Chapter 242 - Passing the Exam

Wu Zhangkong hadn’t watched it happen despite having been shown on the screen, since he was preoccupied with Xie Xie’s condition.

Xie Xie’s jaw dropped. “T-that’s possible? A soul bone! You got a soul bone! Wulin, you can pay me back with it.”

Gu Yue knitted her brows. “Now you’re trying to snatch it away?”

Xie Xie snorted. “Is it no good? Alright, fine. Then you can just forge my battle armor for me instead, Wulin.”

Tang Wulin smiled wryly. “Alright.”

Initially taken aback by Xie Xie, Gu Yue began smiling a moment later.

As comrades, they were going to help each other make their battle armors anyway! They wouldn’t have chosen different professions otherwise.

Wu Zhangkong’s watched over them firmly. “You’ve all passed your final exam.”

With the exam now over, the first semester of the fourth grade was concluded. Their journey, however, was only just beginning, as the next chapter of their story would soon lead them to the haven of their dreams.

☀

In a room pervaded by and heavy with the element of darkness, a purple halo lit up, driving back some of the oppressive atmosphere.

“My Lord,” a deep voice said deferentially, its owner kneeling. In spite of his human appearance, he had an aura as frightening as the abyss.

“Mn.” A petite figure emerged, a sight for sore eyes in the midst of the heavy gloom. She had silver hair which flowed down to the floor, and her two violet eyes seemed to pierce the darkness.

“What’s the progress?” A delicate voice rang, as if from a young girl.

“We have already completely integrated ourselves, and collected information from all parties. Please take a look,” the black figure said softly.

“Mn.” In a blinding flash, a silver claw gripped the figure’s head. Intense shudders ran through his body for an instant before gradually easing down to a slight quiver.

☀

On a high-speed train headed for Shrek City from Eastsea City.

In the most ordinary of second class seats, the four students of class zero were bursting with excitement. This was their first trip to such a distant place.

On top of that, this journey was bound to forever change their fates.

The two girls sat on one side while Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Wu Zhangkong sat on the other, separated by the center aisle.

Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan chirped noisily from time to time while Gu Yue looked out the window quietly. Tang Wulin’s vision was also directed outside, but his eyes were unfocused. He had many things to ponder.

Wu Zhangkong leaned back in his chair, eyes closed; he was fast asleep.

As he stared absentmindedly out the window, Tang Wulin recalled the warnings received from his other teacher before his departure.

☀

“Wulin, I wish you success on your trip to Shrek Academy. However, you cannot neglect your blacksmithing practice. You must forge daily. In these past three years, you have made startling progress even by my standards. I’m certain that once you gain your third ring, Spirit Refinement will naturally follow.”

It was clear how much Mu Chen, a Saint Blacksmith, approved of Tang Wulin for him to speak such praise.

After recovering from his injuries three years before, Tang Wulin swiftly became able to first-grade thousand refine, and started to do so for any metal he could get his hands on. He had completed countless first-grade thousand refining tasks.

Spirit Refinement would usually be attempted once the blacksmith reached a thirty percent success rate for first-grade thousand refining. In fact, some blacksmiths would even attempt it while only having a ten percent success rate for first-grade thousand refining.

Meanwhile, Tang Wulin had reached a guaranteed success rate!!

In comparison, Mu Chen only had a fifty percent success rate when he first attempted Spirit Refinement!

While Tang Wulin’s situation stemmed from his low cultivation, with his immense talent for forging, he quickly honed his skills to such a level that he could instead focus on cultivating.

Yet his discipline never wavered as he continued to forge diligently while also requesting guidance from Mu Chen on every single detail about first-grade thousand refining. His Thousand Refinements were honed beyond perfection now.

During the past three years, he had engraved into his heart every quirk and property of a myriad of metals. Even Mu Chen found such a standard too harsh to impose on anyone. He was hard-pressed to find even the slightest fault in this gifted disciple of his.

Mu Chen did not dissuade Tang Wulin from leaving for Shrek City to take the Shrek entrance exam. If he managed to pass, not only would he grow into a powerful soul master in the future, he would also become a battle armor master.

Soul power and blacksmithing complemented one another. Mu Chen sincerely hoped for his disciple to reach the greatest heights possible.

“Yes, Teacher,” Tang Wulin promised respectfully.

Mu Chen said, “If you pass the Shrek exam, give me a call and I’ll make arrangements for your blacksmithing studies.”

“Understood.” Tang Wulin’s tone grew even more respectful.

Without Mu Chen’s careful guidance, Tang Wulin would never have been able to obtain all the metals he had forged from the market! Mu Chen had provided him with many rare metals produced in small quantities. Only Master Craftsman rank blacksmiths and above had access to them for the sake of Spirit Refinement.

Despite that, Mu Chen had provided him with countless such metals and taught him all of their characteristics one by one. Only this way could Tang Wulin manage to achieve a one hundred percent success rate for first-grade thousand refining.

Tang Wulin was aware of that, and tried to return the favor as he could. He always forged together with Mu Xi and led her along with his own rhythm, helping her skills to progress by leaps and bounds in the last three years. She was seventeen years old now, and a fourth rank blacksmith. To the public, she was the number one blacksmithing genius of Eastsea City.

Mu Chen rubbed Tang Wulin’s head. “Be safe. Even if you don’t pass the entrance exam, you can just come back and I’ll think of some way to get you into a good academy.”

“Thank you, Teacher.” Tang Wulin hugged Mu Chen with teary eyes.

If he passed the exam, then who knows when the next time he returned would be. The thought of parting with Mu Chen was heartwrenching.

Mu Chen chuckled. “Foolish child. What are you crying for? With today’s soul technology, can’t you just visit whenever you want? Alright, go say goodbye to your senior disciple sister now. She’s been depressed ever since she found out you were leaving.”

Mu Xi hadn’t even come to the Blacksmith’s Association in the past few days. She began ignoring him when he told her he was leaving to take the Shrek entrance exam. She rejected all his calls, and he was unable to enter the girls’ dormitory.

Once he was back at the academy, Tang Wulin dialed a number.

“Big sis Zixin, is my senior disciple sister there?” Tang Wulin asked.

“She’s here. Come over,” Ouyang Zixin replied.