Douluo Continent III Haotian Wulin

"Breaking through the seal independently?"

Tang Wulin was stunned for a moment.

"Could there be a breakthrough beyond my control?"

A faint golden mist flowed.

Old Tang's figure stood deep within the light, his face obscured, but his voice was a few decibels lower than before.

"Of course."

"The seals will not remain quietly within you forever; they will be opened one by one once you are ready."

"As you age, your body will continue to change, and the essence of the Golden Dragon King will gradually awaken. If, at a certain stage, your physical body, soul power, or bloodline fluctuations touch the seal, it may loosen on its own."

Tang Wulin frowned slightly.

"It's just loose, it shouldn't be a big problem, right?"

"On the contrary."

Old Tang said, "If you take the initiative to break through, you can prepare spiritual items in advance, adjust your physical and mental state, and choose the most suitable time."

"But non-autonomous breakthroughs don't give you time to prepare."

"It could happen during cultivation, it could happen in battle, or it could simply be because you come into contact with something that contains a powerful dragon aura, causing the essence of the Golden Dragon King to resonate."

"At that time, the power within the seal will automatically impact your body."

Whether you can bear it or not is no longer up to you.

Tang Wulin's heart tightened.

He suddenly recalled the unusually intense burning sensation deep between his brows when he clashed with the Dark Gold Terror Claw.

At that moment, his blood was almost boiling, and the power of the Golden Dragon Claw was pushed to its limit in a very short time.

If the stimulus were stronger, could it trigger the next seal?

Old Tang seemed to know what he was thinking.

"You didn't truly trigger the second seal this time."

"It's just that the power of that soul beast stimulated the Golden Dragon King's bloodline, causing the aura within the seal to respond briefly."

"But in the future, you may not be so lucky every time."

Tang Wulin asked softly, "Will the later seals also break through on their own?"

"meeting."

"But the further the seal goes, the more stable its structure becomes, and the less susceptible it is to external influences."

"Therefore, the more seals you actively break through, the less likely the remaining seals will be accidentally triggered."

"In a sense, taking the initiative to break through is both gaining power and buying yourself more time to be safe."

Old Tang paused for a moment.

"The best-case scenario is that there should never be any breakthroughs that are not achieved autonomously."

"otherwise……"

He didn't continue speaking.

The golden light swayed gently, and the voice unusually dimmed.

Tang Wulin already understood what he meant.

If his body is not prepared when the breakthrough occurs involuntarily, the sealed power of the Golden Dragon King could really kill him.

This is not a contest.

It is not a virtual death in the Ascension Platform where one can wake up again.

"Old Tang, thank you."

Tang Wulin said seriously, "I will prepare step by step and will not risk my body."

"My most important goal right now is to raise the little ant's soul to a thousand years."

Old Tang's voice softened again.

"This path is right for you."

"But remember, don't let the sight of your goal make you forget the path beneath your feet."

"Go."

"Yes."

The golden mist gradually faded away.

Tang Wulin's consciousness returned to his body.

The dormitory was quiet.

Before dawn, Xie Xie lay on another bed, fast asleep. The aftereffects of being slashed by the dark gold claws had mostly disappeared, though he would occasionally tense up unconsciously, as if trying to avoid the claws he couldn't see in his dreams.

Tang Wulin did not disturb him.

He looked down at his right hand and slowly clenched it.

First, let the little ant's soul reach a thousand years.

Next, find the four spiritual items needed for the second seal.

Mental strength, physical strength, and soul strength—none of them can be neglected.

For the first time, he clearly realized that his cultivation was never just about becoming stronger.

It was also for survival.

……

The next day, in Class Zero's classroom.

Wu Changkong stood in front of the podium.

He was still dressed in white, with a cool and aloof expression.

"You all got very high scores on yesterday's exam."

The five people in the classroom sat up very straight.

Even though Zhang Yangzi still looked sleepy, he didn't dare to show it at this moment.

Wu Changkong continued, "The main reason is not how many soul beasts you killed, nor how much spiritual power you ultimately obtained."

"It's that you're starting to understand what you're supposed to do in the team."

His gaze swept over the five people in turn.

"Tang Wulin is responsible for bearing the pressure and making judgments."

"Gu Yue controls the battlefield."

"Xie Xie is looking for weaknesses."

"Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi will hold the rear and flanks."

"When someone makes a mistake, others know to step in and cover for them. When someone is in danger, no one just thinks of running away."

"These three months were not wasted."

"At least, you are now a complete team."

