The quarrel between Gu Yue and Xie Xie started up again.
"That wind blade of yours nearly sliced my face off!"
Xie Xie rubbed his ear, growing angrier the more he thought about it. His illustrious reputation as the great master Xie had nearly been destroyed in an instant.
"Who told you to run into my blade?" Gu Yue dismissed Xie Xie without so much as looking back.
"You were reckless yourself, and now you're blaming someone else."
"Me, reckless? I was working with you!"
"You call that working with me? You were getting in the way!"
The more they argued, the more heated they became, and the more heated they became, the more carried away they got. Xie Xie lost his temper. The Yellow Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up, and he actually swung the blade of his Light Dragon Dagger toward Gu Yue.
Gu Yue's eyes turned cold. The Yellow Soul Ring beneath her feet flashed, and a fireball exploded at Xie Xie's feet, sending him jumping into the air.
"Gu Yue! Are you crazy?!"
"You started it!"
This time, Wu Changkong showed no restraint. His figure flashed, and he struck them both to the ground in a single encounter.
Gu Yue fell onto the arena and braced herself on her arms to get up, only for Wu Changkong to press a foot lightly against her shoulder, pinning her in place.
Xie Xie was sprawled facedown on the ground, a mouthful of dust in his teeth.
Qing Linyun watched from the side, amused.
These two really can't get along.
That was how they were in the original story, and it was still the same now.
But Teacher Wu, aren't you afraid our Lord Silver Dragon Fish will take revenge on you for bullying her like this?
That remained to be seen.
Still, those two...
They're more eager to fight their teammates than their enemies. With teamwork like that, they'll start fighting among themselves in the Class Promotion Tournament before their opponents even make a move.
He glanced at Wu Changkong's back and added another thought.
Let's see if senior brother has the patience for this.
He was about to say something when the sudden turn of events in the arena made his eyelid twitch.
When Gu Yue and Xie Xie were knocked down, Tang Wulin was still standing where he was.
He had been at the back the whole time, casually flung aside by Wu Changkong and sent rolling to the edge of the arena. When he got up, he saw Gu Yue and Xie Xie being knocked down.
The two lay on the arena floor, unable to get up for a long while. Wu Changkong stood between them, not even the hem of his robe disturbed.
Tang Wulin's breathing suddenly grew heavy.
He didn't know why he felt this way.
He had been holding everyone back all day, and he wasn't even qualified to step in.
But watching Gu Yue and Xie Xie being knocked down, watching how calm and unruffled Teacher Wu looked, he suddenly felt something he couldn't name well up in his chest, burning hot and stifling him.
I can't just stand here, he thought. I have to do something. Right, I still have that strange dragon claw.
At that thought, his hand began to burn.
Tang Wulin, who had fallen to the ground, got up.
He had been left behind the whole time, but now his eyes were red, and there was an inexplicable stubbornness in his gaze as he looked at Wu Changkong.
He let out a low roar and thrust out his right hand. A layer of golden scales spread from the back of his hand to his forearm, and his fingertips became three sharp talons, glimmering with a faint golden light.
Golden Dragon Claw.
Qing Linyun narrowed his eyes.
Tang Wulin's claw strike was swift and vicious, aimed straight at Wu Changkong's face.
Wu Changkong clearly hadn't expected it either. He raised a hand to block and, for the first time, was forced half a step back.
The Golden Dragon Claw swept across his forearm, leaving three faint white marks. Any deeper, and it would have drawn blood.
Wu Changkong's expression changed, growing more serious, and he gave Tang Wulin another look.
"Good claw," he said.
Wu Changkong stood where he was and looked down at the three faint white marks on his forearm, making a mental note of them.
If this child can hold on to that drive, he might yet achieve great things someday,
he thought.
Unfortunately, that was all he had.
And that really was all he had.
The Golden Dragon Claw lasted only a few breaths before the golden scales rapidly receded. Tang Wulin's face turned pale at a visible rate. As though drained of all his strength, he went weak at the knees and dropped to one knee on the arena floor, gasping for breath, without even the strength to stand.
Wu Changkong didn't wait for him. He placed a palm on Tang Wulin's shoulder and effortlessly laid him out. "It's over."
The three lay sprawled across the arena, unable to get up for a long while.
The fight was over.
Wu Changkong remained standing in the center of the arena, calm and unruffled, without a single crease in his white robe.
