Silver Hammer Breaks the Wind, Badge Shatters the Ice!

In the early morning of Eastsea City, the sea fog had yet to disperse, and the air was filled with a faint salty tang and freshness.

In the small courtyard of the teachers' dormitory, two figures sitting cross-legged exhaled turbid breaths almost simultaneously, ending their meditation.

"Brother, I've got a bad feeling about Teacher Wu's class today."

Tang Wulin mumbled around his toothbrush while washing up. Thinking of that cold "hmph" from yesterday, his calves still cramped a little.

"What are you afraid of? He's a teacher, not an executioner."

Tang Linyuan leisurely adjusted his cuffs, a glimmer of excitement flashing through his dark eyes.

"Besides, actual combat is the fastest way to improve. Let's go."

Grade One Class Five classroom.

When that iconic figure in white appeared at the doorway on schedule, the previously noisy classroom instantly fell silent.

Wu Zhangkong swept his cold gaze over the room. His eyes paused on Tang Wulin for 0.1 seconds, frightening the little fellow into immediately straightening his back.

"Everyone, assemble on the field."

Brief and unquestionable.

On the field, the sunlight was just right.

The Class Five students stood in two loose rows.

Wu Zhangkong did not begin teaching right away. Instead, he scrutinized the group of students.

"Pair up and spar freely. I want to see just how useless you all are—or whether there's still any saving you."

Very soon, the amateur brawling began.

There were no flashy soul skills, only mostly grappling and wildly swinging Martial Souls.

Yet Wu Zhangkong watched with great seriousness, offering pointers from time to time.

"You with the hoe Martial Soul, stop swinging it around blindly. Steady your footing and use the hoe's hooked edge to attack your opponent's lower body."

"You with the dagger, you're too slow. Your Martial Soul's advantage is agility, not competing with others in brute strength. Circle behind them."

Though his words were venomous, every sentence struck at the heart of the issue.

The students, who had previously fought without any method, actually began to show a few signs of being soul masters under his guidance.

However, two people remained at the edge of the field.

Tang Linyuan and Tang Wulin.

"How should this be arranged?" Wu Zhangkong frowned slightly.

There was no need to mention Tang Linyuan. A level thirty-two Soul Elder thrown among freshmen at levels eleven or twelve was simply a tiger among sheep.

As for Tang Wulin, with level fifteen Soul Power and innate divine strength, anyone else in Class Five fighting him would only be serving themselves up. It would not provide any training at all.

"Wait here."

Wu Zhangkong tossed out those words before turning and walking toward the other side of the field.

That was Grade One Class One's activity area.

Before Grade One Class One's formation, a female teacher in a dark green long dress was elegantly instructing her students.

When she saw the white-clad figure approach, her originally proud gaze instantly became complicated.

There was resentment, unwillingness, and a trace of deeply buried fluttering emotion.

Ye Yingluo, Eastsea Academy's famous beautiful teacher, had once pursued Wu Zhangkong. Naturally, she had been mercilessly rejected.

"Oh, isn't this Teacher Wu?" Ye Yingluo crossed her arms, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "What's this? Demoted to Class Five, and you still have time to visit our Class One?"

"I'm borrowing someone." Wu Zhangkong ignored her mockery and got straight to the point. "No one in Class Five can serve as a sparring partner."

"Borrow someone?" Ye Yingluo laughed in anger. "Wu Zhangkong, you're still as arrogant as ever! You want to use our Class One's geniuses as sparring partners for your Class Five? Why should we?"

"Because I can guide them," Wu Zhangkong said blandly.

"You!" Ye Yingluo gritted her teeth, her competitive spirit instantly provoked. "Fine! I'll show you how Class One students crush your Class Five! Who's willing to step out and teach the Class Five students a lesson?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a figure lazily rose to his feet.

"Teacher, I'll do it."

With his hands in his pockets and a cold, arrogant expression, it was Xie Xie.

His narrow eyes stared fixedly at Tang Wulin and Tang Linyuan in the distance.

The memory of being ignored at the station yesterday, along with that glaring black luxury car, had left this young master of Eastsea City feeling rather displeased.

Class Five's area.

"Xie Xie, level eighteen agility-attack battle soul master, Martial Soul: Light Dragon Dagger." Xie Xie toyed with the golden dagger in his hand, lifting his chin as he provocatively looked at Tang Wulin.

"You, the rice bucket. Come play with this young master."

"My name is Tang Wulin, not Rice Bucket!"

Tang Wulin could not stand others commenting on his appetite. His little face stiffened as he strode into the field.

"Begin." Wu Zhangkong gave the order.

Whoosh!

Xie Xie moved. It had to be said that an agility-attack soul master at level eighteen was indeed fast.

Like a streak of golden lightning, he cut behind Tang Wulin in the blink of an eye, his dagger slashing toward Tang Wulin's back.

If this had been the original Tang Wulin, he definitely would have been thrown into a panic.

But the current Tang Wulin had been honed by Tang Linyuan's Spear Intent and ocean waves!

"Behind me!"

Tang Wulin did not even turn around. Relying on his bloodline senses, he swung a thick Blue Silver Grass vine behind him.

[First Soul Skill: Golden Emerald Dragon Bind]!

