkong announced.
Tang Wulin looked up and met Wu Zhangkong’s gaze. In his teacher’s eyes, he saw encouragement and a fire hidden behind his icy expression
Wu Zhangkong could also see the conviction in Tang Wulin’s eyes.
The two teams of five ascended the stage and stood opposite of each other. Tang Wulin stood in the very front of his team’s formation and Yang
Nianxia stood at the front of his. When Yang Nianxia met Tang Wulin’s gaze, a chill ran down his spine.
The final match of the tournament was about to begin. Whoever won would represent their grade in the match against the second grade. They would win honor and glory, and bear the weight of being their class’s champions.
Chapter 384 - The Decisive Battle of the First Grade
Chapter 384 - The Decisive Battle of the First Grade
If every soul master’s dream was to enter Shrek Academy, then it was the dream of all soul masters in Shrek Academy’s outer court to enter the inner court! However, that was easier said than done. Getting in, even if it were a sliver of a chance, required two things: the unceasing tempering of the self and a chance encounter with good fortune.
Yang Nianxia trembled when he saw the fire blazing in Tang Wulin’s eyes. Not a trace of anxiety or impatience manifested. Only burning ferocity prevailed! In fact, Tang Wulin’s mask of calm had cracked to reveal his
conviction, hot to the touch. His entire being seemed to be engulfed in flames, his determination shocking his foes.
Yang Nianxia wasn’t the only one affected. All five rankers were struck astonished. They couldn’t fathom how Tang Wulin could possess such fierce battlelust. Does he actually think he can win?
The rankers had done their research on Tang Wulin’s team. Tang Wulin was fairly strong but still possessed many weaknesses, the greatest being his martial soul. He also recently gained his third soul ring. The only reason he could rise to their level was his strange bloodline. Rather, they saw Gu Yue as their greatest foe, for she had beaten Wu Siduo during the cooldown of Hell White Tiger. But that was it. The other three members might as well be invisible.
Xie Xie was an average agility-type soul master in their eyes, an insurmountable gap separating him from them. They found Xu Xiaoyan’s
ability to exploit openings favorable, but no matter how they looked at it,
she must have gotten into Shrek Academy by a fluke. She was just too weak in everything else. According to their digging, she had been part of Tang Wulin’s original team, so they surmised that Tang Wulin and Gu Yue had helped her get in. The only mystery was Xu Lizhi. All they could gather
about him was his status as a support-type soul master, one without much combat ability. Finally, there was Ye Xinglan. She seemed strong. Yet for
some unknown reason, she had been forbidden from participating. As such, faced with such nameless opponents, they had no fear of Tang Wulin’s team.
However, the fighting spirit Tang Wulin displayed was baffling! Does he actually think they can win? Even against Wu Siduo’s Hell White Tiger?
“Get ready. I will begin the five second countdown.” Wu Zhangkong’s
chilling tone came down like a bucket of ice water over the five rankers’ heads.
So what if he has fighting spirit? That’s nothing in the face of true power. Each of their names were etched onto the Genius Youths Ranking.
Moreover, Wu Siduo was a super genius who entered the top ten at thirteen, the youngest in history! No one else could compare with her at her age. She had four soul rings and twin martial souls! She was a dazzling star in Shrek Academy destined to enter the inner court.
The five of them had brimmed with pride. Yet their inability to seize the class president position crushed it. The dissatisfaction smoldered until it exploded into this decisive battle!
Tang Wulin was quite strong, but nowhere near as strong as Gu Yue
according to their evaluation. But even Gu Yue didn’t enter their eyes. With her cultivation level, they refused to believe she could handle the five of them together! At best, she could stand toe-to-toe with Luo Guixing.
All five rankers believed that Tang Wulin’s true strength lay within his blacksmithing skill. The reason they hadn’t rebelled against him at first was precisely due to this. Such a talented blacksmith was hard to come by, and
they couldn’t afford to sour their relationship with him. However, conflict arose between Tang Wulin, Luo Guixing, and Wu Siduo. They found his ideas too impractical, so while Yang Nianxia couldn’t compare with Tang
Wulin, he was enough for their needs. Having come to this conclusion, they no longer cared about crossing Tang Wulin. Luo Guixing chose to gather up the rest of the rankers and isolate Tang Wulin.
For rankers like them, there was no backing down, only advancing forward! “Five! Four! Three! Two! One!” Wu Zhangkong announced.
Three purple soul rings appeared around Tang Wulin, bluesilver grass
swarming out of the ground by his feet. The grass slithered to the front and formed a protective shield around his companions.The rest of his teammates summoned their martial souls as well, glittering soul rings materializing
around them one by one. To the spectators’ surprise, Xu Xiaoyan now had a purple soul ring in addition to two yellow ones. But the rankers didn’t notice. Tang Wulin had used his bluesilver grass as a screen to block their vision.
Tang Wulin had carefully planned out their opening moves to the tiniest details. No one but him thought such meticulous preparations would affect the tide of battle.
Without skipping a beat, the five rankers summoned their martial souls as well.
When both Wu Siduo and Xu Yucheng revealed four soul rings, even the
Holy Spirit Douluo was taken aback. Four soul rings was nothing to her, but it was an astonishing achievement for a thirteen-year-old. Even Shrek
Academy, the number one academy on the continent, had few talents like them!
“Begin!” Wu Zhangkong’s shout marked the start of the first grade’s battle for supremacy.
Yang Nianxia roared to the sky, his body swelling with strength as he transformed into a Duskgold Bear. He grew to two meters in height and was
now covered in dark-gold fur from head to toe. Like a wild beast, he charged at Tang Wulin. Light shimmered around Luo Guixing as he disappeared behind Yang Nianxia, hiding behind the muscular bulk.
Wu Siduo shot out to the side like lightning, instantly overtaking Yang Nianxia. There was no doubt that out of the ten combatants, she was the
fastest. Her winding path led her straight to the one who had defeated her before, Gu Yue! When it came to speed, Xu Yucheng was only second to Wu Siduo, and he sprinted from the other side to form a pincer attack with her. Because he was a pure agility-type, he could just keep up with her.
