Wu Zhangkong, Deeply Shaken

Wu Zhangkong, Deeply Shaken

Both sides took their positions on opposite ends of the Competition Stage at the same time, like mirror images of each other. Even their formations were exactly the same.

On Freshman Class Five's side, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie stood shoulder to shoulder in front, while Gu Yue stood quietly about three meters behind them. On Freshman Class One's side, Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi blocked the front, with Yu Nanyuan, a Control System Battle Soul Master, holding the rear.

Out of recognition for Yu Nanyuan's abilities, Zhang Yangzi had taken the initiative to set aside his old pride and yield the position of Control System Soul Master to him. Moreover, with the capabilities of his Martial Soul, he could also perfectly fulfill the role of an Agility System Battle Soul Master.

"Both sides, prepare."

Long Hengxu looked over both sides and slowly raised his right hand.

His feelings were actually very complicated right now. Xie Xie had indeed been someone he had deliberately arranged into Freshman Class Five before, precisely because he hoped Freshman Class Five could put enough pressure on the classes ahead of them in the Promotion Tournament. After all, pressure was what brought improvement.

But Gu Yue's appearance had completely stripped his arrangement of its original meaning. With two Two-Ring Great Soul Masters who possessed Hundred-Year Soul Spirits representing Freshman Class Five in the Promotion Tournament, aside from Freshman Class One, known as Eastsea Academy's strongest freshman class in a century, the other freshman classes were destined only to be ruthlessly crushed.

In that case, what this brought was not merely pressure, but also doubts toward him, the Dean of Instruction. Assigning two Great Soul Masters to Freshman Class Five was already unfair in itself.

However, Long Hengxu himself felt terribly wronged. He had first agreed to let Wu Zhangkong take Gu Yue into Freshman Class Five, and only afterward learned Gu Yue's true strength. As for Xie Xie, he had only broken through to the Two-Ring Great Soul Master realm later under Wu Zhangkong's training.

What allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief was that this year's Freshman Class One was strong enough. Freshman Class Five's winning streak was destined to end here.

Yu Nanyuan and the other two all announced their names with calm expressions.

"Yu Nanyuan."

"Zhang Yangzi."

"Wang Jinxi."

Tang Wulin had met Yu Nanyuan when school had first started. He had a very good impression of Yu Nanyuan, who was mild-tempered and polite, and said with a serious expression, "First Grade Class Five, Tang Wulin."

"Xie Xie." Xie Xie's attitude seemed much more conceited and arrogant, his eyes filled with eagerness to try. As someone with Twin Martial Souls, he had been regarded as Heaven's Chosen since childhood.

So what if they were called Eastsea Academy's strongest freshman class in a century? He would never lose!

Gu Yue's gaze stayed on Yu Nanyuan the entire time, and there was not the slightest ripple in her cool voice.

"Gu Yue."

Seeing that both sides had finished announcing their names, Long Hengxu emphasized, "This is a match within the academy. Stop when the point is made. Victory and defeat are all that matter. You may not deliberately injure your opponents. Otherwise, the academy will issue the appropriate punishment."

"Yes." Both sides answered in unison.

"Begin!" Long Hengxu wasted no more words. With this shout from the Middle Division's Dean of Instruction, the ultimate showdown of the freshman first grade finally began.

Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie charged out almost at the same time. As they advanced, their Martial Souls were released. Beside Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi, and Xie Xie, two yellow Hundred-Year Soul Rings appeared without exception. Only beside Tang Wulin was there a single lonely White Soul Ring, making it stand out especially starkly.

Although Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi felt as if their glasses had shattered, they did not show any obvious contempt toward Tang Wulin. Instead, following Ye Yingluo's instructions, they had no intention of holding back in the slightest.

However, among the Middle Division students watching from the scene, an uproar broke out. This ultimate showdown of the freshman first grade had already been the talk of Eastsea Academy, and they had held extremely high expectations for this match beforehand.

The appearance of that White Soul Ring beside Tang Wulin undoubtedly poured a bucket of cold water over their heads.

