Class Zero

Three days after the Class Advancement Tournament ended, Eastsea Academy held an assembly for the entire grade.

Tang Wulin stood among Class Five's students. The sunlight beat down on the field, baking a dry scent out of the grass. Dean of Students Long Hengxu stood on the podium with a list in hand. He first announced the news: because the former Class Five had won the Class Advancement Tournament, it would be directly promoted to Class One, Grade One, and every student would receive one A-Grade Meal each day. A-Grade Meals were highly beneficial to cultivation, and most families could not afford them. Providing them free for an entire semester was an exceptionally generous move by the academy.

"Quiet," Long Hengxu shouted. "Now for the second announcement. Due to the outstanding performance of this year's first-grade students, the academy board has decided to establish a pilot class in the first grade, selecting the most exceptional students to join. It will temporarily be called Class Zero of Grade One, with Teacher Wu Changkong as its homeroom teacher. The assistant homeroom teacher will be Teacher Long Bing."

Long Bing stood to one side of the podium, dressed in a light gray coat, her hair pinned up with a wooden hairpin. When she heard her name, she showed little reaction and merely nodded slightly. Tang Wulin saw Wu Changkong standing beside her. He was not looking at her, but he stood slightly closer to her than usual.

"Class Zero students will be selected from the existing classes," Long Hengxu continued reading. "There are currently six: Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Gu Yue, Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and Wei Xiaofeng."

Tang Wulin remained where he was, his gaze crossing the crowd to land on Wang Jinxi on the other side. Wang Jinxi happened to be looking his way as well. His expression was complicated—not quite hostile, but not friendly either. Zhang Yangzi stood beside him with his hands hanging at his sides, not looking over.

"Besides those two announcements, there is also a disciplinary decision." Long Hengxu cleared his throat. "During the Class Advancement Tournament, the students on both sides failed to uphold the principle of friendship first, competition second, resulting in three serious injuries. The six participants are hereby severely criticized and stripped of all rewards."

Tang Wulin did not care much about the punishment. What concerned him was something else—there were six people in Class Zero. Gu Yue, Xie Xie, and he were on one side, while Zhang Yangzi and the others were on the other. This team had been cobbled together from the start.

After the assembly, the first-grade classes dispersed on their own. Dean Yu Zhen walked up to them, his gaze sweeping over the six faces. "You lot really know how to make trouble, huh? Two of the five had broken arms, and there's another one in the classroom with a broken leg. Class Zero has been established, but let me tell you this—put away that arrogance of yours and behave yourselves. Don't think being gifted makes you so special."

He turned and left. Long Bing walked over from the podium and stopped before the six of them. Her tone was far gentler than Yu Zhen's. "What he said was unpleasant, but some of it made sense. Class Zero is not a place for you to show off. Training will be grueling. If you cannot endure it, you may leave, but those who stay must show the proper attitude."

Xie Xie stood beside Tang Wulin and whispered, "Teacher Long Bing is much gentler than Teacher Wu."

"Speaking gently does not mean the training will be gentle." Wu Changkong's voice came from behind them. "Gather in the top-floor classroom at seven tomorrow morning."

Class Zero's classroom was on the top floor of the teaching building. It had once been an unused storage room, but it had now been cleared out and rearranged. Six desks stood side by side near the windows. Their surfaces were new, the paint still unmarred by scratches. Wu Changkong stood behind the lectern in a white teacher's uniform. Long Bing stood beside him with a roster in her hands.

"Class Zero's training load will be three times that of ordinary classes, and the examination standards will be substantially higher," Wu Changkong said. "If you cannot endure it, you may withdraw now."

The classroom fell silent for a moment. No one spoke.

"No one is withdrawing?" His gaze passed over the six faces in turn. "Fine. Practical combat in the morning, theory in the afternoon, independent cultivation at night. No weekends off."

Zhang Yangzi frowned, but said nothing. Wang Jinxi sat beside him with his head lowered quietly. Wei Xiaofeng tapped the edge of his desk twice with his fingers, then stopped.

"The rules for practical combat are the same as in the Class Advancement Tournament," Wu Changkong continued. "No restrictions on methods. Stop before it goes too far. If you are injured, see Long Bing. She is responsible for logistics."

