Chapter 431 - Instant Victory
Chapter 431 - Instant Victory
“One, two, three, four, five. He’s a five-ringed Soul King!” Xu Xiaoyan exclaimed.
Gu Yue jumped into action, sending a barrage of icicles toward Sun Runyu.
At first, Sun Runyu had held back from attacking the kids, their youthful faces serving as a reminder of sorts. But that changed the second they all revealed their soul rings, a shocking three each. He gritted his teeth, his second soul ring lighting up as the mist condensed into larger, more
distinguishable water droplets. The droplets ripped through its path forward in a massive wave, the air hissing in their wake.
The power of five soul rings was undeniable. Even if Sun Runyu’s martial soul and spirit souls were unremarkable, his soul power was still firmly
seated at rank 51.
Imbued with soul power, the wave of water droplets formed an impenetrable barrier blocking the incoming icicles. Each droplet was a miniature cannonball, exploding upon impact into a fine spray of mist, a second layer to his powerful shield. This was the might of a Soul King!
However, such strength could not have prepared him for what happened next. As soon as Gu Yue’s first soul ring lit up, Sun Runyu felt his control over the water element torn from him.
This was the effect of Gu Yue’s Elemental Tide! After a few moments of investigation, she had a clear image of Sun Runyu’s martial soul. It was mist, and although on the surface it appeared to be a pure water-element
soul, she could tell in reality it wasn’t. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had to
settle for four yellow soul rings. That said, she was still able to interfere with his control.
The next instant, a golden circle of light appeared beneath Sun Runyu. The mist enveloping him sank to the ground, swallowed by the golden light. A sick pallor crept upon him at the realization of what was happening. The
effectiveness of his mist martial soul naturally plummeted without any water in the air.
Without warning, a sword beam grazed his belly and he jerked back from the sensation. At the same time, he felt a sharp aura looming behind him, the sharp edge of a dagger prickling his neck. The golden light from below flashed as chains shot out and wrapped around his body in a tight embrace.
With Sun Runyu bound by Xu Xiaoyan’s shackles of starlight, his martial soul rendered useless, the battle’s conclusion was already reached. Wu Zhangkong had suffered to this tactic when he had beena Soul Emperor, so a Soul King like Sun Runyu wouldn’t stand a chance.
Convinced of their victory, Gu Yue stopped absorbing the surrounding water element with Elemental Tide. The golden light beneath him also faded away. The boy who had covered his face in the beginning stepped forward, Tang Wulin, stepped forward, three purple soul rings hovering around him.
“Sorry. I couldn’t help myself when I saw an elemental martial soul,” Tang Wulin said with a regretful face. He had used Bluesilver Golden Array to
strip away the water element around Sun Runyu.
“W-what are you kids doing? This is the Spirit Pagoda!” Sun Runyu was fully on guard now, fear creeping into his heart. The teenagers before him had been swift and decisive in their attacks. He hadn’t been able to keep up with them. Their teamwork had been superb, exceeding his understanding. When did kids these days get so strong?
What truly struck fear into him, however, was the fact that they were fearless and young! He had no idea what they would do to him. They might
even beat him to death on the spot. He couldn’t stand for that. He didn’t even have a wife yet.
Tang Wulin glanced at Wu Zhangkong’s faraway figure, then returned his attention to his companions. Xie Xie and Ye Xinglan retreated at the unspoken words in his eyes.
Sun Runyu felt his body return to normal, his soul power circulating within him steadily once more.
Tang Wulin smiled charmingly as he walked over. “Sorry about that, uncle. We were dispatched by our academy to seek out opponents in battle, which is how things turned out this way. Please don’t be angry. We had no intentions of harming you.”
Sun Runyu couldn’t make sense of what he was hearing. His mind worked in overdrive to comprehend the situation. Inwardly, he felt relieved. At least they weren’t out to kill him.
He snorted, then stormed off in a huff. He didn’t have the face to stay here any longer.
Tang Wulin cracked bitter smile as he watched Sun Runyu’s departing silhouette. “You guys…”
“It worked, didn’t it? We don’t have much time, so stop complaining,” Ye Xinglan said.
“Well, I guess since Teacher Wu didn’t stop us, it’s alright. We had numbers on our side too, so we didn’t win alone though.”
“We’ll just do it again if we have to,” Gu Yue muttered. “We caused a commotion. The Spirit Pagoda’s law enforcers should be on their way
already. The average enforcement officer has four rings and pilots a mecha. There’s three people per patrol.”
Tang Wulin’s jaw dropped. “You would even plot against your own people?”
Gu Yue clasped her hands behind her back and turned her head, midnight strands fluttering in the wind. “I’ve never fought a mecha before.”
Tang Wulin’s cheek began to twitch at her stoic posing. He was starting to regret working with them.
“Who dares create a disturbance at the Heaven Dou Spirit Pagoda?” An electronic voice resounded throughout the area. A moment later, three
enormous figures whizzed over. One was purple, and the other two yellow. Three mechas in total.
Just as Gu Yue had said, a squadron of three mechas had arrived. But she had failed to predict one of them would be a purple mecha!
The purple mecha led the trio. It was about eight meters high with a
streamlined and delicate-looking body. Instead of a soul cannon, it was armed with a pair of giant swords.
Military officers were generally only issued yellow mechas since purple mechas were considered personal mechas. Due to the high cost of making purple mechas, only wealthy organizations like the Spirit Pagoda could
afford to create them for their staff.
Purple mechas were designed specifically for a single soul master in order to maximize the power amplification effects. For example, a pilot with four rings would have the firepower of a five-ringed Soul King, and an even higher defense.
Aware of all this, Tang Wulin paled once the purple mecha came into view.
Upon landing, the pilots froze at the sight of the children. They had come to investigate the area after their radars had picked up soul power fluctuations, the use of soul power and soul weapons forbidden within a one kilometer radius of the Spirit Pagoda. But they had never expected the culprits to be
children.
“What are you kids doing? Who set off the soul power alarm?” the purple mecha’s pliot asked.
“It was him!” Ye Xinglan jabbed a finger at Tang Wulin. Tang Wulin’s expression froze. I’m being framed!
Ye Xinglan smirked. The message was clear: she was telling him it was his responsibility as the captain to deal with this situation.
“You!” The purple mecha pointed at Tang Wulin. “Come with me. The rest of you go get your teacher.”
Chapter 432 - Assault
Chapter 432 - Assault
Tang Wulin cracked a bitter smile, drawing his limbs closer to his body in a show of submission. “I’m sorry, uncle enforcement officer, I made a mistake. Please don’t bring me in. I promise I won’t do this ever again!”
Ye Xinglan was splitting her sides with laughter. This guy…
The enforcement officer snorted. “The Spirit Pagoda’s rules are strict and you will not get any special treatment. Come with me. Don’t worry. You just have to explain your story properly and have your teacher come get you. Your punishment won’t be too harsh.”
Tang Wulin looked up and flashed his large doe eyes. “How much is not ‘too harsh’?”
The enforcement officer was growing impatient. “At best, you’ll just be fined.”
“Fined?” Tang Wulin’s voice rose an octave. “I have no money, but I do have my life! Money is my life! You can get it over my dead body!” Tang Wulin turned tail and sprinted away, his shouts trailing after him like an old robe.
At the sight of tang Wulin’s fleeing figure, the enforcement officer in the purple mecha grunted in surprise at. Don’t kids his age usually look up to mecha pilots? Why’s he so disobedient?
He chased after Tang Wulin a split second later. Rules were rules. He couldn’t let Tang Wulin escape.
However, he was separated from his two patrolmates by doing so. Without exchanging a word, the rest of Tang Wulin’s team striked.
Ye Xinglan pounced like a cheetah, a yellow mecha serving as her prey. The surrounding air crackled with a scorching heat while Gu Yue conjured an
enormous fireball. With a snap it ripped through the air toward the other yellow mecha. Meanwhile, Xie Xie slunk into the unseen world, his own brand of invisibility. In one fluid motion, Xu Xiaoyan raised her ice staff and a spear of ice materialized in the air.
With their attention still focused on their leader, the mecha pilots failed to react to the attacks.
The first to reach them was Ye Xinglan. Her Stargod Sword shined resplendently as she brandished it and used her first soul skill, Sword God’s Star. In that instant, she became one with her sword.
In terms of soul power, Ye Xinglan was the strongest in their team, on the verge of obtaining her fourth soul ring. She was swifter than an agility-type like Xie Xie. Moreover, she was a powerhouse when it came to combat
strength. Even Yue Zhengyu felt apprehensive facing her. The second she unleashed her strength, the yellow mecha’s fate had already been sealed.
The mecha could barely raise an arm to block her attack. A metallic screech filled the air upon impact, waves of starlight bursting bright and blinding. It shoved back the mecha’s arm, dense and pulsing with soul power.
