Chapter 461 - The First Transformation: Dragon God Awakens
Chapter 461 - The First Transformation: Dragon God Awakens
“Dragon God Transformation?” The referee cracked a bitter smile. “Fine. You win.”
Tang Wulin grinned. He waved at the silent audience, who were too stunned to make a peep. Then with a smirk, he moved a finger to his lips and
shushed them.
Xie Xie nudged Tang Wulin as he supported his captain, urging him to make their getaway. If not, then they would soon be drenched in a rain of spit. He paused to readjust his grip on Tang Wulin. “You really are a glutton.”
Tang Wulin looked at him, confused. “What do you mean?”
Rolling his eyes, Xie Xie said, “You’re so heavy. Isn’t it obvious?”
Silent, Tang Wulin brought a hand to his belly, patting and prodding the flesh. Xie Xie rolled his eyes again at the sight.
Finished with his inspection, Tang Wulin glanced at Gu Yue. Her eyes were closed, and she was only standing thanks to Xu Xiaoyan’s support.
He leaned toward Gu Yue, speaking softly into her ear. “Is the skill really called the Dragon God Transformation? Or did you just come up with that name?”
Her eyes burst open. She stared into his own, whispering, “Dragon God Transformation. The first transformation is Dragon God Awakens.”
“Is there a second transformation?” Tang Wulin asked, eyes wide.
“Yes. Dragon God’s Nine Transformations.” Though weak, her voice carried a forceful edge.
A shiver ran down Tang Wulin’s spine. But he was too exhausted to pursue the topic any further.
Imperial Sun Moon Academy’s staff and students alike watched as the six left the premises, faces pinched in conflict. No matter how prideful they might be, they couldn’t deny the strength of the Shrek Academy students. In a six versus six battle, despite having three Soul Ancestors and two soul fusion skills, their team still suffered a total defeat.
The words from the megaphone rang true: today they were shown the gap in strength between Shrek Academy and themselves.
☀
Tang Wulin and his friends stumbled out of the elevator, arms flailing and elbows jutting into each other. They were in a hurry to leave the Imperial Sun Moon Academy.
The moment they crossed the gates, they were startled by an impenetrable crowd. They knew Bright City was highly populated, but this went beyond their imagination.
The match had been broadcasted to every household and public television in all of Bright City. Countless people had watched the entire match with bated breath, on the edge of their seats. Now many of them were coming to see the victors with their own eyes.
Tang Wulin stuffed a pork bun into his mouth and took a deep breath. He gritted his teeth. He couldn’t fall unconscious now. Gu Yue, on the other
hand, didn’t seem to carry that same goal, eyes shut tight. Whether she was awake or not was anyone’s guess.
It’d be great if we had a car right now! Tang Wulin rubbed his forehead. Unfortunately for them, they had abandoned their car on the highway.
As he was drowning in self-pity, a car dove from the sky and landed right in front of them. The door swung open to reveal Wu Zhangkong in the driver’s seat. “Get in.”
Teacher Wu! Tang Wulin burst into a smile.
The six young men and women dashed into the car. Once they were strapped in, the doors closed and Wu Zhangkong took off. They sat
nervously in their seats as the vehicle soared, accelerating through the sky.
☀
In a conference room tucked within the Imperial Sun Moon Academy, elderly and middle-aged men sat at a round table, their faces grim.
“Well, speak up. What do you all think of the match?” All eyes moved to the speaker, an elderly man sitting at the head of the table.
“I don’t know what I should say,” said a middle-aged man seated next to the first speaker. “Be it in terms of martial soul or battle prowess, we should have been superior. But they still managed to beat us in the end. Although there were six of them, one of the Shrek Academy students was a food-type.
As such, they basically had five combatants.” Shaking his head, he said “The one we should pay the most attention to is that Tang Wulin. He was
able to tip the scales in their favor by defeating Long Chen in an instant. I still can’t understand how he did it. Just how was Long Chen eliminated so
quickly? From what we saw of his strength afterward, Tang Wulin shouldn’t have been able to overwhelm Long Chen like that.”
“I asked Long Chen about that earlier,” said another man. “Apparently, his martial soul and soul power were struck with fear when he faced Tang Wulin. It made it impossible to bring out his full strength. Just think about
their seven-colored soul fusion skill. It was outrageously oppressive. It was the aura of a tyrant.”
The elder at the head of the table frowned. “It’s not just tyrannical might. No, it must have been martial soul and attribute suppression as well.” His eyes flashed with a solemn light. “A higher being dominating those below it.”
“How can that be?” blurted out one of the academy executives. The rest broke into speculative murmurs.
They could not comprehend such a situation. Long Chen’s martial soul was the Holy Radiant Dragon! It was one of the martial souls that stood at the very apex of the world. In fact, his was a stronger variant. They had nearly spent their entire annual budget just to lure him away from joining Shrek
Academy.
Furthermore, among draconic martial souls, the Holy Radiant Dragon was among the cream of the crop. It was hard for them to believe that there was a dragon higher up on the hierarchy.
“The facts are facts, even if we struggle to believe them. That Tang Wulin must have a dragon martial soul as well, and one that outclasses every other dragon. Out of the countless dragon martial souls, only a few like the Beast God of the Great Star Dou Forest can overwhelm the Holy Radiant
Dragon,” said the elder, deep in thought.
As the Headmaster of the Imperial Sun Moon Academy, it was true that he couldn’t tolerate their shameful defeat. But that was just it. Shame. What truly sank his heart, the elephant in the room, was the disparity in strength between Shrek Academy and themselves.
He had placed his hopes on this generation’s representative team. In fact, the full team numbered seven, not six. They were the Imperial Sun Moon Academy’s Seven Shining Stars. They were the champions that were
supposed to defeat Shrek Academy’s team. Yet in their debut match, they themselves were defeated.
This has to be one of their schemes! The headmaster gritted his teeth I bet Shrek already knew about our Seven Stars. They specially targeted them. There’s no way we would have lost otherwise!
A senior executive interrupted his internal agony. “Is the Beast God you’re talking about the Gold-eyed Black Dragon King, Beast God Di Tian?”
The Headmaster nodded. “Yes, him. He’s the reason why the Great Star Dou Forest still exists. His cultivation level is already over eight hundred thousand years, the true lord of the soul beasts. I’m not sure how many
four-word battle armor masters it would take just to stall him in his human form. He had escaped with a several other soul beasts years ago when we attempted to neutralize them, and now they hide in the heart of the Great Star Dou Forest. With them occupying the forest, it’s become a forbidden area.
“That Tang Wulin’s martial soul’s aura was really bright, nothing like the Gold-eyed Black Dragon King’s. It must be another supreme dragon that Shrek Academy dug up. He only has three rings at the moment, but he
already possesses a piece of one-word battle armor. His future is unimaginable. We have to investigate him.” Bringing a hand to his chin, the Headmaster continued, “Investigate that Gu Yue girl as well. Her three blue fireballs consumed over half of the Skytiger soul fusion skill’s power.
Despite acting only once throughout the battle, she had done so at a crucial moment. We can’t underestimate her.
“There’s also that Ye Xinglan.” He started counting on his fingers. “She’s even stronger than Liushuang. Her Stargod Sword Arts are simply at a higher level. And that girl who summoned the gold light. Her control skills are unbelievable. She was even able to restrain the Ice Goddess for a split second.
“I’m afraid that even in a one-on-one scenario, each of their members outclass ours. Examine the match thoroughly. I want data and an analysis of every second.”
“Understood!”
☀
Moments after the car had taken to the air, a wave of dizziness crashed upon Tang Wulin. Darkness encroached on his vision from the sides. His body felt heavy and limp, and he could barely sit up straight in his seat. The pressure of the match and the Dragon God Transformation had drained him of energy. Not only did it consume his soul power, but his blood essence
and mental strength as well. A second later, he gave in to the call of slumber.
In his dreams, the Golden Dragon King’s fourth seal bulged and bent to some unseen force, on the verge of cracking entirely.
“Wake up,” someone whispered into his ear.
He opened his eyes and found himself in the palace in the depths of his mind. Standing before him, a shimmering golden figure.
“Old Tang,” Tang Wulin said. It had been a while since they last met. “Boy, you really know how to make people worry!” Old Tang sighed.
Tang Wulin stared at Old Tang, concern clouding his eyes. “Old Tang, what happened?”
