Xiao Wu Fans the Flames? Gu Ling and Tang San's First Clash!

Faced with this sudden kick, Gu Ling did not panic. His body swiftly shifted backward to one side, dodging the attack as his right hand shot out and grabbed for the attacker's ankle.

Only then did he clearly see who had suddenly attacked him... pink clothes, a long scorpion braid, and that fair, pretty little face—it was Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu reacted just as quickly. She twisted at the waist, using the momentum to kick her other leg toward Gu Ling's shoulder.

"Coming again?"

Gu Ling raised an eyebrow. He had only just absorbed the nearly six-hundred-year Sky-Splitting Bone Leopard Soul Ring, and his physical qualities had already improved considerably. Coupled with the Bone Dragon Martial Soul's defensive boost, even without releasing his Martial Soul, he was far beyond ordinary children his age.

Bang!

Gu Ling raised an arm to block the kick, then took a fierce step forward and rammed his shoulder directly into Xiao Wu.

"Ah!" Xiao Wu cried out in pain. The impact sent her staggering back several steps before she barely managed to steady herself.

Then, rubbing her aching shoulder, she was just about to get angry when she recognized him and suddenly froze. Puzzled, she asked:

"Why is it you?"

Gu Ling glanced at her indifferently, looking utterly speechless.

"Who else did you think it was?"

Xiao Wu curled her lips and said irritably:

"I thought Little San had come back."

Clearly, that kick had originally been meant for Tang San.

But after suffering a loss, Xiao Wu did not seem inclined to continue fighting Gu Ling. With a light snort, she turned around and returned to sit beside her bed.

Gu Ling could not be bothered with her either.

However, when the other work-study students in the Seventh Dormitory saw Gu Ling return, they all crowded around him.

"Gu Ling, you're finally back!"

"How did it go?"

"Did you find your first Soul Ring?"

"Director Su took you to the Soul Hunting Forest for so long. You must have found a suitable soul beast, right?"

Everyone fired questions at him at once.

Gu Ling did not hide anything. He nodded and explained one by one:

"I've successfully absorbed my Soul Ring. It's even a Hundred-Year Soul Ring."

"Really?!"

Everyone's eyes immediately lit up. For work-study students of ordinary birth like them, being able to absorb a Hundred-Year Soul Ring as their first Soul Ring was already something greatly envied.

"A hundred-year first Soul Ring!"

"God, Gu Ling, you're a real Soul Master now."

"What's your first soul skill?"

"Is it powerful?"

Seeing their envious expressions, Gu Ling merely smiled and did not immediately demonstrate his soul skill. However, at that moment, Xiao Wu, who was lying on her bed, suddenly sat up and spoke.

"What's so impressive about a Hundred-Year Soul Ring?"

Hearing this, everyone immediately turned to look at her in shock.

Xiao Wu lifted her chin and said:

"I'm sure Little San's first Soul Ring is even stronger than his."

Wang Sheng immediately laughed.

"Sister Xiao Wu, Tang San hasn't even come back yet. How do you know his Soul Ring is stronger?"

"Exactly."

"You're not just bragging for Tang San, are you?"

Hearing everyone's teasing, Xiao Wu sat up straight.

"Who's bragging?"

"If I say Little San is strong, then he's definitely strong!"

"Pfft—"

A burst of laughter suddenly rang through the Seventh Dormitory. Xiao Wu was just about to continue arguing.

Creak!

Just then.

The dormitory door was suddenly pushed open from outside. A familiar figure appeared in the doorway—it was Tang San, who had just returned from Yu Xiaogang's place.

"Little San!"

The moment she saw Tang San, Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. She jumped off the bed and hurriedly said:

"You're finally back!"

The surrounding work-study students also crowded around him.

"Tang San, did you get your first Soul Ring too?"

"Show us!"

"Sister Xiao Wu was just saying that your Soul Ring must be stronger than Gu Ling's!"

At that last remark, Tang San was slightly startled. He subconsciously looked up, his gaze meeting Gu Ling's from across the room.

Gu Ling remained calm and said nothing.

Hearing this, Xiao Wu immediately jumped off the bed and went to Tang San's side, huffing:

"I wasn't wrong. Little San, didn't you get your first Soul Ring too? Hurry and release your Martial Soul for them to see!"

Though Tang San felt somewhat helpless at her words, he still nodded. The next moment, a faint blue light rose from his right palm, and a Blue Silver Grass sprouted from it.

At the same time.

A yellow Soul Ring slowly rose from beneath Tang San's feet.

"It's also a Hundred-Year Soul Ring?! Tang San became a Soul Master too!"

The people of the Seventh Dormitory cried out in surprise again.

Xiao Wu looked smug, as though she herself had been the one to obtain the Soul Ring.

"Well? I told you Little San was amazing, didn't I?"

Wang Sheng looked at Tang San, then at Gu Ling, and suddenly laughed.

"You two both have Innate Full Soul Power, and now you've both obtained Hundred-Year first Soul Rings. Why not have a match and see who's stronger?"

"Sure!"

The others immediately became interested.

"Fight!"

"Perfect! Let's see whose first soul skill is stronger!"

Xiao Wu's eyes also brightened. She immediately looked at Tang San and said excitedly:

"Little San, compete with him!"

Tang San frowned at this, and after a moment of silence, he said:

"We're all classmates. There's no need to insist on deciding who's better, is there?"

He had only just returned from the Soul Hunting Forest, and Gu Ling had previously clashed with his teacher. If he took the initiative to fight Gu Ling now, it would seem somewhat like he was venting his teacher's anger.

But Xiao Wu would not let it go.

"It's just an ordinary spar. It's not like I'm asking you to fight to the death."

"Besides, you just got your Soul Rings. Isn't this the perfect chance to test your first soul skills?"

"Yeah, Tang San!"

"Have a match!"

The people of the Seventh Dormitory continued egging him on, leaving Tang San somewhat helpless.

Just then, Gu Ling stood up from beside his bed and said seriously:

"I don't mind. We'll treat it as an ordinary spar."

He had been planning to find an opportunity to test his Martial Soul and soul skill anyway. Although he had briefly tested the effects of his soul skill in the Soul Hunting Forest, attacking trees and truly fighting a Soul Master were ultimately two different matters. In particular, his soul skill's greatest advantage was its unexpected nature.

Only in real combat could its true effect be seen. Tang San had just obtained his first Soul Ring, and the gap between their current strengths was not too great, making him a suitable opponent.

Seeing Gu Ling agree, Xiao Wu immediately looked at Tang San and continued fanning the flames.

"Little San, he's already agreed. Don't tell me you're scared?"

Tang San frowned slightly and said in a deep voice:

"This has nothing to do with whether I'm scared."

As an adult who had already lived for over twenty years in his previous life, he naturally had no desire to fight a group of children. However, seeing the expectant looks of everyone around him, he finally nodded.

"Fine. Then we'll spar, and stop at the right moment."

Seeing Tang San agree, Xiao Wu immediately smiled. She patted his shoulder and said:

"Little San, that's more like it!"

The people of the Seventh Dormitory cheered. The dormitory was too cramped for Soul Masters to fight, so the group left the Seventh Dormitory in a grand procession and headed toward the academy's training field.

Not long after.

Gu Ling and Tang San stood facing each other in the center of the training field, more than ten meters apart.

Xiao Wu, Wang Sheng, and the others stood some distance away, watching.