Ye Xinglan pushed off against the earth with her feet as her third soul ring lit up, cool air making way for her mobile body. This was her most powerful attack. Deadly might gathered into her sword and her soul power flared. She could hear the alarm blare in the distant Spirit Pagoda. She
couldn’t afford to waste any time.
At the same moment, Gu Yue’s fireball came a breath away from its target. But the other yellow mecha was quicker to react. It raised its right arm and summoned an energy shield. Upon collision, the fireball exploded into a
scatter of flames. However, Gu Yue didn’t stop there. She fired an onslaught of fireballs, wind blades, and icicles.
The mecha crouched down and hid behind its shield as it retrieved a four- barrel soul cannon. It took aim.
Mixed in among the icicles was a spear of ice. It suddenly accelerated, shot past the mecha’s energy shield, and crashed into the cannon-bearing arm. It disintegrated into a fine spray of ice that landed on said arm and froze it in place.
Xie Xie appeared out of thin air behind this mecha. Pinpointing a chink in the armor, he stabbed his dagger into the weakness, arm and weapon a blur of motion.
Although mechas were heavily armored, this one in particular had its armor concentrated at its front. It wouldn’t be energy efficient otherwise. The
weaknesses of mechas was one of the first things Shrek Academy taught.
Xie Xie dug his dagger deeper into the armor and severed one of the central cables for operating the mecha. In the blink of an eye, the mecha’s lights dimmed and its movements slowed to a halt, leaving it a sitting duck for the incoming elemental bombardment.
The resounding booms of impacts startled the purple mecha pilot during his pursuit of Tang Wulin. The pilot turned his attention to his rear as he
continued his chase.
Right at that moment, Tang Wulin dug his foot into the ground and pivoted his body. He thrust his arms toward the sky to intercept the mecha’s giant hand. Golden light enveloped him as a shining golden soul ring rose from his feet. It was Golden Dragon Body!
With the purple mecha pilot distracted, Tang Wulin took the opportunity to grab its hand and throw it over his shoulder, courtesy of his incredible
strength.
Before it smashed into the ground, the mecha summoned an energy shield at its back. It stopped just short of collision. At the same time, the mecha released an electric blast at Tang Wulin.
A strand of golden bluesilver grass shot out of the ground, catapulting Tang Wulin into the air and out of danger.
The purple mecha pushed off the ground with one arm and fixed its stance. A sharp scrape, and it unsheathed the two giant swords from its back, gripping them with large mechanical hands.
Still, Tang Wulin didn’t retreat to regroup with his companions. He wanted to buy them enough time to defeat the two yellow mechas. Fighting against three mechas that were working together spelled defeat. These pilots from the Spirit Pagoda were well-versed in teamwork, no doubt.
He urged his blood essence to flow in reverse, calling out the power of Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens! A draconic roar shook the air. His
right hand transformed into a dragon claw, swathed in threads of starlight, his gauntlet manifesting in their wake.
This was his first battle against a mecha. Not giving his all was calling for failure.
Tang Wulin’s aura flared and his dragon scales sparkled brilliantly, rivaling the sun. Like a bolt of lightning, he flashed forward and threw a punch! A giant dragon head manifested in front of his fist, bursting out in a blaze of gold.
The purple mecha swatted its swords at the attack like it would a fly. After all, it was just a child’s strike. Even if the child was exceptional, the pilot had to practice restraint.
As the pilot poured his soul power into the mecha and summoned his spirit soul, electricity flickered along the length of the swords. This was a fusion of technology and a soul master’s might! The air within a ten meter radius crackled with electricity, an astringent odor thick and furious spreading.
The swords knocked back Tang Wulin with a boom, but the mecha didn’t
come out unscathed either. Prior to this, Tang Wulin had beaten Wu Siduo’s Hell White Tiger with Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens. Although the fusion of a purple mecha and its pilot was as powerful as a Soul King, that still couldn’t compare with the might of Hell White Tiger.
The mecha crossed its swords defensively, guarding against the bombardment of power from Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens. Yet, the draconic might still knocked it off balance.
A strand of bluesilver grass of sprang from the ground and formed a makeshift spring behind Tang Wulin, bouncing him straight back at the mecha with tremendous speed.
Once more, the mecha produced a defensive stance, summoning a full- powered energy shield.
But it was to no avail. In the blink of an eye, Tang Wulin reached the mecha and thrust his claw into the shield. With the aid of his soul power, the claw’s crushing effect, and his gauntlet, he easily tore through it.
Chapter 433 - Speaking Righteously!
Chapter 433 - Speaking Righteously!
Tang Wulin’s claw slammed into the purple mecha, forcing the purple mecha backward and leaving five deep gashes in the chest armor.
The other battle finished as well. One of the yellow mechas had its central cable severed by Xie Xie, while the other had been decapitated by Ye
Xinglan’s third soul skill, Starfall Sword. She had descended like a meteor, smashing through the mecha’s barrier with a slash of her sword and destroyed the head. Fortunately for the pilot, the cockpit was located in the torso of mechas so he only jumped in fright at the sudden loss of vision.
“Stop!” Tang Wulin’s voice cut through the chaos of the battlefield.
He swiped his claw in front of him. Five dark gold beams shot out and tore through the earth, leaving deep lines in the dirt. The purple mecha instantly stopped in the middle of its counterattack.
Tang Wulin had merely fired off a warning shot. If the purple mecha took on his Golden Dragon Dreadclaw, the pilot would be gravely injured, if not die immediately.
The battle finished just as quickly as it started.
In terms of absolute strength, Tang Wulin’s team of six couldn’t compare with the three mechas. However, the mechas hadn’t fought to their fullest potential. Seeing that their opponents were young children, they had
underestimated them and Tang Wulin’s team took full advantage of this to launch a surprise attack and secure a victory.
No one would have expected a group of kids to attack a patrol squadron of mechas!
The yellow mecha pilots couldn’t accept their defeat. They hadn’t even brought out the full capabilities of their energy shields or had a chance to launch a counterattack before they were incapacitated in a flash.
The purple mecha pilot harbored similar feelings. The pilot had underestimated Tang Wulin, and this was a costly mistake. He couldn’t react in time to Tang Wulin’s sudden attack and the appearance of battle armor.
Under the effect of his gauntlet, Tang Wulin’s golden dragon claw doubled in attack power! It could easily tear a hole in the purple mecha’s shield.
Furthermore, he had Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens, helping him cinch victory.
“Just who are you kids?” the purple mecha’s pilot asked, fear, anger, and wariness intermingled in his voice.
Tang Wulin stood up straight, any hint of his previous timidness gone. “Do you realize your mistake?”
“Mistake?” The pilot was taken aback by the confidence in Tang Wulin’s voice.
Tang Wulin raised his chin righteously. “We’re enforcers sent by
Headquarters to evaluate the ability of the local enforcers to adapt to new
situations. You have been disappointing. Just because we’re young children, you underestimated us and neglected to consider the possibility that we
were hostile. Do I need to remind you that evil soul masters launched a terrorist attack not too long ago? Those evil soul masters excel at disguising themselves. If you’re all so lax, then what would you do when danger really comes? We’re just here to keep you all on your toes. Go back and reflect on this, then write a report to headquarters. Understood?”
The pilot’s back broke out into a cold sweat. He couldn’t help but believe Tang Wulin. They were so young yet so strong and hadn’t dealt any lethal blows throughout the whole battle, despite being in perfect position to do so. Then Tang Wulin said they were sent by Spirit Pagoda headquarters. It was the only plausible explanation in his mind.
As the pilot mulled things over, Tang Wulin signalled to his companions.
“Alright. We’re done here. We still have many cities to visit. Gu Yue, show them our ID.”
Gu Yue instantly understood what Tang Wulin was doing. She took out her badge and showed it to the enforcement officers.
The moment the patrol leader saw the badge, any lingering doubts disappeared. But now he was tongue-tied. He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t admit to making a mistake to children.
His cockpit opened and he jumped out. “I’m—”
“You don’t have to say anything. Just report to headquarters. I hope this is the first and last time you make such a mistake. I don’t want a repeat of this incident.” Tang Wulin acted with the solemness of a young adult.
After he finished speaking, he turned around and walked away with his head held high. His companions calmly followed his lead. Tang Wulin
stood at the head. Gu Yue and Ye Xinglan were right behind him, and in the very back were Xie Xie, Xu Lizhi, and Xu Xiaoyan. The six of them formed a triangle and left with their heads held high.
At that moment, a figure ran out of the Spirit Pagoda and over to the scene of the commotion, over a dozen mechas trailing behind it. When they neared the scene, they saw three badly damaged mechas. Strangely enough, none of the pilots were injured. The mechas landed while staff members flocked over.
The moment Tang Wulin led his friends around a corner and out of sight of the Spirit Pagoda members, he growled, “Run!” Then he booked it toward town. His friends ran after him in a mad sprint escape the scene. They ran for over ten minutes, zigzagging through small alleyways and main roads until they wound up in a cafe.
