Zhou Yi nodded in satisfaction, then said something that no one had expected.
"Very good. Now, I have an announcement to make."
She pushed up her glasses, her gaze settling on Mu Chen.
"Starting today, Mu Chen will be the class monitor of Freshman Class One."
The classroom fell silent for a moment.
Then something Zhou Yi hadn't expected happened: not a single person objected.
At Shrek Academy, the class monitor was usually appointed by a vote of the entire class. This time, however, Zhou Yi skipped the voting process and appointed Mu Chen directly.
And the class's reaction wasn't dissatisfaction or complaints. It was a silent, tacit acceptance.
As if everyone thought this position had belonged to him all along.
The sturdy boy in the back row, whose legs had trembled under the pressure of the Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring earlier, was the first to applaud.
Right after him, applause rang out from every corner of the classroom. It began scattered, grew into a steady rhythm, and finally swelled into a roar.
Standing beside the podium, Mu Chen gave his classmates a slight nod, his expression still as calm as ever. But a faint glimmer passed through his deep blue eyes.
He didn't care about the position.
But now that he had it, he would do it well.
Watching the class's reaction, Zhou Yi's lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
She motioned for Mu Chen to return to his seat, then opened her lesson plan and began the day's class.
"Today we'll have Martial Soul Theory Class. We'll discuss the scientific basis for Soul Ring age limits, and why most Soul Masters have fixed limits on the ages of their Soul Rings..."
The class began in an unusual atmosphere. Everyone's gaze kept drifting toward the seat by the window, where the blue-haired boy was opening his textbook and taking notes with a focus and composure far beyond his years.
During the break, Mu Chen was surrounded by a crowd.
The first to rush up was a tall, thin boy from the back row. He asked Mu Chen admiringly how he trained and whether he had any secrets he could share.
Then a few girls came over together, saying they wanted to ask Mu Chen about training with water-attribute Martial Souls, though half of them had Martial Souls that had nothing whatsoever to do with water.
A boy wearing glasses came over too, holding a book and hoping to discuss whether it was possible to absorb a Soul Ring beyond one's level.
Mu Chen dealt with them one by one, neither cold nor overly enthusiastic.
He answered earnestly when people genuinely wanted advice about cultivation. When it was obvious someone was only making an excuse to get closer to him, he politely sent them on their way.
His impeccable sense of boundaries meant he neither offended anyone nor gave them the impression he was easy to push around.
Huo Yuhao sat nearby, watching Mu Chen surrounded by people, his eyes full of envy.
He clenched his fists in secret and thought, One day, I'll be as strong as Brother Mu—not, even stronger.
Wang Dong kept up that same unapproachable expression. She lowered her head over her textbook, but her gaze kept drifting toward Mu Chen.
Whenever a girl came over to talk to Mu Chen, she turned the pages noticeably faster, making them rustle loudly.
But whenever she saw him keep a polite, distant manner with the girls, her page-turning gradually slowed without her noticing.
Wang Dong herself didn't even notice this little detail.
The day's classes passed in a busy, productive blur.
That afternoon, Introduction to Combat Techniques was a combined lecture with Class Two. Their teacher was a burly, middle-aged man surnamed Tie, whose Martial Soul was an Iron-Armored Rhino. He was a sixty-two-level defensive Soul Emperor.
Teacher Tie was an outgoing man who spoke as loudly as thunder, but he was easygoing and got along well with the students.
The combat class involved group matches. Teacher Tie had each class send five students to the arena for simulated combat.
These interclass matches were the best way to gauge the students' combat skills, and they were Teacher Tie's favorite teaching method.
When Mu Chen stepped onto the arena, the five students from Class Two all turned pale.
Are you kidding? You want us to fight the guy who knocked Xu Sanshi down in two moves yesterday? This isn't a match—it's a death sentence.
Laughing heartily, Teacher Tie had Mu Chen step down and made him the referee.
Then he pointed to Wang Dong and told her to lead the team. Without a word, Wang Dong stepped onto the arena and released her Light Goddess Butterfly Martial Soul. Her Wing Guillotine flashed with a dangerous gleam in the sunlight.
Her expression remained as cold and proud as ever, but her attacks were ruthless and swift. In less than five minutes, she had knocked all five opponents off the arena.
"Your Class One really is full of freaks, one after another." Teacher Tie shook his head with a laugh, but his eyes were full of admiration.
Evening. The cafeteria.
Mu Chen sat in a corner, eating with his tray in front of him.
The day's classes had left him mentally tired. It wasn't physical exhaustion, but the strain of staying focused for so long. Acting as the referee during combat class had been especially draining. He'd needed to keep his full attention on every student's movements in the arena, which was more tiring than fighting himself.
He'd barely taken a couple of bites when someone came to sit across from him.
Wang Dong brought over her tray and ate beside Mu Chen.
"Isn't there an empty seat over there?" Mu Chen glanced up.
"The light's too harsh over there." Wang Dong said it without changing her expression, then lowered her head and started eating.
Mu Chen didn't press her. They ate quietly, the only sound between them the occasional clink of chopsticks against their bowls.
People came and went through the cafeteria, and the din of their voices created a lively backdrop around them. But this little corner was as quiet as another world.
After a while, Wang Dong suddenly spoke.
"This morning, when you released your Soul Rings at the podium..." She paused, as if weighing her words. "Did you hold back some of the pressure from your Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring?"
Mu Chen's chopsticks paused for a moment, then continued as usual. "How could you tell?"
"Because I've seen what you're like when you really fight." Wang Dong put down her chopsticks and looked at Mu Chen seriously. "I secretly went to watch you fight Xu Sanshi last night. Your Soul Power fluctuations were much stronger than they were this morning. You were holding back in the classroom."
Mu Chen glanced at Wang Dong, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. "You're pretty observant."
"Obviously." Wang Dong turned her face away, the tips of her ears reddening again. "I'm your roommate. If I couldn't even notice something like that, how could I be your roommate?"
Mu Chen put down his chopsticks and took a sip of water. "I did hold back a little. There are plenty of people in the classroom who aren't even Soul Grandmasters. If I released the full pressure of my Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, some of them might suffer internal injuries."
That was the truth. To low-level Soul Masters, the pressure of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring was a genuine threat to their lives.