Cold Beneath the Surface, Warmth Within; Transformation of the Divine Spear!

The last rays of the setting sun finally faded, and Eastsea Academy's campus was bathed in a tranquil blue-violet night.

When they left the Combat Drill Field, one sleeve of Wu Zhangkong's white clothes was missing, and his hair was somewhat disheveled. Yet his back as he walked ahead remained as straight as a sword, as though the earth-shaking duel just now had never happened.

Tang Linyuan followed behind. Though his steps were slightly heavy, every one of them landed firmly.

That strike, "Falling Star," had nearly drained all his physical reserves. At this moment, he was relying entirely on his tyrannical will to hold himself up.

Tang Wulin obediently supported his brother's arm. From time to time, he secretly glanced at the ice-cold figure walking ahead, barely daring to breathe.

After passing through the bustling teaching district, the three followed a quiet cobblestone path and arrived at an area of red-brick buildings hidden among lush trees.

This was the Teacher Dormitory Area. The surroundings were serene, and the faint scent of violets lingered in the air, utterly different from the steel-forest atmosphere of the city outside.

"We're here."

Wu Zhangkong stopped before a two-story building with its own small courtyard.

He turned around and casually tossed out a brass key.

Tang Linyuan raised a hand and caught it steadily.

"This is the place the dean arranged for you. Everything you need for daily life is inside. If you're dissatisfied, go buy whatever you need yourselves."

Wu Zhangkong's voice remained cool and detached, as though he were issuing a mission order.

He pointed at the nearly identical building beside this one.

"I live next door. It's usually quiet here. I don't want to hear any loud commotion."

"Understood, Teacher Wu." Tang Linyuan gave a slight nod, his expression calm.

Wu Zhangkong nodded and turned to leave.

But after taking a single step, he stopped again.

A trace of extremely unnatural hesitation flashed through those icy blue eyes that always kept others at arm's length.

With his back to the two of them, he was silent for two seconds before turning half his face and stiffly adding,

"You've just arrived. If you aren't familiar with the roads, or if you run into any... trouble in daily life."

"You can knock on my door."

After saying that, he seemed to feel that he had damaged his "cold and aloof heartthrob" image. His brows immediately furrowed, and he added with heavier emphasis, "Emergencies only."

Seeing this teacher, normally so proud and cold, act so awkward and clumsy when it came to caring for his students, the corners of Tang Linyuan's tightly drawn lips could not help but rise slightly.

What cold-faced fiend? He was clearly just a tsundere with a warm heart beneath an icy exterior.

"Pfft—"

Tang Wulin was young and could not hide his feelings. Seeing his brother smile, he could not help but snicker aloud as well.

The laugh sounded especially abrupt in the silent night.

"Hm?"

Wu Zhangkong instantly turned around. Two beams of almost tangible icy light shot from his eyes, locking precisely onto Tang Wulin, who was covering his mouth and trying not to laugh.

The surrounding temperature instantly dropped by five degrees.

"Is that funny?"

Wu Zhangkong narrowed his eyes, his tone turning colder. "Tang Wulin, although your brother is very strong, your foundation is still far too lacking."

"Tomorrow morning at seven is Eastsea Academy's opening ceremony. If you dare to be even one second late..."

He did not state the consequences. He merely caused the air in his hand to condense into icy mist, producing sharp cracking sounds.

"I'll show you what it means to be chilled to the bone."

With that, Wu Zhangkong snorted coldly, flicked his white robes, and strode into the neighboring courtyard, slamming the gate shut with a bang.

Looking at the tightly closed gate, Tang Wulin shrank back, patted his chest, and stuck out his tongue.

"That scared me to death! Teacher Wu changes his face faster than flipping a page. He was just saying we could go to him if we needed something, then he turned around and wanted to freeze me. What a weirdo."

"He isn't strange. He just hides all his tenderness beneath a layer of ice."

Tang Linyuan chuckled, rubbed his younger brother's head, and turned to open their courtyard gate.

"And don't badmouth a powerhouse with high spiritual power behind his back. Even through two walls, he can still hear you calling him 'strange.'"

"Ah?!"

Tang Wulin's face turned pale. He hurriedly covered his mouth and looked fearfully toward the neighboring building, as though the wall had grown ears.

"Alright, let's go in first."

