Douluo Continent III Haotian Wulin

A tightness shot through his chest, and Tang Wulin was forced back several steps by the sword strike.

But as he retreated, he became even more lucid.

Wu Changkong's sword strike didn't simply knock him back; it put him into an extremely alert state. The dull pain in his chest was still there, and his arm was a little numb, but his gaze remained fixed on Wu Changkong.

He knew very well that if he took this step back and then used the opportunity to widen the distance, his rhythm would be completely disrupted.

Therefore, he did not continue to retreat.

With a sudden drop in his right hand, the hammer sank back into place, while his left hand snapped back to its original position in a violent flick of the wrist, using the lingering shockwave to forcefully pull himself back to his starting position.

It wasn't a direct hit.

Instead, they were trying to score through that narrow opening.

Wu Changkong had just deflected him with a single sword strike, his sword momentum still strong, his body pressing forward, but the landing point hadn't yet fully solidified. Tang Wulin felt extremely strange at this moment; the person before him no longer seemed to be just a teacher, but rather a piece of metal being observed, judged, and its textures searched.

Where is the hardest spot, where is the best place to strike, where you can't touch it, where you can get in if you're just a fraction of an second earlier—all of this is much clearer than usual under that almost ethereal focus.

He took a sudden step forward and swung the Sinking Star Hammer out with his left hand.

This hammer blow wasn't large, but it was extremely fast.

A strange light flashed in Wu Changkong's eyes, and he almost instinctively raised his wooden sword to the side to strike the hammer.

"Ding!"

With a sharp crack, the wooden sword and the sinking star hammer collided violently.

This time, Tang Wulin was not knocked away on the spot.

On the contrary, the force of that hammer blow was surprisingly heavy, without any fancy moves, just a straight, relentless pressure. The ordinary wooden sword in Wu Changkong's hand visibly trembled under this strike, its blade bending into an abnormal arc.

Wu Changkong raised an eyebrow slightly.

This kid's blow was significantly stronger than the previous one.

But before he could exert any more force, Xie Xie had already pounced on him again.

This time, Xie Xie didn't rush in. Instead, he seized the moment when Wu Changkong was slightly momentarily stunned by Tang Wulin's hammer blow and cut in from the side. The Light Dragon Dagger was in front, while the Shadow Dagger was hidden behind the hidden line. One was in the light, and the other was in the shadow, approaching almost simultaneously.

On the other side, Gu Yue also seized this rare opportunity.

A wisp of green wind arrived first, pressing down on the direction in which Wu Changkong was using his feet for leverage; immediately afterward, a fireball approached from extremely close range, followed by several ice shards obliquely blocking his retreat.

The three of them made their move this time faster and more skillfully than ever before.

But dancing in the sky is ultimately just dancing in the sky.

The wooden sword in his hand suddenly spun, its tip first touching the edge of Xie Xie's Light Dragon Dagger, deflecting the most threatening frontal thrust. Then, with a flick of the spine, it swept back towards Xie Xie's shoulder. At the same time, he flicked his other sleeve, actually deflecting the trajectory of Gu Yue's fireball, causing it to graz his shoulder.

As for those few icicles, before they could truly lock onto their landing point, he used a slight step to deflect them all.

This time, however, he was not as composed as he had been in the previous rounds.

Tang Wulin's hammer strike did indeed force his rhythm to pause for a very brief moment.

And that one moment is enough to explain a lot.

Wu Changkong's gaze turned cold, and he raised his wooden sword again. Instead of separating Xie Xie and Gu Yue first, he turned around and attacked Tang Wulin.

It was still Tang Wulin.

Still positive.

Tang Wulin's pupils contracted slightly, but he showed no intention of dodging. He switched his right hand and raised the Sinking Star Hammer to his chest, while his left hand gripped it tightly and pulled back half an inch, ready to strike. That strange state of focus remained; he could even clearly feel that Wu Changkong's sword strike was faster and heavier than before.

But he can still see.

You can see the sword's path, you can see the direction from which it will fall, and you can also see where you should meet your own hammer blow.

"Ding!"

A second metallic clang rang out.

This time, Tang Wulin's entire right arm was numb from the shock, and his feet sank half an inch into the ground, but he stubbornly refused to retreat.

A genuine look of surprise finally surfaced in Wu Changkong's eyes.

The next moment, Xie Xie and Gu Yue approached simultaneously.

Wu Changkong then abruptly sheathed his sword and took a step back.

"stop."

The three children froze at the same time.

Xie Xie remained in his forward-leaning posture, the Light Dragon Dagger hovering in mid-air, the fireball in Gu Yue's hand dissipating, and Tang Wulin, slightly out of breath, still gripped the Sinking Star Hammer tightly, not immediately withdrawing from that focused state.

The training hall suddenly fell silent.

A few breaths later, the calm in Tang Wulin's eyes slowly faded, and his breathing became a little erratic. He then realized that a thin layer of sweat had appeared on his back.

Wu Changkong looked at him, paused for a moment, and then said calmly:

"That was a good move."

Tang Wulin was stunned for a moment.

Xie Xie turned to look at him with a look of utter disbelief.

It's already quite rare to hear the word "not bad" from Wu Changkong.

Wu Changkong ignored Xie Xie's expression and continued to look at Tang Wulin: "You weren't just hitting randomly. You saw where my hammer was going before you threw it."

Tang Wulin pursed his lips and said in a low voice, "I... I can't quite explain it. It's just that I suddenly feel like you're a piece of metal that's very difficult to work with."

Xie Xie's lips twitched.

Only Tang Wulin would say something like viewing the homeroom teacher as metal.

Wu Changkong was not angry; instead, he nodded slightly.

"Very good. At least you're starting to know how to view the enemy."

After speaking, he glanced at the three of them.

