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The Legend of the Dragon

King
DD3 Douluo Dalu 3 LDK Long Wang Chuan Shuo 斗罗大陆3龙王传说

Synopsis:
Following the advancement of spirit technology, the humans of Douluo
Continent conquered the ocean and discovered two new continents.
After being hunted by spirit masters excessively, the spirit beasts are
nearly extinct. After countless years of lying dormant, the King of the
Spirit Beasts has awakened on the Great Star Dou Forest. It will lead its
remaining clansmen in taking vengeance against humanity! Tang Wu Lin
is determined to become a powerful Spirit Master. However, when he
awakened his martial spirit, it was actually a… Incomparable talent. The
battle of the Dragon King. The Legend of our Dragon King hereby begins.
Author(s): N/A

Artist(s): N/A

Year: N/A

Country: China

Genre: Shounen, School Life, Martial Arts, Fantasy, Comedy, Adventure,

Action,

Tags: N/A

Translator: N/A

E-Book Maker: http://www.asianovel.com

Created using Asianovel version v2.5.0 beta

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Download the next book in the series for free:

http://www.asianovel.com/series/the-legend-of-the-dragon-king/

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Table of Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................... i
Chapter 401 ........................................................................................ 2
Chapter 402 ........................................................................................ 8
Chapter 403 ...................................................................................... 14
Chapter 404 ...................................................................................... 19
Chapter 405 ...................................................................................... 23
Chapter 406 ...................................................................................... 29
Chapter 407 ...................................................................................... 35
Chapter 408 ...................................................................................... 40
Chapter 409 ...................................................................................... 47
Chapter 410 ...................................................................................... 53
Chapter 411 ...................................................................................... 59
Chapter 412 ...................................................................................... 65
Chapter 413 ...................................................................................... 71
Chapter 414 ...................................................................................... 76
Chapter 415 ...................................................................................... 83
Chapter 416 ...................................................................................... 89
Chapter 417 ...................................................................................... 95
Chapter 418 .................................................................................... 100
Chapter 419 .................................................................................... 106
Chapter 420 .................................................................................... 112
Chapter 421 .................................................................................... 119
Chapter 422 .................................................................................... 125
Chapter 423 .................................................................................... 130
Chapter 424 .................................................................................... 136
Chapter 425 .................................................................................... 142
Chapter 426 .................................................................................... 149
Chapter 427 .................................................................................... 155
Chapter 428 .................................................................................... 161
Chapter 429 .................................................................................... 167
Chapter 430 .................................................................................... 173
Chapter 431 .................................................................................... 179

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Chapter 432 .................................................................................... 184

Chapter 433 .................................................................................... 189
Chapter 434 .................................................................................... 195
Chapter 435 .................................................................................... 204
Chapter 436 .................................................................................... 210
Chapter 437 .................................................................................... 218
Chapter 438 .................................................................................... 223
Chapter 439 .................................................................................... 228
Chapter 440 .................................................................................... 237
Chapter 441 .................................................................................... 243
Chapter 442 .................................................................................... 249
Chapter 443 .................................................................................... 254
Chapter 444 .................................................................................... 260
Chapter 445 .................................................................................... 266
Chapter 446 .................................................................................... 276
Chapter 447 .................................................................................... 281
Chapter 448 .................................................................................... 287
Chapter 449 .................................................................................... 293
Chapter 450 .................................................................................... 298
Disclaimer ........................................................................................ 308

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Chapter 401

A+ A- Chapter 401

Chapter 401 - Spirit Refined Titanium Gold

Tang Wulin’s hammers glowed with soul power. Gone was the
gentleness from before. They came down upon the titanium crystal like
an endless, crashing waterfall, thundering booms now shaking the
arena. The explosions of sound were further amplified by the stacked
hammers effect. Upon being thousand refined, his hammers were
capable of drawing on his soul power. However, after being spirit
refined, they could now use his soul power to its fullest potential.

Soul power surged through Tang Wulin’s body like roaring waves. He
didn’t hold any part of himself back. Compared to his first spirit refining,
he now had enough soul power to spare. Even if he did run out of soul
power, he still had the power of his bloodline at his disposal. In addition
to that, the two bean buns he had previously eaten roused his blood. He
could take advantage of that to reverse the flow of his blood, the
technique that had helped him complete Golden Dragon Shocks the
Heavens and defeat Wu Siduo.

After successfully activating Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens and

reversing his blood flow, Tang Wulin perfected the technique and could
now use it on command. In doing so, his blood essence became thirty
percent stronger, and when he used Golden Dragon Shocks the
Heavens, his power doubled! As of now, his strongest attack consisted of
his dragon claw, his gauntlet, and Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens!

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Tang Wulin had long since been able to harness the power of his
bloodline to reduce his stamina consumption, improving his forging
efficacy. Spirit refining titanium crystal was nothing to him now. He
could use his blood essence as a substitute for his soul power, and doing
so would also increase his chances of successful spirit refining a metal!
During the past few days of forging alloys, he noticed that his success
rate had increased. It was clear to him that the bond between metal and
blood essence was deeper than the one between metal and soul power.
After that discovery, Tang Wulin’s level of forging entered a whole new

realm. He didn’t increase in rank, but his success rate soared.

This was the reason why he could forge the titanium crystal so perfectly
today.

Tang Wulin’s hammers rained down on the titanium crystal. The golden
ball inside of it grew brighter with each heavy hit, growing larger as the
crystal that encased it became smaller. This was a truly bizarre scene to
behold. It looked as if he were actually granting life to the metal.

Everyone knew that titanium crystal was spirit refined the moment that
only its gold remained. Titanium gold had an astronomical value. It was
one of the top ten metals and could be reforged into an alloy. Forget
normal soul masters, even Titled Douluos desired such a metal! All who
were not yet four-word battle armor masters would! A single piece of
titanium gold could drastically boost the toughness and other properties
of battle armor. It was an absolute treasure. Titanium crystal was rare,
but finding titanium gold was like spotting a unicorn! A piece once
appeared in an auction auction and sold for a whopping eighty million
coins! It was so rare that it didn’t have a set market value!

Tang Wulin had imbued the metal with his blood essence as he forged.
He was the only one who could finish forging it now. If that weren’t the
case, Feng Wuyu would have jumped in to finish it himself. No one would
pass up an opportunity to obtain some titanium gold. Even with Feng
Wuyu’s cultivation level and status as a three-word battle armor master,

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only three pieces of his battle armor had titanium gold infused in them!

Feng Wuyu balled his hands into tight fists. You have to succeed!

Tang Wulin’s soul power depleted rapidly as he forged the titanium

crystal. Every strike of his hammers sent a burst of soul power into the
titanium crystal, reducing its size and granting it life. Titanium crystal
was much faster to spirit refine than other metals. However, this speed
came at the cost of increased soul power consumption during the
refining process. The amount of consumption was so shocking

shocking that Tang Wulin couldn’t keep up. Only fifteen minutes had
passed by the time Tang Wulin’s soul power ran out. As soon as it did,
his three purple soul rings disappeared and a resplendent golden one
took their place. Tang Wulin called his blood essence forth in a surge of
awesome power, activating Golden Dragon Body as an intense, draconic
roar resounded from deep within him. Anyone with sharp eyes would see
golden scales shimmering faintly in the air around him.

From his seat on the platform that overlooked the arena, Zhuo Shi
gawked at Tang Wulin. “He succeeded! That brat succeeded at learning
my Dragon Shocks the Heavens with just three soul rings! I had to wait
until I had five rings before I could refine my bloodline to half that of a
true dragon’s and complete it! No wonder he can forge like that… he’s
using the power of his bloodline to supplement his forging!”

Golden light streamed from Tang Wulin’s spirit refined heavy silver
hammers as his blood essence coursed through them. The golden ball
on the forging table before him shrank rapidly as he continued to forge.
He could feel the connection between the metal and his bloodline
growing deeper and more intense. The titanium crystal was an infant
about to be born and on the verge of gaining awareness.

Tang Wulin could feel his blood essence roar within him. It was being
consumed at a much slower pace than his soul power had been. He
allowed its flow to reverse, feeling no need to really control it. The aura

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of his blood essence immediately grew thicker, a warmth spreading

throughout his body.

Boom after boom filled the air. The song of Tang Wulin’s forging now
followed the same tune as He Xiaopeng’s had. In fact, it was even
louder. The titanium crystal grew brighter with each strike, the golden
ball rapidly filling the space that the crystal of the metal previously
occupied.

W-what! He’s about to succeed at spirit refining? H-he’s actually a fifth-

rank blacksmith?

He Xiaopeng stared at Tang Wulin in shock. At the age of seventeen,

of seventeen, he was the oldest student in the second grade. He always

thought himself a prodigy for becoming a fourth-rank blacksmith at the
age of seventeen. Yet Mu Xi, being a fourth-rank blacksmith herself,
transferred in and showed him that wasn’t the case. If she hadn’t
transferred in late, she might have threatened his position as blacksmith
representative of the second grade. Even before this match, some said
she should go up instead of him. They had believed it impossible for the
first grade to win and thought it would be a good chance for her to show
off her skills. In the end, however, the teacher had settled on him being
the one to go up, saying that the first grade had an extremely talented
blacksmith.

He Xiaopeng hadn’t minded the teacher’s words back then, but he

hadn’t looked down on his opponent either. He believed that, as long as
he did his best, victory was certain.

Yet reality had played out differently.

He Xiaopeng had performed to the very best of his ability today, even
surpassing his limits a bit. He had been completely satisfied with the
result.

But then Tang Wulin did the impossible!

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He’s still young! He can’t be more than fifteen, much younger than me,
yet he can actually spirit refine! I don’t even know when I’ll be able to!

In the audience, a pair of shining eyes stared at Tang Wulin in

astonishment. These eyes belonged to Mu Xi!

Mu Xi knew Tang Wulin was a fifth-rank blacksmith, but this was her first
time seeing him spirit refine. He really can do it! That golden light should
be his blood essence... I can’t believe it’s already so strong. He’s even
more amazing than before.

As Tang Wulin’s senior sister, no one understood his blacksmithing skill

and his comprehension level better than her. She had been absolutely
certain that Taing Wulin would be the first grade’s blacksmith
representative, so she hadn’t fought He Xiaopeng for their own grade’s
position. She didn’t want to compete with Tang Wulin because she never
won against him before, and she knew this time would

this time would be no different.

Mu Xi’s smile grew wider and wider as she watched him forge. He’s
advanced step by step, and now he’s able to spirit refine titanium
crystal. Is there anything he can’t do? Fortunately, none of her
classmates paid any attention to her. They were all focused on the
spectacle happening on-stage. If some had seen her face, they surely
would have doubted which side she was on.

Tang Wulin brought his hammers down upon the titanium crystal once
more. They struck the metal, sending a thundering tremor through the
arena and everyone present. The golden light around Tang Wulin began
to fade, and all of a sudden, a crack appeared in the titanium crystal.

Everyone stared at the metal, eyes wide. A crack! There’s a crack in it!
Did he… did he actually fail?

The crack spread. The process was slow at first, the first crack slowly
giving way to another, gradually making its way across the surface of
the crystalline metal like a web being patiently spun. Yet that patience

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was soon forgotten. Cracks quickly ran rampant across the metal ball,
branching off into two, then four, then eight, until a myriad of them
completely covered the ball.

Then, after a tense moment, the crystal broke apart. Thin translucent
flakes fell away from the ball one by one, each coming to rest atop the
forging table to reveal a flawless golden ball that exuded life. The Holy
Spirit Douluo could clearly feel the life force within the metal. She
nodded imperceptibly, a warm smile forming on her lips. Awe filled her
eyes.

The golden ball resembled a bird that had just hatched. It slowly floated
up into the air, then it began circling Tang Wulin like a baby bird
greeting its mother, breaking the silence of the arena with cheerful
humming.

Tang Wulin smiled. He had granted this metal life and sentience. He had
succeeded at spirit refining before, but the product hadn’t been
anywhere near as intelligent as this golden ball before him. This was his
first time seeing such intelligent spirit refined metal.

It was a miracle.

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Chapter 402

A+ A- Chapter 402

Chapter 402 - Life-bestowed Titanium Gold

Tang Wulin raised his hand and the golden ball landed into his palm . It
hummed softly in his hand, nuzzling his palm affectionately .

Tang Wulin’s face twitched . If every piece of spirit refined metal is like
this from now on, could I bear giving them away? It feels like it's my own
child!

At that moment, Feng Wuyu spoke up . “Disciple! Why don’t we discuss

some things?”

Tang Wulin looked up to see a sleazy smile on his teacher’s face .

“Okay! As long we don’t talk about my titanium gold, I’m fine with
anything . It’s bound to me through my blood essence, so giving it to
you would be a waste . ”

“You stinking brat!” Feng Wuyu smacked the back of Tang Wulin’s head,
but eventually revealed a helpless smile . This kid really doesn’t care
about how I feel!

Tang Wulin smirked . “Teacher, I’ve already delayed the competition

long enough . I need to go down and rest . I’ll visit you in the evening . ”

“Mn . ” Feng Wuyu nodded, still unable to hide his smile .

Tang Wulin had bestowed life onto the titanium crystal . He had
succeeded in spirit refining it into titanium gold . He was no longer a

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fifth-rank blacksmith in name alone . Although he had focused solely on

forging alloys since reaching this rank, it had imperceptibly influenced
his refining ability, particularly his control and perception . Feng Wuyu
had no right to be fussy with such a talented disciple .

“The match is over . Tang Wulin of the first grade is the winner,” Shen Yi
declared . The result had long since been clear to everyone, but this
made it official . He Xiaopeng quietly descended from the stage while
Tang Wulin returned to his classmates amidst their

cheers .

Tang Wulin flashed a smile at his classmates then gestured to Xu Lizhi .

Upon seeing that signal, Xu Lizhi jogged over and handed Tang Wulin
some pork buns he had prepared beforehand . Tang Wulin devoured
them, then sat down cross-legged to meditate . Spirit refining the
titanium crystal had drained him, but he would soon have to go up for
the team battle . He had to take every moment he could to recover .

“The second match will be fought through mecha-designing,” Shen Yi

announced . “Would the representatives please come up . ”

The students of the second grade could hardly believe that they lost the
first match, but they weren’t too concerned . He Xiaopeng had still put
on a splendid performance . Tang Wulin was just a freak of nature . He
Xiaopeng never had a chance .

Gu Yue looked at Tang Wulin for a moment, her eyes slightly narrowed,
then took the stage . Gu Yue’s opponent took the stage as well . She was
a tall and no less beautiful than Mu Xi . Unlike the girls of the first grade,
she possessed a hint of maturity . She looked to be the same age as He
Xiaopeng, about sixteen or seventeen, a young lady in the prime of her
youth . In comparison, Gu Yue had average looks . Nothing about her
really drew the eyes of others . The most charming thing about her was
her cool temperament .

For this match, the forging tables remained on the stage . Their flat

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surfaces would do just as well for design drafting as they would forging .

The girl from the second grade glanced at a boy in the audience and
flashed a sweet smile at him . The boy nodded in response .

That “boy” was Yuanen

Yuanen Yehui .

Xie Xie didn’t miss this . He gawked at the two, his mind reeling from the
exchange . What’s going on? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think they
were a couple!

Satisfied, the girl then turned to Gu Yue . “Hello, I’m Bai Hanying from
the second grade . Please advise me . ”

“First grade’s Gu Yue . ”

Shen Yi looked between the two girls, then walked to the edge of the
platform once more . “This designing match will test your reasoning and
the quality of your design . You have thirty minutes to design a right
gauntlet for a set of battle armor . You can use your old designs . Elder
Cai will personally select the winner . ”

A gauntlet? Upon hearing that, the students of the first grade cheered .
Tang Wulin’s team had crafted his right gauntlet . Considering the
relationship between Gu Yue and Tang Wulin, they were certain that she
designed it! Since she was capable of creating a design for a piece of
one-word battle armor, they believed they had this match in the bag .

Graph paper and writing instruments were immediately delivered to the

stage and placed on the forging tables . The moment everything was set
up, Shen Yi cried, “Begin!”

With that declaration, the pencils of the two competitors began to

dance, the contents of their minds pouring out onto the paper .

It was fundamentally impossible to create a design from scratch in just

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thirty minutes . What this match truly tested was their design
fundamentals . Gu Yue didn’t draw too quickly or too slowly . Her pencil
moved steadily across the paper, never stopping for even a moment .
The form of a gauntlet quickly took shape on her paper . On the other
side of the stage, Bai Hanying drew much faster, constantly

faster, constantly erasing and revising her design . In spite of that, she
made quick progress .

Soon enough, the thirty allotted minutes ran out . The second they did,
Bai Hanying and Gu Yue put their pencils down at practically the same
time .

The two designs were delivered to Elder Cai . She handed one of them to
the Holy Spirit Douluo . The two Titled Douluos took a few minutes to
inspect the designs and discuss them . Once they came to a consensus,
Elder Cai stood up .

Gu Yue and and Bai Hanying looked up at the platform expectantly .

“This match is a draw . ” Elder Cai looked between the two girls . “Gu
Yue, your design for a one-word gauntlet incorporates spirit alloys and is
very comprehensive . It’s a practical and effective design . Bai Hangying,
your design is much more complicated, and it implemented many
advanced theories perfectly . However, the overall design is flawed . If
you manage to complete it, you’ll have become a fifth-rank designer . Is
your design meant for someone with twin martial souls?”

Bai Hanying nodded . “Yes, Elder Cai . ”

Elder Cai continued . “In order to perfect your design, you should work
together with Gu Yue . You will be able to complement each other and
make up for your deficiencies, making it far easier to complete the
design . Adding spirit alloys to the design would vastly improve a one-
word gauntlet meant for someone with twin martial souls . You would
waste a lot of time if you work independently . ”

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Bai Hanying turned to look at Gu Yue, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes .

Designing battle armor for someone with twin martial souls was already
a difficult task . Adding spirit alloys to the design would push it beyond

push it beyond the domain of her current abilities . Feeling Bai Hanying’s
gaze, Gu Yue turned to look her in the eye . She already understood
what the girl’s goal was . That design was most likely for Yuanen Yehui .

It was in this way that the second match concluded . The first grade now
led the competition with one win and one draw .

Gu Yue was over two years younger than her opponent, but she was
able to bring the match to a draw . This was victory enough for them .

Both competitors left the stage . The students in the first grade
welcomed Gu Yue back with loud cheers . They had done well in the first
two matches so far, and this boosted their confidence .

However, the first grade suffered a crushing defeat in the third match .

Tang Wulin didn’t recognize the mecha maker the second grade sent out
. He was a fourth-rank maker, but the first grade only had the third-rank
Luo Guixing . The difference between the two clear, and defeat came
swiftly .

The fourth match, on the other hand, was surprisingly even . Wu Siduo
was quite the gifted mechanic, but her opponent was the class president
of the second grade, Yuanen Yehui . Yuanen Yehui won by a thin margin
in the end, but she knew that she was older than Wu Siduo by a year, so
she couldn’t feel satisfied by the win .

With the conclusion of the fourth match, the second grade had two wins,
one draw, and one loss . It seemed as though their victory were certain,
but they didn’t seem happy at all . Considering the age difference, it
became clear that the second grade was actually weaker than the first
grade .

If they did win, it wouldn’t be a true victory .

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Chapter 403

A+ A- Chapter 403

Chapter 403 - Six Versus Six

“Now, for the final match of this competition,” Shen Yi announced. “The
team battle. Both teams will now come up. The first grade’s team may
have between three and seven people. The second grade’s team may
number one less than the first grade’s.” Her voice didn’t hold even the
slightest hint of bias.

“No,” Elder Cai cut in. “The second grade team field the same number of
combatants as the first grade.”

“Understood,” Shen Yi said without batting an eye. “The second grade’s

team will number the same as the first grade’s. How large is the first
grade’s team?”

Seated cross-legged, Tang Wulin slowly opened his eyes. “The first
grade’s team has six people.”

Yuanen Yehui looked at him. Their gazes clashed like a burst of sparks.
She could see the blazing determination in his eyes. This guy certainly
lives up to his position as their team captain!

Shen Yi turned to the second grade. “The second grade’s team may
send out six people. You all have three minutes to prepare. After that,
the match will begin.”

Off among the spectators, Wu Siduo stared at Tang Wulin. Her fingers

twitched as she hesitated to say something, but in the end, she held her

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silence. She had heard about the strength of the second grade’s class
president. This made her yearn to battle him. But she hadn’t earn the
right to. If it weren’t for her and Luo Guixing being so stubborn in the
past, they would have been going on that stage as well!

The first grade’s team was composed of Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, Ye Xinglan,
Xu Lizhi, Xu Xiaoyan, and Xie Xie. At the opposite end

of the arena, Yuanen Yehui, He Xiaopeng, Bai Hanying, Yue Zhengyu, Ye

Xingmo, and Duan Hunxiao gathered.

Up on the elevated platform, the Holy Spirit Douluo turned to Elder Cai
and smiled. “Which side do you think is going to win, Yue Yue?”

Elder Cai laughed. “Why are you asking me that, Elder Sister Yali? The
first grade has essentially already won. Do you not have faith in them?”

“I watched the selection tournament and saw for myself just how
powerful this year’s new students are. They actually could have sent out
a full team of seven and increased their odds of winning.”

“The second grade’s team isn’t weak either,” Elder Cai said. “Their class
president, Yuanen Yehui, is a working student, has two peak-level
martial souls, and is quite the hard worker. I’m well aware of the first
grade’s team’s strengths too. It looks like this match will be a showdown
between class presidents. If Tang Wulin can take care of Yuanen Yehui,
then the first grade’s got a shot at winning, but it will still be tough.”

The Holy Spirit Douluo chuckled. “Let’s wait and see. I’m here to referee
the match anyway.” She stood up, attracting everyone’s attention.
Stepping off the platform, she gently floated down to the stage.

Tang Wulin and his teammates finished up their hushed discussion and
walked onto the stage. He stood at the front of his team. To his left was
Xie Xie, his right Ye Xinglan. Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, and Xu Lizhi were
positioned behind him. Seeing that their opponents had taken stage,
Yuanen Yehui led her team up as well.

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Having yet to release her martial soul, Yuanen Yehui didn’t seem very
imposing

imposing with her average size. However, in the split second she locked
eyes with Tang Wulin, an oppressive aura began to swirl around her.
Tang Wulin may have already been familiar with her, but this would be
his first time actually facing her as an opponent, and just as he was
familiar with her, she was familiar with him. She knew that he was the
heart of his team, and as long as she defeated him, victory would belong
to the second grade.

Her five teammates quickly got into position. He Xiaopeng stood to her
left, Yue Zhengyu to her right. Ye Xingmo and Duan Hunxiao stood
behind them with Bai Hanying sandwiched in the middle.

Tang Wulin was already drawing up plans the moment he saw how they
were arranged. Considering their battle formation, they shouldn’t have a
support-type soul master. All of them should be combat-oriented. That
Bai Hanying is probably a control-type, so the rest should be assault or
agility-types. His eyes swept from Bai Hanying to the others. Yuanen
Yehui and Yue Zhengyu are definitely assault-types. He Xiaopeng
probably is too. That means Ye Xingmo and Duan Hunxiao are probably
agility-types. Their team composition wouldn’t be balanced without any
agility-types after all.

Standing at one edge of the stage, a hint of a smile played at the Holy
Spirit Douluo’s lips as she looked between the two teams.

“You have thirty seconds left,” Shen Yi announced from the platform.
“Prepare for battle.”

Right on cue, Tang Wulin took a step forward, power radiating from his
body in waves. He knew that Yuanen Yehui was the cornerstone of the
opposing team, and now both he and her were posturing. He sucked in a
deep

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a deep breath and his eyes became a bright gold, a mighty aura
thickening around him. The droning of a faint roar emanated from deep
within his body. A golden vein flickered to life at the base of his neck,
throbbing with power. Yuanen Yehui urged her aura to soar higher in
response. They partook in battle of wills before the match even began.
Tang Wulin was an unstoppable wave while Yuanen Yehui was an
immovable mountain. The clash of their resolves whipped the
surrounding air into a frenzy.

Tang Wulin understood how formidable Yuanen Yehui was, but defeat
had never crossed his mind. His eyes had always been set on winning!

“Begin!”

Without even summoning his martial soul, Tang Wulin shot forward like
a cannonball, hurtling straight at Yuanen Yehui. A single golden soul ring
appeared as he activated Golden Dragon Body instead. His body swelled
with strength and golden scales materialized down his right arm, the
hand transforming into a dragon claw. Light then gathered around the
claw and become a fitting gauntlet! With the resplendent golden battle
armor gauntlet equipped, his strength soared to its peak.

He’s going all out from the get-go? All of the second grade students
were shocked. Yuanen Yehui, however, took action in a similar fashion.
The instant the match started, she leaped forward, her body undergoing
the Titan Giant Ape transformation in midair. As she finished
transforming, she activated Diamond Titan. She hit the stage with a
rumble, leaped forward again to soar directly at Tang Wulin!

The battle had just begun, yet the champions of each team were already
clashing!

As for their teammates, they all did their own thing.

Xu Xiaoyan held Gu Yue’s hand as

Yue’s hand as she stepped forward and conjured up a blizzard. Xie Xie
vanished into the blizzard. Xu Lizhi stood in place, muttering chants to

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himself as he produced bun after bun. Ye Xinglan replaced Tang Wulin at

the front of the formation, standing guard over those who remained.

At the other end of the stage, the second grade students all summoned
their martial souls. Two yellow soul rings and one purple soul ring
appeared around He Xiaopeng. His martial soul was a large silver
hammer, the head of which resembled a flower in full bloom. His martial
soul was called the Eight-petal Plum Blossom Silver Hammer.
Unfortunately for him, it was only a single hammer, otherwise, he could
have forged with it. Just as Tang Wulin guessed, he was an assault-type
soul master! Yue Zhengyu also summoned his Holy Angel martial soul.
His second soul ring lit up and a holy sword appeared in his hand.
Together with He Xiaopeng, he advanced on the first grade’s team in a
pincer attack.

Behind them, Ye Xingmo and Duan Hunxiao jumped into action. Ye

Xingmo shot forward, now wielding a sword in hand. A golden star shone
on his forehead. He moved astonishingly fast, overtaking He Xiaopeng in
a single flash of movement. With another, he would reach his targets. In
the same breath, Duan Hunxiao summoned a flute with a wave of his
hand. Four soul rings revolved around it, two yellow and two purple. He
snatched it out of the air and blew on it, filling the arena with a
melancholic tune. It washed over the first grade competitors,
overwhelming them with a wave of dizziness.

This was Duan Hunxiao’s crowd control soul skill, Soul Tuning!

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Chapter 404

A+ A- Chapter 404

Chapter 404 - A Battle of Kings

Duan Hunxiao’s melancholic tune continued to resonate throughout the

arena. The intensity of the blizzard began to weaken, clearly showing it
was having an effect on the other team. Bai Hanying smiled and took a
step back, letting Duan Hunxiao take her place. A tree branch covered in
beautiful blossoming flowers appeared in her hand. This was her martial
soul, the Cherry Blossom! She swung it with a flourish, dispersing the
petals through the air. They floated to her teammates and released a
gentle light as they came to rest on each of them.

Tang Wulin was wrong. They did have a support-type soul master. That
was Bai Hanying!

This single move drastically bolstered the strength of the second grade
team.

At the very center of the arena, the two class presidents met. A boom
tore through the air, the ground trembling as their fists met in midair.
Yuanen Yehui was shocked to find herself being pushed by Tang Wulin’s
strength. The golden aura around Tang Wulin flared as he exerted
strength through his legs and leaped after her in pursuit.

Although Yuanen Yehui was sent retreating, she didn’t suffer any real
injuries. With some breathing room now, she retaliated and used Air
Cannon, sending a bombardment of shockwaves back at Tang Wulin.
Duan Hunxiao took this chance to blow another

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note. Tang Wulin’s strength dipped under the note’s influence.

Yet Tang Wulin’s expression was as serene as still water. He thrust his
hands out before him and used Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon! A
powerful repulsive force deflected Yuanen Yehui’s barrage to the side.
Turning his head, Tang Wulin sent a look Duan Hunxiao’s way. Duan
Hunxiao had just been about to blow another note, but Tang Wulin’s
eyes flashed purple as he spiritually attacked him.

Soul Tuning was a powerful crowd control soul skill. Once someone fell
prey to its effects, it would be hard for them to break free. However,
these effects took time to appear. That was Soul Tuning’s fatal flaw. The
moment Tang Wulin interrupted it, the blizzard regained its frigid
strength and rapidly swelled to envelop the entire battlefield.

It was at this moment that Ye Xingmo reached the first grade team. He
Xiaopeng and Yue Zhengyu followed right behind him, the three forming
a spearhead to penetrate through the first grade team’s formation. They
had practiced this tactic before, their spacing between each other was
perfect. All three were just close enough to support each other at a
moment’s notice, yet far enough to not hinder one another.

On the first grade team’s side, only Ye Xinglan stood in their way. Ye
Xingmo raised his sword and thrust it outward before him, the golden

golden star on his forehead shining as a golden beam extended from his
sword’s tip.Ye Xinglan struck out with her own sword to meet Ye
Xingmo’s. A sprinkle of light trailed behind her sword, outlining the path
it took. The instant the two swords met, a baptism of light engulfed the
stage. The miserable shriek of metal against metal pierced the air.

The clash swept Ye Xingmo’s sword aside. A hundred threads of starlight

burst from the tip of Ye Xinglan’s sword, threatening to swallow him up.

Is this… martial soul suppression? This realization left Ye Xingmo

dumbstruck, but he didn’t stay defenseless. His Starsaint Sword began

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to shine as he used his third soul skill. He became one with his sword as
he fell back, an aura of starlight gathering around him and deflecting the
incoming threads of starlight to either side of him.

Threads also flew toward He Xiaopeng, who brandished his hammer with
both hands like a sledgehammer, obliterating the threads with a single
swing. Beside He Xiaopeng, Yue Zhengyu slashed out with his holy
sword. Nine afterimages of his blade appeared in the air, and an instant
later, the criss-crossing threads of starlight scattered into thin air. He
didn’t pause at all while doing this and continued to advance on Ye
Xinglan.

As Yue Zhengyu slashed at her, Ye Xinglan’s first soul ring lit up.
Starlight burst

Starlight burst from her sword. This soul skill bore a striking resemblance
to the one Ye Xingmo used just now, except it was far brighter. She
swung her sword to meet Yue Zhengyu’s, and a metallic clang rang out.
His weapon having been readily deflected, Yue Zhengyu retreated two
steps while Ye Xinglan retreated one.

They were evenly matched.

This is… The spectating students of the first grade stared blankly at the
the two. The sight even had Wu Siduo at a loss. It initially seemed rash
for Tang Wulin to rush forward without a care for his companions, but Ye
Xinglan proved herself strong enough to hold the line. She had managed
to fight alone against three opponents! All three were in the second
grade and either had four soul rings or were just short of that number!
Yet Ye Xingmo had been easily suppressed by Ye Xinglan and Yue
Zhengyu had been blocked. This turn of events utterly confused He
Xiaopeng.

Despite facing three powerful opponents, Ye Xinglan kept her

momentum going. She pulled back her sword and pinched its tip
between the fingers of her other hand. In a clear martial form, her foot

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slid out from underneath her, and she lashed out with her sword. A
shard of starlight shot out of it, zipping straight for Ye Xingmo before he
could land. She was still using only her

using only her first soul skill.

Stuck in mid-air, Ye Xingmo had no way to dodge. However, a beam of

holy light came flying out of nowhere and intercepted the starlight! A
hint of embarrassment showed on Ye Xingmo’s face as he knew he had
just been saved. At that same moment, He Xiaopeng reached Ye
Xinglan. He brandished his hammer and used his first soul skill, Tremor
Burst! A series of explosions rent the air, engulfing everything in a three
meter radius. He Xiaopeng’s Eight-petal Plum Blossom Silver Hammer
was no ordinary martial soul. It possessed an inkling of the space
attribute!

Yet Ye Xinglan still showed no fear. Her second soul ring lit up as she
responded with a stroke of her sword, a net of starlight instantly
blossoming into existence. The net was wide enough to encompass both
He Xiaopeng and Yue Zhengyu! She wasn’t going to retreat in the face
of just three opponents.

Meanwhile, the blizzard continued to build up strength. Its frigid winds

stabbed chilling daggers into everyone on the second grade team. Even
the students in the audience that were closest to the stage could feel
the temperature dropping.

Tang Wulin and Yuanen Yehui clashed once more at the center of the
stage, rocking the entire arena with shockwaves of energy. The
exchange sent both of them reeling backward. They were still evenly
matched!

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Chapter 405

A+ A- Chapter 405

Chapter 405 - Devil Titan

By bringing the full power of his draconic blood to bear and using Golden
Dragon Body, Tang Wulin and his three soul rings were able to stand on
even ground with the five-meter tall Yuanen Yehui whose strength was
bolstered by Diamond Titan!

Out of everyone present, this undoubtedly shocked Yuanen Yehui the

most. She knew that Tang Wulin was strong, but she thought he
wouldn’t be able to match her, especially since she just got her fourth
soul ring. She had been certain that the gap between them had
widened. Yet Tang Wulin’s strength surpassed all her expectations. His
battle armor equipped dragon claw astounded her most of all. She had
no choice but to bring out her reserve strength to resist the claw’s
crushing effect. Even with a cultivation base of four soul rings, she
couldn’t get off lightly before Tang Wulin’s attacks.

Just how strong is this guy’s blood essence? Even with Diamond Titan
activated, I can’t match his strength! Is this the difference between men
and women? That can’t be! I’ve never met a guy as strong as him
before!

Tang Wulin felt free. His blood essence flowed in reverse, smooth and
unhindered. His entire body felt as if it were aflame, blazing with
strength. Every single one of his attacks hit like a truck, especially those
he made with his right arm. The gauntlet amplified the effects of his

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blood essence, added weight to his punches, and made his golden
dragon claw deadlier than ever.

The basis of a battle armor’s power was the armor’s ability to fuse with
its user. Only when it became one with its user could battle armor truly
amplify its user’s abilities. Then, by nurturing it and increasing the
compatibility rate, the user would be able to have the battle armor grow
stronger alongside them.

Although Tang Wulin didn’t craft his gauntlet with his own hands, by
forging the star silver it had been made from, it was exceptionally
compatible with him. The strength of his blood

essence exceeded the norm to begin with, but with the gauntlet, his
strength reached new heights. The gauntlet fully integrated with his
Golden Dragon King bloodline, and after a few days of adapting to him,
the gauntlet also brought newfound strength to it.

Although he couldn’t defeat Yuanen Yehui right at that instant, he could

easily keep her occupied.

Yuanen Yehui’s gaze sharpened. Her first soul ring lit up, switching off
with her third to use Titan Strength. Her immense body seemed to
become more solid, an aura of unstoppable might growing thick around
her. She had always been a straightforward person, so she refused to
show weakness in the face of Tang Wulin’s strength. 　

The two clashed again, the stage rumbling from the shockwaves created
by their fists colliding once more. This time, Tang Wulin was the loser.
He moved eight steps backward while Yuanen Yehui only retreated by
three. However, the greatness of battle armor was apparent now. The
majority of the impact had been mitigated by a burst of starlight that
Tang Wulin’s gauntlet had released. Considering how tough his dragon
claw was, he had sustained virtually no damage. His arm simply ached a
little. He held his hand in front of his stomach, the scales on his arm
rippling as if it were breathing. Taking that attack had depleted a lot of

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his stamina, and although he had lost that exchange, he suffered no

actual setback.

Tang Wulin sucked in a deep breath, his abdomen swelling as his lungs
filled with air. His eyes shone with golden light, his aura of gold
solidified, and a thundering draconic roar emanated from his body,
reverberating through the air!

From his seat up on the platform, Scarlet Dragon Douluo Zhuo Shi stared
wide-eyed. That brat really succeeded?

Streams of gold converged around Tang Wulin to form an illusory

dragon’s head behind him. He thrust his palms toward the sky and the
dragon’s roar grew more intense. The space around him went into a
frenzy, preventing the blizzard from even approaching him.

dir="ltr">A grim look appeared on Yuanen Yehui’s face. She took half a
step forward with her left foot, squatted low to the ground, and used her
fourth soul skill for the first time!

The hair covering her titan body turned golden. Her body shrank a bit,
but in exchange, her arms became twice as thick. Bent on all fours like a
gorilla, her final form exuded a primal might. Crimson bloodlust filled her
eyes.

She went into a berserk state exactly like that of the Diamond Baboon!

This was no simple berserk state. Yuanen Yehui’s body had also
transformed under its effects, combining the strongest traits of both the
Titan Giant Ape and the Diamond Baboon. Although her eyes were
crimson now, they were still clear and bright. The berserk state hadn’t
affected her mind. This was the power of her fourth soul skill, which she
got from her second soul ring, Devil Titan!

As a result of the enmity between her Titan Giant Ape blood and the
Diamond Baboon spirit soul, she had endured an arduous trial trying to

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fuse with the spirit soul. She had nearly faced cultivation deviation! But
in the end, she succeeded in fusing with the Diamond Baboon spirit soul
by using her Fallen Angel martial soul to suppress the two antagonistic
bloodlines.

The conflict between the bloodlines ultimately caused a mutation in her

Titan Giant Ape martial soul. This led to her Titan Giant Ape form
shrinking from five meters to four when she used Devil Titan. However,
this certainly didn’t signify a decrease in her strength. On the contrary,
her strength increased as much as it did when she used Diamond Titan!
In addition to that, Devil Titan doubled the potency of all of her abilities!

However, such power came with numerous restrictions. Yuanen Yehui

had to use both Titan Strength and Diamond Titan before she could
activate Devil Titan. Furthermore, she had to fuse with the Diamond
Baboon spirit soul while using it. With three soul skills and the Berserk
state piled atop each other, she

other, she consumed an immense amount of soul power. With her

current cultivation level, she could only maintain this state for three
minutes.

But that would be a terrifying three minutes for her opponents.

She hadn’t used this soul skill a single time when she sparred with Xie
Xie, yet she was already feeling the pressure from her brief clashes with
Tang Wulin. She had no choice but to play this card.

A dark-gold sheen now covered her body, the madness in her crimson
eyes striking fear into the hearts of all who saw them. The oppressive
aura around her could practically be touched at this point. Those around
her found it hard to breathe. Three minutes? That’s more than enough!

Watching from the edge of the stage, astonishment colored the Holy
Spirit Douluo’s face. Kids are so advanced these days! She’s so strong
with just four rings! Extraordinary!

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Yuanen Yehui ferociously charged forward, swinging a gigantic fist

toward Tang Wulin. While Yuanen Yehui underwent her Devil Titan
transformation, Tang Wulin’s blood essence had recovered to peak
strength. He pushed his palms out before him, the illusory golden
dragon head roaring along with his movements and shooting forward.
Everything within a five meter radius of him was instantly dyed gold.

He unleashed Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens!

Tang Wulin may not have eaten a bean bun this time, but he had spent
the past three days refining Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens. The
one he unleashed this time wasn’t any weaker than the one he used
against Wu Siduo!

Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens met Yuanen Yehui head on!

A shockwave erupted from the center of the stage where both powerful
forces met. It tore through the arena, stirring up a frenzy of air and dust
and shaking the hall with a deafening thunderclap. The dust cleared
quickly, revealing Tang Wulin and Yuanen Yehui struggling against one
another. A blazing red aura surrounded him, and her clenched fists were
completely dyed gold, an effect of receiving Golden Dragon Shocks the
Heavens.

Then the two suddenly broke away

suddenly broke away from each other, a gust of wind rising up into the
vacuum their energies left between them. The gust dispersed the frigid
winds of the blizzard around them. The next instant, both closed the gap
once again, throwing another punch at each other. An even louder
shockwave rocked the arena, the barrier covering the stage slightly
wavering before the combined might of the two.

The clash sent Tang Wulin flying backward, and he crashed into the
barrier, bouncing off of it and onto the ground. Yuanen Yehui, on the
other hand, managed to stand her ground, but her aura faded a bit. Five
streaks of blood could be seen on her right fist, her right arm hanging
limply at her side.

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Despite her injuries, Yuanen Yehui didn’t let up on her assault. She
raised her left fist and punched at the center of the blizzard with Air
Cannon.

Yuanen Yehui’s so powerful!

All of the spectating students watched with bated breath.

Wu Siduo, who had been so confident of her strength, clenched her fists
tightly. Could I stand toe-to-toe with Yuanen Yehui? Even if I used Hell
White Tiger, I would only last a minute against her! That soul skill of hers
is just too domineering! It’s even mightier than my Hell White Tiger. I
was defeated after Tang Wulin unleashed that attack, but she still has
strength to spare!

The blast of air that came from Yuanen Yehui’s punch wasn’t colorless
this time. It was a dull gold! It pierced through the blizzard with ease.
She understood that the second strongest person on Tang Wulin’s team
was Gu Yue. She didn’t know if Tang Wulin could still fight, but as long
as Gu Yue still stood, then victory was not yet theirs!

