Chapter 62: Showoff (Patreon)

Flender took several deep breaths, forcing his racing heart to calm before he could finally speak again. Adjusting his glasses, he managed:

"L-Little Feng... if I'm not mistaken, this martial soul of yours... is the legendary Golden-Winged Heavenly Roc—a top-tier beast-type soul. Ancient texts mention it appearing on the continent three thousand years ago..."

He almost added that the records never mentioned it having fire attributes, let alone this violently explosive flame but then figured three millennia was plenty of time for details to be lost. So he bit his tongue.

"Golden-Winged Heavenly Roc... so that's its official name."

Lu Feng chuckled.

He'd just called it the "Golden-Winged Roc" based on its massive size and golden feathers. But having a walking encyclopedia for a teacher certainly had perks.

Details matter.

The Golden-Winged Heavenly Roc innately possessed a trace of Extreme Wind.

Now, with the added Extreme Fire siphoned from Ma Hongjun?

Wind fed flames. Flames empowered wind.

The fusion of two supreme elements had triggered a qualitative transformation, an evolution, really.

Zhao Wuji exhaled sharply. "A god-tier martial soul and a second soul that's also a monstrous top-tier beast? Little Feng, you're too damn broken."

"Still your student, though," Lu Feng said, retracting his wings with a grin.

"Damn right! My student!" Zhao Wuji roared, lumbering over to crush Lu Feng in a bear hug that nearly snapped his spine.

"Teacher Zhao—my ribs—"

Laughter erupted.

No one noticed Tang San slinking away, face sour as a pickled lemon.

He'd come to flaunt his trump card, to dazzle everyone, to reclaim his pride—

Only for Lu Feng to eclipse him with wings of fire that dwarfed his pathetic little hammer.

The visual impact? Brutal.

The pressure? So intense even Ma Hongjun had folded like wet cardboard.

And just like that, the spotlight snapped back to Lu Feng, leaving Tang San holding a hammer no one cared about.

It made him feel like a complete fool.

He decided to go away, unwilling to stick around and watch Lu Feng chat happily with the teachers, all chummy and cheerful.

But as he left, only the chilly wind kept him company, with the mournful twang of an erhu playing in his head.

....

Suotuo Great Spirit Arena.

The colossal structure loomed against the night sky, its walls blazing with light. The roar of the crowd spilled out in waves, a constant hum of excitement and tension.

Flender led the students inside, minus Tang San (still recovering) and Dai Mubai (banned).

The arena was where stars were born. The higher the level of competition, the greater the fame and fortune. Victory here meant wealth, glory, and the adoration of thousands.

But it wasn't a game.

Injuries were common. Crippling wounds happened. Deaths, though rare, were not unheard of.

"Tonight's practical lesson? Combat in the arena," Flender announced, handing out registration forms. "Fill these out. Registration fee: ten gold spirit coins."

As the students scribbled their details, Flender rattled off the rules:

"First win earns you an Iron Spirit Badge. From there, you climb—Copper, Silver, Gold, Purple Gold, Blue Sapphire, Red Ruby, and finally Diamond. Points system: win = +1, lose = -1..."

He paused, eyes sharp. "No one graduates without at least a Silver Badge."

Xiao Wu nudged Lu Feng. "Only third rank? Doesn't sound too hard."

Ma Hongjun, mouth full of bread, chimed in: "Winning just one Iron match gets you ten gold coins! That's enough for so many snacks."

"Really?" Xiao Wu's eyes sparkled.

As a young girl, she naturally loved tasty food and cute clothes. But after transforming into a human, she hadn’t grasped how crucial money was in human society, so she hadn’t saved much.

In Notting City, she'd been too scared to collect the Spirit Hall's stipend as a disguised spirit beast. Her meager earnings as a work-study student barely covered meals.

Later, she'd scraped together some coins doing odd jobs at Merchant Alliance shops.

But then Tang San happened. {t/n- lol}

His hidden weapons obsession drained her savings. Materials were expensive. Blacksmiths charged outrageous fees (thanks to Lu Feng's behind-the-scenes price hikes). Every coin she'd lent him vanished into his projects, leaving her penniless.

No treats. No new dresses.

Looking back, she realized: Tang San was just cheap.

Xiao Wu loved carrots, sure but she also craved feasts, snacks, and pretty clothes. Yet all Tang San ever gave her was the cheapest carrots (definitely not Cloudpeak quality).

"Feng-ge, once I earn some coins, I'll stash them with you. I always lose stuff on me."

As an agility-type fighter, her constant flips and jumps made carrying items risky. A storage-type spirit tool was out of her budget.

“Alright, you don’t have a storage spirit tool, right? Here’s one for you, a sachet-shaped one, perfect for a girl. Once you inject your spirit power and bind it, it’ll stay secure and won’t slip off.”

Lu Feng pulled a delicate, embroidered pouch from his belt and handed it over.

"Wow! It's gorgeous! Thank you, Feng-ge!" Xiao Wu cradled it like treasure.

Flender's jaw dropped. "The Brocade Void Sachet ?! I saw this at auction—starting bid was 200,000 gold coins !"

He knew Lu Feng was wealthy, but this was obscene generosity. The final sale price had been over 300,000.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiao Gang's Twenty-Four Bridge Moon Night belt—gifted to Tang San—was worth maybe a few thousand.

Ma Hongjun choked. "T-T-TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND?!"

To Ma Hongjun, 200,000 gold coins was an insane amount. His eyes darted from Lu Feng to the Embroidered Sumeru Sachet in Xiao Wu’s hand. His chubby hand shook, and the bread he was holding dropped to the ground.

Zhu Zhuqing, unsurprised, just shrugged. She owned one too—and compared to the two spirit bones Lu Feng had given her, this was pocket change. Her unlimited Merchant Alliance spending card alone required a 10-million-gold deposit at their bank.

"This is too much! I can't accept it!" Xiao Wu tried to return it, though her grip betrayed her reluctance.

Lu Feng waved her off. "Keep it. Pay me back once you've earned enough."

Xiao Wu started counting on her fingers—then gave up. "That'd take forever ..."

Zhu Zhu Qing patted her shoulder. "Just take it. To him, this is nothing."