A sky full of fist afterimages came howling in like a raging storm. Wu Changkong realized he had still underestimated Jiang Mingyuan. With his strength restricted to the Soul Ancestor level, he might be able to withstand this strike, but he would be left in an utterly sorry state.
That would be no different from losing.
"You really do know how to surprise me."
With that, Wu Changkong stopped concealing his aura. His Soul Emperor cultivation revealed itself.
A powerful blast of cold suddenly erupted from Wu Changkong, and six Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black.
"A Soul Emperor! He's actually a Soul Emperor!" Xie Xie cried out in disbelief, pointing at Wu Changkong. "And those are Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings!"
Xie Xie stared at Wu Changkong, dumbfounded. Ever since the continent's soul beasts had approached extinction, ten-thousand-year soul rings had become a rare sight. Even the Spirit Pagoda was currently unable to manufacture ten-thousand-year soul spirits.
"I never imagined someone as powerful as Teacher Wu would be hiding in Eastsea Academy. Wulin, we really hit the jackpot getting assigned to his class. Wulin?"
Only then did Xie Xie realize that no one beside him had answered. He turned to look, only to find the space next to him empty.
Wu Changkong raised his hand, and his third Soul Ring shone. A barrier as crystalline and translucent as a snowflake appeared, blocking the flaming fist afterimages.
But after just two or three seconds, fine cracks began to appear in the barrier.
Surprise stirred in Wu Changkong's heart. Even my Soul Skill can't stop it?
Just as Wu Changkong focused on the barrier, his attention held by Jiang Mingyuan, a figure lunged at him from behind with two large hammers in hand.
"Take this!"
Under the cover of the flaming fist afterimages, Jiang Mingyuan also plunged toward Wu Changkong like a falling meteor.
Wu Changkong turned his head, instinct driving him to evade Tang Wulin's attack. At that very moment, Jiang Mingyuan arrived. Nearly half the golden flames covering him had already turned blood-red.
Wu Changkong's barrier was already on the verge of shattering and could not withstand him at all. As soon as Jiang Mingyuan drew near, it fractured inch by inch, instantly vaporized by the intense heat.
Jiang Mingyuan clenched his fist, and Tang Wulin swung his hammers. They aimed for Wu Changkong's head and waist respectively.
But a Soul Emperor was still a Soul Emperor. How could someone who had fought his way through Shrek's brutal system possibly be ordinary?
In an instant, Wu Changkong opened both hands. His left caught Jiang Mingyuan's fist, while his right struck the Blacksmithing Hammer, forcibly halting both their attacks.
"Then how are you going to block what comes next?" A lighthearted smile appeared on Jiang Mingyuan's face. He and Tang Wulin raised their legs simultaneously and kicked Wu Changkong.
Wu Changkong took the blow squarely.
He did not go flying backward. The gap in their physiques was not so easily bridged. Even Tang Wulin could not surpass an adult Six-Ring Soul Emperor in physical strength.
Wu Changkong's face betrayed no emotion as he released Jiang Mingyuan's fist.
"You won."
Xie Xie jogged over to the two of them, his mind still reeling with shock.
Wu Changkong kept his face stern.
"Your performance exceeded my expectations. Jiang Mingyuan and Tang Wulin coordinated seamlessly. The biggest problem was you, Xie Xie."
Xie Xie, who had only just begun celebrating their victory, suddenly froze. He raised a hand and pointed at himself.
Wu Changkong nodded coldly.
"Where were you while Jiang Mingyuan and Tang Wulin were working together? Even if they didn't tell you their plan beforehand, as an Agility-Attack Soul Master, you should have kept your eyes on the battle at all times instead of standing there in a daze."
Xie Xie was taken aback.
Fair enough. He really had failed to fulfill his duties as an Agility-Attack Soul Master.
"All right, that's it for today. Go back and get some rest. Don't be late for class tomorrow."
Wu Changkong left, his gait rather strange, the insides of his thighs pressed together.
Jiang Mingyuan nudged Tang Wulin's arm with his elbow.
