"Director Long."
"What did you say?"
Inside the dean's office, Lian Yu stared at Long Xuheng before him, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Teacher Wu told me about the performance of the Zero Class students in the Spirit Ascension Platform today..."
Long Xuheng's face also bore a look of astonishment as he recounted everything he knew in detail.
"You mean to say..."
"Our two students from Zero Class, during their training session in the Spirit Ascension Platform today, managed to elevate their Soul Spirits from the hundred-year level to the thousand-year level—in just a single day!"
Lian Yu took a deep breath, unable to hold back his shock.
"Yes."
Long Xuheng nodded. When he first heard the news, he had nearly been unable to process it himself.
"Hahahaha, excellent, truly excellent!"
Lian Yu's face was alight with joy as he exclaimed.
He had summoned Long Xuheng merely to hear about the students' first experience in the Spirit Ascension Platform—after all, this was the first time the academy had invested so heavily in student resources.
Regardless of the outcome, he at least needed to understand the situation and gauge the students' progress. But never had he imagined that achieving a thousand-year leap in a single day could be so astonishing.
And even among those who weren't the strongest, most of the others had also gained over a hundred years in Soul Spirit advancement. With a few more trips, they too could achieve significant breakthroughs...
"My East Sea Zero Class..."
"Will undoubtedly become a legendary tale in the world of Soul Masters."
Lian Yu composed himself, his voice brimming with confidence.
"Publish this in the campus newsletter."
Without hesitation, he clapped his hands and made the decision.
"We don't need to flaunt this achievement across the entire city, but letting our students know we have such remarkable peers is certainly worthwhile."
After all, he had funded this—wasn't he entitled to a little pride?
"..."
"Luo Chuan, you've really made a name for yourself at school."
The next day, Mu Xi and Ouyang Zixin approached Tang Luochuan, holding a copy of the East Sea Morning News.
"Neither of your older sisters here have even had the chance to ascend their Soul Spirits in the Spirit Ascension Platform yet, and you've already obtained a thousand-year Soul Spirit."
"Truly incredible."
As she spoke, her eyes shimmered with barely contained amazement. Nine years old—Luo Chuan was only nine years old!
If Ouyang Zixin was this impressed, Mu Xi, who knew him even better, was even more astounded. Luo Chuan wasn't just gifted as a Soul Master—his secondary profession was even more outstanding.
At nine, he was already a Grand Soul Master with a thousand-year Soul Spirit. At the same age, he had also reached the fifth rank as a Forging Master.
Was there anything this boy couldn't do?
"Huh? What's going on?"
Tang Luochuan was initially puzzled, but his expression quickly turned peculiar as he picked up the newspaper.
"East Sea Morning News: Under ten years old, our academy's outstanding Zero Class students Tang Luochuan and Gu Yue have elevated their Soul Spirits to the thousand-year level in the Spirit Ascension Platform. May other students strive to keep pace."
"Tang Luochuan: How Did I Manage to Offend an Entire Mecha Brigade and Then Send Them Packing? The Reason Is..."
"..."
Reading the headlines, Tang Luochuan fell silent.
Was ascending a Soul Spirit in the Spirit Ascension Platform really something worth publishing a whole newspaper feature about? At this rate, would they next declare him an honorary alumnus and commission an autobiography?
Dean, you'd better keep a level head.
However, when Tang Luochuan thought about the teaching staff at Eastsea Academy, where the strongest Soul Emperor was only Teacher Wu, he quickly felt relieved again. Since such an academy was willing to invest in cultivating a Zero Class and spend significant resources on it, why couldn't they show off a little?
"It's not just me. I was just lucky. Besides, you sisters will have your chances too."
Tang Luochuan snapped back to reality, shaking his head humbly as he looked at the two girls before him.
"You're talking about that girl named Gu Yue, right? A genius whose talent isn't much worse than yours—another little monster."
Hearing Tang Luochuan's words, the two girls immediately understood.
Who else could he be referring to but Gu Yue, who had also appeared in the newspapers?
"Unlike you, your sisters here don't know when we'll even be able to upgrade our first Soul Spirit, let alone get a second one."
"It's not easy to level up."
