The group arrived at the edge of the woods near the school field.
During class time, the field was silent—until the arrival of Class Zero disrupted the quiet.
Wu Zhangkong revealed his soul rings—six in total: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, and black—surrounding his Skyfrost Sword, chilling the air around the forest.
"I will only use soul power equivalent to yours and the first four soul rings. Let me see your strength."
Even though Tang Wulin and the others had seen this once before, they still couldn't forget it.
Gu La remained calm, gazing at Wu Zhangkong's first four soul rings while inwardly dismissing Shrek Academy.
There was no doubt that Wu Zhangkong was a genius, with a Titled Douluo as his teacher. Yet, judging by his soul rings, he hadn't visited the Ascension Platform many times; otherwise, he would have at least four purple soul rings.
Not every academy provided resources like Donghai Academy, but Shrek Academy demanded more from its students while giving little in return. It was hard to imagine why so many people were eager to join.
Wu Zhangkong noticed Gu La zoning out, frowned slightly in displeasure, and gave no warning. He swiped his finger across the blade of the Skyfrost Sword, sending nine icy blue sword streaks coiling into dragons that sealed off all of Gu La's escape routes.
Each streak of sword qi left behind crystalline trails of ice in the air, transforming sharp sword qi into flexible threads that could be manipulated with precision.
"First soul skill: Frost Scar."
Gu La's eyes flickered as he glanced at the lush trees around him. The nearby environment was his domain.
His pupils surged with green light, and the first soul ring emitted a burst of black radiance. The towering trees surrounding them suddenly came alive, their branches transforming into green serpentine shapes that coiled together into a three-headed giant python, smashing through the icy threads of sword qi.
Just as the python's fangs grazed the hem of Wu Zhangkong's robe, his figure abruptly vanished amidst a flurry of ice shards.
"An afterimage?" Xie Xie's voice trembled as he watched.
Wu Zhangkong's speed was too fast, exceeding their visual limits.
"Dodging is meaningless."
Gu La crossed his arms, and the three-headed python continued to coil, forming a massive wooden dragon. Vines danced wildly around him, thorns sprouting everywhere, each movement carrying destructive power akin to a thousand-year soul skill.
Suddenly, twelve frosty sword phantoms appeared around them. Each phantom unleashed icy sword qi, perfectly calibrated to the limit of thirty-five-level soul power.
"Tch…"
Gu La inwardly sighed. Wu Zhangkong really knew how to show off. Perhaps it was unconscious, but it was certainly infuriating for his opponents.
"I know sword qi too."
Gu La's demeanor shifted as he envisioned the primordial divine tree. Beneath his feet, the massive wooden dragon grew sharp horns, releasing piercing sword qi that collided with the Skyfrost Sword's qi, canceling each other out.
He had already mastered all the techniques Celebi could learn through the system. If he practiced them to perfection and integrated them into the Endless Forest Sea domain, his enemies would only grow weaker as the battle progressed.
The Withering and Flourishing Sword Qi, combined with Mega Drain, restored his injuries based on the damage dealt to his opponents.
"Second soul skill: Frost Mist."
Wu Zhangkong realized how troublesome the wooden dragon's sword qi was. Surprised that Gu La also knew how to wield a sword, his true form appeared mid-air. Pressing the tip of his sword downward, dense white mist gathered along the blade, striking the center of the wooden dragon's forehead and freezing its head with a layer of frost.
The watching students held their breath, their eyes glued to the battlefield, unwilling to miss a single moment of the spectacle.
Wu Zhangkong continued to swing his sword. He didn't want a prolonged battle—he decided to end it quickly.
"Third soul skill: Skyfrost Slash."
The Skyfrost Sword condensed icy radiance, unleashing a ten-meter-long sword qi.
Before the swordlight even reached him, the wooden dragon beneath Gu La's feet began to freeze. The earlier Frost Mist had been a setup for this attack, doubling the chance of freezing the opponent when combined with the Skyfrost Slash.
Gu La inwardly lamented. Grass-type was naturally weak against ice-type. Moreover, as the god of the forest, Celebi wouldn't perform actions that destroyed forests. Otherwise… he had wanted to make the wooden dragon self-destruct as a finishing move.
