Mu Jin gritted her teeth, about to continue arguing—
Just then.
A gentle radiance suddenly appeared between them.
It was warm and bright, like the morning sun, like a tender pair of wings, softly bathing everyone in its light.
As the radiance faded, a figure slowly materialized.
He was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his fifties or sixties, dressed in the pristine white robes that marked him as a senior member of the inner court. Faint golden patterns were embroidered along the hem, glimmering softly in the sunlight.
His expression was kind, fine wrinkles gathered at the corners of his eyes, and a warm smile played on his lips.
A pure, radiant aura surrounded him, making people feel close to him at first sight.
"Dean Yan!"
"Dean Yan!"
Zhou Yi and Mu Jin both froze, then cried out in unison.
They hurriedly suppressed the anger and resentment on their faces and bowed their heads respectfully.
The newcomer was none other than Yan Shaozhe, the dean of the Martial Soul Department.
He was the head of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department, a Level 95 Super Douluo with the title "Bright Phoenix."
Standing on the Soul Fighting Platform, Huo Yuhao looked past the crowd and fixed his gaze on Yan Shaozhe.
Deep in his eyes, a glimmer of pale white light quietly turned—his Spirit Eye Martial Soul remained attached, and his Spirit Detection had never stopped.
He had already "seen" Yan Shaozhe before he appeared.
That figure had quietly appeared in a corner of the Soul Fighting Arena from the moment Huo Yuhao defeated Wang Gang.
He had simply stood there in silence, his aura so thoroughly concealed it was almost nonexistent, as if he had merged with the surrounding air.
Had Huo Yuhao's spiritual power not reached the Divine Origin Realm, and his senses not been far sharper than an ordinary person's, he would never have detected the dean's presence.
Yan Shaozhe had been here for quite some time.
And he had watched for a while.
A realization flashed through Huo Yuhao's mind—if he had been no match for Wang Gang, if he had failed to block that punch, Yan Shaozhe would naturally have stepped in to save him.
But since he had won, Yan Shaozhe had continued to keep himself hidden, only "happening" to appear now.
Standing between the two women, Yan Shaozhe swept his gaze over Mu Jin and Zhou Yi, a warm smile on his face.
"What happened just now? I was passing by and heard quite a commotion, so I came in to take a look."
His voice was warm and steady, like an elder asking a younger person what had happened.
As he spoke, his gaze shifted slightly, his peripheral vision lingering on Huo Yuhao for a moment—so briefly it was almost impossible to notice.
But Huo Yuhao noticed.
Seeing the dean ask, Mu Jin hurried forward and recounted everything from beginning to end.
She told him everything, from Huo Yuhao's clash with Zhou Yi in the classroom, to their wager, to Huo Yuhao fighting seventy-one people in a row on the Soul Fighting Platform, and finally to Wang Gang swallowing the Blood Soul Pill—
She left nothing out.
At the end, Mu Jin took a deep breath, fixed her burning gaze on Zhou Yi, and said in a low voice:
"Dean Yan, as a homeroom teacher, Zhou Yi not only had her students take turns fighting a new student, she even had one of them swallow the Blood Soul Pill, a banned drug, knowing full well he was going to lose! Such conduct is a grave violation of a teacher's ethics and deserves severe punishment!"
Having finished, she stepped back and waited for Yan Shaozhe's decision.
After listening, Yan Shaozhe still wore his warm smile, as though he had merely heard about some ordinary matter.
But in his mind, calculations were already racing.
He naturally knew what had happened.
The moment Wang Gang swallowed the pill, he had understood that Zhou Yi could not escape blame.
But...
Yan Shaozhe let his gaze rest on Zhou Yi for a moment, and another person's face came to mind.
Fan Yu.
The backbone of the Soul Guidance Department, Shrek Academy's youngest Level 8 Soul Engineer, and someone with the potential to reach Level 9.
Fan Yu had never planned to stay at Shrek.
It was Zhou Yi who had captured his heart and made him stay.
It could be said that if Zhou Yi hadn't kept him there, Fan Yu would have left Shrek Academy long ago for somewhere willing to offer him better terms.
If punishing Zhou Yi over this "minor matter" made Fan Yu resentful, or even consider leaving Shrek...
It would be an enormous loss for the academy.
After weighing the matter for a moment, Yan Shaozhe quickly made his decision.
He turned to Mu Jin, still wearing his warm smile, and slowly asked, "Teacher Mu Jin, do you have any proof of what you've said?"
Mu Jin froze.
Proof...
She had none.
Wang Gang had already been carried to the infirmary, unconscious.
Even if he woke up, given how grateful and afraid he was of Zhou Yi, he would never stand up and testify against her.
And no one had seen Zhou Yi give Wang Gang the pill except the two of them.
Mu Jin opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Seeing this, Yan Shaozhe sighed softly, his tone still gentle.
"Teacher Mu Jin, I understand how you feel. But when the academy handles matters, it relies on evidence. Without evidence, we cannot jump to conclusions."
He paused, then added:
"Let this matter... end here."
End here.
