Zhou Yi let out a muffled grunt. The flaming claws around her wrists instantly dispersed by more than half, and she staggered two steps to the side.
She gritted her teeth, forcibly enduring the sharp pain in her wrist bones. The third Soul Ring beneath her feet suddenly lit up, and she threw back her head with a long howl.
"Roar—"
The sound waves of Howling Flame Wolf Cry, wrapped in scorching heat, exploded outward from her in every direction, making the glass windows on both sides of the corridor hum.
Several students peeking outside from not far away were sent staggering back by the blast of air. Clutching their ears, they crouched down.
Tang Wulin merely frowned slightly. Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track shifted his position again, and his body drifted like a fallen leaf blown off course by the wind, moving from the center of the sound waves to Zhou Yi's flank and rear. The hammer in his hand had already completed its full arc, crashing heavily into Zhou Yi's shoulder blade with thunderous force.
The blow made Zhou Yi's legs go limp, and she dropped to one knee. Fine cracks spread across the floor beneath her knee.
The expression on her face finally broke. Her fourth soul skill, Crimson Flame Wolf Body, erupted in haste. Fiery patterns instantly spread across her entire body, and her defense and resistance rose sharply.
When Tang Wulin's hammer landed on her, he clearly felt a layer of resistance, as though he had struck a red-hot iron plate. The recoil traveled up the hammer's handle into his palm, making the web between his thumb and forefinger go slightly numb.
"Interesting," he murmured. Then he flicked his wrist. The dark golden patterns on the hammer flashed faintly, and an even heavier force crashed down from its head.
Zhou Yi, who had only just steadied herself, was smashed backward again. Her fifth soul skill, Heaven-Burning Wolf Shadow, was scattered before it could fully take shape.
The three fiery wolf phantoms had only formed vague outlines before the hammer wind shredded them into sparks that drifted down through the air.
Cold sweat was already dripping from her chin. Her lips had turned faintly pale, and waves of intense pain surged from the spot on her wrist where the hammer had struck.
She raised a hand to cover the injury and staggered backward until her back struck the wall at the end of the corridor.
"You..." Her voice was so hoarse it was nearly inaudible.
Tang Wulin did not stop.
His figure blurred as Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track activated once more. In the next instant, he stood less than half a meter in front of Zhou Yi. The Clear Sky Hammer in his hand rose high, its purple lightning patterns glaringly bright.
Zhou Yi's pupils contracted sharply. Instinctively, she raised both arms to shield her head.
"Stop! I surrender!"
The hammer abruptly stopped less than three inches from her forehead. The pressure from the wind it stirred sent the loose strands of hair before her forehead flying back.
Tang Wulin maintained his raised-hammer stance and looked down at Zhou Yi, who sat slumped against the wall, her face filled with humiliation and unwillingness. He remained silent for two breaths.
After all, if that hammer came down, her brains would probably burst out. Killing her was unnecessary—at the very least, he could not kill her openly.
He could not dirty his hands over trash like this.
Then he slowly withdrew the hammer. With a flip of his wrist, the heavy Clear Sky Hammer turned into a mass of purple light and vanished into his palm.
Tang Wulin yawned and muttered, "So beating people without using soul skills feels this good. Sigh, if I weren't afraid of drawing attention, would that last blow of mine have shattered Zhou Yi's whole body?"
He then brushed the dust from his sleeves and spoke in a calm tone, carrying the casual indifference unique to a young man:
"Teacher, you said strength makes the rules. It seems I'm a little stronger than you now, aren't I? Then by your rules, you should listen to me. Since you think running laps is such a good method, go run a thousand laps. It will be perfect for setting an example for us."
The corridor was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
Heads had long since poked out from the neighboring classrooms, with students from several first-year classes pressing themselves against the door cracks to look outside.
Pairs of eyes were wide open, staring fixedly in this direction.
A few bolder students had already leaned half their bodies out the doorways, their mouths wide enough to fit an egg.
"Holy shit..." Someone whispered from some corner, suppressing their voice. "That guy used a martial soul without Soul Rings to pin a Soul Emperor to the ground and beat her up? Am I seeing this right?!"
"It looks like... it looks like he really didn't activate any Soul Rings."
"How old is he? That uniform means he's an Outer Court freshman, right? Just like us?"
"Four rings crushing six rings? What kind of monster is that?!"
"What martial soul is that?"
Ning Tian walked over from the back of their class and slowly opened her mouth. "That was once the number one tool-type martial soul in the world—the Clear Sky Hammer!"
The moment she said that, everyone nearby fell silent.
Then whispers arose again, like sparks falling into a pile of dry grass. In no time, they spread from scattered murmurs into a buzzing wave of discussion.
Even upperclassmen who had not intended to join the excitement could not resist poking their heads out the windows, their gazes sweeping back and forth between Tang Wulin and Zhou Yi several times.
Wang Dong stood at the classroom door, one hand braced against the frame. Her eyes were fixed on the movement of Tang Wulin withdrawing his hammer, while her other hand quietly clenched into a fist.
She lowered her head to look at her palm, as if confirming something. Then she raised her head again and looked toward Tang Wulin's back. A strange, inexplicable gleam of excitement shone in her blue-pink eyes.
Huo Yuhao stood behind Wang Dong, his eyes sparkling. He pressed his lips together, carrying the admiration and reverence unique to a young man, along with a faint, barely noticeable trace of pride.
Gu Yuena sat quietly at her desk, resting her chin on both hands. Her purple eyes curved into crescent moons as her gaze passed over the crowd and landed on the tall figure at the end of the corridor. The curve of her lips never faded.
"Big brother is amazing," Na'er murmured.
Tang Wulin turned and glanced toward the classroom, meeting Gu Yuena's crescent-shaped eyes.
He curled his lips at her slightly, then turned back, his gaze falling once more on Zhou Yi, who had yet to climb to her feet.
"Teacher, one thousand laps. If you can't finish them, I can continue demonstrating for you this afternoon." Tang Wulin clasped his hands behind his back and leaned forward slightly. A sweet, harmless smile rested on his face, and his tone was as gentle as if he were discussing dinner with an elder. "What do you think? Next time, we won't be on the field, right? Since you haven't finished running, you naturally have to set an example for everyone, don't you?"
Zhou Yi slowly pushed herself up against the wall, her left hand covering her injured right wrist. Her complexion shifted between green and white several times.
She stared at the young man before her for a long while. Her lips moved a few times, but in the end, she did not say another word.
She slowly lowered the hand covering her injury, turned around, and walked toward the stairwell one step at a time.
The sound of her high heels striking the floor was far duller than when she had arrived.
Tang Wulin watched her back disappear around the stairwell corner.
Then he turned and returned to the classroom. He sat back down at his desk and casually smoothed over the crack he had made in it a little more. In a natural tone, he said, "Quiet, all of you. Everyone, obey my orders—we're going to the field to watch Teacher Zhou run."
Before you continue