The Legend of the Dragon King Chapter 391-400

Chapter 391 - Three Versus Three

Three against three, huh? Luo Guixing narrowed his eyes. Tang Wulin, you may have taken down Wu Siduo, but victory is still ours!

To Luo Guixing, he only needed to be wary of Gu Yue. However, while she may be strong, he didn’t believe she could defeat all three of them alone.

Xu Xiaoyan wasn’t worthy of his attention, and Xu Lizhi was just a food- type soul master. Even with Xu Lizhi’s support, it wouldn’t be enough to turn the tide of battle.

Luo Guixing held absolute confidence of his team’s victory. In his mind, Tang Wulin’s defeat had decided the battle. Tang Wulin was simply too important to his team.

Tang Wulin wasn’t powerful compared to Wu Siduo, but he evened out the playing field with battle armor! He was the first person in all of the first grade to own a piece of battle armor!

Tang Wulin’s blacksmithing talent had earned him the position of blacksmith representative. Everyone in their class wanted to work with him. Now that he revealed his battle armor and proved his skills, his popularity would undoubtedly skyrocket! Everyone aspired to become a battle armor master, and he took the lead! He had used his strength to prove he deserved to be the class president!

If Luo Guixing wanted to snatch away the position, he had to win this battle and defeat the second grade’s team! His team still had a chance!

It wasn’t only because of his intellect that Luo Guixing ranked higher than Xu Yucheng. It was also his willpower!

Absolute silenced reigned over the spectators. The two strongest members of the ranker team were eliminated, and the victor was yet to be decided. No one had predicted Tang Wulin and Xie Xie would be able to take out Wu Siduo and Xu Yucheng.

Shen Yi glanced at Wu Zhangkong to her side, her heart filled with shock. Senior brother really does understand his disciples best!

They both understood what sort of strength Ye Xinglan possessed. If Ye

Xinglan had participated in the battle, then the combination of her, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan meant certain victory! Without her, the battle still held

some suspense.

No one was absolutely certain in the ranker team’s victory anymore. If Xie Xie could defeat Xu Yucheng, then it was also possible for the remaining three to surprise them.

Dark Bear Yang Nianxia roared at the sky, then charged at Gu Yue.

Neither Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, nor Xu Lizhi were skilled at close quarters combat. In Yang Nianxia’s mind, victory was assured.

Luo Guixing and Zheng Yiran stood right behind Yang Nianxia, determination blazing in the depths of their hearts. They hadn’t expected to be battered into such a sorry state. Now, only victory could wash away the disgrace.

Luo Guixing locked eyes on Gu Yue. It was a contest of control now. If he could restrain her, then his opponents would have no way of putting up a fight.

Gu Yue met his gaze with cold arrogance in her eyes. Holding Xu Xiaoyan’s left hand in her right, their soul rings beginning to shine.

It was then that Luo Guixing’s team finally realized Xu Xiaoyan had gained a third soul ring.

The first to act was Xu Xiaoyan. Her third soul ring lit up completely. Immediately, a blizzard took over and plummeted the stage into sub zero temperatures.

Then Gu Yue’s first soul ring began to glow as she activated Elemental Tide! She didn’t have a soul fusion skill with Xu Xiaoyan, but she could control the water element in the air to gather around them, increasing the strength of Xu Xiaoyan’s Ice Bear Blizzard by 30 percent!

The blizzard immediately obscured everyone’s vision.

Luo Guixing’s expression darkened, his gaze sharpening. This isn’t good!

The frigid winds suppressed the potency of Zheng Yiran’s poison and

without her poison, her combat strength dropped significantly. Moreover, with the poor visibility and both sides having an equal number of three- ringed soul masters, it would devolve into a battle of attrition!

Luo Guixing raised his hand and used Spatial Lock on Gu Yue. It was a battle over the control of space. Silver light flashed around her, as if it had succeeded. But a split-second later, it disappeared! Luo Guixing failed to seal her!

The biting winds of the blizzard soon bore down on them with full force,

swallowing them between its icy maws. The blizzard was composed of both the ice and water elements! There was no one better than Gu Yue for bringing out the full power of Xu Xiaoyan’s soul skill!

Earlier on that had tried to use this skill but but were interrupted by the explosion of energy from Tang Wulin and Wu Siduo’s clash. Now, they were able to unleash it and show of its might!

Yang Nianxia bore the brunt of the blizzard. A layer of ice instantly formed on his body, but his body was too strong to fall from just that. He pushed forward with large strides! I just have to get close to them and we’ll win!

Luo Guixing switched tactics. He quickly conjured a multitude of silver lights in front of Yang Nianxia instead, deflecting some of the blizzard’s

strength.

Zheng Yiran rushed in behind Yang Nianxia. By using him as a shield, she could just endure the frigid winds. Her entire body was dark green, her pupils two vertical slits. She was unable to spread her poison fog in this blizzard, but she also had some confidence in her abilities as long as she

could get closer.

Gu Yue raised her left hand, unleashing a barrage of wind blades! They were only a foot long, but in this raging blizzard, they rapidly gained

momentum. Wind blade after wind blade merged into the blizzard and with every new wind blade, the blizzard strengthened in ferocity and power.

From the perspective of the spectators, it was nigh impossible for the rankers to penetrate the blizzard and reach their opponents.

We can’t let her go unchecked!

The three rankers all understood how terrifying Gu Yue’s storms were given sufficient time.

Yang Nianxia raised his burly arms to protect his head, then ducked down and charged forward! He didn’t care what sort of injuries he would suffer. He was prepared to accept it all if it meant victory!

A small snake shot from Zheng Yiran in a flash of light, quickly growing until it was a five-meter-long python! It slithered after Yang Nianxia, keeping pace right behind him.

At that moment, a dozen one-meter-long wind blades appeared out of nowhere, swerving around Yang Nianxia and straight for Zheng Yiran!. Luo Guixing’s face darkened as he hastily used Spatial Retreat! A flash of silver later, Zheng Yiran appeared back by his side. The snake, her spirit soul,

wasn’t as fortunate.

A mournful wail pierced the air. Zheng Yiran shuddered, then fell on her butt.

The python turned into a mass of green light that re-entered her body. It would take a while before it could resurrect. Zheng Yiran suffered serious damage from her spirit soul dying.

Meanwhile, Yang Nianxia took this opportunity to close the gap between him and his targets. Only ten meters remained between him and Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan. Yet, as he rushed toward them, a golden ring appeared on the ground. It didn’t target Yang Nianxia, but the distant Luo Guixing!

With Luo Guixing and Zheng Yiran together, it was the perfect time for this golden ring to make a move! Luo Guixing had just used Spatial Retreat, and there was a brief moment where he couldn’t use any soul skills!

Golden chains shot out of the ground and bound the two of them. Then a flurry of wind blades appeared, flying straight for them!

What the hell is this? How is this possible?

The smile on Luo Guixing’s face froze. To his shock, he realised that he

couldn’t use his soul power. He was like an ordinary person now! No matter how hard he fought against the chains, he couldn’t move a single bit of soul power to his will. The wind blades arrived.

As a controller of space, he didn’t have much defensive power, and Zheng Yiran had just suffered a grievous injury! There was nothing they could do to defend themselves!

Chapter 392 - Xu Lizhi of the Tang Sect

The instant death of the python was proof of the wind blades’ lethality. Only death awaited Luo Guixing and Zheng Yiran if they were hit by it while unable to use their soul power.

A beam of light descended and enveloped the two of them. The light

swallowed up the wind blades without letting any harm come to the two students.

Then in the next moment, the light brought Luo Guixing and Zheng Yiran to the Holy Spirit Douluo’s side. They were eliminated!

While this was happening, Yang Nianxia finally reached Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan.

Xu Xiaoyan stepped forward and shot an ice spear at him.

Yang Nianxia swatted it with his bear paw, smashing it into pieces!

“Gu Yue, run!” Xu Xiaoyan shouted as she threw open her arms and rushed forward to stop Yang Nianxia. She knew that as long she could hold back Yang Nianxia and buy some time, Gu Yue would be able to defeat him.

Contrary to Luo Guixing’s gloom, Yang Nianxia was filled with satisfaction now. In the end, it all comes down to my strength! He was almost upon them. There was no way he would let the two girls escape now.

He grabbed for Xu Xiaoyan’s shoulder with his left hand, careful not to

seriously harm her, as he stomped with his right foot. The trembling ground was sure to disrupt Gu Yue’s concentration.

All four of my teammates have been eliminated, and in the end, it’s all up to me save the day!

His hand landed on Xu Xiaoyan’s shoulder and he moved to throw her over his shoulder. But at that moment, he was kicked behind his right knee! His leg lost power and his stomp went wide, kicking into nothing but air. The

sudden change in his center caused him to stumbled, and he nearly fell down. Then, to his astonishment, Xu Xiaoyan disappeared from his grasp. In her place was the chubby Xu Lizhi!

“Hehe. Don’t forget about me.” It’s him?

The the spectators’ jaws dropped. What’s he doing?

