The First Lesson

Wu Changkong's voice was as cold as ice, falling clearly into the classroom: "For this first lesson today, most of your curriculum will be guided by me personally."

As soon as he finished speaking, his gaze swept over the students of Class Five, his cold eyes sharp as blades: "Everyone stand up and follow me."

The group followed Wu Changkong to the playground, where he stopped and spoke in a tone devoid of any ripples: "Line up in pairs."

As his words fell, the students subconsciously paired off; Linchen stood with Tang Wulin, while Xie Xie stood with Yun Xiao.

Wu Changkong spoke indifferently: "The first lesson today is actual combat, and I will be the referee."

As soon as this was said, Xie Xie's face immediately collapsed: "Teacher, we've only just enrolled, are we starting actual combat already?"

Wu Changkong's eyes grew a shade colder: "What, are you afraid?"

Xie Xie immediately shut his mouth, shrinking his neck, not daring to speak again. Zhou Changxi raised his eyes to look in the direction of Linchen and Tang Wulin.

Wu Changkong raised a hand and pointed to the center of the field: "Linchen, against Zhou Changxi."

Zhou Changxi rushed up almost immediately, seemingly having forgotten the lesson from yesterday: "Yun Linchen, I was careless yesterday, but today I won't go easy on you!"

Linchen only raised his eyes faintly, walking onto the field with a composed gait. His aura was calm and waveless, yet it carried an invisible sense of oppression.

On the sidelines, Xie Xie took the opportunity to lean toward Tang Wulin, whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Wulin, let's wait and see a good show. This Zhou Changxi probably doesn't know Linchen's true strength. He'll probably be scared witless when Brother Linchen reveals his soul rings later."

Wu Changkong stood at the edge of the field, his cold voice dropping to signal the start of the match.

Zhou Changxi immediately activated Martial Soul Possession, his arms swelling as his already sturdy frame grew even thicker. At the same time, a small brown monkey appeared on his shoulder.

Pale cyan lightning emerged from Linchen's body, and the phantom of an Azure Dragon slowly unfurled behind him. Its dragon eyes locked onto Zhou Changxi opposite him, and three thousand-year soul rings slowly rose from beneath his feet.

"Three... three thousand-year soul rings?"

"How is this possible? Isn't he the same age as us!" Exclamations erupted instantly, and even a trace of surprise flashed through Wu Changkong's icy eyes.

In the center of the field, the arrogance on Zhou Changxi's face froze instantly. The color drained from his face at a visible rate, and he looked as if he had been drenched in ice water, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

He never imagined that the Yun Linchen who had ambushed him yesterday was actually hiding three thousand-year soul rings.

But he was already standing here, and with Wu Changkong's gaze upon him, there was no way to retreat.

He could only grit his teeth and force out a statement: "Don't get cocky! So what if your soul rings are strong? I won't lose in actual combat!"

Linchen watched his yapping with no ripples in his eyes, simply speaking faintly: "Can we begin?"

Wu Changkong's voice fell: "Begin."

As soon as the words left his lips, Zhou Changxi charged over like a madman. He knew his soul power and soul ring configuration couldn't compare, so he had to strike first.

Facing this desperate attack, Linchen's eyes did not waver in the slightest. His first soul ring lit up: "First Soul Skill: Thunderous Might."

His voice was calm, but in the next second, violent arcs of lightning exploded from his palms, transforming into thick, cyan-purple thunder. With a crisp crackle that split the air, it slammed straight into Zhou Changxi.

Wu Changkong reacted with lightning speed, appearing instantly behind Zhou Changxi and pulling him aside to dodge the dangerous blow.

His gaze swept over Yun Linchen, who stood in the center of the field, and a flicker of complex emotion crossed his eyes. That power was definitely not something a normal lightning attribute could produce.

The students on the sidelines were stunned. Xie Xie's mouth hung open, and it took him a long time to squeeze out: "Damn, that was too ruthless." His tone held a hint of relief; it was fortunate Linchen hadn't used his full strength yesterday, or he would have been toast.

