First Battle Victory

Tang Wulin immediately released his Blue Silver Grass, the dense vines weaving together before him like an impenetrable net.

Having witnessed the eerie movement techniques Xie Xie used against Wu Zhangkong just moments ago, Tang Wulin deliberately laid another layer of Blue Silver Grass behind him, specifically to guard against a sudden teleportation ambush.

It was not that he didn't want to block the Shadow Dragon Dagger head-on; it was simply that the weapon was too treacherous, impossible to track with the naked eye.

Furthermore, he lacked the formidable spiritual perception that Wu Zhangkong possessed.

Facing the Blue Silver Grass closing in from all sides, Xie Xie's figure suddenly turned illusory, nimbly weaving through the gaps.

Tang Wulin frowned, channeling his soul power into his hands.

The Blue Silver Grass contracted frantically once more, attempting to seal off every one of Xie Xie's attack routes.

Xie Xie brandished the Light Dragon Dagger in his hand, unleashing a succession of brilliant blade beams.

Though the blade beams dissipated into halos of light upon striking the Blue Silver Grass, they successfully knocked the vines aside.

Tang Wulin was startled, for he felt the soul power within his body plummet by a third in that single instant!

In that very moment of distraction, the Xie Xie before him vanished.

The next instant, a bone-chilling coldness struck from behind.

Xie Xie braced his left hand against the ground with the Shadow Dragon Dagger already in his grip, his left leg bent to store power, his blood-red right eye trailing a sharp streak of crimson light.

Even with his prior precautions, Xie Xie's speed and reaction time had still beaten him to the punch.

Just as Xie Xie prepared to end the match with a single strike, a familiar sense of heart-palpitating dread surged within him.

Almost by instinct, Xie Xie forcibly shifted his forward momentum into a sliding kneel, his body arching violently backward.

A sonic boom erupted through the air.

A heavy hammer, wreathed in violent gusts of wind, whistled past the tip of his nose.

Taking advantage of this brief recovery window, Xie Xie scrambled to his feet and rapidly put distance between them.

He looked at Tang Wulin, who stood not far away with eyes tightly shut and dual hammers in hand, steam practically rising from the top of his head.

Xie Xie's CPU had crashed.

No, no, no—how did this guy suddenly enter the Ethereal State?

Xie Xie had prepared two contingency plans specifically to end the match before forcing Tang Wulin into the Ethereal State; after all, the original records made it crystal clear just how difficult Tang Wulin was to fight in that state!

Could it be that this guy just breaks through mid-battle whenever he's under pressure?

Then what the hell am I supposed to fight with? Damn it!!

While gritting his teeth in frustration, Xie Xie tentatively slashed out two more blade beams.

Unfortunately, they were blocked one by one by Tang Wulin's Thousand-Refined Heavy Silver Hammer.

Without waiting for Xie Xie to think further, Tang Wulin took the initiative, his dual hammers unfolding like a raging storm as he smashed toward him.

For a time, dust billowed from the ground, and Xie Xie was forced into a steady retreat.

This time, it truly ignited Xie Xie's temper.

He took a sharp breath, his internal soul power surging into a boil, and the soul power beneath his feet exploded, his speed instantly skyrocketing several times over as he transformed into a nearly untraceable golden afterimage.

The Light Dragon Dagger in his hand vibrated violently, humming incessantly.

A low dragon roar suddenly echoed in the ears of everyone present.

Wu Zhangkong's brows arched slightly.

The Light Dragon Dagger extended on its own, transforming into two Light Dragon Short Blades, each about sixty centimeters long.

Dragon-shaped light patterns flowed faintly across the blades.

Each pattern spat out sharp, piercing edges, the air emitting shrill shrieks as it was sliced by the blade aura.

Xie Xie's momentum erupted completely at this moment, his entire being like a dragon of light poised to strike.

"Not quite agility-type... leaning more toward power-type, then?"

A flicker of intrigue flashed in Wu Zhangkong's eyes as she murmured to herself.

Xie Xie swept his dual Light Dragon Blades, two golden arcs tearing through the air with a dragon-like roar, slashing straight for the gap between Tang Wulin's hammers.

