Class Assignment

After lunch, An Ping first wandered around the school to familiarize himself with the locations and functions of its various buildings. He then bought some daily necessities. When he returned to the dormitory that evening, he found that no new roommate had been assigned to his room.

He sat on his bed and began his usual Meditation Practice. He could feel his Spiritual Power Model becoming increasingly stable, while his magic power grew denser and denser. He was not far from being able to condense a Magic Power Source.

Since he still had to attend the Opening Ceremony the next day, An Ping lay down to rest after finishing his daily Meditation Practice.

The Opening Ceremony was held in the plaza of Eastsea Academy's Intermediate Department. This was when the academy's Advanced Department and Intermediate Department gathered together.

Cadets from the Advanced Department and Intermediate Department assembled in the huge plaza, forming square formations that numbered roughly over a thousand people.

Eastsea Academy's Opening Ceremony was quite simple, consisting mainly of the dean's speech and Class Assignment.

Eastsea Academy's dean was an inconspicuous-looking Old Man with graying hair. He appeared to be around sixty or seventy years old and carried the air of a scholar.

Standing on the platform before the formations, the Old Man first welcomed the new cadets, then introduced the academy's social standing and political significance. Finally, he encouraged all the students and spoke of his expectations for them, talking at length for more than ten minutes.

Only after the dean's speech came the most important segment for the new cadets: Class Assignment.

Those who did not need to be assigned to classes were taken away by their respective homeroom teachers. The Advanced Department was also led back to its own area for Class Assignment. Before long, the vast crowd consisted only of the Intermediate Department's new cadets and the five teachers led by Long Hengxu.

Long Hengxu stepped to the front of the group and did not waste words. "Next, you will be assigned to classes. As everyone knows, at Eastsea Academy, the lower the class number, the more outstanding its cadets are. But that is not absolute. Class Assignment does not define you. Cadets in later classes can still work hard in their cultivation and surpass those in earlier classes."

"So, whether you wish to surpass the cadets in the classes ahead of you or avoid being surpassed by those behind you, I hope every one of you will redouble your efforts."

"When I call your name, step out and enter Class One..."

The Class Assignment proceeded steadily. Some who were assigned to Class One were overjoyed, while others wore regretful expressions, wondering why they had not cultivated diligently during Primary Academy.

"When I call your name, step out and enter Class Five. An Ping, Xie Xie, Tang Wulin..."

As An Ping stepped out, he grumbled inwardly, Wasn't this unnecessary? The first four classes had already been assigned. Wouldn't everyone left naturally belong to Class Five?

Class Five had a total of more than twenty people. Most of them looked dispirited and had not taken Long Hengxu's words to heart. They did not believe that hard work could allow them to surpass the geniuses in the classes ahead.

When Long Hengxu called the final name, the Class Assignment came to an end. "Now, each homeroom teacher will lead your cadets back to their classrooms."

The five teachers behind Long Hengxu stepped forward. The teacher walking toward Class Five looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. An Ping knew that he was Wu Changkong.

"Follow me." Wu Changkong's tone was calm, yet it carried an innate chill.

The twenty-one cadets followed him into a classroom on the first floor of the Teaching Building and took their seats. By habit, An Ping went to the back and sat by the window.

Wu Changkong stepped onto the podium, his gaze sweeping over the students below. He said flatly, "My name is Wu Changkong. I will be your teacher for the next six years. First, I want to emphasize one thing: it would be best if you treated what Director Long Hengxu just said as though you never heard it. Unless you drop out, even if you are all trash, I will make you the strongest among your Peers. At the same time, that will be your goal."

"Now, introduce yourselves. State your name, Martial Soul, Soul Power Level, and what kind of Soul Master you wish to become in the future. You must say all of it."

"Hello, everyone. My name is Yun Xiao. My Martial Soul is the Star Compass, and my Soul Power Level is twelve. My goal is to become a Wisdom Support Battle Soul Master." Yun Xiao was the first to speak, his voice trembling slightly.

"Tang Wulin. Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Level eleven. My goal is... I don't have one yet."

"With such a useless Martial Soul, of course he has no goal."

An unknown student muttered quietly and got hit by a piece of chalk.

Wu Changkong said coldly, "There are no useless Martial Souls in this world, only useless people. You were assigned to the same class as him. If he is trash, then what are you?"

"Continue." Wu Changkong's cold, stern words brought the little incident to an end.

"M-my name is Zhou Changxi. My Martial Soul is the Great Strength Divine Ape, and my Soul Power Level is eleven. My goal is to become a Power Type Battle Soul Master." This was Zhou Changxi.

Since the introductions proceeded from front to back, it did not take long before it was An Ping's turn in the last row.

"My name is An Ping. My Martial Soul is Truth's Sky, and my Soul Power Level is twenty-three. As for my goal, I want to become a Seeker of Knowledge who explores truth."

"Level twenty-three? Is that real?"

"A genius like that was assigned to Class Five?"

"Truth's Sky? Could it be some useless Martial Soul?" Some even speculated maliciously.

The classroom erupted the moment An Ping finished speaking. Those assigned to Class Five had mostly only just reached level eleven. To them, reaching level twenty-three at the age of nine was unimaginable. In their eyes, anyone who could become a Soul Grandmaster by the age of twelve was already considered a genius.

"Is that real? Tang Wulin, An Ping seems to be from the same place as you, right? Is he really level twenty-three?" Xie Xie asked Tang Wulin quietly. He had always believed that his own level eighteen was already very high among his Peers.

"It is true. If we hadn't attended Primary Academy together, I wouldn't have believed that someone could reach level twenty-three at the age of nine either."

"So what if his level is high? One day, I'll surpass him." After receiving Tang Wulin's quiet reply, Xie Xie muttered softly.

The students below were all focused on the unbelievable level twenty-three. Only Wu Changkong seemed thoughtful upon hearing An Ping's goal. A Seeker of Knowledge who explored truth?

"Quiet. Continue."

"Xie Xie. Martial Soul: Light Dragon Dagger. Soul Power Level eighteen. Agility Attack Type Battle Soul Master." Xie Xie still spoke with his usual cool demeanor.

Although An Ping's level twenty-three had come before it, Xie Xie's level eighteen still caused quite a stir. To students who had only just reached level eleven, both level eighteen and level twenty-three were equally out of reach.

As the introductions continued one after another, there were no more noteworthy ones afterward. They were all level eleven, with all manner of strange Martial Souls.

"Formal classes begin tomorrow. Prepare yourselves mentally. My teaching methods may differ somewhat from those of teachers in other classes. If you want to stay, you must not fear hardship or exhaustion. If you are afraid of hardship and exhaustion, you would be best off transferring schools or finding a way to change classes as soon as possible. All right, that's all for today. Class dismissed."

With that, Wu Changkong strode out of the classroom on his long legs without looking back. The moment he left, the classroom burst into discussion about their handsome yet cold teacher.