An Overwhelming Victory

After leaving the Tang Sect branch, Tang Wulin followed Mu Chen and the other man back to the Blacksmith Association. He accepted several Hundred Refinement commissions before returning to the academy.

Although Tang Wulin was already quite wealthy, blacksmithing was still his second profession, and he couldn't afford to let it go to waste.

It was already afternoon when he returned to the academy. Class Five's regular training had just ended, so Tang Wulin headed straight for the dormitory.

"Creak!"

Tang Wulin opened the dormitory door.

"Wulin!"

"You're finally awake!"

Before Tang Wulin could even step inside, Xie Xie rushed over and hugged him tightly.

After quite a while,

"Uh... Xie Xie, I can't breathe."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

Only then did Xie Xie let go of Tang Wulin and step back a few paces. Luckily, no one else was in the dormitory. Otherwise, they might have wondered what sort of relationship the two of them had.

"How's Gu Yue? Is she all right?" Tang Wulin walked into the dormitory and sat down on his bed.

"Why are you so worried about her? Can't you show a little concern for me?" Xie Xie scowled, his cheeks puffing up with anger.

Tang Wulin looked him up and down, then said with a smile, "You look perfectly fine to me. What could possibly be wrong?"

"By the way, what happened after that night? When I woke up, all I saw was Teacher Wu bringing us back to the academy. Was it Teacher Wu who saved us?"

"Uh... probably! I'm not sure." Tang Wulin was momentarily at a loss for words, so he could only go along with Xie Xie's assumption.

"What a pity. I didn't get to see Teacher Wu in action."

"Come on, don't overthink it. I'm going to the cafeteria. You coming?"

"Let's go!"

In the cafeteria, Xie Xie stared in shock as Tang Wulin started eating Class A meals—and took fifty portions in one go.

"Tang Wulin, did you strike it rich? That's fifty Class A meals!"

Tang Wulin stuffed a piece of some unidentifiable meat into his mouth as he replied, "You could say that. I can afford to fill my stomach now. Want me to treat you?"

"No need. This young master can afford a Class A meal."

He had several hundred million in hand now, so he was definitely going to treat himself when it came to food. Eat well, and cultivation would be faster—that was how Tang Wulin saw it.

That evening, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie arrived at their usual place for special training right on time.

Wu Zhangkong and Gu Yue were already there.

"Teacher Wu, Gu Yue."

Tang Wulin greeted them both.

Wu Zhangkong gave a slight nod.

"Wulin! You're awake!" Gu Yue walked up to Tang Wulin, her face full of concern.

"Mm-hmm! I'm tough to beat up!" Tang Wulin said with a grin.

"Hey, hey! I'm still here!" Xie Xie said, pouting.

"Ahem! All right! Stand properly!" Wu Zhangkong said sternly.

"You should already know that the Class Promotion Tournament begins in three days. Class Four will be your first opponent."

"Teacher Wu, I think we should first figure out which students Class Four might send out. That way, we can come up with a strategy." Xie Xie raised his hand.

Wu Zhangkong shot him a cold look and said sternly, "It's only Class Four. Strategies and the like aren't important for you. I want an overwhelming victory. If you can't beat Class Four within one minute, then there's no point in challenging Class One."

"Uh..." Xie Xie hadn't expected Wu Zhangkong's demands to be so strict. Win within one minute? Even though he was confident in his own strength, he couldn't guarantee he could pull it off.

"All right. During the Class Promotion Tournament, your special training will be about building up your teamwork. For example, the three of you can attack me together tonight."

As he spoke, Wu Zhangkong plucked a willow switch from a nearby willow tree. With a slight flick of his wrist, it was held in his hand like a long sword.

"Didn't you say you wanted to see Teacher Wu in action? Here's your chance," Tang Wulin whispered to Xie Xie.

"That's not what I meant! I didn't mean I wanted to be the one he practiced on!"

"Stop dawdling! If you don't attack first, I will!" Wu Zhangkong said sternly.

"Yes!"

The three of them answered and released their Martial Souls.

But when Tang Wulin saw two Century Soul Rings rise beneath Xie Xie's feet, he couldn't help exclaiming in surprise, "Xie Xie, you've broken through to the Two-Ring level!"