"Clang—!"

The thunderous sound of metal clashing made the surrounding students' eardrums ache.

Tang Wulin felt a force far exceeding anything before travel through his hammers; his arms sank slightly, and his feet were actually forced to slide back half an inch.

I'll show you blocking, I'll show you blocking!

Watch me hack you to death!!

Tang Wulin's mood was unknown, but Xie Xie's offensive was fierce.

Xie Xie transformed into a golden bolt of lightning, circling around Tang Wulin.

Every swing of the Light Dragon Blades carried a shriek that tore the air.

Blade light poured down like a torrential rain, forcing Tang Wulin to keep his hammers held against his chest, blocking incessantly.

Facing such a fierce offensive, Tang Wulin, even in his Ethereal state, could only cross his hammers over his chest to block with all his might, finding himself momentarily overwhelmed.

Just as that peerlessly sharp blade aura was about to land on Tang Wulin—

A cool, light hand suddenly rested gently upon the wrist of the hand Xie Xie was using to hold his blade, pulling it slightly to the side.

"Shhh—!"

The uncontrolled blade aura slammed heavily into the ground, sending gravel and dirt flying as a deep, jagged gash was instantly plowed into the earth.

"Stop!"

Wu Zhangkong had appeared between them at some point, calling an end to the match.

"No need to continue; Xie Xie is the winner."

"...Huh?" Xie Xie stood frozen on the spot, unable to process what had happened for a long moment.

The next second, he jumped straight up into the air in joy.

"Hahahaha! I won! I, your young master, actually beat Tang Wulin!"

"Woohoo!"

"Yahoo-hahaha—!"

Watching Xie Xie acting like he'd regressed to an ancestral state, dancing around and howling like a monkey, Wu Zhangkong and all the students of Class Five slowly projected a string of question marks.

After all, in their eyes—what was there to be so happy about for an eighteen-level Soul Grand Master to defeat someone with a Blue Silver Grass martial soul?

Only Yun Xiao and Zhou Changxi were filled with tears:

It's alright, Xie Xie, we understand your hidden hardships!

Wu Zhangkong said indifferently to Xie Xie, "You are responsible for compensating Tang Wulin for a school uniform."

That single sentence caused Xie Xie, who was still in the midst of his excitement, to stumble on the spot.

Oh, vast heavens~ why must you be so cruel to me!

Xie Xie clutched his wallet, his face full of heartache.

Wu Zhangkong stood with her hands in her pockets, scanning the entire class, her tone as cold as ice: "Through today's sparring, you all should have learned something."

"In actual combat, you cannot rely solely on your martial soul; a strong physique is the foundation of becoming a Mecha Master. A true powerhouse can defeat you without even needing to use soul power."

"Your physical fitness is simply too weak!"

"All of you who think so highly of yourselves, take a good look: Tang Wulin's martial soul is Blue Silver Grass, yet he fought until the very end."

Xie Xie curled his lips in dissatisfaction.

His performance in the fight was clearly excellent too, so why was she only praising Tang Wulin?

"From this match, I have also reached a conclusion..."

"You are indeed a bunch of trash!"

With that, the word "trash" was effectively plastered onto the faces of every student in Class Five.

"Of course, only Xie Xie is barely qualified."

Huh?

Hearing Wu Zhangkong say this, Xie Xie's head, which had just drooped, snapped back up, his tail practically wagging in the air.

"Of course, you two are merely the tallest among the short."

Xie Xie automatically filtered out the last sentence.

He didn't care; Teacher Wu had praised him, hehehe!

Wu Zhangkong cast an indifferent glance at Xie Xie, only to see this guy grinning like an idiot, his metaphorical tail wagging frantically behind him.

She silently withdrew her gaze, feeling a trace of helplessness.

"Alright, dismissed."

"Starting tomorrow, we will have physical training in the morning and theory classes in the afternoon."

"Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, come to my office; I have something to tell you both." Having said that, Wu Zhangkong strode away with her long legs.

Xie Xie hurried to catch up, "Coming, coming!"