An Easy Victory

After Cheng Duoyi left.

Leng Yaozhu looked at Mu Qingtian, then at the Dragon Marrow Longevity Vine.

"I have an old friend who researches medicinal pills."

"Pagoda Master Leng, if you're willing, I can contact him now and have him use this Dragon Marrow Longevity Vine as the main ingredient to refine some pills."

"I imagine they could help improve your standing."

Mu Qingtian spoke in a businesslike tone, without any other emotion.

At that, Leng Yaozhu shook her head. "Yi'er gave it to you, so you can decide what to do with it. As for my standing, once I fuse with the Dragon Saliva Ganoderma and break through to Limit Douluo, I'll have a chance to compete for it."

Leng Yaozhu glanced at Mu Qingtian, then continued, "I don't want Yi'er to resent me over these things. Old Mu, if you can live a little longer, then try to do so. If you leave, Yi'er will be heartbroken."

Mu Qingtian fell silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "I thought my life would simply pass by like this. I never imagined such a turning point would come. Yi'er really is my lucky star..."

"If you hadn't helped him, Yi'er wouldn't have made it this far. Your contributions mustn't be forgotten," Leng Yaozhu said.

Mu Qingtian shook his head. "Even without me, I believe you would've taken Yi'er to Shrek Academy. But... it's best to stay away from a place like that if you can. You have Yi'er to look after you now. In the future, when he marries and has children, you'll be a grandmother. Some things should be forgotten. Otherwise... it might not be good for Yi'er in the future."

The air seemed to turn three degrees colder. Mu Qingtian looked at Leng Yaozhu without lowering his head or closing his eyes, and the two stared straight at each other.

At last, Leng Yaozhu withdrew her gaze and looked at the jade box. "Some things should be forgotten... With Yi'er here, this life is enough..."

Leng Yaozhu put away the jade box. "After Yi'er leaves, make arrangements too. Get well as soon as you can."

"Mm..." Mu Qingtian nodded.

He looked at the jade box, a smile appearing in his slightly cloudy eyes.

"Life, in the end... comes down to just a few things..."

Before long, it was time to part.

Leng Yaozhu personally saw Cheng Duoyi, Leng Xue'er, Tang Wuling, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, and Yun Xiao off.

"Goodbye, Yi'er. Come back to visit Mom whenever you can."

"Goodbye, Mom. I will."

"Goodbye, Aunt."

"Goodbye, Pagoda Master Leng..."

Ever since Cheng Duoyi had given Leng Yaozhu and Mu Qingtian two precious natural treasures, he hadn't spent much time talking with them. He'd devoted himself entirely to nurturing Soul Spirits, hoping to get the Dragon Soul into the Spirit Ascension Platform as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, they could only research it for three days. The Class Promotion Tournament was tomorrow. Cheng Duoyi didn't care much about it, but it mattered to Tang Wuling's confidence, so he still had to take it seriously.

After Cheng Duoyi and the others said goodbye to Leng Yaozhu, they took a Soul Guidance Train to Eastsea City.

Meanwhile, Leng Yaozhu began preparing to refine the Dragon Saliva Ganoderma. Thinking of how invested Cheng Duoyi was in nurturing Soul Spirits, she wondered, "Should I build Yi'er a small branch of the Spirit Pagoda?"

"It's not impossible to make arrangements..."

As soon as Cheng Duoyi and the others arrived in Eastsea City, they hurried to Eastsea Academy. By the time they reached the academy, it was already afternoon, and the Class Promotion Tournament was about to begin.

The tournament was held after classes in the evening, so it wouldn't take up class time. Otherwise, Cheng Duoyi and the others could've taken a nap to get ready.

Still, Cheng Duoyi and the others weren't worried in the slightest about losing.

"Teacher Wu." Cheng Duoyi and the others found Wu Changkong and greeted him.

At that moment, Wu Changkong was listening with a cold expression as the homeroom teacher of Grade 1 Class 4 prattled on. Cheng Duoyi and the others could see he was growing impatient.

"Mm. Remember to win convincingly later."

Wu Changkong felt relieved, though his expression remained calm.

He'd thought Cheng Duoyi and the others wouldn't make it back.

The homeroom teacher of Grade 1 Class 4 looked a little displeased. "Teacher Wu, you may be strong, but that doesn't mean your students are. If they lose later, don't blame me for showing no mercy."

Wu Changkong ignored him.

Seeing this, Cheng Duoyi smiled. "Teacher Wu, I'll arrange the tactics later. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

He planned to have Tang Wuling face all five opponents alone. This kind of match was perfect for building Tang Wuling's confidence.

"Right, Teacher Wu, just leave it to us," Xie Xie said confidently.

Tang Wuling was eager too. "Teacher Wu, when does the match start?"

She was already thinking about going to eat after the match.

Wu Changkong looked toward the competition platform in the middle of the sports field. "It's about to start."

Sure enough, as soon as Wu Changkong finished speaking, someone appeared on the competition platform. It was Long Hengxu.

