At the Donghai Academy Dean of Students' Office, Wu Changkong pushed the door open and entered. Dressed in plain white martial attire, his body seemed to carry a perennial chill that never melted. His ice-blue gaze swept indifferently over Long Hengxu, the Dean of Students, before finally fixing on the youth standing quietly to the side of the office.
Long Hengxu greeted him with a smile. He had long since grown accustomed to this cold-faced teacher's indifference. In his eyes, it was only normal for someone with true ability to possess some arrogance. Wu Changkong merely gave a slight nod in response. Long Hengxu did not mind. He turned and gestured toward the youth beside him, introducing the boy as a new transfer student. He explained that the academy was considering placing him in Class Zero.
Wu Changkong's brow furrowed immediately. His voice was cold as he stated that Class Zero only takes monsters and that not just anyone can be stuffed in. Long Hengxu's smile remained unchanged, though a glint of anticipation flashed in his eyes. He assured the teacher that this child definitely met the criteria for a monster in his heart. Wu Changkong's thin lips parted slightly, just about to retort.
However, the words Long Hengxu uttered next caused the speech already at his lips to suddenly freeze. He revealed that the boy was nine years old this year and already a three-ring Spirit Elder. The air seemed to go still for a moment, and Wu Changkong's ice-blue pupils contracted imperceptibly. He abruptly turned his head to re-examine the youth before him, who had remained calm and restrained throughout.
Nine years old, three rings. Although he did not yet know the boy's Spirit or combat capabilities, the cultivation speed alone was enough to startle him. Even if placed in Shrek Academy, this was talent capable of directly entering the Inner Court. After a moment of silence, Wu Changkong suppressed the flicker of emotion in his eyes and returned to his usual cold sternness. He spoke no more, simply telling Huo Yuhao to follow him so he could arrange his living quarters first.
At the Donghai Academy Class Zero classroom, the spacious room appeared exceptionally empty. It was originally capable of accommodating over thirty people, but since the founding of Class Zero, there had been very few students. Now, with the departure of Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, only three figures remained in the vast classroom. Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue had arrived early as usual, taking their seats and preparing for the day's lessons.
The morning light filtered through the glass windows, casting several quiet, slanted shadows onto the polished floor. Before long, the classroom door was pushed open. Dressed in white, Wu Changkong stepped into the classroom, still carrying that keep away chill around him. However, the trio's gazes shifted slightly. Today, behind Teacher Wu, there was an unfamiliar figure following along.
Gu Yue's expression was calm and rippleless. She had known for some time that her Senior Brother would be coming today. Tang Wulin and Xie Xie, sitting not far from her, both had a trace of curiosity rise in their eyes as they quietly sized up the youth following behind Wu Changkong. Wu Changkong walked to the podium, his ice-blue gaze scanning the three faces below. He introduced the newcomer as Huo Yuhao, a new transfer student for Class Zero.
Hearing this name, Xie Xie and Tang Wulin were both stunned simultaneously. Because this name was simply too special, it instantly dredged up memories from the depths of their minds concerning the Spirit Ice Douluo from ten thousand years ago. It was not just them; even the habitually cold Wu Changkong had felt his brow twitch when he first heard the name, a very faint expression crossing his frozen face.
Wu Changkong did not say much, getting straight to the point. He announced that the first class today would be practical combat and told them to follow him to the training ground. After speaking, he turned and walked out of the classroom. The group immediately rose to follow, passing through the quiet corridors to the combat training ground specifically equipped for Class Zero by the academy.
To some extent, this practical combat class could be said to have been specially prepared by Wu Changkong for Huo Yuhao. He wanted to see for himself exactly how the combat capability of this youth, who had stepped into the Spirit Elder Realm at age nine, truly was. The light inside the training ground was bright, and the floor was paved with a special soul-guided alloy.
Wu Changkong stood still, his gaze scanning the four people before him. He finally landed on Tang Wulin and Xie Xie, telling them that the two of them would fight Huo Yuhao. Among the three students of Class Zero, Gu Yue's strength was the greatest in his eyes. He believed even an ordinary Spirit Elder might not necessarily gain an advantage against her. Therefore, he did not have Gu Yue and Xie Xie team up, but instead chose the combination of Tang Wulin and Xie Xie.
Although Tang Wulin was only a one-ring Spirit Master, that Golden Dragon Claw of his possessed startling power and absolutely could not be judged by common sense. Otherwise, he would not have been exceptionally admitted into Class Zero. Tang Wulin and Xie Xie glanced at each other, both seeing a hint of surprise in the other's eyes. They had not expected Teacher Wu to turn up the intensity for the new classmate right from the start.
Tang Wulin had always been convinced of Wu Changkong's arrangements, believing there must be a reason for this setup, so he said nothing. Xie Xie, however, could not hold back and raised an eyebrow. He suggested to Teacher Wu that he alone should be enough to deal with a new classmate. Under Wu Changkong's near-stringent guidance, his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds this year, so he naturally felt full of confidence when facing peers.
Wu Changkong did not explain, only tossing out an indifferent sentence stating that Huo Yuhao was a Spirit Elder. Tang Wulin and Xie Xie abruptly cast their gazes toward Huo Yuhao, the shock in their eyes impossible to hide. This youth, who looked to be of a similar age to them, was actually already a three-ring Spirit Elder. The ease on their faces vanished instantly, replaced by gravity and solemnity.
This was not just taking the upcoming battle seriously; it was truly feeling a kind of pressure from a genuine genius emanating from Huo Yuhao. Wu Changkong and Gu Yue retreated to the sidelines, leaving the center of the field to the three of them. The battle was on the verge of breaking out. Xie Xie and Tang Wulin completed their Spirit Body Enhancement almost simultaneously. Under Wu Changkong's near-brutal practical combat tempering, the two had long since formed a wordless chemistry.
With just an exchange of glances, they had already determined their next strategy. Xie Xie was the first to move. As an agility-attack system Spirit Master, his figure was like a passing shadow or a gale. He covered the distance of over ten meters in the blink of an eye, pressing directly in front of Huo Yuhao. However, Huo Yuhao still stood quietly in place, not even releasing his Spirit, as if his reactions were half a beat slow.
Watching from the sidelines, Wu Changkong could not help but furrow his brow. He wondered if this youth had invested all his energy into spirit power cultivation, leaving his combat experience nearly blank. A sharp glint flashed in Xie Xie's eyes. He did not hesitate for a second just because the opponent had not summoned his Spirit. His body shifted like a ghost to Huo Yuhao's side, and the cold light of the Light Dragon Dagger in his right hand surged as he stabbed toward Huo Yuhao's neck without mercy.
The blade edge broke the air, bringing with it a sharp hiss. Just at the instant the tip of the dagger was about to touch skin, Huo Yuhao moved. He merely tilted his head slightly. Simultaneously, a blue light suddenly flashed in his right hand, and a longsword flowing with an ice-blue halo appeared out of thin air. Its blade precisely blocked the Light Dragon Dagger's inevitable path. A crisp sound of clashing metal exploded. Xie Xie only felt a solid counter-force transmit from the sword blade, shaking his wrist until it went numb. He used the force to retreat, landing several meters away, his eyes already filled with shock and suspicion.
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion