A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night-Chapter 223

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue exchanged a glance, and the same emotion reflected clearly in both their eyes.

Shock.

An astrological attribute? Neither of them had ever heard of such a thing before, yet its power was undeniable. Xie Xie, the one with the highest cultivation among them, had been sealed for a full five seconds.

Five seconds.

In battle, five seconds was more than enough to decide life and death. Even Tang Wulin wasn't confident he could resist Xu Xiaoyan's starwheel.

"After using the starwheel at full strength, can you still fight?" Gu Yue asked.

Xu Xiaoyan shook her head, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "No. Once I activate it, I can't move at all. If I do, the seal loosens and its power weakens. That's why this ability is best used with teammates. According to my clan's records, the astrological attribute develops more abilities as my cultivation improves. It's almost like having a second set of soul rings… similar to twin martial souls. But during the day, I'm really weak. I can only use my ice staff."

As expected, terrifying power came hand in hand with brutal limitations.

She couldn't move.\\

She couldn't attack.\\

It only worked at night.

The restrictions were harsh to the extreme. Yet even so, the value of such an ability in team combat was beyond measure. A single second of absolute sealing could flip the entire battlefield.

One second was all they needed.

"I swear on my great aunt…" Xie Xie muttered weakly. "That's ridiculous."

Xu Xiaoyan smiled sweetly. Her Starwheel Ice Staff glimmered briefly, and the golden light and icy shackles binding Xie Xie melted away. In truth, she had already reached her limit. Against stronger opponents, maintaining the seal drained her rapidly. If the target struggled fiercely, they could even break free within a second or two.

Tang Wulin raised his thumb toward her. Her first soul skill, **Starwheel Shackles**, was an incredible addition to the team.

A mysterious martial soul, born of a mysterious land. On the Douluo Continent, truly nothing was impossible.

"It's a pity we can't turn day into night," Xie Xie said while shaking off the lingering stiffness. "Otherwise, we might've given Teacher Wu a real surprise."

Those shackles had fused astrological and ice attributes. Being restrained by them was anything but pleasant.

Tang Wulin smiled faintly. "It doesn't matter. We can go find Teacher Wu right now. He won't refuse."

He exchanged a glance with Xie Xie. A familiar glint flickered in their eyes.

One second of absolute sealing…

Maybe they really could shock their teacher.

Without another word, the four of them sat down cross-legged and began to meditate.

☀

"All of you want to challenge me right now?"

Wu Zhangkong stared at his four students, genuinely taken aback.

"Yes. Please give us guidance," Tang Wulin replied earnestly.

"Alright." Wu Zhangkong nodded.

It was already late, and the dormitories were under lights-out. Instead of the combat arenas, he led them to the open training fields. Whatever scheme these children had cooked up, he was more than willing to entertain it.

The field lay submerged in darkness.

Wu Zhangkong stepped into the center and calmly removed his white robe. "Come."

Tang Wulin spoke up, "Teacher Wu, you're far stronger than us. Shouldn't you suppress your cultivation? The strongest among us only has two rings. Why don't you restrict yourself to two rings as well?"

Wu Zhangkong's eyes narrowed.

He wasn't a fool. From the way they spoke, it was obvious they weren't here just to be beaten. They believed they had a chance.

He was familiar with the other three, but Xu Xiaoyan remained an unknown variable.

"Fine," Wu Zhangkong said coldly.

The four students instantly leapt back and formed up.

Tang Wulin stood at the front, Xie Xie beside him. Gu Yue positioned herself behind Tang Wulin, while Xu Xiaoyan stayed behind Gu Yue.

They moved as one.

Soul rings rose from beneath their feet, glowing vividly in the darkness. Tang Wulin's violet ring shone brightest of all, regal and domineering.

Bluesilver Grass surged outward, shielding his teammates. Golden scales erupted over Tang Wulin's right arm as he let out a low growl and charged forward, activating **Bind** at once.

Hundreds of strands of Bluesilver Grass screamed through the air, displaying the terrifying might of a thousand-year soul skill. One strand discreetly flung Xie Xie skyward. The moment he reached Wu Zhangkong's overhead position, he twisted and dove, immediately unleashing **Twin Dragon Storm**.

And that wasn't all.

A wind blade, a fireball, and an icicle slipped through gaps in the grass barrier and converged on Wu Zhangkong. Xie Xie was merely the opening strike.