Chapter 462 - Crisis of the Fourth Seal
Chapter 462 - Crisis of the Fourth Seal
“Your fourth seal will only last three more months. You have to find the necessary spirit items and break the seal before then,” Old Tang said grimly.
“Huh?” Tang Wulin gaped. “Isn’t that too soon? Didn’t I have plenty of time?”
“At first, things were fine. Your strength was growing fast enough to handle the later seals and you were eating food that bolstered your blood essence.
However, you did something that loosened the Golden Dragon King seals. Cracks have appeared in the fourth sea and the suppressed Golden Dragon King power within is beginning to stir. If you don’t break the seal and take the power for yourself soon, the seal will collapse and the energies will run rampant in your body. At that moment, you might die. Tell me what you have been doing that may have caused this.”
Tang Wulin’s heart thumped. The first thing that came to his mind was his soul fusion skill with Gu Yue.
“A soul fusion skill?” he blurted out.
“Soul fusion skill?” Old Tang asked in astonishment. “There’s someone you can use a soul fusion skill with? Impossible!”
“Yeah! Gu Yue told me our soul fusion skill is called the Dragon God’s Nine Transformations. I didn’t get a chance to ask her about its specifics
though.” Tang Wulin proceeded to recount all that had happened to him recently.
Old Tang listened quietly, knitting his brows from time to time, and pressing his lips tightly together as his shimmering figure hovered there.
“I can’t make any sense of it either. No one should be able to use a soul fusion skill with you. The Golden Dragon King’s bloodline has transformed your body into something that is is nothing like an ordinary human
anymore. According to your story, that soul fusion skill consumed your soul power, blood essence, and spiritual power. All of these are the markers of a one hundred percent fusion rate for a fusion skill, meaning that Gu Yue girl’s martial soul is compatible with yours. Except, you said her martial
soul is the Elementalist. That can’t be. I can’t think of any other martial soul that could be compatible with you either.”
Tang Wulin didn’t expect that even Old Tang was baffled by this. “If even you don’t know, then should I go ask my teachers?”
Old Tang shook his head. “They don’t understand your situation, let alone your soul fusion skill. I’ll think about this carefully and see if I can find any clues. In the meantime, you have two urgent matters to attend to. First, you need to find the four spirit items within three months. With your current body strength, absorbing the power of the fourth seal should be easy.
Second, absolutely do not use that soul fusion skill in the future unless you absolutely have to. It provokes the Golden Dragon King’s energy within you and weakens the seals. If you use it again, you might have to break two seals at the same time and you’ll be doomed to death. Understood?”
Tang Wulin’s heart tightened and he quickly nodded. “Got it. I won’t use it unless I have to.”
“Good. Also, since the fourth seal has been weakened, the timeline for the other seals have shifted as well. I’ll tell you how long you have as we go. Even I can’t evaluate them properly right now. Just do your best to prepare.”
Tang Wulin smiled bitterly. “Just be direct with me. I need to go make more money to buy spirit items.”
Old Tang gave a warm smile. “Yes, that’s pretty much it. You don’t need to be too anxious about it though. With your body as strong as it is now, you should be able to handle the next three seals. Your constitution will also
continue to improve as you absorb the power of the Golden Dragon King. The effects will become far more apparent once you have four soul rings.”
The Golden Dragon King bloodline was like a double-edged sword for Tang Wulin. Although it offered immense power, it came at a high price.
Tang Wulin’s head started to ache as his thoughts reached to how he would acquire the four spirit items needed for the seal. Fortunately, he lived in Shrek City now, the greatest city on the continent. Spirit items were in
abundance there. He wasn’t too worried about money either. As long as he could smith, earning money wouldn’t be too hard.
I’ll go visit the Tang Sect when we get back. I need to earn some
contribution points. The prices for spirit items are a bit cheaper there.
Light and darkness swirled before his eyes. A moment later, Old Tang and the golden hall disappeared and he was back in darkness. As his
consciousness faded away, a question appeared in his mind. If I gain a blood essence soul ring every two seals, then what kind of soul skill will i get from my second gold ring?
☀
When Tang Wulin woke up, he was lying on a bed. He raised a sore arm to rub his aching head, letting out a long groan as he opened his eyes.
A chubby face popped out above him. “Wulin, you’re awake!” Xu Lizhi flashed his usual silly smile.
“Ugh. My head hurts. Where are we?” Tang Wulin asked.
“We’re already back at Shrek. Don’t you recognize our dorm room?”
“Huh? We’re back?” Tang Wulin’s eyes went wide. Before he lost
consciousness, they were still in Bright City! The distance between Shrek City and Bright City was by no means small. Just how long was I asleep?
“Teacher Wu’s flying car is really fast, much faster than a soul train! It only took us five hours to get back,” Xu Lizhi explained.
“That fast? Wow! Flying cars are so convenient! We should buy one next time!” Tang Wulin was amazed but also disappointed that he hadn’t been conscious for the ride. He had missed out on an amazing experience!
On the other hand, Xu Lizhi broke out into a cold sweat. “It’s nowhere near as amazing as you think. I feel sick just remembering the ride. Xiaoyan puked from the shaking, and I almost did too. Only Xie Xie and Xinglan
seemed unfazed. You and Gu Yue were shaking in your seats too! Lucky for you, you weren’t awake. Anyway, that soul fusion skill is so awesome!
You’ve gotta be hungry after that. You want something to eat?”
“Yeah, I’m starving! I’ll eat until you’re out of soul power,” Tang Wulin said happily.
Tang Wulin hadn’t been exaggerating. For the next hour, he shoved pork buns into his mouth so fast it was like a raging waterfall. The only reason he hadn’t eaten for longer was that Xu Lizhi’s soul power ran out, so he had to meditate.
After Tang Wulin filled his belly with pork buns, a comfortable warmth spread throughout his body. His energy was quickly replenishing.
Tang Wulin’s body was far stronger than the last time he had used soul fusion skill, so the side effects weren’t as serious this time. In fact, they were relatively minor.
After examining his condition for a bit, Tang Wulin decided to test it in the future. First though, he had some matters to attend to. After the end-of-
semester exam was a month of vacation. He needed to get his affairs in order before then, and find out whether his entire class passed or not.
Tang Wulin had to meditate for a bit before he had the strength to walk.
When he got out of his bed, he found that all of his confiscated possessions were arranged neatly on his desk. He picked up his soul communicator and called Wu Zhangkong.
The moment Wu Zhangkong picked up, he told Tang Wulin he would come right over and to wait in his own room.
Minutes later, the handsome Ice Prince, Wu Zhangkong, entered. “Teacher Wu, how did we do on our exam?” Tang Wulin asked. “Full marks and bonus points.”
Chapter 463 - Tang Sect Headquarters
Chapter 463 - Tang Sect Headquarters
Tang Wulin let out a deep breath, expelling the tension within him. “That’s great. Please divide my bonus points between my classmates who are in risk of failing.”
“Are you sure?” Wu Zhangkong asked. “Your points will determine whether you can enter the inner court or not.”
Tang Wulin stood firm. “Yeah. I have no doubts that the points are only one aspect of the assessment anyway. Isn’t strength also a deciding factor? Plus, we won a lot of honor for Shrek this time. The Academy should be giving us more than just bonus points! Did the higher-ups say anything about a reward?”
“Yes. In fact, the academy has rewarded me already. They docked one year’s bonus for using Shrek’s name in a conflict with a rival academy and nearly damaging our reputation. Do you still want a reward? I can ask the Academy for you.”
Tang Wulin gawked at Wu Zhangkong, his hands a pair of blurs in his gesture of refusal. “N-no! I’m fine! I don’t have any money! None at all!”
Wu Zhangkong couldn’t help but crack a wry smile. “Are you sure? Don’t blame me later, okay?”
“Yeah! I don’t want it!” Tang Wulin answered, no hesitations. Just thinking about the fines Elder Cai had imposed on him still brought him to tears.
“I see. Then I shall refuse in your stead. Though, you wouldn’t be penalized for your match since it was part of your exam and I promised to take responsibility as your teacher.” He shrugged. “I guess I’ll inform Elder Cai that you don’t want a spot in the Shrek Seven Monsters competition.”
“Huh?” Tang Wulin struggled to break free of shock. “Teacher Wu, why do you have to be like that? You’re just playing tricks on me again!”
