It Was the Beginning, and Also the End

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, a week had gone by.

"Wu Lin, you broke through."

Gu Yue, who had been meditating on the sofa, sensed the aura coming from beside her. She slowly opened her eyes and spoke softly.

"Yeah, Level 25."

Tang Wulin smiled and nodded in reply.

In just two months, he had risen from Level 23 when he had first arrived at Donghai Academy to Level 25 now. That cultivation speed was not slow.

"That's amazing. Congratulations."

Gu Yue wore a smile, clearly happy for him as she said this.

"It's not that amazing."

"Our Gu Yue is already Level 19. That's much faster than me."

Tang Wulin smiled faintly as he looked at the girl before him and said with a light laugh.

"I'm only a Soul Master, while you're already a Grand Soul Master."

"How can those be the same?"

Although she knew he meant it sincerely, Gu Yue could not help rolling her eyes at him.

He was an entire major realm above her. If she still cultivated more slowly than him, then wouldn't that make her a little fool?

"And besides..."

"Who said I'm yours?"

Suddenly recalling his words, "our Gu Yue," she immediately felt embarrassed and hurriedly spoke up.

Yet despite what she said, not a trace of unwillingness showed on her smiling face.

She knew how to disguise herself.

"Isn't that right?"

Tang Wulin quietly looked at the girl before him. He did not say much, merely gazing at her in silence.

"I..."

"I suppose! It is."

Gu Yue grew embarrassed under his gaze. In the end, she turned her head away and stopped looking at him as she spoke.

As long as she could not see him, she would not have to see him!

This girl...

What's there to be embarrassed about...?

Tang Wulin looked at the girl whose expression had become unnatural, smiling to himself. If she did not say anything, who would dare imagine that she was the legendary Silver Dragon King?

"But at this point..."

"Xie Xie should have broken through the Level 20 bottleneck and become a Grand Soul Master too. Our side isn't that far behind in strength."

Thinking of the original story's timeline, Tang Wulin silently mused.

"The original protagonist group..."

"Their cultivation speed during this period was truly impressive."

At that moment, he could not help sighing to himself.

He remembered that Xie Xie, who had initially been Level 18, broke through to Two-Ring after this period and became Freshman Class Five's sole Grand Soul Master combatant on the eve of their battle against Class One.

Gu Yue, meanwhile, had gone from Level 15 at the beginning to Level 18. Well... now she was Level 19.

Gu Yue's strength...

It shouldn't be limited to just one Soul Ring, should it?

Tang Wulin could not help thinking.

Level 15 was not a bad talent, but compared with Xie Xie's Level 18 when he first appeared, as well as Tang Wulin being a Grand Soul Master now...

Especially given that her talent of reaching Level 15 at age nine simply did not line up with what came later, it was extremely strange.

"But that isn't the only strange thing."

After considering it for a moment, Tang Wulin shook his head inwardly.

The three members of their protagonist group were undoubtedly geniuses. Yet it was not just them. The three Grand Soul Masters in Freshman Class One were all absurdly talented too, so much so that... it felt strange.

Eastsea City was merely a coastal region whose strongest expert was only a Soul Sage. For so many geniuses to appear in such a small place at once was genuinely shocking.

If they had merely been ordinary geniuses, that would have been one thing. But Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi, and even Wei Xiaofeng could all have crushed Tang Buddha in the past.

"All one could say was..."

"Third Young Master really understood geniuses."

Tang Wulin sighed before finally thinking this to himself.

None of that really mattered. No matter how talented or monstrous others were, they were nothing to him, a cheater with protagonist luck and a system.

"Gu Yue, we should head back."

"The final Class Promotion Tournament match is about to begin."

Tang Wulin got down from the sofa and said.

"Alright."

"Let's go."

Gu Yue replied with a calm smile.

"Brother Lin, Sister Gu Yue..."

"Why did you both disappear together?!"

At Eastsea Junior Academy, Xie Xie stood beneath the competition platform with a Communication Soul Guidance Device in hand, speaking anxiously.

At that moment, he was calling Tang Wulin, yet... no one had answered. It was giving him a terrible headache.

This was the final round of the Class Promotion Tournament. Whether they could accomplish Teacher Wu Zhangkong's goal and their own depended on this match.

"What's going on with Brother Lin? He hasn't answered at all."

"I can't even share something as good as breaking through to Grand Soul Master with you. And Sister Gu Yue has disappeared too..."

"Teacher Wu, what should we do?"

Xie Xie was extremely anxious. Looking at Wu Zhangkong beside him, he could not help asking.

"If they don't come, go up by yourself."

Wu Zhangkong said coldly.

Xie Xie: "..."

However, unlike his outward appearance, Wu Zhangkong was not feeling much better inside. At the most important round of the competition, two members had gone missing. Who could make sense of that?

