Douluo Continent III Haotian Wulin

The opening ceremony was held in the central square of Donghai College.

The intermediate and advanced levels are usually separated, but only on occasions like this do the entire academy truly gather together. The plaza is vast, filled with formations at both ends. Tang Wulin was assigned to the first-year students' group. Because he was relatively tall for his age, he was placed towards the back, where he had a good view.

Standing there, he saw the scale of Donghai Academy more clearly for the first time.

The intermediate division had a large number of students, several hundred across all six grades. The senior division, on the other hand, had significantly fewer students, their formations much smaller. This difference in numbers speaks volumes. Advancing from the intermediate division to the senior division was by no means an easy feat.

The opening ceremony was not complicated.

The dean took the stage to speak.

The dean of Donghai Academy was an elderly man with gray hair, dressed unassumingly, possessing a calm demeanor, and speaking in a measured tone. He did not read from a prepared script, but spoke for a full fifteen minutes, from the academy to the Federation, from the students to their responsibilities, yet the room remained orderly throughout.

Tang Wulin listened very attentively.

After the dean finished speaking, the thing that really mattered to the freshmen finally arrived—class assignment.

Senior students and new students from the advanced department left one after another, and soon only the first-year students from the intermediate department remained in the square.

Long Hengxu stood at the very front, his voice very clear.

"The first year of the intermediate department at Donghai Academy is divided into five classes. A higher class number does not necessarily mean you will be stronger than others in the future, but it at least means that you are currently viewed more highly by the academy."

Upon hearing this, the new students' formation immediately quieted down considerably.

Everyone understood.

The higher a student's ranking in the class, the more valued they are right now.

"Now we'll begin class assignments." Long Hengxu glanced down at the list. "Those whose names are called, step forward and join Class One."

Class 1, Class 2, Class 3—one name after another was called out. Some people straightened their backs, some visibly relaxed, while others, after being assigned to a later class, immediately looked grim.

Tang Wulin stood quietly without saying a word.

But as the class assignments progressed, he began to vaguely realize what was happening.

Yesterday, Long Hengxu's comment, "Everyone go to Class 5," wasn't just a casual remark.

"Class 5—Xie Xie, Yun Xiao, Zhou Changxi, Tang Wulin…"

really.

Upon hearing his name called, Tang Wulin felt little emotional, and simply walked out silently. Xie Xie emerged from the other side, his face still cold; Yun Xiao pushed up his glasses, his expression somewhat helpless; Zhou Changxi, on the other hand, clearly had a somber face, and muttered something under his breath as he walked over.

There are twenty students in Class 5.

The fewest number of people.

Moreover, most of the people who came out were not in good spirits, and they clearly knew what "Class Five" meant.

The worst class.

At least, it's the class that's currently ranked last in the college.

"Class teachers, please lead your students back to their classrooms," Long Hengxu said. "To familiarize them with the environment and begin the new semester's arrangements."

Five teachers walked out from one side.

When the person on the far right walked towards Class 5, even the somewhat dejected freshmen couldn't help but pause in surprise.

He was a very young male teacher.

He was tall and slender, yet his shoulders and back didn't appear thin. He wore white trousers and a white shirt, and his long hair was tied back, its bluish tint gleaming in the sunlight. But what was most striking about him wasn't any of that; it was his aura—cold.

It wasn't a deliberately cold expression; rather, there was an aloofness emanating from him. His eyes were cold too, and when his gaze swept over you, you even felt a chill run down your spine.

In Class Five, a female student couldn't help but gasp softly:

"The teacher is so handsome..."

He didn't say it loudly, but almost everyone around heard it.

Xie Xie pursed his lips and remained silent.

The young teacher seemed not to have heard anything, and simply said:

"Come with me."

Just three words.

But almost simultaneously, all twenty students in Class 5 felt a pang of anxiety.

This teacher is very capable.

It wasn't the kind of strength that "looks intimidating," but rather a genuine aura that commanded respect. With just one sentence, he silenced all the whispering freshmen.

Yun Xiao walked ahead and said in a low voice, "This teacher is probably not simple."

Tang Wulin did not respond.

He sensed it too.

This sense of pressure is not something an ordinary teacher would experience.

Class 5's classroom was located at the very back of the first floor of the teaching building, in the most remote and farthest position. After everyone went inside, the feeling of being "last in line" became even more pronounced.

There are a total of thirty sets of desks and chairs in the classroom, and many of them are now empty.