Yang Nianxia was struck dumb as well. From beginning to end, he had never seen Xu Lizhi as a combatant! However, the fatty now stood between him and Xu Xiaoyan.

Isn’t he a food-type soul master? What was his name again? Xu Lizhi I think?

Xu Lizhi stood face-to-face with him, staring at Yang Nianxia in defiance. He moved his hands in a circular motion, gentle waves of white soul power emanating from his palms.

His actions startled his teammates, not to mention his opponent! Xu Lizhi’s kick had saved both Xu Xiaoyan and Gu Yue.

Isn’t he a food-type soul master? Why do his actions feel so familiar? Tang Wulin stared wide-eyed.

Yang Nianxia snarled and threw a punch at Xu Lizhi. He couldn’t forgive himself for being stopped by a food-type soul master.

Xu Lizhi’s feet danced in a mystifying pattern, moving his plump body with shocking nimbleness! He moved to the side, evading Yang Nianxia’s punch. Then he pushed out with both palms, sending Yang Nianxia staggering back several steps. This brief exchange decided the battle!

A giant fireball flew over and exploded in Yang Nianxia’s face! Yang Nianxia’s dark gold fur flared up when the blast struck him,

mitigating the majority of the impact. But he still stumbled backward, and Xu Lizhi seized this opening. He hooked his foot behind Yang Nianxia’s heel while he thrusted his palm into his opponent’s stomach. Yang Nianxia stumbled back another few steps. If not for his excellent sense of balance, he would have fell onto his butt.

Then another fireball flew into him and exploded.

Yang Nianxia just barely managed to raise a fist to protect himself from the blast, but Gu Yue’s bombardment was just beginning. Fireballs slammed into him rapidfire. A series of booms shook the arena. Though he could just barely defend himself with his fists, there was no advancing for him now.

Xu Xiaoyan casually walked over while condensing an ice spear in her hand.

There was no suspense left in the battle. Anyone with half a brain could see that it was Tang Wulin’s team’s victory. The spectating students all stood in dumbstruck silence. They had thought the odds favored the rankers at the beginning, and then were sure of their victory when Wu SIduo transformed into the Hell White Tiger. But Xie Xie took gravely injured Xu Yucheng

and Tang Wulin took Wu Siduo down with him. Even then, they thought the rankers the likely victors. They believed Yang Nianxia coculd easily deal

with Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan. However, their expectations were overturned once more! In the end, Tang Wulin’s team seized victory against all

expectations!

Xu Xiaoyan gave a brilliant smile as she approached. He third soul ring didn’t only grant her Blizzard, but also granted a soul skill to her Starwheel Ice Staff. She could now use the Starwheel Shackles in broad daylight. It

was this final hidden card that won them victory.

She believed that even if Xu Lizhi hadn’t acted, Gu Yue would have easily been able to take down Yang Nianxia with her control over the elements

and ability to teleport. Only their team understood how strong Gu Yue truly was. She hadn’t even gone all out in this battle!

“Stop!” Wu Zhangkong’s cold voice resounded on stage.

Yang Nianxia stumbled a few more steps backward after the bombardment of fireballs stopped, lowering his fists to reveal a face full of shame.

“The match is over. Victory goes to Tang Wulin’s team,” Wu Zhangkong announced as he ascended to the stage.

“We did it! We won!” Xu Xiaoyan grabbed Gu Yue’s hand and bounced up and down with joy, tears streaming down her face.

A distance away, Tang Wulin supported Xie Xie up, who had been treated by the Holy Spirit Douluo. Although Xie Xie was pale, stubborn pride gleamed in his eyes. We won! We really won! I wasn’t a burden on my friends!

In contrast, Tang Wulin’s lips were pursed together grimly. We did it. I’ve finally proved myself.

Lending an arm to Xie Xie, the two walked over to join their friends on the stage. Once they were all together, they exchanged hugs and cried together, proclaiming their victory.

“We won! We’re the winners! “We’re the strongest!”

Wu Siduo watched from the side of the stage, utterly dumbstruck. Xu Yucheng’s complexion paled further when he saw them celebrating. Luo

Guixing’s face was ashen, not a trace of a smile on his lips. Zheng Yiran watched in contempt. She hadn’t had a chance to display her full strength throughout the entire battle. Only Yang Nianxia still stood on stage, but he was just like the rest of the audience. The victory celebrations had nothing to do with him. The losers would be forgotten.

In the middle of their celebrations, Gu Yue extracted herself from her friends and walked over to the edge of the stage, jumped down, and walked over to Ye Xinglan, who had stood up at some point and watched with

clenched fists. Without giving her a chance to react, Gu Yue took her into a big hug.

Chapter 393 - United

“Thank you. It’s because of you that we won!” Gu Yue whispered into Ye Xinglan’s ear as she embraced her.

Ye Xinglan froze, then relaxed. A hint of a smile played on her face as her cold indifferent attitude slowly thawed. Without saying a word, she hugged Gu Yue back.

They had endured hardships together, sacrificed for each other, all for the

sake of their team’s glory! In this battle, they unleashed their entire pent-up frustration upon the rankers and attained victory, restoring their pride! That wasn’t everything though. It was in this battle that their tentative bonds became unbreakable!

Gu Yue grabbed Ye Xinglan’s hand and pulled her up onto the stage with her. Tang Wulin and the other three watched her approach, warmth in their gazes. Now that the whole team was together, they jumped up and cheered. Young as they were, they couldn’t contain their excitement.

As they celebrated, the defeated rankers slowly trudged off the stage with dark expressions. No one spoke a word. Despite having all the odds in their favor, they lost. This match was a nightmare for them.

The Holy Spirit Douluo walked over to Shen Yi and Wu Zhangkong, a gentle smile gracing her lips. “These kids are very promising. They’re strong, brave, determined, and clever. You’ve taught them well.”

Wu Zhangkong looked at her respectfully. “No. This is all their own ability.”

Shen Yi smiled. He may have projected calmness, but his eyes had betrayed the pride he felt when Gu Yue attained victory for her team!

Wu Zhangkong approached his disciples.“Now then.” His words reminded Tang Wulin and his friends that they were still on stage, and they turned to face him.

“You are the victors of the selection tournament and will represent the first grade in our match against the second grade. If you wish, you can select up to two more people from the class to join your team for a total of seven.”

The rankers’ ears instantly perked up at his words, especially Wu Siduo and Luo Guixing. Tang Wulin’s right gauntlet was proof that at their current level, it was possible to use spirit alloys to make their one-word battle

armorevel. They both now regretted their decision to part with Tang Wulin. They hoped that Tang Wulin would invite them back into the team. They believed that with the addition of them in Tang Wulin’s team, they would become the strongest team and have a good chance of beating the second grade.

Tang Wulin turned to his comrades. “Do any of you want to?” Xu Xiaoyan shrugged. “Want to what?”

Xie Xie feigned ignorance. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Xu Lizhi gave a toothy smile. “I’ll go with whatever you guys decide.”

Gu Yue and Ye Xinglan exchanged a glance, then said in unison, “We’re good!”

Tang Wulin turned back to Wu Zhangkong and smiled wryly. “Well, it looks like we don’t want anyone else.”

The audience exploded into an uproar the moment the words left Tang Wulin’s lips. This was a true slap to the rankers’ faces! He was paying them back with interest!

Wu Zhangkong was asking him if he wanted any of the rankers to join him, but the answer was a resounding no! Tang Wulin’s team would be fine

without them! He didn’t care if they were rankers. That meant nothing to him!

Wu Siduo turned to leave. Thunderclouds seemed gather around Luo

Guixing as he made a gloomy expression. Xu Yucheng snorted then turned to leave as well. Zheng Yiran glared at Tang Wulin, huffing as she left.

Only Yang Nianxia stayed where he was, his brows drawn together pensively.

The battle for supremacy finished with a surprising outcome. Tang Wulin proved his strength and would remain as the class president.

Wu Zhangkong declared that class was dismissed, so the students quietly shuffled out of the hall. They were all still stunned.

So the class president is actually this strong!

Wu Siduo isn’t the strongest one in our class! The class president is strong enough to be her rival!

I can’t believe Xie Xie could take Xu Yucheng down with him! Wow! Xu Xiaoyan isn’t just a pretty face!

I never thought a food-type soul master could fight in close combat! So we were all wrong!

This battle had overturned many assumptions. Tang Wulin’s position in his class was unshakeable now! Time after time, he revealed new depths to his strength.

Supporting each other, Tang Wulin’s team of six left the hall. Their hearts were at ease now. Everyone wore huge grins, even Ye Xinglan.

“Lizhi, I can’t believe you’d keep us in the dark like that! Why didn’t you tell me you’re a fellow Tang Sect disciple?” Tang Wulin said as he wrapped

an arm around Xu Lizhi’s shoulder.

During the match, Xu Lizhi had used Mysterious Jade Hands, Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon, and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step! Although he didn’t possess the strength to directly confront Yang Nianxia, by utilizing these secret arts in the decisive moment to shield Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan, he had bought them enough time to win victory!

It was wrong to assume a food-type soul master didn’t have combat power. With the Mysterious Heaven Method reinforcing Xu Lizhi’s soul power and the other Tang Sect secret arts, he was more than capable of defending himself!

