Douluo Continent III Haotian Wulin

When Tang Wulin woke up, he felt completely refreshed.

All the pain disappeared.

The feeling of being burned, frozen, and having countless tiny things burrow into his bones was like a long and terrifying nightmare. But when he woke up, he clearly felt that his body was different from before.

Lighter.

It is also heavier.

Light is breathing, heavy is strength.

However, his consciousness first entered not reality, but that familiar mental world.

In the darkness, golden light slowly emerged.

"You're awake."

Old Tang's voice carried a hint of joy and relief.

Tang Wulin looked at him and couldn't help but ask, "I successfully broke the seal?"

"Um."

Old Tang nodded.

"The first seal has been successfully broken. You have also absorbed the first essence of the Golden Dragon King. Everything is difficult at the beginning, but if you can get through this, you have truly laid a foundation. In the coming period, you will gradually feel the changes brought about by this breakthrough."

Tang Wulin, still a young man at heart, brightened up upon hearing this.

"What changes will occur? Will my soul power increase significantly?"

Old Tang said, "No."

Tang Wulin was taken aback.

Old Tang continued, "The Golden Dragon King's essence mainly affects your body. After the seal is broken, your soul power will increase, but not dramatically. What truly changes is your physique, the resilience of your bloodline, and the potential deep within your body."

"After the first seal is broken, you will first possess a trace of dragon might. Any dragon-type soul beast, dragon-type martial soul, or being with dragon bloodline, as long as its level is lower than that of the Golden Dragon King, will be affected by this pressure emanating from you. Of course, if the opponent's cultivation level is far higher than yours, this effect will be weakened."

Tang Wulin immediately thought of Wang Jinxi.

No wonder.

No wonder even a powerful martial spirit like the Bone Dragon King would be slowed down in front of me.

Secondly.

Old Tang's voice became more serious.

"After the first seal is broken, the first part of your body to fuse with the power of the Golden Dragon King will be your right hand. As you gradually absorb this essence, you will be able to control your right hand to transform into a golden dragon claw."

"The Golden Dragon Claw possesses immense power and a unique property called 'crushing'."

"Crushed?" Tang Wulin murmured, repeating it over and over.

Simply put, it means indestructible.

Old Tang said, "Anything that is hard can be shattered to some extent when struck by your Golden Dragon Claw. Of course, this is not absolute. The stronger your cultivation, the more obvious the shattering effect. If the opponent's strength far exceeds your tolerance limit, this ability will also be limited."

Tang Wulin subconsciously looked at his right hand.

His mind was focused on the past.

A faint golden hue gradually appeared on his right hand, as if fine lines were faintly visible beneath his skin. In the dim light, it seemed as if scales were trying to emerge, but they quickly sank back down.

That's all.

Old Tang said, "Don't rush. Absorbing the Golden Dragon King's essence takes time. You've only just broken through the first seal, and your body is still adapting. It won't be long before you truly master it."

Tang Wulin nodded.

"Also, don't use the Golden Dragon Claw lightly. Although it belongs to your physical strength, it still requires soul power and physical strength to activate, which is extremely taxing on you right now. Be especially careful when you lose control of your emotions."

Tang Wulin paused for a moment.

He thought of the claw strike he almost missed during the match.

If it weren't for the dance teacher's intervention...

His heart tightened.

"I see."

Old Tang looked at him, his voice becoming calmer.

"As you break through more seals and fuse with more of the Golden Dragon King's power in the future, you will gain even more abilities. You must unlock the second seal before you turn fifteen. Unlocking the second seal requires four kinds of rare and precious materials, and I have already imprinted their descriptions into your memory."

Just as Tang Wulin was about to ask more questions, several vague yet clear impressions came to mind.

Name, form, aura, function.

It's as if it was directly etched into my memory.

Old Tang concluded, "Also, if you can successfully fuse with the power of the second seal, there will be a surprise."

"surprise?"

Tang Wulin was taken aback and wanted to ask more questions, but Old Tang's figure had already faded away into the illusion.

The spiritual world then fades away.

……

When Tang Wulin returned to the dormitory, Yun Xiao and Zhou Changxi had already returned.

The two men immediately surrounded him as soon as they saw him.

