Golden Scale Finally Appears! Buddha Tang Can't Sit Still and Wants to Teach Him Personally? [4k]

Xie Xie dodged in a sorry state.

Although he wasn't injured, his expression was grim. This marked the end of yet another attempt.

In the center of the training grounds, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue stood looking rather disheveled, their chests heaving as they stared at Yao Chuan with complicated expressions.

Yao Chuan held the ordinary Wooden Spear in one hand, his breathing so steady it was almost unbelievable. It was as if the fierce three-on-one assault had merely been a breeze brushing past him.

His breathing rhythm hadn't even changed much.

"Again!" Xie Xie growled, his eyes full of stubborn defiance.

The Light Dragon Dagger flashed again as he darted forward like lightning, trying to attack from the side.

Gu Yue's expression was grave. Her fingers flew, weaving ice spikes and fireballs into a sweeping barrage that tried to seal off Yao Chuan's room to dodge.

The earth element stirred quietly, and the ground rippled faintly, restricting Yao Chuan's footing.

Tang Wulin drew a deep breath. His Blue Silver Grass lashed out like tough vines, wrapping toward Yao Chuan's legs in an attempt to pin him in place.

It was the best teamwork they could come up with.

Yet faced with what seemed like a flawless assault, Yao Chuan simply moved.

His figure blurred like a ghost, weaving strangely through the gaps between ice spikes and fireballs. The Wooden Spear struck the Light Dragon Dagger's weak point with pinpoint accuracy. A deft force traveled through it, and Xie Xie's arm went numb. His whole body spun off course.

At the same time, Yao Chuan lightly stamped his left foot on the ground. A wave of force spread instantly, snapping the Blue Silver Grass around his ankle strand by strand.

Gu Yue's elemental bombardment missed completely.

Xie Xie staggered several steps before managing to regain his balance, disbelief written all over his face.

"This... is way too ridiculous, isn't it?"

Wu Changkong's ice-blue eyes reflected everything happening in the arena. With his arms folded, he leaned against the edge of the training ground.

He saw it clearly.

Yao Chuan's movements looked simple, yet they had reached a level of effortless perfection. Every block, every dodge, every burst of force was executed with exquisite precision, dismantling the trio's seemingly fierce attacks one by one.

His use of strength, mastery of technique, and judgment of timing were all nearly perfect.

More frightening still, Wu Changkong keenly sensed a subtle "harmony" in Yao Chuan after every counterattack.

It was as if he were learning and absorbing lessons in the middle of battle, making every move more precise and efficient than the last.

That terrifying rate of growth was practically like having an evolution engine inside his body that never stopped running!

"Where's his weakness?" Gu Yue bit her lower lip, her mind racing, only to despair as she realized her opponent was like an iron barrel without a single gap.

"It feels like he's teaching us a lesson..." Tang Wulin panted, his blood and qi roiling inside him as a sense of frustration welled up.

Being suppressed wasn't very painful, but it was profoundly humiliating!

Just then, an indescribable throb burst from deep within Tang Wulin's right arm!

A deep dragon's roar seemed to ring through his blood. Beneath his skin, fine golden scale patterns surfaced like living creatures, instantly covering his entire right arm.

A surging sense of overwhelming power swept through him, scattering his frustration and replacing it with an urge to tear everything apart!

"Roar!" A faint golden hue tinged Tang Wulin's eyes, and a low growl unlike any human sound came from his throat.

He stopped using Blue Silver Grass and poured all his strength, along with that sudden, violent surge of power, into his right fist!

His punch tore through the air. A vague yet majestic golden dragon's head seemed to take shape around it as he charged at Yao Chuan with unstoppable momentum!

At that moment, even the air seemed to freeze.

The sudden display of power stunned Xie Xie and Gu Yue, slowing their movements by half a beat.

Wu Changkong's eyes blazed, and his body instinctively leaned forward.

"This is...?!"

Faced with this earth-shattering punch, carrying the might of a dragon, Yao Chuan's expression changed ever so slightly for the first time.

His face was no longer tranquil. Instead, it held a trace of gravity, as well as... a hint of excitement that was difficult to detect?

"Now this is getting interesting," he murmured.

Without any unnecessary movement, an aura far more profound, vast, and majestic than the image of Tang Wulin's fist descended abruptly!

A deep black light gathered behind Yao Chuan, and a gigantic dragon-shaped phantom, seemingly formed from pure darkness, suddenly appeared.

It vanished in a flash, but the terrifying pressure it unleashed in that instant was like a gaze from the abyss. Everyone present, including Wu Changkong, felt a shudder deep in their souls!

Black Dragon Martial Soul!

Yao Chuan didn't retreat. He didn't even use that strange "White Wall" Soul Skill.

