“Accept,” Jiang WuShang commanded in his mind.
He walked over to the front podium, standing tall and steady behind the worn wooden teaching desk.
“Hello, everyone.
I am your intern instructor, Jiang WuShang.
I hope we can get along well.” He offered a polite smile, but not a single disciple acknowledged him.
The four disciples remained slouched in their seats, chatting lazily among themselves and treating his presence like thin air.
Oh, so you want to do this the hard way, Jiang WuShang thought coldly.
He raised two fingers and flicked his wrist.
A sharp, invisible arc of Qi sliced through the air with a hiss, leaving a deep, clean gash right across the wooden floorboards directly in front of the desk.
The loud crack silenced the room instantly.
The four disciples froze, staring at the freshly cut floorboards in disbelief before looking up at Jiang WuShang with a mixture of shock and annoyance.
“Whether you’re an intern or a grand master, instructors don’t have the right to force disciples to do things they don’t want to do,” one of the female disciples declared, crossing her arms defensively.
“Yeah!
We don’t feel like studying today.
What are you going to do about it?” added one of the male disciples with a sneer.
Jiang WuShang let out a dry, echoing laugh.
“Is that so?
So I’ve been assigned to teach a classroom full of pathetic losers.” System, scan all four of them immediately.
[Ding!
Scan Completed!
Transferring Detailed Profile Data to Host.] A wall of detailed background text flashed rapidly across Jiang WuShang’s vision, chronicling their life histories, family scandals, and secret insecurities from birth up to the present day.
Wow, System…
this information is enough to break their mental defenses completely.
You’re getting more powerful with every upgrade.
[Ding!
System has reached Level 3.
Analytical capabilities and database scanning have been significantly enhanced.] “Good,” Jiang WuShang muttered softly.
“What did you just say?!” The male disciple who had spoken earlier stood up abruptly, the legs of his chair scraping loudly against the floor as his face flushed bright red.
“You’re teaching a class of losers?!
Who are you calling a loser?!” Jiang WuShang casually leaned back against the podium, looking at him with an amused smile.
“If I’m not mistaken, you are Qin Fan—Second Young Master of the Capital’s Qin Clan.
Demoted to Class C9 after being kicked out by Class B6, correct?” “So what if I am?!” Qin Fan snapped, his chest heaving.
“Look how proud you sound,” Jiang WuShang sneered, his gaze locking onto him.
“You were almost expelled from the Qin Clan entirely because of your trash talent.
But that’s not even the best part, is it?” Qin Fan’s aggressive expression stiffened.
“What are you talking about?!” “Your fiancée was stolen right out from under you—and by none other than your elder brother,” Jiang WuShang said, his voice dropping into a razor-sharp whisper that echoed through the quiet room.
“If I recall, when she broke off the engagement, she told you that what your big brother could give her, you couldn’t match in nine lifetimes.” Qin Fan turned deathly pale, all the blood draining from his face.
“You…
how do you know about that?!” “Does it matter how I know?” Jiang WuShang countered smoothly, stepping out from behind the podium.
“What matters is that you stood there and let him take her!
A coward who couldn’t utter a single word of protest when your own brother casually asked to spend a night with her.” He paused, tilting his head with cold contempt.
“If you aren’t a loser, then what are you?
Are you even a man?” [Ding!
1 target (Qin Fan) reacted to Host!
Emotion Points +5!] [Ding!
Total Emotion Points Earned: 30 Points!] “Shut up…
just shut up!” Qin Fan choked out, sinking back heavily into his seat, his fists trembling violently as he stared at the dusty floor.
Jiang WuShang turned his dark gaze toward the second female disciple sitting near the window.
“As for you, Su Lurong…
your elder sister is Su Mie, an intern instructor who teaches Class B3.” Su Lurong stiffened, her hands clenching into her skirt.
“Your family considered you a disgrace to the Capital’s Su Clan,” Jiang WuShang continued evenly.
“You only managed to enter Azure Academy because of your sister’s influence, yet you voluntarily chose Class C9—simply because you were too ashamed to look her in the eye, knowing she’s superior to you in every way.
A trash who can’t accept that her own sister left her in the dust.” [Ding!
1 target (Su Lurong) reacted to Host!
Emotion Points +5!] [Ding!
Total Emotion Points Earned: 35 Points!] “You…
shut the hell up!” Su Lurong bit her lower lip so hard it nearly bled, tears of humiliation welling up in her eyes as she glared furiously at him.
“I didn’t bring up your pasts just to mock you,” Jiang WuShang said calmly, his tone shifting from mockery to a stern, authoritative weight that filled the room.
