Typhoon and the Finals

Before the Class Advancement Tournament finals, Class One's taunts arrived earlier than expected.

Tang Wulin had just emerged from the Forging Masters Association when he ran into several students wearing Class One uniforms. Zhang Yangzi was at the front. He was not tall, but his gaze was sharp. He looked Tang Wulin up and down. "Well, if it isn't Tang Wulin. You're only a two-ring soul master. What makes you think you can beat us?"

Someone behind him laughed. Without turning around, Zhang Yangzi kept his eyes fixed on Tang Wulin. "Your Class Five only won because those other classes were trash too. Class One is different. I guarantee you won't last three minutes."

Tang Wulin did not indulge him either. "Whether we're mules or horses, we'll find out in the finals. Running your mouth now? Aren't you afraid you'll bite your tongue?"

Tang Wulin shouldered past them. When it was time to stand firm, he absolutely could not back down.

Back in Class Five, Xie Xie had also gathered information on Class One. "This is bad. They... they're all Soul Grandmasters."

"Soul Grandmasters?" Gu Yue pondered for a moment. "Aren't we Soul Grandmasters now too?"

Xie Xie's gaze stayed fixed on Gu Yue, making her heart skip a beat.

"That's right, Gu Yue. You're really a genius."

Gu Yue said nothing. Right now, she truly wanted to beat Xie Xie up.

The broadcast sounded at that moment.

Speakers throughout Eastsea Academy transmitted the announcement at the same time. "Attention, teachers and students. We have received notice from the meteorological department that a severe tropical storm will strike tonight. This powerful typhoon is expected to last for one week. All classes this afternoon are canceled and postponed until next week."

Tang Wulin raised his head. It was still the same script.

The typhoon had not arrived yet, and the sky was still blue.

He lowered his head and looked at the Federation coins in his hand. They were what he had exchanged for Thousand Refined metal at the Forging Masters Association. He entered the association hall, filled out a shipping form at the front desk, carefully wrapped the spiritual item he had bought at the auction, and handed it to an association staff member to send back to Aolai City. Mang Tian's name was written in the address field. The staff member accepted the package, glanced at the address, nodded, and asked no questions.

By the time Tang Wulin left the association, the wind had grown much stronger, bending the trees along both sides of the walkway.

He had previously asked someone to bid on this immortal herb for him. He had forgotten what it was called, but he remembered that it would greatly help Teacher Mang Tian's injuries.

Back in the dormitory, he called Na'er through his soul communicator. After two rings, the little girl's crisp voice came from the other end. "Brother! You finally called me!"

"Na'er, I heard you awakened your martial soul?" He leaned against the edge of the bed.

"Mm! The Silver Dragon Spear!" Na'er's voice was eager and excited. "That uncle said it's a really, really powerful martial soul! Brother, do you know? The Silver Dragon Spear is so long, it's taller than me—"

"I know," Tang Wulin interrupted. "It's very powerful."

"Then can I become really powerful too someday? Powerful like you, Brother?" Her tone turned serious.

"Of course. Someday, you..." Tang Wulin paused. "Someday, you'll be much more powerful than Brother."

"Really?" Her voice brightened. "Brother, when will you come back to see me?"

Tang Wulin fell silent for a moment. "Of course, when vacation comes."

"Then it's a promise." Na'er's voice softened. "Brother, you have to come back soon. I miss you so much."

"Mm, Brother misses you too." Tang Wulin spoke gently. "How are Father and Mother?"

"Father and Mother were so happy when they received the money you sent back. They said you're the most sensible son in the whole world." Na'er's tone was full of joy. "I think so too. Brother is the best brother in the world."

"Hehe, when Brother gets back, I'll buy you something tasty."

"Mm, Brother is the best."

After the call ended, Tang Wulin sat by the bed for a long time. Outside the window, the wind struck the glass in a steady rhythm. Gradually, everything around him blurred, and a golden palace rose up.

Within the Sea of Spirit, the Golden Dragon King's voice descended from the throne. "How do you plan to deal with those soul bones?"

"What do you mean, how?"

"Their grade is too low. This King finds them beneath notice."

Tang Wulin's mouth twitched. In his previous life, let alone these, even as one of the continent's strongest experts, he had not managed to equip himself with a complete set of soul bones.

"This King can reshape them, but even after reshaping, they'll still be trash." The Golden Dragon King paused. "Turn them into something suitable for that brother of yours. Convert the light attribute into a defensive soul skill. It will suit his Light Dragon Dagger perfectly. Your brother is too fragile. Someone might kill him with a single touch."

