Tang Wulin was an invincible protective charm

Night deepened, and the corridors of Eastsea Academy cast long shadows beneath the Soul Guidance Streetlamp. Tang Wulin followed behind Wu Changkong with a much lighter step, excitement still lingering on his face.

"Teacher Wu," Tang Wulin could not help saying, his voice brimming with admiration, "you were incredible just now! That teleportation, and that presence—you were so cool! From now on, whatever your teaching methods require, I'll work hard to do everything perfectly!"

Wu Changkong's steps faltered slightly. On his usually frost-cold face, the corners of his mouth rose in an exceedingly rare, almost imperceptible smile. He turned his head, a trace of warmth appearing in his ice-blue eyes as he looked at the boy who so closely resembled his younger self. "Good. You said it yourself. Remember what you said tonight. Don't disappoint me."

"Yes! I won't!" Tang Wulin nodded vigorously, clenching his fists.

Gu Yue, who was walking beside them, was not quite pleased. She pouted slightly, her deep-purple eyes sliding toward Tang Wulin with a hint of jealousy. "Hey, Tang Wulin, wasn't I cool just now? I saved you, you know."

Tang Wulin turned toward Gu Yue's exquisitely beautiful, almost otherworldly face and honestly shook his head, saying earnestly, "Gu Yue, you were cool too! It's just... you're so powerful that once you make a move, none of us can get a hand in. Even the boys have nothing left to do."

Gu Yue thought that made perfect sense. She nodded solemnly and looked at Xie Xie, who had been following beside them and currently wore a thoroughly glum expression. "Exactly. Look at Xie Xie. He's practically become a dangling accessory."

Already depressed over his failure to contribute much, Xie Xie nearly jumped in anger at her words. "Hey! Who are you calling an accessory? I was... I was on tactical standby!"

Although he protested aloud, Xie Xie vaguely felt something was amiss. He stole a glance at Gu Yue, then at Tang Wulin. Gu Yue helped others ordinarily, but this was the first time she had defended someone so recklessly, even with a hint of possessiveness. That absolute resolve of "touch him and I'll kill you" was certainly not how an ordinary friend would react.

Xie Xie scratched his head as he watched the two chatting and laughing ahead of him, that indescribable sense of strangeness growing stronger. Why did the atmosphere between them feel even more pressuring than the fight earlier?

Several days passed in the blink of an eye, and Eastsea Academy's first-year Promotion Tournament finally raised its curtain.

The tournament took place in the academy's largest venue, the Central Soul Fighting Arena. Students and teachers from every year had already filled the stands. Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue stood in Class Five's section, quietly discussing their tactics for the upcoming match.

"I heard we're facing Class Four in the first match." Xie Xie toyed with his Light Dragon Dagger, his gaze wandering. "When I went to draw lots earlier, I saw their team. They looked pretty fierce."

Tang Wulin nodded and glanced toward Class Four's team nearby. They noticed his gaze as well. The burly, buzz-cut boy at their head glared coldly back at him, his eyes full of provocation. Behind him stood two students, one tall and one short. One had a hunched figure and seemed to be some kind of vine Soul Master, while the other had shifty eyes and was clearly a support fighter.

Just then, Class Five's homeroom teacher, Wu Changkong, stood at the front of the team with his hands behind his back, his expression as stern as ever. Beside him stood a middle-aged man in a garish robe with a thin, two-part mustache, leaning closer with a face full of smiles to strike up a conversation.

"Well, Teacher Wu, long time no see!" the man said with a smile that never reached his eyes. "This Class Five you're teaching this year looks... hmm, quite distinctive."

Wu Changkong gave him a faint glance, not a ripple stirring in his ice-blue eyes. He merely inclined his head in greeting before turning away, making no attempt to continue the conversation.

A flicker of embarrassment crossed the man's face, but he quickly thickened his skin and leaned closer again, his tone edged with sarcasm. "Still so cold and aloof, Teacher Wu. But of course, you're the academy's ace, so your students must all be geniuses. Unlike mine. These children are so clumsy that I can only make do with them."

