Chapter 377
Chapter 377 – Genius Youths Ranking? What’s That?
Xu Lizhi’s enormous bulk immediately made him the center of attention, but Tang Wulin observed Ye Xinglan. He was surprised at how much she had changed in the past few years.
They were ten years old last they met. Three years later now, Ye Xinglang became a budding beauty. She stood at about 160 centimeters tall, her slender figure accented by her alluringly long legs. She stood on equal ground with Xu Xiaoyan in terms of looks, and so everyone’s eyes drifted to her after recovering how shockingly fat Xu Lizhi was.
However, her serious expression hadn’t changed one bit from their last meeting. She still regarded everyone else coldly, an invisible barrier forming around her.
“Since you two transferred in late, you can take the empty seats in the back. We’re preparing for our match against the second grade right now. You two can choose to join a team as well. I hope you’ll be able to fit in quickly,” Shen Yi said.
Tang Wulin had doubtful when Xu Lizhi said him and Ye Xinglan might be transferring into the outer court since it seemed such an improbable situation. Yet here they were. Xu Lizhi and Ye Xinglan were now his classmates.
Ye Xinglan had left a deep impression on Tang Wulin. Her use of her Stargod Sword had reminded him of Wu Zhangkong, and he knew her strength couldn’t simply be measured by her cultivation.
Shen Yi left, but everyone’s eyes were still focused on the two newcomers. The majority of the gazes, however, were focused on Ye Xinglan.
Luo Guixing approached them first, greeting Ye Xinglan with a warm smile. “Hi, I’m Luo Guixing. May I ask how many soul rings you have?”
Ye Xinglan glanced at him before walking toward the back of the classroom without speaking a word.
Luo Guixing stood there, stunned. His handsomeness, gentle smile, and status as someone on the Genius Youths Ranking had never failed to charm anyone before. He had absolute confidence in himself, yet Ye Xinglan hadn’t even spared him a second glance! Her attitude toward him was absolutely ice cold.
The other students moved out of the way as Ye Xinglan walked to the back of the classroom. Meanwhile, Tang Wulin ran over Xu Lizhi, patting him on the shoulder. “We’re classmates now, so you should join my team. I really want you.”
Xu Lizhi hushed him. “Can’t you be a bit quieter? People are going to misunderstand!” Gu Yue couldn’t help but giggle as she watched the two from the side.
After fighting shoulder-to-shoulder in the tower attack, Tang Wulin trusted Xu Lizhi, and his companions knew Xu Lizhi’s strength was more than sufficient to make him a good teammate.
“Wulin,” Xu Lizhi said in a hushed tone. “Can you invite Xinglan too? With her personality, she’ll just end up all alone if you don’t. I can’t bear to see her like that!”
“Sure!” Tang Wulin held no grudge against her. Their team would gain another cornerstone if she agreed to join. He could only imagine how much stronger she had grown in the last three years.
Since Ye Xinglan refused Luo Guixing’s advances, no one else dared approach her. Luo Guixing and he was one of the most respected students of the first grade, more so than Tang Wulin, and everyone wanted to enter the team of a ranking control-type soul master like him. Although Tang Wulin was the class president, everyone knew that his martial soul was bluesilver grass. Even after showing some of his power, his classmates placed him below the five rankers. The fact that Tang Wulin never socialized with his classmates as he was busy cultivating or blacksmithing served to compound their lukewarm opinion of him.
Tang Wulin sauntered over to Ye Xinglan. “Long time no see!”
Ye Xinglan glanced at him, her brow wrinkling when she saw it was him. “Who let you drag Lizhi with you off to the tower attack? You’ve still got to answer to me for that.”
“Eh…” Her stubbornness hasn’t changed at all!
“So? What about it?” Gu Yue interjected. She couldn’t stand Ye Xinglan’s attitude.
Ye Xinglan snorted but remained silent.
Yet Tang Wulin met her cold shoulder with a warm smile. “Ye Xinglan, you should join my team. The competition this time requires teams of a minimum of three people to participate, so it’s impossible with just you and Lizhi.”