"How's Xie Xie?"

Tang Wulin said, "I need to rest for a while. Both arms are broken, and my internal organs have also been shaken, but my teacher said there's no danger to my life."

Zhou Changxi breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help but curse, "That class went way too far! This is just a competition!"

Tang Wulin's expression darkened.

"Yeah, it's just a competition."

Yun Xiao glanced at him, coughed lightly, and said, "However... you weren't exactly gentle either."

Tang Wulin was taken aback.

Yun Xiao lowered her voice and said, "Zhang Yangzi has broken both legs, and Wang Jinxi has broken his right arm. Wei Xiaofeng wasn't seriously injured, but I heard he was so frightened that his face turned pale and he didn't recover for a long time."

Tang Wulin fell silent.

He recalled that final claw strike.

At that time, Zhang Yangzi's power merged into Wang Jinxi's body, and the bony tail on Wang Jinxi's back should have carried a portion of Zhang Yangzi's body and soul power. The crushing property of his Golden Dragon Claw probably came into play in that attack, causing Zhang Yangzi's legs to break.

Looking back now, the situation was indeed very dangerous.

The fusion of Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi was clearly incomplete. During the fusion process, the influence of Wang Jinxi's own dragon might was somewhat reduced, but it did not completely disappear.

If it were a truly complete Martial Soul Fusion Technique, I'm afraid I might not be able to win.

The Golden Dragon Claw is powerful, but it has its limits.

Moreover, that power is far from being entirely one's own.

"Did the director ultimately rule that we won?" Tang Wulin asked.

Yun Xiao shook her head.

"No. Director Long looked extremely pale at the time. He was only focused on arranging treatment and didn't announce the outcome. But everyone could see that if Teacher Wu hadn't intervened in time, those two guys might have been injured even more seriously."

Zhou Changxi couldn't help but look at Tang Wulin's right hand.

"I never knew you had this ability hidden away. What's going on with your hand? Is it an ability resulting from the mutation of the Sinking Star Hammer?"

Tang Wulin gave a wry smile.

"I can't really say. Maybe my body has changed after being affected by my martial soul."

He spoke vaguely.

Yun Xiao and Zhou Changxi exchanged a glance but did not press the matter further.

After all, the mutations of a Soul Master's Martial Soul are incredibly diverse, not to mention that Tang Wulin has been undergoing special training under Wu Changkong for some time now. Who knows if he has developed some kind of monstrous ability?

Tang Wulin didn't say anything more.

"I'll meditate for a while first."

This match left a very deep impression on him.

Xie Xie was seriously injured.

Gu Yue exhausted her soul power.

I almost lost control.

For the first time, he realized so clearly that becoming stronger did not necessarily mean victory, but also meant more dangerous consequences.

If you cannot control your power, even power itself can harm you.

Fortunately, they should have won in the end.

After the promotion tournament, they should become Class 1 of the first year.

Tang Wulin sat down cross-legged.

After breaking the seal, he hadn't truly rested. Now, his tense nerves finally relaxed, and he entered a meditative state much faster than usual. Soon, he entered a state of complete absorption in the external world.

……

Dean's Office.

"What exactly happened?"

Yu Zhen looked at Long Hengxu, who was standing in front of the desk, with a solemn expression.

Long Hengxu gave a bitter smile.

"Dean, this is my responsibility. As the referee, I failed to stop the situation from escalating in time, and I am willing to bear all the consequences."

He paused here, then his expression became serious.

"However, I must also say this: this year's freshmen are truly exceptional. If guided properly, they will undoubtedly become the pillars of Donghai Academy in the future."

Yu Zhen frowned and said, "So special that it could result in three people being seriously injured in a promotion match?"

Long Hengxu sighed.

"The reason today's match went out of control was in the final stage. Two second-ring students from Class 1 of the first year, Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, suddenly unleashed an incomplete Martial Soul Fusion Technique."

"A Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"

Yu Zhen raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

His anger subsided somewhat as a result.

"Yes."

Long Hengxu said, "Although it's not complete yet, the prototype is very obvious. With their current second-ring cultivation, they shouldn't be able to truly master this level of ability. That's why the fusion state is unstable, yet it still caused Wang Jinxi's strength to surge in a short period of time."

