The trio's first collaboration

The sunset's lingering glow streamed through the Cafeteria windows, casting warm patches of light across the tables. The three sat around a table in the corner, with all kinds of dishes piled before them. Tang Wulin's mountain of food, in particular, was disappearing at a rate visible to the naked eye.

"Burp—" Tang Wulin belched contentedly and rubbed his round belly, but his gaze turned more serious than ever. Looking at Gu Yue and Xie Xie across from him, he said solemnly, "I've made up my mind about the direction of our upcoming special training."

Xie Xie was gnawing on a chicken drumstick. At those words, he asked through a mouthful of food, "Oh? What path are you choosing? Your Blue Silver Grass might look soft and floppy, but I think it'd be a real waste not to use that freakish strength of yours."

Tang Wulin shook his head and looked firmly at Gu Yue. "I think I should keep developing as a support for now."

"Support?" Xie Xie froze, forgetting to take another bite of his drumstick. "Wulin, you're not running a fever, are you? You can smash rocks with one punch, and you want to be a support?"

Tang Wulin smiled, confidence gleaming in his eyes. "Why not? Support is a vital part of any combat system. I might not have any offensive Soul Skills right now, but in the long run, as long as I'm strong enough, no one's support abilities will surpass mine. I can keep my teammates fighting, restrain enemies, provide buffs... as long as I'm there, my teammates will be invincible."

As Gu Yue listened, a complicated light flickered through her purple eyes. She seemed to see through the Tang Wulin before her to a figure in the distant future, sustaining an entire battle with his Golden Dragon King Bloodline. She nodded gently, her voice soft but firm. "Since you've chosen support, I'll choose assault."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Xie Xie before settling on Tang Wulin. She spoke each word distinctly. "And I can handle control, too. Don't worry. As long as I'm here, I'll protect you. No matter what."

Her tone carried an almost obsessive promise, as though this were the sole purpose of her existence.

Gu Yue's stare made Tang Wulin a little uneasy. Scratching his head, he smiled in confusion. "Gu Yue, you're making it sound far too serious. We're classmates. Of course we should help each other."

Gu Yue offered no explanation. She merely lowered her eyes slightly, hiding the emotions buried deep within them, while the faintest smile curved her lips. "Yes. Help each other."

Watching the inexplicable understanding between them, Xie Xie still felt somewhat intimidated by Gu Yue, but their fighting spirit rubbed off on him. He tossed his chicken bone onto his plate and thumped his chest. "All right! Since one of you wants to be the 'healer' and the other the 'warrior,' I'll take care of the 'assassin' work!"

He stood and struck a pose he thought looked handsome, declaring smugly, "I'll focus on speed! At least for now, that's my top priority. Besides, my Martial Souls are the Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger. They're naturally suited to using speed against slower opponents. Ambushes, harassment, finishing enemies off—leave it all to me!"

Seeing his smug expression, Tang Wulin couldn't help laughing. "Then you'd better be fast. Don't get turned into an ice pop before you can even break through Gu Yue's defensive perimeter."

"You!" Xie Xie was momentarily speechless, then shot Gu Yue a fierce glare. "That was an accident! Definitely an accident!"

Gu Yue merely lifted her water glass gracefully and took a sip. A teasing glint flashed through her purple eyes, but she said nothing.

"All right." Tang Wulin stood and patted both of them on the shoulders, his expression turning serious. "Now that we've chosen our paths, we'll train in those directions. Teacher Wu definitely won't go easy on us. Get some proper rest tonight. Starting tomorrow, we'll make Class Five's name ring throughout the academy!"

"Yeah!"

At noon the next day, the blazing sun hung overhead. The training ground's paving tiles were scorching hot, sending up waves of dry heat. Departing from his usual austere appearance, Wu Changkong wore only a simple white training outfit, his silver hair tied behind his head and his Soul Power held in check.

