After reading through the information, Yu Haidong's eyes widened slightly. He studied Lin Guang more carefully, only to find the boy calm and composed, meeting his gaze without the slightest hint of avoidance.
No wonder he could earn the respect of so many outstanding students. And no wonder, even after being deliberately kept waiting for so long, the class hadn't fallen into disorder.
Because the one at the front hadn't made a fuss—so naturally, no one else dared to stir trouble.
Interesting… truly unexpected.
Yu Haidong nodded inwardly, raising his evaluation of Lin Guang.
Originally, he had planned to provoke them a little and give the class a show of authority—just to prevent these so-called "elites" from looking down on his lessons or ignoring his commands.
It wasn't paranoia. Two years ago, when he taught at No. 1 High School and Zhisheng Private Academy, he had seen it firsthand. High schoolers were always hot-blooded; give them a bit of talent and they'd think themselves heaven's chosen. But a genius who hasn't grown up is nothing—every year, there are news stories about talented youths dying meaningless deaths in secret realms due to schemes and arrogance.
Yu Haidong didn't care how fast they grew.
But he insisted on one thing—these young people must not die foolish, pointless deaths.
Fortunately, this Lin Guang didn't seem like an arrogant troublemaker. He likely wouldn't lead the class into needless conflict.
Then let's proceed as planned.
"Summon your spirit beast," Yu Haidong said.
Lin Guang nodded slightly. A faint blue glow flickered across the mark on his right hand, and the silver-haired girl appeared beside him.
Having been warned beforehand, W behaved—for once—standing quietly at his side.
"Terra lifeform… so it really is a Terra being."
At the sight of her, Yu Haidong's pupils shrank slightly, his brows knitting together.
But he quickly suppressed his reaction.
"Then…"
He swept his sharp gaze across the class. Many students instinctively looked away under the pressure.
Finally, he turned back to Lin Guang.
"Attack me."
Lin Guang paused for a moment, but when his gaze dropped to the ground beneath Yu Haidong's feet, a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes.
"W, go."
She perked up immediately. "I hit him? Is there actually such a good thing?"
"I've wanted to punch his face ever since he showed up late acting all cool."
Her expression lit up with excitement. In the next instant, her body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. She closed the distance in a blink, drew a dagger from her waist, and thrust it toward Yu Haidong's chest.
Several students cried out in alarm, as if he were about to be pierced through.
But Lin Guang suddenly warned, "Watch your footing."
W's eyes flickered. Already prepared, she instantly redirected the dagger upward, slashing toward his throat—
—but at that exact moment, the ground beneath Yu Haidong reacted.
The earth liquefied, stretching like pulled taffy before instantly solidifying into a barrier in front of him.
Her dagger lodged into it—stopping just an inch in—and the rebound numbed her hand.
"Tch."
The class erupted:
"His spirit beast? When did he summon it?"
"I didn't even see a summoning mark!"
The earthen wall hardened for a split second before swelling outward, transforming into a sea-urchin-like mass. Dozens of sharp spikes shot forward with piercing force.
Without hesitation, W released her dagger and twisted her body mid-motion like a spinning top, narrowly avoiding the frontal attack. Her black-red tail began swaying rhythmically—Tail Wag activated. A faint aura of aether spread from her, clinging to the earthen structure.
At that exact moment, Lin Guang's glowing blue eyes widened.
A surge of danger hit him instantly.
"Fall back! Don't attack!"
W's pupils shrank. She heard the command—but it was too late.
Her attack had already been committed. Borrowing the momentum of her spin, she kicked hard at the incoming spike—
—and the result stunned everyone.
The earthen spike didn't budge at all.
She staggered back upon landing, retreating a few steps. A five-centimeter gash had opened near her ankle, blood beginning to seep out, the metallic scent spreading through the air.
In an instant, silence fell over the arena.
As if she felt no pain, she merely frowned slightly and finally looked Yu Haidong straight in the eyes.
"Your shell's pretty damn hard."
Just moments ago, not only had she failed to break the spike, but the surface had shifted at the moment of impact—turning rough and irregular, causing her own force to rebound and injure her.
"You think I wouldn't notice your Tail Wag?" Yu Haidong said calmly.
"This Earthguard Doll isn't my main spirit beast, but it's been with me for years since I retired. Our coordination is solid."
The spikes retracted slightly, revealing his figure once more.
"Every time before I recall it, I give it a command: the moment it's summoned, use Harden. Once the effect weakens, use it again."
"In other words—it's always under a defense boost. That cancels out your Tail Wag debuff."
He lifted his chin slightly.
"With your dual blue-tier potential, your future is vast. But right now, this Earthguard Doll still surpasses you in level and experience."
"You cannot break its defense."
"You've already done well. Your reactions are sharp, and your spirit beast has excellent combat instincts. You just lack time."
Turning to the class, he declared:
"Train hard. The first among you to break this Earthguard Doll's defense will receive a reward—a two-star, non-attribute spirit inscription visualization crystal, with two weeks of visualization time—"
"Isn't it a bit early to call it?"
Yu Haidong's voice stopped abruptly.
His eyes sharpened.
Behind W, Lin Guang stood calmly. Both of their pupils burned with dark golden flames. A powerful aura spread outward—the unmistakable sign of surging spirit power and aether.
"We haven't conceded yet."
Amid the students' shocked cries, W reached out into empty air—
—and grabbed something.
A crude, heavy firearm materialized in her hands. She raised it, aiming straight at Yu Haidong behind the earthen barrier.
A dangerous red glow began to gather within the barrel.
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