Chapter 145: So Big!
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Xu Yuan silently mocked Le Zhengyu's excitement.
You might think you're getting a good deal, but I'll never lose out.
Free forging materials and plenty of practice opportunities—this would save him a lot of trouble.
Le Zhengyu was the heir of the Sacred Angel family, and his connections were probably no weaker than Zhen Hua's. After all, the Sacred Angel family controlled an entire military legion—they could easily obtain even restricted items.
Even if Zhen Hua had his own channels, he still had to go through intermediaries to acquire rare metals. But Le Zhengyu? He wasn't just a middleman—he had access to the source.
If I can get materials straight from the source, why bother asking my martial uncle to pull strings?
Moreover, the Sacred Angel family controlled rare metals that aligned with sacred and other mystical properties—not necessarily "sacred-attribute" metals, but those with similarly mysterious traits.
They had exclusive access to unique rare metal deposits, some of which weren't even available on the open market.
This was a good opportunity to build a relationship. If he needed rare metals in the future, he wouldn't have to trouble Zhen Hua—he could just ask Le Zhengyu directly.
Once they reached an agreement and settled on a training schedule, Xu Yuan finally left.
---
Time passed quickly.
A month of training came to an end.
The exchange match against the third-years arrived as scheduled.
Xu Yuan had been looking forward to this for a whole month.
During this time, the first and second-year teams had meshed well. Tang Wulin now had Spirit Alloy battle armor components for both his right and left arms. Ye Xinglan had completed two pieces for her right arm. Gu Yue had finished her headband, which greatly enhanced her spiritual power and elemental control.
Wu Siduo had broken through to rank 43, and Xu Yuan had also advanced to rank 46.
That was the progress of the first-years.
As for the second-years, Yuanen Yehui—with Xu Yuan's full support—had completed two battle armor pieces for her right arm. These were massive armguards designed to synergize with her Titan Giant Ape martial soul.
In just a month, their improvements were impressive. That was the point of these exchange matches—pressure turned into motivation.
Of course, the real training had been about teamwork and understanding each other's abilities. Their individual progress alone wouldn't drastically affect the battle.
---
The same 300-meter arena.
This time, the audience included students from all three lower grades, and even some fourth, fifth, and sixth-years had come to watch.
Yali, Zhuo Shi, Feng Wuyu, and Cai Yue'er were naturally present as well.
Cai Yue'er herself would serve as the referee.
"The inter-grade exchange match between first, second, and third-years begins now."
"Note that the format is different from the previous first vs. second-year match. There will be no auxiliary profession contests—only combat matches."
"There will be five rounds in total: three one-on-one battles, one two-on-two, and one seven-on-seven team battle."
In other words, this was a traditional tournament format, testing both individual and team combat abilities.
Xu Yuan and his team remained calm—they had known this in advance.
"First match: one-on-one. Both sides, send your fighters."
Xu Yuan glanced at Wu Siduo and Yuanen Yehui.
Wu Siduo's self-fusion skill gave her a huge advantage in solo battles, so she would naturally take one of the one-on-one rounds. Yuanen Yehui was even more of a given—her sustained combat prowess surpassed Wu Siduo's.
According to their plan, these two would fight first, allowing them time to recover before the final team battle.
With Xu Lizhi's recovery buns, as long as they weren't seriously injured, they should be back in top condition in time.
"I'll go first." Yuanen Yehui stepped forward.
There was no telling who the third-years would send, but after a month of scouting, they knew one thing—the third-years had no Soul Kings yet, nor any full-fledged One-Word Battle Armor Masters.
Yuanen Yehui and Wu Siduo were assigned the first two solo matches precisely to secure early victories.
---
On the third-year side, homeroom teacher Song Lin looked at a male student.
"Wu Rui, you're up first. Give it your all."
Wu Rui, martial soul: Celestial Tome. Rank 45 Soul Ancestor. The strongest control-type combatant in third-year Class One—though his one-on-one skills weren't his strongest suit.
The reason he was sent first was simple: his abilities were perfect for scouting the enemy's strengths.
The exchange match had five rounds, each contributing to the final score. Even if they lost the team battle, winning three solo matches and the two-on-two would still secure overall victory.
The third-years weren't overwhelmingly confident, so they had to strategize carefully.
They needed to win at least one of the first four matches while ensuring the team battle didn't go against them. Understanding their opponents was crucial.
And the first match? The first and second-years would definitely send a powerhouse.
Sure enough, Song Lin spotted Yuanen Yehui stepping forward from the opposing team.
She had gathered intel on the previous match, but all she knew was that Yuanen Yehui had been eliminated after being ganged up on. Her basic abilities were documented, but how strong was she really?
People say she's strong—but how strong?
Apart from Tang Wulin and Wu Siduo, who had personally faced her air cannon attacks, who could accurately gauge her power?
They had to test it themselves.
---
Wu Rui landed lightly on the stage, exuding an air of scholarly elegance. One hand rested in front of him, the other behind his back. His hair was perfectly groomed, and he smiled as he waved at Yuanen Yehui.
"Eww, that Celestial Tome guy is so full of himself," Xu Xiaoyan complained from the stands.
Xie Xie, sitting beside her, nodded in agreement, eyes fixed on the arena.
"Third-year Class One, Wu Rui."
"Second-year Class One, Yuanen Yehui." Today, Yuanen Yehui was still in her male disguise.
"Ah, the second-year class president. I've heard of you—twin martial souls, very impressive. Do your best!" Wu Rui said cheerfully.
Yuanen Yehui didn't respond.
"If it gets too tough, don't push yourself. Don't worry, as your senior, I'll go easy on you. After all, we're fellow students. Keep working hard, and maybe one day you'll reach my level."
Down below, Song Lin regretted her decision.
This chatterbox, show-off, shameless grandstander… He's so embarrassing.
"Shut up! Must you run your mouth so much?!" Cai Yue'er snapped, cutting off Wu Rui's monologue.
"Uh… Elder Cai, I was just expressing camaraderie with my junior—"
Cai Yue'er glared at him and immediately announced:
"BEGIN!"
"Junior, be careful—"
Before Wu Rui could finish, Yuanen Yehui was already moving.
Her right foot stomped down, launching her forward like a cannonball. Four soul rings shimmered around her, and her third ring flashed—
Third Soul Skill: Titan's Might!
Mid-charge, her body suddenly swelled, rapidly expanding in size.
Wu Rui's eyes bulged as he blurted out in shock:
"HOLY—! SO BIG! SO BIG!!"
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