Analysis, Actual Combat

Before the afternoon classes began, a new legend was born at Eastsea Academy.

Tang Wuyang, who had gone hungry all morning, was already ravenous. The result was that the cafeteria record was broken once again...

Tang Wuyang had long grown accustomed to the strange looks from the surrounding students and continued devouring his food as if nothing had happened.

As it happened, the third meal service was serving buns for lunch today as well.

Watching the buns in front of the brothers disappear at a visible rate, their roommates Xie Xie and Zhou Changxi were left staring wide-eyed.

Xie Xie said seriously, "If I ever use food as a bet against you two again, I'm an idiot."

Tang Wulin swallowed the last bite of his bun. "Other than that, we wouldn't bet with you anyway. There'd be no motivation."

Tang Wuyang simply did not respond, remaining focused on dealing with the food before him.

"I can't finish mine either. You can have it."

Just then, a voice sounded beside him, followed by a large snow-white bun being placed onto Tang Wuyang's tray.

Tang Wuyang swallowed the food in his mouth. "Thank you, Gu Yue."

He had always found it easy to feel favorably toward people who gave him food.

Gu Yue nodded at him, then did not linger any longer before turning and leaving the cafeteria.

Zhou Changxi leaned closer with a mysterious look. "Wuyang, do you think she might... like you?"

"The moment she joined our class today, she took the initiative to talk to you. And now she's giving you buns. I think she's been charmed by you."

Tang Wuyang said helplessly, "You're only nine, aren't you? What are you even thinking about?"

Zhou Changxi said, "A few days ago, all I thought about was how to beat you brothers up."

"That thought disappeared after Wulin revealed his Twin Martial Souls and you swung that hammer to block Teacher Wu's attack."

Looking at this guy who had completely missed the point, Tang Wuyang picked up the bun in front of him and took a huge bite.

After finishing lunch, the group returned to the classroom to prepare for their afternoon lessons.

It was supposed to be Soul Master Theory, but Wu Changkong said, "With your current physical condition, what theory could you possibly study?"

Thus, the students of Class Five were brought to the field once again.

The training changed from running to frog jumps, making the students suffer even more than they had in the morning.

After a full day of training, the Class Five students felt as though they would have to crawl back to their dormitories.

Wu Changkong's cold voice sounded before class ended. "Tang Wulin, Tang Wuyang, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue, come find me after dinner."

Xie Xie could only stand with Tang Wulin supporting him, his legs still trembling nonstop.

Gu Yue was doing a little better than him, but she was still bracing her hands against her knees.

Seeing this, Tang Wuyang, who was still in fairly good condition, took the initiative to step forward and support the somewhat exhausted Gu Yue.

Tang Wuyang still felt quite favorably toward the girl who had voluntarily given him food.

Gu Yue did not refuse Tang Wuyang's approach either.

However, they had only just met, so Tang Wuyang gentlemanly kept some distance between them.

"We still have to come back tonight?" Xie Xie's tone was full of reluctance.

Ever since Xie Xie and the Tang Wulin brothers had gone from enemies to friends, much of the coldness on his face had disappeared, and he had become more genuine overall.

At the same time, however, the temper of a rich young master had gradually begun to show.

Supporting Gu Yue, Tang Wuyang teased, "What's wrong, young master? Can't hold on anymore?"

At Tang Wuyang's words, Xie Xie instantly bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Who said that?! I'm just a little tired, that's all."

During the hour before dinner, the vast majority of students simply passed out.

Tang Wuyang was exhausted as well, but he still persisted in Meditation.

Over the past two days, after switching to a new Meditation Technique, his meditation efficiency had clearly improved.

There was class again tonight. When would he and his brother ever have time to complete their Forging Task?

Sigh, if there's no other way, we'll have to go in the middle of the night.

Once we finish this Forging Task, I'll discuss it with my brother and tell him not to take on any new tasks for now.

Thinking this, Tang Wuyang gradually calmed his mind and concentrated on Meditation.

Tang Wulin was likewise not resting and was in a meditative state.

After dinner, Tang Wulin and Tang Wuyang practically carried Xie Xie to the field. Xie Xie had originally wanted to quit outright.

By the time the three arrived, Gu Yue was already there. She looked as though she had completely recovered her energy.

It was already evening. The lingering glow of the setting sun left a brilliant fiery red across the sky, and that radiance shone on Gu Yue's delicate little face, adding a touch of splendor to her refined features.

Wu Changkong still wore a stern expression. He had changed into black athletic clothes and stood there waiting.

Not far away, quite a few senior female students had gathered nearby, all their gazes coincidentally focused on Wu Changkong.

"You four, follow me." Seeing them approach, Wu Changkong left those words behind and turned to walk away.

The four followed behind him, heading deeper into the academy.

Wu Changkong led them into an indoor training ground at the back of the academy, which he had obtained from Long Hengxu that afternoon.

