"We will now begin the competition for the positions of class leader and vice-class leaders. I will take you all to the Grand Martial Arena. There, you will participate in a free-for-all battle. The rules are simple—if you are the last one standing, you will be the class leader. The second-to-last and third-to-last students to fall will become the two vice-class leaders. I must remind you: don't even think about playing dead. If all four of your limbs or your torso touch the ground, you will be eliminated and removed from the battlefield."
"Of course, if you don't wish to compete for the position, that's fine too. The benefits of being a class leader aren't that significant—you will have additional responsibilities. The only advantage is that it provides a small boost when applying to the inner court and gives you a greater voice within the academy. As you all know, the highest authority within Shrek Academy—and even within Shrek City—is the academy's Sea God's Pavilion. Almost all of the elders of the Sea God's Pavilion have once served as class leaders or vice-class leaders. Shrek Academy has only six grade levels and six classes in total, which means there are only six class leaders. The probability of a class leader entering the inner court is undoubtedly higher than others."
After saying this, Shen Yi walked over to Gu You and whispered, "Suppress your cultivation level a bit."
Gu You gave a slight nod. Even if he suppressed his cultivation to a single ring, the result would be the same. He had absolute confidence in his own strength—he could crush any opponent that came his way!
"Alright, you all have fifteen minutes to prepare. Of course, you are free to form alliances as you wish. We only care about the results."
Fifteen minutes to form alliances?The entire class immediately erupted into intense discussions. Who in Shrek wasn't a prodigy? If someone had good connections, they could guarantee victory.
Tang Wulin, however, took this time to walk straight up to Gu You. "Can we talk for a moment?"
Gu You looked indifferent. "Go ahead."
From afar, Xie Xie, seeing the two of them chatting, found it strange. Was Gu You really so quick to forgive someone?
"How do you know my parents were taken by someone…?"
"Have you ever heard of a technique that allows one to observe memories?" Gu You interrupted before Tang Wulin could finish.
Observing memories?
In Tang Wulin's understanding, such mysterious abilities were exclusive to Evil Soul Masters.
He naturally shook his head.
"So, is there anything left to talk about?" Gu You's gaze was cold.
"I want your help," Tang Wulin said seriously. He had thought it through—perhaps only Gu You could help him rescue his mother, who had been taken by an unknown force.
"And your reason?"
"My Golden Dragon King bloodline—I'll give it to you unconditionally, as long as you help me. However, my bloodline is rather unique. It requires the assistance of various rare treasures to unlock each seal before I can fully wield its power. I believe you are already aware of this bloodline's secret, aren't you?" Tang Wulin spoke with a hint of self-mockery.
Even Gu You was a little surprised by his words.
"Is it worth it?"
"I don't know, but I do know that my parents raised me with so much effort. They are everything to me, an irreplaceable part of my life. From the moment I awakened my Blue Silver Grass martial soul, I thought my destiny was already set…"
Gu You pondered for a moment before sighing. "I accept your conditions. From now on, I will provide you with whatever you need to break each seal. At the same time, I will use certain connections to investigate your parents' whereabouts. However, you must understand that the organization that took your parents is far from simple."
"Thank you!" Even with the risk of failure, Tang Wulin still bowed deeply to Gu You in gratitude.
"Don't, don't, don't. I don't like that. It makes it seem like I'm bullying you," Gu You said in mild irritation. "To be honest, I've always liked your personality. But tell me—how did you even come up with the idea of absorbing the soul bone of a Sacred Beast?" Gu You asked curiously. After all, Tang Wulin wasn't the type to do something so foolish.
"That… I can only say I was greedy at the time. I can't blame anyone else," Tang Wulin said evasively, not revealing Old Tang's existence.
"Forget it, I won't ask anymore. During this class competition, stick with me. Even without that bloodline power, don't ever give up. Blue Silver Grass might be considered a weak martial soul, but for thousands of years, very few have ever awakened it with innate soul power. Maybe your Blue Silver Grass has secrets yet to be uncovered, but that's something you'll have to explore yourself."
"Tang Wulin."
Xie Xie suddenly called out. His expression was complicated, and with him were Xu Xiaoyan and Gu Yue, the latter quietly watching from the side.
"Everyone… I'm sorry," Tang Wulin closed his eyes and responded.
"Although what you did before was really wrong, we've known each other for years now. Since our boss isn't holding a grudge, there's no need for us to dwell on it either. Let's just be ordinary friends from now on," Xie Xie said with a smile.
Tang Wulin didn't say anything, but a tear rolled down his cheek. His heart reignited with determination. Even without his bloodline, he was still himself. So what if he had a 'trash' martial soul? He thought of his childhood dream—to explore the vast, starry sea. Even if he was a 'waste,' he would be a waste that no one dared to look down on!
"Hey, do you really have a hundred-thousand-year soul ring?"
While Gu You was coldly observing everything, Yang Nianxia, the student who had previously doubted him, suddenly approached.
"Yeah," Gu You replied simply.
"Then let's form a team. I'm a strength-type Battle Soul Master. My martial soul is Darkgolden Bear." Yang Nianxia's tone was bold and straightforward. After asking around about Gu You, he was now sincerely impressed. A hundred-thousand-year soul ring! No need for excessive words—achieving the level of an ordinary Title Douluo, or even stronger, was just a matter of time!
Darkgolden Bear?
Hearing the name of this martial soul, Tang Wulin was visibly surprised.
The Darkgolden Bear was a branch of the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear. No one had ever possessed the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear as a martial soul—perhaps because the martial soul was too domineering for a human body to withstand.
But the Darkgolden Bear was regarded as the strongest among bear-type soul beasts. It inherited nearly all the traits of the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear, except for its terrifying claws. It had immense strength and top-tier defense, making it an ideal tank.
Gu You, however, remained completely indifferent. "Sorry, my team is already full." Did he even need teammates? He could single-handedly carry this competition. Tanks? Who needed them?
Yang Nianxia awkwardly withdrew but couldn't help but feel a growing desire to challenge Gu You.
The fifteen minutes passed quickly. Under Shen Yi and Wu Zhangkong's guidance, the entire first-grade Class One, 108 students in total, marched grandly toward the battlefield.
(End of Chapter)