“Boss, I really admire you!” Xie Xie said. Despite the long run, he wasn’t short of breath or tired. He was an agility-type after all. He stared at Tang Wulin with eyes full of awe.
Gu Yue giggled. “What do you admire him for?”
Xie Xie cracked an odd smile. “Of course it’s his ability to tell such a bold lie with a straight face! If I were one of those pilots, I would have believed him too! Gu Yue, are there really enforcers like that at the Spirit Pagoda headquarters?”
“There are, but the enforcement departments of each branch are independent of each other for the most part. Next time, we should say we’re supervisors. Supervisors have jurisdiction over all of the branches, so it’ll be more believable.”
“Next time? What next time?” Tang Wulin grumbled. “There’s no way I’m bailing you guys out next time! Do you guys have any idea how dangerous that was? If we had been detained, what would happen to our exam? Oh right. Gu Yue, where did your Spirit Pagoda badge come from? Wasn’t it
confiscated?”
Gu Yue went silent for a moment before speaking. “You have to admit, it worked. We accomplished our task really quickly. We can head to the train station to leave for the next city right away. As for the badge, I made it myself.”
Tang Wulin groaned. “If the Spirit Pagoda alerts the other branches and gets the cooperation of the city officials to seal us in, do you think we’ll still be able to run?”
Gu Yue smiled. “That won’t happen. They still have to give some face to my teacher. It’s their fault for not helping us with our exam in the first place. Besides, we didn’t do anything wrong. Your lie was really good too! We might not be actual supervisors, but the lesson we taught them is still valid. The Spirit Pagoda won’t care about something as minor as this.”
At that moment, the door opened and Wu Zhangkong walked into the cafe. He walked straight over to Tang Wulin’s table and took a seat.
“Teacher Wu,” they all greeted him respectfully.
The corner of Wu Zhangkong’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
Tang Wulin cautiously asked, “Teacher Wu, we passed this part of the test, right?”
“Technically, yes.” Wu Zhangkong said.
Tang Wulin let out a breath of relief. “That’s good then.”
Wu Zhangkong looked out the window, averting his gaze. But he wasn’t fast enough. Tang Wulin had glimpsed the laughter in Wu Zhangkong’s eyes before he could hide it.
Is he trying not to laugh? Really?
In truth, Wu Zhangkong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. These
students of his were simply too daring. They first caused a great ruckus at the local Spirit Pagoda, then Tang Wulin stepped forward and showed off his wits and talked their way out trouble.
If this kid doesn’t grow up brave and wise, then he’s going to end up as a vicious criminal. Wu Zhangkong’s attention focused on Tang Wulin.
Unknown to Tang Wulin, Wu Zhangkong was planning on harshly disciplining him.
After grabbing some drinks and eating Xu Lizhi’s pork buns, everyone was back in peak condition. Under Tang Wulin’s suggestion, they bought some
local attire to blend in and look the part. After changing, they headed for the train station.
However, when they arrived, they were shocked to discover that the station was closed down. At that moment, Tang Wulin remembered that the terrorist attack was just this morning! Heaven Dou City was still on guard about it. It was only natural that the train station closed down. The problem was, they didn’t know when it would re-open.
“What do we do?” Gu Yue asked Tang Wulin.
An idea popped into his head. “Any of you know how to drive?” “I do!” Xie Xie said.
Tang Wulin nodded. “Alright. Let’s go rent a car and drive to the next city.” They couldn’t afford to waste any time. If they couldn’t take the train, then they could only drive. Driving may not be as fast as the train, but it was better than waiting an indefinite time for the station to re-open. Besides, the train station was a hub of human activity. The Spirit Pagoda might send people there to search for them.
Chapter 434 - Losing Face
Chapter 434 - Losing Face
In a conference room located near the top of the Heaven Dou Spirit Pagoda, over a dozen high-level executives sat glued to a large screen, some
sporting a few patches of grey hair and others more advanced in their years. On screen played a recording of a battle between six children and three mechas. The video had high resolution and crisp audio, courtesy of the mechas’ recording devices.
“We’re enforcers sent by Headquarters to evaluate the ability of the local enforcers to adapt to new situations. You have been disappointing. Just because we’re young children, you underestimated us and neglected to
consider the possibility that we were hostile. Do I need to remind you that evil soul masters launched a terrorist attack not too long ago? Those evil
soul masters excel at disguising themselves. If you’re all so lax, then what would you do when danger really comes? We’re just here to keep you all on your toes. Go back and reflect on this, then write a report to headquarters.
Understood?”
Once the leader of the band of children delivered these words, he went calmly on his way. Not once did he glance back. Doubtful expressions flickered across the faces of everyone present.
“Pagoda Master, does the enforcement department of Headquarters have jurisdiction over us? Isn’t that the job of the supervisory department?”
asked a middle-aged man, his eyes on the elderly man at the head of the table. “Isn’t what he said wrong?”
The elder snorted. “Forget about these kids’ backgrounds for now. Let me ask you, were their words not correct? How is our enforcement department
so lax that they can’t even deal with kids? There was a terrorist attack just earlier today! And according to a reliable source, an evil soul master
attacked the train station afterward! I’ve already dispatched some people for an internal investigation. If our enforcement department’s standard has really dropped so low, then everyone there can just forget about their paycheque!”
The entire room lost their tongues at such a display of fury.
“Raise the enforcement department’s alert level to orange. We’ll use the internal investigation to examine the state of affairs. Now that I think about it, it’s not enough for just those three pilots to write reports. Have everyone in the enforcement department write one as well. And double their training.”
“Understood!” The meeting adjourned and the heavy atmosphere in the room lifted as everyone shuffled out. Everyone but the Pagoda Master and a middle-aged man.
“Has the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo said anything?” the Pagoda Master asked.
“She hasn’t said a word. It seems like she’s leaving it to our discretion and won’t intervene with our decision. Pagoda Master, should we capture those kids?”
“Do you like losing face that much? Put a hush order on this matter. Don’t let it leak out to the public.”
“Got it! Kids these days sure are daring though.”
The Pagoda Master glanced at him. “You said that they have to visit ten cities for their exam?”
The middle-aged man nodded. “That’s what Gu Yue told me.”
A sly smile slid across Pagoda Master’s lips. “Make sure this doesn’t leak to the other branches then. We won’t be the only ones to lose face.”
The middle-aged man’s cheek twitched. Pagoda Master, what kind of attitude is that?
The Pagoda Master finally rose from his seat and approached the window, peering out to the cityscape. “We’ve been at peace for too long already. We needed something to put us on our toes. Just five more years…”
☀
He could hardly feel his legs. Or breathe, for that matter. Despite looking long and hard, Tang Wulin and his companions were unable to rent a car. At least, they couldn’t find one that could take them out of Heaven Dou City.
Left clear of other options, they purchased a small soul car for eight hundred thousand credits instead. That was nearly all of the money Tang Wulin had received from his uncle-master, and it was only enough for one car. Sadly, this car could only seat five comfortably, which was kind of an issue seeing that they had seven people.
Right after his purchase, Tang Wulin apologized to Wu Zhangkong. There was no room for him, not even with everyone squeezing together. He had to find his own way.
Xie Xie was the driver, Xu Lizhi rode in the front, and Tang Wulin was
squished into the back with the three girls. Fortunately for Tang Wulin, the girls were quite skinny. Unfortunately for him, he was not. He found himself pressed against the window like a strange specimen. Beside him sat a triple layered cookie of Gu Yue, Ye Xinglan, and Xu Xiaoyan in that order.
Xie Xie was an adequate driver yet was driving without a license. He did have one, but of course, it had been confiscated along with his other belongings. There was no choice but to rely on him, though. They could only cross their fingers not to be caught.
As the car cruised through the highway, Tang Wulin did his best to tolerate the discomfort. The back was so crowded that he couldn’t even move.
“When we get to the next city, how about I go earn some more money forging and get us a bigger car?” Tang Wulin forced a bitter smile.
Gu Yue rolled her eyes at him. “Are you trying to avoid me already?”
In truth, Tang Wulin felt quite comfortable with her pressed up against him. She was soft in all the right ways. “Gu Yue, did you put on some weight? I don’t remember you being so soft.”
At the sound of those words, Gu Yue whipped her reddened face away from him, fumes rising from her head.
Xie Xie chuckled, catching a glimpse of that exchange from the rearview mirror. “Wulin, you’re so innocent. That’s called puberty. It’s normal for girls this age to be developing like that.”
“Shut up!” the three girls shouted in unison.
“Eh… Lizhi, what do you think? Am I right?” Xie Xie sent a pleading glance to Xu Lizhi.
“Uh, I’m feeling kind of sleepy. I’m going to take a nap.” Without another word, Xu Lizhi closed his eyes and pretended to snore.
Pressed up against the door, Tang Wulin had no choice but to watch the landscape fly by. His heart gradually became at ease.
A pleasant fragrance drifted over to him. Blinking out of his reverie, he realized it had come from Gu Yue. He swallowed. Oh my god. Xie Xie was right! She’s really going through puberty, already starting to grow up. A
sigh escaped his lips. We’re not kids anymore.
