Sea-Calming Needle

She turned to face the stands, Ye Yingluo, and all those shocked, awed, or conflicted gazes. Her ink-black hair fluttered gently in Eastsea City's sea breeze. Beneath her dark brown contact lenses, the vertical slits in her violet eyes slowly closed, restoring her appearance as an ordinary girl "from Heaven Dou City, born into an ordinary family."

But everyone knew that things were different now.

"Who else?" she asked. Her voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly to every ear. "Who wants to challenge me?"

Silence.

A long silence.

Ye Yingluo slowly sat down, her complicated gaze settling on Yun Zhiyu, as though she wanted to find within this girl a shadow she both longed for and feared. In the end, she announced the result.

"Class One's class monitor: Yun Zhiyu."

Applause broke out, sparse at first, then gradually growing fervent until it surged like a tide. Yun Zhiyu stood in the center of the arena, accepting this honor that did not belong to her, yet was hers to bear. A complicated feeling welled up in her heart.

She thought of Shrek's Sea God's Pavilion, of Yun Ming's black robes, Ya Li's holy light, and Yun Zhishu's smiling face. She thought of Na'er's silver hair, Yuan En's gray-white skin, and Ye Xinglan's Meteor Scabbard. She thought of the ice chain around Wu Nianbing's neck, Wu Changkong's retreating figure in white robes with a blue sword, and Long Bing's sleeping soul.

"One step at a time," she silently repeated to herself. "Steady and sure."

The Tang Sect Bracelet on her wrist glimmered faintly, while Zhen Hua's Star Ring flowed with a deep radiance on her finger. She looked up at Eastsea City's sky. The clouds hung low, and the sea breeze carried an unknown yet eagerly anticipated scent.

Ahead lay new stories, new challenges, and new bonds.

On the third day after becoming class monitor, Yun Zhiyu drew four circles at the edge of the training field.

The chalk was ordinary limestone, yet a faint glow of Soul Power gathered around her fingertips. The lines she drew sank three inches into the ground like ancient runes. Wei Xiaofeng crouched nearby, the afterimages of his Azure Shadow Serpent flickering around him as he could not resist reaching out to touch them—

"Don't touch," Yun Zhiyu said without looking up. "They're locked with Soul Power. It'll make your hand go numb."

Wei Xiaofeng jerked his hand back as if shocked. Sure enough, tiny streaks of violet lightning flickered across his fingertips. Grimacing, he shook his hand, but he did not dare complain. That strike on the arena three days ago still made the skin along his neck tingle whenever the weather turned rainy.

"Four circles." Zhang Yangzi folded his arms, a faint glimmer flashing through his eyes as the Dark Illusion Demon Eagle martial soul stirred within them. "What do they mean?"

"Training zones." Yun Zhiyu stood and brushed the lime dust from her palms. "Wei Xiaofeng, Azure Shadow Serpent, speed type, upper left. Zhang Yangzi, Dark Illusion Demon Eagle, control type, upper right. Wang Jinxi, Bone Dragon King, assault type, lower left. Wu Nianbing, Icebound Frost Sword, assault and control type, lower right."

Her gaze swept over the four of them. Behind her dark brown contact lenses, the vertical slits in her violet eyes hid deep within. "Meditate every morning. Spar in pairs in the morning. In the afternoon, all four of you fight me together. In half a year, at the Class Advancement Tournament, I want Class One to win every match."

"Fight you together?" Wei Xiaofeng's voice was full of disbelief. "The four of us against you?"

"What else?"

"Are you sure?"

"I am. If you can beat me, then you're impressive." Yun Zhiyu cut him off.

"I'll suppress my Soul Power to Jin Xi's level, but I won't seal my martial soul or soul skills, and I won't restrain my bloodline. If you can force me to use my third soul skill, training ends early that day."

The four exchanged glances.

Wu Nianbing was the first to nod. Her plain white skirt brushed the ground as a wisp of frost condensed from the Icebound Frost Sword in her palm. "All right."

Her gaze fell on Yun Zhiyu, carrying a clarity beyond her years. That night, after Yun Zhiyu emerged from her father's room, Wu Changkong had spoken to her. Not much, but enough for this precocious girl to understand that the identity of this "Sister Yun" was far more complicated than that of an "ordinary girl from Heaven Dou City."

