"Burp~! That was a feast!" Ling Yun stretched lazily as he stepped out of the restaurant, looking completely satisfied.
It was already past midnight. Earlier, Sasuke and the others had thrown a celebratory banquet for Ling Yun, Ling Xue, and Bai Cha in honor of their promotion.
At the rear of the group, Ye Zhiqiu walked alongside Sasuke, hesitation flickering in his eyes before he finally spoke."Brother Sasuke, what's your level of soul power?"
"Soul power level?" Sasuke repeated flatly. "I have no idea, and I don't care. I'm a ninja, not a soul master. Don't lump me in with you."
Ye Zhiqiu was momentarily stunned. Ninja? The word was unfamiliar, but sensing the mood, he didn't dare to press the question.
"Brother Sasuke," Ye Zhiqiu said earnestly, stopping in his tracks, "I see hope for Canghui Academy in you. Will you join me? Together we could lead the children to greater heights."
"Don't waste my time with such dull talk." Sasuke didn't even pause, continuing forward without looking back.
Ye Zhiqiu hurried to catch up, looking a little desperate. "This is my sincere request. You're not moved at all, Brother Sasuke?"
"Boring." That was all Sasuke said.
Later, as the group passed a training ground, Sasuke glanced at the sparring students ahead and said three words:"Too… weak."
Ye Ling'er bristled immediately. "Easy for you to say! I've been calling you 'Teacher' for days now, but you haven't taught me a single thing!"
"I never said I would teach you," Sasuke replied calmly. "Don't try to put chains on me."
"Oh, sure! So when us 'little losers' die out there one day, it's just because we weren't strong enough, right? And it'll have nothing to do with Teacher Sasuke! Isn't that right, Mu Qing?" Ye Ling'er hooked an arm around Mu Qing and pulled her close.
"The harshest journey demands the strongest will," Sasuke said, his tone still even. "From what I can see, you're not ready for that yet."
"What kind of preparations do you mean?" Ye Ling'er challenged.
"As long as you hide inside the academy, you'll never escape the cage of the weak," Sasuke answered. "It's laughable—you're still clinging to the so-called academy at your age and dreaming of growing stronger."
The students stared at him in shock. Sasuke, who was normally reserved, seemed unusually talkative today. It wasn't so much his criticism that stunned them, but the fact that he was speaking at such length.
He went on. "You soul masters spend your days training in comfort—light sparring, gentle practice. When you reach a bottleneck, you go hunt for a soul ring. That's your life. Keep going like that, and you'll never cross the gap that talent creates. Those with true talent are working themselves to the bone in places you've never even heard of. You can't even reach their starting line."
Ling Yun stepped forward without hesitation. "Then how do we become stronger, Teacher?"
"Strength is forged on the road, not in a cradle," Sasuke said. His Sharingan flashed crimson, and suddenly, every student—Mu Qing included—found themselves dragged into a scarlet void.
In that illusion, shadowy hands clutching blades reached for them from every direction. They couldn't move an inch. Pain and terror surged as cold steel pierced them—white blades in, red blades out.
"Enough, Sasuke!" Ye Zhiqiu barked when he realized something was wrong.
"Quiet," Sasuke said sharply. "If anyone is still standing after three hours, I'll train them personally."
Ye Zhiqiu froze. He glanced toward the training field where the children writhed in agony, then clenched his jaw. "I hope they understand their limits…"
"I only give them trials they can survive," Sasuke said. "But this world is far less merciful than I am. You, of all people, should know that, Ye Zhiqiu."
A month later, Sasuke set out with Ling Yun, Ling Xue, Ye Ling'er, Bai Cha, and Mu Qing. The delay was because, after Sasuke released his illusion, even Ye Ling'er—whose soul power was the highest—had fallen into an eighteen-day coma.
"Boss Ye, I'm going to miss you so much," Ye Ling'er sobbed, clinging to Ye Zhiqiu. Ling Yun, Ling Xue, Bai Cha, and Mu Qing each gave their teacher a hug as well.
Ye Zhiqiu patted them all reassuringly before turning to Sasuke. "I'm entrusting them to you."
"I'll bring them back every six months," Sasuke replied.
Ye Zhiqiu considered this for a moment, then nodded. "I understand."
"Mu Qing, how did you even hold on back then?" Ye Ling'er asked as they walked.
None of them had expected Sasuke to put Mu Qing through the same illusion—and even fewer expected her to endure it.
"I could feel it," Mu Qing said quietly. "Even though I couldn't see and it hurt like hell… I knew Teacher Sasuke was right there with me. So I wasn't afraid."
At Sasuke's request, she had stopped calling him "Brother" for the time being.
"Teacher, where are we going?" Ling Yun asked.
"The Great Star Dou Forest," Sasuke said.
"But none of us need a soul ring right now!" Bai Cha pointed out.
"I know!" Ling Xue piped up, raising her hand. "This is training! He's taking us there to make us stronger!"
"Let me be perfectly clear," Sasuke said. "Since you've set out with me, I won't hold back. No matter what happens, you're not allowed to fall behind."
"Yes, sir!" the five replied in unison.
Ling Yun glanced at the group—he was the only boy among them. Looking at Sasuke's sharp features, he gave a bitter smile. "I have a feeling this team's going to be… very united."
When they reached their destination, Ling Yun's eyes went wide. "We're finally here! The Great Star Dou Forest!" He let out an excited wolf-like howl.
"Huh? We're actually living here?" After hearing Sasuke's plan, his jaw nearly hit the ground.
"The air's amazing here," Ling Xue said.
"The scenery is gorgeous," Bai Cha added.
"You can see the stars every night," Ye Ling'er murmured.
Ling Yun rolled his eyes. "You might as well just say Sasuke is great."