First meeting with Wu Changkong

His white robe hung loosely, his figure aloof and solitary.

Wu Changkong walked slowly to the side of Class Five's ranks. His lips parted slightly, and he said only, "Come with me."

Those simple words seemed wrapped in the biting chill of ice that had endured for ages, instantly bearing down on everyone present. The twenty-odd freshmen felt chills run down their spines. An inexplicable, overwhelming sense of awe and pressure rose within them, and not one dared slack off.

Class Five's classroom lay in the deepest recesses of the teaching building. It was remote, the farthest to reach, and received the poorest treatment of any class in the incoming year.

Thirty sets of desks and chairs stood neatly arranged in the clean, spacious classroom, with a solemn, orderly lectern at the front.

Wu Changkong walked slowly up to the lectern, swept an indifferent gaze over them, and said, "Sit down."

At his command, the students hurried to their seats with light steps. The scattered noises died away in an instant.

His cool, low voice rang out again, filling the classroom. "My name is Wu Changkong. For the next six years, I will be your homeroom teacher."

His gaze was icy, devoid of warmth, and every word rang clear and firm. "Remember this: everything Director Long Hengxu said earlier is null and void."

"Even if others call you bottom-feeders and trash, once you enter my class, I will hone you into the strongest of your generation."

"If you cannot endure it, withdraw on your own. As long as you remain in Class Five, that is your only goal."

When his words fell, the entire classroom went silent.

Everyone had only one thought—this new teacher was far too arrogant.

Cold and aloof, solitary and unyieldingly proud—those qualities were etched into Wu Changkong's very bones.

"Introduce yourselves in order. Your name, martial soul, soul power level, and future cultivation goal. Begin."

A boy stood up first. "Hello, everyone. My name is Yun Xiao. My martial soul is the Star Chart, and my soul power is rank twelve. My goal is to become an intelligence support-type Battle Soul Master."

Once Yun Xiao finished, it was Tang Wulin's turn.

The instant he stood straight, Wu Changkong's deep, icy eyes locked firmly onto him from behind the lectern.

That piercing gaze fell on him like a cold blade. Every hair on Tang Wulin's body stood on end, and a little bewilderment stirred in his heart.

Isn't staring at me like this a little too deliberate? Is he singling me out?

That was not the case.

It was simply because Tang Wulin was too unusual.

With short hair of a clear azure blue and eyes as translucent as sapphires, even the plainest clothing could not conceal his fresh, unclouded, distinctive air.

That pure shade of blue deeply stirred an old image sealed away in Wu Changkong's heart for years.

For a fleeting moment, he inexplicably thought of Long Bing.

If she hadn't died back then, our child would probably have looked just as innocent, pure, and endearing.

At that thought, the chill in Wu Changkong's eyes softened slightly, only to return at once to cold indifference.

Tang Wulin did not notice the subtle change in his emotions. He spoke calmly, his voice clear and steady. "My name is Tang Wulin. My martial soul is Blue Silver Grass, and my soul power is rank twelve."

While tempering his body through intense forging yesterday, he had quietly broken through from rank eleven to rank twelve. Tang Wulin had been a little surprised at first, but after thinking it over, he felt it was most likely related to the soul power he had accumulated before. That deep reserve had finally borne fruit, allowing him to break through smoothly.

Before the lectern, Tang Wulin considered for a moment, then earnestly voiced his aspiration. "My goal is to become a great Soul Master."

As soon as he said that, a contemptuous snicker sounded from a corner of the classroom, followed by a grating mutter of mockery:

"All he awakened was Blue Silver Grass, a trash martial soul recognized across the continent. A piece of trash like him wants to become a great Soul Master?"

Before the words had even finished—

Whoosh—

A snow-white blur shot through the air!

A piece of chalk struck the mocking student squarely on the forehead with flawless accuracy.

The laughter stopped dead.

Wu Changkong swept his gaze coldly across the class, its chill penetrating to the bone. Each word fell like a bead of ice:

"There are no trash martial souls, only trash Soul Masters."

"Before mocking others, search your own conscience. What talent do you possess, and why did you end up in Class Five, the worst class?"

Tang Wulin froze slightly at those words.

He knew that classic saying all too well. It had originally been Yu Xiaogang's famous maxim, yet coming from Wu Changkong, it carried an entirely different weight of confidence and authority, leaving him with an inexplicable sense of dissonance.

Wu Changkong withdrew his gaze and looked calmly at Tang Wulin. "Please sit."

Next.

A nimble figure immediately stood up. It was Xie Xie.

"My name is Xie Xie. My martial soul is the Light Dragon Dagger, my soul power is rank eighteen, and I'm an Agility Attack System Battle Spirit Master."

Rank eighteen!

The number instantly sent the classroom into an uproar. Every gaze converged on Xie Xie, filled with shock and envy.

A freshman entering the academy with rank-eighteen soul power was unquestionably a genius among his peers!

Tang Wulin watched Xie Xie bask in the attention without feeling the slightest discouragement. He merely remained inwardly silent.

Once the last student finished introducing themselves, the classroom grew quiet again.

From behind the lectern, Wu Changkong's indifferent voice slowly sounded. "Classes officially begin tomorrow. My teaching methods are different from those of every other teacher in this academy."

His cold gaze swept across the class. His tone remained utterly level, yet carried an uncompromising severity. "If you fear hardship, exhaustion, or pain, you may apply to transfer classes or schools now. If you stay in my Class Five, the training ahead will be far more brutal than you can imagine."

"Class dismissed."

With that, Wu Changkong turned and left, his steps brisk and decisive. His retreating figure was cold and solitary, as though the lectern and classroom were merely fleeting worldly trifles to him, unworthy of even another moment.

