Reciprocating a Peach with a Plum

After clearing his mind, Huo Yuhao returned to his room to begin his cultivation, and the previously gentle atmosphere in the small courtyard instantly turned cold.

Gu Yuan picked up the teacup from the stone table, his fingertips gently stroking the warm rim. The smile on his face slowly faded, and a faint, cold light flickered in eyes that could see through the ways of the world.

He had long since noticed the undisguised calculation in the way Zhou Yi looked at Huo Yuhao.

What she valued was never just Huo Yuhao's spiritual attribute talent, but rather the contribution this ultimate spirit could make to the Soul Tool Department.

She wanted to use the pretext of taking him as a disciple to bind Huo Yuhao firmly to the Soul Tool Department, to herself, and to Fan Yu, using this gifted youth to trade for the status of the Soul Tool Department and to secure more leverage for herself and Fan Yu within Shrek Academy.

Not to mention, her so-called "iron-blooded" teaching style was essentially nothing more than bottomless, perverted exploitation, using extreme methods to force students to break through without any regard for their physical or psychological limits.

During the previous one-hundred-kilometer weighted cross-country run, she had set harsh elimination rules even while knowing some freshmen could never complete it, simply to enjoy the thrill of controlling the fate of others.

If someone like this wasn't given a reality check, she would truly believe she could do whatever she pleased on Shrek Academy's grounds and harbor ideas she had no business entertaining.

"Come out."

Gu Yuan set down his teacup, his voice flat and carrying an unquestionable majesty as he spoke toward the shadows in the corner of the courtyard.

The moment his voice fell, a black figure emerged from the shadows as silently as a ghost.

The man was dressed in black tactical gear with a cold, stern expression. His presence was completely concealed, making him seem to blend into the night even while standing in plain sight.

Ling Ye knelt on one knee, bowing in salute, his voice low and respectful: "My Lord, what are your orders?"

Gu Yuan raised his eyes toward the direction of the Soul Tool Department on the west side of Shrek Academy, his fingertips tapping lightly against the stone table. His tone betrayed neither joy nor anger: "This person, Zhou Yi, has a crooked mind and excessive greed, and she has set her sights on Huo Yuhao. Go give her a lesson and make sure she remembers it."

Ling Ye nodded slightly, waiting for Gu Yuan's further instructions.

"Keep it within bounds," Gu Yuan's voice turned colder.

"Make sure she suffers enough. And bring her a message: keep her hands and her thoughts in check. The freshmen of Shrek Academy are not hers to toy with at will."

"This subordinate understands," Ling Ye replied with a bow, without a moment's hesitation.

He knew very well how protective his master was; for Zhou Yi to dare scheme against Huo Yuhao was a death wish in itself. That his master only ordered a physical lesson was already an act of extraordinary mercy.

"Go." Gu Yuan waved his hand and took a sip of tea, the cold light in his eyes fading as he returned to his usual gentle demeanor.

Ling Ye bowed once more and flashed away, instantly merging into the night without leaving a trace of his presence, as if he had never appeared at all.

The courtyard returned to silence. Gu Yuena walked slowly out of the house and sat opposite Gu Yuan, her cold, clear voice ringing out: "She is nothing but a clown, why bother?"

"Even a clown can be nauseating," Gu Yuan smiled, his tone indifferent.

"Rather than waiting to suffer a loss later, it is better to nip these improper thoughts in the bud."

Gu Yuena nodded slightly and said no more.

She knew very well that while Gu Yuan appeared easygoing, he actually protected the two children, Huo Yuhao and Jin Ruiqiu, with absolute vigilance. Anyone who dared to harbor crooked intentions would inevitably pay the price.

At this moment, on the edge of the forest outside Shrek City.

Zhou Yi was walking slowly along the forest path toward the academy. She had just had a heated argument with Fan Yu and was still fuming.

Fan Yu felt she was too impatient and shouldn't have pressured Huo Yuhao to decide on joining the Soul Tool Department and becoming her apprentice the moment they met; he believed the child should have been given time to consider.

But Zhou Yi felt that a genius like Huo Yuhao, who appeared once in ten thousand years, should be seized immediately. If she were even a step late, he might be snatched away by those old foxes in the Martial Soul Department, and it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven to pull him into the Soul Tool Department then.

"What a soft-hearted fool," Zhou Yi spat, her face full of disdain.

"I will strike first to bring him into the Soul Tool Department and train him well for a few years. Once he becomes a top-tier Soul Master in the future, my status and Fan Yu's status in Shrek will naturally rise!"

The more she thought about it, the more she felt she was right, and a smug expression gradually appeared on her face.

