Who's in Favor, Who's Against

"Has anyone gotten into a fight in the past few days?" Zhou Yi asked mildly.

Even if we had, would we tell you? Quite a few students grumbled inwardly.

"No one's gotten into a fight?" Zhou Yi looked around. Not a single student met her gaze, as if Freshman Class One were full of obedient little angels.

Zhou Yi shook her head and said in disappointment, "You're the worst class I've ever taught."

"Everyone, run one hundred laps around Shrek Plaza. Anyone who can't finish will be expelled."

On the very first day of school, during the very first class, they were being punished for not getting into a fight—and threatened with expulsion. The classroom erupted into an uproar.

A student immediately stood up. "Why are we being punished for not getting into a fight? We're Soul Masters, not lunatics!"

"Soul Masters?" Zhou Yi smiled. "Do you know the rule of the strong being respected?"

A surging wave of Soul Power swept through the entire classroom. Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black—six Soul Rings, their radiance restrained. Zhou Yi said calmly, "Who agrees with what I've said, and who objects?"

Under the pressure of an abyssal, oceanic aura, who would dare contradict a Six-Ring Soul Emperor?

The classroom fell silent enough to hear a pin drop. Zhou Yi expressionlessly withdrew her Soul Rings. "A quarter of an hour. I want to see you start running on Shrek Plaza within fifteen minutes."

The students looked at one another. One student was the first to get up, and several others followed.

Zhou Yi felt they weren't moving quickly enough. She said unhurriedly, "One hundred laps, with a time limit of one hour."

Zhou Yi's words set Freshman Class One's classroom ablaze. Everyone scrambled to leave, and the scene descended into utter chaos.

Bai Cai sat by the window on the left side of the front row, waiting for most of the students to leave. Wang Dong was still in the classroom too, also waiting for most of the students to leave.

The ordinary-looking boy sitting next to Bai Cai asked in confusion, "Bai, why are you sitting in the classroom?"

"My Soul Power Level is more than enough to let me finish one hundred laps within an hour," Bai Cai said absently. "What about you, Huo? Why are you sitting in the classroom?"

"I can't squeeze past them." Huo Yuhao shook his head and tried to stand again, but the crush of students forced him back into place. His Soul Power was only at level eleven, and his Spirit Eye was classified as a spiritual-type Martial Soul, so it provided little enhancement to his physical abilities.

Of course, Bai Cai's physical abilities were only marginally better than Huo Yuhao's.

The Spirit Eye was a Body Martial Soul. Although it didn't do much to enhance physical abilities, it was still better than nothing.

If Huo Yuhao's Soul Power Level hadn't been so low, and if he hadn't lived in hardship and suffered from malnutrition, Bai Cai's physical abilities might even have been worse than Huo Yuhao's, who had awakened the Spirit Eye Martial Soul.

In just a few dozen breaths, most of the students had already left the classroom. A small number were gathering their belongings, ready to leave.

If Bai Cai hadn't remembered that Huo Yuhao's teacher was strict and that their entire first class would be spent running, then by habit, Bai Cai would have brought a notebook and pen and paper to class.

Huo Yuhao followed at the tail end of the main group, slipping in with the crowd.

Bai Cai walked around a female student who was packing her things and prepared to leave through the back door. Wang Dong happened to get up and left the classroom first.

Shrek Plaza was in disarray. Based on their Martial Souls, Soul Power Levels, and physical abilities, the students of Freshman Class One roughly divided themselves into three or four groups.

The first group consisted entirely of powerful Beast Martial Souls, which greatly enhanced their physical abilities. Wang Dong had a top-tier Beast Martial Soul, a Soul Power Level among the highest, and exceptional physical abilities. She came from behind to become the frontrunner of Freshman Class One.

The second group was made up of some students with Beast Martial Souls and some with Tool Martial Souls. They were far behind the first group, but could still finish the running task with relative ease.

There were many support-type Soul Masters in the third group, and they lagged well behind the second. Still, as long as they managed their stamina and Soul Power sensibly, finishing one hundred laps within an hour was no problem. Thanks to the advantage of Bai Cai's Soul Power Level, Bai Cai was one of the strongest in the third group.

The fourth group brought up the rear. Its students either had low Soul Power, were physically underdeveloped, or both. Huo Yuhao, with only level-eleven Soul Power and a case of malnutrition, was one example.

More than half of the hour Zhou Yi had allotted had passed when Bai Cai finally finished one hundred laps. Bai Cai gradually slowed down to a walk. After a long run, it was best to take some time to let the body adjust; otherwise, serious injury was a real possibility.

A quarter of an hour later, every student in Freshman Class One—including those lagging in the fourth group—had completed the one-hundred-lap run within the allotted time.

Zhou Yi appeared at just the right moment and announced that time was up. The students gathered of their own accord, forming a loose, ragged group.

"Step forward when I call your name. Cheng Cheng, Qiu Jianrao, Tang Dao, Shangguan Chentian, Lin Zeyu, Zhuge Yun, Tai Long, Tang Ling, Yun Xiaopiao."

The nine students wore all sorts of expressions. Some looked disdainful, others anxious, and still others cowered.

Zhou Yi sneered. "You're expelled."

"Why?"

A burly student said angrily, "I was one of the first to finish. Why am I being expelled?"

"Can a teacher expel students whenever she wants?"

A tall, thin student challenged her. "What happened to Shrek Academy's rules and regulations?"

"Tai Long, when the run started, you thought I hadn't arrived yet, so you strolled around for two laps. When the first group reached lap five, you slipped in with them amid the confusion."

"Lin Zeyu, you stopped to rest eight times along the way. Each time, you waited for the group to come back around to you, then used the chance to blend in."

Zhou Yi exposed the cheating of the burly student and the tall, thin student, then said indifferently, "Shrek Academy doesn't need students who cut corners and lack morals. Get out."

"The rest of you."

Zhou Yi turned to the remaining students and said coldly, "You have a quarter of an hour. Return to your dorms and change, then come back to class. Understood?"

The students scattered like startled birds and beasts, moving as fast as if they were running at full speed. Not a trace of fatigue showed on them.

Going to class reeking of sweat would be no different from forfeiting their romantic prospects for the next several years. But each freshman dorm had only one bathroom, and the competition was fierce.

Bai Cai returned to the dorm and found the bathroom door tightly shut. Clearly, someone was already using it.

"Please hurry," Bai Cai urged.

Bang! The bathroom door shook violently. Wang Dong seemed extremely irritable.

A quarter of an hour passed as Bai Cai waited, but there wasn't a sound from inside the bathroom.

"I'm leaving." Bai Cai gave up waiting, searched for a change of clothes, and headed to the public bath at the end of the corridor.

The dormitory door clicked shut. Wang Dong cautiously tested it, then finally let out a sigh of relief. She'd been in such a hurry that she'd forgotten to bring a change of clothes into the bathroom. Luckily...

At last, after changing, Wang Dong sat upright on Bai Cai's bed, imagining the bed from Bai Cai's perspective as she looked at it.

"I think I went too far," Wang Dong murmured.