The emerald-green vine, etched with faint golden patterns, coiled upward like a living snake, forcing Xie Xie to change his move and evade.

The two instantly became locked in battle.

The more Xie Xie fought, the more alarmed he became. This boy who looked so clumsy had unbelievably quick reactions!

Moreover, that Blue Silver Grass was absurdly tough. Even the Light Dragon Dagger could not cut through it. Worse, every time it made contact, a strange suppressive force caused his Soul Power to stagnate.

But he was, after all, an agility-attack soul master, and his movement was nimble.

Taking advantage of the moment Tang Wulin turned, the Light Dragon Dagger transformed into a sky full of golden radiance, enveloping Tang Wulin.

"Hmph, you wooden post who only knows brute force, it's over!"

Just as defeat seemed imminent, a glimmer of light suddenly flashed through the eyes of Tang Wulin, who had remained on the defensive.

"Brother said that if I can't hit them, I shouldn't chase them. I should just smash!"

Buzzz—!

Two pitch-black heavy hammers appeared in his hands out of thin air.

Thousand Refinement Sinking Silver Hammers!

Tang Wulin paid no attention to Xie Xie's flashy attacks. Swinging both hammers, he smashed them viciously at the air in front of him!

Boom!

He had not struck a person. He had struck the air.

Yet the fierce gust of wind unleashed in that instant immediately disrupted Xie Xie's perfect offensive.

Before he could react, a huge hammerhead had already stopped before the tip of his nose.

The gale whipped his bangs into a frenzy, and the heavy pressure made cold sweat stream down his face.

"You lost." Tang Wulin grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth.

The entire field fell silent.

Xie Xie's face was pale as he stared fixedly at the pair of hammers, his eyes filled with unwillingness and frustration.

"Stop."

Wu Zhangkong walked into the field, his cold gaze fixed on the hammers in Tang Wulin's hands.

"A win is a win. But Tang Wulin, who allowed you to use Forging Hammers?"

Wu Zhangkong's tone was stern.

"You are a soul master, not a blacksmith! Relying too heavily on external objects will only waste your Martial Soul cultivation. No matter how heavy those hammers are, can they compare to the agility of soul skills? This clumsy fighting style can only bully low-level opponents. Against a true powerhouse, you won't even be able to lift your hammers!"

Tang Wulin lowered his head, looking somewhat dejected after being scolded.

"Teacher Wu, I beg to differ."

A calm voice suddenly interrupted.

Tang Linyuan slowly stepped forward, standing before his younger brother as he met Wu Zhangkong's gaze directly.

"Blacksmithing is not an external object. It is an extension of strength. And Wulin's hammers are not ordinary lumps of iron."

As he spoke, Tang Linyuan took out two badges from his Starsea Ring under everyone's shocked gazes.

One was pale blue, engraved with four stars.

He casually pinned that badge onto Tang Wulin's chest.

"A Level Four Blacksmith badge means he can complete Thousand Refinement Grade One. His hammers are part of his own strength."

Immediately afterward, Tang Linyuan took out another badge from his chest, one that was deeper in color and emitted a faint orange-gold glow.

That was...

Level Five!

The mark of a Spirit Refinement Grandmaster!

He gently pinned that badge onto his own chest.

Under the sunlight, that trace of orange-gold light was painful to look at.

"Also, Teacher Wu."

Tang Linyuan patted the badge on his chest, his tone as calm as if he were commenting on the pleasant weather.

"We did not neglect cultivation for blacksmithing. It is because we are too strong that, if we do not find some side work to do, the peers of Eastsea City... will become very desperate."

Crack.

Wu Zhangkong's eternally unchanged icy face finally cracked and shattered at that moment.

His pupils trembled violently as he stared fixedly at the Level Five Badge on Tang Linyuan's chest.

Level Four?! Level Five?!

Nine years old?!

Even though he had come from Shrek, he felt as though his mind had crashed.

How were these geniuses? They were clearly two little monsters wearing human skin!

Xie Xie beside them had opened his mouth so wide that his jaw nearly hit the ground.

He had just... been smashed by a Level Four Blacksmith? And that person's older brother was a Level Five Grandmaster?

What kind of divine family was this?!

"Whew..."

A full five seconds passed before Wu Zhangkong forcibly suppressed the raging waves in his heart and resumed his aloof demeanor.

Only this time, there was an additional degree of caution in his gaze toward Tang Linyuan.

"Good. Very good."

Wu Zhangkong took a deep breath. His white robes moved without wind as an even stronger chill swept across the field.

He turned toward Tang Linyuan and slowly extended one hand.

"Since you talk such a big game, let me see whether your skills are as hard as your mouth."

"Tang Linyuan, step forward."

"The main event of this class is you and me."

"However..." A cold glint flashed through Wu Zhangkong's eyes.

"I will not use soul skills or Sword Intent. You are forbidden from using Spear Intent or your self-created spear techniques. You may only use basic moves and Martial Soul soul skills."

"If you lose, take off that badge and train your physical fitness for three extra hours every day."

Tang Linyuan's lips curved upward, battle intent burning in his dark eyes.

"And if I win?"

Wu Zhangkong snorted coldly as the Sky Frost Sword appeared in his hand.

"Defeat me? Talk after you've done it!"

"Fight!"