We Are Champions, Special Reward [Please Follow and Vote]

In the state of Northern Abyss Awakening: Black Tortoise Abyssal Descent, the young man's bloodline concentration rose, and every Soul Skill carried the Black Tortoise Brand.

His physical strength and the defensive power of the Tortoise Shell Shield also increased dramatically.

The second Soul Ring on the young man's body lit up.

The shield lay horizontally before him as Xu Tinglan's Ink Soul Power suddenly fell silent.

He stood there, utterly motionless.

The shield in his hand continuously expanded, connecting with the mountain range below.

Man and shield became one, shield and earth connected.

Second Soul Skill: Thousand Mountains Return to Ruins

Though the vast sea surged, he remained unmoved.

He carried an aura that said even if heaven and earth collapsed, he would not retreat half a step.

Golden rings of light continuously erupted in the sky.

Beam Cannons were dazzling but fleeting.

Before the Return to Ruins Black Tortoise Shield, they vanished without a trace.

The barrage lasted a full five minutes.

Xiao Hongchen's face was flushed red as he panted heavily. Under the effects of the Gravity Domain, his body had begun to sway.

He was on the verge of falling out of the arena.

"How can this guy be this tough?" he growled through gritted teeth. "Even ten Level 3 Soul Guidance Protective Barriers should've been blasted to nothing by now!"

Xu Tinglan stepped atop the waves.

The Propulsion Soul Tool behind him activated at maximum power. Holding the Brook Moon Sword, he charged toward the silver-haired youth.

The distance between them steadily closed.

Xiao Hongchen took a deep breath and forced a smile onto his face. "I was lying!"

He believed he could keep fighting.

The silver-haired youth pulled out a Level 4 Energy Gathering Soul Cannon!

Xu Tinglan paid it no mind, allowing the wind to brush through his hair.

The wind lifted the loose strands over his forehead, revealing his brow and those calm eyes.

The corners of his lips curved slightly, his expression carrying the composed confidence of someone with everything under control.

That appearance.

Carefree to the point of seeming casual, composed to the point of seeming arrogant.

The Black Tortoise Shield stood before him and easily absorbed the incoming blow.

The Brook Moon Sword swung repeatedly.

The Soul Guidance Protective Barrier shattered in response.

Xiao Hongchen fell to the ground, and the Soul Tool in his hand dropped beside him.

He landed heavily on the ground, his body trembling faintly.

Under the interference of overheating and the Gravity Domain, Xiao Hongchen's physical strength and Soul Power were nearly depleted.

Lin Jiayi said in a deep voice,

"Xu Tinglan's team wins this match."

Meng Hongchen hurried to the youth's side, looking worried as she prepared to help him up.

"Brother?"

The silver-haired youth waved his hand. Taking a deep breath, he rasped, "I... can get up by myself!"

His body trembled more and more violently.

The silver-haired youth braced himself against the ground and struggled to his feet.

He nearly staggered and fell again, but he still managed to stand upright through sheer stubbornness.

"Congratulations. You won," Xiao Hongchen said with a relieved smile.

"Looks like I still need to work harder."

Xu Tinglan walked over and reached out to support him, a smile at the corner of his lips. "We'll be on the same team from now on. You attack while I defend. Wouldn't that be great?"

Xiao Hongchen put an arm around him and smiled as well.

"Hahaha! Anyway, I never want to fight that shield of yours again. Just looking at it gives me a headache."

Jing Hongchen sat in the foremost seat of the audience. Seeing that his grandson had lost, his brows rose slightly instead.

"Hongchen, how could anyone remain undefeated forever?"

"Excessive hardness breaks easily."

"I hope this crushing defeat tempers the metal and stone within your soul, sharpening the edge within your heart."

Xu Tinglan and Jiang Nannan had originally planned to rest for half an hour before competing against the other team for the championship.

But an unexpected change occurred.

After witnessing the previous battle, their opponents in the final match did not hesitate in the slightest. They decisively conceded without even taking the field.