“Hehe. Well, you never asked! Are the others members too?” Xu Lizhi asked.

“Apart from Gu Yue, who joined the Spirit Pagoda, we’re all disciples of the Tang Sect. It’s actually been a while since we last visited a branch and checked our class. Do you mind taking us to visit the branch later?”

Xu Lizhi smiled. “Sure! By the way, Xinglan is a Tang Sect disciple too. It looks like we’re all fellow disciples.”

Tang Wulin looked at Ye Xinglan and spoke from the bottom of his heart. “Thank you.”

Ye Xinglan glanced at him. “No need. It was the least I could do after taking your divine foundation metal. We’ll be fighting together against the second grade later. Don’t drag me down.”

Tang Wulin chuckled. “We’ll see.” Ye Xinglan cracked a smile.

Tang Wulin expression turned stern. “The second grade’s class is really powerful. It won’t be easy to defeat them.”

Xie Xie coughed. “Yeah! That’s right!”

Xu Xiaoyan rolled her eyes at him. “A certain someone who’s always getting his ass beaten by the enemy better not leak any info!”

Xie Xie turned beet red, not a word of retort.

They knew Yuanen Yehui was in the second grade. Her strength made her a far tougher opponent than Wu Siduo. The Hell White Tiger soul fusion skill may have elevated Wu Siduo into a top-class soul master, but Yuanen

Yehui’s Titan Giant Ape and Fallen Angel martial souls both stood at the peak! This wasn’t even mentioning Yue Zhengyu, who was almost as strong as her. Then there was the other students of the second grade that they knew nothing about. It was impossible for those two to be the only powerful people in their class.

☀

In contrast to the excitement of Tang Wulin’s group, gloom weighed down the gathered rankers.

“How did we lose?” Zheng Yiran still couldn’t accept the result. She just couldn’t fathom how it happened.

They had all believed it would be a crushing victory. They even thought that just sending out Wu Siduo and two others would be enough to win. But they lost. They were thoroughly defeated, right in front of all of their peers, in a simple contest of strength without any trickery.

Even now, they couldn’t comprehend how Tang Wulin’s team could be so strong. Tang Wulin’s team may have better teamwork than them, but that shouldn’t have been enough to overcome the gap in strength! Still, there was no use in arguing over that now.

Yang Nianxia looked the calmest of them all. He simply shrugged. “The important thing is that they surpassed our expectations. Who would have thought Xie Xie would stake it all to take down Xu Yucheng? We never

expected Tang Wulin to be able to hold his ground against Wu Siduo either.

It wasn’t just because of his battle armor. The dragon’s roar and the aura

around him towards the end was terrifying. I didn’t even dare approach him.

He might only have obtained his third soul ring recently, but he’s improving everyday. His speed of growth is frightening.”

Everyone but Luo Guixing nodded in agreement with Yang Nianxia’s

analysis. Wu Siduo narrowed her eyes. “Yeah. We underestimated him. I didn’t believe he would succeed in making the gauntlet with a spirit alloy.

Its amplification effects are far better than an ordinary one-word battle armor piece. There’s no way he could have unleashed so much power otherwise.”

Chapter 394 - Secret Weapon

At this point, Wu Siduo still could not accept that she had lost to Tang Wulin. To be accurate, they had both fallen by each others’ hands, but that still hurt her pride. Although she had the edge on him, she couldn’t contend with his body’s absolute strength. Plus, he had the aid of a food-type soul

master. His recovery speed naturally would be faster than hers. On the other hand, Wu Siduo would be left severely weakened after using Hell White Tiger. Considering it took three days to recharge, any misuse was a detrimental. Because of this, she could justify her first loss to Gu Yue, pinning it on being weakened after using Hell White Tiger. This time, however, she had no excuses.

The most frustrating part was that Tang Wulin had succeeded in crafting his right gauntlet. Although a single piece of armor was far from a complete

set, it still marked an excellent start to the path of a battle armor master. The implication was that the rest of Tang Wulin’s one-word battle armor would be as exceptional as his gauntlet! Not to mention, advancing to a two-word battle armor master would be several times easier in the future. The might of his armor would surpass those of the same level, and he would be far more compatible with it.

Wu Siduo held absolute confidence in her martial souls. However, she understood that be it her, Luo Guixing, or the others, they were all late for start of the race, the race in becoming battle armor masters. Furthermore, without the aid of a fifth-rank blacksmith like Tang Wulin, it would be impossible to craft one-word battle armor with alloys. She already cut ties with Tang Wulin, and it was nigh impossible for her to restore their relationship. There was no going back now. This was the path she chose!

“We didn’t lose in strength. We lost in teamwork,” said Luo Guixing. His brows were relaxed, features permeated with his usual calm.

“Each of us is stronger than any one of them. Just as we anticipated, Tang Wulin and Gu Yue are formidable and the other three pale in comparison. Still, Xu Xiaoyan and Xu Lizhi’s strength went beyond our expectations. This is what sealed their victory. But if you meticulously review today’s events, you’ll recall their confidence in winning since the very beginning.

Where did that confidence come from? Well, let me tell you. It’s their team cohesion. They moved together as one while we acted independently. That’s the cause of our defeat.”

He shook his head, a hint of humility in his smile. “It was my mistake. As the leader, I wasn’t able to meld you guys into one whole unit. I was too lacking. This defeat is my responsibility to bear.”

Zheng Yiran stared at him in a daze. “You’ll bear this responsibility? What are you talking about?”

“It’s only natural that there’s a price to pay for making a mistake,” Luo Guixing said. “Once everyone has cooled their heads, I’ll go find Tang Wulin.”

“What are you going to find him for?” Wu Siduo asked in confusion.

Luo Guixing’s smile grew a bit wider. “To apologize! Even if we can’t be friends with him, we don’t have to be enemies either. In the end, we’re still classmates. Wouldn’t it be a waste to not be friendly with such an outstanding class president and blacksmith?”

His words struck them hard.

Slowly rising from his seat, Xu Yucheng stared Luo Guixing straight in the eyes. ”My skin definitely isn’t as thick as yours. I can accept why I’m ranked below you now.”

Luo Guixing sighed. “That’s precisely the issue. We care too much about the rankings. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have underestimated Tang Wulin’s

team. I’m not going to treat myself as a genius anymore. No, I’m someone who has fallen behind. We need catch up step by step and not fall behind

any further. At the very least, we need to make sure we’re part of the

strongest first grade class in all of history! We may have been defeated this time, but failure is the mother of success. We need to improve our team

cohesion.”

He extended his right hand, determination blazing in his eyes.

To his surprise, it was Xu Yucheng, the one who had disagreed with him the most, who threw his hand on top of Luo Guixing’s first. The two shared a look, sparks flying. Defeat had roused their competitive spirit. That said, a

single loss was not the end of the world for them. They just had to work hard not to taste defeat again.

Yang Nianxia chuckled, then placed his hand on top of Xu Yucheng’s. Zheng Yiran’s mouth twitched. Even so, she slowly added her hand to the pile as well

Watching the scene before her, Wu Siduo sucked in a deep breath. “You’re right. We’re playing catch up now.” She was the last to throw her hand in.

Luo Guixing’s words resonated with all of them, kindling the fire in their hearts. What they needed now was cohesion!

☀

Back in the working students’ dormitory, a knock sounded on the door of Tang Wulin and the others’ room. Xu Xiaoyan was the quickest to jump off her bed and ran over to answer it.

To her surprise, it was Yue Zhengyu. There was a strange gleam in his eyes, a hint of hesitation in his stance.

“Zhengyu, come on in!” Tang Wulin was fully recovered by now. Two

Bloodthirst Bean Buns were nothing to his body. In contrast, Xie Xie still lay immobile on his bed.

Everyone’s gaze fell on Yue Zhengyu as he entered the room. Since it

wasn’t bedtime yet, the curtain wasn’t pulled up to seperate the boys’ half from the girls’. Out of Tang Wulin’s team, only Xie Xie, Gu Yue, Xu

Xiaoyan, and himself were present.

Xu Lizhi and Ye Xinglan were nowhere in sight. Because they weren’t

working students, they didn’t live in the working students’ dormitory, and slept in the dormitory in the school building instead. However, for the sake of convenience, they applied to become working students as well and were preparing to live together with Tang Wulin and the others. With three boys and three girls, it would be easy to split the group into two rooms when the time came.

He flashed them a smile in return. “I heard you guys won in your class’s tournament. Congratulations.”

Tang Wulin turned to him, suspicion thick in his stare. “You’re not here to probe us?”

Yue Zhengyu laughed. “Of course not. Do you really think I would do

something like that? It’s just that I heard some rumors about you equipping a piece of battle armor in your battle. Is that true? Have you already made a piece of battle armor, and from spirit alloy?”

Tang Wulin struggled to suppress the bubbles of laughter from erupting from his mouth, failing in the end. “Wow. You heard about it real fast. It’s true, all thanks to Xinglan.”

“Xinglan? Who’s that?” Yue Zhengyu stared blankly at Tang Wulin.

