Battle Against the Protagonist Duo

Wu Zhangkong looked at Zhong Shenxiu again. "Your strength is impressive, and your combat awareness is strong. But remember, sparring between classmates should stop at the right point. There is no need for verbal humiliation."

Zhong Shenxiu opened his eyes, his golden vertical pupils fixed on Wu Zhangkong without the slightest emotional ripple. "I was merely stating facts."

"Facts can be expressed in many ways."

Wu Zhangkong said calmly, "The strong do not need to belittle the weak to prove themselves."

Zhong Shenxiu fell silent for several seconds before nodding. "Understood."

He understood what Wu Zhangkong meant, but he did not entirely agree.

In his understanding, weakness was the original sin.

Nine years of slaughter in dreams had taught him one truth: in the eyes of the strong, there was no place for the weak!

But he knew that the real world had its own rules.

So he would follow them, at least on the surface.

"All right, everyone else, continue." Wu Zhangkong waved a hand. "Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, come over here."

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue stepped out of the crowd and came before Wu Zhangkong.

"You two will fight Zhong Shenxiu." Wu Zhangkong said something startling. "Two against one."

The crowd erupted again.

Two against one?

And it was Tang Wulin and Gu Yue joining forces?

Tang Wulin might only be Level Twelve, but his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul had extremely powerful control, and his physical strength was terrifying.

Gu Yue was even more mysterious. Her Elementalist Martial Soul could manipulate multiple elements, and her combat power was unfathomable.

With those two working together, even Xie Xie would probably have a headache.

Could Zhong Shenxiu handle them?

Zhong Shenxiu rose to his feet, his golden vertical pupils turning toward Tang Wulin and Gu Yue.

Tang Wulin's gaze was gentle yet steadfast, while Gu Yue's was cold and aloof, deep and profound.

"Sure."

Zhong Shenxiu said only one word, but everyone could feel the confidence in his tone.

"Then begin." Wu Zhangkong retreated to the edge of the field, a trace of anticipation flashing through his eyes.

He wanted to see where the limits of this child called Zhong Shenxiu lay.

The three stood facing one another in the arena.

Zhong Shenxiu stood alone on one side, while Tang Wulin and Gu Yue stood on the other.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

"Begin!" Wu Zhangkong's voice fell.

Gu Yue moved almost at the same instant.

She did not even release her Martial Soul. She merely raised a hand and pressed it forward through the air.

The temperature in the air plummeted. More than a dozen ice spikes condensed out of nowhere and shot toward Zhong Shenxiu like a rainstorm.

At the same time, the ground trembled slightly as earthen spikes erupted beneath Zhong Shenxiu's feet.

Elemental manipulation—her very first move was a dual attack.

Zhong Shenxiu's gaze sharpened.

Rather than take it head-on, he pushed off the ground and leaped to the side like a cannonball.

The ice spikes and earthen spikes grazed past his body, striking the ground and erupting with waves of cold air and dust.

But Gu Yue's attacks did not stop.

She raised her left hand, and flames surged forth, transforming into a fire serpent that lunged at Zhong Shenxiu.

With a sweep of her right hand, wind blades howled in from another angle.

Ice, fire, earth, and wind—four elements were like playthings in her hands. They worked together flawlessly, forming a three-dimensional net of attacks.

That was the terrifying part of an Elementalist—controlling multiple elements, attacking in endlessly varied ways, making defense impossible.

Zhong Shenxiu weaved through the elemental attacks. Dragon scales covered his body as he endured several wind blades and ice spikes head-on, producing ringing clangs. He was extremely fast, but Gu Yue's attacks covered too wide an area for him to get close.

At that moment, Tang Wulin moved as well.

He did not rashly charge forward. Instead, he released his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul.

Pale-blue vines spread across the ground and coiled around Zhong Shenxiu's feet like living creatures.

First Soul Skill, Entangle!

Zhong Shenxiu paused, and several vines had already wrapped around his ankles.

Though his dragon claws could sever them with a single swipe, that brief pause made Gu Yue's attacks even denser.

Fire serpents, ice spikes, wind blades, and earthen spikes came at him from every direction.

Zhong Shenxiu's pupils contracted slightly.

He knew he could not remain on the defensive any longer.

