Astral Douluo

Waking up in Wu Zhangkong's room, Tang Xingxi said to himself, "Dammit! I overdid it again."

Racking his brains for a reason he was here, he finally remembered what happened the other night. 'Damn, I guess that ability took way too much out of me. What should I do to lessen the consumption…'

"So, you finally woke up," an icy cold voice said, waking Tang Xingxi out of his stupor. Looking at the owner of the voice, it belonged to Wu Zhangkong.

Looking at Tang Xingxi inquisitively, Wu Zhangkong continued, "You do know it was difficult to resupply your body with about 50% of all its nutrients and 200% of its energy. There were also signs of combat where you were. Mind telling me what you did?"

"Hah!" Tang Xingxi said, surprised at how much energy he consumed. Looking back at Teacher Wu's eyes, Tang Xingxi knew he had to tell him the truth.

Looking at Wu Zhangkong, Tang Xingxi then told him everything that happened that night. How he took the reminder to heart and how he discovered another application for his first spirit ring.

"…And that finishes my story," Tang Xingxi said.

Wu Zhangkong looked at Tang Xingxi like he was a monster, then said, "Tang Xingxi, can you show me the form that you did —wait, you cant because it drains you too much right? Oh! Okay, follow me," before standing up and leading Tang Xingxi to the courtyard.

When they arrived at the courtyard, Wu Zhangkong put his hand behind Tang Xingxi and said, "Okay, use your spirit ability. I'll support you."

Nodding, Tang Xingxi activated his spirit before noticing something odd.

"Huh? Why are both of them purple now?" he said, shocked at the sight before him. Actually, when Tang Xingxi absorbed Leo, some of Leo's lightning power remained in Tang Xingxi's Starlight Orb spirit. Tang Xingxi just couldn't sense or use it. Only after Tang Xingxi used the form and transferred the remnant lightning back to Leo, Leo evolved and in turn, aged into a bonafide thousand-year-old spirit.

Calling out for Leo, Tang Xingxi noticed some changes. First, Leo looked exactly like he did last night except that he was only half the size. Second, his eyes looked like mini-galaxies and his mane looked like normal lions. Other than that, he seemed pretty normal.

'Hmm, he evolved…wait! My spirit's aged again without me doing anything!?'

"Tang Xingxi," said an annoyed Wu Zhangkong. Inside, he was also surprised at the changes but rather chose to see the complete package before saying anything.

Activating his first spirit ability, Tang Xingxi said, "Alright, let's do the same thing as last night Leo," whilst stretching his hand out. Understanding what his master wanted, Leo rested his head under Tang Xingxi's hand and started to absorb his lightning and lionic features.

Wu Zhangkong, seeing the transformation couldn't take his eyes off the scene. He saw the lightning covering Tang Xingxi's body move like a swarm of snakes towards Leo, who's body covered with sparks of yellow and blue lightning. Suddenly, Leo's mane started to perk up and turn yellow, causing his mane to look like a sun. His eyes becoming red, Leo roared to the sky as he started to absorb his lionic features.

In the end, Leo grew to about a meter and a half tall and gave off a sense of superiority.

While Wu Zhangkong was admiring the lion spirit's beauty, Tang Xingxi finally opened his eyes. Looking like the centres of a galaxy, he stood up and looked at Wu Zhangkong.

Wu Zhangkong looked at the now completely transformed Tang Xingxi. With paler skin than normal, white and silver hair flowing down to his shoulders and big eyes which looked like the infinite cosmos, Tang Xingxi gave off a feeling of absolute supremacy and wisdom.

Wu Zhangkong, at this point, believing everything said by his disciple said, "Alright, test everything you didn't test before. Also, make Leo do some stuff too."

[Wu Zhangkong POV]

"Alright," Tang Xingxi replied. Immediately after he said that he ordered Leo to showcase his new abilities. Looking at them, I was shocked. The first new ability Leo had, was a lightning domain where he is the absolute ruler of any and all lightning there. He can also emit his own.

His second ability, was the ability to concentrate and shoot out lightning as a beam or a bomb and the third, was the ability to enhance his body with lightning, giving him monstrous speed. Tang Xingxi seemed to ponder about something when he showcased that.

However, I was too shocked to care about what the boy was thinking. To be honest, the abilities of his spirit soul put any of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family's spirits to shame in terms of lighting control.

Looking at the boy, I decided to steel myself for any more surprises. I say, "Go on, test."

He then proceeds to make himself so bright he almost blinds me, creates an illusion of himself, then heats up so much that if I didn't freeze his clothes, they might have just burned straight off.

I then say, "Anything else you want to test?"