While her right arm hadn’t been ruined in her clash with Tang Wulin, the
crushing effect of his dragon claw had still activated briefly and severely
injured her.

Her Devil Titan transformation now had one minute remaining. She had
to secure her team’s victory in that minute!

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Chapter 406

A+ A- Chapter 406

Chapter 406 - An Opening in the Chaos

The clash between Tang Wulin and Yuanen Yehui’s had momentarily
created a large gap in Gu Yue’s blizzard, the resulting shockwaves
hindering the movements of both teams. Despite the danger, two figures
traversed the stage in a flash of silver light. Everyone else was too
preoccupied to pay any attention to them, however. Especially Xu Lizhi.
He threw bun after bun at his teammates to keep their soul power
reserves topped up, all while taking the time to defend Gu Yue and Xu
Xiaoyan. Noticing the peril that Tang Wulin was in, he threw a bun
straight at him.

Is that a Bloodthirst Bean Bun? Yuanen Yehui recognized it from their

adventure in the spirit soul tower. I can’t let him eat it!

She punched out again, sending an air cannon toward the bun, the
golden blast of air striking and obliterating it. She then turned her
attention from Gu Yue back to Tang Wulin. She couldn’t afford to focus
on anyone else until she thoroughly defeated him.

Tang Wulin struggled to his feet and wiped away the blood streaming
from his nose and mouth. He didn’t retreat or try to avoid Yuanen Yehui.
Instead, he charged forward to welcome her. A draconic roar rumbled
from the depths of his body once more, and the two collided in midair.

Yuanen Yehui aimed a punch at Tang Wulin’s shoulder, but she held
back. Considering his wounded state, she was afraid that she would

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fatally injure him if she used her full strength. But Tang Wulin noticed
this. Sliding his foot to the side, he ducked under her punch. He made to
grab her right arm with his claw and sweep his left foot behind her
knee.

It was a grappling technique from

the Tang Sect!

This stunned Yuanen Yehui, but only for a moment. She recovered her
wits instantly and stomped her left foot into the stage. The ground
cracked and shook under her strength, throwing Tang Wulin off balance
and forcing him to miss his grab! Taking advantage of his broken stance,
Yuanen Yehui threw another punch at his shoulder, no longer caring
about Tang Wulin’s condition!

Tang Wulin rolled his shoulder backward as her fist struck him, trying to
mitigate as much of the force as he could. A resounding crack rang out
as Tang Wulin flew backward, bouncing across the stage like a ragdoll.

Concern flitted into Yuanen Yehui’s mind, but she pushed it aside and
continued advancing toward Tang Wulin. This was a match, and she
represented all of the second grade right now. Defeat was not an
option.

As the two of them brawled, a sudden change occurred on the other side
of the battlefield. A pair of figures emerged from the blizzard, appearing
in the backline of the second grade team.

It was Xie Xie and his Shadow Dragon Clone!

Xie Xie stabbed his dagger toward Bai Hanying’s shoulder. Since this
wasn’t a real battle to the death, he had refrained from aiming to slit her
neck. The other Xie Xie approached Duan Hunxiao like lightning,
stabbing its own dagger toward his hand before he could play another
note.

Xie Xie caught Bai Hanying wholly unawares, but she still reacted

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instantly. Xie Xie’s dagger passed through empty space as her body
disappeared in a burst of cherry blossom petals, only for her to reappear
a short distance away. As a support-type soul master, it was only natural
that she had a life-saving soul skill for times like this. Meanwhile, Duan
Hunxiao flicked his wrist to

to meet Xie Xie’s dagger with his flute. This Xie Xie pulled back his
dagger before he struck the flute and retreated with Ghost Shadow
Perplexing Step. Then he began circling around Duan Hunxiao.

With his own strength alone, Xie Xie was keeping both of them occupied!
He only chose this moment to strike because he had been waiting for
the blizzard regain its intensity and fully envelop the stage to obscure
everyone’s vision.

On the frontline, Ye Xingmo had been utterly suppressed by Ye Xinglan.

He was battered, exhausted, and blood seeped from his chest,
streaming from the wounds where her starlights threads had cut into
him.

Ye Xinglan was currently locked in battle against Yue Zhengyu and He

Xiaopeng. Her Stargod Sword danced through the air as she alternated
between her three soul skills, raining a barrage of deadly attacks upon
them. She used her soul skills perfectly. Each had just enough soul
power to get the job done. Despite facing two powerful opponents alone,
she was never forced to go on the defensive.

Ye Xingmo was undoubtedly the person in the worst position on the

battlefield. Fighting Ye Xinglan reduced him to half his original strength.
After several exchanges with her, each time experiencing martial soul
suppression, he realized that her martial soul was the Stargod Sword.

Martial soul suppression was a rare phenomena that only occured with
martial souls of common origin. Tang Wulin’s Golden Dragon King
bloodline suppressing everything with draconic blood was a perfect
example of this.

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Ye Xingmo’s Starsaint Sword was a powerful martial soul, but the

Stargod Sword completely surpassed it! He and Ye Xinglan came from
the same clan, but her martial soul was a variant. The Stargod Sword
had only appeared seven times in all of the Ye clan’s history.

clan’s history. The wielder of the Stargod Sword always became the
head of the Ye clan and led them into a new generation of prosperity.

Ye Xinglan was this generation’s heir to the Stargod Sword.

It was only natural that Ye Xingmo would have a sour face now. It was
impossible for him to contend with the wielder of the Stargod Sword with
his Starsaint Sword. His martial soul had been completely suppressed.

So his only option was to change targets.

He broke away from Ye Xinglan and aimed his blade at Gu Yue and Xu
Xiaoyan. He wasn’t worried about this teammates. His team also had
their vice-president, Duan Hunxiao, whose strength was only second to
Yuanen Yehui’s. He also had many tricks up his sleeve. Trusting in his
team’s strength, he decided to try and take out the two girls and the
food-type soul master.

Ye Xingmo thrust out his Starsaint Sword, aiming straight for Gu Yue. But
at that same moment, starlight burst into existence beneath his feet. His
connection with his sword was cut off, and a pure-white palm smacked
his head. Frigid cold pierced his body. His eyes only saw white now.

The combo of Xu Xiaoyan’s Starwheel Shackles and Gu Yue’s elemental

control made defeating a soul master as simple as that.

Ye Xingmo walked the path of an agility-type soul master, so his

defenses hadn’t been much to begin with. A single second of absolute
control with the Starwheel Shackles was all it took to stop him in his
tracks. Xu Xiaoyan had spent the entire battle waiting for this opening.
None of her other abilities were much to talk about, not even her
Blizzard. Her greatest strength was her Starwheel Shackles. Although it

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had a simple effect, the number of ways it could

ways it could be used in combat were endless. If used at the correct

moment, it could turn the tide of battle.

Gu Yue turned to Xu Xiaoyan. “Go help Xinglan. I’ll help Wulin.” Green
light enveloped her and she ran over to Tang Wulin.

The time had come. In the three minutes they had before the match,
Tang Wulin planned for Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan to lure one of their
opponents in for an easy takedown. As long as they could take out one
member of the second grade team, they could move on to the next
phase of his plan. Xie Xie’s task was to take advantage of the blizzard to
launch sneak attacks on support or control-type soul masters. Ye Xinglan
was charged with keeping her opponents occupied.

Now, it was time for Tang Wulin and Gu Yue to join forces to defeat
Yuanen Yehui.

Yuanen Yehui sent Tang Wulin flying with another thundering

bombardment of attacks. Astonishment filled her crimson eyes. This was
now her second time absolutely thrashing him. She thought it would be
impossible for him to get back up again, but he overturned her
expectations! Tang Wulin struggled to his feet once more and rolled his
shoulders with a wince of pain.

Then he charged her once more.

Is he made of steel? Yuanen Yehui didn’t dare underestimate Tang

Wulin. She witnessed him crushing a draconic soul beast instantly
before, so she understood just how deadly his golden dragon claw was.

After another brief exchange, she sent him flying again.

At that moment, Gu Yue arrived. She raised her hand and sent a barrage
of icicles and wind blades hurtling toward Yuanen Yehui.

This surprised Yuanen Yehui. What are you doing getting near me? A
elemental-type soul master getting into close-range is just seeking

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death!

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Chapter 407

A+ A- Chapter 407

Chapter 407 - Exchange

Yuanen Yehui didn’t bother dodging Gu Yue’s assault. Devil Titan

increased her defenses just as much as it increased her strength. Even
Tang Wulin’s attacks, which were empowered by Golden Dragon Body,
only sent tingles through her body. The barrage of wind blades and
icicles only tickled her. She swatted at Gu Yue in annoyance, but before
she could land a hit, a strand of bluesilver grass wrapped around Gu
Yue’s waist and pulled her away. Tang Wulin had crawled back up from
the floor once again and pulled Gu Yue out of harm’s way. Yet, even as
she retreated, Gu Yue continued to unleash an onslaught of elementals
attacks upon Yuanen Yehui.

This guy! He’s as tough as leather! Yuanen Yehui punched at Gu Yue,

this time sending a blast of air at her, but Tang Wulin pulled her out of
the way again. He then charged Yuanen Yehui with renewed vigor,
throwing a bun into his mouth as he ran.

A Bloodthirst Bean Bun? Yuanen Yehui recognized it instantly. That’s

why Gu Yue ran over! She was delivering a bean bun! Yuanen Yehui
knew that Devil Titan wouldn’t last much longer. She was already finding
it difficult to defeat Tang Wulin, but now he had a Bloodthirst Bean Bun!
If she didn’t finish him now, then it would be impossible for her to win.
The Bloodthirst effect would definitely outlast her transformation. I can’t
let things go his way!

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She steeled herself, resolution glimmering in her eyes. She raised her
muscular arms then smashed them down onto the stage! The ground
rumbled and

quaked, a seismic wave spreading outward and knocking Tang Wulin

and Gu Yue into the air.

Yuanen Yehui immediately continued her offensive. She leaped over to

the two with lightning speed and smashed her fists down on them!

Tang Wulin had only just swallowed the bean bun when the shockwave
knocked him into the air. The effects of the bun had yet to take hold.

But in that moment of crisis, the most unexpected thing occurred.

In a flash of silver, Tang Wulin was teleported to Gu Yue’s side. She

wrapped an arm around his waist and thrust a palm outward to meet
Yuanen Yehui’s fists. Only those with the keenest of eyes were able to
see that, right before her palm met Yuanen Yehui’s fists, an iridescent
flash of energy appeared in it.

It was a whirlpool of space, light, water, fire, and earth!

In the next instant, Yuanen’s fists made contact, and Gu Yue and Tang
Wulin were spinning backward. Tang Wulin subconsciously wrapped his
body around Gu Yue’s as they were sent flying. Yet Yuanen Yehui didn’t
come away from the exchange unscathed either. The whirlpool of
elements had latched on to her arms and began to spread, sending
shivers through her body.

“Elemental chaos?” The Holy Spirit Douluo stared wide-eyed. All of the
Titled Douluos on the platform above moved to the edge of their seats.

A small golden snake appeared in a flash of light, wrapping around Tang

Wulin and Gu Yue to soften their landing. It absorbed the impact as they
bounced to the ground, allowing Tang Wulin to

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to remain on his feet upon touching down. He managed to only stumble

a few steps even with Gu Yue in his arms. After skidding to a stop, Tang
Wulin coughed up a mouthful of blood. His body had taken quite the
beating from going round after round with Yuanen Yehui. Even after
eating the bean bun, his body felt heavy.

“How are you doing?” Gu Yue asked.

Tang Wulin shook his head. “I’m fine. The Bloodthirst effect is kicking
in.”

“Okay. Go help Xinglan then. I can handle this.”

“Alright.” Tang Wulin took in two deep breaths, then took off running
toward Ye Xinglan.

While the two were talking, Yuanen Yehui had been waving her arms
frantically in an attempt to rid herself of the whirlpool’s effects. In the
end, she managed to disperse the five elements clinging to her, but not
before the hairs on her arms were heavily damaged. In the interest of
dealing a decisive blow, she had even used her broken right arm in the
strike she just threw, relying on pure willpower to move the fractured
bones. Her strength was waning. Devil Titan was wearing off.

Gu Yue took a step toward Yuanen Yehui. The instant her toes touched
the ground, she disappeared in a flash of silver light, only to reappear
directly in front of Yuanen Yehui. Her face held no expression as she
calmly raised a palm and thrust it at Yuanen Yehui. Red, yellow, and blue
energies shrouded that palm strike.

She’s engaging in close quarters? Yuanen Yehui instinctively reacted

with a punch, only for Gu Yue to

Yue to disappear in a silver flash once more. A split-second later, she

appeared to the side of Yuanen Yehui. She struck Yuanen Yehui with her
tri-colored palm, the whirling elemental energies exploded upon contact!
Even with all the strength that filled Yuanen Yehui’s bulky body, this

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strike sent her reeling backward.

What happened next left everyone in shock.

Gu Yue continued to teleport around Yuanen Yehui, dodging each punch

at the last possible instant, countering with an tri-element palm strike,
then teleporting away again. If Yuanen Yehui slammed the floor to
create a shockwave, then Gu Yue struck from above. She was like a
specter, impossible to catch.

The spectating second grade students were dumbstruck. The first grade
had someone like this?

It had been shocking enough that Tang Wulin could go toe-to-toe with
Yuanen Yehui, but now Gu Yue appeared and toyed with her with this
unorthodox battle style.

Even someone as skilled at spatial control as Luo Guixing couldn’t

believe his eyes. Just how powerful is Gu Yue? She’s teleporting nonstop!
Her spiritual power has got to be immense! Then there are those three-
element palm strikes! How is she able to unleash them so quickly? She’s
never showed anything like this before! Even in the selection
tournament, her strength was still within the realm of plausibility! Is this
her true strength?

Two booms suddenly rang out from the other side of the stage, on after
the other.

The first came from He Xiaopeng, having been sent careening backward
by an explosive barrage of starlight threads. Xu Xiaoyan had rooted him
in place with her Starwheel Shackles.

her Starwheel Shackles. Ye Xinglan then took advantage of this opening

to unleash a barrage of starlight threads. A moment after that, white
light enveloped him, and he disappeared.

Of Ye Xinglan’s two remaining opponents, one had been defeated.

In the next instant, her second opponent, Yue Zhengyu, advanced with

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furious power. His radiant sword burst with holy flame, and he slashed it
at Ye Xinglan, striking her Stargod Sword at an odd angle. Ye Xinglan
twisted to face the blow and muster up the best defense possible, but it
sent her flying, her body erupting in holy flame. White light enveloped
her, and she departed the stage, having been eliminated as well.

It was at then Tang Wulin arrived at that side of the battlefield. He

glanced at where Ye Xinglan had been and growled. Oh Xinglan! You’re
too arrogant for your own good!

With her strength, Ye Xinglan would have had no problems stalling until
Tang Wulin reached her, but in her arrogance, she chose to bring her
battle to a head! She struck out and managed to take out He Xiaopeng.
In doing so, she left herself open to Yue Zhengyu. Although she ended
up falling to his blade, in a one-versus-two situation, she managed to
take one opponent down and exhaust the other. She had already
displayed her strength.

The first and second grade students in the audience watched with bated
breath. On the first grade’s side, Ye Xinglan had been eliminated. The
second grade had lost both Ye Xingmo and He Xiaopeng. The first grade
now held the advantage.

It was five against four!

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Chapter 408

A+ A- Chapter 408

Chapter 408 - A Dire Situation

After dispatching Ye Xinglan, Yue Zhengyu took stock of the situation .

He quickly noticed that his team was at a disadvantage and promptly
took action . A holy aura enveloped him, and he raised his holy sword,
his three soul rings taking on an intense sheen at the same time . He lit
up like a soul bulb, radiant as a the sun itself . Powerful waves of holy
might rolled off of him . With his sword raised to pierce the heavens,
holy light descended around him . The entire stage basked in the
brilliant splendor, an expanse of golden clouds gathered in the sky
above . The very sight filled everyone with awe .

“Judgement!” Yue Zhengyu’s voice resounded throughout the arena, the

entire stage trembling before his holy might . Three golden beams of
light fell upon Tang Wulin, Xu Lizhi, and Xu Xiaoyan . They swallowed
them up in an instant, their figures disappearing .

The beams were made of pure holy energy . Inside of them, Xu Lizhi and
Xu Xiaoyan felt as if their souls were ascending to a higher realm . They
felt no pain or suffering, only a comforting warmth . However, the soul
power in their bodies gushed out of them uncontrollably . In the blink of
an eye, half of their soul power reserves were gone . Then weakness
took hold of their bodies .

Before this could go on any further, two beams of white shot out . They
disrupted the beams of holy energy, taking their places on Xu Xiaoyan

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and Xu Lizhi to whisk them away in a flash of light .

Both were eliminated .

No one had expected Yue Zhengyu to explode with such power . His
attack carried the might of his three soul skills, possessing the power to
dissolve the energy within his the bodies of his targets . The tide of
battle had been turned in an instant .

The moment his two teammates were eliminated, Tang Wulin’s golden
soul ring shone brightly . A golden aura blazed into existence around
him and fought back the holy light . Compared to Yue Zhengyu’s brilliant
aura, Tang Wulin’s aura held a hint of darkness .

Five streaks of dark-gold sliced through the holy light and continued

onward to Yue Zhengyu . Spatial cracks appeared around Yue Zhengyu

as the streaks approached him . In another flash of white light, Yue
Zhengyu disappeared from the stage . With just a wave of her hand, the
Holy Spirit Douluo saved another student from fatal harm .

And Yue Zhengyu was also eliminated!

Tang Wulin may have defeated Yue Zhengyu by using both his Golden
Dragon Dreadclaw and Bluesilver Golden Array, but he did not come
away from the holy light unscathed . Immediately after retaliating, he
fell to one knee, gasping for breath . The concentrated bombardment of
holy judgement had depleted Tang Wulin’s energies and washed away
the Bloodthirst effect . After taking a beating from Yuanen Yehui, and
now this, his reserves had now run dry .

The first grade team now found itself facing a dire situation . If Tang
Wulin couldn’t continue fighting, then only Gu Yue and Xie Xie remained
. To make matters worse, at that very moment, Duan Hunxiao cornered
Xie Xie’s clone .

As expected! The second grade is stronger in the end! Confidence

glimmered in the eyes of the second grade students .

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Weakness weighed down on Tang Wulin’s body . This battle had placed
him under the most pressure . He had gone toe-to-toe with Yuanen
Yehui and kept her occupied, had taken a full blast of holy might, and
had even mustered the strength he still had to take out Yue Zhengyu!

But the battle wasn’t over . Neither side had won yet .

Tang Wulin pushed off the ground with his right hand, swaying and
teetering until he found his footing . He then took in a deep breath,
raised his hands, and began moving them in circles . The flow of his
blood essence reversed once more .

As he did that, the showdown between Gu Yue and Yuanen Yehui

reached its climax .

Gu Yue danced like a specter, her figure flickering in and out of

existence around Yuanen Yehui . Each time she appeared, a tri-element
palm strike quickly followed .

Despite all her strength, all Yuanen Yehui could do was passively defend
. As the countdown on Devil Titan’s duration reached its end, her
expression grew darker and quickly soured into a frown . She had never
considered switching to her Fallen Angel martial soul for this

this match . She kept it a secret that few were privy to . If she did use it,
her true gender would be revealed . However, Gu Yue’s strength far
exceeded her expectations . Isn’t she supposed to be a ranged
attacker? How is she able to condense the elements and use it in close
quarters combat like this?

Although Devil Titan did power her defenses up to an impressive level,

Yuanen Yehui still needed to move soul power through her body to
dispel the elemental energies left by each of Gu Yue’s palm strikes . The
elemental energies quickly accumulated on her body, fusing together to
produce more potent effects .

If Yuanen Yehui were in peak condition, she would have had nothing to

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fear from Gu Yue . She could have just used a wide-ranged attack to
force her away . Teleportation was indeed a powerful ability, but Yuanen
Yehui could have just created a spatial disturbance with a full-strength
punch . That, by itself, would have prevented Gu Yue from teleporting all
over the place .

Unfortunately for Yuanen Yehui, the effects of Devil Titan were about to
expire . Her strength was already plummeting rapidly . She wouldn’t be
able to hold out much longer . She couldn’t sustain her Titan Giant Ape
form much longer either . Her soul power was nearly depleted . Even if
she switched over to her Fallen Angel martial soul, her combat power
would take a massive hit .

What can I do?

At that moment, a sharp, melodic sound pierced the air . On the other
side of the battlefield, two figures stumbled backward and fused into one
. Xie Xie stumbled, nearly falling to the ground . He had no way of
defending against Duan Hunxiao’s attack .

Duan Hunxiao’s eyes had a frosty edge to them . Despite being his
team’s control-type soul master, he had failed to stop the enemy agility-
type soul master from attacking his teammate . He felt utterly
humiliated . He had his own pride, and Yuanen Yehui was the only
person in his class that he respected .

Xie Xie had used his surprise attack to throw Bai Hanying and Duan
Hunxiao into disarray, then worked with his clone to keep them occupied
. However, his clone had been dispelled and he no longer had enough
soul

enough soul power to call another one .

Duan Hunxiao didn’t let this opportunity go to waste . His third soul ring
lit up and he blew into his flute . A screech pierced the air, a baleful aura
enveloping Xie Xie .

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It was his third soul skill, Death Song, a sound wave attack that also
affected the target’s mind!

Bai Hanying chose this moment to act . She waved the branch in her
hand, scattering cherry blossom petals into the air . The petals drifted
over to Yuanen Yehui . The moment they touched her, her back
straightened, ferocity returned to her gaze, and a shimmering aura of
white enveloped her . With her strength restored, she stomped at the
ground .

Space in a ten meter radius of her warped and trembled . Gu Yue

suddenly appeared out of thin air and dropped to the ground . After
retreating a few steps, she took up her battle stance .

Shen Yi and Wu Zhangkong furrowed their brows at this sight . Yuanen

Yehui slowly strode over to Gu Yue . With Xie Xie completely restrained
by Duan Hunxiao, his fate was decided . No suspense remained in this
battle .

Bai Hanying’s cherry blossom petals were like a bridge between her and
Yuanen Yehui . She revealed a sweet smile as she stared at Yuanen
Yehui’s back . This soul skill was called Lover’s Bridge! Once formed, it
linked the soul power reserves of the user and the target . The
connection allowed Bai Hanying to funnel her soul power into Yuanen
Yehui! With access to a Soul Elder’s soul power reserves, it was only
natural that Yuanen Yehui would be able to continue to fight in her Titan
Giant Ape form .

Today’s battle was full of surprises . With Tang Wulin’s schemes and Ye
Xinglan’s strength, the first grade team had been able to take out Ye
Xingmo and He Xiaopeng .

However, they hadn’t expected Yue Zhengyu to unleash such a powerful

attack . Xu Xiaoyan and Xu Lizhi had been eliminated in an instant .
Although Tang Wulin took Yue Zhengyu down swiftly afterward, their
supply line had already been cut off . The first grade team’s situation
only worsened from there, yet the second grade team still had Yuanen

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Yehui, the four-ringed Duan Hunxiao, and the support-type

and the support-type Bai Hanying .

It was clear which side would win .

The roar of a dragon filled the stage . Tang Wulin’s body glowed gold as
he walked to Gu Yue’s side . The two now stood shoulder-to-shoulder . At
that moment, a white light flashed and Xie Xie disappeared from the
battlefield . He reappeared beside the Holy Spirit Douluo an instant later
. He hadn’t been able to endure the Death Song any longer .

Duan Hunxiao turned to face them Tang Wulin and Gu Yue . It was now
two versus three .

If Tang Wulin were in peak condition, then maybe there would have
been hope . However, since the Bloodthirst effect wore off, he was in a
weakened state . His golden aura wasn’t as magnificent as it usually was
. With just him and Gu Yue remaining, there was no hope for victory .

Yuanen Yehui came to a stop and looked Tang Wulin in the eye .
“Surrender . ”

Even if they lost, they had already earned enough glory . There was a
three-year age difference between grades at Shrek Academy . The gap
in strength that three years of time created was like that of heaven and
earth .

But Tang Wulin couldn’t give up here . Tang Wulin’s gaze did not
possess its usual calm . Determination still burned brightly in it, so bright
that his eyes resembled a pair of fireballs . He held his head high as he
strode forward, the dragon’s roar growing louder with each step .

He stopped a short distance ahead of Gu Yue . She stared at him

blankly, the sight of his broad shoulders filling her eyes .

Duan Hunxiao brought his flute back up to his mouth . With a cold glint
in his eyes, he sucked in a deep breath and prepared to blow . If Tang
Wulin and Gu Yue didn’t concede, he would immediately launch his

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attack .

Yuanen Yehui sighed . Defeating her opponent in a battle was a show of

respect .

“I shouldn’t have asked . ”

Tang Wulin smiled . He slowly raised his dragon claw and squeezed out
the last shred of strength in his body, pushing his golden soul ring shine
brightly once more .

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Chapter 409

A+ A- Chapter 409
Chapter 409 - Soul Fusion Skill

Chapter 409

Tang Wulin knew the battle was hopeless, but he did not cower and
surrender. Even in defeat he would stand with his back straight and
head held high. It wasn’t just his own pride that he had to protect. He
stood there on the stage as the champion of the entire first grade.

Defeat was acceptable, but surrender was not!

All of the first grade students got to their feet, standing straight and
watching the finale with clenched fists. At that moment, all of their
hearts were united as they desperately hoped Tang Wulin would create
a miracle.

That’s our Class President!

Wu Siduo clenched her fists tighter than anyone else, her knuckles
strained white. She yearned to be up on that stage with them! Maybe,
just maybe... if I were up there too, maybe we could have won this
match! You’re not allowed to lose, Tang Wulin!

Up on the platform, Elder Cai nodded slightly. “Even in defeat, there is

honor. He’s living up to the legacies of Shrek Academy and the Tang
Sect.”

Feng Wuyu snorted, but didn’t say a word.

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Zhuo Shi furrowed his brow. His granddisciple had already proven
himself, but this was Shrek Academy! There had never been a shortage
of monsters here. Tang Wulin was not weak. His opponent was too
strong!

None of them believed that Tang Wulin and Gu Yue had a shot at
winning.

The Holy Spirit Douluo watched the scene unfold with calm eyes. Yuanen
Yehui raised a fist and strode across the stage to meet Tang Wulin. Duan
Hunxiao took a deep breath and prepared to blow on

his flute. A faint smile tugged at the corner of the Douluo’s mouth as her
gaze moved to Tang Wulin.

But an instant later, shock replaced the calm!

Gu Yue snapped out of her daze and stopped staring at Tang Wulin’s
back. She took a step forward and hugged him from behind.

W-what is she doing? Even if you like him, do you really have to do that
during a battle? And you two are so young too! What on earth is she
doing? No one could comprehend what they were seeing.

Yuanen Yehui and Duan Hunxiao were dumbstruck. The Lover’s Bridge
that connected Bai Hanying and Yuanen Yehui wavered. The teachers on
the platform had blank looks on their faces.

The lifeless dragon roar coming from Tang Wulin’s body suddenly grew
stronger. His blood essence surged with power. Strands of red, blue,
yellow, green, gold, silver, and black rose from Gu Yue’s body,
intertwining to become one before merging into Tang Wulin’s body. The
seven colors spread across his golden scales, painting them with their
hues, and the regal majesty of his aura grew even further.

Tang Wulin couldn’t understand what was happening. All he knew was
that his body was now bursting with power. The unprecedented level of
power thrashing within him made his entire body tremble. His seven-

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colored scales grew thicker, turning transparent as they spread to cover

the rest of his body. He was soon clad in an armor of shining translucent
scales. The dragon within him roared, looking upon the whole world with
disdain.

Up on the platform, Scarlet Dragon Douluo Zhuo Shi and Blazing Dragon
Douluo Feng Wuyu groaned. Their

Their faces contorted with horror, clearly feeling their martial souls being
suppressed. If their cultivation levels weren’t so much higher than Tang
Wulin’s, they would have already been prostrating themselves before
him.

What’s going on?

Tang Wulin floated a few meters into the air. His dragon claw now
gleamed with seven resplendent colors. Clenching it into a fist.

Duan Hunxiao reacted quickly to the change. His fourth soul ring lit up
and he blew an ear-piercing note, creating a sound wave so powerful
that it may as well have been tangible. The wave rolled toward Tang
Wulin, threatening to swallow him whole, but when it was only five
meters away from him, the space around him warped and the sound
wave disappeared. The flute went silent.

Then Tang Wulin turned to Yuanen Yehui, instantly crossed the distance
between them, and punched.

Only then did Yuanen Yehui recover from her shock. She let out a battle
cry and threw both her fists forward to meet Tang Wulin’s attack,
drawing out every last drop of strength from her body. However, inches
before Yuanen Yehui’s fists met Tang Wulin’s, the space around her
distorted. She felt as if she were trying to move through a quagmire. No
matter how much strength she exerted, her body refused to move
forward.

A seven-colored light engulfed the entire battlefield in an instant. The

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colors mingled together, swirling back and forth until all the spectating
students could see encompassing the stage was pitch-black darkness.
The battlefield was completely devoid of light.

What’s happening? No one understood what they were seeing.

Then, in the next moment, light appeared to illuminate the darkness.

This light was a

was a familiar white. It retrieved Yuanen Yehui, Bai Hanying, and Duan
Hunxiao from the darkness, moving them from the stage. Then it
transformed into a net and covered all of the students the Holy Spirit
Douluo had extracted from the battle. Once it did, the darkness began to
fade away, revealing the transformed Tang Wulin floating in the air. He
slowly descended, coming to a gentle landing on the stage. Gu Yue then
separated from his body. The instant she did, the blossom of seven
lights vanished into nothingness. The two of them stood there with their
eyes closed, completely and utterly motionless.

W-what just happened? Just what is going on? What was that seven-
colored light? And those multi-colored scales? Everyone stared at Tang
Wulin and Gu Yue with dumbfounded looks on their faces. Even the
elders watching from their platform were at a loss. What was that?

“They’ve lost consciousness.” The Holy Spirit Douluo was the first to
speak. “Both sides have been defeated, but since I had to save the
remaining second grade students at the end, victory goes to the first
grade!”

Although both Tang Wulin and Gu Yue lost consciousness, they remained
standing. Both were leaning into each other, neither one allowing the
other to fall.

The students of the first grade did not cheer. Passionate tears flowed
from their eyes instead. At that moment, all of them recognized Tang
Wulin as their rightful class president, and Gu Yue as their vice-
president.

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Then realization dawned on them.

Glory went to the first grade. They had won.

We’re students of the first grade! They all shouted within their hearts,
fire blazing in their eyes.

Yuanen Yehui’s mask

dir="ltr">Yuanen Yehui’s mask of calm finally cracked. She clenched her

fist and stared at the two people nestled against each other on the
stage.

Up on the platform, Elder Cai stared at the duo in astonishment. “It’s a

soul fusion skill.”

That was the only explanation she could come up with. There was no
other way to explain the transformation that occurred when Gu Yue
hugged Tang Wulin.

Zhuo Shi wore a pensive expression. “That punch… it created a

vacuum.”

Instead of immediately refuting what Zhuo Shi said, Feng Wuyu nodded
in agreement. “Yes. It was a vacuum. All seven elements were stripped
away, leaving only a space that needed to be filled. No energy
remained, no fire, water, earth, wind, light, darkness, or even spatial
energy. Wulin’s punch created a vacuum devoid of the seven elements. I
never would have thought they would be able to use a soul fusion skill
like that with two unrelated martial souls. I’ll call that move the Dragon
King Vacuum Punch.”

Are their martial souls really unrelated?Zhuo Shi stared at the two
students on stage, his eyes narrowing to slits. Zhuo Shi had taught Tang
Wulin the basis of Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens, so he understood
it best. If that’s truly the case, why did I feel his blood essence explode
with strength when they transformed? Has his bloodline sublimated? No,
that can’t be. Even if he used a soul fusion skill, there’s no way that
could have happened.

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When they went to move Tang Wulin and Gu Yue from the stage, they
were surprised to find her latched onto him like a clamp. It was
impossible to remove her from him.

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Chapter 410

A+ A- Chapter 410

Chapter 410 - Unconcious

Since they couldn’t separate Gu Yue from Tang Wulin, Feng Wuyu, Zhuo
Shi, and Holy Spirit Douluo Yali ended up bringing them back to the
working student dormitory in one bundle.

“Yali, are their bodies okay?” Zhuo Shi asked.

The Holy Spirit Douluo shook her head. “There’s no real problem with
their bodies. They’re just exhausted. That transformation was too much
for them to bear, so they’ll need time to recover. Truth be told... their
soul fusion skill is quite strange. Generally speaking, a soul fusion skill
can be used when both soul masters have at least three rings. But it
looks like the soul fusion skill of these two is far more demanding. Or
maybe it would be more accurate to say that it’s exceedingly powerful.
It simply consumed too much of their energy. Fortunately, they have
good foundations, so they just need time to rest and recover now.
They’ll need a full month of rest.”

“One month?” Hearing this from Shrek Academy’s most powerful healer
left Feng Wuyu and Zhuo Shi flabbergasted. The value of a soul fusion
skill that required a month’s rest after using it was dubious. However,
this also served as proof to just how overbearing Tang Wulin and Gu
Yue’s soul fusion skill was.

“They didn’t actually complete their soul fusion skill either,” Yali said.
“Yet I felt my heart race when they used it. The more compatible two

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people are, the more powerful their soul fusion skill is. Even if we
searched all of history, it would be hard to find more than a handful of
people whose fusion rate exceeded eighty percent. The highest fusion
rate ever recorded is that of Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao and his wife,
Dragon Butterfly Douluo Tang Wutong. They both had twin martial souls
that enabled them to use a total of four soul fusion skills. They are
praised as the strongest duo in all of history. It’s been said that their
fusion rate even approached one hundred percent compatibility!

dir="ltr">“Some historians whose research focused on Huo Yuhao and

his wife stated that any soul fusion skill capable of reaching one hundred
percent fusion rate would be considered a divine fusion. If both soul
masters were at a sufficiently high enough level, using such a soul fusion
skill would allow them to exhibit power on par with a god! Although I
only have an inkling of a suspicion, the soul fusion skill of these two
children might be on par with a divine fusion soul skill. I can’t imagine
any other reason why their soul fusion skill would be so powerful. We'll
need to keep a close eye on them. If my suspicion turns out to be
correct, then Shrek Academy will have picked up a pair of real
treasures.”

Feng Wuyu and Zhuo Shi looked at each other in dismay, both sharing a
bitter smile.

It was impossible to examine Tang Wulin and Gu Yue’s soul fusion skill at
the moment. One use alone left them bedridden for a month. This was
too high a price to ask the two children to pay. They were in the spring
of their youth. The amount they could grow in a month was enormous.

Blood essence bubbled, surging forth like a raging river. Tang Wulin
opened his eyes to find himself within his spiritual world. It stretched out
before him like a sea of stars. Countless specks of gold floated,
suspended in space. The golden hall from before was nowhere to be

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seen.

Then he looked up. To his astonishment, an enormous golden dragon

floated above him. It was too large for him to even fathom. Its body
seemed to stretch on forever. There were eighteen rings of light around
the dragon’s body. Three glowed a soft blue, while the rest were a
blazing red.

Is this the Golden Dragon King sealed within my body? Those rings of
light must be the seals then, right?

Tang Wulin began to collect his thoughts, but he couldn’t quite recall
what happened before

before he woke up in this spiritual world. All he remembered was the

warmth of Gu Yue’s body when she hugged him, his blood essence
surging with power, and himself subconsciously unleashing a punch. His
mind had already been a haze by then. The last thing he could recall
was the moment when the translucent scales began covering his body.

Everything after that was blank.

“Old Tang, are you here?” Tang Wulin shouted. Maybe Old Tang can
explain what happened.

However, only silence answered him. Old Tang was nowhere to be

found.

The golden dragon floating above Tang Wulin suddenly stirred. It raised
its head and unleashed a heaven-rending roar. A wave of dizziness
struck Tang Wulin, stars dancing in his vision. Then the scene before him
blurred and changed. He saw an enormous dragon with a seven-colored
aura floating in midair. Countless beasts on the ground below it and in
the air around it roared in respect, shaking Tang Wulin down to his very
core. The horde of beasts then began rushing in one direction like a
giant wave.

A thundering voice boomed in Tang Wulin’s head, so loud that it felt like

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a spiritual attack.

“My fate is mine to decide! Not the heavens!”

Then he lost consciousness again.

Some time later, Tang Wulin woke up, the scene of the dragon and the
horde of beasts still fresh in his mind. Simply recalling that scene made
his heart race.

He groaned in pain. His eyes shot open. A familiar ceiling told him he
was back in the working student dormitory. He tried to sit up but didn’t
have the strength. His head immediately fell back onto his pillow.

Then he noticed a warmth pressing against his body. He heard the

gentle sound of breathing. Looking down, he was stunned to find a pair
of arms wrapped around him.

Huh? Is that… Gu Yue?

“Ow! My head hurts…” Tang Wulin leaned back and finally noticed that
Gu Yue was embracing him from behind. Both of them were still wearing

still wearing the clothes they had battled in. He tried to pry her arms
from him gently. There’s no other way!

“Don’t move...” A dissatisfied voice grumbled into his ear. An instant

later, he felt the arms around him tighten their hold. He felt like he was
being constricted by a pair of snakes. Throwing caution to the wind, he
hastily separated himself from her. That was when Gu Yue finally woke
up.

“W-what are you doing in my bed?” she cried.

Tang Wulin seized the opening and jumped off the bed. A bout of vertigo
washed over him and he stumbled. His body was still weak.

Gu Yue stared at him, her eyes full of astonishment.

Tang Wulin felt his throat go dry. “Uh, t-this... is actually my bed.”

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Gu Yue tried to get up, but a wave of dizziness struck her. Tang Wulin
rushed to support her. He could smell the freshness of spring wafting
from her. She blushed crimson and struggled free from his grasp, then
stumbled over to her own bed.

No one else was in the room. The sun already shone brightly outside.

It looks like it’s morning, so everyone else should be in class. Tang Wulin
looked at Gu Yue, but she averted her gaze and lowered her head.
Awkward tension filled the air.

Amidst this strange atmosphere, another bout of vertigo hit Tang Wulin
and he had to lay down. Gu Yue seemed to experience the same thing
and fell onto her bed as well. The curtain dividing the room was open.
Both of them could hear each other breathing.

A few moments later, Gu Yue managed to compose herself. She

drummed up all of her courage, preparing to speak. But then she noticed
that Tang Wulin’s breathing had calmed down.

“That pig!” Gu Yue grumbled. Yet a wry smile appeared on her lips a
moment later. Tang Wulin had fallen asleep just as she was about to say
something. Perhaps it was due to fatigue. Maybe he just wanted to
escape from her.

When

from her.

When Tang Wulin next woke up, the room was bustling with activity. He
heard Xu Xiaoyan’s voice first.

“Big Sis Gu yue, how are you doing?” she asked. “Are you feeling okay?
Please take it easy and rest some more. I heard the teachers talking
about how the Holy Spirit Douluo said you and Tang Wulin would need a
whole month to recover. Please don’t force yourself. You can take this
week of classes off.”

“How long were we unconscious?” Gu Yue asked.

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Xu Xiaoyan stuck out three fingers. “It's been this many days.”

Gu Yue pouted. “Why was I in his bed when I woke up?”

Xu Xiaoyan snickered. “You were holding onto him so tightly that none
of us could separate you! You sure know how to make a move early on,
Big Sis Gu Yue!”

“Stop making stuff up.” Gu Yue blushed crimson. “What does a kid like
you understand? Just focus on your cultivation instead of this
nonsense.”

“Hehehe. How am I talking nonsense? Did you forget already? We’ve

already moved to the next room over. Why did you choose to stay in this
room if you didn’t want to? You could have just walked next door as
soon as you woke up!”

“Huh? I… I forgot. I’m telling you, I really forgot!”

Xu Xiaoyan was correct. Right after Xu Lizhi and Ye Xinglan joined their
group, they became working students and got another room to move all
the girls into. Gu Yue couldn’t believe she had forgotten this.

“Let’s go!” Gu Yue shot to her feet and rushed out the door, the sweet
laughter of Xu Xiaoyan following close behind.

Tang Wulin pretended he was still asleep until he could no longer hear
them. Then he opened one eye halfway and took a peek at the room to
make sure no one was there. Confident that he was alone, he let out a
sigh of relief.

But then a round face popped out of his blindspot and peered down at
him.

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Chapter 411

A+ A- Chapter 411

Chapter 411 - The First Semester's Final Exam

“Woah!” Tang Wulin cried out. “Lizhi, what are you doing? You scared
me!”

“Nothing really.” Xu Lizhi smirked. “I was just waiting to see when you
would wake up.”

Tang Wulin sat up in his bed, fighting against his body’s lack of strength.
Fortunately, dizziness did not strike him this time.

