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"To make better use of your martial soul is how you'll go further. A soul master must ultimately rely on soul power as their foundation."
"Xie Xie."
Wu Zhangkong went on to lecture each of them: "Your performance was like that of a clumsy assassin. The idea of using Tang Wulin's shadow to conceal yourself was good."
"But the execution was too crude. Your opponent could easily notice your disappearance. An excellent assassin knows how to find blind spots in their enemy's vision."
"Xu Xiaoyan." Wu Zhangkong paused before continuing: "After your martial soul transforms, are you unable to move when releasing a soul skill?"
Xu Xiaoyan nodded her small head. "Yes, Teacher. When my Ice Staff transforms into the Star Staff, it gains absolute control abilities, but I can't move freely."
Wu Zhangkong gave a slight nod. "That's understandable."
He then turned his gaze to Gu La.
"Gu La."
"Your first soul skill isn't just a simple gravity domain, is it?"
"Teacher Wu has sharp eyes. My first soul ring comes from the Mighty Golden Bear and is called Gravity Control. The gravity field is its passive effect."
Wu Zhangkong was momentarily stunned, a question forming in his mind: "Does the Mighty Golden Bear produce a Gravity Control soul skill?"
He recalled the knowledge he had learned at Shrek Academy and confirmed that there was no record of the Mighty Golden Bear producing such a soul skill.
Reflecting on how Gu La's martial soul and luck seemed to complement each other, he said, "Mm, develop and utilize it well. Gravity Control has great potential."
Wu Zhangkong inwardly lamented not meeting Gu La sooner, allowing the Spirit Pagoda to benefit instead. "Your strength far surpasses theirs. From now on, we'll train daily with both of your martial souls against me."
"Now, let me outline your training schedule."
Wu Zhangkong sheathed his sword, and the dark clouds in the sky dissipated, revealing bright moonlight that illuminated his handsome face, giving him an ethereal aura.
"Daily physical conditioning remains unchanged, and you must ensure you consume one vial of the Body-Forging Bone-Fortifying Solution every day."
"Cultural classes will be temporarily suspended and resumed after you return from the Tianhai Alliance competition."
"Since Gu La possesses the Gravity Domain, he can assist you in training your bodies. It's more efficient than simple running. This is a rare soul skill that benefits cultivation. I'll report this to the academy to allocate additional resources for you."
Wu Zhangkong didn't hesitate to spend resources, though the academy's contributions were mostly in the form of meal subsidies. Gu La nonchalantly agreed.
The intense special training continued for thirty full days and nights amidst the forging of iron and fire.
During this time, Gu La broke through to level thirty-seven, and the Tianhai Alliance Grand Tournament was approaching.
As the soul-guided train passed through the Misty Mountains at dusk, molten-gold sunlight poured through the windows, gilding the tips of Xie Xie's black hair.
He sat stiffly in the leather seat, acutely aware of the cold aura emanating from Wu Zhangkong beside him. Even without summoning his martial soul, Wu Zhangkong seemed perpetually cold.
Xie Xie felt uncomfortable and could only point out the scenery along the way to Tang Wulin in front of him.
"Our Sun Moon Federation has eighteen first-tier cities. The Tianhai Alliance is composed of five first-tier cities in the eastern region, led by Tianhai City. Thanks to its proximity to the sea, it boasts abundant marine resources and a thriving economy—only slightly behind Mingdu and Shrek City."
"However, its soul master strength is relatively weak. The Tianhai Alliance Grand Tournament is an event organized by the alliance to recruit talented soul masters. Those who achieve excellent rankings receive federal currency rewards."
Upon hearing about the federal currency reward, Tang Wulin's eyes visibly lit up. Forging was expensive, and he had just learned Thousand Refinements less than a year ago—it wasn't yet time for him to earn money.
Especially since he had a voracious appetite. While meals at the academy were manageable, dining out could drain his savings in a single meal. He needed to earn more money.
He asked eagerly, "How much is the champion's reward?"
Xie Xie scratched his head. "I didn't pay much attention, but it's at least several million. Of course, if you were willing to stay in Tianhai City, the reward would be even higher."
"Several million isn't bad either."
Tang Wulin glanced at Wu Zhangkong, then at Gu La, hesitating to speak.
Wu Zhangkong, who had been resting with closed eyes, noticed Tang Wulin's gaze and softly said, "No. The gap between your strengths is too large. Competing together won't yield meaningful results."
"Letting you participate is also part of your learning. Don't let greed cloud your judgment."
Xie Xie thought Wu Zhangkong was speaking without feeling the strain—he would surely try every possible way to earn money if he had Tang Wulin's appetite.
But Tang Wulin was a well-behaved child. After Wu Zhangkong spoke, he immediately abandoned the thought and decided to focus on winning rewards in the forging competition.
The soul-guided train traversed the steel trestle bridges of the Misty Mountains. The roar of the train gripping the tracks echoed through the canyon.
Gu La pressed his forehead against the window, gazing at a scene strikingly similar to his past life. Outside, the rolling sea of clouds was dyed a molten gold by the setting sun.
Suddenly, the train emitted a piercing metallic groan.
"Krrrrt!"
A sharp scraping sound came from above the carriage, like claws raking across steel plates—or death knocking on a coffin lid. Gu La saw his reflection distort in the glass and quickly leapt aside to dodge.
"There's an attack! Be careful!"
Wu Zhangkong opened his eyes, drawing the Skyfrost Sword. Coldness enveloped the carriage as he sensed a soul power akin to that of a Soul Douluo-level expert.
The entire carriage began to shake violently. Glass cups in the dining area shattered one after another, spilling orange juice onto the scarlet carpet.
Just as Wu Zhangkong unsheathed his Skyfrost Sword, three winged soul masters crashed through the observation skylight. Feathers crackling with lightning shredded the leather seats into fragments.
Three masked figures hovered in midair. The leader's vertical pupil glowed with an eerie purple light.
Passengers screamed in panic. The masked leader frowned, using soul power to silence the screaming passengers, though he refrained from killing anyone. Then, to everyone's shock, he pulled down his pants.
The leader frowned but did not stop him. Instead, he unleashed a Soul Douluo-level aura to dominate the entire carriage.
"Quiet! We're only here to find someone. Once we find them, we'll leave immediately."
When he spoke, his voice grated like sandpaper over a soul-guided amplifier: "Hand over Gu La, or this entire carriage will turn to ashes."
"Who are you to dare attack a federal train!"
Sounds of battle erupted from the front of the carriage as passengers clashed with the attackers.
Unwilling to waste time, the attackers scanned the crowd carefully when no one stepped forward. One of them impatiently shouted, "Who's Gu La? Step forward quickly, or you'll regret it!"
Gu La froze. He had assumed this was due to Tang Wulin's cursed luck attracting assassins, but it turned out they were looking for him.
Gu La transmitted a mental message: "Teacher Wu, prepare to act."
Wu Zhangkong nodded.
In the next instant, Wu Zhangkong's Skyfrost Sword emitted a dragon-like hum. Frost patterns instantly spread across the carriage, freezing the three attackers momentarily.
At the same moment Gu La sent the message, a seventyfold gravity field abruptly descended. Nearby dining carts were crushed flat, and the attackers' wings cracked under the immense pressure, emitting sharp snapping sounds.
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