“We’re about to face each other as opponents. Why would I give you any info?” Tang Wulin smiled mysteriously.

Yue Zhengyu chuckled. “I’m a mecha maker. I was about to start making my battle armor. I’m not trying to take advantage of you.”

At the sound of those words, Tang Wulin’s heart thumped hard within his

chest. “We have our own secret weapons, you know? All I’ll tell you is that

with them, our success rate for making battle armor rises to thirty percent.” Yue Zhengyu’s eyes lit up. “Thirty percent? Are you sure?”

Tang Wulin nodded. The Bloodthirst Bean Buns certainly increased their

chances that far! Although food-type soul masters were weak in battle, their versatility was matchless, even better than support type masters’! If not for Xu Lizhi’s talents, directly entering the inner court would have been a fruitless dream.

Yue Zhengyu could barely keep his excitement from bursting out. His eyes were lit ablaze as he stared down Tang Wulin. “How about you lend me your secret weapon? I’ll pay you contribution points.”

Tang Wulin shrugged. “Sure! But you’ll have to wait until after our match.”

In a flash, Yue Zhengyu’s expression soured. “That’s so petty. The match is just three days away. Even if you lend me your secret weapon, I won’t be

able to make a piece of battle armor that quickly. The designs for my battle armor aren’t even finished yet.”

Being in the second grade, he was in a greater rush than a first-grade student in creating a battle armor set. When he heard Tang Wulin had created a piece of armor with a spirit alloy, his heart was provoked.

All of a sudden, there was knock on the door. Xu Xiaoyan laughed, jumping to let in the guest. “There sure are a lot of people visiting today. I bet it’s Yuanen. If you guys don’t believe me, then just watch.”

Chapter 395 - The Real Class President

Xu Xiaoyan opened the door. Just as she had said, it was Yuanen Yehui in the flesh.

The sight of Yue Zhengyu took Yuanen Yehui by surprise, lips morphing into a frown as she stepped into the room. “What are you doing here?”

Yue Zhengyu glared halfheartedly at her. “Why can’t I be here?” Though he spoke sarcastically, there was no steel to his words.

After helping Yuanen Yehui obtain her fourth soul ring, Yue Zhengyu understood the gap that existed between them. Coupled with the fact that she wasn’t an evil soul master, he had no reason to trouble her anymore.

Yuanen Yehui promptly ignored him and turned to Tang Wulin. “Help me make my battle armor. What do you want in exchange?”

Tang Wulin shrugged. “I need to know what your profession is first.”

“I’m a third rank mecha maker,” said Yue Zhengyu. “But I’m on the edge of the fourth rank. It shouldn’t take me more than a month to break through.”

Yuanen Yehui furrowed her brow. “I’m a mechanic, fourth rank.”

A mechanic? Tang Wulin hadn’t expected her to be a mechanic, and a fourth rank one as well. As a third-rank mechanic, Xu Lizhi fell short from her skill.

A pensive look crossed Tang Wulin’s face. “Okay. Zhengyu, you can make your own and we’ll lend you our secret weapon for a fee. But for you, Yuanen, we’ll need to cover the alloys and provide a maker for you. Do you have a design? How about other options?”

Yuanen Yehui shook her head. “I’ve always been cultivating with a focus on harmonizing my two martial souls. Plus, because I have twin martial souls, it’s harder to craft a battle armor for me. I haven’t been satisfied with

anyone’s designs yet.”

Gu Yue’s eyes gleamed, her excitement practically tangible. “Designing battle armor for twin martial souls sounds like a good challenge. I’ll need a lot of time to do it though. Also, if you really want a satisfying design, I think we’ll have to wait until I’m a higher rank.

“Alright. I’ll start saving contribution points then,” Yuanen Yehui said.

She spun on her heel to leave, stopping abruptly at the door. Then she turned back around. “Thank you.”

“Huh?” Xie Xie shot up from his bed.

Yuanen Yehui’s expression froze, body stiffening like plank. Then she made a one-eighty and left.

At the sound of the door shutting, everyone exchanged glances before staring at Xie Xie.

“Pfft.” Xu Xiaoyan was the first to giggle, the rest following after her until they were roaring with laughter.

Xie Xie flushed beet red as he shouted, “What’s so funny about getting up when my name’s called? Hmph!”

Eventually, Yue Zhengyu got up to leave. He needed to save up contribution points. No matter how good his relationship with Tang Wulin was, he

couldn’t ask Tang Wulin to do this as a favor. They were all students at Shrek Academy. They all carried a mountain of pressure on their shoulders.

Rarely would someone take time out of their own busy schedule to help someone else out of the goodness of their heart, especially if the latter wasn’t even in the same class.

Tang Wulin made for his workshop after taking his time to recover. He shouldered the most responsibility of anyone on his team. He needed to

forged alloys both for his teammates and for his clients Yuanen Yehui and Yue Zhengyu. Eight people in total. Although they were each working on one piece of battle armor first, making it one piece of alloy per member, it was still hard to produce! He had to forge as much as possible to produce pieces he deemed adequate.

Tang Wulin was no perfectionist, but he refused to compromise when it came to his own battle armor, only using alloys with a ninety percent harmony rate or higher. Yue Zhengyu and Ye Xinglan were just as unyielding as him, so there was no way he’d skimp on the metals for his teammates. However, forging such alloys was easier said than done.

Now that he had his third soul ring, cultivating was no longer his main priority. On the top of his list was improving his blacksmithing skill.

Additionally, Tang Wulin’s routine changed. No longer did he run in the morning, as it did nothing to improve his body the way he was now. His time was better spent cultivating, blacksmithing, or eating. After all, eating was an important method of cultivation, especially when there was an

abundance of nutritious food available. These days, Xu Lizhi joined Tang Wulin for every meal. Eating together kindled their appetites

☀

The news of how Tang Wulin lead his team to victory spread like wildfire. He was already famous throughout the first, second, and third grades, his name whispered wherever he went.

It was a complete upset, no doubt about it! The Genius Youths Ranking held a lot of weight in the outer court. The five rankers were still too young and weak to be on the Continental Rankings, but etching their names onto the Genius Youths Ranking was proof of their strength. Yet the team of

rankers, led by Wu Siduo in the top ten, was defeated by a bunch of nameless people!

Tang Wulin’s team’s victory went beyond inconceivable. It was a miracle.

The Academy respected the privacy of its students, so there were no recordings of the battle available to the public. As such, Tang Wulin became an enigmatic figure, the subject of many rumors. This also marked the first time he entered the sights of the other grades.

Due to Tang Wulin’s newfound fame, countless eyes were on him during breakfast. Many of those eyes belonged to girls his age attracted by his pretty face. In Shrek Academy, a pleasing appearance wasn’t the most

captivating trait. Strength was! However, after strength came looks. Tang Wulin fit the bill for what many girls were looking for in a man. Although he was only thirteen years old, he possessed a mature temperament. Large doe eyes framed by long eyelashes. Neat, symmetrical face. These were all to the girls’ liking. In fact, he was swarmed by girls on the way to the dining hall, from both his class and other classes. They asked for his number, and good natured as he was, he complied without any complaints.

“Wow! Wulin, you’re so popular!” Xu Lizhi was green with envy. Tang Wulin smiled. “That’s because of yesterday’s victory.”

Xu Lizhi shrugged at his words. “I’m part of the team too, so why aren’t

any girls asking for my number? Don’t try to trick me. It’s your good looks that’s getting you all the girls.”

He threw his head back, belly shaking in a laugh. “I got my good looks from my parents. There’s nothing I can do about it! It’s just genetics!” After this healthy bit of banter, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, and Xu Xiaoyan finished their meals and left for class. This left Tang Wulin to stew in his thoughts about his parents. His heart trembled. Several years had passed since he lost word of them.

If his parents returned, or contacted Mang Tian, they would definitely give him a call. Sadly, he waited for that call everyday to no avail.

“Hello, Class President.” Someone’s voice interrupted his thoughts. Tang Wulin looked up to see a familiar-looking classmate.

“Hello,” he answered with a faint smile on his lips.

Just like this, countless people greeted him before he even stepped foot in the classroom. This reaffirmed something he knew, branding it to his heart. If I want others to respect me, then I can only rely on myself.

Tang Wulin neither let yesterday’s victory get to his head nor bore a grudge for the way his classmates treated him previously. He always answered their greetings with a splendid smile, as if they had never ostracized him.

As he finally reached the classroom, stepping through the doorway, one other person received him respectfully.

“Good morning, Class President.”

“Good morning…” Tang Wulin answered subconsciously, freezing for a second when he recognized the voice.

He whipped his head to the direction of the speaker. It was Luo Guixing!

Their gazes locked. Luo Guixing smiled his trademark smile and stepped to the side, gesturing for Tang Wulin to proceed.

Currently, the classroom was two-thirds full. No one had thought much of Luo Guixing waiting by the door. But at the sight of Luo Guixing respectfully greeting Tang Wulin, the entire class went silent in an instant. What they had witnessed just now signified one thing.

Luo Guixing was admitting defeat!

