The sparring arena by Sea God Lake was shrouded in a pale blue Soul Power barrier. The biting cold wind carried rippling Soul Power fluctuations, whipping loudly as it sent the clothes of the watching teachers and students fluttering.
Tang Wulin had returned from the dormitory less than half an hour ago, yet the lingering force from breaking the sixth Golden Dragon King seal still surged relentlessly through every limb and bone.
He stood at the edge of the arena, his back straight as a pine. The pair of golden dragon wings behind him, now several degrees more solid, quietly folded away, leaving only faint dragon-scale patterns hidden beneath his school uniform. Unless one deliberately sensed for them, no one would notice.
Whenever he raised his eyes, a fleeting golden vertical pupil flashed in the depths of his dark gaze. It was a sign that the Golden Dragon King Bloodline was surging. Though he tried his utmost to suppress it, a faint yet unmistakable true dragon pressure still lingered around him—an overbearing aura originating from the Ancient Dragon God that even the Super Douluo watching from afar could vaguely sense.
Tang Wulin gently rubbed the custom-made One-Word Battle Armor gauntlets on his hands. The cool metallic touch slightly calmed his restless bloodline.
Within his body, a third brilliant golden Soul Ring floated quietly, complementing the first two. As his blood and qi circulated, he could now control partial dragonification at will. When dragon scales covered his right arm, his strength increased by thirty percent. This was the tremendous reward of the Golden Sky Dragon Transformation Art entering its third stage after he broke the sixth seal.
"First match: forging sparring. First-year Tang Wulin versus second-year He Xiaopeng."
Teacher Shen Yi's voice, amplified by Soul Power, rang clearly across all of Sea God Lake. The two blacksmiths stepped onto the side platform, where palm-sized titanium crystal ingots were steadily placed on their forging tables. He Xiaopeng was widely recognized as a forging prodigy among the second years. At only fifteen, he was already a fourth-rank blacksmith. He rolled up his sleeves, his eyes burning with eagerness to fight, while the forging hammer in his hand glowed with faint silver light as Soul Power flowed into it.
Clang—clang—clang—
He Xiaopeng showed no restraint from the start. His heavy hammer crashed down in rapid succession, every strike carrying tremendous force. Sparks scattered as his powerful, domineering forging technique was displayed in full. The titanium crystal ingot rapidly deformed beneath his hammer, and the hum of metal echoed throughout the arena. The second-year students immediately erupted in cheers, while even several forging department teachers nodded slightly. Such forceful forging technique was already top-tier among blacksmiths of the same rank.
Tang Wulin, on the other hand, merely stood before his forging table with his eyes closed, allowing the metal patterns within the titanium crystal ingot to resonate with his blood and qi. Only after a moment did he slowly raise his hammer. His strikes were not fast, yet they carried a peculiar rhythm, as though they were synchronized with the dragon heart beating in his chest. Ding—ding—ding— The crisp hammering was entirely unlike He Xiaopeng's booming blows, resembling a graceful melody that echoed across the arena.
This was an advanced Thousand-Forging Aperture Tempering technique, using blood and qi to stir the patterns within the metal rather than relying on brute force. A sharp glint flashed through Teacher Cai Yue'er's eyes as her fingers lightly tapped the armrest. This kid already seemed to possess the foundation of a sixth-rank blacksmith!
He Xiaopeng finished first. A piece of thousand-forged, first-grade titanium crystal gleaming with faint silver light landed on the table. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked proudly toward Tang Wulin, only to find that his opponent was still unhurried, his hammer falling in an orderly rhythm.
Just as the referee was about to announce that half the allotted time had passed, Tang Wulin abruptly opened his eyes, and golden light flashed within them.
Hah!
A low shout escaped his throat as the forging hammer in his hand suddenly accelerated. Hammer shadows fluttered like butterflies, so fast that only a blurred afterimage could be seen. This was no longer simple hammering—it was the opening stance of Spirit Forging!