Meanwhile, a green aura enveloped Zheng Yiran’s body as she also burst into action. Although not as quick as the others, she brought along a green fog of death in her advance.
Yang Nianxia charged down the middle, Luo Guixing stayed in the center, Wu Siduo and Xu Yucheng rushed in from the side, and Zheng Yiran slowly advanced. Their actions held not a hint of unfamiliarity, their teamwork flawless. They hadn’t been wasting time twiddling their thumbs the last few days. The five had ran drills to hone their teamwork, not to defeat Tang Wulin’s team, but the second grade’s. Not once had they considered Tang Wulin’s team a threat.
There was a great difference in strength between grades at Shrek Academy, where each was separated by an age gap of two to three years! Rarely
would a lower grade defeat an upper one. However, this year’s class of new students was the most promising in the last century!
Chapter 385 - Tang Wulin's Third Soul Skill!
Chapter 385 - Tang Wulin's Third Soul Skill!
The rankers had come to the conclusion after much thought that improving their teamwork was essential to defeat the second grade. This was the best way to gain the achievements necessary for entering the inner court.
The eyes of the spectating students sparkled with excitement. They’re going in for the slaughter! In their opinion, only Tang Wulin and Gu Yue stood a
chance against the combined assault of Wu Siduo, Yang Nianxia, and Xu Yucheng. However, it was two against three. With combatants being
eliminated once they suffered grievous injuries, they faced impossible odds..
Faced with such powerful opponents, Tang Wulin showed neither fear nor hesitation. Instead, he advanced on Yang Nianxia with calm indifference. Bluesilver grass spread out to cover a large area around him. Then his third soul ring lit up, and the grass turned into a sea of gold.
His third soul skill?
The rankers had never witnessed Tang Wulin’s third soul skill before. It was information that they couldn’t dig up since he acquired it recently. Humans naturally feared the unknown, and the rankers were no exceptions. Wu Siduo and Yang Nianxia’s footsteps faltered. Why’s he using his third soul
skill already? Isn’t he afraid of exhausting himself?
While those two were taken aback, Gu Yue’s hands danced together to form complex seals. Pressing the two thumbs together, she twisted her hands in
counter directions so that her fingers on her left hand pointed up, while those on her right pointed down. A wave of elemental energy gathered around her, converging into a frigid white light. The light pulsed, then
rapidly shrunk until they condensed into icicles that shot towards Wu Siduo and Xu Yucheng!
A cold light flashed in Wu SIduo’s eyes. She suddenly accelerated, reaching her maximum speed in an instant! So what if you’re using your third soul
skill, Tang Wulin? He was beneath someone as talented and bold as her.
In their analysis before the match, the five rankers concluded that Gu Yue was their most powerful opponent. Given enough time, her control over the elements could turn the tide of battle. Her strength truly was too frightening. Furthermore, without Gu Yue’s support, Tang Wulin would
collapse shortly after. This was why they decided that Gu Yue was their main target and to eliminate her as soon as possible.
Hell Rush! Wu Siduo’s speed reached new heights even as her attack and defense power increased. Although Hell Rush was only her first soul skill, it was a powerful tool in her hands.
Xu Yuchengshot forward as well, his figure blurring and leaving countless afterimages behind him. He rested his Demon Scythe on his shoulder. Its deadly blade gleamed with a dark-purple lustor.
Wu Siduo’s and Xu Yucheng’s aura of soul power met the incoming onslaught of icicles and destroyed them with little effort. Such weak icicles couldn’t even touch them. A moment later, they penetrated through Tang Wulin’s team’s formation from opposing sides. Their target was Gu Yue.
Even while resisting Tang Wulins’ third soul skill, they aimed straight for her.
Xie Xie chose that moment to act. His body flickered forward to intercept Xu Yucheng, his Light Dragon Dagger in hand. At the same time, all three of Gu Yue’s soul rings lit up as she used Elemental Tide, Elemental Control, and Elemental Fusion simultaneously! Her control over the elements shot up to the peak!
Gu Yue gathered light into her palm, then threw it at Xu Yucheng! His movements slowed and his sinister aura dimmed as he drew closer to the light. If Yue Zhengyu were present, he would have been shocked. It was holy light! Not only that, her holy light was extremely similar to his soul skill! Although his holy light was still a stronger, it was only by twenty or thirty percent.
Xu Yucheng’s Demon Scythe undoubtedly was of the darkness-attribute, so this light was enough to suppress him despite not being particularly powerful.
Xie Xie took this chance to rush Xu Yucheng. In their battle plans, he was assigned with handling the Immortal.
Wu Siduo arrived in front of Gu Yue at that moment! There wasn’t enough time for Gu Yue to counterattack. She couldn’t defend herself.
Tang Wulin didnt pay any attention to his teammates. He charged at Yang Nianxia, leaping forward to close the distance between them with his right fist rocketing toward Yang Nianxia’s chest.
Yang Nianxia smirked, stopping in place. He steeled his body, then his right fist punched out to meet Tang Wulin’s! He was completely confident in his strength. While they were both power-type soul masters, he refused to believe Tang Wulin could surpass him in strength!
Tang Wulin’s eyes began to change, gold seeping into his irises at the same time as light rippled across Tang Wulin’s arm. Golden scales appeared in place of the light, transforming his fist into the golden dragon claw as it rendered through the air.
Yang Nianxia bellowed, a dark-gold radiance shimmering around his fist. His objective was simple. He just needed to keep Tang Wulin occupied. In the meantime, his teammates could wipe out the rest. Then, victory would be theirs.
Yang Nianxia was a meticulous person who was not a risk taker. He he didn’t punch with all his strength, withholding just enough to meet his
objective. However, inches before their fists clashed, Tang Wulin disappeared! Yang Nianxia stumbled forward in surprise, booms rumbling in the wake of his fist hitting air. The feeling of being tricked made his blood boil.
At that same instant, Wu Siduo reached Gu Yue and unleashed Hundred
Hell Claws! The claws closed in on Gu Yue, packed so densely it left her no chance to escape. Wu Siduo was on high alert, wary that Tang Wulin’s third soul skill would activate at any moment.
