The Legend of the Dragon King

Tang Wulin stared at Wu Zhangkong, dumbstruck. He felt dazed as a thought popped into his mind, So there really exists someone this unreasonable!

Wu Zhangkong continued, “If there isn’t anything else, you may leave now.”

“Oh.” Tang Wulin left the room dejected, but could not wait inform Xie Xie and Gu Yue of what Wu Zhangkong had said.

☀

“If it’s a test for five, then it’s a test for five.” Gu Yue was unperturbed by this revelation. On the other hand, Xie Xie was a bit nervous, but he knew that it was useless to worry about things they had no control over.

“Wulin, actually, there’s something I want to try with you,” Xie Xie mischievously whispered into Tang Wulin’s ear.

Tang Wulin eyed him suspiciously. “What is it?”

Xie Xie said, “I was thinking, when I stabbed you with my dagger back when you were still unable to control your bloodline, you suddenly exploded with power. Now that you’re able to control it, do you think even more power will burst out?”

After a moment of astonished silence, Tang Wulin answered, “I don’t know either.”

That mischievous smile returned to Xie Xie’s lips. “Then, do you want to test it out?”

“Unacceptable! Why don’t you go stick a knife in yourself?!” Gu Yue smiled brightly while kicking Xie Xie away.

Xie Xie groaned out, “I knew you would be overprotective of him! Jeez, can’t you be a bit more unbiased, Gu Yue? We got to know one another at the same time, so why do you favor Tang Wulin so much?”

Gu Yue’s smile grew wider. Her smile was beautiful, giving a sense of homeliness. Despite its beauty, though, all it did was strike panic and fear into Xie Xie’s heart. “What, what are you smiling about?”

“You want to know why I treat Tang Wulin better than you? The answer is very simple; he’s more handsome than you!” Gu Yue said maliciously.

“Eh… How can you be like this!” Xie Xie’s voice was filled with indignance.

Tang Wulin couldn’t help but chuckle at their banter. “Settle down, you two. Let’s figure out how we’re going to tackle the exam first.”

Gu Yue said, “We’ll just do things the same way we moved in the spirit ascension platform. We have the best coordination between just the three of us anyway, so we should just adapt to the situation as we see fit. Besides, Teacher Wu wouldn’t give us an impossible test.”

Tang Wulin nodded in understanding. “I think Teacher Wu will target our usual arrangements. How about this then, we’ll change things up a bit. Xie Xie, you’ll still be our main assault-support force. Gu Yue, you’ll also join in the assault this time. I’ll be in charge of defense and control.”

Gu Yue nodded. “Alright. I’m fine with anything.”

“Okay, we’ll go with that then.” After the two of them left Xie Xie’s room, Gu Yue pulled on his arm before he could return to his room.

“Wait.”

“What is it?” Tang Wulin asked, puzzled.

Gu Yue moved closer to him and circled around him once, sniffing the whole time. “There’s the scent of a woman on you. Speak; what you were doing earlier?”

Tang Wulin was astonished. “Your nose is so sensitive! You’re actually able to distinguish the scent of a woman over the smell of barbecue. Amazing, so amazing!”

“Don’t try to change the subject. Out with it already,” Gu Yue fiercely interrogated.

Tang Wulin awkwardly smiled. “It’s nothing much! I wasn’t in a good mood today, so senior sister Ouyang treated me to some barbecue. Can you guess who I met there?” He explained how he had went out to eat with Ouyang Zixin and had run into the Xu siblings.

Even after she heard his explanation, Gu Yue still eyed him suspiciously. “So you’re telling me that this senior sister Ouyang likes that arrogant and pampered ice staff guy?”

Tang Wulin grudgingly said, “It seems so. Oh right, Xu Xiaoyan is probably joining class zero. What do you think about that?”

“I don’t mind!” Gu Yue’s answer was normal, considering her usual attitude of indifference. “That Ouyang girl is no good, valuing love over friendship. You should distance yourself from her.”

Tang Wulin frowned. “Don’t talk about her like that. She was kind enough to treat me to a meal. Senior sister Ouyang is a kindhearted person!”

