Punishment

His calves were still trembling. Hearing Long Hengxu's rebuke, he nodded frantically, his voice shaking with lingering fear:

"Yes..."

"Yes, Director, I..."

"I'll change!"

As for Yun Xiao in the corner, Long Hengxu merely glanced at him. After confirming that he truly was a terrified "victim," he said nothing more.

At last, Long Hengxu's gaze returned to Bai Lin, his expression complicated.

After pondering for a moment, he slowly spoke, his tone becoming far more solemn:

"Tang Wulin, there's something I need to explain to you."

He looked into Bai Lin's calm eyes.

"With your talent and Soul Power Level, you should originally have been assigned directly to Class One."

"That's where the academy's finest resources and teachers are concentrated."

He paused, seemingly choosing his words.

"However, the academy took into consideration the fact that your martial soul is Blue Silver Grass..."

"We have been observing and evaluating you, hoping to determine whether you truly possess only ordinary Blue Silver Grass, or whether..."

"...there is some powerful dormant bloodline within you that has yet to awaken."

"For example, the legendary Blue Silver King, or even..."

"The Blue Silver Emperor."

Long Hengxu's voice carried a trace of anticipation and probing.

"Assigning you to Class Five was actually a strategy as well."

"The academy hoped that through this..."

"Mm, relatively ordinary environment, it might provide some stimulation and encourage the dormant power within you to awaken."

Then his tone shifted, and his sharp gaze seemed to pierce through Bai Lin.

"But now, it seems..."

"The strength you displayed just now—defeating Zhou Changxi after he had unleashed his martial soul with your bare hands..."

Long Hengxu's gaze swept over Bai Lin's seemingly slender arms, which contained terrifying explosive force.

"That is absolutely not something an ordinary Blue Silver Grass soul master could achieve!"

"I imagine the power sleeping within you was awakened long ago, wasn't it?"

Long Hengxu leaned forward slightly, speaking in a negotiating tone.

"So, if you've changed your mind and wish to go to Class One, I can approve it immediately and arrange your transfer."

"Class One is the platform truly suited to your development."

Go to Class One?

Better resources, stronger teachers?

Bai Lin had almost no hesitation.

Within his sea of spirit, Hei Lin's icy will remained utterly unmoved. Clearly, he regarded such a "platform" with complete disdain.

Bai Lin himself understood even better the advantages of remaining in Class Five—

Hei Lin had already helped him eliminate the biggest troublemaker in the dormitory in the most "efficient" way possible, while the other troublemaker had been scared out of his wits as well.

The environment in Class Five was relatively "peaceful," making it more conducive for him to focus on forging for money and cultivation.

As for resources?

With Master Mang Tian's guidance and the Golden Dragon King's power within him, the academy's resources were not indispensable to him.

"Thank you for your concern, Director."

Bai Lin bowed slightly, his tone sincere yet resolute.

"However, I think staying in Class Five is quite good too."

"Between classmates..."

"We can get to know one another slowly."

"I believe that in Class Five, I can still cultivate diligently and won't let the academy down."

Long Hengxu looked deeply at Bai Lin.

The calmness and certainty in the youth's eyes made him understand that this was not mere politeness.

He nodded and did not try to persuade him further.

"Fine."

"I respect your choice."

"I hope you can help foster a better atmosphere in Class Five."

Then his tone shifted again, restoring the authority of the disciplinary director.

"But!"

"Although there were reasons behind this, the destruction of academy property is a fact!"

"The dormitory door, the hallway railing—these damages must be compensated for!"

"I'll have the finance department calculate the exact costs later. The bill will be delivered to you, so remember to pay it on time!"

"Understood, Director Long."

"I understand."

Bai Lin nodded calmly in agreement, without the slightest hint of difficulty on his face.

Compensation?

He even felt like laughing.

After all, he had completed Thousand Refinement at the age of seven. Over the past two years, following Master Mang Tian, he had taken on nothing but high-level forging commissions.

The balance on his soul guidance savings card had long surpassed one million Federation credits!

The repair costs for a mere door and section of railing were no more than a drop in the bucket to him.

Seeing that none of the four had any further objections, Long Hengxu waved his hand tiredly.

"Enough. Go back!"

"Clean up the dormitory!"

"Remember, this is the first warning, and also the last!"

"If you dare fight in the dormitory again, no matter the reason, it will be entered into your records!"

"There will be no leniency!"

The four of them felt as though they had been granted a pardon and hurriedly left the oppressive atmosphere of the disciplinary office.

On the way back to the dormitory, the atmosphere was extremely strange.

Yun Xiao kept his head lowered, as though he wished he could turn invisible, and hurried ahead at the front.

Xie Xie followed behind. His face was still somewhat pale as he cast complicated, furtive glances at Bai Lin's back. Whenever Bai Lin seemed to notice, he immediately looked away like a startled rabbit, unable to conceal the apprehension in his eyes.

Zhou Changxi, who was being carried, wore a look of utter unwillingness.

He gritted his teeth through the pain, glaring fiercely at Bai Lin's back with his fists clenched until they crackled. When Long Hengxu had called out the name earlier, he had heard it clearly as well—

Tang Wulin!

That legendary nine-year-old Soul Grandmaster!

That realization was like a basin of cold water poured over his head. Alongside his anger came an overwhelming sense of helplessness and frustration.

A level twenty-three Soul Grandmaster...

Beating a one-ring soul master like him really was as easy as playing around.

The gap was far too great.

For now, he could only...

Grit his teeth and swallow this loss!

"Damn it..."

"Just you wait!"

Zhou Changxi swore viciously in his heart, but deep within his gaze as he looked at Bai Lin's back was a trace of something even he had not noticed...

Fear.

The shattered dormitory door hung open like a gaping wound, silently recounting the violence that had just taken place.

Bai Lin stood at the doorway, looking at the mess inside with a calm expression.

He walked into the room, ignored the complicated looks Zhou Changxi and Xie Xie gave him, and went straight to his bed to begin organizing the luggage he had brought.

His movements were unhurried, as though the earlier disturbance had never happened.

Very soon.

A logistics teacher appeared at the entrance of Dormitory 205, wearing an amused grin like someone delighted by the spectacle. His gaze swept across the wrecked dormitory and the four students with their differing expressions.

"Well now, young masters."

"Making such a huge commotion on your first day of school!"

He clicked his tongue, his tone teasing.

"A fight?"

"Promising!"

"Really capable!"

"With this level of destructive power, you're practically a demolition crew!"

His gaze shifted to Bai Lin. The smile on his face did not change, but his tone became businesslike.

"Which one of you is student Tang Wulin?"

"That's me." Bai Lin answered calmly, stepping forward.

"Mm, good." The logistics teacher nodded and pulled a slip from the folder he carried.

"The dormitory door and the hallway railing, materials and labor included, come to a total of twenty-one thousand Federation credits."

"Go pay at the Academic Affairs Office as soon as possible. Don't delay."