The thing she was most proud of in her life was her keen eye for talent. Now, she had spotted Huo Yuhao, this unpolished, peerless gem, at a single glance.

Ultimate spiritual attribute, a thousand-year second ring, a level 23 Soul Grand Master at ten years old, and a mastery of spiritual power that had reached the pinnacle. This was no mere freshman; this was a heaven-sent genius tailor-made for the Soul Tool Department!

As long as she kept a firm grip on Huo Yuhao, he would surely become a top-tier Soul Master who surpassed Mingde Hall in the future, and she, as his guide, would naturally leave a brilliant mark in the history of Shrek Academy.

The more Zhou Yi thought, the more pleased she became, and her steps grew lighter. She completely failed to notice that the surrounding air had quietly turned cold, and a terrifying pressure, like a canopy of heaven, had silently enveloped the forest path.

Until a cold voice rang out behind her without warning: "Zhou Yi?"

Zhou Yi stiffened, stopping in her tracks instantly, her scalp tingling.

She spun around violently, releasing her martial soul instantly. Six soul rings rose from beneath her feet—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black. Her cultivation as a Soul Emperor erupted without reservation as she stared fixedly at the source of the voice.

In the middle of the path stood a man in black tactical gear.

He stood there quietly, without a shred of soul power leaking from his body, yet Zhou Yi felt as if she were being stared at by an ancient, ferocious beast. Every hair on her body stood on end, and even breathing became incredibly difficult.

"Who are you! What do you want!" Zhou Yi shouted sharply, her clenched fists trembling uncontrollably.

She could clearly feel that the strength of the person before her far exceeded her imagination—it was even more terrifying than the elders of the Sea God Pavilion at Shrek Academy!

Ling Ye did not answer her; he simply raised his hand slowly.

Hum—

A vast and boundless pressure erupted from his body instantly.

Black soul rings rose from beneath his feet in sequence: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red! A full nine soul rings, and the last one was a ten-thousand-year soul ring as fresh and red as blood!

A Titled Douluo! And a Super Titled Douluo at that!

Zhou Yi's pupils contracted violently, her mind went blank, and it felt as if the blood in her body had frozen at that very moment.

She could never have imagined that a simple trip outside Shrek City would lead to an encounter with a Title Douluo! And this Title Douluo was clearly targeting her!

In all her life, she had never made an enemy of a Title Douluo, nor had she even had the opportunity to cross paths with one. Why would this personage come looking for her?

"Your Excellency! Have you mistaken me for someone else?!" Zhou Yi's voice instantly turned tearful. Her previous arrogance and haughtiness vanished, leaving only a bone-deep terror.

"I am a teacher at Shrek Academy, Zhou Yi! I have never offended you! Have you found the wrong person?"

Ling Ye's face remained expressionless, and his cold voice rang out once more, devoid of any emotion: "I am looking for you."

"You harbored thoughts you shouldn't have, so I have come today to teach you a lesson."

The moment his words fell, Ling Ye moved.

He did not even release his martial soul; with a casual wave of his hand, an invisible shockwave of soul power slammed into Zhou Yi like the weight of Mount Tai.

The gap between a Title Douluo and a Soul Emperor was a chasm, impossible to bridge. Zhou Yi did not even have time to react before she was struck by the terrifying force of that soul power.

"Pfft—"

Zhou Yi spat out a mouthful of blood, her body flying backward like a kite with a broken string, slamming heavily into a tree behind her. The trunk shattered instantly upon impact.

She felt as though every bone in her body had been pulverized, and her meridians screamed with tearing pain, rendering her unable to circulate even a shred of soul power.

But this was only the beginning.

Ling Ye's figure flickered, appearing before her in an instant, and he raised his hand for another strike. This blow used little soul power, yet it landed with surgical precision across her limbs and joints. Each strike was accompanied by the crisp sound of cracking bones and Zhou Yi's heart-wrenching screams.

He did not damage her vitals, but he struck every point that caused the most agony, beating her until she was battered and bruised.

Her face and body were covered in purple and blue contusions; her arms and legs were fractured, and her once-neat hair was now a disheveled mess. She was in a state of utter wretchedness.

"Spare me, Your Excellency! Please, spare me!" Zhou Yi curled up on the ground, covered in blood, weeping and begging for mercy.

"Please, stop hitting me!"

Even now, she could not fathom where she had offended such a powerful figure.

If he kept hitting her, she would lose half her life.

Ling Ye ceased his assault and looked down at the pathetic, crumpled figure of Zhou Yi on the ground. His cold voice rang out again, carrying an unquestionable warning: "Keep your thoughts in check."