Chapter 396 - Freely Admit Defeat, Bow and Submit

Luo Guixing was admitting defeat on behalf of the rankers! The other

students still harbored doubt since Tang Wulin’s team had won by the skin of their teeth, but the five rankers were backing down. Each of the five

continued to shine individually, but they now fully recognized Tang Wulin as their class president. No one else dared to challenge him, his position as the class president firmly cemented.

Luo Guixing’s actions stunned him, but after a moment, Tang Wulin smiled and nodded, then walked over to his seat.

As if nothing major just happened, Luo Guixing returned to his own seat as well, wearing his usual carefree smile.

Zheng Yiran stood nearby at Yang Nianxia’s side, her lips curled into a

sneer. “No wonder Xu Yucheng said he couldn’t match up to Luo Guixing yesterday. That guy’s skin is just too thick! I would never be able to kiss ass like that.”

Yang Nianxia glanced at her. “You could learn a thing or two from him. A man of character knows when to bow and submit. But still. Compared to Tang Wulin, Luo Guixing lacks a certain charm... a kind of charisma. Now that I’m looking at him properly, Tang Wulin really is fit to be the class president.”

Zheng Yiran stared at Yang Nianxia. “Have you gone crazy?”

“Are you still not convinced?”

Zheng Yiran snorted. “I’m different from you guys. Poison users like me focus on one strike kills. So what if he’s strong? He’s nothing compared to my jade phosphorus snake venom. Why should I acknowledge him?”

Yang Nianxia shrugged. “You do you then. I’m gonna go sit down.” “Coward.” Zheng Yiran watched Yang Nianxia leave, her eyes full of

disdain. Then she looked back to Tang Wulin. She didn’t know it yet, but

she now saw Tang Wulin in a different light. Even if she were aware of this, she would refuse to admit it.

Class went by like normal. Wu Zhangkong and Shen Yi didn’t comment on the match from the day before. Everyone who made it into Shrek Academy was extremely bright and could make their own conjectures.

No matter how strong one was, a loss was a loss, and conclusions reached on the battlefield were eternal.

Attending class was actually the most relaxed part of Tang Wulin’s daily schedule. His spiritual power was quite high now, so he had no trouble

soaking up the lecture material. It was only during class that he had the

chance to relax his body. His afternoons were spent blacksmithing and his evenings were spent cultivating, both of which left him exhausted.

He currently didn’t bother with combat training. The match against the

second grade was only three days away. There was no use sharpening his blade any further. He and his team were as prepared as they would ever be.

Yuanen Yehui and Yue Zhengyu were definitely going to be on the opposing team, so Tang Wulin drew up some plans against them. The only thing that made him nervous was what Yuanen Yehui got for her fourth soul skill.

☀

Three days later, Elder Cai faced Wu Zhangkong, Shen Yi, and the teacher in charge of the second grade. “Today, I will be personally overseeing the match between your two classes. The Academy has decided to reward the winners with contribution points.”

“That’s…” Wu Zhangkong and Shen Yi exchanged a look, then looked to the second grade’s teacher. They were all astonished by Elder Cai’s words.

Although Elder Cai was the headmaster of the outer court, she rarely intervened in its affairs. At her level, her time was better spent cultivating. Becoming a Titled Douluo was not the end of a soul master’s path. One still had to continue cultivating, improving themselves, and consolidating their energies. This, along with the aid of battle armor, would slow down their

aging. Yet the Silver Moon Douluo deigned to spend some of her time

watching today’s match between the first and second grades! It was clear just how much she valued them. This also wasn’t the first time she observed the first grade’s battles. She had also been present for the selection tournament, just hidden from the view of the students.

“Am I not welcome to do so?” Elder Cai swept her gaze across the three teachers.

“Of course you are,” Shen Yi said hastily. But Elder Cai normally wouldn’t care about such trivial matters!

“Good. Let’s go then.” Elder Cai had arrived like a storm and left just as quickly.

Wu Zhangkong and Shen Yi were helpless when it came to Elder Cai. They were about to head over to the arena for the match when Elder Cai

summoned them.

Since the headmaster of the outer court would be observing, this match instantly became an event of utmost importance. But this wasn’t what Wu Zhangkong and Shen Yi wanted. The age gap between grades wasn’t a

single year, but three! They weren’t really optimistic about their class’s chances of winning.

Although five of the rankers were in the first grade, the Academy kept

every student’s personal data a secret from the outside world. This meant that the rankings didn’t account for students of Shrek Academy from the moment the began attending. The amount of growth one could achieve in three years at Shrek Academy definitely wasn’t small.

With the eyes of the Academy’s higher ups now trained on the first grade, a devastating loss would be horrible.

The arena was bustling with students from the first and second grades, all of them bursting with excitement and anxious to witness the battle between the champions of each grade. The first grade’s students were all thirteen or fourteen years old. The second grade’s students, on the other hand, ranged from ages fifteen to seventeen. This was due to the fact that there was a limit on how old new students could be, yet there was no minimum requirement. The students of the first grade were jumping with enthusiasm while those of the second grade were relatively calmer. The difference between them was clear.

Yuanen Yehui stood at the fore of the second grade. The reverence the second-grade students held for her showed in their eyes. It only took a

single look from her for the entire class to quiet down. Every student in that class united under her.

Several days had passed since the selection tournament, and things had

calmed down in the first grade. Since Luo Guixing backed down, none had reason to oppose Tang Wulin any further.

But habits weren’t so easily broken.

Tang Wulin watched Yuanen Yehui and she watched him. Neither said anything. Right now, they stood as representatives of their respective classes, and as opponents.

The teachers walked into the arena. At the very front of the procession was the stunning Holy Spirit Douluo. To the astonishment of the students, the Silver Moon Douluo walked beside her. However, what truly shocked Tang Wulin was the fact that Elder Cai was a half a step behind the Holy Spirit

Douluo. This served as proof of the Holy Spirit Douluo’s status in Shrek Academy. Tang Wulin was certain she still had many secrets. Her main

ability had to do with healing, yet her position was even higher than that of her fellow Titled Douluo, the Silver Moon Douluo.

Chapter 397 - The Twin Dragons Arrive

Huh? He came too? To Tang Wulin’s surprise, Elder Li followed the Holy Spirit Douluo and the Silver Moon Douluo, both of which came from the Sea God’s Pavilion. Is he from the Sea God’s Pavilion? Even if he isn’t, his position has got to be really high up!

Trailing behind these three illustrious figures were Wu Zhangkong, Shen Yi, the teacher in charge of the second grade, and some profession teachers.

“There’s a lot of important people here today, Boss!” Xie Xie whispered anxiously.

Tang Wulin looked at him. “We’ll just have to do our best then.”

Xie Xie nodded in agreement, then snuck a glance at Yuanen Yehui. He didn’t know why, but he felt that there was something different about her. As the powerful leader of the second grade, she wasn’t their dorm member that day. Xie Xie felt a bit nervous in the face of her imposing aura.

He still remembered the thrashings she had given him, fear lingering in his heart.

The teachers took their seats on a raised platform that overlooked the arena. Not even a moment later, the door to the arena opened and two more people walked in. They were arguing with each other as they entered.

“What the hell are you doing here?” the elderly man on the left said to the one on the right.

“I’m here to see my disciple stomp his competition. At the very least, none of those brats in the second grade can challenge him. I’m more interested in seeing his progress. Why are you here? Don’t you have things to do on Sea God’s Island? This is the outer court. You shouldn’t have any business here.”

“I’m here to check how much my granddisciple has grown. I heard he defeated the Hell White Tiger, so I’m curious if he was able to because he mastered the secret art I taught him.”

“Bah! You’ve taught him nothing but shit! Don’t lead my disciple astray with your tricks.”

“Have you gone mad? You crazy old bastard! I swear, if you dare deceive my disciple, I’ll butcher you!

“Butcher me? I’m the one who’ll kill you! Bring it on!”

“Don’t think I won’t do it! You’re just a craftsman! If you think you got what it takes, let’s fight! I only need one minute to beat you to a pulp!”

“Bullshit!”

The people who had just entered were Tang Wulin’s blacksmithing teacher, Blazing Dragon Douluo Feng Wuyu, and his grandteacher, Scarlet Dragon Douluo Zhuo Shi. As the two quarrelled, their eyes landed on Tang Wulin. Fortunately for him, they still had some reason left in them and didn’t run over to him. They ascended the platform and took their seats with the rest of the elders. They gave a slight nod of greeting when they saw the Silver

Moon Douluo, but as soon as they saw the Holy Spirit Douluo, they leaped to their feet, backs ramrod straight.

Zhuo Shi ran over to her hastily. “Yali, how are you today?”

The Holy Spirit Douluo glanced at him. “I’m here as the referee today!”

Feng Wuyu popped up on the other side of her, rubbing his hands nervously. “Yali, long time no see!”

With his Purple Demon Eyes, Tang Wulin could clearly see what was happening on the platform. He was stunned by the expression on Feng Wuyu’s face. Since when could Teacher act so bashfully? Why’s his face so red?