Gloom settled in his heart, thick and heavy like fog. To this day, Tang Wulin still hadn’t heard from his mother or father, and as a result saw his friends as the most important people in his life. Nothing would be too much for them; even sacrificing himself for their sake wasn’t off the table. They were what drove him to live on, what gave meaning to his life. For this
reason, Tang Wulin was afraid both of losing them and of anything that might change the foundation of their relationships.
Years ago, when Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi had left their group, he
struggled with depression. The world had seemed covered in a shroud of grey, cold to the touch. It took him a long time to recover.
Noticing the shift in his mood, Tang Wulin shook his head and set himself back in a positive mindset. It would do no good to dwell on the past.
“It’s boring in here. Let’s talk about something,” Tang Wulin said. He had regained his calm by now, his heart an example of virtue.
Gu Yue glanced at him. They were still stuck together, side pressed to side. She had been the one to push him to the window seat and place herself between him and the other girls. She hadn’t even bothered to hide her intentions. Everyone knew what she was doing and didn’t dare get in her way. Young they might be, the rest of the group could practically smell the sexual tension, especially from how well Gu Yue treated Tang Wulin. The only perplexing thing was how often she ran hot and cold, as if she was deliberately maintaining some distance from him.
“What do you want to talk about? Battle armor? I should be able to break through rank 40 when we return and get another spirit soul. We can
continue making battle armor then,” Ye Xinglan said.
Tang Wulin laughed. “We’re finally away from school, so let’s talk about something unrelated. Okay. How about our ambitions? Xinglan, you start. What’s your heart set on?”
Chapter 435 - Ambitions
Chapter 435 - Ambitions
After a moment of silence, Ye Xinglan opened her mouth. “I want to stay at Shrek. I want to stay there forever and never leave. I may have been demoted to the outer court, but I’m certain I will return to the inner court one day. Once that happens, I’ll work hard to become a battle armor master and one of the Academy’s guardians.”
Tang Wulin looked at her in astonishment. “Really? You don’t want to go out and explore the world?”
“I can still do that. Shrek Academy is just a place. However, from the moment my martial soul awakened as the Stargod Sword, elders of my clan told me that I’m the clan’s hope and future. They told me to grow strong
and revitalize the clan. I’m not interested in any of that. I like the sword, but I dislike clan politics. I only realized what I really wanted when I went to Shrek. I like everything about Shrek; the peace, the tranquility, the overall
atmosphere. As long as I remain a part of Shrek, my clan can’t force me to do anything. I want to stay there forever.”
Xie Xie couldn’t help but say, “So you basically want to live the life of a quiet young lady?”
Ye Xinglan groaned. “You understand.”
Tang Wulin smiled and turned to Xu Xiaoyan. “What about you, Xiaoyan? What do you want to do?”
“Eh? Me? I don’t really know! I just want to find a nice guy to marry when I grow up. Then I’ll become a housewife. I get what Xinglan’s thinking. I don’t want to be involved with my clan’s politics either. I just want to keep
living as an idle princess. It would have been great if my martial soul weren’t the starlight variant.”
“No ambition, huh!” Xie Xie snorted. “I’m aiming way higher than you are. I want to become one of this generation’s Shrek Seven Monsters. A new generation is only selected to replace the old one every fifty years, and I heard that the next generation of the Shrek Seven Monsters will be chosen in four! Any student of Shrek Academy twenty-five or younger can
compete for a spot. I’ll definitely make it in.”
“The Shrek Seven Monsters?” Tang Wulin said in awe. A reverent atmosphere filled the car at the mere mention of the title.
“I want to become one too.” Ye Xinglan eyes shone.
There was a lot of weight to the name of the Shrek Seven Monsters. Each generation served as a cornerstone of Shrek Academy, and perhaps even for the entire soul master world.
Tang San, the legendary founder of the Tang Sect, had led the first generation of the Shrek Seven Monsters. That generation revolutionized the power structure of the entire continent. The next, most well-known generation was that of the Spirit Ice Douluo, Huo Yuhao. They had shocked the entire continent with their feats of valor, and then the Spirit Ice Douluo founded the Spirit Pagoda.
The title of Shrek Seven Monster was one of the greatest honors on the Douluo Continent. Only students of Shrek Academy were eligible to take up the mantle, and even then, the opportunity depended on luck. The
selection for each generation only came once every few decades! If one were born too early or too late, they would forever miss their chance.
Fortunately, Tang Wulin and his friends came at the right time. They could take a shot at becoming one of the Shrek Seven Monsters. The only downside was that they would only be eighteen when selection time
arrived. At that time, they would be facing geniuses with an advantage of up to seven years.
“I have lofty goals!” Xie Xie proudly stated.
“What use are goals if you can’t accomplish them?” Xu Xiaoyan jabbed at him.
Xie Xie fumed. “Who are you to say I can’t? I’ll stake everything on it! This is my life’s goal.”
“Where did you hear about all this?” Tang Wulin asked. “From Yuanen!” Xie Xie answered subconsciously.
“Hm…” Everyone apart from him hummed thoughtfully.
“You guys!” Xie Xie glared at them in embarrassment. As he did, the car drifted to the side. It nearly hit the railing, but he managed turn his attention back to the road and frantically swerve away.The sharp turn caught the others unaware. Gu Yue, in particular, was thrown toward Tang Wulin. She fell upon him, hitting his nose, and his eyes teared up from the pain.
“Watch the road!” Tang Wulin shouted. “You’re responsible for six lives here!”
Gu Yue rushed to rub Tang Wulin’s nose in apology.
Xie Xie grumbled, “Who told you guys to make such a strange noise?”
Once the situation grew calm once more, Xu Xiaoyan shifted forward in her seat. “So, are you putting in all that effort to become one of the Shrek Seven Monsters and catch up to Yuanen Yehui?”
“Yeah. She’s so strong. Doesn’t she make a good goal to strive for?” Xie Xie quibbled.
Tang Wulin smiled warmly at the verbal sparring before turning to Xu Lizhi. “Hey, Lizhi, what about you?”
Xu Lizhi snapped out of his feigned sleep. “I want to stay at Shrek too. I’m really lazy and Shrek suits me, but making it into the Shrek Seven Monsters
is a pipe dream for me. As long as I can stay there, I’ll be content.”
“Why is that a pipe dream?” Tang Wulin asked. “There was a food-type
soul master in the first generation of the Shrek Seven Monsters, and he even ascended to godhood in the end! If he could, why not you?”
Xu Lizhi sat up straight in his chair and turned to look at Tang Wulin with excitement in his eyes. “Wulin, do you really think I can do it? You’re talking about Big Sausage Uncle Oscar, right?”
Tang Wulin nodded. “I read that he worked as hard as he could and managed to develop combat strength. Then he cultivated his sausage to the pinnacle and even gained a godly resurrection soul skill. Let’s do our best together. Lizhi. I’m certain we can do it as a team!”
“Alright! Want a bun?” Xu Lizhi showed his gratitude in a simple way.
Tang Wulin accepted the bun and quickly devoured it in a couple of bites. After he finished, he glanced at Gu Yue. “How about you? What do you want to do?”
“Marry you.”
The entire car descended into silence. Gu Yue hadn’t been the one to speak. Xie Xie had imitated Gu Yue’s voice.
“Hey, Xie Xie, I didn’t know you were looking to die today.” Gu Yue’s words carried a cold edge to them.
Xie Xie quickly put on a fearful smile. “Sister-in-law, I made a mistake! I talked about what’s in your heart. Don’t forget that I’m driving right now! Remember what Wulin said? There are six lives in this car! Don’t kill me!”
Tang Wulin was red with embarrassment. “Just shut up!” Scared for his life, Xie Xie didn’t dare utter another word.
“So, what are your ambitions?” Tang Wulin asked, turning to Gu Yue. He wanted to quickly change the topic.
After a moment of silence, Gu Yue spoke up. “I don’t want to lie to you guys, so I won’t tell you.”
Everyone was astonished by her answer. They heard the gloom in her voice.
“Okay,” Tang Wulin said. “That’s fine. Everyone has their secrets. You don’t have to tell us”
Gu Yue looked at him. “It’s your turn now.”
“I want to join the military,” Tang Wulin answered without hesitation.
The others could hardly believe their ears. They had assumed his goal was to become one of the Shrek Seven Monsters, so this answer caught them
completely by surprise.
“Why do you want to join the military?” Gu Yue asked.
“That’s a secret.” Tang Wulin smiled wryly. In truth, he wanted to join the military to gain the strength necessary to find his parents and take them back. However, he didn’t want to burden his friends with his own problems.
Without missing a beat, Xu Xiaoyan smiled sweetly. “Good luck, everyone! I hope all of our dreams come true!”
Tang Wulin looked out the window, a huge grin on his face. I really do hope my dreams come true. I wouldn’t even care if my days passed idly by as long as mom and dad come back. And Na’er too. It’s already been so long.
