Most people seemed to realize what was about to happen and quietly stepped back. A smaller portion, however, grew even more excited, eager to see what would unfold next.
Under everyone's gaze—
Lin Guang's black hair began to stir despite the lack of wind as he said in a low voice,
"So I just need to break the defense, right?"
W's grin turned feral.
"Am I being underestimated?"
The two of them looked straight at Yu Haidong. Lin Guang continued,
"Then, Instructor… you won't dodge, right?"
Yu Haidong stared at the increasingly bright muzzle of the weapon. His aether perception clearly told him just how explosive that attack would be. The smile on his face began to stiffen.
The next instant—
BOOM!!!!!
Fully charged, a ping-pong-ball-sized orb of light streaked through the air, leaving behind a thin crimson trail before slamming directly into Yu Haidong.
Flames burst, an explosion roared, and sparks, dust, and shockwaves spread outward, completely engulfing him.
Shouts erupted one after another—
"Holy crap, that's insane! What was that?!"
"Oh no—did the teacher just get blown up?!"
"No way… he's a three-star Spirit Master!"
"Damn, Lin Guang didn't even go all out at noon!"
"If that hit the Thunder Calf earlier, would the cafeteria be serving roasted beef tonight?!"
Amid the commotion, the smoke quickly cleared.
Yu Haidong still stood there—completely unharmed.
In front of him shimmered a translucent, crystalline half-dome shield.
"Two-star Spirit Inscription Technique: Barrier."
His tone was relaxed as he looked at the students. Without drawing attention, he recalled the visibly weakened Earthguard Doll at his feet and steadied his slightly accelerated heartbeat.
"That was a very impressive strike," he said calmly to Lin Guang. "I'd guess it's a green-tier skill?"
"Now then—back to the lesson."
His expression suddenly turned serious.
"This is the first thing I want to teach you."
"For you—no, for all novice Spirit Masters—survival comes above everything else."
"If you're alive, you have a future. If you're dead, you have nothing."
"I know you're all elites, geniuses. Deep down, many of you probably look down on someone like me—a soldier who even had to obey orders on what kind of spirit beast to contract, whose talent and main beast are both white-tier."
"But here's a statistic from the Spirit Master Association."
"Every year, about 2.5 million high school students across the country enter combat classes. From first to third year, around 2%—nearly 50,000 students—die in the wilderness or secret realms. For university students, that number rises to 5%."
Faced with such cold numbers, every student—no matter how casual or excited they had been moments ago—grew serious.
Yu Haidong's voice turned colder.
"In other words, if you participate in wilderness exploration every year from high school through university, your survival rate is only about 76%. Probably lower."
"And that's just until graduation. If you want to keep advancing, the dangers only increase."
"I'm 39 this year. Barring anything unexpected, reaching the peak of three-star is already uncertain for me, let alone four-star. My talent and my beast's potential can't compare to yours."
"But I've spent over twelve years on the front lines as a military Spirit Master."
"And many so-called geniuses I knew… died before me."
"Many were stronger than me. But they still died—because they thought they were strong enough to fear nothing."
He looked at the class, voice steady and heavy.
"So the first lesson I'm giving you is this: respect danger."
"In secret realms and the treacherous wilderness, those disaster-like behemoths, hidden threats, and even ill-intentioned humans—none of them will spare you just because you're young, or because you're students."
"You all have great partners and limitless potential. You are the future of Great Xia."
"I don't want to see you die halfway there."
The sincerity in his words was unmistakable. The students, one by one, let go of their earlier disdain and began to truly acknowledge him.
Yu Haidong let out a quiet breath of relief.
Then he turned back to Lin Guang and W.
The latter, having exhausted all her aether, was now leaning weakly against Lin Guang. Yet there was a satisfied smile at the corner of her lips as she used her last bit of strength to raise a middle finger at Yu Haidong.
Only three days since their contract… and they already trust each other completely?
How did he manage that?
"I lost," Yu Haidong admitted honestly. "That last attack—my Earthguard Doll alone couldn't have taken it."
As he spoke, he took out a palm-sized, transparent crystal from his coat. Intricate spirit inscriptions were carved within it.
"This is a visualization crystal containing the two-star, non-attribute inscription—Barrier."
A flash of envy crossed the eyes of the surrounding students.
Non-attribute inscriptions were already more valuable due to their versatility—and Barrier was one of the most important among them.
Barrier-type inscriptions were arguably the most essential and widely demanded, because they could be used on both the Spirit Master and their spirit beast. They granted Spirit Masters—who typically lacked self-defense—the ability to survive and maneuver tactically.
A two-star Spirit Master without Barrier could be killed by a few submachine guns.
With Barrier—even rockets and grenades could be resisted with ease.
It was the technique that truly created a gap between Spirit Masters and ordinary people.
Learning through a crystal was one-on-one, far more efficient than school instruction or public meditation halls.
Lin Guang recalled seeing a Barrier crystal on the black market before. Back then, he couldn't afford it—and couldn't verify its authenticity—so he had given up.
He hadn't expected to obtain one here.
As he accepted the crystal, Yu Haidong added:
"Logically, you should only receive this after becoming a one-star Spirit Master and contracting a first-tier beast."
"Comprehending inscriptions depends on your soul capacity and remaining soul space. You're not even one-star yet, and this is a two-star crystal."
"Even for a one-star Spirit Master, fully comprehending this within two weeks is nearly impossible."
"My advice—don't use it yet. Once activated, the inscription imprint will gradually fade over time, even if unused."
"Wait until you reach two-star. Even if you fail then, you won't be far off."
Then he turned to the rest of Class One and raised his voice:
"Each semester, your class gets three Barrier crystals. These are school resources, and I decide how they're awarded."
"They'll go to students who perform well in combat class—not just offense, but also speed, endurance, control, and more."
"Prepare yourselves."
"Earn them."
That single statement lit a fire in the students' eyes. Even those already brimming with envy clenched their fists, determination burning brightly.
Even Lin Guang… couldn't possibly claim every single crystal, right?
"…Hey, what's wrong with you?"
W, having regained a bit of strength, straightened up on her own—only to see Lin Guang deep in thought.
"Nothing." He shook his head and tucked the crystal away.
If he remembered correctly, after unlocking the Fighter talent tree, he could obtain an ability called "Power of Whole Mind and Spirit."
One of its effects—
was accelerating the comprehension of spirit inscriptions.
~~--------------------------
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