Lu Chuan: Class is so tiring. Wu Zhangkong: Handing in homework is even more tiring!

Wu Zhangkong's arm held Lu Chuan's waist firmly.

As for Lu Chuan, he buried his head into her chest.

"..."

The two of them remained frozen like that for two or three seconds.

The roots of Wu Zhangkong's ears turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye, the flush spreading from the tips all the way down to her porcelain neck.

Her eyes, usually as calm as an ancient well, once again betrayed a hint of panic because of Lu Chuan.

After confirming that Lu Chuan was standing steadily, she quickly pulled her hand away from his waist and took a swift step back, removing Lu Chuan's head from her chest.

Turning her head away, she whispered, "Since you've reached your limit, take a five-minute break!"

But Lu Chuan did not want to rest. No matter how difficult the goal was, giving up halfway had never been his nature.

"Teacher Wu, I only have one-fifth left to run. Wouldn't resting now mean all my previous efforts go to waste? I can still continue..."

With that, he got up and started running again.

In the brief moment Wu Zhangkong was stunned, Lu Chuan had already run a hundred meters away.

Watching that desperate drive of his, Wu Zhangkong felt as if she could already see Lu Chuan standing at the gates of Shrek Academy!

If I take him to see my teacher, she should forgive me, right?

The corners of Wu Zhangkong's mouth lifted slightly.

She was in an exceptionally good mood today.

For the remaining twenty miles, Wu Zhangkong no longer drove the vehicle or held the willow branch to urge Lu Chuan on.

A self-disciplined student never needs a rod.

On the track, the sound of footsteps circled round and round.

One hundred miles was drawing ever closer.

Finally, as he passed Wu Zhangkong for the last time, Lu Chuan finished the hundred miles.

At this moment, he was so exhausted he was dazed, yet he still hadn't forgotten the time.

"Teacher, did I go over the time limit?" Lu Chuan asked, panting heavily.

Wu Zhangkong was taken aback; she hadn't expected Lu Chuan to still be thinking about that.

She looked down at the time on the timer:

[1:31:40]

He was one minute and forty seconds over. Rounding it off, It was only two minutes, so logically speaking, Lu Chuan still needed to run another two kilometers.

However, looking at Lu Chuan, who was sprawled out on the grass with his chest heaving violently, and recalling the determined look in his eyes when he refused to rest, Teacher Wu ultimately decided to make an exception for him.

"Exactly one and a half hours. You don't need to run any further; you may rest now."

"Your break is ten minutes. After ten minutes, we begin four hours of basic Soul Power control training."

"Ah? Teacher Wu, given my level of control over my Soul Power, do I still need to train?" Lu Chuan's face immediately turned sour at the mention of more class time.

Of course, the most important thing was that his control over his own Soul Power was already very high. After three years of blacksmithing, he had reached an incredibly high realm in controlling both his Soul Power and his physical body! His Soul Power control was at least eighty percent, not to mention his physical control. To put it simply, although he was only nine years old, he was already capable of wielding a Golden Cudgel to beat a White Bone Spirit!

Teacher Wu naturally knew that Lu Chuan's control over his Soul Power was exceptionally high; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to hold his own against her for so long with the Soul Power of a three-ring Soul Elder. However, this fundamental training was indispensable at any stage. At his current level, Lu Chuan might not feel any improvement from practicing his Soul Power control, but once he did break through, it would inevitably be a qualitative leap.

"Do as I say." Teacher Wu swept a cold glance at Lu Chuan.

Lu Chuan immediately lost his spirit. He lay on the ground, staring at the sky, and responded listlessly, "...Fine."

Then, he muttered bitterly, "Classes are so tiring..."

The voice was very soft, but Teacher Wu still heard it. She looked at Lu Chuan faintly and added, "Turning in your homework later will be even more tiring."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chuan almost wanted to drop out. Memories from tens of thousands of years ago suddenly attacked him frantically: the terrifying horror stories on the small blackboard, the subjects of language, math, English, physics, chemistry, and biology—once they weren't completed, what awaited him was the class committee's report the next day and the teacher's reprimands...

After four hours of tedious basic Soul Power control training, Lu Chuan joined Tang Wuyue for lunch. The taste of the Grade A Meal at Eastsea Academy was quite good.

The siblings swept through their food like a whirlwind, each polishing off dozens of plates. Having just earned tens of millions, he certainly couldn't let his sister settle for a Grade C Meal.

