Mu Jin's Teaching (4000 Characters)

After the class monitor was selected, Mu Jin began her first lesson.

She turned around, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote two large characters on the blackboard—

Attack! Defense!

The two characters were written with vigorous strokes, deep and powerful.

The classroom fell silent in an instant.

All the students' gazes landed on the two characters on the blackboard; some wore thoughtful expressions, some looked bewildered, while others nodded as if they had grasped something.

Mu Jin turned around, her gaze sweeping across the crowd before finally landing on Ning Tian.

"Ning Tian, as the class monitor, let me test you."

She paused, a faint, elusive smile playing on her lips:

"What is your understanding of the attack and defense system of soul masters?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the other students cast their gazes toward the newly elected class monitor.

The question seemed simple, but everyone knew that since Mu Jin had thrown out this question in the very first lesson, it must have a deeper meaning.

If she answered well, she would naturally leave a good impression on the teacher; if she answered poorly, she would likely disappoint her.

Everyone wanted to see if this young sect master of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect could provide an answer that would satisfy Mu Jin.

By the window, Huo Yuhao heard the question, glanced at the two characters on the blackboard, and immediately lost interest.

In the memories of the original work left behind by the transmigrator "Wang Teng"—Zhou Yi's first lesson had also been these two characters.

Attack, defense.

He had thought every teacher had their own unique teaching style, but it seemed the curriculum at Shrek Academy was standardized.

However, Mu Jin's teaching style was clearly much gentler than that crazy woman Zhou Yi.

At this moment, Ning Tian stood at her seat, pondering for a brief moment upon hearing Mu Jin's question.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on her, waiting for her response.

Ning Tian raised her head, met Mu Jin's gaze, and spoke slowly:

"Soul masters are divided into power attack, agility attack, control, support, defense, and food systems."

Her voice was soft, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly:

"Among them, the power attack, agility attack, and control systems lean more toward offense; the defense, support, and food systems lean more toward defense."

As her voice fell, many students nodded in succession.

This answer was conventional and could be considered a standard response.

After hearing it, Mu Jin nodded, but no satisfied smile appeared on her face; instead, she looked somewhat disappointed.

Just as she was about to offer her critique—

She heard Ning Tian continue:

"However—"

She paused, swept her gaze across the students, and continued:

"Before the emergence of Soul Tools, the soul master system was indeed always like this. Power attack types charged into the fray, agility attack types maneuvered for sneak attacks, and control types managed the overall situation; defense types protected teammates, support types provided buffs, and food types ensured logistics. Attack and defense were distinct, with each performing its own duty."

"However, the emergence of Soul Tools has changed many things."

Her voice gradually became firm, and a light of wisdom flickered in her eyes:

"Offensive Soul Tools can allow support-type soul masters to possess offensive capabilities; defensive Soul Tools can allow power attack-type soul masters to have greater survivability. It is precisely because of the emergence of Soul Tools that the boundaries between attack and defense for soul masters have become blurred."

She paused and concluded:

"Therefore, I believe that the current soul master system can no longer be summarized by the simple words 'attack' and 'defense'."

"Defense within attack, attack within defense, complementing each other—that is the development direction for soul masters today."

As her voice fell, the classroom was silent.

Then, a satisfied smile appeared on Mu Jin's face.

She raised her hands and applauded lightly.

"Good!"

"Thank you, student Ning Tian, for your remarks."

Her gaze swept across the crowd, her tone full of praise:

"This answer can be considered a perfect score, relatively speaking."

The crowd followed suit and applauded, their gazes toward Ning Tian filled with a bit more admiration.

Huo Yuhao continued to look out the window, but his ears twitched slightly.

Ning Tian's words had caught him by surprise.

As expected of the young sect master of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, her understanding and insight into Soul Tools were indeed far beyond those of her peers.

Mu Jin continued from where Ning Tian left off, beginning her explanation:

"Four thousand years ago, the Soul Master system could indeed be summarized by the simple words 'offense' and 'defense.'

"Back then, Support-type Soul Masters possessed no offensive capabilities whatsoever and had to rely entirely on the protection of their teammates, which is why the focus was placed on defense."

"But the emergence of Soul Tools completely changed this situation."

She drew a simple schematic on the blackboard, explaining as she sketched:

"Offensive Soul Tools can grant Support-type Soul Masters the power to protect themselves; defensive Soul Tools allow Power Attack-type Soul Masters to survive longer on the battlefield; once equipped with Soul Tools, Agility Attack-type Soul Masters can traverse the battlefield with greater flexibility; and with Soul Tools, Control-type Soul Masters can better command the entire field..."

