Teacher Wu Gives an Online Lesson

Eastsea Academy's first-year Class Zero was officially established, and Tang Wulin truly stepped onto the main storyline of this world.

From the moment they signed the Class Zero agreement, the resources and treatment available to them became worlds apart from those of ordinary new students.

Of all those privileges, the one that moved Tang Wulin most-and best suited his current circumstances-was that Class Zero students ate free on campus.

For Tang Wulin, whose appetite far exceeded an ordinary person's and who bore the title of "East Sea Big Eater," this was an enormous blessing. It directly resolved his greatest daily expense.

Beyond that, the academy also comprehensively upgraded the accommodations of Class Zero's teachers and students. Ordinary students still lived in standard dormitories, while every Class Zero student received a private room, and their instructors' accommodations improved considerably. Wu Changkong also moved from an ordinary faculty apartment into a dedicated suite with better surroundings.

Those changes made no difference to Tang Wulin, however. Ever since enrolling, he had lived at the East Sea Blacksmith Association and had long since grown accustomed to its routine and surroundings.

Inside the first-year Class Zero classroom, the furnishings seemed no different from those of the academy's other classes. Simple desks and chairs stood in neat rows, but the room itself was exceptionally spacious and empty.

Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue quietly took their respective seats. Only five figures occupied the vast classroom, giving it a cool, distinctive atmosphere utterly unlike an ordinary class.

A tall, aloof figure stepped into the classroom.

Wu Changkong's expression was stern, his minimalist clothing lending an icy edge to his presence. He walked slowly to the center of the podium and stopped. His indifferent gaze swept over the five students below before his cool voice rang out. "Starting today, your curriculum will undergo a fundamental change."

His steady, serious words instantly seized Zhang Yangzi's, Wang Jinxi's, Xie Xie's, and Gu Yue's attention. All four instinctively straightened in their seats, their expressions solemn.

Only Tang Wulin remained unruffled. He had even anticipated this.

On his way back to the classroom, he had already considered it carefully. Class Zero's exclusive curriculum surely would not consist of ordinary soul power cultivation and academic lessons. Most likely, they would delve into secondary professions or begin foundational battle armor classes that truly touched upon the higher levels of the Soul Master system.

At this moment, a quiet confidence and a little pride even stirred within him.

Compared with his companions, who were only just encountering these fields, he was already far ahead.

With his current knowledge and experience, his firm grasp of theory and solid foundations fully qualified him to take the Mecha Master certification exam. At the very least, he could obtain Level One Mecha Master certification. His forging proficiency, meanwhile, stood firmly at the Level Three Blacksmith standard.

Tang Wulin also had a clear idea of how to cross the threshold into becoming a Level Four Blacksmith.

He was simply far too busy right now, with no way to be in two places at once.

Every day, he had to keep refining his soul power and practicing his soul skills, carve out considerable time to study forging techniques, and memorize and study complicated mecha theory. Cultivation, forging, and schoolwork advanced on three fronts, packing every day to the brim and leaving him practically frazzled.

Yet he had never uttered a single complaint.

This was the path to strength he had chosen without wavering. However difficult it became, he walked it willingly.

His determination to delve into both mecha and forging was not merely about growing stronger. He also harbored an obsession unique to a young man.

What hot-blooded boy had never dreamed of owning a mecha entirely his own, one that could roam freely across heaven and earth?

In his previous life, he had been obsessed with all kinds of mecha and armored-hero live-action shows as a boy, such as the wildly popular Armor Heroes. A seed had taken root in his young heart long ago-one day, he would build such a magnificent suit of armor with his own hands.

Only after growing up had he learned that those things were merely fiction on a screen, visible but forever out of reach.

But after coming to the Douluo Continent, that dream finally had a chance to become reality.

Mecha and battle armor were real treasures here, things he could cultivate and create.

The five elements of heaven and earth nourished and restrained one another, while elemental power flowed without end. This gave Tang Wulin tremendous inspiration.

He knew perfectly well that recreating the exact, flawless armor from the films and shows of his previous life was almost impossible.

But drawing upon the elements of heaven and earth to simulate and condense a similar suit of armor was entirely feasible, with countless creative possibilities.

Beyond that, Tang Wulin harbored another bold, forward-looking idea.

Someday, he might well combine battle armor's divine soul qualities with the mechanical structure of mecha and forge an entirely new path unlike any other.

