Driven by their growing curiosity, the three tried out the Flying Heaven Hook several times within the poison formation, marveling at its ingenious design. The quality of the materials and the fineness of the craftsmanship, in particular, made it hard for them to put down.
Flandre, not in any rush to deal with the Soul Beasts outside, let a sly gleam pass through his eyes. With his characteristic slightly slurrying voice, he said to Tang San, "Hey, little San, how about we make a deal?"
Tang San, ever perceptive, immediately broke into a faint smile. "No problem — anything but the Flying Heaven Hook, we can talk about."
"Uh..." Flandre was instantly choked silent by that response.
Liu Erlong shot Flandre a look of disdain from the side. "And here you are, a teacher no less, trying to take things from your students. Xiao San, how about this — Teacher Erlong will trade with you. Whichever Soul Beast out there catches your eye, just tell me, and I'll take it down for you. In return, you make me a Flying Heaven Hook."
Since Liu Erlong's build was naturally different from the boys', her observation had been more meticulous than Flandre's. She had noticed that each Flying Heaven Hook was slightly different in size, and instantly understood that they had been custom-made by Tang San.
Flandre immediately protested. Before Tang San could even open his mouth, he blurted out, "If she can have one, why can't I? Little San, put me down for one too. I am your teacher's big brother, after all — you've got to give me that much face."
Looking from Flandre to Liu Erlong, Tang San found the situation quite amusing.
In truth, it was no wonder Flandre and Liu Erlong were so interested in the Flying Heaven Hook. The device was extraordinarily practical and could absolutely save one's life at a critical moment. The materials were of exceptional quality, supremely tough, and wearing one on the arm added no sense of bulk — it felt like nothing more than a fitted wrist guard. That negligible weight was no issue at all for them.
Left with no choice, Tang San relented. "Fine. But making these takes a lot of time. After the Elite Soul Master Academy Tournament is over, I'll craft one for each of the teachers."
Flandre laughed heartily. "Good! Then I won't be modest about it. Erlong, Wuji — let's get to work. Little San, pick whichever one you want from outside. Whichever you choose, we'll take it down for you."
Watching Flandre's smug, self-satisfied air from the sidelines, the Great Master shook his head helplessly but said nothing.
Tang San said, "Let's catch one for Rongrong first. I'm not in a hurry — I still want to observe a bit."
Flandre nodded. "Sounds good. Great Master, what do you think would be the best choice for Rongrong's fourth Soul Ring?"
Tang San was the Great Master's disciple, so Flandre could have simply asked him directly. But for the others, the Great Master's professional opinion was still the most fitting.
The Great Master swept his gaze over the Soul Beasts lurking outside and raised his hand to point at one of them. "Rongrong's first three skills boost speed, strength, and Soul Power respectively. In that case, her fourth Soul Skill should focus on enhancing defense. That Armored Beast of around four thousand years would be a suitable match."
Everyone looked in the direction the Great Master was pointing. It was a magical beast shaped somewhat like a crocodile. It wasn't particularly large — roughly five meters long — with four eyes on its head and thick, pillar-like limbs. Its most striking feature was the layer of black plate armor covering its entire body. Each plate was about the size of a palm and looked incredibly tough.
The Great Master said gravely, "The Armored Beast specializes in close-range combat with tremendous strength, and thanks to its astonishing defense, it can practically ignore most attacks from Soul Beasts at a comparable cultivation level. All three of you should attack together — it's the safer approach."
The Great Master's words were naturally convincing. Flandre, Liu Erlong, and Wuji locked their gazes on the Armored Beast simultaneously, moved their feet, and closed the distance to within thirty meters in an instant. The Flying Heaven Hooks on their arms fired in unison, the steel claws spreading open in midair. In less than a heartbeat, they latched firmly onto the thousand-year Armored Beast.
Flandre and the other two felt only a faint jolt at their wrists before the action was complete. The Flying Heaven Hook felt wonderful in the hand — it was like an extension of one's own arm.
But as the creator of the Flying Heaven Hook, Tang San's pupils contracted sharply. The three Flying Heaven Hooks had landed on the Armored Beast, yet they had failed to pierce through its plate armor. Although each had managed to grip a single plate, none had sunk in even half an inch. One had to consider that the Flying Heaven Hook's mechanical force and inherent sharpness could easily pierce through metal and stone. This spoke volumes about just how absurdly powerful the Armored Beast's defense was. No wonder it had been able to mingle among the ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts — nobody had any interest in tackling such a stubborn bone.
Before the Armored Beast could even struggle, Flandre and the other two exhaled sharply in unison as their Soul Power surged and released in an instant.