Voice tinged cold, Wu Zhangkong said “Trick you? What do you mean by that?”
Tang Wulin blinked a few times, taken aback by his teacher’s sudden
change in aura. It’s fine to tease me, but could you not put on such an cold expression while you’re at it? I can barely tell you’re joking! Jeez!
“Apart from that, the entire class was awarded ten extra points in
celebration of your victory. With these extra points, no one is in danger of failing this semester. You’ve proven yourself an excellent class president.”
Tang Wulin stood silent and still, clearly trying to process what had just been said. A beat later he was up in the air, pumping his fist with a grin. Yes! This is great!
“There are still a few more days until the rest of your classmates get back. Just rest for now, said Wu Zhangkong. “Will you be staying on campus or going somewhere for the upcoming vacation?”
“I’m going to stay. I don’t have anywhere to go anyway.” With Tang Wulin’s parents still missing and with no other family to speak of, staying on campus was the best option. Besides, he still had to obtain the four spirit items needed to break the fourth seal. Otherwise, to say things wouldn’t look too good would be an understatement. There was no way he’d risk letting the seal collapse on its own. He had to take the initiative.
“Hm. Alright. Teacher told me to relay a message to you,” said Wu Zhangkong. “You are invited to stay with him for a few days during your vacation. He wants to guide you in your cultivation.”
“Okay!” Tang Wulin could hardly stop smiling, eager to learn more from Zhuo Shi. Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens had strengthened him by leaps and bounds. As such, he could only imagine what else Zhuo Shi had in store for him, especially with Zhuo Shi’s status as a TItled Douluo and his draconic martial soul.
Wu Zhangkong pointed at the bed. “Now go rest. The exam ends in five days. After everyone else returns, there’ll be a simple class meeting to
conclude the semester.”
☀
Severe. This one word fully described the side effects of the Dragon God Transformation. It was a struggle to regain his strength, a heavy lethargy
clinging to his body, weighing him down like a sack of bricks. Tang Wulin spent every free moment for the next five days meditating. Although his recovery rate greatly improved since the last time, five days only resulted in regaining seventy percent of his strength. He still couldn’t exert himself much either, otherwise his body would feel hollow again.
Tomorrow marked the final day of class for the semester. Therefore, Tang Wulin decided to visit the local Tang Sect. It had been a long time since he last stepped through its doors, so he needed to report in. He called up Xie Xie and Xu Lizhi and the three went together.
The local Tang Sect was located in the inner city, which Shrek Academy occupied only half of. The other half, naturally, was the domain of the Tang Sect.
The Tang Sect had two headquarters. One in Shrek City and the other in Heaven Dou City. The headquarters in Heaven Dou City was the original while the one in Shrek City was where, under the leadership of the Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao, the Tang Sect experienced a resurgence in power.
The Spirit Ice Douluo had restructured the Tang Sect. He launched an initiative to research soul devices, combining them with hidden weapons to create weapons of mass destruction. His reforms revived the Tang Sect’s dying glory and elevated the Tang Sect to heights greater than before, a
phoenix bursting forth from its ashes. From then on, the Tang Sect’s foundation was unshakeable.
Back in that era, the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy had cooperated to
establish Tang Sect’s half of the inner city. The two organizations had close ties for a while, both working together to further the usages of soul devices.
However, with the advent of battle armor, Shrek Academy was quick to
adopt the new technology and no longer placed as much emphasis on soul devices. Since then, the two organizations had slowly drifted apart once more.
Upon arriving at the headquarters, Tang Wulin caught sight of a vermillion door. Above it hung a sapphire signboard with golden trim. Golden letters spelled out ‘Tang Sect’. The building had an antique feel to it, short and humble, not spanning an excessive amount of space. Like a building
straight from a small town.
Tang Wulin and the others placed their palms on the identification scanner and a moment later, the doors opened to let them in. Having visited once before with Wu Zhangkong, this was nothing new to them.
The first thing on their agenda was to report in and finish the missions they had previously accepted. Updating their personal records was also on the list. They were eager to see how much they had grown.
A smile slide across Tang Wulin’s lips. His soul power reached rank 34. All the food he had shovelled into his stomach hadn’t gone to waste. His
cultivation speed had increased ever since he entered Shrek Academy, especially after eating those treasures from Feng Wuyu.
The report didn’t end there. Tang Wulin still had to register his gauntlet.
Although he couldn’t register himself as a one-word battle armor master with the Spirit Pagoda or name his armor until he completed the full set, it was worthy of being recorded down at the Tang Sect. Especially with how much it empowered him.
After the three of them finished reporting, Tang Wulin approached the mission desk. He didn’t have any missions to turn in. Instead, he browsed the spirit item list in search of the four he needed to break his fourth seal. This was his main objective today.
He was soon able to cross two of them off his list. The other two spirit items, while technically on the listings, were of the wrong age level. If he got something too old, then it would be wasteful. Too young and it wouldn’t be strong enough. He sighed. He would have to come up with some other
way to get the last two items.
While Tang Wulin calculated his points, contemplating whether he could afford to buy the two spirit items on the listings, a stranger called out to him. “Tang Wulin?”
Tang Wulin stood up straight and turned to see who it was. A middle-aged man of average stature walked over. He had an honest-looking face and a simple smile.
“Hello. May I ask who you are?” Tang Wulin was on high alert. After improving his blood essence, his senses had grown keener. Not even Wu Zhangkong could sneak this close to him without him noticing. But this man had done so. This man had given him a fright. Even as he looked the man straight in the eyes, he couldn’t sense his presence at all. It was as if there were a void where the man stood, as if he were a phantom. But Tang Wulin was certain that the man was real and existed. He simply had a
cultivation level far higher than Wu Zhangkong’s.
“Hello, Tang Wulin. I’m Guo Xiaoxu, the general manager of this Tang Sect headquarters.” He examined Tang Wulin as he spoke, looking him up and down. His gaze was gentle, but his eyes were deep and profound and upon first glance, could swallow everything whole.
Chapter 464 - Palace Lord
Chapter 464 - Palace Lord
Tang Wulin’s eyes went wide. The general manager of the Shrek City Tang Sect Headquarters?
Tang Wulin was well acquainted with the hierarchy of the Tang Sect. The
associate rank, which was divided into nine classes, was at the bottom. Tang Wulin, himself, was a class six associate. Once an associate reached class nine and earned enough contribution points, they could be promoted to manager. There were three levels of managers: probationary manager, outer hall manager, and inner hall manager. Tang Wulin remembered hearing that Wu Zhangkong, a two-word battle armor master, had the qualifications to be an inner hall manager. Above managers were the true executives of the Tang Sect.
The Tang Sect had various branches across the continent, each with inner and outer halls. An outer hall was typically made up of subdivisions,
specifically an Agility Hall, a Defense Hall, and a Power Hall. Outer hall disciples belonged to one of the three and primarily took care of external affairs related to the Tang Sect’s corporate operations. An inner hall of the
Tang Sect was composed of an Enforcement Hall, a Battle Hall, and a Holy Hall. Very few disciples were allowed into the inner court, and those that
were also had their own specializations.
Only managers had the privilege of entering an inner hall. They also
enjoyed a high salary as part of their position, unlike associates who were
stuck working for their outer hall until they earned a promotion. Regardless of position, however, the Tang Sect did not impose strict work requirements on its disciples, especially those like Tang Wulin who were under twenty
years of age. Younger disciples only had to focus on cultivating and improving themselves.
Above managers of inner halls, each branch had a branchmaster and a general manager. General managers held authority comparable to that of a Branchmaster. Beyond the various branches, however, there was the Douluo Palace, the core of the Tang Sect where all administrative power was
concentrated. Only those with the highest levels of authority were allowed to enter the Douluo Palace. That meant that every hall and its subdivisions reported to those of the Douluo Palace, all of whom were equivalent to branchmasters!
Guo Xiaoxu, the man standing before Tang Wulin now, was a general manager. Normal general managers held authority on par with that of an outer branchmaster, but this man was the general manager of the headquarters in Shrek City! Although Tang Wulin didn’t know exactly how much authority Guo Xiaoxu possessed, he could safely assume that the man wielded quite a bit.
“Hello, General Manager Guo.” Tang Wulin bowed in respect.