Bzzzz—
A soft white radiance suddenly burst from the titanium crystal ingot. It was the distinctive spiritual glow produced by successful Spirit Forging. Its warm light instantly eclipsed the silver glow of He Xiaopeng's thousand-forged titanium crystal, even stirring the metal elements in the surroundings.
The entire audience erupted.
Spirit Forging! A fifteen-year-old Spirit Forging blacksmith!
The pride on He Xiaopeng's face instantly froze. He stared blankly at the titanium crystal overflowing with spiritual light, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"First-year Tang Wulin wins." Elder Cai's judgment landed with decisive force, carrying a trace of undisguised approval.
The cheers from the first years nearly lifted the roof off the sky. Tang Wulin merely set down his forging hammer, sat cross-legged in a corner of the arena, and used meditation to stabilize the bloodline power he had yet to fully master after breaking the seal. Golden blood and qi flowed across his body, forming a faint halo that kept the cold wind at bay.
The secondary profession contests were intense and closely matched. Led by Tang Wulin, the first years achieved two wins, one draw, and one loss in events such as mecha operation and Soul Tool design, barely managing to tie the second years. Yet everyone knew that the true highlight was the final team battle.
When seven figures leaped onto the main arena together, the cheers below instantly reached their peak.
Tang Wulin stood at the front of the first-year team. Gu Yue, Xie Xie, Xu Lizhi, Ye Xinglan, Xu Xiaoyan, and Yue Zhengyu stood to either side. The seven of them had linked auras, faintly forming a battle formation capable of both offense and defense.
Leading the second-year team opposite them was none other than Yuanen Yehui, known as the strongest second-year student.
Yuanen Yehui was tall and slender, her black combat attire outlining her athletic figure. She raised her eyes toward Tang Wulin, battle intent blazing in her gaze.
The instant their gazes collided in midair, golden patterns surfaced across Tang Wulin's body. Dense black Soul Power also rose around Yuanen Yehui, accompanied by the faint roar of a massive beast—it was her martial soul, the Titan Giant Ape!
The two utterly different auras collided across the distance. Even the air within the barrier seemed compressed, producing faint crackling sounds.
"Begin!"
The moment Teacher Shen Yi's words fell, Tang Wulin moved.
He stomped down with his left foot and shot forward like a cannonball. The bluestone tiles beneath him cracked apart, scattering shards of stone. He did not release his martial soul or use a soul skill. He simply poured his bloodline power into his right arm. Golden dragon scales instantly covered his forearm, and his five fingers drew together into a sharp Golden Dragon Claw. At the same time, he activated the One-Word Battle Armor gauntlet on his hand and charged straight at Yuanen Yehui.
"Good!"
Yuanen Yehui let out a sharp cry as she underwent Martial Soul Possession with the Titan Giant Ape. The muscles in her arms swelled dramatically, black fur covering her body. Her fists, each as large as millstones, met his attack with immense force.
Boom!
The Golden Dragon Claw and iron fist collided with a deafening roar that echoed throughout the arena. A terrifying shockwave spread in every direction, making even the barrier tremble violently. Tang Wulin felt immense force rush into him, numbing his arm slightly, but he used the rebound to spin through the air and land firmly on the ground.
Yuanen Yehui, however, was actually forced back three steps. The bluestone tiles beneath her feet shattered inch by inch. Shock flashed through her eyes—this kid's strength had increased by far more than just one level!
At nearly the same time, both sides displayed their abilities.
Gu Yue formed hand seals, and ice-blue Soul Power swept forth like a flood. "Icebound Myriad Miles!" A biting blizzard instantly engulfed half the arena. Xie Xie quietly released his martial soul, cold light flashing through his eyes as his entire body blended into the wind and snow, his figure becoming elusive and unpredictable.
Xu Xiaoyan's Eye of Destiny quietly opened, and pale purple light descended upon her teammates, granting them a buff of good fortune.
