Ice-Fire Elemental Lotus, Tang Wuling Wins

"Ice-Fire Elemental Lotus!" Gu Yue softly spat out the five words.

This lotus was truly peculiar; the left side was red while the right side was blue, and the colors on both sides were gradually deepening.

Seeing this lotus, Wu Changkong's expression changed in an instant.

"Not good!"

He could sense that the power contained within the Ice-Fire Elemental Lotus was immense; once it exploded, even a three-ring Soul Elder level soul master would struggle, let alone Tang Wuling, an eighteen-level Soul Grand Master.

Wu Changkong had no time to ponder how Gu Yue's control over elements had reached such a level; his primary concern now was Tang Wuling's safety.

But just as he was about to intervene, he stopped.

Because he saw Tang Wuling's eyes.

What kind of gaze was this?

Tenacious, confident, and indomitable!

Little monsters! Both of them are little monsters!

And little monsters are capable of creating miracles!

I'll see just how far the two of you can go!

For a moment, although Wu Changkong did not take action, he watched the pair with focused intent, eager to see their limits.

"Tang Wuling, this is my strongest move."

"If you can withstand this, you win this battle!"

Having said that, she pushed her hands forward.

The Ice-Fire Elemental Lotus flew toward Tang Wuling with a whistling sound, the air warping in its wake.

Tang Wuling's bright eyes turned solemn.

She could feel the terrifying energy contained within the Ice-Fire Elemental Lotus.

The probability of her being able to withstand it was extremely low.

But she could not dodge!

She wanted to say goodbye to her past self!

She wanted to make this battle the turning point of her life!

She wanted to be reborn!

She, Tang Wuling... was no waste!

Tang Wuling took a deep breath and gripped her Thousand-Refined Tungsten Steel Hammer.

As the Ice-Fire Elemental Lotus reached her, Tang Wuling swung the Thousand-Refined Tungsten Steel Hammer with all her might.

"BOOM!"

A deafening roar erupted as the collision between the two created a massive shockwave of energy that spread in all directions, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The surrounding students were unable to even open their eyes.

Wu Changkong and Leng Xue'er hurriedly released their soul power, blocking the shockwave to protect the students nearby.

As the dust gradually settled, everyone looked toward the center of the field.

They saw Tang Wuling kneeling on one knee, the Thousand-Refined Tungsten Steel Hammer having already fallen to the ground. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, and she was barely hanging on.

Yet, she had not collapsed!

Gu Yue stood not far away, panting heavily, her face pale.

That strike had consumed a vast amount of her soul power and mental energy.

She looked at Tang Wuling, who was kneeling on the ground, a flicker of complex emotion crossing her eyes.

She had not expected that Tang Wuling would actually withstand her Ice-Fire Elemental Lotus head-on!

"Congratulations... you held on." Gu Yue's tone was complicated.

Upon hearing these words, Tang Wuling could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground.

Before losing consciousness, a smile graced her face.

Cheng Duoyi appeared beside Tang Wuling at some point, placing his palm on her pulse.

Then, a red pill appeared in his hand, which he tucked into Tang Wuling's mouth.

The pill melted instantly, entering Tang Wuling's body and beginning to repair her injuries; even her soul power and mental energy began to recover rapidly.

Furthermore, her exhaustion was alleviated by more than half in that very moment.

Cheng Duoyi wiped the corner of Tang Wuling's mouth, thinking to himself, Why go to such desperate lengths? Is the outcome of this battle really that important? With your current foundation, you should be accumulating strength rather than fighting for dominance this early...

It is unclear whether Cheng Duoyi understands Tang Wuling's thoughts or not.

However, the way Cheng Duoyi looks at Tang Wuling has changed.

Wu Changkong is somewhat puzzled by Cheng Duoyi's speed.

Still, he does not dwell on it too much and proceeds to announce.

"The final victor is Tang Wuling!"

"Tang Wuling is just too incredible!"

"Forget it, I can't call her a glutton anymore; I'm afraid she'll beat me to death if she finds out."

"Aren't you saying it right now? I'm going to tell her in a minute."

"You..."

For a moment, the new students of Grade 1 Class 5 begin to chatter.

Wu Changkong walks up to Tang Wuling, and just as he is about to say something, he notices that Tang Wuling, lying in Cheng Duoyi's arms, has already regained consciousness.

"This is..." Wu Changkong is puzzled.

Cheng Duoyi says, "I fed Ling'er a medicinal pill; it's a custom-made one from the Spirit Pagoda."

Wu Changkong nods. He has a deep understanding of the power of the Spirit Pagoda, so it is only natural that they could develop such a pill.

