Opening Ceremony

Returning to the somewhat cramped four-person dorm at Eastsea Academy, Bai Lin paid no attention to the expressions on his roommates' faces, which instantly became stiff and evasive.

Xie Xie, who had been half reclining, unconsciously sat up straight. Zhou Changxi shrank back, his chair scraping softly against the floor. The spots where Hei Lin had taught him a lesson yesterday still seemed to ache faintly.

Yun Xiao lowered his head, pretending to study the tips of his shoes intently.

A lingering tension and fear hung in the air.

Bai Lin felt somewhat helpless.

It seemed Hei Lin had truly frightened them badly yesterday.

But that was fine. At least it would be quieter for a while.

Bai Lin walked straight to his bed, moving naturally as if he had not felt those fearful gazes at all.

He sat cross-legged on the bed without another word, closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing, and quickly entered meditation.

Faint fluctuations of soul power slowly rippled outward from him, shutting out all the distractions of the outside world.

What he needed now was to settle down and digest everything.

The night passed without incident, with only the sound of steady breathing flowing through the silent dormitory.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window.

Bai Lin woke punctually, his eyes clear and his spirits full.

After washing up and tidying himself, he joined the stream of new students heading toward the training grounds.

The opening ceremony was long and dull.

Eastsea Academy's headmaster delivered an impassioned yet utterly formulaic speech from the stage, welcoming the new students, looking toward the future, emphasizing school rules and discipline, and so on.

Bai Lin stood quietly amid the crowd, but his thoughts had long since drifted away as he considered how to use the resources Teacher Mu Chen had given him for forging practice.

The ceremony finally ended, and the part the new students cared about most arrived—class assignments.

When the class list was announced and Bai Lin was assigned to Class Five without any surprise, his expression remained calm.

The academy had clearly respected the request he had personally made to Director Long Hengxu yesterday.

Likewise, the other three people in his dorm—

Xie Xie, Zhou Changxi, and Yun Xiao—were in the same class as him.

The gathering area for Class Five carried an indescribable gloom and unease, entirely unlike the excitement or disappointment surrounding the other classes.

Just then, a figure appeared soundlessly before the Class Five students, like ice that had remained frozen for ten thousand years.

The newcomer was tall and straight, dressed in simple white martial attire. His long blue hair fell casually behind his shoulders. His features were so handsome they were nearly perfect, yet his face was cold as frost.

His eyes were a deep blue, like an icy pool in the far north. Wherever his gaze passed, the air itself seemed to freeze.

Merely standing there, he radiated an invisible chill that seemed capable of freezing one's soul. The new students, who had still been somewhat restless, instantly fell silent as cicadas in winter.

He was Class Five's homeroom teacher—Wu Changkong.

"Follow me."

Wu Changkong's voice held no inflection, like ice beads striking a jade plate—clear, cold, and brief, yet carrying unquestionable authority.

Those three words alone sent a chill rising from the spines of every Class Five student and straight to their heads.

No one dared ask another question. They all fell silent and instinctively followed the back of that ice-cold figure.

Hei Lin, meanwhile, showed obvious interest in Wu Changkong. His voice carried a trace of approving, appraising coldness.

"Interesting..."

"That icy killing aura is definitely not something an ordinary person possesses."

"It looks like our homeroom teacher is quite strong."

"But..."

"That's good too."

"Only a true powerhouse can better nurture even stronger beings."

Class Five's classroom was located at the innermost end of the first floor of the teaching building, in a remote spot that required them to pass through a long corridor.

As they passed the open classroom doors of the other classes, the noise coming from within made the dead silence and oppression of the Class Five group stand out even more.

Pushing open the somewhat worn door, Wu Changkong walked straight into the classroom.

The classroom was not small, but its facilities were visibly more basic and outdated than those of the other classes.

"Take your seats."

Again, two cold, concise words, without any additional instruction.

Bai Lin swept his gaze over the classroom and chose a relatively quiet corner seat by the window.

He habitually wanted to avoid unnecessary attention.

However, Xie Xie, as though compelled by some unseen force, carried an inexplicable mixture of emotions—

Perhaps the fear Hei Lin had left behind yesterday ran too deep, making him instinctively want to stay close to a "source of safety"?

Or perhaps it was some kind of unwilling test?

He walked directly to Bai Lin's side, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

Yun Xiao, seated in front, hesitated briefly. Perhaps he felt that the seat near Xie Xie offered some degree of safety, so he silently took the seat in front of Bai Lin as well.

Zhou Changxi, who had lagged behind, watched Xie Xie and Yun Xiao's actions, then felt Wu Changkong's intangible pressure. Gritting his teeth, he lowered his head and plopped down in the seat behind Bai Lin.

The four dormmates had inexplicably gathered together, occupying one corner of the classroom.

Wu Changkong walked soundlessly behind the podium.

His gaze was like tangible ice spikes as it slowly swept over the entire classroom, passing across each new student's uneasy face.

That gaze was cold and sharp, as though it could pierce through flesh and stare directly into the soul.

Anyone touched by his eyes felt a chill rise from the depths of their heart. They instantly straightened their backs. The classroom became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard, and even their breathing softened deliberately.

"My name is Wu Changkong."

He finally spoke, his voice so calm it contained not a trace of emotion, as though he were stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.

"For the next six years, all of you will be my students."

He paused, and that cold gaze seemed to press a block of ice onto every person's heart.

"There is one point I must make clear first."

Wu Changkong's voice remained calm, yet it carried decisive certainty.

"Treat everything Director Long Hengxu said at the opening ceremony as though you never heard it."

He raised his chin slightly. His handsome, icy face showed no expression, but every word he spoke carried a domineering arrogance that looked down upon the world.

"Even if you are a bunch of trash, I will train you into the strongest among your peers."

"Unless you withdraw from the academy, this will be your goal for the next six years."

Wu Changkong's cold words echoed through the deathly silent classroom. Before the shock brought by his arrogant declaration of turning "trash" into "the strongest" had even settled, he spoke again. Without any transition, he moved directly to the next matter.

"Now, introduce yourselves."

His voice was still calm and flat, as though those astonishing words had not come from his mouth.

"Your name, martial soul, soul power rank, and what kind of soul master you want to become."

"You will say them all."

The last three words carried an unquestionable command.

"Begin."