Guo Xiaoxu smiled. “You really are a smart kid. I watched your match with the Imperial Sun Moon Academy. It was a great performance. You did well. You kids weren’t just representing Shrek Academy, the five of you are Tang Sect disciples! To encourage you to keep working hard, the Douluo Palace has decided to reward you.”
Reward? Tang Wulin’s eyes lit up. He could barely contain his excitement as he said, “Thank you, General Manager Guo.”
Guo Xiaoxu looked at Tang Wulin warmly. “Each of you can choose one Tang Sect secret art to learn, free of charge. You will also be awarded ten
thousand contribution points each. However, these points are only meant for buying things and will not count toward your total points.”
Since the points didn’t count toward their total point count, Tang Wulin and his team couldn’t use them to be promoted. Even so, ten thousand points
could buy a lot. If Tang Wulin accounted for the points he already had, that
meant he would have enough to buy two spirit items. These points couldn’t have come at a better time!
“You three go ahead and pick what art you want,” Guo Xiaoxu said to Tang Wulin, turning to Xu Lizhi and Xie Xie as well. The two had arrived some time ago. “When you get back, tell Ye Xinglan and Xu Xiaoyan to do the
same.”
“Yes. Thank you!” the three exclaimed in unison. They were completely satisfied with their rewards.
Tang Wulin currently knew three Tang Sect secret arts: Purple Demon Eyes, the Mysterious Heaven Method, and Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon.
Xu Lizhi knew Mysterious Jade Hands, Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon, the Mysterious Heaven Method, and a few hidden weapon techniques.
Xie Xie only knew two secrets arts: the Mysterious Heaven Method and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step.
Xu Xiaoyan knew the Mysterious Heaven Method and Purple Demon Eyes.
Ye Xinglan knew the Mysterious Heaven Method, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step, and the Mysterious Jade Hands.
Once all five of them learned another Tang Sect secret art, their strength would grow significantly.
Tang Wulin chose Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step without hesitation. He already had plenty of attack power, and his lack of mobility was currently his greatest weakness on the battlefield. Since he only had close-ranged
attacks, learning Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step would provide him with a way to close in on his targets. It was a better choice than the Mysterious
Jade Hands since he already had his dragon claw.
Xu Lizhi and Xie Xie both chose Purple Demon Eyes in order to cultivate their spiritual strength. They needed to have sufficient spiritual power for
when they fused with another spirit soul. Furthermore, Purple Demon Eyes enhanced its user’s eyesight and could unleash a spiritual attack once it had been trained to a high enough level.
Apart from the foundational Mysterious Heaven Method, everyone in Tang Wulin’s group agreed that Purple Demon Eyes was the most useful art.
Although he now had enough points to buy two spirit items, Tang Wulin wasn’t in a rush to buy them. He refrained from doing so because he was worried about how he would store them afterward. He decided that he
would buy them after obtaining the two he couldn’t get at the Tang Sect. Having come to this decision, he asked Guo Xiaoxu to reserve the two items for him for a fee of one thousand points.
Guo Xiaoxu watched the trio of kids leave in high spirits, then he wandered off to a conference room. The room exuded an air of ancientness. Every
single item in the sparsely decorated room was clearly there for a reason. Each was a priceless treasure.
Guo Xiaoxu walked over to the table in the room and took a seat, giving a curt nod to the six men who were already seated. A young man in his twenties sat at the head of the table. He had long black hair that reached his shoulders and a pair of silver eyes.
“How were they?” asked a bald man seated across from Guo Xiaoxu. Tang Wulin would have recognized this man to be Branchmaster Zhao.
Guo Xiaoxu cracked a wry smile. “You can rest easy, Shiny Head! Let me tell you all about them.”
“Call me that again and I’ll kick your ass!” Branchmaster Zhao rubbed his shiny, bald head.
“Those kids aren’t too shabby,” Guo Xiaoxu said, ignoring the remark. “Tang Wulin in particular, he’s something special. I think we can accept
him into the Battle Hall as soon as he gets his fourth ring. Xu Lizhi isn’t too bad either, he’s a rare food type. Xie Xie isn’t quite as good, but since he has twin martial souls, he would be good material for us to work with. We’ll
definitely need to give him a lot of guidance though. Actually, I think we can take all three of them into the Battle Hall once they get their fourth rings.”
The young man at the head of the table nodded. “What do you think, everyone?”
The man’s voice was sweet, charming, and had a sort of magnetism to it. The moment he spoke, everyone at the table sat straighter in their chairs and turned to him with eyes full of respect.
A muscular middle-aged man said, “I think having them go directly to the inner hall from the outer hall after getting their fourth rings is too hasty.
They would do well to spend some time at my Defense Hall first.”
Branchmaster Zhao snorted. “Your Defense Hall only does odd jobs. If they’re gonna do anything in the outer hall, then it should be with my Power Hall!”
“Enough.” The young man eyed the two. “Jade needs to be sculpted
carefully, but we can’t be wasting time either. Have them join the Battle Hall. I’ll let you handle them, Xiaoxu. You can invest more resources in them than usual. That kid Wu Zhangkong should be close to becoming a three-word battle armor master as well. We’ll have him join the Holy Hall with a silver ribbon when he does.”
Guo Xiaoxu stood up and bowed. “Yes, Palace Lord.”
“That’s all for today,” the Palace Lord announced.” I still need to go back to the Academy. There has been a lot of evil soul master activity lately. Send a message to all of our branches. Warn them to stay vigilant. Our Battle Hall will lead the operation to clean things up.”
“Yes!” Everyone stood and bowed. “Goodbye, Palace Lord.” The lights in the room flickered, going dim for a moment.
Then the Palace Lord was gone.
Chapter 465 - Gu Yue, Confess!
Chapter 465 - Gu Yue, Confess!
“Xie Xie and Lizhi, please keep what I’ll be saying next in mind. The Purple Demon Eyes is an art that requires daily morning cultivation, and the cultivation is slow to say so the least. You can’t rush it. I’ll teach you two how to train it tomorrow morning,” Tang Wulin said.
“Okay.” Xie Xie brought a hand to his lips. “Then how about I teach you the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step in the afternoon?”
“Sure!” Tang Wulin flashed a smile.
A distance away, Yue Zhengyu leaned against a wall, lips pursed and eyes glued to the trio. “They’re so lucky. How come I never have such luck?”
“That’s because you don’t go out much. Have you hit rank 40 yet?” asked Yuanen Yehui, careful to keep a five meter space between them.
“Yeah. I did. Just wait until I get my second spirit soul… Hehe. You better watch out for your class president position.”
Yuanen Yehui snickered.
Snorting, Yue Zhengyu continued, “We’ll see once the next semester starts.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t go easy on you. Don’t blame me if you lose a limb or two.”
Yue Zhengyu sent a heated glare her way but otherwise said nothing. He didn’t have much confidence facing her.
☀
The door to the dormitory shut behind Gu Yue with a muted click. As Ye Xinglan and Xue Xiaoyan had gone to receive their rewards from the Tang Sect, their shared room was now empty with her departure.
A bit of color returned to her pale cheeks as she breathed in the fresh air and stretched her limbs.
In the middle of practicing the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step, Tang Wulin immediately noticed Gu Yue. Dropping everything he was doing, he broke into a jog toward her.
“How are you feeling? Doing any better?” Tang Wulin asked, concerned over her slower recovery rate.
“Yeah. A bit. Don’t worry about me. I just need some more time,” Gu Yue said. If Tang Wulin weren’t right in front of her, he would have missed her words.
He cracked a small smile, hesitating before asking, “Can we go to your place for a minute? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“Hm?” Gu Yue tilted her head slightly, peering at him through thick lashes. Eyes bright and wide. But she nodded a moment later. “Okay. Come on then.”
Watching from a distance, Xie Xie whistled and blew kisses at the couple. Standing nearby was Yuanen Yehui, who curled her lip in disgust. She made for her room without looking back.
As soon as Tang Wulin stepped into the girls’ room, he was submerged in pink and softness. The beds were made and the desks stood free of clutter. He rubbed a fingertip across a window pane and stared at the clean, dust- free patch of skin. Totally different from the boys’ room.
Gu Yue sat on her bed then pointed at a chair for Tang Wulin.
Although they were together every day for classes, the two rarely had time to talk alone. Especially since she at times would give him the cold
shoulder.
“What do you want to talk about?” The object of her affections sitting so near, Gu Yue’s heart raced.