“Are you hungry?” Xu Lizhi asked.

Tang Wulin subconsciously rubbed his belly. It felt so empty that he

could swear he felt his spine on the other side just by poking it. “I’m
starving.”

After devouring some pork buns, Tang Wulin let out a sigh of
satisfaction. He felt much better.

“Did we win?” he asked.

Xu Lizhi nodded. “We won. We won in the overall competition as well.

Everyone who competed was rewarded with a lot of contribution points.
You should go with Gu Yue to visit Wu Zhangkong later. You know, I
really can’t believe you two hid it so well. Seriously! A soul fusion skill!
That’s amazing!”

Tang Wulin forced a smile. “Would you believe me if I told you that was

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our first time using it?”

Xu Lizhi stared at him with a dumbfounded look. “Your first time? No

way!”

“I’m not lying! It really was our first time!”

“What was your first time?” Yuanen Yehui asked as she walked into the
room with Xie Xie. Seeing Tang Wulin and Xu Lizhi together and hearing
their mention of a “first time”, her expression contorted into a strange
grimace.

Tang Wulin didn’t notice her expression. “We were talking about my soul
fusion skill with Gu Yue! I honestly don’t know what happened. Were you
guys hurt, Yuanen?”

Yuanen Yehui shook her head and stopped about five meters

from Tang Wulin. “The Holy Spirit Douluo saved us. Listen. That attack of
yours felt really strange. It was almost as if I were cut off from the rest of
the world. Like the world itself was rejecting me. Did you guys really
come up with it in the heat of battle?”

Tang Wulin smiled bitterly. “Do I need to make some sort of pledge for
you to believe me?”

Yuanen Yehui snorted. “No, it’s fine. Just remember, you guys may have
won this time, but you might not be as lucky the next. I’ll definitely pay
you back.”

“Sounds great.” Tang Wulin chuckled.

“I’ll leave you to rest then. And once you’ve recovered, you can get back
to forging.”

“You’re so selfish,” Tang Wulin said with a wry smile.

Yuanen Yehui waved goodbye then left.

Why was she acting so distant? Tang Wulin got an odd feeling from

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Yuanen Yehui. He didn’t know when it started, but he felt as if she were
actively avoiding him. I’m not ugly… and she wasn’t like that when we
first met.

“Don’t mind her, Wulin.” Xie Xie spoke up. “Cultivating is the only thing
she’s got on her mind.”

Tang Wulin rolled his eyes. “Whose side are you on?”

The question caught Xie Xie unawares. “Yours, of course!”

“Why are you speaking up for her then?” Xu Lizhi asked.

Xie Xie glared at him. “I’m just stating the facts. What would you know?
Now give me a bun and help me save some money.”

“I refuse. Buns cost soul power, you know!” Xu Lizhi snickered.

Tang Wulin shrugged helplessly. “Alright then. I’m going to cultivate for
a bit, so you two keep it down.”

Xu Lizhi’s pork buns had given him some strength, enough

enough for him to focus on recovering with his own effort. He sat down,
crossed his legs, and began meditating. The second he began, he
exhaled deeply. No wonder the Holy Spirit Douluo said Gu Yue and I
would need a month to recover. My body’s condition is even worse than I
imagined! I’m lucky my meridians weren’t damaged.

He was shocked by the state of his body. Only a few drops of soul power
remained in it, his blood essence had no vigor, and his complexion was
pale. He urged the energies within him to circulate slowly, careful not to
harm his organs. If not for the pork buns, he wouldn’t have had even the
energy to sit with his legs crossed. Just what was that soul fusion skill?
My entire body is a mess! Well, all I can do now is take my time to
recover. I’m lucky I didn’t suffer any lasting injuries.

All Tang Wulin could do was use the Mysterious Heaven Method to direct
his feeble blood essence and soul power throughout his body. A trickle of

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soul power soon formed within him.

The Holy Spirit Douluo’s evaluation of him had been wrong. His body far
exceeded the norm. With the addition of Xu Lizhi’s pork buns, it only
took him three days to gather some soul power in his body. With this bit
of soul power, his recovery hastened rapidly. He only needed ten days to
recover to eighty percent of peak condition. The remaining twenty
percent couldn’t be forced, and he would have to slowly work at it.
According to his own observations, it would take him another ten days to
get back to tip-top condition.

Tang Wulin spent those ten days going through a

through a monotonous routine.

Attend class. Forge. Cultivate. Study.

But there was one difference. The students of the first grade were far
more united than they had been at the beginning of the school year. All
of Tang Wulin’s classmates now greeted him with sincere smiles when
they saw him. Everyone was in a frenzy to grow stronger.

Tang Wulin didn’t try the soul fusion skill with Gu Yue again. The side
effects were costly. He had asked Wu Zhangkong, Feng Wuyu, and Zhuo
Shi about it, but none of them could make heads or tails of their
situation. The only thing they were certain about was that their soul
fusion skill was so extremely domineering that it could possibly even be
on the level of a divine fusion. The two Titled Douluos told him to wait
until he gained another soul ring before attempting to practice using it.

Tang Wulin didn’t dispute this. Being decommissioned for an entire

month was too high of a cost for him. He couldn’t afford to lose a month
of cultivation.

As for Gu Yue, she acted as if nothing had happened, although she did
distance herself from everyone else a bit more than usual. However,
since everyone was busy with cultivating, Tang Wulin didn’t find it odd

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that he saw her less.

Ye Xinglan held off from making any more pieces of battle armor. At this
point in time, she needed to increase her soul power rank. She had just
barely succeeded in making Tang Wulin’s gauntlet by a hair’s breadth. It
was too dangerous for her to attempt making something of that level
again, so everyone agreed that she had to wait until she had four soul
rings.

All of them walked their own

walked their own unique path of cultivation, all striving to advance. Xie
Xie conspicuously disappeared the most often. As soon as lunch ended,
he would scurry off somewhere only to return late in the evening and
pass out on his bed. Xu Xiaoyan also went missing for large chunks of
time. They were all busy working toward their own goals.

Tang Wulin’s schedule was the most rigid of them all. He focused on
forging, cultivated on the side, and gorged himself to improve his blood
essence. He made small gains every day.

The days passed just like this, and in the blink of an eye, the end of the
semester was upon them.

Shen Yi stood behind the lectern in the classroom with a shining smile on
her face.

“The first semester’s final exam you’ve all been looking forward to is
almost here,” she said.

Countless students sat up straight when she swept her gaze across
them. The exam we’ve all been looking forward to? No way! No one
looks forward to exams!

Apprehension gripped the hearts of many students. Ten students would

be expelled this year, and they didn’t know how many would be given
the boot in this exam.

Sure enough, Shen Yi’s next words made the weakest students pale.

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“Five people will be expelled according to the results of the exam. Work
hard if you don’t want to be one of those five.”

Five people… Tang Wulin clenched his fists.

Shen Yi looked at him. “Speak.”

Tang Wulin steeled himself. “Teacher Shen, is there any way to avoid
having anyone expelled?”

She quirked a brow at his question. “There is.”

Huh? There is? Everyone had expected Shen Yi to say no. This was Shrek
Academy after all!

Yet she said there was a way!

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Chapter 412

A+ A- Chapter 412

Chapter 412 - Preparing to Set Out

Tang Wulin lit up at Shen Yi’s words. “What do we have to do so no one

is expelled?”

Shen Yi glanced at him before returning her gaze to the rest of the class.
“The results of the final exam will be based on how many points you
score. If everyone meets the minimum score, then everyone might be
able to pass. But then the bar for next semester’s exam would be raised
by five percent.”

Tang Wulin furrowed his brow. He wasn’t naive enough to think Shrek
Academy’s exams would be simple. Passing the exam was definitely
easier said than done.

Shen Yi smiled. “The only leeway we’ll allow is the option to share points
with other students. However, let me remind you that these points are
the same ones that will determine whether you get into the inner court.
Be careful of how many points you give away. They could be the
difference between making into the inner court or not.”

Her words caused a stir, hushed murmurs breaking out among the
stronger of the students. They all yearned to enter the inner court, but
giving away their points would hurt their chances of making it in.

Tang Wulin lowered his hand and said no more. His strength was limited.
Even if he wanted to help his classmates pass the exam, there were only

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so many he could help. He decided it was better to consider this matter

closer to the end of the exam.

“Now, here are the details of the exam. The exam will span fifteen days.
In those fifteen days, you will go to Bright City. You must visit at least
ten cities, including Bright City, and in every city you visit, you must
defeat a soul master at least five soul power ranks above you. You may
not receive any help with finding your opponents, defeating them, or
travelling to Bright City. All of you will have to figure

out how to do this on your own.

“Furthermore, your soul storage devices, communicators, and any other

resources you possess will be confiscated before you head out. That
includes money. You will all leave empty-handed. Remember, you will
only have fifteen days. As long as you can complete the assigned tasks
and return within fifteen days, you’ll pass the exam. The number of
points you earn will depend on the strength of the opponents you
defeat. If you don’t manage to accomplish the assigned tasks in those
fifteen days, you will unconditionally fail the exam and have half your
points deducted. Do not worry about how your points are being counted
during the exam. The Academy will be dispatching teachers to shadow
all of you.

“But don’t expect them to help you under any circumstances.” She
paused, letting the words sink in. “Even if your life is in danger, they will
not intervene. So act with caution during the exam. Don’t pick a fight
with someone you can’t handle.”

Tang Wulin could hardly believe his ears. There are exams like this? But
after a moment of thought, he understood the aim of Shrek Academy.
The exam was structured like this to be a comprehensive test of their
abilities. Previous benefits of food, clothing, shelter, and transportation
were all stripped away. Without a single penny, they had to visit ten
cities, find and defeat opponents stronger than them, then make their
way back.

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Bright City was located on the western part of the continent while Shrek
Academy sat right in the continent’s heart. Even traveling via high-
speed train would take three straight days of travel from Shrek City to
Bright City. In other words, that was at least six days of travelling, not to
mention the time they would have to spend in each city looking for
opponents.

A grim silence descended upon the class following Shen Yi’s

announcement. Every student was deep in thought, planning just how
they would tackle the exam.

“You may

may not form groups,” Shen Yi continued. “Everyone must take this
exam alone. If any cooperation is discovered, everyone involved will
fail.” Then she departed.

A smile tugged at the corner of Tang Wulin’s mouth. Interesting!

He glanced at his friends. They were all deep in thought as well, but
none showed any worry. Ye Xinglan’s eyes blazed with determination.
Gu Yue calmly contemplated the exam as if it were no big deal. Xu Lizhi
and Xie Xie both looked excited, and Xu Xiaoyan simply wore a sweet
smile on her face.

The exam would begin the morning of the next day.

Sitting behind at desk in the headmaster’s office, Elder Cai smiled at

Shen Yi. “So the arrangements for the exam are complete?”

Shen Yi nodded. “Everything is in order.”

“Good. There has always been a few surprises during the first final exam
for new students. Let’s see what happens this year. Remember to be
thorough with the body search. These are clever kids we’ve got. Who

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knows what they’ll do for an advantage?”

Shen Yi chuckled. “You can rest easy. I’ve gone through this once
before, so I know exactly what they’re all thinking. Anything they can
come up with, their seniors have already done. Senior brother and the
other proctors have already set out.”

“Excellent. This will be a good learning experience for them,” Elder Cai
said.

With their business finished, Shen Yi left. Elder Cai laid back in her chair
deep in thought. After a while, she stood up and walked over to the
window. She peered out and stared at a towering building on the horizon
that pierced through the clouds. Then her mind began to drift among the
clouds, moving back to another time.

“Cai Yue, Gu Yue is my disciple. Stop meddling in her business.”

“How am I meddling?”

“Do you believe I don’t understand how you think? She has already
joined the Spirit Pagoda and become my disciple. I’m certain she’ll do
better under my tutelage

my tutelage than yours.”

“Phoenix!”

“You want to go again? How many times have you lost already? Enough
of this. We’ve already known each other for years. If you still can’t
accept this, then you can come find me whenever you want. But in the
end, I will bring Gu Yue take with me once she graduates from the outer
court.”

And then she was back.

Elder Cai took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes as she opened the
window. She stepped out into empty air.

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Then her figure flickered, and she was gone.

Tang Wulin and his friends stood gathered around a map. He pointed to
a few lines drawn on it. “This is the best route. It’s the shortest path
possible to Bright City with nine other cities on the way. We’ll take the
least amount of time possible if we follow it. We’re not allowed to work
together though, so each of us will have to find our own way.”

Xie Xie eyed the map. “Wulin, I know we’re not allowed to bring
anything, but what if we could sneak some things past the inspection?”
he asked in a hushed tone. “We would have a huge advantage. Do you
think there’s any way?”

Tang Wulin turned to him. “We can’t try anything sneaky like that. It’s a
waste of time. Do you think the Academy would impose such rules
without a way to enforce them? The pre-exam inspection will definitely
be extremely strict. Besides, this a test of our abilities. We need to show
that we can accomplish the tasks with just our own abilities.

“Our first problem is money. Without any money, we can’t take the soul
train. Everyone use tonight to think of a way to earn some money.”

Xu Lizhi smirked. “I’ll just sell some buns.”

Xu Xiaoyan giggled. “I’ll put on a sad face and ask some senior brothers
to lend me some money. The rest of you are going to need another way
though.”

Xie

way though.”

Xie Xie shrugged. “If worst comes to worst, I’ll just do some street
performances. Wulin, you’re planning on going to do some forging
assignments, right?”

“It’s the fastest way for me.” Tang Wulin nodded. Then he looked over to
Gu Yue and Ye Xinglan. “How about you two?”

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Gu Yue and Ye Xinglan shared a look, then answered at the same time.

In the early morning of the following day, all of the first grade students
were gathered in Spirit Ice Plaza to prepare for their departure.

Any student who could make it into Shrek Academy undoubtedly

possessed a soul storage device. The first thing Wu Zhangkong and
Shen Yi did when they arrived was collect all of them. Apart from the
clothes on their backs, the students were left with nothing.

“I can’t even bring my forging hammers?” Tang Wulin asked in shock.

“All you are allowed to bring are the clothes you’re wearing. Nothing
else is permitted,” Wu Zhangkong answered coldly.

Tang Wulin reluctantly put his hammers back into his storage rings and
handed the rings over. After using those storage rings and hammers for
so long, he felt uneasy without them. It had already become a habit for
him to put the storage rings on every day. Furthermore, those rings
were filled with valuable chunks of metal and forged alloys.

Apart from the occasional alloy that had a harmony rate over ninety
percent, those he gave to his friends, the majority of his successfully-
forged alloys were in those rings. He hadn’t been in a hurry to sell the
alloys. He instead chose to wait until he needed to break his fourth seal
before using them to gain funds. They were sure to fetch a good price at
Shrek Academy since it was a place where alloys were in high demand.

It was time for Tang Wulin to hand over all of his things, but his greedy
nature made it hard for him to do so!

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Chapter 413

A+ A- Chapter 413

Chapter 413 - This Mountain is Mine!

The students of the first grade were divided by gender for the body
searches. Most of the students had nothing to hide, but a few tried their
luck at smuggling things out. However, one teacher’s martial soul was
his eyes, and with his soul skills, he could see through every kind of
deception the students tried.

A cold gust of air blew in through the gates. Although none of them truly
felt cold, a few still shivered from the wind chill.

“That search was so thorough!” a student exclaimed as they shuffled

through the gates.

“I’ll see you in fifteen days, Class President.” Luo Guixing waved to Tang
Wulin as he left.

“Good luck everyone. Do your best to avoid getting eliminated. I’ll start
forging for you guys next semester, so get the materials and your
payment ready.”

The shivering students cheered. Tang Wulin was the only person in their
grade who had a piece of battle armor at the moment. Even considering
the fact that they chose to use ordinary metals for theirs, the rankers
were still far behind in that regard. Making battle armor wasn’t an easy
task after all.

Using spirit alloys may have made the crafting process harder for Tang

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Wulin, but the results were worth it. He could spirit refine it in the future
and upgrade it. Crafting battle armor like this was practically unheard of
in the outer court. Therefore, the only way to get spirit alloys or spirit
refined metal was to request

it from the Blacksmith’s Association at a high price.

Tang Wulin’s promise was enough to buy the hearts of all his
classmates. However, he only made this promise now because his alloy
forging success rate had risen to forty percent recently. It was good
enough for him to start profiting off of it.

After a semester at Shrek Academy, Tang Wulin had formed clear plan
for his cultivation path.

It could be summed up in three words.

Forge, eat, and battle!

Blacksmithing would make him money. With money he could buy food.
With a full belly he would have the energy to fight!

Eating had already been incorporated into his daily cultivation routine.
Shrek Academy’s food was highly nutritious. This fueled his powerful
blood essence, which in turn led to faster soul power cultivation.

In truth, anyone could eat nutritious food to cultivate as well. The only
problem was digestion! This path was only viable to Tang Wulin because
his stomach had amazing digestive capabilities. In spite of this, the
amount he could grow through eating ordinary meals still had its limits.
If he wanted to improve his soul power and blood essence, he would
need even more nutritious food! The food had to be packed with the
natural energies of the world until it was fit to burst. Then it wouldn’t be
ordinary food, but spirit food! It was spirit food that had helped him
break his third seal.

Tang Wulin was confident that if he could eat one or two spirit foods a
month, his cultivation

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cultivation level would quickly surpass that of his peers. However, to do

so required tremendous amounts of money, and the best way for him to
earn money was to forge!

On top of all of that, Wu Zhangkong had also told him there was only
one true way to get stronger. Battle!

So Tang Wulin had come to that conclusion. He would do three things:

forge, eat, and battle!

The students left one after another. Fifteen days seemed like a long
while, but they had lots to do in that time. They had to earn some
money immediately. Without any, they wouldn’t be able to advance!

“I’m going to go find some people to pamper me.” Xu Xiaoyan waved

goodbye to her friends as she walked back toward Shrek Academy.

“I’m going too. If you guys hear about a Shrek student doing street
performances later, don’t find it too weird!” Xie Xie took off running.

Xu Lizhi walked over to the side. He took off his coat and lay it on the
ground, then he began conjuring up buns.

Tang Wulin turned to Gu Yue and Ye Xinglan. “So are you two really
going to...?”

The girls smiled at him and nodded.

Tang Wulin sighed and facepalmed. He didn’t have the guts to look them
in the eye. “Then I’m going to head out first.”

He needed to pay the Blacksmith’s Association a visit.

As soon as Tang Wulin left, Ye Xinglan turned to Gu Yue. “Who’s going

first?”

“You can go,” Gu Yue said.

Ye Xinglan nodded. “Alright.”

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nodded. “Alright.”

It was still early in the morning. Classes had yet to start, and students
trickled through the gates in twos and threes. Not all of the students
lived on campus. Some came from wealthy families that bought houses
in the city for them to cultivate in.

But today was different from usual.

Someone was peddling goods right at the entrance. “Don’t miss your
chance to buy a bun! A single Recovery Pork Bun will fill you with vigor
and make your body healthier! An Agility Soup Bun will make you as
lithe as a swallow! Or get a Bloodthirst Bean Bun and instantly double
your fighting strength! It’s always good to be prepared! All buns stay
fresh for a day.”

A boy about sixteen or seventeen years old instantly recognized that

person as he walked through the gates. “Woah! Aren’t you the fatty
from the first grade? Junior Brother, why are you selling buns here?”

Xu Lizhi chuckled. “I have no other choice! I need to make some money

for this semester’s final exam. How about, Senior Brother? You want
some buns? They’re cheap and delicious!”

“I’m good. I don’t have any use for your buns. They only last a day
anyway. Welp, I’ve gotta get to class. Good luck.” The student waved
goodbye and continued walking through the gates. However, before he
could go much farther, he was stopped.

Two girls stood in the way. The gate was very wide though, so they
couldn’t block the entire path. The second grade student tried to walk
around

to walk around them, but someone moved in front of him to bar his
path.

“This mountain is mine. These trees were planted by me. Uh… Hey Gu

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Yue! What was the last line?”

Gu Yue rolled her eyes. “‘If you want to pass, you must pay the
mountain toll.’”

What’s going on?The second grade student stared at them with in utter
stupefaction. “Junior sisters, there’s no mountain here,” he said
monotonously. “And there aren’t any trees either! Even if there were,
they wouldn’t belong to you two!”

“Pay up.” Ye Xinglan held out her hand. “The toll is one hundred
thousand Federal credits.”

The boy was stunned. “What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to
rob me?”

“No. We’re borrowing money from you. We’ll pay you back twice as
much later on,” Ye Xinglan answered.

“What if I don’t lend you money?” The corner of the boy’s mouth began
to twitch. Ye Xinglan was a pretty girl and he didn’t want to make a bad
impression on her, but there was a limit to his restraint when she was
being so demanding.

A few other students had arrived by then and now watched from the
side. One of them was a student who looked to be about twenty years
old. He was clearly from one of the upper grades.

“Alright!” Ye Xinglan took a step forward, three soul rings appearing

beneath her. Her Stargod Sword manifested in her hands, shining
radiantly. “You don’t have to pay the mountain toll if you can beat us!”

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Chapter 414

A+ A- Chapter 414

Chapter 414 - Loan

The aura around Ye Xinglan intensified, her eyes twinkling brightly,

sword in her hand. The second grade boy felt his entire body tense up as
he summoned his own martial soul in response. Three soul rings rose
from beneath him, a match for Ye Xinglan’s own!

Battle? There’s no way I can beat her! He had witnessed the match
between the first and second grades, which led to the first grade
becoming renowned as the strongest class of new students in the last
century. None of the five rankers in the first grade had joined the battle,
yet the first grade had won! It was widely known that Ye Xinglan was
one of the pillars of that team. She had single handedly taken on Yue
Zhengyu, He Xiaopeng, and Ye Xingmo after all! The boy knew that she
was out of his league.

“Aren’t you guys afraid of being punished by the Academy?” the boy
asked meekly as he retreated a step.

“We’ll deal with that when we get back,” Ye Xinglan tapped her foot
impatiently. “Besides, this is just a loan. A fifteen day loan! And we’ll
even pay you back double when we get back.”

She took in a deep breath and raised her sword, resplendent starlight
gathering around it. She didn’t want to waste anymore time. One
hundred thousand credits would be enough to cover all of their travel
and food expenses.

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“Fine! I’ll give it to you!” the boy shouted in despair.

“Wait a minute,” someone said from behind him.

The boy looked back to see Xu Lizhi holding some buns in his hands, his
fat jiggling as he jogged over to the second grade boy. “Senior Brother,
if you eat one of my buns, you might not necessarily lose to them! My
Bloodthirst Bean Bun is very potent. It can boost your strength by thirty
percent. You don’t have to defeat them. You just have to get past them!
Do you think they

would dare act so arrogantly once you’re on school grounds?”

The boy looked at Xu Lizhi suspiciously. “If I remember correctly, weren’t

all three of you on the same team?”

Xu Lizhi stuck out his chest indignantly. “No way. We’re not a team right
now. Everyone in the first grade is busy with our first semester’s final
exam. We might get expelled if we perform badly, so we’re all rivals
here.”

The boy’s heart began to race. He was an agility-type soul master, so he

felt quite confident that he could breakthrough if his power were
boosted by thirty percent. Furthermore, neither of the two girls were
agility-types.

“Alright. I’ll give it a try. Give me a bean bun and a soup bun. How much
are they?”

“The Bloodthirst Bean Bun is thirty thousand credits and the Agility Soup
Bun is ten thousand,” Xu Lizhi answered.

“How is that offer any better? You’re just trying to rob me too!” The boy
rolled his eyes.

Xu Lizhi looked him straight in the eye. “You would save sixty thousand
credits.”

“Fine! But I get a refund if the buns don’t work!” The boy looked back at

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Ye Xinglan as if she were a devil. He paid Xu Lizhi and immediately

threw the bun in his mouth. As promised, the effects instantly took hold.
He felt as lithe as a swallow, his body surging with strength.

“I’m charging through!” The boy instantly broke into a run, heading
straight for the gate. He was extremely swift, just as expected from an
agility-type soul master who made it into Shrek Academy. Although his
legs didn’t look particularly muscular, every step he took catapulted him
forward. He flew like an arrow.

However, a yellow light suddenly enveloped his body and weighed him
down. His entire body felt sluggish now. Then a thread of starlight
wrapped around him.

“Why are you guys ganging up on me?” the boy shouted.

“We’re here to rob you! Oh, wait. I meant to

to say we’re here to borrow money. Who would face you by

themselves?” Ye Xinglan poked her sword into the boys shoulder,
pressing him to the ground. “So, will you lend me money?”

“I’ll lend you money!”

Ye Xinglan accepted the money from the boy then counted it. “Yeah.
This is one hundred thousand. You can go now,” she said as she put her
sword away.

The boy got to his feet and glared at the two girls before leaving for
class.

“Hold on a second,” Ye Xinglan shouted after him.

The boy turned back to look at her angrily. “What do you want now?”

“What class are you in? And what’s your name?” Ye Xinglan asked.

The boy eyed her suspiciously. “Why do you want to know?”

“So I can pay you back.”

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“Really?” The boy was dumbfounded.

Ye Xinglan frowned. “What nonsense are you thinking about? Just hurry
up and tell me. Stop wasting my time.”

“I’m in the second grade. My name is Xia Yuekong,” he answered in

embarrassment before running off.

Seeing that the matter was settled, one of the students that had been
watching walked over. “Junior sisters, are you still borrowing money?”
This upperclassman smiled courteously.

“No. We have enough now.” Ye Xinglan didn’t even look at him as she
left with Gu Yue.

When the two girls passed by Xu Lizhi, Ye Xinglan turned to him. “You
only managed to sell your buns because of us, so you’re responsible for
one third of the debt.”

“Fine, fine.” Xu Lizhi beamed. Although he had a big appetite, forty

thousand credits would be more than enough for the entire trip if he
dieted. He had asked the teachers beforehand if he could team up with
another student since he was a support-type soul master, and they had
agreed. He had originally been eyeing Tang Wulin, but after some
thought, he chose Ye Xinglan. However, the number of opponents they
had to defeat together doubled to twenty.

“So

twenty.

“So they were actually working together!” The spectating students were
dumbstruck as they watched the trio leave. There really are all sorts of
people in this world!

“Those juniors are really creative! How come we never thought of this
back then?”

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Tang Wulin stood outside of the Blacksmith’s Association of Shrek City.

However, Mu Xi stood in his way.

“Hm?” Tang Wulin looked at her curiously. “What are you doing here,
Senior Sister?”

Mu Xi smiled. “I heard you had an exam, so I’m here to see you off!”

A hint of anxiety crept into Tang Wulin’s heart. “Why are you seeing me
off? I don’t have much time. I want to go take some forging missions to
earn some money.”

“Forget about it,” she replied. “The Academy has already contacted us
and every other association in the city. None of us will lend any of you
help. You’re all forbidden from earning money at the associations, so
you’ll have to think of another way to make money. You can still make
money by forging, just not in this city. By the way, the Tang Sect is also
cooperating with this. Hehe.”

Tang Wulin’s jaw dropped. “I can’t believe this!”

Mu Xi shrugged. “There’s nothing I can do about it. If you don’t want to

waste anymore of your time, then quickly think of some other way to
make money.”

Tang Wulin couldn’t retort. He really was wasting his time here. What
else can I do?

A moment later, his eyes lit up. I got it!

Tang Wulin waved goodbye to Mu Xi then ran straight for Shrek City’s
train station. When he arrived, Tang Wulin looked around and was
certain that he was the first of his class to come. Everyone else was still
busy with earning money.

Tickets were checked before the train could be boarded. Tang Wulin
casually walked over to the departure schedule and examined it. He
soon found what he was looking for. According to his plan, the first city

the first city Tang Wulin would visit was Heaven Dou City, which lay

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north-west of Shrek City. It was a major city, so he wouldn’t have any

problems finding a suitable opponent. There were also many trains from
Heaven Dou City to Bright City.

Tang Wulin quickly found his way to the right platform. There were still
five minutes left before ticket checking would commence, yet there was
already a long line at the ticket checking window.

This time, truly everything had been confiscated from him. Even his
student ID and blacksmith’s badge had been taken. He was completely
empty-handed.

He walked over to the back of the line and took his place.

The ticket checking soon began and the line started moving forward.
One by one, people had their tickets checked then passed into the next
area. His turn soon arrived.

“Please show me your ticket,” said the clerk.

Tang Wulin moved his hand to his pocket, reached in, and rummaged
around for a moment. Then he looked off to the side and suddenly
pointed.

“Snake! There’s a snake!”

His shout frightened the people around him and they all where he was
pointing. Sure enough, there was a golden snake about one meter long
sitting on the wall. It swiftly slithered over to the crowd. Several
frightened shouts rang out and a portion of the crowd went into a panic.
A moment later, a golden flash of light filled the area, and the snake
disappeared.

“Huh? Where’d the snake go?” The panicked passengers and staff
members searched everywhere for the snake, but it was nowhere to be
found.

Tang Wulin had also long since disappeared. He had taken advantage of
the distraction to leap past the ticket checking window. He then ran off

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to find a corner to hide in and retrieve Goldsong. He had succeeded in

getting past the train station’s checkpoint.

Tang Wulin boarded his train and went to find some seats that weren’t
tied to a ticket.

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Chapter 415

A+ A- Chapter 415

Chapter 415 - Onward to Heaven Dou City

Once the train station staff confirmed that there was no snake in the
vicinity, the crowds of people quickly calmed down. The brief snake
scare had passed, and the train heading for Heaven Dou City quickly
filled up. Once the embarkation process was complete, the train then
started moving forward, gently at first, then picking up speed until it was
zipping toward Heaven Dou City.

“Damn it!” Xu Lizhi, Ye Xinglan, and Gu Yue had just arrived at the train
station and could see the train carrying Tang Wulin leave the station.
“We just missed the train. Well, at least there are a lot of trains going to
Heaven Dou City. We’ll just have to wait half an hour.”

“According to the rules of the exam, it’s time for us to part ways here.
Good luck.” Ye Xinglan fist bumped Gu Yue.

Gu Yue smiled. “Let’s see who gets back first then. I’m going to go buy
my ticket.”

The vast majority of the first grade students were still busy making
money. Tang Wulin was the only one whose journey had truly begun.

The soul train rapidly picked up speed until it reached a high-speed

cruise. Tang Wulin found himself in the dining car along with around a
dozen other people. He soon realized that he had made a mistake.

He was getting hungry.

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The aroma of food hung in the air of the dining car. The food served on
these trains couldn’t be called spectacular, but it didn’t matter to Tang
Wulin when his stomach was growling! However, he was penniless. He
couldn’t buy any food. Money hadn’t been an issue when he snuck onto
the train, but it was an issue now.

The other people in the

dining car were already seated and eating breakfast. Tang Wulin patted
his empty stomach as he looked around.

The Academy is so mean! They didn’t even let us eat breakfast before
starting the exam. Tang Wulin felt depressed. He firmly believed that if
his stomach weren’t full, his strength wouldn’t be at one hundred
percent. Well, there’s nothing I can do. I’ll just have to bear with it for
now...

Tang Wulin soon faced another problem. The staff were checking tickets
again! Tickets were checked once more on the train to prevent
stowaways like Tang Wulin. The dining car was at the very center of the
train. Since the staff started checking tickets from the front and back
ends of the train, they would check here last.

At that moment, Tang Wulin saw ticket checkers appear from both doors
of the car. He knew he was cornered, and he had no plans to lie either.

“I don’t have a ticket,” Tang Wulin calmly told the train attendant.

“Huh? You don’t have a ticket?” The train attendant put on a grave
expression. “So you’re a stowaway then. Please buy a ticket
immediately.”

Tang Wulin could only force out a bitter smile. “I don’t have any money
either.”

The train attendant sized him up. “Kid, your clothes are so clean. How
could you not have any money on you? Did you run away from home?”

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Tang Wulin was only fourteen years old now. Even if he was tall, he still
had baby fat left on his face.

“Yeah. I ran away from home.” Tang Wulin looked at the train attendant
helplessly. “I have relatives in Heaven Dou City. I can get money from
them to pay for a ticket. Would that be alright?”

“Come with me.” The train attendant brought Tang Wulin

Wulin to the train conductor was. Since he was just a child, the train
attendant didn’t treat him too harshly. There was nowhere to run on the
train anyway. Tang Wulin couldn’t escape.

They quickly arrived at the conductor’s room in the operations carriage,

which sat at the center of the train.

“Ma’am, this kid is a stowaway and he doesn’t have any money for a
ticket. What should we do with him?”

The conductor was a lady who looked to be in her late twenties.

Although she wasn’t particularly beautiful, she did have a dignified air
around her.

“A stowaway? Kid, why are you doing such things at such a young age?”
asked the conductor. “Come on, tell me. What’s your situation?”

Tang Wulin took a deep breath. “Actually, I’m a student from Shrek
Academy. I’m currently in the middle of an exam and all of my
possessions were confiscated by the Academy before I was sent out. My
exam requires me to go all the way to Bright City, so I had no choice but
to sneak on. Big Sis, I know I was wrong in doing this. I would be fine
with you having some of your attendants escort me to get money to pay
for a ticket once we arrive in Heaven Dou City. I have ways to get money
there. I’ll pay double the ticket price I swear.”

“You’re a student from Shrek Academy?” The conductor and the train
attendant stared at him in shock. Shrek Academy was a legendary
existence. It was practically a holy site for ordinary people like them! Yet

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the ordinary looking kid before them claimed to come that holy place.

“Kid, you’ve already snuck onto the train. Don’t go lying now too,” the
conductor said sternly.

Tang Wulin

dir="ltr">Tang Wulin pouted. “I’m not lying! I really am a Shrek

Academy student. I’ll prove it right now! Just watch!” He took a step
back and urged the soul power within his body into action. Three purple
soul rings rose from his feet and revolved around him, thrumming with a
trace of power. This display stunned the conductor and attendant.

On the Douluo Continent, everyone had a martial soul, including the

ordinary people. Those who were ordinary understood exactly what a
soul master was, so when the conductor and attendant saw three purple
soul rings, they could hardly believe their eyes. Most ordinary people
would never personally see a purple soul ring in their entire lives.

“I-it’s purple,” the attendant muttered. “Is that a thousand-year soul

ring? How are all three of them thousand-year soul rings?”

"Because I’m a student of Shrek Academy!” Tang Wulin proclaimed

proudly.

His plan had been simple. All he had to do was flaunt his status as a soul
master. Shrek Academy may have confiscated all of his possessions, but
they couldn’t seal his martial soul. As long as he had his martial soul and
soul power, most problems could be solved with his status as a soul
master. He had only realized it after Mu Xi had turned him away from
the Blacksmith’s Association. In the end, he was a soul master!

Soul masters stood at the peak of society tens of thousands of years

ago. They still did so to this very day. Everyone looked up to soul
masters. Minor money problems could easily be swept under the rug as
long as he revealed his status.

Tang Wulin’s current number one priority was saving time. He no longer

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even planned on going to the Blacksmith’s Association when he arrived

in Heaven Dou City.

Heaven Dou City. His focus was completing the exam as quick as
possible, which would then allow him to use his excess points to help his
classmates.

“Little Brother, you’re a three-ringed soul master. That makes you a Soul
Elder, right? Are you really from Shrek Academy?”

Tang Wulin nodded. “Yeah! Big Sis, Shrek Academy is just too mean.
They want everyone in my grade to to visit ten cities within fifteen days.
Then we have to defeat a soul master at least five ranks above us too!
And after all that, we still have to get back to Shrek Academy within the
exam period. I won’t pass unless we do all of that.”

The conductor stared at him blankly. “And they’re having you do this all
alone? Just how old are you? I can’t believe they would send a boy like
you out all alone! They’re terrible!”

The attendant tugged at the conductor’s sleeve. She was bad mouthing
the legendary Shrek Academy!

Even silent cursing was not usually permissible. It was a holy land after
all.

The conductor immediately realized her mistake and turned back to

Tang Wulin with a warm smile on her face. “How may we be of help to
you then, Little Brother? At the very least, I can use my authority to
excuse you from paying for a ticket.”

Tang Wulin beamed as he recalled his soul rings. “Thank you, Big Sis! I
need to visit a bunch more cities on the way and challenge some people
too. Do you know if there are any places in Heaven Dou City where lots
of soul masters gather? Um. Also, could I borrow some money from you?
I’m getting kind of hungry. Don’t worry though! I’ll definitely pay you
back once I return to Shrek Academy.”

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Chapter 416

A+ A- Chapter 416

Chapter 416 - Terrorists

Tang Wulin was a good-looking boy. He had large sparkling eyes that
roused the maternal instincts of the conductor. Shrek Academy is just
awful! I can’t believe they would force a child like him through so much
hardship.

“Don’t worry! This big sis will help you out,” the conductor said. “You
need to visit ten cities right? Hm… How can I help you? There’s nothing I
can do about finding opponents for you, but I do know that the security
captains for train stations are all soul masters with mechas. The thing is
just that their strengths vary. Hmm. The captain at Heaven Dou City’s
train station should meet your criteria. Do you really have to fight him
though? He’s an adult, and he’s really strong.”

Tang Wulin’s eyes lit up. If he could battle a suitable opponent as soon
as he reached the train station, he would be able to save a lot of time!

“Alright! Sounds great! Please help me with that then, Big Sister!” He
sighed in his heart. He was lucky to meet such a kindhearted person He
had begun calling her ‘Big Sister’ to act cute. Only in the end did he truly
mean it.

“Xiaohu, please go get some food for this little brother while I step out
for a moment. He’s just so pitiful. He wasn’t even allowed to eat
breakfast.”

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Tang Wulin restrained his appetite in order to avoid scaring the

conductor, but even so, he ate enough food to feed five people.

The smell of food… It’s… Tang Wulin lamented his weak willpower.
However, the train only carried so much food on it.

“Wulin, I’ve already made the arrangements. The security captain at

Heaven Dou City’s train station will be waiting for you. After you finish
your battle, I’ll help you get a monthly train pass. With that pass, you'll
be able to ride any train on

the continent. And here. Take this money. You can use it to feed yourself
during your journey.”

The conductor had only stepped out for a moment, yet she had already
taken care of everything. It was clear that she had risen to the rank of a
conductor through her own merit.

When Tang Wulin received twenty thousand credits from her, his heart
burst with warmth.

She’s so kind!

At that moment, the communicator in the cabin crackled to life.

“Conductor! Conductor! Please come to the fifth carriage immediately!
Terrorists have hijacked it! Please hurry!”

A hijacking? The conductor looked dazed. Damn it! This is a disaster!

A few months ago, another hijacking had occurred in the western part of
the continent. That incident resulted in the train exploding. Over five
hundred casualties had been recorded. It was a tragedy that rocked the
entire continent.

The conductor went deathly pale, yet she quickly regained her wits and
spoke into the mic. “Attention all train attendants! Attention all train
attendants! This is your conductor speaking. We have an emergency.
Anyone with a weapon should head to the fifth carriage. Remain calm

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and do not alarm the passengers. Try to mitigate the disturbance.”

She rushed into her room and pulled out a key. She then opened a safe
and took out a soul pistol.

“Wait here, Wulin. Don’t go in that direction.” After warning Tang Wulin,
she ran out. Tang Wulin caught a glimpse of her face as she left. He
could see the conviction blazing in her eyes.

The conductor was determined. She would do everything she could to

protect the lives of the people on her train.

Tang Wulin called out to her as he ran to catch up. “Big Sis! I’m going
with you.”

“You? No way. You’re just a child! What if you get hurt? What would I tell
your parents?” the conductor came to a stop and pushed him

him back.

Tang Wulin smiled. “Big Sis, have you already forgotten? I’m a Shrek
Academy student! And a three-ringed Soul Elder! Trust me! I can help
you deal with them.”

The conductor hesitated for a moment when she recalled this fact, but in
the end, she shook her head. “Wulin, listen to me. I know you’re a soul
master, but the security captain on the train is too. Let us grown-ups
handle this. You’re still a kid. You have a bright future ahead of you. Just
stay here and be safe. If it really does get too dangerous, then I’ll have
the eleven rear carriages disconnect from the rest of the train. Just be
good and stay put!” She pushed Tang Wulin back into the room, locked
the door behind her, then ran off.

Tang Wulin bit his lip as he watched her leave. There are terrorists!

After leaving the operations carriage, the conductor slowed down to a

walk and hid her gun in her pocket. She didn’t want to alarm the other
passengers yet. She had to minimize the panic as much as possible. She

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plugged a pair of earphones into her communicator and put them on.
Turning to the side slightly, she whispered into the mic. “I’m almost
there. What’s the situation?”

“There are six terrorists in total, Conductor. They’re heavily armed. They
somehow managed to smuggle beam guns onto the train. Four of them
are armed with beam assault rifles and one is armed with a soul cannon.
They’ve already planted soul bombs all over the carriage. It could blow
up at any moment. We have ten staff members in position and engaged
in a standoff with the terrorists. But they’re better armed than we are.”

