Seeking Guidance

"Brother Xuan!"

Tang Wulin called out instinctively when he saw Lin Xuan running over. Then a trace of shame rose in his heart. Brother Xuan was stronger than him, yet he still worked so hard.

Today, he would run ten extra laps!

Tang Wulin silently made up his mind. He would follow Brother Xuan's example in everything.

Brother Xuan had said it before: Heaven rewards diligence. Only hard work brought rewards.

Lin Xuan nodded at Tang Wulin, then looked at Wu Changkong beside him.

"Teacher Wu!"

"Mm."

Wu Changkong gave a slight nod and replied indifferently.

Though he had no impression of this student, judging by Tang Wulin's reaction, he should also be a first-year student from this intake.

"You three, put on the Iron Armor. Run twenty laps first."

With a wave of Wu Changkong's hand, three sets of black Iron Armor appeared on the ground.

Tang Wulin took the lead, picked up a set of Iron Armor, and immediately started running. Xie Xie, on the other hand, pulled a long face as he reluctantly put his on.

Gu Yue hesitated for a moment before stepping forward as well, but as she passed Lin Xuan, she shot him a vicious glare.

"How ridiculous!"

Lin Xuan muttered aggrievedly, but he understood perfectly well.

This girl was most likely the Silver Dragon King's other human incarnation.

Tsk, tsk. She really was a naive fool.

If one called Gu Yue a weakling, she had later usurped the Spirit Pagoda, one of humanity's top forces. But if one called her clever, Lin Xuan could only shake his head at her behavior.

Na'er was still better. She had one outstanding virtue—being dumb!

Gu Yue frowned and glanced at Lin Xuan. She always felt that he was saying bad things about her, but she had no proof. Unable to figure it out after thinking it over, she picked up the Iron Armor and ran toward the Playground.

"Hm?"

Wu Changkong cast a glance at Lin Xuan, who was still standing there. The meaning was obvious.

Go do what you were supposed to do! Stop standing around here!

Lin Xuan pretended not to see it and got straight to the point.

"Teacher Wu, I have some questions I'd like to ask you."

"Not interested."

Wu Changkong replied coldly.

At Eastsea Academy, the people who wanted to seek his guidance could line up around the school several times. If he agreed to every one of them, he would turn from a cold and aloof handsome god into a kindly little balding man.

After saying that, Wu Changkong started walking toward the Playground ahead.

"Uh..."

Lin Xuan blinked. He was pretty aloof.

But if he missed this chance, there would not be another. His eyes rolled as a plan suddenly came to mind.

When dealing with someone this aloof, the colder they were, the less he could suck up to them. That would only make them look down on him even more.

He had to be forceful!

"Teacher! Please instruct me!"

Without another word, blue light flashed in Lin Xuan's hand. He drew his sword and charged forward. He pushed himself to his peak and unleashed his strongest sword strike in his normal state.

A surge of Sword Momentum soared into the sky. Lin Xuan achieved Man-Sword Unity, his Sharp Sword pointing straight at Wu Changkong's back.

Lin Xuan still held back a little. He did not use any soul skills, lest Wu Changkong get serious and beat him up.

"Oh?"

Feeling the sharp sword aura rushing at him from behind, Wu Changkong gave a soft exclamation and turned to face Lin Xuan.

Faced with Lin Xuan's all-out sword strike, Wu Changkong merely raised a hand and flicked the incoming blade with a finger. With a clear ding, Lin Xuan was knocked back.

"Hehe! As expected of Teacher Wu! Amazing, amazing!"

Lin Xuan sheathed his sword and flattered Wu Changkong.

As the saying went, one did not strike a smiling face. As a teacher, Wu Changkong could not possibly keep pursuing a student like him, could he?

"Always playing little tricks."

Wu Changkong clasped his hands behind his back and looked at Lin Xuan without joy or anger.

Where Lin Xuan could not see, a bead of blood seeped from the finger Wu Changkong had used to block his attack.

Wu Changkong stared deeply at the solemn-looking Lin Xuan before him. He had been careless just now and had actually been injured by the sword aura on Lin Xuan's blade.