He simply faced the golden dragon's head phantom and thrust the Wooden Spear toward it in an utterly ordinary-looking motion.

A pinpoint of intensely restrained black light gathered at the tip of the spear.

Boom!!!

It wasn't a heaven-shaking explosion, but a muffled crash so heavy it seemed to stop the heart.

Golden and black energies clashed violently at the point where the spear tip met the fist, then annihilated each other!

The expected explosion of force never came.

That punch, which contained Tang Wulin's full strength and had even drawn upon the Golden Dragon's origin, was like a mud ox vanishing into the sea. All its violent power was sucked in, devoured, and suppressed by that pinpoint of profound black light!

The golden dragon's head phantom let out an unwilling wail and abruptly collapsed.

Tang Wulin felt an irresistible force rebound against him, as if he'd punched an immovable divine mountain that had stood since time immemorial!

The golden scale patterns on his right arm instantly dimmed. Pain shot through him, and he was sent flying backward as if he'd been hit head-on by a battering ram!

"Wulin!"

"Tang Wulin!"

Xie Xie and Gu Yue cried out in alarm and tried to rush to his aid, but it was already too late.

Yao Chuan's movements didn't pause at all.

The Wooden Spear darted out like a venomous snake striking, tapping the side of the Light Dragon Dagger as Xie Xie hastily raised it to block.

Another strange tremor surged through it. The web between Xie Xie's thumb and forefinger split, and the Light Dragon Dagger flew from his grasp. He followed in Tang Wulin's footsteps.

Gu Yue summoned the wind element to dodge, only to find the air around her had become a frozen mire. It was the spatial-slowing effect caused by Yao Chuan's terrifying aura.

The Wooden Spear's tip had already stopped silently just inches from her throat.

Cold. Sharp.

The victor was decided.

The battle was over.

The training ground fell into complete silence.

Only the three of them, breathing heavily, could be heard.

Tang Wulin clutched his painfully aching right arm as he struggled to his feet, his face pale and his eyes full of confusion and defeat.

Xie Xie shook his numb, aching wrist and stared at the Light Dragon Dagger lying on the ground, his expression complicated.

Gu Yue stood frozen, feeling the cold edge at her throat. The last glimmer of hope in her eyes had gone out.

The three of them had joined forces and used every trump card, yet their opponent had still suppressed them with such ease.

The gap between them was like a heavenly chasm!

Wu Changkong slowly lowered his folded arms and walked over one step at a time.

His gaze lingered on Yao Chuan for a long while. Deep in his ice-blue eyes lay profound shock and a trace of... admiration that was difficult to detect.

Every battle revealed something about this boy that exceeded his expectations.

Especially the Black Dragon Martial Soul's pressure, which had erupted and subsided in an instant. Even he had been shaken by it.

Not to mention that visibly, monstrously rapid growth in battle.

This cheat is more powerful than paying to win...

He couldn't help the thought from popping into his mind, then pushed it back down.

Even in Shrek Academy, where monsters were said to roam everywhere and prodigies were as common as dogs, people who could improve so rapidly in battle were probably as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

Yao Chuan's very existence overturned common sense.

Yao Chuan flicked his wrist and put away the Wooden Spear. The terrifying pressure blanketing the training ground dissipated with it.

His expression returned to its usual calm, as if he hadn't just suppressed all three of them.

"Thanks for going easy on me."

After uttering those two words coolly, he walked to the edge of the training ground, picked up a water bottle, and drank in silence, as if all he'd done was warm up.

Wu Changkong walked over to the three dejected youngsters.

Tang Wulin kept his head down, not daring to meet Teacher Wu's eyes.

Xie Xie picked up his Light Dragon Dagger with a disgruntled expression.

Gu Yue stood in place, biting her lip slightly, her eyes flickering as she wondered about something.

A dejected mood spread through the group.

Wu Changkong's ice-blue gaze swept over the three of them. For once, his cold tone held a hint of warmth:

"There's no need to hang your heads."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to all three.

"Do you think lasting this long against him is something to be ashamed of?"

Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue all looked up at Wu Changkong.

Wu Changkong pointed at Yao Chuan, who was drinking water and watching from the sidelines:

"His strength can't be measured by normal standards. The teamwork you showed today has improved by leaps and bounds since the first time you fought together."

He paused, then fixed his gaze on Tang Wulin, his tone firm:

"Especially you, Tang Wulin. That final punch had some interesting power."

Tang Wulin froze. Remembering what had happened to his right arm, he looked confused and a little uneasy.

Wu Changkong didn't press him. Instead, he turned to Gu Yue. "Gu Yue, combining the elements was the right idea, but your timing and transitions could have been more precise."

Finally, he looked at Xie Xie. "Xie Xie, speed is your advantage, but you're too easy to read, and your attacks lack variety."

