Kapitel 68: Chapter 68: Final Exam
The students didn't complain and hurriedly followed behind their teacher. Director Long Hengxu snapped out of his thoughts and hurriedly followed them after giving Shu Lengwei and the rest of the Spirit Pagoda staff members a bow.
As they went out of the room, Xiu Ye didn't notice the soul CCTV camera focusing at him and Shu Lengwei getting call with her soul communicator simultaneously.
They all went out of the Spirit Pagoda building and went walking down the street that led to the academy. On the way, Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi and Long Hengxu looked at Xiu Ye with peculiar expressions, causing Tang Wulin, Gu Yue and Xie Xie to looked at them in confusion as they noticed their behaviors.
Suddenly, midway to the academy, Tang Wulin reported feeling weird before fainting and Xiu Ye catching him in his arms.
The students and director Long Hengxu started panicking at the boy's sudden unconsciousness, but Wu Zhangkong and Xiu Ye quickly assured them that it was normal and Tang Wulin is experiencing a rare case of spirit soul evolution.
"Xiu Ye, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi will be dismissed for today. We'll talk about what happened, tomorrow. Director Long Hengxu, we'll talk later on after I help Tang Wulin here. I'll take him with me to a secure location, so I can protect him during his spirit soul evolution." Wu Zhangkong said with a voice of being authoritative and calm. Without waiting for their response, he easily picked up Tang Wulin in a bride carry and walked off.
The students and teachers looked at one another and shrugged.
Long Hengxu said them a goodbye, and left to the academy to make a report for class zero's current progress. Zhang Yangzi and Wang also left to the academy to meditate and raise their cultivation as soon as possible.
The only ones left on the side of the street were Xiu Ye, Gu Yue and Xie Xie.
Glancing at them both, Xiu Ye opened his mouth to speak when he was interrupted by Gu Yue. "Ye, help me fight better. I want my hand-to-hand combat to be more stronger."
When they were together exploring the spirit ascension platform, Gu Yue witnessed the prowess of physical martial skills that Xiu Ye and Tang Wulin showed them as they fought against soul beasts. She realized that, despite being a powerful elemental-type soul master and have slightly above average strength compared to her peers, she was still lacking in the physical combat skill department. If she wanted to fullfil her and her kin's dream, then she had to cover all her weaknesses to accomplish it.
Xiu Ye raised an eyebrow and shrugged, not finding the request strange and it wasn't like it was consuming much of his time as he can teach her during the training session, and said. "Sure. I have some ideas for a fit fighting style for you, you'll love it."
Gu Yue smiled and nudged his shoulder. "Thank you."
Xiu Ye grinned. "We're friends, it's the least that I can do for you."
Gu Yue tilted her head to the side as she stares at him, her smiling lips slowly tugging upwards.
Xie Xie let out a cough. "Ahem. Still here."
Then Gu Yue's smile turned upside down, her lips tugged into a frown. She turned her eyes to Xie Xie and coldly glared at him. "Why are you still doing here? Don't you have something better to do?"
"I have and it involves Xiu Ye. I want to talk to him about something important." Said Xie Xie with a serious expression.
It caught both Gu Yue and Xiu Ye off guard. It was rare for the ever joyful Xie Xie to have a serious expression.
Xiu Ye nodded. "I'm listening." He soon turned stunned, as Xie Xie, a proud and arrogant young master, bowed 90 degrees towards him.
"Please, help me get stronger as well. You told me before, you'll teach me some assassination skills. I want more than that. I want you to teach me the way of the assassin."
Xiu Ye stared at him, his expression now morphed into a serious hardened expression that can been seen only to those from the military.
"Xie Xie, are you certain?"
"Yes. I've thought long and hard about it and, well, being an assassin isn't all that different from a pure agility-type soul master."
Xiu Ye let out a sigh. "True, in terms of combat techniques and methodology, a agility system soul master isn't much different from an assassin. Their only difference is their psychology. A normal agility type soul master would see another soul master, or just an enemy in general, as someone human or equal in being, and feel some level of emotion to them as they attack them from behind or in any openings they take advantage of."
"An assassin however, they consider their enemies as mere targets and tasks they have to finish. They themselves don't consider as humans, to them, they are machines to kill people. They don't follow rules, they don't have any dignity, nor honour, and much less empathy for human life and themselves. That is the true essence of an assassin; they are stone-cold emotionless killers that kill life. Xie Xie, I will ask you again, are you sure do you want to walk the path of an assassin?" Xiu Ye stared dead straight at the eyes of Xie Xie, who looked up to the former, and now looked both doubtful and hesitant.
"I..." He looked down and clenched his hands.
Minutes passed and Xiu Ye let out a sigh.
