Class Begins now
1097 Words
Sleeping on a small bamboo bed, Wang Li’s body was being treated with ointments and carefully rewrapped in fresh bandages. Each touch made him flinch the pain wasn’t just from his flesh alone but etched deep into his soul.
Puff!
He spat out a mouthful of blood, his chest heaving as though the act of breathing itself burned.
How could this happen… to me?
Countless emotions surged through his mind disbelief twisted into humiliation, humiliation into rage, and rage into a gnawing fear he could not shake.
“Ahhhhhh! I’m going to kill you! Bastard! I’ll make you pay!” Wang Li’s voice cracked, a feral roar tearing from his throat.
“No… no, that brat couldn’t have done this on his own. Hahahaha, yes! It was Wu Hai! He’s always envied me! He must have plotted this from the start!”
He broke into hysterical laughter, the sound ringing hollow, like someone laughing at the edge of madness.
The master who had been quietly watching from the side sighed deeply, his eyes full of disappointment. Without a word, he turned and left the room, shaking his head.
A heart demon has already formed, he thought grimly. Until he overcomes this shadow, Wang Li will never step forward again.
---
“Here we are. your new room,” said a female disciple, her smile as sweet as spring water.
“Thanks,” Zhou replied with a nod, eager to step inside and claim the space as his own.
But the girl lingered, and Zhou felt the corner of his mouth twitch.
“I can show you around if you want,” she said, her proud little smile making it clear she was expecting him to agree. “Just look for me at the level two classes of the Inner Court. I’ll definitely show you the way.”
Zhou rubbed the back of his neck, smiling politely. “Sure. I’ll find you if I need to.”
“Okay then! See you tomorrow. Class starts early, so don’t be late!” she said before skipping away with a satisfied look.
Zhou let out a long breath of relief and flopped down on the jade bed without hesitation.
The room was surprisingly spacious and carried a faint, calming elegance. The large jade bed in the center radiated a soft spiritual glow, its intricate patterns designed to enhance the absorption of primordial essence during cultivation.
A level-three barrier formation hummed softly around the walls, ensuring privacy and blocking spiritual scans.
“Not bad,” Zhou murmured, running his fingers across the polished surface of the bed. “I wonder what Class Seven gets…”
Hummm!
The air shimmered faintly as Hongyue stepped out from the Dragon Realm, her crimson eyes locking onto Zhou.
“Why did you come out?” Zhou asked, tilting his head. He wouldn’t admit it, but he had been hoping she’d stay put for a while longer.
“I was bored,” Hongyue replied flatly. “Besides, it’s just sand in there and quiet. Too quiet.”
Zhou paused, glancing at her. Something about the way she said it stirred a faint pang of sympathy.
“…Are you hungry?” he asked, a small smile forming on his lips.
A cold yet mischievous smile curved Hongyue’s lips. “Yes.”
Zhou’s heart sank instantly.
Why did I ask that?
---
By the time they left the restaurant, Zhou’s steps were heavy and his face pale.
Hongyue, on the other hand, looked completely satisfied, patting her stomach with an almost innocent expression.
“I’m done. We can leave now,” she said lightly.
Zhou forced a smile, but it quickly died when the waiter handed him the bill.
The long list of zeroes burned itself into his vision like a curse.
Each dish cost fifty thousand low-tier essence stones. In total — one hundred and fifty thousand.
Zhou’s hands trembled slightly as he handed over the payment.
That was every last essence stone I had saved… from weeks of menial labor and selling valuable items I’d collected.
He stepped outside with a pale, soulless expression, silently swearing never to ask Hongyue if she was hungry again.
---
ACADEMY MEETING HALL
“What do you think about that boy Zhou and what he did to Bai Yan?”
“He must have used some secret method,” one man said. “But regardless of how, defeating someone at the Primordial Essence Law Comprehension Stage is no small feat.”
“I sensed his primordial essence,” another said with a frown. “It’s far denser than a normal cultivator’s. That might have been his trump card, without it, he couldn’t have pulled it off.”
“Forget about that strange boy,” a third voice interjected. “Let’s focus on the King’s Realm Imperial Tower. The next tournament will be held there, only one victor will emerge and be promoted directly to the King’s Realm branch.”
“You mean the Sky Imperial Tower?”
“Exactly.”
“Enough.”
The cold, oppressive voice silenced the room at once. The man seated at the head of the table spoke again, his tone sharp as a blade.
“Such matters can wait. The tournament is still three years away. For now, we have more pressing issues.”
“Such as?” an elder asked from the rear.
“The treaty between us and the Demon Tribe.”
A heavy silence descended on the room. Every elder’s expression grew grim.
“We will hold a tournament two years from now to select those who will represent the Dragon Imperial Region. We have lost every spot in the last four tournaments. If we fail again this year…”
His voice dropped to a chilling whisper.
“…then don’t even think about running from what comes next.”
---
Morning came swiftly.
The students lined up neatly, ready for another session of rigorous training.
Zhou joined the line, his expression calm but focused.
Swish!
A cold wind swept over the training grounds, carrying with it an aura so chilling it made Zhou’s breath catch.
A woman appeared before them, looking to be in her early thirties. Her skin was pale and flawless, her lips like ripened cherries. Her figure was graceful yet commanding, the very image of an icy jade goddess.
But her expression was so cold that it seemed to drop the temperature of the entire courtyard.
When she finally spoke, her voice was soft but carried an edge sharp enough to cut through stone.
“Class begins now.”
- Writer