"Remember, in actual combat, linking your Soul Skills and controlling your position matter far more than simply possessing abundant Soul Power." Wu Changkong's voice was calm and even. Two Soul Rings slowly rose beneath his feet, one yellow and one purple, dazzling beneath the sunlight.

"What? Teacher, you're going to use a Hundred-Year Soul Ring?" Xie Xie exclaimed. The purple Soul Ring radiated fluctuations that set his heart trembling. How was this the configuration of a Soul Grandmaster? It was clearly that of a Soul Elder!

Wu Changkong glanced at him indifferently. "Restricting a Soul Ring's age limits the power of its Soul Skill, not the Soul Skill itself. If you can't even adapt to this, how do you expect to compete in the class promotion tournament? Begin."

Before he finished speaking, Xie Xie moved. Well aware of the importance of striking first, he flashed forward like lightning, instantly becoming a silver afterimage as he lunged at Wu Changkong's flank. At the same time, Gu Yue formed hand seals, brilliant light blazing in her purple eyes.

"Wind Barrier!" Gu Yue cried in a low voice. Countless air currents gathered in front of Wu Changkong, forming an invisible wall intended to impede his movements.

Yet Wu Changkong merely raised his hand lightly. His Second Soul Ring glimmered, and a burst of cold erupted. The Wind Barrier froze in midair, then shattered into countless ice crystals.

"Too slow," Wu Changkong remarked. With a slight shift of his feet, he easily evaded Xie Xie's ambush. At the same time, he pointed a finger, sending an ice spike straight at Xie Xie's face.

Alarmed, Xie Xie hurriedly changed direction and narrowly dodged the ice spike. Cold sweat instantly soaked his back. Was this the gap between them? Even with only two rings, he was this terrifying!

Just then, Tang Wulin moved. Standing at the very rear of the team, he spread his hands, and his First Soul Ring—that dark red Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring—quietly lit up.

Life Domain!

With Tang Wulin at the center, countless stalks of Blue Silver Grass burst from the ground within a one-kilometer radius, growing wildly. They were not in an offensive form, but they acted like the most precise radar, clearly relaying Wu Changkong's every movement to Tang Wulin's mind.

"Three meters ahead and to the left! Jump!" Tang Wulin shouted.

Gu Yue did not hesitate. Her footwork changed instantly, and following Tang Wulin's guidance, she anticipated where Wu Changkong would land. Raising both hands high, she gathered purple lightning in her palms and wove it together with the surrounding wind elements, forming a raging wall of thunder and storm.

"Thunderstorm: Wind Sweeps Away the Clouds!"

Surprise flashed through Wu Changkong's eyes. He clearly had not expected such seamless cooperation from the three. His movement paused slightly, and he activated his second Soul Skill again. A layer of solid ice armor instantly covered his body, allowing him to withstand the thunderstorm head-on.

During that brief stalemate, Xie Xie finally found an opening. Using his superior speed, he circled around behind Wu Changkong's flank. His Light Dragon Dagger gleamed coldly as it stabbed straight toward Wu Changkong's back, aiming for his heart.

"Watch out!" Wu Changkong barked. He spun abruptly, his Frost Sword Intent erupting and forcing Xie Xie back. Yet the instant his attention shifted to Xie Xie, Tang Wulin's Second Soul Ring lit up.

Blue Silver Redemption!

Countless Blue Silver Grass vines instantly wound around Gu Yue and Xie Xie. Not only did they heal the minor injuries the two had sustained during the fight, but they also formed a layer of pale blue Blue Silver armor over their bodies, greatly strengthening their defenses.

"Nicely done, Wulin!" Xie Xie perked up, feeling much of his fatigue vanish instantly.

Gu Yue seized the chance to attack again. This time, instead of unleashing a wide-area elemental bombardment, she precisely controlled the ice elements, forming countless ice spikes beneath Wu Changkong's feet to restrict his movement.

"Good coordination." Wu Changkong's lips lifted slightly in a rare smile. Suddenly, he reined in his Soul Power and stopped attacking. "But it isn't enough."

