After a full day of competition, the first round of the Tianhai Alliance Grand Tournament concluded.
At Tianhai Stadium, joy and despair clashed—eliminated students trudged away dejected, while advancing competitors sharpened focus for the battles ahead.
A quiet night passed. By dawn—
The tournament's packed schedule resumed, events unfolding with military precision.
Tang Wulin left early, summoned by Senior Sister Mu Xi.
As the record-breaking forger of Round One, he drew intense attention.
Today's second round was critical:
- Final rankings depended on cumulative scores from all rounds.
- Round One? Tang Wulin dominated—high-grade Hundred-Forged metal, fastest time—undisputed top score.
- Round Two? Free forging with rare metals—a true test of skill.
In youth forging, achieving Hundred-Refined before age 15 marked excellence; Thousand-Refined—genius.
---
When Fang Yang's group arrived, their Singles and Team matches hadn't started.
Soon, Tang Wulin rushed back, brow glistening with sweat.
"Wulin—how'd Round Two go?" Fang Yang asked first.
All eyes locked onto Tang Wulin.
He grinned confidently. "Do you even need to ask? Advanced, of course!"
"And Senior Sister Mu Xi advanced with me!"
"Ooooh~?" Xie Xie drawled knowingly.
"What's that look for?" Tang Wulin frowned.
"Could it be… two-timing?" Xie Xie winked exaggeratedly. "Senior Sister and Senior Sister Mu Xi? Lucky dog!"
"XIE XIE!"
Tang Wulin's face burned crimson. "It's purely professional! Don't slander us!"
"Ah—the envy!" Xie Xie fanned flames, mocking. "Senior Sister Ouyang on the left, Senior Sister Mu Xi on the right—living the dream!"
"XIE! XIE!"
Tang Wulin snapped—Blue Silver Grass lashed out.
SNAP! Xie Xie became a blue cocoon.
"Wulin—I'm sorry!" he whimpered.
The group laughed—Xie Xie never learned!
Loose lips = Blue Silver muzzle!
Just as Tang Wulin raised a fist, Fang Yang stepped in:
"Wulin—hold on."
"Huh?" Tang Wulin paused.
Xie Xie gaped hopefully at Fang Yang. "Fang Yang…?"
"Save the lecture for after the matches," Fang Yang smirked. "Conserve energy now."
Xie Xie paled—"Oh no… post-match torture awaits…"
He shivered, dread written on his face.
Tang Wulin withdrew his vines. "Consider it deferred, Xie Xie. We'll… talk after."
---
WHOOSH!
A cool voice cut through the air:
"Hello. I'm Ye Xinglan."
They turned—a golden-haired girl approached, Xu Lizhi trailing like a shadow.
Fang Yang blinked, returning the greeting:
"Fang Yang. What brings you here?"
"Last time, I sensed your strength," Ye Xinglan stated bluntly, eyes piercing.
"I look forward to facing you in the Singles competition."
"Gladly," Fang Yang nodded, smiling faintly.
Ye Xinglan turned sharply, striding off.
"Senior Sister Xinglan—wait!" Xu Lizhi hurried after her—but shot Fang Yang a venomous glare, hatred blazing.
Xu Lizhi and Ye Xinglan were childhood friends—close, yet platonic.
His "chance encounter" with Xie Xie was a scam—"treating" strangers to offload his bill.
Ye Xinglan's intervention ruined his scheme—now she distanced herself… and he blamed Fang Yang for everything.
Fang Yang's spiritual sense caught the malice instantly.
"Time to eliminate this pest," he thought coldly.
Gu Yue sent a mental whisper: "Shall we let Xiong Jun handle him?"
Fang Yang shook his head: "Unnecessary. A mere food-system Soul Master? Easily crushed."
Gu Yue nodded, satisfied.
"Oh? Fang Yang—another admirer?" Xie Xie teased.
GLARE!
Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan fixed him with icy stares.
"Xie Xie—think hard before speaking," Xu Xiaoyan warned.
Gu Yue said nothing—her glacial eyes spoke volumes.
"N-nothing!" Xie Xie backpedaled, hands up.
Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi exchanged weary looks—"Same old Xie Xie…"
---
The Singles matches began!
Xie Xie fought first—disposed of his weak opponent in under 3 minutes.
Tang Wulin followed, crushing his rival with overwhelming force.
Gu Yue dominated, showcasing flawless control.
Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi secured their wins.
Finally—Fang Yang's turn.
He didn't even activate his martial soul—physical prowess alone ended the match.
Wu Zhangkong arrived mid-battle, watching Class Zero's victories with quiet approval.
"Teacher Wu!" Xu Xiaoyan greeted, surprised.
(He'd skipped Team Events—Dean Long Hengxu led those.)
"Good work," Wu Zhangkong said tersely.
That afternoon, Class Zero's teams shone again: Tang Wulin's trio and Gu Yue's squad executed flawless teamwork, tactics sharp, coordination seamless, sweeping rival teams aside like dust—taking center stage once more.
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