Defeating Teacher Wu

The academy infirmary.

Tang Wulin's eyelids felt terribly heavy. After a long while, he slowly opened them.

As soon as his vision focused, he saw a circle of people gathered around the bed.

Wu Zhangkong, Xie Xie, Fang Yuan, Gu Yuena—several pairs of eyes were all fixed on him, making him uncomfortable all over.

"Teacher Wu... what happened?" He propped himself up on the hospital bed, his head still a little foggy.

"What else? Teacher Wu insisted on waiting until you woke up. If you didn't wake up, none of us could leave." Xie Xie leaned against the cabinet beside him and curled his lip.

"Why wait for me?" Tang Wulin was even more confused.

"We agreed before to spar with Teacher Wu, remember? You just keeled over halfway through, so of course we had to wait for you." Xie Xie spread his hands.

Tang Wulin paused, a little embarrassed. "How long was I out? Did making you all wait delay anything?"

"About ten minutes." Gu Yuena frowned slightly, her tone cool. "Hurry up and get up. Don't hold up dismissal."

She stood at the very edge, her gaze resting on Tang Wulin as thoughts churned in her heart.

The Golden Dragon King bloodline was right before her eyes.

As long as she wanted, she could wipe out everyone in the room in an instant and extract the bloodline origin from this boy's body.

But she could not act.

Logically speaking, the Golden Dragon King's true body had been permanently imprisoned in the Divine Realm. For his bloodline to have ended up in the mortal world could only mean something had happened in the Divine Realm.

A vessel capable of carrying the Golden Dragon King's power was either a god's reincarnation or someone chosen by the Divine Realm. There had to be a divine protective artifact on him.

Now that her true body had lost contact and she had only one avatar here, she could not afford to gamble.

If she triggered a god-level restriction, forget seizing the bloodline—she herself would fall here.

"Wulin, why did you suddenly faint just now? Did you activate that special bloodline in your body?" Wu Zhangkong asked, his gaze probing.

Tang Wulin shook his head, utterly bewildered. "I didn't use my bloodline. It was just that after Student Fang Yuan's martial soul possessed him, my whole body felt awful, like something was pressing down on me. I couldn't breathe, and then I lost consciousness."

Wu Zhangkong turned to Fang Yuan. "What is your martial soul called?"

"Little Black Dragon," Fang Yuan casually made up.

"Little Black Dragon?" Tang Wulin scratched his head. "I've never heard of a dragon-type martial soul like that. It isn't recorded in the continent's catalog of dragon martial souls, is it?"

"I made it up, so of course you've never heard of it." Fang Yuan curled his lip.

After saying that, he turned his gaze to Gu Yuena and condensed his spiritual power into a thin thread to transmit it over.

This was the voice-transmission technique he had just learned from his mother last night. Perfect time to try it.

"Mother, what bloodline does he have, exactly? Why does releasing my martial soul affect him?"

He simply wanted to test what attitude his mother had toward this Golden Dragon King bloodline.

"The other half split from the first-generation Dragon God. It governs physical power, a shattered godhead, and maddened will. It represents destruction and tyranny."

Gu Yuena did not hide it from him and replied directly with spiritual power. "You are the Dragon Clan's hope for the future. You have the right to know these things."

"Then if Mother kills him, won't you be able to take back all of the Dragon God's power?" Fang Yuan asked probingly.

"It is still too early." Gu Yuena's tone was very calm. "This is not the complete Golden Dragon King bloodline. Its power and consciousness are sealed layer upon layer. Killing him now would not be worth the loss."

"But sooner or later, we'll still have to kill him, right?"

Fang Yuan thought for a moment, then continued transmitting, "Mother, why not put some kind of contract on him and seize control of him first? Otherwise, when he learns the truth in the future, he'll definitely turn around and oppose us."

"I'll leave that task to you." There was a hint of amusement in Gu Yuena's tone.

"Huh?" Fang Yuan froze. "No way, Mother. He's your other half, not mine. Why make me do it?"

"You think it's troublesome?" Gu Yuena teased him. "Just take this boy in as your little underling and order him around."

Fang Yuan fell silent for two seconds, then nodded as if resigned to his fate.

"Fine."

Outside, seeing that neither of them was speaking, Wu Zhangkong raised his hand and checked the time.

"Since you're awake, let's go. It's getting late. The sooner we finish fighting, the sooner we can go back and rest." He yawned and walked out first.

"Teacher Wu, do we really have to fight?" Xie Xie wailed from behind him.

