Douluo Dragon King: I, Huo Linfei, the Mecha Illusionary Lin God

Huo Linfei thought that by becoming the apprentice of the master craftsman Zhenhua and the god-level mecha pilot Muye, his life was about to take off.

As it turned out, he was too naive.

On the first day of school, the bulletin board of the Academic Affairs Office at Donghai College was crowded with new students. When the class assignment list was posted, everyone craned their necks to find their name.

"Class One... Lin Dong, Zhang Xiaoyu... Class Two... Class Three..."

Tang Wulin stood on tiptoe, squinting to look closely: "Big brother, which class are you in?"

Huo Linfei stood outside the crowd with his arms crossed, looking confident: "With my talent, I should at least be in the top class, or at the very least, in the first class."

Then he saw his own name.

He was last on the list for Class 5.

"Class 5?" Huo Linfei thought he was seeing things, so he rubbed his eyes and looked again.

It's still Class 5.

Moreover, the reason given was noted: "Late reporting, poor attitude."

Huo Linfei's lips twitched.

Tang Wulin then found his name—also in Class 5, with the note: "School fight, serious impact."

"This..." Tang Wulin looked at Xie Xie beside him.

Xie Xie stared blankly at his own name on the list—also in Class 5, with the note: "Fighting on campus, repeatedly failing to correct his ways."

The three unfortunate brothers stood in front of the bulletin board, looking at each other in bewilderment.

"So," Xie Xie spoke first, "the three of us have all been assigned to the worst class, Class Five?"

Huo Linfei sighed, "And it seems like it's all because of each other."

Tang Wulin smiled wryly: "Big brother, you were late for reporting... was it because you went to the Blacksmiths' Association?"

"Hmm." Huo Linfei nodded. "So, when you fight... is it with Xie Xie?"

"Um."

Xie Xie pouted: "Then I got into a fight too... with your brother."

The three of them looked at each other and suddenly laughed.

"Great!" Huo Linfei decided. "Since we're all in Class 5 now, let's all stick together! Enemies will either flee or be utterly defeated in front of us! So what if it's Class 5? We'll make it the strongest class!"

These words were spoken with great pride and confidence, attracting the attention of many students around them.

Some people scoffed, some laughed, but others... their eyes flickered.

Class 5's classroom is located on the far west side of the teaching building, in a remote location, and its equipment is noticeably older than that of other classes.

When Huo Linfei and his two companions pushed open the door, there were already more than twenty students sitting in the classroom. They glanced around and saw that most of them looked dejected, clearly dissatisfied with being assigned to Class 5.

The three of them found a seat in the back row.

"Big brother," Tang Wulin whispered, "I have a feeling... something's off about the atmosphere in our class?"

Huo Linfei sensed it too. It wasn't the usual listlessness of a struggling class, but rather a kind of...lifelessness. It was as if these people had resigned themselves to their fate, thinking that this was how their lives would be.

"It's alright." Huo Linfei grinned. "With us here, the atmosphere will liven up quickly."

Just then, the classroom door was pushed open.

A man walked in.

In that instant, the temperature in the entire classroom seemed to drop several degrees.

The man looked to be in his early twenties, tall, and with a near-perfectly handsome appearance.

But what's most striking about him isn't his appearance, but his demeanor: short silver hair, icy blue eyes, and an expression as cold as an iceberg that never melts.

He was dressed in simple black outfit, exuding an aura that kept strangers at bay.

Huo Linfei was stunned the moment he saw this person.

It wasn't because I was intimidated by the other person's aura.

It's because...this person looks too much like him.

Like Long Jian from Super Beast Squad.

The same coldness, the same silence, and the same unfathomable past hidden in their eyes.

Huo Linfei's heart skipped a beat.

"I am Wu Changkong." The man walked to the podium, his voice as cold as his expression.

"From today onwards, I will be your homeroom teacher."

The classroom was completely silent.

Wu Changkong scanned the entire room, his gaze lingering on Huo Linfei for a second before shifting away:

"I know you're resentful about being assigned to Class 5. You feel like you're bad students, useless, and outcasts of the academy."

His voice was calm, but every word pierced the students' hearts like a knife.

"But I must tell you," Wu Changkong continued, "being assigned to a class doesn't mean everything. If you really want to prove you're not useless, then let your abilities speak for themselves. There will be a promotion tournament later."

These words finally caused some commotion in the classroom.

Several students raised their heads, their eyes rekindling with hope.

But Wu Changkong's next words brought them back to reality: "However, given your current state, you'd be lucky to avoid being completely wiped out, let alone surpass Class Four."

"Teacher!" a student couldn't help but stand up. "How could you say that about us!"

Wu Changkong glanced at him: "Did I say something wrong? Look at you all now, dejected and self-pitying. A true strong person, even in adversity, will stand tall and find a way to fight their way out."

He stepped down from the podium and slowly paced down the aisle: "If you can't even handle this much of a blow, then you might as well drop out of school sooner rather than later, so as not to waste the college's resources."

That's a really harsh statement.

Several girls had tears in their eyes.

But Huo Linfei laughed.

He laughed very loudly.

The whole class turned to look at him.

Wu Changkong stopped in his tracks, his icy blue eyes fixed on Huo Linfei: "What are you laughing at?"

"I agree with Teacher Xiao." Huo Linfei stood up, his emerald green eyes staring directly at Wu Changkong. "Indeed, if you can't even handle this little setback, what kind of Soul Master are you? You might as well go home and farm."

He turned to the class and said, "But teacher, I have a question. If we really stand tall and fight our way out, will you help us?"

Wu Changkong stared at Huo Linfei for a few seconds.

This red-haired boy, nine years old, from the Second Ring Road, had a firmness beyond his years and... a sense of familiarity in his eyes?

"If you can do it," Wu Changkong said, "I will do everything in my power to train you."

"It's not 'I,' it's 'we,'" Huo Linfei corrected. "Class Five is a whole."

Wu Changkong's lips curled up almost imperceptibly, but quickly returned to their icy expression: "Then let's see what you're capable of. get out of class dismissed."

He turned and left the classroom.

Huo Linfei sat down, and Tang Wulin and Xie Xie both looked at him.

"Big brother," Tang Wulin whispered, "what you just did..."

"Isn't he handsome?" Huo Linfei grinned.

Xie Xie rolled his eyes: "He's handsome, but you've put the whole class in a bind. What if we can't handle it..."

"We have to do it even if we can't," Huo Linfei said seriously, his smile fading.

"Didn't you guys notice? Teacher Wu... has a story. And the way he looked at me just now wasn't the way he looks at a bad student, it was the way he looks at someone with potential."

He paused, then added, "And he reminds me of someone, a brother I once fought alongside."

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie exchanged a glance but neither spoke.

But they all knew in their hearts that once Huo Linfei made up his mind, nothing could sway him.