Running into an All-Powerful Substitute in the Promotion Match, First Meeting Tang Wulin and Gu Yue (4K)

Running into an All-Powerful Substitute in the Promotion Match, First Meeting Tang Wulin and Gu Yue (4,000 words)

The vast Primitive forest was filled with fresh, pleasant air, its ancient trees tangled together by sprawling roots. Eastsea City's Spirit Ascension Platform was no different from the headquarters' environment, both modeled after the outer regions of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Ink black and silver-white pupils abruptly opened. The other was right beside them. During the Riot Period, the Spirit Ascension Platform allowed Soul Master teams to enter together. They would be teleported in as a group, so there was no need to waste time searching for one another.

"Na'er, how many more years can your two Soul Rings increase by in total?" Zhao Xuanzhen asked.

"About two hundred years."

Having lived together day and night for four years, the two had long become the most tacit partners. The moment Zhao Xuanzhen spoke, Na'er instantly understood what he meant.

With the Spirit Pagoda Deputy Tower Master backing them, Spirit Ascension Platform slots that outside Soul Masters fought desperately over were theirs for the taking. As long as their bodies and minds could endure it, Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er could enter the Spirit Ascension Platform and advance their Soul Rings whenever they wanted.

This meant that their Soul Rings had nearly reached their limits. Today, they needed to restrain their slaughter of Spirit Ascension Platform soul beasts somewhat.

Zhao Xuanzhen possessed the Original Martial Soul True Self, and his physical fitness far surpassed Na'er's. However, the burden of two Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings was immense. At most, he could absorb another three hundred years of spiritual energy feedback, and he also needed to leave some room to kill the guardian.

A minor issue. Most of the soul beasts in the Primary Spirit Ascension Platform were ten-year and Hundred-Year Soul Beasts. Calculated at a ten percent conversion rate, the two of them had a full five thousand years of capacity combined. Besides, upgrading their Soul Rings was not the ultimate purpose of this trip.

The two walked side by side, heading deeper into the Spirit Ascension Platform.

"Zhao Xuanzhen."

"Yeah?"

"Why did Aunt Leng suddenly ask us to test that Gu Yue?" Na'er's eyes revealed her confusion.

"Gu Yue is a genius Soul Master recommended by the East Sea Tower Master, and she is also willing to join the Spirit Pagoda. Teacher plans to directly bring her into the Phoenix Family faction.

"You, me, and Gu Yue are the trident in Teacher's mind.

"The so-called test is merely a formality. First, it lets Teacher personally observe whether Gu Yue's abilities are real. Second, it lets the three prongs of the trident get acquainted. As the old saying goes, you don't become friends without a fight."

Zhao Xuanzhen patiently explained. Na'er was certainly exceptionally talented, but Leng Yaozhu would not reveal all of her thoughts to her without reservation.

In Leng Yaozhu's heart, the one with the most important position had always been Zhao Xuanzhen, the Direct Disciple she had raised with her own hands. Na'er was her strong and dependable left arm, while Gu Yue would be her future right arm.

"Is there a chance that we beat Gu Yue up badly, and then Aunt Leng abandons her?" Na'er asked eagerly.

"Gu Yue joining the Spirit Pagoda is practically certain. Behind her stands a powerful Hidden Family, and Teacher plans to meet Gu Yue's mother, Purple Dragon Douluo.

"Talent, strength, background—she has everything. When a young mistress like this is willing to join, the Spirit Pagoda will never let her slip away. Even if Teacher disagrees, the Four Great Spirit Messengers, Deputy Tower Master Zhang Geyang, and even the tower master, the Qiangu Lineage, would do everything they could to recruit Gu Yue.

"Na'er, the Spirit Pagoda is not united from top to bottom. It is filled with factions. Rather than let Gu Yue stand with another faction, it is better to bring her in ourselves and use her for our own purposes. Whatever she does, we'll know everything."

"Fine."

Hearing this, Na'er let out a long sigh, one brimming with frustration. Then she circled in front of Zhao Xuanzhen, raised her head to look directly into his pitch-black eyes, and stressed seriously,

"We've lived together for four years, braving wind and rain every day. Once that Gu Yue comes, you absolutely can't help her bully me. Better yet... don't get too close to her!"

"Got it. You want me to pretend to be friends with her?"

"Exactly!"

Na'er was ecstatic. For the first time, she felt that Zhao Xuanzhen had actually said something human!

"Enough. Three Hundred-Year Soul Beasts are approaching. Prepare for battle," Zhao Xuanzhen said helplessly.

"Just a few Hundred-Year Soul Beasts. You handle them!"