“I just won’t participate then.” Ye Xinglan glared at him.
“Okay. Tell me then, why are you cultivating?”
Ye Xinglan was surprised he didn’t press the issue but instead posed such a question to her.
“To become strong!” she answered.
“Oh. I see. Well, our opponents this time will be the second grade. There are some powerful people in their class. Don’t you want to spar with them?”
“Powerful people?” Ye Xinglan’s cheek twitched.
Tang Wulin’s smile grew bigger at her showing interest. “How about you try battling them? How else would you know if they really are strong or not? Even the most boring things have value in doing. Join my team and you’ll have a chance to fight them.”
“The class president sure is confident, huh?” a voice interjected from the side.
Tang Wulin turned to see Zheng Yiran looking at him dismissively. Indeed, it was Jade Snake Zheng Yiran, the poison-wielding ranker!
“Confidence is important for soul masters to have.” Tang Wulin smiled wryly at her.
“Oh my. Let’s see you defeat everyone in our class and battle the second grade’s represnetatives then.” She pointed at him. “Our team isn’t too powerful either. We just have Wu Siduo, Luo Guixing, Xu Yucheng, Yang Nianxia, and me. But we don’t need any deadweight. Just us five on the Genius Youths Ranking will be enough to win.”
Tang Wulin frowned. He looked over toward the rankers, and sure enough, Wu Siduo, Luo Guixing, Xu Yucheng, and Yang Nianxia stood together. Wu Siduo was expressionless while Luo Guixing wore his usual half-smile. Yang Nianxia waved at him with an amiable expression.
Those five are joining hands?
Tang Wulin’s frown deepened. He understood that they were targeting him. All five were rankers and had the strength to match. Yet he became class president without fully displaying his strength. It was natural that the rankers had no respect for him.
Alright, bring it on then!
“Genius Youths Ranking? What’s that?” Ye Xinglan asked Zheng Yiran.
Zheng Yiran was stunned. “You don’t even know what the Genius Youths Ranking is? It’s one of the minor rankings under the Continental Ranking! It’s a list of the top thirty young soul masters, and the five of us are on it!” Pride filled her eyes as she proclaimed her status. Her sense of pride was rightly so, being able to climb into such a prestigious ranking.
Ye Xinglan shook her head. “Never heard of it. I only know of the Continental Ranking. I guess you five are alright since you made it onto that ranking though.”
Ye Xinglan’s change of attitude took Tang Wulin by surprise. Huh. She does have a cute side to her.
Zheng Yiran sneered. “Fine! I’ll show you just what it means for someone to be on the Genius Youths Ranking if we meet in the arena!” She turned to Tang Wulin and smiled with narrowed eyes. “Class president, good luck. Really though, what meaning is there in you being class president?”
Tang Wulin maintained a warm smile as he raised a hand to stop Gu Yue from speaking out.
Zheng Yiran turned around and walked away. There had been some students hanging nearby, but after Zheng Yiran’s last remark, they all moved away from Tang Wulin.
So the five of them are working together to shun us? To shun me?
Tang Wulin had never expected such a development. But then he began to understand where he had gone wrong. It was his fault for not forming connections with his classmates after becoming class president. He had neglected to socialize.
After coming to a difference of opinions with Wu Siduo and Luo Guixing about their battle armor plans, their bad will against him grew, ultimately leading to the current situation.
Now Luo Guixing walked over.
“Class president, I’ve discussed things with Wu Siduo and come to the conclusion that since we can’t help you as a maker or mechanic, then it’s not right for us to have you forge for us still. I went to talk to the teachers today and got their approval to split up our group. Sorry for inconveniencing you.”
Now he’s turning his back on me? Splitting up the class council group?
“Fine.” Tang Wulin said quietly, almost in a whisper.
Luo Guixing kept his eyes trained on Tang Wulin. “Class president, the future is long.”
Tang Wulin smiled again. “You’re right. The future is long.”