Xie Xie wore a smug smile. "Of course. With my talent, reaching the Two-Ring level was a piece of cake!"

"You have Innate Full Soul Power, and you've only just reached the Two-Ring level. You're still bragging?" Gu Yue scoffed.

"You..." Most of the smugness vanished from Xie Xie's face. "Forget it. I'm not going to argue with a girl. Just don't hold me back in the Class Promotion Tournament."

"Pah! Worry about what's right in front of you first." Gu Yue's lips curled into a mischievous smile as she pointed behind Xie Xie.

"What?"

Xie Xie suddenly felt a chill beside him.

"Smack!"

A thin willow switch lashed across Xie Xie's bottom without warning.

"Ow!"

Xie Xie leaped straight into the air from the pain.

"Teacher Wu, how could you sneak up on me? That's not playing fair!"

Wu Zhangkong withdrew the switch and said, "I told you. If you kept dawdling, I'd make the first move!"

"Couldn't you have gone after those two first?" Xie Xie said with a mournful face.

"Still talking?"

In the next moment, the willow switch lashed toward Xie Xie again. Fortunately, he reacted in time and barely dodged it with a quick step.

"Keep going!"

Wu Zhangkong didn't stop. His next strike was aimed at Tang Wulin.

Three days later.

The annual Class Promotion Tournament, the biggest event of the year at East Sea City Intermediate Soul Master Academy, had arrived.

The first match of the day was between Year One, Class Five and Year One, Class Four.

Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue were the first to step onto the platform, but their eyes were full of exhaustion, as if they hadn't woken up yet.

No one else knew what the three of them had been through over the past three days. Every night, their special training had been a fight against Wu Zhangkong—and they'd ended up crying for their fathers and mothers every time.

"Teacher Wu, your students don't look very spirited," said a slightly overweight, middle-aged man as he walked over to Wu Zhangkong.

He was Kong Hanwen, the homeroom teacher of Class Four.

Wu Zhangkong looked at him coldly and didn't respond.

"Hmph, what are you putting on airs for? You were demoted from a higher grade, after all!" Kong Hanwen said with a sneer.

Wu Zhangkong simply couldn't be bothered with him. It was only Class Four, after all.

On the platform, three boys slowly walked out, wearing the air of people who thought themselves superior. They clearly looked down on Class Five.

"Get ready! Each side, move back fifty meters," said Year Director Long Hengxu, standing between the six contestants.

"The first match of the Class Promotion Tournament: Year One, Class Five versus Year One, Class Four. Begin!"

Long Hengxu shouted, and both sides released their Martial Souls almost simultaneously.

But when everyone saw the Martial Souls on each side, they were momentarily unable to tell which group was Class Five and which was Class Four.

"Why does that person have a Thousand-Year Soul Ring as his first ring?"

"And what's with that Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster?"

"That girl's first Soul Ring is a Century Soul Ring too!"

A wave of chatter rose from below the platform.

Long Hengxu stared from the stage, stunned as well. What on earth was going on?

By comparison, Class Four's lineup looked downright shabby. All three had only Ten-Year Soul Rings.

The three students from Class Four immediately faltered when they saw this. Were these really not students from Class One?

"Let's finish this quickly. I want to go back to sleep!"

Xie Xie made the first move. He held the Light Dragon Dagger in a reverse grip and didn't use any Soul Skills, yet his speed was already absurd.

In the next instant, he appeared behind one of Class Four's contestants, the Light Dragon Dagger pressed against the boy's neck.

"Lin Zunyuan is out!"

Gu Yue was just as quick. Silver light burst from her, and she used her spatial power to Teleport directly behind another contestant. A fireball had already formed in her hand, aimed at him.

"Jialong is out!"

Tang Wulin was the slowest of the three. The Thousand-Year Soul Spirit beneath his feet flashed, and a mass of Blue Silver Grass sprang up beneath the last boy from Class Four. The boy tried to dodge, but he was a step too slow. Tang Wulin's Blue Silver Grass bound him tightly.

"Mosi is out!"

"Year One, Class Five wins!"

Long Hengxu announced the result immediately.

The audience fell silent.

That was way too fast! The whole thing had taken less than half a minute, hadn't it?

It was an absolutely overwhelming victory!

The two sides weren't even on the same level.