The 20% power boost was applied to his entire level 68 strength. Reaching near Title Douluo level was no problem at all.
As Gu You's aura exploded outward, the fusion technique of golden leaves and peach blossoms was instantly scattered.
Ye Shihong and Bai Hanying were both knocked unconscious by the violent shockwave.
The once dazzling golden leaf martial soul vanished into the air, and even the fragrance of peach blossoms could no longer be detected.
"Still want to fight?" Gu You turned his head slightly to look at the remaining students. His purple eyes radiated with spiraling violet energy.
"We surrender!"
"Yes, we surrender!"
Zhou Tian silently thanked his luck—thankful that he hadn't acted and that Gu You hadn't focused on him. But his eyes still showed a complicated expression. In just a few short years, the boy who was once just a two-ring Soul Master had grown to such a level.
Meanwhile, Qian Xingmo was still locked in combat with Ye Xinglan and the others, and his face didn't look good at all. These Soul Elders in front of him were far more difficult to handle than he had anticipated.
Just as he was about to unleash his strongest soul skill, he accidentally overheard—
His teammates had all surrendered.
Qian Xingmo gritted his teeth.How useless were those teammates of his?!How could Gu You have beaten all six of them so easily?
As his attention split between Ye Xinglan and Gu You, Gu You also turned his gaze toward him.
"I surrender, I surrender."
Facing Gu You's purple pupils, Qian Xingmo felt a strange, involuntary sense of fear rising in his heart—forcing him to admit defeat.
"First Year Class One, victory!" the referee's calm voice echoed across the arena.
An arena that had been dead silent moments ago erupted with excitement.
"Gu You!""Gu You!!"
Standing in the center of the arena, Gu You basked in the thunderous applause and praise. But his first emotion was not joy—instead, it was a sense of loss.
If I didn't have this power… where would I be now?
After the sparring match, the next events were professional skill competitions, where representatives from Class One would compete. Their sixth-year opponents were top students selected across different classes, especially those best in their secondary professions.
Due to his position as a forging class representative, Gu You had to participate in the forging match.
Not long after, two large forging platforms were already prepared atop the arena.
"The Forging Exchange Duel will begin in three minutes."
Most of the spectators had stayed behind specifically to watch Gu You.They were curious: With such overwhelming strength, how talented was he in his secondary profession?
With curiosity in their hearts, all eyes turned to the stage.
Gu You stepped toward the forging platform. As a member of Class One, he had no excuse to avoid this match.
From the teachers' area, Feng Wuyu said proudly to Zhuo Shi,"Just wait. I'll show you what true dominance looks like."
Zhuo Shi replied,"That's still just my grand-disciple's own talent. What does it have to do with you?"
"I was his first forging instructor! How is that not related to me?!" Feng Wuyu retorted.
Zhuo Shi smirked,"Then tell me—when my grand-disciple first arrived, what level of forging was he at?"
Feng Wuyu thought back. At that time, Gu You had already mastered Spirit Forging and could forge high-quality products. He should've been a Level 6 Blacksmith.
"Level 6, obviously!" he replied without hesitation.
"And what level is he now?" Zhuo Shi pressed.
"Level si—"Feng Wuyu froze mid-sentence.It was too late.
Zhuo Shi scoffed,"He was already Level 6 when he came. That proves he was a forging genius. And now, he's still Level 6. That just proves what a useless teacher you are. He didn't improve at all under you!"
"Bullsh*t! That's not how it works! Do you think becoming a Saint Craftsman is that easy?!"Feng Wuyu flew into a rage. He grabbed Zhuo Shi by the collar.
Zhuo Shi didn't resist. He simply snorted,"What? Planning to lay hands on your superior?"
"What makes you my superior?!" Feng Wuyu roared.
Zhuo Shi grinned,"You're his teacher, and I'm his teacher's teacher—his grandmaster. That makes us a generation apart. Even if you won't call me 'Master,' you should at least call me 'Martial Uncle.' If you lay hands on me, that's insubordination!"
"Both of you, out!"Ya Li turned around again. Her gaze was already full of warning.
Feng Wuyu quickly let go and looked down, pretending to be uninvolved.Zhuo Shi spread his hands innocently, then used his right hand to mimic zipping his mouth shut—signaling he'd say no more.
Shrek's two "dragons" had finally fallen silent.Cai Yue'er leaned over to whisper in Ya Li's ear with a giggle,"Only you can keep them in check. Not even the Pavilion Master is as effective as you."
Ya Li shook her head with a helpless smile."Those two... they're like big kids who never grew up."
By now, Gu You had arrived on the platform.
His opponent looked to be about seventeen, with average looks and medium build—nothing special at first glance. But his palms were particularly broad, and his arms thick and muscular.
He radiated a calm presence. After stepping up, he didn't glance at Gu You once—his focus remained entirely on the forging table in front of him.
Interesting.Seeing his opponent's demeanor, Gu You raised an eyebrow slightly.
The referee announced loudly,"First Round: Forging Exchange Duel. Topic: Metal Purification.You will each receive a piece of rare metal—Titanium Crystal—and have two quarter-hours to refine it.Whoever achieves the better purification result will win.The winner will receive 1,000 contribution points and academy credits. If the first-year student wins, an additional 30% bonus will be awarded."
Titanium Crystal?!
Upon hearing the name of the rare metal, Gu You felt immediately targeted—he had never forged it before.
Among rare metals, some are especially difficult to forge. What they usually have in common is exceptionally high quality, extreme hardness, or extreme toughness—and to affect them in the forging process, a smith must expend much more time and energy.
Titanium Crystal was undoubtedly one of the most difficult.
Rather than calling it a refined rare metal, it was more like a raw ore.
It was extremely hard—but at the same time, very brittle.Apply too much force, and it breaks.Apply too little, and it won't even budge.As a result, very few blacksmiths chose to work with this material.
But—once purified, Titanium Crystal became an extraordinary rare metal.It was known to have high compatibility with nearly all other rare metals, and many high-level blacksmiths would incorporate it into alloys to greatly enhance their strength.
In fact, this material was strictly controlled by the Federation military, classified as a strategic-grade resource.
Its price was also shockingly high—a single piece of Titanium Crystal could fetch twenty million Federation coins on the open market.
The referee continued,"The winner will be allowed to keep the purified product and will also receive two additional pieces of Titanium Crystal from the academy."
Two more?! That's the special reward?!
Gu You was momentarily speechless.This was more than a duel—this was turning into a resource war.
(End of Chapter)