"If you think you can handle it, then Fang Yuan and Gu Yue won't need to go up in tomorrow's Class Promotion Tournament. You and Tang Wulin can go yourselves." Wu Zhangkong did not even look back.

"Tch. You're ruthless." Xie Xie rolled his eyes and fell silent.

The group followed the corridor toward the training hall.

The sky had already gone completely dark. The soul-guidance streetlamps along the roadside lit up one after another, spreading orange light across the ground.

The training hall was empty. The students who had watched during the day had long since left, and only a few ceiling lights remained on, bleaching the arena pale.

"Everyone, get on the stage."

Wu Zhangkong stepped onto the training platform, turned around, and swept his gaze over the four of them.

"Fang Yuan, attack with your second martial soul. The rest of you, use your full strength too."

"Understood, Teacher Wu."

Fang Yuan answered and strode to the front of the stage.

The four of them quickly took their positions:

Tang Wulin stayed to the left, in charge of control. Xie Xie waited on the right, ready to launch a swift attack. Fang Yuan stood at the very front to meet the enemy head-on, while Gu Yuena hung back half a step, ready to fill any gap at any time.

"Ready?"

Two soul rings lit up beneath Wu Zhangkong's feet, one yellow and one purple, their halos especially clear in the empty arena.

He flipped his right hand, and a gleaming white longsword condensed in his palm. A faint frost shimmered across the blade—it was his tool martial soul, the Sky Frost Sword.

Cold air spread along the edge of the sword, making the surrounding air turn several degrees colder.

"Begin."

The moment those two words fell, Tang Wulin moved first.

"First soul skill, Bind!"

A dozen strands of Blue Silver Grass shot out from the gaps in the floor beneath Wu Zhangkong's feet. The emerald vines carried a resilient force as they went straight for his ankles and wrists.

Almost at the same time, Xie Xie's figure blurred, turning into a pale golden afterimage as he charged in from the side. The Light Dragon Dagger flashed with cold light in his palm, stabbing straight toward an opening at Wu Zhangkong's waist.

One controlled, one attacked. It was the opening combination they had practiced several times.

Wu Zhangkong's expression did not change.

The Sky Frost Sword swept lightly.

Where the blade passed, fine ice crystals burst apart. The dozen strands of Blue Silver Grass snapped at the sound, thin ice forming over the broken ends as they instantly lost their vitality. Immediately after, he turned his wrist, knocking the spine of his sword to the side.

There was a crisp clang.

Xie Xie felt the web between his thumb and forefinger go numb. A tremendous force traveled up through his dagger, jolting him back three steps, and he almost lost his grip on the weapon.

Even with only the strength of two rings, the gap between them was still worlds apart.

After breaking the attacks on both sides, Wu Zhangkong stepped forward, his target aimed straight at Fang Yuan at the very front.

The Sky Frost Sword pointed diagonally toward the ground, cold air spreading along the tip and leaving a faint trail of ice across the floor.

He wanted to test for himself just how much strength this mysterious black dragon martial soul was hiding.

Fang Yuan stood where he was without moving.

Black dragon scales had already covered both arms, and the small dragon horns on his forehead gleamed with cold light.

With a thought, his first soul ring lit up beneath his feet, emitting a deep purple halo.

A pitch-black longsword appeared out of thin air in his palm.

The sword was long and narrow, with fine dragon patterns carved into the guard. It was his first soul skill—the Dark Night Dragon God Sword.

He had practiced basic sword forms at the Kendo Club for more than half a month, and his grip on the sword was steady, without the slightest trace of empty flourish.

"A thousand-year soul ring?!"

Offstage, Xie Xie cried out despite himself.

Tang Wulin's eyes also widened, his face full of disbelief.

A rank-seventeen Spirit Master, and his first soul ring was already a thousand-year one?

This could no longer be called genius. He was simply a monster.

Wu Zhangkong's pupils also shrank slightly.

But his hand did not stop.

The Sky Frost Sword slashed out with biting cold, cutting straight toward Fang Yuan from the front. The sword wind scraped so fiercely that it made one's face tighten.

Fang Yuan lifted his wrist, and the Dark Night Dragon God Sword met it head-on.

Clang—

The sound of metal striking metal exploded.

Fang Yuan's feet slid slightly, and he retreated half a step.

But his sword momentum did not falter. Borrowing the force of his retreat, he flipped his wrist, The blade slid down along the spine of the Sky Frost Sword, shaving straight toward the other man's fingers.