Beside him, Gu Yue stared into empty space, deep in contemplation.
Traffic was good and they sped along the highway. Riding the train would have taken only two hours, but it took them three and a half hours by car The only silver lining was that there weren’t any incidents along the way.
“We’ve arrived at Heaven Spirit City. How are we going to find an opponent?” Xie Xie glanced at Tang Wulin. It was already dusk, the last glimpses of sunlight fading in the distance.
“Let’s find somewhere to stay first,” Tang Wulin replied. “It’s been a long day and everyone’s tired. We can figure things out in the morning once
we’ve rested.”
Chapter 436 - You're the Corrupt One Here!
Chapter 436 - You're the Corrupt One Here!
Overall, Tang Wulin and his friends had wasted a lot of time due to the terrorist attack. Fortunately, now that they had a car and ample amounts of money, they could focus on finishing their exam.
Heaven Spirit City was fairly populated. Following the route that Tang Wulin had meticulously planned, they would hit ten cities, all of which were at least medium-sized. The reason was simple. Finding a suitable opponent in a less populated city would prove difficult.
After they found themselves an inn, Tang Wulin brought Xie Xie and Xu Lizhi out shopping for food to eat in the car later. That way, they didn’t have to waste time looking for restaurants in each city. Not when they must clear more than one city per day. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to earn extra points for their classmates.
What made soul cars so attractive was their ability to be refueled using energy at power stations or soul power. Since Tang Wulin and the others were all soul masters, they could take turns refueling the car.
With their shopping list fulfilled, they ate dinner and finally succumbed to sleep.
☀
Near the crack of dawn, a dusty car pulled up to the local Spirit Pagoda. Compared to the one in Heaven Dou City, Heaven Spirit City’s Spirit
Pagoda was much smaller.
Squeezed between the sides of the car and his classmates, Tang Wulin unfurled a map and spread it out nice and wide, pointing an index finger to a particular spot under Xie Xie’s focused gaze. “You got the route memorized now, right? We’re going to leave immediately after we finish here. The plan is to hit three cities today and rest in the fourth. If we can manage that, we should be able to finish our exam in five days and head back to Shrek Academy.”
“Yeah. I already committed the route to memory. The Spirit Pagoda opens at nine, so we should get ready now.” Xie Xie glanced at Gu Yue. “Hey Gu Yue, there won’t be anyone too powerful in a medium-sized city like this, right?”
“Of course there will be. But we’re kids, so no one will pay much attention to us. Wulin’s bluffing and my badge are more than enough to scare them off anyway. We just need to select someone a bit younger. Less
experienced. We’ll beat them up, draw a patrol squadron to us, then beat them up too. After that, we’re out of there.”
Tang Wulin sighed as he wiggled a bit, managing to extend his hand to the empty space at the car’s center. “I’ve been corrupted by you guys.”
Gu Yue placed her hand on top of his, and the others quickly followed. “You’re the corrupt one here!” they shouted in unison at Tang Wulin.
They were far better prepared than they were yesterday, crisp white uniforms covering youthful and powerful bodies like spun authority. They had purchased the clothes the night before under Gu Yue’s advice, and the new attire bore a striking resemblance to the uniforms of the Spirit Pagoda’s headquarters. Fortunately, the supervision department’s set lacked any distinguishing emblem or feature that they might need to improvise.
As the sun climbed up the horizon, the Spirit Pagoda grew more and more lively. The doors swung open, giving way to the trickling stream of soul masters.
The six of them mixed in with the crowd and spread out to choose an ideal target.
They avoided those with strong soul power fluctuations, those too old or too young. Someone between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five fit their preferred profile. In that age range, a fairly talented soul master would likely have four soul rings.
They soon found a target. She was pretty and dressed in sportswear, about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. She had come to the Spirit Pagoda as soon as it opened and left half an hour later with a smile.
Xie Xie had been the one to mark her. He had sensed from her soul power fluctuations four soul rings, maybe even five, and signalled the others about his find. She was just what they were looking for.
The others quickly regrouped, followed her out, then blocked her path.
The woman was startled from her good mood by the sudden appearance of six people barring her way. But at the sight of their youthful faces, she relaxed slightly, the stiffness in her posture bending into less straight edges and more curves. “I don’t work for the Spirit Pagoda. I can’t sell you a
spirit soul.” She waved dismissively at them, misunderstanding their intentions.
“Big Sister, we want to spar with you,” Tang Wulin said. After much discussion, they decided to forgo the mountain bandit charade. It was too embarrassing.
“Spar? Stop joking around, kids. Hurry up and go home.” The woman laughed.
“Big Sister, I’m not joking.” Tang Wulin summoned his soul rings. Their goal was to draw out a patrol of enforcers after all.
Numerous soul rings, bright and shining, appeared around his comrades in the wake of his own. Each of them had three, amassing into a troubling
eighteen. Not to mention, the fully purple set of Tang Wulin!
Three rings? These kids all have three rings?
Bluesilver grass burst out of the ground as Tang Wulin used his first soul skill, Bind! The strands of grass shot toward her arms and legs. The others released their soul power at once to draw the attention of a patrol.
The woman was quick to react. The moment she saw Tang Wulin summoning his martial soul, she summoned her own.
Five soul rings rose from her feet, two yellow and three purple! The air around her suddenly seared with heat. She was a five-ringed Soul King!
But Tang Wulin and his comrades weren’t afraid. They had already fought a Soul King back in Heaven Dou City. Moreover, she seemed to be a fire-
attributed soul master. Tang Wulin could strip away her fire element with Bluesilver Golden Array.
Despite her cocoon of flames, the woman could not ward off the incoming strands of bluesilver grass. Tang Wulin drew upon the full might of the
Golden Dragon King as he charged her, his bluesilver grass swarming her in a squirming mass.
Suddenly, a flaming gourd materialized above the woman’s head. One of her soul rings lit up, and just before the bluesilver grass bound her, she was sucked into the gourd.
She disappeared… Shock painted their faces.
Bluesilver grass met nothing but air. They had encountered strange martial souls before, but this bizarre disappearing act was a first.
A blink later, the flaming gourd spun to Tang Wulin’s direction, unleashing a fiery barrage.
A wall of ice sprung up in front of Tang Wulin before the flames could
engulf him. But the flames were fierce, melting away the ice wall instantly.
The moment the ice wall liquified, Tang Wulin and his comrades leaped backward in retreat. Bluesilver grass pierced the earth as Tang Wulin used
Bluesilver Golden Array and unleashed the power of elemental stripping. The bane of all elements, it was with this skill that they had defeated the Soul King with a mist martial soul.
Chapter 437 - Running Into a Steel Wall
Chapter 437 - Running Into a Steel Wall
The moment Bluesilver Golden Array activated, the flames grew dim. Then the array sucked all of the flames up! But the flaming gourd wouldn’t be defeated so easily. It turned its mouth up a bit and spewed yet another burst of fire, rocketing itself out of the golden array’s domain.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye!
She’s a tough one! Tang Wulin’s expression hardened. They needed to defeat her as soon as possible, otherwise the enforcers would arrive to back her up.
The gourd rotated downward and ejected the woman in a fiery blaze. Fury filled her eyes. “What the hell are you kids doing?”
Before she could continue questioning them, golden light flashed beneath her and her body went stiff.
Tang Wulin took advantage of this opening and commanded his bluesilver grass to bind her. Ye Xinglan then rushed in and thrust her sword at the
woman’s chest. Xie Xie took action as well, appearing behind the woman
and swiping his Light Dragon Dagger at her neck. Their movements were in perfect sync!
Against a single opponent, there was nothing better than Xu Xiaoyan’s Starwheel Shackles. Its power was absolute!
Just when they thought they had defeated the woman, the Stargod Sword and Light Dragon Dagger inches from taking her life, the woman’s eyes flashed and a phoenix’s cry pierced the air. Fiery light glowed beneath her clothing, bursting forth to envelop her entire body in an instant. Rings of
light appeared all over her body, and with it, the intensity of her soul power fluctuations surged to an even higher level. She was several times stronger than before, her soul power manifesting around her as a giant ring of flames. A golden pattern appeared on the gourd above her, and it grew to two feet diameter.
The flames around her forced Ye Xinglan and Xie Xie away from her, then continued to linger on their bodies and feed on their soul power. The phoenix’s cry continued to grow stronger. The woman stood up straight.
She began to exude an air of grandeur as a crimson set of armor manifested to cover her entire body. A phoenix helmet materialized into being, snug on her head. Crimson body armor traced the elegant silhouette of her womanly figure. Veins of fire spread from her shoulders to her fingertips. A fiery golden phoenix emblem was engraved onto her breastplate. The armor itself wasn’t particularly beautiful, but it emphasized her womanly charm and
elevated it to another level.