Mu Xi couldn't help but sigh. Ascending a Soul Spirit wasn't that simple. Both she and Zixin were three-ringed, possessing one hundred-year Soul Spirit and one thousand-year Soul Spirit.
The two Soul Spirits would absorb the Soul Beast's lifespan simultaneously, splitting it in half. Upgrading the first Soul Spirit would still take some time.
Not to mention, neither of them were particularly strong combat-oriented Soul Masters. The risks of going to the Spirit Ascension Platform alone were too great—they'd probably have to rely on the upcoming turbulence period in the platform.
"It might not be that hard. If there's a chance in the future, I could help—"
"Hmm? Why does it suddenly feel chilly?"
Just as Tang Luochuan felt a slight chill in the air, a familiar voice rang in his ears the next moment:
"Luo Chuan, who are these two pretty sisters…?"
Turning his head, he saw Gu Yue standing beside him with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Outwardly, she looked beautiful and pleasant, but only he could tell—her gaze was as sharp as a cold blade.
In an instant, Tang Luochuan understood. So that's why it suddenly got cold—Gu Yue had caught him again.
"Mu Xi-jie, Zixin-jie, this is the genius girl Gu Yue you were talking about."
"Gu Yue, these are Mu Xi-jie and Zixin-jie. They were just talking about you…"
Tang Luochuan introduced them with a smile.
"Huh?"
"You were talking about me?"
Hearing this, Gu Yue couldn't help but pause, skepticism flashing across her face. Luo Chuan was saying that he had been chatting with other girls… and the topic was her?
Did he think she was an idiot? There was no way he'd been talking about her while chatting with other girls!
"So you're Gu Yue-mei, right?"
"We've heard from Luo Chuan that you're a beauty. Seeing you in person today, the rumors don't do you justice."
Mu Xi and Ouyang Zixin looked at Gu Yue with interest. They had long heard that Gu Yue was both talented and beautiful, and now that they saw her, the rumors were clearly true.
Not only did she possess top-tier talent like Luo Chuan, but she was also stunningly beautiful—truly incredible.
Though from the looks of it…
Their relationship was far from ordinary!
"Oh?"
"Luo Chuan told you all that?"
Gu Yue's gaze froze for a moment as she couldn't help but ask.
"Of course."
"He talked about you a lot. Said you were talented, beautiful—if you weren't so young, he'd be chasing after you."
Mu Xi smiled and nodded, then teased with a meaningful glance toward Tang Luochuan, her lips curling into a suggestive smile.
"Really?"
At these words, Gu Yue's eyes lit up. Other things might not have truly caught her attention, but this statement...
She was genuinely happy to hear it.
"Sister Mu Xi, Sister Zixin, we have to get to class now, so we'll catch up later. Gu Yue, let's go—"
Seeing the three girls about to launch into a lengthy chat, Tang Luochuan quickly grabbed Gu Yue's hand and pulled her toward the teaching building.
If this kept up, they'd never stop.
And Sister Mu Xi was really something—after all the time they spent forging together every week, she still had the nerve to spout nonsense like that!
Maybe next time during forging, he'd have to add some mysterious effects so she couldn't even tell what he was making.
"Luo Chuan, let go of me! I haven't finished hearing what the sisters were saying yet..."
"We're going to be late for class. You can listen next time."
"Fine..."
Gu Yue sighed in resignation. With Luo Chuan gripping her like this, even if she wanted to break free, she lacked the strength to do so.
"Bad Luo Chuan..."
"You've said those things before, so why won't you let me hear them now?"
Stealing a glance at Tang Luochuan, Gu Yue huffed softly. If he thought she was pretty, why not just say it outright? She wouldn't mind. Maybe one day, he'd say it to her face.
"Luo Chuan, so young and already learning bad habits."
Watching the two walk away, Mu Xi couldn't help but giggle.
"I actually thought you'd end up with Luo Chuan..."
"Huh??? Zixin, get a grip!"
"..."
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, several months had passed—the first semester of Class Zero was already over.
"The next phase will be your final exam."
Wu Zhangkong looked at the group before him, a faint smile on his face. At some point, he had grown accustomed to smiling.
Perhaps it was after meeting these kids. Maybe someday, he could learn to love this world again