The interior was simple yet cozy. There were two clean single beds and a set of solid wooden tables and chairs. Compared with the dormitories at Red Mountain Academy, it was like heaven and earth.

Tang Wulin threw himself onto the bed like an excited puppy and rolled around twice, while Tang Linyuan sat at the desk and took out the Soul Guidance Communicator bearing the Blacksmith Association emblem.

"Beep—"

The call connected, and a light screen appeared, revealing Mu Chen's refined yet somewhat anxious face.

"Linyuan? Where are you two? I've had the food served twice already. Why haven't you come over yet?"

"Uncle Master, sorry."

Tang Linyuan said apologetically,

"We ran into a small 'situation' after arriving at the academy. We've settled in now. It's too late today, and we've also overexerted ourselves, so I'm afraid we won't be able to make the appointment."

"Overexerted?" Mu Chen's gaze was sharp, and he immediately noticed Tang Linyuan's pale complexion. "What happened? Who hurt you? Who in Eastsea City dares lay a hand on my martial nephew?"

"No one hurt me. It was a sparring match." Tang Linyuan's lips curved slightly, and excitement flashed in his eyes. "I just enrolled, found a good teacher, and had a fight. I gained a lot from it."

"You brat..." Mu Chen shook his head helplessly and sighed in relief.

"Fine. Since it concerns cultivation, I won't force you. Get some good rest. After school tomorrow, I'll have the driver bring you over. Cen Yue and I will be waiting for you at the Association."

"Definitely."

After ending the call, Tang Linyuan felt his eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

A wave of exhaustion from the depths of his soul surged over him like a tide.

Using four consecutive forms of the Calamity Annihilation spear technique had pushed both his spiritual power and physical strength far beyond their limits.

After washing up, Tang Linyuan and Tang Wulin went to bed and began meditating in unspoken agreement. It was a habit they had formed years ago.

Tang Linyuan sat cross-legged on the bed and assumed his usual posture, with his palms, soles, and crown facing the heavens.

"Dragon Swallowing Breathing Technique, activate."

As his breathing gradually steadied, the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth slowly gathered toward him, repairing his dried-up meridians.

His consciousness slowly sank.

Passing through the gray mist, he arrived once more in the depths of his sea of consciousness.

It was still a deathly silent void.

But this time, something was different.

When Tang Linyuan's consciousness condensed into form, he was shocked to discover that the Tyrant Profound Divine Spear, which had eternally floated in the center of the void, was trembling slightly.

"Buzz... buzz..."

It was an incomparably pleasant yet immensely majestic resonant hum, as though an ancient deity were awakening from slumber.

The little black dragon Xiao Mo, coiled around the spear, was currently circling its body with unusual excitement, letting out hiss after hiss.

Tang Linyuan drifted closer, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

The pitch-black spear shaft of the Tyrant Profound Divine Spear had originally been covered in mottled, ancient remnants.

But after today's all-out clash of "intent" with Wu Zhangkong, especially the collision triggered by that final Falling Star, one patch of residue from the middle of the spear had actually peeled away!

Though it was only the size of a fingernail.

Yet where it had peeled away, a mysterious and incomparably intricate rune was revealed, shimmering with dark golden light.

The rune was not lifeless. Like a living eye, it slowly rotated, giving off an aura completely different from the previous "gravity" and "Destruction God."

It was a power that could... devour all light and even distort the space of the sea of consciousness around it—the power of Devour.

"What is this...?"

Tang Linyuan reached out and lightly touched the rune with his fingertip.

Boom!

A torrent of fragmented information instantly flooded into his mind.

[Ancient Forbidden Canon: Tyrant Scroll: Ninth Calamity Annihilation Styles, Fifth Form]

[Black Hole: Immeasurable]

"So that's how it is..."

Within the consciousness space, Tang Linyuan suddenly opened his eyes, unprecedented brilliance bursting from them.

"So the condition for unlocking this spear isn't merely Soul Power. It also requires the ultimate burning of battle intent."

"Teacher Wu, thank you."

"You didn't just sharpen my spear. You also helped me force open the door to the fifth form."

Within his sea of consciousness, the youth looked at the flickering rune, and a determined smile curled across his lips.

Though he still could not fully wield it, the seed had already been planted.

The night deepened, and moonlight poured through the window like water.

The youth closed his eyes once more and devoted himself to comprehending the mysterious new Devour Rune.