Although it was clearly a compliment, Wu Changkong's tone remained cold and hard, revealing little joy.

Zhang Yangzi secretly straightened her back.

Wang Jinxi remained calm, but his hands, resting on his knees, clenched slightly.

Xie Xie winked at Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin did not respond, but listened attentively.

Wu Changkong said, "Tang Wulin."

"exist."

"Your battlefield observation, rhythm judgment, and command abilities have all significantly improved."

"Especially when facing the human-faced spider, we did not rush to attack just because the opponent was powerful, nor were we disrupted by the spider silk it laid out."

"But this is just the beginning."

"What you can control now are a few familiar partners and a soul beast whose behavior patterns can be analyzed."

"The real battlefield will not always unfold as you expect."

Keep up the good work.

Tang Wulin nodded.

"Yes."

Wu Changkong abruptly changed the subject.

"Yesterday, each of you absorbed spiritual energy far exceeding the normal range."

"After all the final exams are over, the academy will arrange tests for your spirit ring age, mental strength, and physical strength."

"You are prohibited from entering the Ascension Platform again until the test results are available."

Zhang Yangzi couldn't help but ask, "We can't even enter in normal condition?"

Wu Changkong glanced at him.

"How much more do you think your soul can endure?"

Zhang Yangzi immediately fell silent.

The Dark Eagle's soul had only just recovered, and both of its soul rings had simultaneously absorbed a large amount of spiritual energy. If it continued to absorb, it might indeed exceed its current physical limits.

Wu Changkong said, "More spiritual power is not necessarily better."

"You must learn to distinguish between opportunity and greed."

"The former propels us forward, while the latter often destroys everything we've already achieved."

"If anyone feels that their spirit rings are unstable, their spirit power is blocked, or they experience mental swelling or pain, tell me immediately."

"Don't try to cross your own red line."

All five answered in unison, "Understood."

Next, we will review each battle in the Riotous Ascension Platform.

Wu Changkong didn't just talk about victory.

In the battle against the Iron-Armed Ape, Xie Xie seized the opportunity well, but still ventured too far in before fully assessing the opponent's counterattack range.

When Zhang Yangzi encountered Mu Xi's team, he deliberately revealed his position. Although this did not lead to a conflict, it was an unnecessary action.

Facing the young man with the ice staff, Gu Yue quickly won by relying on the unknown nature of his abilities and the opponent's underestimation of him, but also consumed a large amount of soul power. If the opponent had chosen to defend and delay, the outcome might not have been the same.

As for the Flame Lion Pack, their decision to flee was the right one.

Zhang Yangzi's method of attracting flying spirit beasts was effective, but it was also full of chance. If there had been no nest in the tree canopy, or if the flying spirit beasts he attracted had attacked him first, the outcome would have been different.

Finally, Wu Changkong paused the image on the moment the human-faced spider fell.

On the screen, the cage of poisonous silk still surrounds the area.

Tang Wulin withdrew from beneath the spider's abdomen, and Gu Yue's ice layer peeled away from his body. Xie Xie landed to the side, Zhang Yangzi's dark sky gradually dissipated, while Wang Jinxi stood in place, staring intently at the corpse of the human-faced demon spider.

Wu Changkong looked at Tang Wulin.

"I have a question."

"When you decided to let the Demon Spider complete the silk arrangement, did you anticipate that those poisonous threads would continue to kill other soul beasts, bringing you a large amount of spiritual power?"

Tang Wulin shook his head.

"no."

"At the time, I only had two things on my mind."

"First, it thinks that once we are trapped, its vigilance will decrease, and it will be more likely to actively enter the area we have prepared."

"Secondly, even if we kill it, those spider silks can block other soul beasts for a short time, giving everyone a chance to recover."

"As for the soul beast later running into the spider silk, that was an accident."

Wu Changkong nodded.

Honesty is a good thing.

He looked at the screen again.

"Although the final gain of spiritual energy was an accident, your earlier judgment was correct."

"The human-faced spider is building a cage for you, and you are also using that cage to make it gradually believe that victory has already been achieved."

"Wang Jinxi is the bait, Xie Xie's attack is the second layer of deception, and the real killing move is the Golden Dragon Claw that you launched from below your abdomen."

"You didn't let it know which step was the ultimate goal."

"This is the fundamental way to control the battlefield."

Tang Wulin scratched his head.

"Actually, the decision to crawl under its belly was made on the spur of the moment after seeing Gu Yue spread its spider legs."

Gu Yue said calmly, "I knew you would go in."