Na'er requested permission to slack off. They were fighters who roamed the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform. Coming to the Primary Spirit Ascension Platform was basically making a low-level account to crush rookies, and she had decided to lie back and get carried.

Across a distance of several hundred meters, the three Hundred-Year Soul Beasts arrived in the blink of an eye. Grasping the branches of ancient trees with both hands, their bodies swung toward them like pendulums.

Ape-type soul beasts—Hundred-Year Iron Arm Apes.

"Strange. Why am I always dealing with gorillas, baboons, and monkeys..."

Zhao Xuanzhen fell into thought. At the headquarters' Spirit Ascension Platform, he had pummeled Wind Baboons. In the Real Illusion, he had beaten Great Strength Gorillas. In Eastsea City, he was fighting Iron Arm Apes!

During the Riot Period, soul beasts were more frenzied than usual. The three Iron Arm Apes rapidly closed in on Zhao Xuanzhen, savagery flashing through their beast eyes as they pounced from three directions.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The Iron Arm Ape squad pounced at empty air, kicking up a cloud of dust. From their perspective, their prey had nearly vanished at the speed of Instant Transmission. Then one Iron Arm Ape's arm was seized by a fair palm. With an unbelievable forceful pull and twist, its entire beast body was dragged along, spinning through the air!

"Riiip—"

The Iron Arm Ape was known for Copper Skin Iron Bone, yet under Zhao Xuanzhen's Hidden Strength, its steel-bar-like body was twisted into a pretzel. Its great mouth did not even have time to scream before it died on the spot.

The remaining two Iron Arm Apes met the same fate. Their throats and hearts were heavily struck respectively, their necks snapped and hearts shattered. They followed their companions to Yellow Springs. The entire killing process took less than ten seconds. Zhao Xuanzhen had not even used his Martial Soul, relying solely on his formidable physical fitness and Taijiquan.

As the three Hundred-Year Soul Beasts died, dense yellow spiritual energy dispersed into the air. During the Riot Period, fusion time was a hundred times longer than normal. Zhao Xuanzhen slowly absorbed it, raising his Soul Ring age by a negligible amount.

"Boom—"

In the distance, a scarlet beam tore through the sky. The scorching heat warped the surrounding air as it shot straight toward Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er.

Neither of them dodged, because the attack was merely a showy threat. The light crashed into the ground and ignited a broad swath of flames.

Two boys and a girl emerged from the firelight, all around fifteen or sixteen years old. The two boys looked utterly ordinary and unremarkable, while the young girl was exceptionally beautiful. Her golden hair was tied into a ponytail, and her tight-fitting clothes made her look heroic and spirited.

The Golden-Haired Girl was the one who had warned them. A scorching fireball like a sun floated above her head, while two yellow and one purple Soul Rings shone brilliantly around her. She said coldly,

"Leave the spiritual energy and get out of the Spirit Ascension Platform. Otherwise, Blazing Sun will fall on you next."

The tacit understanding they had formed over time made Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er move in sync. They turned to look at each other, seeing appreciation in the other's eyes for the girl's commendable courage. Eastsea City truly had many capable people!

"I'll be right back."

Zhao Xuanzhen did not deliberately lower his voice. The girl heard every word clearly, and her willow eyebrows immediately rose in fury.

The Riot Period Spirit Ascension Platform was essentially a brutal trial. Those who entered had to face both soul beasts and Soul Masters. Seeing how young Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er were, she believed she had already shown mercy. Yet the other side apparently did not take her seriously at all!

"Sister Muxi?" the two boys asked tentatively.

"Clear them out!"

Mu Xi snorted coldly. The first Soul Ring of her Blazing Sun Martial Soul lit up, and streams of high-temperature fireballs condensed, carrying the young girl's fury at being ignored!

The next second, a scene that shattered Mu Xi's worldview unfolded. Zhao Xuanzhen tapped the ground with his toes, his body drifting like willow fluff. His changing footwork was agile and graceful, and he nearly brushed past the Blazing Sun fireballs without suffering the slightest injury!

"Sister Muxi, I'll help you!"

One of the boys roared. Three yellow Soul Rings rose, purple-black dragon scales spreading across the side of his face. A suppressed mental fluctuation expanded outward—the Fearful Demon Dragon!

Among the Dragon Clan, where strength was revered above all, the Fearful Demon Dragon had always been inconspicuous. Its bloodline was mediocre and its physical fitness weak, but as a rare Mental Attribute Soul Beast, the Fearful Demon Dragon's mental attacks were impossible to guard against. It was truly a weapon for ambushing others!

