Dawn Breaks, Dragon Hidden in Class Five!

The morning sea breeze of Eastsea City carried its characteristic damp chill, scattering the last remnants of the night.

In the small courtyard of the teachers' dormitory, two figures sitting cross-legged opened their eyes almost simultaneously.

Without exchanging a word, Tang Linyuan and Tang Wulin shared a tacit glance, each seeing the other's vibrant, refreshed spirit.

Tang Linyuan in particular had swept away all the exhaustion left by yesterday's fierce battle after a night of deep meditation and contemplation. In its place was an even more condensed sharpness, like a divine weapon freshly drawn from the forge after tempering.

"Morning, bro." Tang Wulin jumped off the bed and stretched, his joints crackling like popping beans.

Tang Linyuan rose, neatly adjusted his collar, and chuckled.

"Let's go. Today's the opening ceremony. I'm guessing you don't want Teacher Wu catching you with anything to hold over you."

Tang Wulin shuddered at those words and hurriedly got ready.

After washing up, the two of them pushed open the courtyard gate.

By coincidence, the gate of the neighboring courtyard slowly opened at the same moment.

Wu Zhangkong stepped out, dressed in snow-white robes with his long hair hanging loose.

He seemed completely unaffected by having his sleeve cut off yesterday. Having changed into a brand-new white robe, he appeared even colder and more otherworldly, as though the air around him had frozen into white frost at his arrival.

"Good morning, Teacher Wu."

Tang Linyuan nodded naturally, his manners impeccable without losing their grace.

Tang Wulin, following behind him, shrank his neck like a mouse spotting a cat. Still, he forced out a somewhat stiff smile. "T-Teacher Wu, good morning!"

Wu Zhangkong paused slightly.

His icy blue eyes first swept over Tang Linyuan. He nodded faintly in response, a trace of imperceptible approval flashing through his gaze. This kid's recovery ability really was astonishing.

However, when his gaze shifted to Tang Wulin, the temperature instantly plunged below zero.

"Hmph."

The snort was soft, yet it clearly drilled into Tang Wulin's ears.

Wu Zhangkong said nothing more. With a flick of his long sleeve, he headed straight toward the teaching building, leaving the brothers with only his cold, aloof back.

Tang Wulin stood frozen in place, scratching the back of his head with a lost and aggrieved expression.

"Bro... I wasn't late either. Why does Teacher Wu seem like... he doesn't like me very much?"

"You laughed so loudly yesterday and even said he was strange. Did you really think Teacher Wu's spiritual power was just for show?"

Tang Linyuan shook his head with an amused smile and reached out to tug his still-dazed younger brother along.

"Enough, stop thinking about it. It just means Teacher Wu has a good memory. You'd better stay sharp during training from now on."

"Ah?! No way..."

The main plaza of Eastsea Academy was already bustling with noise.

New and returning students stood in neat formations according to their grades and classes, stretching out in a vast sea of heads.

Because of their "special treatment," Tang Linyuan and Tang Wulin did not have to squeeze through the freshman registration area. Instead, they were directly placed at the very front of the new students' formation, in the spot originally belonging to Grade One Class Five.

Soon, the opening ceremony officially began.

Principal Yu Zhen, dressed formally, stepped onto the stage.

This elderly man, who held considerable prestige in Eastsea City's educational circles, was clearly not only an accomplished cultivator but also an excellent speaker.

"Dear students, welcome to Eastsea Academy. This is where dreams set sail, where the strong are forged..."

Without holding a dull speech script, Yu Zhen braced both hands against the podium, his voice booming and impassioned.

He spoke at length, from the academy's glorious history to the Federation's future prospects, then from the responsibilities of Soul Masters to personal striving, going on for a full quarter of an hour.

Most of the students below were already nodding off, but Tang Linyuan listened with a calm expression.

He keenly noticed that Yu Zhen's gaze kept drifting toward him, intentionally or otherwise. Whenever their eyes met, the old principal would smile and nod almost imperceptibly, the appreciation and expectation in his eyes impossibly deep.

Finally, the not overly long speech ended amid thunderous applause.

Next came the class assignments.

Because of Tang Linyuan's "butterfly effect," the famous dormitory brawl from the original story never happened.

Xie Xie, the arrogant boy who drove a sports car, was directly assigned to Grade One Class One because of his outstanding talent.

As for the burly Zhou Changxi, he was assigned to Class Three.

Tang Linyuan and Tang Wulin, meanwhile, stood firmly behind Wu Zhangkong under Director Long Hengxu's complicated gaze.

"Grade One Class Five, follow me."