Listening nearby, Tang Wulin frowned slightly. Though gentle by nature, he had keen perception. Class Four's homeroom teacher seemed to be speaking modestly, but every word carried a thorn. Tang Wulin also keenly caught something beneath the man's false smile as he looked at Wu Changkong: a barely perceptible trace of venom and jealousy.

That emotion was strange.

Normally, Wu Changkong did little besides teach and cultivate, and rarely made enemies. Yet this teacher's attitude toward him went far beyond simple envy or resentment. It was something deeper and more complicated, as though Wu Changkong had stolen what he treasured most or stepped on his sorest spot.

"If teaching your class is too taxing, Teacher Kong, you can request a transfer," Wu Changkong finally said, his voice as cold and clear as shattered jade. "The academy won't force you to do something against your will."

Class Four's homeroom teacher, Kong Hanwen, stiffened and gave a dry laugh. "You're joking, Teacher Wu. I was only venting a little. Still..." His chilling gaze swept over Tang Wulin and the others. "Today's Promotion Tournament will reshuffle the class rankings. Your students may be talented, but they're young and inexperienced. If they happen to get hurt, don't say I didn't warn you."

Wu Changkong ignored his threat. He simply turned to Tang Wulin and the others and said evenly, "Go up. Finish it quickly. Don't waste time."

"Yes, Teacher!" all three answered in unison.

As Tang Wulin turned toward the Competition Stage, he glanced back. He saw Kong Hanwen staring fixedly at Wu Changkong's back, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked, his gaze looking ready to devour someone.

Tang Wulin inwardly grew wary. This Promotion Tournament might not be so simple after all. Class Four's homeroom teacher seemed to harbor tremendous hostility toward their teacher, and that hostility could very well be redirected toward them.

"Be careful out there," Tang Wulin told Gu Yue and Xie Xie in a lowered voice. "They might stop at nothing."

Gu Yue snorted coldly, a flicker of disdain crossing her purple eyes. "Stop at nothing? Then let's see whose methods are better."

Xie Xie also put aside his usual playful grin and nodded gravely. The three soon disappeared through the entrance to the Competition Stage, leaving Kong Hanwen's venomous stare and Wu Changkong's back, cold as ten-thousand-year ice, in stark contrast amid the bustling arena.

The atmosphere in the Central Soul Fighting Arena was tense. The Promotion Tournament match between first-year Class Five and Class Four was about to begin. Under the tournament rules, each side sent three students into battle.

On Class Four's side, their homeroom teacher, Kong Hanwen, wore an arrogant expression as he selected a standard lineup of one power attacker, one control fighter, and one agility attacker, clearly intending to end the match swiftly.

On Class Five's side, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue stepped onto the Competition Stage. Class Four's students in the stands were preparing to jeer, but the instant referee Long Hengxu announced the start, all the noise turned to deathly silence.

Facing Class Four's furious charge, Tang Wulin stood completely still and calmly released his Martial Soul.

"Blue Silver Grass!"

Emerald vines spread out from beneath his feet, but that was not the point. The point was the three Soul Rings that rose from beneath his feet immediately afterward—

Three dazzling circles of red!

Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings!

Cries of shock erupted throughout the arena like mountains collapsing and Sea waves roaring. A first-year newcomer, a Three Rings Soul Elder, actually possessed three Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings? This overturned everything they knew.

Even more suffocating was what they saw upon closer inspection: Tang Wulin's First Soul Ring was slightly different from the other two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings. A hint of dark gold shimmered within its red, as though it contained the power to destroy heaven and earth. A single glance sent a violent tremor through their souls.

Its terrifying age was infinitely close to two hundred thousand years!

A Soul Ring of that caliber had appeared on a Support System Soul Master. It was utterly unheard of!

Class Four's Agility Attack System Soul Master was incredibly fast. Taking advantage of the instant Tang Wulin released his Martial Soul, he circled behind Xie Xie and drove a heavy punch into his back, right behind his heart. Caught off guard, Xie Xie spat out blood, his face turning deathly pale. He had clearly suffered internal injuries, and his combat strength plummeted.

