"Ah... what?"
Hearing Wu Siduo's words, Zheng Yiran froze in place, almost thinking she had misheard.
Had she heard correctly? Wanting to defeat Luo Chuan...
He was a Soul King, for goodness' sake!
Though this female classmate's aura wasn't weak either, at best she had only reached the level of a Soul Ancestor. Certainly not weak, but still far from being a match for Luo Chuan.
"Hmm..."
Meanwhile, Tang Luochuan, the person in question, couldn't help but wear a wry smile. Indeed, Wu Siduo was a girl with a strong competitive streak.
To his right, Gu Yue observed Wu Siduo's battle-hungry expression and fell into deep thought.
She certainly remembered this girl's earlier desire to face Luo Chuan one-on-one, but...
Even if this girl had some interest in Luo Chuan, was she really this fixated on fighting him? And daring to challenge a Soul King as a Soul Ancestor?
That was just too reckless.
"Um..."
"You really want to challenge Brother Luo Chuan?"
At this point, Xu Xiaoyan, who had been silent until now, couldn't hold back any longer and blurted out the question.
"Yes."
Glancing at the girl who seemed quite familiar with Tang Luochuan, Wu Siduo responded indifferently with a simple affirmation.
"Hmm..."
"Well, good luck then."
Xu Xiaoyan's face flickered with contemplation before she nodded, looking as though she had more to say but held back.
The intention was admirable.
But...
It was just that—an intention.
The fifteen-minute break passed quickly. Soon, under the guidance of Shen Yi and Wu Zhangkong, the entire first-year class filed out of the classroom and proceeded down the hallway toward the depths of the academic building.
They were led into a spacious circular hall, though it was puzzling—the area wasn't particularly large, let alone suitable as an arena for over a hundred students to compete.
Just then, as Shen Yi manipulated a control panel, intricate patterns resembling soul guidance arrays lit up along the walls.
The ground split open, and egg-shaped pods emerged one after another, cracking open to reveal cockpit-like compartments inside.
"I assume all of you have been to the Spirit Ascension Platform before. Each of you, pick a pod at random and enter. Shortly, you'll find yourselves transported into a forest."
"The forest has limited space, so you'll encounter others easily. Those who wish to team up should choose pods close to each other. You have three minutes to decide. Begin."
Shen Yi explained calmly.
"Yes, Teacher Shen."
The students acknowledged in unison. Tang Luochuan and his group quickly settled into adjacent pods. The moment the safety harnesses locked into place, darkness enveloped their vision.
When Tang Luochuan opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in a dense forest. Beside him, Gu Yue regarded him with a faint smile, blinking slowly.
"It seems..."
"Only the two of us were teleported together."
Gu Yue murmured softly, her expression serene.
"Yeah, let's go."
"We'll find the others."
Tang Luochuan nodded with a smile, then focused his attention in another direction—where the rest of their companions should be.
Meanwhile, in the opposite sector of the forest, Wu Siduo opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings, her face impassive.
A massive free-for-all, huh? I wonder if there are any other formidable opponents besides Tang Luochuan. Hopefully, there will be.
"..."
Not long after, when Tang Luochuan and Gu Yue had walked only a few hundred meters, they quickly found the others. The reason was simple...
Apart from him and Gu Yue, everyone else had been teleported together. One couldn't help but admire the mysterious setup of this teleportation.
After regrouping, the group formed a sizable team. Their class only had a little over a hundred people, and they already had nine members—definitely a sizable force.
"With our team..."
"I think we can take on anyone we meet."
At this moment, Zhang Yangzi couldn't help but mutter. Though his own strength wasn't particularly impressive, their leader was undeniably powerful!
"Actually, that's not entirely accurate."
"Truth be told, even if our team only had either Gu Yue or the leader, we wouldn't fear anyone."
Wei Xiaofeng spoke with a serious expression, stating bluntly that while the rest of them weren't lacking in talent, compared to those two, they were like insignificant accessories.
"Exactly."
Xie Xie nodded in agreement from the side.
"But we can't just let the leader handle everything, right?"
Xie Xie chuckled. The next moment, three purple Soul Rings materialized around him, and the others followed suit.
Apart from Tang Luochuan, Tang Wulin, and Gu Yue, everyone present had at least purple Soul Rings—not a single Soul Ancestor among them, but they were still a force to be reckoned with.
Among the freshmen, some even had four yellow Soul Rings. A full set of purple Soul Rings was already quite impressive.
"Wu Lin, you should probably sit this one out."
Wang Jinxi paused when he saw Tang Wulin preparing to summon his Martial Soul and quickly waved to stop him.
With three ten-thousand-year Soul Rings and a Martial Soul second only to their leader in power, it was better if he didn't intervene—otherwise, where would the fun be for the rest of them?
"Alright."
Tang Wulin could only nod helplessly. Truth be told, he had been hoping someone might want to "discuss reason" with him.
"Let's go, move out!"
Xie Xie and the others eagerly advanced into the distance. Gradually, a tall figure came into view.
His Martial Soul seemed to be bear-type—tall and covered in shaggy, dark golden fur. Three purple Soul Rings shimmered around him. Most notably, he was alone.
Just how confident must he be to wander around solo?
"Yang Niansha, Martial Soul: Dark Gold Bear, Soul Venerable, ranked 27th on the Teenage Genius List."
Recognizing him instantly, Zheng Yiran introduced his identity. His talent was no joke—his ranking was even higher than hers.
