Class Zero

Yesterday, Lin Xingyu and the other two had defeated Class Five, taught by Wu Changkong, and the gloom that had been weighing on Ye Yingluo's heart for so long finally vanished like smoke. At that moment, she felt incomparably refreshed, as buoyant as a bird in spring.

On the other side, Wu Changkong still wore his cold, stern expression, as if yesterday's defeat had not affected him at all. He brought Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, and Xie Xie to the field right on time, the three following closely behind him.

"Class monitor, why do you think the academy suddenly called us over? Any inside information?" Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi walked over to Lin Xingyu and started chatting with him.

"Take a guess and you might get it right. It should have something to do with yesterday's match!"

Zhang Yangzi's eyes lit up when he heard that, and he said, "So, class monitor, you do have inside information? Hurry up and tell us!"

"What inside information? Look, Director Long Hengxu and Dean Yu Zhen are both here."

"Hmph, you'll regret this sooner or later."

Lin Xingyu gave Zhang Yangzi a strange look and casually replied, "I'm the class monitor."

Long Hengxu walked onto the field and spoke directly. "The academy holds the Promotion Tournament in order to cultivate outstanding students. In yesterday's battle, the first-year students already fully demonstrated their excellence to us. Since the goal has been achieved, this year's first-year Promotion Tournament will no longer continue. Class Five Grade 1 will be changed to Class 2 Grade 1, while Class 1 Grade 1 will remain unchanged. As a reward for the victors of this match, every student of Class 1 Grade 1 may receive one free Grade A Meal from the cafeteria every day this semester."

When the students of Class 1 Grade 1 heard Long Hengxu's words, they all burst into cheers at once. What did one Grade A Meal a day mean? At Eastsea Academy, one Grade A Meal cost one thousand Federal Coins. Even then, Eastsea Academy only earned the cost of the ingredients; all the various expenses in between were subsidized by Eastsea Academy itself.

Eastsea Academy's Grade A Meals were all made from Soul Beast Meat, at minimum from Ten-Year Soul Beasts, and most were from hundred-year-level Soul Beast Meat. Because Eastsea Academy was close to the ocean and Eastsea City was one of the Federation's few major coastal cities, they could occasionally even get their hands on thousand-year-level Sea Soul Beasts.

In the present era, although high-level soul beasts were said to be extinct, and the Star Dou Great Forest had only its final core region left, having completely become a protected area established by humans, there were still quite a few soul beasts of ten years and a hundred years raised through artificial breeding. But because they required a great deal of time, the cost was not low at all!

One had to know that Soul Beast Meat had the effect of nourishing the body. On the market, it could be said to be in constant short supply. As for one thousand Federal Coins, if a family of three only bought ingredients, that would be enough for them to eat for an entire month. For Eastsea Academy's Grade A Meal, the ingredient cost alone was one thousand Federal Coins per serving.

Ordinary Soul Master families could hardly bear to eat it every meal. This was equivalent to a subsidy of one hundred and eighty thousand Federal Coins per person.

Only after the cheering below the stage gradually quieted did Long Hengxu announce another matter. "The academy exists to cultivate students, and the Promotion Tournament exists to select students. This time, some students performed especially outstandingly, and some students also possess excellent talent. Cultivating them step by step in the usual manner would somewhat waste their talent. The academy intends to establish a special class specifically to cultivate these students. In the future, outstanding students may likewise join this special class! At present, a total of seven students have been confirmed. Lin Xingyu, Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, and Wei Xiaofeng, stay behind. Everyone else, return to your classes for lessons. Teacher Wu, please stay as well."

Last night, after discussing the establishment of Class Zero Grade 1 with Long Hengxu and Yu Zhen, they had gone straight to Wu Changkong to discuss it with him. In the end, under Long Hengxu's various promises, Wu Changkong agreed to serve as the homeroom teacher of Class Zero Grade 1.

Ye Yingluo instantly felt as if the sky had fallen. She also felt as if she had been robbed. The bright smile that had originally been on her face disappeared in an instant.

The academy was selecting outstanding students for focused cultivation. She felt there was nothing wrong with that. Whether in insight, cultivation, or teaching ability, Wu Changkong was excellent, stronger than her in every aspect. She also felt there was nothing wrong with him becoming the homeroom teacher.

The students gained better development, and her own class gained honor and rewards.

It was just that she had clearly been the one who came first. Why had it turned into this?

Ye Yingluo looked at her four students in melancholy.

Yu Zhen felt that the originally serious expressions of the seven students left in front of him immediately softened into kindness, and he beckoned them to come before him.

Lin Xingyu, Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, Wei Xiaofeng, Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, and Xie Xie walked up to Yu Zhen.

Yu Zhen said kindly, "All of you are geniuses selected by Eastsea Academy. In Eastsea Academy, you could be said to be rare talents seen once in ten years. The purpose of establishing Class Zero is to cultivate you to the greatest extent and not waste your talent. If you follow the academy's ordinary step-by-step learning, it will be very difficult for you to learn anything useful. However!"

At this point, Yu Zhen's expression suddenly turned cold. A wave of pressure pressed directly down on Lin Xingyu and the other six. "There has never been any shortage of geniuses on the Douluo Continent! There is even less shortage of geniuses who died young! You are only considered minor geniuses in Eastsea City! Once you leave Eastsea City, who knows you? On the Douluo Continent, those more talented than you are countless. Put away your arrogant hearts and study seriously. There are still far too many areas where you fall short!