What the hell are those safety screenings for? They actually missed a
load of bombs! The conductor took a deep breath. She cursed within her
heart. This is a serious issue. These terrorists have

terrorists have bombs and heavy weapons. We’re on a high-speed train

right now, and there aren’t any stops before Heaven Dou City. We can’t
let a firefight break out here.

The conductor promptly came to a decision. “Tell the operators to

immediately cut off the sixth to sixteenth carriages after I enter the fifth.
Are we able to contact headquarters?”

“Yes, we’ve already sent a message. Conductor, you…”

“Shut it. Just carry out my orders.” The conductor looked forward, facing
the direction of the fifth carriage. Once the eleven rear carriages were
separated from the rest of the train, there would be no path of retreat.
She would share the fate of the remaining passengers and staff. They
would either live or die.

Yet this was all she could do. She had made her decision and now it was
time to follow through. She had to minimize losses. At the very least, the
terrorists wouldn’t be able to destroy the entire train.

The situation in the carriages beyond the fifth one was unclear. All
attempts to communicate with them resulted in radio silence. The

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terrorists had already blocked them off. She had to handle them
personally.

As she walked forward, she took out her wallet and opened it. Inside of it
was a picture of a cute, chubby baby. It looked to be only a few months
old. Tears welled in her eyes as she took the picture out, brought it to
her lips, and kissed it. “Mommy’s so sorry for this, my baby...” Then she
tucked it back into her wallet and put her wallet away.

She wiped away her tears and picked up the pace.

The passengers in the sixth carriage had been evacuated to the seventh.
A dozen or so armed staff members stood to the sides of the door to the
fifth carriage. They were in a standoff against the terrorists.

The only weapons the train

weapons the train held in case of emergencies were beam pistols. They
weren’t particularly powerful.

“What’s the situation?” the conductor asked the security captain as she
approached.

The captain wore a grave expression. “It isn’t good. They’ve taken
passengers as hostages. The carriages in the front are probably under
their complete control as well. They’ve already installed bombs all over
the train and a countdown has started.”

The conductor took a deep breath. She had to remain calm right now.
Terrifying as the situation may be, as the conductor, she had no other
choice but to handle it.

She took a few steps forward and shouted into the fifth carriage. “Please
don’t act impulsively! We can negotiate. Do you have any demands? I'll
do my best to fulfill your them, but please don’t harm the hostages!”

The fact that they could smuggle so much weaponry onto the train
showed that they weren’t any ordinary terrorists. Neither surrender nor
threats would be effective in dealing with such people. Her best option

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was to delay for time and hope for help.

“No need for bullshit!” a voice replied. “You’re the conductor, right? Our
demands are very simple. Tell the Federal government to safely release
the people they arrested twenty days ago. If they do that, I’ll release
these hostages. I know you can cut off the carriages in the rear, but let
me warn you: the first five carriages have already been rigged with
bombs. I’m sure you know how many passengers are here. You don’t
have much time. The bombs are set to detonate in thirty minutes. If you
can’t fulfill our demands in thirty minutes… hehe. Looks like you’ll be
buried along with everyone else.”

The conductor’s heart thumped. Twenty days ago? Who did the Federal
government arrest twenty days ago? There wasn’t any news about
that. These demands confused her, but she was certain these terrorists
wouldn’t make impossible demands.

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Chapter 417

A+ A- Chapter 417

Chapter 417 - Obeying Orders

“Have you informed headquarters of their demands?” the conductor

asked the security captain.

“I’ve already sent a message,” said the security captain. “But

headquarters said they would have to consult the higher ups first. It’s
impossible to fulfill their demands in half an hour. The people these
terrorists want released are all extremely heinous criminals. If we give in
to these demands…”

The conductor clenched her jaw. “When will backup arrive?”

“They should be here in twenty minutes, but... since the bombs are
already ticking, by the time backup arrives…” Cold sweat ran down the
security captain’s back.

An eerie look washed over the conductor’s face. “Have the crew
withdraw to the sixth carriage.”

The security captain looked at her in shock. “Conductor, don’t tell me

we’re sacrificing the hostages?”

“Who said we’re sacrificing them! Just carry out your orders,” the
conductor barked.

In case of emergencies, the conductor held the highest authority on a

train. The attendants stood by, waiting for their orders. The security

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captain clenched his teeth, then commanded the attendants to withdraw

with a wave of his hand.

The conductor turned back to the fifth carriage. “Please don’t act
impulsively! We’re fulfilling your demands as we speak, but we need
more time! Thirty minutes is too short. Please extend the timer on the
bombs. I beg of you to trust me. I will do my best to mediate and get you
what you want. But I also need you to promise me you won’t hurt the
hostages.”

All of the attendants

and security staff withdrew to the sixth carriage.

“How do I know you’re not just stalling for time?” a hoarse voice shouted
back.

The conductor remained calm. “You have bombs installed, so even if

mechas come as backup, they wouldn’t be able to storm your carriage.
Hundreds of lives are at risk after all. I’ve already contacted
headquarters and they agreed to your demands, but this matter involves
the Federal government. We need to get someone with more authority
to approve it. It’ll take about one hour to do that. If you can trust me,
extend the time limit to one hour. I’m certain you have some way to
detonate the bombs at any time, so you don’t have to be worried if I’m
lying.”

The terrorists in the fifth carriage went silent for a while, then the same
voice as before spoke up again. “Fine. I’ll trust you this time. We’ll
extend the bomb timers to one hour. But if you’re lying, everyone dies.”

The conductor took a deep breath. “Let’s discuss the demands then. Let
me introduce myself first. I am this train’s conductor. My name is Mo
Lan. I’m an ordinary person without any soul power. My father is the
administrator of Heaven Dou City, Mo Wu. I’m sure that I am far more
valuable as a hostage than ordinary people. So, I request that you
release all the elderly, women, and children you have taken hostage.

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Take me in their stead.”

“Conductor, you can’t!” The security captain grabbed her arm.

Mo Lan threw him off. Despite being

being a mere ordinary person, she was able to shake off the grip of a
two-ringed soul master. She turned to glare at him. The security captain
couldn’t help but avert his gaze when he saw the imposing
determination in her eyes.

The hoarse voice finally spoke up once more. “We can’t agree to your
request. We have no way of verifying your identity.”

Mo Lan sucked in a breath of air, then stepped into the doorway,

exposing herself to the guns of the terrorists. “You can search me up on
soulnet and verify my appearance. If you also cross-reference my name
with my father’s, you should have no trouble confirming my identity.”
She scanned the carriage as she spoke. Most of the passengers were
huddled at the back. She could see a bomb stuck to the roof of the
carriage from where she was standing, but she couldn’t see the
terrorists. Instead, their guns poked out of gaps between the hostages,
aimed straight at her.

Perhaps affected by her calmness, one of the terrorists spoke up after a

few moments. “Alright. We have confirmed your identity. We will release
all the elderly, women, and children. But don’t even think about pulling
any stunts. This is a game of trust now. We’ll release ten people first,
then you’ll walk over. After that, I’ll release the rest. If you don’t keep
your promise after we release the first ten people, I’ll kill ten others to
make up for it.”

“Understood!” Mo Lan answered without hesitation.

The terrorists acted quickly. A few moments later,

moments later, ten hostages walked out of the carriage and into the

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other. They thanked Mo Lan in between sobs as they passed her. Mo Lan
remained stone-faced. She simply patted each hostage on the back as
she directed them to the security captain, who inspected them to make
sure no bombs had been planted on them.

“We’ve fulfilled our part of the deal. Now it’s your turn!” shouted the
hoarse voice.

Mo Lan took out her beam gun and passed it to the security captain.
With both hands high in the air to indicate she wasn’t armed, she walked
into the fifth carriage. Her movements were slow and steady, and she
soon reached the other hostages. A hand stretched out to point a gun
right at her forehead.

Mo Lan kept her cool. “You can release the rest now.”

“Alright. You’re very brave, Miss Mo Lan. You certainly live up to your
status as the daughter of an official. I really admire you. Release the
others!”

There were about four hundred passengers in the first five carriages,
with elderly, women, and children making up about a third of that
number. Over a hundred people were released and began trickling into
the sixth carriage.

A terrorist completely garbed in black restrained Mo Lan from behind. He

held a gun to her head as he watched the procession of people leaving
for the sixth carriage, not noticing the faint smile she wore. “We’ve
shown our sincerity, so now it’s your turn. You guys have forty minutes
remaining to meet our demands.”

Mo Lan

demands.”

Mo Lan was about to speak when a young voice called out from the sixth
carriage. “Big Sis! Big Sis!” A small figure ran out, and was instantly met
with three beam guns pointed at his head.

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“Wulin? W-what are you doing here?” Mo Lan’s face turned pale.

Indeed, it was Tang Wulin who had just barged into the carriage. He
stumbled a few steps forward, tears in his eyes and panic on his face. A
couple more steps and he arrived in front of Mo Lan and hugged her
waist. “Big Sis, don’t abandon me! They told me there are bad guys
here.” He glared at the terrorist with childish rebellion. “Don’t hurt my
Big Sis!”

“Huh? Is this kid your brother? How come you two don’t look anything
alike? Is he a bastard child?” the hoarse voiced terrorist teased,
soliciting hoots of laughter from his comrades.

“He’s my cousin. Stop talking nonsense,” Mo Lan said furiously as she

sneaked a questioning glance at Tang Wulin.

“Don’t abandon me, Big Sis!” Tang Wulin still wore the mask of a
sobbing child. “I don’t care what happens! Just let me stay with you!”

This kid… Mo Lan looked to the distant security captain. They were in a
desperate situation now. She gave him a slight nod.

The security captain steeled his resolve and stepped into the fifth
carriage. “Take me as a hostage too,” he said with his hands raised in
the air.

“Conductor!” “Captain!” a few train attendants cried.

As the terrorists debated what to do, the sixth carriage detached from
the fifth.

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Chapter 418

A+ A- Chapter 418

Chapter 418 - Wulin Acts

“Stop!” Mo Lan shouted, nary a hint of fear in her voice . “What do you
guys have to be afraid of? I’m your hostage now, and you still have a
couple more . Protocol dictated that we disconnect the carriages, to
minimize the losses . Do you not understand this?”

“Fine . Stay your hands!” the leader of the terrorists commanded . “Miss
Mo Lan is right . We have a lot of leverage . The Federal government is a
democracy, right? Let’s see if they’ll release our comrades in exchange
for these hostages . Take her cousin to the back . Miss Mo Lan, you can
continue talking with your headquarters . Just understand that, from this
moment on, I will execute ten hostages every five minutes until the
remaining forty minutes are up . Then boom! We all go to heaven . ”

“Ow! That hurts!” Tang Wulin exclaimed as one of the terrorists pushed
him toward the fourth carriage . Before he left, he managed to sneak a
wink at Mo Lan .

That brat! Can he really do something? Helplessness gripped Mo Lan,

then she shook it off and gritted her teeth . Trading her life for those of
the elderly, women, and children was all she could do to minimize the
collateral damage . She understood just how vicious these terrorists
were . She had no other options .

Tang Wulin let the terrorist drag him to the fourth carriage . Many more
hostages huddled together in this carriage, too many to have all been

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from just one . As the terrorist pulled him along, he examined the
carriage with his peripheral vision and added that information to what he
already learned .

From what he had seen so far, only the leader of the terrorists was a
soul master . He had the detonator for the bombs in his possession . The
engine of the train was located in

the first carriage, so it continued to glide along the tracks after the
eleven carriages behind the fifth were detached . There was a terrorist
armed with a soul cannon standing in the corner of that fifth carriage .
Now, he needed to figure out how many more terrorists there were and
how they were situated in the other carriages .

“Don’t touch anything in here, kid,” the terrorist dragging Tang Wulin
barked . “Number Three! Watch this kid . He’s a VIP . ”

There were three armed terrorist standing guard over more than two
hundred hostages in the fourth carriage . The women, children, and
elderly were released . The people here should be the majority of the
remaining hostages .

“Alright, hand him over . ” The terrorist kicked Tang Wulin in the shin,
forcing him to fall to the ground with a yelp of pain . “You better behave
yourself, brat . ”

The kick hurt Tang Wulin, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle . Yet
instead of weathering the blow, he took the opportunity to get a better
vantage point . He peeked through the gap between the terrorist’s legs
into the third carriage .

He saw carnage . The floor had turned crimson, dyed with blood . There
was nothing in the carriage other than death . Tang Wulin stared at the
corpses strewn about, aghast . It was the first time he had seen a dead
body .

“What are you doing to him? He’s just a kid!” A man in his forties pulled

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Tang Wulin up and stepped in front of him . The terrorist snorted and
pointed his gun at the man, forcing him to retreat a few steps .

Tang Wulin put on an expression of fear . “Uncle, I saw blood . There’s a

lot of blood over there!” He pointed to the third carriage .

“They’re all dead . ” A youth standing off to the side shuddered

shuddered . “They killed anyone who resisted . They’re demons .

Demons!”

They’re all dead… Tang Wulin clenched his fist . The youth was warning
him . These hostages were gathered in the fourth carriage because the
terrorists had killed the rest .

There were still forty minutes left on the clock before all of the bombs
detonated . Six of the terrorists were gathered in the fifth carriage, and
three in the fourth carriage . A grand total of nine . All of them were
armed with soul weapons, including a soul cannon . One was also a soul
master, whom Tang Wulin judged to be a Soul Elder . He considered all
the information gathered from his observations, and came to a quick
decision . His eyes flashed gold .

I can do this . Let’s begin!

Tang Wulin concealed his right hand below a table that was nearby and
slowly released tendrils of bluesilver grass, his heart thumping nervously
. He suppressed his anxiety and jitters with the experience gleaned from
years of blacksmithing .

His heart was calm, his mind was clear .

With his spiritual power in the Spirit Connection realm, Tang Wulin could
perceive his surroundings to a greater degree than ever before . He had
an accurate grasp of the situation in the fourth carriage . Most of the
hostages were in this carriage, and the bombs posed the greatest threat
. He soon located every single bomb . Let’s deal with these first .

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The hostages huddled together in fright, the terrorists watching their

every move . The first sign of trouble, and they would shoot .

If only I had learned Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step… I’d be a lot more
confident about this . Frustration welled in Tang Wulin’s heart . He had
been hard at work cultivating at Shrek Academy all this time . His soul
power rank and blacksmithing skills progressed a significant amount, but
this also led to him

to him failing to visit the Tang Sect . I just need to complete a few more
missions . Then I’ll probably be able to learn Ghost Shadow Perplexing
Step . I’ll do that after the exam . I have to focus on what’s in front of me
first .

He did his best to suppress the flash of purple beneath his feet, but the
terrorists still noticed . All of them turned to look at him at the same
time .

But it was already too late!

Three shining vines of golden bluesilver grass shot out from under their
feet and impaled them! They were but ordinary people, not soul masters
. Wielding soul guns didn’t change the frailty of their bodies, and despite
being skewered, they failed to even let out a scream . The effect of
Bluesilver Impaling Array took hold of them too quickly . Their bodies
went stiff, their voices silenced .

The sudden attack sent the hostages into a panic, startled shouts filling
the carriage . Tang Wulin had considered the possibility of this, but he
didn’t bother trying to warn any of them to be quiet . He leaped into
action, his right hand transforming into a dragon claw in a flash of gold .
He thrust it into the roof of the carriage and tore it open as if it were tofu
. He then grabbed one of the bombs and hurled it out of the opening .

Three bombs had been planted in different parts of the carriage . Tang
Wulin quickly grabbed the second bomb and threw it out as well . Just as
he was about to go for the third, one of the terrorists walked in .

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“What’s going on!” he yelled as he entered . Before he could even

survey the scene, a vine of bluesilver grass wrapped around his neck
and constricted, preventing him from speaking another word . Tang
Wulin continued his work and threw out the third bomb, then

third bomb, then darted to the terrorist, knocking him out with a chop to
the neck .

Four terrorists down, five to go .

Tang Wulin stepped into the corridor connecting the fourth and fifth
carriages . The second he did, he began slashing at the walls around him
. His movements were quick and decisive, befitting a student of Shrek
Academy . His claw tore through metal, glass, and wiring until, with one
final swipe, he separated the carriages . The fifth carriage buckled
slightly at the sudden change, then slowly began to drift away from the
rest of the train with all of its occupants .

“Boss, one of the cars was cut loose!” one of the terrorists shouted as he
opened fire on Tang Wulin, showering him in beams of soul energy .

Tang Wulin crouched down behind his claw . Threads of light swirled
around his claw, materializing into his gauntlet . Soul guns were nothing
in the face of battle armor . Even one-word battle armor stood high
above mechas after all . Tang Wulin came out of the barrage of beams
unscathed .

A vine of bluesilver grass wrapped around the waist of the terrorist who
shot at Tang Wulin and promptly threw him out of the train . Then more
vines whipped out, intercepting another two terrorists and tossing them
out as well . By this point, Tang Wulin had cleared out more than half the
terrorists .

But the crisis wasn’t over yet . Now wasn’t the time to think twice about
his plan of action . He could only resolve this situation with brute force!

Tang Wulin walked into the fifth carriage to face the last two terrorists .
The leader already had Mo Lan in his clutches . He held a gun to her

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head with one hand, his other hand tightly gripping a detonator . The
last of his terrorist flunkies stood with his soul gun pointed at the
doorway .

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Chapter 419

A+ A- Chapter 419

Chapter 419 - Sacrifice

Hostages screamed in terror, all of them shrinking against the walls of

the fifth carriage as the two terrorists opened fire on Tang Wulin. Their
soul guns spat beams that were too fast too dodge. His gauntlet couldn’t
protect his entire body, but Tang Wulin had walked into the carriage
prepared. Bluesilver grass sprang up in front of him to form a shield.
While soul guns were powerful, these weren’t the heavy beam guns that
the military used.

They couldn’t penetrate the shield of thousand-year bluesilver grass.

Tang Wulin’s bluesilver grass was able to withstand the onslaught of

beam fire because he was strong. Like all students of Shrek Academy,
he was courageous and possessed a martial soul of exceptional quality.
In addition to that, he was capable of exerting an exquisite level of
control over his martial soul. Only with such control was he able to bring
out the full potential of his martial soul.

Ever since he first took action in the fourth carriage, Tang Wulin hadn’t
so much as paused for even a moment.

Everything was going according to plan.

“Use the cannon!” the terrorist leader shouted, and his subordinate
moved to obey.

But he didn’t have the soul cannon. Not at that very moment.

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Before the carriages were detached, the train attendants had been
doing their best to deescalate the situation. Then, when the security
captain entered the carriage, the terrorists were able to easily beat him
into submission. From that point onward, the terrorists figured that any
threat to their control over the situation had been dealt with, so they let
down their guard. This particular terrorist hadn’t seen any harm in
setting the

soul cannon aside for the time being.

Of course, there was no way Tang Wulin would let him just pick it back
up.

A burst of golden light flooded the carriage. A long tail whipped forth to
wrap around the cannon. The light faded to reveal Goldsong, and with a
flick of its tail, it hurled the cannon at the terrorist! It struck him with a
resounding crack, breaking bone and tearing muscle.

“Don’t come any closer!” the terrorist leader shouted. He began backing
away from Tang Wulin, dragging Mo Lan along in a chokehold. She
quickly realized that the situation had changed and started struggling.
The moment she did, the terrorist struck her with the butt of his gun,
leaving a large gash on her forehead. The blow left her dazed. Blood
trickled down her face.

“Stop!” Tang Wulin shouted, taking a step forward. His soul rings flared
with energy.

“Take another step and I’ll blow your big sister’s brains out!” the man
said with a cold snort, bringing the gun back up and pressing the tip of
its barrel to Mo Lan’s head. Three yellow soul rings rose up from beneath
him to display their brilliance.

The terrorist’s heart, however, was filled with disbelief.

This is insane! He never expected the teenage boy standing before him
to be a three-ringed soul master, one even more powerful than he

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was! This brat has to be from some prestigious clan! He has three purple
soul rings!

The leader of the terrorists knew that a soul gun of this caliber would be
useless against a Soul Elder. He might have been able to put up a fight if
he had the soul cannon, but Tang Wulin had already

already seized it. In addition to that, his men had been decimated. Out
of the original nine terrorists, only he remained.

A metallic groan reverberated through the carriage, and Mo Lan was the
first to realize what caused it. She could immediately tell that the fifth
carriage had begun decelerating. That meant it had been detached from
the rest of the train!

She knew exactly what would happen next.

“Forget about me!” she cried. “Save everyone else!”

“Amazing! You sure are something, brat!” the terrorist exclaimed as he

caught on. His expression hardened. His chokehold on Mo Lan tightened.
He brandished the detonator. A hint of madness shone in his eyes as he
realized that his last bargaining chip had disappeared. “All of you can
just die with me then!”

His thumb moved to trigger the detonator, but right at that moment, a
flash of purple and gold blinded him. Pain seared his mind into oblivion,
his thumb freezing mid-motion as his body went stiff.

The terrorist leader was only a Soul Elder with hundred-year soul rings.
He had just entered the Spirit Connection realm and was weaker than
Tang Wulin by over a hundred points. Even if he did possess the higher
cultivation level, he still wouldn’t have been able to resist Tang Wulin’s
Purple Demon Eyes.

Just as the button was a hairsbreadth from being pressed, the arm
restraining Mo Lan went slack. She had been struggling as hard as she
could to try and stop the terrorist. Now she wrenched the man’s arm

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down, tearing the detonator from his grasp. The second she did, Tang
Wulin shot forward like a bullet and seized the terrorist’s neck in a vice-
like grip.

He snapped

dir="ltr">He snapped it without hesitation.

The leader of the terrorists was never a threat to Tang Wulin. The
combination of his Golden Dragon King bloodline, his bluesilver grass,
and his one-word gauntlet elevated his power far beyond that of a four-
ringed soul master. The terrorist hadn’t even thought of facing Tang
Wulin as a soul master. But all feared death, and Tang Wulin’s heart had
nearly jumped out of his chest when he saw the terrorist trying to
detonate the bombs. He had only just managed to save everyone using
his Purple Demon Eyes. Now the final terrorist was dead, and none of the
hostages died.

“Watch out!” Mo Lan shouted.

Dread gripped Tang Wulin. He could see a beam of light out of the
corner of his eye, but it wasn’t headed for him or Mo Lan. It shot toward
a bomb!

A tenth terrorist had been hiding among the hostages! He had used a
beam pistol to shoot at the bomb, which had more than enough power
to detonate it. This would then cause a chain reaction, trigger the rest of
the bombs in the carriage, and take everyone to the afterlife with him!

Only two people reacted in time. The first, Mo Lan, threw herself forward
to block the beam with her body.

The second was the train’s security captain! After being beaten into
submission by the terrorists, he spent the entire time nursing his wounds
and biding his time. He knew he’d be able to do something eventually,
and that time was now.

He leaped toward the beam at the same time as Mo Lan, placing himself

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in front of it before she did. He wasn’t as sturdy as Tang Wulin. He

Tang Wulin. He wouldn’t survive this shot. But as it pierced his chest, he
managed to absorb enough of the beam to change its trajectory. The
beam continued through the security captain, slicing the air and through
Mo Lan’s shoulder before burying itself into the wall of the carriage,
leaving a small hole mere inches from the bomb.

Before Tang Wulin could even give a command, Goldsong rushed out
with a swarm of bluesilver grass to capture the last terrorist. The
surrounding hostages realized they were now free to move and quickly
jumped away from the man.

Meanwhile, Tang Wulin caught Mo Lan as she fell. No blood seeped from
the wound that the beam left. Instead, a dark green liquid bubbled from
it. The smell of burning flesh lingered in the air. Soul weapons possessed
piercing capabilities and destructive power. A single shot killed nearly all
victims.

Fortunately, Mo Lan had only been wounded in the shoulder. She didn’t
feel any pain, only a scorching heat. Tears ran down her face. The
security captain’s corpse lay right in front of her. The beam had burned
straight through his heart.

“Li Feng!” Mo Lan cried.

“Pull yourself together, Big Sis Mo Lan.” Tang Wulin sent soul power into
Mo Lan’s body as exhaustion washed over him. Mo Lan was pale. An
unbearable, numbing heat dominated her body. But as Tang Wulin's soul
power coursed through her, a searing pain slowly began to radiate from
her shoulder.

It’s over, but I’m still too inexperienced. I didn’t notice the terrorist
hiding among the hostages. If those two hadn’t jumped out… we’d all be
dead. Tang Wulin could hear the boom of mechas rapidly
approaching. Mo Lan and the captain… they saved everyone.

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Chapter 420

A+ A- Chapter 420

Chapter 420 - Running

It took around an hour to reach Heaven Dou City. It was the first time
Tang Wulin rode a mecha.

Standard issue military mechas were yellow-grade. They required a lot

of skill to pilot and could be powered by both electricity and soul power.
All the controls were manual, and the mecha utilize spirit souls in a
simple manner.

The mechas stood at twelve meters tall. Their cockpits were large
enough to fit two people and were quite snug, with the pilot’s entire
body firmly fastened inside. All movements by the pilot corresponded
with how the mecha moved. The greatest mecha pilots could even
maneuver their mecha as nimbly as a human, but this was very
demanding on the pilot’s skills and physical body.

Twelve yellow-grade mechas participated in the rescue operation.

However, they had never expected the situation to already be resolved
when they arrived.

There were ten terrorists. Eight were dead, while the rest severely
injured. Not a single bomb had gone off. Despite that, there were over a
hundred civilian casualties. The third carriage was a scene of a bloody
carnage where even even the elderly and children could be found dead
in pools of blood. Those terrorists had been absolutely ruthless.

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During the hijacking, the security captain had sacrificed himself, while
Mo Lan was gravely injured in an attempt to save everyone. Tales of
their fearless acts spread like wildfire throughout Heaven Dou City. As
for Tang Wulin, his actions to save everyone instantly elevated him to
hero status.

Tang Wulin quietly slipped away from the train station when he
overheard some staff members gossiping that the city officials wanted to
award him with a medal of honor. He had no choice but to run. Time was
still ticking on his exam! He could only imagine how long and tedious the
award ceremony would be.

In truth, Tang Wulin didn’t feel proud of his achievements at all. The

security captain still died, and Mo Lan was in a serious condition. It was
the first time he encountered such sinister people. The terrorists were
vile and regarded human life like it was grass.

Tang Wulin left the station with a heavy heart. However, he soon
realized that his pockets were much lighter than his heart.

Mo Lan had given him twenty thousand Federal credits and had said she
would get him a one-month pass once they arrived in Heaven Dou City,
but she was currently in critical care in the hospital. She was in no
position to help him find an opponent in Heaven Dou City either. Tang
Wulin gained nothing from staying.

“I really can’t count on anything going according to plan!” Tang Wulin

lamented.

What do I do now? I have to be decide quickly! Tang Wulin quickly

thought things over, before gritting his teeth and hailed a taxi to the
local Blacksmith’s Association branch.

If he spent frugally, he might survive the entire exam with just twenty
thousand credits. . However, Tang Wulin’s stomach posed a problem!
Twenty thousand credits was only enough to sustain him for a day or

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two and nothing more! He couldn’t bear the thought of starving himself.

All Tang Wulin ate today was a box meal, which was nowhere near
enough to fill him. Right after that, he had been thrown into a harrowing
battle against the terrorists. His stomach was already growling.

Damn it, Lizhi! Since you can team up with someone, you should have
teamed up with me! Tang Wulin longingly thought of Xu Lizhi’s buns. I
wouldn’t starve if you were here!

Xu Lizhi’s Agility Soup Bun and Bloodthirst Bean Buns boosted a soul
master’s strength by a large margin and were sought after by many.
However, Tang Wulin loved Xu Lizhi’s Recovery Pork Buns the most. Not
only did the pork buns replenish his blood essence, they also filled his
belly. Tang Wulin and the pork buns

buns were a match made in heaven.

I’ll grab some food first, then I’ll forge some metals and earn some
money. I need to earn enough for the rest of the trip. After that, I’ll ask
the Association to help me find a suitable opponent. This was the best
plan Tang Wulin could come up with.

Heaven Dou City wasn’t as large as Shrek City, so it didn’t take long
before he arrived at the local Blacksmith’s Association. After paying the
expensive taxi bill, he got off and found a restaurant in the
neighborhood.

I’ve gotta eat as much as possible! Tang Wulin thought as he walked

into the restaurant.

When he walked out, the restaurant was completely cleaned out of all its
ingredients. Hushed murmurs followed his footsteps. “That child is so
pitiful. Did he starve to death in his past life?”

Tang Wulin had long since become accustomed to people talking about
him. He rubbed his flat belly, his face full of satisfaction. Although the
food wasn’t the most nutritious, it was still decent. He had come and left

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like a storm. Now that his belly was full, he could concentrate on his
work.

Tang Wulin looked up at the large signboard that said ‘Heaven Dou
Blacksmith’s Association’, then walked in.

In Heaven Dou Soul Train Station, a tall and sharply dressed man stood
there with a furious expression. “What? He disappeared? How could you
let this happen? You can’t even look after one person?”

This man was Mo Wu. His mood couldn’t be any worse right now. As the
administrator of Heaven Dou City and one of the high-rank officials in
the Federal government, his words carried a lot of weight.

When he received the news that his daughter had been taken hostage
by terrorists who hijacked a train, his vision had gone black and he
almost fainted. In his busy life, his only daughter was the apple of his
eye.

Just a few months earlier

months earlier there had been terrorists attacking another train. This
incident was extremely tragic. Hundreds of innocent citizens had died.
At that time, he feared for his daughter’s safety and asked her to resign,
but she simply smiled and refused. He hadn’t expected another attack
so soon, and that it would involve his daughter this time as well.

News on the situation slowly trickled in, but all of it was bad. Bombs
were planted throughout the train, and the terrorists even had a soul
cannon. The situation only got worse and worse. Then he learned that
Mo Lan chose to trade herself for the other hostages before
disconnecting the carriages, and he feared the worst.

According to the military’s analysis, the chances of successfully rescuing

Mo Lan were slim. Even if they dispatched powerful soul masters and
mechas, it would be difficult to rescue hostages in an enclosed space. If

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they had a soul master with certain abilities the chances of success
would be higher, but it was impossible to find someone like that on short
notice!

Just when all hope seemed lost, they were notified that the crisis was
resolved. Mo Lan was gravely injured but she would live, along with the
rest of the hostages.

He could hardly believe his ears when he found out that his daughter’s
savior was a young teen. Then he learned that this teen was from Shrek
Academy! His doubts disappeared and he rushed to thank his
daughter’s savior. Yet when he arrived, Tang Wulin had already run off.

He was about order his subordinates to search for him when a person
appeared in their midst.

“Who are you?” They were currently in a secure room where civilians
were forbidden from entering, so Mo Wu was stunned to see a stranger
in the room.

The stranger was a handsome young man,his expression stern and full
of frost. “Did Tang Wulin leave already?”

Mo Wu’s heart raced. “Are you from Shrek Academy?”

“Yes,

Shrek Academy?”

“Yes, I’m a teacher there,” said Wu Zhangkong.

Mo Wu relaxed and he let out a sigh of relief. No wonder he could sneak

in. He’s from Shrek Academy!

“I’m looking for him too. He was resting here earlier, but then he
disappeared.”

Wu Zhangkong furrowed his brow. He had specifically chosen to tail

Tang Wulin. His disciple’s growth could only be described as miraculous.
Tang Wulin started with a trash martial soul, yet he surpassed all

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expectations and rose to become the class president of Shrek

Academy’s first grade. Such an achievement couldn’t simply be
attributed to hard work. Wisdom, talent, hard work, and perseverance
were all required to bring about such a miracle.

Out of all his disciples, Wu Zhangkong was proudest of Tang Wulin. This
was why he had volunteered to follow Tang Wulin during the exam. He
wanted to personally watch just how Tang Wulin would tackle each
problem and his growth in the process.

Tang Wulin had boarded the train so fast, Wu Zhangkong had missed it
and was forced to take the next one. Halfway through the trip though
Wu Zhangkong’s train was forced to a stop because the carriages
detached from Tang Wulin’s train blocked the tracks. Wu Zhangkong
only managed to find out about the terrorist attack after the information
blackout imposed by officials was lifted. He had asked around to
understand the situation then immediately rushed over here.

“I’ll take my leave then.” Wu Zhangkong nodded curtly to Mo Wu, then

turned to leave.

Just as Wu Zhangkong took a step, he suddenly stopped and grabbed Mo

Wu.

“What are you doing?” Mo Wu shouted in anger, but was powerless to

resist as he was an ordinary civilian. He found himself by Wu
Zhangkong’s side an instant later.

“Come out!” Wu Zhangkong shouted. His eyes flashed as he looked at a

corner of the room.

Then a hoarse voice rang out.

“As expected of someone from Shrek Academy…”

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Chapter 421

A+ A- Chapter 421

Chapter 421 - Emissary of Pestilence

A man emerged from the shadows. He was shrouded in a pitch-black

cloak and held a scepter in his right hand. The instant Mo Wu laid eyes
on this man, his back went cold with sweat. A sinister air gathered in the
room.

“I was looking for the kid who foiled our plans, but I never expected to
run into an administrator and one of you loathsome Shrek people. I
might as well kill you while I’m here and take the administrator with
me.”

Soul rings rose from beneath the man. However, unlike the usual away
soul rings would appear, his materialized in an eerie green mist. He had
six soul rings, two yellow, two purple, and two black. The mist spread to
surround him.

A chill went down Wu Zhangkong’s spine, and he pushed Mo Wu behind

him. “An evil soul master!”

Mo Wu didn’t try to flee. As a government official, his willpower had to

be strong. He also understood that the safest place he could be right
now was beside this teacher from Shrek Academy. Running would be
useless, and if Wu Zhangkong couldn’t defeat this evil soul master, then
his fate was sealed.

“You may call me the Emissary of Pestilence.” The man raised his

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scepter, his soul rings lighting up. Green mist poured out of it and began
to fill the entire room.

Wu Zhangkong snorted. A freezing aura exploded from him as soul rings

appeared from beneath his feet. A total of seven appeared, two yellow,
two purple, and three black. The Skyfrost Sword manifested in his hand
and he slashed at the air, sending a sword beam straight for his
opponent’s stomach.

The emissary trembled in shock at the sight of Wu Zhangkong’s soul

rings, but he didn’t leave himself unprotected. He pointed his scepter

forward. The green gem at the tip of the scepter shined as it met the
sword beam.

A crisp note could be heard as sword beam met scepter. The beam split
into countless threads of ice. It was Frost Scar!

After gaining his seventh soul ring and becoming a Soul Sage, Wu
Zhangkong had grown far stronger than before. In the past half a year,
apart from teaching, all he had done was cultivate. He had progressed
by leaps and bounds.

Wu Zhangkong’s frigid aura slowed the Emissary of Pestilence’s

movements, and a storm of Frost Scars quickly enveloped him.

“Excellent!” the Emissary of Pestilence howled. He dropped to one knee,

and a green light exploded from his body. The light expanded like a gas,
pushing back Wu Zhangkong’s frigid aura.

If Wu Zhangkong had been alone, he would have been able to just use
his soul power to protect himself and charged in. However, Mo Wu was
there! Mo Wu would die in an instant if he were exposed to the poison
mist of a six-ringed soul master. Wu Zhangkong had to protect him.

Icy determination flashed in Wu Zhangkong’s eyes. He burst into action,

and kicked at a wall, breaking it down in one strike. He grabbed hold of
Mo Wu, hoisted him in his left arm, and leaped into the air. With his free

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hand, he brandished the Skyfrost Sword and used Frost Song, willing it
to transform into an enormous sword!

Mo Wu watched in awe as an enormous crescent of ice slashed through

the room they were just in, cleaving it in two and sucking in all of the
green mist. When the dust settled, the Emissary of Pestilence was
nowhere to be seen. The only thing that remained was a tunnel leading
to the unknown.

“Don’t move!” An electronic voice cut through the

the air. Guards had been alerted by the commotion, and over a dozen
mechas came flying over. Spotlights lit up and illuminated Wu
Zhangkong as the mechas completed their encirclement. All of them
locked on to him with their soul cannons.

Wu Zhangkong released Frost Song and frowned. His encounter with the
evil soul master weighed on his mind. Evil soul masters had begun to stir
in recent years. It was clear that they were behind this recent act of
terrorism as well. He had to report this matter to Shrek Academy as
soon as possible.

Since its very conception, Shrek Academy opposed evil soul masters.
Ten thousand years ago, the Spirit Ice Douluo led his generation of the
Shrek Seven Monsters, along with many other powerhouses, to destroy
the Holy Spirit Cult. The cult was wiped out and no more trouble arose
from them.

Until the past few years at least.

“Don’t shoot!” Mo Wu shouted. “This man is a Soul Sage from Shrek

Academy! He saved me!”

Wu Zhangkong awoke from his thoughts. He looked down at Mo Wu, who

was dangling by his coat. With the flick of his wrist, Wu Zhangkong
pulled him upright. Mo Wu quickly regained his stately appearance and
ordered the mechas to stand down. Standard-issue military mechas

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wouldn’t be able to touch a hair on a Soul Sage from Shrek Academy

anyway. Mo Wu had no doubt that Wu Zhangkong was a battle armor
master. Even if there were ten times as many mechas present, he would
still be able to obliterate them all.

“I can’t accept any missions without my badge?” Tang Wulin asked.

“Knock it off kid. You’re holding up the line,” the Blacksmith’s

Association clerk responded tersely. When a young boy came asking to
take on some fourth-rank blacksmithing missions, the clerk had thought
it was a joke.

a joke. The boy didn’t even have a badge. There was no way he could
allow this boy to accept any missions.

“Could I trouble you to look me up in the database then? I’m certain

you’ll find me in there. I’m a fifth-rank blacksmith. Please, I’m absolutely
certain I’m in there.”

“Huh? Fifth-rank?” The clerk laughed. The people behind Tang Wulin
laughed as well.

Heaven Dou Blacksmith’s Association was the headquarters of the

Blacksmith’s Association, as well as the largest one on the continent.
Countless blacksmiths were based in Heaven Dou City and came to
accept missions every day. All the clerks were busy from dusk until
dawn.

“Just how old are you, kid?” a gruff blacksmith asked as he moved to pat
Tang Wulin’s head.

Tang Wulin evaded the man’s hand. He was at a loss. He didn’t realize
how inconvenient things would be without his badge. He had already
been pestering the clerk for ten minutes now, and had been subject to
the jeering of the surrounding blacksmiths.

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The man’s insulting question incited Tang Wulin’s childish nature. “I’m
fourteen! What about it?”

“A fourteen-year-old, fifth-rank blacksmith, huh? You must be the

number one genius in the entire association!” The man burst into
laughter, and his fellow blacksmiths quickly joined in.

Tang Wulin took a deep breath, then turned back to the clerk. “What do I
need to do to accept some missions?”

The clerk looked at him helplessly. “Kid, I admire your passion, but
you’re causing a disturbance. Where are your parents? You’re at the
right age to start learning how to blacksmith, so come back when you’ve
got your badge. Then you can accept some missions.”

“Where can I take the blacksmith’s exam?” Tang Wulin was growing
impatient.

“You want to take the exam? Alright. Go to the second floor to register
for a slot. There are

slot. There are a lot of people today though.”

At that moment, a ringing sound filled the hall, alerting everyone that an
announcement was being made.

“Attention all blacksmiths! Attention all blacksmiths! The President will

be holding a half-hour lecture in the hall of the first floor in five minutes.
Please wait in orderly lines.”

“Ah!” the gruff blacksmith cried. “The President!”

The man rushed off, and everyone else also began to realize what was
happening. Regardless of whether they were accepting a mission or
waiting in line, they all turned around and ran off. They were currently
on the third floor, but all were undoubtedly headed for the first. Even the
clerk was gone!

Tang Wulin hastened to catch up, and once he reached the clerk, he
asked, “Uncle, what’s going on? Does the President lecture often?”

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The clerk spoke as he ran. “The President lectures at random times, and
he only does so here in our Heaven Dou branch. A lot of blacksmiths
come here everyday and hang around hoping he’ll hold a lecture.
Attending a single one of the President’s lectures is worth a year of
blacksmithing by yourself.”

“Is the Association President here really that amazing?” Tang Wulin
could hardly believe it. He was certain that the President of any city’s
branch could only measure up to his teacher at best.

The clerk stared at him. “You foolish kid. Don’t you love blacksmithing?
This is an amazing opportunity for you. The President isn’t just the
president of this branch, but the Blacksmith’s Association as a whole!
He’s also the continent’s only Divine Blacksmith! He’s a very busy
person. If he takes the time out of his schedule to give a lecture, just
think about how valuable the must be! You’re really lucky. Just follow me
to the hall, listen closely, and don’t be noisy.”

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Chapter 422

A+ A- Chapter 422

Chapter 422 - The Divine Blacksmith

A Divine Blacksmith! Tang Wulin’s heart raced at the thought. His mind
buzzed with excitement. Yeah! I can’t believe I got so lucky! I came here
to make money, but I get a lecture from a Divine Blacksmith instead?
Awesome! I can’t do anything about the duration of the exam, but I can’t
let this chance slip away!