The three stopped, panting slightly, and looked at their teacher in confusion.

Wu Changkong looked at Tang Wulin, his gaze profound. "Your support abilities are indeed powerful, but what about your means of attack? If an enemy breaks through Gu Yue and Xie Xie's defensive line and comes straight for you, the 'support,' what will you do?"

Tang Wulin paused, then clenched his fists. Golden Bloodline Power surged within him. "I'll use my fists."

Wu Changkong nodded without elaborating. Turning toward the three, he said sternly, "Remember, support is not another word for weakness. A true support is the team's foundation, the key to turning a battle around. In the training ahead, Tang Wulin, you need to focus on using Blue Silver Grass for close-range defense and counterattacks while providing support."

"Yes!" the three answered in unison.

Beneath the blazing sun, sweat flowed even more freely across the training ground. Tang Wulin stood at the rear, Blue Silver Grass spreading beneath his feet. While maintaining his Life Domain, he tried using the vines for entangling attacks. Gu Yue stood before him, controlling the elements with precision, turning them into sharp blades one moment and sturdy shields the next. Xie Xie prowled along the flank like the most loyal hunting hound, seeking every opportunity to sink his teeth into the enemy.

The atmosphere on the training ground suddenly tightened. Tang Wulin's normally gentle golden eyes now burned with fierce fighting spirit. He no longer held back. Although the Heavens Void Hall in his mind, which he had once opened, no longer operated its summoning formation, the inherited memories from another world had long since branded themselves deep into his soul.

They were a gift from the Flame Emperor of the Battle Through the Heavens world—Xiao Yan.

Although he could no longer summon that otherworldly powerhouse, he had already fully assimilated the essence of the martial arts Xiao Yan had left behind. Three Thousand Thunder Movement used the power of lightning to propel movement, making him as swift as thunder. Eight-Level Collapse stacked force layer upon layer, releasing it in an instant to shatter all things. As for the Flame Mantra, he could not practice it without Battle Qi, but the essence of the first two techniques meshed perfectly with his formidable Golden Dragon King physique.

"Wulin? What are you doing?" Xie Xie exclaimed as Tang Wulin disregarded their formation and charged straight at Wu Changkong.

Wu Changkong frowned slightly. Reckless, he thought. In his eyes, Tang Wulin's actions were no different from hurling an egg against a rock. He did not even summon much Soul Power, merely forming a thick ice wall before himself with a casual gesture, intending to teach this student who knew neither the height of heaven nor the depth of earth a lesson.

Yet in the next instant, Wu Changkong's pupils abruptly contracted.

Tang Wulin's footwork suddenly changed. With every step, a tiny arc of electricity burst beneath his feet. Accompanied by the rumble of thunder, his speed instantly soared, leaving an afterimage where he had stood!

Three Thousand Thunder Movement!

Tang Wulin cried inwardly. The lightning elements resonated with his Golden Dragon King Bloodline, propelling his body like a bolt of golden lightning straight through the ice wall.

Startled, Wu Changkong hastily formed a second defense—a shield forged from thousand-year ice.

At that moment, Tang Wulin's right fist thundered forward.

"Eight-Level Collapse!"

There were no flashy lights or images in this punch, only power distilled to its purest extreme. Tang Wulin compressed all his Bloodline Power, the binding strength of his Blue Silver Grass, and the sharpness of his Golden Dragon Claw into that single fist.

Boom!

A deafening explosion rang out like a Meteorite crashing to earth, shaking the entire training ground.

Beneath that punch, the supposedly indestructible thousand-year ice shield shattered like paper into a sky full of ice fragments! The force of the punch continued unabated, bearing the domineering might to pulverize everything as it rushed straight toward Wu Changkong's face.

Horror flashed through Wu Changkong's eyes. He finally realized how utterly wrong he had been. He swiftly held his sword across himself to block, his Frost Sword Intent erupting instantly.

Fist met sword, and a terrifying wave of force swept outward from the two, driving even Xie Xie and Gu Yue, who stood some distance away, back again and again.