The young teacher walked to the podium, his voice still flat.

"Take your seats."

Everyone immediately found their own seats.

Tang Wulin chose a table near the edge and close to the front. He was tall, so sitting on the side wouldn't block anyone's view and would give him a better view. To his surprise, Xie Xie sat down right next to him, as if he had specifically chosen that spot.

Yun Xiao sat in front of them.

Zhou Changxi hesitated for a moment, but finally sat down behind Tang Wulin.

So, the four people in dormitory 205 sat together again.

Once everyone was seated, the classroom fell silent.

The young teacher stood behind the podium, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the students before finally speaking:

"My name is Wu Changkong."

The voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear.

"I will be your homeroom teacher for the next six years."

No one spoke in the classroom.

"There's one more thing I need to clarify first." Wu Changkong looked at them, his tone still calm. "You can listen to what Long Hengxu just said, or you can ignore it. The class ranking is just the academy's current opinion of you, not your future."

He paused here, his gaze growing even colder.

"But if you accept it yourselves, then you are Class 5, and you will be Class 5 for life."

As soon as these words were spoken, the students who had been somewhat downcast couldn't help but raise their heads.

Wu Changkong continued:

"I don't care if you got into Class 5 because of poor talent, low soul power, causing trouble, laziness, or any other reason. Here, you're all the same."

"You are the worst class right now."

"But I will train you to be the best in your age group."

These words were spoken in a calm and unhurried manner, without any deliberate raising of the voice, yet their sharp edge instantly filled the classroom.

Some students felt their blood boil as they listened, while others instinctively sat up straight.

Looking at Wu Changkong on the podium, Tang Wulin truly took this homeroom teacher to heart for the first time.

This teacher is more than just strong.

And it's very hard.

"Now, introduce yourselves," Wu Changkong said. "Name, martial spirit, soul power level, and the direction you want to go—don't forget anything. Begin."

His finger pointed to the first row.

It just so happens to be Yun Xiao.

Yun Xiao immediately stood up, pushed up her glasses, clearly a little nervous, but still tried her best to keep her voice steady.

"My name is Yun Xiao, my Martial Soul Star Chart is level twelve in Soul Power. I want to pursue a support/control role in the future."

Wu Changkong nodded, offering no comment.

"Next."

It was Tang Wulin's turn.

The moment he stood up, he felt Wu Changkong's gaze fall directly on him. The feeling was sharp, as if he could see right through him.

"Tang Wulin." He stood very straight. "Martial Soul: Sinking Star Hammer, Level 11."

A few low murmurs suddenly arose in the classroom.

Sinking Star Hammer?

Many people have never heard of this name.

What's more, this Tang Wulin is clearly the freshman who caused a commotion in the dormitory yesterday. Those who spread the news quickly already know that he had fought with Xie Xie and Zhou Changxi.

Wu Changkong did not interrupt him.

Tang Wulin paused, then continued:

"I want to become a powerful Soul Master and a very skilled Blacksmith in the future."

This time, he spoke very clearly and without the slightest hesitation.

Because this is indeed the path he understands best right now.

Get stronger, make money, and move forward.

Whether for himself, for his family, or for finding Na'er in the future, he had to continue down this path.

But just as he finished speaking, someone in the back row of the classroom suddenly muttered something under their breath:

"Level 11, and you're talking so loudly..."

The sound wasn't loud.

Even though the classroom was quiet, you could still hear it.

The next instant, a piece of chalk flew out.

No one saw how it made its move.

"Snapped!"

The piece of chalk landed with pinpoint accuracy in the speaker's mouth, the force carrying a penetrating force. The student immediately covered his mouth, bent over, and coughed until tears streamed down his face.

The whole class fell silent.

Wu Changkong stood on the podium, his posture unchanged, just coldly looking over there.

"You laugh at others for having low soul power, but first look at why you're sitting in Class 5."

The student's face turned red from coughing, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Wu Changkong's voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough to completely silence the classroom.

"In my class, if anyone brings up someone else's martial spirit, soul power, or background, I'll make them lose face first."

His gaze swept across the entire class.

"besides--"

"Don't let me hear anyone utter the word 'trash' again."

"Every single one of us who made it into Class 5 has no right to look down on anyone now."

As soon as those words were spoken, even the breathing in the classroom became quiet.

Tang Wulin was still standing there when he suddenly realized that he seemed to understand why this teacher made people feel cold.