"Group Three, begin," Teacher Xia Yu said expressionlessly.
Wang Qiao and Zhang Yiqing stepped forward and stood facing each other. At Xia Yu's signal, their match began.
Time passed slowly as match after match unfolded—some fast, some fiercely contested. Before long, the one-hour class was nearing its end.
"Group Twenty-Five, get ready," Xia Yu said, his tone unchanged.
"My turn!" Tang Ya perked up with excitement.
"Go, Xiao Ya! You've got this!" Jiang Nannan cheered her on.
"Don't worry! I'm the head of Tang Sect, after all!" Tang Ya replied confidently, striding proudly to the center of the ring.
Her opponent was a small, thin boy who looked rather weak.
"Tang Ya, Level 19, control-type Soul Master."
"Yang Linmu, Level 18, Soul Master."
With names and levels exchanged, the battle began.
Tang Ya's martial soul, unsurprisingly, was Blue Silver Grass—a simple blue vine appearing in her hand, drawing murmurs from the spectators.
Yang Linmu's martial soul was a beast-type: the Wind Glide Mouse, a speed-type soul beast. It had membrane wings between its limbs that allowed for short gliding flight.
Tang Ya launched the first attack. Her first soul ring lit up, and her Blue Silver Grass surged forth like a tidal wave toward Yang Linmu.
Blue Silver Grass—First Soul Skill: Bind!
But Yang Linmu didn't sit idle. His first soul ring lit up as well, dramatically boosting his speed. He darted to the side, evading the incoming vines and making a beeline for Tang Ya.
She didn't panic. With composed movements, she began weaving through the ring, her footwork unusually agile—almost matching Yang Linmu's speed.
"Is that the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track from the Tang Sect?" Zhu Ziyang muttered, his expression calm, though a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track—one of the Seven Supreme Techniques of the Tang Sect. Many references to it existed in old Tang Sect texts, but no formal training method had ever been documented. Not even Zhu Ziyang's "super library" had it. Clearly, it was a secret technique passed down by word of mouth.
The Seven Supreme Arts of the Tang Sect—including Mysterious Heaven Skill, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Controlling Crane Catching Dragon, Mysterious Jade Hand, Purple Demon Eyes, Hidden Weapons Hundred Separation, and Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method—were all said to be created by the legendary Tang San, the Sea God.
Though Zhu Ziyang held little regard for Tang San's character, he respected his power—creating soul skills from scratch was no small feat.
That said, Zhu Ziyang was skeptical of the Tang Sect's claims. For example, Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method was clearly a secret technique from the Clear Sky Clan—so how did Tang San "create" it?
Of course, not many people knew that detail. These days, the Tang Sect was a declining relic of the past, rarely worth anyone's attention.
Back in the ring—
Yang Linmu was shocked that he couldn't catch up to Tang Ya. He faltered slightly, and that hesitation cost him dearly.
Tang Ya seized the opening. She spun around and charged at him. Her Blue Silver Grass shot out again, this time binding him tightly, completely immobilizing him.
"Group Twenty-Five—Tang Ya wins!" Xia Yu declared.
"Hehe, thanks for the match!" Tang Ya said cheerfully, withdrawing her vines with a grin.
"N-no problem…" Yang Linmu replied, face red with embarrassment as he returned to the student group—clearly feeling ashamed to lose to a girl.
"That's all for today's lesson. The remaining twenty-four groups will go next class. Dismissed," Xia Yu announced and briskly turned to leave.
The students who had already fought walked off happily, while those still waiting for their turn were visibly anxious.
"Nannan, Ziyang, let's go!" Tang Ya, in high spirits, bounced over and grabbed Jiang Nannan's arm.
"Aren't we waiting for Yu Beibei?" Zhu Ziyang asked, slipping his victory record notebook into his soul tool ring.
"No need. Beibei and I agreed to meet at the dining hall," Tang Ya said smugly.
"Alright then, let's go," Zhu Ziyang replied.
The three left the teaching building and headed toward the cafeteria.
They had just finished getting their food when Yu Beibei arrived.
"Beibei, over here!" Tang Ya waved excitedly. Her loud voice turned quite a few heads in the dining hall.
"You guys are fast!" Yu Beibei said, surprised as he walked over.
"Hehe, we got out early!" Tang Ya handed him his food tray, her face glowing with excitement.
"Guess what? We had real combat training today—and I totally crushed my opponent!"
"Of course, Xiao Ya is the best!" Yu Beibei smiled affectionately, patting her head like one might with a little sister.
"Obviously!" Tang Ya replied, totally unbothered by the praise. Then, leaning close to his ear, she whispered mischievously,
"Oh, right, Beibei, did you know…?"
"Know what?" Yu Beibei blinked.
"You heard about the Soul Elder in our freshman class, right?" Tang Ya teased.
"Oh, that? Yeah, I know about it," Yu Beibei chuckled.
"Not only do I know, I also know he's in your Class Four, right?"
"Mhm!" Tang Ya nodded proudly. But she wasn't done yet.
"But do you know who he is?" she asked, giggling.
"Who is it?" Yu Beibei was intrigued.
"Hehehe… I'm not telling you!" Tang Ya laughed, sticking out her tongue.
"You little rascal!" Yu Beibei pretended to scold her, reaching out to ruffle her hair in mock frustration.
"Ah! Don't mess up my hair!" Tang Ya ducked and laughed, trying to dodge. But despite her words, she looked like she was enjoying it.
After a few moments of playful teasing, Tang Ya suddenly remembered they were eating—and with Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan too. She hesitated, thinking their affection might be too much in public.
She turned to look at them—and was instantly struck dumb.
The two were feeding each other.
Tang Ya choked on her drink.
"Emmm…" She turned back and quickly grabbed Yu Beibei's hand.
"Beibei, let's continue!"
The two pairs finished their dinner amid laughter and light teasing. Meanwhile, other students around them grumbled quietly:
"Can't eat anymore… I'm already full—from watching them."
After they finished, Tang Ya proposed they take a walk around Sea God Lake, and everyone agreed.