Tang Wulin turned to look at her.

How did you know?

"You've been looking at its belly the whole time."

Gu Yue answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Xie Xie clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"Can you two stop being so coordinated when you fight? It makes us look useless."

Gu Yue glanced at him.

Xie Xie immediately sat up straight, pretending that he hadn't said anything.

Wu Changkong ignored them.

"A decision made on the spot does not mean that no thought was given."

"True cooperation cannot possibly involve explaining every step in advance."

"but--"

His tone suddenly turned cold.

The five men's expressions also turned serious.

"After killing the Man-Faced Spider, all of you have become less vigilant."

The video begins to play backwards.

They gathered around the corpse of the human-faced spider to recover their soul power.

Upon waking up, I saw a large amount of spiritual energy and focused most of my attention on enhancing my soul.

After leaving the poisonous silk area, Tang Wulin was even briefly distracted by thinking about the method of spiritual ascension, allowing a ten-year-old leopard-type soul beast to approach the group.

The dance in the sky stopped.

"When fighting the human-faced spider, you knew you could be eliminated at any moment, so you were highly focused."

"After obtaining a large amount of spiritual power, you began to feel that even if you left immediately, you had already made a profit."

"Yes or no?"

No one speaks.

Because that is indeed the case.

Even Tang Wulin himself had similar thoughts at the time.

Wu Changkong looked at them.

"What if that wasn't the Ascension Platform?"

"What if you were in a real primeval forest, and leaving meant death?"

"Are you all still able to sit here unharmed?"

The classroom fell silent.

The smile on Xie Xie's face disappeared.

Zhang Yangzi also lowered his head.

When the Flame Lions pursue them, they can retreat one by one, exchanging themselves for time for their companions to continue absorbing spiritual energy.

But if that were the real world, they couldn't do it.

The exit button will not appear.

Those who are torn apart will not wake up again.

Wu Changkong said, "Remember."

"No matter how great the gains, no matter how close victory seems, the battle is not over."

"Until you and your partner are truly out of the danger zone."

"Profits, soul, soul bones—nothing is more important than survival."

"The captain especially needs to remember this."

Tang Wulin raised his head.

"Yes."

Xie Xie hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand.

"Teacher Wu, I also have a question."

"explain."

"What if we actually encounter a Dark Gold Devilclaw Bear in the real world?"

Wu Changkong said, "Run."

Xie Xie waited a moment.

Wu Changkong did not continue speaking.

"Just...run away?"

"Yes."

"What if you can't escape?"

"Waiting to die."

Xie Xie opened his mouth.

Zhang Yangzi also looked surprised.

They had assumed that Wu Changkong would at least explain some weaknesses, formations, or countermeasures.

Wu Changkong coldly said, "You don't think that just because Tang Wulin used his Golden Dragon Claw to deflect the Dark Gold Terror Claw yesterday, you're qualified to fight it, do you?"

No one answered.

"The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear is a soul beast whose strength cannot be measured by ordinary age."

"It was a top predator from birth."

"Its strength, speed, defense, and attack have no obvious weaknesses. As its cultivation level increases, those dark golden claws can even tear through space."

"What Tang Wulin encountered yesterday was merely a century-old individual simulated by the Spirit Ascension Platform."

"Even so, it was still enough to make the thousand-year-old Flame Lion Clan submit directly."

"In the real world, if you encounter a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear of the same age, you'll be eliminated even faster."

Xie Xie whispered, "Fortunately, there probably aren't many like that in reality."

Wu Changkong said, "It's not that many."

"It is already close to extinction."

Zhang Yangzi asked, "Were they wiped out by humans because they were too dangerous?"

"No."

Wu Changkong shook his head.

"Because of the soul bone."

All five of them were stunned for a moment.

"The probability of a soul bone appearing in the body of a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear is much higher than that of an ordinary soul beast, and their most valuable external soul bone is their pair of terror claws."

"A top-tier soul bone signifies power, status, and wealth."

"Therefore, no matter how well they live in seclusion, they will be hunted as soon as they are discovered by humans."

Wu Changkong looked at the dark gold dinosaur on the screen.

"From the perspective of soul beasts, humans are the most greedy predators."

"Many spirit beasts are on the verge of extinction, not because they pose a great danger to humans."

"It's not because of how much benefit they can bring to humanity."

Tang Wulin stared blankly at the screen.

This was the first time he had considered the relationship between Soul Masters and Soul Beasts from this perspective.