"A white ten-year Soul Ring?!"

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Everyone else is pretty impressive, so how did you end up dropping the ball?" Some Senior Grade students had even already begun making sarcastic remarks. Among them, the male students from Fifth Grade Class One were the main ones. Naturally, they were doing this to curry favor with Mu Xi.

At the same time, Gu Yue and Yu Nanyuan, who were looking at each other, released their Martial Souls at almost the exact same rhythm. If the two yellow Hundred-Year Soul Rings rising from beneath Gu Yue's feet merely warmed the heated atmosphere on the scene back up in an instant, then the manifestation of Yu Nanyuan's Martial Soul and Soul Rings ignited the atmosphere completely.

"Clatter, clatter, clatter—" A melody composed of the crisp sound of sliding chains suddenly played in the sky. Dots of dazzling silver light bloomed from the void, and chains engraved with wondrous silver patterns shuttled through empty space, crisscrossing and filling this entire area.

Purple! Purple!

Two rings of noble Purple Soul Rings appeared one after another, slowly pulsing as they circled Yu Nanyuan. The purple halo reflected in his clear Brilliant Gold Eyes, adding a few more traces of elegance.

Yu Nanyuan's gaze sharpened. A terrifying aura as deep as an abyss, along with the heavy pressure of his Soul Power, instantly spread out from his body as the center, bearing down on Tang Wulin and Xie Xie across from him.

The ultimate pressure brought by two Thousand-Year Soul Rings and Soul Power Cultivation close to the Soul Elder level caused Tang Wulin, whose Soul Power Cultivation was only at rank twelve, to abruptly stop in his tracks. His face turned deathly pale, and his eyes were filled with shock. Xie Xie's figure also seemed to stagnate, cold sweat streaming down his forehead as every step became difficult.

Two Thousand-Year Soul Rings?! How is that possible?! Xie Xie frantically questioned in his heart. More than that, when he guessed Yu Nanyuan's possible Soul Power Cultivation, his mind went completely blank.

Even he, who possessed Twin Martial Souls, had only just broken through to the Two-Ring Great Soul Master realm. Yet Yu Nanyuan, who was the same age as him, had Soul Power Cultivation that had to be at least five ranks higher than his. And that was only his conservative estimate.

Even Wu Zhangkong, whose expression was always icy and who seemed indifferent to everything, had his pupils suddenly contract as he stared fixedly at Yu Nanyuan.

A Space Attribute Tool Martial Soul innately capable of traversing space, two Thousand-Year Soul Rings, and Soul Power Cultivation close to the Soul Elder level at the mere age of nine. Any one of these alone would be enough to create a top-tier genius.

Yet all these Auras were stacked together and appeared on Yu Nanyuan alone, leaving even Wu Zhangkong deeply shaken. With Yu Nanyuan's talent, even in Shrek Academy with its tens of thousands of years of foundation, at the same age, only those stunning Sea God's Pavilion Masters of past generations could possibly be compared with him.

Ripples began to rise in his dark green eyes, which had always been as still as an ancient well, as he recalled some memories of the past.

If he could nurture Yu Nanyuan and send him to Shrek Academy in the future, it would count as the only compensation he could make.

Ye Yingluo proudly puffed out her chest. Her obsession all these years had been to see Wu Zhangkong lose his composure. But when this truly happened, she did not feel the delight she had imagined. Especially when she noticed the various complicated emotions hidden deep in Wu Zhangkong's eyes.

There was guilt, attachment, and heart-wrenching regret.

Ye Yingluo stood rooted to the spot in a daze. Suddenly, she felt a little lost.

Among everyone present, the only ones who still seemed fairly calm were those rather familiar with Yu Nanyuan, such as Xu Xiaoyan, Ouyang Zixin, and Mu Xi.

On the Competition Stage, Yu Nanyuan looked toward Gu Yue and the other two across from him with a gentle smile on his face.

"Yangzi, Jinxi, go all out and crush them."

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