Despite being only fourteen, Tang Wulin already carried the makings of a man, and they were becoming more and more apparent each day. Standing over 170 centimeters, he had a muscular but lean build. His face, handsome and bright, combined with large eyes framed by long lashes, brought most girls to a blush. But not Gu Yue. She was different. She was used to looking at those appealing features.
“Gu Yue, confess!” Tang Wulin demanded.
Chapter 466 - Against the Wall
Chapter 466 - Against the Wall
Gu Yue’s face flushed a delicious pink. She wrapped her arms around herself, around the curves that were starting to grow more pronounced. Girls developed faster than boys after all. And like most other girls, she already entertained herself with thoughts of romance.
Never in her life had Gu Yue allowed another boy to touch her. Not even Xie Xie or Xu Lizhi. But for some reason, for some strange and wonderful and mysterious reason, she didn’t mind it with Tang Wulin. In fact,
sometimes she even took the initiative. Owing to her dominating personality, she would often separate him from other girls. And Tang Wulin, oblivious to this the first couple of instances, couldn’t help but notice these actions as time passed. As they occured more and more often. He soon grew used to Gu Yue’s hot and cold attitude toward him and her indifference toward everyone else. His special relationship with Gu Yue brought him joy, but deep in his heart he always knew there was some sort of barrier standing between them. He didn’t know what it was, but he knew it existed.
“Confess? Confess what?” Gu Yue asked, her cheeks still rosy and panic flashing in her eyes.
“What do you mean ‘confess what’? We both know what I’m talking about. Out with it.”
Her fingers played with the hem of her clothes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Really?” Tang Wulin asked, looking straight into her eyes.
Gu Yue shook her head, averting her gaze. “I don’t know.”
“What is the Dragon God Transformation? You’re the one who said its name, so how could you not know?”
Gu Yue’s eyes glazed over, her mind blanking out in shock. She turned back to face him. “That’s what you’re talking about?”
Tang Wulin blinked a few times. “Yeah. What did you think I was talking about?”
Gu Yue kicked his shin angrily and Tang Wulin chuckled, not bothering to dodge it. He even brought his leg up hopping, exaggeratedly howling in pain.
“That really hurts! I think you broke a bone. Gu Yue, you have to take responsibility!” Tang Wulin said, a mischievous smile tugging on his lips.
Gu Yue rolled her eyes. “Serves you right. If you have something to say, then say it. Don’t just come to joke around.” She pointed at the door. “If you’ve had enough fun, then hurry up and leave.”
The pained screams came to an abrupt halt. Tang Wulin’s expression grew serious, eyes narrowing into slits. “What is the Dragon God’s Transformation?”
“I made it up,” Gu Yue said.
“M-made it up?” Tang Wulin gaped at her. “Then that stuff about the first transformation being Dragon God Awakens was made up too?”
“Yep! Doesn’t it sound cool?” Gu Yue said with her hands on her hips.
“You win.” Tang Wulin rose to his feet and made to leave. Gu Yue didn’t say a word to stop him.
At the door, Tang Wulin finally glanced back. “You really came up with those names on your own?”
“Yeah.”
“Lying is bad you know!”
Gue Yue snorted. “So childish.”
“I don’t believe you. In fact, I can tell you’re lying. I see it in your eyes. Good kids don’t lie!” Tang Wulin said righteously, wagging his finger.
Gu Yue arched her brow. “So what are you going to do about it?”
In one quick, fluid motion, Tang Wulin appeared right before her, his hands clutching at her shoulders. She yelped. Next thing she knew, he had her pressed against the wall, his arms on either side of her, a makeshift cage..
Their eyes met. Tang Wulin brought his face closer to hers. A couple of inches separated their noses. She could feel his warm breath against her
cheeks, could smell his unique and masculine scent with each breath. She somehow managed to blush even redder.
“W-what are you doing?”
“Interrogating you!” Tang Wulin declared.
“I can’t believe you!” Despite Gu Yue’s meek voice, something foreign flickered in her eyes. Something bold. It was right there. Tang Wulin’s face, fierce and determined, mere inches from hers. She closed her eyes, lashes
splaying like a fan. And she pursed her lips. Faint elemental fluctuations rippled around her, ready to rampage at any moment.
A rustle of cloth. Gu Yue opened her eyes. To her surprise, Tang Wulin had dropped his arms and let out a sigh.
“Fine. I can’t do this. You win,” Tang Wulin shook his head and turned to leave. If she won’t answer, then so be it. She did smell nice though.
“Get back here!” Gu Yue shouted after him.
Tang Wulin glanced over his shoulder. “No. If you won’t trust me, then what’s the point?”
Gu Yue glared daggers at him. “Fine. Leave then. I won’t tell you.”
In a flash, Tang Wulin appeared in front of her using his newly learned Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step.
“Tell me.” He pulled a chair over and sat down, looking at her inquisitively. She lowered her head in silence.
“Out with it already. You only have to tell me and no one else. I’ll keep it a secret.”
“Actually, my martial soul is a dragon,” she muttered.
“A dragon?” Tang Wulin’s heartbeat quickened, blood thumping in his ears. His shirt stuck to his back, suddenly damp and sticky. “Isn’t it Elementalist?”
Gu Yue nodded. “Yes, but it’s also a dragon. Control over the elements is just how my martial soul manifests.”
Chapter 467 - Seven-colored Dragon
Chapter 467 - Seven-colored Dragon
When it became clear Tang Wulin had no more to say, whether in surprise or focus, Gu Yue continued, words barely audible. “Have you heard of the Seven-colored Dragon?”
Tang Wulin shook his head. Dragons were the most powerful type of soul beast on the continent and there were countless species and offshoots. Even those with true draconic blood flowing in their veins were numerous.
Gu Yue smiled, sugary sweet. “I didn’t expect you to know anyway.”
“Well, tell me what it is then. I can’t sense any bit of draconic aura on you!
Your martial soul doesn’t seem one bit like a dragon either,” Tang Wulin said.
“Of course. The Seven-colored Dragon doesn’t have scales and its looks
shares few characteristics with most other dragons. The dragon side won’t manifest until my cultivation reaches a higher level, and I’m still far off from it. My Seven-colored Dragon is one of the strongest dragons you know! It’s far more powerful than one of those single-element dragons. It’s an elementalist, so I called my martial soul ‘Elementalist’ as well to hide its true nature. Look.” Gu Yue extended her hand and a black mass appeared in her palm. It was completely opaque, its shape everchanging, compressing
and expanding like wisps of smoke.
Tang Wulin sucked in a deep breath the moment he laid eyes on it. “I-is that darkness?”
Gu Yue nodded. “It is. I’m able to control darkness, so I can use seven elements. Not six.”
“So it’s like that,” Tang Wulin murmured, realization dawning on him. “But why are you hiding the fact that you can use it?”
“It’s not like I really want to hide it. I just don’t want people to misunderstand me for an evil soul master. It’ll be really annoying if they did. My mom told me not to reveal it. Light and darkness conflicts anyway, so I can’t use both at the same time.”
“How does this relate to our soul fusion skill then?” Tang Wulin asked.
A faint smile appeared on Gu Yue’s lips. “The Seven-colored Dragon
controls the elements and the Golden Dragon controls the body. Legend has it that the Dragon God was split into two, becoming the Golden Dragon and the Seven-colored Dragon. You see how they’re related now? That’s why our soul fusion skill is like that.
“It’s also normal that you can’t sense any dragon aura from me. None of my martial soul’s draconic characteristics will appear until I have seven soul rings. But I can still sense the Golden Dragon bloodline in you. It’s so pure, so I’m always drawn to you…”
Gu Yue blushed, averting her eyes. “A-anyway. That’s the way it is. Our
Dragon God Transformation combines the power of the elements and blood essence to unleash unstoppable might. Our cultivation bases are still too low though. We can’t bring out the true power of the Dragon God Transformation yet, and that’s also why the aftereffects are so severe.”
Tang Wulin finally understood. Gu Yue hadn’t activated their soul fusion skill by chance. She had known about it from the beginning. It was no
wonder that she treated him so differently from others. It was all because of her martial soul.
A trace of gloom settled in Tang Wulin’s heart. Unfortunately, he had to
avoid using the soul fusion skill in the future. His seals couldn’t take it. At the very least, he couldn’t risk using it until he broke his fourth seal. At that
thought, expectation welled in him as he looked forward to the day all eighteen seals were broken.
