Time moved quickly, and the month of rest provided by the holiday vanished in what felt like a single moment. As the sun rose early in the morning, Donghai Academy returned to life with a fresh energy, and the heavy door to the Class Zero classroom was pushed open exactly on time. Huo Yuhao sat in his usual spot, flanked by Gu Yue, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie. They each occupied their seats in silence, calmly waiting for the arrival of their strict homeroom teacher, Wu Changkong.
Before long, the familiar, cold figure dressed in snow-white appeared at the door right on schedule. However, the students found their gazes involuntarily drifting past Wu Changkong to focus on the person standing directly behind him. There was a small tail following him into the room. It was a young girl who appeared to be no more than eight or nine years old, featuring a pair of playful blue twin-tails that bounced slightly with every step she took.
She possessed a fair, delicate face that looked as smooth as a porcelain doll, and her large eyes shimmered with a lively, childish spark that made her look incredibly cute. The members of Class Zero were not completely unfamiliar with her presence. They had previously encountered this girl, who wielded an Ice Staff Spirit, during the challenging Riotous Spirit Ascension Platform assessment held at the end of the last semester.
At that moment, the cold voice of Wu Changkong echoed through the room, cutting through the quiet atmosphere of the classroom. He announced that this was Xu Xiaoyan, a new transfer student joining Class Zero. His indifferent gaze swept across the four students sitting before him before he glanced back at Xu Xiaoyan. He told them the old rules applied and directed everyone to head to the training ground first.
Having delivered his instructions, he turned around and walked out of the classroom without wasting any time. Huo Yuhao and the others were already accustomed to this blunt behavior and immediately stood up to follow their teacher. Seeing that Xu Xiaoyan remained standing still, as if she had not yet processed the situation, Tang Wulin slowed his pace and walked over to her side. He explained gently that Teacher Wu simply had that kind of personality and she would eventually get used to it, so she should not mind him.
Xu Xiaoyan nodded and thanked him. Feeling that the gentle and reliable boy speaking to her was easy to approach, she naturally walked alongside him as they headed out together. She initiated a conversation in a crisp voice, mentioning that she had seen them at the Spirit Ascension Platform before but did not know any of their names yet. Tang Wulin introduced himself and then pointed to the others ahead of them. He noted that Huo Yuhao and Gu Yue were walking behind Teacher Wu, while the one walking right next to him was Xie Xie.
Xu Xiaoyan repeated the name Xie Xie subconsciously, thinking it sounded quite unique and even a little bit fun to say. Hearing this, Xie Xie turned his head with a look of helplessness and explained that the second Xie in his name referred to the word for encounter. He looked Xu Xiaoyan over, remembering their time in the Spirit Ascension Platform, and a mischievous smile crossed his face. He remarked that he remembered her and pointed out that she and her brother had been eliminated by his team back then.
Upon hearing those words, Xu Xiaoyan pouted her small mouth in obvious displeasure. She felt that Xie Xie was intentionally bringing up the one memory she wanted to forget, specifically poking at her sore spot. Xie Xie seemed totally oblivious to her annoyance and curiously asked her how many soul rings she currently possessed. Xu Xiaoyan snorted with irritation and raised her chin slightly, proudly stating she had only one ring.
Xie Xie's eyes widened in surprise at her answer. He questioned how she managed to join Class Zero in the second semester with only one ring and wondered why Teacher Wu had actually agreed to it. In his mind, a one-ring cultivation level was usually not enough to qualify for Class Zero, as Tang Wulin was a very special exception. Xu Xiaoyan put her hands on her hips with a self-righteous look and lowered her voice to a whisper. She claimed she came in through the back door because she had connections within the academy.
She gave Xie Xie a knowing wink and told him not to dare provoke her. It was clear that Xie Xie had a natural talent for annoying people. Within just a few short sentences, Xu Xiaoyan was already so angry that her cheeks were puffed out and her mouth was pouting enough to hang a heavy bottle from it. Seeing her frustrated expression, Tang Wulin tried to smooth things over. He told her that Xie Xie just had a loose tongue and liked to joke around, but he was not actually a bad person.