“Battle armor!” Tang Wulin sputtered. Then a bitter smile formed on his lips. From the complexity of the design and the strength of power fluctuations, Tang Wulin knew she was wearing one-word battle armor. She had used the rings of light from earlier as a method of storage. Normal one- word armor couldn’t merge with the user after all. Yet this was a full set of one-word battle armor! This five-ringed woman now possessed might
comparable to that of a seven-ringed soul master!
Yan Feng was furious right now. She had been in a good mood when she set out for the Spirit Pagoda this morning to register as a one-word battle armor master. She was the youngest one-word battle armor master in Heaven Spirit City, and this gave her the leverage to sign a retainer contract with great benefits. The Spirit Pagoda promised to invest in her and bring her up to the two-word level, upon which she could be considered a powerful figure on the continent. Yet right after she left the Spirit Pagoda buzzing
with joy, she was ambushed by a bunch of kids! These kids weren’t weak
either, and they managed to force her to bring out her battle armor. She
couldn’t possibly have known that Tang Wulin’s gang meant no harm, and she had felt genuinely threatened by the Stargod Sword and Light Dragon Dagger.
The moment Yan Feng brought out her battle armor, Wu Zhangkong’s voice rang in the ears of everyone in Tang Wulin’s group. “If you are able to defeat her, you will fulfill the quota for this city.”
Tang Wulin’s mouth twitched. Teacher Wu, oh Teacher Wu! How could you do this to us! She’s a one-word battle armor master! She’s as strong as a
seven-ringed Soul Sage! How are we supposed to defeat someone like that?
Before Tang Wulin could continue his train of thought, Yan Feng pointed at Tang Wulin and the gourd expelled flames toward him.
I can’t talk her down anymore! Tang Wulin could see the inextinguishable fury in her eyes. They could only give it their all. We have no other choice!
Tang Wulin sucked in a deep breath even as the flames flew at him. His three purple soul rings disappeared, and in an instant, they were replaced by a single golden one. Golden light erupted from him as scales rippled into
existence to cover his right arm, and his hand transformed into a dragon claw. Threads of starlight shot out of his hand and wrapped themselves
around it, manifesting as a gauntlet. He couldn’t afford to hold back against a real battle armor master!
“Battle armor?” Yan Feng was startled by the gauntlet on Tang Wulin’s
claw. Impossible! He’s so young! There’s no way he could have a piece of battle armor! It came from within his body too! Could it actually be a piece of two-word armor?
Even though it was just a one-word gauntlet, it was unthinkable for such a young kid to have it. Yan Feng got her first piece of battle armor when was twenty-one years old, and she was considered a genius for it. She had been hard at work these past few years and finally managed to craft a full set.
Yet Tang Wulin was years ahead of her.
The instant Tang Wulin made his move, so too did his comrades.
Positioned in the backline, Xu Lizhi did the only thing he could do. He threw soup buns and bean buns to the others. Tang Wulin caught it the buns from behind with his left hand and immediately ate them. He had to finish this as soon as possible. Even one-word battle armor possessed the ability to boost its user’s soul power recovery. A prolonged battle guaranteed defeat for them.
Tang Wulin stomped the ground with his left foot and shot forward,
shattering the ground below. His blood essence boiling as the power of the Golden Dragon King surged within him. His eyes became a resplendent gold, and the oppressive aura of his blood essence coalesced. Brandishing his dragon claw, he swung it in front of him and split the incoming flames apart, opening a path to Yan Feng.
As the captain of his team and an assault-type soul master, it was Tang Wulin’s duty to lead the charge. He couldn’t shrink back in the face of an opponent. He had to create an opening for his comrades.
His blood essence and soul power skyrocketed under the influence of the bloodthirst bean buns. Golden scales covered his entire body now, but
shone brightest on his right arm and torso.
He has twin martial souls? Yan Feng went wide-eyed with shock. But only for a moment.
“Hmph!” She glared at Tang Wulin and stood her ground. The gourd above her turned from Tang Wulin to his comrades, spewing flames to isolate him. She wanted to deal with the enemy leader first.
Yan Feng met Tang Wulin’s golden dragon claw with a fist of her own. The instant before the two collided, a draconic roar erupted from Tang Wulin’s body. A golden dragon head half a meter in diameter shot out of his fist and toward Yan Feng’s!
It was Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens!
Tang Wulin may not have broken the fourth seal after eating the ruby
shrimp, but they had still boosted his power and refined his control over Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens!
Alarms went off in Yan Feng’s head. She sensed a powerful force suddenly appear in front of her, then her flames were devoured. The golden claw opened up and clamped down on her fist.
Tang Wulin tightened his grip on Yan Feng’s fist, and her battle armor flared up in defense, all of the fiery veins on her armor blazing to life. The phoenix emblem glowed and a transparent phoenix shot out at him.
Chapter 438 - Big Sister, This Is All a Misunderstanding!
Chapter 438 - Big Sister, This Is All a Misunderstanding!
So this is what battle armor is like! Attack and defense are one and the same! Tang Wulin could feel the battle armor mitigating the destructive
might of his claw, spreading the force evenly from Yan Feng’s gauntlet to the rest of her armor. The crushing effect couldn’t even come into play.
Even with Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens and his one-word gauntlet, Tang Wulin’s strength only reached that of the peak of four rings. He was no match for a battle armor master clad in a full set of one-word battle
armor!
As this realization hit Tang Wulin, Yan Feng retaliated. Now blazing like a miniature sun, the phoenix emblem on her breastplate suddenly burst with energy. A transparent phoenix erupted from the emblem! At the same time, the flaming gourd above Feng Yan’s head suddenly turned to Tang Wulin. One of the woman’s soul rings lit up and her gourd spewed a gold-tinged fireball!
Tang Wulin reacted immediately, bending his arm in an attempt to transition his crushing grip into a throw. If there was one thing he had confidence in, it was his strength. A strand of bluesilver grass wound around his legs and drilled into the ground. It acted as an anchor, helping him pivot in place.
But none of this allowed him to avoid the fireball and phoenix!
All of a sudden, an ice spear pierced the phoenix! It exploded in flames, the resulting blast sending Tang Wulin flying. Ye Xinglan walked forward,
conjuring a net of sword beams that flew out to protect Tang Wulin from
the fireball that pursued. It splashed against the net, dispersing and dissipating into nothing.
Her soul power is on a completely different level! Even under the effects of bloodthirst, Tang Wulin still had to endure the agonizing pain that the flames scorched into his body. In terms of combat experience and combat techniques, he and his team could stand toe-to-toe with Yan Feng. However, the fundamental difference in cultivation level was too great a hurdle to overcome with just experience and technique. Furthermore, with a full set of battle armor her defense was impenetrable.
Xie Xie silently appeared behind Yan Feng and slashed at her shoulders with his daggers. However, the woman’s armor simply released a blast of flame, sending him staggering in retreat.
Tang Wulin gaped at her overwhelming might. She was setting the pace of the battle now.
How are we supposed to beat her?
A brilliant burst of color suddenly interrupted Tang Wulin’s thoughts. A fist-sized ball of blue, red, yellow, and green light shot through the air, bearing down upon Yan Feng in an instant. The woman didn’t dare hold
anything back. Her fourth soul ring lit up and the gourd spit out golden-red fireballs in rapid succession. The fireballs hurtled toward the quad-colored ball of light one after another, the two forces exploding into an elemental
storm upon contact.
Tang Wulin lay on the ground, hurriedly using the Mysterious Heaven
Method to counteract the burning sensation running rampant throughout his body. His body was strong and he hadn’t received any real injuries, but as he watched Gu Yue face off against Yan Feng, he came to understand just how impossible it would be to seize victory. After persisting for about five seconds, the elemental storm began to die. The air slowly cleared, and Yan Feng stood in the same place, just as imposing as before. There wasn’t a
single scratch on her or her armor.
And the gourd turned back to Tang Wulin.
“B-big Sister! Th-this is all a misunderstanding!” Tang Wulin stuttered through a strained smile.
At that moment, an ear-piercing alarm filled the air. Three yellow mechas flew over and slowed to hover above everyone. A droning voice echoed from the lead mecha. “Halt!”
Yan Feng froze just before she attacked, the gourd turning away from Tang Wulin to point up at the sky. She snorted then turned to glare at Tang Wulin, the leader of her ambushers. To her astonishment however, he wore a face full of indignation. The three mechas descended to separate Yan Feng from Tang Wulin’s group, their ten-meter-tall bulks causing the earth to rumble.
Xu Xiaoyan grabbed on to Ye Xinglan’s arm, hid behind her, and began to cry. Xie Xie lowered his head, a gloomy expression on his face. Ye Xinglan just stared straight ahead in a daze. Xu Lizhi crouched to the ground with his back to everyone else. Gu Yue remained expressionless, but light twinkled in her eyes.
Tang Wulin stood up straight and pulled Gu Yue behind him, the anger in his eyes growing hotter. “Enforcers! You came just in time to save us! If you had taken just a second longer, she would have killed us!”