“Alright. That’s it. You can go now,” Gu Yue said, shooing him off. Tang Wulin smiled wryly. “What’s the rush? Shouldn’t we discuss the
Dragon God Transformation? Actually, I wanted to tell you, the Dragon God Transformation is harmful to my body. We can’t use it in the future, even as a last resort.”
“It hurts you? Are you pretending to be weak, or…?” Gu Yue stared at him, wide-eyed.
Tang Wulin went silent as he thought about how to respond. He couldn’t possibly tell her about the Golden Dragon King seals. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell her, but that he was afraid of being called a freak. His
circumstances were beyond strange after all. But Gu Yue had told him her secret, so he felt compelled to reciprocate her trust.
Don’t tell her. Old Tang’s voice resounded in his head. Tang Wulin’s heart trembled. He sucked in a breath and made his decision then and there.
“It’s too powerful. All of the energy that it unleashes harms my meridian
channels,” Tang Wulin said as he got up to leave. “Well, I should be on my way.”
Gu Yue watched as he made for the door, unease settling in her heart. It was clear Tang Wulin had wanted to tell her something but chose not to in the
end. What was he going to say?
After the door to Gu Yue’s dorm room shut behind him, Tang Wulin headed straight back to his own and sent his consciousness into the depths of his mind.
“Old Tang, why not?”
“I’ve never heard of the Seven-colored Dragon before. There are a few things off about what she told you. Although it’s true that the Dragon God
was split into two, those two halves were the Golden Dragon King and the Silver Dragon King. You have the powers of the Golden Dragon King
sealed within you, not some regular Golden Dragon. The Golden Dragon is merely one of the children of the Golden Dragon King. Perhaps the Seven- colored Dragon is a descendent of the Silver Dragon King, but then
shouldn’t it be a Silver Dragon? That’s the strange part. I’ll need to think
about this carefully. If the Seven-colored Dragon really does come from the Silver Dragon King, then her story is somewhat believable. Even so, you must never tell anyone about the eighteen Golden Dragon King seals within you.”
“Okay.”
This complicated background story puzzled Tang Wulin. That the Golden Dragon King was one of the supreme dragons in the world, outclassing
even the Holy Radiant Dragon, was no news to him. But the fact that Gu Yue’s martial soul was the Seven-colored Dragon, which might have descended from the Silver Dragon King, shocked him. He needed time to put his thoughts in order.
☀
The end-of-semester exam soon concluded. Thanks to the bonus points awarded to everyone in the first grade, no one failed and celebrations for the whole class was in order.
Shen Yi gave a brief summary of the exam’s outcomes then announced the end of the semester and the start of their vacation.
Although it was only their first semester, every student had gone through countless trials and gained much experience under their belts. Fearing
expulsion, they had fought tooth and nail to improve themselves, more so than before entering Shrek Academy.
Time had flown by during the semester. Each student was now clear on their objectives and the paths they must take to accomplish those. While they had yet to learn any profound secret or mystery of the world under Shrek Academy’s wings, the students of the first grade developed an iron-
hard work ethic. The illustrious environment of Shrek Academy had pushed them so.
News of Tang Wulin’s team’s victory against the Imperial Sun Moon
Academy had already spread like wildfire in the outer court. Since they had also defeated the second grade class, they were now known as century’s
strongest class of new students.
After class was dismissed, Tang Wulin called his friends to his dorm room, Yuanen Yehui and Yue Zhengyu included.
“Do you guys all have plans for your vacation? Who’s staying and who’s going home?” Tang Wulin asked. The dining room closing down for vacation would prove to be a problem.
Chapter 468 - Reunion with Mo Lan
Chapter 468 - Reunion with Mo Lan
“I’m paying my home a visit first. Then I’m going to train in the Spirit Pagoda for a bit. We only have one month off after all,” Gu Yue said.
“I’m going home. I’ll still be cultivating hard though,” Xie Xie said.
“I’m going home too,” Xu Xiaoyan chimed in. “I live in the same city as Xie Xie.”
“Same,” said Yue Zhengyu, shrugging. “I need to go home to get my next spirit soul for my fourth ring.”
“I’m staying,” Ye Xinglan said. “Though, I’m not going to be on campus much. I’ll be training my sword in seclusion until Gu Yue returns to help me get another spirit soul.”
“If you need our help with the spirit tower, just call,” Tang Wulin said.
Ye Xinglan shook her head. “My spirit soul requirements are a bit specific. I won’t be doing the tower assault. I need to buy mine instead.”
“Okay.” Tang Wulin didn’t pry any further. Everyone had their secrets.
Xu Lizhi chuckled. “Guess it’s my turn. Well, I’m going to visit my family. I’ve been feeling a bit homesick. Right, Xinglan.” He turned to face her.
“When do you plan on going to the Spirit Pagoda? I want to go too!” “In about half a month,” she answered.
“Great. Count me in.”
Tang Wulin shook his head with a smile at those two, turning to Yuanen Yehui. “What about you? Are you going anywhere?”
“I don’t have any family to visit so I’m going to stay and cultivate.” Yuanen Yehui cut a lonesome figure.
Tang Wulin sighed. “I don’t have any family either, so I’ll be staying on
campus as well. I might go on a trip sometime during the vacation, but for now it looks like it’ll just be the two of us here.”
Gu Yue glanced at Yuanen Yehui, then at Tang Wulin. She hesitated, lips opening and closing, but in the end she remained silent.
“It looks like everyone has their own plans, so we’ll be parting ways for a while. But don’t lose sight of our goal, guys. Xinglan will have her fourth soul ring soon. That’s why once the next semester rolls in, we can finally start churning out some battle armor. Let’s all do our best.”
Somewhere along the line, the eight working students had formed a tight little circle. Tang Wulin reached forward with his hand, placing it in the
center of the ring. Without missing a beat, Gu Yue placed her hand flat on top. The rest joined in a moment later, sharing smiles and a look of trust. Following a shared nod, they cheered, “Let’s do our best!”
And with that, the members of Tang Wulin’s trusted friends filtered out of the room. All except one.
“Escort me to the gates,” Gu Yue said to Tang Wulin. “Sure!”
Tang Wulin folded his hands behind his head and relaxed. He enjoyed the freedom between semesters. As soon as they stepped out of the dormitory, a chill breeze swept by, touseling their hair. The trek toward the gates carried a certain sense of gloom, empty of students, most of who had left for
vacation. That it was peaceful was undeniable however, and the two walked on in silence.
It wasn’t until Gu Yue had stepped through the gate and walked a few paces more did she flip around, breaking the quiet between them. “You can go back now. I’ll see you next semester,” she said, waving him goodbye.
Not noticing anything out of the ordinary, Tang Wulin flashed a radiant smile. “See ya!”
Gu Yue bit her lip. Her hand twitched in the air before she waved stiffly once more. It fell to her side. A black limousine pulled up and she got in without saying another word.
As the limousine drove off, Tang Wulin’s heart thumped in his chest. Gu Yue really does come from a wealthy family!
He stood at the gates for a while longer, staring off into nothingness. The wind blew past him again, chill and crisp. Snapping back to attention, he made a beeline for the sidewalk and hailed a taxi to the train station.
He would go on a trip. Everything was already prepared.
Sitting at the top of his current priorities was obtaining the four spirit items necessary to break his next seal. He didn’t want to finish just short of the three month deadline. He wanted to break the fourth seal during his vacation. Once that happened, he would obtain a second blood essence soul ring, a major boost in power. Another reason why he was in a such a rush
was because it was possible that the seal would break early. That could spell disaster.
After eating so much nutritious food this semester at Shrek Academy and at his Uncle-master’s place, he was confident that his body could endure the
surge of power. Furthermore, his control over his blood essence had improved by leaps and bounds after mastering Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens. In fact, his third seal breaking had been easy. He wasn’t too
worried about the fourth.
Once Tang Wulin reached the train station, he bought a ticket for the first train to Heaven Dou City. To his good luck, Zhen Hua had agreed to prepare the remaining spirit items at a low price. It saved him the hassle of searching through the whole continent. Stopped him from overturning rock and stone.
Tang Wulin was actually quite rich now. He had plenty of alloys ready to auction off.
