A razor-sharp claw wind rushed toward him, carrying a wave of scorching heat and the stench of death. Su Chen's pupils contracted sharply. Soul Power surged wildly through his body, and the six wings on his back instinctively folded forward, trying to block the attack. The Angel Domain also activated at its limit in an instant, its golden, sacred field attempting to weaken the claw's force.
But the gap in their levels was simply too vast!
"BANG—!!!"
A deafening, terrifying crash exploded through the classroom like a clap of thunder!
A violent shock wave of Soul Power burst outward from the point of impact like a hurricane gone out of control! Dozens of sturdy desks and chairs nearby were torn apart like paper, hurled into the air as metal parts shot in every direction!
"Damn! Is that old woman crazy?! She attacks just like that? We're still in the classroom!"
"Oh my god!"
"Get out of the way!"
The students nearby were caught off guard and hurled away by the powerful blast of air. They tumbled across the floor like rolling gourds before slamming into the back wall, their cries of pain and alarm filling the room as chaos erupted.
"Su Chen!"
"Su Chen, are you okay?!"
Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong had just scrambled up from the corner, covered in dust. Forgetting their own pain and disheveled state, their hearts clenched as they anxiously looked toward the center of the collision.
Wang Dong even took an unconscious step forward, her powder-blue eyes filled with worry.
The classroom was thick with smoke and the fading glow of Soul Power, obscuring their view.
The other students who could still move held their breath and stared nervously into the haze. They assumed that although Su Chen had a god-level Martial Soul, the Six-Winged Angel, and strange Soul Rings, he was still likely doomed after the Soul Emperor teacher's furious strike. At the very least, he would be badly injured and coughing up blood.
However, when the smoke slowly cleared and the scene within came into view—
Every student who saw what had happened, including Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong, who had just gotten to their feet, froze as if under a spell. They were completely dumbfounded, their mouths wide enough to fit an egg.
The scene they had imagined, with Su Chen lying gravely injured on the ground, never appeared.
In fact, what they saw was nothing like anything they had imagined.
Su Chen still stood quietly where he had been, barely moved from his original position!
The six angel wings on his back had crossed in front of him like the most loyal fortress. A faint golden halo flowed across their pristine white feathers. A few feathers at the outer edges were ruffled and dusted with smoke, but the wings were otherwise completely unharmed, still radiating a sacred, inviolable aura.
As for Su Chen himself, his expression was calm. Apart from his face looking a little pale from the heavy expenditure of Soul Power, he was... completely uninjured!
Su Chen, a newly enrolled student with a Soul Power level of twenty-eight, a Soul Grandmaster, had actually withstood the furious strike of Zhou Yi, a six-ring Soul Emperor, head-on!
The scene was like the most absurd dream, yet it had happened right before the eyes of every student in Freshman Class One.
Zhou Yi herself was stunned. She could clearly feel that the violent Soul Power coating her dragon claw had vanished like mud sinking into the sea the instant it touched the golden-winged barrier. A warm yet unyielding sacred power had swiftly dissolved it, neutralizing most of its force!
What shocked her even more was that an invisible force with a purifying effect was following the Soul Power she had released, quietly eroding her own Soul Power and draining it slowly but steadily!
Her sharp gaze swept over the faint golden glow beneath Su Chen's feet, which enveloped an area more than ten meters across. Her expression changed abruptly.
"Domain?!" Zhou Yi whispered in shock, unable to hide her astonishment.
A Soul Grandmaster not only possessed a god-level Martial Soul and strange Soul Rings, but also... a Domain?! Domain skills were incredibly rare and precious, a pinnacle ability every Soul Master dreamed of and a mark of talent that one could only encounter by sheer luck!
Zhou Yi was a Soul Emperor who had pursued one for many years without success! Just who was this boy before her?!
But her shock was soon replaced by even deeper humiliation and fury. A student, a freshman, had repeatedly thwarted her and made her lose face!
"You've got some tricks. No wonder you dare act so brazenly in front of me!" Zhou Yi scoffed, trying to mask her inner shock with disdain. Her wrinkled face showed no expression, only icy severity. "But that's all you've got!"
