Long Xiuyuan

Grade One Class Three, the class of Situ Xuan, was neither good nor bad.

Theoretically, given Situ Xuan's level of Innate Soul Power, he shouldn't have been able to enter Class Three, but perhaps due to the uniqueness of his Body Martial Soul, the academic affairs office of the Eastsea Academy Intermediate Department deemed him to have significant investment value, and thus allowed him to stay in Class Three.

Sunlight slanted into the classroom of Grade One Class Three. When Situ Xuan pushed open the back door, thirty-five pairs of eyes turned in unison before quickly looking away. He was like a predator crashing into a herd of deer, causing the very air in the classroom to stagnate.

"Attention, everyone!"

A boy with a slicked-back hairstyle stood on the podium, his right hand pressing down on the head teacher's nameplate. "I am Lin Yao, with Innate Soul Power level seven. Until the head teacher arrives, I am temporarily in charge of class order."

Situ Xuan turned a deaf ear, walking straight toward an empty seat by the window.

"Classmate, I can arrange a seat for you..."

Lin Yao watched the self-absorbed Situ Xuan, subconsciously wanting to say something, but Situ Xuan had already sat down.

Lin Yao's temples throbbed. He clearly saw that as Situ Xuan walked past the podium, the girls in the front row involuntarily gripped their pens, their knuckles turning white; the whispering of the troublemakers in the back row stopped abruptly as if severed by a blade.

This guy who ignored his authority had seized the entire class's presence in just one encounter.

But before Lin Yao could make any move, a young teacher walked in from outside.

Lin Yao was just about to say something when the classroom door was suddenly pushed open.

A faint scent of sea salt mixed with the smell of damp earth after rain surged in first, followed by a man in a navy blue stand-collar uniform who walked in with steady steps. His uniform cuffs were pinned with the silver wave emblem of Eastsea Academy, and there was a three-wave embroidery on the collar—the mark of an intermediate teacher.

"Everyone is here."

The young teacher's voice was like waves crashing against reefs, low and unquestionable. When he reached the center of the podium, Lin Yao had already retreated to the side, but Situ Xuan noticed the model student's fingers clenching the registration book behind his back.

The young teacher casually placed his lesson plan on the podium, and the chalk dust kicked up formed tiny pillars of light in the sun. He turned and wrote three bold, powerful characters on the blackboard—Long Xiuyuan.

The sound of chalk rubbing against the blackboard made several students subconsciously shrink their necks.

"I am the one responsible for leading you little brats this year."

Long Xiuyuan curled his knuckles and tapped the blackboard, the last stroke of the character "Yuan" shaking off a few grains of lime. "Remember these three characters. For the next five years, I will serve as your head teacher, leading you through the systematic study of Soul Master knowledge while training you so that you can stand on your own in the future."

Low gasps came from the back of the classroom.

Situ Xuan narrowed his eyes—the calluses on the web of this teacher's hand had a very peculiar shape; they weren't left by conventional weapons, but rather looked like the result of long-term use of some kind of barbed, exotic weapon.

"Now."

Long Xiuyuan suddenly clapped his hands, startling the seagulls perched outside the window. "Starting from the first row, report your name, Martial Soul, and Innate Soul Power level. I hate nonsense. Simple and efficient—that is the rule for Class Three from now on."

The freckled girl in the first row was so scared she stood up immediately: "Mo, Mo Xiaoyu, Green Vine Staff Martial Soul, Innate Soul Power level four!" Her speech was as fast as if she were fleeing for her life.

"Zhou Tianyang, Iron-Beak Sparrow, level five!" the boy in the red jacket followed up immediately.

When it was Lin Yao's turn, this model student paused for half a second, perfectly grasping the rhythm: "Lin Yao, Golden Scale Deer Martial Soul, Innate Soul Power level seven." He deliberately let the last word linger in the classroom for a moment. "My current goal is to serve as the class monitor for Class Three."