But it was hard to find what he needed in Shrek City, and the selling price for the alloys didn’t satisfy. These two reasons made traveling to Heaven
Dou City all the more appealing. Once he obtained the last two spirit items, he would return to the Tang Sect headquarters in Shrek City to obtain the other two spirit items needed to shatter the fourth seal. Then he would visit Zhuo Shi for cultivation guidance. A tight schedule indeed.
The train smoothly cruised to a stop at the station and Tang Wulin boarded.
He found his seat and sat down. Taking in his surroundings, he was
astonished by the crowded rows and and even more crowded seats. A trace of anxiety gripped his heart. If he closed his eyes, he could still picture in vivid detail the corpses that spilled over the carriage. The red that stained the ground. No matter the fact he had survived and neutralized the terrorists, it didn’t erase what had transpired that day. A tragedy.
His eyes fluttered open. Tang Wulin could not help but wonder how the kind female conductor was faring. Mo Lan. Her name stayed with him,
etched into his heart, along with the brave manner in which she had offered herself as sacrifice.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please sit down. Please don’t block the aisle. You may store your belongings on the compartment above your seats if so desired. Oh sir, please watch your step.”
Tang Wulin flipped around in his seat to the owner of the voice and caught sight of a familiar face. It’s her!
“Big Sis Mo Lan!” Tang Wulin was up in his seat before he knew it. He waved. To see her in good health brought him joy,
Hearing her name, Mo Lan turned around and nearly jumped in surprise. “Wha! It’s you!”
In a few brisk steps, she was right before him. And then, her arms wrapped around Tang Wulin in a deep embrace.
Swathed in warmth, Tang Wulin could pretend he lay in the embrace of nostalgia, his mother, and most of all, home. It had been such a long time. He could hardly remember the feather touch of such warmth.
He looked up, keeping her gaze with sorrowful eyes, the start of tears building at the corners. “Big Sis Mo Lan!”
Mo Lan hugged him tighter. “Thank you. Thank you, Wulin. I can’t thank you enough. But why did you run off that day? I didn’t even get a chance to thank you before you left.”
She sniffed, her expression mirroring Tang Wulin’s. The surrounding passengers all fell into a hush, stunned to see the stoic, professional train conductor suddenly break into tears.
“Come with me,” Mo Lan said, rubbing at her reddened eyes with the back of a sleeve. She led him away by the hand, fingers intertwined.
Tang Wulin didn’t resist.
The moment they were alone in the conductor’s chambers, the dam fell once more. Mo Lan hiccuped as she sobbed, soft enough so that only sighs and gasps could be heard. Ever since that fateful day, her outlook on life had changed. She would stand resolute even at the threat of her life.
When Mo Lan had finished recovering, her father tried to persuade her to quit her job as conductor. But she was determined to continue. Her reasoning had been simple. If she hid from danger because she was a city official’s daughter, then her father would lose the public’s trust and his
authority would plummet. In the end, he couldn’t dissuade her. All he could do was reinforce the security on the trains and stations.
Mo Lan, lauded as a hero for how well she had handled the terrorist attack. However, deep in her heart, she knew that to be untrue. The real hero was Tang Wulin. Yet the information regarding him had been all but suppressed, wiped off the face of the earth.
Chapter 469 - The Ashen-robed Man
Chapter 469 - The Ashen-robed Man
From her father’s own lips, the pressure to keep quiet about Tang Wulin had been issued by the higher-ups. What Mo Lan did not know, however, was that Shrek Academy had a huge hand in the secrecy surrounding all things Tang Wulin. And that they had done so for the sake of his safety. It was best if such a young person was cast out of the spotlight, away from the evil soul masters’ dangerous gazes.
“Big Sis Mo Lan, don’t cry! See, I’m fine!” Tang Wulin put on his brightest smile. “How have you been? Have you fully recovered?” He grabbed some nearby tissues and offered them to her.
Mo Lan accepted the tissues and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. “I’m doing good, thanks. Jeez. You should have listened to me when I told you to leave that day. But still. Thank you. You saved my life.”
“Big Sis, you’re exaggerating. Any soul master would have done the same. By the way, has that evil soul master been captured yet? I heard from my teacher that he was able to escape.”
Mo Lan shook her head. “Vile bastards like him are crafty. There’s no trail to follow. But the Federation has still dispatched a task force to hunt him down and crack down on other criminals. They’ll catch him sooner or later.” Her eyes lit up. “Oh right! It’s a good thing we ran into each other today. Here, take this,” she said as she retrieved a card from her pocket. She handed it to him.
“This is…?”
“It’s a train pass that works throughout the entire Federation. The pass I promised you last time was an ordinary civilian one, but since you’re a hero who saved so many people, I got permission to issue you a pass with the highest privileges. Whenever you ride a train in the future, just show them this card and they’ll let you in for free and give you a private room fit for four. You can bring people along with you too.”
“Huh? This card is awesome!” Tang Wulin exclaimed.
Mo Lan smiled. “A hero’s treatment befits a hero. You deserve it. Now keep the pass safe. If you lose it, give me a call and I’ll have another one issued for you. Right, what’s your number?”
A few taps later, she had Tang Wulin’s number saved as a contact.
“Alright then, I’ll take you to your private room. You can experience it for yourself.”
Wiping away the last of her tears, Mo Lan bounced at every step and pulled him along to a carriage located at the center of the train.
All trains had an area for VIPs. No one but honored guests could enter and there was no way to buy a ticket in. Only those such as high-ranking politicians, powerful soul masters, or eminent military personnel qualified.
There was no doubt that anyone found in this VIP area had made great contributions to the Federation and weren’t just throwing their money around.
Since she was the train conductor, Mo Lan knew which of the rooms were occupied and which ones weren’t. She brought Tang Wulin to one tucked in the center.
It was hardly spacious. It was built within a train after all. A dozen or so
square meters in area, the room boasted a small sofa, a desk, and two bunk beds. It was just large enough to comfortably accommodate four people. Of course, the room was luxurious compared to ordinary seats.
“Wulin, just rest here for now. The train will be departing soon so I have some things I need to attend to first. I’ll come visit you once I’m done,” said Mo Lan, smiling warmly.
“Okay. See you in a bit, Big Sis!”
At the click of the door’s lock, Tang Wulin fell back against the mattress, eagle sprawled. He rolled over once, pressing his face into the sheets. He breathed in. The scent of fresh laundry felt calming, and with how tranquil the room was, he could meditate in peace here.
But he didn’t meditate. Rather, taking a long-deserved rest seemed more
attractive. As was expeling his pent up tension and stress through slumber- fueled breaths. So there he lay, enjoying the peace and quiet.
His eyelids grew heavy and his mind fell into a sleepy haze.
When Tang Wulin awoke, he felt refreshed, more energetic than he had felt in weeks. He sighed in pleasure as he stretched his body.
The pit-a-pat of feet against floor echoed during Tang Wulin’s short walk to the desk. He picked up the complimentary water bottle. Drank a few gulps. Taking a seat at the desk, he peered out the window and watched the landscape flitting by. Gone were thoughts of responsibilities and duties. It was only him and the lush scenery now.
Suddenly, the train shuddered, rousing him from his serene state of mind. What’s going on?
Tang Wulin shot up to his feet. With the last train incident fresh on his mind, he was instantly on high alert. He pulled open the door to his room and surveyed the area. There was no sight of anyone else.
Just as Tang Wulin ran out to investigate, the train broadcasted a garbled voice, “Mo Lan, come to the ninth carriage right now. If you don’t, I will blow up the entire train.”
A sense of dread creeped into Tang Wulin’s heart the moment he heard the voice. Another attack!
Tang Wulin dashed from his private room in the thirteenth carriage to the ninth.
Do terrorists just love attacking the train from Shrek to Heaven Dou?
The entire train was already the picture of chaos. With the previous terrorist attack only happening a couple weeks prior, the passengers were all trembling with fear, panic in their hearts. They fled from the ninth carriage, trying to get as far away as possible.
It was hard for Tang Wulin to push against the flow. Without his astounding physical strength, he would have been shoved away by the tide of frantic passengers..
He heard a scream as soon as he reached the ninth carriage, and he immediately identified it as Mo Lan’s. Shit!
Throwing caution to the wind, Tang Wulin broke down the door to the carriage and charged in.
He was greeted with a gruesome sight. The entire carriage. Crimson. The metallic scent of blood thick in the air. Dozens of mutilated corpses littered the ground, still warm from their recent deaths. All of it assaulted his
senses, a wave of nausea crashing into him.
