Preparation for the Promotion Match, Gu Yue Arrives

At the mention of Na'er, a rare flash of sorrow passed through Luo Ze's eyes. That name was his taboo, and the painful memory he least wished to bring up.

"Sorry, Brother Luo, I..."

"It's fine, Wulin. I'm fine. If you hadn't mentioned her, I would've almost forgotten that person!" Luo Ze raised his head, and the sorrow in his eyes quietly vanished.

"Brother Luo..."

Tears of guilt filled Tang Wulin's heart. Luo Ze had not nearly forgotten—he had merely hidden his wounds in the deepest part of his heart, unwilling to speak of them.

"Alright! Stop apologizing all the time. It's not like you at all. We finally made some money, so I'm treating you. Let's go to the best hotel in the city!" Luo Ze said with a smile.

"Brother Luo, if anyone's treating, it should be me. Save your money for buying things!" Tang Wulin grabbed Luo Ze and quickly ran toward the academy gates. "Xie Xie, keep up!"

"Hey! Slow down, you two! The hotel won't close until tonight, there's no need to rush!" Xie Xie hurried after them.

Early the next morning, Eastsea Academy's training field.

After breakfast, all the students of Class Five arrived at the training field early. Afraid of Wu Changkong's cold aura, not a single one dared to be late for class.

"Very good. No one is late. Your task today is to run ten laps around the training field."

Looking at the students before him, Wu Changkong issued the command coldly.

At the mention of today's task, the students' eyes widened, followed by sheer despair.

The training field at Eastsea Academy had an eight-hundred-meter track. Ten laps meant eight kilometers. Even with Soul Power strengthening their bodies, finishing it would be no easy task.

Moreover, ordinary junior Soul Master Academies did not teach students physical training at all. They focused instead on cultivating Soul Power and learning Soul Master knowledge.

Eight kilometers was far more difficult for them than studying.

"Luo Ze, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, the three of you step forward."

After announcing the task, Wu Changkong specifically called the three of them out.

"One month from now, Eastsea Academy will hold the Promotion Match as scheduled. The rules are simple: the lower-ranked class challenges the higher-ranked class. If they win, they advance."

"I watched yesterday's match. You three have the highest Soul Power and the greatest strength in our class. You will represent our class in the Promotion Match. This is the special training I prepared for you. Put these on."

As he spoke, Blue Light flickered in Wu Changkong's hand. Three sets of Iron Chain Clothes appeared, and he handed them out to the three in turn.

Xie Xie's Iron Chain Clothes weighed twenty jin, while Luo Ze's and Tang Wulin's weighed one hundred jin each—five times Xie Xie's weight.

"Now, begin training!"

Wu Changkong gave the order, and the Class Five students immediately began running without pause.

As an Agile Attack Battle Soul Master, Xie Xie remained extremely fast even while wearing twenty jin of iron clothing. In an instant, he overtook everyone and took the lead.

Luo Ze and Tang Wulin did not compete for position. The moment they put on the iron clothing, they silently followed behind everyone else. Though they were not moving quickly, their expressions remained unchanged. They even occasionally looked at the scenery around them, as if they were taking a leisurely stroll.

One lap, two laps... five laps.

By the fifth lap of physical training, half the students had already fallen behind. Xie Xie was also beginning to lose control of his body. His legs felt as heavy as if they had been fitted with lead weights, while his lungs burned as though they were being roasted by fire.

Seeing Xie Xie like this, Luo Ze turned to Tang Wulin and nodded at him. Then he ran over to Xie Xie's side.

Just as Xie Xie was about to collapse, a warm stream of Soul Power entered his body, wiping away all the exhaustion from both his body and mind.

With that Soul Power supporting him, Xie Xie felt invigorated. His steps gradually became lighter as well.

"Luo Ze?!" Xie Xie was greatly surprised when he saw who it was.

Luo Ze smiled without answering. Instead, he quickened his pace and led Xie Xie to catch up with Tang Wulin.

Wu Changkong stood in the center of the training field, watching the Class Five students who had already fallen into complete disarray. His expression remained unchanged, but when he looked at Luo Ze and the other two, he frowned.

"Luo Ze, you have plenty of strength, do you? Add another twenty laps. If you don't finish, you don't eat!" Wu Changkong ordered coldly.

"Yes, Teacher Wu!" Luo Ze replied loudly.

"Luo Ze, stop helping me for now. Save some strength for yourself. You still have twenty more laps to run!" Xie Xie sped up, widening the distance between himself and Luo Ze.

"Don't worry. It's only twenty laps. You're underestimating me." Luo Ze smiled and caught up to Xie Xie again.

Just then, a girl slowly walked over from the entrance connecting the intermediate division to the training field.

She stood at the entrance and looked around, as though searching for something.

Very quickly, the girl found her target.

As the girl approached, Wu Changkong's gaze lingered on her for a moment. She was not wearing a school uniform, and it was already class time.

"Which class are you from?" Wu Changkong walked over.

But the girl's attention seemed to have been drawn elsewhere. Looking at Luo Ze, who was running with easy steps and had a somewhat handsome face, she could not help feeling curious.

Is he the person you chose?

"Hello, Teacher. I came here to enroll, but I missed the registration period." She raised her head and looked at Wu Changkong.

"But I am not responsible for admissions here," Wu Changkong said coldly.

"But I want to study here. Is that possible, Teacher?" The girl looked at Wu Changkong pleadingly.

If it had been another teacher, this girl might have been driven away long ago. But was Wu Changkong like other teachers? He was not!

"This is a Soul Master Academy. If you want to study here, you need to prove your ability," Wu Changkong said coldly.

"I can take the test!" The girl smiled. From the sound of it, he had relented!

"What is your name?"

The girl said, "My name is Gu Yue!"

"Alright, I'll give you this chance." After saying that, he turned and looked at Xie Xie, who was running nearby. He was about to call him over, but hesitated.

Since Gu Yue dared to say such a thing, she must have some ability. Though Xie Xie's Soul Power was high, he was not the strongest among the three.

Besides, Wu Changkong also wanted to see more of Luo Ze's combat ability. "Luo Ze, give your iron clothing to Tang Wulin and come over here."

Hearing the call, Luo Ze slowly stopped. During the time he had been helping Xie Xie, there was no sign of fatigue in his eyes. Instead, he seemed to be growing more energetic.

"Alright!" Luo Ze answered. "You can have my iron clothing. Keep it up!" Luo Ze encouraged Tang Wulin.

"Easy. Forget one set of iron clothing—even if you add yourself in, Brother Luo, it still wouldn't be a problem for me!" Tang Wulin replied confidently, then accelerated again right in front of Xie Xie.

Damn, this guy isn't human! Xie Xie stared at Tang Wulin in shock. With Luo Ze's help, he had recovered quite a bit of his stamina.

"Teacher Wu, what did you need me for?" Luo Ze ran over to Wu Changkong's side and asked slowly.

"Mm, your physical fitness is quite good." Wu Changkong first praised him with satisfaction, then returned to his cold expression. "I'll give you a chance to avoid punishment. As long as you defeat her, you won't have to run anymore today."

Hearing that, Luo Ze instinctively wanted to refuse. For someone who ran into the city every day, another twenty laps truly amounted to nothing—not even enough for a warm-up.

But when he saw Wu Changkong's cold face, the words of refusal immediately went back down his throat. Luo Ze was certain that if he dared say no, Wu Changkong would likely keep a close eye on him.

"Thank you, Teacher Wu! Where is my opponent? Let's get started!" Luo Ze hurriedly said.