Those two little brats disappeared together.

What, did they go on a date for an entire week?

Wu Zhangkong could not help thinking helplessly.

"Brother Lin, Sister Gu Yue..."

"You two had better hurry back."

With helplessness written across his face, Xie Xie could only hope they returned quickly. Otherwise, how was he supposed to deal with three Grand Soul Masters alone?!

As he thought, he dialed Tang Wulin's number again and again. Though no one answered, as long as the call went through, there was hope!

As for why he did not call Gu Yue, could he say that she had never left him her number in the first place?!

"Isn't this year's Class Promotion Tournament bizarre? A bottom-ranked class like Freshman Class Five actually charged all the way through and won three consecutive matches. Maybe this dark horse will go all the way..."

At that moment, a student watching the match spoke with an unusual train of thought.

"Stop dreaming. Do you have any idea how terrifying Freshman Class One is this year? Three students in their class are already Two-Ring Grand Soul Masters, and more importantly, their Martial Souls are incredibly powerful!"

"As for Freshman Class Five's three contestants... although I don't know their exact strength, the two who fought before only had one Soul Ring each. As for the third, he doesn't look like a Grand Soul Master either."

"That's a qualitative gap. They're down one soul skill, and their Soul Power is lower too. They don't stand a chance."

"In my opinion, Lu Benwei thinks Class Five should be eliminated now. Class Two was already their limit."

Another student analyzed the situation rationally.

"That makes sense... Which class are you from, bro?"

"Class Four, the first class to be eliminated."

When the topic reached that point, the student who had been laughing and chatting instantly pulled a long face. His mood was clearly terrible.

"My condolences."

"No, who told you that's how you use 'my condolences'?!"

"..."

"The final match of the Class Promotion Tournament: Freshman Class Five versus Freshman Class One. Members of both sides, please take the stage quickly!"

Not long afterward, accompanied by the academy director's voice, the final round of the junior academy's Class Promotion Tournament began.

Yet little Xie Xie wore a miserable expression, because even now, his companions had not returned.

"Brother Lin, when exactly are you coming back..."

"Xie Xie, Teacher Wu."

"We're late."

Just as Xie Xie complained once again, two familiar figures appeared nearby in the next moment. They were Tang Wulin and Gu Yue.

"Brother Lin—"

The gloom in Xie Xie's heart vanished at once. He had just wanted to say something when Tang Wulin interrupted him at lightning speed.

"Match first."

"This time, I'll fight. I won't hold back."

Tang Wulin cut him off, looking at the three boys who had already stepped onto the opposite side of the platform. He smiled lightly as he spoke.

He would definitely fight this time. He could not have Gu Yue and Xie Xie face three Grand Soul Masters, especially when they had a Martial Soul Fusion Technique.

As for not holding back... he would indeed use some of his strength this time, but he supposed he would only be holding back by the size of the Pacific Ocean.

"Hahaha, great, Brother Lin! With your strength, they definitely won't be able to take it!"

"And I've broken through to Grand Soul Master too. Beating them will be as easy as turning over our hands!"

Upon hearing that, Xie Xie hurriedly responded. Rubbing his fists together eagerly, he clearly felt that this was more important than catching up.

"I'll take Wei Xiaofeng."

In an instant, he chose his opponent. It was Wei Xiaofeng, who had provoked him before. He would definitely make that guy pay.

"The other two..."

"Leave them to me... and Gu Yue."

Tang Wulin laughed softly.

He had originally wanted to say that he would handle them himself. They were only two little rookies, after all. But considering that he could not let Gu Yue stand idly by, he included her.

"Alright."

Gu Yue had no objection and immediately replied.

"I'll wait below for your good news."

At the side, the aloof Wu Zhangkong left only those words. After giving them a look that said, "You can do it," he promptly left the stage.

He had great confidence in his students.

"Freshman Class Five, Tang Wulin."

"Gu Yue."

"Xie Xie."

After stepping onto the platform, Tang Wulin's group introduced themselves.

"Freshman Class One, Wang Jinxi."

"Zhang Yangzi."

"Wei Xiaofeng."

The three boys from Freshman Class One did not linger either, each stating his name.

Among them, Wei Xiaofeng had the most punchable face, Zhang Yangzi was the sturdily built one, and as for Wang Jinxi... due to the nature of his Bone Dragon Martial Soul, he was extremely thin.

How thin was he? There was barely any flesh on his entire body. He looked as though he were little more than a skeleton, and his eyes were somewhat gloomy, as if a dark aura emanated from his whole body.

"Match, begin!"

As soon as the academy director finished speaking, Wei Xiaofeng and Xie Xie from Freshman Class One and Freshman Class Five rushed forward almost simultaneously.

They had long disliked each other and had long since run out of patience.

"Bone Dragon, possess!"