"Third Soul Skill, Spiritual Fear!"

The Fearful Demon Dragon Soul Elder directly used his trump card, the Third Soul Skill. A bizarre Spiritual Fear pressed down on Zhao Xuanzhen. He was extremely confident that as long as Spiritual Fear took effect for even one second, Zhao Xuanzhen would surely be swallowed by Blazing Sun's flames!

"Pfft—"

A huge mouthful of blood suddenly sprayed out. The Fearful Demon Dragon Soul Elder's Sea of Consciousness shook violently as blood poured from his seven orifices. The gap between their Mental strength was too great—mental backlash!

"Sp-Spirit Sea Realm!"

Years of cultivation and his Martial Soul talent had given the Fearful Demon Dragon Soul Elder Spirit Connection Realm mental strength. If Zhao Xuanzhen could ignore Spiritual Fear and even backlash against him, that meant the enemy possessed at least Spirit Sea Realm mental strength!

Immediately afterward, Zhao Xuanzhen activated his True Self Martial Soul Possession. A lock of black hair at his forehead turned pale, and his entire presence soared wildly!

Black. Pure black!

Two Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings like eclipses emerged with overwhelming force, seeming to devour every ray of light. Mu Xi and the other two froze. Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings!

"Run!"

Every thought in Mu Xi's mind instantly vanished. Blazing Sun hurled out a wall of fire.

The last boy received the signal and hurriedly released his Martial Soul. A pair of giant wings grew from his back, countless iron-black feathers folding together as he carried his two companions into the air!

Martial Soul: Giant Winged Griffin. First soul skill: Charge. Second Soul Skill: Wind Protection!

The moment Zhao Xuanzhen activated Martial Soul Possession, the three immediately understood that they had hit an iron wall today. Two Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings and Spirit Sea Realm mental strength—an unheard-of monster!

"Good thing we can fly..." the Fearful Demon Dragon Soul Elder said with lingering fear. "Sister Muxi, let's honestly hunt soul beasts. Who knows if we'll run into another freak..."

"You're right, but..." Mu Xi's expression darkened. "The freak below doesn't seem to intend to let us go!"

The Fearful Demon Dragon Soul Elder looked down and saw two figures racing through the forest at high speed. Their speed was almost no slower than the Giant Winged Griffin's flight. At some point, a black and white Taiji Diagram had already passed through the dense forest, blasting toward the Giant Winged Griffin!

Qi Dong Shan He!

"Aah—"

The Giant Winged Griffin Soul Elder screamed as both wings were severely injured by Yin and Yang Dual Qi. Losing his ability to fly, he plummeted straight down!

Dizziness flooded their minds. Mu Xi and the other two shook their heads, pain wracking every part of their bodies. Fortunately, the trees cushioned their fall, preventing them from being teleported out of the Spirit Ascension Platform.

"Mu Xi?"

Mu Xi took two and a half seconds to recover, then turned toward the source of the voice. Quite a few people surrounded them, all students from various grades of Eastsea Academy.

Eastsea Academy was Eastsea City's top Soul Master Academy. Many descendants of Eastsea City's high-level figures studied and cultivated there. The Riot Period Spirit Ascension Platform opened twice a year, and the forces behind those students all made moves to secure Spirit Ascension slots. They had happened to meet inside the Spirit Ascension Platform. Since classmates at least had a basic level of trust, they decided to form a team to improve their hunting success rate.

The leader was a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old young man with Soul Power Cultivation at rank thirty-five and two yellow, one purple Soul Rings. He held a snow-white long staff, with a blue crystal embedded at its tip.

Behind the young man stood a little Girl holding an identical Ice Staff Ring. A lone yellow Soul Ring hovered around her. Her light-blue hair was styled into adorable twin Ponytails, and her delicate, lively little face curiously examined the three who had fallen from the sky.

"Senior Xu Xiaoyu!"

Mu Xi recognized the young man and could not help feeling pleasantly surprised.

"What happened?" Xu Xiaoyu frowned.

Mu Xi smiled bitterly. "You could say we brought this upon ourselves. We saw two young Soul Masters kill three Hundred-Year Iron Arm Apes and thought we could take advantage of the situation.

"Instead, one of them has two Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings and Spirit Sea Realm mental strength. We turned and fled, then that guy knocked us down with his Soul Skill. They should catch up soon."

Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings. Spirit Sea Realm mental strength!

It was as if two bolts from a clear sky had struck the Eastsea Academy students on the crown of their heads. Xu Xiaoyu and the little Girl with twin Ponytails were equally shocked. Mu Xi had not picked a soft persimmon—she had picked a Ninth Rank Fixed Soul Tool Cannonball!

