You Have Cheats Too?

Gu Yue likewise nodded to Hu Fangyuan, then drove her Ice Spikes forward, constantly forcing Xie Xie to reposition.

Neither of them had expected Tang Wulin's body to be so tough. He took a Wind Blade head-on and kept charging as though nothing had happened.

Hu Fangyuan had no desire to clash head-on with a musclehead like him. Two hundred-year soul rings appeared, and his first soul ring lit up. Water Refining Azure Furnace!

Trickling streams flew from the furnace's mouth, floating and flowing beside Hu Fangyuan.

Hu Fangyuan raised his hand, and two streams of water shot toward Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin punched out fiercely, intending to blast the streams apart. Unfortunately, before they touched his fists, the two streams scattered on their own and spread over his torso, as though dressing him in a water garment.

Tang Wulin suddenly felt his body grow heavier, but it was only a slight increase in weight. He felt no discomfort, and it was not even as heavy as the iron vest he had worn while running earlier, so he immediately continued charging at Hu Fangyuan.

Standing nearby, Wu Changkong silently shook his head. Tang Wulin was diligent and hardworking, but it had to be said that hard work did little in the face of genius.

The layer of water garment Hu Fangyuan had wrapped around him seemed intended to weigh Tang Wulin down, but in reality, the water was tightening rhythmically around his chest. When he inhaled, the water pressure increased slightly, pressing against his rib cage to prevent it from expanding; when he exhaled, the pressure eased. Little by little, it disrupted Tang Wulin's breathing and compressed his chest.

Watching the reckless Tang Wulin, Hu Fangyuan felt only boredom. Water flew out of the Heaven Refining Furnace again, forming jets that shot toward Tang Wulin.

The jets struck Tang Wulin precisely in the chest, shoulders, and knees. Each carried Hu Fangyuan's soul power, and although their impact was not lethal, they knocked Tang Wulin back again and again. He tried to force his way forward, but with every step he advanced, the water garment tightened further. Breathing grew increasingly difficult, as though a huge boulder weighed on his chest.

"Damn it!"

Tang Wulin gritted his teeth, a trace of stubbornness flashing in his eyes. He abruptly stopped and clenched both fists, circulating his soul power furiously. Blue silver grass surged from his palms and the ground, dozens of blades sweeping toward Hu Fangyuan like venomous snakes.

Blue Silver Entanglement!

Hu Fangyuan curled his lip. The Heaven Refining Furnace spun before him, and the curtain of water suddenly expanded, blocking every blade of blue silver grass outside it. The grass pierced the water curtain as though plunging into a mire, its speed dropping sharply as the force of the water wore it down layer by layer.

"Is that all you've got?"

Hu Fangyuan spoke with a grin, but his hands did not slow. Dozens of slender water threads suddenly shot out of the curtain, hurtling toward Tang Wulin like pear blossoms in a torrential storm. Those threads looked delicate, but every one was as sharp as a needle. Being struck by them would certainly hurt.

Tang Wulin hurriedly twisted aside to dodge, but the water threads covered far too wide an area. Several still struck his arms and legs, making him bare his teeth in pain. Worse still, every time a water thread hit him, the water garment thickened, making it that much harder to breathe.

He finally realized something was wrong.

This water garment did far more than simply add weight!

Tang Wulin tried to circulate his soul power to shatter the water garment, but the water clung like an abscess burrowing into bone. When his soul power surged, it scattered; when his soul power receded, it gathered again. There was simply no way to tackle it.

Meanwhile, Xie Xie was not faring too well either.

Gu Yue's Ice Spikes came one after another at tricky angles, sealing off every route he could take to rush her. He was fast, but Gu Yue's elemental control was even more precise. Often, the moment he moved, the next Ice Spike was already waiting along his unavoidable path.

"Damn it!"

Xie Xie gritted his teeth, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. He abruptly stopped and raised both hands, the silvery-white Light Dragon Dagger in his right and the pitch-black Shadow Dragon Dagger in his left. He released his twin martial souls simultaneously!

A yellow soul ring rose from beneath his feet, and he activated both first soul skills at once.

"Light Dragon Blade! Shadow Dragon Blade!"

A golden blade of light and a black blade of darkness flew out together, one bright and one dark, one direct and one unconventional, scissoring toward Gu Yue. The Light Dragon Blade attacked head-on with a faint draconic might, while the Shadow Dragon Blade silently circled around to the side, seeking an opening for a surprise attack.

A trace of gravity flashed through Gu Yue's eyes. She raised both hands simultaneously, her soul power surging wildly. Her left hand formed a thick Ochre Barrier in front of the Light Dragon Blade, while her right controlled several Wind Blades to intercept the Shadow Dragon Blade.