Most of the dead were staff, and they were better armed than in the last incident. But clearly, it still wasn’t enough.
A short, ashen-robed man stood in the center of the carriage, blood pooling at his feet. A bone spike sprouted out of his right index finger. It pierced through Mo Lan’s shoulder. He held her up in the air with arms that were
strangely thick compared to the rest of his body.
“Tell me, who is the kid who saved you last time? How can I find him? Tell me, and I’ll grant you a swift death,” the man said, his voice torture to the
ears and mind.
Mo Lan trembled in fear, but she gritted her teeth and remained silent. “Refusing to talk? I’ll give you a taste of my Phosphor Fire Soul
Refinement then.” An eerie smile spread across the man’s face as he brought his other claw-like hand out. A dark green flame appeared in his palm and he moved it toward Mo Lan’s forehead.
“Stop! I’m right here!” Tang Wulin charged at the man, his eyes flashing purple as he used his Purple Demon Eyes’ spiritual attack.
The moment their gazes met, Tang Wulin froze. Those haunting green eyes. He gasped and clutched his head, the pain searing his mind and reflecting his attempt to shock the man’s mind. Against him, Tang Wulin was nothing, an ant before an elephant. His eyes regained their obsidian hue and he
collapsed to the ground, still clutching his head, still screaming.
“Hehe. That was easy. Very good, very good. You’ve saved me a lot of time.” The man grinned, lips peeling back to reveal sharp teeth. “Don’t worry, I won’t let the two of you die as easily as the others. You’ll both
experience my Phosphor Fire Soul Refinement.” He turned back to Mo Lan, the last of the green flame slipping within her.
Chapter 470 - Phosphorus Fire Soul Refinement
Chapter 470 - Phosphorus Fire Soul Refinement
Mo Lan screamed. Her body jerked as it tried to resist the pain, agitating the wound on her shoulder. Bright red blood splattered the ground with every movement. Then the green flame fully submerged into her head and dyed it green.
After taking the backlash of his failed spiritual attack, Tang Wulin could do nothing but lay there on the ground and watch, helpless to save Mo Lan.
Tang Wulin had overcome countless challenges since entering Shrek
Academy, growing stronger step by step. After defeating the Imperial Sun Moon Academy in their team battle, he finally felt like he found his place. But now, facing this sinister man, he realized just how insignificant he still was. He had barely started to walk on the path to power and didn’t understand what true strength was. He couldn’t even see the end to this man’s power.
Even so, he would stake it all to save Mo Lan!
Tang Wulin bit down on the tip of his tongue hard enough to draw blood in order to clear his mind of the piercing headache. Gathering his willpower, he forced himself to stand up. He stomped down. The train shuddered, and he shot forward like a bullet. His blood essence flowed in reverse and draconic aura reached its peak in an instant. His golden dragon claw
appeared an instant later and he unleashed Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens, concentrating all of his might into this one attack.
From the spiritual backlash he just received, Tang Wulin knew that he was no match for this man. He was utterly insignificant before this monster. All Tang Wulin could hope for was that a surprise attack would be effective.
But he still had to avoid accidentally harming Mo Lan in his attack!
The man flicked his gaze to Tang Wulin, dark humor in his eyes. He swung Mo Lan in Tang Wulin’s direction bringing her between him and Tang Wulin.
Tang Wulin had never faced someone as devilish as this man before, but with all of his combat experience, he was prepared for this.
Mid-run, Tang Wulin angled himself to the side with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step, grabbed a seat with his left hand and used it as an anchor point to fling himself toward the wall. Then he kicked off the wall, altering his trajectory to go around Mo Lan and attack the man from the side.
Under so much pressure, Tang Wulin’s skill in the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step reached the next level.
The man raised his left hand. Long bone spikes burst from his fingertips and rushed forward to pierce Tang Wulin’s body.
It was too late for Tang Wulin to back out now, so he pressed onward. The man suddenly noticed that there was something weird about Tang Wulin. His eyes shone with a golden light!
Tang Wulin let out a draconic roar. He slashed at the man, releasing five dark gold beams of light. With the might of Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens supporting it, this Golden Dragon Dreadclaw became Tang Wulin’s most powerful attack!
Knowing the gap in strength between them, Tang Wulin hadn’t hesitated to unleash this attack. This was his only chance, and his only hope of dealing any damage to his enemy.
With how cramped the train carriage was, there was no way for Tang Wulin to avoid the bone spikes. However, the same held true for the man too. He couldn’t avoid Tang Wulin’s attack either.
With a shout, a gray force barrier burst around the man.
Mo Lan was sent flying away into the next carriage, and threw Tang Wulin into a wall. The metal wall caved in, forming a small crater with Tang Wulin embedded in the center.
Tang Wulin struggled to open his eyes. He could vaguely make out five gashes in the man’s barrier.
The man let out an inhuman howl, akin to a terrifying beast.
A determined light flashed in Tang Wulin’s eyes. He shot out a strand of bluesilver grass to wrap around a seat near the carriage Mo Lan landed in and pulled himself over. Without any hesitation, he brandished his Golden Dragon Dreadclaw again and slashed apart the walls, disconnecting her
carriage from the one he and the man were in.
The two halves of the carriage drifted away from each other leaving a giant hole. Using his bluesilver grass, Tang Wulin maneuvered onto the roof of the carriage.
When the gray barrier disappeared, five lines of blood trickled out of the man’s chest, the wounds bone-deep. Realizing that a mere three-ringed kid had managed to harm him, his eyes went red with rage. He chased after
Tang Wulin to the roof of the carriage, leaving after images behind.
Tang Wulin brandished his claw once more, cutting off the other end of carriages. Only he and the gray-robed man remained.
A chilling wind brushed past Tang Wulin’s back. He stiffened, then immediately threw himself to the side. Not daring to look back, he threw out Goldsong and using it as a spring to launch him out into the wilderness.
Tang Wulin’s number one priority was the safety of the passengers. He knew that the ashen-robed man’s target was him, then Mo Lan. With Mo Lan already wounded, all he could do was draw the man as far away as he could from her. He was confident that the government had already been
alerted and had dispatched a force to take out the evil soul master. All he had to do now was survive until they arrived.
The man let out a sinister laugh as he watched Tang Wulin run away. He
spread his arms wide, then jumped off the train to chase after Tang Wulin. He was swift as a bird, instantly catching up.
Starlight wrapped around Tang Wulin’s claw. An instant later, his gauntlet
appeared on his arm. Tang Wulin gathered his remaining his soul power and channeled it into his claw, unleashing another dreadclaw attack at the man. At the same time, countless strands of bluesilver grass shot out of his body in different directions and he used Goldsong to alter his trajectory.
But before he could escape, green flames shot out and burned every single strand of grass, including the one Goldsong fused with. Goldsong felt as if it was electrocuted.
Tang Wulin felt Goldsong disappear in a blaze of flame. Pain assailed his heart with its disappearance, leaving him paralyzed. He fell to the ground. A second later, the man landed on top of him.
The gap in strength was simply too great. The ashen-robed man had at least six rings and a powerful martial soul.
Tang Wulin lost consciousness momentarily, but when he roused seconds later, he looked down to see five bone spikes penetrating his chest. The golden scales on his chest were nothing before the sharp spikes.
It’s over. Am I going to die? The fear of death surged into Tang Wulin’s heart. A rueful smile crossed his lips.
Tang Wulin had never expected to die like this. Mom, Dad, I can’t go save you anymore. Na’er, I can’t search for you anymore. I can’t become a great soul master anymore.
Countless regrets ran through his mind as he stared death in the face.
“Kid, I won’t let you die so easily,” the man said grimly. He had been careful to avoid piercing any fatal organs like the heart and arteries.
The man hoisted Tang Wulin up by the spike, widening Tang Wulin’s
wounds. Blood gushed out. “Now, let me hear you scream!” He stared at Tang Wulin with gleeful madness in his eyes.
Raising his other hand, a moss green flame appeared in his palm and he thrust it into Tang Wulin’s forehead.
Cold invaded Tang Wulin’s body, slowly crystallizing his blood and left him shivering uncontrollably.
Cold! It’s too cold! His very spirit felt like it was freezing, then smashed
with a sledgehammer while his insides were being torn apart and sewn back together over and over. He couldn’t even let out a single scream.