"Sister Muxi, putting the facts aside, weren't they wrong too?!" someone shouted loudly.

"That's right! Taking ten thousand steps back, everyone had done something wrong. Why force the issue so relentlessly?"

"Brothers, we'll help you get them back!"

The crowd was fired up, though it was actually all about social connections and favors. Mu Xi was a genius blacksmith, and her father was Mu Chen, a Rank 8 Saint Craftsman. Winning Mu Xi's favor now was no different from offering charcoal in snowy weather. Both they and their families could benefit in the future!

"So what if he has two Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings? His Soul Power is at most rank twenty-nine. I don't believe he can beat all of us!"

A burly man heavily pounded his chest. "Brother Xiaoyu, I'm a Defense Type Soul Master. I'll be the first one up!"

Xu Xiaoyu silently nodded. The Xu Family was one of Eastsea City's foremost great families, and his father was the chief financial officer. He had long told Xu Xiaoyu to maintain a good relationship with Mu Xi whenever possible. He was about to graduate, and connecting with Saint Craftsman Mu Chen would bring nothing but benefits.

The people from Eastsea Academy quickly formed up, waiting solemnly for the BOSS to arrive.

A moment later, Zhao Xuanzhen and Na'er passed through the forest. The instant everyone saw their faces, their eyelids involuntarily twitched. Their first impression was that these were two people as clean and bright as the early morning sun, nothing like the monsters Mu Xi had described.

"You formed a team?" Zhao Xuanzhen asked flatly.

"In that case, let's clear the field."

"Heh heh heh, just what I wanted!"

Na'er Fully Displayed the temperament of a great villainous demon king.

"Get revenge for Sister Muxi!"

The burly man charged out first, raising an earthy-yellow giant shield in each hand. Two yellow and one purple Soul Rings lit up in succession!

A high-level Defense Type Martial Soul—Rock Giant Shield!

First soul skill: Hardening. Second Soul Skill: Expansion. Third Soul Skill: Immovable Rock Power!

Solid as gold, indestructible!

"Brothers, get in there! I'll hold him off!"

"Wulin, there are many Soul Masters fighting ahead."

The five-person group advanced cautiously, a black hawk circling overhead, when someone suddenly spoke.

"Let's go take a look. Stay alert."

Their captain, Tang Wulin, made the decision. The five advanced toward the source of the battle. One thing was especially strange: there was always an unusually large distance between the rear and middle of the team, and the black-haired young girl responsible for guarding the rear wore a cold expression.

They carefully made their way to the battlefield and witnessed the entire fight.

A group of people besieged two opponents. The burly man wielding two giant shields charged at the boy with black and white hair, whose response was simple and direct. Black and white qi flow clung to his elbow as he spun and struck fiercely!

"Brothers, run! I got sent flying by one elbow!"

The Rock Giant Shield shattered, and the burly man was launched backward. He shouted for everyone to retreat as a massive hollow caved into his chest. He was immediately forced out of the Spirit Ascension Platform!

The boy withdrew his elbow. Two other Strong Attack Type Soul Masters rushed at him from the left and right. He did not even light up those terrifying Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings, instead meeting them head-on.

Fist, palm, elbow, shoulder—every strike cracked through the air with a Shock Blast. Every attack went directly for vital points. Whoever was hit toppled backward as though struck by a truck, pinned to the ground and unable to move.

Tang Wulin watched the people below go from a group siege to fleeing in all directions. Then he spotted his familiar senior sister Mu Xi. She and the Ice Staff Ring boy jointly unleashed fireballs and frost, trying to stop the boy's advance. Yet before their attacks could touch him, they were swallowed by a black and white vortex. The force returned with double the power, sending them fleeing in panic.

Zhao Xuanzhen used Yin Yang Reversal to rebound Blazing Sun Fire and the Ice Staff Ring. Human-wave tactics were merely clumsy acrobatics to him. Every strike he made brought another person down, the sound of bodies hitting the ground dull as heavy hammers.

Suddenly, he seemed to sense something and looked in a certain direction. There were several faces staring blankly back at him.

"He found us."

The black-haired young girl, lingering outside the group, spoke faintly.

The remaining four looked at one another. The handsome boy holding a golden dagger in reverse grip said mournfully,

"Wulin, our Final exam is probably going to be troublesome..."

Tang Wulin nodded deeply in agreement, while Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi covered their faces in pain.

Running into an All-Powerful Substitute in the promotion match—we're totally screwed!