First Lesson

"That old hag is way too ruthless." Wang Dong'er spoke as she and Wang Qiuer hurried back to the dormitory.

"She's trying to put us in our place and establish her authority. Look, after this, who else would dare challenge her authority?"

Ji Lin followed beside them and explained.

Wang Dong'er snorted. "Who are you? Why are you following us?"

Ji Lin replied irritably, "My dorm is over there too. It's not like I wanted to follow you."

Wang Dong'er curled her lips. "What's your name? I'm Wang Dong'er. In this class, only you and Qiuer are worthy of catching my eye."

Ji Lin glanced at Wang Dong'er. This girl was quite arrogant, but she did have the right to be.

"My name is Ji Lin. We'll be classmates from now on. I hope we can get along."

After saying that, Ji Lin turned his gaze toward the quiet Wang Qiuer.

Noticing Ji Lin's gaze, Wang Qiuer said flatly, "Wang Qiuer."

After giving only her name, she ignored Ji Lin again.

Ji Lin enunciated each word. "Oh! So your name is Wang—Qiuer."

He deliberately emphasized the name Wang Qiuer.

He was reminding Wang Qiuer that he already knew her identity.

Wang Qiuer bit her lip and shot Ji Lin a fierce glare. She had long known that using the name Wang Qiuer and this appearance would definitely not fool Ji Lin. She had never intended to fool him anyway. She didn't believe Ji Lin would report her outright.

Ji Lin indeed had no intention of reporting Wang Qiuer, but his mischievous side still made him pretend to ask curiously, "Are you two sisters? Who's the older sister?"

At those words, Wang Dong'er's little face darkened. Being beaten by Wang Qiuer until she had called her sister was the greatest humiliation of her life.

She turned and glared viciously at Ji Lin, gritting her teeth. "We're not sisters. We just happen to look alike, and our names just happen to be similar."

Then she ignored Ji Lin and sped up, running straight back to the dormitory. Wang Qiuer also gave Ji Lin a complicated look before following Wang Dong'er back.

"Hehe." Ji Lin chuckled softly. Wang Dong'er's expression just now had been really interesting. It seemed his upcoming academy life would not be so boring after all.

After returning to the dormitory and changing clothes, Ji Lin and Huo Yuhao hurried back to the classroom once Huo Yuhao had finished changing as well.

Zhou Yi had given them a quarter-hour to change, but in reality, even the slowest person took less than ten minutes. All the students were already seated neatly in the classroom. Looking at the nine empty seats, the fear in their eyes had yet to fade.

Everyone had heard the saying that entering Shrek Academy was difficult, while leaving was easy. But only when it happened to them did they feel the intense sense of crisis. No one dared entertain thoughts of cutting corners anymore.

When the quarter-hour was up, Zhou Yi entered the classroom right on time. Seeing that all ninety-one students were present, she nodded. "We'll begin class now. The test just now was basically satisfactory. The vast majority of you completed the simple assessment of running.

"Huo Yuhao, stand."

"Teacher Zhou." Huo Yuhao swiftly rose to his feet, his back ramrod straight.

Zhou Yi said coldly, "State your Soul Power Level."

"Yes. My soul power is level eleven."

Huo Yuhao answered respectfully.

From the fact that Zhou Yi had called out their names earlier, he knew that this Teacher Zhou might seem cold and unapproachable, but she actually knew every one of them very well. His cultivation level probably could not be hidden from her either.

Upon hearing "level eleven," the students present all revealed doubtful looks. Wang Dong'er in particular was full of disdain.

"Correct. Huo Yuhao's soul power is only level eleven. I know you are all curious about why he was able to pass the academy's assessment and become a new student. I will explain this only once. Before he is eliminated, no one is to question him about this again. He is a specially admitted student of the academy and did not need to undergo an assessment when enrolling. However, this is the only exception for specially admitted students. If he cannot complete the academy's assigned learning tasks, he will be eliminated just the same. All right, Huo Yuhao, sit down."

"Thank you, Teacher." Huo Yuhao sat back down, but he could not help feeling surprised. Teacher Zhou's words were clearly protecting him! By explaining why he had been admitted despite his insufficient Soul Power Level, no one would be able to make an issue of it in the future.

Ji Lin secretly glanced at Zhou Yi. Although Teacher Zhou had a strange personality and teaching principles he could not agree with, she did not discriminate against Huo Yuhao for his low cultivation. Instead, she spoke up for him. Only in this regard did she seem somewhat like a teacher.

Zhou Yi seemed utterly unconcerned with the students' reactions. She turned around and wrote two large characters on the blackboard: attack, defense.