Standing on the podium, Wu Changkong swept his cool gaze over the five students. His measured tone carried unquestionable authority as he slowly began. "Starting today, I will devise specialized training for each of you based on your physique, martial soul characteristics, and soul power foundation. Conventional soul power cultivation will be postponed for now. Your first lesson begins with theory-today's subject is mecha."

His words sent a small ripple of surprise through the classroom.

Gu Yue, who had been sitting quietly, frowned slightly and instinctively asked in a clear voice tinged with confusion, "Teacher Wu, as far as I know, isn't mecha knowledge taught in the upper division? We're only first-years."

Beside her, Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and Xie Xie all nodded in agreement, their eyes full of surprise.

Eastsea Academy's educational system had always been orderly and strict, following the same standards as Intermediate Soul Master Academies across the continent. The six years of the junior division were devoted entirely to establishing foundations in soul power, martial souls, and basic soul skills, without ever venturing into advanced knowledge. Only after entering the upper division would students begin encountering soul guidance technology and mecha theory. After graduating, they would apply to the appropriate advanced Soul Master Academy for further study according to their cultivation direction.

In terms Tang Wulin understood from his previous life, an Intermediate Soul Master Academy was like an elementary school providing basic education, while an advanced Soul Master Academy was equivalent to high school. Students progressed step by step, with no precedent for skipping ahead. That was precisely why everyone found it so surprising to begin mecha classes in their first year.

Facing their confusion, Wu Changkong remained utterly composed and slowly explained, "My mecha lessons will only introduce foundational knowledge. They will not involve complicated practical work or advanced research, and the course load is not large."

He paused briefly, looking over each of the five. "Let me ask you this: is there anyone among you who has absolutely no desire to become a Mecha Master in the future?"

The spacious classroom instantly fell silent.

Mecha were standard equipment for high-level Soul Masters on the continent, their strongest support in sweeping across battlefields and exploring hidden realms, and something every young Soul Master aspired to possess. All five present were extraordinarily gifted geniuses. None would willingly pass up this path to strength, so naturally, no one voiced an objection.

"Good." Wu Changkong nodded slightly, his cool voice ringing out again as he formally began the lesson. "Since none of you objects, listen carefully. I will begin with the origins of mecha development and their history over the millennia."

"The origins of soul guidance mecha can be traced back ten thousand years. By then, soul tools had already undergone several thousand years of iterative development. They were no longer rare, specialized devices, but had become part of every aspect of ordinary people's lives. Their central and most important purpose, however, remained military equipment and warfare."

"The leading Soul Engineers of that era conceived a new possibility: could soul guidance technology comprehensively enhance a Soul Master's combat strength, break the shackles of their innate talent, and allow ordinary Soul Masters to wield power beyond their limits?"

"In the era of Sea God Tang San, Soul Masters were the continent's undisputed dominant force. However, the barrier to cultivation was extremely high, and Soul Masters were few in number. The vast majority remained trapped at low levels their entire lives, unable to break their shackles and join the ranks of the mighty. The emergence and continual development of soul tools completely changed the landscape of Soul Master cultivation, opening an entirely new way forward for countless Soul Masters."

"The clearest example is support-type Soul Masters. Lacking powerful offensive capabilities themselves, they gained a tremendous increase in combat strength when equipped with offensive and burst-type soul tools. They could even hold their own in a direct confrontation with ordinary power attack system Battle Soul Masters."

"As Soul Masters and soul guidance technology continued to merge and complement one another, soul guidance mecha came into being."

Wu Changkong spoke at an unhurried pace, unfolding that weighty history in a steady narrative.

"The essential principle of soul guidance mecha is to hold a Soul Master's soul power in specialized storage devices, then convert it into usable power through precise soul guidance arrays, allowing the operator to unleash terrifying strength far beyond their own soul power level and physical limits."

"The first generation of soul guidance mecha all followed a large-scale design. They were enormous and powerful, but had fatal flaws-extremely poor practicality and mobility. Their cumbersome bodies severely restricted where they could fight, making them ill-suited to changing battlefield conditions."

"Over the tens of thousands of years that followed, continuous innovation in soul guidance technology, improvements in soul guidance arrays, and successive breakthroughs in materials and manufacturing finally transformed soul guidance mecha from gigantic military machines into lightweight, compact designs. These evolved into the standardized mecha commonly used across the continent today, suitable for both high- and low-level operators."

