Were Long Chen not eliminated in the beginning of the match, the Imperial Sun Moon Academy team might have had a chance to turn things around. But without their captain, they were stuck on the defensive.

  Long Chen finally regained consciousness. Jaw clenched in pain and neck sore, he slowly recovered sight of the arena as he roused. The view before him, that of a spectator looking in, confused him at first. Eventually, he came to the conclusion he had been defeated, though how in which he had been taken down he could not recall. His face soured.

  Through sheer will, Long Chen slowly but surely grasped at the bits of memory floating in his mind. The process of bringing out his full strength, soul power coursing through his veins. The strange sensation that overtook his body right after. His brow furrowed as he remembered his source of power snuffed out like a candle wick. His body had frozen, leaving him open to his opponent’s attacks and an instant knockout.

  He was disappointed with himself. He knew how important this match was for his academy, yet he had gotten eliminated and left them at a huge disadvantage. Even so, the match wasn’t over yet. He had faith in his teammates. Although he was the captain, he wasn’t the true ace of their team.

  You guys have to win! He clenched his fists.

  “Skytiger!” Jian Mochen shouted, blood streaming down the corner of his mouth.

  Kuang Zhantian threw her Skytiger Axe. Not at Tang Wulin or anyone else on the Shrek Academy team, but at Jian Mochen.

  In one quick motion, Jian Mochen tossed his shield to meet the axe.

  The instant the two touched, a blinding light illuminated the arena, swallowing Jian Mochen and Kuang Zhantian whole. From the light burst a gigantic winged tiger, heading straight for Gu Yue’s blue fireballs.

  Upon impact, the dazzling blue explosions shook the arena. Knocked back, the tiger let out a roar of pain as the flames penetrated into its body and dyed it blue.

  Is that a soul fusion skill? It’s gotta be! Tang Wulin’s evaluation was correct. Jian Mochen and Kuang Zhantian fused their martial souls to summon a Skytiger.

  As powerful as the tiger was, the might of the fireballs had been unquestionable and wasn’t something it could just shrug off. The tiger’s form flickered transparent, brought forth by its great energy consumption to endure the attack.

  Tang Wulin straightened his back, a determined light gleaming in his eyes. His blood essence surged in reverse and starlight shrouded his claw, manifesting as a golden gauntlet.

  “Battle armor!” the referee blurted out from the air.

  I-is that actually a piece of two-word armor? No way. It can’t be. He’s too young to handle such a thing! It must be something else, like a one-word armor piece made of spirit alloy! Although the referee and the higher-ups of the Imperial Sun Moon Academy held Shrek Academy in contempt, upon sight of Tang Wulin’s gauntlet they were overcome with shock and disbelief.

  If it had only been something out of the ordinary, they wouldn’t be so bitter. But the sheer impossibility of Tang Wulin’s actions was what drove them up the wall. How strong his body must be to handle such a powerful gauntlet at his age, the higher-ups of the Imperial Sun Moon Academy couldn’t begin to comprehend. Normally, only blacksmiths of the sixth rank or higher could craft one-word battle armor with spirit alloy, let alone a fifth-rank blacksmith! Generally, academies didn’t allow their students to enlist outside help and forced them to cooperate with each other. Only then would they be able to truly walk the path of a battle armor master.

  There were unwritten rules for battle armor masters. During the creation of a set of two-word battle armor, which included the process of designing, forging, crafting, and tuning, none of those involved could be more than one soul ring level apart. The gap in ages no more than three years. This way, everyone’s blood essence and aura were similar to one another, enabling the end user of the battle armor to fully fuse with it.

  Two-word battle armor was considered a turning point and threshold for ‘true’ battle armor because such armor could fuse with the user and become an extension of their body. During the fusion, every detail mattered,.and the slightest mistake could ruin everything. In comparison, it was far easier to advance from two-word to three-word. At that point, the user could borrow help from not just their peers.

  This was why battle armor was so rare and difficult to craft. Many conditions had to be met to successfully create a two-word armor.

  Although one-word battle armor didn’t face the same restrictions, what Tang Wulin had wasn’t ordinary one-word armor! Since it was crafted from spirit alloy, it already had the basic functionality of a two-word armor! It was practically a prototype two-word gauntlet! He couldn’t replace it anymore since it had fused with his body, so it had been under the same restrictions as a two-word piece of armor.