☀
Luo Guixing stood before his four companions. “Wu Siduo and Xu Yucheng, you two will attack Gu Yue once the battle starts. Gu Yue can also control space, so if she tries to teleport away while you’re attacking her, immediately switch targets to the other three. It should be a breeze for you two to eliminate the rest. Once Tang Wulin and Gu Yue’s support is gone, it won’t matter where she teleports to. Victory will be ours.
“Zheng Yiran, you’ll stick with me. Even if she teleports to us, the two of us will be able to take her on. If she doesn’t teleport away, then, Wu Siduo, it’ll be your chance to make up for your defeat.”
☀
As the distance between Wu Siduo and Gu Yue diminished, she could finally make out Gu Yue’s expression. She was neither surprised nor panicked. It wasn’t a facade either. She exuded a calm confidence instead. How’s she going to take my attack with her body? She can’t defend herself in time with the elements.
Single element attacks were useless against someone as powerful as Wu Siduo, but attacks of multiple elements took time to prepare. Gu Yue’s only choice was to teleport away at that moment. Knowing this, Wu Siduo marked Xu Xiaoyan and Xu Lizhi in the corner of her eye.
Wu Siduo saw silver light gather around Gu Yue and tensed, preparing to switch her targets. However, instead of watching Gu Yue teleport, the
telltale sign of space distorting opened up to a brilliant gold light! A golden scaled fist shot out, no particular technique behind its movement. It was a
simple and crude punch! Wu Siduo could feel the tremendous power behind the fist at just a foot away from it, but she was going too fast. It was too late to evade it now.
A boom tore through the arena. The hundred claws disintegrated and the collision sent Wu Siduo reeling backward.
Tang Wulin stood tall in front of Gu Yue. She had teleported him away from his clash with Yang Nianxia to ambush Wu Siduo!
Watching from a distance, Luo Guixing frowned. He hadn’t been able to do anything to stop Gu Yue. She was beating him at his own forte! With his third soul skill, Luo Guixing could teleport his comrades to his side. It was because of this skill that he was able to establish himself on the Genius Youths Rankings. However, there were limitations to this soul skill. If the target resisted, then he couldn’t teleport them. Yet, Gu Yue could manipulate space just as skillfully as him!
Chapter 386 - Xie Xie's Bravery
Chapter 386 - Xie Xie's Bravery
The moment Luo Guixing saw the golden grass covering the floor stir, he realized that it was a trap. Tang Wulin finally used his third soul skill. He teamed up with Gu Yue to deal with Wu Siduo!
Luo Guixing could teleport Wu Siduo back to his side with Spatial Retreat, but he couldn’t use the soul skill continuously. If he teleported Wu Siduo back to him, then Xu Yucheng would be left isolated behind enemy lines! Conflicted about what to do, his decision came late. He chose to believe in Wu Siduo’s strength and trust she could handle Tang Wulin and Gu Yue for a time. Then the sooner Xu Yucheng defeated Xie Xie, then the faster he
could regroup with Wu Siduo to take care of Tang Wulin and Gu Yue. He ran some calculations in his head, and came to the conclusion that with Yang Nianxia, Zheng Yiran, and him backing the two up, victory was
certain.
Xie Xie intercepted Xu Yucheng. Gu Yue’s light attack had slowed the Immortal enough for him to catch up.
Xu Yucheng scoffed at Xie Xie’s approach. He slashed out a shadowy beam at Xie Xie with his Demon Scythe. Xie Xie was merely a hinderance, so he decided to quickly chop Xie Xie apart before continuing his attack on Gu Yue.
However, as the shadowy beam flew toward Xie Xie, his body began to sway and his figure multiplied. He was using Ghost Shadow Perplexing
Step! He sent out a Light Dragon Blade of his own. It pierced through the shadow beam and onward to Xu Yucheng!
Xu Yucheng frowned as he lowered his scythe and his figure flickered. Instead of using a footwork technique like Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step, he was advancing with pure speed! He left afterimages in his wake as he dashed forward. He sliced apart the Light Dragon Blade and sent back
another onslaught of dark-violet shadow beams! The beams overlapped to form a giant net of death that collapsed onto Xie Xie.
Xu Yucheng’s four soul rings may have all been yellow, but he still had four! This attack saturated the air with his soul power, which suppressed Xie Xie’s speed. The only safest choice for Xie Xie was to retreat in this situation, but Gu Yue and Tang Wulin were right behind him. Retreat was not an option.
☀
Inside of his workshop, Tang Wulin stood around a table with his teammates. “Wu Siduo and Xu Yucheng are very fast, so they’ll definitely be rushing us to get some early eliminations. If we want to win, we need to stop them and defeat either one of them as quickly as possible. Our only
chance at victory depends on it.
“Wu Siduo is the strongest of them and the greatest threat to us with her Hell White Tiger. Gu Yue and I will work together to handle her. We’ll
create a situation where Luo Guixing can’t teleport Wu Siduo out without sacrificing Xu Yucheng. But keeping Xu Yucheng occupied is our biggest problem right now. Xie Xie, Xiaoyan, how long would the two of you be able to hold out against him if you worked together?”
“I can handle him alone! I’m certain of it!” Xie Xie said confidently.
☀
Light Dragon Storm!
Xie Xie turned into a shining whirlwind of death to meet the onslaught from the shadow blade beams.
He’s facing it head-on? Many of the spectators, including Wu Zhangkong, frowned.
Three rings against four was a hopeless battle, especially when the latter specialized in attack power. The gap between their cultivation levels was
too immense. Xie Xie gave up on using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to face that attack directly instead. He was going all in on in this clash!
The instant the two collided, the Light Dragon Storm began to collapse. Light dispelled darkness, but darkness devoured light. Xie Xie’s Light
Dragon Dagger had never been on the same level as Xu Yucheng’s Demon Scythe, not to mention the gap in their soul power ranks. The outcome of their clash was predetermined. After a series of ear-piercing booms, Light Dragon Storm was dispelled and the scythe found its way right above Xie Xie’s head, slicing down to reap the life of its next victim.
Wu Zhangkong glanced at the referee, the Holy Spirit Douluo, but she continued to watch calmly without raising a single finger.
