While listening to Ning Tian, Huo Yuhao took notes, preparing to add her feedback to his experimental data.
As the first Soul Master to voluntarily step onto the path of Blood Essence: Tool Cultivation—and being his own student—Huo Yuhao naturally placed immense importance on Ning Tian.
Finishing his notes, Huo Yuhao took out a pre-prepared necklace and handed it to her. Ning Tian cupped her hands and received it with utmost solemnity.
"Teacher, this is..."
"A Rank 9 defensive Soul Tool, auto-trigger type. It can withstand five minutes of full-force attacks from a Limit Douluo. Consider it my gift to the Freshman Assessment Champion. How is it? Do you like it?"
"This..." Ning Tian's mouth hung open for a moment. After a brief pause, she nodded firmly. "Thank you, Teacher. I love it. I will cherish this necklace."
"Good. As long as you like it."
Huo Yuhao nodded with a smile, then asked after a moment, "Any plans for the holidays?"
Ning Tian's expression regained its cool composure as she replied calmly, "I will return to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I intend to ask my father to pay a visit to the Spirit Transmission Pagoda."
"That decisive?" Huo Yuhao was slightly surprised.
"Teacher, would Sister Bingbing and the others call you shameless?" Ning Tian delivered a precision retort.
As the Young Sect Master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the student of the Spirit Transmission Pagoda Master, how could she not know the general situation of both powers?
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect lacked true high-end combat power. Currently, the sect only had three Super Douluos; one was Rank 97, while the other two had been stuck at Rank 95 for years. While powerful, they were ultimately insufficient when facing forces like Shrek Academy or the Body Sect.
But that was only high-end power. In terms of middle and lower-tier influence, her sect was the largest power outside the fundamental bases of the four empires.
Then look at the Spirit Transmission Pagoda.
Just the two "sisters" standing beside her scumbag teacher were undoubtedly Super Douluos—and at least Rank 97 or higher!
She remembered a time when she was playing games to relax in a room with Sister Bingbing, Sister Skydream (whose name her bastard teacher had stolen), Luochen, and Senior Sister Nannan.
Halfway through, Sister Bingbing suddenly vanished. In just over ten seconds, she returned carrying an ice sculpture of a man whose shocked expression hadn't even faded. Right in front of them, she opened a spatial portal and tossed the sculpture inside.
The proficiency of the movement was appalling.
Ning Tian had recognized the frozen man; he was a Rank 95 Super Douluo from the Body Sect. Such a powerhouse hadn't even lasted ten seconds against Sister Bingbing—and that included travel time.
It could only be described as absurdly strong.
Adding in her teacher, an inscrutable and ridiculous existence, Ning Tian felt that anyone who didn't double down on this investment right now must have had their head caught in a door.
Unsurprisingly, once the Spirit Transmission Pagoda truly supplanted Shrek, the future would belong to them.
"Fine, let's leave it at that. But holidays are holidays; remember to complete the tasks I assigned. You have great talent and are already a Rank 4 Soul Tool Engineer. If you work hard, you might become Rank 5 before the Continental Soul Master Competition. Keep at it."
Huo Yuhao encouraged her.
Ning Tian nodded, then suddenly thought of something. "Teacher, will you be going to the Soul Master Competition as well?"
"Me?" Huo Yuhao laughed softly and shook his head. "The Master of the Spirit Transmission Pagoda cannot simply leave Shrek City."
Ning Tian frowned instinctively. She felt her teacher's words held a hidden meaning, but she couldn't pinpoint the issue.
How strange...
...
"...Intimidating students, abusing power, forming factions... Zhou Yi, do you or do you not confess to these past deeds?!"
Currently, on the competition stage, Tang San—who had been lying face-down with his white butt to the sky—had already been sent to the infirmary amidst the "admiring" gazes of the crowd.
Replacing him under the public eye was Zhou Yi!
The "seniority" and "achievements" she used to brag about had now become concrete evidence. In front of the many students below, Zhou Yi was undergoing a public trial.
As the names of the students ruined by Zhou Yi were read out one by one, even Yan Shaozhe himself could barely suppress his killing intent!
"Zhou Yi... do you confess or not!" Seeing her silence, Yan Shaozhe roared.
This time, Zhou Yi snapped.
Her eyes were bloodshot. The mask of an old woman had long been stripped away, revealing her beautiful but hideously distorted face.
"I admit it! But I am not wrong! I am NOT WRONG! There is nothing wrong with my education!
"It was the students' fault! Those wastes should all be culled! I only teach geniuses!
"If they had problems, it was their problem! My teaching is flawless!
"What do you know about education! I am right! I AM THE ONE WHO IS RIGHT!"
Zhou Yi shrieked at the top of her lungs. Although she knew her life was likely forfeit, she still refused to admit she was wrong!
This response made Yan Shaozhe's expression even darker. The killing intent of a Super Douluo descended once more as he stared her down.
"Do you admit your mistakes?!"
Zhou Yi gritted her teeth, her expression crazed and twisted. She stared back at him and hissed word by word:
"I! AM! NOT! WRONG!"
"Good... very good! Excellent!" Yan Shaozhe felt he was about to laugh from pure rage. A look of ruthlessness appeared on his face.
"The prisoner has confessed to her actions but stubbornly refuses to repent. The penalty is increased!"
A burst of holy light emerged, making the watching students feel a sense of clarity in their hearts. However, this light energy compressed in an instant and surged directly into Zhou Yi's dantian, shattering her core and every meridian in her body!
"Pfft!"
Blood sprayed out. Zhou Yi, who had been defiant just a moment ago, now had a vacant look in her eyes.
Her Soul Power... gone? Her entire cultivation as a Soul Emperor had been crippled?!
Something more terrifying than death descended upon her: absolute despair.
Ignoring the catatonic Zhou Yi, Yan Shaozhe—never forgetting his duty—took a deep breath. He turned to face the students below and spoke with deep sincerity:
"Students, I, Yan Shaozhe, Dean of the Martial Soul Department, sincerely express my deepest apologies to all those harmed by Zhou Yi and teachers like her!
"Of course, I know that merely saying 'sorry' is useless! Teachers like Zhou Yi are by no means an exception at Shrek Academy!
"Therefore, effective immediately, Shrek Academy enters a phase of self-rectification. Every student will have the right to report misconduct—the students will monitor the teachers!
"Any report, once verified, will lead to a trial regardless of the offender's rank!
"I, Yan Shaozhe, in the name of..." He paused, then corrected himself: "...in the name of all the ancestors of Shrek, I swear this to all students!"