Elimination

Finally, Ye Yang turned his gaze to the student who had struck first and asked, "What's your name?"

The man paused for a moment, then said, "My name is Tamura Matsushita."

Ye Yang nodded. "Very good. You had the best distribution of physical and Spiritual Power throughout the entire process. However, your weakness is that your physical and Spiritual Power are not abundant. You need to pay more attention to this aspect of your training, understand?"

"Yes! Understood, Teacher Ye Yang!"

Then, Ye Yang scanned the students. He couldn't discern any expression in their eyes, so they couldn't tell how he intended to deal with them. However, Ye Yang indifferent gaze made them somewhat uneasy.

When Ye Yang finally glanced at the people behind him, his gaze gradually turned cold. Ye Yang stared intently at the students behind him, the same students who had been running at the back from the beginning—one boy and three girls, a total of four students.

Although Ye Yang didn't unleash any killing intent, these first-year students had never seen anything like it before. They immediately broke out in a cold sweat; his icy gaze pierced their hearts, like a sharp blade behind their backs.

"You guys come out here," Ye Yang said slowly, pointing at them.

Overwhelmed by Ye Yang's imposing presence, they all stepped out trembling, heads bowed, not daring to utter a word.

Do you know why I called you out?

Several students shook their heads, their eyes filled with fear, seemingly lost in thought.

Ye Yang's eyes turned cold. "Did you think I called you out because you were the last to arrive? Hmph! If that's the case, I won't say anything. The other students knew they couldn't complete the ten laps, but they still ran with all their might, and that's enough. But what about you?"

Several students trembled uncontrollably, especially the three female students, who all lowered their heads, unable to look at Ye Yang.

"You didn't give it your all from the very beginning! You didn't take what I said to heart at all! You never even tried until the very end, which means you gave up from the start. So in the end, they all reaped huge rewards, but you didn't. I don't know what you were thinking, do you understand? I absolutely will not allow people like you to exist among my students!" Ye Yang looked at them coldly.

Ye Yang's meaning was clear: they had been eliminated. "Don't come to this class tomorrow. Go to Class Two. The education there is more suitable for you."

At this moment, the only boy inside shouted, "But you want us to run ten laps in an hour? That's clearly an impossible task! We haven't learned the Shunpo, and our Spiritual Power isn't enough to support us running the whole course. You're obviously deliberately making things difficult for us!"

Ye Yang glanced at him indifferently. "But did they give up? Didn't they still try even though they knew the outcome? Did they say anything? Besides, is this some kind of impossible task? Two of the students I taught before you completed it, and one of them even finished it in just over forty minutes!"

"What!" Renji exclaimed in surprise, "Teacher Ye Yang, is this for real? Two people completed it, and one of them finished it in forty minutes? Is this really possible?" Even he, who had honed his escape skills in Rukongai, had not been able to complete it. It was unbelievable that someone could finish it in just forty minutes.

"And he seemed perfectly fine after the run~ I think he could easily run ten more laps without any problem." Ye Yang then dropped this bombshell.

Renji and the others were speechless. Could a first-year student from the Shin'ō Academy really do this? Finally Kira couldn't help but ask, "Teacher Ye Yang, what's his name? He must be quite famous in the Thirteenth Division now."

Ye Yang couldn't laugh. This was the most talented student Ye Yang had ever taught. But he had embarked on a path of no return, and he had never looked back.

His name is Gin Ichimaru!

A sudden silence fell over the scene. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Gin Ichimaru! This name was more than just famous; who in the Seireien did not know Gin Ichimaru, the Third Division Captain? However, their surprise was not only because of this, but more importantly because Gin Ichimaru had actually been Ye Yang's student!

In other words, this teacher was already the Shin'ō's teacher when Gin Ichimaru was still a student. A teacher capable of producing Captain-level figure like Gin Ichimaru is no ordinary person. With such a teacher, how could they not become stronger?

"Oh, right," Ye Yang continued, "The other student who completed the program was a girl, and she's now the vice-captain of the Tenth Division."

Everyone was speechless again. Couldn't they stop being so discouraging? Even if Gin Ichimaru lost, it wouldn't be shameful for them to graduate with just a glance, but for a girl to do it too? Wasn't this a blatant slap in the face?

"Alright, I'm not talking to you anymore," Ye Yang said, pointing to the few students who were slacking off. "You can leave now. We'll begin the second phase of practice."

Several students turned pale; they were filled with deep regret. Such a renowned teacher was right in front of them, yet they had given up on him.