Xu Yucheng even hesitated for a split-second as he slashed down. When everything was said and done, he and Xie Xie were still classmates.
Although this was live combat, he didn’t expect anyone to die. But the call never came from the teachers and neither did Xie Xie surrender. His scythe tore through Xie Xie, leaving behind nothing but wisps of smoke. No blood was spilled.
Xu Yucheng’s eyebrows jumped up in surprise, then he snorted. So he still had another card up his sleeve. His scythe slashed through nothing but air, which hissed in the blade’s wake. Although he hadn’t defeated Xie Xie with that strike, he was still confident in his victory. Gu Yue was right in front of him now, so Xie Xie had to come out if he charged her!
A brittle clanging filled the air as Xie Xie became visible again in mid-air as he intercepted Xu Yucheng. He crossed his two daggers together and
accepted the attack with a grunt. To Xu Yucheng’s surprise, Xie Xie wasn’t sent flying backward. Instead, his eyes flashed crimson and his body
exploded with power. He used Twin Dragon Storm to stop Xu Yucheng’s advance!
Fury filled Xu Yucheng. He thumped the handle of his scythe into the ground as his soul rings lit up and a dark-violet beam flew out!
The moment the beam appeared, Xie Xie felt as if he was being pulled toward it. It struck him in mid-air, knocking him out of Twin Dragon Storm. He coughed up a mouthful of blood as he slid to the side from the impact of the attack. Without taking a single second to recover, he used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to close the distance between them, thrusting his daggers right at Xu Yucheng’s neck.
You’re just an arrow at the end of its flight! Xu Yucheng sneered as he slashed his scythe down at Xie Xie.
Xu Yucheng’s judgement was accurate. Xie Xie had been injured after one of his clones had been defeated, then he was further weakened when he was forced to take on that attack. After suffering so much damage, he was running on fumes. Fortunately for Xie Xie, Xu Yucheng didn’t care about defeating him. He only cared about breaking through and regrouping with Wu Siduo. Since the very beginning of the exchange, not once had Xu Yucheng considered Xie Xie a threat.
In the eyes of their classmates, the fact that Xie Xie could obstruct Xu Yucheng for so long was reason enough to be proud. However, none held any hope for him.
Just as he was falling back, Xie Xie suddenly exploded with speed as if he had never been injured, and pushed himself into the trajectory of the scythe. The scythe sliced into his left shoulder, nearly cutting his arm off, and pierced through the other side. Blood sprayed onto Xu Yucheng, leaving him stunned. But in the moment his mind went blank, a golden dagger
stabbed into his shoulder. Light exploded from the dagger as Xie Xie used Light Dragon Blade.
All Xu Yucheng managed to do was divert all of the soul power in him to defend against the dagger. But it was already stabbed into him! When their soul power collided, the two of them were sent flying backward!
Chapter 387 - All Out
Chapter 387 - All Out
Rays of gold seeped into Xu Yucheng at an alarming rate, mixing with the darkness of his frail body and sending his muscles into a spasm. He
collapsed onto the ground.
A moment later, Xie Xie sank to the floor as well. A beam of light
enveloped his body and transported him out of the arena. His complexion could rival snow and pain seared every inch of his body, but a proud smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
If it were a one-on-one battle with more space to move around, it would have taken much longer to decide the battle. However, this was a team event! As such, he had succeeded in taking out Xu Yucheng!
☀
A thundering explosion. Xie Xie flew backwards in the air and collided with the arena’s barrier. He groaned, blood seeping out of his nose and mouth.
“You’re too weak,” said Yuanen Yehui, cold enough to freeze.
Xie Xie gritted his teeth as he struggled to stand. Without a word, he charged at her.
This scene had played out countless times. His body had long since been littered with bruises and lacerations. But not once did he relent. No matter how tattered he was, he would push himself back on his feet and launch his
body at Yuanen Yehui. He neither complained about the pain nor did he hesitate in the face of more. Futile as it was, Xie Xie refused to back down.
Indeed, he didn’t stop. Not until his body was completely drained of
strength. Not until he collapsed and his shaking limbs were numb and lame. However, at this point he couldn’t even curl his pinky finger anymore.
As Yuanen Yehui approached him, the way she looked at him changed. “Why are doing this?”
“I want to help my friends win the tournament. I have to go all out,”
croaked Xie Xie. “The only way I can grow strong enough is by learning from you.”
“If you’re prepared to give it your all, then…”
☀
In the span of a moment, a wheel of ice materialized and zipped toward Xu Yucheng without making a sound. The timing was impeccable, as expected from Xu Xiaoyan.
Silver light flashed around Xu Yucheng as Luo Guixing finally used Spatial Retreat. Although Yang Nianxia was only ten meters away from Xu Yucheng, that was ten meters too far! He would never have made it in time to save their weakened teammate, and Luo Guixing couldn’t afford to sit idly as he was eliminated.
The second Xu Yucheng disappeared to safety, a furious hiss filled the air. Tang Wulin’s punch sent Wu Siduo flying. Then golden vines shot out of the ground to impale her.
Although Wu Siduo was an agility-type, it was impossible for her to evade this attack! Her only option had been to defend herself with an attack of her own. But to her surprise, the golden bluesilver grass was extraordinarily tough and left no openings. If she wasn’t careful, then she would be restrained. Faced with these obstacles, Wu Siduo had no choice but to use her third soul skill, Hell Slash, and breakthrough by force!
Before she could activate it, however, a golden strand of grass had struck her from behind. On the other hand, the grass that had attempted to shackle her movement retreated, evading her Hell Slash. She thrust out her palms
and switched her martial soul. White Tiger Diamond Transformation! Letting out a beastly roar, Wu Siduo flipped around to swipe at her pursuers, Tang Wulin and Gu Yue.
Gu Yue hurled her signature ice spear composed of ice, fire, and wind.
Upon release, the fire component exploded and accelerated the icicle to breakneck speeds. Following that, the wind component kicked in and sped it up even further!
Wu Siduo slapped the approaching projectile, smashing it to smithereens. But she didn’t come out unscathed. She flinched from the impact, her movements growing sluggish as a chill invaded her body.