"People summarize it simply as 'going from large to small,' but behind those words lie tens of thousands of years of research, trial and error, and innovation by countless Soul Engineers. Every optimization of an array and every upgrade in materials marked a leap forward for the mecha system."

Below the podium, Tang Wulin quietly listened to Wu Changkong's explanation, understanding it all.

Mu Ye, the Body Sect's sect master, had already explained these introductory theories, developmental milestones, and basic principles to him in detail. He knew every point by heart.

Yet he did not relax in the slightest, much less treat the lesson dismissively. He remained seated upright, listening attentively to Wu Changkong's explanation.

By reviewing the old and learning the new, one could become a teacher.

Revisiting familiar knowledge was not boring; rather, it helped him organize the underlying logic more clearly. Besides, as a powerhouse from Shrek, Wu Changkong possessed insight and experience far beyond an ordinary instructor's. The same subject, when explained by him, often contained different, deeper perspectives, allowing Tang Wulin to gain fresh understanding from familiar foundations.

On the podium, Wu Changkong continued his lesson at a measured pace, his voice as cool and composed as ever.

"With support from mecha and advanced soul tools, an ordinary person with no soul power can fully reproduce the combat strength of a two-ring or three-ring Soul Master through external means. With better talent and higher-grade mecha, they can even match a four-ring or five-ring Soul Master's offensive and defensive capabilities."

"The purpose of mecha is to bridge the gap in talent and enhance one's combat strength. They are a shortcut through which mortals can touch the extraordinary. But ultimately, they have limits."

At this point, he paused slightly before slowly stating an unquestionable fact. "Throughout human history, no mecha has ever allowed an ordinary person to possess the top-level combat strength of an eight-ring Soul Master or a nine-ring Titled Douluo. Mecha cannot take you down that path. At least, no one has managed it yet."

That simple conclusion was an ironclad law verified by countless Soul Engineers and powerhouses over the Douluo Continent's tens of thousands of years of history.

Hearing it, the others silently committed it to memory, already accepting this unbreakable rule.

But to Tang Wulin, those words quietly sparked an entirely different thought. Inwardly, he shook his head.

Well, what a coincidence.

Just because others can't do it doesn't mean I can't.

The limit Wu Changkong described was the limit of this continent's understanding, not the limit of Tang Wulin's perspective from another world.

Memories of his previous life instantly surged through his mind, bringing forth that invincible suit of steel armor that roamed heaven and earth.

Iron Man's armor carried cutting-edge artificial intelligence, could launch into the air in an instant and race across the sky, resist cold a hundred degrees below zero, and withstand extreme impacts. Resistant to explosions, pressure, and low temperatures, its performance was extraordinarily powerful. Yet the core supporting all that immense power was merely a controlled nuclear fusion reactor.

Nuclear energy supplied an endless stream of power, enough to sustain a suit of armor that could crush all others.

He understood the basic principles of controlled nuclear fusion perfectly well. What stumped this world-and temporarily held him back-was the precise control technology and the conditions necessary to put it into practice.

Tang Wulin knew very clearly that radioactive raw materials absolutely existed on the Douluo Continent.

Such substances were simply far too dangerous. Almost anyone who happened upon them and discovered clues to their nature ended up dead, their path extinguished. No one could survive to preserve their research and establish a systematic field of study.

At that thought, an utterly insane idea began growing wildly in his heart-nuclear bombs.

If, in the future war against the Abyss, he held a nuclear bomb in each hand and detonated them with a thunderous blast...

He could practically picture the Abyssal Sage King stamping his feet in fury within that scene.

The Abyssal Sage King, who rampaged across the continent and looked down upon all living beings, commanded an endless Abyssal army and possessed the cultivation of a First-Level God. He probably would never dream that humans could possess such an absurdly destructive weapon, capable of annihilating everything.

If Tang Wulin truly mastered nuclear physics technology and thoroughly integrated nuclear energy with soul guidance technology and mecha engineering, it would become a genuinely decisive trump card on future battlefields, enough to rewrite battles and overturn the entire landscape of warfare.

But an instant later, Tang Wulin suppressed that restless, insane idea, his gaze growing exceptionally grave.

Even if he truly mastered the research and successfully developed nuclear weapons, he would never make them public.

These were not conventional soul guidance weapons at all. They were instruments of world-ending slaughter through and through.

