The second pair to take the field was Tang Wulin and Yun Xiao.
Tang Wulin was already a cut above him in strength, and he defeated Yun Xiao cleanly in just a few moves.
Elsewhere, the other matches soon reached their conclusions as well, their outcomes never in doubt.
Just as the next round was about to begin, Wu Zhangkong suddenly spoke. His voice was quiet, yet it reached Lu Chen's ears with precision. "Lu Chen, don't use that move from earlier again in a moment."
"Huh? All right, yes, Teacher." Lu Chen hurriedly nodded in agreement, but secretly began working his little abacus.
Teacher Wu only said I couldn't use that Word Spirit from earlier. He didn't say the other Word Spirits were off-limits. No loss here.
But the next few matches gave him no opportunity to use a Word Spirit at all.
His opponents were simply too weak. They weren't even worthy of making him summon his Martial Soul, and he usually dealt with them in two or three blows. It was ridiculously easy from start to finish.
Before long, only five people remained on the field. Wu Zhangkong rubbed his chin in thought for a moment, then announced, "Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, you two-the four of you, pair off and fight. As for Lu Chen..."
He changed tack, his gaze settling on Lu Chen as a rare hint of a smile curved his lips. "Your opponent is me."
"T-Teacher!" Lu Chen blinked and raised his hand with a woeful expression. "Could you let me recover my Soul Power first?"
Wu Zhangkong froze for a moment, apparently not expecting this move from the boy, then nodded. "Fine. We'll wait until their matches are over."
Despite saying he needed to recover his Soul Power, Lu Chen wasn't thinking about doing anything of the sort.
He sat cross-legged on the ground and touched his Storage Soul Guidance Device, then his mind instantly entered Nibelungen.
Then, using his Spiritual Power, he took out a piece of metal of fairly good quality.
Fortunately, Constantine had modified this Storage Soul Guidance Device. Otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to do this.
The moment he stepped into this private space, he heard a series of cracks and bangs.
Constantine and Fenrir were sprawled on the sofa, staring intently at the conjured screen before them. Playing on it was none other than "God of Gamblers," which Fenrir could watch eight hundred times without getting bored.
"Oh, what brings you here?" Constantine didn't even turn his head, his gaze fixed intently on the television. "Why did you come running back in broad daylight instead of attending classes at the academy?"
Lu Chen hurried over, taking three steps in two, and held out the piece of metal, his tone carrying a hint of ingratiating pleading. "Constantine, do me a favor? Could you use this material to forge me a weapon right away? A sword or a saber will do. The faster, the better!"
Constantine glanced at the metal, hefted it, and rubbed his fingertips over the grain on its surface before slowly nodding. "Getting a finished product right away isn't impossible, but with such a rush job, the alchemical weapon won't be very powerful."
He paused, then added, "But it should be enough for your current level of Soul Power."
With that, he said nothing more, picked up the metal, and headed straight for the forge, leaving Lu Chen with a brisk view of his retreating back.
At this, Lu Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He found a clean corner and sat down, intending to take the opportunity to cultivate for a while.
But the moment he began circulating his Soul Power, he frowned.
The ambient power of heaven and earth in Nibelungen was pitifully thin. After cultivating for ages, his Soul Power had barely increased at all. It was a complete waste of effort.
Before long, Constantine emerged carrying a pitch-black longsword.
The blade was about three feet long, with faint dark-gold patterns flowing along its edge. It looked unremarkable, but it felt heavy in the hand, and a restrained sense of sharpness pierced straight into his palm.
"Done. Make do with it." Constantine shook his hands, his tone as lazy as ever. "I added some alchemical runes. They can boost your Word Spirit output by thirty percent, and you can use Royal Fire without chanting. Don't knock it about. I'm not fixing it if it breaks."
Overjoyed, Lu Chen hurriedly thanked him, tested the longsword's feel in his hand, then put it away in his storage soul guidance space and turned to leave Nibelungen.
Outside, Tang Wulin and the others had just finished their matches. Tang Wulin and Xie Xie stood in the field, both breathing somewhat unsteadily. Clearly, it had been a fierce battle.
Wu Zhangkong looked up at Lu Chen, his gaze settling on the black sword in his hand, a flicker passing through his eyes. "Ready?"
"Ready!" Lu Chen tightened his grip on the hilt. Soul Power surged beneath his feet, and the presences of Ultimate Fire and Ultimate Earth rose in an intertwining current. A scorching, weighty pressure instantly filled the air.
Of course, that was what Wu Zhangkong sensed. In reality, Lu Chen had entered the Dragon Bone State.
He knew that his Martial Soul would not let him contend with Wu Zhangkong, so he could only use his most unusual abilities.
Wu Zhangkong didn't use his Martial Soul or even release any Soul Power. He simply pulled his belt from his waistband.
With a flicker, he became a blur and swept toward Lu Chen.
His speed was astonishing. The wind he stirred stung the cheeks, and his belt lashed straight toward Lu Chen's shoulder.
Lu Chen was already prepared. With a turn of his wrist, the black sword from his Soul Guidance Device slashed out with a whistle through the air. Its dark-gold runes lit up, and the blade hummed and trembled.
He didn't dare use the forbidden Word Spirit. Instead, he gave a low shout. "Word Spirit: Dustless Land!"
An invisible domain instantly spread out. Centered on him, the space within a diameter of ten meters seemed to freeze solid.
Wu Zhangkong's figure abruptly stalled, his speed plummeting as a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.
Now!
Lu Chen stepped forward, silently used Word Spirit: Royal Fire, and poured it into the blade. Roaring flames instantly engulfed the black sword. With tongues of fire flickering, it swept toward Wu Zhangkong's waist.
Wu Zhangkong pushed off with his toes and drifted backward like willow fluff. At the same time, his belt lashed forward, sending a condensed streak of Soul Power tearing through the air to strike the spine of the sword precisely.
Clang-
The piercing clash of metal rang across the field. Lu Chen felt an immense force surge into him, numbing the web of his hand. The black sword nearly flew from his grasp.
Gritting his teeth, he steadied himself. Golden light blazed in his eyes as Word Spirit: Myriad-Ton Bulwark erupted. Several earthen walls suddenly rose from the ground beneath his feet, closing in to surround and block Wu Zhangkong.
"Interesting." At last, a hint of amusement entered Wu Zhangkong's voice.
He twisted and darted about. His movements seemed slow, yet they always carried him past the earthen walls' blockade at just the right moment. His belt lashed out from time to time, leaving Lu Chen scrambling.
Lu Chen knew that Wu Zhangkong wasn't using his full strength at all. He was merely sparring with him.
He took a deep breath and circulated his Soul Power to its utmost. The range of Word Spirit: Dustless Land expanded again, while he pushed the alchemical longsword's amplification to its limit. The flames on the blade burned ever fiercer, scorching even the air until it warped.
He suddenly leaped up, raising the longsword above his head. With Royal Fire gathered into the strike, he brought the blade crashing down at Wu Zhangkong with the force of wind and thunder!