Goals, Secondary Professions

Wei Xiaofeng stood up first. "My name is Wei Xiaofeng, and my Martial Soul is the Green Shadow Snake. My first Soul Spirit was the same as my Martial Soul: a hundred-year Green Shadow Snake. That's why I was able to break through to Rank 22 so quickly. I joined Class Zero because I hoped I could follow Brother Cheng's lead. I hope you'll take me along, Brother Cheng."

At the end, Wei Xiaofeng looked at Cheng Duoyi, his eyes full of nervousness.

Cheng Duoyi smiled at him. "We're all classmates in Class Zero. As long as we're moving forward along the same road, I won't let any of my friends fall behind if I can help it."

Wei Xiaofeng visibly relaxed. He was a proud person, too.

For him to say that in front of everyone was basically the same as acknowledging Cheng Duoyi as his big brother. And he was at the age of nine, when a person's pride was strongest. Most people couldn't bring themselves to do it.

At their age, everyone thought they were the best in the world, with endless possibilities ahead of them. How could they possibly acknowledge someone else as their big brother?

After Wei Xiaofeng finished speaking and sat down, he could clearly feel the restlessness and changes within his body. It was as if the whole world had become friendlier. The effect wasn't limited to cultivation; even the blood in his veins seemed to be boiling.

Wei Xiaofeng knew he'd made the right bet!

He'd been wondering why everyone listened to Cheng Duoyi so readily. Now he knew the reason. If he were in their shoes, he'd listen, too!

Who would turn down a chance to become stronger?

Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi saw what had happened.

Wang Jinxi stood up. "My name is Wang Jinxi. My Martial Soul is the Bone Dragon King, and I'm Rank 22."

He looked at Cheng Duoyi, his tone sincere. "Brother Cheng, I hope you'll look out for me from now on."

Wang Jinxi knew what Wei Xiaofeng was like.

During the three months they'd spent together, Wei Xiaofeng had never done anything without expecting to get something out of it.

He could be a little scheming, too.

If even Wei Xiaofeng had acknowledged Cheng Duoyi as his big brother,

why couldn't he?

Cheng Duoyi smiled. "I'll treat all my friends equally."

Wang Jinxi nodded and sat down. What he felt was even more obvious than what Wei Xiaofeng had experienced.

His Martial Soul was the Bone Dragon King, and the blood of a top-tier Dragon Clan ran through his veins. After spending so long by Cheng Duoyi's side, he felt that a Second Awakening of the Bone Dragon King wasn't out of the question!

When that happened, the Bone Dragon King would become an incomparably powerful presence!

Just thinking about it filled him with anticipation.

Zhang Yangzi stood up and said, "My name is Zhang Yangzi. My Martial Soul is the Dark Phantom Eagle, and I'm Rank 22. My goal is to get into Shrek Academy. It's my dream."

"Brother Cheng, if you can help me get into Shrek Academy, you'll be my real big brother from now on. If you tell me to go east, I won't go west. If you tell me to go north, I won't go south."

Teacher Wu frowned slightly at Zhang Yangzi's words, thinking, Does he think it's that easy to get into Shrek Academy?

However, he didn't say anything.

Cheng Duoyi looked at Zhang Yangzi. "Just talking about getting into Shrek Academy won't be enough. No matter how much other people help you, you won't get in if you don't work hard."

"Don't worry. I'll follow Teacher Wu's requirements to the letter," Zhang Yangzi said confidently.

Cheng Duoyi nodded. "Good. Let's work hard together."

Since everyone else had finished speaking, Xu Xiaoyan had gained a basic understanding of the others, and she was feeling more and more pressure.

She realized that aside from Cheng Duoyi and Yun Xiao, everyone else was a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster. And she and Yun Xiao were the lowest-ranked among them.

This was the first time she'd ever run into a situation like this.

Since when had breaking through to the Two-Ring level at nine become the norm?

She didn't understand...

