It was common knowledge that auxiliary-type Soul Masters focused primarily on spiritual power and support abilities. Their physical fitness was poor to begin with, and their stamina fell far short of that of Power Attack System Soul Masters.
Even Wang Dong, exceptionally talented as he was, had gone pale and was panting heavily after completing the required laps as a Power Attack System Soul Master. He was so exhausted he could barely lift his arms.
And that was nothing compared to students like Huo Yuhao, who had suffered from malnutrition since childhood and had an exceptionally weak constitution.
Yet Zhou Yi still put on an iron-hearted act, loudly and righteously scolding every student with absolute conviction.
She claimed that in a real battle, no one would care about your physical fitness or Soul Master type. The weak deserved to be eliminated.
Su Ming thought it was nothing but sophistry! Battle was certainly cruel, but one still had to account for the actual circumstances!
Auxiliary-type Soul Masters were the backbone of a team. In battle, Power Attack and Control System Soul Masters stood guard around them in layers.
It was already incredibly difficult for an enemy to get close. They would first have to break through one line of defense after another, all the while getting a brutal beating from the team's muscle-bound fighters.
If an enemy really made up their mind to kill their auxiliary, could a few daily jogs possibly help them escape an assassination?
This was completely putting the cart before the horse. Did she really think that years of practical combat training for enemy Soul Masters were a waste of time? Only Zhou Yi could come up with such absurd logic.
Worse still, whenever a student ran out of stamina and failed to finish the task, Zhou Yi immediately threatened to expel them on the spot.
Su Ming was full of contempt. These students had poured their hearts into passing one test after another just to enter Shrek Academy.
They had set out on their studies with dreams of becoming powerful Soul Masters and hearts full of hope, yet with one casual sentence, she was ready to ruin their chances.
What gave her the right? Did she really think that because she held the power to decide whether students stayed or left, she could do whatever she pleased and act like the ruler of the world?
Did she truly think heaven came first and she came second? Her overbearing, unreasonable habit of bullying students at will made Su Ming dislike Zhou Yi from the bottom of his heart.
In Su Ming's eyes, Zhou Yi's actions had nothing to do with strict teaching. She was clearly using the excuse of disciplining students to—
Torture and torment the new students however she pleased, flaunting what little authority she had in every way she could to satisfy her need for control. She was utterly unfit to be a teacher.
Su Ming walked forward again and stopped at the edge of the track, standing tall as he quietly watched the exhausted new students grit their teeth and keep running.
The setting sun spilled over the field, stretching everyone's shadows long. Panting and footfalls mingled in the air, which was thick with the tension and exhaustion of the new students' entrance assessment.
Just then, a female student's strength gave out completely. Her knees buckled, her vision went black, and she pitched helplessly toward the ground.
Just as she was about to fall hard, Su Ming moved in a flash and caught her, his grip gentle but firm.
He carefully helped her to a safe spot beside the track and let her rest against the ground.
The girl was petite, about five feet tall, and looked like a delicate porcelain doll amid the crowd.
Her long black hair was always carefully braided into two playful plaits that hung over her shoulders. Their naturally curled ends swayed gently as she moved.
Su Ming was surprised to realize that this girl might be Xiao Xiao. After all, she looked so much like the anime version.
The girl was exceptionally talented, too—a genius with Twin Martial Souls. She was someone he could recruit into the faction he planned to establish in the future.
So Su Ming asked in a friendly tone, "Are you all right? Do you need to go to the infirmary?"
Xiao Xiao steadied herself and panted for breath. Looking up at Su Ming, she gave him a grateful smile. Her round face was flushed, and her emerald eyes sparkled as she hurriedly thanked him in a soft voice:
"Thank you, senior!" Then she bit her pink lips, rubbed her aching legs, and forced herself to keep going, unwilling to give up so easily.
She turned and slowly caught up with the group, continuing her difficult run. Her braids swayed lightly with each step.
Seeing that she was determined to continue, Su Ming stopped paying attention to her. There was no need to rush things. He turned his gaze through the crowd and fixed it on the small figure still gritting his teeth on the track—that was Huo Yuhao.
At the moment, all he could think about was his Soul Tool research. Huo Yuhao's monstrous talent for Soul Tools made him the perfect assistant, one Su Ming had finally managed to find.
If the kid had an accident during the new student assessment or collapsed from exhaustion, where would Su Ming find another helper with such outstanding talent for his future Soul Tool research?
He didn't want to shoulder the burden of every bit of research by himself. Having a capable subordinate to help out was the least troublesome option.
Time passed, and the sun sank lower, dyeing the horizon a brilliant orange-red. Before long, dusk had arrived, and the new students' long-distance running assessment was nearing its end.
That was when Su Ming spotted Huo Yuhao dragging his leaden legs through the final lap, struggling to hold on. His body swayed, and he looked ready to collapse at any moment.
Wang Dong had already reached the finish line. He stood there with worry written all over his face, staring fixedly at Huo Yuhao and ready to rush over and help him at any moment.
Su Ming quietly took up a position not far from the finish line, making plans in his mind.
He remembered the original story perfectly: Wang Dong would only step in when Huo Yuhao reached his limit and was about to fall, and the two of them would cross the finish line side by side.
But if Su Ming stepped in first now and gave Huo Yuhao a hand when he was at his most helpless, the kid would surely trust him more.
Their relationship would grow stronger, making it easier to handle what came later.
His thoughts raced. Huo Yuhao's steps faltered, his vision went black, and he was about to pitch forward onto the ground.
Su Ming didn't hesitate. He took a step forward and grabbed Huo Yuyao by the collar, lifting him up with ease.
Wang Dong, who had been ready to sprint over, stopped short. His brows furrowed as he watched the sudden scene in confusion.
Holding the limp, feather-light Huo Yuhao, Su Ming walked steadily to the finish line and gently set him down. He let Huo Yuhao brace himself against his knees and pant heavily as he recovered.
Once he was done, Su Ming turned to Zhou Yi. A faint trace of mockery curled his lips as he asked, though he already knew the answer:
"Teacher Zhou Yi, your way of teaching the new students on their very first day has really opened my eyes once again. There's something I'm especially curious about. If a student doesn't make it across the finish line, what will you do?"
Zhou Yi had already looked furious when she saw Su Ming appear on the field and stand by, watching coldly.
Now that he had questioned her in front of everyone, her expression darkened further, and the air around her seemed to turn icy.