He surveyed the three of them and made his decision:

"Given your performance, you've exceeded my expectations."

"You three will represent Class Five in the Class Promotion Tournament three months from now!"

His words were like a stone thrown into still water, sending ripples through all three of their hearts.

"Huh?!"

"Really, Teacher Wu?"

"We... can compete?"

Their eyes lit up, and the huge surprise eased the sting of their earlier defeat.

Representing their class in the Class Promotion Tournament was recognition of their strength—and a tremendous honor!

Wu Changkong nodded, then looked at Tang Wulin again and added:

"Tang Wulin."

"Here!" Tang Wulin immediately stood up straight.

"Starting tomorrow, your physical training is suspended."

Tang Wulin froze. "Huh?"

Wu Changkong explained:

"Your physical strength is already more than sufficient. In fact, you could say you're the strongest of the three. Continuing to spend so much time on physical training would be inefficient."

"From now on, your focus will be entirely on controlling your Blue Silver Grass! I want you to master it as quickly as possible, until it's as responsive as your own arm. Make it a real weapon, not just vines for tying up feet or pulling hammers! Understood?"

Tang Wulin was thrilled. Teacher Wu was acknowledging his potential!

He nodded vigorously, his voice ringing out:

"Understood! Teacher Wu! I'll work hard!"

After announcing his decision, Wu Changkong looked at his three students, their fighting spirit rekindled. Even his thousand-year-old iceberg of a face seemed to soften by the faintest degree.

He clapped his hands:

"All right, training is over for today."

"Clean up, then head to the cafeteria. My treat—we're having Grade A meals."

At the mention of the cafeteria, Tang Wulin's eyes lit up instantly. The fatigue and frustration from the battle seemed to vanish.

They could finally eat! And Grade A meals, too!

Happiness had arrived too suddenly!

The words burst from him, his voice brimming with pure joy:

"Long live Teacher Wu!!!"

The heartfelt cheer, full of the boundless energy unique to a boy his age, rang across the training ground.

Xie Xie couldn't help rolling his eyes. "Glutton..."

The corners of Gu Yue's mouth lifted ever so slightly.

Even Yao Chuan, quietly drinking water to the side, paused almost imperceptibly with the bottle in his hand when he caught sight of Tang Wulin instantly revived, back to full health and energy.

This kid... did his mood really change that fast?

Wu Changkong's mouth seemed to twitch, but in the end, he maintained his cool demeanor:

"Enough nonsense. Meet at the cafeteria in ten minutes."

After devouring a Grade A meal, Tang Wulin walked toward the dormitory, contentedly rubbing his belly. The warm, full feeling eased the aches in his body, and even his steps felt lighter.

While Tang Wulin was in high spirits, deep within the sea of consciousness, Tang San's divine sense churned with unrest. Buddha Tang replayed the scene of Yao Chuan suppressing Tang Wulin on the training ground, his brow furrowing more and more—

"Strange... How could this boy possess a draconic aura even more domineering than the Golden Dragon King's?"

"Wulin bears the power of the Golden Dragon King, yet he was suppressed to the point of being unable to move... This makes no sense!"

Tang San's soul flickered with a cold light in the void as a wisp of his recovering divine power quietly circulated:

"Looks like I'll have to personally guide this foolish son of mine."

As time passed, his remaining divine power had become just strong enough to reach the boundary of reality. Though he couldn't intervene directly, sending a few thoughts to Tang Wulin shouldn't be a problem...

Night grew deep.

The fierce battle that day, the strange change in his right arm, Wu Changkong's approval, and the delicious Grade A meal... The images mingled in Tang Wulin's mind.

Exhaustion swept over him like a tide, and he soon fell into a deep sleep.

Yet his consciousness hadn't fully fallen silent.

It felt as though he were passing through a long, shadowy tunnel, with viscous, icy darkness all around him.

He had no idea how much time passed before a faint glimmer appeared ahead.

Tang Wulin's consciousness drew closer to the light.

He "saw" an immense space, impossible to describe.

At its center coiled a golden dragon of unimaginable size!

Its eyes were closed, and its body seemed forged from the purest divine light gold. Each scale gleamed with a mysterious and imposing luster.

Even as it lay there in silence, it radiated a primordial aura that made the soul tremble.

Countless dark-gold chains, covered in flickering, intricate runes, wound around its body, as if sealing it away in the depths of endless space and time.

A stirring and a call from the deepest reaches of his bloodline filled Tang Wulin's consciousness with an overwhelming sense of familiarity, yet also with a trace of instinctive awe.

Is this... the source of the power in my arm? That dragon?

Just as he was reeling from the sight before him, a gentle, clear voice, imbued with an indescribable majesty, rang directly in the depths of his consciousness, as if it had pierced through the eternal reaches of time and space:

"Child, you've finally come."