His Path Was Destined to Be a Solitary One from the Start

"The main purpose of today's practical training is for you to familiarize yourselves with one another and test what you have learned recently."

His voice was icy, devoid of emotion. "Tang Wulin, your combination of strength and control is acceptable, but the application of your Blue Silver Grass could be more aggressive; do not limit yourself to mere binding. Xie Xie, speed is your advantage, but you rely on it too much. Facing a control-type Soul Master, you are easily restrained; you need to strengthen your adaptability and ability to break through stalemates."

His critique was concise and hit the nail on the head; both Tang Wulin and Xie Xie nodded earnestly.

"Gu Yue, your elemental control is exquisite and your sense of rhythm is strong. But remember, the purpose of control is not just to restrict, but to create opportunities for a finishing blow. Zhang Yangzi, the Dark Phantom Eagle grants you speed and ambush capabilities, but your mindset is impatient and you are easily led by the nose by your opponents. You need to calm your heart and spirit to find that one chance to win with a single strike."

Gu Yue's eyes flickered, as if lost in thought.

Zhang Yangzi, meanwhile, looked ashamed and lowered his head.

Finally, Wu Zhangkong's gaze fell upon Situ Xuan, and the atmosphere of the entire training ground seemed to stagnate along with it.

"Situ Xuan."

Wu Zhangkong's voice remained flat, but everyone could sense an unusual level of focus. "Your fighting style is completely different from the mainstream Soul Master system of today."

Situ Xuan raised his eyes, meeting his gaze calmly.

"You did not rely on your martial soul avatar, nor did you use that highly destructive evil aura. Relying solely on your footwork, finger techniques, and an astonishing insight into the human body and the flow of soul power, you easily dismantled Wang Jinxi's offensive."

Wu Zhangkong said slowly, "This technique is precise, efficient, and... extremely dangerous. It acts directly upon the most fundamental sources of a Soul Master's power—the body and the circulation of soul power."

He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his ice-blue eyes: "I am curious about the origin of this combat system. It is certainly not comparable to ordinary self-created soul skills; there must be a complete and profound theory supporting it behind the scenes."

Once these words were spoken, everyone pricked up their ears.

They were equally curious and shocked by Situ Xuan's miraculous "Pressure Point Striking" technique.

Situ Xuan remained silent for a moment. Just as everyone thought he would not answer, he spoke, his voice still carrying that characteristic coldness and indifference: "It is called... Fist of the North Star."

But then, there was nothing more to follow.

"Fist of the North Star."

This name carried an ancient and murderous undertone, dissipating into the cold wind and making everyone's hearts inexplicably shudder.

But Situ Xuan had only spoken the name before closing his mouth again, showing no intention of providing further explanation.

In those deep eyes, there remained the same calm indifference as a stagnant well, as if this martial art, capable of shaking the entire Soul Master world, were merely something ordinary picked up by the side of the road.

Wu Zhangkong stared at him, neither urging him nor pressing for more.

He understood Situ Xuan's personality and knew that forcing him would be useless.

Being able to learn this name from him was already an unexpected gain.

His ice-blue eyes flickered slightly, as if digesting the meaning that might be hidden behind the name.

A moment later, he spoke again, his tone returning to its usual coldness: "Regardless of what it is called or where it originates, remember: power is a tool, and the key lies in the user."

His gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Situ Xuan. "That you were able to restrain your evil aura in battle and instead use this more refined technique is progress. But whether it is the violence of the evil aura or the precision of this martial art, its essence contains extreme destructiveness and a desire for control."

"Zero Class does not need a weapon that only knows how to destroy, nor does it need a lone wolf who stands above the team. How to truly integrate your power into the team and turn it into the collective edge is a challenge you must face."

These words were both a warning to Situ Xuan and a reminder to everyone else.

After hearing this, Situ Xuan's face remained expressionless, though the faint, imperceptible fatigue deep in his eyes seemed to grow a fraction heavier.

He tilted his head slightly, looking toward the gray, hazy sky at the edge of the training ground's horizon; no one knew what he was thinking.

"Today's practical class ends here."

Wu Zhangkong did not say more, ending the lesson cleanly and decisively. "Go back and summarize your thoughts individually; be on time for class tomorrow."

Having said that, he turned and left without the slightest hesitation.

With Wu Zhangkong's departure, the stagnant atmosphere on the training ground eased slightly.

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie huddled together, discussing the battle just now in low voices, occasionally glancing at Situ Xuan with expressions of awe.

Gu Yue stood alone in place, watching Situ Xuan's back, her eyes complex and unreadable, wondering what she was thinking.

Zhang Yangzi helped up Wang Jinxi, who was still having trouble moving. The two exchanged bitter smiles, both seeing deep helplessness in each other's eyes. Being in the same class as such a monster was simply too much pressure.

Situ Xuan ignored everyone's gazes and walked straight toward the dormitory.

His pace remained steady, but only he knew that the wisps of evil aura within his body—which he had forcibly restrained to execute the "Fist of the North Star"—were slowly calming down within his meridians, bringing with them waves of subtle, burning pain and exhaustion.

"Team..."

He silently repeated the word in his heart, a faint trace of disdain flashing deep in his eyes.

Those who cannot even see my back, what right do they have to walk alongside me?

This thought was like a cold rock, sinking to the bottom of his heart.

In his view, the so-called team was merely an excuse for the weak to huddle together for warmth.

Wang Jinxi had strength but was clumsy and slow; Zhang Yangzi had decent speed but was impetuous; Xie Xie relied too much on speed and lacked adaptability; Gu Yue... her mind was deep, but she was ultimately limited by her soul power and experience.

Even the high-spirited Tang Wulin's growth rate could not keep up with his pace of mastering the evil aura and practicing the Fist of the North Star.

They and he were long since not on the same level.

What he pursued was to govern himself with absolute power and will, and even to govern the rhythm of battle itself.

Whether it was the violence of the Black Heart Evil Palm, the precision of the Fist of the North Star, or even other martial arts he might acquire in the future...

The core of it all was ultimate "control."

This path was destined to be lonely.

Integrating into a team?

Cooperating with others?

In his eyes, that meant being dragged down, meant needing to accommodate the rhythm of others, and meant having to dull his own edge to adapt to a group of... "the weak."

To him, this was a shackle, a regression.

The warnings of Wu Zhangkong echoed in his ears, but there was little ripple in his heart.

He acknowledged the strength of Wu Zhangkong and understood the logic in his words, but that logic was built on the premise that "the gap between each other is not large."

And when the gap was like a chasm, so-called teamwork became a joke.

What he needed, perhaps, was not companions, but... pawns that could be driven, or a battlefield where he could unleash himself without restraint.

The figure of Situ Xuan disappeared around the corner of the dormitory building, completely cutting off those gazes from the playground that were filled with awe, complexity, or curiosity.

He returned to his silent room, sat cross-legged on the bed, and once again circulated the Dragon-Turning Breathing Method, guiding the slightly restless baleful aura within his body back to tranquility.

The disturbances of the outside world, the discussions of his peers, and the expectations of his teachers all seemed to have nothing to do with him.

His path, from the very beginning, was destined to be a solitary one.