Su Chen slowly unfolded his six wings again. His gaze swept over the wreckage in the classroom and the freshmen who had been knocked around, their faces bruised or covered in dust as they stared at Zhou Yi in fear. His brow furrowed slightly.
He wasn't some saint, nor was he especially benevolent or merciful. But most of the students here had been dragged into this innocently. Because they hadn't "fought" as Zhou Yi demanded, they had nearly been gravely injured by the shock wave from a Soul Emperor's attack. A chill rose in Su Chen's heart.
"Teacher Zhou," Su Chen said, his voice colder than before and openly challenging, "this is a conflict between the two of us. Why did you attack everyone indiscriminately and injure the other innocent students in the classroom?"
At his words, Zhou Yi laughed as if she had heard something amusing. Her gaze swept over the battered freshmen like they were ants, her tone utterly indifferent, even cruel.
"Innocent? So what if they got hurt? What difference would it make if a few of them died?"
Her words sent a chill through every freshman. They stared at their teacher in disbelief.
"Consider it... the first practical lesson I'm giving them." Zhou Yi's tone was flat. "As Soul Masters, you must stay alert in any situation. If you can't even react to an attack of this magnitude and protect yourselves, then all it proves is that you're slow to react and weak. You're worthless to begin with."
She paused, the corner of her mouth curling into a cruel smile. "I, Zhou Yi, don't teach the worthless. If they die, they die. Everyone dies sooner or later. At least if they die early, they'll have time to be reincarnated into a better life instead of staying here, getting in the way, and wasting the academy's resources."
Her cold, ruthless words, which treated human life like grass, enraged many of the students present. But cowed by the pressure of a Soul Emperor, no one dared to speak up. They could only watch Zhou Yi with eyes full of mingled anger and fear.
Zhou Yi fixed her gaze on Su Chen again, regarding him with condescending scrutiny and intimidation. "Su Chen, what is it? Do you have a problem with my teaching methods?"
"The strong prey on the weak, and the weak submit to the strong. That's been the unchanging rule of the Soul Master World since time immemorial! If you're unhappy with me, if you think I'm in the wrong..."
She stepped forward, her Soul Emperor pressure intensifying once more as the red dragon scales on her body gleamed coldly. "Then use your strength to defeat me!"
"I admit, you have some talent. Your Martial Soul, Soul Rings, even your Domain—all of them exceeded my expectations." Zhou Yi's hoarse voice carried a tone of condescension. "But that's all. You're far too arrogant. You don't know your place!"
"The enormous gap in strength is right there for all to see. You're just a level-twenty-eight Soul Grandmaster. No matter what you do, you could never defeat a six-ring Soul Emperor!"
She pointed a dragon-scaled finger at Su Chen. "Now, I'll give you one last chance. Take back every insulting thing you said. Get on your knees, kowtow, and apologize to me. Admit your ignorance and arrogance."
"Then I can pretend none of this ever happened, and you can stay in my class."
Kneel? Kowtow and apologize?
Looking at Zhou Yi's self-satisfied, lofty air, as if she controlled everything, Su Chen suddenly felt that trying to reason with someone like her was like playing a lute to a cow.
She was already lost in her own twisted logic of "might makes right" and "iron-fisted education." She couldn't hear any opposing opinion.
In that case...
Su Chen suddenly smiled. It was a faint smile, yet it carried an indescribable mockery and detachment.
"Old witch," Su Chen said, using the "term of endearment" that had spread among the students. His tone was calm, yet every word was clear. "You don't seem to understand reason. Since you believe strength is everything, fine. How about we make a bet?"
Zhou Yi frowned. "What are we betting?"
"We'll bet on whether I can hurt you." Su Chen raised a finger. "I'll make one move. If I fail to hurt you at all, I lose. I'll take back everything I said, kowtow and apologize to you in front of everyone, and let you do as you please with me."
He paused, his golden eyes sharp as blades. "But if this one move makes you bleed, even if it's only the slightest wound, I win."
"Then you'll have to apologize in front of everyone for what you did today—to me, to Wang Dong, to Xiao Xiao, and to every innocent student you affected and insulted as 'worthless'!"
"How about it? Do you dare, Teacher Zhou?"
