Class One, Level Thirty-Five

The next morning.

Eastsea Academy held a grand opening ceremony for the more than one hundred new students entering the intermediate and advanced divisions.

With over a thousand students across the two divisions, everyone gathered in the academy square and formed square formations according to their grade levels.

Xu Yue stood among the new students, his calm gaze directed toward the line of teachers beside them.

Wu Zhangkong, his expression cold as frost, stood out conspicuously.

Once an inner court disciple of Shrek Academy, he was the dream man of countless female teachers and students at Eastsea Academy.

Not far from Wu Zhangkong stood two women with rather similar features, side by side.

One of them gazed at Wu Zhangkong with a complicated expression. She was presumably Ye Yingluo, who would be his homeroom teacher for some time to come.

"Students, today is the annual opening ceremony. Now, let us invite Principal Yu to speak."

Eastsea Academy's principal, Yu Zhen, was an elderly man in his sixties whose face carried an air of refined scholarship.

"Hello, students!"

"..."

After Yu Zhen finished his impromptu speech, the new intermediate division students officially began being assigned to classes.

As expected, Xu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, and even Wang Jinxi and the others were all assigned to Class One.

Year One, Class One classroom.

"Hello, students. My name is Ye Yingluo, and from now on, I'll be your homeroom teacher!"

Ye Yingluo stood at the podium and spoke loudly to the students below.

"Congratulations on becoming students of Class One. This means that you were more outstanding than the others from the moment you enrolled!"

"Now, we'll begin introductions. State your name, martial soul, and soul power! We'll start with the first row on the left."

As Ye Yingluo finished speaking, the first ones called upon were coincidentally three of Xu Yue's old classmates.

"My name is Zhang Yangzi, Level 21. My martial soul is the Dark Phantom Demon Eagle. I'm an agility-attack Great Soul Master!"

"My name is Wang Jinxi, Level 21. My martial soul is the Bone Dragon King. I'm a power-attack Great Soul Master!"

"My name is Wei Xiaofeng, ..."

As the three Great Soul Masters introduced themselves, a series of startled cries immediately rang out throughout Class One.

Even in Class One, the most talented class of this year's Eastsea Academy intake, very few possessed Great Soul Master-level soul power.

Soon, it was Xu Yue's row's turn. Xu Xiaoyan, seated beside him, gently rose to her feet and spoke softly.

"My name is Xu Xiaoyan, Level 21. My martial soul is the Starwheel Ice Staff. I'm a control-type Great Soul Master."

Upon hearing that Xu Xiaoyan had already broken through to Great Soul Master, Wang Jinxi and the other two exchanged glances and silently nodded.

The three of them had never doubted Xu Xiaoyan's talent. It was only her attitude toward cultivation that had always been rather worrying.

At the same time, the fact that such a delicate-looking girl as Xu Xiaoyan was also a Great Soul Master like Wang Jinxi and the others once again drew cries of surprise from everyone present.

After Xu Xiaoyan finished, it was naturally Xu Yue's turn. He slowly rose from his seat and spoke in a deep voice.

"My name is Xu Yue, Level 35. My martial soul is Eden's Star. I'm a power-attack control-type Soul Elder."

The moment he said this, the entire Class One fell utterly silent. Even Ye Yingluo's red lips involuntarily parted wide on the podium.

"Wait, Level 35?" Wei Xiaofeng stared blankly at Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi beside him.

"Brother Yue broke through again? Is the cultivation speed of innate full soul power really that fast?"

The two he asked also shook their heads dazedly.

A Soul Elder? How was that possible? The classroom immediately erupted into noise, everyone's eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

Ye Yingluo finally came back to her senses. She raised a hand to quiet the classroom, then said to Xu Yue, "X-Xu Yue, please take your seat."

Very soon, as Class One had the fewest students, the introductions came to an end.

Ye Yingluo looked at the dozen or so students before her, the satisfaction in her eyes nearly overflowing. Especially when she looked at Xu Yue, her blazing gaze was downright frightening.

"Classes officially begin tomorrow, so you may rest on your own for the remainder of today. Xu Yue, please come with me for a moment."

Xu Yue raised an eyebrow at that and followed Ye Yingluo out of the Class One classroom.

In the corridor.

Ye Yingluo suddenly turned to Xu Yue and said solemnly, "Xu Yue, do you know that Eastsea Academy has a tradition called the class promotion competition?"

"Of course." Xu Yue nodded. "Some time after each new intake begins, Eastsea Academy holds a class promotion competition. Starting from Class Five, each class challenges the one above it, and the loser is replaced."

"That's right." Ye Yingluo nodded rapidly, her tone eager. "I hope that in the upcoming class promotion competition, you can crush Class Five and let that person know what a true genius is."

"Uh..." Xu Yue was speechless. He knew it—Ye Yingluo had brought up the class promotion competition solely because of Wu Zhangkong.

Seeing the look on Xu Yue's face, Ye Yingluo suddenly slapped her forehead and smiled apologetically.

"I was too impatient. With your soul power, Xu Yue, you could sweep through Class Five even by yourself."

"By common sense, that was indeed the case."

Xu Yue smiled at Ye Yingluo and nodded.

"Don't worry, Teacher Ye. Victory is guaranteed!"

Hearing Xu Yue's assurance, a smile appeared on Ye Yingluo's delicate face as she said softly.

"Then I'll thank you in advance, Xu Yue."

After their brief conversation, Ye Yingluo watched Xu Yue's departing figure, a flicker of excitement flashing through her eyes as her fists unconsciously clenched.

Finally, finally, this moment had come!

Wu Zhangkong, I will make you pay for the humiliation you once dealt me!

I'd like to see what expression you'll wear when the student you placed such high hopes on is defeated!

Eastsea City, inside a villa.

A girl with black hair and black eyes, delicate features, and a silver dress sat blankly on the sofa, her temperament cold and aloof.

She was none other than Gu Yue, the Silver Dragon King.

At that moment, as several figures appeared, Gu Yue turned her gaze toward the one at their head.

"Di Tian, how did the investigation go? Have you found any clues about the great celestial upheaval from a few years ago?"

"My lord!" Di Tian bowed slightly and replied, "According to our investigations over the past few years, the epicenter of that upheaval was within the boundaries of Eastsea City."

"Very good." Gu Yue nodded slightly.

"However, my lord..." Di Tian hesitated. "Could that upheaval truly not have been a natural phenomenon? Its scope was so immense that I cannot imagine anyone capable of causing it."

As the continent's foremost ferocious beast, he did not even regard Yun Ming, humanity's current strongest expert, as a threat.

Yet even with his strength, he could not destroy an entire city in a single strike, much less affect a coastline spanning over a thousand kilometers and the surrounding seas.

Even an ordinary god, in his view, could not accomplish such a thing.

"What if it was the plane itself?" Gu Yue glanced at Di Tian and voiced her thoughts.

"Douluo Star?!" Di Tian froze slightly.

"Enough." Gu Yue cut him off. "Both the plane's unrest and the appearance of that aura occurred within Eastsea City. This is certainly no simple matter, but the specifics will have to be investigated slowly."

"Zi Ji, proceed with the Spirit Pagoda plan as usual. I will draw their attention soon. Make your preparations."

"Yes, my lord!" Zi Ji replied respectfully.

Gu Yue's crystalline, slender legs touched the floor, and despite her petite frame, an imposing majesty erupted from her.

"Move out! Make soul beasts great again!"