Class Promotion Tournament 2

Eastsea Academy held a tournament every year. All six grades of the intermediate division participated in an individual challenge format known as the Class Promotion Tournament. The weakest class selected its representatives to issue the first challenge, with Class Five challenging Class Four, then working upward in order. Once they defeated Class Four, they could escape their position at the bottom.

In his office, Wu Changkong explained the Class Promotion Tournament to Tang Wulin and Xie Xie.

"This is a longstanding tradition at Eastsea Academy."

"After winning each match in the Class Promotion Tournament, you can keep challenging higher-ranked classes until you lose. You can challenge your way from the first grade all the way to the sixth. The final winner can claim first place in their grade and become that grade's Class One. Defeating a higher grade also earns you generous rewards."

Xie Xie immediately seized on the key point. "So we're the weakest of the five classes?"

"That's right. This is our chance to wash away our class's humiliation. The rewards for challenging higher grades are especially generous." Wu Changkong paused, then made his decision. "You two will compete. I've carefully assessed the entire class, and only you two can shoulder this responsibility."

Xie Xie froze. "Teacher Wu, you want me to team up with Tang Wulin?"

Wu Changkong leaned back in his chair, looking perfectly composed. "If you can find someone more suitable, I can change my decision. You've seen Tang Wulin's first Soul Skill firsthand. Its control is extremely powerful. With his support, you won't have to worry about being surrounded and pinned down by your opponents."

"The tournament is in one month. I have only one goal for you: lead our class to claim the title of first grade's Class One."

"That's all. Xie Xie, you can leave first."

After Xie Xie left the office, Wu Changkong turned his gaze back to Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin took a badge from his storage item. Its silver surface had an understated, antique sheen, with a hammer engraved on it and three stars adorning one side.

Wu Changkong initially gave it only a casual glance, but when he saw the three stars, his pupils abruptly contracted. He blurted out in surprise, "You're actually a third-rank blacksmith?"

Although Wu Changkong did not work in forging, he understood the significance. A third-rank blacksmith at just nine years old was exceedingly rare anywhere on the Douluo Continent. Even the God Craftsmen of past generations had never reached such a level at that age.

He fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking. "I understand. I'll keep this secret for you and won't tell anyone."

Tang Wulin quickly bowed in thanks. "Thank you, Teacher Wu. If there's nothing else, I'll be going."

He put away his blacksmith badge and hurried out of the office.

Wu Changkong remained alone in the room, sitting in thought for a long time. Were children these days already this terrifying?

When the dismissal bell rang, Tang Wulin headed straight for the Blacksmith Association, intending to finish his forging practice for the day and take on a few commissions to earn Federation Credits.

Saving money was crucial to him now. His soul power was only at level twelve. Although a hundred-year Soul Spirit could provide two Soul Rings, he would still need to absorb another Soul Spirit to break through when he advanced to Soul Elder. Tang Wulin had been quietly putting money aside all this time to afford his second Soul Spirit.

The young woman at the front desk recognized him at once. Wasn't this the boy the president had personally taken as his disciple yesterday? She hurried over, her heart full of astonishment. A nine-year-old third-rank blacksmith had already broken the association headquarters' historical record, but President Mu Chen had strictly ordered that the news be sealed and not leaked.

It was not that Mu Chen did not want Tang Wulin to make a name for himself. His forging talent was simply too astonishing. If someone with ill intentions set their sights on him, Tang Wulin would surely be in danger.

Tang Wulin took the elevator to the workshop on the top floor. Inside, a middle-aged man was waiting quietly.

Tang Wulin hastily bowed in greeting. "Teacher. Senior Mu Xi."

Mu Chen spoke gently. "Wulin, come choose your forging task for today. I hope you'll support yourself by taking commissions. That way, you can hone your forging skills while earning your living expenses."

The task list lay before him:

Task one: Purify the rare metal heavenly dragon iron. Hundred refinement purification required. Deadline: thirty days. Payment: two thousand Federation Credits.

Tang Wulin's heart stirred. He had accepted an identical commission in Aolai City by the East Sea, but the payment then had been only fifteen hundred Federation Credits. It seemed prices in Eastsea City were far higher than in Aolai City.

Without the slightest hesitation, he accepted the first task.

After he accepted it, Mu Chen brought Tang Wulin to his dedicated forging workshop. A brand-new forging table stood ready, with the heavenly dragon iron for this task placed on its surface.

Tang Wulin picked up the ore with tongs and put it into the furnace to heat. Once the metal reached the proper temperature, he took out the two Black Steel Hammers he had forged himself and began hammering it repeatedly.

Mu Chen and Mu Xi stood to one side, watching quietly. Mu Chen occasionally offered a few pointers to correct his posture. Those few words saved Tang Wulin a great deal of energy, an enormous benefit for someone who forged year after year. As expected of an eight-star Saint Craftsman, his knowledge and experience far surpassed those of ordinary people.

When Tang Wulin finished hammering, Mu Chen handed him a Soul Communication Device.

Tang Wulin blinked and was about to decline when Mu Chen spoke. "Wulin, you don't have a Communication Soul Tool yet. If I need you in the future, I'll have no way to contact you. Take it so we can keep in touch."

After hearing that, Tang Wulin accepted it without further hesitation.

Mu Xi watched the boy from beside them. Fine beads of sweat covered his temples, and his breathing was slightly hurried, yet his sapphire-like eyes remained bright and clear. His azure hair made his face look especially handsome.

"Junior brother, you're far too good-looking. Even if forging and cultivation don't work out for you, that face alone could give you a very comfortable life."