They knew one thing well. The longer this dragged on, the slimmer their chances became.

If they wanted success, they had to go all out immediately.

Wu Zhangkong didn't move.

He raised the Skyfrost Sword and gently pinched its tip with his fingers. Calm. Unmoved. Like an unshakable mountain.

The moment their attacks reached him, he slashed.

An azure halo erupted around his body, carrying a strange gravitational pull. Gu Yue's elemental attacks were torn from her control and dragged inward, collapsing into the halo.

Simple. Direct. Ruthlessly efficient.

The Twin Dragon Storm tore through the weakened elements, but its power had already been stripped away.

Wu Zhangkong's eyes glimmered violet.

Tang Wulin countered with his own Purple Demon Eyes, but it was useless. A wave of dizziness crashed into him, and his Bind began to unravel.

Shameless! He's actually using Purple Demon Eyes!

Even if he wasn't using them at full strength, that was still far too much.

The thought vanished as Tang Wulin roared and charged again, Bluesilver Grass surging forward like a living tide.

Wu Zhangkong swung his Skyfrost Sword once.

Its previous serenity vanished, replaced by terrifying speed. Hundreds of sword waves burst forth from a single slash, freezing and slicing through the incoming grass with pinpoint precision. Each strand was intercepted.

In that instant, Tang Wulin was completely cut off from his teammates.

Yet he continued charging.

Xie Xie's Twin Dragon Storm finally descended, but Wu Zhangkong vanished.

Afterimages filled the field as he activated **Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track**. At first, Xie Xie could still track him, adjusting his attack instinctively. But soon, Wu Zhangkong's movements surpassed his perception.

By the time Xie Xie landed, his target was gone.

Nothing but empty air remained.

A wave of frost shot toward him.

Xie Xie raised his Light Dragon Dagger to defend, but his soul power was already exhausted.

The impact sent him flying.

Tang Wulin arrived before Wu Zhangkong in a flash, the two of them facing each other at close range.

He didn't retreat.

Golden light erupted as Tang Wulin struck with his **Golden Dragon Claw**, its brilliance blazing through the darkness. Even with his cultivation suppressed, Wu Zhangkong showed no openings, no flaws. Yet in that instant, he made a decisive choice.

Icy mist billowed from his body. Sword waves burst outward and interwove at lightning speed, forming a dense defensive net around him.

At the same moment, a golden six-pointed star lit up beneath Wu Zhangkong's feet.

**Starwheel Shackles.**

Icy restraints shot upward and wrapped around his body.

A shrill metallic screech rang out as Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon Claw seized the sword-wave net and crushed it apart.

With his improved cultivation and the reinforcement of the Mysterious Heaven Method, Tang Wulin could now maintain the Golden Dragon Claw for a full twenty seconds.

But the result fell short of his expectations.

The timing of the Starwheel Shackles had been flawless, yet Wu Zhangkong's defense exceeded everything they had calculated. In a split second, he deflected the shackles' sealing power. Though Tang Wulin shattered the net, the backlash from the sword waves surged through him, sending a chill down his spine and forcing him to stagger backward.

That single step broke his momentum.

Wu Zhangkong's eyes flared with icy light. The ice shackles cracked apart and shattered to the ground.

Even while suppressing himself to two rings, the difference between his soul power and theirs was still like heaven and earth. His soul power was compressed, refined, and terrifyingly efficient. The Starwheel Shackles could only restrain him for barely two seconds.

Two seconds.

The Frost Scars had held Tang Wulin back for those same two seconds.

Now freed, Wu Zhangkong raised his Skyfrost Sword and pointed it at Tang Wulin.

But then he saw Tang Wulin smile.

A sudden sense of danger surged through him.

Without hesitation, Wu Zhangkong unleashed another Frost Scar net.

Too late.

A palm landed gently on his back.

The next instant, a violent tempest of **fire and ice** exploded against him.

Protective frost instantly coated Wu Zhangkong's body, yet even so, the blast forced him to stagger forward.

He released his true strength.

A terrifying wave of icy power erupted, flinging all four children away like leaves in a storm.

Wu Zhangkong's usually cold expression cracked, revealing a rare look of irritation.

"Woohoo!" Xu Xiaoyan was the first to cheer.

That was right.