“I brought it up because your current attitude shows you’ve completely given up on yourselves!” He swept his sleeve back, standing straight.
“Look at me—I’m barely eighteen years old, and I came here willing to teach you.
But you’ve already buried yourselves in self-pity!
Why are you even in Azure Academy?” [Ding!
1 target (Long Chen) reacted to Host!
Emotion Points +5!] [Ding!
Total Emotion Points Earned: 40 Points!] [Ding!
1 target (Lu Ruie) reacted to Host!
Emotion Points +5!] [Ding!
Total Emotion Points Earned: 45 Points!] Jiang WuShang glanced over all four of them.
“Qin Fan, Su Lurong, Long Chen, Lu Ruie…
why do you think I just laid out all your scars?” The second male disciple, Long Chen, gritted his teeth, a dark scowl on his face.
“Isn’t it obvious?
You wanted to humiliate us and show off how superior you are!” “Are all of you truly this dense?” Jiang WuShang shook his head in bitter disappointment.
“Why did you join Azure Academy in the first place?” Su Lurong wiped a tear from her cheek with the back of her hand, her voice trembling.
“We joined because we wanted to become strong…
but no one here cares about low-tier talents.
You’re right…
we really are just losers.” “I am giving you a chance right now to reclaim everything you lost,” Jiang WuShang declared, his voice ringing with absolute, unwavering confidence.
“However, I have conditions.
Do you dare accept?” Qin Fan raised his head slowly, his bloodshot eyes burning with a desperate, hungry glint.
“Can you…
can you really make us powerful?” “If you don’t see clear results, you can report me to the Academy for deceiving disciples,” Jiang WuShang replied coldly.
“What do you say?” “What are your conditions?” Long Chen asked earnestly, leaning forward in his desk.
Jiang WuShang held up four fingers.
“First: my name is Jiang WuShang, and I possess an Earth High-Rank Talent Root.
My first condition is that I will take all four of you as my personal disciples, but this relationship remains strictly confidential.” He lowered one finger.
“Second: whatever techniques or arts I teach you, you are forbidden from sharing with anyone else.” He lowered a second finger.
“Third: I don’t care about your family backgrounds or the clans standing behind your enemies.
In my eyes, those don’t matter.” He lowered his third finger, leaving one up.
“Fourth: be yourselves.
Go ahead and cause trouble if you must—I fear no consequences.
Even if you poke a hole in the sky, I will stand behind you and handle it.” The four disciples exchanged startled glances.
The burning resolve in Jiang WuShang’s dark eyes sparked a long-extinguished fire in their hearts.
“We accept!” all four called out in unison, their voices echoing off the old walls.
System, can I upgrade their Talent Roots?
Jiang WuShang asked internally.
[Ding!
Talent Root Upgrades are available!
Cost: 25 Emotion Points per disciple to upgrade their Talent Root by one full rank tier.] 25 points?
It’s expensive, but I can afford at least one upgrade right now, Jiang WuShang analyzed quickly.
“Good,” Jiang WuShang spoke aloud, lowering his hand.
“Your current Mortal High-Rank Talent Roots are the root cause of your slow cultivation.
The first thing I will do is upgrade your Talent Roots.” “What?!” Qin Fan gasped, standing up again in utter disbelief.
“Upgrade our Spirit Roots?!
Instructor Jiang, are you joking?!
Talent Roots are assigned at birth!
Even the Dean of Azure Academy doesn’t possess the power to alter or upgrade a person’s natural root!” “Lu Ruie, step forward,” Jiang WuShang ignored Qin Fan’s outburst completely and called out to the quietest girl in the class.
“Y-Yes, Teacher,” Lu Ruie stuttered nervously, timidly rising from her seat and walking up to the podium.
“Your elder brother, Lu Jun, is a friend of mine,” Jiang WuShang said gently, his tone softening slightly.
“So I will start with you.
Everyone here knows her Talent Root is Mortal High-Rank, correct?” “Yes, we all know,” the other three nodded in unison, watching closely.
“Lu Ruie, can you trust your brother’s friend?” Jiang WuShang asked, his voice dead serious as he looked down at her.
Lu Ruie looked up into his clear, dark eyes, taking a deep, trembling breath before nodding firmly.
“I trust you, Teacher Jiang!” “Good,” Jiang WuShang instructed.
“Take off your upper outer robe and sit facing the back wall so I am facing your back.
Qin Fan, Long Chen—both of you get outside right now and guard the door.
If either of you dares to peek inside…” He paused, a chilling smile playing on his lips.
