Encirclement

By the time the brothers left the Forging Master Association, they still felt as if they were dreaming.

They had Soul Guidance Communicators now? And the association even reimbursed their call fees.

Cen Yue's Soul Guidance Communication Number had already been saved in both of their communicators.

Then there were the Storage Rings on the ring fingers of their right hands. Ten Cubic Meters of storage space!

Its value was hard to estimate. It probably wasn't worth less than a Century Soul Spirit.

What the brothers did not know was that although this ring was indeed an association benefit, it was not something a Fourth Grade Forging Master could receive. One had to reach Level Five and become a Master Craftsman Level Forging Master to obtain one.

Mu Chen had specially approved these rings for them. Clearly, he intended to invest early in these two highly promising children.

As Tang Wuyang marveled at the association's benefits, he suddenly seemed to remember something. "Ge, aren't we already Soul Masters? I remember Teacher Lin saying that after registering with the Soul Master Association, we can receive one thousand Federation Coins every month!"

"That's right. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would've forgotten too. Since it's still early, Wuyang, let's go take a look." Tang Wulin slapped his forehead and said in realization.

After asking around, the brothers learned that the Soul Master Association was not far from here. Since it was not too late yet, they simply made the trip.

The Soul Master Association was about the same size as the Forging Master Association. As One-Ring Soul Masters, they could only enter the first floor. After displaying their Soul Rings, they registered and each received one thousand Federation Coins.

Their experience at the Soul Master Association was far worse than at the Forging Master Association. No one here paid attention to two little fellows with only Ten-Year Soul Spirits.

Even so, the brothers were still delighted. They had gained quite a lot from tonight's outing.

When they returned to the dormitory, Zhou Changxi and Xie Xie had already entered meditation.

Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin did not disturb them. Each climbed into his own bed and began meditating according to the Meditation Technique Wu Changkong had taught them today.

Their Soul Power circulated through their bodies in a more complex pattern. Before long, Tang Wuyang entered a meditative state, his not particularly powerful Soul Power flowing through his meridians and gathering bit by bit.

Morning.

When Tang Wuyang finished meditating, he was surprised to discover that Xie Xie, across from him, was already gone.

Tang Wulin had just finished washing up and walked out of the bathroom.

The sky outside was already bright. It was his first time using the new Meditation Technique, and he had gotten up later than usual.

Not wanting to keep his older brother waiting, Tang Wuyang hurriedly got out of bed and ran off to wash up.

Soon, after washing up, Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin eagerly ran toward the dormitory building's entrance together.

Before they reached the entrance, the brothers saw a large group of senior grade students standing there, looking around as though searching for something.

As they drew closer, the brothers suddenly spotted a familiar figure among the group.

Mu Xi wore her school uniform, her golden hair tied into a ponytail.

Since girls developed earlier, Mu Xi was half a head taller than Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin. She had a slender, graceful figure.

Though she had not fully matured yet, she already carried a hint of feminine charm.

Just as Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin saw her, Mu Xi turned around and met the brothers' eyes.

"It's them!" She abruptly raised her hand and pointed at Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin.

Before the brothers could react, seven or eight senior male students standing with Mu Xi surrounded them.

"What are you doing?" Tang Wulin asked in confusion.

Unlike Tang Wulin's simple reaction, Tang Wuyang watched the aggressive senior students warily. A faint blue light flashed within the palm of his clenched right hand.

"We need to talk to you about something, kids. Come with us." A tall, fairly handsome male student spoke to Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin, but there was an unmistakably mocking tone in his voice.

Tang Wuyang stood in front of his older brother. "What is it? Say it here."

He vaguely understood now. These senior students had come looking for trouble, and it definitely had something to do with Mu Xi.

Since this was at the dormitory entrance, quite a few First Grade freshmen gathered to watch, but the fierce looks from the senior students forced them back.

"Do you think you get to choose?" The tall male student reached out and grabbed Tang Wuyang's shoulder, since he was closer.

Tang Wuyang violently shook his shoulder. His strength, far beyond that of children his age, sent the tall male student staggering, nearly falling over.

There was no hesitation and no wishful thinking. Tang Wuyang attacked at once, his Qilin Martial Soul instantly possessing his body.

Chains formed from Ice Element almost instantly wrapped around the surrounding senior male students, while he himself charged straight at the person he had just knocked back.

Back at the Primary Academy, whether for Na'er, his older brother, or himself, Tang Wuyang had gotten into plenty of fights.

The other side had more people. If he did not catch them off guard, he and Tang Wulin would have no chance at all.

This was an academy, after all. As long as he could break through, or make enough of a commotion, their safety would definitely be guaranteed.