The group arrived at the familiar Soul Guidance Training Ground shortly after. Wu Changkong stood in the center of the field, his icy gaze moving across the five students of Class Zero one by one. Without any introductory remarks, he directly announced the plan for the day. He set up a combat test where Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Xu Xiaoyan would act as one team. His gaze then shifted toward Huo Yuhao, stating they would be fighting against him.
After pausing for a second, he looked at Huo Yuhao and added a restriction, telling him he was not allowed to use any offensive Spirit Abilities. Huo Yuhao was not surprised by this rule, nor did he feel any real pressure, but he still chose to put on a fake look of difficulty. He spread his hands and complained to the teacher that the rules were too targeted against him. Wu Changkong remained completely unmoved by the complaint. He reminded Yuhao that he was still a Soul Engineer, but for today, he would only be permitted to use a sword.
The term Soul Engineer was a title rarely used in this era compared to ten thousand years ago. Today, the Four Major Professions had been split from what used to be the Soul Engineers of ancient times. Wu Changkong pondered for a moment and added that even though Yuhao did not possess a Sword Spirit, he could reach a higher level of strength if he could comprehend Sword Intent. Hearing that their opponent was Huo Yuhao once again, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie both showed bitter expressions.
The two of them had experienced the feeling of being completely crushed by Huo Yuhao many times and knew exactly how terrifying he could be. Even with the restriction on his offensive Spirit Abilities, it did not mean the coming battle would be easy for them. Only Xu Xiaoyan was unaware of Huo Yuhao's true power. She blinked her eyes and looked at her team of three and then at the lone Huo Yuhao, muttering that a three-on-one fight seemed a bit unfair.
Xie Xie sighed and leaned his head against his hand, agreeing that it was unfair, but specifically for the three of them. Xu Xiaoyan looked at him with total confusion, asking what he meant by that. Tang Wulin just shook his head helplessly and did not offer a detailed explanation. He told her she would understand everything in a moment. Last year, when Huo Yuhao fought Naer at Shrek Academy, he had no formal training in swordplay at all.
Back then, the Soul tool longsword in his hand was just a simple tool to him. Although Wu Changkong was only at the Spirit Emperor level, his skill and understanding of the Dao of the sword were truly remarkable. He did not hold back his knowledge just because Huo Yuhao came from the Spirit Pagoda. Under the rigorous and systematic guidance of Wu Changkong, Huo Yuhao's sword skills had undergone a total transformation. He had moved past simple hacking and reached the threshold of exquisite movement and smooth power.
In the eyes of Wu Changkong, Huo Yuhao was equally brilliant in the Dao of the sword, and he sincerely hoped his student would soon reach the Realm of Sword Intent. The outcome of the battle followed with no surprises as Huo Yuhao won the match easily. While he already had the advantage in spirit power, his Mental Detection was enough to keep him completely invincible. The result would have been the same regardless of how many opponents he had to face.
When the battle finally ended, Xu Xiaoyan stood frozen in place with a dazed look on her small face. Huo Yuhao had given her a vivid lesson in strength, making her realize what a true, despair-inducing genius really looked like. She finally understood why Tang Wulin and Xie Xie looked so aggrieved earlier. They really stood no chance of winning at all. However, after a short moment of frustration, the fighting spirit in her eyes did not go out. Instead, a brighter flame ignited within her.
She bit her lip and looked up at Wu Changkong, loudly requesting another fight later that night. Wu Changkong's blue eyes moved slightly as he caught the hidden meaning in her words. He asked her directly if her Spirit had special effects that only triggered at night. Xu Xiaoyan nodded her head vigorously. Wu Changkong thought about it for a moment and then agreed to hold another battle at the training ground tonight.
Seeing that Xu Xiaoyan refused to admit defeat, Huo Yuhao could not help but smile. He teased her with a bit of kindness, suggesting that the result probably would not change much even if they waited until the sun went down. Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaoyan reacted like a kitten that had its tail stepped on. She waved her small fist at him and snapped back, telling him not to talk so big until they actually fought later that night.
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