After writing them, she faced the students again. "I know that most of you are dissatisfied with my making you run laps just now and expelling nine people. You simply don't dare show it because of the pressure I put on you. I have no need to explain myself to you. Those with insight will naturally understand in the future. As for fools who cannot understand, let them remain confused. We'll begin class now."

"You should all recognize the two words I wrote on the blackboard: attack and defense. For today's first lesson, I will speak to you about the principles of attack and defense for soul masters. Since ancient times, soul masters have been divided into many systems according to the different abilities of their martial souls: Assault System, Agility Attack System, Support System, Food System, Control System, Defense System, and so on. Some soul masters develop to the extreme in a single direction, while others develop in a balanced manner. There are countless cultivation methods.

"Ji Lin, answer this. Among the various soul master systems, which are better at attacking, and which should focus more on defense and support?"

Ji Lin had not expected Zhou Yi to call on him.

He pondered for a moment before answering, "If we do not count Soul Tools, then the Assault, Agility Attack, and Control Systems naturally lean more toward offense, while the Support, Food, and Defense Systems lean more toward defense. But if we include Soul Tools, then soul masters skilled in offense can use Soul Tools for defense, while soul masters skilled in defense and support can use Soul Tools to attack. The distinction between attack and defense has already become blurred."

The severity on Zhou Yi's face finally softened somewhat. She had not expected Ji Lin to know so much about Soul Tools.

"Correct. It is precisely because of the emergence of Soul Tools that the boundary between attack and defense has become blurred. This is the subject I will discuss today. Sit down."

"I believe everyone knows very well that over the past several thousand years, Soul Tools have developed rapidly. What the Sun Moon Continent brought back then were more rare materials and the basic methods for crafting Soul Tools. After thousands of years of development, Soul Tool crafting has become increasingly refined, and their power has grown greater and greater. As a result, even a Food System Tool Soul Master holding a sufficiently powerful Soul Tool can unleash attack power no weaker than that of an Assault System Battle Soul Master—perhaps even stronger. And if an Agility Attack System Battle Soul Master holds a Soul Tool with formidable defensive power, they can temporarily serve as a Defense System Tool Soul Master."

"It can be said that the emergence of Soul Tools has greatly changed the direction and current state of soul master cultivation. In truth, what has been weakened is the role of soul rings. As long as one has enough soul power, Soul Tools can be used to compensate for the power of soul rings. This has caused many people to overlook the role of soul rings, resulting in the current situation where soul masters throughout the four great empires all pursue soul power as their primary cultivation method."

"Undoubtedly, this cultivation method is indeed effective in the short term, especially for soul masters below level fifty, where its effects are very obvious. But I must tell you that Shrek Academy does not cultivate such soul masters. Because once they pass level fifty, they are all useless."

"You don't understand, do you? Let me give you an example. Suppose you are a Food System Tool Soul Master who has cultivated to level fifty, while I am an Agility Attack System Battle Soul Master who has also cultivated to level fifty. You have a Soul Tool capable of threatening my life, while I have no Soul Tool. In this battle, who wins?"

"The answer is simple: I will certainly win. Why? Because with my speed, you would have no chance to hit me with your Soul Tool. Even if you were covered in top-tier Soul Tools, I could rely on my speed advantage to wear you down until your soul power was exhausted. The more powerful a Soul Tool is, the greater its consumption of soul power. Therefore, although Tool Soul Masters of the Defense, Support, and Food Systems can use Soul Tools to gain the attack power of Assault System Battle Soul Masters, they absolutely do not possess the combat strength of Assault System Battle Soul Masters.

"You must remember this clearly. Therefore, although Soul Tools greatly enhance Tool Soul Masters of the Defense, Support, and Food Systems, if your body is not strong enough, you will always be the first to die on the battlefield. Your enemies will not spare you just because you are not a Battle Soul Master. On the contrary, they will pick the softest persimmon to squeeze. Your attack power may be formidable because of Soul Tools, but you are weak in every other aspect. How do you think your enemies will choose?"

"Likewise, if my physical condition is extremely strong and I already possess formidable combat power, then having powerful Soul Tools in my hands would be like adding wings to a tiger. That is a true powerhouse."

"With the blurring of attack and defense, anyone in a soul master team can serve as an attacker. However, improving your own qualities is what can most greatly increase your ability to survive on the battlefield. Unless Soul Tools one day develop to the point where they can completely replace your bodies, physical cultivation and the choice of soul rings will remain the utmost priorities in your future cultivation."

Zhou Yi did not know that ten thousand years later, Soul Tools would truly develop to the point she had described, becoming capable of replacing the body.