Wu Zhangkong's voice was not loud, but it carried a penetrating force that instantly overwhelmed the surrounding clamor.

Without wasting words, he turned and left.

Most of the Class Five students had ordinary aptitude and had been whispering among themselves. Startled by that chill, they immediately fell silent and obediently lined up to follow him.

Grade One Class Five classroom.

Although the facilities here were far better than those of a basic academy like Red Mountain Academy, they were indeed rather rudimentary within Eastsea Academy.

The desks and chairs were somewhat worn, and the air carried a faint smell of chalk dust.

Wu Zhangkong stood behind the lectern, both hands resting on it as his icy blue eyes coldly swept across the room.

The classroom seemed several degrees colder than outside.

"My name is Wu Zhangkong. I am your homeroom teacher."

It was a simple opening, without any unnecessary pleasantries.

"I don't care how you got in here, and I don't care how trash your Martial Souls are. Since you've entered my class, there are only two paths."

Wu Zhangkong raised two slender fingers. "Either become monsters, or get out."

The domineering declaration made the students below, who had initially lacked confidence in themselves, exchange glances. Some were afraid, while a glimmer of light flashed in others' eyes.

"Now, introduce yourselves."

Wu Zhangkong casually pointed to the first row by the window. "Starting with you. Name, Martial Soul, Soul Power Level, and... what kind of Soul Master you want to become. Don't waste words."

The first to stand was a skinny boy, his voice trembling slightly.

"I... I'm Liu Li. My Martial Soul is a short sword. My Soul Power is... Level Eleven. I want... I want to join the military someday."

"Next." Wu Zhangkong remained expressionless.

"My name is..."

One student after another stood up.

Sure enough, just as Long Hengxu had said, Class Five's student quality was worrying.

Most of their Soul Power hovered around Levels Eleven and Twelve, while their Martial Souls were mostly hoes, sickles, ordinary beast Martial Souls, and even failed mutated trash Martial Souls.

This lineup was destined to be abandoned by the academy.

Until it was Tang Wulin's turn.

Tang Wulin took a deep breath and stood up.

After years of training, he was already much taller than children his age. Although his face was still as pretty as a girl's, the aura he had developed through years of blacksmithing was impossible to ignore.

"My name is Tang Wulin."

His voice was clear and bright. "My Martial Soul is mutated Blue Silver Grass. My Soul Power is Level Fifteen."

"I want to become a powerful Soul Master and protect the people I want to protect!"

"Level Fifteen? Mutated Blue Silver Grass?"

Low exclamations immediately rose from the surroundings.

In a place like Class Five, Level Fifteen was already top-tier! And it was even a mutated Martial Soul?

Wu Zhangkong raised an eyebrow slightly. Looking at the kid who had called him "strange" behind his back yesterday, a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes. Level Fifteen—his foundation was even more solid than expected.

"Next."

At last, it was Tang Linyuan's turn.

He slowly rose from his seat.

He did not deliberately release any aura, yet the instant he stood, the surrounding whispers seemed to be cut off and vanished at once.

An inexplicable pressure slowly spread outward from him.

Tang Linyuan's gaze was calm as he looked around the room before finally settling on Wu Zhangkong atop the platform.

"Tang Linyuan."

His voice was even, yet it rang like a great bell, every word crystal clear.

"My Martial Soul is the Tyrant Profound Divine Spear."

Buzz—

As his words fell, though he did not summon his Martial Soul, it felt as if an invisible spear had condensed in the air. Its sharp aura made many students feel their skin sting.

"My Soul Power is Level Thirty-Two."

"As for my goal..."

Tang Linyuan paused, a faint smile curling his lips.

"I want to see just how high the sky of the Douluo Continent truly is."

The entire classroom seemed to have been paused.

Then came a wave of sharp inhalations, echoing through the classroom like a broken fan.

"Th-Thirty... Level Thirty-Two?!"

"A Soul Elder?! Did I hear that right? How old is he? He's in first grade too?"

"He has to be lying! A first grader is already a Soul Elder? Then why didn't he go to Class One? Why come to our Class Five?!"

Even with Wu Zhangkong, that cold-faced menace, keeping order, information so utterly world-shattering still sent these nine-year-old children into an uproar.

Even the few students who had previously felt rather good about themselves were now dumbfounded, staring at the calm black-haired boy as though he were some alien creature.

On the platform, Wu Zhangkong watched the scene below, and the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

He thought that if Tang Linyuan's true combat strength were spread around, it would likely cause a massive uproar across the entire continent.

The introductions still had to continue. Wu Zhangkong suppressed the class's noisy commotion and began calling on the next student, but none of the students had their minds on it anymore.