Tang Wulin immediately looked dumbfounded.

Mu Chen could not help laughing heartily as he teased his daughter. "Mu Xi, have you taken a liking to Wulin?"

Her father's words made Mu Xi blush bright red. She hurriedly stamped her foot. "Dad, what nonsense are you talking about!"

Mu Chen smiled faintly. "Wulin may still be young, but with those looks, he'll surely grow into a fine-looking man. Won't you really consider it?"

Mu Xi waved her hands repeatedly. "He's too young! I'm more than two or three years older than him."

Mu Chen waved dismissively. "What does that matter? As the old saying goes, a wife three years older brings a gold brick to hold. Wulin, don't you agree?"

Tang Wulin was at a complete loss, stammering for ages without managing a full sentence.

"All right, all right, I'll stop teasing you two. Children and grandchildren have fortunes of their own."

After finishing that day's forging task, Tang Wulin received his two thousand Federation Credits, his heart brimming with delight.

Mu Chen watched the boy, silently considering something. He knew Tang Wulin had storage items, but their capacity was simply too small. Mu Chen raised his hand and slipped an antique-looking ring off a finger on his right hand. Blue and gold intertwined across the ring, its patterns exquisitely crafted. He held it out to Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin hastily drew back and declined. "Teacher, you've already given me a Soul Communication Device. I absolutely can't accept this Storage Soul Tool too."

Mu Chen laughed warmly. "Take it. It's only a storage ring, nothing particularly valuable."

Unable to refuse, Tang Wulin finally accepted the ring. Even after returning to his lodgings, he was still in a daze.

He had originally thought it was an ordinary storage ring with, at most, enough capacity for his needs. He had never imagined that this blue-and-gold ring contained a full fifty cubic meters of storage space. Not only could it store inanimate objects, it could even hold living things.

The two storage items Mang Tian had given him were each worth nearly a hundred thousand Federation Credits, but the ring Mu Chen had gifted him was of far higher quality. Fifty cubic meters of storage alone was worth a fortune. Add its special ability to hold living things, and the value of this Soul Tool was simply beyond estimation. The more Tang Wulin thought about it, the more astonished he became.

After completing his real-name registration with the Blacksmith Association, Tang Wulin set off for the Soul Master Association to register there. Federal law explicitly stipulated that a One-Ring Soul Master could receive a monthly cultivation subsidy of one thousand Federation Credits.

He entered the first floor of the Soul Master Association, registered his Soul Master information with a staff member's help, and collected his subsidy without trouble. Looking through his file, the staff member could not help giving Tang Wulin another glance. His innate soul power had been only level five, and his martial soul was Blue Silver Grass, which everyone looked down on. Reaching level twelve after three years of cultivation was a fairly average pace, showing that the boy had not neglected his cultivation.

After leaving the Soul Master Association, Tang Wulin did not immediately go to the forging room. Instead, he returned to the residence Mu Chen had arranged for his parents and entered his own room. It closely resembled his little home in Aolai City by the East Sea, though it was considerably more spacious.

He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and meditated, slowly settling into a trance as soul power flowed through every limb and bone.

No one noticed anything unusual, and even Tang Wulin himself remained unaware. The instant he sank into Deep Meditation, rich golden light quietly surged from every part of his body. The glow in his right palm was the most intense. Countless diamond-shaped patterns of light flickered beneath his flesh, as though trying to break free of his body, before finally withdrawing into him completely.

Early the next morning, Tang Wulin finished breakfast, said goodbye to his parents, and headed to Eastsea Academy once more.

Today's lesson was physical conditioning.

The track around the intermediate division's field at Eastsea Academy measured a full eight hundred meters per lap. Wu Changkong assigned Class Five ten whole laps as their warm-up.

At that number, the entire class grew restless. Ten laps meant a full eight kilometers.

Then Wu Changkong took out two sets of iron clothing forged from metal and tossed them to Tang Wulin and Xie Xie. The other students fell silent as cicadas in winter, afraid their teacher might give them a set of weighted gear too.

Tang Wulin stared at the iron clothing for a moment. Long-distance running with weights was practically identical to military training. He put it on, instantly adding nearly ten kilograms to his load. That burden was hardly difficult for him. Years of swinging hammers at the forge had tempered his body far beyond that of an ordinary person.

The long-distance run officially began.

One lap, two laps, three laps, four laps, five laps.

After five laps, Tang Wulin was drenched in sweat, droplets pattering onto the track. Xie Xie was equally breathless. Both bore the responsibility of representing their class in the Class Promotion Tournament, and neither was willing to concede.

Tang Wulin silently pushed himself. I'm an adult at heart, after all. I can't lose to a kid my own age. Xie Xie has nothing but brute strength. I can definitely win.

Xie Xie was also determined not to give in. I can't beat him in a fight, and I can't match how much he eats. Am I supposed to lose to him at running too?

In the end, Tang Wulin crossed the finish line first. But there was no reward for finishing first. Wu Changkong's dark green eyes rested on him silently.

Tang Wulin forced a smile uglier than a crying face and could only move his legs and keep running. Wu Changkong clearly had no intention of letting him rest.

While the entire class endured their harsh training, a girl approached the school gates.

She wore a white top and white trousers and was about Tang Wulin's age. Her skin was fair, but her looks could only be called ordinary, falling well short of Tang Wulin's. She had long black hair and ink-dark eyes, and her build was slightly above average among children her age.

With every step she took, the elements between heaven and earth around her seemed to bow faintly before her.

Wu Changkong's gaze lingered on the girl for a brief moment.

"Which class are you in?" Wu Changkong asked.