The training ground was circular and equipped with a Soul Guidance Protective Barrier. It was a place for students with higher cultivation to train their Martial Souls.

After all, in a completely unprotected place like the field, once Soul Power reached a certain level, it was far too easy for collateral damage to cause destruction.

Wu Changkong led the four to the center of the training ground and stopped.

"Starting today, the four of you will undergo special training with me every night, working toward the Promotion Tournament three months from now."

"Let me make this clear first. If any of you fail to meet my standards after three months, then that person will not participate in the Promotion Tournament." Wu Changkong looked at the four before him, his entire body radiating chill.

"Yes!" the four replied in unison.

Faced with Wu Changkong's imposing presence, Xie Xie could not help but hide slightly behind Tang Wulin.

Affected by Wu Changkong's aura, even Xie Xie's tone became cautious. "Teacher, what exactly will the special training involve? It won't be physical training again, will it?"

Wu Changkong said, "Of course not. No matter what kind of training you undergo, there is only one goal: increasing your strength."

"In my view, all strength comes from actual combat."

"Therefore, your special training has only one component: actual combat."

"Use actual combat to stimulate your own potential and improve your combat experience."

"I'll first explain the key points for each of you, then we'll begin practical training."

"Xie Xie, at your current level, your speed is already fast enough."

"However, your physical endurance is too poor, making it difficult for you to last."

"Therefore, during battle, pay attention to managing your stamina."

"Your Second Martial Soul has the effect of catching enemies off guard, but do not use it casually. Once you use it, you must achieve a sufficiently good result."

"Just as Tang Wulin did when he fought you today."

"Gu Yue, I observed your Elemental Control today."

"Although I do not want to say this, I have to admit that at your current cultivation, your control over the various elements is already extremely good."

"Tomorrow, I'll take the four of you to test your Spirit Power."

Tang Wuyang opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Tang Wulin beside him beat him to it. "Teacher, Wuyang and I have already tested our Spirit Power before, so there's no need..."

Wu Changkong coldly interrupted him. "I only trust my own eyes."

Turning back to Gu Yue, Wu Changkong continued, "Therefore, during training, I hope you will try combining different elements more often."

"I carefully considered your Martial Soul today. An Elemental User is essentially highly compatible with all kinds of elements."

"However, because you do not have Soul Rings specifically focused on enhancing them, you cannot become especially powerful in any single element."

"You may appear to have an advantage early on, since you can use different elements to unleash abilities of different attributes."

"But once your cultivation reaches a certain level in the future, you will discover that you lack powerful Soul Skills as a foundation."

"The Soul Skills you acquire in the future can only strengthen your control over elements and increase the intensity of your Soul Power."

"Under such circumstances, if you want to truly become a powerhouse, there is only one path you can take: combining multiple elements!"

"This is an unprecedented approach. I discovered it today when I saw you combine Earth Element and Ice Element to restrain Xie Xie."

"If you can fuse elements of different attributes together and control that power, then one day, you will certainly stand at the peak of this world."

For Wu Changkong to give such an evaluation was no easy matter. It was clear how highly he regarded Gu Yue.

"Yes, thank you, Teacher." Gu Yue nodded.

"Tang Wulin, although you are like Xie Xie and possess Twin Martial Souls, since you have chosen to focus on Blue Silver Grass, the first thing you must do is control your Martial Soul properly."

"I must tell you frankly that although your Blue Silver Grass possesses the bloodline of the Blue Silver King and may even possess the bloodline of the Blue Silver Emperor, its current bloodline level is still Blue Silver Grass."

"Although its toughness is a good thing for you, only by controlling it perfectly can you truly master it."

"Only then can you develop in the direction of a Control System Battle Soul Master."

"As for whether your Blue Silver Grass can advance to Blue Silver Emperor in the future, that will depend on your fortune."

"And your Second Martial Soul will most likely follow the Offensive System. Control combined with offense is an excellent pairing among Twin Martial Souls."

"Normally, you should familiarize yourself with it more as well. Do not neglect its use simply because you are focusing on Blue Silver Grass."

Tang Wulin looked at his left palm and said seriously, "Yes!"

Wu Changkong finally turned to Tang Wuyang. "As for you, to be honest, your First Soul Skill truly surprised me. I cannot even predict what your Second Soul Skill will be."

"Its ever-changing forms give you more choices in terms of positioning."

"Like Gu Yue, what you need to do now is strengthen your control over Water Element while becoming proficient in using each of its forms."

"And those hammers you used last time—strength is your talent, and it is still very useful at your current level."

"For now, you can try combining your Water Element with your hammers to increase your close-combat methods."

"Yes." Tang Wuyang answered just as seriously.

"Then, special training begins," Wu Changkong said calmly.

The moment Xie Xie heard that it was not physical training, he was instantly energized. Eager to try, he said, "Teacher Wu, who goes first?"

A wooden sword appeared in Wu Changkong's hand. "There is no order. Come at me together. Your opponent is me!"