Thud, thud, thud!

That punch actually forced Wu Changkong back three steps, each one stamping deep cracks into the hard paving tiles. He raised his head and stared at the boy before him in disbelief. That strength... even he struggled to withstand it!

Tang Wulin steadied himself, a sharp light gleaming in his golden eyes. Looking at his slightly numb fist, he was inwardly astonished. The power of Eight-Level Collapse really has undergone a qualitative change because of the different laws of this world. In the Battle Through the Heavens world, it could shatter rocks. But in the Douluo World, this power is enough to shatter Meteorites!

"Wulin... you..." Xie Xie's mouth hung open, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground. He had never imagined that Tang Wulin, who was always smiling and seemed harmless to man and beast alike, had hidden such terrifying explosive strength!

Understanding and delight flickered through Gu Yue's purple eyes. She could feel it: that power contained a trace of an otherworldly aura, but even more of it came from Tang Wulin's own indomitable will.

"So this is... your trump card?" Wu Changkong steadied himself and looked at Tang Wulin, a rare smile actually curving his lips. "Good. Very good."

The chill around him instantly receded, replaced by an intense fighting spirit. "Since you've been hiding your strength, I won't hold back either. Come. Let me see just how much weight these suddenly revealed techniques of yours really carry!"

Tang Wulin grinned, fighting spirit blazing in his golden eyes. "As you wish!"

Before his words had faded, he moved again. This time, he was faster, and his punches struck with greater ferocity. With Three Thousand Thunder Movement combined with Eight-Level Collapse and the physical strength of his Golden Dragon King Bloodline, he seemed to become a tireless fighting machine. Every punch tore through the air with an explosive crack.

Wu Changkong used offense as defense. Under his control, Frost Sword Intent became a sky full of ice blades, seeking to impede Tang Wulin's attacks. Yet Tang Wulin's Three Thousand Thunder Movement was elusive and unpredictable. He kept flashing out from angles that seemed impossible, raining punch after punch down on Wu Changkong like a raging storm.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The sounds of fists and feet colliding rang out without end, and their furious momentum enveloped the entire training ground. Xie Xie and Gu Yue watched from the sidelines, dumbfounded. They had never imagined that Tang Wulin, who always quietly provided support, could become so terrifying once he unleashed his strength!

"So this is... Wulin's true strength?" Xie Xie murmured. His competitive spirit had been thoroughly ignited as well. "Damn it, I can't fall behind either!"

Gu Yue watched the battle intently, a light of intelligence gleaming in her purple eyes. She analyzed Tang Wulin's every movement and every point where he exerted force, trying to find his weaknesses while also feeling genuinely happy about his growth.

"Boom!"

Another tremendous crash rang out. Tang Wulin shattered the enormous ice shield Wu Changkong had formed with a single punch, then used the momentum to leap into the air. From above, he brought his fist crashing down with the might to destroy heaven and earth.

Watching that golden fist, Wu Changkong's eyes flashed with appreciation. Then he slowly raised his hand and gently extended a finger.

"Ice Seal: Three Thousand Worlds."

An extreme chill erupted instantly, enveloping Tang Wulin. Yet his fist was like a burning Meteorite. It smashed through the ice by sheer force and drove straight toward Wu Changkong's face with unstoppable momentum.

"Enough."

Wu Changkong spoke softly. Soul Power surged around him, dissolving Tang Wulin's attack without a trace. Looking at Tang Wulin, who was panting hard but still bright-eyed, he said solemnly, "Very good, Tang Wulin. You've shown me hope for Class Five."

Tang Wulin landed, gasping for breath. Sweat soaked his clothes, but a brilliant smile filled his face. He knew that from this moment on, he was no longer a support who could only hide behind his teammates. He now had the strength to protect them, and even lead the team to victory!

"Next," Wu Changkong said, sweeping his gaze over the three, his tone more serious than ever, "you must win the class promotion tournament. And you must win in style!"