On the other side, Wang Jinxi released his Martial Soul. In an instant, as two yellow Soul Rings appeared beneath his feet, his thin body swelled somewhat.

It was not his muscles that expanded, but his bones. He looked like an enlarged skeleton. Raising his arms, a faint black aura burst forth from his body.

Following the principle of taking out the boys first, he locked his gaze onto Tang Wulin.

"This is..."

Yet in the next moment, Wang Jinxi froze. An overwhelming suppression nearly made it difficult for him to breathe.

Bloodline suppression, the genuine suppression of a superior being over an inferior one, made him unable to muster any fighting spirit at all.

"Jinxi, what's wrong?"

Zhang Yangzi froze for a moment beside him. Clearly not expecting such a huge reaction from Wang Jinxi, he could not help asking.

"This is... your Martial Soul is being suppressed?"

"How is that possible?!"

Seemingly realizing something, Zhang Yangzi could not help exclaiming in astonishment. Martial Soul suppression had actually appeared while Wang Jinxi was the passive party!

His friend's Martial Soul was the Bone Dragon King, a tyrant among dragons! With Wang Jinxi's strength, he would not fear even a Soul Elder, yet now...

"You two should step down."

At some point, Tang Wulin had arrived there. Looking at the two before him, his expression revealed no particular emotion as he spoke.

Honestly, when he thought of how they had broken Xie Xie's leg in the original story, he had not wanted to let them off so easily. But they were not the ones who had started this—the culprit was Class One's homeroom teacher.

That teacher had wanted the students to teach them a lesson just because Wu Zhangkong had rejected her...

It was utterly ridiculous.

In any case, as long as they did not provoke him first, he had no interest in bullying the weak.

"Wu Lin..."

Gu Yue silently followed behind him. She had yet to take action; what she did depended on what he wanted.

In other words, she listened to him.

"You..."

Before the two of them, Zhang Yangzi was clearly not in a good mood after realizing he was being looked down upon. When he looked at Wei Xiaofeng, who had already been beaten off the stage in the distance, he grew even angrier.

Especially when he remembered the task their homeroom teacher had assigned them, he gritted his teeth as though he had made up his mind.

"Jinxi, let's use that move!"

"Martial Soul Possession..."

As he spoke, Zhang Yangzi, possessed by the Dark Eagle Martial Soul, circled behind them and wrapped his arms around Wang Jinxi's waist.

A low dragon's roar and a piercing eagle cry rang out at the same time. Zhang Yangzi's and Wang Jinxi's bodies both turned pitch-black, then... fused together in a strange manner.

Yes, a dragon and an eagle—two Martial Souls that seemingly had nothing to do with one another—had fused together just like that—

Zhang Yangzi's body turned into black light and silently merged into Wang Jinxi's body. The cluster of light wings on his back rapidly expanded, becoming Wang Jinxi's wings.

Wang Jinxi's body began to swell and grow larger. A huge tail protruded from behind his hips, while his left arm transformed into a Bone Dragon Claw like his right. His aura surged.

"This is... a Martial Soul Fusion Technique?"

"I'll interrupt it!"

On the other side, Xie Xie had gained the upper hand against Wei Xiaofeng and successfully defeated him. Seeing this scene, he immediately realized what was happening. As he spoke, he instantly changed directions and charged over.

From his previous chats with Brother Lin, he knew that things like Martial Soul Fusion Techniques could apparently be interrupted while they were being activated. He had not expected to actually encounter one!

"Light Dragon Storm—"

He rushed forward and unleashed his second soul skill at the same time. Then...

"Get lost!!!"

Wang Jinxi stretched out a Bone Dragon Claw, and Xie Xie was instantly sent flying. With a smack, he crashed onto the ground.

He came in a hurry and left in a hurry...

Xie Xie fainted.

"..."

"Xie Xie—"

Seeing this, Tang Wulin did not know what to say for a moment. He had been rather gratified when Xie Xie defeated Wei Xiaofeng and held his head high.

But how had he been knocked unconscious before he even had the chance to show off?!

"I didn't want to fight you."

"But since it's come to this, don't blame me."

A cold look crossed Tang Wulin's face as he spoke. His palm rapidly underwent dragonification, ultimately becoming a Golden Dragon Claw countless times larger than theirs.

"!!!!!"

Even after using their Martial Soul Fusion Technique, Wang Jinxi instinctively wanted to flee in the face of that aura. This was not something he could control; it was the ultimate suppression stemming directly from his bloodline!

But before he could move, Tang Wulin had already acted.

"Golden Dragon Claw."

With a casual wave, the Martial Soul Fusion Technique before him instantly collapsed. Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi were both flung out of the arena and fell unconscious as well.

The entire venue fell deathly silent at the sight.

How long had it even been since the match began, yet it had ended just like... that?

Xie Xie: You're making me look so dumb, Brother Lin!!!!