“Huh?” Yan Feng was speechless. She was the one who had been attacked! The leader of the enforcers turned to Yan Feng. “What’s going on here?
Why are you attacking these kids? Wait... are you a one-word battle armor master?”
Yan Feng had just registered as a one-word battle armor master before this incident, so the enforcers didn’t recognize her. However, when they realized she was a one-word battle armor master, they became vigilant. They may have had three mechas, but all three were yellow grade and wouldn’t stand a chance against her.
“Don’t listen to his lies!” Yan Feng shouted. “They were the ones who attacked me!”
Tang Wulin blinked innocently, trying to solicit as much pity as possible, then fear crept onto his face. “W-what? You’re accusing us of attacking you? You’re a one-word battle armor master! We’re just young soul masters! Uncles, I’m only fourteen, and the youngest of my friends is thirteen! Do you think we would dare attack a one-word battle armor master?”
Yan Feng trembled with anger. “You lying brat! Don’t try to pin this on me! You didn’t even know I was a battle armor master before you attacked! We never met before this!”
“If we didn’t know each other, then why would we attack you?” Tang Wulin asked. “I remember hearing you say that you just became a one-word battle armor master and wanted to find someone to spar with. Then, as soon as you saw us, you attacked! There’s no way we could do anything against you. Our teacher taught us that great power leads to enormous responsibility. You’re a battle armor master yet you’re bullying the weak!
You beat up kids like us and you’re still trying to lie about it?”
Xu Xiaoyan’s sobs grew louder, and she pressed her face into Ye Xinglan’s clothes. Ye Xinglan continued staring straight ahead.
Xie Xie sighed. He had known Tang Wulin for a long time now and was always amazed by his friend’s talent for acting.
Everyone went silent. The enforcers were confused, but they were inclined to side with Tang Wulin’s group. They were just kids. The idea of them picking a fight with a battle armor master was too unbelievable.
“All of you, you’re coming with us back to the Spirit Pagoda. We’ll watch the security recording before passing judgement,” the leader of the
enforcers said.
“Okay!” Tang Wulin answered immediately.
Yan Feng gnashed her teeth. “You little bastard! Let’s see you talk your way out of this when we see proof!” It took all of her self-control to not attack him.
The mechas formed a triangle around her. “Let’s go. Please put away your battle armor.” They were clearly worried that she would try to flee!
Yan Feng’s fury blazed to even greater heights. “Are you guys blind? You can’t even tell who’s right and who’s wrong here! So what if I don’t put
away my armor?”
The mechas instantly pointed their cannons at her.
“You see, uncles? She’s so arrogant and despicable!” Tang Wulin cried as he ran away in fear.
Yan Feng couldn’t hold back her anger any longer. “I’m going to burn you to ash!”
She rushed after Tang Wulin, but the instant she moved, the mechas opened fire!
Chapter 439 - The Handsome Man and the Blushing Lady
Chapter 439 - The Handsome Man and the Blushing Lady
The enforcers reacted according to their training, and immediately bombarded Yan Feng with their cannons. The ground shook upon every explosion, thick clouds of dust being kicked into flight.
Even with battle armor equipped, Yan Feng’s stance crumbled under the hefty barrage. As their thrusters pushed them airborne, the three mechas unleashed the next round of energy blasts. Holding back against a one-word battle armor master meant disaster! The lead enforcer had already called for backup. The only thing left to do was to stall.
Tang Wulin and his friends stood awed by the power of the mechas. In their hearts, they realized one thing: had they not taken the mechas in Heaven
Dou City by surprise and teamwork, they would have lost.
These three mechas exemplified superb coordination. They surrounded Yan Feng in an instant, trapping her in an uninterrupted barrage. Powerful one- word battle armor master she might be, Yan Feng was still a fledgling one. Her martial soul and battle armor compatibility was low. As such, the mechas were able to suppress her for now.
Tang Wulin didn’t let this opportunity slip through his fingers. He dashed off with his friends as he yelled, “Be careful everyone! Don’t get blasted by those cannons! Let’s get away from the battlefield! Enforcer uncles, good luck!”
Xie Xie was the fastest of the bunch, quickly overtaking Tang Wulin and jumping into the driver’s seat of their soul car. The others crammed in a moment later. For once, Xu Lizhi hadn’t struggled to squeeze in.
Xie Xie floored the pedal. The wheels spun in place as they fought for traction, and a second later they were off. Neither the enforcers nor Yan Feng noticed their disappearance. Their attention was focused on each other, and the explosions drowned out the sound of the car.
Xie Xie turned into a back alley and the car accelerated.
“I can’t believe we ran into a battle armor master! Our luck is horrible.
Aren’t they supposed to be really rare? How did we manage to pick one?” Xu Xiaoyan said as she wiped away her tears.
Tang Wulin smiled bitterly. “It looks like we’ll need to think of another way to go about this. Our current method contains too many variables, and we offend a lot of people like this. It was never a good plan to begin with! At this rate, we’re going to get blacklisted by the Spirit Pagoda!”
Gu Yue shook her head. “That’s impossible. I’m with you guys.”
“Boss, you just keeping getting more awesome!” Xie Xie exclaimed. “You were born to be an actor!”
Tang Wulin’s expression soured. “Do you think I wanted to lie? That was a battle armor master we just fought! Not even several mechas together can take her on! If I hadn’t lied, we would have been rounded up with no way to escape. We couldn’t afford to waste that much time. In the future we’ll think of a way to apologize to them.”
☀
Within the walls of the Heaven Spirit City’s Spirit Pagoda, Yan Feng
slammed her hands onto the metal table, flames flickering around her body. “You guys get it now? Those kids were the ones at fault! They attacked me first!” After watching the security recordings, the enforcers who brought her in were speechless.
By the time Yan Feng had managed to struggle out of the encirclement of the three enforcers, Tang Wulin and his friends had disappeared without a trace. She wanted to chase after them, but that thought was dashed as soon as three purple mechas arrived. As powerful as she might be, she couldn’t fight against six mechas at once. She had no choice but to let them
apprehend her. Even if she could escape them, she would gain nothing.
“Our apologies, Miss Yan Feng. We have confirmed your identity. We’re really embarrassed about what happened and never expected those kids to be so cunning.”
Yan Feng’s glare was hot enough to scorch. “What are you waiting for then? Hurry up and go catch them!”
A pained smile crawled its way across the enforcer leader’s face. “I’m afraid we can’t do that. The Spirit Pagoda may have a lot of power and
influence, but we can’t infringe on the Federation’s jurisdiction and capture someone outside of the Spirit Pagoda’s general vicinity. We can’t afford to butt heads with the Federation. We’ve already informed the government, so we’ll hand over the reigns from here. Besides, honestly speaking, we don’t have much evidence to go on here and you’re unharmed. Even if we caught them, there isn’t much we can punish them for. At most, they’ll have to
spend a few days in a detention center.”
His words were like a bucket of cold water over Yan Feng’s head. He’s right! I wasn’t injured, so there isn’t really anything to convict them of. They were probably telling the truth about their ages too, which means they’re still minors. If we arrested them, it’s likely their families only have to pay a fine and give them a stern lecture at home. I can’t believe those kids!
“Miss Yan Feng, please calm down. Please let us apologize for this matter first.” The enforcers stood up and bowed to her.
Yan Feng’s anger dissipated when she recognized their sincerity, and she gestured for them to stop. “Forget about it. Those kids better hope they never run into me again though. If there’s nothing else, I’m going to leave now.”
The enforcers escorted her to the entrance. She held great status as a battle armor master registered with the Spirit Pagoda. Someday, she might even become their superior!
After exiting the Spirit Pagoda, Yan Feng scanned the surroundings, hoping to catch a glimpse of Tang Wulin and the others lurking nearby. But they
were nowhere to be found.
Right at that moment, her gaze landed on a handsome, slender man about her age. He was clothed in white robes and his long, lustrous hair gently draped down his back. He exuded a chilling aura.
Yan Feng’s martial soul was of the fire-attribute, her personality fiery. The moment she laid eyes on this man, however, she found her fury fading into dying embers.
He’s so handsome! Yan Feng gulped. There wasn’t a girl in the world who didn’t fancy themselves a handsome man, especially a man as handsome as this! Moreover, she was shocked to find herself unable to determine his
cultivation level despite sensing his status as a soul master.
He’s even stronger than me? Her body tingled, a strange sensation fire- attribute soul masters felt when in the presence of an ice-attribute soul master. Yeah, he does seem like an ice-attribute.
The mysterious man took a step.
H-he’s walking toward me? Yan Feng’s heart raced.
She wasn’t sure before, but now it was obvious he was approaching her, his steps slow and steady. Their eyes met.
His eyes are so pretty! Oh my god! I can’t even! He’s too handsome! Yan Feng could see herself reflected in those limpid pools, before realizing her current haphazard state. Her clothes and hair were still in disarray from the previous incident. She hurriedly put herself together, fixing up her attire, doing her best to hide all traces of the previous scuffle. Her face burned hot with embarrassment.