This bet sounded utterly absurd! A Soul Grandmaster was betting that he could hurt a Soul Emperor with an incredibly powerful dragon-type Martial Soul, capable of both offense and defense? It was pure fantasy!
Zhou Yi's first reaction was that it was ridiculous. Then she felt indignant at being looked down on. But a moment later, a calculating, contemptuous glint appeared in her eyes.
'Does this kid know he has no chance and deliberately set an impossible condition, hoping to scare me off with this "all-or-nothing bet" or buy himself some time?' Zhou Yi sneered inwardly. 'Or does he really have some hidden trump card?'
But then she thought it over. No matter what trump card he had, the gap between a Soul Grandmaster and a Soul Emperor could not be fully bridged by tricks, Martial Soul quality, or special abilities!
Zhou Yi had absolute confidence in her strength. She didn't believe Su Chen had any way to truly hurt her, even with that strange Golden Soul Ring and his Domain.
"Fine!" Zhou Yi agreed almost without hesitation. At the thought of Su Chen, that "devil pill," kowtowing to her in apology, a triumphant, feral grin appeared on her aged face. "Since you're asking for humiliation, I'll oblige! I accept your bet!"
"I want to see how a mere Soul Grandmaster like you plans to hurt me!"
To her, this was a perfect opportunity to establish her authority and break an unruly student into submission!
"But there isn't enough room here to fight." Su Chen pointed to the wrecked classroom and shattered windows. "Let's go to the playground. There's plenty of space."
"Suit yourself." Zhou Yi didn't care in the slightest. She would be delighted to crush this ignorant boy in front of a larger crowd and reestablish her absolute authority. "I'll wait for you on the playground."
With that, she snorted and turned into a streak of red light, shooting through the shattered window toward Shrek Plaza.
Su Chen put away his Martial Soul and walked toward the classroom exit as well.
"Su Chen!" Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao called out almost at the same time, hurrying after him.
Worry and anxiety filled Wang Dong's face. Her powder-blue eyes stayed fixed on Su Chen. "Have you lost your mind?! She's a Soul Emperor!"
"Why would you make a bet with her? You're supposed to hurt her with one strike? How is that even possible?!"
Xiao Xiao nodded vigorously, her little face pale. "That's right, Su Chen. It's too dangerous! Teacher Zhou... she's terrifying!"
"Shouldn't we... shouldn't we tell the academy's higher-ups instead?"
Su Chen glanced at them, his tone calm. "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. If you're worried, just cheer me on."
Seeing how determined Su Chen was, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao exchanged glances. They were still filled with worry, but they knew they wouldn't be able to talk him out of it.
Wang Dong gritted her teeth and shook her small fist. "Then... then be careful! If things start going wrong, admit defeat right away! I'll... I'll protect you!"
Xiao Xiao nodded vigorously too. "Yeah! Good luck, Su Chen! You can do it!" Even she didn't quite believe he could.
The three of them left the teaching building and headed toward Shrek Playground. Behind them, the students of Freshman Class One, still shaken but curious, filed out after them.
Who wouldn't want to see such a thrilling spectacle with their own eyes? Even if they knew Su Chen's chances were slim, this was a freshman challenging his Soul Emperor homeroom teacher! It was probably unprecedented in Shrek's history!
The news spread as if it had grown wings, rapidly making its way through the freshman area. More and more people flocked to the playground. Among them was a female teacher who had rushed over after hearing the news.
Mu Jin was another senior teacher in the outer court, and Zhou Yi's longtime "rival." The two had been at odds for years. When Mu Jin heard that an audacious freshman in Zhou Yi's class had openly challenged her and arranged to fight on the playground, she immediately dropped what she was doing and hurried over to watch.
"Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi, what are you up to this time? Don't get carried away and smash your own signboard." Mu Jin thought to herself as she hurried along.
She had also heard about the new student and had already taken a liking to his talent. 'If that stubborn old woman Zhou Yi really drives away or ruins a genius like him... Hmph, Mu Jin won't just sit by and take it.'
Soon, the edge of Shrek Playground was packed with students who had come after hearing the news. They crowded together in layer upon layer, leaving no room to move. Whispers and discussions surged like a tide.
