"Class time is approaching. All Martial Soul Academy students, please proceed to the classroom for class."
"Latecomers will not be admitted!"
"3, 2, 1!"
The white school building's doors slowly closed as Huo Yuhao, clad in his white uniform, slipped in just in time.
Class 1 was located in the first room on the left of the ground floor.
The tiered classroom was mostly filled, with only the first seat in the front row empty. A glowing sign above it read "Huo Yuhao."
He walked to his seat, glancing around as he went. Including him, there were a total of 100 students.
His roommate, Wang Dong, sat in the middle, surrounded by three concentric circles of female classmates.
What a coincidence?
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but suspect that he had been deliberately placed in the front row.
He felt no strong reaction, even somewhat relieved—women would only hinder his cultivation progress.
He settled into his seat and immediately began circulating the Muscle Transformation Manual, seizing every moment to cultivate.
The classroom buzzed with chatter as students whispered among themselves.
He stood out like a sore thumb.
Bang!
The loud sound of the door opening made Huo Yuhao slowly finish his cultivation practice.
An elderly woman walked in, her graying hair neatly coiled.
Despite her wrinkled face, her eyes shone unnaturally bright, completely lacking the cloudiness typical of old age.
'Either she's incredibly powerful, or...'
"Don't guess. She's disguised. Her true form is a quite pretty young woman," Zhuge Lan revealed. "She made herself look ugly so she could maintain control."
Huo Yuhao nodded in understanding.
As the teacher entered, the class fell temporarily silent.
The elderly woman walked to the podium, her gaze calmly sweeping from left to right.
Most students dared not meet her gaze, but Huo Yuhao was definitely not among them. He even examined her with keen curiosity.
Their eyes met.
The elderly woman felt a sudden suspicion that her disguise had been seen through.
She stared at Huo Yuhao for a few extra seconds.
Then, in a voice as rough and calm as the reaper's call, she announced:
"I am Zhou Yi, Class 1's homeroom teacher."
"In my class, no trash will pass the assessment."
"I cultivate monsters, not fools."
Zhou Yi's voice, hoarse and steady, echoed like the reaper calling names.
The contempt and arrogance in Zhou Yi's voice stirred anger among many of the students below.
After all, who managed to pass the entrance exam to Shrek and gain admission without considering themselves a genius?
Zhou Yi observed everything, noticing that Huo Yuhao remained calm, with faint fluctuations of soul power around him.
It seemed he was attempting the "open-eyed meditation exercise"?
'So diligent?
Then let's see just how much this special admission student is worth.'
"During the registration period, anyone who got into a fight, stand up," Zhou Yi commanded.
The students were stunned.
They were all new arrivals—why would anyone pick a fight for no reason? Yet Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong both stood up.
They instantly became the focus of the entire class.
"Only two? What a bunch of useless trash!" Zhou Yi snapped, clearly displeased. "Don't you know that those who avoid trouble are mediocre fools?"
"Everyone else, get out now and run 100 laps around Shrek Plaza. No Soul Skills allowed."
"Anyone who fails to complete this within two hours will be immediately expelled."
The class erupted in an uproar!
'What the hell?
No fight, but penalty? And failure to complete the task means expulsion?'
Several students immediately rose to protest.
Zhuge Lan was equally vocal in his complaints.
"I understand Zhou Yi wants to make a show of force, but that 'those who don't dare to cause trouble are cowards' line... Ugh, it makes me sick every time I hear it."
"What kind of tyrannical nonsense is that?!"
Huo Yuhao gave an almost imperceptible nod of agreement.
Though he wasn't a pushover, he understood that needlessly stirring up trouble would inevitably lead to hitting a brick wall—a fool's errand.
Buzz, buzz, buzz—
Six Soul Rings materialized beneath Zhou Yi's feet: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black!
A six-ring Soul Emperor!
Such a cultivation level was exceedingly rare among the freshmen.
The troublemakers were instantly stunned.
Zhou Yi declared coldly, "If you don't like it, get lost."
"I'll see you all running around Shrek Plaza within a minute. Fail to show, and you're all expelled."
When fists speak, words are unnecessary. Everyone scrambled to their feet and bolted outside.
Huo Yuhao remained seated, assuming he didn't need to run.
"That kid's being set up," Zhuge Lan warned. "Ask that she-demon if you need to run too. And if the time limit is the same as theirs!"
Huo Yuhao blinked.
'Are people's hearts truly so treacherous?'
He decided to test the waters.
Huo Yuhao raised his hand and asked, "Teacher, do Wang Dong and I have to run? Does the time reset for another two hours, or does it end with them?"
Zhou Yi looked at him in surprise.
'Could he actually be clever?'
"Of course you have to run," Zhou Yi said sternly, her expression unyielding. "But you..."
Whoosh!
Huo Yuhao shot out of the classroom like a sharp arrow, pulling Wang Dong along as he passed by.
'Only an idiot would stay and waste time!'
He was only level 15, barely scraping by the admission threshold. If he didn't push himself, he'd really be eliminated!
Zhou Yi never expected this seemingly sweet and slightly rebellious little guy to act this way.
Once everyone had left, Zhou Yi suddenly chuckled and pulled out a report to read.
"Level 11 at age 11, yet Dean Yan personally intervened to secure his admission to the Inner Court."
"What secrets do you hold, young man?"
At Shrek Plaza, Wang Dong shook off Huo Yuhao's hand, his expression clearly displeased. Huo Yuhao was left utterly bewildered.
"If I hadn't pulled you along, who knows how much time you'd have wasted? What's your problem?"
"You..." Wang Dong stammered, at a loss for words. "You squeezed too hard!"
A chill ran down Huo Yuhao's spine.
Hearing those words come from a man's mouth was... unbelievable!
'This guy is too much!'
He quickened his pace, simultaneously calculating in his head.
Shrek Plaza wasn't large; one lap was roughly 300 meters.
A hundred laps would be 30,000 meters—about 250 meters per minute, or 4 meters per second.
Since everyone present was at least a 15th-level Soul Master, and they could use their soul power, they could complete the run as long as they didn't slack off.
But if they were detained for a moment, things could get complicated.
"Thanks for the warning, Brother Lan," Huo Yuhao said gratefully. "That would have been disastrous."
Zhuge Lan smiled but said nothing.
Just then, Wang Dong quickened his pace and sidled up to them.
"How did you beat me that day?"
"Your Martial Soul is of the spiritual attribute?"
"Is that your first Soul Skill?"
Huo Yuhao nodded, then shook his head.
Wang Dong was utterly confused.
'What does that mean?'
"It's a spiritual attribute Martial Soul, but not a Soul Skill," Huo Yuhao explained concisely. "If you also used your Martial Soul, I wouldn't stand a chance."
Wang Dong tossed his head arrogantly.
"Of course!" he declared. "There aren't even ten freshmen this year who can compare to me."
"You only have a ten-year first Soul Ring. You definitely can't beat me."
'Give him an inch, and he'll take a mile.'
Huo Yuhao retorted irritably, "You just lost that ten-year Soul Ring to me."
"Ahem!" Wang Dong quickly changed the subject. "Considering you helped me earlier, I'll let bygones be bygones. From now on, I'll look out for you!"
Huo Yuhao rolled his eyes.
Unwilling to continue chatting with this arrogant fellow, he quickened his pace again.
"Hey!" Wang Dong jogged to catch up. "I've already forgiven you. Why are you still mad?"