Zhuo Shi turned to the Silver Moon Douluo. “Why don’t we talk for a bit, Yue’er?”

Elder Cai rolled her eyes at him. “Why are you two here? If you want to watch the match, then do so quietly. Otherwise, get lost!”

“Isn’t it normal for me, an elder of the Sea God’s Pavilion, to come watch matches in the outer court? I’m not a blacksmith just coming for

entertainment.”

“What’s that about blacksmiths? If it weren’t for us, would you have battle armor? Just you wait. Once you reach the four-word level, I’ll tell Zhen

Hua to leave your ass uncovered when crafting your battle armor. Then you can go fight with a bare ass!”

“I’ve already tolerated you for a long time, Feng Wuyu, but don’t you dare provoke me in front of Yali! I’ll whoop your ass!”

“I’m not afraid of you! Bring it on!”

“Enough!” the Holy Spirit Douluo barked, giving them a sharp look. Like obedient dogs, the two old men ceased their bickering and shut up. Despite their anger, they said no more.

“You two were late, so sit in the second row. Don’t disturb the children,” said the Silver Moon Douluo.

“Oh.” Feng Wuyu tiptoed to the back row.

“Okay!” Zhuo Shi rushed to the seat directly behind the Holy Spirit Douluo. “I’ll sit behind you.”

Feng Wuyu was a step too late. He glared at Zhuo Shi, but Zhuo Shi didn’t budge. The two then began shoving each other.

The Holy Spirit Douluo frowned, and without turning back to face them, said, “If you two can’t settle down, then leave.”

“Yeah!” Zhuo Shi pointed at Feng Wuyu. “Settle down!”

That got the Holy Spirit Douluo to turn around, and she glared at them. Her burning gaze immediately silenced the Twin Dragons, and they quietly took their seats. She shook her head helplessly, turning back to the stage.

Only then did Elder Cai gesture to Shen Yi.

“Hello students of the first and second grade,” Shen Yi said, rising from her seat. “I am Shen Yi, the teacher for the first grade. Today’s competition will be overseen by the Holy Spirit Douluo and the Silver Moon Douluo. After speaking with the second grade’s teacher, we have decided that, in the interest of saving time, each profession’s match will consist of one

challenge. Now, would both grades’ representative blacksmiths come up to the stage.”

Two massive forging tables had already been prepared on-stage. Today’s competition had the two classes competing in every aspect. They would first begin with the professions: blacksmiths, designers, makers, and mechanics. The team battle would come last. As his class’s blacksmith representative, the first battle was Tang Wulin’s to fight. He went up onto the stage.

Feng Wuyu had a proud look in his eye as he turned to Zhuo Shi. “You’ll see what it means to steamroll someone in just a moment.”

Zhuo Shi rolled his eyes. “That’s just because my granddiscple is that talented. This has nothing to do with you.”

“I’m his blacksmithing teacher. How does it have nothing to do with me?” Feng Wuyu fumed.

“Alright, fine. Let me ask you then. What blacksmith rank was my granddisciple when he first got here?”

“The fifth rank!” Feng Wuyu answered immediately. “And what rank is he now?”

“The... fifth rank…” Feng Wuyu failed to realize his mistake in time.

Zhuo Shi gave him a look of disdain. “My granddisciple was already a fifth-rank blacksmith when he arrived, which is more than enough to show that he’s a blacksmithing genius. He’s still a fifth-rank right now, which

shows you’re a useless teacher. He hasn’t improved one bit.”

“Nonsense!” Feng Wuyu growled and grabbed Zhuo Shi by his collar. “Things aren’t that black and white!”

Zhuo Shi didn’t resist, and instead simply snorted. “What are you doing, attacking those above you?”

A red hue seeped into Feng Wuyu’s eyes. “How the hell are you above me?”

Zhuo Shi smirked. “You’re my granddisciple’s master, and I’m his grandteacher. You and I are from different generations. When you see me, you should at least call me Uncle Master, if not Master. Doesn’t that mean you’re offending your senior by grabbing me?”

The Holy Spirit Douluo turned around and glared at them once more. “You two! Behave or get out!”

Feng Wuyu let go of Zhuo Shi and lowered his head, acting as if the

commotion had nothing to do with him at all. Zhuo Shi lifted his hands helplessly and shrugged. Then he pinched his fingers and zipped his mouth shut. He didn’t say another word.

Shrek’s Twin Dragons finally settled down.

Elder Cai smiled and whispered into the Holy Spirit Douluo’s ear, “As

expected of you. You’re the only one who can keep those two in line. I’m no match for you when it comes to them!”

The Holy Spirit Douluo shook her head. “They’re just a pair of buffoons!”

At that moment, Tang Wulin and his opponent arrived on-stage. The boy that stood across from Tang Wulin looked far older than him, about sixteen or seventeen years old. He had an average appearance and height. The only thing that really caught Tang Wulin’s attention was the boy’s large hands

and muscular arms. He clearly had a calm disposition. His eyes had been glued to the forging table since he arrived. He didn’t spare Tang Wulin a single glance.

Tang Wulin nodded to himself at his opponent’s behavior. As expected of the second grade! He’s definitely their best blacksmith.

This wouldn’t be an easy win for him.

“Greetings, Senior. My name is Tang Wulin.”

The boy finally looked at him and nodded. “He Xiaopeng, blacksmith representative of the second grade.”

Chapter 398 - The First Match

Shen Yi stepped forward, coming to a stop at the edge of the platform that overlooked the arena. “The first match of today is the blacksmith’s

exchange. The subject is metal purification. Both of you will be granted a piece of titanium crystal and will have thirty minutes to purify it. Whoever is able to purify it the most will be the winner. They will also be granted one thousand points, some course credit, and permission to keep both finished products. The first grade will receive thirty percent more if they win.”

Titanium crystal? Tang Wulin furrowed his brow at the thought.

Some metals were especially hard to forge, a fact that was almost always the result of extreme innate qualities. They were usually too hard or too

soft. Titanium crystal was definitely one such metal. It was infamously hard to purify, exceedingly tough, and just as brittle. If a blacksmith used too much strength to forge it, or too little even, they would fail. Blacksmiths had to put a lot more effort into forging metals like it to get a decent result, and because of this, few were capable of forging titanium crystal.

However, titanium crystal became far stronger than other metals after being purified and refined. It was common for highly-skilled blacksmiths to add

some to an alloy to raise that alloy’s strength. As a reflection of its amazing properties, titanium crystal cost sixty times more per kilogram than heavy

silver!

With all that in mind, when Shen Yi declared that the winner could keep both of the forged products, Tang Wulin and He Xiaopeng’s gazes

sharpened. Their eyes burned hot with determination, which was especially

true for Tang Wulin since he understood just how valuable titanium crystal was. It was nearly impossible for the wealthy to obtain, not to mention normal civilians. The Federation considered it a strategic military resource and heavily restricted its supply. Tang Wulin never expected the Academy to offer two pieces just like that.

A piece of titanium crystal sat atop both of the forging tables on the stage. Each was about a foot in diameter and abnormally round, almost resembling a crystal ball. Countless intertwining golden threads could be seen within both pieces.

The difficulty in forging titanium crystal lay in the need to simultaneously reduce its bulk while untangling the golden threads inside of it. The better the threads were handled, the better the final product would be. It was said that the Tang Sect’s founder had used the golden threads of a titanium

crystal to craft a powerful hidden weapon.

Back in Eastsea City, Tang Wulin had been fortunate enough to get the

chance to forge some titanium crystal. Mu Chen was the one to thank for that opportunity, but in return, Tang Wulin hadn’t been allowed to keep the titanium crystal after forging it. To the Blacksmith’s Association, it was a rare commodity. Yet, just the experience of forging it was extremely valuable to Tang Wulin. And that experience now brought him confidence.

With practiced movements, Tang Wulin and He Xiaopeng placed their pieces within the forging table and began calcining the titanium crystal.

Different metals took different lengths of time to calcine. The forging table they both used was top of the line, loaded with the latest tech that made it beyond easy to control the temperature and calcining period. Every blacksmith had their own forging style, and this included how they calcined metal. It was a matter of what forging philosophies they followed.

“The timer will begin once you finish calcining the metal,” Shen Yi said.

Tang Wulin and He Xiaopeng focused on calcining the metal. Neither spoke a single word. Coincidentally, the two also closed their eyes.

The Titled Douluos watching from the platform gave slight nods of

approval. Shrek Academy had spared no effort in raising blacksmiths in recent years, even granting extra credit to skilled blacksmiths who took the entrance exam. The Academy was simply too lacking in the blacksmith’s department. This was also why Feng Wuyu personally led the Blacksmith’s Association and focused on rapidly developing it. Shrek Academy aimed to nurture a Divine Blacksmith. It had numerous Titled Douluos, but few four- word battle armor masters. This was all due to the fact that only one Divine Blacksmith currently lived.

That was Zhen Hua, the President of the Blacksmith’s Association, and the only person in existence who could heavenly refine metal!