"Look! That's Su Chen! The guy who took down that pink-haired kid in one move outside the freshman dorms!"
"Oh my god, it really is him! What terrible luck—he got assigned to Old Lady Zhou's class!"
"The Six-Winged Angel! That's the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul! The supreme legacy of the Spirit Hall from ten thousand years ago!"
"The Six-Winged Angel? Wasn't it extinct ages ago?!"
"First Soul Ring purple! And the Second Soul Ring... what the heck is that golden one?!"
"He may be tough, but challenging a Soul Emperor? And Zhou Yi, of all people? I don't like his chances..."
"Same. Gotta admire his courage, but reality is harsh. She's a Soul Emperor!"
"Win or lose, this guy's already famous! Going head-to-head with his homeroom teacher on the first day of school—now that's something!"
Among the crowd, several freshmen with striking appearances stood out. They were three young women. The girl at the front had soft, short golden hair and an elegant, gentle demeanor. She was Ning Tian, the young mistress of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Beside her stood Wu Feng, a red-haired girl with a fiery look, a voluptuous figure, and a hint of spiritedness between her brows, along with the light-footed, lively green-haired Nanmen Yun'er. They had come along with their homeroom teacher, Mu Jin.
Watching the six wings on the golden figure at the center of the playground, Wu Feng furrowed her brows and quietly said to Ning Tian, "Young Mistress, is that... the Six-Winged Angel? The Martial Soul that nearly destroyed our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's faith ten thousand years ago!"
At her words, Ning Tian gently patted Wu Feng's arm and said warmly, "All right, Wu Feng. That was all ten thousand years ago. The grudges have long faded with time, and the Spirit Hall has already fallen."
Ten thousand years had passed, and the layout of the continent had long since changed. We should let go of our hatred for the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul itself.
Her gaze fell on Su Chen, carrying a trace of scrutiny and curiosity. "Besides, a Martial Soul isn't good or evil in itself. What matters is how its owner uses it. This student... seems to have quite a personality."
Wu Feng curled her lip and said nothing more, but she continued to watch Su Chen with an unfriendly gaze.
The other students watching shifted their attention back and forth between the two confronting each other at the center of the playground. Most of them, though amazed by Su Chen's Martial Soul and looks, didn't believe he could win.
"Ah, what a shame. He's so handsome and talented, but he just had to provoke Old Lady Zhou."
"Yeah, she's a Soul Emperor! How's a Soul Grandmaster supposed to fight her?"
"He'll probably be on his knees apologizing in a minute. What a waste of that handsome face..."
Clearly, the vast majority believed this was a one-sided fight with a foregone conclusion. Su Chen's courage was "admirable," but his fate was already decided.
Under the gaze of countless people, Su Chen walked calmly to the center of the playground and stopped.
The breeze stirred his golden hair. The six pristine white wings on his back spread fully, their sacred glow shimmering in the sunlight. Beneath him floated two Soul Rings, one purple and one gold, radiating a mysterious and powerful aura that left everyone amazed.
When Teacher Mu Jin arrived in the distance and saw Su Chen's Martial Soul and Soul Ring Configuration, her eyes lit up at once, as if she had discovered a priceless treasure!
"Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul... a thousand-year first ring, and the second... a golden one I've never seen before, with such a vast, ancient aura... And his talent, his temperament..." Mu Jin was thrilled. "A genius! No, a monster! Shrek hasn't had a prospect like this in so many years! That fool Zhou Yi actually wants to drive such a genius away? She even forced him to fight?"
Watching Su Chen's calm yet resolute profile, she had already made up her mind: 'No matter how this bet turns out, I'll do everything I can afterward to bring Su Chen into my class!'
'Zhou Yi doesn't want him, but I do! A student like this mustn't be ruined by that stubborn old woman!'
Zhou Yi stopped ten meters across from Su Chen and snorted. Crimson Soul Power surged again, dragon scales covering both her arms as her dragon claws gleamed with a chilling light. Two yellow, two purple, and two black Soul Rings rose and fell beneath her feet. She unleashed the full force of a Soul Emperor's pressure, making the students near the center of the playground struggle to breathe.
Before you continue