"Thanks!" Gu You called out as he left.
Yuan Yuan froze for a second, only realizing after he was gone. Inside, she felt a strange mix of emotion rise up.
The girl beside her looked curious, her gaze following Gu You's back as she murmured, "He looks familiar."
"What looks familiar?" Yuan Yuan, of course, heard her.
"Yuan Yuan-jie, isn't that the guy from that hot news story—the Three-Good Youth holding the banner in the picture?"
As soon as the girl said this, realization hit Yuan Yuan like lightning. 'That's not just familiar! That's definitely him!'
…
Gu You carried his enrollment certificate in one hand. 'I really thought it'd be some fancy document, but no—it's just this tiny yellow metal tag. You call this a certificate? Come on!'
Still, the little thing was pretty useful. Worn around the neck, it worked as a pass for entering and exiting the academy. He'd also need it for check-in and collecting supplies.
Though the Blacksmith Association wasn't far from Donghai Academy, it still took time to walk, and running would only wear him out. 'Why bother doing something tiring and thankless?' Gu You thought.
Instead, he chose the soul-guided bus—cheap and long-distance.
Finding the bus headed to Donghai Academy, Gu You felt his mood lift noticeably.
The bus was spacious, able to seat fifty people. By the time he got on, several were already there—some his own age, others adults.
'I wonder what they're here for? Donghai Academy's admissions season is over… maybe they're current students coming back from trips?' But Gu You didn't spot the yellow metal tags on their necks like his.
Outside the window, the scenery changed. Rows of shops lined the streets, vehicles wove back and forth, and the whole city pulsed with a steel-tinted urgency. Everyone on the street seemed busy—way busier than in Tianhai City.
Skyscrapers zipped past outside the window. After about twenty minutes, the bus slowed to a stop beside a massive stone wall.
"We're here—everyone off," the driver announced. Gu You stretched his arms and stepped off the bus.
Not far ahead stood towering walls that, to the unfamiliar, looked more like a prison.
These walls surrounded Donghai Academy. Further up stood the main gate, a giant stone arch radiating authority.
Donghai Academy was a massive institution, certified for both mid-level and advanced academies. It was split into the Intermediate Division and Advanced Division.
'Don't be fooled,' Gu You thought. 'It's not just one step up between the two—the difference is night and day.'
The Intermediate Division was part of compulsory education. Though it charged tuition, the federal government heavily subsidized it. Donghai Academy was a soul master school, with two-thirds of its space dedicated to the Intermediate Division—but its true prestige lay in the Advanced Division, which occupied just one-third of the grounds.
Anyone with a soul master background and a recommendation letter from a primary school in Donghai City or its surrounding towns could enroll in the Intermediate Division, which had a six-year curriculum. But by graduation, fewer than one in ten could pass the grueling exams to advance to the Advanced Division.
The Advanced Division wasn't part of compulsory education—it was for the best of the best. Passing its entrance exams was a badge of true elite status.
'If primary school teaches you the basics of martial souls and soul mastery, then Intermediate teaches you how to apply it, find your path. But Advanced… that's where the real deep training begins,' Gu You mused.
Walking into the academy grounds, he admired the tree-lined paths. A wide horizontal road stretched out, while straight ahead, the ground was paved with weathered stone, adding a touch of antiquity.
No one stopped him—probably because soul masters posted nearby were watching for his yellow entry tag. Without it, someone would've intervened by now.
The soul bus pulled away, many passengers bypassing the school altogether. As Gu You guessed, some were academy students returning—he saw them slip yellow tags around their necks, though some had different-colored badges.
The main Intermediate Division teaching building stood on the eastern side: twelve floors tall, with the upper floors for higher grades. As a first-year, Gu You would be assigned to the first or second floor.
With his yellow tag and the recommendation letter from Mu Chen, Gu You smoothly completed enrollment.
He received two free uniforms, a dorm room key, and was told that study materials would be handed out once classes started.
He was placed in Year One, Class Zero.
'From this moment,' Gu You thought, 'it's time to meet Tang Wulin and the protagonist gang… and reshape them.'
A wicked grin crept across his face.
'Tang Hao, weren't you set against me? Fine—I'll start by "adjusting" your grandson. Don't blame me for being ruthless; I'm no saint.'
Hauling his luggage, Gu You circled the teaching building toward the dormitories. The dorms were just as tall—twelve stories. His assigned room was at the very top: Room 000.
After wandering a fair bit, Gu You finally found his dorm. He pushed open the door.
Inside, a luxurious bunk bed stood ready, enough for four people. Two rectangular desks, four chairs, two closets, a ceiling light. That was it. Clearly, the room had been specially prepared.
Gu You flopped onto the bed, thinking, 'Class Zero should be interesting… soon I'll meet the main character crew—and that tragic figure, Donghai's Little Chang Kong…'
He frowned, puzzled. 'But wait, I remember in the original story, joining Class Zero required signing some kind of agreement… Why didn't I have to? Did they let me skip it just because I'm handsome?'
He shook his head. 'Nah, I'm just making things up. My brain's a good thing—sometimes chaotic, but sometimes really handy.'
…
The night before—
"Chang Kong, gotta tell you something. There's a new kid coming to your Class Zero," said Long Hengxu, sounding smug. "The principal personally arranged it—not me pulling strings, okay?"
He had long been annoyed by Wu Zhangkong's cold, indifferent attitude toward everyone. What pissed him off even more was the faint disdain he saw in Wu's eyes. 'How dare this guy look down on me, Long Hengxu! So disrespectful!' Still, he had to admit, Wu Zhangkong had real skills. The man had taken a ragtag Class Five straight to Class One, forced the principal to approve a new Class Zero, and trained monsters—like that Tang Wulin kid, who somehow kept pulling off martial soul fusion techniques and punching through everything.
"You know," Wu Zhangkong said coolly, "Class Zero doesn't take in trash…"
(End of chapter)
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