Long Bing smiled faintly beside him. "I am not here solely to treat your injuries. But since that is the arrangement, come find me if you are hurt. I do not mind."

Xie Xie muttered, "Madam is so considerate," keeping his voice low, but Long Bing's ear twitched. She glanced at Xie Xie and said nothing.

That afternoon, their first practical combat class was held in a newly marked clearing on the eastern side of the field. Wu Changkong had the six divide into pairs—Tang Wulin against Wang Jinxi, Xie Xie against Wei Xiaofeng, and Gu Yue against Zhang Yangzi.

Tang Wulin stood in the center of the field, with Wang Jinxi opposite him. Sunlight shone in from the side, making Wang Jinxi's expression impossible to see clearly. He said nothing, merely turning slightly sideways as the aura of his Bone Dragon martial soul surged from within him. A deep dragon's roar rang out over the field.

Tang Wulin did not wait. Blue Silver Grass burst from his palm, vines spreading across the ground. Wang Jinxi twisted aside to avoid them, and the aura of the Bone Dragon condensed around him into a gray barrier. Tang Wulin's Blue Silver Grass wrapped around that barrier and tightened, cracks appearing across its surface.

Wang Jinxi retreated half a step as the Bone Dragon aura gathered again. Tang Wulin did not pursue. He stood where he was and withdrew his Blue Silver Grass, watching his opponent resume his stance. During their second exchange, Wang Jinxi took the initiative, a Bone Dragon claw wrapped in gray Soul Power slashing toward Tang Wulin's chest. Tang Wulin dodged sideways, and Blue Silver Grass surged up from beneath his feet, wrapping around Wang Jinxi's wrist.

Wang Jinxi shook his arm twice but could not break free. Tang Wulin neither tightened his hold nor released him, simply keeping him pinned there. Wang Jinxi paused, then withdrew the Bone Dragon aura. "I lost."

Tang Wulin released the Blue Silver Grass and stepped back. Wang Jinxi said nothing more, turning to return to the edge of the field. His expression showed no obvious change, but Tang Wulin noticed that his steps were slightly slower than before.

On the other side, Zhang Yangzi was sparring with Gu Yue and was driven to the edge of the field by her ice spikes. He did not admit defeat, but he did not attack again either. After standing silently at the boundary for several seconds, he stepped out of the circle. Wei Xiaofeng was chased all over the field by Xie Xie before simply sitting down on the ground.

When training ended that day, the six stood on the field without looking at one another. Wu Changkong withdrew the Heavenfrost Sword at the edge of the field and turned to leave. Long Bing followed behind him. After walking some distance, she looked back at Tang Wulin and smiled, as if saying, "You worked hard," before leaving as well. Xie Xie crouched beside Tang Wulin, gasping for breath. "Boss, how long do you think Wang Jinxi and the others can stay?"

Tang Wulin looked at Wang Jinxi's departing back. "I don't know. But they're still here now."

Day after day passed. Practical combat in the morning, theory in the afternoon, and individual cultivation at night. Tang Wulin and Wang Jinxi fought many times, their initial awkwardness gradually becoming a kind of tacit understanding. Wang Jinxi's Bone Dragon martial soul underwent some changes through their clashes—the gray barrier grew thicker and thicker. Xie Xie and Wei Xiaofeng still fought whenever they met, but anyone could see that they were pushing each other to improve. Zhang Yangzi still did not talk much, but sometimes he stayed behind after training to practice on his own. Tang Wulin would occasionally remain in the classroom a little longer, watching dusk flow in through the windows and slowly take away the bands of light on the desktops.

One day, Tang Wulin ran into Wang Jinxi in the corridor. Wang Jinxi did not stop when he saw him, but as he passed by, he said, "Tang Wulin, being able to cultivate Blue Silver Grass to this extent... you really are impressive."

"Thank you," Tang Wulin said.

Wang Jinxi did not stop or turn around, but his footsteps paused at the end of the corridor before continuing into the distance. Tang Wulin stood in the hallway, watching that figure disappear around the corner. Light slanted in through the window, spreading a thin layer across the floor.

"You still have to decide your own futures," Tang Wulin said as he watched the setting sun. "Xu Xiaoyan, we... will be meeting again soon."