He does not ask about the details of the pill; it is a matter of privacy, and it is not polite to pry when others do not volunteer the information.

"Brother Yi'er, I won..." Tang Wuling says with a happy expression.

"Congratulations, Ling'er," Cheng Duoyi says with satisfaction.

Tang Wuling looks excited; she understands what Cheng Duoyi means.

"Brother Yi'er, from now on, I will keep up with your pace and won't hold you back!"

"I believe in you."

Cheng Duoyi pats Tang Wuling on the head. Tang Wuling reveals an expression of enjoyment, but upon realizing she is leaning in Cheng Duoyi's arms, she stands up in embarrassment.

Xie Xie and Yun Xiao walk over as well.

Xie Xie exclaims, "Tang Wuling, you are really too strong! I thought you would lose; I never expected you to win. Would you mind revealing the secret to your strength? I feel like your power must be immense!"

Yun Xiao nudges Xie Xie, who asks, "Yun Xiao, why do you keep poking me with your arm?"

Yun Xiao is speechless and drags Xie Xie away. Xie Xie tries to say something more, but Yun Xiao covers his mouth directly.

"Mmph, mmph, mmph..."

Wu Changkong is also somewhat curious about Tang Wuling's condition.

However, he does not ask.

"Tang Wuling, Gu Yue, both of you performed exceptionally well." Wu Changkong looks at Gu Yue first and praises her: "Gu Yue, your control over elements is far beyond what someone at your level should possess. During the battle, your coordination of the six elements was seamless, and your combat awareness was also outstanding. It is a pity that you ran into a Soul Master like Tang Wuling who breaks through all techniques with sheer force. I believe you can become a powerful Soul Master in the future."

"Thank you..." Gu Yue nods.

Wu Changkong looks at Tang Wuling again, his expression filled with undisguised admiration: "Tang Wuling, you are the most unexpected existence to me. Not only because of your formidable strength and tenacious fighting spirit, but especially at the end, when faced with Gu Yue's fusion of ice and fire, you did not concede. Instead, you chose to face the difficulty head-on and even managed to withstand it!"

"Although this battle was won through a bit of cleverness, it is a good start for you. I believe you will only grow stronger in the future!"

Tang Wuling clenches her fists and nods vigorously: "Thank you, Teacher Wu. I will work hard."

Cheng Duoyi appears by Gu Yue's side at some point and takes her hand, slowly walking toward a secluded area. Her heart is actually feeling quite anxious!

"Sister Yue'er, thank you..."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yue feels a sense of relief in her heart and asks, "What are you thanking me for?"

Cheng Duoyi says, "Thank you for not going all out. Otherwise, Ling'er would definitely have been severely injured, and her self-confidence would have been dealt a blow, which might have led to problems."

The exhaustion and anxiety Gu Yue felt just moments ago vanish completely: "We aren't enemies, and besides, she is your little sister Ling'er. If I had really injured her severely, I would be the one at a loss if you stopped talking to me. I'm not a fool."

Her purple eyes stare unblinkingly at Cheng Duoyi. She can feel that Cheng Duoyi treats her differently than she treats Tang Wuling.

"Little Yi, does she know you're doing this?" Gu Yue asks.

Cheng Duoyi says, "I do this simply because she is worth it. Ling'er's personality is too soft; she lacks self-confidence and has always relied on me, which isn't good for her. Although I like it, I also hate it. After all, if she lacks an independent personality and I were to meet with an accident in the future, she would surely follow me to the grave."

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Do you really think I'd be willing to live alone if something happened to you?" Gu Yue's eyes well up with tears: "Is... is your body having problems again? I will find a way to heal you!"

"It's not a major issue for now." Cheng Duoyi wipes away her tears: "In that case, Sister Yue'er, you will have to protect the two of us."

"Tch, you really are something." Gu Yue pouts: "You talked for so long just to mooch off my abilities. I am not going to protect a love rival..."

"What did you say?"

"Ah... nothing..."

After finishing his talk with Tang Wuling, Wu Changkong turns to face the other students.

The smile on his face vanishes instantly, and he returns to his cold, icy demeanor.

"Today's actual combat test ends here." Wu Changkong's voice is cold: "To be honest, you are the worst class I have ever led. Aside from Gu Yue, Tang Wuling, Xie Xie, and Yun Xiao, the rest of you are simply fragile!"

"You don't even possess the most basic combat techniques, your utilization of soul power is a complete mess, and your combat awareness is abysmal. Pushing and shoving like that—anyone who didn't know better would think you were playing house. At your current level, if you don't change, graduating from Eastsea Academy will be a problem!"

All the students hung their heads, not daring to speak.

They knew perfectly well that their performance today had been abysmal.

