Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 256 Final Exam
The atmosphere among the three was subtle and tense. Na'er quickly took two steps forward, deliberately distancing herself from Gu Yue.

When she noticed the silent contempt in Gu Yue's eyes, she straightened her back defiantly and glared back with the same sharp gaze.

"That's it for today."

Gula broke the deadlock at the right moment, speaking calmly, "Gu Yue, all the spirit alloys you need have been forged. You can choose to find someone to make your own battle armor, or hire my avatar for a fee."

"They possess the exact same skill memories as me, allowing them to better utilize the properties of metal when crafting battle armor."

This is not an exaggeration. When a complete set of battle armor is made by the same blacksmith, the transmission of soul power between the various parts is smoother, and its performance can often be improved by three to five percentage points compared to works made by multiple people.

Unfortunately, human energy is limited, and very few people can actually do it.

Having suffered setbacks one after another today, Gu Yue sneered upon hearing this, saying in a sarcastic tone, "You do know exactly how to distinguish between your true self and your avatar."

She glanced meaningfully at Na'er, her eyes flashing with cold light, "Aren't you afraid that one day you'll repeat my mistakes?"

In the past, Na'er would have unconsciously shrank back when faced with the sharp gaze of the main personality. But at this moment, she was like a little animal with its fur standing on end, meeting Gu Yue's gaze without fear, and even raising her chin defiantly.

“It’s different.” Gula shook his head slightly, but didn’t explain in detail. “My relationship with them is different from yours.”

He is the origin, and the only one.

……

The next morning, sunlight streamed into the classroom through the glass windows.

Shen Yi stood on the podium, gently tapping his lesson plan on the table. He waited until all the students quieted down before speaking:
"Students, the first semester of first grade has come to an end. In accordance with Shrek tradition, the final exam will be a practical assessment."

She looked around the classroom, her gaze lingering on each student's face for a moment. "Starting from sunrise tomorrow, you need to reach Mingdu within fifteen days."

A collective gasp filled the classroom. Mingdu was a full two thousand kilometers from Shrek City; the mission itself was already extremely challenging.

Before Shen Yi could finish speaking, he held up three fingers:

"The exam rules are as follows: the timer will start at 6:00 AM tomorrow, and you must arrive in Mingdu within 15 days. You must pass through at least 15 cities along the way, and defeat an opponent whose soul power level is five levels higher than yours in each city."

She glanced at Xu Lizhi, who was secretly eating snacks, and said, "All soul tools, storage equipment, and money must be left at the academy. Teachers will secretly follow and record, but they will never help unless your life is in danger."

After announcing the rules, Shen Yi left the classroom filled with an uproar of students.

The first-year classroom erupted in discussion as the students seriously considered the rules. The first problem they had to face was earning money, otherwise they wouldn't even have enough for travel and meals.

Especially for big eaters like Tang Wulin and Na'er, who require too much energy to grow, their combat power is immediately halved once they go hungry.

Gula, meanwhile, was lost in thought, contemplating the possibility of hiking to Mindu.

Now, he can meet his daily needs without eating, and walking to the capital feels... well, that's too silly.

If he were still an ordinary person, hiking could still provide exercise. But now, even a five-ton iron ball can't meet his exercise needs, let alone a light hike.

The sounds of discussion reached his ears, mostly about ways to make money. Bai Yuan, due to his special martial soul, shouldn't have needed to take the final exams like Na'er, but Na'er volunteered, and Yun Ming agreed after consideration. Bai Yuan decided to apply as well; he hadn't even gone out to play since his birth.

the next day.

On the first day of the exam, Lingbing Square was bustling with activity.

This square, located in the heart of the Foreign Languages ​​Institute, is usually the only way for students to go to their various sub-professional branches. Now, it has become the perfect place for freshmen to "raise money for their travel expenses".

Ye Xinglan stood in the center of the square, holding her long sword, and coldly asked the passing senior students for money. Gu Yue, on the other hand, used elemental manipulation to condense dazzling light and shadow in her palm, subtly expressing the same request.

A long queue formed in front of Xu Lizhi's steamed bun stall, and Xu Xiaoyan blinked her big, watery eyes at passersby, trying to charm them. Sparks flew from Tang Wulin's makeshift forging table as he rushed to produce a batch of the simplest metal parts.

Not far away, Bai Yuan was observing all of this with great curiosity. The black-haired boy, imitating the others, touched a non-existent wallet, a puzzled expression on his face.

At the edge of the square, Gula's stall stood out with its refined elegance.

A crystal tray is neatly arranged on a wooden square table, filled with fruits of various shapes: there are green pears that are as green as jade, purple grapes with starlight flowing on their surface, and even ice-blue apples that exude a cold aura.

The wooden sign standing in front of the table has only two simple gold-embossed characters: "Fruit".

But these are not ordinary fruits. They are all soul power fruits carefully cultivated in the Forest Sea Space by Gula using seeds of plant soul beasts collected from various places.

Although it cannot compare to those legendary rare and precious materials, under the divine cultivation techniques, each fruit contains pure heaven and earth energy. Most importantly, it will not leave any side effects like pills that cause a weak foundation.

How could a child of nature, a god-level breeder, and a god of the forest leave such a large piece of land untouched and not try farming?

Beside the fountain in the central square of Shrek Academy, the early spring sunlight filters through the newly sprouted leaves, casting dappled shadows.

Gula sat in an inconspicuous corner, took out several fruits of various shapes from his robes, and arranged them neatly on the table. A faint green light emanated from his fingertips as he gently stroked the fruits, and a delicate fragrance immediately filled the air.

"That should be attractive enough."

Gula's lips curled slightly, a sly glint in his eyes. He secretly activated his Mysterious Heaven Technique, infusing a wisp of soul power into the fruits, causing them to emit an even richer fragrance.

This fragrance is unlike that of ordinary flowers and fruits; it carries an invigorating energy that spreads like a tangible breeze.

The first to be drawn were a group of lower-grade students who had just finished their morning exercise, along with a few pretty upperclasswomen. Their nostrils flared as they followed the aroma to Gula's stall, their eyes filled with curiosity.

"What kind of fruit is this? I've never seen it before." A girl with a ponytail couldn't help but reach out to touch it.

Gula coughed lightly: "Soul Power Fruit, one million Federal Credits each, limited supply."

"One million?!" A chorus of exclamations erupted around them. The students exchanged bewildered glances; even for students of Shrek Academy, this price was outrageous.

At this moment, the crowd parted, and a tall, third-year student squeezed in. The badge on his chest indicated the strength of a four-ring Soul Master, and his face showed obvious disdain.

(End of this chapter)