  From this, the higher-ups of the Imperial Sun Moon Academy deduced that Tang Wulin had personally had a hand in crafting it. Not only that, the people who helped him were within three years of age and one soul ring level from him! Such restrictions were nigh impossible for those his age to fulfill. He wasn’t just strong, but he was also backed up by a group of prodigal professionals! That was far more terrifying than his strength.

  Despite only possessing a gauntlet at the moment, Tang Wulin had a likely future as a battle armor master from his foundation. It was shocking. No one at the Imperial Sun Moon Academy had ever considered the same path as him, and neither did the teachers. All of them thought it was impossible. They shared the same narrow perspective as the rankers had.

  But Tang Wulin and his friends had shattered all expectations, and the evidence was there for all to see.

  A mighty draconic roar shook the arena as Tang Wulin drew circles in the air with his arms. Then he punched with his claw, unleashing Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens!

  A giant golden dragon’s head rushed out of his fist, roaring toward the flickering Skytiger.

  The tiger snarled and beat its wings at the incoming phantom dragon head. The two clashed high in the air, a blinding explosion filling the sky followed by a shockwave. Tang Wulin showed no fear. He was completely confident in Golden Dragon Shocks the Heavens.

  Other soul masters may have been terrified to face a soul fusion skill, but not Tang Wulin. He had encountered so many already, like the Forest of Ice or Wu Siduo’s Hell White Tiger.

  The Skytiger was stronger than Hell White Tiger since it was powered by two people. Still, Tang Wulin had grown far stronger since the time he faced Wu Siduo! His soul power, blood essence, and body had all improved! Furthermore, the Skytiger was already weakened by Gu Yue’s bombardment. He had nothing to be afraid of.

  When the dust cleared, the Skytiger was nowhere to be seen. Instead, two people fell from the skies, their robes rippling from freefall……

  From those in the stands to those watching at the comfort of their homes, the millions of spectators could not rein in their shock. Before their very eyes had occurred a match between fourteen and fifteen-year-olds, yet everything about it screamed otherwise, from the explosive displays of power to the quick-witted teamwork.

  He’s able to beat a soul fusion skill with only three soul rings? This question rang loud in everyone’s thoughts.

  Everyone knew that Shrek Academy was powerful, but few truly understood the extent of that power. Until now. Tang Wulin had shown them just that. Of what sort of monsters Shrek Academy nurtured. Be it strength or technique, Shrek Academy’s students were perfect.

  Captain’s so awesome! Xie Xie descended from the air, heading straight for Weng Daimin and You Dingqi. While everyone’s eyes had been glued to Tang Wulin, Xie Xie had quietly slipped into the enemy’s rearline. He appeared out of thin air like a wraith and slashed at the two of them. Dumbstruck by Tang Wulin’s performance, You Dingqi couldn’t react in time to defend himself.

  The battle was practically over. After using their soul fusion skill, Kuang Zhantian and Jian Mochen would drastically weaken. Gone was the suspense. Victory was within Tang Wulin and his team’s grasp, and with that came acing their exam.

  All of a sudden, Weng Daimin let out a ear-piercing wail. It erected a wall of ice in front of You Daimin, which then exploded and sent Xie Xie flying backward.

  “Liushuang!” Weng Daimin shouted, icy blue light swirling around her. She opened her arms wide toward the air, a fairy ascending to a higher realm.

  A blue light enveloped Xue Liushuang as well, the same moment Ye Xinglan’s Stargod Sword pierced her. But Ye Xinglan felt no resistance, as though she stabbed air. Taking advantage of Ye Xinglan’s confusion, Xue Liushuang leaped into the air and fused with Weng Daimin.

  It was at that moment Tang Wulin landed, his complexion pale after unleashing his strongest attack. His stared at the scene before him wide-eyed. What? They have a second soul fusion skill?

  It finally struck him why the Imperial Sun Moon Academy was so confident in their victory, to the extent that they pushed to have the match broadcasted throughout the continent. They truly were worthy of being one of the greatest academies on the continent. Had Tang Wulin not eliminated Long Chen instantly in the beginning, the Imperial Sun Moon Academy team would have been able to overwhelm them with their two soul fusion skills!