The hall of the first floor was already packed by the time Tang Wulin and
the clerk arrived. At the center of the hall, a space twenty meters in
diameter had been left empty. It was fully furnished with all the
necessary equipment to forge.

Everyone was bustling with excitement and expectation.

The clerk could only manage to bring Tang Wulin to the edge of the
crowd. Although Tang Wulin was tall, the blacksmiths in the crowd were
all muscular giants. He couldn’t see above the sea of heads at all. Tang
Wulin ducked and squirmed his way through the crowd, slowly heading
to the center.

“Kid, be careful! Don’t squeeze in! You’re going to get trampled!” the
clerk shouted after him, but he was already gone.

Tang Wulin pushed on through. Despite how lean he was built, his frame
hid monstrous strength. With that strength and Controlling Crane,
Capturing Dragon, he quickly reached the center of the crowd and got a

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front-row spot.

Tang Wulin was surrounded on all sides with blacksmiths bursting with
anticipation. No one even noticed a kid like him sneak to the front.

Five minutes soon passed,

and the crowd split to allow a man walk through to the center. A retinue
of staff surrounded the man, and everyone cheered when they saw him.

“President! President!” they shouted zealously. The hall seemed to boil

into a frenzy.

Tang Wulin looked over to see a handsome man with black hair and
black eyes. He looked to be in his thirties, but his eyes showed profound
depths far beyond his years. His sideburns were completely white, a
bright contrast with the rest of his black hair. But the most eye-catching
thing about him were his hands. They were at least fifty percent larger
than an ordinary man’s, but instead of being bulky and rough, they were
slender and fair. They looked like the hands of a young lady, but much
larger. In fact, his hands sparkled like jade.

This man was a Divine Blacksmith, the greatest blacksmith in the entire
Blacksmith’s Association, and a Titled Douluo level existence! He
couldn’t compare with Feng Wuyu in terms of combat strength, of
course, but Shrek Blacksmith’s Association had never concerned itself
with the continental Blacksmith’s Association anyway.

He’s Zhen Hua, the continent’s only Divine Blacksmith! As a blacksmith

himself, Tang Wulin had long since heard of Zhen Hua. He was a legend
among blacksmiths. Contrary to his youthful appearance, he was
actually forty-five! He had become a Divine Blacksmith at the age of
thirty seven, and that had been eight years ago.

He was in his prime as a blacksmith, but even in his youth, he hadn’t

hadn’t been arrogant. He was originally the president of a small town’s

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Blacksmith’s Association. From there, he advanced step by step until he

became the President of all of the Blacksmith’s Associations across the
continent, and the continent’s only Divine Blacksmith.

He had wanted to forge a four-word battle armor when he was a Saint

Blacksmith, and with the help of some Titled Douluos, and countless
hours at the forge, he barely succeeded. However, the product could not
be called true four-word battle armor. It was at the pseudo-four-word
level at best. He only truly succeeded eight years ago when he became
this generation’s Divine Blacksmith. After that, he began forging four-
word battle armors for Titled Douluos. Being the sole Divine Blacksmith,
he held an exceptionally influential position.

Tang Wulin’s eyes sparkled as he watched this legendary figure. He

would be fortunate to learn even the tiniest thing from him.

“Hello, everyone.” Zhen Hua waved his arms at the crowd.

Hundreds of voices overlapped in a deafening greeting. “Hello,

President!”

Zhen Hua gestured for everyone to quiet down, and the hall immediately
went silent. It was as if the sound had never occurred in the first place.

Now this is true prestige!

Zhen Hua smiled. “I don’t have much time, so I’ll begin immediately. I’ve
been really busy lately, and it's been quite some time since my last
lecture. Today, I’ll explain some of my deeper understandings to all of
you. I encourage you to go and test what you glean from my lecture on
your

on your own time.” He walked over to the forging table as he spoke and
placed his large hands on the table.

“This is a little trick for alloy forging I discovered not too long ago. As
everyone knows, forging alloys is an important stage for us blacksmiths.
You can start forging alloys at the sixth rank, and as you progress, you

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become able to forge alloys composed of more and more metals. Of

course, the more metals added, the harder the forging process
becomes. This trick I’m about to teach you… well, it’s really a technique.
This technique can lower the difficulty of forging alloys.

“It can be said that this technique is derived from melding or the way
catalysts work. Different metals have different characteristics, and when
two metals come together, there is always some sort of chemical
reaction. For example…”

Zhen Hua explained his thoughts in a clear and gentle voice, and
everyone grew calm as they listened. They did their best to commit the
details of this trick to memory.

Tang Wulin grew more and more amazed as he listened. He had heard of
a similar technique from Mu Chen, but since he hadn’t reached the sixth
rank yet and could only forge two-metal alloys, he wasn’t ready for it.
Mu Chen hadn’t explained the technique then, and now that Tang Wulin
was hearing about it from Zhen Hua, he felt as if everything was clicking
into place. He had been practicing alloy forging for the past half year, so
this lecture couldn’t

this lecture couldn’t have come at a better time. His understanding of

alloy forging deepened, and countless possibilities opened up to him.

“...and so, by mixing this in, your workload will decrease, and the
chances of your alloy being successfully forged will increase
significantly.” Zhen Hua smiled as he concluded his lecture.

“Amazing!” a young voice applauded.

Until this point, the audience had been watching with quiet reverence.
So, when this voice suddenly obliterated the silence, everyone turned to
look at its owner.

In reality, most blacksmiths didn’t really understand the underlying

concepts behind alloy forging. Blacksmiths of the sixth rank and above
were rare after all. However, such knowledge would still be helpful for

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any blacksmith’s future growth. In fact, many made a pilgrimage to

Heaven Dou City just to listen to the Divine Blacksmith’s lectures.
Therefore, it was blasphemy for someone to cheer so loudly!

When everyone saw the owner of the voice, they were dumbstruck. It
was a kid still in his teens!

Zhen Hua was astonished by the excitement shining in Tang Wulin’s

large, bright eyes. He gave him a warm smile. “Did you understand my
lecture?”

“Mn!” Tang Wulin nodded. He was currently absorbed in his thoughts,

pondering the concepts he just learned. His mind in a world of its own,
just like when he forged. He didn’t notice the peculiar gazes of his peers
at all.

“What a heroic child.” Zhen Hua chuckled. “Excellent. It looks like the
future of our Blacksmith’s Association will be a bright one indeed.”

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Chapter 423

A+ A- Chapter 423

Chapter 423 - Can I Try?

“President, can I try?” Tang Wulin bubbled with excitement. The

concepts Zhen Hua had introduced were already mixing with what he
understood about alloy forging, but he still needed to put it all to the
test. His was itching to give them a try.

Zhen Hua stared at Tang Wulin in astonishment. “You want to… try
forging an alloy?”

Hushed whispers spread throughout the crowd. The clerk who had led
Tang Wulin here was already pressing a hand to his face. This kid... he’s
got too much courage for his own good! He’s just like a newborn calf in
front of a tiger!

Tang Wulin nodded, taking a step forward. “President, may I?”

Zhen Hua smiled. “If you think you can, then sure.”

The clerk ran over Tang Wulin, squatted down, and whispered, “Kid!
Stop causing trouble! Just get out of here already, the President still has
many matters to attend to.”

Zhen Hua chuckled. “Just let him come. It wouldn’t be right for us to
trample over a child’s passion for blacksmithing. I can tell from his eyes.
His love for blacksmithing is real. Come here, child.”

Tang Wulin hadn’t even glanced at the clerk. His eyes had been glued to

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Zhen Hua the entire time. He ran over to Zhen Hua’s side and began
speaking immediately. “I need some heavy silver, star iron, and that
universal catalyst you talked about, the skymoon powder.”

“Alright. Bring him what he asked for,” Zhen Hua said, gesturing to some
of his staff members. Tang Wulin surprised him. In addition to a deep-
rooted passion for blacksmithing, his eyes showed unwavering
confidence. Not even the tiniest bit of stage fright could be seen on his
face.

The blacksmiths in the audience shared in Zhen Hua’s surprise, but to

Zhen Hua, none of them had

so much as a fraction of Tang Wulin’s steadiness. Someone as excited as

Tang Wulin currently was would usually at least be trembling, but Tang
Wulin was steady as a rock. Zhen Hua also noticed that the boy’s hands
were larger than average, and his fingers moved in a steady patterns.
This was a clear identifier of an experienced blacksmith, a sign of Tang
Wulin’s deep understanding of blacksmithing.

Very few things could catch Zhen Hua’s attention, but now his interest
was piqued. He wanted to see just how high this child could reach.

The Blacksmith’s Association did not lack any metals whatsoever.

Everything Tang Wulin asked for was quickly delivered to the forging
area that had been set up in the hall of the first floor.

Tang Wulin didn’t stand on ceremony and immediately got to work. He

walked over to the back of the forging table and opened it up. He put
two pieces of metal into it, adjusted the calcining temperature, and
turned the table on.

Then he turned to Zhen Hua. “President, could I trouble you for one
more thing?”

Zhen Hua smiled warmly. “What is it?”

“May I borrow your hammers?”

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The entire audience went into an uproar. Borrowing another

blacksmith’s hammers was rarely seen in the world of blacksmiths, not
to mention the hammers of the world’s only Divine Blacksmith!

Zhen Hua was stunned as well. This kid is really interesting!

Tang Wulin had no other choice. At this moment, he was completely

broke. All of his worldly possessions confiscated by his teachers. Even
his thousand refined tungsten hammers had been taken.

“Okay,” Zhen Hua answered. He muttered a few words to himself, and a

pair of hammers appeared in his hands in a flash of light. He handed
them to Tang Wulin. The hammers glistened in the light, their shape
completely

completely adhering to orthodox methods. However, they were a rarely-

seen white. In addition to that, blue clouds danced across the surfaces of
both hammers, giving them an aura of mystical beauty.

“They’re spirit refined hammers!” Tang Wulin ascertained this with a

single glance. The hammers were forged from spirit refined cloud gold,
an alloy composed of cloud copper and platinum crystal. Considering the
fact that the hammers were crafted from a spirit refined alloy, he could
only imagine how much better they were compared to his own spirit
refined heavy silver hammers.

“I forged these hammers fifteen years ago, and they’ve been with me
ever since,” Zhen Hua said. “I used them all the way until I could soul
refine. See how they feel in your hands. If you really manage to forge an
alloy today, I’ll give them to you as a gift.”

Although he didn’t believe Tang Wulin would succeed, he still wanted to

encourage him. He himself had set a new record when he became the
youngest sixth-rank blacksmith in the world at eighteen years of age. He
knew from experience that such miracles were possible, and wasn’t as
critical of Tang Wulin as the rest of the crowd. He could also sense that
Tang Wulin had a solid foundation in blacksmithing. Yet he couldn’t

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fathom why Tang Wulin didn’t have his own forging hammers with him.
A blacksmith’s hammers were their life. A proper blacksmith would
never be without them. This was one of the first things a blacksmith
learned.

“Thank you.” Tang Wulin gripped the hammers, one in each hand, then
closed his eyes. When the staff and blacksmiths of the fourth rank and
higher saw how easily he held the hammers, astonishment crept onto
their faces.

Cloud gold was famous for its density. While the two hammers forged
from cloud gold may

gold may have looked light, they were anything but. In fact, they
weighed over two hundred kilograms.

Strength was critical for blacksmiths. Zhen Hua lent these hammers to
Tang Wulin as a test, yet Tang Wulin held them up with no difficulty at
all. They were steady in his hands, as if he were merely holding a pair of
ordinary hammers.

This kid is actually a blacksmith? Everyone in the crowd could hardly

believe their eyes.

At that moment, Tang Wulin pressed the button on the side of the
forging table, and a glowing piece of heavy silver rose to the table’s
surface. He tapped it lightly with the hammer in his left hand. A melodic
note rang out, echoing throughout the hall. Tang Wulin froze after that
tap, his brow furrowed. His ears twitched slightly as he listened to how
the metal answered him.

The faint smile on Zhen Hua’s face finally cracked as he witnessed this.
The lower level blacksmiths in the hall might not have understood what
Tang Wulin was doing, but as a Divine Blacksmith, it was impossible for
him to not.

Tang Wulin was listening to the heavy silver, conversing with the metal

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and deepening his understanding of it. But, more importantly, he was

listening to the voice of the hammer. Forging with hammers they had
never touched before was a massive challenge for a blacksmith.
Listening to a hammer’s voice was one way for a blacksmith to get
familiar with it. Only after understanding the character of a hammer
could a blacksmith use it.

Zhen Hua had been testing Tang Wulin from the moment he handed the
boy his hammers. The weight was merely the first part of the test. How
Tang Wulin would use these hammers was the next, more important
part. He’s so young. He couldn’t be older than fifteen or sixteen. Even

or sixteen. Even if he isn’t able to forge an alloy yet, he may be a

promising successor. Let’s see just how talented he is.

The cloud gold hammers were the best test. Zhen Hua wanted to see if
Tang Wulin could bring out their full potential.

These hammers were bloodbonded to Zhen Hua, and contained a piece

of himself in them. They possessed a special effect similar to the
stacked hammers effect of Tang Wulin’s heavy silver hammers.

Tang Wulin’s first strike was flawless. The resultant ringing made his
eyes go wide with realization.. “Tremor!”

Golden light flashed in Tang Wulin’s eyes, and he struck down with the
left hammer once more. This time, it descended upon the metal like
thunder! A boom tore through the hall when the hammer struck the
glowing red piece of heavy silver, yet it did not rebound off the metal.
The hammer remained firmly pressed to the heavy silver, and a moment
later, a low hum began to fill the hall.

This was the tremor effect of the cloud gold hammers! The hammers
harnessed the power of the vibrations that came from hammering metal
to assist their wielder! Tremor was a high-grade effect, just like stacked
hammers.

Tang Wulin kept the hammer pressed tightly to the heavy silver to bring

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out the tremor effect’s full power.

The crowd went silent. That strike was testament to Tang Wulin’s
strength! The fact that he could wield the cloud gold hammers and
prevent them from rebounding off the metal showed that his arms were
strong enough to handle the recoil. Furthermore, the fact that he was
able to stabilize the hammer showed how firm his blacksmithing
foundation was.

Zhen Hua nodded in approval, a genuine smile forming on his lips. This
kid is remarkable!

Three seconds later, Tang Wulin lifted the hammer and struck again!

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Chapter 424

A+ A- Chapter 424

Chapter 424 - Shocking the Divine Blacksmith

A thunderous crash shook the room. A spray of powder burst from the
heavy silver. This was proof of the tremor effect at work! It could vibrate
impurities out of a metal!

Although the result was simple, this wasn’t something that just anybody
could do. In order to bring out the full potential of this effect, a
blacksmith needed to possess overwhelming strength, a firm foundation
of soul power, immense spiritual power, and a deep understanding of
the metal they were forging. If the blacksmith did not fulfill even one of
these requirements, it would be impossible for them to use tremor
effectively. In fact, the tremor effect could even become a disadvantage.

And Tang Wulin’s second strike used it to his advantage. A third strike
followed, then a fourth, and then a fifth. Three seconds separated each
one.

As he watched the boy in front of him forge away, Zhen Hua’s amicable
smile gradually grew concerned. A trace of doubt flickered in his eyes.

Tang Wulin continued hammering, and soon enough, his seventh strike
landed. The heavy silver trembled, and in a flash of light, the impurities
were separated. It was hundred refined!

It only took him seven strikes to hundred refine the heavy silver! Zhen
Hua straightened his back slightly, and the more knowledgeable

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blacksmiths in the audience gaped. As a Divine Blacksmith, Zhen Hua

could easily hundred refine a piece of metal with a single strike.

A child in his teens had done it in seven!

It was then that Tang Wulin finally moved his right hand. He pressed a
button to reveal the star iron, which had just finished calcining, and
struck down with his right hammer. The blow sent tremors through the
star iron.

H-he’s dual forging! The clerk who led Tang Wulin here was already
speechless. He couldn’t

have possibly imagined that a teenage boy like Tang Wulin could be so
skilled! This child is actually dual forging! And he’s dual forging two
different metals at that! Even if he’s just hundred refining them, that’s a
feat only a third or fourth-rank blacksmith would be capable of!

Both of Tang Wulin’s hammers crashed down, forging both the heavy
silver and the star iron simultaneously. Every strike shook the hearts of
the spectating blacksmiths.

Blow after blow thundered throughout the hall, and Tang Wulin’s world
shrunk down to just him and the metals. He was itching to put what he
just learned about alloy forging into practice. He wanted to test it out
and deepen his understanding. The itch began at the back of his
consciousness at first, but as he continued forging both metals, it grew
in intensity until, finally, he felt as if he were about to explode.

Everyone stared in shock as Tang Wulin hammered the metals with

unbelievable might. Another droning hum, a fraction different in pitch,
soon filled the hall to overlap with the first. Two lights shot into the air,
one a resplendent silver, and the other a coalescence of countless
specks of starlight. The two combined, rising six feet into the air as a
two-colored beam. It illuminated the hall, a magnificent sight that
bathed the onlookers in a bright glow for one moment and faded to
nothing in the next.

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Two hammers! Two metals! And both metals were first-grade thousand
refined with spirit!

It was plenty amazing for the light of a thousand refining to ascend five
feet into the air, yet the child before everyone’s eyes had
simultaneously refined two metals and summoned light that reached six
feet high! That was the sign of a fabled saint-grade thousand refining, a
feat that only Saint Blacksmiths should have been able to achieve!

achieve!

Tang Wulin didn’t notice the reactions of the audience. In truth, this
result was thanks to the cloud gold hammers he had borrowed. They
were a spectacular pair of hammers that had accompanied Zhen Hua for
many years. They had taken in some of his strength, which bolstered the
tremor effect. Tang Wulin had been absorbing some of Zhen Hua’s
essence every time he swung the hammers. He was also in perfect
condition. This combination of factors helped him to just barely succeed
in a saint-grade thousand refining.

However, he was not done yet!

Three purple soul rings rose up from beneath Tang Wulin. Soul power
coursed through his body and into the cloud gold hammers. A cloudy,
misty aura immediately materialized around the hammers. A breath of
life came from them, and they suddenly grew lighter. As a result, Tang
Wulin was able to wield them even faster than before.

The hammers moved in perfect sync, closing in on the pair of thousand

refined metals like lightning. They struck with a resounding boom,
smashing the two metals together!

The hardest part was over! From that point on, it would be smooth
sailing.

Every strike of the cloud gold hammers held tremendous power and
smashed the two metals closer and closer together. Tang Wulin used

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each blow to pour both life force and soul power into the metals,
washing them from the inside out. The beam of light that stemmed from
the two metals began warp, and the separate colors started
intermingling and fusing together.

It was time to start forging the alloy!

The entire crowd collectively gasped. Where did this kid come from?
He’s actually attempting to forge an alloy! Just how old is he! Not even
the President could forge alloys at such a young age! It doesn’t look like
this is his first time doing this either!

If

either!

If it were up to the higher ranked blacksmiths, they would have spirit

refined the metals then used both to forge an alloy. Yet Tang Wulin
chose a different approach. He had jumped right to forging the alloy
after thousand refining the metals. In the end, however, he ended up
choosing this approach because of his weak soul power. He would deal
with spirit refining the metals once they had actually been forged into
alloys. This was all for the sake of his one-word battle armor after all.
Heavy silver and star iron were needed to forge star silver, an alloy he
needed to craft the rest of his one-word battle armor set in the future.
To that end, thousand refined metal would be sufficient for the time
being. He could think about spirit refining once he was more powerful
and skilled. Besides, forging alloys was a walk in the park for him now.

Tang Wulin didn’t dare spirit refine the metals because the cloud gold
hammers didn’t belong to him. He feared that the finished product
wouldn’t be completely his if he did. He had actually considered spirit
refining the alloy as well, but the chances of success weren’t too high.
Furthermore, his current priority was to learn Zhen Hua’s alloy forging
technique!

As Zhen Hua watched Tang Wulin assault the metals like a raging

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tempest, he subconsciously stepped forward to get a better look at the

metals on the table. The heavy silver and star iron gradually fused into
one, their resplendent auras merging together as well.

Tang Wulin maintained a steady forging tempo. His upper body never
stopped moving, but his lower body remained an unshakeable
foundation. He didn’t move a single inch from where he stood. Tang
Wulin’s three soul rings thrummed in the hall, giving off a gentle light
that seemed to envelop him.

He’s a

him.

He’s a three-ringed Soul Elder! And all of his rings are purple! No one
dared ridicule Tang Wulin now. The gruff blacksmith who had voiced his
doubts about Tang Wulin earlier was now staring at the scene before
him with a blank expression. He was a third-rank blacksmith in the
middle of delving into the mysteries of thousand refining. Tang Wulin, on
the other hand, popped out of nowhere and showed off his skill as a
fourth-rank blacksmith! I can’t believe I was mocking him…

All of Tang Wulin’s focus was on the two metals. He stared at them with
rapt attention, watching every reaction as they fused. As he hammered
away, he brought forth the skymoon powder, sprinkling it over the
metals in between strikes. The powder coated the heavy silver and the
star iron as they slowly mixed together. The results of this turned out
just as Zhen Hua had said they would. The metals became tougher and
harder to forge, but the chance of failure drastically decreased.

That was when Tang Wulin began to forge faster. The hardest part about
forging an alloy was preserving the spiritual nature of the component
metals used. Blacksmiths couldn’t let the spirit of the metals die, so they
needed to use their spiritual power to protect the metals. Zhen Hua’s
technique made this part of the process much easier.

And all it required was skymoon powder.

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Tang Wulin could sense the profoundness of what was happening with
the two metals. It didn’t take long before they completely fused into one
alloy. The barest hints of a star silver’s splendor could now be seen.

But at that moment, Tang Wulin withdrew his soul rings.

Zhen Hua broke out into a cold sweat. Did his soul power run out?

But then a golden soul ring appeared, and he sensed Tang Wulin’s blood
essence go wild.

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Chapter 425

A+ A- Chapter 425

Chapter 425 - Creating Trouble

If this were any other alloy, Tang Wulin wouldn’t have needed to bring
out his golden soul ring. However, he was forging this piece of star silver
for his own use! He needed to bind his flesh and blood to it by injecting it
with his blood essence! Then, once it was made into a piece of his battle
armor, it would be even more compatible with him.

A golden aura enveloped the cloud gold hammers, and Tang Wulin
hammered his blood essence into the emerging piece of star silver.
Earsplitting booms shook the hall as he pounded away at the fusing
metals. Every strike possessed tremendous weight and speed. The
forging table trembled from the shock. The star silver gradually shrank
under the weight of each blow.

Tang Wulin struck down with both hammers at once. He let out a
draconic roar as a pair of golden lights flowed through each of the cloud
gold hammers and into the star silver.

An illusory dragon soared out of the metal, spiraling up into the air. All
the while the star silver twinkled bright with ample shine, its surface
touched by specks of starlight in the shape of a dragon.

That dragon was Tang Wulin’s personal brand on the metal.

Tang Wulin was beyond pleased with the results. He roared for a full
minute before settling in silence. In his eyes burned inextinguishable

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flames. He had the instinctive impression that he had broken through a

boundary as a blacksmith. His growth was tremendous and his alloy
forging success rate would undoubtedly eclipse the one prior.

He did it! He really did it! He forged a spirit alloy!

Zhen Hua stared with his brows furrowed.

“Thank you for lending me your hammers. I understand the technique

now. Thank you for teaching me,” Tang Wulin said respectfully to Zhen
Hua. The strong were no stranger to secrets, and blacksmiths were not
excluded from this rule of life. A good forging technique could help a
blacksmith dramatically improve their skills and bolster their success
rate. Especially a technique as invaluable as the one Tang Wulin just
learned. Yet, Zhen Hua had imparted it for free. It was this

action that solidified a previous notion within Tang Wulin’s heart, that
Zhen Hua was a man worthy of respect and admiration.

Zhen Hua put on a stern expression. “Whose disciple are you? How old
are you?”

These questions startled Tang Wulin. It was only now that he realized he
had revealed himself. He had forgotten all about hiding his talents
amidst his excitement. As such, before all these blacksmiths and the
sole living Divine Blacksmith, there was no use lying anymore.

“My teacher is Mu Chen. I’m fourteen this year.”

The moment the words left his mouth, the entire hall went into an
uproar.

He’s only fourteen? And he can forge alloys?

Zhen Hua’s chest huffed as he listened, but a blank look crossed his face
at the mere utter of Mu Chen’s name.

“Where’s your blacksmith’s badge? What rank are you?” Even as the
President of the whole Blacksmith’s Association, Zhen Hua couldn’t help

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but harbor some doubts regarding Tang Wulin’s blacksmith rank. With
his discerning eyes, he picked out an amazing fact: the harmony rate of
the star silver Tang Wulin forged was over ninety-five percent!

“I’m in the middle of an exam right now, so all of my possessions were

confiscated. I’m a fifth-rank blacksmith.”

He’s a fifth-rank…

Everyone had guessed it, but hearing it out loud still brought out a
tumult of gasps. He’s a fourteen-year-old fifth-rank blacksmith! He broke
the record! And Zhen Hua’s, at that!

Zhen Hua smiled. “That damn Mu Chen. I can’t believe he was able to
hide you so well! That bastard!”

“President, can I take this piece of star silver? I can pay for it by taking
missions.”

Zhen Hua frowned. “No need for payment. It belongs to you in the first
place. As promised, those hammers are yours now too.”

The cloud gold hammers that possessed the tremor effect were priceless
treasures! Still, Tang Wulin shook his head, something else more
important weighing heavily in his mind. “I don’t need them since I
already have a pair of hammers, but thank you, President. Uh, instead,
could I trade them back for money?”

Trade for money… He wants to trade them for money…

The clamoring crowd instantly went silent, shocked and frozen at

at the sight before them. The Divine Blacksmith was gifting his hammers
to Tang Wulin, but he wanted to trade them in for money! They couldn’t
believe their eyes.

Zhen Hua couldn’t maintain his poker face anymore. His jaw dropped,
utterly dumbstruck. Is he just here to cause trouble? That’s gotta be it,
right? Yeah! It has to be! That bastard Mu Chen must have sent him here

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to annoy me! He picked such a good time too! Just when I decided to
give a public lecture! That bastard!

“Fine!” In front of such a large crowd, there was nothing else he could
do. He signalled to one of the nearby staff.

“Follow me,” he said to Tang Wulin as he approached the elevator.

Hushed whispers broke out behind Zhen Hua, fanning around him like
the petals of a flower, incoherent in their volume but clear in their
overall sentiment all the same. Everyone in the hall had just witnessed
the first appearance of this generation’s greatest blacksmithing prodigy.

Tang Wulin followed Zhen Hua into the elevator.

“Did Mu Chen tell you to come here?” Now that they were alone in the
elevator, Zhen Hua sought to confirm his suspicions.

Once more did Tang Wulin shake his head, hanging it in embarrassment
a moment later. “Actually, I came here because I’m broke. The Academy
took all of our money to teach us how to be self-reliant and how to adapt
to society. I need to earn some money with my own methods to
complete my exam.”

A thought struck Zhen Hua, bright and piercing like a lightning bolt.
“Shrek Academy?”

Tang Wulin jerked his head up in astonishment. “How’d you know?”

Zhen Hua chuckled. “No wonder Mu Chen resigned from the Eastsea
Blacksmith’s Association to suffer in Shrek City. It was all for your sake.
He sure knows how to keep a secret! I had always thought Little Xi was
this generation’s greatest blacksmithing prodigy, but you were hidden
away all along!”

Tang Wulin scratched his head awkwardly. Teacher Mu, there was
nothing I could do! This was all just a coincidence!

He focused his attention back on Zhen Hua. “President, I still have my

exam to finish. Can you give me the money for

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money for the cloud gold hammers now? I promise I’ll come visit you
again in the future when I have time.”

The elevator cruised to a stop, the doors sliding open to the highest floor
of the building.

“You’re so young yet all that goes through your head is money. You’re
just like your teacher.”

“I can’t do anything without money,” Tang Wulin mumbled. “If you’re

not going to give me any, then I’ll just go do some missions. But since I
don’t have my badge right now, the staff won’t let me take on any. Can’t
you bend the rules a little for me?”

Zhen Hua let out a chuckle. “Fine then, kid. I’ll have someone bring over
some money in a bit. Go accept some missions now, just don’t let
anyone see you. Right, I wanted to ask you this. Since you’re Mu Chen’s
disciple, did you also join Shrek’s Blacksmith’s Association?”

“Yes. I have a teacher there too.”

“Are you talking about that old madman?” Zhen Hua asked.

Tang Wulin nodded.

Zhen Hua’s expression darkened. After a few moments of silence, he

spoke up. “What do you need to do for your exam?”

Tang Wulin, without withholding a single detail, honestly explained the

exam’s requirements.

“Wow! Shrek Academy sure is strict! Well, I can help you find an
opponent for Heaven Dou City. I can arrange transportation for you
too.”

Tang Wulin beamed. “Thank you, President!”

Zhen Hua flashed a warm smile of his own. “You know, Mu Chen and I
were actually apprenticed to the same master. I’m his senior brother.

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You don’t have to call me President. Just call me uncle-master.”

Uncle-master?

Never had Tang Wulin heard such a thing from Mu Chen before.

“Uncle-master.” Tang Wulin didn’t hesitate. It was a wonderful thing to

have a Divine Blacksmiths as his uncle-master!

Zhen Hua nodded in approval. “Take a rest here. I’ll go arrange an

opponent for you.” Before he could do anything else, Tang Wulin spoke
again.

“Uncle-master, I’m hungry.” Tang Wulin had consumed a lot of blood

essence during the alloy forging, and the one meal he chanced upon
today was only meant for ordinary people.

“Alright. I’ll have someone bring you over to my personal dining

my personal dining hall.” Zhen Hua smiled gently. He felt the embers of
approval spark brighter and hotter in his chest. This kid isn’t the least bit
nervous. Not bad.

As the President of the Blacksmith’s Association, his personal dining hall

only served the best of the best. Blacksmithing was an exhausting job,
and especially so for a Divine Blacksmith. There were few people on the
continent who ate better than him. Moreover, unlike most people, he
had plenty of money!

As a Divine Blacksmith, each of his products were worth more than their
weight in gold. His wealth rivaled that of a small nation.

Because blacksmiths needed a lot of money in the early and middle

stages of their career, advancing was difficult. However, once they broke
through the boundary of the sixth rank, the profits came pouring in. At
that point, blacksmithing was undoubtedly the most lucrative
profession.

Nevertheless, Zhen Hua’s personal dining hall was quite small, only
about twenty square meters in area. A plain, round table sat at the

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center of the room, further contributing to the image of austerity.

When the dishes arrived, Tang Wulin was moved to tears.

The first dish was a thousand-year land dragon’s tendon. This was one of
the spirit items Tang Wulin had needed to break one of his previous
seals, yet Zhen Hua treated it merely as food!

To be fair, the piece of tendon was small. It had been stewed for a long
time and was soft and sticky, a tantalizing aroma rising from it,
ensnaring the senses with a single whiff. Indeed, one sniff and Tang
Wulin’s blood essence thrummed in excitement. He began to drool.

The rice served with this tendon was the premium moonlight rice. It
could only be found in extremely cold climates and took three years to
grow and harvest. A small amount was produced each year. The grains
of rice seemed to bend moonlight around it to produce a silvery aura
and carried a refreshingly cold scent. When Tang Wulin took his first bite
of this dish, the sweet flavor of the rice mixed with the warmth of the
stewed tendon, blending together in a magical combination of textures
and flavor. It was heaven for his taste buds.

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Chapter 426

A+ A- Chapter 426

Chapter 426 - Amazing

Amazing!

That was the only thought that crossed Tang Wulin’s mind as he gobbled
down the rice and tendon. The plate of thousand-year land dragon
tendon disappeared in a flash, along with six bowls of moonlight rice.

The chef, a wizened man in his fifties, had smiled happily as he watched
Tang Wulin eat in the beginning, but by the end, his delight changed into
astonishment. This kid really knows how to eat!

Though his servings were a far cry from their usual abundance, the
moonlight rice and dragon tendons were much more nutritious than
ordinary food. A single grain of moonlight rice would be enough to
satisfy an ordinary person for a day. Tang Wulin still craved for more
after six bowls.

Sensing Tang Wulin’s blood essence growing stronger with each bite, the
chef jokingly thought to himself that all of the food was being turned into
blood essence.

A while later, after soup was served and Tang Wulin finished his seventh
bowl of rice, he looked up at the chef. “Uncle, is there any more?”

The chef didn’t know what kind of expression he should make. “You can
even eat more than the President! There’s nothing left.”

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Tang Wulin put down his bowl with a whimper.

“You’re really still hungry?”

“Yeah. My stomach is only a bit more than half full. Well, I’ll be fine. But
what is Uncle-master going to eat?”

The chef flashed Tang Wulin a thumbs up, then stood up and walked
back to the small kitchen in the back. “Wait a bit.”

Meanwhile, Zhen Hua was busy pacing the floor in a different room as
Tang Wulin had been stuffing his gut.

“Mu Chen, I can’t believe you!” he shouted into his soul communicator
the moment the call connected, his voice an

octave higher than usual.

On the other end of the line, Mu Chen felt his heartbeat quicken. “Is
something wrong? What’s going on?”

Zhen Hua sneered. “You have the nerve to ask me that? Are you telling
me you didn’t deliberately send your disciple here to stir up some
trouble?”

“Disciple?” Mu Chen’s pitch rose as well. “Did you meet Wulin?”

“Who else could I be talking about?” Sarcasm dripped from Zhen Hua’s
words.

The line went silent.

“Say something! When did you pick up such an incredible kid?” Zhen
Hua asked. The calm expression he had shown Tang Wulin was but a
facade. It had taken all of his willpower from to hide the shock from his
face. There was no way a Divine Blacksmith such as himself didn’t
understand the significance of a fourteen-year-old fifth-rank blacksmith.

Tang Wulin had a sturdy foundation, good wits, and a godly talent for
blacksmithing. All of this Zhen Hua had discerned from Tang Wulin’s

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handling of the cloud gold hammers.

Tang Wulin was destined to become the next generation’s Divine

Blacksmith! As long as he grew steadily, this was inevitable. Of course,
that meant he had to become a Titled Douluo. However, it was much
easier for blacksmiths to become Titled Douluos than for combat-
oriented soul masters. They could simply use some heavenly treasures
to boost them up to that level. Although this would result in an unstable
foundation, they would still become a Titled Douluo and have the
necessary soul power for their path to a Divine Blacksmith.

Aware of these facts, Zhen Hua wasn’t worried about Tang Wulin’s
growth as a soul master. He was one of the ten richest people on the
continent. He had more than enough resources for the items necessary
to nurture a prodigy like Tang Wulin. The

The sole issue so far had been finding one!

“Don’t even think about it!” Mu Chen shouted back.

“Mu Chen,” Zhen Hua said gently.

Mu Chen’s laugh was thick with sarcasm, voice coming out gruff from
the other side of the line. “Don’t bother. I already know all about your
tricks.”

Zhen Hua chuckled. “Weren’t we once fellow apprentices?”

“Yes, we were. But that has nothing to do with this.” In fact, Mu Chen
understood Zhen Hua better than anyone else precisely because Zhen
Hua was his senior brother.

Zhen Hua ignored the frost practically spreading through his speakers.
“Junior Brother! Don’t you remember how we were back in the old days?
We were praised as the two greatest prodigies of the blacksmithing
world. We’ve been through thick and thin together! Just tell me, didn’t I
take care of you as your senior brother?”

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But Mu Chen was an impenetrable fortress. “Anything else is fine, but

not my disciple!”

“Didn’t I let you have my beloved Yuan Bao’er back then? And now you
have an adorable daughter thanks to that! What about me? I have no
wife, and I never will. The only woman in my heart is Bao’er. Do you
have any idea how much it pained me to make that decision? I don’t
really want a disciple. I want a son that can look after me as I age!”
Zhen Hua cried, choking back sobs.

Mu Chen went silent.

Years ago, Zhen Hua, Yuan Bao’er, and Mu Chen had been apprenticed
to the same master together. Zhen Hua was the eldest disciple, followed
by Mu Chen and Yuan Bao’er in that order. Out of the trio, Yuan Bao’er
was the only girl. She had a mischievous personality and, compared to
the others, was a bit of a slacker in

slacker in learning blacksmithing. Even so, she was the target of

affection for her two senior brothers. As the three grew up together, so
did their emotions for each other. But in the end, Zhen Hua chose to
dedicate his life to blacksmithing, and Yuan Bao’er ended up with Mu
Chen. In a sense, Zhen Hua truly had given her to Mu Chen.
Blacksmithing had simply pulled ahead from the other important thing in
his life, his beloved Yuan Bao’er.

Still, Mu Chen felt guilty. He had no retort to Zhen Hua.

“Eldest Brother, are you crying?” a gentle voice interjected through the
communicator.

A cold shiver traveled down Zhen Hua’s spine. “Is that you, Bao’er?”

“Eldest Brother, how about I kick Mu Chen to the curb then run over to
you?” she said sweetly.

“No! It’s fine!” Zhen Hua answered immediately. “Junior Sister, how
could you say something like that? Mu Chen and I are brothers, I

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couldn’t possibly…”

“Then stop talking out of your ass! Don’t call if you have nothing to say!”
Yuan Bao’er shouted. A moment later, the dial tone played.

Zhen Hua didn’t know how to react to all this.

On Mu Chen’s side, he stared at his wife, stupefied. He had never seen

his wife act so violently before. She was usually mild-tempered.

“Bao’er, are you feeling alright?” Mu Chen rubbed her forehead.

Yuan Bao’er took advantage of this and sat on his lap, throwing her arms
around his neck in a tight embrace. All traces of her previous temper
were wiped off the face of the earth. “I’m fine. In fact, I’m great! My
kindness is only meant for you though.”

Mu Chen looked at her curiously. “What about Eldest Brother then?”

Yuan Bao’er snorted. “I was just warning him not to use what happened
back then

happened back then to threaten you. I’ve already kept it a secret for so
many years for his sake, but it looks like he doesn’t care about saving
some face.”

A blank look crossed Mu Chen’s face. “What do you mean? What

secret?”

Yuan Bao’er snickered. “Do you really think he fearlessly chose to

devote himself to blacksmithing back then? You dummy. That’s too
naive! Eldest Brother is really cunning. He had long since asked me to
marry him by that time. You were so oblivious about it! Eldest Brother is
a good person, but he’s too stubborn and ambitious. I couldn’t love
someone like that. I just wanted someone who I could have fun with. You
might have been a bit dumb back then, but you were a lot more reliable
than him. You only have me in your heart. If it had been him, then it
would have been me and blacksmithing in his heart. And I’m sure
blacksmithing would have still placed higher than me. Who would

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choose a guy like him? So I told him I liked you. After that, he went into
seclusion. I didn’t mention any of this before only because I wanted to
spare him the embarrassment.”

Mu Chen was dumbstruck. At first, he couldn’t believe what his wife was
telling him, but as the seconds ticked by, the puzzle pieces started
coming together.

“No wonder you chose me. You’re definitely more suited for a laid-back
lifestyle. You would never be able to devote your life to blacksmithing
life Zhen Hua did. You broke contact from a lot of people when we
moved to Eastsea City too! Some people even think you died.”

Yuan Bao’er smiled. “I like this sort of simple life. It’s enough as long as I
have you and Little Xi.”

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Chapter 427

A+ A- Chapter 427

Chapter 427 - Ruby Shrimp

When Zhen Hua returned to his personal dining hall, his expression was
already back to normal.

Tang Wulin stood up straight from his seat at the sound of the door
opening.“Uncle-master,” he said.

Zhen Hua waved for him to sit back down. “Are you done eating?”

“Yes, I ate.”

“Alright. That’s good,” Zhen Hua said. “I just called your master to tell
him you came over. He told me to take good care of you. I’ve also
arranged an opponent for you. They’ll be waiting for you in the
Blacksmith’s Association’s sealed space. I’ll record the match so you can
use it as proof.”

“Thank you, Uncle-master,” Tang Wulin said. After eating the moonlight
rice and dragon tendon, he felt his body swell with warmth. His blood
essence bubbled within him, and his mind was sharp as a blade. He was
in peak condition.

“No need to thank me. You’re my junior so this is only natural. So you’re
a student at Shrek Academy with three soul rings, right? Do you have
any plans for the future?” Zhen Hua asked.

Without skipping a beat, Tang Wulin replied, “I want to become a battle

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armor master!”

Zhen Hua cracked a smile. “How ambitious. You know, I forged most of
the metals used to make the battle armors at Shrek Academy. Next time
I visit, how about I find you and give you some pointers?”

“Yes, please! That would be awesome!” Tang Wulin could hardly contain
himself with excitement. Not when a Divine Blacksmith had agreed to
afford him guidance!

“It’s settled then. Give me your number and I’ll call you next time I’m in
town.”

