From that point on, Tang Wulin was in trouble.
Whether it was to punish him for being late the day before, or simply because he was one of the few uninjured students—and a male—he became Wu Zhangkong's go-to "demo student" for combat instruction.
During actual combat demonstrations, Wu Zhangkong used Tang Wulin repeatedly to illustrate various techniques and tactical maneuvers, each time knocking him down hard and letting him experience the lessons firsthand via his teaching pointer.
Why not use Nan Fusheng instead?
Simple. Tang Wulin's body was tougher.
Wu Zhangkong had already noticed during previous matches that Tang Wulin's defensive power was exceptional. At the same level, he could withstand blows that others couldn't.
Nan Fusheng also had a solid physique, but when it came to taking a beating, Tang Wulin was more suitable.
And if you wanted to "kill the chicken to scare the monkey"? Well, Tang Wulin gave more bang for the buck.
Meanwhile, the news of Class Zero's formation spread quickly throughout the academy, and Nan Fusheng and the other members instantly became minor celebrities.
However, they were strictly forbidden from leaking Class Zero's training methods, so after the initial curiosity wore off, the academy returned to calm.
Wu Zhangkong wasn't the only instructor assigned to them, either. More experts were brought in as instructors.
Unlike the other classes, which focused more on theory, Class Zero's curriculum emphasized combat and application. Just as Headmaster Yu Zhen had promised, the academy was giving full support to the elite class—premium teaching, top-tier nutrition, best equipment, and the most capable instructors.
The next day, Tang Wulin was finally spared from being the lone target of Wu Zhangkong's pointer.
Because Nan Fusheng was added to the rotation.
Nan Fusheng had admittedly been enjoying the show as Tang Wulin got beaten daily. But once the pointer landed on his back, he finally understood what it meant to feel pain in the depths of his soul.
Still, the results were undeniable. His growth under such pressure was rapid.
Painful, but rewarding.
Ten days later, three more teammates returned: Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi had all recovered from their injuries and rejoined the combat training.
The training room was soon filled with screams of pain.
Wu Zhangkong never held back—not one bit. His teaching pointer struck deep, and while it wouldn't cause lasting harm, it hurt like hell.
"Pain," as Wu Zhangkong said,
"It is the most powerful way to etch knowledge into the mind."
The only lucky one was Gu Yue.
Perhaps because she was a girl, Wu Zhangkong treated her more gently. Even when his pointer struck her, it was more of a tingling numbness than sharp pain.
That morning, Wu Zhangkong brought rare good news as he walked into the classroom.
"Today's combat session is canceled. You'll be undergoing a series of physical evaluations instead."
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief.
Combat training was… intense. The pain had become too deeply imprinted in their memories.
Wu Zhangkong led the six students into a high-tech evaluation room. The space was entirely clad in silver panels, giving the impression that they had stepped into a metallic world.
Rows of unfamiliar machines filled the room—advanced equipment none of them had seen before.
"We'll start with a spiritual power test. Xie Xie, you're up first."
Wu Zhangkong held a clipboard in his hand, ready to record results.
Xie Xie's spiritual power was within the normal growth range. Compared to his last test, it had increased by two points, now at 31.
Next up was Wang Jinxi, but his result was disappointing.
"Only 18? You'll need to work on improving that," Wu Zhangkong said flatly.
"Otherwise, you'll struggle to fuse more soul spirits in the future."
Wang Jinxi was always quiet, and now simply nodded without complaint.
Then came Zhang Yangzi.
"Spiritual power: 41. Not bad. With effort, you should be able to break through to the upper levels of the Spirit Origin Realm within a year or two."
Tang Wulin was the fourth to go.
Zhang Yangzi, seated nearby, was eyeing him the whole time.
Among Tang Wulin's group, the one Zhang Yangzi hated the most was this boy who had broken his legs. He constantly compared himself to him.
Over the past several days, he had come to understand Tang Wulin's strengths: powerful strength and a strange right arm mutation.
His martial soul, however, was just Blue Silver Grass—nothing impressive.
The more he thought about it, the more unjust he felt his previous loss had been.
He's a strength-based power attacker—how high can his spiritual power be? It's gotta be weak.
Tang Wulin sat down in front of the machine. The scanner descended and covered his head.
Test initiated.
This was the most advanced spiritual tester the academy had. It displayed results on a color-coded scale, with white representing the Spirit Origin Realm.
Tang Wulin's spiritual power quickly surpassed 18, then 20, 25, 30…
Zhang Yangzi's expression froze.
He's a power-type soul master at just one ring… and he already has 30 spiritual power? That's already better than Wang Jinxi!
35… 40…
42, 43…
Surpassed Zhang Yangzi.
And it was still rising.
Tang Wulin's spiritual power finally stabilized at 66.
Even Xie Xie was stunned. It had only been a few months since the last test, and Tang Wulin's spiritual power had increased by 22 points.
66 spiritual power—that was already a high-tier Spirit Origin Realm.
Next up was Nan Fusheng.
Zhang Yangzi couldn't help but wonder—was Wu Zhangkong testing them in a specific order?
Aside from Xie Xie at the start, it seemed the scores were going from low to high.
If Nan Fusheng and Gu Yue—both of whom relied on mental control—were up next, could it be that their scores were even higher?
He didn't have to wait long for the answer.
Nan Fusheng's result lit up the display instantly, skipping past the white zone and entering the yellow spectrum.
As Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi watched the gauge break 100 and keep climbing, their jaws dropped.
In the Douluo Continent's spiritual classification:
Spirit Origin Realm (白色) – Everyone starts here. Basic level, suitable for white/yellow soul spirits.
Spirit Connection Realm (灵通境, 黄色) – The next stage. It signifies true spiritual control. At this level, a soul master can fuse two yellow or one purple soul spirit.
This was a breakthrough—a qualitative leap.
No wonder they were shocked.
Nan Fusheng, a first-year student, had already broken through to the Spirit Connection Realm. This was incredible.
Many students at the senior division of intermediate academies couldn't even reach this level by graduation, and here he was, achieving it in his first year.
His final score: 125.
That was even six points higher than Gu Yue's last test.
Even Wu Zhangkong himself gave Nan Fusheng a rare sidelong glance.