Class One Mocked Class Five

The arena for Eastsea Academy's Promotion Tournament was slightly hot under the blazing midday sun, and the air carried the scorched tang left by surging Soul Power. Tang Wulin stood at the center of his team, his Blue-Gold training uniform snapping in the wind. The subtle patterns embroidered along its hem flickered as his Soul Power circulated, lending him both youthful valor and an unsettling air of pressure. Gu Yue stood to his left with a heavy sword, while the lightning-swift Xie Xie stood to his right. The three formed a triangle. Opposite them stood Class One's strongest trio—two Power Attack System Soul Masters flanking a Control System Soul Master, a lineup like copper walls and iron ramparts.

"Begin!" Before the referee's voice had faded, Class One's Control System Soul Master lashed out with vines, trying to bind Tang Wulin's legs. The two Power Attack System Soul Masters charged with furious roars, Soul Power gathering around their fists in dazzling balls of light.

"Watch out!" Xie Xie was about to accelerate and circle behind them when Tang Wulin raised a hand to stop him. The boy lifted his head, a trace of the golden patterns unique to the Golden Dragon King Bloodline flashing in his eyes. His voice was cool, yet carried unquestionable certainty. "Three seconds."

As his words fell, Tang Wulin pushed off with his toes and shot into the enemy formation like an arrow loosed from its bow. His Blue-Gold figure left an afterimage in the sunlight. The opposing Power Attack System Soul Master had just thrown a punch when his vision blurred—Tang Wulin evaded the attack by a hair's breadth, then drove his right fist, wrapped in golden dragon power, straight into his opponent's chest.

Bang! With a dull crash, the Soul Master flew backward like a sandbag struck by a massive hammer. He slammed into the protective barrier at the arena's edge and lost consciousness instantly. At the same time, Tang Wulin abruptly released his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul from his left hand. Vines coiled like nimble snakes around the other Power Attack System Soul Master's feet. Using the leverage, he sprang into the air and smashed his knee into his opponent's chin. The boy crumpled without even managing a scream.

From the first strike to the finish, barely a breath had passed. By the time the third, Control System Soul Master tried to retreat in terror, Xie Xie's Light Dragon Dagger was already at his throat. Silence fell over the entire arena. Even the wind seemed to freeze.

The referee looked at the three opponents sprawled across the stage, then at Tang Wulin, who stood where he had started, not a speck of dust on his Blue-Gold hem. He swallowed with difficulty and announced loudly, "The winners are Tang Wulin's team!"

Thunderous cheers erupted from the spectator stands. Gu Yue put away her heavy sword, a faint smile curving her lips. "Three seconds. Still too slow." Xie Xie patted his chest theatrically. "Just how strong have you gotten now?"

Tang Wulin flexed his wrist, feeling the perfect fusion of the Golden Dragon Bloodline surging within him and the vitality of Blue Silver Grass. He gazed calmly toward the stands. There, Wu Changkong remained expressionless, but the rhythm of his fingertips lightly tapping the railing betrayed his satisfaction.

As the bustle following the Promotion Tournament gradually faded, Tang Wulin stopped Gu Yue outside the changing room just as she was about to leave.

"Hey." Tang Wulin wiped the sweat from his face, his Blue-Gold hem swaying gently with the movement. "I promised before the match that I'd treat you to something to eat if we won. Want to go now?"

Gu Yue stopped and turned to glance at him. She wore her hair in a simple ponytail that day, with a few loose strands hanging beside her ears, making her small face look particularly fair. Rather than accept his invitation immediately, she folded her arms in a show of reserve. "Who cares about your treat? Besides, do you even have money? Didn't you spend it all on snacks during the match?"

"Of course I do!" Tang Wulin patted his pocket indignantly, producing the clear clink of coins. "I saved up a whole month's allowance!"

"Well..." Gu Yue's eyes shifted, and the corners of her lips rose slightly. "That depends on how you do. If you dare buy something I don't like, I won't talk to you next time."

"Let's go!" Tang Wulin grinned, revealing two small canine teeth, then turned and ran toward the school gates.

They left the school one after the other. Sea City's streets bustled with pedestrians, and the setting sun stretched their shadows long behind them. Tang Wulin walked quickly, glancing back now and then to see whether Gu Yue was keeping up. She followed at an unhurried pace, occasionally drawn to trinkets at roadside stalls, though she always pretended to be indifferent.

As they passed a stall selling sugar-roasted chestnuts, a rich, sweet fragrance drifted toward them. Tang Wulin paused and looked back at Gu Yue. "Hungry? I'll buy you some chestnuts."

Gu Yue's eyes brightened, but she remained stubborn. "Who's hungry? I just thought you were walking slowly and wanted to take a break."

Tang Wulin did not expose her excuse. Smiling, he ran over and bought two bags. He clumsily peeled a chestnut, its golden flesh steaming. He was about to try it himself when he suddenly remembered that Gu Yue disliked piping-hot food. Obediently, he set the peeled chestnut on the paper and waited for it to cool before offering it to her. "Here. It's not hot anymore."

Gu Yue accepted the chestnut, her fingertips accidentally brushing his hand. She lowered her head and took a bite. Its soft, sweet flavor melted in her mouth, and she could not conceal the smile at her lips, though she still muttered, "You peeled it pretty cleanly. I suppose that counts as sincere."

Tang Wulin chuckled and grabbed a chestnut for himself, popping it into his mouth and panting from the heat. At the sight, Gu Yue burst into laughter and reached out to give him a smack. "Idiot! Aren't you afraid you'll burn your tongue off?"

Beneath the setting sun, the two youngsters walked side by side down the street, each holding a bag of chestnuts and occasionally stealing one from the other. When they passed a toy shop, Gu Yue glanced several times at a doll in the window. Tang Wulin was just about to say, "Let's go in and have a look," when she turned and walked on, leaving him with only, "Come on. If we don't get back soon, Teacher Wu will make you copy books again."

Tang Wulin scratched his head, watched her cheerful figure from behind, and quickened his steps to catch up. The evening breeze brushed past, carrying the fragrance of snacks and the youngsters' laughter into the distance.

The last glow of sunset filtered through the leaves of Eastsea Academy's plane trees, scattering mottled light and shadow across the ground. Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, and Xie Xie had just returned from outside the campus, still carrying the snacks they had bought, and were discussing where to fit in some extra training that evening.

"Hey, you're the trash from that Class Five or whatever, right?"

An abrupt shout, brimming with malice, came from the stone steps ahead. The three stopped. Several students in Class One's specially made training uniforms stood there. Their leader was a tall, thin boy with neatly cropped hair, who looked them up and down with contempt.

Tang Wulin frowned. He did not know the person before him. Gu Yue and Xie Xie also exchanged puzzled looks, clearly having never seen that arrogant face before.

The boy seemed to notice their confusion. His lips curled mockingly as he introduced himself. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Wei Xiaofeng, deputy class monitor of the first year's Class One. Not that it matters whether you remember me. You'll soon be the losers our Class One defeated anyway."

He folded his arms across his chest, his posture utterly arrogant, as though he were looking down on a swarm of ants. "I hear you've had pretty good luck lately and won a few matches in a row? What a joke. You got this far on luck, and now you really think you're dark horses? Don't worry. Our Class One will cut your winning streak short soon enough."

The Class One students behind Wei Xiaofeng immediately joined in with jeering laughter, making the atmosphere aggressively confrontational.

"What makes you so sure?" Xie Xie, the most hot-tempered of the three, immediately shot back. "We haven't even fought yet!"

"Our strength!" Wei Xiaofeng sneered, disdain flashing in his eyes. "Every single person in our Class One is a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster. Our lineup is outstanding, and our strength will crush yours! And what do you have?"

His gaze locked firmly onto Tang Wulin, his tone carrying certainty and mockery. "Aside from that Tang Wulin with Three Rings, who's at least worth a look, the other two... hmph, they aren't worth mentioning. Tang Wulin, I know you have Three Rings, but our information says your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, and all your abilities are for support, right? In a real fight, a Support System Soul Master is nothing but a live target!"

The more he spoke, the more animated he became, as though victory's first light were already before his eyes. "You want to rely on those two One-Ring Soul Masters, Xie Xie and Gu Yue, to attack? What a fantasy out of the Arabian Nights! Still only one ring. Laughable! What will you fight us with? How will you win? Just wait quietly for our Class One to trample you underfoot in the Promotion Tournament! Let's see how you'll have the face to wander around school after that!"