His gaze fell on Cheng Duoyi and the others, and he looked expectant.

"Ahem. The first match of the Class Promotion Tournament: Grade 1 Class 5 versus Grade 1 Class 4. Now, I'd like the teachers from both sides to confirm the number of participants."

"Five," Wu Changkong said evenly.

Long Hengxu was taken aback when he heard Wu Changkong say five, but he didn't press the matter. If Wu Changkong had chosen five, he must have had his reasons.

The homeroom teacher of Grade 1 Class 4 was still displeased. When he heard Wu Changkong say five, he looked pleased. He figured that no matter how strong Wu Changkong was, three months wasn't enough to turn the trash students of Grade 1 Class 5 into geniuses!

"Let's see how I knock that arrogance out of him!" the homeroom teacher of Grade 1 Class 4 thought, looking at his students. "Jialong, Lin Zunyuan, Mosi, Hua Kui, Kano, you five, pay attention when you go up. Don't let Class Five lose too badly."

"Yes, Teacher," the five said confidently.

They looked at Cheng Duoyi and the others with provocation in their eyes.

"You..."

When had Xie Xie ever been looked down on like this?

Especially with Cheng Duoyi right there.

Looking down on Cheng Duoyi was the same as looking down on him!

"Brother Cheng, why are you holding me back? Just watch me teach them a lesson!"

Cheng Duoyi held Xie Xie back with his left hand, his eyes narrowing. "You can teach them a lesson on the competition platform."

"Right. Just watch how I teach them a lesson later!" Xie Xie nodded.

Yun Xiao clenched his fists, but he knew there was nothing he could do. His Martial Soul and Soul Skill weren't suited for combat...

Tang Wuling and Gu Yue were angry too.

Tang Wuling was easygoing.

But if you picked on Cheng Duoyi, then sorry—she wouldn't let it go!

Gu Yue was the same. Looking at the people across from her, she considered how to vent Cheng Duoyi's anger for him.

For a moment, both sides were brimming with fighting spirit.

The two sides took their places on the competition platform.

Although this was a match between Grade 1 Class 5 and Grade 1 Class 4 of the Intermediate Division, students from Grade 1 Classes 1, 2, and 3 had also come to watch. There were hardly any students from Grade 2 or above.

Clearly, they didn't think the Grade 1 Class 5 and Grade 1 Class 4 students were worth their attention.

"The first match of the Class Promotion Tournament: Grade 1 Class 5 versus Grade 1 Class 4. Begin!"

After Long Hengxu finished speaking, he stepped off the competition platform. He wanted to see what the Grade 1 Class 5 students were like after three months.

Xie Xie asked, "Brother Cheng, what tactics are we using?"

Cheng Duoyi said calmly, "Teacher Wu said to win convincingly. Yun Xiao and I will hold back. Xie Xie, take on one opponent. Yue'er and Ling'er, each of you take on two. Are you confident?"

"Brother Yi'er, no problem!" Tang Wuling nodded excitedly.

Gu Yue was just as confident. "I'll give them a good match experience!"

Xie Xie curled his lips. "How come they each get two, while I only get one?"

Still, he didn't waste time complaining. He released his Martial Soul and Spirit Ring.

A yellow Spirit Ring rose from beneath Xie Xie's feet.

A yellow Spirit Ring rose from beneath Gu Yue's feet.

Two yellow Spirit Rings rose from beneath Tang Wuling's feet.

In an instant, everyone in the arena was shocked.

"What! Their Spirit Rings are all Hundred-Year Spirit Rings? How is that possible? They're Grade 1 Class 5 students! With Spirit Rings like that, shouldn't they be in Grade 1 Class 1?"

"Seriously, isn't Grade 1 Class 4 going to look like a bunch of clowns? All five of their Spirit Rings are Ten-Year Spirit Rings. How are they supposed to fight?"

"Wait... Am I seeing things? The girl leading them is a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster? Is this really Grade 1? If I didn't know better, I'd think she was a second-year student!"

They weren't the only ones shocked. Even Long Hengxu was stunned.

It had only been three months, and Grade 1 Class 5 already had a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster?

But when he thought of Cheng Duoyi's background, it no longer seemed impossible. He thought, "Looks like the time has come for Eastsea Academy to make a name for itself! No, I'll contact the dean later and have him give them more resources so we can keep them here!"

The five opponents facing Tang Wuling were instantly made to look like clowns. They'd been planning to teach the five students of Grade 1 Class 5 a lesson, but now...

"Didn't the teacher say the students in Grade 1 Class 5 were all useless? It's been like that every year. How come this year..."

Before they could think any further, Tang Wuling's Blue Silver Grass appeared in her hand. The Golden Little Snake perched on her shoulder, and her first Spirit Ring lit up.

"First Soul Skill, Bind!"

In an instant, all five were bound. Xie Xie was already behind Jialong, and his Light Dragon Dagger was just about to strike when—

Long Hengxu snapped back to his senses. "Jialong is out."