And just how had someone called Cheng Duoyi earned the respect of so many people?

She was even more curious about Cheng Duoyi now.

She'd also noticed that he was quite handsome, and a little cute...

Xu Xiaoyan came back to herself and quickly stood up, blinking her big sky-blue eyes.

"My name is Xu Xiaoyan. My Martial Soul is the Star Wheel Ice Staff, and I'm Rank 16. My goal for the future... Right, it's to get into Shrek Academy, too. I hope you'll all guide me from now on."

Xu Xiaoyan had always been the sort to muddle through life, without much interest in studying or cultivating. If not for her Martial Soul, she wouldn't have been sent to Class Zero.

By now, the nine of them had at least gotten to know one another a little.

Teacher Wu stood at the lectern and looked at Cheng Duoyi and the others.

"My name is Wu Changkong. You can call me Teacher Wu."

"There are nine students in Class Zero now. Who wants to be class monitor?"

Everyone looked at Cheng Duoyi.

"Teacher Wu, how about I be class monitor?" Cheng Duoyi said. "With me here, I'll make sure our classmates stay organized."

Wu Changkong nodded. "All right."

"Now, class officially begins."

"Today's lesson is on mechas."

Zhang Yangzi asked, "Teacher Wu, isn't this a course that only gets added in the upper grades? Aren't we learning about mechas a little too early?"

Wang Jinxi was just as confused.

Wei Xiaofeng frowned, too, but he didn't ask. Teacher Wu had to have some exceptional qualities to be appointed deputy homeroom teacher of Class Zero.

There had to be a reason for what he was doing. Wei Xiaofeng only needed to listen and do as he was told.

Cheng Duoyi raised his hand.

Seeing this, Wu Changkong nodded. "Cheng Duoyi, what do you have to say?"

Cheng Duoyi stood up and looked around at everyone. There was no longer a smile in his eyes; his expression was calm. The pressure on the others increased, and for a moment, Wei Xiaofeng and the other two felt their disdain for Cheng Duoyi fade.

The three of them had called Cheng Duoyi "Brother Cheng" because he could help them improve. None of them had truly acknowledged him as their big brother from the bottom of their hearts.

After all, Cheng Duoyi wasn't a Dragon King, making everyone he met willingly become his underling.

Cheng Duoyi said, "Since we've chosen to join Class Zero, and our goal is to get into the best academy in the world, Shrek Academy, we can't look at things the way ordinary people do. For example, is being a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster at nine really that impressive?"

Everyone considered his question.

Xie Xie and Yun Xiao did the same.

This was the second time they'd seen Cheng Duoyi like this. The first had been when Teacher Wu disparaged Tang Wuling. Now both of them felt nervous, too.

Gu Yue gazed at Cheng Duoyi with her pale pink eyes. She didn't speak or think about it. Whatever Cheng Duoyi said, she would do.

Tang Wuling trusted Cheng Duoyi absolutely. Old Tang, inside her, had kept telling her to stay away from Cheng Duoyi, but Tang Wuling ignored him completely, leaving Old Tang speechless.

"Brother Cheng, isn't breaking through to the Two-Ring level at nine impressive?" Zhang Yangzi finally couldn't help asking.

Clearly, he had a very clear idea of where he stood: a genius.

Cheng Duoyi glanced at him.

For an instant, Zhang Yangzi felt as if he were being watched by an abyss.

Cheng Duoyi replied, "There's never been a shortage of people who reach the Two-Ring level at nine. But how many of them have gotten into Shrek Academy?"

Wu Changkong was pleased with what Cheng Duoyi had said and agreed with his point of view. "Cheng Duoyi is right. Every Soul Master who tries to get into Shrek Academy is a genius among geniuses. Don't assume it'll be easy to get in."

For a moment, everyone's spirits sank.

Seeing this, Cheng Duoyi said, "If you want to get into Shrek Academy, you can't look at things the way ordinary people do. First, there's one thing that matters most: hard power."

"Do you know what hard power is?"