Tang Wulin was silent for a moment. "...Fine. I'll listen to you."

The soul bone slowly changed shape within the formation. Its edges were polished anew, while its internal energy structure was sorted through and reorganized layer by layer. When the light faded, the soul bone had become a pale golden left leg bone, its surface flowing with a gentle halo.

With a wave of the Golden Dragon King's hand, the soul bone turned into a streak of light and appeared before Tang Wulin. Tang Wulin quickly put it away. It was not time yet.

It was not until the next day that Tang Wulin gave it to Xie Xie.

"What is this? Why are you being so mysterious?" Xie Xie was puzzled by the surprise.

"Oh? This is a good thing. Just don't be so shocked that your jaw drops later." Tang Wulin folded his arms.

The next instant, rich golden light shone from his hands.

"This... this is..." Xie Xie's eyes widened.

"Shh. Absorb it."

"No, this... this is too valuable." Xie Xie tried to refuse. "Besides, isn't your martial soul..."

"Enough. Just do what I tell you to do." Tang Wulin cut him off. "I'll stand guard for you."

Xie Xie sat cross-legged and began absorbing it.

Tang Wulin stood beside him when his soul communicator lit up. He picked it up and saw that it was Gu Yue.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm watching Xie Xie cultivate."

"..."

"What about you? What are you doing?"

"Getting ready to cultivate."

The two chatted aimlessly like that from noon into the afternoon, until Xie Xie finished fusing with the soul bone and came over to Tang Wulin's side.

"Xie Xie can do backflips. Do you want to see?"

Gu Yue fell silent for a beat. "?"

"Really, I'm not lying. Xie Xie really can do backflips."

Gu Yue was silent for two seconds. "Play with him less from now on."

Beside him, Xie Xie abruptly sat up. "What does she mean by that?" He lowered his voice. "Why is she attacking me?"

Tang Wulin moved the communicator farther away, then brought it back. "All right, Xie Xie. She said she didn't."

The call ended. Xie Xie lay back down with his back to Tang Wulin and said gloomily, "I'm not showing you backflips anymore."

The typhoon lasted five days.

On the evening of the fifth day, the wind stopped. The sky faded from gray-white to pale blue, with a layer of warm orange showing at the edges. The pooled water was slowly receding, exposing the wet bricks beneath. Tang Wulin pushed open the window, and wind rushed in carrying the scent of rain-soaked earth.

The Class Advancement Tournament finals arrived as scheduled that afternoon. The stands around the field were packed with people. Sunlight spread across the metal competition platform, and the ten-centimeter-thick metal plates gleamed coldly. The referee stood in the center of the arena, his signal flag whipping in the wind.

Class One's five students were already standing opposite them. Zhang Yangzi stood at the front, his gaze fixed on Tang Wulin, the corner of his mouth curved slightly. Tang Wulin noticed that Wang Jinxi stood half a step behind Zhang Yangzi. There was a faint connection between their auras, like two threads slowly drawing toward one another. He had noticed this before the finals.

The referee raised his signal flag. "Class Advancement Tournament finals—Freshman Class One versus Freshman Class Five—begin!"

The instant the flag fell, Tang Wulin moved. Without hesitation, Blue Silver Grass burst from his palms. Dozens of thin vines spread across the metal platform toward the other side. His target was clear—Zhang Yangzi. He remembered Zhang Yangzi's position in the finals from his previous life. He remembered that Zhang Yangzi always retreated half a step before using his soul skill at the beginning of a match. This time, he struck at the exact instant before Zhang Yangzi could retreat.

Blue Silver Grass wrapped around Zhang Yangzi's ankle.

Zhang Yangzi's expression changed, and his body was pulled forward in a stagger. He suddenly exerted force, trying to break free, but the Blue Silver Grass was tougher than he expected. The instant it wrapped around his ankle, it began climbing up his calf. Wei Xiaofeng closed in from the side. His Azure Shadow Serpent martial soul shot from his palm, its body drawing a green afterimage through the air as it lunged straight for Tang Wulin's face.

Xie Xie cut in from the side. The Light Dragon Dagger flipped in his hand, its golden blade flashing with a thin streak of light as it precisely intercepted the Azure Shadow Serpent's path—ding! The flat of the blade knocked the snake's head off course, and it grazed past Tang Wulin's ear. Xie Xie did not withdraw his dagger after landing. He pressed straight toward Wei Xiaofeng, and the two agility-type soul masters clashed at close range on one side of the competition platform.