But she did not ask. She merely clenched the ice chain around her neck, feeling the coolness unique to her mother emanating from it, then took her place beside Yun Zhiyu.

Morning meditation began the next day.

Yun Zhiyu sat cross-legged at the center of the four circles, closing her eyes and focusing. Her spiritual power spread like fine threads, touching the breathing rhythm of every student.

Wei Xiaofeng's Soul Power circulated the fastest, moving like a snake, yet it often became disordered at the branching points of his meridians. Zhang Yangzi's was the most stable. The yin-attributed Soul Power of the Dark Illusion Demon Eagle spread slowly like ink in water, but it lacked explosive force. Wang Jinxi's Bone Dragon King Soul Power was the heaviest, like pushing a thousand-pound boulder uphill. Every step was difficult, but his foundation was solid. Wu Nianbing's was the coldest. Wherever the Icebound Frost Sword's Soul Power passed, her meridians seemed covered in a thin layer of frost; one careless mistake could freeze and injure her own body.

"Wei Xiaofeng, slow your Soul Power by thirty percent at the third vertebra." Yun Zhiyu spoke with her eyes closed. "The Azure Shadow Serpent belongs to yin. When the morning sun first rises, don't rush forward. Be like a snake shedding its skin—peeling away layer by layer, reborn layer by layer."

Wei Xiaofeng shuddered and adjusted as instructed. His chaotic Soul Power gradually smoothed out, like a knotted rope being gently straightened by an invisible hand.

"Zhang Yangzi, gather your Soul Power in your eyes," Yun Zhiyu continued. "The Dark Illusion Demon Eagle's eyes are the core of its martial soul. You focus on control, yet you have neglected the origin of sight. While meditating, imagine yourself suspended high in the sky, looking down upon the earth. Every inch of shadow lies within your eyes."

Zhang Yangzi's breathing shifted slightly. Black Soul Power gathered toward his eyes, forming a deep vortex between his brows.

"Wang Jinxi, the power of the Bone Dragon King must arise from the marrow." Yun Zhiyu's voice carried an ancient cadence, like a low chant in dragon language. "Don't push. Guide. Imagine your bones are strings, and Soul Power is the bow. Draw it gently, and resonance will arise on its own."

Fine sweat appeared on Wang Jinxi's forehead. Bone patterns flickered faintly across his gray-white face. He sensed a pull coming from Yun Zhiyu's direction, an aura that made him feel both reverence and closeness. It was like a colossal beast growling in the distance, calling forth an echo of submission.

"Nianbing." Yun Zhiyu's voice softened. "The Icebound Frost Sword receives heaven's frost and condenses an icy soul. Your Soul Power is too cold, so cold that it harms you. Imagine the temperature of the ice chain. It is not freezing—it is protection. Let your Soul Power fall like frost blossoms, melting at a touch rather than pressing forward like blades."

Wu Nianbing's fingertips trembled slightly. A warm coolness came from the ice chain around her neck, as though responding to Yun Zhiyu's words. Her Soul Power gradually softened. The thin frost upon her meridians turned into tiny droplets of dew that seeped into her flesh, nourishing rather than destroying.

An hour later, all four opened their eyes at once, varying degrees of shock in their gazes.

"My Soul Power... is circulating ten percent faster?" Wei Xiaofeng muttered.

"My spiritual power is more solid," Zhang Yangzi said, clenching his fists as he felt the changes within himself.

Wang Jinxi said nothing. He only looked at Yun Zhiyu with a complicated expression that bordered on devotion. Wu Nianbing lowered her head, her fingertips brushing across the ice chain as a faint curve appeared on her lips.

"Sister Yun," she said softly, "thank you."

Yun Zhiyu stood and brushed bits of grass from her skirt. "What are you thanking me for? People from Class One shouldn't be this weak."

The paired sparring took place in the morning.

Wei Xiaofeng faced Zhang Yangzi—speed against control. The afterimages of Azure Shadow Stack flashed across the arena while Darkness Control spread like a tide. The two remained locked in a stalemate for a full quarter of an hour. In the end, Wei Xiaofeng's Soul Power ran dry, and he was swallowed by darkness.

"Your afterimages," Yun Zhiyu commented after the battle, "have improved in Soul Power distribution, but your movement patterns are too predictable. Snakes never hunt in straight lines. Next time, move in S-shaped patterns. Alternate the rhythm between your real and false bodies."

