Douluo Continent: The Martial Soul is Black Kite, the Herrscher of Knowledge

In September, the sea breeze was slightly cool in Donghai City.

The opening ceremony of Donghai Academy was held on the playground. More than a thousand students from the six grades of the intermediate department lined up neatly. Dean Yu Zhen stood on the stage and gave the same opening speech as every year.

Fu Li stood in the freshman line. Aji, who had wanted to sit in his lap, was forcibly stuffed back into his body. At this moment, Aji was resentfully muttering words like "jail," "abuse," and "no human rights" in his mind.

He automatically blocked out Ah Ji's noise and listlessly looked around at his classmates.

He can already recite these kinds of polite phrases by heart.

Standing to his left was a girl with pigtails, who was listening intently to Yu Zhen's speech on stage.

However, he understood this situation well: when a person doesn't want to socialize with strangers, they will pretend to be very busy.

right--

"Hello, my name is Tang Wulin."

Fu Li turned her head and met a pair of black eyes.

After a few days apart, Tang Wulin looked much more energetic than when he was in Aolai City. Although he was wearing the same uniform as the other freshmen, his youthful vigor was undeniable.

"We meet again." Fu Li smiled slightly.

Tang Wulin's eyes lit up: "Brother Fu Li, you really came! I thought you were just saying it casually the other day."

"There's no point in me lying to you about something like this, is there?"

"So which class did you get assigned to?" Tang Wulin asked in a low voice, his tone filled with anticipation. "I'm in Class 5."

But soon, his eyes dimmed: "But with Brother Fu Li's strength, he definitely won't be assigned to the weakest Class 5, right..."

Fu Li raised an eyebrow.

What a coincidence?

"I'm in Class 5 too."

"Really?" Tang Wulin almost couldn't control his voice, attracting several stares from those around him. He quickly covered his mouth and whispered, "That's great! Then we're classmates!"

No wonder he was so happy; in a place full of strangers, it was quite a treat to run into an acquaintance.

Although this acquaintance wasn't actually that close.

Fu Li nodded, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over Tang Wulin's right hand.

"It seems you have already fused with the soul."

Tang Wulin paused for a moment, then scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly: "Yes, it's fused. Although it's only a ten-year-old soul spirit, I'm already very satisfied."

Ten years of soul.

Fu Li recalled the silent figure of Tang Ziran that she had seen in Aolai City that day, and the thick calluses on Tang Wulin's hands.

He didn't ask any further questions, only saying, "Whether it's ten years or a hundred years, the quality of a soul doesn't determine the quality of a soul master; what matters is the person who uses it."

Tang Wulin blinked, seemingly surprised that Fu Li would say that.

After a moment, he nodded emphatically: "Yes! I will try my best!"

After the opening ceremony, the new students went to their respective classrooms according to the class assignment list.

Class 5 was located on the far east side of the third floor of the teaching building. When Fu Li and Tang Wulin pushed open the door, the classroom was already mostly full.

Tang Wulin tugged at Fu Li's sleeve, and the two walked to a seat by the window.

More and more people filled the classroom, and the noise grew louder and louder.

until--

"Quiet."

A cold voice came from the doorway, neither loud nor soft, but clearly heard by everyone.

The classroom fell silent instantly.

Wu Changkong stood at the door, dressed in a white teacher's uniform, with long, dark blue hair cascading down his shoulders, his expressionless face scanning every student in the classroom.

Those whose gaze fell upon him unconsciously sat up straight.

"I don't care what your previous level was or where you came from. From today onwards, you have only one identity—my students."

He walked into the classroom, each step carrying an air of pressure.

"In my class, there are only two rules. First, my orders must be obeyed unconditionally. Second, anyone who cannot do the first rule will be automatically expelled from this class."

Silence reigned.

No one dared to speak.

Wu Changkong walked to the front of the classroom, his gaze sweeping around before finally landing on Fu Li, where he paused for a second.

"Fu Li, come with me."

After saying that, he turned and left without any hesitation.

Fu Li and Tang Wulin exchanged a glance and followed at a leisurely pace.

Whispers filled the classroom again.

