Two years since transmigrating,
the [Martial Dao Space] line had always been grayed out, never changing in the slightest.
That flicker just now was the only anomaly in two years.
Eyes blazing, Li Qingshan looked through the phantom Panel at the motionless, statue-like savage beast.
Could it be the key to unlocking the [Martial Dao Space]?
"An Astral-Realm savage beast — Wolfsbane."
A smile at the corner of his mouth, and under the students' shocked gazes, Wan Keshan reached a hand through the alloy bars and patted the beast's bare scalp.
Perhaps because of the steel collar at its neck, the beast gave no reaction.
Many students' eyes lit up.
In that case, landing a single cut didn't seem so hard after all?
"A savage beast can hardly break the bonds of the Astral Realm on its own and appear on our planet."
"But..."
Wan Keshan drew his hand back, his smile fading, and said sternly:
"The scum who worship the evil gods may be hiding right beside you!"
"Just last night, an evil-god cultist completed a sacrifice on the city's outskirts."
"Ask yourselves honestly: if you'd run into that scum last night, would you have dared raise a blade against it?"
An evil-god cultist?
Li Qingshan pulled his gaze from Wolfsbane and reined in the urge itching to act.
He hadn't expected that, besides seeing a savage beast today, he'd also hear news of an evil-god cultist.
Evil-god cultists were transformed from humans — far too well-hidden.
Forget Luoying City — across all 107 provinces of the Old Continent, there was little news of evil-god cultists.
But rare didn't mean nonexistent.
In the history books, the Old Continent had once had 108 provinces.
The province that vanished had been destroyed when evil-god cultists sacrificed an entire city's living souls and drew down the contamination of an evil god.
"Teacher Wan, has the cultist who did it been caught?"
A student couldn't help but ask.
After all, an evil-god cultist was right here in Luoying City and had completed a sacrifice — how could they not be worried?
"If it had been caught, it wouldn't be Wolfsbane in this cage right now."
Wan Keshan's voice was cold. Seeing another student about to speak, he cut them off:
"The Inspection Bureau will issue a bulletin on the cultist soon enough. Read it yourselves then."
"This Wolfsbane is what I prepared for you today, on purpose."
"Now, I'll teach you the first lesson of the Martial Dao — to swing a blade!"
Wan Keshan slapped the alloy bars hard, and the chopping blade laid across the cage sprang up, its hilt dropping into his hand.
"The senior-year Martial Dao Class is set by the Federation; that can't be changed."
"But I, Wan Keshan, do not teach trash!"
He held out his right arm, the blade hanging point-down, and gestured to the students:
"The opportunity is right here. Land one cut on it and you stay; those without the nerve can drop out on their own."
Just as expected!
The students had seen it coming and weren't much surprised.
"Teacher, I'll go first!"
Liang Mingyu, head high and chest out, was the first to step forward.
Hong Qian, without a word, stepped out after him.
At the very front, Yu Lei had been in the first row to begin with and had tested first earlier; naturally she stepped up without yielding.
The three walked to the center of the gym and stood before Wan Keshan.
Damn, a step too slow!
The thought flashed through many minds — including even some who'd scored at the very bottom.
After all, this was a rare chance to perform.
And Wan Keshan had already demonstrated in person.
Caged and unable to move an inch, what was there to fear about Wolfsbane?
But the three "top students" had already taken the floor.
The rest could only hold back for now, their eyes converging on Li Qingshan.
At a moment like this, the "class number one" ought to step out and command the room.
Unfortunately, their stares had no effect whatsoever.
Li Qingshan stood with his hands behind his back, sizing up the caged Wolfsbane, with no intention of moving at all.
The beast was right here, and it wasn't going anywhere.
Besides, he doubted Wan Keshan's first lesson was just about chopping a "training post."
"Teacher, let me!"
Someone couldn't hold back and raised a hand, wanting to step up.
But the figures crowded ahead blocked his way.
"Teacher, I'm not afraid of it, let me cut first."
"Teacher, give me the blade, I'll kill this beast."
Before anyone realized it, a ring had formed in the center of the gym, abuzz with activity.
"Such eager students! Seems I worried too much, underestimated your courage."