Zhen Hua was a man of determination who reached the peak in his field!
There had been more to his call with Mu Chen than just as an avenue to
vent his frustration. In fact, underneath the many layers of subtext and
his own personal brand of

care, he was also telling Mu Chen that there was no use in hiding Tang
Wulin anymore. Mu Chen may be able to teach Tang Wulin soul refining,
but teaching him how to heavenly refine was a different story. That was
where Zhen Hua came in. When that time came, things would be much
easier for Tang Wulin under a Divine Blacksmith’s watchful eye.

Therefore, Zhen Hua’s current plan was to develop a good relationship

with Tang Wulin, whom he had taken quite the liking to. Tang Wulin
might be greedy, but greed was good motivation for a blacksmith! As
long as Tang Wulin put in the work as a blacksmith, he would drown in
money later on.

At that moment, the kitchen door swung open, the chef carrying a
platter as he passed through the doorway.

Before the chef arrived at the dining table, Tang Wulin could already
smell the tantalizing aroma wafting over from the platter. His eyes
widened, mouth instantly watering. It was as if a wave of deliciousness
had assaulted his nose. The strong aroma roused his blood essence far

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more than the previous dishes.

What dish is it?

The platter was half a meter in diameter. Six humongous shrimps lay
plump on its surface, and the heads were similarly gigantic. The shells
were already peeled, revealing their glossy flesh, a bold shade of
crimson. There were no seasonings or sauces to enhance their scent.
The alluring aroma had come from these shrimp.

“What’s the special occasion? Why did you bring out the ruby shrimp?
You’d normally never do that!” Zhen Hua exclaimed.

The chef snorted. “Your mind is always elsewhere, so how could you
appreciate a true culinary delicacy? This kid has got quite a stomach,
and he loves my food from the bottom of his heart. I’m cooking this for
him. You’re lucky to have met him.”

Tang Wulin was surprised by how the chef treated Zhen Hua. Despite
there not

not being a single shred of soul power radiating from the chef’s body,
they gave off the image of being equals.

Zhen Hua chuckled. “Count me a lucky man then. My little nephew-

disciple is so amazing. But aren’t you suffering a loss here too? In a
sense, isn’t he one of your people?”

The chef smiled, mischief dancing in his eyes. “Did you think I couldn’t
tell? Kid, eat up. These are ruby shrimp, also known as blood shrimp.
They’re one of the bizarre creatures living three kilometers below the
Blood Trench. Their blood essence is similar to that of humans. I think
you should be able to handle eating three of them.”

Which meant that the other three were clearly meant for Zhen Hua.

“Thank you.” Tang Wulin rose from his seat and bent into a slight bow to
the chef. Never had he come across the name ruby shrimp before, but

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he was certain that it was an absolute delicacy!

The last fibers of his self restraint snapped. He grabbed a shrimp by its
tail and popped it into his mouth.

The meat was sweet and tender, a hint of fruitiness dancing at the
edges. When he pressed his teeth together for a chew, warm, flavorful
juices gushed out of the shrimp and trickled down his throat.

His body submerged into a pool of comfort. He could hear a buzz

permeating his mind as his skin blushed red. A burst of warmth spread
through him and the golden veined pattern of the Golden Dragon King
surfaced all over his body. His blood essence surged. Without any
conscious control, it flowed in reverse, following the path set by Golden
Dragon Shocks the Heavens.

At the sight of Tang Wulin’s golden skin and raging blood essence, Zhen
Hua and the chef froze, stupefied. When a golden soul ring made its
debut, the chef’s jaw finally dropped. His eyes were glued to Tang
Wulin.

Sucking in a deep breath,

deep breath, Tang Wulin looked within himself to inspect his body. He
was astonished to find his blood essence attacking the fourth seal on the
Golden Dragon King. Wave after wave of blood essence crashed against
the seal, wearing it down bit by bit, and the seal flashed brilliantly each
time.

Concerned at the scene, Zhen Hua shot the chef a doubtful look. “Is he
digesting it immediately? Doesn’t it usually take a whole year to digest
ruby shrimp?”

The chef shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re the one who brought this little
monster here.”

Zhen Hua smiled. “Yeah. He really is a little monster. He’s from Shrek
Academy.”

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Once the chef heard that fact, a light flashed in his eyes, his cheeks
beginning to twitch. “If I knew earlier, I wouldn’t have fed him the
shrimp! But his body really is interesting. You weren’t wrong to say he’s
one of my people.”

For over ten minutes Tang Wulin’s blood essence continued to bubble
within him before gradually settling down. In the end, the seal still held,
but the feverous blood essence flaring within him was undeniable. It was
as if his entire body had been refined and he felt utterly comfortable. His
soul power surged, two months worth of cultivation added on after just a
few moments of eating.

“Thank you, Senior,” Tang Wulin said to the chef respectfully. There
were only two shrimp left. The other three had already been eaten by
Zhen Hua.

The chef shook his head. “This is an opportunity for you. If you want to
take me as your master and eat food like this every day, then leave
Shrek Academy. It’s your decision.”

Tang Wulin was taken aback. The chef’s food left a deep impression on
him. If he could eat food of such quality every day, then his cultivation
would progress by leaps and bounds! He wouldn’t have to worry about
his blood essence for the first nine seals either. That said,

either. That said, he was also a person of integrity.

“Senior, thank you for your offer, but I’m a student of Shrek Academy. I
can’t leave just yet. If you’re still willing to take me in after I graduate,
then when that time comes…”

The chef waved in dismissal. He stood up in one brisk motion and

returned to the kitchen.

Witnessing such a strange scene, Tang Wulin turned to Zhen Hua for
guidance. “Uncle-master, is that chef uncle angry?”

“Chef? Hehe. He’s not angry. He just knows he has no hope. People from
Shrek aren’t fools. Would they really let a talent like you graduate from

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the outer court? You’re definitely bound for the inner court. He knows he
doesn’t stand a chance, so there was no point in staying. Here. These
last two shrimp are yours. Kid, I’ve got to say, your stomach is
amazing!”

Tang Wulin quickly took the remaining two shrimp and threw them into
his mouth. His blood essence surged once more and assaulted the fourth
seal. However, his body’s ability to handle blood essence had improved,
so the attack on the seal wasn’t as powerful as the first time. Even so,
Tang Wulin could feel the fourth seal growing slack.

But he had no plans of breaking the fourth seal right then. Despite
having enough soul power to do so, he also had to take into account the
amount of the Golden Dragon King’s power he could absorb after the
seal was broken. His body wasn’t ready yet. Plus, there was still time to
find the spirit items Old Tang had informed him.

Zhen Hua waited until Tang Wulin finished digesting the remaining
shrimp before standing up from his seat and walking to the door. “Let’s
go then. I’ll bring you to battle your opponent. Afterward you can be on
your way to finish your exam.”

There was still one thing of interest, though. “Uncle-master, who was
that chef uncle?” Tang Wulin asked.

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Chapter 428

A+ A- Chapter 428

Chapter 428 - Temptation

“He’s just an eccentric guy! I’m his only friend . Well, in any case, I’m
not sure if you’ll ever meet him again . But I’ll tell you this . ” Zhen Hua
motioned for Tang Wulin to lean closer, covering part of his mouth with a
cupped hand . “He doesn’t have a good relationship with Shrek
Academy, and he doesn’t like dealing with them . ”

Zhen Hua’s ambiguous words left Tang Wulin puzzled, but he didn’t
think much about it . Right now, he had to focus on finishing his exam .

A spatial door opened before them . The door reminded him of the one
to the spirit soul tower at the Spirit Pagoda . He hadn’t expected the
Blacksmith’s Association would also have such a space .

“Are you familiar with this?” Zhen Hua noticed the glint in Tang Wulin’s
eyes .

Tang Wulin nodded . “Yeah . The Spirit Pagoda headquarters has a door
just like this . ”

“Yes, they’re similar . Similar, but different . Apart from Shrek Academy,
no other society can compare with the Spirit Pagoda’s resources .
However, our Blacksmith’s Association also has a few tricks up its
sleeve, and this sealed space is used for storing important treasures and
classified materials . You could call it our warehouse . Only high-level
members of the Association can enter it . Once you become a Saint

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Blacksmith, you’ll gain access to it too . The key is a Saint Blacksmith’s

badge . ”

Saint Blacksmith’s were seventh-rank blacksmiths . Tang Wulin yearned

for the day he could finally step on that plane of existence .

“Uncle-master, is it hard to soul refine?” Tang Wulin asked .

Zhen Hua smiled and shook his head . “It’s both hard and not hard at the
same time .

You have a strong foundation and good wits . But you’re lacking in soul
power . I can help you with that, though . I have many treasures that can
boost your cultivation . Would you like to go that route?”

Tang Wulin stared at him in astonishment . “Uncle-master, what do you

mean?”

Zhen Hua chuckled . “I can see it in your eyes that you already
understand . Don’t you feel embarrassed keeping up an act?”

Tang Wulin scratched his head, showing a meek smile . Of course he

would want to get his hands on some treasures .

“If you use treasures to boost your cultivation, I guarantee you’ll become
a Titled Douluo and Divine Blacksmith within fifteen years . However, I
must warn you, your foundation won’t be firm and you’ll likely never
advance into a Hyper Douluo . Still, that should be enough for you in my
opinion . Battle armor will improve your strength anyway . As long as
you get a set of four-word battle armor and become a Titled Douluo,
you’ll stand at the very peak of the world,” Zhen Hua said .

“Uncle-master, I’ve always been curious about that . If battle armor can
make a Titled Douluo as powerful as a Limit Douluo, why do they still
continue to cultivate to become Hyper Douluos?”

Zhen Hua sighed . “They’re not quite the same . You’ll understand once
you reach that level . Even if you compared two Limit Douluos, or two

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Titled Douluos with the same amount of soul power, the combat strength
of the one who boosted their advancement through the use of treasures
and the one who advanced normally would differ . And more
importantly, only by relying on their own strength can they hope to
ascend to godhood . No one has ascended in the last ten thousand years

years . But who doesn’t wish to ascend like the founder of the Tang Sect,
Tang San? Or the Spirit Pagoda founder, Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao?

“Think about this carefully . If you choose to accept my offer, then I’ll
nurture you into a Divine Blacksmith by the time you’re thirty . You’ll be
the youngest Divine Blacksmith in all of history and stand at the world’s
summit . However, you’ll also be turning your back on the path of battle,
forgoing the mysteries of the world . ”

A moment of silence slipped by . ”Uncle-master,” Tang Wulin eventually

said . “Can you give me some time to consider it?”

Zhen Hua’s offer was enticing . Tang Wulin’s cultivation wasn’t

advancing quickly, but when it came to blacksmithing, he was blessed
by the heavens . If he became a Divine Blacksmith and a Titled Douluo,
he could easily proceed to become a four-word battle armor master as
well . However, he had to consider if this was what he truly wanted .
With this sudden choice thrust upon him, he didn’t know what to do .

Zhen Hua smiled . “Don’t worry about it too much . I didn’t know what to
do back when I was your age too . Just pick whatever route you think is
best for you . And even if you choose to cultivate with your own efforts,
you still have a good chance of becoming a Divine Blacksmith . Consider
your options carefully, and when you make your decision, make sure you
do so with the resolve to see it through to the end with no regrets .
There are countless treasures in this world, but there are none that can
cure regret . ”

“Thank you, Uncle-master . ”

The two stepped through the spatial doorway and entered the sealed

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space . It was enormous, utterly different

utterly different from that of the spirit soul tower . Truly a gigantic
warehouse . Countless doors lined the perimeter and stood all around,
leading to unknown spaces .

With a wave of his hand, Zhen Hua brought Tang Wulin to the center of
the space . Jarring was the brisk, instantaneous movement for Tang
Wulin .

Zhen Hua placed a palm upon a door and entered with a gentle push .
Inside was a large hall brimming with energy . A barrier created an
arena in the middle of the hall, and a man in his twenties waited in the
center .

The man bowed when he caught sight of Zhen Hua . “President . ”

Zhen Hua cracked a slight smile . “Prepare to begin . Wulin, let me

introduce you . This is one of our Association’s guardians, Xie Yinling .
Please take care of each other . ”

“Hello, I’m Tang Wulin . ”

Although Xie Yinling couldn’t be called handsome, he had a refreshing

aura to him, and examined Tang Wulin with curious eyes . What sort of
background does this kid have that the President would recommend him
to have a match with me?

Zhen Hua withheld from him details about Tang Wulin . All he let slip
from his lips was that he had found a good opponent him . Xie Yinling
had never expected his opponent would be just a kid!

“I’m Xie Yinling . Please advise me . ” Without another word, Xie Yinling
retreated a few steps . He extended his right hand and gestured for
Tang Wulin to make his move .

Despite his youth, Tang Wulin had plenty of battle experience . He took
a few paces forward to face Xie Yinling in a battle stance .

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Two yellow and two purple soul rings rose from beneath Xie Yinling . Just

. Just as Tang Wulin had requested, Zhen Hua found him an opponent
stronger than him .

Xie Yinling was twenty years old this year, and a rank 43 Soul Ancestor .

As Tang Wulin strode forward, three purple soul rings rose past his feet .
The sight startled Xie Yinling .

“Begin,” Zhen Hua declared .

In a split second, Tang Wulin jumped into action . Rather than

summoning his bluesilver grass, he stomped on the ground and shot
forward like a cannonball . He didn’t want to waste any more time .

Xie Yinling took a step back . His lungs swelled with air as he let out a
piercing bird’s screech . A pair of wings unfurled from his back and a
green aura spread throughout his body as he ascended into the air .

His martial soul is a flying-type! It’s the eagle! Tang Wulin instantly
judged . As a student of Shrek Academy, he could identify a martial soul
at ease

Tang Wulin leaped after him . Unfortunately, he only reached eight

meters into the air while Xie Yinling hovered at a height of ten . Seeing
that, Xie Yinling relaxed his guard a bit, confident in his ability to take
the win . The moment Tang Wulin’s three purple soul rings had
materialized, apprehension chewed at the edges of his calm . But as
soon as he was up in the air, his domain, his doubts had been
extinguished . Especially when Tang Wulin could not reach him in a leap

When facing a flying soul master, one of the greatest mistakes a soul
master who couldn’t fly could make was jumping into the air to engage .
At that point, they were practically sitting ducks . Flying soul masters
boasted exceptional speed in the air .

That said, Xie Yinling’s confident smile froze in the next instant .

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Chapter 429

A+ A- Chapter 429

Chapter 429 - True Strength

Shooting a golden vine at the ground, Tang Wulin bounced upward using
it as a spring . . His sudden acceleration brought him in front of Xie
Yinling in a flash .

Not good! Xie Yinling was a bit slow to react . He pushed his hands
forward as soon as he snapped free of surprise, stopping his ascent . His
wings took on a sharp metallic shine as he brandished them and used
Eagle Wing Slash! The wings came slicing down on Tang Wulin’s
shoulder . At the same time, Xie Yinling circulated his soul power within
his body to keep him afloat in the air .

Eagle Wing Slash was his second soul skill . Yet, he didn’t dare
underestimate Tang Wulin, his third soul ring lighting up as a result . His
third soul skill was linked with his fourth, and eclipsed soul skills of the
same level in aerial combat . As such, he was convinced after blocking
Tang Wulin’s charge victory would swiftly follow .

However, his plans were dashed in an instant .

Tang Wulin scrunched up his body in mid-air as the wings bore down on
him, hands shooting out to deflect the attack . He stared Xie Yinling
straight in the eye, his irises flashing purple . Bluesilver grass sprang out
of the ground and curled around Xie Yinling like an iron chain . With his
opponent restrained, Tang Wulin whipped out his right fist for a powerful
knockout punch .

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Although Xie Yinling was restrained, his arms were still still mobile,
extended in front of him in an effort to meet Tang Wulin’s attack .
Unable to use his third soul skill in his current position, he had no choice
but to divert Tang Wulin first!

Tang Wulin didn’t withdraw his fist as those two arms chopped down .
His fist continued its trajectory, swift and brisk, easily evading Xie
Yinling’s parry . In that hairbreadth of a moment, golden scales
glimmered, popping into existence on his arm .

Xie Yinling

was stunned at the sight of the transformation . The golden claw

reached his chest in an instant .

I’m finished!

His mind went blank . But rather than the scalding pain of claw tearing
through flesh, he felt a more subtle sensation . The claw lightly bumped
him and disrupted his internal soul power circulation . Then Tang Wulin
grabbed the bluesilver grass binding him and yanked, throwing him
against the ground like a rag doll, the earth crackling beneath him upon
impact .

Tang Wulin landed next to Xie Yinling and released him from his
restraints then took two steps back . “Excuse me . ”

Xie Yinling was speechless .

I didn’t even get a chance to fight! He was frustrated by how helpless he

had been throughout the entire battle . He had only been able to use
one soul skill before losing, the battle having ended too quickly . It
pained him to swallow the bitter pill of reality . He had lost . Admitting it
wasn’t easy, especially since he hadn’t been able to work out Tang
Wulin’s martial soul .

Zhen Hua had stood by, watching from a distance with cold detachment
. Even for him, the battle had ended too quickly . A few moves and it

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was settled . Tang Wulin hadn’t wasted any strength, each move
wrapped tightly in a blanket of precision and consideration . Xie Yinling
thought he hadn’t had a chance to show off his true strength, but in
Zhen Hua’s eyes, it was Tang Wulin who had been reserved .

Are all students from Shrek Academy this strong? He had thought that
with a one ring difference, Tang Wulin would have struggled a bit .

He was jolted out of his thoughts by the sound of Tang Wulin’s voice, the
young man approaching him with steady steps . “Thank you for helping
me, Uncle-master . ”

“Mn . Let’s go then . ” Zhen Hua patted Tang Wulin’s shoulder .

Tang Wulin dropped one final glance at Xie Yinling and a

a curt nod before following Zhen Hua out .

Meanwhile, Xie Yinling still refused to accept the outcome of the match .
However, as one of the Blacksmith’s Association’s guardians, it would be
too impudent to request a rematch in front of the President . If he knew
Tang Wulin was the class president of Shrek Academy’s first grade, his
attitude would have been far different .

“Wulin, I never would have thought you would be so strong . Not bad .
Since this is the case, I don’t recommend you take me up on my offer .
You’re still young . You can just wait until you’re twenty before you
decide . And at that time, if you still don’t have five rings, then I would
suggest the route I presented to you . Once you’re boosted to six rings,
you can go the rest of the way with your own efforts . Your soul power is
very strong, but it’s impossible to heavenly refine without becoming a
Titled Douluo,” Zhen Hua said .

“Understood . ”

Before Tang Wulin left, Zhen Hua handed him a card containing one
million Federal credits . It was enough for the rest of his trip . Zhen Hua
also threw a storage ring into the mix, one much better than his

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previous few . The storage space was larger with many compartments
for easy organization . In Zhen Hua’s own words, this was a gift, and it
contained everything that he exchanged the cloud gold hammers for .

Tang Wulin peeked inside the ring . Despite not containing money, there
were eighteen different types of valuable metals stored within . Twelve
of them he had only heard of but had never seen before . There were
also over a dozen bottles of the alloy forging catalyst refined by Zhen
Hua .

Zhen Hua didn’t make a fuss about the gift, and neither did Tang Wulin .

He didn’t see Tang Wulin out, but he did direct him to use the backdoor .
Tang Wulin’s performance

Wulin’s performance had been too outrageous . Everyone was still

talking about him . Tang Wulin would draw too much attention if he left
through the front, especially if he was escorted by the President himself
.

After Tang Wulin stepped out through the back, as he was about to call a
taxi, he paused at the sight of Wu Zhangkong .

“Teacher Wu,” he greeted .

Wu Zhangkong’s expression remained icy, not a hint of surprise . “I

knew you would be here . ”

Tang Wulin rushed to his side . And then, after thinking it over, he threw
the hand with the ring behind him . “I got this ring after I left campus .
You can’t say I’m cheating!”

Wu Zhangkong eyed him . “From now on, I will be following you closely
until the end of the exam . Just do whatever you have to without
minding me . ”

Tang Wulin was taken aback . “Aren’t you supposed to be watching from

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the shadows? Could it be that…?”

Wu Zhangkong furrowed his brow . “An evil soul master appeared . The
terrorist attack you foiled was arranged by that same person . I already
notified the Academy, and they’ve dispatched more teachers to come
protect the examinees . I will be watching over you personally . Due to
the limited number of teachers, however, you will need to act as a group
. ” He pointed to the side as he spoke .

Tang Wulin tracked his gesture to see familiar faces . Gu Yue, Ye

Xinglan, Xu Xiaoyan, Xu Lizhi, and Xie Xie stood a distance away, smiling
brightly . Although they missed Tang Wulin’s train, they boarded the
very next one with Wu Zhangkong, arriving at Heaven Dou City as a
group . They were following the same route after all . 　

When Wu Zhangkong had lost Tang Wulin, the gears in his head spun in
overdrive . Penniless yet possessing such high blacksmithing skills, Tang
Wulin was most likely to be found near

be found near the local Blacksmith’s Association .

“Hi guys . ” Tang Wulin beamed .

His mood soared . After visiting the Blacksmith’s Association, he no

longer felt guilty over the security captain’s death .

Xu Lizhi took the initiative to walk over . He sized Tang Wulin up, then
sniffed . Astonishment filled his face . “Did you eat something good?”

Tang Wulin’s jaw dropped . “How did you know?”

Xu Lizhi gave a toothy grin . “Us food-types have an amazing sense of

smell! Come on! Hurry up and tell me what you ate!”

“What’s the use in telling you? It’s not like you can eat it now . I don’t
want to make you hungry . ”

Wu Zhangkong interjected . “Have you won a match yet?”

Tang Wulin nodded .

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“Alright . None of the others have finished yet . You guys decide on your
plan . Don’t mind me . I’ll just follow along quietly . ”

Tang Wulin understood that Wu Zhangkong was there to protect them,

and a soft warmth brushed his heart . He turned to his friends and
smiled . “It looks like we’re together again . Where do you guys want to
go to find some opponents?”

“Let’s head to the Spirit Pagoda,” Gu Yue said, her eyes shining as she
looked at him .

The Spirit Pagoda? Tang Wulin’s smile flashed even brighter . That’s
right! There’s tons of soul masters over there! Gu Yue has a high status
there too, so it should be easy to find some opponents!

“Yeah . Let’s go . ”

Heaven Dou City was bustling with activity . It didn’t take them long to
find a taxi, and soon they were on their way to the local Spirit Pagoda .

In the car, Tang Wulin let Wu Zhangkong view the video of his fight with
Xie Yinling and sent him the file soon after . Wu Zhangkong did not
comment on the battle . With that, Tang Wulin had cleared his first city .

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Chapter 430

A+ A- Chapter 430

Chapter 430 - These Trees Were Planted by Me!

Heaven Dou City’s local Spirit Pagoda was only second to the
headquarters in Shrek City . It towered over the surrounding buildings,
breathtaking in its height .

Currently, Xu Lizhi and Tang Wulin were walking together .

“I can feel that your blood essence is thicker than before! It’s definitely
because of whatever you ate . I can’t believe you won’t tell me!” Xu Lizhi
cried . “Aren’t we brothers?”

“Fine . I give . It was ruby shrimp . ” Although the thousand-year land

dragon tendon was potent as well, it couldn’t compare with the ruby
shrimp .

At the sound of those words, Xu Lizhi trembled . “Ruby shrimp? Where

did you get it?”

Tang Wulin looked at him suspiciously . “Someone else gave it to me .

Do you know of it? It wasn’t until it was right in front of me that I even
heard of its name . ”

“It’s the ruby shrimp from the Blood Trench, right?”

“Mn . ” Tang Wulin nodded .

Xu Lizhi was dumbstruck . After gathering himself for a few moments, he

spoke . “Are you sure that’s what you had? All soul devices malfunction

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near the Blood Trench because of its bizarre magnetic field . The trench
is also several kilometers deep and teeming with soul beasts . It’s known
as one of the world’s forbidden areas! That ruby shrimp you said you
had are only found in the Blood Trench . Even four-word battle armor
masters have trouble retrieving them . Are you sure that’s what you
ate?”

Tang Wulin had guessed that the ruby shrimp was precious, but he had
never expected it to be to this degree! It was a delicacy that could only
be obtained by four-word battle armor masters! It was no wonder that
even a Divine Blacksmith like Zhen Hua regarded it as precious .

“Who gave it to

you? I want to try it too!” Xu Lizhi sulked .

“I don’t know his name,” Tang Wulin said . “He’s my uncle-master’s

friend . There aren’t any left anyway . Or do you want me to puke it out
for you to try? I think there’s still a bit left in my stomach . ”

“You’re disgusting!” Ye Xinglan, who was walking ahead of him, shot a

dirty look in his direction .

Xu Lizhi went silent with gloom . He was depressed that he missed out
on such an experience .

They soon reached the Spirit Pagoda, their chatter culled to an attentive
quiet . Wu Zhangkong followed behind them without a word, simply
watching them with his cold eyes .

Tang Wulin glanced at his teacher . The thought of Wu Zhangkong’s

lover buried in the cemetary of Heaven Dou City lingered in his mind .

Wu Zhangkong returned his glance with a sharp look . Then his eyes
drifted elsewhere .

Gu Yue flashed her ID and was immediately admitted inside . She led
them up to a conference room on the third floor .

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Before long, a middle-aged man entered the room .

“Hello, Miss Gu Yue,” the middle-aged man said .

“Hello . ” Gu Yue stood and nodded to him .

The man made an awkward face . “I’ve passed on your request to the
rest of the staff, but it would break too many rules . We’re an
organization that serves soul masters after all . We can’t just ask visitors
to have a match . It would be too troubling for them . We have no duty
to do that either . ”

Gu Yue furrowed her brow . “Is there any other way?”

The man shook his head . “I asked the higher ups, but I’m afraid it’s
impossible . The Heavenly Phoenix Douluo called and said you had to

to handle this yourself . We aren’t to lend you any help . ”

Gu Yue went silent for a moment . “Teacher knows about this?”

The man smiled meekly but remained silent .

“Okay . ” Gu Yue nodded, then turned to her companions . “Let’s go . ”

They followed Gu Yue out in silence, Tang Wulin jogging to her side in
the process . “It’s fine . We’ll just find some other way . And if we can’t,
we can just go to the Blacksmith’s Association . I’m sure my uncle-
master will help us . ”

Gu Yue shook her head . “That would be too inconvenient and take too
much time . I have a plan . ”

Ye Xinglan pursed her lips . “Are you saying…?”

The two shared a glance, eyes lighting up in mutual understanding .

Tang Wulin felt a chill travel down his spine, apprehension creeping up
on him .

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Sun Runyu left the Spirit Pagoda in high spirits . His body felt light with
his new and suitable spirit soul .

At thirty-five years old, he possessed two spirit souls before this one .
Due to his average martial soul, his spiritual power wasn’t particularly
strong, and he had only been able to sustain two spirit souls that
allowed him four soul rings . After devoting blood and sweat to
cultivating, he finally reached rank 50 . He knew that he had no hopes of
ever reaching seven rings, but he still wished to obtain a spirit soul
capable of taking him that far . At the very least, he would be
acknowledged within the world of soul masters .

He saved up money by living frugally until he scraped enough to visit

the Spirit Pagoda . Luck smiled upon him . He obtained a good purple
spirit soul and fused with it, becoming stronger than before . .

From then on, he was

he was a genuine five-ringed Soul King . Not to mention, he could now

boast a thousand-year soul ring .

Soul Kings were quite respected among soul masters . Furthermore, he

was a mecha pilot . With a strong spirit soul to fuse with his mecha, he
now had the strength to reach the rank of lieutenant colonel and
command a squadron of thirty mechas .

Sun Runyu was filled with excitement as he thought about his future .
His hard work was finally paying off . Even if he couldn’t become a Soul
Sage, becoming a Soul Emperor was not beyond reach . Once he
stepped into that level, he would have the qualifications to be promoted
to a colonel . He would be a decently high-ranking officer in the military
at that time . Then he could settle down with a good wife .

As he entertained these thoughts, a few figures snuck up in front of him,

dodging his peripheral vision .

“This mountain is mine!”

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“These trees were planted by me!”

“If you want to pass!”

“You must pay the mountain toll!”

Sun Runyu could not believe his eyes . Four strangers stood in a line in
front him, forming a makeshift barrier between him and the path .
Confused, he took some time to scan the area, confirming he had just
exited the Spirit Pagoda . What mountain are they talking about? What
trees?

When he shifted his attention back to his obstructors, he was taken

aback by their youthful appearances . The last vestiges of baby fat clung
to their cheeks, skin soft and tender . It was obvious they were no more
than teenagers . He could even pick out a young fatty crouching and
another teen covering his face . .

“What are you kids doing? You shouldn’t be playing jokes around the
Spirit Pagoda . Hurry up and go home!” Sun Runyu shouted with the
imposing airs of

imposing airs of a military officer .

Gu Yue had been the first one to recite their mugging play . The instant
Tang Wulin had heard it, he turned his back to them and facepalmed .
Similarly, Xu Lizhi had crouched down into a ball immediately, turning
his back to them as did his best to fight back his laughter . Meanwhile,
Wu Zhangkong stood far off in the distance, his figure barely visible .

Indeed, this was Gu Yue’s plan . It was simple . All they needed to do
was fight a soul master stronger than them, and there were plenty of
people who fit the bill at the Spirit Pagoda . So, they would threaten the
people that came out of the Spirit Pagoda and force them into a fight .
After beating their opponent, they would hightail it out of there .

The only issue was finding someone stronger than them . As for their
mountain bandit charade, it just piqued her fancy .

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Ye Xinglan, Xie Xie, and Xu Xiaoyan had shouted the last three verses in
that order . Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan grinned with excitement .

“What now?” Ye Xinglan asked Gu Yue .

“We get started,” Gu Yue said as soul rings rose from beneath her .

After spending a lot of time with Gu Yue, Ye Xinglan had found her quite
compatible, and the sentiment was reciprocated . She charged forward
the moment she saw Gu Yue’s soul rings, the Stargod Sword manifesting
in her hands as she ran . She slashed the air, shooting out a sword beam
toward Sun Runyu .

The sudden attack startled Sun Runyu . The military experience

engraved in him took hold and he subconsciously retreated a step . He
summoned his martial soul . A thin mist spread from his body,
condensing into a liquid shield and deflecting the sword beam in the nick
of time .

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Chapter 431

A+ A- Chapter 431

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 .

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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

He had used Bluesilver Golden Array to strip away the water element

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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,

dir="ltr">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

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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

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

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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 . ”

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Chapter 432

A+ A- Chapter 432

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?

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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

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. She couldn’t afford to waste any time .

At the same moment, Gu Yue’s fireball

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

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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

flashed forward and threw a punch! A giant dragon head manifested in

front of his fist, bursting out in a blaze of gold .

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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 .

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Chapter 433

A+ A- Chapter 433

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

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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

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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 .

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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

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,

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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

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

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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 .

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Chapter 434

A+ A- Chapter 434

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

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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?”

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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

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

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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?”

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

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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

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 .

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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 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

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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

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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

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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

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Chapter 435

A+ A- Chapter 435

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?”

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“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 .

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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

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?”

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“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

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 .

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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

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!”

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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 . ”

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Chapter 436

A+ A- Chapter 436

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

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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

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

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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

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 .

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“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

. 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 .

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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 436 You 39 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

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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

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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 .

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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 .

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Chapter 437

A+ A- Chapter 437

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!

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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

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master in Heaven Spirit City, and this gave her the leverage to sign a
retainer

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

hand and wrapped themselves around it, manifesting as a gauntlet. He

couldn’t afford to hold back against a real battle armor master!

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“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

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

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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.

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Chapter 438

A+ A- Chapter 438

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!

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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

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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

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

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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

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.

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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!

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Chapter 439

A+ A- Chapter 439

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!”

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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

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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

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!

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“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

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 .

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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,

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 . ”

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“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 purpose?”

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

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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

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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

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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 purpose

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Chapter 440

A+ A- Chapter 440

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

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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

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for coming here after all!

Indeed, the world wasn’t fair!

The plump man led

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.”

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“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

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?”

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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

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

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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!

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Chapter 441

A+ A- Chapter 441

Chapter 441 - Yan Feng and Sky Ice

He’s handsome. And he’s a teacher at Shrek Academy! He couldn’t be

any more perfect!

“Shrek Academy? Amazing!” Yan Feng suddenly batted her eyelashes at

Wu Zhangkong. “Years ago, I really wanted to be a student there, and I
even took the exams! But as you can see, I didn’t make it in. It’s a pity I
didn’t, I might have been able to study under you.”

“No,” Wu Zhangkong said. “When you were still in school, I was a

student as well. You’re not young enough to be my student.”

“Jeez!” Yan Feng pouted. “Is that how you always talk to a girl? Don’t
you know how to make small talk?”

Wu Zhangkong didn’t utter another word. He simply ate in silence.

This guy! Yan Feng pursed her lips and glared at him, but after a while,
she couldn’t bear the silence. “Since you’re a teacher at Shrek Academy,
you should be a battle armor master, right? Are you a one-word or two-
word battle armor master?”

“Two-word,” Wu Zhangkong answered.

Yan Feng’s eyes went wide. He’s only thirty-three and he’s a two-word
battle armor master! He’s incredible! No wonder I couldn’t tell how
strong he was.

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“Oh,” she responded, trying to come off as nonchalant. “I just became a

one-word battle armor master myself. For my first word, I chose
‘Phoenix.’ To tell you the truth, it isn’t a great fit for me. My martial soul
is the fire gourd, and battle armor is usually named after a soul master’s
a martial soul or spirit soul. But I couldn’t have possibly used ‘Gourd’, so
instead I used the meaning of my own name. What about you? What did
you name your armor?”

“Sky Ice.”

“Oh! That’s so cool!” Yan Feng exclaimed. “Why did you pick that? Is it
because you have an ice-attribute martial soul?”

Wu Zhangkong finally looked up from his food and

looked her straight in the eye. “‘Sky’ is the first part of my martial soul.
‘Ice’ comes from the meaning of my wife’s name. Don’t talk while
eating. Just eat.”

His wife? Yan Feng was dumbstruck. He has a wife! Of course he has a
wife! There’s no way a man as great as him wouldn’t!

A feeling of loss hit her like a truck, and her appetite disappeared.

The two ate in silence. Wu Zhangkong didn’t eat much, and he ate as
slowly as ever, his mind wandering off to another time.

“Wow! Zhangkong, those candied yellow vegetables were amazing! The

eggs were so delicious too! I can’t imagine how he cooked them so well.
Just you wait. I’ll go learn how to make them and then cook the for you
too, okay?”

“Hey, leave some tofu for me too! I heard tofu is good for the skin. My
skin might be nicer than yours, but I still have to put in the effort!”

“These fishy stir-fried pork strips are delicious! Do you think I should eat
another half-bowl of rice? I won’t get fat, right?”

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“You dummy! Look at you. You have some rice stuck to your face. I’m
not gonna kiss you while you’re like that. Ah! Don’t rub it on me!”

By the time Wu Zhangkong and Yan Feng finished eating and left the
restaurant, the sun had reached its zenith.

Yan Feng flashed a smile at Wu Zhangkong. “Thank you for lunch.”

Wu Zhangkong shook his head. “I’m going then.”

“Can you give me your number? I’m gonna go back to the Spirit Pagoda
now and ask them to revoke the investigation request I made. I’ll call
you once it’s done.”

After a moment of hesitation, Wu Zhangkong gave in and handed her his

number.

“Next time I’m in Shrek City, I’ll go find you and we can have dinner,
okay?” Yan Feng beamed.

Wu Zhangkong eyed her

her coldly. “I’m going. Goodbye.” Without another word, he turned and
left.

As she watched his departing figure, Yan Feng let out a gloomy sigh. “All
the good men are always taken. Really! When am I going to find a good
man of my own! Heaven Spirit City is too small for me. Maybe I should
head to Shrek City. I am a one-word battle armor master now, after well.
Yeah. I’ll go ask the Spirit Pagoda to transfer me there.”

After their defeat in Heaven Spirit City, Tang Wulin and his friends had
no choice but to change their plans. They ended up taking a detour,
promptly piling into their soul car and heading straight for the next city.

Although they thought long and hard about it, they couldn’t come up

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with a plan more efficient than raiding someone at the Spirit Pagoda to
draw out the enforcers. They had no other option but to go with the old
plan. Fortunately for them, things went quite well. They cleared the next
few cities without issue. No one questioned their supposed identity as
supervisors, and a couple days later, they were halfway done with their
exam.

“We’re on day four now,” Tang Wulin said as he studied their map. They
were once again in their soul car, heading for the next city on their
route. “We need to speed up a bit. We’ll do two cities today and another
two tomorrow. Then, the day after that, we’ll arrive at Bright City. It has
a lot of strong people, so we shouldn’t have to raid the Spirit Pagoda
there. It’s the capital city of the Federation after all. Though we will need
to be more careful once we arrive.”

At first they were anxious as they travelled from city to city, but their
nerves had calmed down along the way. The challenges they had faced
over the course of their travels were profound,

were profound, and as they overcame them one by one, they grew more
confident. The greatest challenge they had faced was Yan Feng, and
from it, they came to understand the kind of might a battle armor
master wielded.

As students of Shrek Academy, it was easy for them to take down a Soul
King or even a Soul Emperor when they ganged up on one. However,
when it came to battle armor, they couldn’t even penetrate its
defenses!

“Wulin, I know a place in Bright City where we can find some

opponents,” Ye Xinglan said abruptly.

“Huh? Where?” Tang Wulin’s interest was piqued.

“Ten thousand years ago, we were rivals with an academy in Bright City,
and even today, our rivalry continues. Their students are some of the
best. They can’t compare with Shrek, of course, but they can still be

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counted as one of the best academies on the continent. We should go

pay them a visit.”

Gu Yue’s eyes lit up with understanding. “You’re referring to the Imperial

Sun Moon Soul Engineering Academy? The one that has already been
renowned as one of the great academies for ten thousand years?”

“Precisely.” Ye Xinglan’s eyes glimmered with excitement. “I heard both

academies still harbor grudges against each other. Imagine how
awesome it would be if we beat them!”

Tang Wulin nodded. “That makes sense. I think it’s a good idea. Let’s do
it.”

“Alright. It’s settled then.” Ye Xinglan clenched her fists.

“Talk about that later,” Xie Xie said, his voice trembling slightly. “First
we need to deal with the problem in front of us.”

Everyone looked out the window to see what was ahead of them. What
they saw left them stunned.

Twenty mechas lined the highway in the distance. Five were purple-
grade and the rest were yellow. They had just arrived and formed a
checkpoint. They wore the emblem of the Spirit Pagoda on their chest
armor.

Tang Wulin

armor.

Tang Wulin and his group had cleared five cities, and the Spirit Pagoda
had finally come to judge them.

“Wulin, what do we do?” Xie Xie asked as he slowed their car to a crawl.

Tang Wulin narrowed his eyes. Those familiar with him knew that
whenever he made this face, something bad was about to happen.

“Stop the car!” he shouted. Without even waiting for the car to stop,
Tang Wulin punched the car door and sent it flying. Then he grabbed the

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roof tore it open.

All six of them knew that they couldn’t afford to be captured. Although
they would only be fined and forced to apologize if they were caught,
there was a possibility that they could be sent back to Shrek Academy!
Not only would that be shameful, they would fail their exam as well.
Never in all of Shrek Academy’s history had a class president been
expelled.

Tang Wulin refused to be the first. He didn’t want to drag his friends
down with him either.

Xie Xie slammed his foot on the brakes, causing the car to swerve to the
side. All of them had sturdy bodies. Even Xu Lizhi, with the defensive
Tang Sect secret arts he learned, was just as resilient as the others.
They were all unfazed when the car crashed into the highway divider
and inertia sent them flying out of the roof in every direction.

Gu Yue grabbed onto Xu Xiaoyan the moment they landed. She promptly
shouted, “Blizzard!”

On Gu Yue’s command, Xu Xiaoyan’s third soul ring lit up as she used

Blizzard. She had already summoned her martial soul before they had
been thrown out of the car. Combined with Gu Yue’s Elemental Tide, the
blizzard rapidly grew until it swallowed the highway and the surrounding
forest on either side.

“Into the forest! Quickly!” Tang Wulin commanded his companions.

Yet he, himself, stood still as he faced the approaching mechas.

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Chapter 442

A+ A- Chapter 442

Chapter 442 - The Almighty Gu Yue

The mechas readied their cannons as they flew over. They flew with
incredible speed, and it was clear that the only chance of escape for
Tang Wulin’s group was through the forest.

The only reprieve Tang Wulin found as he stared down the approaching
mechas was that they were sent by the Spirit Pagoda and not the
government. These mechas wouldn’t dare kill him. Not in Federation
jurisdiction at least. Therefore, Tang Wulin concluded that the mechas
were here to capture. With this in mind, he was confident that his friends
had a shot at escaping.

Just as Tang Wulin expected, the mechas put away their cannons as
they approached. They were all empty-handed now, with the five purple
mechas leading the charge.