Wei Xiaofeng panted and nodded.

Wang Jinxi faced Wu Nianbing—assault against assault. Bone Dragon Claw collided with Frostmark Sword Shadow, bones and frost intertwining as white mist filled the arena.

Wang Jinxi held the advantage in strength, but he could not keep up with Wu Nianbing's sword speed. Wu Nianbing's sword intent was fierce, but she could not break the Bone Dragon King's defenses. In the end, Wu Nianbing blanketed the arena with Skyfrost Mist Shadow, found an opening within the fog, and touched Wang Jinxi's throat with her sword.

"Jinxi," Yun Zhiyu said, "your Bone Dragon Claw has enough explosive force, but you change moves too slowly. Imagine that your bones are living things, not dead tools. Put thirty percent into the claw and hold back seventy percent. Adapt when circumstances change; circle around when facing strength."

Then she looked at Wu Nianbing. "Your sword is fast enough, but you rely too much on sight. Within Skyfrost Mist Shadow, use spiritual power to sense your opponent's aura rather than your naked eyes. Next time, strike with your eyes closed."

Wu Nianbing froze for a moment, then nodded.

The afternoon's four-person team battle was the true test.

Yun Zhiyu suppressed her Soul Power to level twenty-two, the same as Wang Jinxi's. She stood in the middle of the arena, her ink-black hair tied into a ponytail. Behind her dark brown contact lenses, her violet eyes were calm as a deep pool.

"Begin!"

Wei Xiaofeng attacked first. Azure Shadow Stack transformed into three afterimages that lunged at her from three directions at once. Zhang Yangzi floated in the air, Darkness Control blocking out the light while Eagle Strikes the Sky gathered force. Wang Jinxi's Bone Dragon Claw tore through the air from the front with a howling wind. Wu Nianbing's Skyfrost Mist Shadow spread along the edge of the arena, Frostmark Sword Shadow hidden within the mist and waiting for an opportunity.

Yun Zhiyu did not move.

Her spiritual power covered the entire arena. The perception of the Spirit Sea Realm made everything impossible to hide—Wei Xiaofeng's real body was on the left, Zhang Yangzi's Eagle Strikes the Sky targeted the center of her back, Wang Jinxi's Bone Dragon Claw was a feint, and the real killing move was Wu Nianbing's sword hidden in the fog.

Dusk Dragon Flash: Instant Step.

Her figure vanished from where she stood. When she reappeared, she was already behind Wei Xiaofeng's real body.

Torch Dragon Breath: Shadowshade poured from her palm. Nether chill coiled around the Azure Shadow Serpent's afterimages, slowing them and disrupting the circulation of Soul Power. Wei Xiaofeng's movements stiffened for an instant, and Yun Zhiyu formed a sword with two fingers and lightly touched the side of his neck.

"Out."

Her figure flashed again, evading Zhang Yangzi's Eagle Strikes the Sky. Violet-gold lightning gathered at her fingertips. Her first soul skill, Winged Dragon: Thunder-Drawn Sword Cry, transformed into a slender sword aura that precisely cut into the core of Darkness Control. Zhang Yangzi felt his Soul Power stall, and the black mist melted away like ice and snow, revealing his floating body.

"Your opening is too obvious!" Yun Zhiyu's sword aura hovered half an inch before his throat.

"Darkness Control may block light, but it cannot conceal your Soul Power fluctuations. Next time, blend your own aura into the darkness instead of placing yourself outside it."

Zhang Yangzi landed and gave a bitter smile. "...Out."

Wang Jinxi's Bone Dragon Claw had already reached her. Yun Zhiyu did not dodge. Instead, she extended one hand, palm upward, and a wisp of violet-gold Soul Power slowly emerged. There was no attacking sharpness in it, only an ancient majesty that made even the Bone Dragon King's bloodline tremble.

Wang Jinxi froze. His Bone Dragon Claw hung in midair, trembling as if gripped by an invisible force. His pupils widened, and bone patterns crawled like vines across his gray-white face, only to slowly settle beneath Yun Zhiyu's gaze.

"Bones are strings," Yun Zhiyu said softly. "Soul Power is the bow. Draw it gently, and resonance will arise on its own. But right now, your bowstring... has snapped."

She formed a sword with two fingers and lightly touched the wrist of the Bone Dragon Claw. Wang Jinxi felt numbness surge from deep within his meridians. The Bone Dragon King's power receded like a tide, and his entire body went limp as he collapsed to the ground.

