"All right, students, the commotion is over. Now, let's take care of class business... First, we need to elect a class monitor."
"Hmm... Although I think Ning Tian, with her higher Soul Power Level, would be a good choice for class monitor, I suspect everyone already has someone else in mind who's more suited to the position."
Mu Jin looked at Xiao Yan with an amused smile.
As the saying went, to win everyone's respect, you needed to be strong and never run away. Where else could you find a class monitor like that?
"Teacher, I think Ning Tian would still be the best choice for class monitor."
Xiao Yan spoke quietly to Mu Jin. In truth, the title of class monitor at Shrek Academy's Outer Court sounded impressive, but as far as he was concerned, it was utterly useless.
Besides, it would saddle him with a bunch of unnecessary trouble.
As for the benefits of becoming class monitor? Being able to serve your classmates was already a tremendous honor, so don't you dare fail to appreciate it (not really)!
All in all, if he could help it, Xiao Yan absolutely didn't want to be class monitor.
"Eh? I thought Xiao Yan would be very happy to take on the role..."
Mu Jin looked disappointed. If Xiao Yan agreed to be class monitor, at least Class Nine would stay peaceful and trouble-free for the next three months.
Xiao Yan had already demonstrated his overwhelming strength in two battles. With that strength, he could certainly lead the entire class and unite everyone.
But if Xiao Yan wasn't made class monitor and someone else was, would people start thinking, "Xiao Yan's stronger, so I'll listen to him. What's a class monitor worth, anyway?"
Mu Jin rested her chin in her hands and thought it over for a while before finally making up her mind.
"In that case, our class will have two class monitors."
"Xiao Yan will be class monitor, and Ning Tian will be vice-class monitor. They'll have equal authority, and both will serve the students."
"The vice-class monitor will handle routine matters on the teacher's behalf. As for other things, like matches, the class monitor will be in charge."
"What do you two think?"
Ning Tian was delighted. In truth, she had come to Shrek to recruit talented young people for the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect. Now she not only had the position of vice-class monitor, but also the chance to work alongside the powerful young genius Xiao Yan.
If she could persuade Xiao Yan to join the sect as they got to know each other, then with his freakish strength, the next guardian elder would be all but secured.
Xiao Yan frowned but didn't refuse.
Freshman Class 9 would exist for only three months. After that, everyone would be assigned to different classes. For instance, he, Xiao Yulü, and Wu Feng would all be assigned to Class 1 of the Power Attack System, while Support System Soul Masters like Ning Tian would be assigned to Class 3 of the Support System.
In other words, he'd only have to be class monitor for three months.
That meant the role wouldn't cost him much cultivation time, and he could also make use of the connections it brought. All in all, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.
With that in mind, Xiao Yan nodded and stopped refusing.
After the two class monitor positions were settled, Teacher Mu Jin went over some class rules and school regulations.
Basically, if you failed the freshman assessment, you'd be expelled; if you failed the promotion assessment, you'd be expelled; if you didn't XXX, you'd be expelled...
After hearing the rules, many students looked grave. If they wanted to become powerful Soul Masters, they absolutely couldn't get expelled from Shrek. They had to graduate!
Watching his classmates, Xiao Yan found himself thinking about something else.
His classmates seemed highly motivated. In that case, he'd give them a little "help."
After the first day of class ended, the students began getting up in twos and threes, planning to head to the food street outside the school for some snacks and a bit of fun.
Xiao Yan called Xiong Hui and Wu Feng over, then tossed each of them a small porcelain bottle.
"Class monitor, what's this...?"
"Purple Sun Pills. Low-grade Purple Sun Pills."
Xiao Yan answered casually, leaving Xiong Hui stunned.
"What? Purple Sun Pills? Didn't you say we'd only get them if we beat you? W-w-what's going on?"
Xiao Yan glanced at him, then replied coolly,
"Of course, there are conditions."
"You and Wu Feng dared to challenge me. Even though you didn't win, you showed courage. These low-grade Purple Sun Pills are a reward for that courage."
"After taking them, the Soul Power in your bodies will circulate faster, speeding up your cultivation. But they're low-grade, after all, so they might not be as effective as high-grade Purple Sun Pills—the kind Yu Lu takes."
"Oh, I see... So, class monitor, what are the conditions?"
Xiong Hui scratched his head. At that, Wu Feng also looked at Xiao Yan.
She didn't believe he'd hand over two bottles of precious pills so easily. There had to be some sort of condition or request.
"The condition is simple. At the Freshman Tournament three months from now, you..."
"Do you want us to hold back, boss? And who should we hold back against?"
Before Xiao Yan could finish, Xiong Hui's eyes lit up, and he'd even started calling Xiao Yan "boss."
"Hold back my ass. Give yourself another three months and you still won't be able to beat me. Why would I ask you to hold back...?"
Xiao Yan tapped him on the head, cleared his throat, and said,
"I want you to fight harder at the Freshman Tournament three months from now. Ideally, you'll earn the status of Core Disciple."
"Core Disciple..."
Wu Feng murmured. Becoming a Core Disciple was the first requirement for joining Shrek Academy's Inner Court. Even if Xiao Yan hadn't brought it up, she would have tried her best to become one.
But she and Ning Tian had planned to take things step by step and build a solid foundation. Who would've thought Xiao Yan would demand they become Core Disciples in their very first year?
It would certainly help her development, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he had some ulterior motive.
She glanced at the porcelain bottle in her hand and suddenly understood.
"Ha! Xiao Yan, so that's what you're after!"
"You want us to take the Purple Sun Pills and make a name for ourselves at the Freshman Tournament, so we can advertise your pills!"
Xiao Yan spread his hands.
"Right. That's it."
"So, are you taking them or not?"
Xiong Hui looked at the two of them and quietly tightened his grip on the porcelain bottle.
Since childhood, he had been the most gifted person in his entire village, but...
After coming to Shrek, he had seen far too many geniuses. He was just one among them.
Gold always shone, but this place was gilded from floor to ceiling.
Xiong Hui had even started thinking, "Maybe I should just settle for this," "I'll just muddle through a few years without getting expelled, then graduate," and "It's not like I have to get into the Inner Court."
But Xiao Yan had kicked those self-defeating thoughts out of his mind and placed a pill in his hand that might let him catch up to, or even surpass, those geniuses.
So why shouldn't he seize the chance?
Xiong Hui made up his mind, uncorked the bottle, and gulped down all the pills in one go.
Then he looked at Xiao Yan.
"Boss, just watch. I'll definitely become a Core Disciple."
Before you continue