Natural Leader!

Class One Freshman, classroom.

Ten minutes before the afternoon class bell rang, the classroom was already full and surprisingly quiet, with no student daring to make loud noises. Since seating hadn't been assigned yet, everyone basically sat in their morning spots. Lin Yuan was still by the window, and Wang Dong was squeezed between him and Huo Yu Hao as usual.

When Zhou Yi walked into the classroom, the atmosphere instantly became tense.

"Everyone stand up, gather in the plaza." Surprisingly, Zhou Yi only said this before turning and leaving.

Without daring to delay, the students quickly filed out of the classroom and followed Zhou Yi quietly and orderly to the Shrek Academy plaza. Except for Lin Yuan, they didn't notice a hint of a smile in Zhou Yi's eyes.

At this moment, a pile of iron chains had been inexplicably placed in the Shrek Academy plaza. Under Zhou Yi's command, the students stood in neat formation.

"Lin Yuan," Zhou Yi said with a light cough.

Lin Yuan stepped forward.

Zhou Yi glanced at him and said calmly, "I've reviewed your entrance exam scores, and combined with previous tests, Lin Yuan's cultivation is currently the highest among all of you, and even in the entire freshman year. Therefore, I declare that from now on, he is the class monitor of Class One Freshman. This monitor position is fluid; whoever has the ability to defeat him can replace him as monitor. Do you all understand?"

"We understand!"

"Teacher Zhou, what is Class Monitor Lin Yuan's soul power level?" one of the female students asked.

"That's a good question," Zhou Yi said with a faint smile, her gaze sweeping across the crowd. "Lin Yuan, state your soul power level."

Lin Yuan took a step forward and said calmly, "Level thirty-nine."

This caused a huge stir, and the entire plaza erupted!

"Level thirty-nine at eleven years old? That's impossible!"

"Is he a monster?"

"Did I hear that wrong?"

Doubts and exclamations rose one after another.

Zhou Yi swept them a cold glance, and the noise immediately ceased.

"This afternoon's training is very simple," she said, pointing to the iron clothing on the ground. "These are iron suits, specifically designed to improve physical fitness. Each of you gets one. After putting them on, start running laps around the plaza. From now until the dismissal bell rings. You can use your soul power, but not your Soul Skills. You will be ranked by the number of laps run, and the last person will be expelled from Class One Freshman."

"I want to emphasize that in my class, it's not just during assessments that people get eliminated; it can happen at any time. Today, ninety-one people will become ninety. Begin now."

With that, Zhou Yi flicked her toe, and an iron suit made entirely of thick iron chains flew in front of Lin Yuan. Lin Yuan took it and put it on.

"Um... Teacher Zhou, can you give me a few more? This one's a bit light." Lin Yuan spoke up.

Zhou Yi: "..."

The whole class: "..."

Zhou Yi's eye twitched. She took a deep breath, trying to maintain her stern expression. "Yes. Take as many as you want."

"Thank you, Teacher," Lin Yuan replied. He casually picked up a dozen more iron suits and put them on one after another.

Zhou Yi was stunned. She had expected Lin Yuan to take at most one or two more to save face, but she didn't expect him to grab over a dozen. Each iron suit weighed at least thirty pounds, so a dozen would be three to four hundred pounds. Yet, wearing them, Lin Yuan didn't look clumsy at all; he still moved with ease.

"Is this even human?" By the time all the students had put on one iron suit, Lin Yuan had put on a total of twenty.

Zhou Yi's eye twitched again. She didn't say anything more and directly announced the start.

"To ensure everyone can last until the end, let's all run at my pace. You can choose not to listen, but the result will be elimination." As Lin Yuan spoke, his footsteps changed. What seemed like ordinary jogging subtly matched a mysterious rhythm.

He didn't use any Soul Skills, relying solely on his precise control over his body to make each step as energy-efficient and stable as possible. Even more astonishingly, the twenty iron suits on him seemed to be moved by this rhythm, becoming a part of his body and no longer a heavy burden.

Behind him, the students who had been eyeing the monitor position soon discovered a despairing truth. As long as they kept up with Lin Yuan's rhythm, even if only eighty percent, their breathing would become smooth, and their steps would no longer feel heavy. But if they tried to surpass him, their rhythm would be disrupted, and they would immediately feel powerless, their legs feeling like lead.

Zhou Yi stood at the edge of the plaza, watching this scene, a hint of approval flashing in her eyes. Having taught for many years, she could immediately tell that Lin Yuan was using his advantage to set the pace for the entire class. This way, everyone could complete the training as much as possible while clearly distinguishing the strong from the weak.

At this moment, Lin Yuan's speed remained steady. After all, they had to run until the dismissal bell, and the afternoon class session was a full two hours long. He was like a metronome, steadily controlling the rhythm of the entire class.

Behind him, Wang Dong gritted his teeth and kept up. Although only wearing one iron suit, she was already drenched in sweat. She could feel that if she lost focus for even a moment, her rhythm would be disrupted. At the back of the group, Huo Yu Hao's situation was even more difficult. He gritted his teeth and persevered, but his vision began to blur from exhaustion.