"Who is that Fu Li? Teacher Wu called his name first."

"I don't know, he looks quite ordinary."

"But he's so handsome!"

Xu Xiaoyan lay on the table, watching Fu Li's departing figure, and blinked.

"Why did the teacher want to see him?"

Wu Changkong's office is located at the very back of the fourth floor of the teaching building. There are no signs on the door, and it looks exactly the same as the other doors around it.

He pushed open the door and went in. The office was simply furnished with a desk, a few chairs, a bookshelf, and a thin layer of frost on the window.

Fu Li glanced at the frost on the window, then at Wu Changkong's back, and said nothing.

"sit."

After Fu Li sat down, Wu Changkong leaned back in his chair, clasped his hands together, and looked at him.

"There's only one reason I called you here: you currently have the highest soul power level among the freshmen in the intermediate division."

He paused for a moment: "Fu Li, level 26, Battle Soul Master, Martial Soul Black Kite."

Fu Li's expression remained unchanged.

"With your abilities, most of the intermediate courses are a waste of your time," Wu Changkong continued. "So I've arranged a separate training plan for you. Come find me at the training ground every afternoon after school. If you miss one, you don't need to come anymore."

"Understood." Fu Li nodded.

Immediately afterwards, Wu Changkong took a book out of the drawer and pushed it in front of Fu Li.

The book that Wu Changkong pushed over had a slightly yellowed cover with four characters written on it—

Initial Understanding of Sword Intent

"This is..." Fu Li picked up the book, flipped through it, and found it filled with annotations written in a slender and powerful hand, clearly the work of Wu Changkong.

"These are the notes I used when I was learning swordsmanship. Actually, cultivating sword intent relies mostly on oneself. This book is just for reference," Wu Changkong said calmly. "You said you wanted to use my sword to hone your own, so let's start from the very basics. I hope you'll gain something from reading this book."

Fu Li closed the book and nodded seriously.

"Teacher Wu, I have one more question."

"explain."

"What do you think is the biggest problem with my sword?"

Wu Changkong remained silent for a moment, his icy blue eyes fixed on Fu Li, as if trying to see into his heart.

"Your sword is someone else's sword."

Fu Li was taken aback.

"Your moves are perfect, your skills are superb, but none of that is yours. You're just replicating a trajectory you've already mastered, not expressing yourself."

Wu Changkong stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Fu Li.

"A swordsman's sword is an extension of his heart. If your heart is restrained, your sword is restrained. If you dare not unleash yourself, your sword dare not unleash itself."

"If you continue like this, no matter how sharp your sword is, it will only be a tool, not a part of you."

Fu Li remained silent for a long time.

Outside the window, the sky over Donghai City was a clear, deep blue, with a few white clouds drifting lazily by. Time passed silently, little by little.

Wu Changkong wasn't in a hurry; he just waited for him to think it over.

"I understand." He stood up and bowed slightly to Wu Changkong. "Thank you, Teacher Wu."

As Fu Li left the office, she stood in the corridor for a while.

Ah Ji, who had appeared out of his arms at some point, looked up at him.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling discouraged?"

Fu Li looked down at Aji and suddenly smiled.

"No. I just think that what Teacher Wu said makes sense."

"So what do you plan to do?"

Fu Li put Aji on her shoulder and walked towards the classroom.

"Let's finish reading this book first."

Ah Ji curled his lip: "Tch, pretending to be profound."

Fu Li flicked its head but didn't reply.

He paused when he reached the classroom door.

Voices could be heard coming from inside; it was as lively as a market.

Fu Li took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and went inside.

"Brother Fu Li, what does Teacher Wu want with you?" Tang Wulin immediately came over and asked.

"It's nothing, they just gave me a book."

"Books? What books?"

Fu Li waved the "Initial Explanation of Sword Intent" in his hand without offering any further explanation.

Back in his seat, he opened to the first page, where Wu Changkong's annotations came into view—

"The sword is the blade of the heart. Where the heart leads, the sword follows."

Fu Li looked at it for a long time, then gently closed the book.

Where the heart leads, the sword follows.

Where will his sword be pointed?