The Clear Sky Hammer Strikes at Night, Azure Luan Appears

Zhao Wuji got no sleep that night.

He had barely returned to his room when a shadow appeared outside his door.

The man wore a black robe and stood tall. His presence seemed to weigh down the air in the entire room.

The smile quickly vanished from Zhao Wuji's face.

He was a Soul Sage.

He had seen powerful people before.

But something felt very wrong about the man before him.

His aura was oppressive.

And vicious.

The black-robed man spoke.

"Zhao Wuji."

Zhao Wuji narrowed his eyes.

"Who are you?"

The black-robed man did not answer.

A massive black hammer appeared in his hand.

Zhao Wuji's expression changed.

"The Clear Sky Hammer?"

The next instant, the door exploded.

Zhao Wuji was sent flying and crashed heavily onto the training ground.

He was not dead.

The man had held back.

Even so, the blow left his chest tight, and he struggled to catch his breath.

"You hurt my son today."

The black-robed man's voice was cold.

Zhao Wuji pushed himself up from the ground.

Only then did he understand.

Tang San.

The Clear Sky Hammer.

Some things needed no further explanation.

Zhao Wuji gritted his teeth.

"It was only an entrance test."

"That's why you're still alive."

The black-robed man raised his hammer.

Before the second blow could fall, a streak of azure light cut across the night sky.

A figure appeared in front of Zhao Wuji.

Azure Luan Douluo's white hair stirred, and the night breeze lifted his sleeves.

"Tang Hao."

The black-robed man paused.

He looked at Azure Luan.

"A Worship Hall elder."

Zhao Wuji's heart sank.

He knew there was more to Yuan Yu than met the eye.

But he had not expected someone from Worship Hall to be following him in secret.

Azure Luan did not look back.

"Zhao Wuji can take a hit from your hammer. But there are people from Spirit Hall here. You can't go smashing things at will."

Tang Hao's gaze grew colder.

"Someone from Spirit Hall dares stay near my son?"

Ling Yuan Douluo descended as well.

She stood on the other side, a Fire Feather flickering above her palm.

"Your son was hurt during an entrance test today. Yuan Yu also protected him three times."

Tang Hao gripped the Clear Sky Hammer and said nothing.

Of course he had seen it.

He had been watching from the shadows all along.

When Zhao Wuji forced Tang San to use his Hidden Weapons, Tang Hao had wanted to intervene.

But Yuan Yu had kept stepping in to cover him.

Tang San had not been seriously injured.

Neither had the other children.

That was why Tang Hao had come tonight only to beat Zhao Wuji, not to kill him.

But the words "Spirit Hall" grated on him.

Especially with that token at Yuan Yu's waist.

The Papal Hall Token.

Tang Hao said slowly, "Keep that boy away from Tang San."

Azure Luan said, "That's his decision."

Tang Hao sneered.

"A child of Spirit Hall gets to make his own decisions?"

A yawn suddenly came from the direction of the dormitories.

"Senior, that's a little unreasonable."

Yuan Yu walked out with a coat draped over his shoulders.

His white clothes were askew, and his hair was a little messy.

The Sun Wheel Blade was strapped to his back.

The Five God-given Spirit Rings had not appeared.

But the moment he stepped out, Tang Hao's gaze settled on him.

Azure Luan frowned.

"Go back."

Ling Yuan was more direct.

"Who told you to come out?"

Yuan Yu said quietly, "With all this noise, if I didn't wake up, you'd say I slept like the dead again."

Ling Yuan's eyes turned cold.

Yuan Yu immediately shut his mouth.

Tang Hao looked at him.

"You're Yuan Yu."

"Yes."

"One of Spirit Hall's people."

"That too."

Yuan Yu stood beside Azure Luan without retreating.

"But I protected a classmate today. It wasn't a Spirit Hall mission."

Tang Hao stared at him.

"Do you know who Tang San is?"

Yuan Yu shook his head.

"No."

That was the truth.

He had fragments in his mind, but much of it was a jumble. Tang San's name sounded familiar, just not familiar enough for him to piece everything together.

He only knew Tang San was no ordinary person.

But who at Shrek was ordinary?

A twelve-year-old Soul King could sit here drinking. So what if Tang San knew how to use Hidden Weapons?

Tang Hao studied him for a long time.