Boom!

The Light Dragon Blade slammed into the earth wall with a tremendous crash. The wall shattered, fragments scattering everywhere, while most of the Light Dragon Blade's force was dissipated. The Shadow Dragon Blade was shredded by the Wind Blades, dissolving into a skyful of black specks of light.

But Xie Xie's attack was not over.

Using the explosive power of releasing his twin martial souls together, he suddenly accelerated, pouncing straight at Gu Yue like a streak of black-and-white lightning. With the Light Dragon Dagger in front and the Shadow Dragon Dagger behind, his two daggers traced crossing arcs of light, sealing off every angle through which Gu Yue could dodge.

Close!

Even closer!

A flicker of delight crossed Xie Xie's eyes. He had pushed his speed to the limit. He was confident this strike would land!

But just then, a curtain of water appeared out of thin air before Gu Yue.

Xie Xie drove both daggers into the water curtain, only to feel as though he had stabbed into a wad of cotton. The flowing water neutralized every last bit of his strength. Alarmed, he hurriedly tried to retreat, but several water threads suddenly shot from the curtain and stuck to his daggers, briefly restricting his movements.

That instant of delay was all it took!

Gu Yue's counterattack arrived.

A scorching fireball hurtled straight at his face. Scared out of his wits, Xie Xie hurriedly tilted his head aside. The fireball grazed past his ear, its searing wake burning his scalp until it tingled.

Before he could catch his breath, several more Ice Spikes shot at him from the side. He could only roll awkwardly across the ground. Though he kept them away from his vital points, an Ice Spike still tore the hem of his clothes, and frost spread at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Hu Fangyuan, thanks!" Gu Yue said softly.

"No big deal," Hu Fangyuan replied with a grin, but Tang Wulin soon drew his attention again.

Tang Wulin was actually still charging!

Even with his breathing in disarray, even with the water garment three layers thick, even with his whole body aching from the water threads, the stubborn boy still gritted his teeth and pressed toward Hu Fangyuan, step by step. There was no retreat in his eyes, only a fierce refusal to admit defeat.

"This guy..."

Hu Fangyuan's smile faded, and a trace of seriousness flashed in his eyes. He could feel Tang Wulin's physical strength rising steadily. The terrifying power hidden within his body seemed to be awakening little by little under the provocation of his anger and stubbornness.

I can't drag this out any longer.

Hu Fangyuan drew a deep breath. The Heaven Refining Furnace abruptly enlarged, its mouth aimed at Tang Wulin, and the soul power of Water Refining Azure Furnace erupted in full. A thick column of water gushed from the furnace's mouth, roaring toward Tang Wulin like a water dragon.

Tang Wulin roared in fury and thrust both fists out, smashing them straight into the column of water.

Bang!

The enormous impact forced Tang Wulin back several steps, his feet stamping two deep footprints into the ground. Yet he actually remained standing! His arms trembled, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes remained fixed on Hu Fangyuan.

"You're still coming?" Hu Fangyuan was genuinely a little surprised.

Just what was this kid's body made of?

He keeps getting stronger the longer we fight. Could this guy be the protagonist?!

My cheats haven't disappeared, either!

Wait! You have cheats too?!

Just then, Wu Changkong's voice rang out.

"Enough."

An icy aura descended from above, and everyone's movements froze at that moment. The water column dispersed, the Ice Spikes fell to the ground, the glow of the Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger dimmed, and the water garment on Tang Wulin quietly slipped away.

Wu Changkong slowly walked into the middle of the four, his gaze sweeping over Gu Yue, Hu Fangyuan, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie in turn.

"Gu Yue, excellent combat awareness and extremely fast reactions." He looked at Gu Yue and nodded slightly. "You pass."

He then turned to Hu Fangyuan. "Hu Fangyuan, integrated offense and defense, clear tactical thinking, proper use of your martial soul, and outstanding control. You pass."

He paused, then looked at Xie Xie and Tang Wulin. "You two lost."

Xie Xie lowered his head, his face filled with defiance, but he also knew he had indeed lost. Whether it was Gu Yue's elemental manipulation or Hu Fangyuan's water control, both had left him unable to bring his strength to bear.

Tang Wulin panted heavily, but there was no dejection on his face, only an even firmer expression. Looking at Hu Fangyuan and Gu Yue, he said earnestly, "I'll get stronger."

Wu Changkong said coldly, "If you lose, you train more. Xie Xie, ten extra laps this afternoon. Tang Wulin, add ten jin to your iron vest."