A strange smile crept up at the corner of Huo Yuhao's mouth. He was completely unfazed by the odd looks thrown his way by the boys in class—this emotion, he was all too familiar with: jealousy.
So what if they were jealous? These bratty little boys who hadn't even grown all their hair yet—he didn't even need to lift a finger. A single glance, a slight shift in his eyes, and a terrifying wave of spiritual pressure instantly engulfed the entire classroom.
"Wha…?" Under the weight of Huo Yuhao's spiritual pressure, many new students could barely lift their heads. Their faces were full of shock—What kind of monster is this guy?
Trying to target me? Do you guys even have what it takes?
The contempt in Huo Yuhao's eyes was as sharp as a blade, stabbing straight into the hearts of the freshmen who had dared to look at him with hostility.
He must never be made an enemy! That thought arose in the hearts of every boy in the room.
"Yuhao…" Next to him, Nanmen Yun'er tugged gently on his sleeve, her cheeks tinged pink, motioning for him not to be too showy.
Huo Yuhao smiled silently, gently patted her slender hand and brought it into his palm. That small gesture caused Nanmen Yun'er's face to flush even redder.
Is he... claiming his territory? Her heart raced wildly like a fawn, but surprisingly, she didn't pull her hand back from his grasp.
Compared to powerful figures like Ning Tian and Wu Feng, Nanmen Yun'er was much more pleasing to Huo Yuhao. After all, as a soul that had crossed over from another world, she reminded him of the gentle, water-like femininity of women from his past life.
At that moment, someone walked into the classroom—a curvy woman with delicately done makeup and slightly curled, jet-black hair, dressed in a long white robe. Her sharp, alluring eyes sparkled with radiance.
It was none other than Class 9's homeroom teacher: Mu Jin.
As soon as the teacher appeared, the previously noisy class fell into immediate silence, and all eyes turned to the podium.
"Children, my name is Mu Jin, and I'm your homeroom teacher. I don't know how many of you will make it through the year with me. But what I can offer is this: in my class, no matter your innate talent, you all have a chance to pass. I will train you to become monsters, and I won't give up on any of you lightly."
Mu Jin's voice was soft and soothing, like a refreshing spring breeze.
Her words made many students' eyes light up. After all, anyone who had passed Shrek Academy's entrance exams was handpicked from across the continent—elite among elites.
Wasn't Shrek Academy's motto all about cultivating monsters? Her words instantly boosted their impression of her.
In any world, a teacher who can earn students' respect and admiration right off the bat is truly rare.
With just a few sentences, Mu Jin captured the hearts of elite students from all over the continent—and even Huo Yuhao began to view her with greater respect.
Meanwhile, over in Class 1, the original storyline probably has Zhou Yi dragging everyone out to run laps, he thought.
Mu Jin continued, "For the rest of the morning, so everyone can get to know one another better, we'll have a round of self-introductions. You can talk about your martial soul, your soul power level, and what you hope to achieve in the future…"
As soon as she said this, the more outgoing students started buzzing with excitement—this was a rare chance to make a good impression. The shyer students, on the other hand, hung their heads nervously. It reminded Huo Yuhao of his student days in his past life.
"I'll give you all five minutes to prepare," Mu Jin said with a bright smile. The classroom immediately erupted into chatter—nobody wanted to leave a bad first impression.
You're all elites who passed Shrek's entrance exam. What are you so nervous about? Huo Yuhao grumbled inwardly, though he kept a straight face.
Self-introductions would go in the order of their enrollment numbers. And somehow, whether by chance or design, when Huo Yuhao looked at the list, he found that he was the very last one.
Is this the protagonist's privilege? Huo Yuhao rubbed his chin thoughtfully. When he accidentally met Mu Jin's gaze, she was watching him expectantly—and in that moment, he understood.
Ah, so it was intentional!
Why didn't she let Ning Tian, the student with the highest soul power, go last for dramatic effect? Well, Mu Jin wasn't blind—she could see that Ning Tian and Wu Feng's group revolved around Huo Yuhao. If he could win over the heir of a thousand-year-old sect like Ning Tian, that alone proved his strength…
Five minutes later, Mu Jin lightly tapped the desk to get their attention.
"Let's begin. First up, student number one: Cheng Chang'an."
A tall, handsome boy stepped onto the stage with confidence. His tailored uniform and commanding presence radiated arrogance and the spirit of a true elite.
"My name is Cheng Chang'an. My martial soul is the Golden Eyed White Wolf, and I'm a level 29 Defense-type Battle Soul Master."
