You Don't Deserve to Be a Teacher

"Enough, Yu Xian, stop talking. You're too worked up."

A male student reached to grab her arm, but Yu Xian flung him away. Her voice was desolate, as though she were weeping blood.

"Why can't I say it!? Why shouldn't I be upset!? My brother, he... my brother..."

Remembering the moment her brother, a Soul Saint, had pushed her away, Yu Xian's lips trembled. Her knees gave out beneath her, and tears fell uncontrollably.

Xuan Zi did not speak immediately. Instead, he turned to the side and asked in a low voice.

"Tell me, what exactly happened?"

After hesitating for a moment, one of the male disciples recounted their encounter with the Blood Erosion Dragon Lizard. As for what had happened after they lured the dragon lizard away, he could only repeat what Zhang Lexuan had told them.

After hearing this, Xuan Zi could not help glancing at Huo Yuhao, but he said nothing.

Even if Huo Yuhao had saved them, luck had played a large part in it. Zhang Lexuan had already given him the Blood Erosion Dragon Lizard's flesh and blood as compensation, which was more than enough.

He took a deep breath and looked at the others again, speaking in a grave tone.

"I'm sorry. The responsibility for this incident lies entirely with me. I failed in my duty as the Team Leader Teacher and caused the deaths of six Inner Courtyard Disciples. When we return, I will resign from the Surveillance Group and leave Sea God Pavilion."

After saying that, he looked at Zhang Lexuan again. "Lexuan, absorb the Soul Ring and Soul Bone first."

As soon as he finished speaking, a crisp sound drew everyone's attention. They instinctively turned their heads and saw Yu Xian tear off the ring symbolizing her identity in the Shrek Surveillance Group and throw it to the ground.

Xuan Zi's expression changed. "Yu Xian, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like?"

Yu Xian's expression was icy, her tone indifferent. "From this moment on, I am voluntarily withdrawing from Shrek Academy."

"Have you lost your mind!?" Xuan Zi frowned deeply.

"Although I was at fault in this matter, as an Inner Courtyard Disciple of Shrek, encountering unexpected situations is unavoidable. If you want to become a true powerhouse, you cannot avoid the trials of life and death. You're actually leaving the academy over this?"

The moment those words were spoken, everyone, including Zhang Lexuan, frowned. Huo Yuhao's expression also turned ice-cold.

Hearing words almost identical to those from his previous life, he was so furious that he nearly laughed.

So even before the Death God Envoy incident in his previous life, Xuan Zi had already caused such grievous casualties among the Inner Courtyard Disciples through his own negligence.

Most importantly, this Old Thing had not learned a single lesson from it. Instead, several years later, he had shamelessly used the very example he had created to lecture them!

"How do you deserve to be a teacher?"

The icy voice made Xuan Zi frown. He turned his head slightly, his clouded eyes locking onto Huo Yuhao as invisible pressure descended upon him.

"What did you say?"

Zhang Lexuan's expression turned anxious. Before she could act, Huo Yuhao's voice rang out again.

"I said—"

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath. Bone-deep chill seeped into his voice, instantly scattering the pressure around him.

"—how the fuck do you deserve to be a teacher!?"

"You're saying unexpected situations are unavoidable, but was this incident unavoidable!? Did some unexpected situation stop you from supporting them!?"

Xuan Zi's expression stiffened. Before he could speak, Huo Yuhao continued mockingly.

"So-called trials of life and death mean sending them to their deaths? Then you might as well send them into the Core Region to fight Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beasts when they only have one Soul Ring. After all, all you need to say is that it was unavoidable, right!?"

"If six dying isn't enough, send sixty."

"If sixty isn't enough, send six hundred!"

"If even one of them makes it out in the end, wouldn't that make them the genius you speak of? Wouldn't that be exactly what you want!?"

As he studied Xuan Zi's shifting expression, Huo Yuhao gradually calmed down.

"If you truly feel as guilty as you claim to..."

As though he no longer wanted to look at Xuan Zi, he turned and walked toward the forest's outer perimeter. His indifferent voice rang beside everyone's ears.

"Then resign. Save yourself from harming anyone else in the future."

Silence.

No one spoke again. Only the strange glances cast at Xuan Zi from time to time remained, like blades carving through flesh.

Perhaps Huo Yuhao's furious rebuke had steadied Yu Xian's emotions somewhat. She gave Zhang Lexuan a deep bow.

"Lexuan-jie, I will remember this life-saving kindness forever. If we meet again someday, I will surely repay you generously."

After speaking, she looked at Xuan Zi again and spoke hoarsely.

"I can accept my teacher being strict. I can also accept my teacher having unique teaching principles."

"But I cannot accept a teacher's irresponsibility, because I attend the number one academy on the continent."

"Just as that boy said, you don't deserve to be a teacher."

Only after leaving the Mixed Region of the Star Dou Great Forest did Huo Yuhao's body relax slightly.

He could not help it. Having used both Arrogance Original Sin and Fate Judgment at once, he was now in an extremely weakened state. Fortunately, he had not used much Soul Power, allowing him to continue using Mental Detection to avoid those dangerous soul beasts.

Now that he had safely passed through the perilous Mixed Region, he only needed to cross the outer perimeter before he could stop worrying. Yet as he walked, he suddenly halted and looked in a certain direction, speaking in an unreadable tone.

"Greetings, Senior."

The moment he spoke, the entire world seemed to freeze, sinking into an eerie silence without the slightest sound.

Then, in the direction Huo Yuhao was looking, a white figure slowly emerged from behind a tree. A trace of surprise colored her ethereal voice.

"You know me?"

She was a girl who looked about his age. Sunlight fell across her silvery-white hair like golden light rippling over a lake. Her exposed skin looked somewhat pale, as though it might blend into the plain white dress she wore. Simply standing there, she carried a fragile air that made others feel pity for her.

Although he had discovered her long ago through Mental Detection, Huo Yuhao was still dazed for a moment when he saw her appearance with his own eyes. He had not expected her to look so young after taking human form.

Before this, of all the beings he had seen, Snow Empress, born of heaven and earth, was undoubtedly the most beautiful. Yet the girl before him was in no way inferior to Snow Empress.

Both possessed peerless beauty and noble bearing, yet they were still vastly different. If Snow Empress was a frosty aloofness that kept strangers at bay, then the girl before him was clear and ethereal, untouched by the dust of the mortal world.

"I've heard a little about the Soul Beast Matriarch. May I ask what business you have with me, Senior?"

Naturally, he did not know the Silver Dragon King. In his previous life, he had only heard Snow Empress mention that there was a Soul Beast Matriarch in the Star Dou Great Forest who was stronger than Di Tian. Although Di Tian was known as the Beast God, he was in truth merely the Soul Beast Matriarch's spokesperson. Yet even as only a spokesperson, Snow Empress had once told him that as long as Di Tian gave the order, even the soul beasts of the Far North Land would have to obey his command.

As for the Soul Beast Matriarch's identity, Snow Empress had guessed at the time that it might be the Golden Dragon King or the Silver Dragon King. Huo Yuhao had already seen the Golden Dragon King in his previous life; he was sealed within the Divine Realm. Therefore, the Soul Beast Matriarch in the lower realm was most likely the Silver Dragon King.