Gu Yue said, “Kindhearted? If she was kindhearted, then she would have walked you back. The restaurant you guys went to was so far away, and you’re still so small…”

“Where am I small?!” Tang Wulin asked in dissatisfaction.

Placing her hands on her hips, Gu Yue retorted, “Anyway, just don’t meet her so much in the future. One look and I could already tell that she wasn’t any good. Go get some sleep.” Having proclaimed her decree, she quickly turned around and left.

Tang Wulin couldn’t make any sense of what had just transpired. Choosing to forget about it, he returned to his room to focus on cultivating. Although his day had been full of gloom and suspicions, becoming a powerful expert was still his ultimate goal so he couldn’t stray from his routine just because of a small psychological attack.

☀

After returning to her room and closing the door, Gu Yue’s eyes seemed to twinkle with an unusual light. She walked over to the window by her bed and opened it, basking in the cool night air.

As her hair fluttered in the evening wind, her eyes gradually changed from their usual black and began to emit a faint purple light.

She held out her palms, letting several lights dance within her palms. Blue was water, yellow was earth, red was fire, green was wind, silver was space and gold was light. Yet, a dark purple light also danced about. In the next moment, it disappeared.

☀

Dawn of the next day.

Tang Wulin was jogging on the fields per usual when a familiar figure entered his sights.

“Good morning senior sister,” Tang Wulin called out to Ouyang Zixin in greeting.

Beaming her usual smile, Ouyang Zixin said, “How are you? Are you in a better mood now?”

Tang Wulin scratched his head in embarrassment. “I’m good now. No problems at all.”

Ouyang Zixin giggled at his embarrassment. “That’s good then. Oh right, it was senior brother Xu who paid the bill yesterday. You should go thank him when you get the chance.”

“He paid the bill?” Once again, gloominess shrouded his heart immediately.

Ouyang Zixin said, “Yeah. He paid the bill to give me face. Ah, this sister is just joking with you. You can treat me next time instead. Come on, let’s pick up the pace. Let’s see if I can beat you this time.”

It was clear that Tang Wulin held the advantage as they sped up. Ouyang Zixin was by no means slow, but there was definitely a gap between her and him. Tang Wulin, however, restrained himself to maintain a pace that matched Ouyang Zixin’s.

Finished with their run, Ouyang Zixin went back to wash her face as she always did. Meanwhile, Tang Wulin went about his usual routine too; rushing off to attack the dining hall with his one man Rice Bucket Brigade.

☀

Unexpectedly, the second part of the final exam was also not conducted on the academy’s grounds. Wu Zhangkong led them out of the academy and onto a soul bus that headed to the outskirts.

“Teacher Wu, can’t you at least give us a hint of what today’s test is about yet?” Xie Xie asked with a grin.

Wu Zhangkong merely glanced at him. “You’ll know when we get there. It’s similar to the spirit ascension platform, but not really.”

“Eh…” Xie Xie gave a slight nod.

Although Tang Wulin had already lived in Eastsea City for over half a year, he hadn’t really explored anywhere else besides the academy, the Blacksmith’s Association, and their vicinity. He was unfamiliar with the rest of the city.

Unfamiliar scenery flitted past them as the bus entered the suburbs.

Although it was still crowded and bustling with activity, the suburbs were clearly more spacious than other parts of the city.

After getting off in the outskirts, Wu Zhangkong brought them to a gigantic park called Eastsea Soul Technology Park.

The park was filled with greenery and buildings that had a variety of styles. Every single building had its own unique characteristics, but the majority of them were made of metal.

“Do you know what this place is?” Tang Wulin quietly asked Xie Xie.

In a similarly hushed voice, Xie Xie answered, “I heard that Eastsea City’s best tech companies are based here. Apparently, they even have a mecha factory here.”

“Mecha?” Tang Wulin’s eyes instantly lit up at this word. Although Wu Zhangkong had explained to them that high-end mechas were battle armors, they had never seen one yet, so in Tang Wulin’s mind, mechas were still the coolest!