Once detonated, they would plunge all living things into devastation in an instant. No one could withstand the terrifying explosive force. More frightening still, the residual radioactive substances would take root in the earth and seep into the soil, lingering for hundreds or thousands of years, polluting mountains and rivers and poisoning living beings for generations.

Such world-destroying power absolutely could not be allowed to emerge lightly.

Tang Wulin's thoughts churned, and the ideas in his heart grew increasingly clear.

As far as the complete theory and steps for making a nuclear bomb were concerned, he already knew them perfectly, without a single gap.

The key was uranium ore, and the most crucial part was purification. Only by repeatedly refining natural uranium ore to obtain uranium-235 at a purity exceeding ninety percent could the basic conditions for triggering a nuclear weapon be met.

The subsequent steps were tightly interconnected, with no room for the slightest mistake.

The highly purified uranium-235 material had to be divided and forged into two homogeneous uranium spheres, precisely positioned at opposite ends of the reactor core, with specially made detonators arranged around the outside. The detonators' detonation density and explosive force had to be absolutely balanced and uniform to ensure that the core's energy was fully released, without a failed detonation or energy leakage.

The central difficulty on which countless scientists in his previous life had spent their entire lives was never the principle itself, but the ultimate degree of precision required.

How could the explosion timing be compressed to the utmost limit without the slightest discrepancy? How could the rhythm of the energy release be controlled to avoid premature detonation and diminished power? How could intense radiation be isolated to prevent radioactive materials from fatally harming the human body and permanently contaminating the environment?

From purification, structural assembly, and detonation calibration to supporting technologies for radiation shielding and yield control, every task was a mountain that had crushed countless leading researchers.

Tang Wulin understood this perfectly well.

Knowing the theory was one thing. Putting it into practice with his own hands and truly creating this world-ending weapon was something else entirely.

Even with his complete store of knowledge from his previous life and a clear understanding of every stage, he was not so arrogant as to believe he could easily build a nuclear bomb. The technology for purifying uranium-235 alone was an absolute barrier that no one on the present-day Douluo Continent could overcome.

The development of soul guidance technology had always revolved around soul power, elements, and iterative improvements to soul guidance arrays. It had never touched nuclear physics. Without any supporting equipment, technological foundation, or research framework, building a nuclear bomb from nothing would be harder than ascending to heaven.

As those thoughts rose and fell, Tang Wulin could not help pondering inwardly.

Was there truly anyone in this world who could keep pace with his thinking?

In the long years ahead, would a second person emerge who could step outside the established framework of Soul Masters and soul guidance, touching nuclear physics and the ultimate truths of science?

Just as doubt filled his heart, a cool, aloof figure entered his mind without warning.

It was a woman in a plain white robe, cold in temperament, obsessive in thought, and rational to an almost insane degree.

Others spent their entire lives trapped by the shackles of flesh and limited by martial soul cultivation. She alone had forged an unprecedented path-mechanical ascension.

Life and death were separate roads. For ordinary people, death ended everything, yet she transcended the rules of life and death. Though she died twice, she never truly vanished. She sustained her divine soul with machinery and supplemented her flesh with technology, perfectly fusing life with machinery and science as she pursued ultimate power with obsessive madness.

If anyone on this continent could truly understand his nuclear physics theories, turn intangible theory into reality, step beyond a system established for ten thousand years, and overturn the landscape of soul guidance technology, perhaps she was the only one.

At that thought, Ling Zichen's figure emerged in Tang Wulin's mind-the woman who could be called the most insane female scientist in "Legend of the Dragon King."

She had originally been an ordinary person without soul power. Relying on neither martial soul nor cultivation, she had forced open a path to mechanical ascension through nothing but an utterly insane obsession with scientific research. Flesh was weak, so she abandoned her body, using metal as her bones and soul guidance arrays as her veins, sealing her entire divine soul inside a mechanical body. Even after twice facing the brink of death, she had never truly perished, returning from death through her heaven-defying soul tool technology.

Across the entire Douluo Continent, everyone was trapped within the established mindset of soul power cultivation. Only Ling Zichen dared overturn every rule.

Others studied mecha merely to enhance Soul Masters' combat strength, following the continent's established path. She was different. She was obsessed with fusing souls and machinery, obsessed with breaking the boundaries of life itself, and dared attempt every idea others dismissed as a fantasy.

Tang Wulin considered it inwardly. To others, the nuclear energy theories he possessed would seem absurd, even contrary to the fundamental logic of the soul guidance system. No Soul Engineer on the entire continent would venture into that forbidden territory. But if he told Ling Zichen, that supremely obsessive scientist would not find it ridiculous. Instead, it would ignite a towering desire to research it.