“…you won’t just be expelled from Azure Academy.
Your corpses will be delivered back to your clan gates.” “Understood!
We’re leaving right now!” Qin Fan and Long Chen scrambled out the door in a panic, slamming it shut behind them to stand guard in the hallway.
Lu Ruie’s face flushed bright red, her hands trembling as she grabbed her collar.
“T-Take off my upper robe…?” “Sit with your back to me,” Jiang WuShang repeated calmly, seating himself behind her on the floor.
“That way my eyes are on your back, not your front.
If I took advantage of you, how could I face Lu Jun?” “O-Okay…” Lu Ruie stammered, sitting down on the wooden floor with her back turned to him.
“Teacher Jiang…
do I really have to remove it?” “Yes.
The spiritual pathway alignment requires direct contact with your spinal meridian,” Jiang WuShang explained formally, his tone strictly professional.
Outside in the corridor, Long Chen leaned close to Qin Fan, whispering quietly, “Hey…
do you think Teacher Jiang is taking advantage of Lu Ruie in there?” “I don’t know, but Su Lurong is still inside with them, so I doubt it,” Qin Fan replied, keeping his eyes glued on the empty hallway for any passersby.
Inside the classroom, Lu Ruie nervously unbuttoned her outer shirt and let it slide down her shoulders, revealing her smooth skin and delicate back posture.
“Su Lurong, step over and drape a cloth over her front to keep her covered,” Jiang WuShang ordered, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on the blank wall above Lu Ruie’s head.
“Yes, Teacher Jiang!” Su Lurong quickly stepped forward, draping a spare robe over Lu Ruie’s chest.
“Lu Ruie, this process will be extremely painful,” Jiang WuShang warned softly.
“Hold it in and don’t scream.” He placed his right palm directly between her shoulder blades.
Lu Ruie gasped slightly at the sudden contact.
What is this…
his hand feels so warm…
A rush of heat washed over her back, making her cheeks burn even hotter.
“Beginning now,” Jiang WuShang murmured mentally.
System, upgrade her Talent Root to Earth Low-Rank!
A brilliant, dense golden light burst from Jiang WuShang’s palm, surging straight into Lu Ruie’s spinal column and spreading like wildfire through her meridian network!
[Ding!
Initiating Talent Root Upgrade…] “Ahhh!
Teacher Jiang!
It hurts!
It hurts so much!” Lu Ruie cried out in agony, her entire body trembling violently as the golden light tore apart and re-stitched her spiritual constitution at the cellular level.
“Bear with it!
It’s almost complete!” Jiang WuShang gritted his teeth, holding his palm steady against her skin despite the fierce backlash of surging spiritual energy.
“Teacher!
I don’t think she can endure much more!” Su Lurong called out in alarm, watching sweat pour down Lu Ruie’s pale face.
[Ding!
25 Emotion Points Consumed!
Upgrade Successful!
Talent Root upgraded to Earth Low-Rank!] “Done!” Jiang WuShang exhaled sharply, pulling his hand back as the blinding golden light subsided.
Suddenly, a powerful wave of spiritual Qi erupted from Lu Ruie’s body, swirling around the dusty room in a miniature vortex!
Su Lurong’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief, her hands covering her mouth.
“A breakthrough?!
Lu Ruie…
you just broke through to the 2nd Level of Qi Gathering right on the spot?!” Lu Ruie gasped for air, pulling her outer clothes back over her shoulders with trembling hands.
The agonizing pain was instantly gone, replaced by an overwhelming sense of lightness, mental clarity, and rapid Qi absorption.
Tears of shock filled her eyes as she turned around and knelt deeply on the floor before him.
“I broke through…
and my Qi feels ten times faster!
Thank you, Teacher Jiang!” Jiang WuShang stood up and turned toward the closed door.
“You two outside, get back in here!” The door flew open instantly, and Qin Fan and Long Chen rushed back inside, quickly taking their seats.
Jiang WuShang pulled a glowing, crystal-like Root Testing Stone from his spatial storage and set it down on the desk with a heavy clink.
“Lu Ruie, place your hand on this Root Stone.” “Yes, Teacher!” Lu Ruie stepped forward eagerly and pressed her palm against the smooth surface.
BUZZ!
Instantly, the crystal erupted with a blinding, dazzling crimson light that illuminated every corner of the run-down classroom, far surpassing the dim glow of any Mortal-Rank root!
Jiang WuShang looked at the stunned, wide-eyed faces of Qin Fan, Su Lurong, and Long Chen, a confident smirk spreading across his face.
“Well?
You three know what a light this bright means, don’t you?”