"This is merely a physical lesson. If there is a next time, it will not be as simple as a few broken bones."

"I understand! I understand!" Zhou Yi scrambled to nod, her voice trembling as she gave her assurance.

Ling Ye cast a cold glance at her and said nothing more. His figure flickered, melting back into the night and vanishing without a trace, as if he had never appeared at all.

On the forest path, only the battered and wretched Zhou Yi remained, slumped on the ground. She wept while hissing in pain, her bones feeling as though they had been shaken loose; even the slightest movement sent piercing agony through her.

She lay on the ground for a full hour before she could barely prop herself up, limping and dragging her injured body toward Shrek Academy.

Throughout the journey, she kept herself wrapped up tightly, terrified that someone might see her in such a pathetic state.

Early the next morning, the classroom for Freshman Class One at Shrek Academy was already full.

The remaining freshmen sat upright, their faces etched with tension. After yesterday's devilish training, they were terrified of this "perverted teacher" to their very bones, fearing she would devise some new way to torment them today.

Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao sat in the front row, whispering to each other.

"What do you think Teacher Zhou will come up with today? Yesterday's hundred-kilometer cross-country nearly killed me," Xiao Xiao said, sticking out her tongue with lingering fear.

Wang Dong wrinkled her nose and huffed: "What else could it be? Nothing but new ways to torture us."

As the two were speaking, the sound of dragging footsteps and faint, pained gasps echoed from the classroom door.

The room went silent instantly. Every student held their breath, their eyes fixed on the entrance.

The next second, Zhou Yi limped inside.

When they saw her appearance, every student in the classroom froze. Their eyes went wide, and their mouths hung open wide enough to fit an egg.

The once decisive and imposing Teacher Zhou looked absolutely wretched.

Her face was a tapestry of blue and purple bruises, her left eye was swollen shut, and the corners of her mouth were crusted with dried blood.

Her neck and wrists were wrapped in thick bandages, and she limped heavily, her right leg clearly injured. Every step she took made her wince in pain. She was swathed in bandages, and her usually sharp, professional hair was a tangled mess. There was not a shred of the iron-blooded teacher left.

The classroom fell into a deathly silence, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

All the students sat stiffly in their seats, looking at one another, seeing the suppressed laughter in each other's eyes.

No one had expected that Zhou Yi, who had been so fierce and had tormented them to the brink of death just yesterday, would end up so battered and bruised today.

The contrast was so stark that they simply could not help themselves.

Yet, they dared not laugh. Everyone knew Zhou Yi's temper; if anyone dared to laugh out loud, they would likely be skinned alive.

So, they all lowered their heads, shoulders shaking violently, biting their lips to hold back the laughter until their faces turned red.

Huo Yuhao sat in his seat, watching the wretched Zhou Yi on the podium, and was stunned for a moment before he realized what had happened.

He had spoken to Gu Yuan about the Soul Tool Department last night, and since Zhou Yi had ended up like this today, it could only be Gu Yuan.

A warm current flooded Huo Yuhao's heart, though he also felt a mix of amusement and helplessness. He knew Gu Yuan was backing him up, fearing he might be schemed against by Zhou Yi.

On the podium, Zhou Yi looked at the students whose shoulders were shaking uncontrollably and turned green with rage. She wanted to slam the desk and roar, but the moment she raised her hand, she aggravated her wounds, causing her to gasp in pain and nearly collapse from the podium.

She had intended to vent her fury, but the memory of the Title Douluo's warning from last night forced her to swallow the curses on the tip of her tongue.

She had no choice but to grit her teeth, pick up a piece of chalk, and write the day's lesson on the blackboard. Her voice was raspy as she began, "Today, we will discuss the fundamental applications of Martial Souls and the precise control of soul power..."

Her voice lacked its usual severity and chill, replaced instead by a weak, listless rasp. Even while lecturing, she would wince from time to time, the movement pulling at the wounds on her face and causing her to hiss in pain.

Watching her in this state, the students below struggled even harder to suppress their laughter. They kept their heads buried low, shoulders trembling like sieves, leaving only the sound of Zhou Yi's raspy lecture and the students' stifled giggles filling the classroom.

By the end of the lesson, Zhou Yi hadn't uttered a single harsh word.

As soon as the bell rang, she limped out of the classroom in a flustered retreat, terrified that staying a second longer would mean losing all face in front of her students.

The moment she stepped out, the classroom erupted into thunderous roars of laughter.

The students laughed and gossiped, each of them feeling an immense sense of satisfaction.