As the President of the Blacksmith’s Association, there was a limit to how much preference Zhen Hua could show Shrek Academy. There were other major powers that he needed to forge for. His schedule was packed beyond belief, and he could only meet a small portion of the forging requests he received. All powers were doing their best to entice him to work for them, but in the end, he was only one man, the only Divine Blacksmith in the

world.

Feng Wuyu had been a Saint Blacksmith for many years now, but he knew he was a ways away from becoming a Divine Blacksmith. Truth be told, it was practically impossible for him. He had started walking the path of a blacksmith too late. His high cultivation level allowed him to reach his

current level in blacksmithing, but in order to advance further, he needed more than just that.

This was why he placed his hopes on Tang Wulin. In his eyes, Tang Wulin was a promising youth who could one day learn to heavenly refine and become the next generation’s Divine Blacksmith.

Although there were far fewer blacksmiths than any other profession, Shrek Academy had a total of twenty in its first and second grades because of the resources it put into recruiting them. Eighteen of them sat in the audience

with bated breath, waiting for Tang Wulin and He Xiaopeng to start forging.

Tang Wulin spread his arms, a silver hammer appearing in each of his hands. He pressed a button on the forging table, signalling that the titanium crystal was done calcining. The forging table split in the middle, opening up and allowing a glowing red piece of titanium crystal to rise from its depths.

Situated across from Tang Wulin, He Xiaopeng noticed what was happening. His ear twitched and he furrowed his brow.

The blacksmiths in the audience all cried out in alarm. “He finished so quickly?”

A barrier sealed the stage off from the outside world, so neither Tang Wulin nor He Xiaopeng could hear the surprised shouts. The audience was utterly shocked.

Even the blacksmiths of the first grade, Yang Nianxia included, didn’t dare believe their eyes. They all knew that, due to how brittle titanium crystal was, it required a longer calcining period than normal. Only by calcining it longer would it become soft and easier to forge.

To them, Tang Wulin had calcined it too quickly. He had only allowed it to calcine for as long as any other metal. Everyone in the audience was more or less thinking the same thing. Could it be…? Does he not understand what titanium crystal is? If he doesn’t, then he’s in trouble!

When forging titanium crystal, a blacksmith’s greatest fear was the possibility of it cracking. If it did, its quality would immediately plummet. This fear, as well as any other kinds of damage, was also the reason why it was stored away immediately after being mined.

Has our Class President never forged this metal before? To be fair, it is really rare.

Tang Wulin was oblivious to what was going on off-stage. His eyes only reflected the glowing piece of titanium crystal. The forging table had closed back up, and the titanium crystal now sat atop it. Without even the slightest bit of hesitation, Tang Wulin swung his left hammer. Tang Wulin was about to show them the art of forging.

He’s already starting?

Tang Wulin’s hammer struck the titanium crystal, three melodious notes filling the air. They were the gentlest of strikes, all of which sounded like a pin dropping to the ground. Each note was crisp and clear for everyone to hear. They were music to the ear.

Tang Wulin’s right hammer followed soon after, and another set of sweet

sounds rang out. His hands moved deftly in concert with each other, gently striking the titanium crystal as if he were softly pricking it with needles, filling the air with a delicate symphony.

Chapter 399 - A Powerful Opponent

Tang Wulin’s arms began moving faster and faster, his hammers thundering down upon the titanium crystal like a raging storm. Although forging hammers didn’t have a standard weight, hammers were generally better if they weighed more. Tang Wulin’s hammers certainly weren’t light. In spite of that, he swung them easily, his arms resembling a windmill as he

continuously struck the titanium crystal. Crisp metallic notes resounding throughout the arena, and the sounds soon began ringing out so fast that they blended together to form one clear, everlasting note. The music of a craftsman filled the air. It was a wondrous experience for everyone in the audience.

Tang Wulin circled the metal as he forged it, continuously adjusting the angle of his strikes, but as time passed, no change seemed to occur to the titanium crystal’s mass. It was almost as if Tang Wulin’s strikes were too soft.

Can you even call that forging? Many of the spectating blacksmiths doubted Tang Wulin’s forging method. Although they were shocked by how precise Tang Wulin’s control was, they didn’t see how such light taps could be

effective for refining the metal. Is he just using a flashy technique to try and show off? All that matters in the end is how much he can purify the metal! He’s only got thirty minutes. There’s no way he’ll be able to finish in time with such a gentle forging technique!

Tang Wulin’s forging astonished He Xiaopeng as well. The rhythmic hammering sent shivers down his spine, but a moment later, he regained his

wits and turned his attention back to his own table.

The worst thing that could happen when two blacksmiths forged in close proximity was one being disturbed by the other. He Xiaopeng was just a youth, but he had started blacksmithing at a young age. His foundation as a blacksmith was impressive, and he easily pushed any distractions out of his mind. He made himself deaf to Tang Wulin’s hammering and focused on his own work.

Of all the blacksmiths present, only Feng Wuyu subtly nodded in approval of Tang Wulin’s actions, a proud smile forming on his lips.

“Why is he forging like that?” Zhuo Shi couldn’t help but ask Feng Wuyu. He may have been the powerful Scarlet Dragon Douluo, but he knew little more than the next person when it came to blacksmithing.

At that moment, possibly because he was overcome with pride in Tang Wulin, Feng Wuyu didn’t just outright patronize Zhuo Shi. “Look carefully. It might look like Wulin is forging it very gently, but each strike carries just enough force to penetrate the titanium crystal. Although it hasn’t reduced in size, the golden threads inside the metal are being manipulated, almost as if he were spinning silk from it. He’s straightening the golden threads first so he can find the veins and life source of the titanium crystal. Once he

accomplishes that, he will then awaken its spirit. He’s forging it from inside out! This is the most suitable forging method for a high-quality metal like titanium crystal. Of course, laymen like you would never have heard of this. Only blacksmiths rank fifth and above are capable of using this technique,

and even then, not everyone can do it.”

Feng Wuyu chuckled with satisfaction. “Just you wait. You’ll see how skilled my disciple is!”

Zhuo Shi rolled his eyes at Feng Wuyu’s smug expression, but didn’t bother responding. He was just happy that someone knew how talented his granddisciple was.

And Feng Wuyu was right. Anyone watching closely would be able to see the golden threads within Tang Wulin’s piece of titanium crystal gradually

transforming. The rough edges of the metal started becoming smooth, and most importantly, the golden threads shone brighter and brighter as he

continued to hammer the metal.

It was then that He Xiaopeng finally started his forging process. He pushed the button on the table and a glowing hot piece of titanium crystal appeared.

Unlike Tang Wulin’s piece, the golden threads within He Xiaopeng’s couldn’t be seen at all. It simply looked like a ball of fire.

A pair of pitch-black hammers appeared in He Xiaopeng’s hands, and he

struck with both hammers. Two thundering bangs resounded throughout the arena. The titanium crystal quivered from the impacts, but thanks to the

calcining process, it didn’t shatter. He Xiaopeng continued forging like so. His method was no different from what other blacksmiths considered the norm. His hammers descended like lightning, the boom of each strike ringing out in unison.

While Tang Wulin’s forging sounded like the pitter patter of symphonic rain, He Xiaopeng’s was a raging thunderstorm! Each and every one of his strikes rumbled. One blacksmith worked as fast as possible while the other progressed slow and steady. Their forging styles were on the opposite ends of the spectrum.

The blacksmiths in the audience guessed that Tang Wulin was using some special forging technique, but they couldn’t fathom why he chose a different method from He Xiaopeng.

“Hey.” Zheng Yiran nudged Yang Nianxia who stood beside her. “If it were you, would you do the same thing as Tang Wulin?”

Yang Nianxia answered in a hushed tone. “I would do what He Xiaopeng is doing. He’s relying on the strength of his hammer strikes to untangle the golden threads within the titanium crystal and purify it. However, this method is difficult to us because of the metal’s strength and brittleness. The titanium crystal has to be heated to a really high temperature and one has to have perfect control over their hammers to use that method. If He Xiaopeng uses too much strength, the metal will shatter. Too little strength, and nothing will happen. It takes a lot of skill and practice to control hammers

that well. He’s definitely a better blacksmith than me. He should be a fourth-rank blacksmith. This will definitely be a good show.”

“What about Tang Wulin?” Zheng Yiran asked.

Yang Nianxia furrowed his brow. “I can’t make sense of what he’s doing. It might be accurate to say he’s using gentleness to forge the hardness, but I’m not sure why he’s doing that for titanium crystal. He probably has his own reasons.”

“You sure have a lot of faith in his skills.” Zheng Yiran raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure we won’t lose this match?”

Yang Nianxia smiled wryly. “I’ve always thought of myself as crafty, but the Class President is just downright two-faced! That guy doesn’t do

anything if he isn’t confident he’ll succeed. Besides, blacksmithing is his forte. He can even forge a spirit alloy for a piece of one-word battle armor. Do you really think he could lose? To me, that’s impossible! Oh, right.

Don’t you know? He’s a fifth-rank blacksmith.”

“I’m not a blacksmith. How would I know?” Zheng Yiran began to stare at Yang Nianxia in astonishment as this news registered in her mind. “Wait, where’d you hear that?”