They were all from noble families and were pampered at home, which led to their spoiled habits. They came to the Shin'ō to learn some skills so that they could establish themselves in their families after returning home. If they performed well and became Seated Officer in the Thirteenth Division, then becoming the next head of the family would be a sure thing.

But they turned down this opportunity that was right in front of them. One of the girls spoke up, "Teacher Ye Yang, we know we were wrong. Please give us another chance. We will try our best."

Ye Yang shook his head. "Opportunities are seized by oneself, not given by others. Don't try to pull strings. You should know my identity. Let's go."

At this moment, their eyes were filled with despair. The commoners might not know Ye Yang's identity, but they certainly did: the current head of the Shihoin Clan. They had thought that Ye Yang would spare them out of consideration for the family, but it turned out that Ye Yang had no such intention at all. With the power of the Shihoin Clan, they could indeed disregard their family.

Helpless, they could only leave silently. Ye Yang said to the remaining students, "Don't think you can relax just because you're not here this time. The training will only get tougher! You could be eliminated just as easily!"

"Yes!" The voice boomed so loudly it seemed to pierce the heavens.

Ye Yang's lips curled into a playful smile. "Then let's begin the second phase of practice. It's very simple. No matter what method you use, just attack me with all your might. Whether it's Hakuda or Kidō, those who are skilled in Zanjutsu can grab a wooden sword. Let's start with Abarai."

"Huh? Yes!" Renji looked at Ye Yang's strange smile and couldn't help but feel a sense of panic; he had a bad feeling.

The students below were stunned. Sparring with the teacher? They knew their own limitations; that was just asking for trouble. Instantly, their gazes towards Renji turned to pity.

Renji picked up his wooden sword and assumed a fighting stance, while Ye Yang also picked up a wooden sword. It looked like he had just learned Zanjutsu from Shin'ō, but the more you watched, the funnier it became. He was a typical case of someone who was all talk and no action.

"Hah!" Renji shouted to bolster his courage, unleashing a strike that Ye Yang easily parried. Ye Yang then swiftly reversed the attack, striking Renji's wrist. "Don't force yourself to use unfamiliar techniques. Use what you're best at!"

Renji scratched his head and smiled, saying, "I'm still not used to it." Renji changed his posture, then held the knife in his right hand with the tip pointing downwards, and even his eyes became much fiercer.

This time, Renji's attack was noticeably more intense. Although his slashing technique wasn't standard, it was surprisingly effective. Anyone who survived in the District 78 couldn't possibly be completely without any self-defense capabilities. These techniques were things he had figured out for himself in that chaotic place. These simple yet practical skills were not Shin'ō could learn.

"Very good offensive, Abarai," Ye Yang said casually as he parried Renji's slashes. "Increase your speed, increase your power, and let me see where your limit is."

Renji muttered to himself, "Damn it, it's still so easy. Can't even make the teacher take it seriously? No! I need to be stronger!" He encouraged himself as he increased the force of his blows.

Ye Yang did not retaliate, but simply waited for Renji to reach his limit. Only by constantly challenging one's limits can one become stronger; this is an eternal truth!

Finally, Renji lay on the ground, completely exhausted. He didn't even have the will to open his eyes. Ye Yang walked up to Renji and sneered, "Is that all you can do? You still want to get stronger?"

Renji shuddered, then struggled to open his eyes, raised his right fist and stood up, seemingly lost in thought. After a while, Renji dragged his exhausted body to sit up.

"Alright, you can continue your cultivation here for now."

Yes, Teacher Ye Yang!

Ye Yang turned his gaze to the remaining students. "So, who's next?"

The students couldn't help but take a step back. They were joking; Renji had almost been crippled, while Ye Yang hadn't even lost his breathing. No one wanted to experience such a disparity in strength.

"What's wrong? Are you scared already? What did you just say?" Ye Yang shouted.

At that moment, a hand was raised inside, and Kira slowly stepped forward and said, "I'll do it." His voice carried a slight hint of timidity, whether due to his personality or because he had been frightened by Ye Yang earlier was unclear.

Ye Yang nodded. "Yes, don't be afraid, I won't hurt you."

Ye Yang really wanted to ask, "What was going on with Renji just now?"

Kira picked up his wooden sword and assumed a standard Zanjutsu stance, much better than Renji. "Teacher Ye Yang, please instruct me."

Ye Yang smiled, surprised by Kira's restraint, and then said, "Please." (...)