194 For the Money! (1/2)

“Champion? But we’re still eleven! Xie Xie told me that we would have tocompete against people who are ten to fifteen years old. That’s a bit…”

Wu Zhangkong coldly said, “Age does not determine one’s strength. You justneed to try your best. The outcome is not the most important thing, understood?”

“Yes,” Tang Wulin answered.

“You can leave now. Go prepare for tomorrow’s trip to Skysea City. All of theparticipants from Eastsea City will be leaving together, so you don’t have toworry about meeting up with your colleagues from the Blacksmith’s Association.”

“Yes.”

For the past month, Tang Wulin had been entirely focused on preparing for theblacksmith’s competition. Although he could not yet forge a first-grade metal,his success rate for second-grade metals had already risen to more than eightypercent. Even among other fourth rank blacksmiths, such a success rate wasrarely seen.

As Mu Chen had said, Tang Wulin’s inability to forge a first-grade metal wasnot due to a lack of understanding, but a deficiency of soul power.

Soul power was the foundation of soul masters, and it was also crucial toblacksmiths. The higher one’s soul power, the higher the chances of imbuingspirit into metal during forging. Even if he was a divine genius in the realmof blacksmithing, his status as a one-ringed soul master would only hinder hisadvancement in the craft.

According to Mu Chen’s guess, Tang Wulin would immediately be able to forgefirst-grade metals once he possessed two rings.

His training menu under Mu Chen did not change; it was still focused onsolidifying his foundation in preparation for the future. After all, he wasstill young and did not need to take risks in order to achieve a first-gradeThousand Refined creation.

What Tang Wulin had not expected, however, was that they would be one of theteams representing Eastsea Academy and they would be competing in the juniordivision for the soul master team battles, no less.

Although he was shocked, he was also eager for combat.

Locked within an abyss of suffering for the past month, Tang Wulin t had notvisited the spirit ascension platform even once. Instead, he faced Wu Zhangkongin battle every day. He would rather face a ten-thousand-year soul beast thanfight Wu Zhangkong; after all, he had personally witnessed his teacherslaughter a ten-thousand-year soul beast as if it were just a walk in the park!

The only fruit that was born from that night’s victory was an escalation inthe intensity of their training. Even while combining their forces andutilizing the dirtiest of schemes, they could not hold a candle to athree-ringed Wu Zhangkong. As the team captain, Tang Wulin took the brunt of WuZhangkong’s attacks, each battle leaving him covered in bruises and cuts.

Yet, it was precisely because of such harsh circumstances that theircoordination and soul power improved so quickly.

Tang Wulin could sense that he was but one step away from reaching rank 17 now.

However, his intense cultivation schedule conflicted with his forging practiceleading him to be unable to meet his task quotas. Naturally, his income tanked.

Whenever Tang Wulin thought of the Skysea Alliance Tournament, his pulse wouldpound incessantly and his eyes redden until they were bloodshot at the thoughtof the award money that would solve quite a few of his current problems.

Now that he was a fourth rank blacksmith, his potential income skyrocketed andhe had been able to clear his debt to Wu Zhangkong. His wallet wept at itsempty pockets.

“Teacher Wu.” Before walking through the door, Tang Wulin suddenly spunaround. “Is there an award for participating in the tournament?”

Wu Zhangkong stared at him. “If the team performs well, there will be one.Although there is a monetary award given to the top thirty-two, the sum onlybecomes significant once you breach the top sixteen.  As for receiving anendowment from the academy, all of you are already draining the academy’sresources dry. Especially you. Your food expenses are nearly enough to feed theentire intermediate division. Tell me, do you still want a reward?”

Tang Wulin dared not speak out. Instead, he stuck his tongue out like a littlerascal.

But was the truth not spoken? He knew that he was just shoveling in thathigh-class, nutritious food that aided in his cultivation, seemingly to no end.Obviously, the expenses for such nourishment were high. With all that healthyfood, his cultivation was progressing at a magnified rate, even to the pointwhere preparing to break through the second seal seemed more feasible than ever