[Equivalent] Exchange

Pure white, gentle soul power slowly flowed from Chen An's palm.

Tang Wuling's slightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed. Her hurried, faint breathing steadily became calm and even, and the life force on the verge of fading was slowly pulled back on track.

Only after confirming that Tang Wuling's vital signs had completely returned to safe levels did Chen An withdraw his hands.

The level 30 cultivation he had only just obtained had already paid the price to exchange for the level 4 Luck talent.

Chen An bent down and carefully lifted the unconscious Tang Wuling into his arms.

The girl's body was light, and with her consciousness completely gone, she rested quietly against his shoulder.

Carrying her, he headed into the bathroom attached to the workshop. He used spiritual control to guide the stored water, and the gentle current slowly washed over Tang Wuling's body.

It rinsed away all the dust and bloodstains she had picked up during the tempering process.

Then, with a slight pulse of soul power, he completely dried her damp short hair.

After finishing all that, Chen An picked her up again and carried her into the clean lounge next door. He gently laid her on the bed, pulled over a thick blanket, carefully covered her, and wrapped her up snugly.

Afterward, he returned to the previous room and began cleaning up the traces scattered across the floor.

Once everything was done, Chen An sat back down beside the bed in the lounge.

The soundproofing here was excellent. No matter how fiercely the wind raged outside, not a hint of noise could be heard.

In the quiet room, he could clearly sense that the Golden Dragon Source hidden within both himself and Tang Wuling had become more strongly resonant than before.

Her breakthrough had finally come.

With a thought, he summoned his personal panel before his eyes.

After absorbing a slightly denser amount of Golden Dragon King Essence, some of his attributes had increased.

His Bloodline Evolution progress had increased, and his spiritual power had risen to 400 points.

And after he had used one level of soul power to exchange for Luck and upgraded it, another description of its effect had appeared.

—Luck Points unlocked. The more soul power consumed on Luck, the more Luck Points can be obtained.

Looking at the newly added talent effect on the panel, Chen An pondered silently.

This sequence talent called Luck had been secretly consuming soul power for better fortune in the early stages, slowing its growth. That much was understandable.

It seemed that its abilities were linked one after another and grew stronger the more they were used.

He could accept that.

From now on, leveling up would not be difficult. Whenever he had the chance, he would try these Luck Points.

The fierce wind outside gradually died down, and the storm that had raged for days was slowly receding.

After an unknown amount of time, Tang Wuling's eyelashes trembled lightly as she slowly opened her eyes.

Her gaze was blank as she stared dazedly at the ceiling above.

A full half minute passed before her muddled consciousness gradually returned, and she slowly recalled the Ice-Fire Purgatory she had experienced earlier.

Chen An sat by the bed beside her. After staying awake for so long, he could not help letting out a soft yawn.

"Good morning."

Tang Wuling turned her eyes toward the boy beside her, her voice hoarse and still muddled from just waking up.

"Why are you here...?"

She instinctively tried to sit up, and the blanket covering her slid down from her shoulders.

The instant she saw her own condition, the remaining sleepiness vanished without a trace.

Her clothes had long since disappeared.

Tang Wuling's face instantly flushed red. She hurriedly yanked the blanket tight around herself, then shot Chen An a strange look.

"Uh, listen, I can explai—"

"Chen An!!!"

The girl's embarrassed and furious shout exploded through the lounge.

Eastsea Academy.

In the teaching building's corridor, Ye Yingluo frowned slightly as she questioned the students of Class One.

"Where is Chen An? Has any of you seen Chen An?"

Zhang Yangzi, standing nearby, answered honestly, "Teacher, he left the dorm seven days ago and still hasn't returned."

Elsewhere, Wu Changkong wore a cold expression as he asked about Tang Wuling's whereabouts.

The Class Advancement Tournament was about to begin, yet two important students were missing.

Around the arena on the academy field, crowds had already gathered. Students from every class and all the instructors were present, and the noise was deafening as the final Class Advancement Tournament of the first year was about to start.

Just as everyone was growing anxious, two figures hurried through the crowd and finally returned. They were Chen An and Tang Wuling, who had rushed back to the academy.

Seeing that the two had returned safely, Ye Yingluo, Wu Changkong, and the other teachers finally relaxed a little.

Referee Long Hengxu stepped to the edge of the stage and spoke loudly, his voice carrying across the entire venue.

"Once you step onto the stage, deliberately injuring your opponents is strictly forbidden. Stop when appropriate. Friendship first, competition second..."

Gu Yue leaped onto the stage. Her cool gaze immediately swept over Tang Wuling, and her sharp senses caught the unusual condition hidden within the girl's body.

Then her gaze shifted to Chen An, who was stepping onto the stage opposite her.

"Brother An, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Wang Jinxi noticed that Chen An had been staring at the ground with a somewhat strange expression. He stepped forward and patted his shoulder.

"I'm fine. It's just a little awkward."

Chen An replied quietly, the scene of explaining himself at Mang Tian Workshop still lingering in his mind.

Zhang Yangzi also noticed that something was off with Chen An, but he did not question him in public. Instead, he turned to Wang Jinxi.

"Jinxi, there are only two of them, while we have three. It wouldn't be fair if all three of us fought. The two of us are enough."

After saying that, he looked toward Chen An, his eyes carrying a desire to prove himself and a longing for recognition.

Chen An understood what he meant. He nodded slightly and took a step back, saving himself for the final move.

The first year's final battle officially began.

Two yellow Soul Rings rose.

Wang Jinxi wanted to compete with Tang Wuling in physical strength. His bones cracked, and his body swelled slightly.

Pitch-black dragon horns burst from his forehead, while strands of black aura curled around him. He charged toward Tang Wuling in great strides.

A small fireball flew straight toward Wang Jinxi's face. He neither dodged nor avoided it, simply raising his hand and crushing the fireball in his palm.

Gu Yue rapidly gathered elemental soul power in both hands, considering which element she should use to stop her opponent.

At that moment, a sharp, resounding eagle cry suddenly rang across the arena.

Zhang Yangzi's wings spread violently as his speed abruptly erupted. He soared into the air, and his first Soul Ring shone brightly.

The wings behind him expanded madly. Centered on him, a surging mass of pitch-black fog spread out across a radius of ten meters, descending to envelop and suppress the two girls.

"Blocking our vision?"

Gu Yue's eyes darkened sharply. She raised both hands, and dazzling light rose from her palms.

Tang Wuling, facing Wang Jinxi's fierce assault, slowly closed her eyes, her expression calm and undisturbed.

Deep within her consciousness, a golden light pulsing like a heart beat softly.

The next instant, she suddenly opened her eyes, and a white Soul Ring rose beneath her feet.

Gu Yue's brilliant light collided fiercely with Zhang Yangzi's black curtain, scattering radiance across the arena.

Several strands of Bluesilver Grass grew from Tang Wuling's arm, coiling around and firmly protecting her fist and forearm. Tang Wuling neither dodged nor retreated, instead stepping straight forward to meet Wang Jinxi's heavy punch.