Mu Jin's body stiffened slightly. She understood that if she continued to pursue the matter, she would only displease Yan Shaozhe.
Even if she was right, what could she do about it?
Yan Shaozhe was the dean of the Martial Soul Department. His word was authority.
Standing nearby, Zhou Yi's lips curled up slightly, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes.
She had known it would turn out this way.
With Fan Yu at her back, and the Soul Guidance Department behind him, this little matter could not hurt her in the slightest.
Mu Jin bit her lip and lowered her head, her nails digging deep into her palms.
Just then—
A clear, resonant voice rang out.
"Dean Yan, this matter isn't settled."
The voice wasn't loud, but it rang clearly in everyone's ears.
Everyone turned at once to look toward the speaker.
Huo Yuhao was walking down from the Soul Fighting Platform.
His pace was unhurried, each step steady and firm.
His right hand hung at his side. The wound on his fist had stopped bleeding, but the streaks of blood were still a shocking sight.
He walked straight up to Yan Shaozhe, stopped, raised his head, and looked directly at this Level 95 Super Douluo.
His back was straight, his gaze sharp.
He showed no fear.
He did not back down.
He did not even show the humility and respect one would expect when facing a powerful figure.
He simply stood there, meeting Yan Shaozhe's gaze, his eyes as calm as still water.
Yan Shaozhe was slightly taken aback.
It had been many years since he had seen a student dare to look him directly in the eye like this.
Especially a new student.
And one with only fourteen levels of soul power.
Yan Shaozhe studied Huo Yuhao for a moment, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes.
This boy was no simple character.
"Oh?" Yan Shaozhe still wore his warm smile. His tone was calm. "What do you mean, Student Huo?"
Huo Yuhao didn't beat around the bush.
He spoke directly, his voice clear and firm.
"Teacher Zhou agreed to the wager I made with her. If she lost, she would go to the entrance of Shrek Academy and admit in front of everyone that she was incapable of teaching and unfit to be a teacher."
He paused, his gaze shifting to Zhou Yi, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
"Now, she has lost."
"It's time for her to honor her promise."
A wave of hushed discussion broke out around them.
"A wager? What wager?"
"I heard Huo Yuhao had to kneel and apologize. If he won, Zhou Yi would have to go to the entrance and kneel to admit she was wrong!"
"Good heavens, that's brutal!"
"Brutal? Zhou Yi agreed to the wager herself. Now that she's lost, she wants to welsh?"
As the whispers spread, Zhou Yi's face instantly darkened.
She opened her mouth to argue, but couldn't get a word out.
Because what Huo Yuhao had said was true.
Yan Shaozhe's brow furrowed slightly.
He really hadn't known about this wager.
He looked at Zhou Yi, a hint of inquiry in his eyes.
Zhou Yi lowered her head without a word.
Seeing her reaction, Yan Shaozhe understood that Huo Yuhao wasn't lying.
After a moment's thought, he looked at Huo Yuhao again. He still wore his warm smile, but his tone now held a touch of persuasion.
"Student Huo, one should show mercy when possible. You still have to study at Shrek Academy, and you'll have to see each other in the future. Why not ease up on the terms? She doesn't have to kneel; she can simply apologize in public. What do you say?"
His voice was gentle, as if he were making a kind suggestion.
But the meaning behind his words could not have been clearer—do me a favor and let this matter go.
Everyone around them understood the weight behind Yan Shaozhe's words.
The dean of the Martial Soul Department had personally stepped in to mediate. What an honor was that?
Anyone else would have taken the offered way out.
And yet—
Huo Yuhao shook his head.
"Dean Yan, it was Teacher Zhou herself who added the part about kneeling."
His voice was calm, but his resolve brooked no argument.
"And if I had lost, I'm sure Teacher Zhou would only have gone even further to make me honor the wager, wouldn't she?"
Yan Shaozhe was slightly taken aback.
Huo Yuhao looked him straight in the eye and continued:
"If that had happened, would you have stepped in and told her to 'show mercy when possible' on my behalf, Dean Yan?"
That question had struck home.
Yan Shaozhe fell silent.
Because he knew the answer.
No.
If Huo Yuhao had lost, Zhou Yi would never have let him off. And he, Yan Shaozhe, would never have stepped in to mediate for a new student he didn't even know.
That was reality.
Yan Shaozhe looked at the boy before him, a complicated feeling rising in his heart.
This boy was more perceptive than he had imagined.
But however perceptive he was, Huo Yuhao's utter refusal to yield still stirred a trace of displeasure in Yan Shaozhe.
He was the dean of the Martial Soul Department, a Level 95 Super Douluo.
He had personally stepped in to mediate and had shown the other party every courtesy.
Yet this new student, with only fourteen levels of soul power, not only refused to accept his offer but also embarrassed him in public.
Yan Shaozhe still wore his warm smile, but deep in his eyes, a faint chill flickered.
He said nothing more, only turned slightly and let his gaze fall on Zhou Yi.
The meaning was plain—
This was her own mess to deal with.
Zhou Yi's face changed completely.
