Meanwhile.
Elsewhere, inside the Freshman Class Nine classroom.
Sunlight streamed through the bright windows, filling the entire classroom with warmth and light.
A hundred students sat in their seats. Some flipped through their textbooks, some chatted quietly, and others gazed out the windows, bored.
The classroom was abuzz with chatter, brimming with the energy and restlessness unique to new students.
Until—
"Creak."
The classroom door opened.
Every sound stopped abruptly in that instant.
More than fifty pairs of eyes turned in unison toward the doorway, landing on the figure who had just walked in.
Mu Jin stood at the entrance, unable to hide her smile.
But no one's gaze lingered on her for long.
Because someone else stood behind her.
A young man.
He was tall and straight-backed, with delicate features and eyes as calm as still water.
He simply stood there, quietly sweeping his gaze across the classroom, his face expressionless.
Huo Yuhao.
In the short span of an hour, his name had already spread throughout the entire first year.
He had fought seventy-one opponents single-handedly and defeated every one of them.
With fourteen levels of Soul Power, he had punched away a Soul Grandmaster with twenty-nine levels of Soul Power and a Mutated Martial Soul.
He had forced Zhou Yi to apologize in public and made Fan Yu bring out three Thousand-Year Soul Bones to settle things.
Each of these deeds alone was enough to shock people, and all of them belonged to the same person.
Now, that person stood right in front of them.
The classroom fell into a brief, deathly silence.
Every face showed surprise—wasn't Huo Yuhao a student in Class One? Why had he come to Class Nine?
Mu Jin paid no heed to their astonished looks and walked straight to the podium.
She turned to face everyone and spoke with a smile:
"Everyone."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to every corner of the room.
"Let me introduce a new classmate."
She stepped aside, revealing Huo Yuhao behind her.
"Huo Yuhao will officially transfer to our Class Nine starting today."
The moment she finished speaking, the classroom erupted in cries of surprise—
"What?! Huo Yuhao's transferring to our class?!"
"Oh my god! Am I dreaming?!"
"Why's he coming to Class Nine? Wasn't he in Class One?"
"You haven't heard?
Word just came over from the Soul Fighting Arena. That old witch Zhou Yi expelled Huo Yuhao!"
"Expelled?! Why? Didn't Huo Yuhao win?"
"He did win, but the expulsion was announced before the bet. Apparently, Zhou Yi wanted to make an example of him, deliberately expelling him to put the new students in Class One in their place. Luckily, Teacher Mu recognized his talent and said Huo Yuhao could come to our Class Nine."
"So that's what happened? Zhou Yi really got what she deserved!"
"Serves her right! She's always so arrogant, expelling students at the drop of a hat. She finally kicked an iron plate this time!"
The cries of surprise were filled with excitement, admiration, curiosity, and even a touch of awe.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Huo Yuhao, as if they were looking at a legend.
In the ten-thousand-year teaching history of Shrek Academy, there had never been a student like Huo Yuhao.
With his own strength, he had nearly fought his way through every student taught by one teacher.
He had forced a teacher to apologize in public.
He had even made an Level 8 Soul Engineer step in with three Thousand-Year Soul Bones to settle things.
This was practically a first in Shrek Academy's ten-thousand-year teaching history!
And now, someone like him was their classmate!
Huo Yuhao stood beside the podium, his gaze sweeping over the unfamiliar faces below.
His expression remained blank. He simply nodded slightly.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Huo Yuhao."
His voice was calm, neither servile nor arrogant.
There was no smugness or boasting, not even the slightest unnecessary emotion.
It was as if the deeds that had shocked the entire year just moments ago had nothing to do with him.
His composure only made everyone more reverent.
Mu Jin nodded in satisfaction. She looked around the classroom, her gaze settling on an empty seat by the window.
"Huo Yuhao, you can sit there."
She pointed to it.
Huo Yuhao nodded and walked toward the seat.
As he passed desk after desk, countless eyes followed him.
Some instinctively sat up straight, some held their breath, and others exchanged silent glances.
Huo Yuhao paid them no mind and simply walked on.
Soon, Huo Yuhao reached the window seat Mu Jin had indicated and sat down, looking outside.
Sunlight streamed in, warm and bright.
When Mu Jin saw Huo Yuhao take his seat, she nodded in satisfaction.
She turned, walked up to the podium, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote two large characters on the blackboard—
Class Monitor.
"All right, everyone."
Mu Jin turned to face the class and spoke with a smile.
