Douluo Continent: Thunder Roar

In Zhou Yi's eyes, the approaching silver-blue light was reflected, as well as Ling Yu's cold and resolute scarlet eyes.

Shock, bewilderment, resentment, and a tremor that even she herself could not understand were all mixed together.

"Pfft—!!!"

The dull thud of a sharp weapon piercing flesh and bone was crystal clear to everyone.

The Chidori Raikiri pierced Zhou Yi's right scapula with unparalleled precision. The violent power of lightning instantly poured in, completely tearing and destroying the bones, fascia, and muscles there, forming a charred, bloody hole that was completely exposed from front to back!

"Uh...!" Zhou Yi's body stiffened abruptly, her eyes widened suddenly, and all the light in her pupils quickly dissipated. All her persistence, anger, and resentment were completely severed and shattered by this fatal piercing blow that carried completely different ideologies.

She didn't even have time to let out a proper scream before her body went limp and she fell heavily onto the cold ground with a "thud," kicking up a little dust.

Blood gushed from the wound on his shoulder blade, quickly staining the ground beneath him red.

Her breath instantly weakened to the extreme, and she fell into a deep coma, teetering on the brink of life and death.

The silver-blue light of the lightning blade slowly dissipated in Ling Yu's hand, turning into a few tiny sparks of electricity that flickered a few times before finally vanishing completely.

The turbulent energy currents around them gradually subsided, leaving only the lingering smells of burning and blood, and the faint fluctuations of soul power in the air.

Ling Yu deactivated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, his body swaying violently, indicating that he had exhausted himself.

For Ling Yu, who only had a three-ring cultivation level, it was still somewhat difficult to fight against a ten-thousand-year-old soul skill head-on.

He looked at Zhou Yi, who lay motionless on the ground not far away, and at the horrific, still bleeding, charred hole on her shoulder blade.

The entire venue fell into a silence deeper and more deathly than ever before.

All the trainees were frozen like statues, forgetting even to breathe, just staring blankly at the center of the field, at the unconscious teacher, and at the kneeling student.

Wang Dong'er covered her mouth, her pink-blue eyes filled with indescribable shock, as well as a complex flutter of emotion she herself was unaware of towards that figure.

At this moment when deathly silence seemed to be frozen forever—

A gentle, emerald-green beam of light, brimming with boundless vitality and tranquil healing power, descended from the sky without any warning, precisely enveloping Zhou Yi, who was unconscious and bleeding profusely.

Within the pillar of light lay a boundless life energy so immense that it calmed the remaining violent soul energy fluctuations in the surrounding air and made the scorched earth seem to sprout new buds.

A man dressed in white floated over, seemingly arriving at Zhou Yi's side with just a few taps on the ground.

He appeared to be around thirty years old, with a gentle face, peaceful eyes, and an aura of tranquility that puts people at ease.

A dazzling array of spirit rings rose from beneath his feet: two yellow, two purple, and three black.

There were as many as seven.

Soul Saint, this is actually a Soul Saint level expert above level 70.

The man raised his hands, and a soft green began to grow from his palms. His seventh soul ring was surrounded by black light. With a sway, he disappeared. The green leaves grew wildly, and in an instant, the powerful seven-ringed entity transformed into a towering tree, several meters tall, with lush branches and leaves, flowing with a shimmering green light.

A vast aura of life spread out like a tide, invigorating all the trainees present and relieving some of their fatigue.

Immediately, two translucent, emerald-green leaves, as if carved from jade, drifted down from the tree and landed steadily on Ling Yu and Zhou Yi.

A gentle yet resilient energy quickly seeped into Ling Yu's body.

His depleted soul power began to be nourished, and even his mental fatigue was soothed.

The changes in Zhou Yi were even more obvious—the blood gushing from the horrific wound on her shoulder blade quickly stopped, the charred edges were covered and moistened by a glowing green light, and the damaged tissue inside began to repair itself slowly and steadily. Even the almost shattered shoulder blade had fine green light spots attempting to connect and regenerate.

A faint trace of life returned to her pale face.

The towering tree transformed back into a man in white. He stood beside Zhou Yi, his gaze first sweeping over the wound on her shoulder with a complex expression, before slowly rising and landing on Ling Yu, who was enveloped in green light and whose injuries were rapidly healing, not far away.

"well……"

A long, drawn-out sigh seemed to express a thousand unspoken words.

The Soul Saint paused, his gaze sweeping over Ling Yu carefully and slowly, as if trying to see clearly the young man from the outside in, from his current state to his future possibilities.

"These young people nowadays..." The man's tone was filled with complex emotions, including concern, surprise, a touch of worry, and a sense of vicissitude from witnessing the rise and fall of the times. "Truly... each generation is more unexpected than the last, and makes one... more wary."

He shook his head again, flicking his wrist slightly, the movement slow and natural.

The emerald light enveloping Zhou Yi suddenly became more solid and gentle, like a warm cocoon of light exuding a rich life force, carefully wrapping and lifting her up, suspending her in the air, just inches off the ground.

