The Promotion Tournament Arrives

Facts proved that the rich and powerful among ordinary people were nothing at all in the eyes of a true Soul Master Family.

And this was still in the relatively law-abiding Federal Era. If it had been the Ancient Era or the Primordial Era, provoking a powerful Soul Master Family could have gotten an entire household slaughtered, with nowhere to seek justice.

So-called fairness was nothing but a joke.

The Xu Family had been rooted in Eastsea City for thousands of years, its influence tangled deep through both the military and political worlds. Naturally, it was not something ordinary people could afford to provoke.

On the other side, after Xu Xiaoyu accompanied Yu Nanyuan and Xu Xiaoyan around for a while, he had no choice but to leave early because of some course matters in the Advanced Division. After entering Donghai Academy Advanced Division, the elective he had chosen was precisely the Mecha Control Major, so his usual coursework was rather busy.

But the main reason was still the Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition that would be held half a year later.

Although Eastsea City was the second-largest city in the Tianhai Alliance, its results in previous Tianhai Alliance Grand Competitions could be described as extremely unsatisfactory. Not only did it make Donghai Academy look bad, even Eastsea City's governing officials lost face.

If this continued, Eastsea City's reputation would be affected.

Therefore, Yu Zhen placed exceptional importance on the next Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition and began selection training for the Advanced Division half a year in advance. After all, in the Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition, the various academies mainly looked at the results of the Advanced Division youth group.

Xu Xiaoyu had even already been internally designated as Donghai Academy's main force for the youth group in this Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition.

Piping-hot Takoyaki, sprinkled with Katsuobushi Flakes and paired with a thick secret sauce, had a flavor all its own.

Xu Xiaoyan's cheeks bulged as she chewed hard and swallowed. She narrowed her eyes in satisfaction, then suddenly pointed at a nearby shop and said to Yu Nanyuan, "Let's go eat that Stewed Beef next."

Yu Nanyuan subconsciously raised his head and looked in the direction of Xu Xiaoyan's gaze.

The shop was not large. The owner was a kind-faced middle-aged uncle, his face full of smiles. Worn-out tables and chairs, dim yellow lighting—put together, they somehow gave off an inexplicable sense of warmth.

At this moment, there were only two customers in the shop, two boys about the same age as Yu Nanyuan and Xu Xiaoyan.

When he saw the two boys sitting opposite each other, the expression on Yu Nanyuan's face instantly turned strange. Because these two boys were none other than Tang Wulin and Xie Xie.

After spending a few months together, the relationship between Tang Wulin and Xie Xie seemed to have become quite close. Xie Xie lowered his head, the rims of his eyes faintly red as he spoke about something, then suddenly sprawled onto the table and began sobbing.

Tang Wulin gently patted Xie Xie's back, his expression moved.

The story of Stewed Beef was even more heavyweight than the story of the Sesame Cake, and by sheer coincidence, Yu Nanyuan and Xu Xiaoyan had run right into it.

Seeing this scene, Xu Xiaoyan stood on tiptoe and leaned close to Yu Nanyuan's ear, whispering, "Nanyuan, is he dropping little pearls? He looks really sad. Why don't we go somewhere else?"

"Dropping little pearls" had originally been something Yu Nanyuan said when teasing Xu Xiaoyan, but now Xu Xiaoyan had learned it and put it to use.

"Mm." Yu Nanyuan nodded and left with Xu Xiaoyan.

"Let's not disturb them."

As they left, Xu Xiaoyan secretly studied Yu Nanyuan's side profile again. As if she had keenly sensed something, she then took the initiative to hold Yu Nanyuan's hand.

The two of them had different personalities, yet deep in their hearts, they shared the same gentleness, and they cherished each other.

Inside the shop, after Xie Xie's emotions had calmed down a little, Tang Wulin silently made a decision in his heart.

"Xie Xie, can you help me ask Teacher Wu for leave tomorrow? I need to enter Closed-Door Cultivation for a while after this."

Xie Xie looked at Tang Wulin in surprise, vaguely guessing that this might have something to do with the secret that had caused all of them to fall unconscious last time. However, he truly regarded Tang Wulin as a friend and did not ask too much. He nodded solemnly and said, "I'll tell Teacher Wu tomorrow, but you absolutely can't miss next week's Promotion Tournament."

"Don't worry. I'll definitely make it in time." Tang Wulin was filled with confidence, his young face full of determination.