"Next, we're going to elect the class monitor of Freshman Class Nine."
She paused, then continued:
"Anyone who wants to become class monitor should come up to the podium and demonstrate their abilities.
Then, the whole class will vote to decide who gets the position."
"As for the deputy class monitor, the newly elected class monitor will nominate the candidate."
As soon as she finished speaking, the classroom filled with low murmurs.
Compared to Zhou Yi's dictatorial way of appointing someone by decree, Mu Jin's democratic approach was clearly more popular.
Many students looked eager to give it a try.
They were all talented young Soul Masters from influential forces across the continent, born into distinguished families and blessed with exceptional talent. They were ambitious and proud.
Naturally, they were interested in becoming class monitor.
What was a class monitor?
The face of the class, the teacher's right-hand assistant, and an important asset when it came time to select outstanding students in the future.
Whoever became class monitor would get a head start.
However—
Amid the discussion, many people turned toward the window seat in unison.
There, Huo Yuhao sat quietly, looking out the window as if none of this had anything to do with him.
The same thought crossed everyone's mind—
Would Huo Yuhao run for class monitor?
If he did, what chance would anyone else have?
A ruthless fighter who had defeated a level-twenty-nine opponent while at level fourteen, and had even punched away someone like Wang Gang, who was practically a Soul Elder.
Who could possibly compete with someone like that for class monitor?
For a moment, the classroom fell silent.
No one dared to stand up first.
At last, one male student couldn't hold back any longer.
He stood up, looked toward Huo Yuhao, and called out:
"I propose that Huo Yuhao become our class monitor. What do you think?"
He paused, then continued:
"Everyone's seen his strength. He beat someone at level twenty-nine while at level fourteen, and he fought seventy-one people in a row without a single defeat.
If he becomes class monitor, he'll definitely lead our class well!"
At those words, quite a few people nodded along.
"Exactly. Huo Yuhao's the strongest. He's the best choice for class monitor!"
"I agree!"
"I have no objections to Huo Yuhao becoming class monitor!"
Amid the discussion, Wu Feng, sitting beside Ning Tian, changed expression.
She abruptly straightened up, a trace of displeasure flashing in her red eyes.
Huo Yuhao as class monitor?
Then what about her young mistress?
Ning Tian was the young mistress of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, born with full Soul Power and a Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda Martial Soul. She would inherit the position of sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in the future.
In terms of status, talent, or potential, how did she fall short of Huo Yuhao?
Why should the position of class monitor go to him?
Wu Feng opened her mouth to object—
But then she suddenly remembered something, and a scene flashed through her mind.
Huo Yuhao stood on the Soul Fighting Platform, the Emperor Phantom towering more than three meters tall behind him. With one punch, he had sent Wang Gang flying after Wang Gang swallowed a Blood Soul Pill and his strength surged.
The brilliance of that punch, that soul-shaking pressure, was still deeply etched in her mind.
Wu Feng parted her lips, but swallowed the words before they could come out.
She was confident, but she wasn't stupid.
Even Wang Gang, at level twenty-nine, had been sent flying with one punch. If she went up against him, what could she do besides get beaten?
But...
Wu Feng looked at Ning Tian unwillingly.
Ning Tian sat quietly, a faint smile on her face, as if none of this had anything to do with her.
Wu Feng gritted her teeth, about to force herself to speak—
Just then, a clear voice rang out.
"Teacher Mu."
Everyone turned toward the voice at the same time.
By the window, Huo Yuhao slowly rose to his feet.
His gaze was calm, and his face expressionless as he spoke softly:
"I don't want to be class monitor."
The classroom fell silent in an instant.
Everyone was stunned.
Huo Yuhao... didn't want to be class monitor?
The male student who had made the proposal opened his mouth, utterly confused.
"W-why not? You're the strongest. Isn't it only natural for you to be class monitor?"
Huo Yuhao glanced at him, his voice still calm.
"I haven't had much time to cultivate. I only want to focus on my cultivation. I have no intention of becoming class monitor."
Simple and direct, without a single unnecessary explanation.
After speaking, he sat back down, his eyes once more turning toward the window, as if the matter no longer concerned him.
The classroom fell into a brief silence.
Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to say.
Some breathed a sigh of relief—if Huo Yuhao wasn't running for the position, they still had a chance.
Others looked disappointed. They had hoped Huo Yuhao would lead the class, but he had turned them down.
Wu Feng let out a long sigh of relief.
She didn't have to face a terrifying opponent like Huo Yuhao.