Two o'clock in the afternoon, Martial Arts Arena. Lu Chuan had assumed his opponent would be Wu Zhangkong again, but when he arrived at the arena, he was met by a burly, middle-aged man instead. He recognized this man: the Dean of Eastsea Academy, a level 57 Spirit King, Long Hengxu.

With his arms crossed over his chest, he stood in the center of the arena, his face full of anticipation. The moment he saw Lu Chuan enter, the corners of his mouth curled into an irrepressible smile.

"Teacher Long, surely you aren't the one sparring with me today?" Lu Chuan asked tentatively.

Long Hengxu grinned. "Don't be surprised. Teacher Wu was singing your praises in the office, claiming you're quite the fighter. It's the first time I've ever heard her compliment a student, so I've come to play a few rounds with you today."

Lu Chuan was stunned upon hearing this. He wasn't shocked that his opponent was Long Hengxu, but rather that the cold and arrogant Teacher Wu would actually brag about him in the office!

Seeing Lu Chuan's gaze shift toward her, Wu Zhangkong said coldly, "It was just a small compliment. Do I look like such a harsh person to you? Stop wasting time and start the actual combat!"

"Your combat experience still needs to be built up. Dean Long's martial soul is the Black Iron Heavy Sword, which follows a path of sheer power—it's perfect for feeding you moves."

"Remember, use your full strength. Do not hold back; let me see what you are truly capable of!"

"Yessir!" Lu Chuan saluted Wu Zhangkong with excitement.

Wu Zhangkong didn't quite understand the phrase, but watching Lu Chuan march onto the arena stage with such high spirits, she could roughly guess it meant he had received the order. A faint arc appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"Begin." Seeing that both sides were ready, Wu Zhangkong shouted.

At the command, Long Hengxu, who had been itching for a fight, made the first move. He stomped his right foot hard against the ground, and his entire body shot toward Lu Chuan like a cannonball. He gripped his right hand in the air, and in an instant, a jet-black Black Iron Heavy Sword appeared in his palm.

The heavy sword had no edge; its spine was thick and broad, resembling a slab of black rock. Its surface was crisscrossed with forged patterns that seemed to absorb all the surrounding light. The moment it appeared, it pressed down on the air, causing a dull, humming vibration. One could tell just how heavy the blade was, yet because it was his martial soul, Long Hengxu wielded it without the slightest hint of sluggishness.

He even leveraged the momentum of his charge, and his speed was not slow, making him difficult to dodge!

"Eat my sword!" Long Hengxu shouted, swinging his blade down toward Lu Chuan in a direct overhead strike.

The momentum was such that those who knew better understood this was a teacher and student, but those who didn't would likely think this was a life-or-death battle between mortal enemies!

"A jumping slash? Teacher Long, you're underestimating me!" Lu Chuan's lips curled upward slightly.

Facing Long Hengxu's powerful strike, he did not choose to retreat, but instead stepped forward.

Golden Scales emerged on his arms, and just as the Black Iron Heavy Sword was about to descend, Lu Chuan's body swiveled sharply at an incredibly tricky angle, cleaving past the heavy sword. At the same time, his right hand shot out like lightning, fingers forming a claw, and clamped directly onto Long Hengxu's wrist.

Seeing this, Long Hengxu's expression changed instantly. He had anticipated that Lu Chuan would retaliate, but he never expected Lu Chuan's reaction to be so fast and his counterattack so decisive!

He hurriedly retracted his sword to defend, but Lu Chuan was too fast...

With a crisp "snap," his wrist was firmly gripped by Lu Chuan. Immediately following a burst of deft force, Long Hengxu felt his wrist go numb, and the Black Iron Heavy Sword nearly slipped from his grasp!

"Good lad! You've got such strength; I'm sure plenty of young ladies will fancy you in the future!" Long Hengxu let out a muffled grunt, his Soul Power erupting violently as he attempted to shake off Lu Chuan's hand.

However, Lu Chuan remained unmoved. His body was like a small mountain rooted to the earth; no matter how Long Hengxu channeled his Soul Power, he could not shake him in the slightest.

"Teacher Long, don't you know? I'm the heartthrob of Eastsea Academy now!" Lu Chuan grinned, the strength in his hand suddenly intensifying as he twisted and pulled—

Before Long Hengxu could react, he was pulled off balance and stumbled into a face-plant.

Watching his disheveled appearance, Wu Zhangkong felt a sudden wave of satisfaction in her heart and body. Old Long, oh Old Long, you can't even beat my student. Let's see how you try to suppress me with your broken rules like a nagging mother from now on!