Tang Wulin leaped toward them, a brilliant golden soul ring appearing
beneath him as he used Golden Dragon Body. Strength surged through
his body and golden scales rippled into existence across his right arm
and torso. His right hand transformed into a claw, then threads of
starlight spun around it and manifested into a gauntlet. He immediately
unleashed the all of his might! A draconic roar emanated from his body
as he took in a deep breath and moved both hands in a circle. His blood
essence flowed in reverse. Right forearm clutched in his left hand, he
swiped at the air with his claw, unleashing an attack that used both

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Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens and Golden Dragon Dreadclaw!

Tang Wulin urged all of the soul power in his body to converge into his
claw, Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens further

amplifying his Dreadclaw. He hadn’t dared to attempt this before the

exam, but since his blood essence had grown stronger and he was on
the verge of breaking the fourth seal, he now felt that his body could
handle the might of this attack.

Five shining claw marks tore through the air, leaving behind a tail of
dark-gold splendor. The blades themselves shined a brilliant gold, a faint
pattern of scales etched across their spans. A meter long at the start,
they grew to ten times that length as they charged toward the mechas!
Although incorporeal, their overwhelming might stopped the five purple
mechas mid-flight, a dazzling display of power.

The mecha pilots were startled by the claw blades. Generally, the power
of a soul master’s attack directly correlated to its distance traveled.
Despite concluding that Tang Wulin’s golden ring was a soul ring, they
couldn’t make sense of the fact that it was gold. Therefore, as the claw
blades grew longer in their approach, the mecha pilots’ instincts
screamed for them to take a defensive stance. They summoned their
energy shields at full power.

But it was to no avail. The claw blades tore through cleanly like a knife in
butter, shockwaves rippling through the air. A sickening crunch later and
the purple mechas flew backward, sent flying by the heavy force. Cracks
littered their energy shields, on the verge of shattering..

Every spectator couldn’t believe their eyes.. A young boy had faced
twenty mechas alone, but with a single swipe of his claw, he knocked
five purple mechas into the air, swatting them like flies. Such
domineering might!

As the yellow

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yellow mechas that had lagged behind witnessed such a sight, they
immediately slowed down and went on guard against Tang Wulin.
Anyone who could do that could tear apart yellow mechas like they were
paper!

Tang Wulin crashed onto the ground, then immediately plunged into the
thick of the snow storm, disappearing from the view of the mechas. An
instant later, Gu Yue pulled him to her.

With Gu Yue’s aid, Xu Xiaoyan unleashed a powerful blizzard. By

focusing her strength into empowering it, the blizzard instantly
enveloped an area several hundred meters in radius, the snow obscuring
the mechas’ vision.

Tang Wulin had attacked not only to stall for time, but also to intimidate
the rest of his opponents. He wanted to instill apprehension in their
hearts, to kindle the embers of wariness about engaging in combat
alone. That way, they wouldn’t split up to search the area and instead
rely on their radar.

One of the many important lessons Shrek Academy had provided them
was how to avoid detection by radars, and using a blizzard was one of
those methods. The radar couldn’t differentiate between noise and
signal in the tumultuous snow storm.

Tang Wulin dashed forward with Gu Yue. A couple steps later, his heart
nearly jumped out of chest. One moment his feet were on solid ground,
then the next, nothing. He found himself suspended in all-encompassing
darkness, a hole with no way out.

A second later, a ball of light flickered into existence, dispersing the

darkness.

They stood in a small underground chamber. The rest of their

companions were present as well, waiting for their arrival. The ball of

ball of light floated gently above Gu Yue’s palm.

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She let go of his hand, focusing on her next task in silence. Using both
Elemental Tide and Elemental Control, she moved them deeper
underground and created a thicker ceiling above them. Everyone stared
at her in astonishment, even the prideful Ye Xinglan.

Her control over the earth element was amazing. By bringing them
deeper underground, she used the earth element to hide them from the
radar.

Previously trapped in a hopeless situation, they were set free by Gu

Yue’s quick thinking and remarkable power. Those mecha pilots would
never think to search for them deep underground, and their sensors
wouldn’t pick them up either. If the mechas had opened fire
immediately, Tang Wulin and his group would have been incapacitated
or dead by now. Fortunately for them, they hadn’t committed any major
crimes and had only caused some disturbances at best. As such, the
mechas had not utilized deadly force, leaving them an escape route.

About ten minutes later, sweat started to cling to Gu Yue’s skin, and she
finally stopped transporting them deeper underground.

“Control your breathing guys. The air in here is getting thin,” Tang Wulin
said. Although they were safe from pursuit, they might suffocate to
death instead!

“It’s fine,” Gu Yue said. She summoned a ball of water with a wave of
her left hand. She lightly rubbed it with her other hand. The ball began
to shrink and the air grew thicker.

“Teacher taught me how to separate oxygen from water. We should be

fine for a while longer.”

“Big Sis Gu Yue, you can do anything!” Xu Xiaoyan exclaimed

Xu Xiaoyan exclaimed in admiration.

Gu Yue cracked a faint smile. “No I can’t. Anyway, they shouldn’t be able
to find us. After they’ve given up, we can return to the surface. But what
do we do then? The Spirit Pagoda is searching for us, so I’m guessing the

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order has been passed on to the other cities. Any branch we visit will be
on high alert. We can’t continue with the same plan. We need a new
one.”

Tang Wulin narrowed his eyes as he pondered. “We still have several
cities to visit, and they’re all hugely populated. Big cities should have
good soul master academies with plenty of people stronger than us.
Hmm. Maybe we can...”

His eyes glazed as his words trailed off, his mind falling deeper and
deeper into thought. Challenging the Imperial Sun Moon Soul
Engineering Academy looked more attractive than ever. Since they
couldn’t raid the Spirit Pagoda anymore, they had no other choice.

An hour later, the returned to the surface. Sure enough, the mechas
were nowhere to be seen. Unfortunately, their car was wrecked.

Tang Wulin unfurled the map and checked through it. They were two
hundred kilometers from the next city. Needless to say, there was no
option but carry out on foot.

With the support of Gu Yue’s wind element and Xu Lizhi’s Agility Soup
Buns, they were able to advance quickly. Tang Wulin lent some support
to Xu Lizhi, more prone to exhaustion as he was. Similarly, Ye Xinglan
offered a shoulder to Xu Xiaoyan. But when it came down to it, Tang
Wulin and company marched forward to the next city.

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Chapter 443

A+ A- Chapter 443

Chapter 443 - Challengers

Two hundred kilometers were nothing to Tang Wulin, but how Xu Lizhi
handled it was another story. Even though he ate pork buns and soup
buns as they ran, he could feel himself get thinner and thinner.

“Damn you, Spirit Pagoda!” Xu Lizhi shouted, shaking an angry fist at

the sky.

Gu Yue glanced at him curiously. “What are you doing?”

Xu Lizhi turned to her. “I’ve decided that I’m never going to sell my buns
to them!”

Ye Xinglan scoffed. “We’ll see what the future holds.”

Tang Wulin, on the other hand, was deep in thought. “The plan was to
clear two cities today, but we’ll only be able to clear one at this rate.
We’ll take a break when we reach the city, then we’ll go visit the local
academy in the afternoon.”

They soon found a small inn to stay at, and after a couple hours of rest,
they would be good to go. They were soul masters after all.

They were currently in Skyorder City, about two thousand kilometers

from Bright City. Several cities still sat between them and their end goal
of Bright City, and they no longer had a car nor the money to buy
another. After clearing this city, they would have to hop on a train to

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continue their journey west.

Tang Wulin asked around to see where the local soul master academy
was. Just as he expected, there was a fairly respectable academy here. It
was called Skyorder Star Ocean Academy and specialized in flying-type
soul masters. In fact, that was a requirement for potential students
seeking admission. However, it wasn’t an advanced academy.

Advanced academies were institutions that raised genius soul masters,

mecha pilots, and battle armor masters. Of course, such academies
didn’t actually have to produce battle armor masters. They just had to
have a program oriented toward raising them. Students usually
graduated from advanced academies between the ages of twenty-two to
twenty-five. Even at Shrek Academy, it was rare

for a student to become a one-word battle armor master around those

ages. Other academies couldn’t even hope to compete.

“I have to call him!” Tang Wulin muttered to himself. He was the only
one of his team not resting at the moment. He wasn’t too tired yet, and
he had something more important to do. He took advantage of the
complementary soul communicator in the inn’s lobby to make a call.

As soon as the call connected, Tang Wulin said, “Uncle-master!”

“Wulin? How is your exam? Is everything going well?” Zhen Hua asked in
a warm tone.

“Things aren’t going well,” Tang Wulin said. “I ran into some trouble,
and I need more money to finish the exam. I’m in Skyorder City right
now, but I can’t take any blacksmithing missions without my badge. Can
you pull some strings to have the association branch here let me take
some alloy-forging or spirit refining missions? And have them lend me
some hammers too? I need the money for travel expenses.”

The line went silent for a moment, then Zhen Hua spoke up once more.
“It sure must be tough for you. Just go over to the Skyorder Blacksmith’s

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Association. You don’t have to forge, it’ll be too much of a hassle to

convince them considering your age and rank. I’ll just have them give
you money.”

“Thank you, Uncle-master!” Tang Wulin rejoiced in his heart. Amazing!

Uncle-master’s so generous! Having an uncle-master like him is the
best!

“No need to thank me.” Zhen Hua chuckled. “It is only natural that I do
this much for you. Just come visit me when you have a chance.”

“Definitely!” Tang Wulin said eagerly. If he visited, he would have a

Divine Blacksmith to teach him, not to mention all the delicious food he
would be able to eat! Nothing could stand between him and food!

By the time Tang Wulin left to visit the local Blacksmith’s Association
and came back with another million credits added to his card, his
companions

companions had finished recovering.

“Let’s buy another car,” Xie Xie said, his eyes shining with excitement.

“What does everyone else think?” Tang Wulin swept his gaze across the
rest of his companions.

Ye Xinglan was the first to voice her thoughts. “I think having a car
would be really convenient. It won’t be as fast as a train, but it’ll good
for getting around within cities. We will also be able to use the onboard
GPS to save some time finding our way around.”

“Alright. Let’s buy another one!”

It didn’t take long for Tang Wulin’s group to buy a car. Fortunately for
them, they managed to find one that was the same make as the one
they had wrecked, and for roughly the same price too. With everything
in order, they continued onward to Skyorder Star Ocean Academy.

Skyorder Star Ocean Academy was situated in the southwest corner of

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the city limits. The academy was established two thousand years ago,
and though its history was not nearly as long or prestigious as Shrek
Academy’s, it was still a prominent, well-known academy.

This academy produced their fair share of geniuses, and since flying-
type soul engineers were favored for military recruitment, they also had
close ties with the military. Although soul engineers could fly using soul
devices, those capable of flight through their own abilities dominated
those who were not.

That being said, even those that did not have a strong martial soul could
become powerful with the aid of soul devices. The advent of soul devices
reduced the gap between ordinary and genius soul masters. Then, when
mechas appeared, the playing field was leveled. Only when battle armor
was created did talented soul masters regain superiority.

Skyorder Star Ocean Academy was a soul master academy that focused
on producing flying-type soul engineers. As a result, they were famous in
the Federation for producing excellent mecha pilots and military aces.
With the support of the military, they had grown exceptionally fast, so
much so that they ranked among

ranked among the best of second-tier academies.

A soul car came to a stop in a small alleyway near Skyorder Star Ocean
Academy. Six people got out of the car, all dressed in eye-catching
green sportswear. They were Tang Wulin and his teammates. They had
just bought these clothes, the specific shade of green being the same as
Shrek Academy’s.

Tang Wulin led them to the metal gates of Skyorder Star Ocean
Academy. The gates were a daunting twenty meters talls and forty
meters wide, a size that allowed even mechas to pass through easily.
The academy’s walls were just as tall and surrounded an enormous
campus. The academy occupied the entire southwest section of the city.

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Tang Wulin glanced at Xie Xie and signaled for him to start.

Xie Xie’s mouth twitched, but he quickly took out two long poles, both of
which were actually two parts of a banner. He unfurled the banner to its
full length of ten meters, words written in provocative green ink
spanning its white cloth. The writing wasn’t the neatest, but it got the
message across. Xie Xie then grabbed one pole and Xu Lizhi took hold of
the other, the two of them propping it upright.

Countless people were streaming into the academy, so everyone

immediately noticed this curious bunch of people standing right outside
the gates. Most importantly, they saw the banner.

“We are from Shrek Academy! We are here to challenge your strongest
team of students under the age of twenty!” A passerby’s voice rang out
in a bored tone. Then the meaning of the words suddenly hit them. W-
what? They’re here to challenge us?

Indeed, this was Tang Wulin’s plan! It was simple, direct, and efficient!

The morning had just begun, and students were walking through the
gates in droves. But the moment the banner was unfurled, they froze in
place and stared. Many were astonished, some frowned, a few showed
anger, and others were simply curious.

It only took a few minutes for a crowd

for a crowd of people to form at the gates, all attracted by the fabled
name of Shrek Academy. For young soul masters like them, Shrek
Academy was a legendary holy land!

Students from Shrek Academy came to challenge our academy? They’re

challenging a team of us under the age of twenty? But they can’t be any
older than fifteen!

Tang Wulin stood at the front of his group, completely stone-faced. He

was confident that Skyorder Star Ocean Academy wouldn’t refuse a
challenge as direct as this. The academy’s prestige and the morale of
the student body would plummet if they did.

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A boy suddenly approached them. He seemed to be around seventeen

years old. “Are you guys really from Shrek Academy?”

Tang Wulin nodded. “Yes, we are. We want to have a match with your
academy.”

The boy eyed them with suspicion. “Do you have any proof that you’re
from Shrek?”

Tang Wulin gave him a vague smile. His eyes flashed golden, and a
golden soul ring appeared from beneath him. Cries of astonishment
echoed throughout the crowd.

The boy in particular seemed petrified. A gold soul ring? He has a gold
soul ring? Didn’t the legends say that the strongest spirit soul is only
orange? How is his gold? Wait! Legends say that soul rings of the gods
are golden!

No one here could have known that Tang Wulin’s golden soul ring was
actually a blood essence soul ring!

Tang Wulin felt a bit annoyed. He had no real way of proving their
identities. Anything that could be used to identify themselves had been
confiscated! So he had no choice but to reveal his golden soul ring,
which was far more shocking than three purple ones. This was the only
way he could dominate the minds of the students of Skyorder Star
Ocean Academy, leaving them no choice but to believe that they were
from Shrek Academy!

And it worked. The boy in front of them paled at the realization and
stumbled backward in awe.

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Chapter 444

A+ A- Chapter 444

Chapter 444 - Skyorder Star Ocean Academy

As the crowd reached the height of its excitement, a few people walked
out of the gates. Their leader was a tall, muscular man with short
graying hair and a sharp gaze. He made his way through the crowd and
quickly laid eyes on Tang Wulin’s blood essence soul ring. His surprise
only lasted a moment, a brief flash across his face, but he instantly
regained himself. He didn’t even break stride. Soon enough, he stood
before Tang Wulin’s group.

“You kids are from Shrek Academy?” he asked, his eyes moving from
the golden soul ring to meet Tang Wulin’s gaze. “Are you from the outer
or inner court?”

Tang Wulin stood his ground, staring the man down in turn. “I’m the
class president of the outer court’s first grade. My name is Tang Wulin.”
Unlike their raids on the Spirit Pagoda, there were certain formalities
that came with using the name of Shrek Academy to challenge another
academy.

“Class president?” Shock was visible in the man’s eyes, even greater
than when he saw the golden soul ring. “You can put away your banner
now. Please come in.” The man gestured for them to follow.

Tang Wulin nodded at Xie Xie and Xu Lizhi and the two quickly put away
the banner. The first and most crucial step of their plan was complete. It
wouldn't do to continue provoking the people of Skyorder Star Ocean

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Academy at their doorstep anyway. They had to leave them some face.

“Go to class,” the man said as he swept his gaze through the crowd.
“There’s nothing else to see here.” The man clearly commanded a lot of
authority in their academy. At his command, students scattered like
birds, rushing through the gates and off to their classes.

Tang Wulin’s group of six followed the

man in. They were impressed with the campus. As expected of an

academy with millennia of history, its campus was enormous. It boasted
beautiful fountains, well-groomed trees and shrubs, and numerous
sculptures scattered in careful design.

The man glanced back at them as he led the way. “I am Li Zhilong, the
headmaster of Skyorder Star Ocean Academy. This academy has been
around for millenia and is the best advanced-level soul master academy
in the city. We specialize in teaching flying-type soul masters, soul
engineers, and mecha pilots. We also have an excellent graduate
program for prospective battle armor masters. You came here as
representatives of Shrek Academy?”

The mere mention of Shrek Academy left Tang Wulin prickling with guilt,
and he made the decision to tell the truth. “To be completely honest
with you, Headmaster Li, we aren’t representatives of Shrek. We are
only representing ourselves. The six of us are in the middle of an exam
right now, and we need to fight opponents stronger than us in each city
we visit. All of our IDs and uniforms were confiscated, so we had no
choice but to pull that stunt at the gates. We chose to challenge
Skyorder Star Ocean Academy because we believe it’s the best academy
in the entire northwest region. Please forgive us for our rashness.”

Gu Yue and Ye Xinglan gawked at Tang Wulin. Does he have split

personalities? What left them even more shocked, however, was Li
Zhilong response.

“As expected of kids from Shrek! You’re fearless!” The man broke out

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into laughter. “You’re living up to our academy’s reputation. I’m just

glad you guys didn’t outright ambush our students at the gates. Back
when I was your age, one of my seniors raided a military base to
complete his exam. It was pandemonium!”

‘Our academy’? Tang Wulin and his friends stared at Li Zhilong

Zhilong blankly.

Then realization struck Tang Wulin. “You attended Shrek Academy!”

Li Zhilong cracked a smile. “Yes! I graduated about fifteen years ago.

Unfortunately, I barely managed to graduate from the outer court.”
Although he spoke poorly of himself, his expression brimmed with pride.
Just being able to graduate from Shrek Academy’s outer court, if only
barely, was an amazing accomplishment.

Tang Wulin couldn't help but smile as well. “Then we should greet you
appropriately. Hello, Senior. We’re really sorry about the incident this
time. If it’s too much trouble, then we’ll leave immediately and think of
another way to complete our exam.”

“Nonsense!” Li Zhilong waved a hand dismissively. “It’s no trouble at all.

You’re here already, so there’s no point leaving empty-handed. Besides,
with all the noise you made at the gates, it would be anticlimactic if
nothing happened, and I wouldn’t have any explanation to give to my
students. I’ll find you some opponents. They’ll be our strongest students
under twenty years old, just like you wanted. I’m also itching to see just
how large the gap is between them and you. You know, speaking of
Shrek, I haven’t visited in so many years. I really miss Spirit Ice Plaza!
Back then, I desperately wanted to enter the inner court and study at
Sea God’s Lake’s. It’s a pity I never made it in.” A trace of
disappointment filled the man’s eyes as he recalled the past.

Surprise continued to color the expressions of the others, but Tang Wulin
had fully expected this sort of result. In the first place, he had accurately
read Li Zhilong’s body language, prompting him to tell the truth. Tang

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Wulin had sensed an inkling of intimacy under the man’s dignified air
whenever Shrek Academy came up. Tang Wulin surmised that the
headmaster was an alumnus of their academy, so by telling

by telling the truth, he was able to move the man’s heart.

Skyorder Star Ocean Academy’s main school building was enormous. It

stretched multiple stories into the sky, reaching about a hundred meters
in height. A giant domed roof adorned the top of the building, its
grandeur nearly on par with Shrek Academy’s school building. The only
thing it lacked in comparison was size. It was far smaller than Shrek’s.

Li Zhilong first brought them to a lobby to rest. “Ah, right, do you want
to use mechas in this match?” he asked.

Tang Wulin shook his head immediately. “No, no. Just look at us. Do you
think Shrek would have let us bring mechas?”

“Right,” the man said thoughtfully. “Rest here for a bit. Drink some
water and rehydrate. I’ll go arrange your opponents then come back
later to chat.”

The moment Li Zhilong walked out the door, Xie Xie gave Tang Wulin a
curious look, brow raised. “Since when were you so honest?”

“He obviously picked up on some clue that Li Zhilong had some

connection with our academy,” Gu Yue chimed in. “Why else would he
tell the truth? Right, Wulin?” She hadn’t understood what Tang Wulin
was doing in the beginning, but her suspicions had quickly formed as
she listened to the conversation develop.

Tang Wulin answered with a wry smile and pointed at his head smugly.

Ye Xinglan snorted. “Yeah, right…”

“Alright then. Let’s get ready, everyone,” Tang Wulin said. “I don’t
expect an easy match. Headmaster Li might be our senior and is helping
us out with our exam, but he’s part of Skyorder Star Ocean Academy

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now. He'll definitely pick the strongest possible opponents for us. Most of
the soul masters here are flying-types. They’re going to be annoying to
deal with, but we’ll proceed with our previous plan.”

They all nodded in affirmation.

nodded in affirmation. With the matter settled, Tang Wulin closed his
eyes to rest.

A short while later, Li Zhilong returned. “Your opponents are ready. Do

you need a moment to prepare?”

Tang Wulin opened his eyes and stood up. “Senior, we’re fine. We still
have more cities to visit after this one, so the faster we finish the battle,
the sooner we can complete our exam.”

Li Zhilong chuckled. “Even the class president is scared of being

eliminated?”

Tang Wulin shook his head. “I’m not afraid of that. I just hope to earn
some bonus points to give to my classmates later. I don’t want any of
them to get eliminated.”

Li Zhilong was taken aback by this answer. It moved his heart.

“Excellent! You’re a good class president. Alright. Follow me.”

To Tang Wulin’s group’s surprise, the enormous building had no

elevators. There was only a giant swirling staircase at its center. Li
Zhilong explained that the building was designed like this to help temper
their students. They climbed stair after stair until they reached the
highest floor of the building. The ceiling of the room on this floor was
over thirty meters tall. They were in the topmost section of the dome
they saw earlier. After passing through a corridor, they found
themselves in an enormous hall. They were shocked when they looked
up at the ceiling. The domed roof opened up to the sky outside.

“This is our academy’s astronomical observatory and our most important

arena for combat training,” Li Zhilong explained proudly. “The hall is
about three hundred meters in diameter. Since we specialize in flying-

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type soul masters, this space was designed to have no height

limitations.”

Tang Wulin stared at the open area with eyes full of wonder. “It’s so
cool! You could stargaze here at night! I bet it would be a beautiful
sight.”

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Chapter 445

A+ A- Chapter 445

Chapter 445 - Astronomical Observatory

Li Zhilong smiled at Tang Wulin, a hint warmth in his eyes . “You can
stargaze if you want . Just wait a moment . Our observatory has a little
something special . Be it day or night, we can bring the stars closer to us
for closer viewing . This observatory is actually a giant soul machine that
gathers starlight out in space . Then it beams it back down to us as pure
stellar energy . That energy is really beneficial to our students’
cultivation, but entry is limited to the most talented . Normally, only the
graduate students can cultivate here and use the stellar energy to refine
their body and battle armor . ”

Astonishment colored Tang Wulin’s face . He hadn’t expected Skyorder

Star Ocean Academy to have such an exceptional cultivation space . It
looks like this match is going to be a tough one! Wait, did he say stellar
energy? From starlight?

Tang Wulin snuck a peek at Xu Xiaoyan . Her face was blank .

“You’ll be able to experience it for yourselves in a moment . Your

opponents will be here shortly . ”

The walls of the observatory stood thirty meters tall, giving way to the
vast expanse of sky above . Straining his eyes, Tang Wulin could make
out various lines criss-crossing through the walls to form some sort of
design . Recalling Li Zhilong’s explanation, he came to the conclusion
that these were soul circuits, and they hid a tremendous amount of

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energy within them .

Soul circuits had been in use for ten thousand years and counting, and
after all these years of development, their designs and engineering grew
in complexity and grandeur . There were circuits for every function . One
of the major consumers of large scale soul circuits was the military, who
used it for

their national defense facilities .

The circuitry used in this observatory was the largest and most
advanced Tang Wulin had ever seen . Still, he believed in the fact that
Shrek Academy had something similar, despite not being completely
certain . It was Shrek Academy after all!

Amidst Tang Wulin’s musings, a group of people entered the hall . They
were fitted in black uniforms with stars embroidered, the signature look
of Skyorder Star Ocean Academy . Each star symbolized a soul power
rank . The color of the stars were also significant: silver for
undergraduate students and gold for graduate students .

The group that had entered consisted of four boys and two girls, each
sporting silver stars on their uniforms, their ages ranging from eighteen
to twenty . They cast curious looks at Tang Wulin’s party as they had
walked in .

Tang Wulin swept his gaze over them and instantly discerned their
strength .

The strongest one had forty-six stars, and of the others, none had less
than forty . They ticked all the right boxes for adequate opponents in the
eyes of Tang Wulin’s team .

As students of Shrek Academy, facing opponents a ring-level higher than

them was nothing . However, Tang Wulin was wary of the arena itself . Li
Zhilong wouldn’t have picked the observatory merely on a whim .

Li Zhilong smiled at the sight of his students . “Let me briefly introduce

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you all . They,” he said, pointing to Tang Wulin’s crew, “are talented
students from Shrek Academy . And over here are our strongest
undergraduate students . I’ll let you all complete your own self-
introductions . ”

Tang Wulin nodded, then faced the opposing team . “I’m Tang Wulin, the
captain of my team . I’m an assault-control-type soul master . ”

A slender young man from the opposing team stepped forward,

forward, a confident smile on his lips . “Hello . Welcome to Skyorder Star

Ocean Academy . I’m the captain of our team, Xiao Tiantian .
Coincidentally, I’m also an assault-control-type . ”

The two captains had a battle of stares, sparks shooting off where their
gazes met . Although they both wore amicable smiles, they were
appraising each other . Due to the difference in age, Xiao Tiantian was a
bit taller than Tang Wulin, but stood his ground, a fierce edge to his eyes
.

Gu Yue stepped forward next . “Gu Yue, assault-type . ”

The corresponding second of the other team went next . He was a short
and skinny man with no remarkable traits . However, he had the second
highest number of stars on his team, forty-four in total . “Ye Zishu .
Agility-type . ”

“Xie Xie . Agility-type . ”

The opposing team’s third member was tall and well-built . He looked to
be the sturdiest on their team . “Gu Tianming . Agility-type . ”

As soon as those words left their opponent’s lips, Tang Wulin widened
his eyes by just a fraction . He’s an agility-type? Not an assault-type?
Those muscles though…

“Ye Xinglan . Assault-type . ”

“Zhang Xining . Control-type,” said the fourth opponent . He was a

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handsome young man with an average build and wore a charming smile
as he spoke, voice suave

“Xu Xiaoyan . Control-type . ” Her eyes were still wider than usual, mind
somewhere far off in the distance .

A girl with sparkling good looks stepped forward, giggling . She was the
fifth opponent . “I’m Li Yaoyao, an assault-type . ”

“Xu Lizhi . Food-type . ”

The final member of the Skyorder Star Ocean Academy team, a frail-
looking girl with a jaw dropping figure, said, “I’m Han Yuchang .

. I’m a control-type soul master . ”

Another control-type? The warning bells rang within Tang Wuliin’s mind,
their team composition spurring all sorts of doubts . Their captain, Xiao
Tiantian, was an assault-control-type, and they had two more pure
control-types . Half of them were control-types!

Taking into consideration Skyorder Star Ocean Academy’s reputation,

Tang Wulin guessed that they were flying-types as well . Coupled with
the fact that they had the home field advantage and were all over rank
forty, he could already taste the incoming struggle of a match .

Tang Wulin glanced at Gu Yue and she met his gaze . The two nodded in
understanding .

“Alright now . The teacher in charge of controlling the observatory is

ready . We’ll start the observatory’s barrier in a moment . This is just a
friendly match, so stop when you’re ordered to,” Li Zhilong said,
beaming .

Although a proud Shrek Academy alumnus, he hoped with all his heart
that the students he personally nurtured could defeat this team from
Shrek Academy!

Tang Wulin’s team might be younger than his students, but as a class

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president, he was more than enough to serve as a representative of that

illustrious school . If the Skyorder Star Ocean Academy team won, that
would be an accomplishment worthy of pride regardless of their age
difference . They would be able to parade the fact that they had beaten
a team from Shrek Academy!

Both teams retreated to their side of the arena . According to agreed

upon rules, they would start the battle one hundred meters apart .

Determination blazed in Tang Wulin’s eyes . Those closest to him knew

that the more pressure he was under, the stronger he became . His
opponents may be formidable, but he refused to believe they eclipsed
the five rankers in his class!

After overcoming a powerful soul fusion skill, Tang

fusion skill, Tang Wulin had complete confidence in their ability to win,
even in a disadvantageous battlefield . This was the conviction of a
Shrek Academy student . They weren’t just representing themselves, but
Shrek Academy as well!

They took up their usual triangular formation . Tang Wulin at the head,
Xie Xie and Ye Xinglan flanking him on either side, and Gu Yue, Xu
Xiaoyan, and Xu Lizhi in the rear .

Their opponents didn’t assume any particular formation . They stood in a

row as before, straight and neat .

It was six versus six . While individual strength was important, teamwork
was more crucial .

“Get ready!” Li Zhilong stepped into the arena as the referee .

He chopped the air, hand extending . The lines of circuitry covering the
walls flared to life . Energy surged through the circuits to the ceiling, out
into the sky and converging to form a giant beam .

Amazing! Tang Wulin’s heart trembled before the observatory’s energy

fluctuations .

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Darkness began to devour the sunlight . Soon, the sky was pitch black .
One by one twinkling stars flickered into existence among the darkness,
until finally, an ocean of stars hung above them . Stellar energy
descended from the stars, bathing everyone present in its warmth .

Tang Wulin noticed a faint golden glow surrounding their opponents . He

could tell that they had grown stronger . Not by much, but the stellar
energy gave them an edge .

“Huh?”

Tang Wulin whipped his head to the direction of that puzzled gasp . His
eyes went wide at what he saw . Golden light flared from the source of
the sound, manifesting as mist of the same color . He could just barely
make out the person shrouded within it .

“Xiaoyan,” Tang Wulin said beneath his breath .

Chapter 445 Astronomical Observatory Li Zhilong smiled at Tang Wulin,

a hint warmth in his eyes . You can stargaze if you want . Just wait a
moment . Our observatory has a little something special . Be it day or
night, we can bring the stars closer to us for closer viewing . This
observatory is actually a giant soul machine that gathers starlight out in
space . Then it beams it back down to us as pure stellar energy . That
energy is really beneficial to our students cultivation, but entry is limited
to the most talented . Normally, only the graduate students can cultivate
here and use the stellar energy to refine their body and battle armor .
Astonishment colored Tang Wulin s face . He hadn t expected Skyorder
Star Ocean Academy to have such an exceptional cultivation space . It
looks like this match is going to be a tough one Wait, did he say stellar
energy From starlight Tang Wulin snuck a peek at Xu Xiaoyan . Her face
was blank . You ll be able to experience it for yourselves in a moment .
Your opponents will be here shortly . The walls of the observatory stood
thirty meters tall, giving way to the vast expanse of sky above .
Straining his eyes, Tang Wulin could make out various lines criss
crossing through the walls to form some sort of design . Recalling Li
Zhilong s explanation, he came to the conclusion that these were soul

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circuits, and they hid a tremendous amount of energy within them . Soul
circuits had been in use for ten thousand years and counting, and after
all these years of development, their designs and engineering grew in
complexity and grandeur . There were circuits for every function . One of
the major consumers of large scale soul circuits was the military, who
used it for their national defense facilities . The circuitry used in this
observatory was the largest and most advanced Tang Wulin had ever
seen . Still, he believed in the fact that Shrek Academy had something
similar, despite not being completely certain . It was Shrek Academy
after all Amidst Tang Wulin s musings, a group of people entered the hall
. They were fitted in black uniforms with stars embroidered, the
signature look of Skyorder Star Ocean Academy . Each star symbolized a
soul power rank . The color of the stars were also significant silver for
undergraduate students and gold for graduate students . The group that
had entered consisted of four boys and two girls, each sporting silver
stars on their uniforms, their ages ranging from eighteen to twenty .
They cast curious looks at Tang Wulin s party as they had walked in .
Tang Wulin swept his gaze over them and instantly discerned their
strength . The strongest one had forty six stars, and of the others, none
had less than forty . They ticked all the right boxes for adequate
opponents in the eyes of Tang Wulin s team . As students of Shrek
Academy, facing opponents a ring level higher than them was nothing .
However, Tang Wulin was wary of the arena itself . Li Zhilong wouldn t
have picked the observatory merely on a whim . Li Zhilong smiled at the
sight of his students . Let me briefly introduce you all . They, he said,
pointing to Tang Wulin s crew, are talented students from Shrek
Academy . And over here are our strongest undergraduate students . I ll
let you all complete your own self introductions . Tang Wulin nodded,
then faced the opposing team . I m Tang Wulin, the captain of my team .
I m an assault control type soul master . A slender young man from the
opposing team stepped forward, a confident smile on his lips . Hello .
Welcome to Skyorder Star Ocean Academy . I m the captain of our team,
Xiao Tiantian . Coincidentally, I m also an assault control type . The two
captains had a battle of stares, sparks shooting off where their gazes

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met . Although they both wore amicable smiles, they were appraising
each other . Due to the difference in age, Xiao Tiantian was a bit taller
than Tang Wulin, but stood his ground, a fierce edge to his eyes . Gu Yue
stepped forward next . Gu Yue, assault type . The corresponding second
of the other team went next . He was a short and skinny man with no
remarkable traits . However, he had the second highest number of stars
on his team, forty four in total . Ye Zishu . Agility type . Xie Xie . Agility
type . The opposing team s third member was tall and well built . He
looked to be the sturdiest on their team . Gu Tianming . Agility type . As
soon as those words left their opponent s lips, Tang Wulin widened his
eyes by just a fraction . He s an agility type Not an assault type Those
muscles though Ye Xinglan . Assault type . Zhang Xining . Control type,
said the fourth opponent . He was a handsome young man with an
average build and wore a charming smile as he spoke, voice suave Xu
Xiaoyan . Control type . Her eyes were still wider than usual, mind
somewhere far off in the distance . A girl with sparkling good looks
stepped forward, giggling . She was the fifth opponent . I m Li Yaoyao,
an assault type . Xu Lizhi . Food type . The final member of the Skyorder
Star Ocean Academy team, a frail looking girl with a jaw dropping figure,
said, I m Han Yuchang . I m a control type soul master . Another control
type The warning bells rang within Tang Wuliin s mind, their team
composition spurring all sorts of doubts . Their captain, Xiao Tiantian,
was an assault control type, and they had two more pure control types .
Half of them were control types Taking into consideration Skyorder Star
Ocean Academy s reputation, Tang Wulin guessed that they were flying
types as well . Coupled with the fact that they had the home field
advantage and were all over rank forty, he could already taste the
incoming struggle of a match . Tang Wulin glanced at Gu Yue and she
met his gaze . The two nodded in understanding . Alright now . The
teacher in charge of controlling the observatory is ready . We ll start the
observatory s barrier in a moment . This is just a friendly match, so stop
when you re ordered to, Li Zhilong said, beaming . Although a proud
Shrek Academy alumnus, he hoped with all his heart that the students
he personally nurtured could defeat this team from Shrek Academy Tang

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Wulin s team might be younger than his students, but as a class

president, he was more than enough to serve as a representative of that
illustrious school . If the Skyorder Star Ocean Academy team won, that
would be an accomplishment worthy of pride regardless of their age
difference . They would be able to parade the fact that they had beaten
a team from Shrek Academy Both teams retreated to their side of the
arena . According to agreed upon rules, they would start the battle one
hundred meters apart . Determination blazed in Tang Wulin s eyes .
Those closest to him knew that the more pressure he was under, the
stronger he became . His opponents may be formidable, but he refused
to believe they eclipsed the five rankers in his class After overcoming a
powerful soul fusion skill, Tang Wulin had complete confidence in their
ability to win, even in a disadvantageous battlefield . This was the
conviction of a Shrek Academy student . They weren t just representing
themselves, but Shrek Academy as well They took up their usual
triangular formation . Tang Wulin at the head, Xie Xie and Ye Xinglan
flanking him on either side, and Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, and Xu Lizhi in the
rear . Their opponents didn t assume any particular formation . They
stood in a row as before, straight and neat . It was six versus six . While
individual strength was important, teamwork was more crucial . Get
ready Li Zhilong stepped into the arena as the referee . He chopped the
air, hand extending . The lines of circuitry covering the walls flared to life
. Energy surged through the circuits to the ceiling, out into the sky and
converging to form a giant beam . Amazing Tang Wulin s heart trembled
before the observatory s energy fluctuations . Darkness began to devour
the sunlight . Soon, the sky was pitch black . One by one twinkling stars
flickered into existence among the darkness, until finally, an ocean of
stars hung above them . Stellar energy descended from the stars,
bathing everyone present in its warmth . Tang Wulin noticed a faint
golden glow surrounding their opponents . He could tell that they had
grown stronger . Not by much, but the stellar energy gave them an edge
. Huh Tang Wulin whipped his head to the direction of that puzzled gasp
. His eyes went wide at what he saw . Golden light flared from the source
of the sound, manifesting as mist of the same color . He could just barely

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make out the person shrouded within it . Xiaoyan, Tang Wulin said
beneath his breath .

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Chapter 446

A+ A- Chapter 446

Chapter 446 - The Battle Begins

“I’m fine. In fact, I feel great!” Xu Xiaoyan said with barely-contained

excitement.

Li Zhilong was astonished as well. With his familiarity of the observatory,

he knew that stellar energy was only effective on flying-type soul
masters. After all, the foundation of Skyorder Star Ocean Academy was
this observatory!

Battles fought within this space strengthened the soul power of flying-
types and significantly improved their recovery speed.

How can that girl from Shrek also be affected by stellar energy? What’s
her martial soul?

Every person absorbed stellar energy at different speeds based on how

compatible they were with the energy. The golden aura Tang Wulin saw
around their opponents was the effect of the stellar energy. Only a few
students in all of Skyorder Star Ocean Academy could harness stellar
energy to the point that it was visible as a golden glow.

The golden mist surrounding Xu Xiaoyan was so thick that it was nearly
tangible. Li Zhilong couldn’t comprehend how this could be possible.

“Start!” Li Zhilong shouted.

The three frontliners of Shrek Academy’s team immediately rushed

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forward. Tang Wulin quickly overtook the others, stomping the ground
and shooting towards their opponents like a missile. As he did, three
purple soul rings materialized around him and bluesilver grass swarmed
out of the ground

His bluesilver grass looked nothing like its namesake anymore. Each
strand was now sparkling blue, golden veins running throughout the vine
and tiny patches of scales barely discernible to the eye littered along

its length.

Ye Xinglan and Xie Xie were right behind Tang Wulin. Xie Xie’s
movements were akin to a wraith, his eerie yet graceful speed different
from Tang Wulin’s brutish charge. Ye Xinglan kept pace as well, moving
so fast her limbs were blurs. Three rings appeared behind them both
too, and together with Tang Wulin they advanced in a triangle formation.

Their opponents all jumped into the air at once.

Xiao Tiantian hunched over as a crimson aura burst from his body and
his eyes took on the same hue. An enormous pair of bat wings unfurled
from his back, while four purple soul rings rose up behind him. He
flapped his wings, kicking up a gust of wind as he soared into the air.

What martial soul is that? Tang Wulin wondered.

Ye Zishu’s brought his hands together in front of him and summoned a

bamboo branch into his hands. The moment his second soul ring lit up,
bamboo leaves erupted from the ground. They swirled in the air,
trembling before flying over to form a pair of wings on his back. Pushing
off with his pole, he leaped into the air and hovered gracefully as if he
were as light as a feather. He didn’t seem to be truly flying, but simply
floating.

A pair of wings unfurled from Gu Tianming as he threw his head back

and let out a sharp eagle’s cry, while his hair transformed into feathers
He flapped his wings and ascended as well. His martial soul

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soul was the soaring eagle!

A pair of wings formed behind Zhang Xining as well but compared to Gu

Tianming’s, they were much smaller and nimbler. The wings were pure
white. A single flap later and he was positioned behind Gu Tianming, as
if he was a startled chick.

Tang Wulin’s jaw nearly dropped when Li Yaoyao summoned her martial
soul. Her entire body burst into flames when she soared into the air. Her
skin took on a charcoal shade and her arms transformed into giant
rocks. The flames acted like jets, constantly propelling her into the air.
Though they all took off at the same time, she was the fastest of them
all.

What kind of martial soul is that? As expected of an academy

specializing in flying-types! I can’t even imagine what soul she has!

Han Yuchang had the most normal martial soul of them all. Butterfly
wings sprouted from her back and she flew into the air.

They really are all flying-types!