Then Gu Yue formed an Ice Spike in her left hand and a Fireball in her right, sending a barrage of elemental attacks toward Lin Zunyuan and Kano.

Long Hengxu's expression changed. "Even a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster couldn't unleash an attack on this scale! What kind of monsters are these?"

"No, what am I worrying about? This is a good thing!"

"The stronger Grade 1 Class 5 is, the better it is for the academy!"

Long Hengxu hurriedly said, "Lin Zunyuan and Kano are out."

After that, the two were sent off the competition platform by Long Hengxu.

Tang Wuling was much more aggressive than they were. The remaining two didn't dare face her head-on, so Tang Wuling sent them flying with a punch apiece. Their injuries looked fairly serious.

Long Hengxu hurriedly sent someone to check on them, in case they'd actually been hurt. Then he turned to Tang Wuling, surprised by her strength.

"Perfect. Let's go," Cheng Duoyi said with a narrowed-eye smile.

"Hmph. You shouldn't have provoked Brother Cheng. Next time, it won't end like this!" Xie Xie said proudly.

Tang Wuling held her stomach. "I'm so hungry now. Brother Yi'er, let's go eat."

"Sure, let's go." Cheng Duoyi turned to Gu Yue. "Your control over the elements has gotten even stronger, Yue'er. I wonder what kind of strength you'll have once you reach the second ring."

"Of course," Gu Yue said proudly. "Don't worry, Xiao Yi. As long as I'm here, no one will be able to hurt you!"

Cheng Duoyi nodded.

The five of them chatted and laughed as they walked over to Wu Changkong.

"Teacher Wu, we're going to eat first. Honestly, I thought it'd be some thrilling match, but that was it? It wasted our time to eat."

Wu Changkong smiled. "All right, go ahead."

The homeroom teacher of Grade 1 Class 4 had gone green in the face. The whole fight had lasted less than ten seconds. Honestly, he was a little dumbfounded too. Since when had Grade 1 Class 5 become this strong? Someone who didn't know better would've thought they were watching a second-year class fight a first-year class.

To be honest, ever since Cheng Duoyi and the others had studied how to nurture Soul Spirits at the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, their time had been stretched to the limit. This match was a perfect chance to relax.

And considering how their opponents had provoked them, it was no wonder the fight had ended so quickly.

After Cheng Duoyi and the others left, word spread throughout the Intermediate Division that Grade 1 Class 5 had a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster. Even the Advanced Division heard that there was a freak in Grade 1 Class 5 who already had two rings.

No one knew how they'd arranged that...

Life became much more relaxed for Cheng Duoyi and the others after that. Wu Changkong's special training, meditation, matches, and lessons went on in a steady cycle. In this way, Tang Wuling single-handedly swept through Grade 1 Class 3 and then Grade 1 Class 2.

There wasn't much technique to it. She just hit really hard.

Her Blue Silver Grass would bind them, then she'd throw a punch. There weren't many who could take one of Tang Wuling's punches—not even power-type Soul Masters!

Before long, Tang Wuling had earned another nickname.

One Punch Man...

"Yo, One Punch Man's here," Xie Xie teased.

Tang Wuling looked at Cheng Duoyi. "Brother Yi'er, some people really can't stop running their mouths. They need a good beating. After the match, I'm going to fight him."

"No, no, I was joking! Just joking..." Xie Xie hurriedly said.

How could he dare fight Tang Wuling?

He didn't know what was going on, but Tang Wuling's strength was increasing rapidly. Her punches now packed three thousand kilograms of force!

That was twice as much as when Tang Wuling had first enrolled, when she could lift fifteen hundred kilograms!

It had only been three months. If Tang Wuling kept improving like this, wouldn't she be able to lift ten thousand kilograms in a year?

Impossible. Absolutely impossible!

Just thinking about it made Xie Xie shudder. Tang Wuling looked harmless, yet she was more like a Soul Beast than a Soul Beast. Anyone who didn't know better would've thought she was a human-shaped Soul Beast.

Gu Yue said, "Some people really do need a good beating. Otherwise, they'll keep bouncing around until they forget their own names."

Xie Xie's face was full of bitterness. If only he hadn't said anything...

Yun Xiao sat silently in a corner, brooding alone.

Cheng Duoyi saw him, but there was nothing he could do. It was a little difficult to improve Yun Xiao's strength right now.

They were all companions. Cheng Duoyi wouldn't abandon him.

At that moment, Wu Changkong looked at Cheng Duoyi. "Grade 1 Class 1 is considered the strongest group of first-year students. You'll be in charge of planning our strategy for this match too."

"Thanks for the reminder, Teacher Wu." Cheng Duoyi smiled. "But... I believe there's no one who can beat us, right, everyone?"

"Yes!" Tang Wuling, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, and Yun Xiao replied.

The final match for the first-year students began. Students from Intermediate Division Grades 2, 3, 4, and 5 had all come to watch, and their eyes were fixed on Cheng Duoyi and the others.