Soul Land: The Savage Star

( Some light gore further down, read at your own risks )

Going to bed with heavy hearts, Feng and Beibei had a hard time sleeping and when they woke up the next day, they either cultivated or passed some time in the practice field. In this manner, the rest of the week came to pass with the twins making huge efforts because of their goals, though the fact that they were jeered each time they went to the cafeteria because of their lack of skill also helped.

With the idle week finished and slightly better fighting manners, the twins put on their uniform and went to the class building. They didn't know how they would be assigned to class but they went there as it was the only place with answers. Once on the first floor, they saw that they were the only ones present as they came early and that on each classroom door was a list.

Swallowing their saliva, they began to read the lists for each classroom, beginning from A, which means they only had to read two to find their class. They were in class B, theoretically the best possible if iceberg teacher told the truth. Speaking of which, he was already in the class, waiting for his students to enter.

As the door wasn't locked, they knocked and entered once they were permitted to. Once inside, they went to seats near the window as they were the only ones there and no one else was present. After a few minutes, the classroom began to fill up with kids their age. When the last kid entered, iceberg teacher finally began to talk, not before releasing some pressure to shut the chatty kids up.

" My name is Qian Suer and I will be your teacher until you become spirit grandmasters, or that your sixth year comes to an end. I won't repeat myself so listen well, when I say something, you do it. Is that clear? "

A unified chorus answered " Yes! "

Nodding, but having his already cold look become colder, he stood up and said "Good then get up and follow me, the first lesson is a special one. " Not understanding why they would even come to class if they had nothing to do in it, the kids still chaotically followed teacher Qian out of the class. They passed the corridor and exited the building.

Once outside and to the dismay of all students present, they actually left the academy. On the way, teacher Qian began the longest monologue in his teaching history " Class B is the best class of the academy where every talent not affiliated to the top brass of spirit hall are groomed to shine. This is the class that is looked after the most as it's from where future powerful servants of spirit hall rise.

But with this status as a special class, class B has special lessons and learning methods. If you ever get to be degraded from class B, you will take the normal course as students of class C or lower and your name will be remembered as failures since only graduates from this class get to truly become part of spirit hall. "

As he was talking, they passed by Spirit city's streets and reached a big building that looked quite old and shabby, guarded by three men in armor. After a quick bow towards teacher Qian, they opened the door to the building and he went inside. The kids, still under pressure couldn't talk at all and just followed the teacher inside after a few seconds of hesitation for some of them.

Once inside, they saw the bars of rusty looking cells. This made the children very afraid about what could happen to them because of the state of the ones inside. Everyone in the cells looked like dregs. They all had at least one limb chopped off, their clothes were dirty rags and their expressions were that of hopelessness.

In addition to that, the smell of blood, pee, and other nefarious odors made quick work of the students' morale. Almost all the kids retched as such a scene was too much to handle for them. Feng was relatively okay for some reason. He felt slightly sick but his brother's trembling hand reminded him of his goals. Speaking of which, Beibei was also one of the very few who didn't retch.

All this while, teacher Qian was quietly observing them and nodded at the sight of those who showed the least reactions and those who relatively quickly calmed down. One thing that all students had in common though was the look of abject fear directed at him, that and the fact that they couldn't understand why he made them come here.

After waiting for a few more minutes, teacher Qian said " The people in these cells... are sinners. Does any of you know what their sins are? " Hearing no response, he continued " They dared to go against spirit hall. Does any of you know why this is a sin? " Still hearing no response, he finished with a great amount of passion " That's because spirit hall is the rightful ruler of this continent and its inhabitants yet, some heretics dare to look down on and antagonize us! "

Still, with pale faces, the children looked incredulously at their teacher while trembling and at the verge of tears as the pressure he exuded rose with each of his words. Seeing their states, he lowered the pressure he purposefully raised to make this experience an unforgettable one.

Then, he went to one of the cells where a dirty old man who had both arms amputated lay sprawled on the ground. Turning again towards his students, he said " Observe well, for this will be what you will have to do for spirit hall in the future. " After talking and making sure that every student was looking, he took out a blade from seemingly nowhere and began to torture the old man, who didn't even utter a sound as his dead eyes glared at Teacher Qian, before decapitating him.

Afterward, he stayed there observing his students once more. Said students could be separated into three categories based on reaction. The first being those who screamed, cried and/or threw up, the second being those who held everything in and the third being those who fainted on the spot.

Beibei was of the third category. He fainted and fell in Feng's trembling arms, who was of the second category. At this moment, his mind was going through a breakdown process. This, was not what he imagined when he was proposed to join spirit hall. In the village, everyone thought that the first quality of spirit hall was righteousness, not strength nor wealth.

Almost every kid grew up being told countless amazing feats of members from spirit hall and even some of their greatest pride: elder Luo. What made most of these feats so admirable were the causes which led to them like warding off a beast tide from a village to save it.

Even worse for Feng, his own mother was part of this very same organization. Then, it was there that it dawned on him. He... never saw her truly happy, did he? Even more so when spirit hall was mentioned, her look always became one of helplessness instead of the awaited pride.

Lowering his eyes to look at his fainted brother, his resolved reaffirmed. He, just like their mother, would bear with his conflicting feelings so that they can live. At this moment, he didn't know it but his eyes shone a red light before the red light disappeared, with no one to know of its existence as Feng's head was lowered.

Exiting the cell, teacher Qian counted in his head the number of still awake and relatively calm kids.

' Three huh, and as I thought, that Leng Feng is one of them '. Once outside, he raised his pressure again to get the attention of his students and told the students to carry their unconscious comrades as he began to head out.

Feng quietly carried Beibei as he immediately followed. He didn't know how much time passed before they reached the academy. He just knew that when he saw the ' As expected look ' the guards were directing towards the class, the remaining faint hope that only this teacher, in particular, was twisted crumbled.

As every student entered, teacher Qian dismissed the class, telling them that the normal course will begin the next day. But before leaving, he threatened everyone that if a word of this special spread, harsh punishment would await all of them.

Not wasting time, Feng got to their room as he gently placed Beibei on his bed before quietly sobbing.