Purifying uranium ore, creating a uranium-235 core, constructing precision detonation mechanisms, shielding against radiation... Others would flee from these complex, dangerous procedures, but to Ling Zichen, they represented the new research direction of her dreams. She possessed top-tier soul guidance manufacturing techniques, the precise control needed to modify her own body, and a mad determination to pursue truth regardless of the cost. The only thing she lacked was this advanced theory that crossed the boundaries between worlds.

Understanding the principle was easy; making it with one's own hands was harder than ascending to heaven. The hurdle of purifying uranium ore alone could stop every researcher in the world. Yet Tang Wulin had a feeling that Ling Zichen might truly rise to the challenge. If she could achieve mechanical ascension, something no one else even dared imagine, then perhaps she could gradually turn this world-ending theory into reality as well.

Just as Tang Wulin silently pondered the possibilities of nuclear technology and Ling Zichen, Xie Xie suddenly raised his hand beside him and asked, his face full of confusion.

"Teacher Wu, if we're only talking about an individual's peak combat strength, which is stronger-a pure Soul Master or a Mecha Master?"

That question instantly struck the heart of the matter. Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi both looked up. Even the consistently composed Gu Yue turned her head slightly, waiting for the answer.

It was a question that puzzled every student beginning to study mecha theory.

Was the Soul Master's path stronger, cultivating one's own martial soul and soul power, or was the Mecha Master's path better, relying on external tools and piloting mecha?

Wu Changkong's indifferent gaze swept over Xie Xie, and his cool voice rang out unhurriedly as he gave the most precise answer.

"Strictly speaking, neither is stronger than the other. The true pinnacle is a combination of both."

"The standardized mecha you usually see in the military and city security forces generally stand between five and eight meters tall. Their size and performance vary according to whether they specialize in offense, defense, speed, or support. This is the process I mentioned earlier: mecha evolving step by step from gigantic ancient war machines into medium-sized standardized designs."

"Conventional mecha of white rank, yellow rank, and below purple rank are primarily intended for large-scale corps operations. They suit military systems and emphasize firepower coverage and collective combat strength."

At this point, Wu Changkong's tone abruptly shifted, becoming more solemn. "But you are Class Zero. Your futures will not be limited to standardized mecha, nor to fighting in military formations. The path you will walk is the very pinnacle of this continent-battle armor."

"Battle armor!"

The instant those two words landed.

Tang Wulin, who had still been wandering far afield in his thoughts about nuclear energy and mechanical ascension, instantly perked up. His eyes suddenly brightened, every stray thought swept away as he focused completely.

Not sleepy anymore. Not in the slightest.

This was the true core of Class Zero's first lesson, and the highest hall of the entire Douluo Continent's Soul Master system!

Wu Changkong continued explaining in a deep voice, every word a pearl revealing the truth of the mighty.

"The sages of past generations have long verified an ironclad law: truly supreme powerhouses will never make their bodies bulky and enormous."

"Large and medium-sized mecha are essentially tools that amplify strength externally and facilitate long-range combat. The larger they are, the more openings they have, the less agile they become, and the more they depend on external energy sources. Instead, they end up shackling a Soul Master's own talents. The original purpose of mecha was to enhance combat strength, not simply to pursue enormous size."

"Therefore, beginning at purple grade, the direction of advanced mecha development completely reverses. It abandons gigantic designs and focuses entirely on miniaturization, close-fitting construction, and integration."

"When a mecha's volume is continually compressed, its structure refined, and its arrays streamlined until it is small enough to wear directly against the body like a suit of armor, it is no longer called a mecha. It gains an entirely new name-battle armor."

His gaze swept over the five students, his tone carrying unquestionable authority.

"Only a Soul Master clad in battle armor is qualified to be called a true high-level powerhouse."

"Battle armor moves with the body, shares soul power, and resonates with the martial soul. It can perfectly mesh with a Soul Master's own martial soul, soul power, and physique, without any barrier between them. There is no longer the separation of 'a person operating a machine' found in mecha. Instead, person and armor become one, and martial soul and arrays coexist, unleashing the Soul Master's own potential and the ultimate power of their martial soul severalfold-even dozens of times over."

At that moment, everyone in the classroom felt their hearts tremble as understanding suddenly dawned.