“Do you really need to ask? He has a spirit alloy! It normally takes a sixth- rank blacksmith to forge a spirit alloy. There’s no way he’s at the sixth rank, so he’s got to be at the fifth! He is really talented after all.”

Fifth-rank… The thought made Zheng Yiran feel shame. Tang Wulin was only in the first grade, yet he was a fifth-rank blacksmith! Never before in Shrek Academy history had a blacksmith as talented as him appeared. And, out of all the professions, it was the hardest to advance as a blacksmith!

Seconds ticked by, and soon enough, fifteen minutes had passed for Tang Wulin. He only had another fifteen remaining.

Judging by how much smaller each titanium crystal had become, He

Xiaopeng was the clear winner. His piece had shrunk by one-tenth of its original size and it showed no signs of cracking. This was a testament to his skill. In contrast, Tang Wulin’s piece was now orange, but it hadn’t shrunk at all. Indeed, such gentle strikes couldn’t possibly reduce the titanium

crystal’s mass.

Tang Wulin didn’t look concerned. His entire being was focused on forging, his eyes narrowed as he swung his hammers at a steady pace.

All of a sudden, an earsplitting boom shook the arena as He Xiaopeng

slammed his hammers into his titanium crystal one final time. A beam of brilliant golden light shot out of it, reaching a foot into the air.

It had been first-grade thousand refined with spirit!

Cries of astonishment echoed from off-stage. The appearance of the beam of light signalled a successful thousand refining, and a first-grade one at that! A first-grade thousand refined metal simply couldn’t be compared to normal metal.

He Xiaopeng put away his hammers and stepped back. His chest moved up and down as he worked to catch his breath. The beam of light persisted for a few seconds then gradually dispersing.

He Xiaopeng was now finished forging. All he needed to do now was let the metal slowly cool down from its glowing red state.

Chapter 400 - Resplendent Gold, Titanium Crystal's Spirit Ascends

He Xiaopeng’s titanium crystal had become twenty percent smaller than before. The originally tangled mess of golden threads inside of it had also been transformed into a uniform sheet of brilliant light. A resplendent golden aura shimmered around the metal. There was no doubt that it was first-grade thousand refined.

He Xiaopeng put away his hammers and smiled in satisfaction. He understood that this was the limit of his abilities right now. Despite being under a lot of pressure today, he was able to bring the entirety of his ability to bear. It wasn’t easy to first-grade thousand refine titanium crystal in a mere half-hour, yet he had pulled it off perfectly. For the current him, this was a masterpiece.

Shen Yi and Wu Zhangkong furrowed their brows. In their eyes, He

Xiaopeng had just claimed victory. He had started forging later than Tang Wulin, but still finished first-grade thousand refining the titanium crystal first! Tang Wulin couldn’t win with a first-grade thousand refining

anymore, and they knew that was his limit! Even if he succeeded in first- grade thousand refining his piece, he would still lose to He Xiaopeng.

Time passed by slowly. Tang Wulin continued forging, his focus just as intense as it had been when he began. Apart from developing a slight orange hue, no other visible changes had occurred to his piece of titanium crystal. The internal workings of the metal remained obscured.

Wu Zhangkong knew Tang Wulin was a genius blacksmith, but he didn’t understand exactly what that meant. He only knew that Tang Wulin came from a poor family. Could it be that he’s never forged titanium crystal before?

The thought cast a shadow of worry over his heart.

This was the first match of the competition between the two grades, the one they should have had the highest chance of winning! If they lost this match, the first grade’s morale would plummet, and their faith in Tang Wulin

would waver! Now, there was nothing they could do but believe in him and pray that he performed a miracle.

As the time limit approached, the banging of Tang Wulin’s hammers became more intense. He Xiaopeng watched him attentively. Even as a fellow blacksmith, he couldn’t figure out what Tang Wulin was doing. At this point, no matter how he looked at the situation, Tang Wulin couldn’t possibly surpass him.

“Ten seconds left!” Although Shen Yi felt anxious, she acted as a proper referee and began the countdown. “Nine! Eight! Seven…”

“Six…”

A bead of sweat ran down a first grade student’s forehead. “Five…”

Some fidgeted anxiously. “Four…”

Another gulped. “Three...”

In that split second, Tang Wulin’s entire being seemed to grow taller, and he ferociously slammed his hammers down onto the metal. A draconic roar

exploded from his body, a golden light emerging from it. The light shot into

the orange piece of titanium crystal before him. It trembled for a moment, then its exterior peeled apart like the skin of a tangerine. A brilliant golden glow emerged from the titanium crystal, then shot into the air as a luminescent beam of light. The same instant that beam shot out of the metal, Tang Wulin turned into a ball of golden light. The draconic roar

continued to reverberate in the air, a faint illusion of a golden dragon’s head phasing into existence behind him. The ethereal dragon head opened its maw and turned it to the sky, almost as if the thundering roar had been

coming from it all along.

In a blaze of resplendent gold, the titanium crystal’s spirit ascended!

Compared to the beam of light that came from He Xiaopeng’s piece, Tang Wulin’s piece generated a beam that was five times taller! The golden light stretched a full five feet into the air, and at its very apex a dragon’s head

could be vaguely seen. It looked exactly the same as the dragon head floating behind Tang Wulin! It even faced the sky and roared in the same way!

Tang Wulin smiled softly. After winning the representative selection tournament and being accepted as the class president, his mind, body, and spirit had come into harmony. He was in peak condition, and as a result, he was capable of creating a work that surpassed his current skills! Today, at this very moment, he had succeeded in doing just that!

Now everyone could see just how bizarre Tang Wulin’s piece of titanium

crystal was. It was a perfect sphere, the golden threads from before nowhere to be seen. In their place was a plain golden ball. The veinlike lines within the ball were finely organized into a blanket of gold, as if it had been sewn from the golden threads. It was clear that Tang Wulin’s skill far surpassed

He Xiaopeng’s.

What happened next, however, shocked everyone to their very cores. The body of the titanium crystal began to shrink until it was two-thirds its original size!

The crowd went wild with disbelief. How can this be? What kind of forging is this? It’s amazing!

A figure dropped from the sky, landed on-stage, and smacked Tang Wulin in the back of his head.

“What the hell are you dilly-dallying for? Hurry up and finish it! Its spirit has formed, so you’ll definitely succeed if you spirit refine it! Do you still need me to teach you this? If you waste this piece of titanium crystal, I’ll make sure you don’t get any sleep tonight!”

Tang Wulin rubbed the back of his aching head and looked up to see the furious Feng Wuyu. Its spirit has formed? Oh! It really has!

He had never seen such a light from a thousand refining, but Feng Wuyu had lectured him on this. Thousand refining with spirit referred to bringing the spirit out of a metal by thousand refining, but spirit refining would grant life to the metal. However, once the spirit formed from a thousand refining, signifying that the metal’s lifeforce was on the verge of awakening and only needed one last push to fully awaken. This meant that spirit refining was practically guaranteed to succeed! This was why it was said that the formation of a spirit would lead to spirit refining.

Tang Wulin didn’t dare talk back to Feng Wuyu. Ignoring the small lump of pain gathering at the back of his head, he took a deep breath and stepped forward, preparing to swing his hammers again.

“Elder Feng.” He Xiaopeng bowed to Feng Wuyu. As a blacksmith in the second grade, it was only natural that he was a member of Shrek

Blacksmith’s Association and recognized Feng Wuyu.

Feng Wuyu’s fury died down as he turned to address He Xiaopeng. “Your performance today was not too shabby, but you still have a long ways to go.

Keep working hard. You have a good foundation, but your metal lacks in

spirit. You need to deepen your understanding of metals.” Even after giving these few words of advice, he showed no intention of getting off the stage.

Up on the platform for the elders, Shen Yi turned to Elder Cai. “What do we do now?”

Just when they thought Tang Wulin lost, he produced a miracle! However, Feng Wuyu then went on-stage, which was clearly against the rules.

Elder Cai glanced at her, then went back to looking at the stage. “Let him

continue forging. This match is the first grade’s win. We’ll push the second match back a little.”

Shen Yi walked over to Elder Cai, and in a hushed tone, she said, “If we let Tang Wulin continue forging, he’s going to be exhausted afterward. He still needs to participate in the team battle later, and he’s one of his team’s pillars! It’s...”

The Holy Spirit Douluo smiled and interrupted her. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of him.”

Shen Yi hastily nodded in agreement, saying no more. She turned her attention back to Tang Wulin, who was already back to forging at full speed.

Cerita silat IndoMandarin

The Legend of the Dragon King Chapter 391-400

Chapter 391 - Three Versus Three

Chapter 392 - Xu Lizhi of the Tang Sect

Chapter 393 - United

Chapter 394 - Secret Weapon

Chapter 395 - The Real Class President

Chapter 396 - Freely Admit Defeat, Bow and Submit

Chapter 397 - The Twin Dragons Arrive

Chapter 398 - The First Match

Chapter 399 - A Powerful Opponent

Chapter 400 - Resplendent Gold, Titanium Crystal's Spirit Ascends

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