In that split-second opening, Tang Wulin worked in unison with his bluesilver grass to attack from both the front and the rear! His golden soul ring lit up as he activated Golden Dragon Body and a radiant aura burst from his body. It looked as if his entire being were lit ablaze. He clenched his claw into a fist and punched at Wu Siduo while making a pulling motion with his left hand! He was also using the Tang Sect secret art, Controlling
Crane, Capturing Dragon! Then he turned his attention to Yang Nianxia, who was madly charging his way. His eyes flashed purple and Yang
Nianxia stumbled, nearly tripping!
“Hmph!” Driven into a corner, Wu Siduo decided to show off her power. She didn’t care about the grass’s rear assault. She circulated soul power into her palm and held it out, ready to receive Tang Wulin’s second punch.
A boom tore through the air. Tang Wulin stood firm and immovable, but Wu Siduo retreated three steps backward.
Although her soul power exceeded Tang Wulin’s, she had just taken Gu Yue’s attack and the amplification effects of Golden Dragon Body
completely overshadowed those of White Tiger Diamond Transformation!
While she recovered from the clash, the bluesilver grass zipped toward her like lightning, binding her body in a vice-like grip.
Wu Siduo sent all her strength into her arms, struggling to escape. “Break!”
In her mind, there was no way some measly bluesilver grass could restrain her while White Tiger Diamond Transformation was in effect, even if this was Tang Wulin’s third soul skill. However, the more she struggled, the more brilliantly the grass shined golden. The grass showed no sign of tearing.
This is bad! It’s his spirit soul! Wu Siduo finally realized what was going on, but it was too late. Tang Wulin arrived before her, his golden dragon claw swinging toward her head. In the face of his claw, even iron would flatten, not to mention bone.
Because Luo Guixing had recently used Spatial Retreat, it was impossible to teleport Wu Siduo out of danger. Recently recovering from the effects of Purple Demon Eyes, Yang Nianxia resumed his charge at Tang Wulin.
However, there were still three meters separating them It was impossible for him to make it in time to save Wu Siduo.
You can only rely on yourself! Tang Wulin recalled the words of his father from long ago during his attack.
Fire roared in Wu Siduo’s eyes as light exploded from her body, repelling Tang Wulin and destroying her golden shackles. She caught up to Tang Wulin in an instant and finally unleashed her soul fusion skill, Hell White Tiger!
It wasn’t her first time using the skill, yet the overwhelming might she exuded elicited many cries of alarm from spectating students.
Wu Siduo’s Hell White Tiger was a skill that lifted her strength far above those of her peers. It was this skill that crystallized her position as the ranker team’s supporting pillar. As long as they had the Hell White Tiger, they were invincible.
During these events, The Holy Spirit Douluo watched with rapt attention. Xie Xie now lay before her, wrapped in a cocoon of light that obscured his figure. After witnessing Wu Siduo’s activation of Hell White Tiger, she gave a subtle nod of approval. Hell White Tiger allowed Wu Siduo to display strength that exceeded a five-ringed Soul King’s! It was extremely rare for a thirteen-year-old to possess such power.
But the Holy Spirit Douluo also noticed Gu Yue’s retreating figure even as Tang Wulin’s fist was in the process of thrusting forward. She withdrew all the way back to Xu Xiaoyan’s side, and the two girls joined hands. Icy light swirled around and swallowed their bodies whole.
What are those two girls doing…?
Little did she know, these actions had been sketched in advance. In a team planning session, Tang Wulin had proclaimed that he would handle Wu Siduo’s Hell White Tiger. If he put every ounce of energy into the
confrontation, he might be able to suppress her until her transformation
ended. Tang Wulin had then instructed the rest of his team to deal with the remaining rankers.
Meanwhile, Wu Siduo chased after Tang Wulin, but in doing so, she blocked Yang Nianxia’s charge.
Tang Wulin retreated, reaching into his back pocket to retrieve two buns. Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan also took out a bun each.
Without hesitation, Tang Wulin popped them into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. Strength surged through his body. A layer of red mixed in with his golden scales and his eyes glowed a crimson-gold. Now he truly looked on fire. He straightened his shoulders and stood tall, giving off a more mature aura.. His bones popped, eerie and unsettling, as the scales on his
arm grew larger. His top ripped apart and revealed the well-toned body underneath covered in glowing golden lines. Golden scales peppered his entire right arm, extending halfway across his chest.
He moved his arms in circles and a dragon’s roar arose from deep within his body. His impressive aura became three times as majestic as before! Even
in her Hell White Tiger form, Wu Siduo instinctually felt an inkling of fear when facing him. Yang Nianxia was awed, his stare never leaving Tang Wulin.
What is he doing? How did his aura become so mighty? Yang Nianxia no longer dared to attack him.. Instinct told him to absolutely avoid Tang Wulin’s golden dragon claw!
Chapter 388 - Battle Armor of Resplendent Light!
Chapter 388 - Battle Armor of Resplendent Light!
Upon closer inspection of Tang Wulin’s golden claw, Yang Nianxia’s pupils dilated, his jaw dropping in one undignified motion. A starry light manifested on the back of the claw and spread to his forearm. Once the light dimmed, it seemed apparent a transformation had occurred. An additional layer of golden scales peppered his forearm, three sharp blades protruding from the side.
The scale armor was imposing and valiant. I-is that...
“Battle armor!” Countless people cried out in alarm off-stage.
It wasn’t just any ordinary one-word battle armor either! It had arose from his body! That was possible with spirit refined two-word battle armor!
Wu Siduo froze in place as she raised her claw up to block his punch, a
single thought permeating the fabric of her mind. He did it! He really did it!
It wasn’t just spirit refined two-word battle armor that could appear from one’s body. One-word armor made of spirit alloys also had that feature!
How is this possible? How did he actually succeed? He would need at least a fifth-rank maker to craft it! This was why she had broken off from his group back then. She had thought he had bitten off more than he could
chew. Yet before her very eyes was proof of the contrary!
☀
Ye Xinglan stared at the piece of metal before her. Specks of silver twinkled on its surface as if it contained the cosmos and the power of the stars.