It was the basic rising sword form taught by the Kendo Club. The movement was standard, the force precise, without a single unnecessary motion.

Wu Zhangkong frowned and hurriedly drew in his fingers, pulling his hand back.

In that one instant of opening, the sound of air being cut suddenly came from behind him.

At some point, Gu Yuena had circled behind him. The Silver Dragon Spear twisted in her hands, its tip carrying an extremely faint aura of annihilation as it stabbed straight toward the center of his back.

The spear was extremely fast, but she had restrained her killing intent, stopping at the slightest touch.

Wu Zhangkong reacted with incredible speed and suddenly leaned his head back.

The spearpoint brushed past his lower jaw, the wind from it scraping his skin tight.

He took advantage of the momentum and raised his foot, driving his heel straight toward Gu Yuena's lower abdomen, trying to force her to retreat.

But the instant he tilted his head back, Fang Yuan moved in front of him.

Fang Yuan put strength into his wrist and slashed out three times in succession.

Three condensed streaks of black sword energy flew from the blade, forming a triangle as they shot straight toward Wu Zhangkong's upper, middle, and lower paths. Fine dragon-scale patterns lined the edges of the sword energy, condensed without dispersing.

Wu Zhangkong had just dodged the spear tip, his old strength not yet spent and new strength not yet born.

In his haste, he could only turn his sword sideways to block.

"Bang, bang, bang."

The three streaks of sword energy struck the Sky Frost Sword one after another.

Force heavier than the last surged over him. Wu Zhangkong's arm went numb, and he involuntarily retreated two steps.

Stormy waves had already surged through his heart.

Six years old.

Only six years old.

Soul power, martial soul, combat awareness—every one of them was at the very top level.

This child's talent far surpassed even all the scions of great clans he had ever seen.

"Don't just stand there! Attack!"

Fang Yuan shouted back over his shoulder.

Only then did Tang Wulin and Xie Xie react, hurriedly charging forward again.

Blue Silver Grass spread out once more. This time, it did not directly bind anyone, but wove into a dense net beneath Wu Zhangkong's feet, restricting his footwork;

Using the cover of the Blue Silver Grass, Xie Xie kept roaming and harassing him, the Light Dragon Dagger aiming specifically for his openings.

Wu Zhangkong's brows drew tight.

His feet were hindered by the Blue Silver Grass, Fang Yuan's sword pressure attacked fiercely from the front, and Gu Yuena's long spear watched from behind. He was under assault from three sides.

His Sky Frost Sword danced so tightly that not even wind could pass through. Ice shards scattered in all directions, forcing Xie Xie unable to get close while continuously shattering the incoming sword energy.

But Fang Yuan's sword techniques were too steady.

Every move was a basic sword form—thrust, chop, rising slash, tap. There was not the slightest flashy move, but after being driven by dragon force, every strike was astonishingly heavy.

Even more troublesome was that faint dragon aura, which always interfered invisibly with the circulation of his soul power.

They stalemated for over a dozen exchanges.

Wu Zhangkong seized a gap in Xie Xie's attack and kicked out, forcing Xie Xie to fly backward.

He had just been about to use the momentum to withdraw when a black shadow flashed before his eyes.

Fang Yuan had already closed in on him.

The Dark Night Dragon God Sword trembled slightly in his palm. Its blade lengthened three inches out of thin air, the angle tricky to the extreme as it slid along the side of the Sky Frost Sword.

Wu Zhangkong hurriedly withdrew his sword to defend.

But it was already too late.

The cold blade stopped steadily before his throat.

Only one inch away.

A fraction farther, and it could have cut through his skin.

The venue fell instantly silent.

Xie Xie's mouth hung open, and he did not close it for a long time.

Tang Wulin was also frozen in place, even forgetting to retract his Blue Silver Grass.

Teacher Wu... had lost?

Lost to a six-year-old first-year student?

Fang Yuan withdrew his sword and took a step back.

The Dark Night Dragon God Sword turned into black mist and dispersed. A faint sheen of sweat had appeared at his temple, but his breathing remained steady.

"Thank you for the match, Teacher Wu."

Wu Zhangkong lowered the Sky Frost Sword and was silent for a few seconds before suddenly giving a bitter laugh.

"I never thought I would actually lose to a six-year-old child."

He looked at Fang Yuan, undisguised appreciation in his eyes. Such talent would be far too much of a pity to bury in an ordinary academy.

He took a deep breath, then asked that question.

"Fang Yuan, are you interested in joining the Tang Sect?"