The students who forfeited had something to say.

The rules stated that breaking the opponent's Soul Guidance Protective Barrier counted as a win, unless one was confident enough to withstand or evade the attacks personally.

But how could anyone possibly break that guy's shield?

Even a Soul Elder controlling ten Soul Tools couldn't do anything to him. Why would a Soul Grandmaster like him go up there? To scratch an itch?

The girl's eyes curved into crescents as she lightly waved her fist. A delighted blush appeared on her face as she rose slightly onto her toes and spun around.

"Brother Lan, we're champions."

Her voice was crisp, its rising ending like a breeze brushing over wind chimes.

Xu Tinglan turned to look at her, smiling with his eyes. "You're that happy? Then I'll treat you to something good tonight."

Jiang Nannan reached out with both hands, clasped the young man's slightly larger hand, and gave it a shake.

"Okay, it's a deal."

Not far away.

The silver-haired girl sat in her seat with her chin propped on her hand, her wine-red eyes filled with melancholy.

"I'm so jealous. I want an older brother who can stand in front of me too."

Xiao Hongchen sucked on a Milk Bottle and patted his chest when he heard that.

"I can stand in front of you."

Miss Meng turned toward her older brother and pursed her lips in disgust.

"You should just drink your milk. As long as you don't make me stand in front of you, that's enough."

"Meng! This is a Soul Power Milk Bottle!!!"

Once the freshmen rankings had been confirmed, Sun Moon Academy did not waste any time.

Jing Hongchen walked onto the stage.

The other teachers followed behind him, and Lin Jiayi, whom Xu Tinglan knew, stood near the front as well.

He accepted the folder Lin Jiayi handed him.

He began calling names one by one. There were twenty people in total, the top five teams from the Level One Competition and the Core Competition.

Xu Tinglan and Jiang Nannan walked toward the stage.

The two of them stood at the very front.

The students below watched them and, at the teachers' signal, began applauding.

Jing Hongchen presented each person with a metal card.

A gentle smile appeared on the old man's face as he said to the young man,

"Congratulations."

Xu Tinglan accepted the metal card.

The card was completely black.

"Thank you."

Jing Hongchen carefully examined his face before speaking.

"The Core Competition champions may collect ten kilograms of rare metals from the Metallurgy Building."

"However, I think highly of you. On a personal note, I'll give you another ten kilograms."

Xu Tinglan was quite surprised. No wonder the metal card he received was a different color from Jiang Nannan's—Jing Hongchen had actually doubled his reward.

What generosity.

He held the metal card with both hands and bowed respectfully as a junior. "I will remember the dean's kindness."

Jing Hongchen nodded in satisfaction.

"Good."

He selected a metal box from his storage Soul Tool. It was entirely azure blue.

"I originally prepared a metal-element Spirit Bone Soul Tool for my grandson, but since you won the championship, choose one that suits you."

"This one is of even better quality than the metal-element one. Although it is only an eight-hundred-year Soul Bone, it does not need to be absorbed."

"It will be more than sufficient as a Spirit Bone Soul Tool until you reach Soul Ancestor."

Xu Tinglan accepted the metal box.

It was icy cold, and he could sense the water-element aura emanating from within.

The surrounding students looked at him with envy.

This was a peak Level 4 Soul Tool built around an eight-hundred-year Soul Bone.

It was comparable to a Level 5 Soul Tool and was the most valuable reward in the entire competition.

They were jealous beyond words.

Xu Tinglan put away the metal box.

He sighed inwardly. Sure enough, coming to Sun Moon Academy had been the right choice. These teachers were almost entirely free of prejudice, and they were exceedingly generous as well.

No wonder Xuan Ziwen, a man from Heavenly Soul, had advanced to become a Level 8 Soul Engineer so quickly.

I'm meeting Teacher Xuan tomorrow. I wonder if he'll have a gift prepared for me?

Whatever. I'll prepare one for him first.

Then, as an elder, he'd be too embarrassed to show up empty-handed, right?

Hehehe.