That experience deep in Donghai Park had filled Tang Wulin's heart with an intense sense of crisis and urgency. A month ago, he had passed the Third-Rank Forging Master assessment and received the attention of Mu Chen, the president of the Eastsea City Forging Masters Association.

The three items he had applied for had also been obtained in advance through the channels of the Eastsea City Forging Masters Association.

Tang Wulin had already made up his mind. Tonight, he would attempt to break through the power of the Golden Dragon King's First Layer Seal. He did not want to become someone else's burden again.

Night gradually deepened.

Yu Nanyuan personally escorted Xu Xiaoyan back home. Tang Wulin also parted ways with Xie Xie and arrived alone at the workshop of his teacher, Mang Tian.

The two Hundred-Year Spirit Fruits and the bottle of Hundred-Year Dragon Soul Beast Blood he had finally obtained were placed on the desk.

"You gathered them so quickly?" A calm and familiar voice abruptly sounded in Tang Wulin's mind, carrying a hint of surprise.

Hearing this voice, Tang Wulin instantly felt his vision go black, and then his consciousness once again arrived in an illusory dark space.

Faint golden light condensed, and that golden figure appeared before his eyes once more.

Having his consciousness pulled into this space while he was absolutely awake made Tang Wulin believe more and more that everything happening before him was real.

"Yes, I've gathered them all. Also, how should I address you?"

"Call me Old Tang." That golden figure of light froze slightly, then slowly said, "Next, I'll tell you what to do. Remember, there must not be a single omission..."

No one knew how much time had passed before waves of intense Energy Fluctuation came from inside the workshop, along with Tang Wulin's rising and falling roars and wails.

Burning heat, cold, and a numbing itch erupted inside Tang Wulin's body all at once. His consciousness grew hazy, and all he could see before him was a field of deathly white.

Right at this moment, in the dimly lit workshop, one crystal-yellow eye after another suddenly lit up eerily, carrying a dense sense of filth, as if they could devour Tang Wulin in an instant. A strangely handsome young man appeared soundlessly beside Tang Wulin just like that. Without the slightest hesitation, countless branches burst wildly from his body and wrapped toward Tang Wulin.

"You Soul Beasts really haven't given up your thieving hearts." A cold snort suddenly rang out, and a majestic golden figure manifested out of thin air behind Tang Wulin.

"How could the Golden Dragon King Bloodline be something the likes of you can covet?! Since you have sought your own deaths again and again, I shall grant your wish today."

The strange young man's expression changed drastically in an instant, and in that same instant, his body had already been pierced through by a divine Golden Trident. But eerily, after being stabbed through by the Golden Trident, his body rapidly withered and transformed into a pitch-black piece of wood.

Looking at the strange change before him, that golden figure's brows knitted tightly, his expression dark to the extreme. The final chance to strike sealed within his Divine Sense was almost equivalent to an all-out attack from him. It truly had the ability to easily kill that strange young man here, but this was something he had prepared for his grand plan spanning ten thousand years. He could not use it lightly.

So he could only use the power contained within his Divine Sense, and every time he used it, his Divine Sense would weaken a little. Until it disappeared completely.

"I hope that after this, it will make them think twice before acting."

After a long while, that golden figure could not help but let out a long sigh filled with worry. As long as he waited until he contacted his parents, this crisis would naturally be resolved.

At the same time, deep within Donghai Park, the true body of the strange young man had a trace of dark green blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and his aura instantly became dispirited. Losing that clone had likewise forced him to pay an enormous price. His origin had directly suffered a heavy blow.

"My Lord, this subordinate has failed your expectations."

Gu Yue stood in front of the strange young man, her deep gaze raised toward the dim moon in the night sky.

"The plan to extract his bloodline will be set aside for now. With Tang San's Divine Sense present, we indeed cannot find any opportunity at the moment. Go join Di Tian and the others first. Everything proceeds as before."

"Yes, my Lord." The strange young man lowered his head and answered respectfully.

This secret clash between the Soul Beast Clan and Tang San still did not stir up the slightest ripple in Eastsea City. The next morning, as a transfer student, Xu Xiaoyan smoothly entered Freshman Class One of Donghai Academy Intermediate Division to study.

Moreover, with her cultivation as a Two-Ring Great Soul Master, she likewise received Ye Yingluo's great attention and, like Wei Xiaofeng, served as a substitute for the Freshman Class One Representative Team.

A week passed in the blink of an eye, and the Promotion Tournament officially began.