What?!
Everyone in Class Zero was stunned. They didn't even have time to complain about why a space-type ability was given such a bizarre name as "Heavenly Hand Power."
Spatial movement was already an ability that was extremely difficult to guard against—and now it could even carry people along, or swap positions with them. Even with some restrictions, this was undeniably a powerful skill.
"If that's the case, then our future tactics just opened up a lot of possibilities," Tang Wulin said.
"Agreed," Gu Yue nodded. Having a space attribute ability herself, she understood the advantage. Her instantaneous movement could only take her, but it still gave her highly versatile combat patterns. She knew just how valuable Nan Fusheng's ability could be in a fight.
After some discussion, the five of them reached one conclusion for how to counter their next challenge—teamwork.
"Xiaoyan, you said you're stronger at night. After dinner, can you show us?" Nan Fusheng asked. To cooperate effectively, one had to understand their teammates' strengths.
"…Alright," Xu Xiaoyan agreed after only a moment's hesitation.
Before enrolling, her elders had strictly warned her not to reveal her special ability lightly. But after coming here, she found herself among the most gifted youths in all of Eastsea City. That afternoon's match had put tremendous pressure on her. She knew that to stay here, she needed her teammates' recognition.
So after a short pause, she agreed—there was no point hiding her strength. Observation and precision alone wouldn't be enough to earn her place in a group of prodigies.
After dinner, night fell.
The five headed to the academy's training field, toward the small grove in one corner.
Aside from Nan Fusheng, who had already guessed what was coming, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue were all curious about how Xu Xiaoyan could be stronger at night.
In the Douluo Continent, martial souls came in endless varieties, and nothing was impossible. Gu Yue's mastery over six elements was already unprecedented—so what novelty would Xu Xiaoyan bring?
The grove was dimly lit. Gu Yue raised her hand, conjuring a soft ball of golden light in her palm. The faint glow illuminated their surroundings.
Xie Xie, whose mind always wandered toward the mischievous side, felt a bit excited. Late at night, in a quiet grove on campus, it had a strange mix of mystery and thrill.
Xu Xiaoyan stepped forward and glanced at the night sky. The grove wasn't dense enough to block the stars overhead; they twinkled faintly. She nodded slightly.
"I'll begin."
She lifted her hand toward the sky. A yellow soul ring rose from beneath her feet, and a slender ice staff appeared in her grasp.
The golden light from Gu Yue's palm reflected off the staff, giving it a faintly sacred aura.
Xu Xiaoyan's expression grew solemn. She raised the staff high, and her eyes lit up in an instant.
"Heaven's stars, shining bright—ever brilliant, ever serene! Grant me your power… my Starwheel!"
Her soft incantation made the tip of the staff blaze with light.
So embarrassing! That was Nan Fusheng's first reaction. Even as a bystander, he felt a wave of second-hand shame, as if his cringeworthy middle-school days were being dug up for display. How could this little girl recite something so mortifying with a straight face? Oh, right—she was still a kid. That made it fine.
He quickly focused again. In the faint starlight, he saw a barely noticeable thread of golden light descend from the sky, merging into her ice staff.
The tip of the staff flared like a lantern. A golden glow spread outward, forming into a golden disk marked with a six-pointed star.
With the Starwheel's appearance, Xu Xiaoyan's entire presence changed. The once gentle, delicate girl suddenly stood tall. Surrounded by swirling starlight, she radiated elegance and nobility—an aura that could not be infringed upon.
Even the soul ring at her feet began to glimmer with specks of light. A small golden star appeared on her forehead, becoming her most beautiful ornament.
She gave her staff a light swing. The six-pointed star flew from its tip and landed at Xie Xie's feet.
In an instant, Xie Xie felt his whole body tighten and chill. His movements froze completely.
Starlight blazed, and lines of light rose from beneath his feet, forming chains of ice that locked around his body.
He quickly tried to circulate his soul power to resist—but to his shock, some mysterious force seemed to seal him. His soul power flowed far more sluggishly than normal.
"This…"
Xu Xiaoyan's face was pale. She explained, "At night, I can borrow the Starwheel's power. That's why my martial soul is the Starwheel Ice Staff, not just the Ice Staff like my brother's.
"It's a special mutated martial soul, passed down in my family since ancient times. For hundreds of years, I'm the only one who's awakened it. The Starwheel grows with my strength. No matter what soul spirit I absorb, it becomes part of my Starwheel.
"I can only fully wield it at night. In the daytime, I'm just a normal Ice Staff soul master. But at night, I have the protection of the stars."
She went on, "The Starwheel adds an astrological attribute to my ice element. The greatest thing about the astrology attribute is its absolute effect.
"Right now, I can use the Starwheel to lock someone in place. The time they take to break free depends on their cultivation level—but the minimum is one full second."
Astrology attribute? None of them had ever heard of it before. But the proof was right before their eyes: Xie Xie, the one with the highest known cultivation among them (besides the still-mysterious Nan Fusheng), had already been trapped for five seconds and still couldn't break free.
Five seconds—in combat, that was an eternity. Even Nan Fusheng, as a fragile ranged fighter, couldn't be sure he could break out in time. Of course, that was assuming Xu Xiaoyan could land her hit.
"After you use the Starwheel, can you still fight?" Gu Yue suddenly asked.
Xu Xiaoyan gave a wry smile and shook her head. "No. If I move while channeling it, the effect breaks. Otherwise, it wouldn't be so powerful. So my greatest strength is in teamwork.
"My family's records say that once my cultivation gets higher, the astrology attribute will give me more abilities. It's like having an extra soul skill for every soul ring—at night, at least. In the day, I'm just an ice staff user."
As expected, powerful abilities came with powerful restrictions. Unable to move, unable to attack, usable only at night—these limits meant she wasn't unbeatable in one-on-one combat.
But in a team fight? This was a nightmare for opponents. At a critical moment, it could turn the tide completely.
One guaranteed second of immobilization could decide everything.
"Alright, release me, little miss," Xie Xie said with a pained expression.
Xu Xiaoyan smiled sweetly. The Starwheel's glow flickered, and the golden light and ice chains vanished from Xie Xie.
Truth be told, she was near her limit anyway. Such power came with a massive drain. If Xie Xie had kept struggling, he would've eventually broken free.