If they hadn't seen him take on three opponents alone, no one would have guessed from his appearance that he had just fought.
Qing Linyun strolled forward and came to a stop beside him, looking down at the three panting figures on the ground.
"Do you concede?" Wu Changkong asked.
"No!" Xie Xie scrambled to his feet and thumped his chest.
"Let's do it again! We can definitely win!"
"Win what?"
Wu Changkong interrupted him coolly.
"The three of you fought me alone, with one ring's worth of Soul Power, and I wasn't allowed to use my Martial Soul or Soul Skills. By the end, you nearly started fighting your own teammates. Tell me, what can you do?"
Xie Xie was left speechless. Even if he didn't want to admit it, he had to acknowledge the problem.
"Gu Yue."
Wu Changkong turned his gaze to Gu Yue.
"I praised your control over the elements last time. But in today's fight, tell me yourself: how many times did you hit me, and how many times did you hit Xie Xie?"
Gu Yue turned her face away and said nothing.
Our Lord Silver Dragon Fish would never admit that she had deliberately aimed those Soul Skills at Xie Xie.
"Xie Xie is reckless. You're stronger than he is, but instead of keeping him in check, you joined him in charging in recklessly."
Wu Changkong had clearly seen through it. He continued.
"You're the strongest one on the team. Instead of being its backbone, why are you getting angry with your teammate?"
Gu Yue's face was taut, her lips pressed into a thin line.
Qing Linyun chimed in at just the right moment.
"Senior brother is right. Gu Yue, I have to have a word with you today. You and Xie Xie don't get along, and that's between the two of you. But once you're in the arena, you're on the same team. Think about it: if that fireball had really exploded on Xie Xie, would he still have been standing to fight?"
Gu Yue finally turned her head and glared at Qing Linyun.
Her gaze was so fierce it looked as if she wanted to carve a chunk of flesh out of him. Clearly, Lady Gu Yue was angry and about to unleash a dragon-dragon bite.
Qing Linyun wasn't angry either. He continued, "Don't glare at me. I have to say it even if you do. You're talented and proud; I know all that. But the Class Promotion Tournament isn't a one-person affair. No matter how strong you are, if all your teammates are down, what will you fight with?"
Gu Yue glared at him again, even harder this time, but the tips of her ears reddened slightly of their own accord.
Qing Linyun noticed and laughed inwardly.
She's getting worked up.
No, Lord Silver Dragon Fish, the more worked up you get, the more easily you'll take the bait.
In truth, Qing Linyun knew full well that Gu Yue's problem today was quite different from Xie Xie's.
Xie Xie was reckless and brainless, but that drive of his was useful in a match.
Gu Yue's problem lay in her attitude. She was so strong that she disdained working with her teammates, always thinking she could manage on her own.
If she didn't change that attitude, no matter how capable she was alone, it would be useless in a team competition like the Class Promotion Tournament.
Wu Changkong's gaze finally settled on Tang Wulin.
Tang Wulin was still kneeling on the arena floor, his head lowered and his shoulders slumped. No one knew what he was thinking. Wu Changkong looked at him and couldn't help sighing inwardly.
This child's talent really was too poor.
Throughout the fight, he had often wanted to work with Gu Yue and Xie Xie, but there really had been nothing he could do. He wasn't strong enough to keep up with their pace, and even when he wanted to help, he couldn't.
For most of the battle, he had either been left behind or casually flung aside by Wu Changkong.
But that final claw strike had taken Wu Changkong somewhat by surprise.
The Golden Dragon Claw's attack power really was impressive. The burst of power in that instant had even left him a little amazed.
If that claw could have lasted a little longer, and Gu Yue and Xie Xie had followed up with another two rounds of attacks, it would have been hard to say whose hands the deer would have fallen into.
Unfortunately, there had only been that one strike. After a few breaths, he had run out of strength.
If that claw could have lasted a little longer, even just another two breaths, perhaps today's fight could have been a little more interesting.
Wu Changkong kept those thoughts to himself, showing nothing on his face. After all, the three had revealed quite a few problems this time, and he couldn't praise them lightly. It would be bad if the three of them grew proud.
Unfortunately, this unstable bloodline power isn't something Tang Wulin can control at present.
He looked at Tang Wulin's lowered head and sighed inwardly again.
This child isn't particularly talented, but he has a heart that strives to improve. That's good. What a pity...