The second-year Yue Zhengyu, a different student from the first-year Yue Zhengyu who happened to share the same name, wielded a Light Saint Sword. Holy light swirled around him as he charged straight into the blizzard. Duanhun Xiao raised his jade flute to his lips, and a mournful flute melody rang out, carrying a strange mental assault intended to disrupt the first-year students' minds. Meanwhile, Song Yuheng sat cross-legged in the rear, plucking the strings of his zither as blades of sound infused with Soul Power shot toward Tang Wulin and the others.
"Trivial tricks."
Tang Wulin sneered. At the exact instant Song Yuheng's third sound blade struck, the Golden Trident imprint on his forehead abruptly lit up, and a true dragon pressure far more overbearing than before exploded outward!
It was not an impact of Soul Power, but suppression from the deepest part of his bloodline!
Pfft—
Song Yuheng felt his chest tighten, and he violently spat out a mouthful of blood. He staggered back several steps and dropped to one knee, blood seeping from all seven of his orifices. Several strings on his zither snapped at once, and the sound-blade assault came to an abrupt halt.
The entire venue fell silent.
A mere bloodline pressure had injured a sound-wave soul master at the Soul King level?!
Seeing this, gravity flashed through Yuanen Yehui's eyes. She let out a low roar as her third Soul Ring suddenly lit up—Titan's Wrath!
Terrifying Soul Power fluctuations erupted. Her body grew several feet taller, and her fist, carrying force capable of destroying heaven and earth, smashed viciously toward Tang Wulin. This strike was enough to pulverize a small mountain!
Tang Wulin neither dodged nor retreated, a confident curve appearing on his lips. He recalled the blood-and-qi force-dispersing technique taught by Teacher Zhuo Shi. Golden Dragon King blood and qi circulated wildly within him. Just as her fist was about to strike him, he shifted his body slightly, dragon scales covering his right arm as his palm precisely struck the back of Yuanen Yehui's fist.
"Disperse!"
At his single word, Yuanen Yehui felt as though her power had vanished into the sea, redirected by a peculiar force. Her fist smashed heavily into the ground instead, blasting out a deep crater.
Seizing the chance, Tang Wulin sprang forward. His Golden Dragon Claw swept out, forcing back the second-year students rushing toward him.
Behind him, Xu Lizhi's Food God martial soul operated at full power. One steaming recovery bun after another flew out, landing precisely in his teammates' hands.
Ye Xinglan drew her Stargod Sword, and brilliant sword intent soared into the sky. With a single slash, she split apart several sound blades and held their rear line.
Tang Wulin was like a fierce tiger charging into a flock of sheep, crashing recklessly through the second-year team. At times, his dragon claw broke through defenses and tore apart his opponents' Soul Power protection.
At other times, his dragon tail swept across the field, sending two second-year students flying.
As his golden Soul Ring flashed, every attack carried the overbearing power of the Golden Dragon King Bloodline. No one could withstand its edge.
The barrier surrounding the sparring arena by Sea God Lake trembled endlessly, while chaotic currents of Soul Power churned like raging waves.
Tang Wulin's blood and qi surged in his chest. He had barely steadied himself when Yuanen Yehui's heavy fist, carrying the pressure of the Titan Giant Ape martial soul, was already blasting toward his face. In his haste, he raised his dragonified right arm to block. A sharp pain shot through his bones, and he flew backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily into the barrier.
"Wulin!" Gu Yue cried out in alarm. An ice-blue Elemental Barrier hastily rose, only to be pierced simultaneously by Duanhun Xiao's sound blades and Song Yuheng's zither tones. The moment the barrier shattered, the aftershock sent her blood and qi churning, and a streak of blood appeared at the corner of her lips.
The Golden Dragon King's Power brought by breaking the sixth seal was certainly formidable, but the second-year team's coordination was far more seamless than they had expected.
