Water Hammer Piercing

If this dragged on, he would be the one to suffer.

Guang Long saw it as clearly as a mirror. His opponent was as slippery as a loach, pairing water and fire Soul Skills at close and long range. For all his brute strength and defense, he could not even touch the hem of his opponent's clothes. If this went on, once his Soul Power ran dry, he would be at the other's mercy.

He had to end this quickly!

Guang Long gritted his teeth, and both Soul Rings blazed with light at once.

"Ironclad Dragon Scales!"

He let out a low roar.

The scales all over his body instantly stood on end, each drawn taut and gleaming with a cold, hard metallic sheen. He looked like a cast-iron statue, his presence abruptly growing heavier.

Then he kicked hard against the ground with both legs.

Thud!

His feet stamped two inch-deep prints straight into the ground.

Hunching forward, Guang Long became a cannonball fired from its barrel, charging straight at Hu Fangyuan.

Even if he took a few hits, as long as he got close, he could settle this with a single hammer blow.

He was even faster than before, making the air shriek as he smashed through it.

Hu Fangyuan kept darting from side to side, his gaze calm, giving Guang Long no chance to get close at all.

He gently raised his left hand.

Water Refining Azure Furnace!

The water swirling around him abruptly condensed.

The next second.

"Water Hammer Piercing!"

Hu Fangyuan pointed with his right hand.

The roiling boiling water instantly gathered into a wrist-thick, high-speed jet. Clear throughout and pointed at the tip, it resembled an invisible spear as it shot straight toward the charging Guang Long.

Water was difficult to compress, and when its leading edge suddenly stopped, it generated water hammer pressure. This was a killing move Hu Fangyuan had recently devised.

The jet moved so fast that it trailed a white streak of water.

Almost instantly.

It reached Guang Long.

Guang Long's pupils abruptly contracted.

Not good!

He was charging too hard to change direction now.

He hastily gathered his Soul Power and held his left arm across his body.

The scales on his body flashed silver-gray, converging on his left arm with all their might.

Clang-!

A piercing, muffled impact rang out.

The high-speed jet slammed into the scales on his left arm.

Guang Long felt his left arm jolt as though struck hard by a heavy hammer.

Squelch!

The scales shattered instantly.

The jet pierced straight through, trailing a spray of blood.

"Aaah!"

Guang Long cried out in pain.

His charge stopped instantly.

He staggered back two steps, clutching his left arm.

Blood trickled down between his fingers.

Luckily, the jet was small, or his entire arm would have been severed.

Even so, his left arm was temporarily useless.

Deathly pale, Guang Long stared fixedly at Hu Fangyuan.

His eyes held shock, fury, and a hint of disbelief.

He was a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster, yet a first-year student had beaten him this badly?

Seeing this, his two lackeys hurried forward and supported him, one on each side.

"Brother Guang!"

Guang Long gritted his teeth and shot Hu Fangyuan a vicious glare.

He would gain nothing by continuing this fight.

"Go!"

He barked in a low voice.

His two lackeys hurriedly supported him as they turned and left in disgrace.

Hu Fangyuan had no intention of pursuing them.

He remained where he was and withdrew his Soul Skills.

The water and flames instantly vanished without a trace.

The Copper Bone Gu's effects gradually faded as well, leaving a faint soreness and weakness in his joints.

That Water Hammer Piercing had consumed a fair amount of his Soul Power. Still, its effect had been enough.

"Fangyuan, are you all right?"

Tang Wulin hurried over, looking at him with concern.

Although Xie Xie and Hu Fangyuan usually did not get along well, and Tang Wulin's attitude toward Hu Fangyuan was consequently nothing special either.

Hu Fangyuan had just stood up for him and genuinely helped him.

Tang Wulin was deeply grateful, and even found Hu Fangyuan much more agreeable to look at.

Whatever else might be said, Hu Fangyuan had helped him, so Tang Wulin considered him a good person.

Xie Xie came over too, his gaze somewhat complicated. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end only muttered, "Not bad, I guess..."

His words were stubborn, but the admiration in his eyes could fool no one.

That was a two-ring Ironclad Dragon, and he had just beaten him into retreat?

Hu Fangyuan looked at Tang Wulin, then at Xie Xie, who was supporting Uncle Li, and said nothing.

He shook his head, turned, and left.

He had no intention of chatting with the three of them.

There was nothing worth saying about such a trivial matter.

"Hey..." Tang Wulin reached out, wanting to say something, but Hu Fangyuan had already walked several steps away.

Seeing this, Gu Yue followed without hesitation.

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie were left staring at each other.

Yet they could hardly say anything, since Hu Fangyuan had just stepped forward and resolved the matter.

Xie Xie could only mutter, "What's he acting so high and mighty for..."

The two could only turn around first and help Uncle Li back to his general store.

Meanwhile, Hu Fangyuan walked leisurely ahead, with Gu Yue following a few steps behind, silent the whole way.

They walked two streets.

Finally unable to hold back, Gu Yue quickened her pace to catch up and asked, "Why... did you do that just now?"

Hu Fangyuan could tell that Gu Yue wanted to ask why he had meddled.

After all, in Gu Yue's eyes, Hu Fangyuan had always been a sophisticated egoist.

He hardly seemed like a righteous person who would step in for his classmates.

After all, during the Class Promotion Tournament, he had even concealed the three of them's strength and made her fight alone. However she looked at it, he did not seem like someone who liked meddling.

Hu Fangyuan stopped, turned to Gu Yue, and asked in return, "How strong do you think Teacher Wu is?"

Gu Yue froze.

She clearly did not understand why Hu Fangyuan had responded with a question as mismatched as an ox's head and a horse's mouth.

How strong was Wu Changkong?

She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't know. At least... above Soul Ancestor, I suppose."

Wu Changkong was the strongest teacher at Eastsea Academy.

As for exactly how strong he was, no one had seen him fight with all his strength.

Hu Fangyuan had not expected Gu Yue to answer either, and continued on his own, "I don't know either, so I want to find out."

With that, Hu Fangyuan turned and left at an unhurried pace, soon turning into the alley ahead.

Gu Yue stood rooted to the spot for quite a while.

The wind rustled through the leaves of the roadside trees.

She frowned, turning Hu Fangyuan's words over in her mind.

I don't know either, so I want to find out.

What did that mean?

Suddenly, Gu Yue's eyes shifted slightly.

She understood.

This was Eastsea City. However one put it, someone like Guang Long, who bullied merchants and dominated the market, generally had a considerable protective umbrella behind him.

At least in Eastsea City, the East Sea Region's second-largest economic hub, anyone who could collect protection money as brazenly as Guang Long absolutely had substantial backing.

Guang Long had suffered such a heavy loss and had even been injured. He would never swallow this insult. He would certainly go back to his backer.

When the time came, the other party would come knocking, bullying the young with their seniority and making trouble for the students.

As their homeroom teacher, Wu Changkong would never stand idly by.

Then they would get to see Wu Changkong's true strength.

At that thought, even Gu Yue could not help marveling at Hu Fangyuan's cleverness.

It was not that Hu Fangyuan's idea was particularly ingenious, but that the instant he saw this incident, he could think of how to profit from it!

Just to sound out Wu Changkong's depths, he had stepped in and dealt with this bit of trouble along the way.