Chapter 70: Opening Day

Boom!

Inside the Hun Dao Qi Shi Yan Qu of Shilake Academy, Tang Wulin rolled to the side and, by a hair's breadth, dodged the last Soul Guide Cannonball that He Caitou fired.

The cannonball exploded behind him, a wave of heat striking his back, causing him to wipe sweat from his brow.

He is now training for combat against Soul Guide Masters, with He Caitou as his sparring partner; his task is to minimize the number of times he gets hit by cannonballs.

He now has a solid grasp of the fighting methods of traditional Soul Masters and soul beasts, but the combat style of Soul Guide Masters remains a complete mystery to him.

After the Sun-Moon Continent collided with Douluo Continent, this profession spread as a combat class on Douluo Continent, but after the Sun-Moon Federation was founded it was supplanted by Mech Masters, fading away unnoticed; by the time Tang Wulin lived, most Soul Guide Masters had become researchers like his blacksmith master Mang Tian, rather than combatants.

Since it is this era, Tang Wulin naturally must adapt to the times and learn the combat methods of Soul Guide Masters.

Although the cannonballs He Caitou uses aren't very advanced—mostly speed-type and cause little damage—they still hurt when they hit, and a hit often induces stiffness, leading to more subsequent hits.

Fortunately, he had just absorbed the third seal a few days earlier, greatly boosting his physical abilities; even against the Four Ring Soul Sect he now has a strong chance, and dodging cannonballs is no longer difficult for him.

He Caitou lowered the raised barrel and smiled approvingly: "Not bad, not bad—out of a hundred Soul Guide Cannonballs, only five hit. Even an ordinary fourth-level Soul Guide Master now finds it hard to threaten you, Tang Wulin."

When he received the order from Fan Yu to personally train Tang Wulin, he thought he had misheard.

He should know that he is Fan Yu's direct disciple, one of the few fourth-level Soul Guide Masters in Shilake's Outer Courtyard; in the Outer Courtyard's Soul Guide Department he is almost the strongest, and few can withstand his relentless barrage.

Yet Tang Wulin is only ten this year, his Soul Power Level not even reaching thirty; letting him face He Caitou's concentrated fire, could there really be no mishap? Only after training began did He Caitou realize how naive his assumption was.

Tang Wulin's dynamic vision, reaction speed, and explosiveness have reached an astonishing level; even compared with Soul Masters, he is no less, showing no sign of being a sub‑thirty-level Great Soul Master.

In less than a week, he fully adapted to the combat rhythm of Soul Guide Masters; facing He Caitou's relentless barrage, he no longer flounders as he did at first, gradually handling it with composure.

Even under conditions where Tang Wulin was only allowed to dodge and not counterattack, He Caitou was certain that in a normal duel his win rate would be well below fifty percent.

That's truly astonishing—how can a first‑year student outclass a fifth‑year? Tang Wulin is a genuine monster; compared to him, the other Shilake students instantly become ordinary mediocrities.

Tang Wulin stretched his body, stepped before He Caitou, and thanked him: "Brother He, thank you for being my sparring partner."

He had just broken through the third seal a few days earlier, and his power surged to a level he could barely control.

After he told Mu En about it, Mu En sent him to the Hun Dao Qi Shi Yan Qu to train with He Caitou, saying that soon he would face an opponent skilled with Soul Guide Devices, so he should first practice with He Caitou.

Tang Wulin was puzzled, not knowing why Mu En said he would soon duel a Soul Guide Master, but based on his current experience Mu En's words were likely correct, so he dutifully went to He Caitou for practice.

That week helped him greatly; now he not only fully masters his newfound strength, but also understands Soul Guide Devices far better than before, having learned much.

He Caitou flashed a simple, hearty smile.

"Don't be so formal; you're my junior, it's my duty to help you. By the way, hasn't junior sister returned yet?" Hearing this, Tang Wulin's complexion darkened instantly.

"Not yet."

Now only one day remains before the official opening, yet Huo Yutong still hasn't returned to the Academy.

Logically, a round trip to Star Net City shouldn't take this long; something must have gone wrong.

The problem is Tang Wulin doesn't know what accident occurred—perhaps a soul beast ambush in the wild, a clash with street thugs, or even being secretly killed after being discovered by the Duchess.

When Tang Wulin exhausted all means to contact Huo Yutong and failed, he realized their relationship wasn't as close as he had imagined.

A year of daily companionship had made him fully accustomed to her presence, to a girl constantly looking out for him; now that she's gone, his life seems to have changed color all at once.

He Caitou hurriedly comforted:

"It's okay; perhaps junior sister was delayed by something on the road. She'll be back tomorrow."

"Hmm."

Tang Wulin forced a smile and nodded.

Hope so.

After saying goodbye to He Caitou and leaving the Hun Dao Qi Shi Yan Qu, Tang Wulin aimlessly began wandering the Academy.

During that week, he poured all his energy into training with He Caitou, one purpose being to avoid thinking about Huo Yutong.

He knows her temperament; if circumstances allowed, she would never let him stay alone at the Academy for so long, so she must be trapped in a situation that restricts her movement.

But what exactly is this trouble, specifically?

Recalling the destination Huo Yutong mentioned before parting and her nature, the chance she was captured by the Duke's Mansion is high.

Because of this, he once felt an urge to confront Zhu Lu, but ultimately gave up.

Putting aside whether Huo Yutong was indeed seized by the Duchess, or whether Zhu Lu, in her position, knows anything, even if Huo Yutong was captured by the Duke's Mansion, Zhu Lu would know and likely wouldn't tell him.

The situation seemed to fall into a dead end; whichever direction he pursued yielded no answer. All he could do now was pray for Huo Yutong's safety and her return to the Academy before tomorrow.

Yet events never unfold as one wishes; time rushed by, and soon the next day arrived—the official opening day of Shilake Academy.

Huo Yutong still hadn't returned to the Academy; she seemed to have vanished completely from this world, and no one could provide any information about her.

(End of Chapter)