"Out."

Only Wu Nianbing remained.

Skyfrost Mist Shadow covered the entire arena. Frost blossoms drifted down, and everywhere she looked was a vast expanse of white. Wu Nianbing closed her eyes and used spiritual power to sense Yun Zhiyu's aura. This was Yun Zhiyu's lesson from that morning. She had remembered it and put it to use in actual combat.

She "saw" her.

Yun Zhiyu stood in the mist, a faint violet-gold halo lingering around her like a rising sun obscured by thin clouds. Her aura blended with the fog, yet even within that fusion, it retained an independent, inviolable majesty.

Wu Nianbing struck. Frostmark Sword Shadow became a silver-white streak of light, piercing through the mist and shooting straight toward Yun Zhiyu's heart.

That sword contained all her Soul Power, all her will, and all her complicated feelings toward this "Sister Yun"—reverence, closeness, and a desire to be acknowledged.

Yun Zhiyu did not dodge.

She reached out and caught the sword tip between two fingers. Frost blossomed over her knuckles, yet slowly melted beneath the warmth of the Torch Dragon Bloodline. The vertical slits in her violet eyes opened slightly as she met Wu Nianbing's black gaze.

"Very good!" she said, her voice full of approval. "Eyes closed, sword drawn, spiritual perception, Sword Intent Solidification. You're thirty percent stronger than you were this morning."

She released the sword tip and stepped back. "But you're still far from enough. You failed to force out my third soul skill."

Wu Nianbing sheathed her sword. Fine sweat covered her pale face, but a faint curve formed at the corner of her lips. "Next time, I will."

"I'll be waiting."

At sunset, the five of them sat beneath an old banyan tree at the edge of the training field.

Wei Xiaofeng lay sprawled on the ground. His Azure Shadow Serpent martial soul was listlessly withdrawn within him, too lazy to even release afterimages. Zhang Yangzi leaned against the tree trunk, the wings of the Dark Illusion Demon Eagle flickering in his palm as they lazily fanned the air. Wang Jinxi sat cross-legged, exhaustion on his gray-white face, though it could not hide the light in his eyes. Wu Nianbing held the ice chain around her neck, her fingertips brushing the shield-shaped gem as though whispering to someone unseen.

Yun Zhiyu stood before them, her ink-black hair glowing softly in the twilight.

"Today's training," she began. Her voice was low, yet every person heard it clearly. "Wei Xiaofeng, your speed improved by ten percent, but your transitions are still stiff. Zhang Yangzi, your control range expanded by two zhang, but your personal defense is weak. Wang Jinxi, your explosive force is sufficient, but your endurance in prolonged combat is lacking. Wu Nianbing, your sword intent has solidified, but your Soul Power reserves are too low. After three strikes, you'll be exhausted."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the four of them. "In half a year, at the Class Advancement Tournament, our opponents will be Class Two, Class Three, and... possibly challenges from those skipping grades. At your current level, you'll win one match and lose two."

Wei Xiaofeng's expression changed. "Then what do we do?"

"Train!" Yun Zhiyu said only one word. "Meditate every morning, spar in pairs in the morning, fight me together in the afternoon. Rain or shine, no breaks on holidays. In half a year, I want you to force me to use my third soul skill, force me to release the Xuanyuan Sword martial soul, force me to..."

She paused, and a faint curve appeared on her lips. "Get serious."

The four exchanged glances, then nodded together.

"One more thing." Yun Zhiyu took four jade pendants from her robes and tossed one to each of them. "Soul-Power Conduction Jade. I forged them myself. While wearing them, my spiritual power can briefly resonate with yours and guide the circulation of your Soul Power in critical moments."

Wei Xiaofeng caught the jade pendant and felt the warm Soul Power within it. His nose suddenly stung. Zhang Yangzi pressed his pendant to his chest, and the Dark Illusion Demon Eagle martial soul resonated with it, releasing a low cry. Wang Jinxi clenched his pendant tightly. On his gray-white face, the bone patterns intertwined with the pendant's glow like some ancient contract. Wu Nianbing tied hers beside the ice chain, and the two pendants struck each other with a clear chime.

"Sister Yun," Wu Nianbing asked softly, "why are you so good to us?"

Yun Zhiyu froze.