"Stay away from him."

Yuan Yu gave a small smile.

"Senior, if you're afraid Spirit Hall will hurt him, take it up with Spirit Hall."

Tang Hao's gaze darkened.

Azure Luan and Ling Yuan both stepped forward.

But Yuan Yu continued, "If you're telling me to stay away from my classmate, I won't agree."

The night wind swept across the training ground.

Clutching his chest, Zhao Wuji decided it was best not to say a word.

Flender stood beneath the eaves in the distance, not daring to interrupt either.

He was a Soul Sage.

But none of the people before him were to be trifled with.

Yuan Yu looked at Tang Hao.

"If Tang San is simply Tang San, he's my classmate."

"If he becomes my friend one day, no one gets to lay a hand on him."

"Not Spirit Hall. Not anyone else."

Tang Hao did not answer at once.

He could tell the boy was not lying.

That only made him more uneasy.

A child raised by Spirit Hall could speak with such sincerity.

Either he was an excellent actor.

Or he meant it.

And the truth would be more troublesome than a lie.

Tang Hao suddenly raised his hand.

The pressure of the Clear Sky Hammer bore down on Yuan Yu.

Azure Luan's eyes turned cold, and the shadow of azure wings spread behind him.

Fire flared in Ling Yuan's palm.

Yuan Yu did not draw his blade.

He merely raised his right hand and gripped the hilt of his Sun Wheel Blade.

The Five God-given Spirit Rings rose one after another.

Water blue, crimson gold, violet white, azure gold, dark gold.

Tang Hao's gaze shifted.

God-given Spirit Rings.

Five of them.

At twelve years old.

Only then did he understand why Worship Hall had sent Azure Luan to follow the boy in secret.

This child mattered even more than he had thought.

Tang Hao put away the Clear Sky Hammer.

"Stay true to your path."

Yuan Yu said, "I always have."

Tang Hao turned and walked into the night.

After a few steps, he stopped again.

"Zhao Wuji."

Zhao Wuji's face stiffened.

Tang Hao said flatly, "We're not done tonight."

Zhao Wuji: "..."

Yuan Yu tactfully moved a couple of steps aside.

Sorry, Teacher Zhao.

I can't help you with this one.

After a series of muffled thuds, Tang Hao left Shrek.

Zhao Wuji lay on the training ground, his face bruised and swollen, questioning his life choices.

Flender walked over and crouched to take a look.

"Still alive?"

Zhao Wuji gritted his teeth.

"What do you think?"

Flender breathed a sigh of relief.

"As long as he's alive. The academy won't cover his medical bills."

Zhao Wuji was so furious he nearly sat up.

Listening from the side, Yuan Yu felt his scalp prickle.

He suddenly thought there might be a reason Shrek was this poor.

Azure Luan walked over to him.

"Have you thought over what I said?"

Yuan Yu nodded.

"I have."

Ling Yuan said coldly, "Tang Hao isn't easy to reason with."

"I know."

"Then why did you come out?"

Yuan Yu glanced in the direction Tang Hao had gone.

"He doesn't want to kill me."

Ling Yuan frowned.

Yuan Yu added, "If he really wanted me dead, hiding inside wouldn't help."

Ling Yuan raised a hand to knock him on the head.

Yuan Yu ducked behind Azure Luan with practiced ease.

Azure Luan didn't stop her.

Ling Yuan still managed to knock him on the head.

"Stop gambling your life to prove a point."

Yuan Yu held his head.

"Got it."

Early the next morning.

When Tang San got up, he noticed several new bruises on Zhao Wuji's face.

He froze.

"Teacher Zhao, what happened to you?"

Zhao Wuji's face was blank.

"I fell while training."

Xiao Wu looked at his face and couldn't help herself.

"You fell pretty evenly."

Yuan Yu was sitting nearby drinking porridge and nearly choked.

Zhao Wuji glanced at him.

"What are you laughing at?"

Yuan Yu immediately set down his bowl.

"I just remembered something funny."

Zhao Wuji gave a cold laugh.

"Extra training after breakfast."

Yuan Yu fell silent for a moment.

"Teacher Zhao, you're using your position to settle a personal score."

"Yes."

Zhao Wuji said it without a trace of shame.

And so Shrek's first day got off to a lively start.