That's all for today.

Xie Xie let out a long sigh of relief and almost immediately collapsed.

Gu Yue was still able to stand, but her face was noticeably paler.

Tang Wulin was most exhausted not physically, but mentally. The moment that highly focused state dissipated, fatigue almost immediately washed over him.

Wu Changkong did not let them leave immediately, but suddenly reached out his hand to Tang Wulin.

"come over."

Tang Wulin was taken aback, then walked over.

"Hold my hand," Wu Changkong said.

Tang Wulin did as he was told and reached out his hand.

Wu Changkong had large hands with long, strong fingers and a slightly cool palm. He grabbed Tang Wulin's wrist and whispered, "Pull me with all your might, let me see just how heavy you really are."

"oh."

Tang Wulin responded, took a deep breath, steadied himself, and pulled himself back sharply with the strength of his waist and back.

In that instant, almost all the strength in his body was twisted together.

Wu Changkong was clearly prepared this time, standing motionless as if nailed to the ground. Even so, the cuffs of his sleeves tightened slightly, and his shoulder line slumped imperceptibly.

Tang Wulin exerted even more force, his face gradually turning red.

Wu Changkong didn't move on the surface, but a very faint wave of soul power had already appeared on his body.

Xie Xie's eyelids twitched as he watched from the side.

This was the first time he had realized so directly just how outrageous Tang Wulin's strength was.

After a moment, Wu Changkong spoke: "All done."

Tang Wulin then relaxed his grip, his chest rising and falling slightly.

Wu Changkong looked at him, a hint of contemplation rarely seen in his eyes.

"For the promotion match, all three of you will go together."

Upon hearing this, Xie Xie and Gu Yue were both taken aback.

Wu Changkong calmly said, "Gu Yue is responsible for changes and control, Xie Xie is responsible for entry and harvesting, and Tang Wulin is responsible for frontal suppression and breaking through. The three of you are indispensable."

As he said this, he glanced at Tang Wulin again.

"When your strength reaches this level, the tactics can change."

Tang Wulin was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

"Yes, teacher."

……

When Tang Wulin and Xie Xie returned to their dormitory, they were exhausted.

Xie Xie practically collapsed onto the bed, too exhausted to move, and Tang Wulin wasn't much better off. Forget about going back to the forging workshop in Donghai City; the fact that he could even sit up and meditate was already a testament to his strong will.

That night, the dormitory was unusually quiet.

As expected, Wu Changkong made adjustments starting the next day.

Tang Wulin was granted special permission to no longer participate in the unified physical training of Class 5.

The reason is very simple—in Wu Changkong's view, ordinary physical training is no longer of any use to this kid. In terms of physique and endurance, no one in Class Five can compare to him. Even Wu Changkong himself can see that this kind of basic training has extremely limited effect on Tang Wulin's improvement.

Instead of continuing to waste time on activities like running and frog jumps, it's better to invest all that time in something more useful.

Therefore, Tang Wulin's training program was completely changed.

It's no longer about physical strength, but about controlling the Sinking Star Hammer.

How to strike the hammer more steadily, how to integrate the steps, center of gravity, and hammer momentum into one, how to reduce hesitation before striking, and how to avoid leaving any openings when finishing the move—these are things that I began to practice again and again.

This is more tiring and more boring than running.

But Tang Wulin didn't utter a single complaint.

Because he himself could feel that this was the real path that would make him stronger.

Meanwhile, the physical education class for Class 5 continued.

By the third day, a large number of people finally couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed, lying all over the playground.

Wu Changkong then slowed down the pace, reverting to a schedule of physical education in the morning and theory classes in the afternoon.

Even after just half a day of physical training, these kids felt like they'd been given a second chance at life. Not only did they not dare to complain, but they also felt much more relaxed.

At the same time, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue were also taken by Wu Changkong to undergo mental strength testing.

When the results came out, even Wu Changkong remained silent for a moment.

Xie Xie, mental strength 29.

This value is quite good for a nine-year-old child, approaching the middle stage of the Spirit Origin Realm.

Tang Wulin, mental strength 44.

His score was a step higher than in his last test. Tang Wulin didn't say it, but he knew very well that the forging, combat, and the focused state he had been pushed to the limit during this period had all gradually increased his mental strength.

However, compared to Gu Yue, their achievements immediately became insignificant.

Gu Yue, mental strength 119.

Once you exceed one hundred, you are no longer considered to be in the Spirit Origin Realm.

It is another level—the Spiritual Realm.

The realm of spiritual connection is one where the mind and spirit are in perfect harmony, and intentions reach their destination.

At this level, spiritual power truly begins to possess the meaning of "control." It's not just about becoming more acute, but about being able to truly influence, control, and bear more things. Reaching the Spiritual Connection Realm allows one to bear two yellow soul spirits or one purple soul spirit.

Looking at Gu Yue's test results, Wu Changkong finally confirmed one thing.

Her elementalist nature is very likely not simply an elemental martial soul.

Her true strength likely lies in her mental fortitude.

It was her extraordinary spiritual power that allowed her to communicate with and command the elements, making them work for her.

Spiritual Soul Masters are the rarest and most sought-after type in this era. This is because their compatibility with mecha systems is often far greater than that of ordinary Soul Masters.

This also made Wu Changkong pay more attention to Gu Yue.

Of course, being valued by a cold and aloof male god never means being relaxed.

On the contrary, the more he values ​​someone, the more rigorous the training becomes.

And just like that, a week passed quickly.

During this week, Tang Wulin was so busy with classes, special training, meditation, and practicing controlling the Sinking Star Hammer that he couldn't find a single moment to go to the forging room that Mang Tian had left in Donghai City.

The mission of Tianlong Iron was thus abruptly delayed.