Tang Wulin's reaction was not slow either. The moment he realized something was wrong, he released his Martial Soul as well. Blue Silver Grass surged from his palms one stalk after another.

Avoiding Tang Wuyang's Ice Chains, which mainly bound their upper bodies, Tang Wulin's Blue Silver Grass Vines focused on entangling their legs.

These senior students clearly had not expected Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin to dare attack when their side had so many people. Their decisiveness caught them off guard, and they were all bound by Ice Chains and Blue Silver Grass.

The male student directly ahead had only just gathered his Soul Power when Tang Wuyang crashed into him.

Bang!

The tall male student was sent flying backward. Tang Wuyang flashed past him, nearly breaking out of the encirclement.

Just then, a figure silently blocked his path. Immediately afterward, a dazzling, intense light suddenly appeared before Tang Wuyang's eyes.

The intense heat carried by that powerful light shone upon him, and Tang Wuyang felt as if his body were about to ignite.

His forward momentum slowed instantly. He heard a cold snort beside his ear, then pain burst through his chest as a kick sent him tumbling back into the previous encirclement.

Tang Wulin, who had only taken two steps forward, hurriedly caught his still-staggering younger brother from behind.

Once Tang Wuyang steadied himself, he and Tang Wulin behind him both felt their Soul Power plummet.

Under the blaze of that intense light, Tang Wuyang suddenly discovered that white vapor was rising from his Ice Chains, while water droplets continuously fell to the ground.

His Soul Power also abruptly dropped by half as the Ice Chains consumed it on their own.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Stalk after stalk of Blue Silver Grass snapped. Only the heavily cracked Ice Chains remained, barely holding the senior students in place.

"Ugh!"

Entangling so many people at once, Tang Wulin's Blue Silver Grass finally snapped for the first time, and the backlash followed immediately.

The Level Twelve Soul Power inside him was completely exhausted the instant the Blue Silver Grass broke.

"Kid, you dare ram into me!" The tall male student swung his fist toward Tang Wuyang's face.

Tang Wuyang naturally would not indulge him. Using all the Soul Power remaining in his body, he formed a set of light armor and a pair of boxing gloves from Ice Element.

His right fist, protected by an Ice Boxing Glove, met it head-on.

Bang!

Facing Tang Wuyang's heavy, powerful punch, the tall male student could not help taking two steps back.

He stared in astonishment at the little fellow who had only just reached his shoulder.

Just as the tall male student refused to accept this and prepared to step forward again, Mu Xi behind him suddenly shouted sternly, "Stop!"

The male student halted, obvious anger in his eyes as he looked at Tang Wuyang.

With the male student no longer blocking their view, Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin finally noticed that the powerful light Tang Wuyang had encountered earlier had been released by Mu Xi.

Two yellow Century Soul Rings rose beneath her feet.

Above her head floated a golden-yellow light ball, shining like the sun.

A small cluster of orange-red flames flickered lightly on Mu Xi's left shoulder. It seemed to be her Soul Spirit.

The intense heat was receding, but the surrounding air temperature had still risen considerably.

What kind of Martial Soul was that? It felt so powerful.

The Ice Chains around the other senior students finally could no longer hold on and shattered.

Yet they did not surround Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin again. Instead, they moved aside on their own, opening a path on both sides.

Mu Xi walked slowly up to Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin. Though the temperature of her Martial Soul was dropping, her aura remained powerful.

Two Rings. She was already a Soul Grandmaster.

"I'm Mu Xi from Grade Five Class One of the Intermediate Department. I want to compete with the two of you in forging. If you still intend to continue studying at this academy, don't refuse." Mu Xi spoke coldly.

She had always been a competitive girl, ever since childhood.

Tang Wuyang's eyes narrowed. What he hated most was being threatened.

Tang Wulin also frowned deeply. Although his personality was gentler than his younger brother Tang Wuyang's, the two were alike in one regard: neither liked being threatened.

Just as Tang Wuyang was about to move, a chilling voice suddenly sounded.

"If you still want to live, stop talking nonsense and make your lackeys get lost!"

Mu Xi's expression changed slightly. Her slender body instantly tensed, and a flicker of fear flashed through her eyes.

The others did not know what had happened, but she could clearly feel a bone-chilling presence constantly brushing against her neck. It seemed that if she moved even slightly, her throat would be slit.

She did not dare move. She did not even dare release her Martial Soul again after it had dissipated.

"Make them all get lost!" the sinister voice rang out again.

A face poked out from beside Mu Xi. Wasn't it Xie Xie?

He was much shorter than Mu Xi. It looked as if one of his arms was draped over her shoulder, while his other hand held the Light Dragon Dagger against her waist.