Long Xiuyuan glanced at Lin Yao, but his expressionless face remained unmoved.

"Situ Xuan, Martial Soul Body, Innate Soul Power level three."

Situ Xuan stood up and introduced himself simply.

Innate Soul Power level three?

A trace of disdain flashed in Lin Yao's eyes. In his mind, he had already excluded this guy, who might have been a potential rival, from his list of concerns.

Long Xiuyuan, however, looked with surprise at this teenager who was clearly a head taller than the other students.

With a resolute face and a sturdy build, he could already imagine the iron-blooded physique hidden beneath that simple school uniform.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist, and powerful legs...

He was a good seedling for a soldier.

Seemingly sensing Long Xiuyuan's gaze, Situ Xuan, who had sat back down, met Long Xiuyuan's eyes without any timidity, his own eyes flashing with calculation and a fighting spirit.

It seemed that the person before him was not a teacher to be respected, but a target to be challenged.

Long Xiuyuan raised his wrist to check his mechanical watch; the hour hand pointed to exactly ten o'clock in the morning. He closed the roster in his hand, the metal clip making a crisp "click" sound.

"Everyone, attention," he said, tapping his knuckles on the podium as he walked toward the door. "Assemble at the training ground."

The students looked at each other, and a few quick-reacting ones had already stood up and walked out.

Situ Xuan was the first to rise, his movement causing his desk to emit a harsh scraping sound.

Lin Yao was stunned for a moment before realizing he needed to keep up.

Passing through two corridors paved with anti-slip tiles, Long Xiuyuan pushed open a metal door marked "B3 Training Area".

Cold wind mixed with the scent of the sea rushed toward them. This was a semi-open circular field, the ground paved with specially treated black volcanic rock, with several sets of equipment racks arranged along the edges.

"Free sparring in pairs."

Long Xiuyuan leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "Only Martial Soul assistance is allowed; no Soul Skills." He paused. "Stop at the point of contact."

The students scattered quickly, and whispers spread across the field.

Situ Xuan didn't move; he stared at the lines of Long Xiuyuan's shoulder joints wrapped in his uniform—there were muscle bulges formed by long-term heavy-load training.

"Aren't you going?" Long Xiuyuan suddenly turned his head, his gray-blue pupils locking onto Situ Xuan like a sniper's scope.

Situ Xuan's jawline tightened: "I want to spar with the teacher."

The training ground suddenly fell silent.

Zhou Tianyang, who was in the middle of forming a team, tripped and nearly collided with the equipment rack.

Lin Yao's mouth twitched; he was certain he had just heard something outrageous.

Long Xiuyuan uncrossed his arms, his uniform sleeves sliding down to reveal the old scars on his wrists: "Reason?"

"They are too weak."

Situ Xuan's gaze swept over his terrified classmates before pinning back onto the instructor's face, "They can't test my true level."

The metal equipment rack vibrated slightly in the sea breeze, and the cries of seagulls drifted in from the distance.

Long Xiuyuan suddenly unbuttoned the top of his uniform, the simple undershirt beneath revealing his naturally sturdy physique.

"Three minutes, no Soul Power."

Long Xiuyuan hung his uniform jacket on the rack, "If you lose, you're running twenty laps with a weighted vest."

Situ Xuan's knuckles cracked like popping beans. He tore off his school jacket and threw it to the ground, his shoulder blades, encased in a black tank top, looking like two unsheathed blades.

The usually cold youth revealed a satisfied smile, his eyes burning as he looked at Long Xiuyuan.

Situ Xuan spread his feet slightly, his toes digging into the ground as if a sharp blade were being driven into stone. His breathing became slow and deep, and as his chest rose and fell, it felt as though an invisible force was circulating within his body.

Long Xiuyuan stood where he was, his hands hanging naturally at his sides, though his eyes narrowed slightly. He had seen many arrogant students, but Situ Xuan was the first to dare challenge him at only ten years old.