Linchen withdrew his hand, the lightning slowly dissipating. His breathing remained steady, as if the potentially lethal strike just now had been nothing more than a casual gust of wind.

Wu Changkong's voice was cold, but if one listened closely, one could detect a trace of tremor: "Yun Linchen, winner."

The next match followed immediately, with Tang Wulin versus Xie Xie.

Xie Xie was immediately energized, rubbing his hands together as he walked to the center of the field, not forgetting to turn back and wink at Tang Wulin: "Wulin, I haven't fought you yet. I won't be holding back, you know."

Tang Wulin also smiled, clenching his fists: "Come on then."

The two stood firm in the center of the field, and Wu Changkong's voice sounded again: "Ready, begin."

Their match ended with Tang Wulin narrowly defeating Xie Xie. In the subsequent matches, almost everyone was scolded to shreds by Wu Changkong.

From the current situation, excluding Linchen, only Tang Wulin and Xie Xie were performing relatively well.

Wu Changkong spoke: "Last match, Yun Linchen versus Wu Changkong."

Linchen had a face full of question marks: Wait, brother? I'm fighting you?

Xie Xie was shaking with suppressed laughter on the side, and Tang Wulin was also shocked.

Wu Changkong raised his hand and pulled his belt from his waist. Linchen's body jolted, and he subconsciously covered his backside, thinking to himself: Brother Changkong, please, no.

Wu Changkong's eyes were cold, and the belt in his hand tapped his palm with a crisp snap: "I will suppress my soul power to the three-ring level. Attack me however you like. If you can force me to take a single step back, you win."

He looked at Linchen opposite him and spoke faintly: "Begin."

Linchen's three soul rings lit up, the Azure Dragon phantom unfurling behind him. Lightning coiled around his entire body, carrying a vast and ancient pressure.

He activated his first soul skill, and thick arcs of lightning surged toward Wu Changkong. Tang Wulin and Xie Xie on the sidelines held their breath, and Xie Xie subconsciously clenched his fists, fearing that Wu Changkong might be struck by the lightning.

Wu Changkong's eyes narrowed. Almost the moment the lightning exploded, he judged that the power of this strike was not to be underestimated.

His figure moved like an icicle caught in the wind, narrowly shifting to the side to avoid the direct impact of the lightning.

However, the residual force of the lightning still grazed his lower back. Pale cyan electricity instantly coiled around him, and a sharp, numbing sensation traveled through the skin beneath his clothes, causing his movements to pause for an instant.

"Good reaction," he said faintly. His tone betrayed no joy or anger, but Linchen saw his fingertips curl slightly: "However, it is not enough."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Changkong's figure suddenly vanished from where he stood. His belt whipped toward Linchen's wrist with a sound of tearing air, moving so fast it almost left an afterimage.

Lin Chen's pupils constricted, and he instinctively dodged, but Wu Changkong's speed was absurdly fast; the belt still grazed his forearm, leaving behind a stinging, fiery wound.

However, Wu Changkong soon noticed that the red mark only appeared for a fleeting moment before dissipating at a speed visible to the naked eye, which indicated that Lin Chen's recovery ability was astonishing.

Although the numbing sensation from the lingering aftermath of the lightning strike on his lower back was still faintly acting up, Wu Changkong's movements showed not the slightest hesitation; the belt, like a silver-blue viper, whipped toward the openings in Lin Chen's defense with a piercing whistle.

In the end, this exhilarating spar concluded when Lin Chen's soul power was completely exhausted, and Wu Changkong spoke indifferently, "A draw."

The crowd on the sidelines was completely stunned, having witnessed the entire battle; Xie Xie's mouth hung wide open, and it took him a long time to choke out, "Holy crap! Lin Chen actually tied with Teacher Wu?!"

His gaze swept over the crowd before finally landing on Lin Chen: "Your attributes are very strong, and your recovery ability is far beyond that of an ordinary person, but your practical combat experience is somewhat lacking. From now on, I will give you extra training sessions."

Lin Chen's face instantly collapsed, and he wailed internally, No! Don't do this, Brother Changkong!