He really did it. He forged a piece of ninety-one percent harmony star
silver. Under all that pressure, he advanced step by step and succeeded! That guy...
“Lizhi, prepare to aid me at any moment,” she said, turning to her teammate.
Xu Lizhi hesitated before saying, “Big Sis Xinglan, isn’t this too hard for you? You might be able to craft a one-word battle armor as a fifth-rank maker, but this isn't just thousand refined metal! This is a spirit alloy! It’s way harder to work with!”
Ye Xinglan shot him a sharp look. “He can forge a divine foundation alloy, so why can’t I craft a piece of one-word battle armor from spirit alloy?
Enough nonsense. Get ready.”
She flicked her gaze back to the star silver, determination blazing within her eyes. She was stubborn and proud. Having been part of the inner court, she possessed an uncompromising will. The only reason she had been quick to
snatch it up was because it was a divine foundation metal. The moment she acted, she resolved herself to help Tang Wulin complete his battle armor. In her mind, that was the only way she could repay him for such a treasure.
In a flash of light, bright enough to dazzle, her Stargod Sword materialized in her hand. It shined more brilliantly than it had three years ago, three purple soul rings revolving around it. Following a flick of her hand, the
sword sliced through the air with a hiss, its tip glowing brilliantly enough to rival the sun. Not wasting a second, she jumped straight into action.
Before long, she had sliced the metal into the basic shapes of the hand and forearm pieces, the metal’s starry resplendence reflecting off of her blade.
When Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue laid their eyes on it, they were struck with awe.
Ye Xinglan shut her eyes, clearing out distracting thoughts and leaving only the design blueprint she had so carefully studied within her mind. Precision was key in the crafting of the armor, and where it mattered the most was for the circuit core. There was no room for error. The slightest mistake would throw off the compatibility between the alloy and the circuit core. Her technique, soul power, spiritual power, and perception were required to
come together in order to generate success. Therefore, the profession with the most requirements was undoubtedly the mecha maker.
Tang Wulin could sense the change in her. She had fused her being with her surroundings and became one with the world. She drew every last drop of her soul power to support her body. The fact that she could do this was a testament to her strength. Although she had yet to possess four soul rings, Tang Wulin was certain it was only a matter of time.
Ye Xinglan suddenly stepped forward, her eyes bursting open and reflecting the splendor of both her Stargod Sword and the star silver. She thrust out her sword as fast as lightning, the sharp edge driving into the metal in one
clear stab. Long threads of silver light swarmed around her sword, forming what appeared to be a giant hand holding the star silver aloft.
Ye Xinglan nimbly danced around and sprinkled more threads of starlight onto the star silver. Detailed markings gradually appeared on the surface of the metal, which grew increasingly brilliant with each emergence. These markings, however, were shallow. The star silver was like a proud young maiden who refused to yield to her man. While spirit alloys were several times stronger than ordinary metals,since they were forged from multiple metals to give rise to superior properties, the maker needed to possess a thorough understanding of the alloy to craft with it. Not only that, they needed sufficient soul power and spiritual power to carve out the circuit
core. This was what made crafting battle armor so difficult.
Tang Wulin knitted his brows as he watched the scene play out before him. Star silver was much harder to forge than he had expected, especially so for this ninety-one percent harmony rate piece. Similarly, Ye Xinglan’s Stargod Sword was struggling to cut through it, which would prolong the armor
crafting process and lower the chance of success. Can she last long enough? Crafting battle armor was a taxing process!
Only after overcoming many hurdles had Tang Wulin been able to breathe life and spirit into the star silver. But in order to craft battle armor with it, Ye Xinglan had to improve its vitality by arousing those two components. If Tang Wulin was this piece of star silver’s father, then Ye Xinglan was its
adoptive mother! She was the one who would raise it to maturity, turning it from a clumsy eaglet to a majestic eagle that soared high in the sky! It was impossible to say who had the harder job. Both were indispensable. In the process of granting life to the metal, a single error was the dividing line between trash and treasure!
Hundreds of thousands of starlight threads overlapped and reinforced one another, finally leaving a mark deep enough for the circuit core. Each mark had to take into account the character of star silver to transform its internal
structure, an extremely complex task. Ye Xinglan steadily and gently sliced up the metal with the threads of overlapping starlight.
Her fundamentals were strong. Tang Wulin sighed in admiration at her soul power control. It was rare for someone as young as her to possess such
skill. He understood now why she didn’t use a normal knife to carve out the circuit core. By utilizing her Stargod Sword instead, she could also practice her sword technique! If she’s always been training like this, then it’s no
wonder she’s so strong! As expected from someone from the inner court!
Time crawled forward An hour passed, then two, then three. Finally at the fifth hour, the markings of the star silver had grown from shallow to deep, a simple design to a complex one. Every single carved line was now
connected, intertwining and resonating with one another.
The star silver shined brighter than ever, specks of dazzling starlight dancing over its body in an aura-like manner. The breath of life was strong within it. As its creator, Tang Wulin could sense its emotions, could see the eagle enjoying the miracle of flight for the first time.
Chapter 389 - Starlight Threads Draw the Finished Battle Armor
Chapter 389 - Starlight Threads Draw the Finished Battle Armor
After observing each of Ye Xinglan’s steps, every slice and stab of her Stargod Sword, Tang Wulin understood the importance of being involved in the crafting process. Without doing so, one would never grasp the essence of their battle armor! Only through true comprehension could one fuse with it and bring out its full potential!
This is battle armor, my very own battle armor! Ye Xinglan, do your best!
Seven hours in, Ye Xinglan’s sword finally slowed. The circuit core carving was halfway completed. However, she didn’t have enough soul power to finish it off! Not skipping a beat, she reached out a hand to Xu Lizhi. throwing the pork bun he subsequently gave her into her mouth.
Meanwhile, her sword never paused,, its magnificence never waning as it steadily released threads of starlight.
The Recovery Pork Bun replenished both her soul power and physical
strength, a major boon to her. Three minutes later, she stuffed another pork bun into her mouth. For the next hour, she would eat a pork bun every three minutes or so. This was the only way she could maintain her strength to finish the carving. Yet her soul power was consumed faster than it was replenished.