Though he had not used Soul Power, he was a Soul Emperor! They were at least four or five rings apart. That alone was enough to show that this boy's Sword Technique was extraordinary.

"Follow me."

Wu Changkong said one sentence, then walked straight out of the Playground without waiting for Lin Xuan's response.

"Got it!"

Delight appeared on Lin Xuan's face. It worked!

He followed Wu Changkong for some distance before they finally arrived at a secluded clearing.

"What questions do you have?"

Under the shade of the trees, Wu Changkong stopped and turned back to ask Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan hurried forward and poured out all of his doubts about swordsmanship in one go.

"Your Sword Dao realm has stopped progressing?"

Wu Changkong glanced at Lin Xuan, who was humbly seeking instruction.

If anyone else had dared to ask Wu Changkong why they had not advanced in their Sword Dao realm, Wu Changkong would only give them a sword strike and tell them to get lost!

If you were weak, train more!

But Lin Xuan...

Wu Changkong recalled Lin Xuan's strike from earlier and fell into thought.

"Pick up your sword and attack me with all your strength."

Wu Changkong spoke to Lin Xuan.

"Mm!"

Lin Xuan nodded, but instead of drawing his sword, he first removed the weights from his body.

Boom!

Under Wu Changkong's strange gaze, several small metal blocks fell to the ground with a deafening crash.

Could this kid be a Battle Soul Master? From four or five meters away, Wu Changkong could still feel the faint tremor in the ground. They had to weigh at least several hundred kilograms.

"Teacher! Here I come!"

After removing the weights, Lin Xuan felt his entire body lighten. He grabbed his sword and charged at Wu Changkong.

Wu Changkong reached forward and clenched his hand. An ice-blue longsword appeared in his grasp, its blade radiating a terrifying chill.

Wu Changkong already had a cold and aloof temperament, but with a longsword in hand, he seemed even colder, like an unmatched sword immortal descended into the mortal world.

Facing Wu Changkong, Lin Xuan did not dare let down his guard in the slightest. He used every trick at his disposal, and in an instant, streak after streak of sword light slashed out from his hand.

Wu Changkong calmly received Lin Xuan's sword moves one by one. Yet as time passed, the stranger his expression became.

"Enough! That will do!"

After several dozen exchanges, Wu Changkong knocked Lin Xuan back with a single strike. He gave Lin Xuan an odd look and sighed inwardly.

As expected!

He had discovered what was so strange about Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan's sword was too pure.

Wu Changkong's sword was the Ice Sword, matching his Martial Soul. But Lin Xuan's sword was simply a sword—Sword Technique refined to the utmost limit.

"Who did you learn your sword from?"

Wu Changkong frowned. In his view, Lin Xuan's situation had already gone down an unconventional path.

"I taught myself."

Lin Xuan replied.

Wu Changkong nodded. He had expected that.

"Then what Sword Technique have you learned?"

"Just one set of Basic Sword Techniques."

Lin Xuan scratched his head.

"Then your Martial Soul definitely isn't a sword either, is it?"

A rare trace of a smile appeared on Wu Changkong's cold face.

How did Teacher Wu know? Had he seen my records?

Lin Xuan froze for a moment, then nodded.

"Mm! My Martial Soul is a Plant-type Martial Soul."

Though Azure Leaf Sword Grass had the word "sword" in its name, it had little to do with swords. It was merely sharper than ordinary Azure Leaf Grass; Lin Xuan simply liked calling it that.

"I don't know what your Martial Soul is, nor have I seen any information about you."

As if he had seen through Lin Xuan's thoughts, Wu Changkong suddenly spoke.

"Please enlighten me, Teacher!"

Lin Xuan clasped his fists in salute. Teacher Wu actually seemed to know what he was talking about!

Wu Changkong accepted the salute with a smile, deeply satisfied by Lin Xuan's humble attitude.

"What do you think a sword is? How should one cultivate the sword?"

Rather than answering Lin Xuan directly, Wu Changkong responded with a question.

Thank you, everyone, for your monthly votes and Recommendation Tickets! And thank you to the brother who sent a tip—I'm incredibly grateful. This is the first time the author has received a tip, so I'm a little excited.