Opening Ceremony [Seeking Follow-up Reads]

"Hello students, today is our annual opening ceremony. Now, let us invite Dean Yu Zhen to speak."

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience as Yu Zhen walked onto the stage under the gaze of many students.

"Students, hello. It is that time of year again for our annual opening ceremony..."

Yu Zhen was a gifted orator. Even without a script, he spoke with passion and emotion for nearly twenty minutes.

Long Yuan watched in awe. These leaders were truly skilled at giving speeches; if it were him, he would have run out of things to say in a minute.

Before long, Yu Zhen concluded his speech, and it was time for the most important part of the opening ceremony: class assignment.

The senior students were led back to their campus by their teachers, and the older students from the intermediate division who were not involved in the assignments also dispersed. Only after everyone had left did Yu Zhen explain the rules for class placement.

At East Sea Academy, the lower the class number, the more outstanding the students within it. The academy assigned classes based on the information provided during registration and recommendation letters from primary academies, comprehensively evaluating factors such as talent and rank.

Of course, due to the farce at the start of the school year, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Zhou Changxi, and Yun Xiao were all thrown into Class Four. This was an unspoken secret among the higher-ups.

After explaining the rules, Yu Zhen said in a loud voice, "Very well, let us proceed with the assignments. First, the students of Class One. When I call your name, please step forward."

"Class One, Gu Yuena..."

Hearing this name, Long Yuan looked toward the Class One formation. Sure enough, a girl with silver hair and violet eyes stepped into the line without hesitation.

Because she was the first name called, almost all the new students looked over, and they were all instantly captivated by Gu Yuena's appearance.

"So beautiful..."

Tang Wulin was no exception, but when he saw that long silver hair, he felt a sense of bewilderment in his heart...

Is that Na'er...

No, no. Tang Wulin shook his head, dismissing this unrealistic thought.

What am I thinking? Na'er doesn't even have a martial soul. How could she possibly come to East Sea Academy and be assigned to Class One?

"Tang Wulin, are you alright?" Right beside him, Xie Xie gently poked his shoulder and asked in a low voice.

Yesterday, he had intercepted Tang Wulin at the school gate as he was preparing to return to the Blacksmith Association. Always arrogant, he naturally couldn't accept the experience of being chased and beaten by Tang Wulin in the dormitory, so he had proposed a fight at East Sea Park.

Then, he was taught a harsh lesson by Tang Wulin—that the natural enemy of an agility-type soul master is truly a power-type.

Heaven knows what he felt when he discovered that his Light Dragon Dagger sparked upon striking the other's right hand.

Tang Wulin shook his head. "I'm fine, just a little dizzy. I probably stayed up late practicing forging yesterday."

"Class Five... Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Zhou Changxi, Yun Xiao..."

While the two were talking, the assignments were already finished.

There were a total of one hundred and nine students in the grade this year, but Class Five only had twenty, and they all looked listless and appeared quite insecure.

The teachers thought the opening ceremony was over and were just about to lead their students back to the classrooms, but Yu Zhen suddenly announced, "Teachers and students, today I would like to introduce a new teacher to the academy, Teacher Long Yuan."

As he spoke, Yu Zhen gestured toward Long Yuan. Long Yuan was not annoyed; instead, he walked onto the stage calmly, meeting the inquisitive gazes of the crowd.

"Hello, students. I am Long Yuan. Although I am not a homeroom teacher, if you have any questions you would like to ask, you are welcome to come to me."

Yu Zhen added at the right moment, "Don't let Teacher Long's youth fool you; he is a genuine rank sixty Soul Emperor. Remember to take him as your role model, understand?"

"Understood!"

Many of the new students were inspired by Yu Zhen's speech and shouted in unison.

Tsk, not bad. That's already at the level of commanding a warship.

"Very well, dismissed! Homeroom teachers, please lead your students back to the teaching building and familiarize yourselves with the academy."

A teacher who looked to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old walked to the front of Class Five.

Long Yuan glanced at him. With that signature lake-blue hair reaching his waist and those classic white trousers, it was clearly our Teacher Wu Zhangkong.

Long Yuan withdrew his gaze and turned to look at the Class One formation.

Coincidentally, Gu Yuena was also looking at Long Yuan. Their gazes met in the air for one second, two seconds...

Facing Long Yuan's calm, ripple-free eyes, Gu Yuena was the first to concede, lowering her head with a slight blush.

Nice try, competing with me on thick-skinnedness.

Someone like him, bombarded by modern information, had the thickest skin of all and was not afraid of awkwardness at all. Anyway, as long as I'm not awkward, the one who is awkward is someone else.

Then there was the homeroom teacher of Class One, Ye Yingluo. While Long Yuan was observing her, she was staring fixedly at Wu Zhangkong.

Ye Yingluo's secret—or rather, open—crush on Wu Zhangkong was known to everyone. Although she had been rejected many times, she remained persistent. Perhaps this was the masterpiece of the great God of Love, a classic specialty of the Douluo Continent.

Next was the homeroom teacher of Class Two, Xu Jie. His martial soul was a White Armored Fish Dragon, and he was a Soul King. It is worth mentioning that this honest and simple-looking middle-aged man was actually a sea soul master. Even in East Sea City, which was near the ocean, the number of sea soul masters was extremely rare.

Crucially, this martial soul itself possessed a trace of dragon bloodline, which Long Yuan noted silently.

The homeroom teacher of Class Three was Ye Yingrong. She was Ye Yingluo's younger sister, also a Soul King, also possessed a plant-type martial soul, and also had a crush on Wu Zhangkong. However, her crush was a genuine secret; her attitude was quite restrained, and she would even try to dissuade her sister, though it was of little use.

The homeroom teacher of Class Four was Kong Hanwen, a Soul King whose martial soul was a sword. Nothing special, no need to elaborate.

Since everyone had dispersed, there was no need for Long Yuan to stay any longer. He turned and walked toward his office.

Before long, a knock sounded on the door.

"Knock, knock, knock—"

Long Yuan set down the book on forging he had been holding. His divine sense had already revealed the identity of the person at the door. "Please, come in."

The door was opened gently and then closed just as softly, leaving a girl with bright eyes and white teeth standing at the entrance. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'm here."

"You shouldn't have come..."

"Huh?" Gu Yuena widened her amethyst-like eyes.

"Cough, cough, just kidding." Long Yuan chuckled sheepishly and gestured toward the chair opposite him.

Gu Yuena sat down across from him, her beautiful eyes scanning Long Yuan. After a long silence, she finally asked, "Are you... resurrected?"