"Yes! But umm, teach?" Tang Xingxi responded.

"What is it?" I replied.

[Tang Xingxi POV]

"You might want to protect yourself," I said before recklessly using the aspect of speed and going as fast as light.

Landing in a lush, green forest, Wu Zhangkong screamed at me saying, "Where the hell is this!?"

Trying to figure out where we were, I remember my friend saying that in Douluo Dalu 4, which I haven't read yet, there was a planet, filled with lush green forests and that it was called, "The Elf Planet." (soulland.fandom.com/wiki/Elf_Planet)

Realizing this, my face went pale as I turned around to face Wu Zhangkong and said, "Umm, I think we're on another planet."

"…" Confusedly looking at me for a second, he was about to scream at me before I used lightspeed again.

Landing on a red biome, I instantly use the aspect again. This happened about ten more times before we finally arrived back at the academy.

Looking at me as if I was a monster, Wu Zhangkong finally let go of supplying me with his soul power as I undid my transformation. After berating me for about twenty minutes for being so reckless, Wu Zhangkong finally let me go.

Before heading back to the dorms, I ask, "Uh, Teacher Wu, What time is it?"

Looking at me strangely, Teacher Wu replied, "About thirty minutes after school finished up. Get going."

Realizing I was late to the challenge I proposed, I summoned out Leo, climbed on him and said, "Come on Leo! Run as fast as possible and take me to the Blacksmith's Association!"

[End POV]

<------------------------5 minutes later------------------------>

"So! That's where you are!" said an annoyed Mu Xi, arguing with Tang Wulin.

Tang Xingxi, at this moment, was riding atop Leo who was running as fast as possible to the Blacksmith's Association.

"Hello! Sorry, I'm late!" Tang Xingxi shouted. Coming to a halt, he jumped off of Leo, did a front flip, and landed softly in front of Mu Xi and his brother. After being berated by Mu Xi for about ten minutes for not showing up to the contest on time, the trio finally entered the building.

"Oh, hello! Follow me, the podium is already set up," said Yun Xiaoling who just noticed the trio enter.

It was actually her day off today, but she was so interested to see the trio forge, so she begged her superiors to let her receive and watch the trio during the competition. Seeing no harm in it, they let her do so.

Arriving on the podium area, the noisy chatter stopped. Everyone looked at the trio intently. All of them wanted to see the difference between the three blacksmith geniuses of the generation. Meanwhile, Mu Chen was sitting in the back row, holding his head tightly thinking of the terrible humiliation his daughter would receive.

Walking up to the podium, Mu Xi took the centre forging table, Tang Wulin took the one on the left, and Tang Xingxi took the one on the right.

An announcer walked up onto the podium and announced, "Thank you all for waiting! Now, we shall begin the competition between the three blacksmithing geniuses of this generation!

First up, we have Mu Xi! Daughter of the Eastsea's Blacksmith's Association's President!

Next, we have the two black horses, originating from Glorybound City, and both of them brothers, I give you, Tang Wulin and Tang Xingxi!

Now, the chosen metal to compete in shall be…Heavy Silver! Now, all contestants, refine that Heavy Silver the best you can within 1 hour which starts…Now!"

Clack! Clack! Clack! Three slabs of Heavy Silver exited from drawers inside the forging tables.

Shooting an icy glare to the announcer, Mu Xi thought, 'Dammit, that's an obvious bias towards Tang Wulin and Tang Xingxi.'

All three contestants started to calcine the metal. The forging table this time didn't have the option of calcining the metal inside the table, so everyone could see the metal getting red hot.

Tang Wulin, shaking his hands a little, summoned his Thousand Refined Tungsten Hammers and started to focus.

Mu Xi did the same and brought out her own hammers. They were golden with a sun insignia on them.

Tang Xingxi…well, he put on his earphones, turned on his soul-pod and closed his eyes whilst thinking, 'This is what you get for underestimating us.'

Seeing this, everyone's reaction was a bout of murmurs. Luckily, there was a barrier, so no one on the stage could hear the audience's voices. No one could understand the reasoning behind taking out their earphones and listening to music whilst forging! Doing so would disrupt the forging rhythm!

Yun Xiaoling, by the side, was finding it hard to try and keep from shouting at Tang Xingxi for doing what he was doing.

Mu Xi, out of the corner of her eye also caught this and thought to herself in disdain, 'Hmph! I was right! He's a fake!'

The only people unaffected by this were Tang Wulin, Cen Yue, and Mu Chen. The first, because he was already used to it. The second and third, because they had already seen it and felt like watching the reactions of the crowd.

