The New Class

In the blink of an eye, two days passed, and afternoon arrived.

Huo Yuhao and Dong'er used their lunch break to get their textbooks in order, so they could make it to class that afternoon.

"Remember, if things don't go smoothly over there, come back to me anytime. I'll make sure nobody gives you trouble!" Zhou Yi said domineeringly as they walked.

"Teacher Zhou, I'll definitely come back to visit you when I have time," Huo Yuhao said. Dong'er nodded in agreement beside him.

"You don't need to come back just to visit me. The Unlimited Division is much tougher than this one. It's not that you get much less time to rest; it's just that over there, the main focus isn't theoretical knowledge, but pure Martial Soul cultivation."

According to Zhou Yi, the Unlimited Division offered more freedom, but it was also much stricter. Even students with exceptional talent had to take practical exams at irregular intervals. Those who ranked too low would be sent back to the regular division.

"Besides, once you're sent back, you'll never be readmitted. You two mustn't waste your talent over there, especially you, Huo Yuhao. As a work-study student, you'll receive at least as much in subsidies in the Unlimited Division."

A little while later, the three of them finally reached the entrance to the Unlimited Division's teaching building. Fan Yu was already waiting there.

"All right, I'll take it from here. You can head back."

"Mm."

After a brief handoff, Fan Yu led Huo Yuhao and Dong'er toward the stairwell. Their new classroom was on the third floor.

"Teacher Fan Yu, I'm curious. The Unlimited Division has about the same schedule and curriculum as the regular division, so why is it called the 'Unlimited' Division?" Dong'er suddenly asked on the way to the classroom.

Huo Yuhao looked at Fan Yu too. He had been curious about it himself: what exactly did "unlimited" mean?

"'Unlimited'... You can take it literally. Simply put, classes in the Unlimited Division aren't compulsory. If you're confident you can pass the theoretical and practical exams at the end of the semester, you can apply to skip classes."

"This rule only applies to the Unlimited Division. And once you apply, the passing score for the practical exams goes up significantly. But for true geniuses, the only thing that'll give them a headache is the theory. The practical exam is just easy points for the taking."

"More importantly... within certain limits, the Unlimited Division's levels aren't determined by age, as they are in the regular division. They're determined by Soul Power Level."

"For example, based on your Soul Power Levels, your classmates should be around nine to twelve years old, with Soul Power Levels between twelve and eighteen."

"By strength, you're both in the middle of the pack in your class. But considering your age... you could easily be the big shots."

As Fan Yu explained, the three of them had already reached the classroom door.

"The initial election for class officers is by nomination. I've already sent in your information, so there may be a few people who want to challenge you. Don't underestimate them when the time comes."

After one last reminder, Fan Yu knocked on the classroom door.

"Teacher Wang Yan, I've brought them."

"Mm, good."

A bespectacled man standing at the lectern answered. He stopped writing on the blackboard.

The moment they heard that name, Huo Yuhao and Dong'er both jolted.

Another familiar face...

Huo Yuhao leaned forward. The figure at the lectern looked exactly as he remembered: the same messy hairstyle, the same thick glasses, and the same crisp suit.

It was Wang Yan, the current leading scholar of Martial Soul theory.

"All right, students, I have two things to announce." Wang Yan held up two fingers, then looked toward the door.

"Today, two new classmates are joining us. Let's give them a round of applause!"

As he spoke, Wang Yan started clapping, and the classroom soon filled with applause. Amid it, Huo Yuhao and Dong'er walked up to the lectern together and looked at the other students below.

At a glance, Huo Yuhao saw that it was just as Fan Yu had said: the vast majority were nine to eleven years old, and on average, they were about half a head taller than him and Dong'er.

As for the students, almost all of them looked incredulous the moment they saw Huo Yuhao and Dong'er.

They were so young. They looked like they'd only just awakened their Martial Souls. How could they possibly be here?

Though they were full of questions, Wang Yan at the lectern didn't look particularly surprised, so they could only suppress their curiosity for now.

"Go ahead and introduce yourselves." Wang Yan first walked over to Dong'er and handed her a miniature microphone. At the same time, he exchanged a glance with both Fan Yu and Huo Yuhao without drawing attention to it.

Fan Yu immediately understood what Wang Yan meant. Huo Yuyao was a little slower to catch on, but soon understood the meaning of that glance too.

Wang Yan wanted them to make a splash on their very first day...

"My name is Dong'er. I'm six years old. I'm a one-ring Power Attack System Soul Master, and my Soul Power Level is thirteen." After speaking, Dong'er passed the microphone to Huo Yuhao. Her introduction was simple, and her tone completely calm.

So calm that the students in the class hadn't even processed what she'd said.

For a moment, not a sound came from the classroom except for a chorus of sharp, gasping "hisses."

Looking at the students below, Wang Yan gave a slight nod. He seemed very pleased with their reaction.

"I'm Huo Yuhao. I'm six years old. I'm a Control System Soul Master, and my Soul Power Level is fifteen."

But just then, Huo Yuhao spoke up.

The students' attention instantly shifted from Dong'er to Huo Yuhao. The hissing grew even louder, and their eyes filled with even greater disbelief.

"Bang!"

A loud slap against a desk rang out from the back of the classroom. Everyone turned toward the sound.

A red-haired girl was pointing at Huo Yuhao, her face full of doubt.

"Hey, I'll give that Dong'er a pass. Thirteen at six is something even my young mistress could manage... But you're saying you reached level fifteen at six? I don't believe it!"

The girl's voice rang out clearly. Every student in the classroom heard her.

Following the sound, Huo Yuhao turned to look as well.

He'd already lost count of how many times he'd had to repeat himself, but... why was there another familiar face?

"Wu Feng, I know you may not be convinced, but Huo Yuhao's Soul Power Level really is fifteen. The academy has already tested him. There's no doubt about it."

Wang Yan pushed up his glasses, then continued:

"But I'm not taking Huo Yuhao's side. Besides introducing our two new classmates, I have something else to announce. Let me finish first, then you can discuss it."

Wu Feng looked ready to say more, but the other blonde girl beside her tugged at her sleeve. She immediately wiped the agitation from her face and sat down obediently.

"Ahem, sorry. There are two empty seats in the front row. You can sit down first."

Huo Yuhao and Dong'er nodded, then took the two seats Wang Yan pointed out.

"All right, next... I'm sure you all remember that ours is the only class in the entire division that hasn't held its class officer election yet."

"Starting now, I'll write down the academy's initial list of nominees for class officers. If you have any objections, you can raise them directly."

As he spoke, Wang Yan glanced toward Wu Feng, as if deliberately reminding her.

"First, class monitor... Huo Yuhao!"