She looked at Yan Shaozhe's "there's nothing I can do" expression, then at the students all around her, staring at her, and felt a panic unlike anything she had ever experienced surge through her.
Make her kneel at the entrance to Shrek Academy?
Admit in front of everyone that she was incapable of teaching?
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
She had taught at Shrek Academy for so many years, and she had always been the one expelling students. What reason could a student possibly have to make her kneel?!
But if she didn't go...
Zhou Yi raised her head and looked at Huo Yuhao.
The boy stood there, watching her calmly, as though waiting for her answer.
Zhou Yi took a deep breath, suppressing the panic and fury in her heart, then spoke:
"Student Huo, about the kneeling... please choose another condition."
Her voice was a little hoarse, with a hint of compromise she could hardly conceal.
The students around them were astonished.
Zhou Yi was backing down?
Zhou Yi, who was famous for being strict and would expel students at the drop of a hat, was actually backing down to a new student?
Huo Yuhao wasn't surprised.
He had long expected that someone like Zhou Yi would never willingly honor their bet.
He wasn't angry, either. He merely raised an eyebrow slightly and said calmly:
"Oh? What condition would Teacher Zhou like to change it to?"
Zhou Yi gritted her teeth. "Tell me. What do you want? As long as it's something I can do, I'll agree."
As she spoke, a trace of ruthlessness flashed in her eyes. As long as she got through today, she'd have plenty of chances to deal with this brat who didn't know his place.
Huo Yuhao glanced at her, as if he could see right through her thoughts.
The corner of his mouth lifted in the faintest hint of a smile.
"In that case—"
He paused, then spoke slowly:
"I want three Soul Bones that are at least a thousand years old. Two of them must have wood or water attributes."
Zhou Yi's expression instantly froze.
"Or—"
Huo Yuhao continued, his voice still calm:
"One Soul Bone that's at least ten thousand years old."
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd let out a collective gasp.
A Soul Bone?!
That was something a hundred times more precious than a Soul Ring!
Any thousand-year Soul Bone was worth a fortune—enough to keep an ordinary family fed and clothed for generations.
A ten-thousand-year Soul Bone was an even rarer treasure. Even at an auction, it would fetch a sky-high price!
Huo Yuhao had just demanded three thousand-year Soul Bones, or one ten-thousand-year Soul Bone?
He was asking for the moon!
Zhou Yi's face turned ashen.
She stared wide-eyed at Huo Yuhao, as if she were looking at a madman.
"A Soul Bone?!"
Her voice rose sharply, so shrill it nearly pierced their eardrums.
"Why don't you just rob someone?!"
Huo Yuhao wasn't angry.
He only smiled faintly and spoke slowly:
"Teacher Zhou, either give me the Soul Bones or kneel in front of everyone. Choose one."
His voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable resolve.
Zhou Yi's chest heaved violently, her face flushing and paling in turns.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao continued:
"Teacher Zhou, you wouldn't want every student at Shrek Academy to know that you're a teacher who doesn't keep her word, would you?"
He paused, his voice growing slightly more emphatic:
"Shrek Academy is a sacred land for Soul Masters. If a teacher like you breaks her word, its reputation will surely suffer."
Those were harsh words.
The students around them exchanged glances. Some nodded, while others whispered among themselves.
"Exactly. She made the bet herself. If she lost, she should honor it."
"Teacher Zhou is always so strict, expelling students at the drop of a hat. Now she's trying to welch on her own bet?"
"If word gets out, where will that leave Shrek's reputation?"
The murmuring grew louder, and every word that reached Zhou Yi's ears felt like a needle piercing her heart.
Her expression grew increasingly grim.
Yan Shaozhe stood to one side, his brows drawn together slightly.
He looked at Huo Yuhao, a complicated glint in his eyes. This young man had not only extraordinary talent, but such a calculating mind as well.
If Zhou Yi failed to honor the bet today, even if the academy managed to suppress the matter, that wouldn't solve the underlying problem.
Yan Shaozhe's gaze swept across the students around them. Their young faces were filled with shock, curiosity, excitement, and an eagerness to share what they'd witnessed.
There were two classes here, with a total of two hundred students between them.
Could they shut one person's mouth? Could they silence the countless voices?
Impossible.
Once the news got out, it would spread like wildfire.
One would tell ten, ten would tell a hundred. Before long, all of Shrek Academy would know: Zhou Yi had made a bet with a student, lost, and then tried to welch on it.
By then, not only would Zhou Yi's reputation be in tatters, but Shrek Academy's standing would suffer as well.
Shrek Academy was the continent's foremost sacred land for Soul Masters, with a foundation built over ten thousand years. Its strength was not its only asset—it had its reputation, too.
If people came to believe that Shrek's teachers could break their word, where would that leave the academy's dignity?
But if Zhou Yi really had to kneel...
Yan Shaozhe looked at Zhou Yi.
Her face was ashen, her chest heaving violently, her eyes full of resentment and unwillingness.
Given her nature, making her kneel in public would be worse than killing her.
And Fan Yu stood behind her.
If Zhou Yi were forced to her knees, what would Fan Yu think? What would he do?
Before you continue