She turned to Ning Tian, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes. Young mistress, now no one can compete with you.
Mu Jin stood on the podium. When she heard Huo Yuhao's words, a trace of disappointment crossed her eyes.
But she quickly recovered and nodded with a smile.
"All right. If Huo Yuhao doesn't want to be class monitor, I certainly won't force him."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone below.
"Does anyone else want to be class monitor?"
Huo Yuhao's decision to withdraw had rekindled the hopes of many students.
A tall male student was the first to stand. He strode up to the podium.
"My name is Zhao Yang. My Martial Soul is the Iron Arm Ape, and my Soul Power Level is twenty-one! I'm running for class monitor!"
He flexed both arms, and two Yellow Soul Rings appeared beneath his feet. A fierce aura spread through the room.
Everyone nodded. Twenty-one was pretty impressive.
But soon, someone else stood up.
"My name is Qian Feng. My Martial Soul is the Gale Wolf, and my Soul Power Level is twenty-two! I'm running too!"
One student after another walked up to the podium to show off their strength.
Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two...
Just then, a red figure rose to her feet.
Wu Feng.
She strode up to the podium, her short red hair glowing in the sunlight like a ball of dancing flames.
She folded her arms across her chest, swept her gaze over everyone below, and curled her lips in disdain.
"Wu Feng. Martial Soul: Red Dragon. Soul Power Level—twenty-four!"
As her voice fell, two bright yellow Soul Rings appeared beneath her feet.
At the same time, a wild aura surged from within her. It was the Red Dragon Martial Soul's unique pressure, infused with the domineering might and majesty of the dragon race.
The classroom fell silent.
Twenty-four!
Other than Huo Yuhao, who among them could stand against a twenty-four-level Soul Master?
The students who had been eager to try their luck all fell quiet.
Some were unconvinced and wanted to step forward and challenge her, but when they felt the pressure of the dragon race, they ultimately chose to remain silent.
Wu Feng withdrew her gaze with satisfaction, then turned to Ning Tian.
She spoke slowly. "I nominate Ning Tian to be Class Nine's class monitor."
Ning Tian smiled faintly, stood up, and walked to the podium.
Her platinum hair shimmered softly in the sunlight, and her deep blue eyes were as clear as a lake.
She stood there quietly, radiating a gentle, waterlike grace that sharply contrasted with Wu Feng's domineering air.
"Ning Tian. Martial Soul: Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda. Soul Power Level: twenty-nine."
Her voice was soft, yet it carried clearly to everyone in the room.
A Support Soul Master.
Twenty-nine.
In terms of combat strength, she couldn't compare to those Power Attack Soul Masters.
But no one dared to look down on her.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda—the greatest Support Martial Soul under heaven.
With a twenty-four-level Red Dragon Soul Master like Wu Feng at her side, who would dare lay a hand on her?
Mu Jin watched the scene and nodded with a smile.
"Does anyone else want to run?"
He looked around, but no one answered.
"Good. Then let's start voting."
A short while later, the votes were tallied.
Ning Tian won the class monitor position by an overwhelming margin.
Wu Feng naturally became the deputy class monitor—Ning Tian had nominated her herself.
Huo Yuhao sat by the window and hadn't taken part in the vote from beginning to end.
He simply gazed out the window in silence, as if none of this had anything to do with him.
Sunlight spilled across his face, casting mottled shadows.
After being elected class monitor, Ning Tian turned to face everyone below, her expression warm and smiling.
"Thank you for trusting me. I'll do my best to fulfill my duties as class monitor and lead us all forward together."
She paused, her gaze drifting, seemingly at random, toward where Huo Yuhao sat.
"I hope I can count on everyone's support. Let's work hard together."
Applause rang out.
Huo Yuhao still didn't turn around.
He simply sat there in silence, gazing at the sky outside the window.
The sky was blue, and the clouds were white.
His thoughts had already drifted far away—
He had already obtained three Thousand-Year Soul Bones. Next, it was time to refine that medicinal pill.
As for being class monitor?
He truly wasn't interested.
There were two reasons.
First: he wouldn't be staying at Shrek Academy for long. Once the Freshman Assessment was over, he would leave for the Extreme North to obtain a Second Martial Soul.
Becoming class monitor would do him more harm than good. He didn't want to train talent for Shrek Academy; that was no different from strengthening the enemy.
Second: his time was precious. He wasn't willing to waste even a single moment on things that didn't matter.
Being class monitor would bring a pile of trouble. He hated trouble more than anything.
Before you continue