"Damn, what kind of shark-armed lunatic is this?"
"This is monstrous! What kind of person does something like that?"
"They're just children! Isn't she afraid they'll get hurt making them run like this?"
"What kind of bullshit logic is that? Since when does not daring to fight make someone mediocre?"
Throughout Shrek Academy, countless people stared at the scenes playing on the Sky Screen, exchanging bewildered looks. Many students who had been taught by Zhou Yi felt conflicted as they watched.
Was this not exactly what they had gone through?
And the worst part was yet to come. Under the terrifying, Soul Emperor-level violence Zhou Yi wielded, the children had no choice but to obediently run laps around the academy. Huo Yuhao and his roommates, who had just stood up for themselves, were no exception. They were punished all the same.
Then, after the run, she directly singled out several children who had secretly run one or two laps—or even two or three—less than they were supposed to.
"Fine. You can get lost now!"
"I'll report you to the school and have your expulsions recorded. Go pack your things and head home."
The children she had singled out stared at her in shock. Their pale faces were filled with fear and horror. The children around them were even more silent than cicadas in winter, their clothes soaked with cold sweat.
"No! Why? Why are you expelling us over something so trivial?"
"Please, give us another chance!"
"I refuse to accept this! I want to appeal!"
Many of the onlookers fell silent.
For many families, how much did it cost to send their children to Shrek Academy? And how much sweat had those children shed to reach the admission standards for Shrek Academy, all for the sake of this day?
Yet all of it had been brought to an end by this teacher over some inexplicable little matter!
Why? Why on earth? As a teacher, what was the point of using her authority to humiliate and bully a group of eleven-year-old children? Was this what Shrek Academy's teachers were like?
The appeals were naturally rejected. Those unlucky children were expelled from Shrek Academy just like that, their "Shrek dream" brought to an end.
And this was only the beginning.
As Zhou Yi's "superior" teaching methods played across the Sky Screen, the people of the entire Douluo Continent stared in stunned disbelief. Many Soul Engineer experts and education researchers from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy and Mingde Hall actually spat out their food.
"Damn, she makes a bunch of kids run around with iron chains on them all day?"
"This is absurd. Truly absurd."
"They don't even have a Mimicry Cultivation Environment? That technology existed ten thousand years ago!"
In the Sea God Pavilion, Mu En, Xuan Zi, and the others grew darker-faced with every passing moment. They could already imagine what the outside world was saying about Shrek Academy.
No, were these really things that could be broadcast to the public?
Of course Shrek Academy had technology from ten thousand years ago, like the Mimicry Cultivation Environment. Not only did they have that, they also had plenty of other, more advanced things.
But what did any of that have to do with the students in the outer court? Deep down, the higher-ups at Shrek Academy saw the outer court as a bunch of cannon fodder, not true Shrek students at all.
Only the very few nuggets of gold sifted out from the outer court, the ones who made it into the inner court, counted as true Shrek disciples. The rest? Heh.
The thing was, they all understood this without needing to say it. They could never let it slip to the outside world! In their public image, Shrek was "a school that accepted students without discrimination," the holy land of Soul Masters across the entire continent!
And their teaching methods were designed to relentlessly suppress these children, whose minds were not yet fully developed. They did it to mold them, brainwash them, and instill absolute loyalty to Shrek Academy.
These were things they could only know among themselves—things that absolutely could not be told to outsiders! Broadcast across the whole continent, these methods would look to ordinary people like student abuse, pure psychological and physical violence!
"Damn it! Our painstaking efforts to protect the continent and restore the Soul Master legacy are bound to be misunderstood by ignorant fools!"
Xuan Zi slapped his thigh and spoke in fury.
Unfortunately, no matter how furious they became, they could not make the accursed Sky Screen stop broadcasting.
They did not even dare try to interfere with the mysterious Sky Screen again. Had they not seen what had just happened to Xian Lin'er?
Next time, they might not get away with just a whip as punishment!
The Shrek elders could only watch the scenes on the Sky Screen continue, their faces grim.
After that, the boy in the scenes took part in the outer court's first freshman assessment. The assessment would determine who earned the status of "core disciple."
During the assessment, Huo Yuhao and his two teammates fought with everything they had, battling opponents with higher Soul Power Levels one after another. This was also when Huo Yuhao first displayed the strength and unique qualities of his spirit-type Body Martial Soul, repeatedly countering powerful enemies.
In the end, Huo Yuhao's team even defeated opponents at the three-ring level. They beat the young man from the White Tiger Duke Mansion who had kicked his mother to death and won first place in the freshman assessment!
"Ah!"
Du Busi slapped his thigh and cried, "What a shame." After this performance, Shrek Academy would probably treat Huo Yuhao like a treasure. It seemed the Body Sect would never get the chance to recruit him.
"What a shame. Shrek Academy might be able to offer more resources, but only our Body Sect is truly suited to raise you!"
Du Busi sighed, his feelings complicated.
Yet the scenes that followed left the entire continent stunned all over again.
"Based on the freshmen's performances during the assessment, the academy has completed its final review. Those who have passed and been selected as core disciples are: Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, Zhou Sichen, Cao Jinxuan, Lan Susu, Lan Luoluo, Ning Tian, Wu Feng..."
Even Huo Yuhao's defeated opponents were all on the list. Yet somehow, Huo Yuhao's name was nowhere to be found.
Everyone on the continent: ???
Du Busi: ???
Mingde Hall Master Jing Hongchen: ???
"Considering that some freshmen displayed outstanding performance despite falling short in talent and ability, the academy has decided to grant them core disciple privileges for the remainder of this academic year. If they make progress in next year's advancement exam, we will consider promoting them to full core disciple status. The names are as follows: Huo Yuhao, Cui Yajie, Huang Chutian, Long Xiangyue, Nanmen Yun'er. This concludes the announcement."
After the voice of Shrek Academy's director of studies fell silent on the Sky Screen, the entire continent went quiet.
"Damn!"
"Why? What does it mean to fall short in talent and ability?"
"What are core disciple privileges?"
At that moment, even ordinary people who had never cultivated felt they couldn't take it anymore!
No one was blind! Everyone could see the role Huo Yuhao had played in the competition! His level was lower than everyone else's, after all.