Once again, she tightly followed the person in front of her, matching every step.
Another ten minutes passed.
The girl's stamina was already completely spent.
But she still forced herself onward, moving her slender legs inch by inch.
By now, most people could barely keep up a slow jog. The weight of the heavy iron armor crushed their chests, making it hard to breathe, so they could only trudge forward with difficulty.
Wang Dong was in better physical condition and remained at the very front of the class.
She turned her head to glance at Huo Yutong, but she was powerless to help. In this scenario, lending a hand to Huo Yutong would only drag her down, causing her to slip out of the top thirty.
She could only watch, unable to intervene.
The girl seemed oblivious to the gazes of others. Sweat drenched her face, her delicate cheeks flushed crimson.
Her consciousness was beginning to blur, but her steps remained firm.
From within that frail body burst a strength that did not seem to belong to her.
One step… and then another.
All for the belief in her heart.
In the distance—
Neuvillette stood quietly, one hand resting lightly on his long staff, expression calm.
But in his gaze toward the girl, there was a trace of surprise.
As expected of the daughter of destiny… this kind of willpower is truly beyond the reach of most people.
Zhou Yi, however, frowned deeply.
She hadn't expected this girl to have a chance of advancing.
Either she had been suppressing her true strength these past two days, or she had just unleashed a surge of potential far beyond her norm.
Another ten minutes passed.
Carrying seventy jin of burden, every step taken through pure physical force was a monumental effort.
Bang!
Huo Yutong's thin body crashed heavily to the ground. Because of the iron armor, her fair forehead slammed into the dirt, and a faint trickle of blood slid down her skin.
The impact left her dizzy and disoriented.
Her long-oxygen-deprived body had finally reached its limit. She struggled to get up a few times, but could not.
Many students nearby glanced at her, but could only shake their heads before continuing to push forward.
Already, more than a dozen from the new Class One had collapsed, fainting where they fell.
Baked under the blazing sun, with their stamina nearly depleted, none of them could rise to continue running.
At first, there had been sympathy… but now, only numbness.
"Heh."
Seeing this, Zhou Yi smiled faintly.
She had just been overtaken by at least three people in the past minute.
How could she possibly not lose?
But in the very next second—
The girl's trembling hand reached forward. She began crawling toward the finish.
At this moment, in her mind—
There was only one thought.
Get into the top thirty!
In an instant—
Not only the students of Class One—
Even Neuvillette, who had been "watching the show" from the side, narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips together.
Does this girl have such an intense obsession with staying in Shrek Academy?
In the original timeline, she had wanted to gain skills, grow stronger, and seek justice for her mother Huo Yun'er, taking revenge on the White Tiger Duke.
But in this life, because of him, Huo Yun'er had not died at the hands of the White Tiger Duchess. The Duke had at most neglected the mother and daughter—hardly enough to fuel such hatred.
So,
Neuvillette paused for a moment.
Could it… be because of me?
The iron armor scraped against the ground as the girl dragged chains larger than her own body, using the last of her strength to crawl forward.
A long wet streak was left behind on the ground—
A mark of the distance she had crawled.
Countless people stopped to watch in silence.
No one could understand where this girl's overwhelming determination came from. Even her classmates were shaken to the core.
They feared being expelled—but they were merely anxious.
She, however, looked as if she were gambling her life.
For the chance to stay in Shrek Academy, she had given her everything.
In this moment, all emotions turned into respect. They simply watched her.
Finally, the bell rang.
Because four people ahead of her had collapsed in the last ten minutes, she had just barely cut.
Zhou Yi's face darkened until it seemed it could drip water.
She hadn't expected that even after all this, the girl would still pass the trial.
Looking around—
Out of the sixty students, over half had collapsed, and Huo Yutong held the thirtieth spot exactly.
"Hmph!"
Zhou Yi's face was black as she waved her hand, signaling the Soul Saint healer beside her.
Soon—
Leaves drifted down upon everyone.
A soft green glow shone.
The unconscious students slowly woke up.
The first thing each did was check their rank.
Some were relieved, others were disappointed.
Huo Yutong also rose slowly from the ground, patting her head lightly.
Meeting the admiring gazes of everyone, she showed a faint look of relief.
She stole a glance at Neuvillette, whose face was still unreadable, and quietly let out a breath. She had passed—she hadn't embarrassed His Eminence.
"All right!"
Zhou Yi clapped her hands, her expression cold.
Her eyes swept over the crowd, pausing for a moment on Huo Yutong.
Then she suddenly spoke:
"Today, thirty-one will be expelled."
"What?"
Someone exclaimed, then hurriedly covered their mouth.
All eyes turned to Huo Yutong. The light in the girl's bright eyes slowly dimmed—
As if her world had collapsed.
She stared blankly at Zhou Yi.
"Why, Teacher? Huo Yutong made the top thirty—this was the rule you set at the start!"
Wang Dong spoke up indignantly.
"Heh, no reason. Simply because I want thirty-one expelled today, nothing more."
Zhou Yi's voice was cold.
"For the thousand-year glory of Shrek, this is a trial the Academy must enforce. I've said it before—only by sifting out the dross can we preserve the true gold.
She gave Huo Yutong another icy look.
"Trash like this, no matter how hard they work, will never shine like gold. I never tolerate such people."
"I—!"
"That's enough, Wang Dong."
The girl lightly tugged Huo Yutong's arm. She didn't want to drag her outspoken partner into trouble.
Failing the trial was her burden to bear.
Head lowered, she slowly walked toward Neuvillette.
As if weighed down by crushing grief, her delicate body trembled. Her pale hands clenched so tightly that her knuckles were white.
She didn't dare look up into Neuvillette's eyes.
She couldn't imagine whether she would see disappointment, indifference, or contempt.
From her chest, she slowly drew a golden card—Shrek Academy's admission notice—still pristine as the day she'd received it.
Her voice trembled as she extended it with both hands toward the man before her.
"I'm sorry, Your Eminence… I've let you down."
But the imagined scolding or disappointed tone never came. Instead, there was an almost eerie silence.
"Haa."
Neuvillette exhaled softly.
Under the astonished gazes of all present, he gently ruffled the girl's hair.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"In my eyes, you are not trash."
"This is the Academy's fault—and yet it is you who must bear it."
"So now… leave the rest to me."