The start of term came much sooner than Huo Yuhao had imagined. Or, to put it another way, in this kind of environment, everyone felt as though time flew by. It seemed that they only had to open and close their eyes for an entire day to pass.
Every day, Huo Yuhao saw students fall asleep right in the middle of class. The moment they were caught, the teachers would toss them to the back of the room to stand and listen.
Incidentally, on Douluo Continent, "toss" was a literal verb.
Of course, no students ever fell asleep in Zhou Yi's class.
As for why... the other teachers would toss students to the back of the classroom. She would open a window and throw you right out. The classroom was on the first floor, after all, so no one would get hurt.
Two weeks passed like this. At least in Huo Yuhao's class, there were no longer any students who fell asleep during lessons.
"Come on, everyone, perk up your ears and listen."
Zhou Yi's voice drew everyone's attention. She was holding a booklet in her hand.
"For the past two weeks, we've been studying basic theory in the classroom. I'm sure some of you have realized that we haven't taught you anything about cultivation during this time."
Zhou Yi walked down from the lectern as she opened the booklet in her hands.
"Starting today, we'll officially begin Martial Soul cultivation classes and teach you how to cultivate Soul Power properly."
"Any questions?"
Zhou Yi looked around. Seeing that no one raised a hand, she nodded.
"Good. Since there are no objections, get ready to head to the Mimicry Cultivation Ground."
"Oh, right. I almost forgot."
Zhou Yi walked over to Huo Yuhao and Dong'er.
"You two don't need to go. Stay here in the classroom and wait for me to come back. If you have any questions, ask me then. I'll explain everything."
Zhou Yi's firm tone left them a little confused, but they obediently stayed in their seats.
The other students were curious too, but next to their excitement at finally being able to start cultivating, that curiosity was nothing.
Soon, only Huo Yuhao and Dong'er remained in the classroom. To pass the time, they started reading the textbooks they wouldn't need until next semester.
As for this semester's books... they had already finished everything except history.
About ten minutes later, Zhou Yi returned. Seeing the two with their heads buried in books, she knocked on the lectern.
"All right, put your books away and come straight to the front row. There's something I need to tell you."
They quickly did as she said. Once they had sat down, Zhou Yi placed two medical examination reports on the desks in front of them.
"Teacher Zhou, what are these medical examination reports for...?"
Dong'er asked first. The densely packed list of tests made her head spin.
"They'll assess your current Soul Power Level and physical fitness, so you can take part in an activity."
As she explained, Zhou Yi walked down from the lectern and stood in front of them.
"How have you felt over these past two weeks?" Zhou Yi suddenly threw out a question that seemed to come from nowhere. Though Huo Yuhao was a little confused, he answered quickly.
"For some of the students, it's been exhausting. And..."
Huo Yuhao paused, then continued.
"I keep feeling like this isn't a Soul Master Academy. Even though all our classes are related to Soul Masters, there's no hands-on training or actual combat."
Dong'er nodded beside him, then added,
"It feels very different from the adults at home. It's as if... the people here don't need to cultivate at all."
Hearing their answers, Zhou Yi nodded in satisfaction.
"That's right. Spirit Soul Academy really isn't like a normal Soul Master Academy. From your answers, it's clear that you have some understanding of Soul Master academies—or, more accurately, of the Soul Master World—no matter where you learned about them."
"For a Soul Master, no matter how much theoretical knowledge you acquire, sooner or later, it has to be put to the test in actual combat. After all, strength is the foundation for making a place for yourself in the Soul Master World."
"And what I'm about to tell you is that, in this classroom, neither of you will find anyone else who can enter the Soul Master World."
Zhou Yi pointed to them in turn.
"You've probably noticed that, apart from each other, you don't know the other students in this classroom very well. That isn't because you've been so absorbed in your studies that you haven't paid attention to the outside world."
"Over the past two weeks, I've spoken individually with every student except you two. The message was simple: don't disturb you in any way."
"As for why... do you remember this class doing any activities like introducing yourselves?"
Huo Yuhao and Dong'er looked at each other, then both shook their heads.
"According to your student records, Huo Yuhao and Dong'er, you both have Innate Full Soul Power. The highest Innate Soul Power among the others doesn't exceed this number."
Zhou Yi held up three fingers.
"Three levels?!" Dong'er cried out in surprise. Even Huo Yuhao was stunned. This was... completely unexpected.
"Heh. You never would have guessed, right? In a Soul Master Academy founded by the most powerful force on the entire continent, Spirit Hall, the formal students actually have less than three levels of Innate Soul Power."
"With less than three levels of Innate Soul Power, even if they train hard, they'll end up as nothing but dregs in the Soul Master World. They're better off being given a chance by Spirit Hall to pursue a path other than becoming Soul Masters."
"But even with just three levels of Soul Power..."
At that moment, Huo Yuhao tried to argue, but Zhou Yi cut him off.
"I know what you want to say. Most children your age have the same unrealistic idea. You may even have seen living examples yourselves."
"But let me ask you: how many such examples have you seen? One or two? Compared with the whole of Douluo Continent, can one or two examples serve as proof that Spirit Hall is wrong? Obviously not."
Zhou Yi's words stabbed into Huo Yuhao like nails, because deep down, he knew she was right.
If the Huo Yuhao from his previous life, with only one level of Soul Power, had come to Spirit Soul Academy, he would undoubtedly have been just like the other students. So what if the Spirit Eye was truly gifted? Without the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, he would have been crushed the moment he took his first step into the Soul Master World!
The more he thought about it, the more dread he felt.
Dong'er remained silent beside him. She seemed to be thinking, though it was also possible that she simply couldn't understand what Zhou Yi was saying.
"Whenever students like you come here, we do the same thing. If you're a genius capable of entering the Soul Master World, then you need the courage to accept this cruel answer."
"I've gone off track. Let's get down to business."
Zhou Yi pushed the medical examination reports toward them again.
"After completing these tests, you'll go straight to take a practical exam."
"The entrance exam for the Unlimited Division."
Before you continue