Wow! The class was stunned. A level 29 Soul Master right out the gate? No wonder he passed the Shrek exam. Normally, White-Eyed Wolves are agility-based souls, but the golden-eyed version clearly marked his as a rare mutation—making him a defense type. Any martial soul with the words "gold" or "silver" in the name was top-tier.
"I hope we can all get along. After today's classes, I'll treat anyone who wants to be friends to dinner!"
Loaded. Absolutely loaded. That was the only way to describe this guy. Shrek City's prices were easily double those of other places. Treating the entire class—around a hundred students—would cost nearly 100,000 gold soul coins.
After Cheng Chang'an, a lightly made-up girl took the stage.
"Hi everyone, I'm Gu Xiaoli. My martial soul is the Shaking Gold Hammer. I'm a level 27 Control-type Battle Soul Master—and Cheng Chang'an's girlfriend."
Another wave of murmurs rippled through the class. Even Mu Jin was speechless—Are students already forming couples these days?
Huo Yuhao's expression darkened slightly. Those names reminded him of some unpleasant memories.
"Next up, student number three: Ye Shengge…"
Everyone who passed the Shrek exam had soul power around the Soul Master level (25–30). The lowest was still level 18, and their martial souls were all unique—some downright bizarre.
Overall, Class 9's strength was mid-to-upper tier among all the classes, excluding Huo Yuhao's group. The current top freshman in terms of soul power was still Dai Huabin, Huo Yuhao's half-brother from the original storyline.
"Next, number 97: Nanmen Yun'er."
Finally, it was Huo Yuhao's team's turn. Mu Jin clearly gave them the spotlight by placing them at the end.
"I'm Nanmen Yun'er. My martial soul is the Emerald Bluebird. I'm a level 26 Agility Attack-type Battle Soul Master!" Her soft, sweet voice tugged at everyone's hearts. "I hope we can all get along!"
"Woo! Such a cute girl!" came a few playful howls from the class.
"Next, number 98: Wu Feng."
In stark contrast to Yun'er's softness, Wu Feng marched to the stage with loud, confident strides. Students in her path scrambled aside.
"Wu Feng. Martial soul: Red Dragon. Level 27 Power Attack-type Battle Soul Master! I'll be one of the top freshmen and aim straight for the Inner Court. I'll accept any challenge and prove myself with victory after victory!"
Her bold personality was no surprise to Huo Yuhao's group. But her words definitely stirred up resentment—if not for her stunning face and figure, she'd probably have offended half the class with that speech.
Only around ten freshmen had soul power over level 25, and Wu Feng's Red Dragon was an extremely high-grade martial soul. Even compared to Cheng Chang'an, she held her own.
"Next, number 99: Ning Tian."
Compared to Yun'er's softness and Wu Feng's fiery temperament, Ning Tian carried an innate aura of leadership. Her elegant smile matched her confident demeanor.
"Hello everyone, I'm Ning Tian. Martial soul: Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda. Level 33 Support-type Battle Soul Elder."
The class fell into stunned silence.
Level 33? Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda?!
Shockwaves rippled through everyone's hearts. That martial soul was known as the best support-type in the entire continent. And as a support-type, she had already reached level 33 at this age?
Monster.
That was the only word anyone could think of. Ning Tian was the very definition of a Shrek Academy "monster."
Returning to her seat, Ning Tian tilted her delicate chin toward Huo Yuhao, as if to say: See that? I'm the strongest in Class 9. Your turn.
"Next, number 100: Huo Yuhao."
Every gaze locked onto him—not just because he was last, but because he seemed to be the leader of Ning Tian's group. That spiritual pressure earlier still haunted many of them.
Huo Yuhao looked at Ning Tian and caught her giving him a sly smile. It was clear now—she had held back during her introduction. Her real martial soul was the upgraded Eight Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, but she didn't reveal it.
Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up. Nice. She just gave me an idea.
He jogged up to the podium and instantly put on a pitiful face.
"Hello, everyone—err, I mean, mighty seniors and bosses. My name is Huo Yuhao. Martial soul: Spirit Eyes. Level 15 Support-type Tool Battle Soul Master. I'm weak, poor, and talentless. I only got into Shrek because of Rich Lady Ning Tian. Please, help me survive, help me thrive, help me look cool and fly high!"
He bowed in all directions, eyes teary and nose running.
"There's no way I'll ever get strong. Not in this life. Every one of you is amazing. The teacher is so charming. I just love it here…"
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(End of Chapter)