Tang Wuling noticed Cheng Duoyi standing with Gu Yue, and instead of her usual sense of inferiority, she walked up to Cheng Duoyi openly and greeted them.

"Brother Duoyi, Sister Yue'er."

Cheng Duoyi held Gu Yue's hand and nodded. Gu Yue smiled and said, "Keep working hard. I'll share the responsibility of protecting little Yi with you."

"Thank you, Sister Yue'er! I won't let Brother Duoyi get hurt!" Tang Wuling replied with a solemn expression.

"Alright, no need to be so tense." Cheng Duoyi patted Tang Wuling on the shoulder. "As long as you are by my side, nothing can happen to me."

"Mm-hmm." Tang Wuling nodded repeatedly.

Meanwhile, Wu Changkong looked at the students, and seeing no one retorted, he continued, "I know many of you think that as long as a soul master has high soul power, that is enough. But let me tell you, you are dead wrong! For a soul master, physical fitness is the foundation! Without a strong physique, even with high soul power, you cannot exert your proper strength. Tang Wuling is the best example of this!"

"Starting tomorrow, we will conduct physical training in the morning and theoretical classes and actual combat training in the afternoon. The intensity of the physical training will be extremely high. If you can't handle it, you can apply to transfer classes now; I will not stop you."

"Alright, dismissed!"

"Gu Yue, Tang Wuling, Xie Xie, Yun Xiao, you four come with me to the office."

After saying this, Wu Changkong turned and walked away.

However, Gu Yue, Tang Wuling, Xie Xie, and Yun Xiao did not move, but instead looked in unison at Cheng Duoyi, who was standing to the side.

Their gazes clearly asked: Brother Cheng, should we go?

Wu Changkong walked a few steps, and noticing that no one was following behind him, he turned around in confusion.

When he saw that all four were looking at Cheng Duoyi, waiting for his command, his brows instantly furrowed, and his expression turned gloomy.

"What are you looking at? I told you to follow me!" Wu Changkong's voice carried a hint of anger.

He had not expected that his words as their homeroom teacher would be less effective than those of a student.

Seeing this, Cheng Duoyi quickly said, "Teacher Wu, I'll go with you. I actually have something I wanted to discuss with you as well."

Then he looked at the four and said with a smile, "Let's go, don't keep Teacher Wu waiting."

"Understood, Brother Cheng," the four said in unison.

Tang Wuling naturally walked to Cheng Duoyi's right side and took his hand, forming a pincer formation with Gu Yue on his left.

Cheng Duoyi, held by the two on either side, wore a helpless smile.

Xie Xie and Yun Xiao followed behind them, heads down, neither daring to speak.

Watching this scene, Wu Changkong felt a twitch in his temple.

He could clearly see now that this Cheng Duoyi was the true boss of Grade 1 Class 5.

His prestige was even higher than that of his homeroom teacher!

Leng Xue'er stood to the side, watching the backs of the three as they walked away, a gentle smile on her face.

The group soon arrived at the teachers' office.

Wu Changkong sat behind his desk, looked at the five people standing before him, and said in a deep voice, "I called you here because there is an important matter to tell you."

"In three months, the academy will hold the Class Promotion Tournament."

"Class Promotion Tournament?" Tang Wuling asked in confusion. "Teacher Wu, what is that?"

Xie Xie and Yun Xiao looked equally confused.

"Simply put, the Class Promotion Tournament is a competition between the six classes of the Intermediate Division, from the first year to the sixth year," Wu Changkong explained. "There are currently five classes in the first year, from Class 1 to Class 5. The lower-ranked classes challenge the higher-ranked ones."

Cheng Duoyi nodded upon hearing this. "Teacher Wu, does that mean since we are the lowest-ranked class, we have to initiate the challenge first?"

Wu Changkong nodded. "Correct. In three months, Class 5 will challenge Class 4. The winner promotes to Class 4, and the loser inherits the challenger's class. The ultimate winner will become Grade 1 Class 1."

"Becoming Grade 1 Class 1 not only grants access to the best faculty and teaching resources, but also allows you to challenge the second-year classes."

"What? We, the first years, challenge the second years?" Xie Xie was surprised.

Wu Changkong nodded. "That's right. If the first year defeats the second year, there will be substantial rewards, and you can continue to challenge the third year, all the way up until the senior classes are defeated."

"Therefore, my task for you is to secure the position of Grade 1 Class 1 in this tournament."

"That's simple enough, isn't it?" Xie Xie said, nodding nonchalantly. "With someone as strong as Tang Wuling to act as the front line, Gu Yue for long-range consumption, me acting as the assassin, and with Brother Cheng's command... plus Yun Xiao, the five of us can definitely steamroll our way to the top."