Wu Changkong could see what Cheng Duoyi was up to. The boy was trying to win over Wei Xiaofeng, Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi, and Xu Xiaoyan, just as he had won over Xie Xie and Yun Xiao.

Seeing this, he didn't stop him. The class might end up becoming Cheng Duoyi's one-man show, where everyone did whatever he said.

That would undermine Wu Changkong's authority.

But in exchange, if he wanted to teach them something, all he had to do was get Cheng Duoyi's agreement. And from what he knew of Cheng Duoyi, the boy understood where to draw the line—as long as no one provoked Gu Yue or Tang Wuling.

Otherwise, Cheng Duoyi would do whatever he was told. He was always polite, too, and wouldn't leave Wu Changkong embarrassed. In fact, he'd even make sure Wu Changkong got the credit.

With that thought, Wu Changkong no longer felt the need to rush into his lesson. He wanted to see how Cheng Duoyi would win over Xu Xiaoyan and the other three.

Xu Xiaoyan, Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi, and Wei Xiaofeng considered the question. Tang Wuling, Xie Xie, and Yun Xiao did the same.

Xie Xie's eyes lit up. "Brother Cheng, I know what hard power is."

Cheng Duoyi said, "Then tell us."

Xie Xie replied confidently, "Hard power means that even though Gu Yue, Tang Wutong, and I are all at the Two-Ring level, we completely crushed Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi, and Wei Xiaofeng. That's hard power: overwhelming them outright."

Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi, and Wei Xiaofeng's faces darkened.

They wanted to argue, but then they thought about what had happened during the match.

Without Cheng Duoyi's boost, they knew they wouldn't have been a match for Gu Yue, Tang Wuling, and Xie Xie, either.

In the end, Zhang Yangzi was the only one who muttered under his breath, "You had Brother Cheng's boost. Otherwise, there's no way you could've beaten us that fast."

It was true. They'd lost in a single exchange.

And there was a new classmate here now, too.

Did they really have to be so blunt?

They had their pride, too...

Xu Xiaoyan was a little confused. What did "completely crushed" mean?

Was it what she thought it meant?

Cheng Duoyi's words brought her back to herself.

"Xie Xie is only partly right. Hard power isn't just about our combat ability. It also includes our secondary profession."

"Some of us have already reached Level Three in our secondary profession. Do you know what that means?"

Cheng Duoyi's words shocked Xu Xiaoyan and the others.

A secondary profession at Level Three?

What secondary profession? And it had already reached Level Three!

Cheng Duoyi didn't give them much time to think.

"My classmate Tang Wuling, sitting to my right, isn't just a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster. She's also reached Level Three in forging. To be precise, she can advance to Level Four at any time. Do you know what that means?"

Cheng Duoyi answered his own question. "It means Tang Wuling can forge rare Thousand Refined Grade One metals in the future. Each piece of Thousand Refined Grade One rare metal is a top-grade material that would take you years, or even decades, to buy. It's also one of the main materials we'll need to make powerful mechas in the future."

"She reached Level Three as a forger at nine, while also becoming a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster. That's hard power! If Shrek Academy learned about her, she could get in at any time, as long as she was willing."

Xie Xie and Yun Xiao were already used to people getting into Shrek Academy ahead of schedule, much like Cheng Duoyi himself.

But Xu Xiaoyan, Wei Xiaofeng, Wang Jinxi, and Zhang Yangzi certainly weren't!

Even though Xu Xiaoyan was easygoing and didn't have any great ambitions,

if she could get into Shrek Academy, she'd do it without hesitation!

She also knew a little about mechas and understood just how valuable a Level Three forger was.

That went even more for Wei Xiaofeng, Wang Jinxi, and Zhang Yangzi.

Wei Xiaofeng couldn't help asking, "Brother Cheng... is that true? Can a Level Three forger really get into Shrek Academy? Is it too late for me to start learning now?"

Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi looked at Cheng Duoyi, too. They also saw Tang Wuling in a completely different light. They hadn't paid much attention to her before, since her Martial Soul was Blue Silver Grass. Now that had changed. She could get into Shrek Academy at any time!

She was an ally worth holding on to, too. Thank goodness they hadn't said anything they'd regret. Otherwise, they'd have been in trouble.

Cheng Duoyi looked at Wu Changkong. Seeing this, Wu Changkong said, "Cheng Duoyi is right. With Tang Wuling's Level Three forging skill, Shrek Academy would definitely accept her if she reached Level Four."

Zhang Yangzi asked, "Teacher Wu, how can you be so sure?"

Wu Changkong fell silent for a moment. He glanced at Cheng Duoyi, then looked at Wang Jinxi and the others. "Because I got into Shrek Academy and entered the inner court."

Xu Xiaoyan, Wei Xiaofeng, Wang Jinxi, and Zhang Yangzi were stunned, as were Tang Wuling, Xie Xie, and Yun Xiao.

Xie Xie couldn't help asking, "Teacher Wu, you were a disciple of Shrek Academy's inner court? You never told us! I wondered why you were so confident you could train us to get into Shrek Academy. It turns out you know what it's like there!"

Xie Xie's words made the others' hearts burn with excitement, too.

But Wu Changkong's next words doused them with a bucket of cold water.

"Shrek Academy changes its entrance exam every time it admits new students. If you're hoping to learn about it ahead of time, you might as well give up now."

"Oh. All right," Xie Xie said helplessly.

But they were still very happy. This was a disciple of Shrek Academy's inner court!

They'd heard that every inner-court disciple at Shrek Academy had a status equivalent to a mayor's. They didn't know if that was true.

Wang Jinxi looked at Cheng Duoyi, too. "Brother Cheng, do I still have a chance if I start learning to forge now? Is there some kind of trick to it?"

Wei Xiaofeng and the others looked at Cheng Duoyi, too.

Cheng Duoyi said, "I don't know whether there's a trick to forging, but I do know that Tang Wuling has spent nearly three years learning to forge. Other than going to class, she's done little else. Can you keep forging every night after school until two or three in the morning?"

Wei Xiaofeng and the others fell silent.

So did Xie Xie and Yun Xiao, and even Gu Yue.

Could they do it?

Clearly not.

At their age, they still wanted to have fun. How could they give it up?

Wu Changkong glanced at Tang Wuling. He hadn't expected her to have gone through all that, either. He was also amazed by her talent for forging. She could forge Thousand-Refined Metal? She really was a monster!

Tang Wuling's eyes grew moist, not from exhaustion, but because Cheng Duoyi had been doing his best to help her all along. Even if she was a little slow, Tang Wuling understood what he was trying to do.

Yi'er, I'm not the weak Tang Wuling I used to be! she thought firmly.

Old Tang fell silent. He no longer tried to persuade Tang Wuling to leave Cheng Duoyi.

He'd realized that Cheng Duoyi wasn't quite what he'd thought...

Cheng Duoyi looked at everyone. "I'm not saying this to praise anyone, or to tell you all to do what Tang Wuling has done. I want you to understand that your path ahead may be even harder than hers. Our future doesn't end at Shrek Academy. As long as you're willing to keep up with me, I'll take you to the very peak of the world. Even places spoken of only in legend, places too incredible to imagine, may not be beyond our reach!"

Everyone looked conflicted for a moment, unsure how to describe what they were feeling.

Cheng Duoyi didn't give them time to think it over.

"Now let's get back to our topic: mechas."

"The rise of mechas gave birth to three different professions: Mecha Designers, Mecha Manufacturers, and Mecha Repairers. There's also one special profession: forgers. You're all students in Class Zero. Starting today, each of you will choose a secondary profession. In addition to the tasks Teacher Wu assigns, you'll also study your secondary profession."

"That's all I have to say. You can discuss it among yourselves or listen to Teacher Wu's lesson."