"Zhou Yi possesses exceptional talent and perseverance, and her heart is truly devoted to the academy. It's just that her personality... sigh, too fierce and stubborn. Once she's set her mind on a path, she'll go all the way, refusing to turn back even after hitting a wall, and even wanting to smash through it..." The man seemed to be speaking to the air, or perhaps whispering to some unseen force. "This time, she didn't smash through the wall, but instead crashed into a solid... iron mountain. So be it... after shedding so much blood and suffering such a great loss, perhaps... it will crack a fissure in her heart, which she has hardened too much, and let in a glimmer of light..."

His voice gradually lowered, until it was almost inaudible. Then, his gaze became clear and profound again, focusing once more on Ling Yu, this time with a clear warning and deep meaning:

"child."

He called out, his voice gentle yet carrying a strange power that involuntarily calmed people's minds.

"The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind. What you show and what you insist on certainly have their brilliance, but they will also inevitably attract more attention and more storms. Changing the established order and ideas is a thousand times more difficult and a thousand times more dangerous than defeating a powerful opponent."

He gave Ling Yu a deep look, as if trying to imprint those words into his soul:

"The road ahead is long, take care of yourself."

"Thank you, senior." Ling Yu, having regained some strength, nodded to the white-robed Soul Saint in gratitude.

He didn't leave immediately, but looked again at Zhou Yi, who was enveloped in the cocoon of life light.

The setting sun cast long shadows, and the air was thick with dust, the smell of burning, and a faint stench of blood. Everyone stared at him, holding their breath.

Ling Yu looked at Zhou Yi for a few seconds, then spoke. His voice was not loud, a little hoarse, but very clear.

"Teacher Zhou Yi," he said, more like talking to thin air, "you said that the most students you taught passed the exams. That might be true."

He paused for a moment, as if he were organizing his thoughts, or perhaps enduring physical discomfort.

"But have you ever thought about what you were looking at when you were teaching?" His gaze swept over the young and bewildered faces around him. "You only care about who can climb the cliff you set. Those who climb up are great; those who can't are trash and should be kicked out."

He spoke in a very calm tone, without any intense emotions; he was simply stating a fact.

"But they are not stones, they are living people. Some are naturally strong and can climb fast; some are quick-witted and know how to find good footholds; some have good endurance and can persevere; and some... may be a little weaker or a little timid, but they have a strong will to not admit defeat, or they don't want to climb the cliff at all. They want to build a boat, build a bridge, or even try to grow wings."

He looked at Zhou Yi inside the cocoon of light, his eyes very calm.

"And you? Did you see all of this? Did you give them a chance? Or are you saying that anyone who doesn't climb up the way you prescribed is worthless?"

He gently shook his head, a movement that aggravated the tingling and numbness in his shoulders and neck.

"Schools shouldn't be like this. Teachers shouldn't be like this either."

"A teacher's duty is to impart knowledge, teach skills, and resolve doubts." He spoke these words slowly, his voice not loud, but weighty. "It's not about wielding a whip and driving everyone down the same path. It's about bowing your head, bending down, and seeing clearly each student standing before you—what they excel at, what they fear, and what kind of fire burns within them."

"If you see someone who runs fast, teach them how to run more steadily and further; if you see someone who is strong, teach them how to use their strength better; if you see someone who is smart but timid, try to give them some courage, or help them use their intelligence in the right place; even if someone seems to be no good at anything right now, at least... don't rush to call them trash, see if they are using their energy in the wrong place, or if they have something else on their mind."

He spoke very slowly, as if he was thinking as he spoke.

"It takes ten years to grow a tree, but a hundred years to cultivate a person. Trees are all different; some grow straight to the sky, some have gnarled roots, some blossom, and some bear fruit."

Let alone people?

The differences and distinctions between people are one of the most beautiful things in the world. Don't think that everyone is good or bad; that will only blind you to the beauty of the world.

"Those trained through high-pressure, intimidating education are merely exquisite handicrafts; how can they be compared to the meticulously crafted works of art by true artists?"

After finishing this long speech, Ling Yu seemed to have finally exhausted all his strength to speak, and let out a soft sigh.

"I don't know if you've taken my words to heart. If you have, do you want to be a drill sergeant on a high-pressure assembly line, or do you want to truly become a teacher of Class One?"

On Zhou Yi's face, which had been stiff and motionless, covered in blood and dust, her right eyelid, which had been tightly closed, twitched very slightly and almost imperceptibly.

Immediately afterwards, a tiny, extremely murky drop of liquid slowly seeped out from the base of her thick eyelashes at the corner of her eye.

It struggled to gather, finally breaking free from the obstruction of her eyelashes, and slid down a winding, almost invisible, wet trail along the dried blood and grime on her cheek.

Ling Yu saw it.

His gaze lingered on that tear stain for a good two or three seconds.

His face remained completely expressionless.

He felt no pity for the other person's possible reaction, nor did he feel smug because his words seemed to have an effect.

It was a profound calm, as if what he had just said was not directed at any particular person, but rather stated a principle he firmly believed in.

Whether the listener accepts it or is moved by it is their business.

He stopped looking at it.

He walked slowly, step by step, towards the direction of the new students, towards the edge of the field.

Just as he turned around and took his third step—

"laugh."

A sneer, undisguised and scorching, came from not far behind him.

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