"Teacher Wu, does this mean I can enroll now?" Liu Ying spoke softly as she watched Wu Zhangkong examine Tang Wulin's injuries.
"Since you defeated Tang Wulin, I will honor my promise," Wu Zhangkong replied.
Tang Wulin wasn't seriously hurt—he had just passed out because something hard had struck his head. With his powerful vitality, he'd wake up soon enough.
But… he was definitely in for a big meal afterward!
Tang Wulin's vitality was extraordinarily strong, but it wasn't infinite—it came from consistent training and, most importantly, eating.
The only reason he had managed to show such remarkable endurance over the past few days was thanks to some good meals recently. If he were malnourished, he probably wouldn't have held up as well.
"But I want to know—was your Martial Soul that armor you used just now?"
Martial Souls came in many forms—everything from household items to soul beasts. Over the years, Wu Zhangkong had seen countless bizarre ones. The most unusual Martial Soul he'd encountered so far belonged to Bóshí Zūn from Heita.
Even now, Wu Zhangkong still didn't know what exactly Bóshí Zūn was.
But Liu Ying's Martial Soul was easier to guess. From the earlier battle, it was clear: the armor itself was the Martial Soul.
To be honest, armor-type Martial Souls had appeared before, but none had looked like Liu Ying's—hers clearly had the aesthetics of soul tool technology. The others were just traditional, ancient-style armor.
"You could say that. My Martial Soul is indeed a suit of armor—but… its core isn't the armor itself. It's this."
As she spoke, a silver glow shimmered in Liu Ying's hand. Along with it appeared the green firelight that had flared out during her earlier battle.
This is…?
Wu Zhangkong furrowed his brows. He remembered that object very clearly—it was the same thing that had knocked Tang Wulin unconscious earlier. He hadn't expected that it could transform into a suit of armor.
"Firefly Armor: Sam—that's my Martial Soul!"
When Liu Ying spread her arms, Wu Zhangkong could finally see the true form of her Martial Soul. It looked entirely like soul tool tech! How could something like this even be a Martial Soul? Wu Zhangkong was stunned.
"After releasing my Martial Soul, I can operate the armor in battle and use flame power as support. It allows for very powerful fire-based attacks."
Wu Zhangkong silently nodded after hearing her explanation. He had witnessed the fight earlier—and the flames from that armor were clearly more than just "support."
Even from a distance, he could sense the heat radiating from it. The power it gave off was easily at the Level 30 range—and Liu Ying herself was only Level 20! Crossing levels in combat wasn't something just anyone could do.
Impressive. Truly impressive!
He hadn't expected to meet such a talent after Heita had left. It really felt like divine providence!
"You can go run laps with the others now. And take Tang Wulin with you."
Wu Zhangkong looked down. Tang Wulin was still out cold? What a waste of that strong vitality!
So, he extended his foot and kicked Tang Wulin, jolting him awake.
"Hurry up and get moving! Don't forget what I said earlier—you owe me twenty extra laps!"
Tang Wulin, dazed: Who am I again? Right now, I only recognize Liu Ying…
Tang Wulin (internal monologue): So love… really does disappear, huh?
Before leaving, Wu Zhangkong left one more instruction:
"Liu Ying, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie—you three come find me again after dinner tonight."
And just like that, Liu Ying effortlessly became a student of Eastsea Academy, joining Tang Wulin's class. It was certain that, from now on, she'd have plenty of opportunities to observe the divine strength hidden in Tang Wulin.
---
That evening—
"Starting today, special training begins—to prepare for the advancement exam three months from now."
In Class 5 of the new students, the only real standouts were Xie Xie and Tang Wulin. There weren't many of them, but their strength was real.
What Wu Zhangkong hadn't expected was that earlier that day, he had been given a surprise.
That girl, Liu Ying, had talent that was no less than Tang Wulin's—perhaps even greater!
Since that was the case, Wu Zhangkong had no intention of wasting any of their potential—just like how he had trained Heita before. Once he reached the limits of what he could teach, he had immediately recommended her to a better place.
Because only in that way could their potential truly flourish.
"So, your special training will be… fighting me!"
"These next three months, I'll do everything I can to improve your combat abilities. We're aiming for first place in the advancement tournament!"
Wu Zhangkong wasn't just saying that. The look in his eyes said it all—he was completely serious, and his expectations for the three of them were sky-high.
So… the three of them got beaten up.
Tang Wulin took the worst of it. Wu Zhangkong had noticed early on that the boy had incredible vitality—not only was he strong and tough, but he also healed quickly. So Wu Zhangkong was deliberately training him for a frontline tank role. Over the next three months, Wulin was definitely going to take more beatings.
Xie Xie got off easier—he was an agility-type soul master: fast and sharp, but with low defense. Usually, once Wu Zhangkong caught him, a single hit would knock him out.
As for Liu Ying… unfortunately, Wu Zhangkong never landed a single hit on her.
Not for lack of trying, of course—he did attack. But every blow struck her armor, Sam, instead of Liu Ying herself. In the end, she barely took any damage.
Still, under Wu Zhangkong's guidance, the bond between the three quickly deepened. They had already become a true "three-person squad."
But in the end, Wu Zhangkong asked Liu Ying to stay behind—because he had something important to ask her.
It was, of course, related to Heita. In the letter she had sent recommending Liu Ying, she had included a detailed explanation of Liu Ying's Martial Soul.
For example… Liu Ying didn't need a Battle Armor!
Because her Martial Soul couldn't be combined with one.
So "Sam" could be treated as her battle armor!
Most importantly, Sam could become stronger!
To build their own Battle Armor, soul masters had to become blacksmiths or purchase rare high-grade metals, which they then used to forge their suits.
But Liu Ying had no such problem. Her Martial Soul could absorb high-grade metals directly to enhance Sam's strength.
In other words—Sam was a Martial Soul that could grow!
As long as it absorbed enough high-quality metals, Sam could become a top-tier Martial Soul—maybe even surpass the top tier!