What a pity we can't change day into night, otherwise we might be able to give Teacher Wu a real surprise. Xie Xie shivered as he spoke.
His body was still stiff from earlier—those Starwheel chains were a fusion of star and ice attributes, and enduring them was anything but pleasant.
Nan Fusheng smiled. "That's fine. We can just go look for Teacher Wu ourselves. I'm sure he won't refuse a spar."
Xie Xie exchanged a glance with him, and a mischievous glint flickered in both their eyes. The sensation he'd experienced earlier definitely wasn't something he planned to suffer alone.
A second of absolute immobilization, combined with Nan Fusheng's control… Heh. Maybe they could give Teacher Wu quite the surprise.
The next moment, the five of them, without a word, all sat cross-legged on the spot and began meditating to recover their soul power.
"You're challenging me now?" Wu Zhangkong looked slightly surprised at the words of the five students who had come to find him.
"Yes, Teacher. Please give us your guidance," Nan Fusheng replied earnestly.
"Let's go," Wu Zhangkong nodded. It was already late—most dorm rooms had their lights out. He didn't bother taking them to the combat arena and instead walked straight to the academy's training field.
Whether they were looking for trouble or wanted to give him a surprise, he would indulge them either way.
The training ground was silent and dark under the deep night. Wu Zhangkong walked to the very center before stopping. His white robes fluttered lightly as he said in a calm voice, "Come."
"Teacher Wu, you're too strong. Shouldn't you suppress your cultivation to match ours? Our strongest here is only at two rings, so you should suppress your soul power to the two-ring level as well, and only use your first two soul skills. How about that?" Nan Fusheng suggested.
Wu Zhangkong's eyes narrowed slightly. He was an adult—if he couldn't read the minds of children, he wasn't fit to be a teacher. From Nan Fusheng's words, he could hear that these little brats wanted to win.
He was familiar with the abilities of the other four. Nan Fusheng's soul skills were strong, but as long as he was prepared, they weren't overly threatening. That meant the unknown factor had to be Xu Xiaoyan.
"Fine," Wu Zhangkong replied coolly. For him, winning or losing didn't matter. Even if he suppressed his soul power and skills to the two-ring level, the physical strength, reflexes, and combat experience of a Soul Emperor couldn't be suppressed. He would see for himself what gave them the courage to challenge him.
Nan Fusheng exchanged a look with his companions, and they immediately backed away together, forming up.
Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue spread out in a line at the front, with Nan Fusheng and Xu Xiaoyan behind them—forming the well-known three-two formation.
Their soul rings lit up in the darkness, the glow especially vivid at night. Tang Wulin struck first.
Countless Blue Silver Grass vines erupted, instantly covering dozens of square meters and shielding his teammates. At the same time, his right arm glimmered with pale-gold light. Diamond-shaped dragon scales covered it as he charged straight toward Wu Zhangkong.
A sharp cry escaped his lips as the Blue Silver Grass surged forward, instantly activating his soul skill—Bind!
Hundreds of vines roared upward, the thousand-year soul skill's momentum astonishing. As he charged, the air itself seemed to wail from the force of the vines whipping through it.
One vine skillfully flung a figure into the air—Xie Xie. He arced over Wu Zhangkong's head, landing diagonally behind and above him before plunging, unleashing Twin Dragon Storm without holding anything back.
Not only that—blades of wind, fireballs, and ice lances from Gu Yue streaked ahead, reaching Wu Zhangkong before Xie Xie even descended.
They all understood that the longer the fight dragged on, the slimmer their chances. Only a sudden, overwhelming burst could give them any hope of victory.
Wu Zhangkong stood unmoving, right hand holding the Skyfrost Sword, left hand lightly pinching the blade's tip. No emotion crossed his face; it was as if nothing in the world could stir his calm.
In the next instant, a faint frost mist enveloped his body and rapidly spread outward, shrouding the approaching Tang Wulin and Xie Xie.
Second Soul Skill: Frost Mist.
This was meant to counter Nan Fusheng. His first soul skill required direct sight of the opponent or spiritual lock-on. If that were the case, Wu Zhangkong would simply use the mist to hide himself. Infused with his spiritual power, the frost mist could block both targeting and spiritual lock.
It was also an effective counter to Xu Xiaoyan—no matter how powerful her ability, if she couldn't see her target, she couldn't use it.
The Skyfrost Sword in his hand flicked, releasing a pale-blue halo that expanded outward. It seemed to possess an irresistible pull, drawing in and redirecting all of Gu Yue's elemental attacks toward the sky. In an instant, she completely lost control of them.
Simple. Effective. This was Wu Zhangkong's specialty.
The Twin Dragon Storm shredded a few elemental projectiles, but its momentum was already disrupted before landing.
A flash of violet lit Wu Zhangkong's eyes. Tang Wulin instinctively activated Purple Demon Eyes in response, but dizziness still swept over him. His vines faltered for an instant.
The Skyfrost Sword spun lightly—gone was the earlier heaviness, replaced by an ethereal lightness. A hundred threads of sword qi quietly drifted out, each one striking a Blue Silver Grass vine with pinpoint accuracy. Frost spread along the vines before rippling outward, cutting off their advance.
It was as if a single swing had unleashed a hundred precise cuts, each neutralizing an incoming vine.
From above, Xie Xie's Twin Dragon Storm descended—but Wu Zhangkong's figure suddenly blurred. Tang Sect footwork: Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step.
At first, Xie Xie could just keep up with him, adjusting his attacks, but Wu Zhangkong's speed changed too quickly. By the time the storm was about to land, Xie Xie had completely lost his lock. The attack struck empty air.
A flick of sword qi lashed out. Xie Xie barely had time to block with his Light Dragon Dagger before the cold struck him and sent him flying.
At that moment, Tang Wulin reached Wu Zhangkong. One-on-one, even with suppressed cultivation, he had no chance.
But then Wu Zhangkong made a move that surprised everyone.
Countless sword threads burst out alongside a surge of frost mist, spreading around him. The dense threads instantly wove a web around his body, forming an impenetrable barrier.