Yuanen Yehui's Titan's Wrath restrained them head-on. Yue Zhengyu's Light Saint Sword held back Xie Xie's shadow clones. Song Yuheng's sound-wave Soul Power specifically countered Xu Xiaoyan's power of destiny, while Duanhun Xiao's flute music made everyone's Soul Power circulate sluggishly.
Xu Lizhi continuously sent out recovery buns, but he could not withstand the enemy's relentless waves of attack. Though Ye Xinglan's Stargod Sword was sharp, she was entangled by two second-year soul masters working together. For a time, the first-year team was forced into steady retreat, facing danger at every turn.
"Are the first years going to lose?" Faint murmurs drifted up from below. Tang Wulin pushed himself up from the ground, unwillingness flashing through his dark eyes.
He could clearly feel the agitation of the Golden Dragon King Bloodline within him. After the sixth seal was broken, that power belonging to the Ancient Dragon God nearly burst from his body. Yet he still could not fully control it, and forcing it out would only injure himself.
At that moment, Yuanen Yehui's fourth soul skill erupted—Titan Earthshaker!
A terrifying shockwave spread outward from her. The ground cracked, and stones flew everywhere. Xu Lizhi failed to evade it in time and was blasted backward, his recovery martial soul temporarily suppressed.
Xie Xie's shadow clones instantly collapsed, and his true body was slashed by the Light Saint Sword, leaving him drenched in blood.
Ye Xinglan's Stargod Sword nearly flew from her grasp, its sword intent instantly dimming.
The first-year defense had completely collapsed.
Yuanen Yehui crushed shattered stones beneath her feet as she walked step by step toward Tang Wulin, battle intent blazing in her eyes. "Tang Wulin, surrender. You can't hold on any longer."
"Impossible!" Tang Wulin gritted his teeth. Golden Dragon King blood and qi circulated madly through his body. The outline of dragon wings emerged behind him, golden patterns crawling across his cheeks as his golden vertical pupils abruptly lit up. He knew that he could not lose this battle!
He suddenly turned toward Gu Yue. The moment their eyes met, no words were needed. A shared understanding had already arisen between them.
The ice-blue Soul Power around Gu Yue suddenly surged. The powers of the five great elements—wind, fire, lightning, water, and earth—swirled around her. A trace of resolve flashed in her eyes as she poured her Soul Power toward Tang Wulin without reservation.
"Wulin, use that!"
Tang Wulin's pupils contracted. He knew exactly what Gu Yue meant—it was their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, one they had not yet fully mastered but which was enough to shake heaven and earth. It was the fusion of the Golden Dragon King and Silver Dragon King's powers, their exclusive Dragon God Transformation!
"Martial Soul Fusion Skill—"
Tang Wulin let out a low roar, releasing the power of the Golden Dragon King Bloodline without restraint. Golden Dragon Power collided violently with Gu Yue's elemental power, yet there was not the slightest rejection. Instead, they merged together as naturally as fish in water.
"Dragon God Transformation!"
A dragon roar rang through the heavens. Silver and golden light erupted at once, so brilliant that everyone was forced to shut their eyes. The chaotic Soul Power currents within the barrier were instantly suppressed, and a terrifying pressure far beyond that of a Soul Emperor, nearly at the level of a Soul Saint, swept across the entire arena.
Within the light, a figure slowly emerged. It was a youth clad in golden-silver dragon-scale armor, with a pair of enormous golden-silver dragon wings spread behind his back. His left hand controlled a golden dragon claw of destruction and power, while his right hand was wreathed in silver radiance of creation and elements. A Dragon God mark shone brilliantly on his forehead.
This was the Dragon God Transformation!
Yuanen Yehui's expression changed drastically. She felt a suppression arising from the depths of her soul, and her Titan Giant Ape martial soul actually began to tremble. She instinctively threw a punch, only for it to be lightly caught by the golden dragon claw.
Bang!
With a muffled impact, Yuanen Yehui felt an irresistible force strike her. She was instantly sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ground as her Martial Soul Possession state was forcibly dispelled.
