Suddenly There's a Comparison

At the same time, Wang Dong was getting scolded.

On the podium of New Student Class 1, an elderly woman with wrinkled skin and crane-white hair finished introducing herself. She looked at the students below and spoke in a hoarse voice, like a cracked gong being struck.

"In my class, no trash will ever pass the assessment. What I intend to cultivate are monsters, not idiots..."

"What a bunch of useless fools. Don't you know that those who dare not cause trouble are mediocre? If you don't fight or compete, how can you improve!?"

"Now, immediately, at once—everyone except Wang Dong, go run one hundred laps around Shrek Square. Anyone who fails to finish will be expelled on the spot."

Without giving them a chance to speak, the terrifying aura of a Soul Emperor crushed everyone's tempers into submission.

"My patience is limited. If you're unhappy with this, you can get lost. If I don't see you moving within one minute, the whole class will be expelled! The time limit is one hour. Anyone who fails to complete one hundred laps will likewise be expelled!"

The repeated mentions of expulsion thoroughly cowed all the students present. Under such pressure, who would dare resist any longer? They all ran outside miserably.

Only Wang Dong was left behind, awkwardly facing Zhou Yi.

"Fighting is a good thing. Fighting students from other classes is even better... Battle is one of the finest ways to improve yourself."

"If you can advance to Second Grade in the future, you can compete in the Soul Fighting Zone. If you win often enough, the academy will even give out rewards. But for now, you can go run as well."

"Since you're so promising, your assessment should naturally be a little harder than everyone else's. You should share hardship and joy with your classmates. Add another ten laps to your total, with the same one-hour time limit. Oh my, I accidentally delayed you for so long. You'd better hurry."

Wang Dong: ...

Seeing the twisted smile on Zhou Yi's old face, Wang Dong's expression stiffened.

Over the past few days, under Huo Yuhao's constant influence, Wang Dong's moral standards and awareness had clearly improved.

At this moment, she finally understood Huo Yuhao's foresight.

What did it mean to say that those who dared not cause trouble were mediocre?

To put it bluntly, it meant bullying the weak while fearing the strong.

That old hag Zhou Yi had obviously just found an excuse to give everyone a show of force. See? She had revealed her true colors right away.

"Everyone, stand up. Gather at the Soul Fighting Zone."

Mu Jin agreed to the two's request for a spar.

"Today's lesson happens to be practical combat. At Shrek Academy, what we value most is actual combat. The New Student Assessment three months from now will also determine whether you can remain here based on your performance in battle."

Upon hearing this, the students grew increasingly excited. As some took the lead, applause rang out without end.

Duels between Soul Masters had always been one of the foremost topics on the Douluo Continent.

They had grown up surrounded by such stories and had been deeply influenced by this culture.

If you were sick of all the tedious formalities, then have a thrilling Soul Master duel!

When one carried a sharp blade, murderous intent naturally arose.

Huo Yuhao naturally understood this principle.

Some passages in the Analects of Violence explained it particularly clearly.

The Master said: "If a gentleman's strikes are not heavy, he cannot establish authority."

It meant: If a gentleman did not hit hard enough, he could not establish his prestige.

This was especially true on the Douluo Continent, where strength reigned supreme.

"Follow me."

The applause gradually died down, and everyone followed Mu Jin out of the classroom.

Not long after stepping outside, Huo Yuhao heard the discussion of students leaving the classroom behind him.

"Quick, look! There seem to be new students running down there!"

"Where, where? Wow, it's true! Did they make some mistake and get physically punished? They look so miserable."

"I heard that among the teachers at our academy, the only one who makes students run laps during the first class is that old hag."

Just from listening to their conversation, Huo Yuhao curled his lips and already knew what had happened.

Wang Dong, this was what happened when you refused to listen to Brother Hao's advice.

Looking through the window at the young students sprinting around Shrek Square, even Huo Yuhao could not help but find it amusing.

Especially Wang Dong at the front. Her cultivation was among the best in the class, and her physical quality was extremely strong. Her speed was more than twice that of the others.

For her, running laps at this level was nothing but a meaningless waste of time. Wouldn't it be better to spend that time cultivating properly?

Still, this was only the appetizer. The hard days were yet to come.

Who knew why such an absurd form of lap-running training had been passed down to this day.

After all, it was a training method personally endorsed by God King Tang. Perhaps this was the true rule that the ancestors' methods could not be changed?

Huo Yuhao subconsciously quickened his pace and headed toward the Soul Fighting Zone.

The Soul Fighting Zone was an extremely important area within Shrek Academy. It was located at the northwestern corner of the Martial Soul Department, near Shrek City.

The Soul Fighting Zone was hexagonal, roughly as large as Shrek Square. At its center lay a vast open space where students competed, while rings of seats rose gradually around it, accommodating around three thousand people at once.

The Soul Fighting Zone was not open to the public during the day. It was used exclusively for Shrek Academy students' practical combat classes, free of charge.

It only opened for students after school each day, remaining open until midnight. It was a place many upper-grade students frequented.

All kinds of matches could be held here. Dedicated teachers served as referees, judging victory and defeat, protecting the students, providing emergency aid and treatment, and more.

Moreover, there were no restrictions on fighting here, nor did students need to worry about going too far and causing danger. The teachers acting as referees would keep things well under control.

At the same time, winning matches in the Soul Fighting Zone earned a certain amount of academic credits, which provided bonus points during grade examinations.

After reaching Fourth Grade, Soul Fighting credits became mandatory for advancing further. For example, advancing from Fourth Grade to Fifth Grade required at least ten victories over opponents of the same grade in the Soul Fighting Zone. Advancing from Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade required even more. After Sixth Grade, Soul Fighting credits became even more important for those wishing to enter the Inner Court.

Students wishing to take part in a Soul Fighting match first had to register. Both sides had to pay at least ten Gold Soul Coins as a venue fee. Spectators, meanwhile, had to pay one Silver Soul Coin for admission.

If the two sides were relatively famous students within the academy, the academy would broadcast the match for free through Soul Guidance Loudspeakers in the various dormitory areas, drawing more people to watch.

The academy would take half of the ticket revenue, while the other half would belong to the winner of the match.

Thus, students could not only engage in practical combat here without any worries, but also earn money along the way—a win-win situation.

Mu Jin swept her gaze across the crowd. Seeing that everyone had arrived, she got straight to the point.

"The first practical combat match will be between Huo Yuhao and Wu Feng. As I said before, anyone who can defeat Huo Yuhao can take over the position of Vice Class Monitor. If you want the position of class monitor, however, you'll need to fight Ning Tian and Huo Yuhao in a team battle."

Huo Yuhao rose from the stands and walked into the Soul Fighting Arena along the passageway.

Wu Feng, meanwhile, leaped from her seat and landed in the center of the arena ahead of him.

The battle was about to begin!

Wu Feng

Relationship: Acquainted

Achievement Task: Winner Takes All

Not bad. It looked like another buy-one-get-one-free Achievement Task.

I, Huo Yuhao, unilaterally acknowledge the bond between you two.

Transition chapter. I'm working hard to stockpile chapters.

Please keep reading and bookmark it, QAQ.

Thank you, everyone!!