Watching him leave so freely, Tang Wulin could not help smiling.

This respected teacher of his looked remarkably like those easygoing, spirited modern teachers from his previous life—brisk and decisive, without a single unnecessary word.

Class ended, and the crowd began to stir.

Xie Xie immediately turned toward Tang Wulin beside him, a touch of eagerness in his eyes. "Come on. Time to keep your promise."

Tang Wulin rose calmly and answered, "All right."

The two walked out of the classroom side by side. The moment they entered the corridor, a clamor reached their ears.

Freshmen were murmuring everywhere along the corridor, almost all discussing the newly appointed homeroom teacher.

"So that's Wu Changkong? He's so cool and handsome! He's practically the academy's cold, aloof heartthrob!"

"I heard he's the most handsome man at Eastsea Academy! He used to be a top teacher in the advanced division. Who knows what mistake he made to get demoted to teaching freshmen in the intermediate division?"

Despite the chatter around them, neither Tang Wulin nor Xie Xie cared to inquire or investigate. They passed straight through the noisy corridor and headed off campus.

"Let's go over there." Xie Xie pointed toward a quiet area not far from the academy and explained seriously, "There aren't many people there. If I accidentally hurt you later, it'll be easy to find someone to treat you without causing too much commotion."

Tang Wulin chuckled and nodded lightly. "Sure. I'll be waiting."

Their destination was East Sea Park, right beside Eastsea Academy. It was so close that a detour through the academy's side gate brought them there in only a few minutes on foot.

The moment they entered the park, the fresh scent of green vegetation mingled with a faint hint of pollen and washed over them. It dispelled the oppressive gloom of the classroom, instantly relaxing Tang Wulin's body and mind.

Seeing his relaxed expression, Xie Xie curled his lips into a cold smile. "Relax all you want now. In a little while, you probably won't even have the strength to relax."

With that, the two continued deeper into the park, finally stopping on an empty, open stretch of ground.

"Here will do." Xie Xie came to a halt.

Tang Wulin stopped as well and raised his eyes toward the boy opposite him, his gaze calm and composed.

"Let's agree on this first," Tang Wulin said earnestly. "Regardless of who wins or loses today, neither of us holds a grudge afterward, and neither of us keeps pestering the other over this."

"No problem." Xie Xie agreed without hesitation.

With the agreement settled, there was no need for more words.

Two surges of soul power erupted almost simultaneously!

Emerald-green Blue Silver Grass quietly spread from Tang Wulin's right palm, supple yet tough, coiling around his hand.

In Xie Xie's right hand, a sharp, luminous white silhouette abruptly took shape. The Light Dragon Dagger appeared, gleaming with a biting chill.

"Ready? Let's begin!"

Before his words had finished, Xie Xie shot forward!

As an agility attack-type Soul Master, he moved as swiftly as lightning. Like a sword drawn from its sheath, he rushed straight at Tang Wulin, trailing a fierce gust.

Seeing Tang Wulin standing motionless, neither dodging nor adopting any defensive stance, he assumed his opponent was arrogant and underestimating him.

Just as Xie Xie's full-speed, straight-line charge was about to bring him within striking distance, his movement abruptly changed!

His high-speed trajectory suddenly shifted, and his figure grew increasingly illusory and elusive in the air. Relying on the extreme speed and footwork of the agility attack system, he steadily closed the distance, intending to use his speed advantage to break through into close range in an instant.

Watching his nimble, unpredictable advance, Tang Wulin's lips lifted slightly, and he chuckled inwardly.

Oh, Xie Xie. Now I'll show you just how cruel the real world can be.

"First soul skill—Blue Silver Forest."

Tang Wulin slammed his right hand onto the park's grass.

Humm—

Countless emerald vines burst from the earth within a ten-meter radius around him. Dense and all-encompassing, they spread in a frenzy, instantly weaving a thick domain of Blue Silver Grass.

Xie Xie's expression changed dramatically the moment he entered its range!

As soon as his feet touched the vines, tough, supple Blue Silver Grass wound tightly around his legs, locking them in place.

He reacted swiftly, immediately raising the Light Dragon Dagger to sever the vines and break free.

But the instant he lifted his arms, several hidden vines surged up and wound precisely around his elbows and wrists, completely sealing off every movement he could use to exert force!

Horror flooded Xie Xie's heart. He circulated his soul power at full strength and struggled, but this seemingly ordinary Blue Silver Grass was absurdly tough. The more he fought, the tighter it became, never budging an inch.

The next moment, countless vines swept in wildly from every direction, layer upon dense layer, wrapping his entire body tight in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, Xie Xie, who had just been charging fiercely with such swift footwork, was bound into a tightly wrapped "giant rice dumpling." Unable to move, he could only make muffled whimpers.

Tang Wulin strolled leisurely over to him, then promptly plopped himself down on the tightly bound Xie Xie.

Beneath him, Xie Xie's eyes went perfectly round, filled with shock and frustration. He nearly lost his composure and cursed on the spot.

But soft yet tenacious Blue Silver Grass had already blocked his mouth. No matter how he glared or strained, he could not produce a single clear sound, only muffled whimpers. With nowhere to vent his frustration, he sank into utter despair.

Tang Wulin smiled gently, though his tone was exceptionally punchable. "Buddy, I really am grateful that you covered more than thirty thousand Federation Credits for me yesterday. But when it comes to fighting, I'm not going to go easy on you."

"Oh, right. The school has already waived my punishment, so those thirty thousand Federation Credits should have been refunded to your card."

Listening to him, Xie Xie's eyes nearly spat fire. Defiance covered his face, and muffled groans kept rising from his throat.