"Soul Tools are not meant to replace Soul Masters, but to assist them, making Soul Masters even more powerful."

She turned around, her gaze sweeping over the students below, her voice solemn:

"This is a point I hope you will all firmly remember."

Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered slightly.

Mu Jin's words reminded him of his time studying at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy in his previous life.

Back then, the teacher who instructed him had said something very similar—

"Soul Tools are merely tools in the hands of a Soul Master.

"Just like spirit bones, they are inanimate objects; they possess no inherent good or evil.

"We need not resist them, but rather attempt to approach them, understand them, study them, and ultimately master them."

He agreed with these words deeply.

However, those in the Martial Soul Department of Shrek Academy clearly did not understand this logic.

They continued to go their own way, insisting that Soul Tools were merely a burden and that traditional Soul Masters were the mainstream.

Rather than spending time learning and understanding Soul Tools, they believed it was better to devote all their time to cultivation and self-improvement.

This mindset did not exist solely at Shrek Academy.

Across the entire Douluo Continent, the vast majority of great clans thought the same way.

The ideology they instilled in their descendants was mostly this: high-level strength for Soul Engineers is inferior to that of traditional Soul Masters, and practicing such "frivolous tricks" as Soul Tools would only delay one's own cultivation, potentially even causing one's progress to stagnate.

Huo Yuhao sneered inwardly.

These so-called "great clans" were nothing more than people clinging to the past, refusing to adapt.

Soul Tools had developed to the point where they were no longer the "frivolous tricks" they imagined.

The power of high-level Soul Tools was enough to threaten or even kill a Titled Douluo.

When the day finally came for the true rise of Soul Tools, those who clung to tradition would inevitably be cast aside by the era.

However—

The Nine Treasures Glazed Sect was an exception.

Huo Yuhao's gaze fell upon Ning Tian; her answer had actually taken him by surprise.

After all, she was a girl who had only appeared in a few brief lines in the original story, and Huo Yuhao did not know much about her.

He figured that her having such insight must have something to do with the teachings of her sect.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda martial soul was a purely Support-type martial soul with no offensive capabilities.

The sect even had a clear regulation: every direct descendant of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect throughout the generations had to rely on a powerful Power Attack-type Soul Master as a partner to ensure their own safety.

This was the reason why direct descendants of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect always sought Battle Soul Masters as spouses.

But the appearance of Soul Tools had given them hope.

It was not to say that they could rely solely on Soul Tools and no longer need Power Attack-type teammates, but rather that it gave them a means of self-preservation, allowing them to better protect themselves during team battles.

Therefore, the upper echelons of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect did not resist Soul Tools like the other great clans on the continent.

Instead, they chose to study, understand, and master them.

The philosophy they instilled in their descendants was: you may try them, but do not become obsessed. Prioritize Soul Master cultivation; if you happen to like Soul Tools, you may study them as well.

It was precisely because of this open-minded attitude that Ning Tian was able to provide such a unique answer.

Huo Yuhao withdrew his gaze and continued to look out the window.

The lessons Mu Jin taught were ones he had already learned better and more systematically at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy in his past life, and combined with his twenty-plus years of experience, there was simply no need for him to keep listening.

Soon, the class period came to an end.

The bell rang.

Mu Jin looked at the sky outside the window, then at the students below who were eager to rush out for lunch, and clapped her hands with a smile:

"Alright, that concludes our morning class."

She paused, then added:

"This afternoon is physical training; everyone, remember to arrive at the classroom on time. Class dismissed!"

As soon as the words fell, a cheer erupted in the classroom.

The students stood up one after another, walking out the door in twos and threes.

Huo Yuhao also stood up and walked out of the classroom at a leisurely pace.

Following the flow of people, he arrived at the Shrek Academy canteen.

The canteen was massive, large enough to accommodate thousands of people dining at the same time.

It was currently lunchtime, and long queues had formed in front of the eight service windows, the air filled with the aroma of food.

Huo Yuhao found a window with a relatively shorter line and queued up to get his meal.

A moment later, he carried his tray to a corner and ate in silence.

The contents of the tray were quite sumptuous; most eye-catching was a palm-sized Roasted Earth Dragon Rib, its skin roasted to a charred, oily golden brown and sprinkled with unknown spices, with glistening meat juices faintly seeping from the texture of the meat.