Lin Yuan, in front, keenly sensed this. His footsteps changed slightly, and the rhythm adjusted, allowing Huo Yu Hao to barely keep up.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the plaza, Zhou Yi nodded with satisfaction. She knew that today's training was not just a test of physical strength, but also of willpower and teamwork.

This child is a natural leader, a natural... monster, she thought to herself.

The two hours passed in a flash. When the dismissal bell rang, most people on the field were nearing their limits. The sound of iron suits colliding with the ground echoed, and the fallen Class One Freshman students kicked up a cloud of dust.

Lin Yuan stopped steadily. The twenty iron suits on him gleamed coldly in the sunlight. He merely let out a soft breath, his breathing long and even, as if he had just been on a stroll.

Zhou Yi took a deep breath and waved to someone in the distance. A man in white robes floated over. After nodding to Zhou Yi, he turned to face the students.

Immediately, circles of soul rings rose from beneath his feet: two yellow, two purple, three black. Clearly, he was a Soul Sage. He raised his hands, and a soft green light grew from his palms. The black light of his seventh soul ring flashed and disappeared, and he vanished, replaced by a towering tree.

As a gentle breeze blew, green leaves flew from the tree, exactly ninety-one of them, landing on the students. Everyone felt an incredibly comfortable coolness, which instantly spread throughout their bodies. Sore muscles and wounds from the iron suits were recovering at an astonishing rate. Even their stamina was gradually recovering, bit by bit, while their soul power remained depleted, unaffected by the green leaves.

Surrounded by green light, after releasing the ninety-one leaves, the towering tree transformed back into the man in white robes. He nodded to Zhou Yi, who respectfully bowed to him. The man in white left as he had arrived, carried by the wind. From beginning to end, he had not exchanged a single word with Zhou Yi.

At this point, the students slowly got up from the ground. Although fatigue still lingered, there was an indescribable sense of exhilaration after pushing their bodies beyond their limits.

Zhou Yi looked at the students as they got up one by one and said softly, "I must say, you have given me a good answer. No one will be eliminated today. You should all thank your class monitor. I had prepared punishments for you; my task was for you to run until the dismissal bell before calculating laps. However, Lin Yuan used his rhythm to allow all of you to persevere until the end."

"Now, everyone take your iron suits back. Tomorrow, other teachers will teach you theory classes. I suggest you all meditate well and digest the improvements and significance of today's physical training. The day after tomorrow afternoon is my class again. By then, I hope not to see any more useless individuals. Lin Yuan, give me your iron suits. I'll have them specially custom-made for you at the Soul Tool department."

"Yes, Teacher Zhou," Lin Yuan replied with a smile, casually removing the twenty iron suits and stacking them neatly.

Zhou Yi looked at Lin Yuan's composed demeanor and nodded with satisfaction. She collected the twenty iron suits, said, "Dismissed," and turned to leave the training ground.

Lin Yuan, Wang Dong, and Huo Yu Hao returned to the dormitory together. They had to wash up in the bathrooms located on either side of the hallway.

However, for Lin Yuan, who lived alone, things were much more convenient. His dormitory was equipped with a half-sized wooden tub, and warm spring water was emitting a faint white mist inside. This wasn't ordinary hot water, but Water of Life he had drawn from the Lake of Life. He had used his Authority to warm it, giving it the magical effect of nourishing the skin and soothing fatigue.

"Knock, knock..." Just then, a knock sounded on the door, followed by Wang Dong's voice from outside: "Lin Yuan, are you there?"

Lin Yuan opened the door, and Wang Dong peeked inside. She was immediately captivated by the sight within the room.

"Wow! You really know how to live!" Wang Dong exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the mist-shrouded tub. "Is this water hot?"

"Of course," Lin Yuan said, stepping aside to let her in and closing the door behind her. "I specifically prepared this water. Under my ability, it stays hot 360 days a year and is very effective at relieving fatigue. Want to try it?" As he spoke, he pulled back a curtain, creating a private space for Wang Dong.

Wang Dong nodded, not refusing. She had already been thinking that since Lin Yuan lived alone and she disliked showering with a crowd, she might as well borrow his dorm. She hadn't expected such a luxurious treatment.

"Then turn around. No peeking," Wang Dong said, her face flushing slightly as she tried to maintain her composure.

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in little kids," Lin Yuan teased. He smoothly pulled the curtain shut and turned his back. "I'll stand guard outside. You can wash."

The sound of splashing water began, and warm mist quickly filled the space behind the curtain. Wang Dong let out a comfortable sigh, her tense muscles gradually relaxing under the nourishment of the Water of Life.

"Lin Yuan," Wang Dong's hesitant voice came from behind the curtain, "are you really only eleven years old?"

"Yeah, why?"

"It's nothing..." Wang Dong paused, her voice softening. "I just feel like you seem to understand everything and know how to do everything."

Lin Yuan chuckled. "I only know a little bit."

"A little bit?" Wang Dong huffed indignantly. "If that's 'a little bit,' then what am I?"

"You," Lin Yuan deliberately drew out his words, "are Xiao Dong'er."

"You--!" Wang Dong was so annoyed she almost splashed water out. After a long moment, she managed to retort, "Just you wait!"