From the moment he awakened his Martial Soul, all the knowledge he came into contact with told him that the Soul Spirit was the foundation of a Soul Master's growth, and the Soul Beasts in the Spirit Ascension Platform were the objects of training and improvement.

They learned the weaknesses of spirit beasts and practiced how to hunt them.

But few people tell them that real soul beasts also feel pain and fear, and that they can also face extinction because of human needs.

He then recalled the unicorn dragon that he had killed with a single blow.

I recall the crystalline light that enveloped the surroundings when the Crystal Bear fell.

I recalled the distorted human face beneath the belly of the human-faced spider.

In the Ascension Altar, they are merely virtual life forms composed of spirit and data.

However, the basis for their existence ultimately comes from the soul beasts that once truly lived on the continent.

Tang Wulin suddenly felt an indescribable heaviness in his heart.

Wu Changkong did not continue to explain.

Some things only require planting a seed in their hearts.

As for what it will grow into in the future, let them see for themselves.

……

Donghai City, the Xu family.

"Brother, don't be angry."

Xu Xiaoyan sat in a corner of the sofa, her voice very soft.

She had just washed her hair; two light blue braids were loose, and her soft, long hair cascaded down her shoulders. A hint of caution lingered on her delicate face, as if she were worried about saying the wrong thing and upsetting her brother even more.

Xu Xiaoyu sat opposite her, her face gloomy.

He couldn't help but be angry.

In order to obtain two tickets to the Ascension Platform during the riot period, the family used a great deal of personal connections and paid a very high price.

The father originally hoped that he and his sister could stay inside for a while longer, so as to accumulate spiritual power for Xu Xiaoyan's soul.

The results of it?

He initially provoked the five-man squad because he underestimated them.

Subsequently, he was blasted off the Ascension Platform by the black-haired girl with a series of elemental attacks.

He still remembers the feeling of flames, wind blades, ice spikes, and rocks falling at the same time, even after he came out yesterday.

Although my body was not actually injured, my spirit felt like it had been crushed.

After a full day of rest, the disorientation in my limbs and the tingling pain throughout my body gradually subsided.

What made it even more embarrassing for him was that he was severely reprimanded by his father when he got home.

As the older brother, he did not help his sister gain much spiritual power. Instead, he took the initiative to clash with others, prematurely ending their spiritual ascension training.

Any one of these points would be enough to enrage the father.

"Those who entered that area yesterday were probably all Soul Masters from the vicinity of Donghai City."

Xu Xiaoyu said with a stern face, "Those five people are not very old, and they have obviously received full team training, so they are likely students from the academy."

"There aren't many academies in Donghai City with this kind of ability."

"The most likely candidate is Donghai Academy."

Xu Xiaoyan blinked.

"So they might be my seniors in the future?"

Xu Xiaoyu frowned.

"You still want to call them 'senior' or 'senior'?"

"But didn't Dad say he'd find me a college soon?"

Xu Xiaoyan whispered, "Donghai Academy is very famous."

Xu Xiaoyu was speechless for a moment after hearing what she said.

In the Xu family, although Xu Xiaoyu is the only boy of this generation and is very talented, he is stubborn and has a strong sense of self-esteem, so he is not the most favored by his elders.

Xu Xiaoyan, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.

She has a gentle and even somewhat timid personality, and has been the apple of the eye of all her elders since childhood.

Originally, the family did not have high expectations for her cultivation.

Although Xu Xiaoyan displayed innate full soul power when her martial soul awakened, she disliked fighting and rarely cultivated on her own initiative. Since her family already had Xu Xiaoyu, a highly talented successor, no one forced her to do so.

It wasn't until recently, during an internal family test, that the elders unexpectedly discovered that her soul power had unknowingly reached level seventeen.

More importantly, her Ice Staff Martial Soul underwent an extremely rare change during the nighttime test.

As the starlight falls, a tiny star wheel will appear at the top of the ice staff.

That's not the kind of power an ordinary ice-attribute martial soul should possess.

Instead, it is a legendary mutation that has only appeared a handful of times in the history of the Xu family—the Star Wheel Ice Staff.

This discovery shook the entire Xu family.

Xu Xiaoyu and Xu Xiaoyan's father is the Chief Financial Officer of Donghai City, holding an extremely high position in the city.

Upon learning of his daughter's true talent, he immediately changed his original idea of ​​letting her grow freely and began to search for teachers, spirits, and the most suitable academy for her.

He had specifically fought for his daughter's qualification for the Ascension Platform during this riot.

Xu Xiaoyu's task was simple.

