In truth, when he first chose forging, he had only wanted to put food on the table. Being able to save up to buy a Spirit Soul himself, without always troubling the director and the others to worry about him, would have been enough.
But who could have imagined that he would later manage to twist this forging craft, something only burly men practiced, together with the Alchemy he had brought from another world?
Hammering a cold piece of metal into the shape he wanted with his own hands was downright addictive. The more he explored it, the richer its flavor became, until his interest was practically overflowing.
Wu Zhangkong glanced at Lu Chen and said nothing more, only giving a soft sigh. "Go back and cultivate for now. I'll think of a way to deal with your Martial Soul."
"All right. Thank you, Teacher." Lu Chen nodded and turned to leave, even closing the office door for Wu Zhangkong on his way out.
The moment he stepped outside, he could not help letting out a long breath and raising a hand to wipe the utterly nonexistent cold sweat from his forehead.
Ugh, whatever I dread always comes knocking. Just seeing Wu Zhangkong's icy face gets on my nerves.
Even if he was my childhood idol before I transmigrated, now that I'm actually standing in front of him, that oppressive teacher vibe hasn't diminished one bit.
Idol or not, slap the word "teacher" on someone, and they're my least favorite creature. No question.
Lu Chen had no interest in pondering anything else. He ambled toward the Blacksmith's Association, planning to pick up some work.
He had nothing else to do anyway, and earning more money could never hurt. Who knew when he might need it?
As for cultivation, when he buried himself in practicing alone, his progress crawled like a snail. It was nowhere near as fast as cultivating beside Tang Wulin.
Sometimes, when he practiced on his own, he could barely absorb any of the world's primal power. It was frustrating beyond words.
Lu Chen hung his head, looking utterly wilted.
Toward evening, with a hefty sum of freshly earned forging fees in his pocket, he returned happily to the school cafeteria.
First, he splurged on a top-of-the-line grade A meal, then carried over several grade C meals, found a corner, and squatted on the floor, shoveling great mouthfuls of food into his mouth.
Delicious. So damn delicious!
But this lousy cafeteria won't even give us chairs. My legs are going numb from standing. What a pain!
After eating, he had just returned to the dormitory when he saw Tang Wulin already lying on the upper bunk, cultivating with his eyes closed.
Lu Chen did not disturb him. He sat cross-legged on his lower bunk and calmed his mind. Sure enough, he felt strands and wisps of glittering golden primal power pouring into his body from every direction, so comfortable that he nearly sighed aloud.
Early the next morning, outside the classroom of Class Five.
"Formal lessons begin today. I will personally instruct most of your classes. Everyone, stand!" Wu Zhangkong's voice had the same cool tone as ever, without a trace of emotion.
It had to be said that, with his forbidding, icy demeanor alone, not one of the twenty-odd students in the class dared make a sound. They sprang from their seats in unison.
"Follow me." Wu Zhangkong tossed out those words, turned, and walked toward the door.
More than twenty students followed behind him, moving toward the sports field in a great procession.
"Two to a row. Line up!" Wu Zhangkong's indifferent voice rang out without him turning his head.
Lu Chen was among the tallest in the class. Tang Wulin stood in front of him, and right beside him was Zhou Changxi, his face full of resentment.
Looking at this setup, even a fool could tell that the first lesson was definitely going to be actual combat.
Among the students, a girl timidly raised her hand, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "T-Teacher, we're Tool Soul Masters. Do we have to fight too?"
Even Lu Chen wanted to cover his face at that question. Wasn't she practically asking for death?
Sure enough, Wu Zhangkong's gaze grew colder, and undisguised mockery entered his tone. "Do you think that, on a battlefield, if you tell an enemy, 'I'm a Tool Soul Master,' he'll let you go? Enough nonsense. You two will start."
He raised a hand and pointed straight at Lu Chen and Zhou Changxi.
Zhou Changxi's eyes instantly lit up, the excitement and hatred he had suppressed for days surging in their depths.
Ever since the dean of students had nearly ordered his expulsion last time, he had held that debt against Lu Chen. At last, he had caught a chance for revenge!
"Begin. No rules. Just defeat your opponent. You may use any means." Wu Zhangkong's voice fell without the slightest ripple.
The moment those words left his mouth, Zhou Changxi unleashed his Martial Soul as though he had been pumped full of chicken blood.
His body swelled at a visible speed. His already sturdy muscles expanded wildly, his arms growing nearly as thick as other people's thighs. He looked every bit like a humanoid gibbon.
"First Soul Skill, Strength Amplification!"
His hoarse roar made everyone's ears buzz. Zhou Changxi's arms abruptly lengthened by several feet, and he swung at Lu Chen's chest with a rush of wind. That force could probably smash straight through a wooden post!
Yet Lu Chen stood exactly where he was, without moving an inch.
At the instant Zhou Changxi's fist was about to strike the tip of his nose, Lu Chen's pupils abruptly contracted. His formerly black eyes were instantly dyed a dazzling scarlet-gold.
They were a pair of Golden Eyes that seemed capable of seeing through every falsehood in the world!
Immediately afterward, a deep, ancient voice slowly spilled from his throat, carrying an unquestionable majesty:
"Word Spirit-Royal Fire!"
The instant his words fell, a terrifying heat wave exploded outward with Lu Chen at its center!
An invisible domain of flames instantly enveloped a radius of several meters. Even the rubber track underfoot began to hiss as it melted.
Zhou Changxi felt his vision blur as a scorching heat wave struck him head-on. Before he could even see what had happened, a violent surge of flames hurled him away.
The searing temperature instantly burned his skin painfully. The edges of his clothes had already begun to smoke, and his hair was singed black and curled.
Screaming, he traced an arc through the air and slammed heavily into the ground, baring his teeth in pain. He could not get up for a long while, and the Soul Power fluctuations around him were in utter disarray.
It had all happened between a flash of lightning and a spark from flint, too fast for anyone to react.
Lu Chen had not even released his Martial Soul. With his Word Spirit alone, he had all but taken Zhou Changxi down in a single move!
The scorching flames were still spreading toward Zhou Changxi. If they kept burning, the boy would probably suffer serious burns!
At that critical instant, Wu Zhangkong's gaze sharpened. With a slight turn of his wrist, a snow-white longsword radiating a piercing chill abruptly appeared in his hand.
It was the Skyfrost Sword Martial Soul!
As his Martial Soul was released, an ultimate chill instantly swept across the entire field, forcibly suppressing Royal Fire's heat wave that could burn the heavens and boil the earth.
The flames on the ground went out at a visible speed, and the temperature in the air plummeted. The scorching sensation from a moment earlier vanished without a trace.
Wu Zhangkong put away his sword and stood, sweeping an expressionless glance over Zhou Changxi, who lay sprawled on the ground, before looking at the calm-faced Lu Chen. His voice remained icy. "Next pair."