Wan Keshan said it with a smile, his gaze sweeping past the crowd.
Behind them, a few still stood rooted in place.
Li Qingshan, the "class number one," stood out especially.
Zhao Hongzhou nudged his shoulder and murmured:
"Bro Shan, looks like Teacher wants you to go up."
"You're seeing things."
Li Qingshan's face didn't change.
He'd felt Wan Keshan's gaze too,
but what he noticed more was the clear flicker of regret that crossed Wan Keshan's face as the man looked away.
Recalling Wan Keshan's mean streak, Li Qingshan looked at the eager classmates up front with a trace of pity in his eyes.
"Class number one, and that's it?"
Liu Jingya, arms folded across her chest, walked past beside him.
Short as she was, she nonetheless wore a thoroughly condescending look.
THWACK!
Li Qingshan flicked out a foot; the contact felt decent enough.
Liu Jingya stumbled forward two steps despite herself and fell to the floor.
"You dare kick me?"
Liu Jingya clutched her backside and looked back, her face full of disbelief.
"Just a friendly spar." Li Qingshan said it flatly.
"We're both in the Martial Dao Class. If you're interested, we can spar often from now on."
"Classmate Liu, Bro Shan didn't actually use any force — otherwise you'd have flown off long ago."
Zhao Hongzhou put in dully, his face dead serious.
"The reason you fell is you're just too much dead weight. Personally, I'd suggest you take after Yu Lei."
"You two just wait!"
Flushed red with rage, Liu Jingya clutched her backside and ran to Liang Mingyu, muttering a few words in his ear.
This Li Qingshan, again!
Liang Mingyu's face darkened. After a glance at Li Qingshan behind the crowd, he spoke up to Wan Keshan:
"Teacher, let me go first and demonstrate for everyone."
Being outscored on the test was already a settled fact.
Whether or not Li Qingshan really lacked the nerve to come forward now, as long as he, Liang Mingyu, swung the blade first, he could turn the tables!
"No rush. A demonstration, naturally, is something for the teacher to do himself."
Wan Keshan's smile grew warmer still as he tightened his grip on the hilt.
"Watch closely!"
The motion was fast — so fast no one could even catch the blade's shadow.
CLANG!
Metal rang against metal as the blade came to rest against the alloy bars.
Every student's eyes went wide, utterly baffled.
Demonstrating by chopping the cage?
At that very moment,
Crack, crack, crack!
Where the blade had struck, fine cracks surfaced one after another and spread rapidly.
In the blink of an eye,
the whole cage along with the top bars, and even the steel collar at Wolfsbane's neck, were covered in a dense web of cracks.
BOOM!
A muffled blast, and the cage shattered, iron shards flying.
A layer of silver powder coated the beast's surface, and two points of crimson suddenly appeared on its head.
Wolfsbane had opened its eyes.
ROAR!
Its bloody maw gaped, a reeking gust blasting outward.
The terrible howl was deafening.
"The beast's alive!"
The students cried out in panic and fled in disarray.
At the back of the crowd, Li Qingshan's eyes flared bright.
At the instant the beast "came alive," the [Martial Dao Space] line flickered once more.
In the center of the gym,
Yu Lei and Hong Qian, being closer, both backed off several steps together, faces pale.
The "revived" Wolfsbane was far more terrifying than they'd imagined.
The unluckiest of all
were Liang Mingyu and Liu Jingya, right beside the cage.
Liu Jingya's eyes rolled back and she fainted dead away on the floor.
Liang Mingyu collapsed to a sitting heap, his eyes vacant.
CLANG!
The chopping blade landed on the floor before him, and Wan Keshan's genial voice rang out.
"The teacher's done demonstrating. Your turn."
"Me?"
Liang Mingyu came to with a dazed start, his lips trembling.
Looking at the blade on the floor, he raised a trembling right hand, but couldn't make it reach out no matter what.
Just then,
a pair of legs suddenly entered his vision, stopping beside the blade.
Li Qingshan bent down and picked up the blade, eyes blazing as they fixed on Wolfsbane, and licked his lips:
"Teacher, only one cut allowed?"