"Xie Xie!" Gu Yue cried out, wanting to help but already too late.

At that critical moment, Tang Wulin's gaze sharpened, and his second Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring instantly lit up.

"Blue Silver Redemption!"

Gentle emerald light instantly enveloped Xie Xie. It was not merely healing, but a reshaping of life itself. Xie Xie felt a warm current sweep through his entire body. His ruptured capillaries and damaged organs healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and even his Soul Power instantly returned to its peak.

Then Tang Wulin swept his left hand, and a layer of tough blue silver armor instantly covered Xie Xie's body, raising his defense an entire notch.

"Watch your left!" Tang Wulin warned.

Gu Yue understood. Although she did not know exactly what Tang Wulin had done, she could feel Xie Xie's aura become powerful in an instant. She immediately coordinated with him, and together they held off Class Four's offensive.

Seeing this, Class Four's Control System Soul Master grew frantic. He immediately released his vine Martial Soul, attempting to entangle Tang Wulin. However, the first dark-gold-and-red ring beneath Tang Wulin's feet flashed faintly.

"Life Domain!"

With the Blue Silver Grass as his medium, every movement within a one-kilometer radius appeared clearly in his mind. To Tang Wulin, every movement the Control System Soul Master made was as slow as a snail.

"Too slow," Tang Wulin said softly. Then he swept his right hand. "Blue Silver Absorption!"

Countless Blue Silver Grass Vines seemed to transform into greedy tentacles, instantly binding the Control System Soul Master. The student felt his Soul Power being drained wildly, like water bursting through a breached dam. His face turned deathly pale, and his offensive collapsed in an instant.

Seeing this, Class Four's sole remaining Power Attack System Soul Master roared and burned his Soul Power to unleash one final, desperate strike, attempting to force his way through.

Tang Wulin's expression remained unchanged as his third Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring blazed with light.

"Blue Silver Light!"

A beam of supremely pure blue light swept over all three teammates. The slight sluggishness and negative effects Xie Xie had developed from intense exertion were instantly swept clean, leaving his entire body feeling incomparably light.

Immediately afterward, a translucent, pale-blue energy shield enveloped the three of them.

"Blue Silver Armor!"

The shield was not merely impregnable. More importantly, it could keep all three at their peak for thirty seconds! During those thirty seconds, their Soul Power consumption was halved and their reaction speed increased. It was practically a God-tier skill on the battlefield!

With Tang Wulin providing support worthy of a "god-tier healer," Class Four's final strike seemed utterly powerless. Their attacks struck Xie Xie and Gu Yue, who had the dual protection of blue silver armor and Blue Silver Armor, without inflicting any damage, while their own Soul Power ran dry under Blue Silver Absorption.

Referee Long Hengxu watched, dumbstruck. Several seconds passed before he recovered and hurriedly shouted, "The match is over! First-year Class Five wins!"

From beginning to end, not even a minute had passed.

The entire arena fell silent, every stunned gaze fixed on Tang Wulin. This boy, who usually looked so gentle and harmless, had concealed such terrifying support abilities. A Three Rings Soul Elder with three Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings, every Soul Skill capable of defying heaven and rewriting fate—"genius" could no longer describe him. He was nothing short of a legend!

Tang Wulin withdrew his Martial Soul and scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed as he faced the dumbstruck Gu Yue and Xie Xie. "Um... how was our coordination?"

Gu Yue and Xie Xie exchanged a glance, each seeing shock and wild delight in the other's eyes. With an "accessory" like this around, how could they possibly lose?

Meanwhile, on a raised platform nearby, Class Four's Kong Hanwen looked livid, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked. As he watched Tang Wulin surrounded by the others, deep jealousy and venom flashed through his eyes.

"So, this is Zhen Hua's disciple..." Kong Hanwen muttered through gritted teeth. "I'll remember this debt."

This Promotion Tournament not only made Class Five famous in a single battle, but also turned the name Tang Wulin into an insurmountable legend among all of Eastsea Academy's first-year students.