Gu La raised his hand. "I concede."
There was no need to continue. Relying solely on soul power without using his second soul skill, he couldn't defeat Wu Zhangkong. But if he cheated… why would he even bother attending school?
Wu Zhangkong frowned. "What about your second and third soul skills?"
Gu La shrugged. "The second soul skill is a mental-type skill—mental battles are too dangerous and unnecessary to use here. The third soul skill is a storage-type ability that requires preparation, which I haven't done."
Wu Zhangkong reluctantly accepted Gu La's explanation. He said, "If I'm not mistaken, your first soul skill is a domain-type skill that controls plants within a certain range, correct?"
Gu La gave a thumbs-up. "Teacher, your insight is sharp. It can also summon plants and heal allies."
Wu Zhangkong narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze lingering over Gu La.
Ten-thousand-year soul rings were already priceless, requiring at least nine-digit gold spirit coins to acquire. Soul spirits capable of producing domain skills were rare treasures, almost impossible to find.
This made Wu Zhangkong speculate about the boy's origins, stirring complex emotions within him.
Joy and concern intertwined in his icy blue eyes.
He was pleased that Gu La's displayed talent was nothing short of shocking. With just this first soul skill, he could dominate any forest environment. In the future, if he became a Titled Douluo, he might become invincible in natural settings.
But what troubled him was that, like Gu Yue, Gu La was likely already deeply connected to the Spirit Pagoda, destined to never truly take root at Shrek Academy.
"We'll train in this area next."
His cold voice cut through the silence. "Gula, you're responsible for repairing the damaged field. Use this opportunity to hone your plant control and multitasking abilities."
With that, he tossed over a scroll glowing with a faint green light. "This is an advanced meditation technique. You can study it, but if your own method suits you better, there's no need to switch."
Wu Zhangkong always upheld fairness. After imparting Shrek Academy's universal cultivation methods, he said no more.
In truth, after twenty thousand years of evolving martial soul theory, Shrek Academy's expertise in martial soul development was profound, but there was indeed little they could teach this mysterious youth.
"Tang Wulin, you can ask Gula for advice on controlling plants."
When addressing the blue-haired boy, Wu Zhangkong's tone softened slightly. "Remember, the martial soul is the foundation of a soul master. Don't overly rely on bloodline power."
This advice seemed sincere, but no one knew that Tang Wulin's bloodline flowed with the power of the Golden Dragon King at the God King level. Compared to painstakingly cultivating Blue Silver Grass, the innate god-level inheritance of the Golden Dragon King was far more tempting.
Developing Blue Silver Grass? Nowhere near as simple as inheriting the legacy of the Golden Dragon King.
Gu La watched Tang Wulin nodding obediently, memories surging like a flood.
In the original timeline, this favored child of destiny would eventually fully awaken the Tang family bloodline and rarely use the Blue Silver Grass martial soul. Wherever his Golden Dragon Spear pointed, Abyssal demons would shatter. The supposed foundation of a soul master ultimately couldn't withstand the overwhelming might of the God King's inheritance.
"Yes, Teacher Wu."
Tang Wulin nodded respectfully. He held great respect for Wu Zhangkong and was willing to follow his advice, but following a rigid training path wasn't suitable for him.
He turned to Gu La, extending his hand in a friendly gesture.
"Please guide me." Tang Wulin's palm glowed faintly with golden light under the sun, the patterns of Blue Silver Grass faintly visible on his wrist. "My name is Tang Wulin. We'll be comrades from now on."
"Just call me Gula."
Gu La suppressed the turbulent undercurrent in his eyes.
He bore no ill will toward this Tang Wulin, who hadn't yet been fully swept up by fate. After all, compared to his ancestor who constantly spoke of "seeking death," this Tang Wulin still retained the purity of unpolished jade.
He could tolerate even Tang San, who often preached about "seeking death", let alone Tang Wulin.
But when his thoughts touched upon the God King who had been orchestrating events from the clouds for millennia, a chilling murderous intent coursed through his veins like a parasite.
He absolutely could not allow God King Tang San to sacrifice him unknowingly for his grand plan.
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