To Tang Wulin’s alarm, he could see her belly swelling like a balloon.
Unfortunately, not everyone’s stomach was as great at digesting as his. By now, she had eaten twenty buns, which was a far greater amount than her normal meal. The way things were progressing, it was a only a matter of
time before she reached her limit. Although food created by a soul master replenished one’s energy, it was still food in the end! Eating too much
would be harmful!
Ye Xinglan was in a sticky situation. Her digestion couldn’t keep up with how much she gobbled up, and the buns weren’t providing enough soul power to cover her expenditure. She would fail at crafting the battle armor at this rate.
Tang Wulin had thought such a situation might occur, so he had pulled Ye Xinglan aside beforehand with questions. But she spoke confidently for her success, not leaving any room to argue. All he could do now was believe in her.
Ye Xinglan extended her left hand once more, but this time, her fingers twitched, her limb frozen in a halfway reach before she retracted it. She
couldn’t eat another bite. She had hit her limit with twenty buns. Anymore, and she feared it would disrupt her control over her Stargod Sword.
Without a supplementary source of soul power, her reserves dried up. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, her brows scrunched in concentration as
she forced herself to maintain her crafting tempo. She carved line after line into the metal without pause.
“Bean bun!” Ye Xinglan shouted.
Xu Lizhi hesitated, but used his third soul skill in the end, calling forth a Bloodthirst Bean Bun. Ye Xinglan took a deep breath before throwing it into her mouth.
Bloodthirst Bean Bun was Xu Lizhi’s most potent soul skill. Ye Xinglan’s aura transformed after she ate it and her weak soul power fluctuations
exploded with power, her physical strength rapidly climbing to the point where it surpassed her limits!
Certainly, one’s soul power doubled after consuming the Bloodthirst Bean Bun, but that effect was secondary to the boost in physical strength and blood essence.
Following that, Ye Xinglan’s bloated belly rapidly shrunk, the boost to her blood essence increasing her digestive ability. With the pork buns digested and absorbed, another burst of strength flooded her body.
Her Stargod Sword shined more brilliantly than ever, the threads of starlight released from each slash thicker than the ones before it. Every stroke of her sword was bold and decisive, and the speed in which the piece of battle
armor took shape accelerated.
However, Tang Wulin didn’t relax. In fact, he was more nervous than ever. The effect of the bean buns weren’t long-lasting and once it wore off, her strength would tank. At that point, failure was inevitable. Can she finish it in the next three minutes? This was the limit he calculated for her. That
said, she was already working as fast as possible.
Before long, two minutes passed. Although she made much progress in that period, at this rate , she wouldn’t finish!
For that reason, Ye Xinglan pushed herself past her limits. She slashed her Stargod Sword furiously, letting out countless threads of light that wove together in a net. Before, it took a hundred thousand overlapping threads to cut into the star silver. Now it only took a hundred! Her efforts paid off, the gauntlet’s form was crisp and clear. Starlight swallowed it whole, its surface twinkling resplendently. But such progress came with a price. With each
stroke of her sword followed another wave of trembles coursing through her body. The Bloodthirst Bean Bun’s effect was beginning to pass.
Not yet! Just a bit more! Tang Wulin subconsciously took a step forward, his fists clenched.
You have to succeed!
He took in Ye Xinglan’s face. Despite her weakening appearance, forehead drenched in sweat, her focus was as sharp as a blade, her will unshakeable.
Tang Wulin paused in his steps as he was walking toward her. The determination in her eyes filled him with confidence. At a time like this, belief was important!
“Another!” Ye Xinglan shouted.
“Big Sis Xinglan.” Xu Lizhi’s voice was soft like the wind, a shiver zipping down his spine.
“No back talking! Just give it!”
With gritted teeth, Xu Lizhi summoned another Bloodthirst Bean Bun and handed it over to her.
She’s going to eat two? Can she handle it?
Tang Wulin was shocked. Whether it was him, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, or Xu Xiaoyan, they all approved of her now. For the sake of her comrades, she was willing to risk eating a second Bloodthirst Bean Bun! They were delighted to have someone like her in their team.
The gaze Gu Yue directed at Ye Xinglan softened, the resentment she held for the other girl fading into the air. Xu Xiaoyan stared in admiration, and a whirlpool of emotions filled Xie Xie.
After Ye Xinglan ate the second bean bun, her strength had shot up to its peak, then surpassed it! Each thread of starlight was thicker than before. They cut into the metal swiftly, countless lines appearing on the star silver with each passing second. Several holes opened up in the metal, a golden glow surrounding gauntlet.
Is she going to succeed?
No one could be sure and watched with bated breath. The final juncture approached.
Ye Xinglan bit her lower lip, her eyes shining like the most brilliant of stars.
From beginning to end, her focus had never deviated from her task, her sword never wavering as she focused on her conviction!
The countless threads of starlight had sliced up the metal, shaping it into a radiant gauntlet.
“Tang Wulin!” Ye Xinglan shouted.
In the blink of an eye, he was by her side.
Without any hesitation, he slashed open the palm of his right hand and dripped blood onto the gauntlet. The metal drank it up, its golden color taking on a tinge of crimson. Rays of light burst from the surface, illuminating the entire workshop like a miniature sun.
Tang Wulin stepped forward and made a pulling gesture with his right hand. Threads of starlight shot out and wrapped around it. The threads sliced into his skin, leaving behind a complex design. Before blood could even seep out of the cuts, his hand was enveloped in the starlight. Daggers of pain
seared the nerves in that limb. Then, he felt a familiar aura. It grew timid as it sensed his bloodline, the pain transforming into heaviness.
Chapter 390 - Blood Essence
Reversal, Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens!
Chapter 390 - Blood Essence Reversal, Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens!
Ye Xinglan slashed the star silver nine more times. Streams of light burst from the metal in an instant and it soared into the air.
A dragon roared from within Tang Wulin’s right hand, his blood essence trembling with excitement. A pattern of golden lines surfaced on his skin. As he subconsciously raised his right hand, a golden light enveloped it and traveled up his forearm.
