Conflict with Zhou Yi

The classroom was spacious, so the students in the back naturally had not heard what Su Qingfeng had just said. However, some students seated in the front rows near the door had heard him, and the news quickly spread through more than half the classroom.

"Did that guy just call Teacher Zhou Yi an old hag? That's way too bold, isn't it?"

Because they had arrived late and failed to get front-row seats, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong'er, and the others were sitting toward the middle and back.

"Who is that person? He looks quite refined, but why is he wearing a mask? Is he too ugly to be seen?"

Wang Dong'er lay sprawled across her desk, studying Su Qingfeng with interest. "Whoever he is, he actually dared to call Zhou Yi an old hag. He's seriously arrogant!"

"That's not a good thing. Zhou Yi will definitely teach him a lesson. Still, why does his build feel so familiar? He somehow seems like a very powerful, sacred person."

Huo Yuhao could not help raising his head to look.

"Having a good temperament is one thing, but what use is that? He doesn't even dare show his face. He must be wearing a mask because he's ugly," Wang Dong'er said.

"Not necessarily. Maybe he simply doesn't want people to see his face or recognize him. I think he should be a soul master with exceptional talent."

Huo Yuhao had felt favorably toward Su Qingfeng at first glance. He always felt that something about Su Qingfeng was drawing him in.

Even Brother Sky Dream muttered within his Sea of Consciousness, "Strange. Why does this person's aura feel a little familiar? But I can't tell what it is."

At the same time, Snow Empress frowned within Su Qingfeng's Sea of Consciousness. "Strange. Why do I sense a nearby presence with considerable Ice Attribute power? Is it just an illusion?"

Su Qingfeng did not respond to Snow Empress, but he was somewhat speechless as well. Seriously? She could sense that too?

In truth, Snow Empress had invited him into his Sea of Consciousness several times over the past few days to meet her. She wanted to get close to him, but he was a living person—what was he supposed to do, get intimate with his Wisdom Soul Ring? And it was only a soul body?!

Standing opposite Su Qingfeng was the old hag he had mentioned.

She was an elderly woman with wrinkled skin and white hair. Her graying hair was coiled atop her head, and she wore a white robe. She was of average height, but her eyes were exceptionally bright. Sharp glints flashed through her black pupils as she stared straight at Su Qingfeng.

Du Weilun hurriedly tried to ease the tension. "Zhou Yi, he probably wasn't talking about you. Don't misunderstand."

"Whether he meant me or not, I can tell. He's that Specially Selected Student?"

Zhou Yi circled Su Qingfeng once. Though she was inwardly amazed by his temperament, the words "old hag" still left a ball of anger burning in her chest.

"A Specially Selected Student certainly is impressive. You're the academy's first Specially Selected Student. I wonder whether you got in through connections, or whether you truly have the ability. You'll be taking part in the New Student Assessment, right?"

Before Su Qingfeng could speak, Dean Du Weilun spoke first. "Specially Selected Students do not participate in the elimination system, so strictly speaking, there's no need for him to undergo the assessment. But if Qingfeng wishes to, he can participate in the Freshman Competition."

"Fine. Do you dare make a bet with me?" Zhou Yi asked as she looked at Su Qingfeng.

Su Qingfeng felt helpless upon hearing that. Why did everyone on Douluo Continent love making bets so much?

"I don't see anything worth betting on. It would just be whether this happens if I win and that happens if I lose. Besides, I don't think you have any stakes that would interest me. It's boring."

Su Qingfeng spoke calmly. He truly could not find any reason to bet with Zhou Yi, nor did he need to show her any courtesy.

As the Sea God Pavilion Saint Son, Su Qingfeng lacked nothing. Soul bones? Soul Tools? Could her resources possibly compare to those of Sea God Pavilion?

Su Qingfeng's composure, his bearing that showed no fear simply because Zhou Yi was a teacher, left every student in Class One utterly astonished.

There was even a trace of admiration in Wang Dong'er's eyes. This was way too brave! Was he really a student? A student actually dared to trade barbs with a teacher like this?

I wouldn't dare!

After all, since school began, they had all experienced Zhou Yi's overwhelming pressure. Her teaching was so strict and harsh that it had made them miserable.

Of course, as a modern-day transmigrator, Su Qingfeng did not have much fondness for Zhou Yi either.

The things she said—things like, "Those who don't dare cause trouble are mediocre," or how she did not like students from her own class fighting each other but enjoyed watching them fight students from other classes...

It was simply worldview-shattering, alright?

How was that any different from encouraging students to form cliques, stir up trouble, and play at being gangsters?

In Su Qingfeng's eyes, Zhou Yi was at most a qualified soul master screening machine, but she was absolutely not a good teacher.

"Are you uninterested, or do you simply not dare?"

Zhou Yi sneered.

In front of all the Class One students, she could not afford to back down. Otherwise, how would she manage these students in the future?

"That's enough, Zhou Yi. He's a Specially Selected Student, not an ordinary freshman. Don't make things difficult for me."

Du Weilun interjected at that moment. He could smell the tension in the air and could not allow the two of them to ignite their respective powder kegs.

"Qingfeng, don't take it to heart. Teacher Zhou Yi has always had that kind of personality, but she isn't bad at heart. Come on, let's look at the other classes."

Du Weilun shot Zhou Yi a glare, then pulled Su Qingfeng out of Class One's classroom and took him through the other nine classes one by one.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Though he was the dean of studies, he could not afford to offend either Su Qingfeng or Zhou Yi!

This Zhou Yi was no ordinary homeroom teacher. Her husband was Fan Yu, the vice dean of the Soul Tool Department. Although the Soul Tool Department and Martial Soul Department taught independently, a vice dean still ranked above the dean of studies.

Zhou Yi watched Su Qingfeng's retreating back with sharp eyes and snorted through her nose. Then she turned and barked at the Class One students.

"What are you whispering about? What's there to look at? A Specially Selected Student like that, hiding his face and acting all mysterious—he's probably some noble young master from a great family or powerful faction. But the academy will spoil him rotten sooner or later, and he won't amount to much in the future. The Freshman Competition will take place in three months. If you run into that Specially Selected Student, beat him hard for me!"

"Starting today, Class One's daily training volume will double!"

"Those who can adapt may stay. Those who can't handle it may leave. Class One does not teach trash!"

Zhou Yi braced both hands on the lectern, drawing groans and complaints from the entire class. The auxiliary-type soul masters in particular were miserable. They were already weaker than soul masters from other branches, and the training these past few days had already placed a heavy burden on them. Doubling it again would work them to death!

News of a masked, exceptionally poised Specially Selected Student quickly became a hot topic among the ten freshman classes. Even students in the second, third, fourth, fifth, and other upper grades had heard about it.

Some were curious about Su Qingfeng's background.

Others thought Su Qingfeng had an outstanding aura and wanted to see what he really looked like beneath the mask.

After listening to class in Class Three for a while, Su Qingfeng wanted to return to Sea God Island.

To him, all of this was boring. He might as well go back and cultivate.