Special Training

In the long run that followed, Gu Yue chatted with Tang Wulin as they ran, occasionally speaking to Nan Fusheng as well.

Honestly, Nan Fusheng was a little surprised, but he understood that Gu Yue probably did not want to seem overly enthusiastic and frighten Tang Wulin. After all, Gu Yue had come here because of her bet with Na'er.

As for Xie Xie, he tried now and then to join the conversation. But whenever he spoke with Gu Yue, he was met with the look in her eyes that said, "Trash, don't talk to me." It left him angry yet too intimidated to retort—in short, weak but loved to talk.

By the time Wu Zhangkong returned, the running assignment he had given them was nearly complete.

"Assemble!"

The students of Class 5 looked like a defeated army, dragging their exhausted bodies as they barely managed to stand in the middle of the field.

"That will be all for this morning. Dismissed. Gu Yue, stay behind."

It's finally over. This is bliss!

Almost every student immediately rushed toward the dormitories. They could finally rest.

Her face flushed from running, Gu Yue looked far rosier than before.

"My name is Wu Zhangkong, and I am your homeroom teacher. Here are your dormitory key, school uniform, and textbooks. From this moment onward, you are officially a student of Grade 1 Class 5."

"Thank you, Teacher Wu." Gu Yue accepted the items Wu Zhangkong handed her.

"Mm. Go rest. Classes resume this afternoon."

The afternoon classes were still physical training, even more painful than the morning session. What happened to the promised theory classes? Wu Zhangkong's explanation was simple: with physical fitness like yours, what theory could you possibly study? Since when had that cold, aloof male god ever been reasonable?

Running was something they could at least endure, but then it changed into frog jumps. In less than half an hour, the entire field was littered with Class 5 students lying flat on the ground.

After a full day of physical training, these nine-year-old children felt as though they would have to crawl back to their dormitories.

"Tang Wulin, Nan Fusheng, Xie Xie, Gu Yue, come find me after dinner." Wu Zhangkong's icy voice rang out before class ended.

Xie Xie could only stand steadily with Tang Wulin supporting him, his legs still trembling nonstop. Gu Yue was doing a little better, but she too had both hands braced on her knees.

"Again tonight?" After fighting alongside Nan Fusheng and the others yesterday, much of Xie Xie's coldness had vanished. He seemed more genuine now, and the temper of a wealthy young master had gradually started to emerge. Fortunately, their homeroom teacher was Wu Zhangkong, who could suppress him in every regard. Otherwise, he would never have been able to persist through physical training.

"The teacher is doing this for our own good." Tang Wulin supported him.

During the hour before dinner, the vast majority of the students had passed out asleep. Nan Fusheng was exhausted as well, but he still persisted in meditating. His meditation speed was now several times faster than before.

During the earlier in-class competition, Nan Fusheng had secretly used Parasitism on the Class 5 students in the midst of the battle. Later, when Mu Xi brought upperclassmen to threaten Tang Wulin, Nan Fusheng had also secretly parasitized them while using Steal.

Nan Fusheng now had five Shallow Parasitism parasites lodged in upperclassmen. He had not parasitized Mu Xi, because her father was a Saint Craftsman with certain ties to a God Craftsman, and he was afraid of being discovered.

Three were parasitizing his roommates. As long as they did not leave Eastsea City, Nan Fusheng could continue drawing Soul Power through the parasitic Soul Spirits.

Even if he only drew half of their Soul Power cultivation speed, those upperclassmen were Soul Grandmasters. Their cultivation speed was far beyond that of ordinary Soul Masters.

At the same time, he wanted to test what rank of Soul Master his Parasitism could affect at its current stage. Using a Soul Skill on teachers or fellow students within the academy would at least leave him some room to maneuver if he was discovered.

Besides, Eastsea Academy's teachers generally were not all that highly cultivated. To Nan Fusheng, they made excellent test subjects. For now, though, he would practice on students first.

For Nan Fusheng at his current stage, survival came before everything else. He would stick with Tang Wulin in the early stages, then start taking risks once he advanced to Sequence 4 and gained some ability to protect himself.

After dinner, Nan Fusheng was the first to arrive at the field, with Gu Yue second. Tang Wulin practically dragged Xie Xie onto the field. Xie Xie had originally wanted to quit.

It was already evening. The setting sun left behind a dazzling crimson blaze across the sky. Wu Zhangkong still wore his usual stern expression, though he had changed into black athletic clothes. Not far away, quite a few upperclasswomen had gathered in small groups, all of their eyes fixed on him.

"You four, follow me." Once the last two arrived, Wu Zhangkong turned and walked away.

The four followed behind him, heading deeper into the academy.

Wu Zhangkong brought them to an Indoor Training Ground behind the academy. He had obtained it when he went to see Long Hengxu earlier that day.

After Wu Zhangkong expressed his willingness to support Long Hengxu's work and not cause trouble for the Teaching Affairs Office director, Long Hengxu had readily approved everything.

As directors of the Teaching Affairs Office, Long Hengxu and the one from the Advanced Division were fierce rivals. Wu Zhangkong had been demoted to the Intermediate Division after a violent conflict with that man, even breaking one of his legs. If Long Hengxu could build a good relationship with Teacher Wu, it would naturally earn him considerable credit before the Dean.

Wu Zhangkong did not care about Long Hengxu's ulterior motives. As long as he achieved his own goal, that was enough.

If not for Gu Yue, he would not have compromised so easily, much less apologized. But his arrival at the Intermediate Division had allowed him to encounter two students who moved even him. If properly nurtured, they would certainly be qualified to enter that place.

As for the other two students, one had undergone a beneficial Martial Soul mutation and might not be inferior to the other two if properly cultivated. The other was somewhat unusual and interested him, but compared with those two, he was more of a supporting presence. At least for now.

The training ground was circular and protected within by a Soul Guidance Barrier. It was a place for students with relatively high cultivation to train their Martial Souls. After all, a place like the field could be damaged far too easily once one's Soul Power reached a certain level.

Wu Zhangkong led the four to the center of the venue and stopped.

"Starting today, the four of you will undergo special training with me every night. Work hard for the Class Promotion Tournament three months from now."

As he spoke, his gaze first fell on Tang Wulin. "Tang Wulin, your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass. The only reason you were originally selected for the Class Promotion Tournament was to serve as a substitute. Now that Gu Yue has arrived, you have seen her talent and strength. I will not go back on my word, but I hope your efforts will show me that you truly deserve to represent Class 5 in the competition. If you fail to meet my requirements in three months, then I will send only three people."

"Teacher Wu, I won't take his place in the competition." At that moment, Gu Yue suddenly spoke.