Not only Xie Xie, but Tang Wulin, Tang Wuyang, and Gu Yue all stiffened at the same time.

"I won't use the power of my Martial Soul or Soul Skills. Give it everything you have. Begin!"

As he spoke, he flicked the wooden sword in his hand and thrust it toward Xie Xie.

Xie Xie reacted quickly, his body swiftly retreating.

Although he retreated at great speed, that wooden sword clung to him like a maggot to the bone, drawing closer and closer.

Whoosh! A sharp sound of tearing air rang out as Tang Wulin gripped the Holy Dragon Spear and blocked the sword before Xie Xie.

The reason he did not use his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul was because he knew his Entwine would have no effect on Wu Changkong.

With Teacher Wu's Soul Power, he could break free instantly. By then, Tang Wulin's Soul Power would instead be completely drained by the side effects of Blue Silver Grass's toughness.

Moreover, Blue Silver Grass's ability to devour Soul Power could only take effect when an opponent was bound by Blue Silver Grass Vines.

Therefore, Tang Wulin decisively used his more offensive Second Martial Soul.

A gust of gentle breeze blew in from the side, pushing Xie Xie away and distancing him from Wu Changkong, while Tang Wulin, who stood in front of him, was forced back two or three steps by Wu Changkong's charge.

If Tang Wulin's strength had not been considerable as well, that strike alone could have sent Xie Xie flying.

Tang Wuyang released his Martial Soul, and five Ice Swords appeared around him. However, he did not attack Wu Changkong. Instead, he continuously increased the Soul Power he poured into them.

Gradually, as more Soul Power flowed into the originally light-blue Ice Swords, their color deepened.

Gu Yue, who had just used Wind Element and was preparing her next element, seemed to suddenly sense something. She turned to look at Tang Wuyang, her eyes holding an indescribable emotion.

Gu Yue quickly came back to her senses. Wu Changkong's footing suddenly softened, and he rapidly began sinking into the ground.

At that moment, Tang Wuyang swept both hands forward, sending the now dark-blue Ice Swords flying toward Wu Changkong.

Wu Changkong's movements were strange and incredibly fast. He dodged the Ice Swords as he charged toward Tang Wuyang.

Tang Wuyang showed no fear. A hammer appeared in his right hand, and he charged forward alongside Tang Wulin, who held the Holy Dragon Spear.

At the same time, Xie Xie launched an attack from the side.

A fireball appeared beside Wu Changkong, and a strange current of air wrapped around the wooden sword in his hand. The fireball suddenly lost control and flew toward Xie Xie.

Tang Wuyang hurled his Forging Hammer at Wu Changkong with all his strength while controlling several Ice Cones to shoot toward him.

Tang Wulin abruptly changed direction and attacked from another angle.

Wu Changkong struck the Forging Hammer back with his wooden sword. Feeling the force transmitted through the sword, a flash of surprise appeared in his eyes.

Immediately afterward, he leaped into the air, evading the Ice Cones as well as Tang Wulin and Xie Xie's attacks.

Tang Wuyang caught the returned Forging Hammer. A flash of white light passed, and the original hammer vanished, replaced by a dark-silver hammer in his hand. "Brother!"

Seeing this, Tang Wulin shouted at Xie Xie, "Xie Xie, fall back!"

The instant Xie Xie retreated, Tang Wuyang charged forward with the Thousand Refinements Sinking Silver Hammer in hand. He imagined himself Forging, with a piece of metal before him, and viciously brought down his right hand.

Wu Changkong casually flicked the wooden sword in his hand and met the attack horizontally.

Wu Changkong's Martial Soul was a sword. What he pursued was the realm of One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Techniques.

Therefore, no matter what attack he faced or who his enemy was, all he relied on was the sword in his hand.

Yet what he had not expected was that this time, he suffered a loss.

As hammer and sword collided, Wu Changkong felt a considerable force transmitted through the wooden sword in his hand, though it was far weaker than his own strength.

However, he had not released his Martial Soul, and only a small portion of his Soul Power was available. He immediately realized that the wooden sword in his hand was about to fail.

Before he could pour in more Soul Power, two more waves of force came through the wooden sword. Crack! The wooden sword broke.

Seeing the broken wooden sword, Tang Wuyang wore a panicked expression, unable to stop his momentum. Wu Changkong flashed aside, avoiding the hammer that was about to strike his head.

The seemingly small hammer smashed into the ground, and cracks immediately spread across the previously intact floor. A tremendous boom rang out, startling Xie Xie and Gu Yue, who had been about to approach.

Tang Wuyang quickly raised his hammer and retreated several steps.

Wu Changkong looked at the broken wooden sword in his hand and stopped moving, somewhat stunned. By now, he understood that there was something unusual about Tang Wuyang's hammer.

"Stop!" He raised a hand, preventing Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, and Xie Xie from continuing their attacks.