A deep dragon roar sounded as Martial Soul Possession fully unfolded.

Dragon scales covered his vital areas, his dragon claws sharpened like blades, dragon horns emerged, and the light in his molten-gold vertical pupils flared brilliantly.

He stomped down, forcibly snapping the Blue Silver Grass binding him, then—

He charged toward Gu Yue!

To catch the bandits, first catch their leader.

Gu Yue's elemental attacks were too troublesome. He had to deal with her first.

But Tang Wulin had clearly anticipated this.

He stepped in front of Gu Yue, both fists clenched as faint golden light flowed over them.

Bang!

Zhong Shenxiu's dragon claw collided with Tang Wulin's fist, erupting with a dull crash.

Tang Wulin was sent three steps back, his arm numb, but a flash of excitement appeared in his eyes. Such strength!

Zhong Shenxiu was also slightly surprised. He could feel that Tang Wulin's physical strength far surpassed that of others at the same level, even stronger than Xie Xie's just now.

But it was still not enough.

Zhong Shenxiu's second claw followed immediately, aimed straight at Tang Wulin's throat.

Tang Wulin did not dare take it head-on. He twisted aside to evade while Blue Silver Grass wrapped around Zhong Shenxiu again, trying to restrict his movements.

Gu Yue's attacks did not stop either. She pressed her hands together, merging ice and fire in midair to form a whirlwind of intertwined frost and flame that swept toward him.

Zhong Shenxiu was caught in a pincer attack.

Yet he remained calm.

Nine years of slaughter in dreams had made him face situations far more dangerous than this.

Facing the Blue Silver Grass binding, he did not dodge. Instead, he allowed the vines to wrap around his body.

Then he suddenly exerted force—

Crack!

The tough Blue Silver Grass was snapped apart by brute force!

Almost simultaneously, Zhong Shenxiu clenched his right hand in the air. As a yellow Soul Ring appeared, the Sky Light Dragon Spear condensed into existence.

But this time, he did not thrust at Tang Wulin or Gu Yue. Instead, he drove the spear into the ground—

Boom!

Blazing white light erupted from the spear tip, spreading outward in a ring of radiance.

Wherever the halo passed, the ice-fire whirlwind was scattered, the Blue Silver Grass was scorched and withered, and even a layer of the ground was shaved away.

A wide-area attack!

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue were forced back, opening up some distance.

Zhong Shenxiu seized the opportunity, pulled out his spear, and charged at Gu Yue again.

He was even faster than before, like a streak of golden lightning.

Gu Yue's expression grew grave. Her hands moved rapidly as an earthen wall rose and a Wind Shield condensed, trying to block him.

But Zhong Shenxiu's Sky Light Dragon Spear was like a siege ram. One thrust pierced the earthen wall, and another shattered the Wind Shield.

The distance closed rapidly.

Five meters, three meters, one meter—

Just as Zhong Shenxiu's dragon claw was about to touch Gu Yue, a figure stepped in front of her.

Tang Wulin!

He crossed his arms and took Zhong Shenxiu's claw head-on.

Clang!

The dragon claw struck his arms with the sound of metal colliding.

Tang Wulin let out a muffled groan, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, but he did not retreat even half a step.

The golden light on his body became more distinct. It was the sign of his Golden Dragon King Bloodline being awakened.

A trace of surprise flashed through Zhong Shenxiu's eyes.

Though he had not used his full strength in that claw strike, it was still not something an ordinary Level Twelve Soul Master could withstand head-on.

This Tang Wulin's physical toughness truly was extraordinary.

Was this what one expected from a protagonist?

Sure enough, this was a world where bloodline determined heroes...

But that was all.

Zhong Shenxiu condensed another Sky Light Dragon Spear in his left hand and thrust it toward Tang Wulin's chest.

This strike was faster and fiercer.

Tang Wulin's pupils shrank. He knew he could not block it.

But at that moment—

Gu Yue placed a hand on his shoulder.

A gentle force flowed into Tang Wulin's body. He felt his Soul Power instantly boil as the strength in his body surged.

This was Gu Yue's support ability—Elemental Blessing!

Tang Wulin let out a low roar and threw both fists forward, meeting the Sky Light Dragon Spear head-on.

Boom—!!!

An even more violent explosion rang out.