With that, Wei Xiaofeng and his teammates burst into unrestrained laughter, the sound particularly grating across the empty campus.

Xie Xie's face turned livid with anger. He clenched his fists and was about to rush forward to argue, but Tang Wulin stopped him. Gu Yue's expression also chilled, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. Even the surrounding temperature seemed to drop a little.

Looking at the smug strangers before him, Tang Wulin showed no trace of panic. Instead, a faint, meaningful smile appeared on his face. He neither argued nor grew angry, simply saying calmly, "The match hasn't started yet. There's no telling who'll win or lose. Rather than wasting your breath here, you should go back and practice your teamwork. After all..."

He paused, an almost imperceptible golden gleam flashing in his eyes. His tone was casual, yet full of confidence. "It won't look very good if you're caught off guard and beaten."

With that, Tang Wulin took Gu Yue and Xie Xie along, walked around the still-stunned Wei Xiaofeng and his companions, and headed straight toward the teaching building. Xie Xie pulled a face at Class One's trio, then hurried after him.

Watching the three leave, Wei Xiaofeng's smile froze. He clenched his fists, a shadow passing through his eyes. "Hmph, putting on airs! Just you wait. We'll see what you're really made of in the arena!"

Night spread like ink, enveloping Eastsea Academy in stillness. Yet a suffocating tension filled Class Zero's training grounds. Wei Xiaofeng's piercing taunts that afternoon had been like a match, igniting the competitive flames in the three youngsters' hearts.

In one corner of the training grounds, Tang Wulin was undergoing intensive physical training. He used no Soul Power. Wearing only a sweat-soaked tank top, he performed basic push-ups under twice normal gravity in the gravity chamber. Each drop of sweat struck the floor with a soft pat.

Two rings... every one of them has two rings? He silently repeated Wei Xiaofeng's words, his gaze gradually growing resolute. He knew his current strength alone was not enough. He had to grow stronger! As his arms bent and straightened, he could clearly feel the Golden Dragon King Bloodline roaring in his right arm, his muscle fibers continually strengthening as they tore and rebuilt themselves. His breathing was heavy and even, each breath seeming to draw in and release the vital essence beneath the moonlight.

In an open space nearby, Gu Yue hovered in midair. A silver halo surrounded her, a manifestation of Elemental Control pushed to its utmost. Her eyes were tightly closed, and dozens of tiny water needles floated before her, each embodying her exquisite control over the water element.

"One ring... I have to break through!" Gu Yue bit her lower lip, fine beads of sweat seeping from her forehead. She needed not only to consolidate her existing Soul Power, but also to seek a breakthrough in how she used her Soul Skills. With a shift of her will, the water needles instantly became a curtain of rain filling the air, only to freeze into icicles the next second, then turn into a raging wind and disperse. These instantaneous changes in elemental form consumed tremendous mental energy, but she did not stop for a moment. She repeated them again and again, until even the surrounding air warped from the elements' violent fluctuations.

On the other side of the training grounds, Xie Xie was carrying out specialized Agility Attack System training. His figure darted through a forest of stakes so quickly that only streaks of afterimages remained. The Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger danced in his hands, every swing cutting through the air with a piercing whistle.

"Support? Trash?" An unyielding light shone in Xie Xie's eyes. "I'll show you the limits of a one-ring agility attacker!" He deliberately restrained his speed, trying to reach the speed standard of a two-ring Soul Master using only his first Soul Skill, Gale Step, without resorting to his second Soul Skill, Gale Twin Blades. Sweat soaked the back of his uniform, and his legs trembled slightly from the intense bursts of effort, but he gritted his teeth and persisted. Every landing was flawlessly precise, and every dagger strike grew sharper.

The training room's lights stayed on deep into the night. Wu Changkong never appeared, as though tacitly permitting this silent contest. He knew that only a desire born from the heart could awaken true potential.

When the first ray of dawn shone through the window into the training room, the three exhausted figures finally stopped, their eyes still bright. They said nothing, merely exchanging glances, each seeing the same determination in the others' eyes.

Wei Xiaofeng had been right: a vast gulf lay between one ring and two. But the sweat they shed that night was meant to build a bridge across that gulf, leading to victory. Tomorrow's match would be their moment to prove themselves.