"Bastard, do you know what you're doing?" the tall male student from before roared.

Xie Xie said coldly, "My patience is limited. If you think I don't dare act at the academy, then feel free to try me."

As he spoke, he pressed the Light Dragon Dagger slightly harder. Mu Xi immediately groaned in pain.

"All of you, leave!" Mu Xi shouted in a low voice. She could clearly feel the killing intent coming from behind her.

No matter how mature she looked, she was still only thirteen years old. Fear quickly gained the upper hand, and upon hearing her words, the senior students had no choice but to disperse.

Just then, an enraged roar rang out. "Stop!"

Xie Xie's entire body went numb, and the Light Dragon Dagger in his hands and the invisible Shadow Dragon Dagger almost vanished at the same time.

The next instant, he was lifted into the air by a tall figure like an eagle snatching a chick.

Intermediate Department Teaching Office.

"Speak! What happened?" Director of Teaching Long Hengxu looked darkly at the students before him.

Mu Xi lowered her head. "I only went to challenge Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin to a forging competition."

Xie Xie sneered. "You brought a bunch of lackeys to block us at the First Grade dormitory. Is that how senior students look for people?"

Long Hengxu shot him a cold glare. "And that's why you threatened a senior sister with a knife? If they didn't stop, would you really have killed her?"

Xie Xie curled his lip and disdainfully swept his gaze across the senior students present. "Maybe."

Long Hengxu turned toward Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin. "What about you two? As the instigators, what do you have to say?"

Anger burned clearly in Tang Wuyang's black-gem-like eyes. "They were obviously the ones who started trouble. What do we have to say?"

Tang Wulin patted Tang Wuyang on the shoulder, stepped forward, and said firmly, "When we were little, Dad taught Wuyang and me a principle."

"He said that if he found out Wuyang and I had bullied classmates at the academy, he would punish us severely."

"But if classmates bullied us, then we should fight back without hesitation. He would never blame us for it!"

Long Hengxu looked at the two children before him and suddenly realized that, despite having been a director for so many years, he was at a loss for words.

"Well said! I don't think my students did anything wrong either." A cold voice sounded.

The door to the Teaching Office opened, and Wu Changkong walked in with a grim expression.

Long Hengxu frowned. "Teacher Wu, have you forgotten even the most basic courtesy of knocking?"

Wu Changkong replied icily, "Sorry."

Long Hengxu's facial muscles twitched slightly. There wasn't even a bit of sincerity in that apology.

Back when he had been in the Advanced Department, he had already given the Director of Teaching there plenty of headaches. Now that he was here, teaching the worst class, he still had not changed at all.

"Bullying the weak with your age, you're really impressive!" Wu Changkong's cold gaze swept over the Grade Five Class One students led by Mu Xi.

"I won't bully the weak with my age. But if I find out you dare provoke my students again, I'll beat up your homeroom teacher."

Long Hengxu snapped, "Teacher Wu, please show some restraint."

Wu Changkong replied coldly, "Beat me, and I'll show restraint."

After saying that, he reached out, ruffled Xie Xie's head, and pushed him forward two steps. Then he grabbed one brother in each hand and led the three of them out of the Teaching Office.

"You..." Long Hengxu stood up angrily, wanting to stop him.

But when he remembered what Wu Changkong had done over in the Advanced Department, he ultimately could not muster the courage to stop him.

That guy was completely insane.

"You lot! Each of you will receive one warning demerit. Bullying the weak with your age—how capable!"

The furious Director of Teaching vented all his anger on the Grade Five Class One students.

After leaving the Teaching Office, Wu Changkong released Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin's hands and walked ahead on his own.

Looking at his straight back, Tang Wulin hurried after him. "Teacher, thank you."

Wu Changkong said flatly, "There's nothing to thank me for, and you didn't do anything wrong. No one is allowed to delay my class."

Xie Xie also moved closer, a rare smile on his face. "Teacher Wu, you were so cool just now! I'm convinced."

"Even if you train us to death tonight, I definitely won't complain."

Wu Changkong said faintly, "Remember what you said."

Tang Wuyang, beside him, pulled Xie Xie over, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "Xie Xie, thank you for helping us just now too."

Xie Xie's expression turned somewhat strange. "Why does that sound so awkward coming from you?"

"But you two don't need to thank me either. I just couldn't stand them relying on numbers to bully fewer people, and using their age to bully the younger ones."

Tang Wulin smiled. "We're friends from now on." Tang Wuyang nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Xie Xie curled his lip. "You brothers make friends too easily. I never said I considered you friends."

Tang Wuyang said, "That isn't important."