"A genius from the Teenage Genius List, huh..."
"Dark Gold Bear? Let me test him."
Among the group, Wang Jinxi, a Power Attack System Soul Master, grinned as his gaze locked onto Yang Niansha.
He was no slouch either! With his Bone Dragon Martial Soul, he believed he could match anyone!
"Bone Dragon Claw!"
The next moment, as he activated his first Soul Skill, his slender hand transformed into a massive skeletal dragon claw, crashing toward his opponent with overwhelming force.
The Bone Dragon was, after all, a True Dragon-type Martial Soul.
Within the team, he was already the Power Attack System Soul Master second only to the Tang brothers, Tang Luochuan and Tang Wulin. Not to mention, after years of constant companionship, his Martial Soul had achieved an even greater breakthrough.
"Hmm?"
"Second Soul Skill, Darkgold Defense!"
Feeling the sudden appearance of an opponent, Yang Nianxia was momentarily stunned. As his second Soul Ring flared, a radiant light enveloped him, defending against the incoming attack.
Yet, even with the Darkgold Bear—a Martial Soul known for both offense and defense—he found himself struggling to hold his ground against the assault.
"Bear King's Might!"
He swiftly retreated to the left, simultaneously activating his third Soul Skill. His already towering frame expanded to three meters, exuding an intimidating aura.
But compared to Wang Jinxi, he still fell slightly short.
"Not bad, kid..."
"That's some serious damage."
Witnessing this scene, Xie Xie and the others couldn't help but express their surprise. Jin Xi was holding his own against a member of the Teenage Genius List—did that mean...
They could also challenge for a spot on that list!
Not wanting to be outdone, the others quickly sought out their own opponents, engaging in one-on-one or two-on-two battles.
"I think it's time I joined in too."
Watching his companions jump into action one after another, Tang Wulin's eyes gleamed with contemplation as he muttered to himself. The feeling of standing by while his friends fought was unbearable.
No, he had to join in!
"Brother, I want to find someone to duel too!"
His heart stirred with excitement, Tang Wulin called out to Tang Luochuan before turning his gaze toward another direction.
There might be opponents he couldn't defeat, but surely there were strong ones he could take on!
For instance, a Soul Ancestor!
This level of combat prowess was already impressive, especially since their Soul Power surpassed his own. It wouldn't be considered bullying the weak.
Following his senses, Tang Wulin soon located a Soul Ancestor-level expert not far away.
When he arrived at the spot guided by his perception, a pale-faced youth stood before him, gripping an enormous scythe in his hand.
Behind the youth stood two other boys, watching eagerly as their captain dominated the battlefield—a small team of three.
"This one..."
"Seems like a decent opponent."
Tang Wulin's eyes sparkled with anticipation, but soon his expression faltered, replaced by confusion. Because beside the youth were...
Four yellow Soul Rings.
No offense, but was this for real?
"And you are...?"
Noticing Tang Wulin's presence, the youth's gaze settled on him as he spoke indifferently.
"Tang Wulin."
Tang Wulin replied coolly.
"Undying."
"Xu Yucheng."
The scythe-wielding youth responded with an icy tone, his weapon radiating formidable energy—a Soul Ancestor ranked on the Teenage Genius List.
"Oh? Undying Xu Yucheng?"
Hearing this, Tang Luochuan was momentarily taken aback.
"You've heard of me?"
Xu Yucheng smirked coldly.
"Nope."
"But I don't believe anyone is truly undying."
Tang Wulin chuckled and shook his head, his tone calm.
As he spoke, one of his hands transformed into a claw, while the other, much like his opponent gripping a sickle, summoned his own weapon—his Spirit Forged Heavy Silver Hammer.
Engraved with the word "Reason," it was the weapon he currently used most often.
"Kid, you're asking for death!"
Hearing Tang Wulin's words, Xu Yucheng was momentarily stunned before coldly retorting. Four Soul Rings instantly erupted with formidable energy as he charged forward, poised to reap his opponent.
"Hmph!"
Tang Wulin snorted coldly, swinging his hammer toward the other. Before Xu Yucheng could even dodge, his entire figure vanished in an instant.
Xu Yucheng—eliminated.
"Big brother…"
"He… he lost!"
Witnessing the scene, the two young team members froze, their spirits shattered as they knelt on the ground. Staring at the youth who had single-handedly defeated their leader, they struggled to accept the reality.
Their leader, the Undying Xu Yucheng, was the top genius of Mingdu…
And yet, he had lost just like that?
"Hmm…"
"Was he even weaker than I imagined?"
At this moment, Tang Wulin casually sent the two remaining team members out of the match, withdrawing his dragon claw and hammer with a somewhat bewildered expression.
Wasn't that guy called the Undying Xu Yucheng? He had wanted to see if the other truly lived up to the name. But how come… after just one hit…
He was already out?
"Actually…"
"I was being pretty reasonable this time."
Tang Wulin pursed his lips, muttering under his breath. If the guy had lasted just a bit longer, maybe he would've gained some respect for him!
"Guess I'll go find Brother and the others…"
Shaking his head, he turned and headed in their direction.
Only then did he notice that, at some point, a crowd had gathered around his companions.
A red-haired girl had even appeared beside his brother, her face brimming with fighting spirit, looking ready to battle it out for eight hundred rounds.
"Did I…"
"Miss something?"
Tang Wulin blinked, deep in thought.