This time, the academy has specially established Class Zero in order to cultivate you in particular and make you true geniuses. The academy will directly provide you with the best resources this time. Even in the legendary Shrek Academy, the resources provided to you would not be more than what we give you. Do the seven of you understand?"

"Understood!" Lin Xingyu and the other six answered in unison. Facing Yu Zhen's released aura, all seven of them felt their breathing grow somewhat difficult.

"Since you all understand, sign this agreement!" Yu Zhen casually reached into his soul storage and took out seven agreements, handing them one by one to Lin Xingyu and the others.

Lin Xingyu carefully read through the contents of the document. After confirming there were no traps, he carefully signed his name. Joining Class Zero had been his purpose in coming to Eastsea Academy in the first place. Eastsea Academy's resource allocation was not just empty talk. They really gave resources, and they truly gave a lot!

The guidance Wu Changkong could provide was also excellent, and his character was quite good as well.

Unless there was one-on-one instruction from a Titled Douluo, this was practically the best education one could enjoy in the early stages!

Tang Wulin signed his name without even looking. He was a student with a useless martial soul and a Ten-Year Soul Spirit. Once he walked out the door, no one would want him. It could be said he had fallen as low as one could fall. Since Eastsea Academy was willing to cultivate him, he definitely had to seize the opportunity! Gu Yue also signed her name directly.

Xie Xie carefully read through the contents of the agreement. The general meaning was that Eastsea Academy would cultivate them and provide them with the best resources, but they could not transfer schools before completing their studies in the intermediate and advanced divisions; otherwise, they would have to compensate the academy for the resources.

Xie Xie immediately became somewhat hesitant. Once he signed, he would be tied to Eastsea Academy for the next few years. Xie Xie had the best background among them, and had seen all kinds of commercial contracts since childhood. He understood Eastsea Academy's conditions, which were within the normal range of demands. After all, they could not plant the tree themselves only for someone else to pick the peaches in the end, could they?

Xie Xie instantly grew a little hesitant, but in the end, he still braved Yu Zhen's pressure and said, "Dean, we're still young. For something this important, shouldn't we discuss it with our families first?"

"You may. Then you do not need to participate in Class Zero. Go back directly." Yu Zhen's words were extremely cold.

Xie Xie hesitated for a moment. In the end, he gritted his teeth and chose to sign his name. In any case, the academy's condition was only that if he transferred schools, he had to pay back the resources the academy had invested. Weren't those resources all being used on him? No matter how he looked at it, he would not really lose out! He signed!

On the other side, Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi carefully read through the contents of the agreement as well, then signed.

In the end, only Wei Xiaofeng had not signed. "Dean, I will probably transfer schools for the advanced division. If I want to join Class Zero, I need to go back and discuss it with my family!"

Yu Zhen said nothing. He only reached out, took back the agreement from Wei Xiaofeng's hands, and nodded. "You may return to Class One."

Wei Xiaofeng looked at Lin Xingyu, Wang Jinxi, and Zhang Yangzi with a complicated expression. From this moment on, he and the three of them would probably walk down two different roads. He did not know how many more chances they would have to meet. As for the academy's treatment being better than Shrek's, he did not believe it. That was the number one holy land of Soul Masters for twenty thousand years!

Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi likewise felt saddened. After all, they had come here together, but in the end, Wei Xiaofeng returned alone.

Lin Xingyu said nothing. After all, he could not directly tell Wei Xiaofeng about Class Zero's treatment and make the decision for him. If anything happened in the future, Wei Xiaofeng would still blame him. If he found out later about the Spirit Ascension Platform slots, would he regret it?

Once he left, Yu Zhen saw that everyone remaining had already signed the agreements. The aura he had been emitting instantly vanished, and his previously stern expression directly became kind. His face-changing skill had already reached perfection.

"Since you have all signed the agreements, you are now students Eastsea Academy will focus on cultivating. The academy has prepared new dormitories and classrooms for you. The instruments you use in the future will also be the most advanced in Eastsea Academy! From now on, Teacher Wu will be your homeroom teacher. If there is anything you do not understand, you may directly ask Teacher Wu. The education you will enjoy is the very pinnacle of the entire Douluo Continent!"

Listening to the dean's promises, the moods of the few who had been badly affected by the dean's oppressive aura clearly improved somewhat. Only Lin Xingyu and Wu Changkong, not far away, twitched the corners of their mouths at the same time when they heard those words. Eastsea Academy had indeed done its best. One could only say this was a cruel era, and the monopolies were far too severe.

Just like that, Class Zero Grade 1 was officially established. The members of Class Zero were then arranged into brand-new dormitories and classrooms. The classroom was located in an experimental building deep within Eastsea Academy. The surroundings were quiet and pleasant, and all kinds of instruments inside were top-tier configurations.

The original dormitories of the six members of Class Zero were directly upgraded into single-person suites. Each suite had one bedroom, one living room, and one bathroom, a full eighty square meters, making them extremely spacious. Like the classroom, the dormitories were also located deep within Eastsea Academy. They directly enjoyed the treatment of top-level teachers, and Wu Changkong moved over as well.

The residences of Lin Xingyu and the other five happened to surround Wu Changkong's new residence. Eastsea Academy's arrangement was clearly to make things convenient for the students of Class Zero Grade 1. If they encountered difficulties in cultivation, they could immediately ask Wu Changkong for guidance. The academy had truly gone to great pains.

It also made it convenient for Wu Changkong to directly look after these children.