She succeeded?
Everyone was entranced by this scene. Ye Xinglan fell on her butt, her
complexion pale, but her eyes never left the miracle around Tang Wulin’s hand.
The golden light around his hand condensed, vaguely taking on the form of a dragon’s head. It curled around his forearm and roared, shining brighter than before.
They had succeeded. They successfully created the first piece of Tang Wulin’s battle armor.
☀
Battle armor!
Tang Wulin’s right gauntlet drew everyone’s eyes like moths to a flame.
The three protruding blades added an aggressive touch, emphasizing the
sharpness and danger of his enlarged claws. Its power was obvious with just a glance.
Normally, in order to possess a body capable of equipping a full set of one- word battle armor, one must have at least five soul rings. Tang Wulin
currently had three. Logic dictated that he shouldn’t be able to equip even a single piece of armor! However, his gauntlet was made of spirit alloy. As
such, the requirements to use it were lower. Besides that, his right hand was the strongest part of his body, and with the power of the Golden Dragon
King flowing through his veins, his body was sturdier than an ordinary person’s. These factors all came together to produce the strength necessary to equip the gauntlet.
At the start, the entire first grade had been convinced of Tang Wulin’s team’s inevitable defeat. After this amazing display, with the spectacle before them emblazoned vividly into their minds, doubt crept into their hearts.
It’s actually battle armor! The thing we’re all aiming for! I can’t believe the class president would keep quiet about this! Oh right! He’s an amazing blacksmith. Maybe he really is suited for being class president?
Recovering from her shock, Wu Siduo threw her massive body at Tang Wulin, swiping a claw at him with lightning speed.
So what if you have battle armor? I have a soul fusion skill! It’s just one piece anyway. Even if it’s made of spirit alloys, there’s still a limit!
Tang Wulin formed a fist with his claw and punched forward. The ground cracked beneath his feet, the surrounding air whipping into a frenzy as his fist shot out. Although there was soul power imbued in this punch, its true power came from his absolute strength!
A shockwave erupted at the moment of collision.
At the same time, the spectating students hung from the edge of their seats. What they were viewing might be the deciding clash!
The Hell White Tiger’s claw swipe sent Tang Wulin crashing into the arena’s barrier.
“Oh!” the spectators exclaimed in unison. So the Hell White Tiger is stronger in the end! Even with battle armor, he can’t win?
However, the students with good eyes were able to pick up one important detail. Although Tang Wulin was sent flying backward, the Hell White Tiger’s paw flickered transparent upon impact. Is the Hell White Tiger really the one who won that clash?
Tang Wulin answered their questions in the next moment. He took
advantage of the barrier’s elasticity as he slammed into it and bounced right back, the draconic roar from his body growing louder and piercing through the air!
Blood essence reversal!
His body shined a radiant gold as his blood essence thrashed and thundered, giving him the appearance of golden ball of flames.
That’s…
Wu Siduo felt as if she were facing a blazing sun. A split second later, Tang Wulin arrived in front of her.
The Hell White Tiger raised its head, its form no longer flickering. Finally feeling threatened, she gathered all her strength into one swipe of the claw!
An impassioned roar pieced the hearts and ears of everyone present, the rage and depth of it forcing them to squeeze their eyes shut for a second.
When they opened them again, they saw an enormous illusory dragon
stretched wide across the entire stage, roaring at the heavens. Its existence shook the world!
Tang Wulin had used his battle armor as a distraction to eat two Bloodthirst Bean Buns and complete the technique taught to him by his grandteacher, Dragon Shocks the Heavens! When Zhuo Shi used it, it was Scarlet Dragon Shocks the Heavens. But for Tang Wulin, it was Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens!
The golden dragon released another thundering roar, its regal might weighing down on everyone present!
The Hell White Tiger no longer seemed so massive in its presence. The two clashed in an explosion of light. Everyone squinted their eyes but to no
avail, the sharp glare too blinding to see what was happening.
A boom tore through the air and a figure rolled out. It was Dark Bear Yang Nianxia!
Zheng Yiran burst out next. Her poison fog had been dispersed by the
chaotic energy, so she regrouped at the edge of the arena with Luo Guixing. Her face was twisted into a scowl.
Never had it crossed her mind Tang Wulin was hiding such a powerful move! Just having battle armor alone wasn’t enough to achieve such might.
Just who’s going to win? This one question echoed through the minds of everyone watching.
The light gradually died down, the forms of Wu Siduo and Tang Wulin growing crisper and more defined by the second. Wu Siduo staggered back a few steps before falling to her knees. Tang Wulin was in no better state, and he fell to his but with his face pale as ash.
The two locked gazes. Tang Wulin’s face was grim, but his eyes blazed with fighting spirit . On the other hand, Wu Siduo had no life to her stare, still in denial about what had just happened. In a one-on-one battle where she had used Hell White Tiger, she tasted defeat! Her belief that she was the
strongest among her peers was overturned today!
Another person had been swept up by the explosion and was transported to the Holy Spirit Douluo’s side. Xu Yucheng. If the Holy Spirit Douluo hadn’t saved him, he would have suffered grave injuries. However, this meant that he was the second person to be eliminated from the battle.
The blizzard that Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan had been casting to target the rankers was dispersed by the explosion. Tang Wulin hadn’t expected such an outcome.
Gu Yue stood in front of Xu Xiaoyan and Xu Lizhi, crumbling ice and earth walls in front of her. It had taken all her strength to defend them from the
chaotic energies.
Two beams of light shot out from the Holy Spirit Douluo, then Tang Wulin and Wu Siduo appeared at her side.
They were both eliminated! It was three versus three now!
Yang Nianxia crawled up from the floor, his complexion pale, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth. He had received explosion’s blast directly. Even if he had a sturdy body, he had still taken the most collateral damage. Yet despite his tattered state, he still possessed some fighting power.
Zheng Yiran wore an ugly expression. Without Yang Ninaxia acting as the vanguard, she knew she was in a precarious position due to her poison
specialty and lack of any real defensive ability. Like Yang Nianxia, a stream of blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth.
Of the ranker team, only Luo Guixing was in perfect condition.