The golden dragon wings beat lightly. Tang Wulin, in his Dragon God Transformation fusion state, flickered and appeared before Song Yuheng and Duanhun Xiao. The silver radiance from his right hand swept over them, and both felt the Soul Power around their bodies instantly drained away. Their flute and zither slipped from their hands as they collapsed weakly to the ground.
Yue Zhengyu's Light Saint Sword slashed down, only to be casually slapped aside by the golden dragon claw. The holy sword's light dimmed, and the shock split open the web between his thumb and forefinger, forcing him to stagger backward.
The remaining second-year students exchanged looks, their eyes filled with terror.
With only one move, the tide had turned!
Tang Wulin in the Dragon God Transformation state slowly withdrew his aura. The golden-silver light faded, and he and Gu Yue staggered at the same time, their faces pale as paper. This Martial Soul Fusion Skill consumed too much power; with their current strength, they could not sustain it for long.
But the outcome was already decided.
Yuanen Yehui pushed herself up from the ground. She looked at her battered teammates, then at Tang Wulin and Gu Yue, whose faces were pale but whose eyes remained firm. With a bitter smile, she shook her head. "I concede. The first years win."
The barrier dispersed, and the audience below fell silent. A moment later, deafening cheers erupted.
Tang Wulin looked at Gu Yue beside him. They smiled at each other, their eyes filled with the relief of surviving a close battle and the understanding they shared.
They had won this battle.
With their Dragon God's Power.
Teacher Shen Yi's voice rang out at just the right moment. "Team battle, victory to the first years!"
The moment her words fell, the barrier vanished in response.
In an instant, the dead silence below was completely ignited!
"We won! We won!"
The first-year students erupted like a boiling pot. Their cheers pierced the sky as countless people waved their arms and shouted wildly toward the seven figures on the arena.
Xu Lizhi's classmates were the first to rush over, surrounding him as they jumped and cheered.
Ye Xinglan's supporters raised homemade flags high in the air, shouting, "Stargod Sword unbeatable!"
Even Gu Yue's usually composed fan club could not help erupting into fervent cheers.
Tang Wulin and Gu Yue exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with relief and mutual understanding after surviving the ordeal.
Xie Xie covered the wound on his arm and limped over with a grin. "I knew it. Once Boss and Gu Yue made their move, it was a sure thing!"
Ye Xinglan sheathed her Stargod Sword, a rare curve appearing on her lips. "You were somewhat useful."
Xu Xiaoyan blinked her large, watery eyes and clapped excitedly. "Captain, Sister Gu Yue, you were amazing just now!"
Xu Lizhi pulled out a huge pile of snacks from his storage Soul Tool and grinned foolishly. "Everyone, hurry and eat something. Restore your strength!"
Below the arena, the teachers were also discussing the match in low voices. Cai Yue'er looked at Tang Wulin and Gu Yue standing side by side, awe flashing through her eyes. "Dragon God Transformation... These two children truly are a match made in heaven." Shen Yi nodded slightly, her voice carrying satisfaction. "The fusion of the Golden Dragon King and Silver Dragon King's powers—this potential is immeasurable."
Though the second-year students were disappointed, they still applauded. After such a thrilling battle, their loss was not unjustified.
Yuanen Yehui walked over to Tang Wulin and held out her hand. "Next time, I won't lose again." Tang Wulin took her hand and replied seriously, "I'll be waiting."
The setting sun shone over the shore of Sea God Lake, dyeing the sparring arena a warm gold. The first-year students surrounded Tang Wulin's group of seven, cheering all the way toward the academy cafeteria. Xu Lizhi waved grandly and boldly announced that he would treat everyone to a feast.
Amid the laughter and cheers, Tang Wulin quietly looked toward Gu Yue beside him. The sunset fell across the ends of her hair, gilding them with a soft golden glow.
He suddenly felt that this bitter battle after breaking the sixth seal might have been the most memorable victory since he had entered the academy.
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