So You're Zhong Shenxiu?

There was no damned pointless socializing, no damned people to offend his eyes, no arrogant idiot like Lin Xuan, and no clingy lackeys like Wang Hao and Zhao Tiezhu.

For the first time in nine years, he had such pure, quiet time to himself.

Better still, no one here disturbed his cultivation. He could devote himself wholeheartedly to circulating the Eternal Myriad Dragon Source Art without worrying about being suddenly interrupted or caring about anyone else's gaze.

Zhong Shenxiu was having an absurdly comfortable time in the confinement room!

On the first day, he spent half the day thoroughly cleaning the room. Though it had already been quite clean, he had a mild obsession with cleanliness. Then he began following his training plan: cultivating the Eternal Myriad Dragon Source Art for three hours in the morning; after a simple lunch of the food delivered to him, he began physical training—push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and one-handed handstands. In the afternoon, he continued cultivating. At night, he practiced precise control over his martial soul, attempting to draw upon partial draconic traits without fully possessing it.

On the second day, he broke through.

Under his unceasing cultivation and the Eternal Myriad Dragon Source Art's frenzied devouring, the Soul Power vortex in his dantian finally reached its critical point. With a faint sound that only he could hear, the barrier shattered, and Soul Power surged like a tide into broader meridians.

Level seventeen.

It came naturally.

Zhong Shenxiu felt the denser Soul Power within him, and a trace of satisfaction flashed through his Light Gold Vertical Pupils.

At this rate, reaching above two rings within two months was no dream.

After breaking through, he did not slack off. Instead, he cultivated even more frantically.

The Eternal Myriad Dragon Source Art's tempering effect on his body gradually became apparent. He could feel his strength, speed, and endurance steadily increasing. A faint pale-gold sheen seemed to flow beneath his skin, a sign that his dragon bloodline was being activated.

On the third day.

"Knock, knock, knock."

A knock on the door interrupted Zhong Shenxiu's thoughts. It was time for his meal.

A tray was passed through the small window. Today's lunch was more substantial than the previous two days, with an extra chicken leg and a serving of vegetables.

Zhong Shenxiu accepted the tray and thanked him.

The person delivering the meals was a middle-aged school worker. It had been him for the past few days. Though they had not exchanged many words, Zhong Shenxiu could tell that the man bore him no ill will.

After eating, Zhong Shenxiu continued cultivating.

There was still half a day until his three days of confinement ended. He planned to use the remaining time to consolidate his cultivation.

However, not long after he entered his cultivation state—

Click.

The sound of the confinement room's lock being opened came from the door.

Zhong Shenxiu paused and slowly opened his eyes.

According to the time, it was not yet time for his release. Besides, the sound of the door opening did not resemble the school worker delivering meals—the man had always only opened the small window and never the door itself.

The door was pushed open.

Zhong Shenxiu was doing physical training in a one-handed handstand. Hearing the sound, he raised his head and saw a figure appear in his inverted field of vision.

It was a tall, upright man who looked to be in his twenties. His short sky-blue hair was meticulously combed back, and his handsome face seemed covered by a layer of frost. His eyes were cold as ice. He wore a fitted white outfit beneath a long coat of the same color, and his entire body radiated an icy aura that warned strangers to stay away.

What drew the most attention were his eyes—sharp as swords, as if they could see through every disguise and pierce straight into one's heart.

From Zhong Shenxiu's upside-down perspective, the man seemed to be hanging suspended in midair, yet his icy presence was not diminished in the slightest.

Wu Zhangkong looked at the boy before him.

A nine-year-old child was training in the confinement room in a one-handed handstand. Sweat dripped from his forehead to the floor, forming a small puddle.

Those Light Gold Vertical Pupils looked at him from the inverted angle without the slightest panic or fear, holding only an almost indifferent calm.

What caught Wu Zhangkong's attention even more was the faint pressure surrounding the child. It was an aura found only in top-tier beast martial souls, and moreover... it was draconic.

"So you're Zhong Shenxiu?" Wu Zhangkong asked, his voice as cold and calm as his presence.

Zhong Shenxiu flipped down and landed on the ground, straightening his body.

He was much shorter than Wu Zhangkong and had to tilt his head back to meet his gaze, but his aloof bearing made him seem no weaker in the slightest.

"Yes."

Zhong Shenxiu nodded, his golden vertical pupils meeting Wu Zhangkong's directly. "And you are?"

"Wu Zhangkong."

The man in white stated his name. "A teacher in Eastsea Academy's Intermediate Division. Starting today, I am your homeroom teacher."

Zhong Shenxiu's heart stirred.

Wu Zhangkong... he remembered that name.

Among those vague memories of his past life, Wu Zhangkong had been an important character in Legend of the Dragon King, Tang Wulin's teacher. His martial soul was the Sky Frost Sword; he was a six-ring Soul Emperor, immensely powerful, cold by nature but fiercely protective of his own.

More importantly, if the plot had not diverged too far, Wu Zhangkong would become the future homeroom teacher of Zero Class.

"Teacher Wu." Zhong Shenxiu gave a slight nod in greeting.

Wu Zhangkong's gaze swept over Zhong Shenxiu, from his Light Gold Vertical Pupils to his sharply defined features, then to his still-young yet already upright frame. Finally, his gaze settled on Zhong Shenxiu's hands—his knuckles were thicker than those of children his age, and his palms bore thin calluses, clearly the result of long-term training.

"Director Long Hengxu told me that you were placed in confinement for violently beating up fellow students."

Wu Zhangkong's tone was calm, giving no hint of pleasure or anger. "But I also reviewed the records from that time. Those three first stole your belongings, then bullied you."

Zhong Shenxiu said nothing and waited for him to continue.

"Your retaliation was excessive, but understandable."

Wu Zhangkong continued, "However, I need to confirm one thing—did you hit them so hard because you could not control your strength, or... did you do it deliberately?"

This question was crucial.

If he could not control his strength, it meant Zhong Shenxiu lacked control over his martial soul and Soul Power and needed further training.

If it had been deliberate... then it meant this child had a ruthless disposition and required guidance.

Zhong Shenxiu's golden vertical pupils met Wu Zhangkong's without the slightest evasion. "Deliberately."

"Why?" Wu Zhangkong's gaze narrowed slightly.

"So they'll remember."

Zhong Shenxiu's voice was terrifyingly calm. "Remember the pain, remember the fear, remember that some people cannot be provoked. That way, the next time they want to cause me trouble, they'll first weigh the consequences."

Wu Zhangkong fell silent.

He looked at the child before him, only nine years old, and at the composure and indifference in those golden vertical pupils that did not belong to someone his age. A complicated feeling rose within him.

This was no ordinary child.

An ordinary nine-year-old who was bullied would either cry and make a fuss to the teacher, swallow the humiliation, or fight back only to become afraid afterward. But Zhong Shenxiu was different. His retaliation had been precise and ruthless, with a clear purpose—not self-defense, but establishing authority.

Such a temperament, such composure, such almost cruel calculation... appearing in a nine-year-old child was truly alarming.