"You kicked him in the wrong place."
"It was an emergency. I didn't have time to think that much." Tang Wulin spread his hands. He had not done it on purpose.
Hopefully, Wu Changkong would still be a man tomorrow.
The next day, Wu Changkong did not come to class. The teacher from Class Four temporarily took over.
Yun Xiao walked over to Jiang Mingyuan and Tang Wulin and whispered, "Have you heard? Teacher Wu barged into the School Infirmary last night. Do you think he has something going on with the beautiful school doctor?"
Jiang Mingyuan struggled to keep a straight face and not laugh out loud.
Eastsea Academy's previous school doctor had always been an old man with a goatee. Only this year, with the arrival of their cohort, had he been replaced by a woman in her thirties.
Jiang Mingyuan admired Wu Changkong's courage from the bottom of his heart.
Wu Changkong still had not appeared by the time afternoon classes ended. All they received was a message on their communicators.
[Wu Changkong: No special training tonight.]
That brief sentence said everything about Wu Changkong's predicament.
"Hey! Why don't we go out and explore together?" Xie Xie suddenly had a bright idea.
"You haven't had a proper look around Eastsea City since you got here, right? As your local host, this young master will give you a proper tour. Everything today is on me."
That was true. They had been in Eastsea City for over ten days already. Jiang Mingyuan and Tang Wulin spent most of their time at school, and even when they went out, it was only to visit their respective professional associations.
"Sure. Since Young Master Xie has spoken, we certainly can't refuse him."
Tang Wulin had previously accepted forging commissions at the Blacksmith Association. He had intended to finish them gradually, keeping half the money he earned and using the other half to repay Brother Yuan.
But because Wu Changkong required them to participate in the class promotion tournament and set aside time in the evenings for special training, he had been forced to work overtime those two days to finish the commissions. He had not accepted any new ones either.
Now that he finally had some free time, going out for a stroll and unwinding sounded good.
"Let's go. We've had classes for half the day, so let's get something to eat first."
There was a snack street outside Eastsea Academy.
Shops lined both sides of the street. As soon as the three reached its entrance, all kinds of aromas wafted toward them, making their mouths water.
Xie Xie led the two of them over to a few small shops.
Jiang Mingyuan looked up and saw the sign for Li's Stewed Beef Pot.
His thoughts shifted, and he immediately recalled the relevant plot. In gaming terms, this was a scripted event that introduced an early-stage miniboss for the protagonists.
The shop was small, with its stove outside. As people walked past, the aroma pushed its way out from beneath the lids and hooked their stomachs.
The shop was packed, but whether [False Child of Destiny] had kicked in or they had simply arrived at the right moment, a table of customers happened to finish eating, settle their bill, and leave.
"Uncle Li, hey! I brought my classmates to give you some business. Three servings of stewed beef pot and big bowls of rice, please."
The middle-aged man clearing away the previous customers' bowls and chopsticks was the owner. No matter whom he met, he always wore a cheerful smile.
"Xie Xie, you're here. Give me a moment, and I'll clear the table for you."
About two minutes later, the three were seated, and three servings of stewed beef pot, three large bowls of rice, and several plates of side dishes were placed before them.
Unable to wait, Xie Xie scooped up several chunks of meat with his spoon, poured them over his rice along with the broth, and began wolfing it down.
Watching him eat, Tang Wulin felt he was practically a different person from his usual self.
Tang Wulin and Jiang Mingyuan were both fairly mindful of personal hygiene. After all, this little shop served meat, was not very spacious, and seemed to be run entirely by Uncle Li alone. Over the years, some greasy residue had inevitably accumulated on its tables and chairs.
"Slow down, slow down." Uncle Li smiled as he watched Xie Xie eat. Xie Xie's mother often brought him here for meals. To a cook, returning customers were the greatest recognition of his skill.
After polishing off nearly half a bowl of rice in one go, Xie Xie sat up straight to catch his breath. Only then did he notice that the other two had not started eating.
"Dig in. This is really good."