Beside it were three slices of Wind Antelope Leg Meat, sliced to a uniform thickness with delicate grain, clearly prepared with special techniques to maintain the tenderness of the meat.

There were two vegetable dishes—a small portion of stir-fried Emerald Moss, bright green and crisp, carrying a faint ripple of soul power; and a few Honey Glazed Potato Cubes, soft, glutinous, and golden, emitting a sweet fragrance.

Tucked in the corner was a palm-sized Red Jade Fruit, sliced open to reveal glistening flesh that gave off an alluring fruity aroma.

Most special of all was the bowl of rice, every grain distinct and as clear as a pearl, with faint ripples of soul power radiating from the bowl.

This was steamed using Jade Spirit Rice, a specialty from the habitats of soul beasts; every grain contained pure soul power essence, which was highly beneficial for a soul master's cultivation.

The soup bowl held a clear bone broth with a few slices of unknown mushrooms floating in it, steam rising in curls and carrying a rich, savory scent.

Twenty Gold Soul Coins was a massive expense for an ordinary family.

But for Huo Yuhao, it was nothing.

In his storage ring, he had over ten thousand Gold Soul Coins, enough for him to squander for a long time.

He picked up his chopsticks and tasted a piece of the Wind Antelope Leg Meat.

The meat was tender and melted in his mouth, carrying a rich, meaty fragrance.

As he chewed, a warm current rose from his stomach and slowly merged into his limbs and bones.

Huo Yuhao nodded slightly.

Although Shrek Academy was extremely stingy regarding freshman housing, with conditions so crude they were appalling, they truly put a lot of effort into their food.

A meal costing twenty Gold Soul Coins was not only delicious but also rich in nutrition.

These decade-old soul beast meats contained abundant blood essence, which was of great benefit to cultivation.

Huo Yuhao savored it carefully, feeling the faint, almost imperceptible growth of soul power within his body.

Although it was only a sliver, it would be a considerable gain over time.

After finishing his lunch and taking a short walk around the campus, he returned to the classroom, sat in his seat, and began to cultivate.

In the afternoon, physical education class.

Ten minutes before the bell rang, the classroom of Class Nine was already packed with all one hundred students.

No one dared to be late.

Mu Jin walked into the classroom, her gaze sweeping over the students below, and she nodded in satisfaction.

"Next, we will have our physical education class."

Her voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears:

"Everyone stand up, gather on the plaza."

The students stood up one after another and filed out of the classroom.

No one dared to be slow, nor did anyone whisper to each other.

They followed Mu Jin neatly and quietly, all the way to the plaza of Shrek Academy.

The plaza was huge, large enough to accommodate thousands of people training at once.

At this moment, several other classes had already arrived, the students dressed in uniform training gear, standing in formation on the plaza.

And in one corner of the plaza, a pile of Chainmail Vests was stacked.

Huo Yuhao glanced at the Chainmail Vests, and he understood immediately—the next activity was the traditional exercise of Shrek Academy: weighted running.

Sure enough, Mu Jin led them to the pile of Chainmail Vests and stopped.

She turned around, faced the crowd, and clapped her hands:

"Today is your first day of school, so we will start training from the most basic level."

Her voice was clear and powerful, carrying a hint of authority:

"For students with different martial soul abilities, I will use different methods to conduct targeted physical training for you in the future. However, running is the most fundamental physical training, and it can fully reflect your overall physical quality."

She pointed to the pile of Chainmail Vests in front of her:

"These are iron vests. Each of you take one, put it on, and start running laps around the plaza. From now on, keep running until the bell rings for the end of class."

She paused, then added:

"You may use your soul power, but you are forbidden from using soul skills. The ranking will be determined by the number of laps completed."

"Ning Tian, Wu Feng."

She looked toward the two of them:

"You are to compile a table based on the rankings of all the students in the class. According to the differences in their physical data, we will conduct targeted special training in the future."

Ning Tian and Wu Feng nodded, indicating they understood.

Huo Yuhao watched this scene and nodded inwardly.

Mu Jin's method was indeed very scientific.

By arranging different types of targeted training based on the students' varying physical constitutions, she could achieve the desired training results without causing any damage to their bodies.

Moreover, Mu Jin would not be like that madwoman Zhou Yi, who would casually expel a student simply for finishing last in a lap run.