"Don't give me an answer, yet, if you aren't so sure of it yourself. Just think about it for a few days and give me an answer when–"
"I want to follow the path of the assassin." Xie Xie said, his back straight and he stood tall. His crystal clear eyes showed no hesitation, only determination and resolution.
Xiu Ye stared at him, and grinned.
"It's going to be hard."
"So? I've been trained under teacher Wu."
"It'll be so excruciating and painful, that you wish that teacher Wu had trained you for your entire life."
"Well, no pain no gain."
"I'm not even certain that you'll survive this."
Xie Xie grinned. "I'm going to exceed your expectations."
"No, seriously, I really don't think you'll survive through the training. Ah, whatever. Tomorrow morning, during training session along with girls, I'll train you." What Xiu Ye didn't know, it was due to this decision in training Xie Xie that had gotten the latter entry into one of the most ancient, secretive and powerful groups in the world. One that spanned for twenty thousand years and was established by a forgotten figure.
After their adventure into the spirit ascension platform, Xiu Ye went on to train his classmates into more powerful fighters; by teaching them certain martial techniques, unorthodox fighting styles that suited them and battle strategies against certain enemies in certain situations. They had also continued on entering the spirit ascension platform once every week for the next three months to gain more combat experience.
During this time, the day after their first adventure into the spirit ascension platform together, Tang Wulin had his spirit soul evolved to the hundred year old level. That time was a time of celebration and joy, Xiu Ye had even prepared a feast that only fifty people can finish for him and their classmates.
Needless to say, Tang Wulin had practically cried a waterfall of joy while the others passed out from eating too much heavenly food.
Currently, the people who had changed much this entire time, combat prowess wise, were Gu Yue and Xie.
Xiu Ye had shown Gu Yue different types of martial arts, and how he incorporates those skills with elemental attributes to help amplify and supplement his attacks. She was quickly mesmerized from such a fighting style and immediately asked him to impart such skills to her.
He first taught her martial arts like Muay Thai, Taekwondo, and Jujitsu. Of course, she didn't learned them instantly. It took her an entire month to master Muay Thai, four weeks to master Taekwondo and three weeks for Jujitsu.
Gu Yue learns fast, as the last couple weeks had her learn on how to incorporate elemental attributes to her attacks.
As for Xie Xie, well, he changed under the tutelage of Xiu Ye. He was more quiet, more calm and mature when he interacts with people, looking like any other ordinary young boy in his youth that was enjoying his childhood.
But what nobody knows, under that seemingly innocent and naive demeanor, was a young man that will kill you with a calm smile on his face.
Now, due to not traumatize any readers, just like what happened to Tang Wulin and the others when they had witnessed the training Xie Xie had undergone, let's just simply say that Xiu Ye had used the training method certain Hassans all took.
Xie Xie scared everyone of his assassination skills and his willpower to go through such training, while Xiu Ye terrified them by creating such a training method that no normal human being should have good morals to create such inhumane training. Wu Zhangkong himself even feared his training method. A soul emperor! That just shows how terrifying it is.
Also, Xiu Ye finished in reforging his Crimson Yang Sword anew. It looked the same as before but is more stronger, durable, capable of using more of Ryūjin Jakka's flames and can be stored in his body and be used anytime just like Tang Wulin's Atlanna. As well as other surprises.
He had also started tempering his body with the heaven and earth treasures in his storage ring for an entire period of two months. It wasn't easy, nor was it pleasurable, his screams of pain can attest to that, but it certainly made his body stronger. It's just like what they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Which was Xie Xie's motto now as well, and the chant he uses to himself whenever he trains with Xiu Ye.
In the blink of an eye, the end of the first term approached.
"Teacher Wu, do we also need to take a final exam too?" Xiu Ye asked in astonishment.
The other five students also had surprised expressions.
For their class, the first grade's final exam was useless. This wasn't arrogance, but confidence in how greatly they had changed in the last three months.
"Yes, you need to take them," Wu Zhangkong said with his usual stony expression. "However, Xiu Ye, your final exam would be different compared to the others. Theirs are only two tests, while yours is only one and it involves the risk of death."
The five students were stunned.
Death?!
Xiu Ye merely raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed with the threat of death, and asked. "Okay, what is it?"
"You'll be going west of Eastsea City, about three kilometers away from the city's border, and enter one of the continent's rarest still standing forest, the Deathly Hallow Forest, and retrieve a certain item." Said Wu Zhangkong with a serious expression on his face, showing them how serious and dangerous this exam was.
While Xiu Ye, Tang Wulin and Gu Yue showed confused expressions, for this was the first time they ever heard of such a forest, Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi all quickly lost color from their faces. Because they knew what that forest was and its legendary background.
"I want you to retrieve some nuts."
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