Zhang Yangzi erupted from within the Blue Silver Grass's restraints. The Dark Phantom Demon Eagle martial soul spread open, and dark purple Soul Power burst from his body, shattering the Blue Silver Grass around his ankle into several pieces. He leaned back as the dark purple Soul Power transformed into a dense black mist that quickly spread across the entire competition platform—their vision was obscured, and the light was swallowed.

Gu Yue raised her hand. Ice spikes burst from beside her feet and advanced toward the center of the black mist along the ground, but after entering the mist, they seemed to crash into something soft, their speed abruptly slowing. She did not stop. Fire element surged in from the other side, while light element gathered in her palm into a blinding white glow before she pushed it out. The three elements collided, layered, and tore at each other within the black mist. The darkness was ripped open from within, crack after crack, and light seeped back in.

The instant the black mist was broken apart, Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi moved at the same time. Wang Jinxi stepped forward, the aura of the Bone Dragon martial soul surging from his body. Zhang Yangzi leaped up behind him, the Dark Phantom Demon Eagle's wings spreading as the distance between them instantly closed—Zhang Yangzi wrapped his arms around Wang Jinxi's waist from behind.

A dragon's roar and an eagle's cry sounded almost simultaneously. Their bodies both turned black as ink, then fused before everyone's eyes. A dark figure rose from the ball of fusion light, half dragon and half eagle. When its wings spread, they blocked the light over half the competition platform. The Dark Eagle Dragon lowered its head, its dark purple gaze sweeping over the arena before finally settling on Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin did not retreat.

Blue Silver Grass spread from beneath his feet. This time, instead of spreading across the ground, it grew upward—the vines wove into a wall behind him, then surged forward. When the Dark Eagle Dragon dived down, the wall of Blue Silver Grass met it head-on. Vines wrapped around the roots of its wings, the joints of its dragon claws, and every gap in its massive body where they could restrict its movements.

The Dark Eagle Dragon struggled, but a second wave of Blue Silver Grass surged up from the ground, supporting its body from below and forcing its center of gravity upward. Dark purple Soul Power exploded from within the Dark Eagle Dragon, trying to shatter the vines. But before the Blue Silver Grass could be shattered, new vines had already replaced it, layer after layer, as though they were pouring endlessly from beneath the metal platform.

Zhang Yangzi's voice came from within the Dark Eagle Dragon, ragged with panting. "Jinxi—hold on—!"

But Wang Jinxi did not respond. The part of his aura was rapidly peeling away from the fusion body, as if something were tearing apart their connection from within. The Dark Eagle Dragon's outline began to flicker unstably. The edges of its wing tips blurred as though they might disperse at any moment. Tang Wulin's Blue Silver Grass continued tightening, piling up layer upon layer, filling every gap and locking every joint.

The Dark Eagle Dragon's body froze. It hung in midair, its wings half spread and unable to retract. Dark purple light seeped out from its body and began to scatter. Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi's outlines separated from the fusion body, and both of them fell onto the competition platform. Zhang Yangzi supported himself with one hand on the ground, his shoulders still moving, but he did not stand. Wang Jinxi lay beside him, breathing hard with his eyes closed.

The competition platform fell silent.

"What happened? Are you rejecting me?"

"How could I? I'm not!"

The referee raised his signal flag. The fabric flipped once in the wind, then fell. His voice carried across the entire field. "Class Advancement Tournament finals—Class Five wins."

The stands were quiet for a moment, then sounds began to rise. At first they were scattered, as if someone were testing the waters with applause. Then those sounds joined together, becoming a wave that spread from one side of the stands to the other.

Tang Wulin stood in the center of the competition platform as Blue Silver Grass slowly withdrew around his feet. He looked down at his hand—the sensation left behind by the returning grass still lingered in his palm, and the aftereffect of the thin vines contracting had not fully faded. He turned his head toward Xie Xie. Xie Xie was crouching on the ground, panting. The Light Dragon Dagger had already been put away, and one hand rested on his knee. He raised his head and grinned at Tang Wulin. "We won."

Tang Wulin turned toward the other side. Gu Yue had already lowered her hand, and the elemental light lingering at her fingertips was slowly fading.

He glanced at the two figures opposite them, still half-kneeling. Wang Jinxi had recovered somewhat and was slowly pushing himself to his feet. Zhang Yangzi stood beside him with one hand on his shoulder, head lowered.

Tang Wulin did not look at them again. There would be time to get to know them properly later.

He turned and walked toward the edge of the competition platform. Xie Xie stood and followed at his side, while Gu Yue came over from the other side. As the three of them walked down the platform side by side, the noise from the stands continued. Sunlight shone in from the side, stretching their three shadows long across the metal surface.