Fighting Wu Zhangkong!

Wu Zhangkong dully said, "Due to the amount of spirit power you all absorbed this time in the spirit ascension platform, the academy has arranged for you to test your soul ring year levels and your bodies again. Don't think that you can squander your time just because you are young. If you don't put in effort at this age, it'll be useless to begin putting in effort when you grow old. Don't you all have a good understanding of each other? Combat class will still proceed as planned. I've thought about it for a while, and considering your current situations, it wouldn't be suitable for you all to enter the spirit ascension platform again for a while. Your combat classes will actually need to be modified a bit. Follow me." Wu Zhangkong immediately turned on his heel and walked out.

Crestfallen, Xie Xie muttered, "Teacher Wu is so unreasonable."

Tang Wulin's mouth twitched as he said, "Just be content with how things are. I can't even count the number of advanced department students that want Teacher Wu to teach them."

"Catch up," Gu Yue cut in.

The four students followed Wu Zhangkong to the academy's training facilities.

These facilities were specially prepared for students to engage in real combat. It was equipped with a soul barrier to minimize the damage caused by stray soul skills.

"Are we being demoted?" Xie Xie covertly whispered to Gu Yue. This training facility was frequently used by the ordinary students. After joining class zero for several months, they hadn't come here as much, so it was only natural that Xie Xie was confused. Their combat training had largely been conducted in the spirit ascension platform against the various soul beasts as, after all, they wouldn't be sufficiently challenged otherwise.

Gu Yue shot him an annoyed glare. "You really speak a lot of nonsense."

"Eh…"

Wu Zhangkong found the teacher in charge of the building and reserved a training field for them.

The training fields varied in size, ranging from 30 to 50 meters in diameter. The facility had three floors in total. Each floor had four training field of differing sizes, and each field was usually bustling with students from all grades training.

Wu Zhangkong had requested a field on the third floor as it was currently empty. This way, they would be able to train in peace.

Wu Zhangkong brought them to a large training field that reached 50 meters in diameter.

Gloxinia eagerly asked, "Teacher Wu, am I going to fight them three? Hehe." Gloxinia shifted his gaze to the trio, a mischievous grin on his lips as he geared up for battle.

"No." Wu Zhangkong said in a cold voice. "The Four of you willing be battling me."

"Four against one, that's very unfair… Huh? Against you…" Xie Xie stared at Wu Zhangkong, dumbfounded.

With his usual indifference, Wu Zhangkong said, "Don't forget, this no longer is the spirit ascension platform. You won't revive here in the real world and I might not be able to properly hold back. I will suppress my soul power to the same rank as you all, and I won't amplify my soul rings. However, I will be using my martial soul. Begin."

Without even giving the students a chance to respond, soul rings immediately rose up from beneath his feet.

Two yellow, two purple and two black soul rings appeared. An unstoppable aura engulfed the students for a split second before his soul power rapidly decreased to about rank 25, taking into account that most of the class had only around rank 20 soul energy.

An ice blue sword appeared in his right hand. It was as if his usual coldness had condensed into that glacial sword; a rarely seen tender expression graced his face.

White robes and blue sword, sky ice and snow cold!

These words couldn't help but pop into Gloxinia's head.

"Into formation!" Tang Wulin's thunderous order shocked the rest of his comrades out of their stupor. Gloxinia was the first to respond, appearing behind and slightly above Tang Wulin in a flash. Gu Yue and Xie Xie moved into their positions, forming a triangle with Gloxinia in the center facing Wu Zhangkong.

Tang Wulin shouted, "Everyone, be careful! I'll restrain him, everyone else attack him!"

Bluesilver Grass gathered in his right hand as he spoke. Tang Wulin had learned from his experiences in the spirit ascension platform and was far more skillful in his control over the vines now.

Strand after strand of Bluesilver Grass issued forth, closing in on Wu Zhangkong's position. At his rear, two soul rings sparkled as Gu Yue raised her hands to shoot out a series of blazing fireballs at Wu Zhangkong. With some flying straight at him and others arcing toward him, Wu Zhangkong faced a fiery assault.

Gloxinia's second ring glew for a split second before Basquias split into many daggers, which then hid inside the fireballs thrown by Gu Yue.

Dozens of fireballs filled the air, some quick, some slow. Regardless of which, in the end, they all shot toward Wu Zhangkong. The fireballs besieged him from all sides, seemingly impossible for him to deal with the all at once.

Tang Wulin's Bluesilver Grass exploded forth at the same time. A multitude of strands engulfed Wu Zhangkong, binding his body.

Xie Xie dashed forward while the daggers that couldn't hide in the limited amount of fireballs attacked from different directions.

The first to arrive were the fireballs. Despite this, Wu Zhangkong's gaze never left his Skyfrost Sword. He took a slow and calculated step to the side as the fireballs seemed to slow down.

In the blink of an eye, the Skyfrost Sword's chilly aura filled the training grounds. Dozens of fireballs extinguished quietly, and as their warm light disappeared, the surroundings returned to its original luster.

For a brief moment, a sliver of emotion made it past Gu Yue's grim expression. She had felt the cores of her fireballs obliterated instantly by Wu Zhankong's move.

The next second, Wu Zhangkong moved in an eerie rhythm, his mystical footwork dodging the bindings of Bluesilver Grass and the daggers hidden in the fireballs.

At that instant, he was no different from a ghostly general, his body almost illusory. This scene shocked and dazzled the team of four to their very bones.

'Not good!' Tang Wulin pulled ferociously on several strands of Bluesilver Grass as he shouted, "Withdraw!"

Xie Xie had understood Tang Wulin's thoughts from the very beginning, so the moment he heard the order to withdraw, he had immediately changed directions and flown back at his maximum speed.

Gloxinia's daggers though, continued forward, intending to cover Xie Xie's retreat and also try to do some damage.

At the same time, the daggers that were dodged flew back to wu zhangkong, attacking him from all sides.

As a response, Wu Zhangkong's first spirit ring started glowing and his sword waved in the air, causing a net of ice to form all around him, rebounding the daggers perfectly.

"Not good enough. Try again." Harshly giving out his appraisal, Wu Zhangkong coldly spoke and brandished his Skyfrost Sword once more, causing a chill to spread across the area.

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Words: 1248

Author's Note: I got a club meeting later today around 6 and it'll probably last till like 8:30 or 9 so the second chapter of today will most likely either be late or early.

Thank you for so many collections and powerstones!