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"Alright—now for the important matter."
Wu Zhangkong stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his emerald eyes sweeping over Fang Yang, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie.
His voice remained cold—but carried undeniable authority.
"Every year, Donghai Academy holds the Class Promotion Tournament. Students from all grades participate. It's one of the academy's grandest events."
He paused, letting his gaze settle on each of them in turn.
"For you three, this is both a challenge… and an opportunity."
"Class Promotion Tournament?"
Tang Wulin's eyes filled with confusion. He instinctively glanced at his two companions.
Fang Yang and Xie Xie, however, remained calm—they both knew what this was.
Seeing Tang Wulin's puzzled expression, Wu Zhangkong explained:
"In this tournament, the lowest-ranked class in each grade may challenge the class above it—Class Five challenges Class Four, and so on. If they win, the class numbers are swapped."
"In other words," he continued, "if you defeat Class Four, we'll no longer be Class Five—we'll become Class Four. And if you keep winning, you may continue challenging upward until you lose."
His voice grew sharper.
"What's more—if you defeat Class One, you gain the right to challenge students from the second, third… all the way up to sixth year."
Xie Xie's eyes lit up with excitement. "Teacher Wu, what about the rewards…?"
"The rewards are substantial," Wu Zhangkong cut in coldly.
"Not only elite cultivation resources—but unparalleled honor. In this tournament, the lower-ranked class chooses the number of combatants, though never fewer than three. For our Class Five, the participants are you three."
"Leave it to us!" Xie Xie puffed out his chest, brimming with confidence. "We'll definitely—"
"Xie Xie," Wu Zhangkong interrupted with a frosty snort, "do you really think your twin martial souls make you invincible?"
"This year's Class One has several true prodigies. Without Fang Yang and Tang Wulin, you wouldn't stand a ghost of a chance."
Xie Xie scratched his nose with a sheepish grin. "Well… they're here now, aren't they?"
Fang Yang and Tang Wulin exchanged a glance—both silently sighing at Xie Xie's antics.
A faint smirk touched Wu Zhangkong's lips.
"Oh, and by the way—the task I've set for you is very simple:
Change our class name to 'Class One'—at minimum."
"What?! Class One?!"
Xie Xie's voice cracked. All his earlier bravado evaporated.
Tang Wulin swallowed hard and asked cautiously, "And… if we fail?"
"Heh."
Wu Zhangkong's dry chuckle sent chills down their spines.
"Believe me—you really don't want to find out what happens if you lose."
"Starting now," he declared, "besides your regular classes, the three of you will undergo nightly special training with me—to ensure you secure first place among first-years in this year's tournament."
"Yes, Teacher Wu!" the trio replied in unison.
"Dismissed."
Waving a hand, Wu Zhangkong turned and strode out of the office.
The three boys exchanged glances—then followed him out.
…
"This is just too…" Xie Xie began—then abruptly cut himself off, shaking his head with a conflicted expression.
Tang Wulin clapped both of them on the shoulders. "Fang Yang, Xie Xie—you head back to the dorm first. I need to go to the Blacksmith Association."
"Blacksmith Association?!" Xie Xie whipped his head around, eyes wide.
His voice trembled with disbelief—as if he'd just heard the most absurd thing in the world.
Fang Yang shook his head, amused. "Xie Xie, Tang Wulin's a blacksmith. He must have official business at the association."
"What?! You're a blacksmith?!"
Xie Xie took a step back, scrutinizing Tang Wulin up and down. "What rank? Rank One? You're not Rank Two, are you?!"
Tang Wulin gave a shy smile. "Well… I'll tell you all about it when I get back."
With that, he hurried off.
Fang Yang and Xie Xie watched his silhouette vanish down the corridor before turning toward the dorm.
When they opened the door, Zhou Changxi was lounging on his bed. Seeing them, he lazily called out, "Oh—back already? Where's Tang Wulin?"
"He's got something to handle. He'll be back later," Fang Yang said tersely.
His eyes lingered on Zhou Changxi for a moment. Since their last clash, Zhou had clearly become far more subdued.
The instant Zhou Changxi met Fang Yang's calm—yet oppressively sharp—gaze, he wisely shut his mouth and rolled over, pretending to sleep.
Xie Xie collapsed face-first onto his bed, muffling a groan into his pillow.
"Ugh… words fail me…"
His voice faded into a long, defeated sigh—as if all the air had left his body.
Fang Yang said nothing. He walked to his bed, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began sensing the flow of soul power within.
"It's time… to break through to Level 30."
Thinking of the upcoming tournament, a faint smile curved his lips.
He imagined the scene: the crowd roaring, spirits soaring—and himself, calm amid the chaos, declaring:
"I stand at the peak of Three-Ring Soul Elder—dare any challenge me? Who among you can slay me?"
Level 30 Soul Elder!
That would be utterly overwhelming for any first-year.
With his resolve set, Fang Yang entered deep meditation, circulating the Flame Mantra.
Faint crimson soul power seeped from his pores, forming a soft, rhythmic aura around his body—pulsing with each breath.
Inside, his soul energy surged like a river, relentlessly battering the Level 30 bottleneck.
The dorm fell into eerie silence.
At some point, Xie Xie sat up and began cultivating too.
Zhou Changxi, though facing the wall, had a tense back—clearly wide awake.
Then—
BOOM!
A powerful soul power surge erupted from Fang Yang's body.
His eyes snapped open—sharp light flashing in his pupils.
"Level 30 Soul Elder—achieved!"
He felt the vast, refined power within him—strengthened not just in quantity, but in quality by the Flame Mantra. Even better—the Golden Dragon King's bloodline had grown stronger with the breakthrough.
Xie Xie jolted awake at the sudden energy wave, staring at Fang Yang in shock.
"You… broke through to Level 30?!"
His voice trembled with disbelief.
Fang Yang exhaled slowly, drawing his energy inward.
He turned to Xie Xie and smiled faintly. "Just this moment."
Xie Xie fell back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. After a long pause, he murmured:
"Fang Yang… your cultivation speed…you're a monster."
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