Who agrees, who opposes

"Has anyone fought in the last few days?" Zhou Yi asked indifferently.

Even if we had, do you think we would tell you? Many students grumbled to themselves.

"No one has fought?" Zhou Yi scanned the room. No student dared to meet her gaze, as if everyone in Freshman Class One were well-behaved, obedient children.

Zhou Yi shook her head, disappointed. "You are the worst batch of students I have ever taught."

"Everyone, run one hundred laps around Shrek Plaza. If you don't finish, you are expelled."

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

One student stood up immediately. "Why are we being punished for not fighting? We are Soul Masters, not lunatics!"

"Soul Masters?" Zhou Yi smiled. "Do you know the rule that the strong are respected?"

A surging, overwhelming wave of Soul Power swept through the entire classroom. With six rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black—shimmering with restrained brilliance, Zhou Yi said calmly, "I have spoken. Who agrees, and who objects?"

Under the pressure of an aura as deep as the abyss and as vast as the sea, who dared to refute a six-ring Soul Emperor?

The classroom was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. Zhou Yi remained expressionless as she slowly retracted her soul rings. "Fifteen minutes. Within fifteen minutes, I want to see you all running at Shrek Plaza."

The students looked at each other in dismay. One student stood up first, and others followed suit.

Finding the students' pace insufficient, Zhou Yi added languidly, "One hundred laps. Time limit: two hours."

Zhou Yi's words completely detonated the Freshman Class One classroom. Everyone scrambled to leave, creating a scene of absolute chaos.

Bai Cai sat on the left side of the front row by the window, waiting for the majority of the students to clear out. Wang Dong also remained in the classroom, likewise waiting for the crowd to disperse.

A boy with an ordinary appearance sitting next to Bai Cai asked in confusion, "Classmate Bai, why are you still sitting here?"

"My Soul Power Level is more than enough to support me in finishing one hundred laps within two hours," Bai Cai replied distractedly. "What about you, Classmate Huo? Why are you still here?"

"I can't squeeze through them." Huo Yuhao shook his head and tried to stand up again, only to be pushed back by the throng of students. His Soul Power was only level eleven, and his Spirit Eye was classified as a mental-type Martial Soul, which provided little boost to his physical fitness.

Of course, in terms of physical fitness, Bai Cai was only marginally stronger than Huo Yuhao.

Although the Spirit Eye was a Body Martial Soul and its physical enhancement was not high, it was still better than nothing.

If not for Huo Yuhao's low Soul Power level and the malnutrition caused by his difficult life, Bai Cai's physical fitness might have even been inferior to Huo Yuhao's after he awakened his Spirit Eye.

In just a few dozen seconds, most of the students had left the classroom, while a few were packing their personal belongings, preparing to evacuate.

If not for the fact that he remembered his teacher was known for being strict and that the first class would be entirely dedicated to running, Bai Cai would have followed his usual habit of bringing a notebook and stationery to class.

Huo Yuhao followed at the tail end of the main group, blending into the crowd.

Bai Cai bypassed a female student packing her things and prepared to leave through the back door. Wang Dong happened to stand up and rushed out of the classroom first.

Shrek Plaza was in a state of disarray. Based on their Martial Soul types, Soul Power levels, and physical fitness, the students of Freshman Class One were roughly divided into three or four echelons.

The first echelon consisted entirely of powerful Beast Martial Souls, which provided high physical enhancements. Wang Dong possessed a top-tier Beast Martial Soul, had one of the highest Soul Power levels, and possessed immense physical strength, eventually overtaking the others to become the leader of Freshman Class One.

The second echelon was composed of a mix of students with Beast Martial Souls and Tool Martial Souls. They lagged behind the first echelon, but could still complete the running task with relative ease.

The third echelon contained many Support-type Soul Masters and trailed significantly behind the second. However, if they planned their stamina and Soul Power reasonably, finishing one hundred laps within two hours was not a problem. Bai Cai, relying on the advantage of his Soul Power level, became a standout in this group.

The fourth echelon consisted of the stragglers—those with low Soul Power, congenital deficiencies, or both. For example, the malnourished Huo Yuhao, who only had level eleven Soul Power.

More than half of the two hours allotted by Zhou Yi had passed. Bai Cai had just finished his one hundredth lap and began to slow down to a walk. After a long-distance run, it was best to go through a cooling-down period; otherwise, there was a high risk of bodily injury.

Fifteen minutes later, all students of Freshman Class One, including the stragglers in the fourth echelon, had completed the one-hundred-lap task within the allotted time.

Zhou Yi appeared right on cue and announced that the time was up. The students gathered spontaneously, forming a loose, disorganized group.

"Those whose names I call, step forward: Cheng Cheng, Qiu Jianrao, Tang Dao, Shangguan Chentian, Lin Zeyu, Zhuge Yun, Tai Long, Tang Ling, Yun Xiaopiao."

The nine individuals displayed various expressions: some were disdainful, some were terrified, and others were cowering.

Zhou Yi sneered, "You are all expelled."

"Why?"

A sturdy student said resentfully, "I was among the first to finish. Why am I being expelled?"

"Can a teacher just expel students whenever she wants?"

A tall, thin student questioned, "What happened to the rules and regulations of Shrek Academy?"

"Tai Long, when the running started, you thought I hadn't arrived yet, so you walked two laps slowly. When the first echelon reached the fifth lap, you took advantage of the chaos to blend in with them."

"Lin Zeyu, you rested eight times along the way. Each time you rested, you waited for the group to reach you again before taking the opportunity to slip back into the formation."

Zhou Yi exposed the cheating of the sturdy and thin students, then said coldly, "Shrek Academy has no need for students who are deceitful and morally corrupt. Get out."

"As for the rest of you."

Zhou Yi faced the remaining students and said icily, "Fifteen minutes. Return to your dorms to change your clothes and come back to the classroom for lessons. Do you understand?"

The students scattered like birds and beasts, moving with a speed comparable to a full-out sprint; there was not a single sign of fatigue to be seen.

Entering the classroom reeking of sweat was equivalent to forfeiting one's dating prospects for the next few years. However, each freshman dormitory was equipped with only one bathroom, making the competition fierce.

Bai Cai returned to his 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 to be in a very foul mood.

After waiting for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, there was still no movement from the washroom.

"I'm leaving." Bai Cai gave up on waiting, rummaged for a change of clothes, and headed toward the public bathhouse at the end of the hallway.

As the sound of the dormitory door closing echoed, Wang Dong tentatively tested the air, finally letting out a sigh of relief. She had been in too much of a rush and forgotten to bring a change of clothes into the washroom, but fortunately...

Once she had finally changed into her clothes, Wang Dong sat upright on Bai Cai's bed, putting herself in his shoes to gaze at her own bed.

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