“Hi,” the man said, his voice a chilling breeze. Yan Feng gasped. The
contrast between its frigid nature and the pleasure it brought brushed the deepest, softest nook of her heart.
“H-hi!” Yan Feng couldn’t help her nervousness. He was a sight to behold! “I’m Wu Zhangkong.” He gave her a curt nod.
“Oh, uh, I’m Yan Feng.” She barely managed to introduce herself.
“I wanted to apologize to you. Those kids you ran into today are my disciples. They’re currently in the middle of an exam for our academy, so they had to find sparring partners. But they meant no harm. I want to
apologize in their place.” Wu Zhangkong bowed.
“Oh. Uh. It’s fine.” Yan Feng’s heart raced and settled back down in the span of a moment. Her eyes widened, voice rising an octave. “What? T- those kids are your disciples?”
“Yes, they are,” Wu Zhangkong said.
Yan Feng’s breathing grew frantic. “So, you taught them to attack people like that?”
Wu Zhangkong was unperturbed. “No, but as their teacher, the responsibility falls upon me.”
“You…” Yan Feng was astonished. Try as she might, she couldn’t grow angry at him.
Wu Zhangkong nodded at her again. “Once more, I apologize. Goodbye.” Without another word, he turned to leave.
“Hey!” Yan Feng shouted after him.
He stopped in his steps and moved to face her. “Is there something else?” “Just saying sorry won’t cut it!”
Wu Zhangkong went silent for a moment before speaking. “Then what do you propose?”
Chapter 440 - Take Me Out for Lunch!
Chapter 440 - Take Me Out for Lunch!
“You need to show sincerity when you apologize,” Yan Feng said, twirling a finger through her hair. “At the very least, you need to take me out for lunch.”
The moment the words left her mouth, her face glowed a bright red. But she couldn’t back down! She was in her twenties now, but because she had focused on cultivating, she never once had a boyfriend. She believed that love at first sight was just something out of a fairy tale, but that changed
when she met Wu Zhangkong. He was simply too handsome! Even if he had some sort of baggage, that didn’t matter. To her, his good looks would make up for anything!
“Fine.” Wu Zhangkong nodded. “What do you want to eat?” Yan Feng lit up. “You decide!”
Wu Zhangkong pondered for a moment before saying, “Okay. Follow me.” Then he turned and walked away.
He’s even handsome from behind! Yan Feng patted her chest to calm herself down, then chased after him with a blushing face. Those kids aren’t that bad. They couldn’t possibly be bad kids with such a handsome man for a teacher! I guess I just have to forgive them.
Wu Zhangkong walked at a steady pace, neither slow nor fast. Yan Feng followed just behind him, utterly captivated by her view of him from
behind. She was committing every detail to memory. Her eyes never left him!
Wu Zhangkong was truly eye-catching. As he walked down the street, he drew the gazes of all the nearby women, no matter their age.
As a Soul King, Yan Feng possessed exceptional hearing. She could hear the murmurs of smitten women praising Wu Zhangkong. They were
echoing the countless thoughts that Yan Feng already had in the past few minutes.
Soon enough, the two turned a corner into an alley and reached a small restaurant. The front of the restaurant was no more than four meters wide. Peering inside through the window, Yan Feng only saw four tables. Noon had nearly arrived, and she could smell a fragrant aroma wafting out from the restaurant.
Wu Zhangkong silently stood at the door, his mind wandering off in a daze. Yan Feng could see the ice in his eyes thaw, revealing a tenderness that made her heart skip a beat.
A plump, short-haired man in his fifties opened the door and exclaimed, “Zhangkong! You’re back! Hurry up and come in.” He hugged Wu Zhangkong then beckoned him inward.
If Tang Wulin had been present, his jaw would have dropped. Wu Zhangkong was actually quite the clean freak, yet he didn’t mind this man hugging him. In fact, he looked at the man warmly, nodded, then entered. Yan Feng followed closely behind him.
The restaurant was just as tiny on the inside as it had looked from the outside. It was a bit dirty and had flies darting around the place. If any other man had brought Yan Feng here, she would have given him zero points. The place was simply too crude. But since Wu Zhangkong was the one who brought her here, she simply thought the place had character! She figured that a handsome guy like him had a good reason for coming here after all!
Indeed, the world wasn’t fair!
The plump man led them to a table by the window. “Zhangkong, it's been so long. How have you been?”
Wu Zhangkong sat down and leaned back in his chair. “I’ve been alright.” “Is this your friend?” The man glanced at Yan Feng. She couldn’t be
considered a world-shaking beauty, but she did possess her own charm. She was in her prime and brimming with youth.
“Hello!” Yan Feng smiled at the man, then took a seat across from Wu Zhangkong.
The man gaped at her. Her bright demeanor didn’t fit Wu Zhangkong at all.
“Get us the usual.” Wu Zhangkong said. Only then did the man regain himself.
“Alrighty then. The usual it is. I’ll go whip it up right away.” The man turned to walk back to the kitchen, but he paused for a moment, then turned back and said, “It’s good to see you Zhangkong. It really is.”
After the man left, Wu Zhangkong’s expression grew icy once more. Seated across from him, Yan Feng could finally examine him properly. His
eyelashes are so long! He has pretty eyes, and his nose is high! His lips are really full too. If we got married… oh my god, what am I thinking?
Yan Feng blushed crimson.
“Do you come here often?” Yan Feng asked.
Wu Zhangkong’s cold gaze focused on her. “I used to.” “No wonder the boss recognized you.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you live in Heaven Spirit City?” Wu Zhangkong shook his head.
“Oh?” Surprise tinged Yan Feng’s voice. “Where are you from then?” “Shrek,” he answered.
“How old are you?”
Taken aback by the question, Wu Zhangkong went silent for a moment. Then he shook his head, declining to answer.
A playful light glinted in Yan Feng’s eyes. “Okay. Let me guess. Twenty seven?”
Wu Zhangkong remained silent.
“That’s not it, huh? Are you twenty-six? Or are you actually twenty-eight?” Wu Zhangkong furrowed his brow. “Thirty-three.”
“Wow! Thirty-three?” Yan Feng stared at him in astonishment. “ But you look so young! You have such nice skin. If you weren’t so mature, I would have thought you in your early twenties. I’m about to turn twenty-seven myself, so you’re six years older than me.”
“Oh.”
“You’re so concise. Do you usually talk like this?” “Yes.”
“What’s going on with your disciples?” Yan Feng asked. “You said they were in the middle of an exam?”
Wu Zhangkong’s eyes brightened a bit. “It’s their end-of-semester exam.”
Yan Feng groaned. “The boy that was leading them is no good, you know. He attacked me, then he lied and said I attacked him! He’s a real actor that one. Did you teach him that?”
Wu Zhangkong made a helpless expression. “It wasn’t me.”
“Who taught him that then?”
The corner of Wu Zhangkong’s mouth twitched, and Yan Feng’s heart nearly skipped a beat. It was her first time seeing his mask crack.
“He was born with that talent,” Wu Zhangkong said with a hint of resignation.
“You need to be more careful with how you pick your disciples,” Yan Feng said sagely. “That aside, the boy’s like a sapling. As his teacher, it’s your responsibility to make sure he grows up straight and proper.”
“He won’t go astray. He’s a good kid.”
Yan Feng pursed her lips. “I disagree. But enough about that, let’s talk about you. Where do you teach? Which academy?”
At that moment, the plump restaurant boss brought the food over. There were candied yellow vegetables, fishy stir-fried strips of pork, spicy
chicken, and a big bowl of tofu soup. Two bowls of rice accompanied the soup and the three side dishes.
Yan Feng was actually quite hungry. Due to her excitement this morning, she had skipped breakfast. Wu Zhangkong was hungry as well. Although the shop was small, the dishes sang to their appetites.
“No need to be polite. Let’s eat!” Yan Feng grabbed her chopsticks, picked up her bowl, and began eating. She picked up a piece of pork and put it in her mouth. One bite, and her eyes flew wide open. “Delicious! I never thought such a small restaurant could have such good food. It’s even better than big and fancy restaurants. Good pick!”
Wu Zhangkong picked up his own bowl and began eating slowly. He stared at the dishes in a daze as he ate. He picked up a piece of the yellow vegetable and put it in his mouth. He chewed slowly, as if savoring it and
examining the flavor.
“You still haven’t answered my question,” Yan Feng said as she ate. “What academy do you teach at?”
“Shrek,” Wu Zhangkong answered quietly.
“Shrek Academy, huh? Good one...” Then the realization hit her, and Yan Feng nearly dropped her bowl. She stared at Wu Zhangkong with wide
eyes, her voice going up an octave as she yelped, “Y-you’re a teacher at Shrek Academy?”
Wu Zhangkong glanced at her, then went back to eating. “What about it?”
“N-nothing.” Yan Feng fought to suppress her astonishment, but in her heart, she rejoiced. He’s perfect!