Protect my younger sister.

Let her absorb as much spiritual energy as possible.

When Xu Xiaoyan first entered the Spirit Ascension Platform, she was afraid when she saw the soul beasts.

Not to mention taking the initiative to attack, even when Xu Xiaoyu kills a soul beast, she often closes her eyes.

Along the way, Xu Xiaoyu absorbed a lot of spiritual energy, while Xu Xiaoyan hardly ever actually made a move.

He finally managed to convince his sister that the next time they encountered a weak soul beast, she must personally deliver the final blow.

Then, they encountered Tang Wulin and his group of five.

And then, that was it.

"It's all that girl's fault."

Xu Xiaoyu's face turned even uglier.

"If I had known she could control so many elements, then..."

Xu Xiaoyan whispered, "But, it was my brother who let them leave first."

Xu Xiaoyu glanced at her.

Xu Xiaoyan immediately shrank her neck.

"I just feel... they didn't attack us first."

Xu Xiaoyu took a deep breath.

He knew, of course, that he had provoked them first.

It is precisely because I know this that I am even more annoyed.

"Anyway, don't let me find out who they are."

"Otherwise, next time we meet, I will definitely get my revenge for yesterday's battle."

Even so, that figure reappeared in his mind.

A calm gaze.

An indifferent expression.

She didn't even show the slightest panic when facing her own millennium-old soul skill.

The attack was simply baited by the ice tornado, and then the elements that had been placed in the air were simultaneously brought down.

Xu Xiaoyu still hasn't fully figured out what her martial soul is.

ice?

wind?

fire?

earth?

Light?

Or is it space?

How could a single martial spirit control so many elements?

What's even stranger is that although the girl wasn't as delicate and pretty as her younger sister, she possessed an charisma that was impossible to ignore.

Especially those eyes.

It was as if he didn't care about anything.

The more Xu Xiaoyu thought about it, the uglier her face became.

Xu Xiaoyan looked at her brother and suddenly asked, "Brother, are you still thinking about that amazing older sister?"

"no."

Xu Xiaoyu answered very quickly.

Xu Xiaoyan blinked.

"oh."

She lowered her head, but the corners of her lips subtly curved into a smile.

……

a few days later.

Classroom for Class Zero.

"Dance teacher."

Zhang Yangzi immediately greeted Wu Changkong as he entered the classroom, her face beaming with smiles.

"The last exam of the semester is about to begin."

"Shouldn't we conserve our energy and recharge?"

"Is it okay to take today's practical lesson a little slower?"

The holidays are approaching.

Students in regular classes have already begun to relax, and their conversations during breaks have shifted from studying and exams to where they're going to play after they get home.

Only the training intensity of Class Zero did not decrease.

Because they couldn't enter the Ascension Platform, Wu Changkong actually arranged even more physical training and combat courses.

Zhang Yangzi's Dark Eagle had only recently recovered and really didn't want to be frozen in the training field by Wu Changkong's sword again.

Wu Changkong looked at him calmly.

"Because you have absorbed too much spiritual energy, the academy is contacting the equipment to conduct a complete test on your soul ring age and physical capacity."

"The Ascension Platform courses will be suspended until the test results are available."

Zhang Yangzi's eyes lit up.

"What about the practical training..."

"continue."

His expression immediately fell.

Wu Changkong said, "Youth is not a reason to waste time."

"If you skip a day of training now, you might die at the hands of your opponent because of that one day's difference in the future."

"By then, it will be too late to try."

Zhang Yangzi dejectedly returned to his seat.

Wu Changkong looked at the five people.

"However, your current situation is indeed not suitable for continuing the original combat training."

"After the age of the soul spirit is increased, both the martial soul and soul skills will undergo subtle changes."

"Continuing to use the same approach as before will only lead you to develop bad habits."

Xie Xie's spirits lifted.

"Teacher Wu, do you mean you're going to teach us something new?"

"It's not about teaching."

Wu Changkong turned and walked outside.

"It's to let you see clearly how many problems you actually have right now."

"Come with me."

The five people exchanged glances and had no choice but to get up and follow.

Zhang Yangzi walked at the back, muttering under his breath, "Teacher Wu really has no humanity at all."

Wang Jinxi, who was walking in front of him, did not turn his head.

"Speak louder, and he'll hear you."

Zhang Yangzi immediately shut up.

Outside the classroom, Wu Changkong's steps did not falter.

But that cold voice still drifted back from the front of the corridor.

"I've heard you."

Zhang Yangzi's face instantly fell.