Suddenly, Tang Wulin lifted his hands and started hammering the metal.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

At the same time, Mu Xi also started hammering.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Tang Wulin's strikes sounded like an endlessly crashing wave, while Mu Xi's sounded like a fairy's footsteps.

At this point, everyone's eyes turned to Tang Xingxi's table. Tang Xingxi hadn't even opened his eyes yet. Everyone was about to go into an outrage until a silent pressure enveloped the room. Trying to find the source, everyone's eyes landed on Tang Xingxi, who's eyes were now open.

Activating his spirit, Tang Xingxi summoned Mjolnir. Grabbing it with his right hand, and throwing it upwards, he caught it, hands in an x-formation. Tearing the hammer apart by the handle, it formed two new hammers.

Using the momentum from his movements, Tang Xingxi hammered straight down at the metal. Causing the same scene he caused during his examination, Tang Xingxi awed the spectators. The loudest among them being Yun Xiaoling.

Looking backwards, Mu Xi thought fearfully, 'What the hell!? What kind of hammer effect is that!? No! Nonono, he's a bonafide fifth-rank blacksmith for sure!'

Dang! Dang! Boom! The metal was now thousand-refined,

Grinning, Tang Xingxi looked at the spectators and continued hammering while saying, "I can't hear you, but I can full well understand you were underestimating me so, let me show you my true capabilities!"

As if invigorated by those words, Tang Xingxi started hammering even faster than before.

At the thirty-minute mark, Tang Wulin and Mu Xi both hundred refined their metals. At the fifty-minute mark, they both thousand-refined it! However, no one was paying attention to them At the moment, all their eyes were focused on the boy who was disintegrating and rebuilding his slab of Heavy Silver every time his hammers touched the metal.

At the last few seconds of the countdown, the announcer started, "Alright! The competition ends in 10,9…5,4…"

Everyone looked at Tang Xingxi anxiously.

At last few seconds, before the competition ended, Tang Xingxi stopped forging. Slamming his hammers into each other, they formed what seemed to be a sledgehammer with an exponentially larger hammer-head.

Slowly raising his hammer, Tang Xingxi held it above his head. Partially activating his bloodlines, he infused his bloodline power, spirit's power, and soul power into the hammer causing it to glow with a multitude of colours.

3, 2, O-Bam! Slamming the hammer down at the last minute, a cloud of smoke engulfed the podium.

As the smoke cleared, everyone clearly saw three, distinct pieces of metal. The one on the left-most side was silver, with a slight contrasting golden gleam. In the middle, lay a piece of silver with a bright shine, similar to that of the sun.

Yes, these metals were partially spirit-forged. Tang Wulin and Mu Xi were able to partially spirit forge because of the pressure of Tang Xingxi. In order to catch up to him, they all had to work extra hard, and this was the result.

However, stealing the spotlight from these two was a gleaming piece of spirit-forged metal. Covered with what looked to be dragon-like scales and cosmic patterns, it held a red gleam which made anyone who saw it feel fear from the bloodl.u.s.t it emitted.

The announcer, still baffled by what happened, said, "Okay, I crown the winner of this competition, Tang Xingxi!"

No one clapped. The competition couldn't even be called as such anymore. The second Tang Xingxi stepped on the stage, the competition was already over.

The president dismissing everyone called out to Tang Xingxi, Tang Wulin, and his daughter.

Leading them to the doors of the association, Mu Chen said, "Goodbye Tang Xingxi! Tang Wulin! Hope to see you again!"

Walking back to the building, he suddenly turned around and said, "Oh, Tang Xingxi, catch!" while throwing him a storage device.

Looking inside it, Tang Xingxi found the metals he had forged today and during his examination. Realizing he forgot to take them back, he facepalmed himself before looking towards Mu Chen and saying, "Thank you!"

"You're welcome!" Mu Chen replied before asking someone to escort them back to the school.

Looking back to his daughter, Mu Chen surprisingly found a smile on her face. 'Why is she so happy? She just lost!' he thought to himself.

[Mu Xi POV]

Dammit! I just lost, so why am I feeling happy right now!?

Remembering the sight of Tang Xingxi's body hammering his piece of heavy silver, a smile unconsciously crept on my lips as I started blushing.

'His focus, his every movement…'

'Hah!? Hold on, what am I doing!?' Slapping both my cheeks, I shook my head following my father to the car.

Seeing the buildings flash by, I started thinking, 'No! Impossible! I can't be feeling… "that", right? Urgh!!! No! Even if I'm feeling "that", he's too young for me!'

Sitting in the car seat, I started massaging my temples, thinking, 'Oh, Xingxi. What am I going to do about you!'