Three ringed soul masters could close a gap of one hundred meters in
mere seconds. At the fifty meter mark, Tang Wulin paused, rooting
himself in this position. He grabbed the strand of bluesilver grass
connecting him and Xu Lizhi and began to spin in place. Once he had
enough momentum, he threw Xu Lizhi into the air! Then he did the same
with Xie Xie and Ye Xinglan. He sent all three of them straight for their
opponents!

Since none of them could fly, they had no way

no way to stop their opponents from taking to the sky. The only thing
they could do was ground them before they rose too high.

Xu Lizhi curled into himself, turning into a giant meat cannonball that
shot straight toward Gu Tianming and Zhang Xining!

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Tang Wulin firmly believed that control-types were more troublesome

than assault-types, so he wanted to eliminate the opposing control-types
first.

Xie Xie flew toward Han Yuchang and Ye Xinglan went straight for their
captain, Xiao Tiantian.

The fact that Tang Wulin could accurately throw his teammates at their
targets was testament to his strength and control.

Even as they soared through the air, they were still anchored to Tang
Wulin with strands of bluesilver grass wrapped around their waist.

Gu Yue shot fireballs about a foot in diameter at Ye Zishu and Li Yaoyao

and let the fireballs explode in their proximity, suppressing them and
ensuring they stay in place.

Tang Wulin’s plan was simple. They would disrupt their opponents in the
opening act of battle, then Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan would provide long-
ranged fire support while he positioned himself to take advantage of any
openings.

He didn’t expect to instantly wipe out their opponents, but he wanted to

take care of at least one of them. If his team could do that, then they
could take their time taking down the rest. Although flying-types had a
clear advantage against grounded opponents, that came at the cost of
high soul power consumption. He wasn’t afraid their opponents would fly

opponents would fly beyond their reach.

Being the first team member that Tang Wulin threw, Xu Lizhi was also
the first to engage his targets. His immense mass, combined with Tang
Wulin’s arm strength, made him a high-speed projectile.

Just as Gu Tianming reached a suitable altitude, he found a giant ball of

meat flying toward him. Zhang Xining, who hid behind him, used his first
soul skill and let out a melodious cry. His martial soul was the skylark.

Although he could fly, he relied on his voice to control his enemies. His

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first soul skill slowed and weakened his target.

However, this had no effect on Xu Lizhi. He wasn’t flying thing the air
with his own power! He had been thrown by Tang Wulin!

Gu Tianming eyes widened. Isn’t this fatty a food-type? Is he being used

as cannon fodder? He snapped out of his daze. Lighting up his first soul
ring, he beat his wings towards Xu Lizhi and unleashed ten feather
arrows.

Long-ranged attacks were crucial for aerial battles since it was easy for
either party to open up distance.

The feathers pierced through the air in succession.

Unfortunately for Gu Tianming, Xu Lizhi was a disciple of the Tang Sect,

a sect that specialized in hidden weapons!

Xu Lizhi straightened from his ball form and thrust out his hands.
Despite facing danger, he still wore his usual silly smile. His palms shone
like jade as he moved them in circles, sucking in the arrows as if they
were invisible whirlpools.

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Chapter 447

A+ A- Chapter 447

Chapter 447 - Disparity

Xu Lizhi had used Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon to stop and

gather the arrow feathers in his hands, redirecting them to Zhang Xining
with Fairy Scatters Flowers! They whizzed through the air faster than
before. At the same moment, Xu Lizhi reached Gu Tianming.

Faced with the hulking young man before him, Gu Tianming found it
hard to split his attention efficiently between protecting Zhang Xining
and dealing with Xu Lizhi. His second soul ring lit up and his wings
doubled in size. As he spread his wings as wide as possible, an attempt
to intercept all of the incoming feathers, he used his second soul skill,
Eagle Wing Strike!

Yet to his disbelief, the fatty grinned.

Xu Lizhi thrust out his hands and stopped in mid-air just short of
crashing into Gu Tianming. Something shot out of the flat of his palms, a
cold glint to his eyes. It swerved past Gu Tianming and flew straight for
Zhang Xining!

This was Xu Lizhi’s real attack! The feathers he returned had merely
been a distraction!

The second before Eagle Wing Strike connected, Xu Lizhi waved his
hands at Gu Tianming, his grin growing wider.

Not good!

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But it was too late for Gu Tianming to save Zhang Xining. Despite
blocking most of the incoming feathers, a couple had past through his
defenses.

Zhang Xining was a control-type, but his control ability stemmed from
his voice! While his control power was higher than most of his
teammates’, he was weak in direct confrontation.

All Zhang Xining could do was bat his wings forcefully in a bid to dodge
the feathers, and even then he had

barely managed to evade a fatal wound. The feathers streaked across,

swift and sharp, leaving long crimson lines of blood in their wake.

Right as he was about to let out a sigh of relief, he caught sight of a

flash in his peripheral vision and turned toward it. His stomach dropped.
A torrent of needles pursued him in a deadly chase, hundreds in
number, imbued with thick soul power! He had no avenue of escape!

Wha—

A sigh reached his ears, then a series of tinkling sounds filled the air. His
body fell limp to the ground.

“Zhang Xining is eliminated,” Li Zhilong declared. He had been forced to

intervene and save his student.

Their first exchange against a team without any flying-types, and

already one of their important control-types was eliminated!

Shrek Academy truly was the academy of monsters.

Zhang Xining flushed red with fury. He couldn’t accept such a quick
elimination. But the match was treated as if it were an actual battle to
the death. His incredulity meant nothing.

Xu Lizhi tumbled toward Tang Wulin. Seconds prior to impact, Tang

Wulin held out his hands and used Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon,
gently depositing his teammate at his side.

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Xu Lizhi tossed Tang Wulin a pork bun in gratitude, and Tang Wulin
immediately devoured it.

Meanwhile, Xie Xie was nearly upon Han Yuchang. Control-types

restrained agility-types, but that was only when they had the space to
do so. Xie Xie was already within engagement distance.

Despite being forced to enter close quarters combat, Han Yuchang kept
her cool. Her second soul ring lit up, though no visible change occured.
She pulled on the air in front

front of her and batted her wings.

Xie Xie felt the world warp with him situated at the center, colors
stripped from everything around him, leaving behind shades of morose
black and blinding white. The shapes before his eyes bent and stretched,
finally collapsing into themselves like dying stars. He could vaguely
make out Han Yuchang in front of him, so he pressed on. He raised his
Light Dragon Dagger and slashed at what he believed to be her. It
caught nothing but air. Pain seared his shoulder, angry and sharp, and
with no foothold, he was falling to the ground.

From the perspectives of the others, Xie Xie had moved to the side on
his own accord and slashed at air. Afterward, Han Yuchang had flown
over and heel kicked his shoulder, launching herself to a higher altitude
simultaneously.

Tang Wulin’s eyes went wide. She’s a spiritual control-type too!

Xie Xie would never have missed by such a large margin. The only
possible explanation was that Han Yuchang had hindered his senses.

As Xie Xie continued to free fall, the thick scent of combustion spread
nearby. Rather than from Gu Yue, the flames belonged to Li Yaoyao!

It was difficult to discern which of her soul rings had lit up. Still, it was
clear she was using a soul skill. She curled up in the air and her body
transformed into a boulder. Flames spurted out of her rock form and

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propelled her at Xie Xie! Her speed was simply overbearing!

What kind of martial soul is that? A meteor? Tang Wulin wondered.

Even as an agility-type, there was no way Xie Xie could dodge an attack
while he was falling

was falling through the air. Furthermore, agility-types had weak

defenses. It was clear that Li Yaoyao and Han Yuchang had used this
tactic many times before.

Gu Yue released a fireball to intercept Li Yaoyao. Yet she simply charged

through it, ignoring the flames.

Left to his quick thinking, Tang Wulin tugged on the bluesilver grass tied
to Xie Xie, jerking him out of Li Yaoyao’s path. However, that didn’t stop
her. Free falling, she changed her target to Tang Wulin instead! As the
captain and an assault-control-type, it was obvious he was the heart of
the Shrek Academy team! Therefore, if she took him down, the tides of
the battle would turn!

Even so, Tang Wulin barely batted an eyelash at Li Yaoyao. Rather, he

whipped the bluesilver grass tethered to Xie Xie, tossing his teammate
back at Han Yuchang.

Meanwhile, Ye Xinglan and Xiao Tiantian had engaged in combat as well.

Ye Xinglan became one with her sword as she brandished it, using Sword
God’s Star.

Xiao Tiantian’s starlight aura flared. His wings stretched as wide as

possible, and he thrust his palms at Ye Xinglan. A giant crimson ball of
light formed before him, obstructing Ye Xinglan’s approach.

Sword God’s Star burst out, countless golden stars blossoming around
her. All of the stars in the sky seemed to grow brighter at that moment.

She slashed apart the crimson ball and drove her sword at Xiao Tiantian.

He was shocked. Never had he expected Ye Xinglan to be able to draw

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power from starlight as well, and that she could harness more stellar
energy than him!

His third soul ring lit up, and a pair of horns sprouted from

horns sprouted from his forehead. Crimson electricity crackled along his
body, forming a protective sphere around him.

Ye Xinglan’s sword screeched as she slashed at the electric barrier.

Unfortunately, it bounced off without a scratch, and with nothing to keep
balance, she began to tumble through the air. All of a sudden, her third
soul ring came to life. Light flared around her. Her body began to float,
defying gravity. Then she soared!

What? Li Zhilong stared in shock. Like Xiao Tiantian, he could tell that Ye
Xinglan’s martial soul was related to stars, otherwise she wouldn’t have
been able to harness the stellar energy. Apprehension creeped into his
heart.

On a different side of the battlefield, Li Yaoyao descended upon Tang

Wulin a mere second after he had whipped Xie Xie back at Han Yuchang.
The howling winds accompanying her fiery dive blew his hair out of
place, the scorching heat drying his skin. Awe was kindled in his heart
for her explosive power.

Tang Wulin stood his ground before this meteor. Golden scales rippled
into existence along his right arm and his hand transformed into a
dragon claw. He clenched his claw into fist as he urged the blood
essence within him to flow in reverse. A golden aura encased him. Unlike
with the others, this aura wasn’t from harnessing stellar energy, but
stemmed from his blood essence’s might! He threw a punch straight at
the meteor.

A shockwave tore through the stage when fist and meteor met, kicking
up a cloud of dust. Time seemed to freeze. Everyone spared a moment
from their battles, eager to witness the result of the clash, ensnared by
the incredible development.

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Chapter 448

A+ A- Chapter 448: 448

Chapter 448 - Starlight Burst

Li Yaoyao’s martial soul was in fact a meteor, and her attack was the
embodiment of power. By relying on the jets of flame shooting from her
back, she could mimic flight, propelling herself to high altitudes and
crashing into her target upon freefall. Her assemblage of soul skills
revolved around empowering this method of attack.

With her four rings, a full power assault carried the force of over three
tons! Even if she somehow missed, there was nothing to stop her from
trying again. Coupled with the defensive strength of a meteor, this
proved to be a terrifying combo. With her ability to change targets mid
flight, she was their team’s trump card, her presence enough to
suppress the entire battlefield.

However, adjusting her flight path toward Tang Wulin would have been
unnecessary. He had not attempted to dodge.

In their explosive collision, both stood their ground, neither gaining an

inch on the other.

How is this possible? Li Zhilong dashed over to the side, prepared to

intervene at a moment’s notice. No matter which side lost, he had to be
ready to save them. His eyes went wide at the conclusion of the clash.

Cracks lined the area of impact. They rapidly spread to every corner of
the meteor, and a blink later, the meteor shattered into a thousand

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smithereens.

Li Yaoyao groaned as she crawled out of the debris. Before she could
escape, a strand of bluesilver grass shot out in her direction, wrapping
around her body.

Her complexion pale, she trembled uncontrollably from pain. However,

the trembles of her heart were far stronger than those of her body.

How did he do that? He stopped my full-power attack with a single

punch!

Tang Wulin shook his right arm in an attempt to alleviate its

numbness. That was a pretty

strong attack!

Indeed, for Tang Wulin, her attack was only ‘pretty strong’.

Of the Skyorder Star Ocean Academy team, Li Yaoyao was the second
person to be eliminated!

Tang Wulin raised his head and looked toward Ye Xinglan’s battle. She
descended with her third soul skill, Starfall Sword. In this observatory
filled with stars, she streaked across the air like a comet. The strongest
attack Tang Wulin had ever witnessed her unleashing.

Stellar energy really is useful, especially for us.

Xiao Tiantian put on a grim expression as his fourth soul ring lit up.
Darkness obscured his face, leaving only a pair of crimson eyes piercing
through the shadows. Inky black flames blazed around him. He drew
circles in the air with his hands, gathering darkness into something
reminiscent of a whirlpool.

Ye Xinglan charged forth into the dark rotating mass with Starfall Sword.
Her whole form was swallowed by the darkness. For a moment, it
trembled. Then, it collapsed. When the light and darkness settled down,
both Ye Xinglan and Xiao Tiantian were nowhere in sight.

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Tang Wulin gaped. What happened? Did they teleport? Wait, no! There
weren’t any spatial fluctuations!

As he stood there in shock, Xiao Tiantian reappeared in mid-air following

a flash of crimson. But Ye Xinglan was still missing.

What kind of soul skill is that?

Farther off in the battlefield, Xiao Tiantian spread his wings as he

steadied himself. He dove through the air heading straight foren dove on
Gu Yue. During his descent, he unleashed a crimson sphere at Tang
Wulin. Once near its target, the sphere burst into a black hole, sucking
Tang Wulin toward its center.

At the same time, numerous bamboo leaves ripped through the air,
obscuring their summoner’s, Ye Zishu’s, figure. Seven of the leaves
absorbed the surrounding stellar energy and took on a golden hue.

Ye Zishu’s martial soul

soul was the Seven Star Bamboo. Each soul ring gained would advance
his martial soul another step. His ability to fly stemmed from one of
those evolutions. These seven golden bamboo leaves were his strongest
method of attack and utilized his fourth soul skill.

In the opening acts of battle, his team was already two people short.
Although the students from Shrek Academy had lower cultivation levels
than his team, their combat strength far surpassed the norm. If his team
couldn’t turn the tide of battle now, then they would have no chance of
victory. Therefore, he unleashed his full power along with Xiao Tiantian.
His main target, the opposing team’s captain, Tang Wulin.

Meanwhile, Gu Tianming spread his wings and threw himself at Xie Xie,
positioning himself in front of Han Yuchang.

Han Yuchang’s fourth soul ring shone. The thin, colorful membranes
sprouting from her back doubled in size. She turned to face Tang Wulin,
flapping them in her fourth soul skill, Butterfly Wings.

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The world seemed to spin as a spiritual wave crashed into Tang Wulin.

He could tell in an instant that Han Yuchang’s spiritual power resided in

the Spirit Sea realm, just like Gu Yue! 　

Tang Wulin’s own spiritual power was only in the border of the Spirit Sea
realm, still a step short from lying within. The Spirit Sea realm was one
of the great dividers for spiritual power. He was diligent in cultivating his
Purple Demon Eyes, hoping to break through as soon as possible. By his
estimations, he would reach the Spirit Sea realm by the time he broke
the fourth seal at the latest.

Tang Wulin’s head pounded from the spiritual wave’s after effects. He
simultaneously had to deal with Xiao Tiantian’s attack. Pressure on his
shoulders, he summoned his golden soul ring, activating Golden Dragon
Body.

Dragon Body. His golden aura flared, the scales on his arm spreading to
cover the rest of his torso. Veins of the same color came to life all over
his body, his blood essence surging. He squatted and curled into a ball.

On a different side of the arena, Xie Xie flashed forward mid-flight as he

slashed with his Light Dragon Dagger, sending out a beam of light at Gu
Tianming. His figure flickered as he accelerated, leaving a trail of
afterimages.

In Gu Tianming’s eyes, Xie Xie seemed to have multiplied. He couldn’t

make sense of what he was seeing and flapped his wings, sending
barrage after barrage of feathers at Xie Xie. Yet, each time they were
about to hit their target, Xie Xie evaded them.

He reached Gu Tianming in a flash.

However, Xie Xie’s Light Dragon Dagger was blocked. Still, as Gu

Tianming attempted to counter, a golden light flashed beneath his feet.
His leg went rigid, the sensation slowly spreading up his body. Seizing
the opportunity, Xie Xie changed grips on his Light Dragon Dagger and
slashed at Gu Tianming’s wings, relying on the momentum to

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somersault over him.

Body frozen by the golden light, Gu Tianming was defenseless before Xie
Xie’s swift and continuous assault. Xie Xie danced around in the air, too
fast for his opponent to react. Mobility stripped away and unable to keep
up with Xie Xie, a sense of dread began to close in on Gu Tianming.

When one of his wings finally went stiff, Xie Xie took advantage of the
opening and somersaulted above him once more. He launched into Light
Dragon Storm and beat the older youth to the ground.

But he had backup. After Han Yuchang sent a spiritual attack in Tang
Wulin’s direction, she hurried toward Gu Tianming to help restrain Xie
Xie. restrain Xie Xie. Yet her instincts screamed danger. Indeed, she fell
from the air before she could react.

Something had flown right past her. Something invisible. Her eyes went
wide with alarm.

“Don’t move!” someone said from behind her. An arm wrapped around
her waist, a cold blade held to her neck. “Your spiritual attacks are really
strong. I’m not sure I would be able to resist them. But what I am certain
of is that if you attack, my dagger will slice your face or your neck. So
descend slowly.”

Never had Han Yuchang been treated so roughly. She flushed with fury.
Despite that, there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t risk trying to
break free. Her only option was to suppress her anger and land at a
snail’s pace.

Along with subduing Han Yuchang, Xie Xie had wrapped things up with
Gu Tianming as well. Two people down by his own hands.

Meanwhile, Tang Wulin was still curled up weathering Ye Zishu’s attacks.

Bamboo leaves filled the sky as they swarmed Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, Xu
Lizhi, and Xu Xiaoyan, whose starlight aura shone brilliantly. The seven
golden leaves were hidden among the swarm, each with their own
target.

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Gu Yue remained calm before the incoming assault. Gales whipped

around her, creating a wind wall that stopped the leaves from
approaching. In a flash of silver, she teleported out of Xiao Tiantian’s
path to Xu Xiaoyan’s side. As for Xu Lizhi, he remained near Tang Wulin.
He didn’t need to babysit the two girls.

Just as Gu Yue was about to unleash an elemental barrage to protect Xu

Xiaoyan and herself, she felt an intense energy fluctuation beside her.
She turned to Xu Xiaoyan in astonishment.

In a soft voice, Xu Xiaoyan said, “Starlight Burst.”

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Chapter 449

A+ A- Chapter 449: 449

Chapter 449 - Star Evolution

Xu Xiaoyan raised her radiant Starwheel Ice Staff high into the air.
Starlight burst out it, bathing the entire arena in its brilliance.

The bamboo leaves dispersed into nothingness under the starlight,

leaving only the seven golden leaves hovering in the air motionlessly.

The wave of starlight washed over Xiao Tiantian, Ye Zishu, Han Yuchang,
and Gu Tianming, who was tied up by Goldsong, calling out a golden
glow from their bodies.

They all fell to the ground, their strength completely drained.

Suddenly, the world was dyed gold.

Xu Xiaoyan stood up straight, starlight dancing around her as if she was

a descended goddess. Specks of starlight twinkling all over her body. A
brand similar to her starwheel appeared on her forehead.

The starlight dancing around settled into a gentle glow. They had found
their master. She floated into the air as the starlight rushed into her.

All of the circuits of the observatory flared, the stars in the sky shining
brighter than ever. They all rushed to bestow their stellar energy on
her.

Tang Wulin uncurled from his ball form and stood up to take in the
spectacle. He gaped at what he was seeing, joying flooding his heart.

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Even in his amazement, he didn’t forget to take a few steps forward and
finish restraining Xiao Tiantian, throwing a strand of bluesilver grass to
catch the falling Ye Zishu as well.

Xie Xie separated from the falling Han Yuchang before they crashed into
the

ground, then landed with a roll to prevent injury. He stood up and stared
at Xu Xiaoyan, awed by the magical sight of her.

Everyone could tell from her aura that she was transforming on a
fundamental level. This was a martial soul evolution! Only a soul
evolution could produce such powerful energy fluctuations and such a
sight. From what they could tell as well, this was an evolution for the
better.

Li Zhilong stared in shock, utterly dumbfounded. He never imagined

such a thing would happen.

In reality, even if Xu Xiaoyan hadn’t acted, victory would have been

theirs. Neither Xiao Tiantian’s attacks or Han Yuchang’s spiritual attacks
could pose a threat to Tang Wulin. In terms of ability to take a beating,
Tang Wulin was undoubtedly the best of them all. After taking on
Yuanen Yehui’s attack directly, this was nothing.

The Skyorder Star Ocean Academy team was filled with excellent and
powerful students all with four soul rings, but they were nothing
compared with Yuanen Yehui. The difference between them wasn’t
something as small as a single level. If she were present, she would be
able to defeat their entire team by herself.

Tang Wulin had only ever been cautious about the observatory itself. He
hadn’t imagined that it would actually help them out instead, and even
evolve Xu Xiaoyan’s martial soul.

Ye Xinglan reappeared in the air in a flash of light. A golden glow

emanating from her as well as she basked in

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in the starlight, her Stargod Sword shining brilliantly. She was absorbing
the stellar energy as well. Compared to Xu Xiaoyan, however, she was
absorbing far less.

She gently descended to the ground then immediately sat down cross-
legged and began meditating. Opportunity only knocks once, and as a
student of Shrek Academy, she knew not to let opportunities slip out of
her hands.

The golden aura of the Skyorder Star Ocean Academy students gradually
dissipated and their abilities returned to normal. They all stared in shock
at the scene before them. They all understood that there was no need to
continue fighting. The victors had long since been determined.

Tang Wulin walked over to Li Zhilong with swift steps, and said in a
hushed voice, “Senior, what do you think?”

Li Zhilong snapped out of his daze. “Does her martial soul have some
connection with stars?”

Tang Wulin nodded.

Li Zhilong took in a deep breath to calm himself. “I have never seen

anyone with such a strong connection to stellar energy before. It’s really
just…” He wanted to say that it would have been fantastic if she were
part of his academy, but held his tongue. After all his years at Skyorder
Star Ocean Academy, he had gained a profound understanding of the
observatory. It was clear that Xu Xiaoyan would grow stronger by leaps
and bounds thanks to this baptism of starlight. She couldn’t be anything
but a genius! If she were one of his students, then Skyorder

then Skyorder Star Ocean Academy could progress to the next level!

Unfortunately for him, she was from Shrek Academy.

“Senior, can I request that you don’t turn off the observatory? Xiaoyan,
she’s—” Tang Wulin’s words trailed off as he glanced back at Xu
Xiaoyan.

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“Of course!” Li Zhilong interrupted. “She might not be a student of my

academy, but what she’s experiencing right now is also valuable data for
us. We’ll record what’s happening for further research on how stellar
energy can be used. Don’t worry. Stellar energy is infinite. There’s no
harm in letting her absorb as much as she wants.”

He turned to his six students. “You better pay attention and focus on
sensing what’s happening with the stellar energy. Do your best to
understand its secrets.”

“Yes!” Xiao Tiantian answered in place of his teammates. After their

defeat, they weren’t in the best condition.

As the geniuses of the next generation at Skyorder Star Ocean

Academy, they were a proud bunch. They were sure to reach six rings by
the time they turned twenty, and three of them were expert control-
types. They dominated all of the tournaments and competitions in the
vicinity of Skyorder City. Xiao Tiantian shined especially bright with his
mighty Demon King martial soul.

Yet today they had lost to kids from Shrek Academy who had weaker
cultivation bases than them and not a single flying-type. It was a
crushing defeat. The gap between them was on such a fundamental
level that it couldn’t be it couldn’t be bridged. Their pride had taken a
major it.

Xu Xiaoyan continued absorbing stellar energy for a little over an hour

before she slowly descended to the ground. Her entire body was covered
in specks of light. Tang Wulin counted them up, 365 in total.

Xu Xiaoyan sat down cross-legged. She circulated her soul power

according to the Mysterious Heaven Method. The 365 twinkling specks of
light faintly pulsed with life as her staff hovered upright in the air. It
transformed from blue to gold, the starwheel at the peak emptying out
to become a brand reminiscent of the stars. Simply looking at it felt like
peering into the vast expanse of the starry heavens.

Her martial soul had evolved, the starwheel aspect strengthening. Her

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soul power fluctuations hadn’t grown much stronger, but they had grown
in purity. The starlight had penetrated her body, purifying and refining
it.

Xu Xiaoyan had always been the weakest member of her team, only able
to contribute in a significant way at night with her Starwheel Shackles.
But she was different now.

As the stars in the observatory gradually dimmed and returned to

normal, Xu Xiaoyan finished absorbing the rest of the starlight lingering
around her. Her pretty face now had an enchanting luster to it, almost to
the point of sparkling.

Taking a deep breath in, she slowly opened her eyes. When everyone’s
curious stares greeted her, she immediately blushed crimson.

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Chapter 450

A+ A- Chapter 450: 450

Chapter 450 - The Imperial Sun Moon Soul Engineering Academy

“How do you feel?” Tang Wulin asked .

Xu Xiaoyan knitted her brows . “Wonderful . I can’t quite explain it,

though . ”

After taking in her expression, Tang Wulin understood the meaning

behind her words . This wasn’t the place to talk .

“Senior, sorry for troubling you today . Xiaoyan is fine now, so we’ll take
our leave,” Tang Wulin said to Li Zhilong .

“Junior sister,” Li Zhilong said, turning to Xu Xiaoyan . “Your

transformation is very interesting . We recordedit for research purposes .
Would you mind giving me your contact information so we can discuss
any findings we have in the future?”

“Okay . ” After gaining so much from the encounter, Xu Xiaoyan had no

reason to refuse . Still, he wouldn’t be able to contact her until she
returned to Shrek Academy, seeing that she had left behind her
communicator .

They tiptoed through the gates of Skyorder Star Ocean Academy and
jumped into their beat-up car . . Xie Xie turned on the ignition, driving to
the next city without relying on a map .

“Our match with the local academy went pretty well,” Tang Wulin said .

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“We learned a lot too . Let’s do the same in the next city, but more
tactful this time . ”

Gu Yue glanced at him . “Will we be as lucky in the next city? It

definitely helped to meet a Shrek alumni back there . ”

Tang Wulin smirked and thrust a hand into a pocket, retrieving a piece
of paper . “Shrek Academy is the greatest academy on the continent, so
who wouldn’t want to hire our alumni? Before we left, I asked Senior Li to
give me a list of alumni at different academies and their contact
information . With this list, we can just call ahead to arrange a formal
match . ”

“That works…” Gu Yue stared at him, gaping .

“Was this

your plan from the beginning, Captain?” Xu Xiaoyan practically sparkled

. “I like! We should have just done this from the start . ”

Tang Wulin beamed . Her enthusiasm was contagious . “Xiaoyan, your

martial soul evolved, right? How are you feeling?”

Xu Xiaoyan aimed her gaze elsewhere, a pensive look to her eyes .

“Yeah . It did . I still can’t believe the amount of stellar energy they had
there! At first, I couldn’t understand what was happening, but after a
moment I realized that the stellar energy was fusing with my martial
soul and causing it to rapidly grow . I guess you could call it an
awakening .

“If my guess is correct, then before this match my martial soul had yet
to finish maturing . Or maybe you could say it was flawed . That’s why it
had different abilities between day and night . Although I made up for
that flaw as I cultivated, the reality was that it was still there, lurking . It
would have affected me in the future . By absorbing the stellar energy, I
washed away the impurities of my martial soul . ”

“If that’s the case, why didn’t your soul power increase more?” Tang

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Wulin asked .

“Xu Xiaoyan smiled wryly . “There’s no such thing as a free meal . The
flaw in my martial soul was erased, but so was something else . My
Starwheel Ice Staff is just a Star Staff now . The stellar energy cleaned
my martial soul of its ice-attribute, leaving only the star-attribute . ”

Tang Wulin stared at her, eyes wide . “Really? So your ice-attribute soul
skills are gone?”

Xu Xiaoyan nodded .

“And after your staff changed, your soul skills changed too?” Gu Yue
asked .

Xu Xiaoyan smiled . “Of course . My gains wouldn’t make up for the loss
otherwise . All of my soul skills evolved along with my martial soul .
They’re nothing like before .

. I’ll show you guys in the next match . I’m like Captain now . An assault-
control-type . . ”

Tang Wulin flashed her a thumbs up . After her transformation, her

confidence was near tangible .

He turned to face his other teammate with a star-attribute martial soul .

“Xinglan, what about you? You absorbed a lot of stellar energy back
there too . How do you feel?”

Ye Xinglan smirked . “My martial soul was already stable to begin with .
The stellar energy only helped me increase my soul power . I’m at rank
40 now . ”

Rank 40!

Xie Xie and Xu Lizhi flipped around in their seats, looking at her in shock
.

Xu Lizhi beamed at her . “Big Sis Xinglan, congratulations! You’re finally

at rank 40 . ”

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Ye Xinglan returned his smile and nodded .

Once she fused with one more spirit soul to gain her fourth soul ring, she
would become a Soul Ancestor . She was the first of their team to reach
rank 40 . With her skills and her powerful Stargod Sword, she would be
on par with Yuanen Yehui .

Following the initial surprise, Tang Wulin diverted his attention to Xie Xie
. “Don’t enter the highway just yet . We need to buy a soul
communicator first . ”

Understanding Tang Wulin’s intentions at once, Xie Xie quickly did as he

was told .

Soul communicator in hand, Tang Wulin began calling some numbers .

“Hello, are you Senior Zhang, an alumni from Shrek Academy? We’re
current students from Shrek Academy…”

Just as Tang Wulin had expected, in the cities on their list, the Shrek
Academy alumni working at local academies were more than happy to
help their juniors . They all instantly agreed to arrange a match for Tang
Wulin’s group . Additionally, it would benefit their own students .

The next couple of days went by without a hitch . They had two matches
each day, and pretty soon they soon

they soon finished their ninth . All that was left was a match in Bright
City .

“Does the Imperial Sun Moon Soul Engineering Academy really not have
any Shrek alumni? Aren’t they ranked as one of the best academies on
the continent? How can that be?” asked Xu Xiaoyan, scanning through
the list of Shrek Academy alumni once more .

Tang Wulin cracked a faint smile . “I heard from one of our seniors that
the Imperial Sun Moon Soul Engineering Academy had once been
destroyed, and that it had something to do with Shrek . Since then,
they’ve been hostile with and refuse to recruit anyone from our

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academy . Of course, none of our seniors would want to work there

anyway . Even though they can’t compare with us, the grudge the Sun
Moon Academy holds against us is as deep as ever . ”

“Then why are we picking that place?” blurted Xie Xie . “From what I’ve
heard, their students are the elite of the elites . A lot of the higher-ups in
the Federation graduated from there . Shouldn’t we pick a different
place?”

A confident smile flashed across Tang Wulin’s face, eyes bright with
determination . “Did you forget what the point of this exercise is? Shrek
took away our belongings and kicked us out so that we could learn as
much as possible . We can’t just slack off on this exam . We need to gain
something from this journey . Or,” Tang Wulin stared Xie Xie straight in
the eye . “Are you telling me you’re scared?”

A pause . Then, as if a bolt of lightning had struck him, Xie Xie’s eyes
popped . Grinning, he flashed Tang Wulin a thumbs up .

Xu Xiaoyan fidgeted in her seat, energy and excitement twisted so

tightly like a cord about to snap . “Yeah! Let’s go! I haven’t had a chance
to do anything in the last few matches . ”

Ye Xinglan shrugged . “Yeah . I . I need to show off too . ”

Meanwhile, Gu Yue caught Tang Wulin’s attention, holding his gaze .

“It’s the final match . ”

He broke into a grin . There was no better opponent to finish their exam
with than an old rival . They couldn’t afford to lose .

“If you win, you’ll get bonus points . ” The imposing, cold voice
resounded in the car, giving everyone a fright .

“Teacher Wu?” Tang Wulin cried out in surprise as he looked out the
window .

Wu Zhangkong ran alongside their speeding car, easily keeping pace

while maintaining measured breaths .

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The corner of Tang Wulin’s mouth twitched . “Teacher Wu, you heard
us?”

Wu Zhangkong shot him a sideways glance, nodding . “You’ll all have

the honor of representing Shrek Academy and you’re not allowed to lose
against them . I’ll accompany you as your team’s teacher . ”

With a teacher accompanying them, their challenge would be recognized

as an official match .

“How many bonus points?” Tang Wulin asked hesitantly .

“If you win, all of you will get full marks plus ten bonus points each .
Each and every one of you will have over fifty points to spare for your
classmates . ”

“Deal!” Tang Wulin said .

They could easily accomplish their goal with so many extra points . Tang
Wulin had done the mental math . Three hundred points to spare was a
great incentive . Just imagining how many people they could save from
failing the exam and being expelled fired him up even further .

However, Wu Zhangkong’s next words served as a pail of ice water over

their heads . “But if you lose, you all fail . ”

“What? That’s so harsh!” Tang Wulin dropped his jaw, dumbstruck .

“You don’t understand just how deep the grudges between our two
academies run . If you lose, I’ll shoulder the responsibility and resign
from Shrek Academy as well,” Wu Zhangkong declared solemnly .

Chapter 450 The Imperial Sun Moon Soul Engineering Academy How do
you feel Tang Wulin asked . Xu Xiaoyan knitted her brows . Wonderful . I
can t quite explain it, though . After taking in her expression, Tang Wulin
understood the meaning behind her words . This wasn t the place to talk
. Senior, sorry for troubling you today . Xiaoyan is fine now, so we ll take
our leave, Tang Wulin said to Li Zhilong . Junior sister, Li Zhilong said,
turning to Xu Xiaoyan . Your transformation is very interesting . We

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recordedit for research purposes . Would you mind giving me your

contact information so we can discuss any findings we have in the future
Okay . After gaining so much from the encounter, Xu Xiaoyan had no
reason to refuse . Still, he wouldn t be able to contact her until she
returned to Shrek Academy, seeing that she had left behind her
communicator . They tiptoed through the gates of Skyorder Star Ocean
Academy and jumped into their beat up car . . Xie Xie turned on the
ignition, driving to the next city without relying on a map . Our match
with the local academy went pretty well, Tang Wulin said . We learned a
lot too . Let s do the same in the next city, but more tactful this time .
Gu Yue glanced at him . Will we be as lucky in the next city It definitely
helped to meet a Shrek alumni back there . Tang Wulin smirked and
thrust a hand into a pocket, retrieving a piece of paper . Shrek Academy
is the greatest academy on the continent, so who wouldn t want to hire
our alumni Before we left, I asked Senior Li to give me a list of alumni at
different academies and their contact information . With this list, we can
just call ahead to arrange a formal match . That works Gu Yue stared at
him, gaping . Was this your plan from the beginning, Captain Xu Xiaoyan
practically sparkled . I like We should have just done this from the start .
Tang Wulin beamed . Her enthusiasm was contagious . Xiaoyan, your
martial soul evolved, right How are you feeling Xu Xiaoyan aimed her
gaze elsewhere, a pensive look to her eyes . Yeah . It did . I still can t
believe the amount of stellar energy they had there At first, I couldn t
understand what was happening, but after a moment I realized that the
stellar energy was fusing with my martial soul and causing it to rapidly
grow . I guess you could call it an awakening . If my guess is correct,
then before this match my martial soul had yet to finish maturing . Or
maybe you could say it was flawed . That s why it had different abilities
between day and night . Although I made up for that flaw as I cultivated,
the reality was that it was still there, lurking . It would have affected me
in the future . By absorbing the stellar energy, I washed away the
impurities of my martial soul . If that s the case, why didn t your soul
power increase more Tang Wulin asked . Xu Xiaoyan smiled wryly .
There s no such thing as a free meal . The flaw in my martial soul was

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erased, but so was something else . My Starwheel Ice Staff is just a Star
Staff now . The stellar energy cleaned my martial soul of its ice attribute,
leaving only the star attribute . Tang Wulin stared at her, eyes wide .
Really So your ice attribute soul skills are gone Xu Xiaoyan nodded . And
after your staff changed, your soul skills changed too Gu Yue asked . Xu
Xiaoyan smiled . Of course . My gains wouldn t make up for the loss
otherwise . All of my soul skills evolved along with my martial soul . They
re nothing like before . I ll show you guys in the next match . I m like
Captain now . An assault control type . . Tang Wulin flashed her a
thumbs up . After her transformation, her confidence was near tangible .
He turned to face his other teammate with a star attribute martial soul .
Xinglan, what about you You absorbed a lot of stellar energy back there
too . How do you feel Ye Xinglan smirked . My martial soul was already
stable to begin with . The stellar energy only helped me increase my
soul power . I m at rank 40 now . Rank 40 Xie Xie and Xu Lizhi flipped
around in their seats, looking at her in shock . Xu Lizhi beamed at her .
Big Sis Xinglan, congratulations You re finally at rank 40 . Ye Xinglan
returned his smile and nodded . Once she fused with one more spirit
soul to gain her fourth soul ring, she would become a Soul Ancestor .
She was the first of their team to reach rank 40 . With her skills and her
powerful Stargod Sword, she would be on par with Yuanen Yehui .
Following the initial surprise, Tang Wulin diverted his attention to Xie Xie
. Don t enter the highway just yet . We need to buy a soul communicator
first . Understanding Tang Wulin s intentions at once, Xie Xie quickly did
as he was told . Soul communicator in hand, Tang Wulin began calling
some numbers . Hello, are you Senior Zhang, an alumni from Shrek
Academy We re current students from Shrek Academy Just as Tang
Wulin had expected, in the cities on their list, the Shrek Academy alumni
working at local academies were more than happy to help their juniors .
They all instantly agreed to arrange a match for Tang Wulin s group .
Additionally, it would benefit their own students . The next couple of
days went by without a hitch . They had two matches each day, and
pretty soon they soon finished their ninth . All that was left was a match
in Bright City . Does the Imperial Sun Moon Soul Engineering Academy

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really not have any Shrek alumni Aren t they ranked as one of the best
academies on the continent How can that be asked Xu Xiaoyan,
scanning through the list of Shrek Academy alumni once more . Tang
Wulin cracked a faint smile . I heard from one of our seniors that the
Imperial Sun Moon Soul Engineering Academy had once been destroyed,
and that it had something to do with Shrek . Since then, they ve been
hostile with and refuse to recruit anyone from our academy . Of course,
none of our seniors would want to work there anyway . Even though they
can t compare with us, the grudge the Sun Moon Academy holds against
us is as deep as ever . Then why are we picking that place blurted Xie
Xie . From what I ve heard, their students are the elite of the elites . A lot
of the higher ups in the Federation graduated from there . Shouldn t we
pick a different place A confident smile flashed across Tang Wulin s face,
eyes bright with determination . Did you forget what the point of this
exercise is Shrek took away our belongings and kicked us out so that we
could learn as much as possible . We can t just slack off on this exam .
We need to gain something from this journey . Or, Tang Wulin stared Xie
Xie straight in the eye . Are you telling me you re scared A pause . Then,
as if a bolt of lightning had struck him, Xie Xie s eyes popped . Grinning,
he flashed Tang Wulin a thumbs up . Xu Xiaoyan fidgeted in her seat,
energy and excitement twisted so tightly like a cord about to snap .
Yeah Let s go I haven t had a chance to do anything in the last few
matches . Ye Xinglan shrugged . Yeah . I need to show off too .
Meanwhile, Gu Yue caught Tang Wulin s attention, holding his gaze . It s
the final match . He broke into a grin . There was no better opponent to
finish their exam with than an old rival . They couldn t afford to lose . If
you win, you ll get bonus points . The imposing, cold voice resounded in
the car, giving everyone a fright . Teacher Wu Tang Wulin cried out in
surprise as he looked out the window . Wu Zhangkong ran alongside
their speeding car, easily keeping pace while maintaining measured
breaths . The corner of Tang Wulin s mouth twitched . Teacher Wu, you
heard us Wu Zhangkong shot him a sideways glance, nodding . You ll all
have the honor of representing Shrek Academy and you re not allowed
to lose against them . I ll accompany you as your team s teacher . With a

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teacher accompanying them, their challenge would be recognized as an

official match . How many bonus points Tang Wulin asked hesitantly . If
you win, all of you will get full marks plus ten bonus points each . Each
and every one of you will have over fifty points to spare for your
classmates . Deal Tang Wulin said . They could easily accomplish their
goal with so many extra points . Tang Wulin had done the mental math .
Three hundred points to spare was a great incentive . Just imagining how
many people they could save from failing the exam and being expelled
fired him up even further . However, Wu Zhangkong s next words served
as a pail of ice water over their heads . But if you lose, you all fail . What
That s so harsh Tang Wulin dropped his jaw, dumbstruck . You don t
understand just how deep the grudges between our two academies run .
If you lose, I ll shoulder the responsibility and resign from Shrek
Academy as well, Wu Zhangkong declared solemnly .

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