“Champion? But we’re still eleven! Xie Xie told me that we would have tocompete against people who are ten to fifteen years old. That’s a bit…”

Wu Zhangkong coldly said, “Age does not determine one’s strength. You justneed to try your best. The outcome is not the most important thing, understood?”

“Yes,” Tang Wulin answered.

“You can leave now. Go prepare for tomorrow’s trip to Skysea City. All of theparticipants from Eastsea City will be leaving together, so you don’t have toworry about meeting up with your colleagues from the Blacksmith’s Association.”

“Yes.”

For the past month, Tang Wulin had been entirely focused on preparing for theblacksmith’s competition. Although he could not yet forge a first-grade metal,his success rate for second-grade metals had already risen to more than eightypercent. Even among other fourth rank blacksmiths, such a success rate wasrarely seen.  

As Mu Chen had said, Tang Wulin’s inability to forge a first-grade metal wasnot due to a lack of understanding, but a deficiency of soul power.

Soul power was the foundation of soul masters, and it was also crucial toblacksmiths. The higher one’s soul power, the higher the chances of imbuingspirit into metal during forging. Even if he was a divine genius in the realmof blacksmithing, his status as a one-ringed soul master would only hinder hisadvancement in the craft.  

According to Mu Chen’s guess, Tang Wulin would immediately be able to forgefirst-grade metals once he possessed two rings.

His training menu under Mu Chen did not change; it was still focused onsolidifying his foundation in preparation for the future. After all, he wasstill young and did not need to take risks in order to achieve a first-gradeThousand Refined creation.

What Tang Wulin had not expected, however, was that they would be one of theteams representing Eastsea Academy and they would be competing in the juniordivision for the soul master team battles, no less.

Although he was shocked, he was also eager for combat.

Locked within an abyss of suffering for the past month, Tang Wulin t had notvisited the spirit ascension platform even once. Instead, he faced Wu Zhangkongin battle every day. He would rather face a ten-thousand-year soul beast thanfight Wu Zhangkong; after all, he had personally witnessed his teacherslaughter a ten-thousand-year soul beast as if it were just a walk in the park!

The only fruit that was born from that night’s victory was an escalation inthe intensity of their training. Even while combining their forces andutilizing the dirtiest of schemes, they could not hold a candle to athree-ringed Wu Zhangkong. As the team captain, Tang Wulin took the brunt of WuZhangkong’s attacks, each battle leaving him covered in bruises and cuts.

Yet, it was precisely because of such harsh circumstances that theircoordination and soul power improved so quickly.

Tang Wulin could sense that he was but one step away from reaching rank 17 now.

However, his intense cultivation schedule conflicted with his forging practiceleading him to be unable to meet his task quotas. Naturally, his income tanked.

Whenever Tang Wulin thought of the Skysea Alliance Tournament, his pulse wouldpound incessantly and his eyes redden until they were bloodshot at the thoughtof the award money that would solve quite a few of his current problems.

Now that he was a fourth rank blacksmith, his potential income skyrocketed andhe had been able to clear his debt to Wu Zhangkong. His wallet wept at itsempty pockets.

“Teacher Wu.” Before walking through the door, Tang Wulin suddenly spunaround. “Is there an award for participating in the tournament?”  

Wu Zhangkong stared at him. “If the team performs well, there will be one.Although there is a monetary award given to the top thirty-two, the sum onlybecomes significant once you breach the top sixteen.  As for receiving anendowment from the academy, all of you are already draining the academy’sresources dry. Especially you. Your food expenses are nearly enough to feed theentire intermediate division. Tell me, do you still want a reward?”

Tang Wulin dared not speak out. Instead, he stuck his tongue out like a littlerascal.

But was the truth not spoken? He knew that he was just shoveling in thathigh-class, nutritious food that aided in his cultivation, seemingly to no end.Obviously, the expenses for such nourishment were high. With all that healthyfood, his cultivation was progressing at a magnified rate, even to the pointwhere preparing to break through the second seal seemed more feasible than ever 

The fact that he could even eat such delicious food often brought him joy.

“Teacher Wu, can I participate in the individual competition then?  Maybe I’llbe able to enter the top thirty,” Tang Wulin probed. He could not afford to leta single lucrative opportunity slip away.

His attitude toward money had changed after all the pain and suffering he wentthrough just to be able to purchase his first spirit soul. If he had more moneyback then, then he would not have been forced to settle for a trash spirit soul.

Since then, Tang Wulin vowed to rake in the money in the future, to the extentwhere he would never have to worry about making ends meet.

If Mu Chen ever discovered his disciple’s true reason for forging, he wouldhave hopped up and down from rage.

“If you’re not worried about being tired, then you can go ahead,” Wu Zhangkonganswered with an apathetic edge.

Tang Wulin said, “As long as the schedules don’t in conflict, I’m confident Iwon’t get tired. I’ll have to inconvenience you to help me sign up then.” Atthe very least, the boy had some faith in his strength. Although he did notwield two rings as of yet, he did hold a thousand-year soul ring! Histhousand-year Bluesilver Grass was a major source of confidence for him.



When he returned to the dormitory, Tang Wulin found his friends already at thedoor waiting for him.

“How was it? What’s the situation?”

Faced with their inquiries, Tang Wulin quickly briefed them on hisconversation with Wu Zhangkong.

“I’ll join the individual competition too,” Gu Yue said earnestly.

Xie Xie loftily said, “Me too!”

Xu Xiaoyan shook her head. “I think I’ll pass. The competition isn’t held atnight, and even if it was, I lack the confidence. Participating as a substitutein  the team competition is enough for me.”

A mischievous smile appeared on Xie Xie’s lips. “Say, if we really do becomethe champions, do you think Shrek Academy will come scout us? Maybe they’llinvite us to join them?”

The corner of Xu Xiaoyan’s mouth twitched ever so slightly. “Quit dreaming.Even if we do win first place, it’s still just an unremarkable three-mancompetition at the Skysea Alliance Tournament. Use your common sense and thinkabout what sort of status they have. I heard that there have never been morethan one hundred students part of the inner court of Shrek Academy at a time,and each and every one of them is a monster. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration tocall it a pond of dragons and a den of tigers. I also heard that even thechairman of the federation personally pays a visit to Shrek Academy’s presidenttwice a year. If Shrek Academy hadn’t maintained a neutral stance during thethree continent’s feuds, do you think the Star Luo Continent and the Heaven DouContinent would still exist?”

In shock, Tang Wulin asked, “Is Shrek Academy really that great?”  

With utmost seriousness, Xu Xiaoyan said, “That’s right. My family told methat it’s a place completely separate from the world of us normal people. ShrekAcademy recruits students once every three years, and each time there are lessthan one thousand people qualified to apply. It would be a small miracle ifmore than one hundred people are accepted at a time. In fact, sometimes onlytwenty or thirty people are accepted. But of those students, only one in tencan enter the inner court. It’s quite obvious just how high their standards are.

“ Shrek Academy’s unfathomable quality is not something we have the privilegeof understanding.”

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie both exchanged a look. Although it was impossible forthem to know what Shrek Academy was like, there was bound to be someone who did!

Teacher Wu! Don’t the rumors say that Teacher Wu came from Shrek Academy?

If the admittance standards for Shrek Academy are that high, then just howamazing is Teacher Wu?

Tang Wulin said, “Even so, this is a great opportunity for us. Don’t think toomuch about getting a high rank everyone; just do your best and gain some goodcombat experience. As long as we don’t give up, we’ll definitely have a shot atentering Shrek Academy one day!”