"It was with this incomplete fusion technique that they severely injured Xie Xie from Class 5 of the first year. Xie Xie suffered fractures in both arms and internal organ concussion."

Yu Zhen's expression darkened.

"and then?"

Long Hengxu's expression was complicated.

"Then, something even more unexpected happened."

He paused for a moment, as if even he himself found it unbelievable.

"The student named Tang Wulin from Class 5 originally only had one spirit ring, and his spirit ring was also ten years old. But at the last moment, his right hand suddenly changed, taking on a shape similar to a dragon claw. With two attacks, he actually managed to shatter Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi's incomplete spirit fusion technique."

Yu Zhen frowned.

"A one-ring Soul Master defeating a Soul Fusion Technique jointly executed by two two-ring Great Soul Masters?"

He stared at Long Hengxu.

"Director Long, are you telling me a story?"

Long Hengxu's bitter smile deepened.

"Dean, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. But thousands of teachers and students were there at the time, so I can't make it up."

Yu Zhen fell silent.

Long Hengxu continued, "Tang Wulin's martial soul is the Sinking Star Hammer. Originally, he was assigned to Class 5 because his soul rings were too weak. But now it seems that this child probably has other mutations. The change in his right hand is not like an ordinary soul skill, nor is it like the soul skill of the Sinking Star Hammer itself. It is more like a special mutation that appears after the long-term interaction between the body and the martial soul."

"Body mutation?"

Yu Zhen's eyes flickered slightly.

Long Hengxu said, "I suspect it might be closer to the direction of the original martial soul."

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhen's expression finally changed.

He knew very well what the Body Martial Soul meant.

Any martial spirit related to a body part, if cultivated to a high level, has great potential when combined with a mecha. In particular, key parts such as the arms, eyes, and torso are the talent directions that mecha pilots dream of.

Moreover, Tang Wulin himself also possesses the Sinking Star Hammer.

A weapon spirit master has developed an ability similar to the mutation of his right hand.

This is something that deserves serious attention.

Long Hengxu pressed his advantage, saying, "Dean, I can't say for sure that this is definitely Tang Wulin's original martial soul. But the changes in Tang Wulin's right hand have indeed exceeded the scope of ordinary martial soul mutations. More importantly, his own strength is extremely high, and his control over his martial soul is also improving rapidly. Such a person should no longer be regarded as an ordinary student of Class 5."

Yu Zhen tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

After a moment, he said, "What do you mean?"

Long Hengxu said, "I suggest that this year's first-grade promotion competition be stopped here."

Yu Zhen looked at him.

Long Hengxu smiled wryly, "Judging from today's situation, this year's first-year students are quite special. Class One has three two-ring spirits, two of whom even possess the rudiments of a spirit fusion skill. Class Five has Xie Xie, Gu Yue, and Tang Wulin. Xie Xie has a two-ring twin spirit, Gu Yue has amazing talent in elemental control, and Tang Wulin is suspected of having a special mutation."

"If they continue to challenge higher levels, the second-year students may not be able to stop them, and even the third-year students may be thrown into turmoil."

"While this may create a sensation for the academy, it may not be good for the students. There have already been serious injuries today, and if we continue to push forward, the risks will only increase."

Yu Zhen pondered for a moment and said, "So you suggest making special arrangements for this cohort?"

"Yes."

Long Hengxu said seriously, "We will no longer let them continue to participate in the regular promotion competition, but will treat the first year as a special pilot program. We will reassess their class assignments, resources, and training methods."

"This year's freshmen should no longer be treated as ordinary students."

Yu Zhen did not answer immediately.

The dean's office fell silent.

After a long pause, he slowly said, "Write me a detailed report. Include the details of today's match, the injuries, an assessment of each key trainee's abilities, and your suggestions for future training programs."

Long Hengxu felt relieved and immediately replied, "Yes, Dean."

Yu Zhen added another sentence.

"Tang Wulin's situation is currently classified as an internal academy secret. Do not disclose it to outsiders."

Long Hengxu nodded.

"clear."

Yu Zhen looked out the window, his gaze gradually deepening.

This year's freshmen...

Perhaps, it will bring some unexpected surprises to Donghai Academy.