Zhou Yi

Biodata

Background / History

Zhou Yi entered Shrek Academy as a child and stayed on to teach after graduating. By the time of her duel with Liu Lan, she had spent practically her entire life at the academy and struggled to imagine where she could go if forced to leave 96.

She previously taught fourth-year students. After her class’s advancement rate became too low, the students jointly reported her, resulting in her demotion to teaching freshmen. Many older students subsequently attended her duel hoping to see her humiliated 94.

Her husband’s position provided significant institutional protection. Du Weilun tolerated her harsh teaching and frequent expulsions partly because Fan Yu was a Level 8 Soul Engineer with the potential to reach Level 9 82.

Appearance

• Disguise: Wears an ugly, elderly-looking mask to appear sterner and establish authority over her students 40 97.
• Unmasked appearance: Appears twenty-eight or twenty-nine, with softly curved brows, lovely features, and a gentle, mature bearing markedly different from her usual severity 97.
• Voice: Upon removing her mask, her voice is described as gentle and resonant rather than aged 97.

Personality

Zhou Yi is strict, intimidating, and protective of her students. She rarely smiles or jokes during lessons and training, leaving many members of Class One afraid of her. She values rebelliousness and a willingness to fight, but disapproves of students who pick fights and lose 39 97.

Her enforcement of rules allows exceptions for effort. During the hundred-lap punishment, she spared Huo Yuhao despite his completing only ninety-six laps, while expelling nine students whom she accused of deliberately cutting corners. Aoyao regarded this as evidence of double standards 41.

Her loyalty to Huo Yuhao repeatedly overrides impartial judgment. Even after confirming that he had previously attacked Dai Huabin with a dagger, she refused to believe her student was irrational and attempted to pressure Dai Huabin into submission 58 59.

Pride and anger make her vulnerable to provocation. Liu Lan and Mu Jin’s taunts led her to accept a dangerous wager; during the resulting defeat, she pretended to be unconscious rather than immediately face the aftermath 60 97.

Abilities & Skills

Fire Dragon Martial Soul

• A powerful dragon-type, power attack beast martial soul that initially gave Zhou Yi confidence against Liu Lan despite a difference in soul power 60 95.
• Its release makes the surrounding air scorching hot 95.
• Does not possess ultimate fire, leaving it unable to suppress Liu Lan’s heat-resistant Azure Spirit-binding Vine 96.

Soul Rings and Coercive Pressure

Soul Tool Use

• Uses several soul tools during her duel with Liu Lan in an attempt to reverse the disadvantage 96.
• The tools delay defeat but cannot overcome the Azure Spirit-binding Vine’s Martial Soul Avatar 96.
• No soul engineer rank of her own is specified; the tools used in the duel came from Fan Yu’s laboratory 95.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Elderly-face mask — Used to reinforce her stern teaching persona; removed publicly when she announces her resignation 97.
• Soul tools from Fan Yu’s laboratory — Unnamed devices brought into the unrestricted duel against Liu Lan 95 96.

Relationships

• Fan Yu — Husband and source of institutional backing. She considers asking him to have the duel stopped, or relying on his soul tools to improve her chances 60 82.
• Huo Yuhao — Her most highly valued Class One student. She admires his diligence and perseverance, defends him against expulsion, and later recommends that he seek out the Body Sect 82 86.
• Mu Jin — Longstanding rival who intervenes against her treatment of Dai Huabin. Temporarily takes over her classes after her resignation 58 95 98.
• Liu Lan — Class Three’s homeroom teacher and decisive opponent. Defeats Zhou Yi in the duel that ends her teaching career at Shrek 94 96 97.
• Dai Huabin — Student of Liu Lan whom Zhou Yi tries to force into apologizing to Huo Yuhao, provoking the teachers’ wager 58 60.
• Du Weilun — Academy director who rejects her appeal for Huo Yuhao and later approves her voluntary resignation 82 98.
• Xiao Xiao — Class One student who fears her strictness but recognizes that her guidance has produced improvement 97.
• Wang Dong’er — Class One student whose refusal to sit beside Huo Yuhao disrupts Zhou Yi’s lesson. Zhou Yi later expresses disappointment when Wang Dong’er declines to support him during the dispute 39 58.
• Aoyao — Critical observer who condemns her teaching methods and favoritism, and eagerly watches her defeat 40 41 94.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Class One’s Hundred-Lap Punishment

After Wang Dong’er refuses to sit beside Huo Yuhao, Zhou Yi arranges a seat exchange and orders everyone except Huo Yuhao to run one hundred laps. She warns that failing to finish within the allotted time will mean expulsion 39 40.

Huo Yuhao ultimately completes ninety-six laps. Zhou Yi nevertheless allows him to stay, distinguishing his earnest effort from the deliberate shortcuts taken by nine other students, whom she expels 41.

Dai Huabin Dispute and Duel Wager

Zhou Yi demands an apology after Dai Huabin beats Huo Yuhao. When Dai Huabin reveals Huo Yuhao’s earlier dagger attack—and Huo Yuhao confirms it—she still attempts to seize Dai Huabin. Mu Jin blocks her, and Liu Lan challenges her to a duel 58 59.

Zhou Yi accepts before learning that Liu Lan has become a Seven-Ring Soul Sage. She schedules the match for five days later and secures permission for weapons, hidden weapons, and soul tools. Huo Yuhao offers Spiritual Detection support, though Zhou Yi recognizes that it may not bridge the cultivation gap 60.

Huo Yuhao’s Expulsion

Zhou Yi examines Huo Yuhao after the deaths of Jiang Cou and Guan Xin and accompanies him when Du Weilun takes him away for questioning. She later argues that the third-year students’ provocation should be investigated before judgment 72 81.

When Du Weilun orders expulsion, she offers to leave with Huo Yuhao. He thanks her but urges her to remain for Class One’s sake. Before his departure, she recommends the Body Sect as a possible destination 82 86.

Defeat and Resignation

Huo Yuhao’s expulsion leaves Zhou Yi distracted enough to forget her preparations for the duel. Fan Yu is also away studying at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, removing another expected source of assistance 94.

With Huo Yuhao unavailable to fulfill the original apology condition, the wager changes: the loser must resign from Shrek Academy. Zhou Yi accepts and fights using her Fire Dragon martial soul and soul tools from Fan Yu’s laboratory 95.

Liu Lan’s vines withstand her flames, and the cultivation gap makes the battle one-sided. After being bound and slammed onto the platform, Zhou Yi feigns unconsciousness; the referee discovers the deception and declares Liu Lan the winner 96 97.

Zhou Yi removes her mask and announces her resignation. Du Weilun approves it and permits her to teach one final day, while Mu Jin temporarily assumes responsibility for her classes 97 98.

Notable Quotes

“If you had at least run as earnestly as Huo Yuhao, I might have made an exception.” 41

“Huo Yuhao is my student. It is my duty to protect him!” 82

“Whoever loses will resign voluntarily and get out of Shrek Academy!” 95