The First Lesson of the New Semester

The next morning, Lin Yao opened his eyes to find his roommate still hadn't arrived. He didn't know what the situation was, but he hoped it was a no-show.

After Lin Yao finished washing up, a knock sounded at the dormitory door. It was the dormitory supervisor, relaying a message that Ye Guyi was waiting for him downstairs.

Recalling the light, casual drinking from the night before—which hadn't amounted to much of a buzz—Lin Yao quickened his pace as he headed down.

Ye Guyi was wearing a pale gold dress, her eyes crinkling with a smile as she looked at Lin Yao.

Lin Yao greeted her, and she chuckled, asking, "How are you feeling? Any headache from last night?"

Lin Yao shook his head dismissively. "That little bit of wine was no different from water; it had already worn off before I even got back to the dorm."

Ye Guyi nodded, then smiled at him again. "Fair enough. Just remember not to be late tomorrow morning. Shrek Academy isn't like the academies in the Douling Empire."

Lin Yao smiled, and the two strolled through the campus together. Ye Guyi seemed to be in an excellent mood, perhaps because she had enjoyed their conversation the night before. Her steps were light and airy, with a youthful, skipping quality to them.

"How are you getting along with your roommate?" Lin Yao asked casually, watching her cheerful demeanor.

At the mention of this, Ye Guyi waved a hand. "So-so. She's a rather strange girl—taciturn and doesn't like to talk."

Lin Yao keenly sensed the hesitation in her tone. He studied her and said, "It's not just that simple, is it? If there's something on your mind, just tell me."

Ye Guyi hesitated before saying, "I don't know why, but I always feel like there's a faint, lingering aura of darkness about her. But after talking to her, I realized her martial soul isn't of the dark attribute, nor is it an evil martial soul. It's very strange."

Lin Yao frowned slightly at her description. "Then what is her martial soul?"

Ye Guyi recalled for a moment. "It seems to be some kind of fish. I can't remember the specific name, but I'm certain the feeling of darkness doesn't stem from the martial soul itself."

Lin Yao nodded. "Then minimize your contact with her. If the darkness isn't caused by the martial soul, it's actually more troublesome. Darkness stemming from a martial soul can potentially be redeemed, but darkness originating from one's own heart? That can't be helped."

Ye Guyi nodded. Lin Yao waved a hand dismissively. "It's almost certainly not directed at us. I suspect she might be a plant sent by some faction or organization to infiltrate Shrek. When you have to constantly remember you're an undercover agent, it's inevitable that some dark thoughts will take root in your heart."

Ye Guyi nodded, clearly convinced by his theory. She stretched, looking somewhat helpless. "If that's the case, then I'm truly unlucky. I just get assigned a freshman dorm, and I hit the jackpot like this."

Lin Yao laughed. "You've still got it better than me. My roommate hasn't even shown up yet. I don't know who's coming, but they probably won't be easy to deal with. Generally speaking, low-maintenance roommates don't arrive this late."

Ye Guyi looked at him with curiosity. "They still haven't arrived? Registration closes this afternoon. If they don't report in by then, they won't be able to get into Shrek."

"Who knows what they're thinking," Lin Yao said, completely unconcerned.

By the afternoon, the student still hadn't arrived. Instead, after the registration deadline had passed, the teacher in charge of the boys' dormitory came in and removed the empty bed belonging to the other student.

"Teacher, is this dorm not going to house a second person?" Lin Yao asked, looking up from the fruit he was peeling.

"That's right. After the academy's review, it was decided to grant you the privilege of a private room. Enjoy your time in the outer court and strive to enter the inner court as soon as possible. Of course, given the talent you've displayed, I believe your time in the outer court won't be very long."

Lin Yao nodded, thinking to himself, You think it won't be long, and I agree—though I'm thinking of leaving once I'm strong enough to rebel, while your reasons are anyone's guess.

Shrek Academy's methods were truly crude; only people in this world wouldn't overthink it. An academy dean had shown up at his doorstep, admission letter in hand, demanding he attend their school.

Plainly speaking, wasn't that just kidnapping?

If Lin Yao's family had a Super Douluo, they would have had to put up a fight.

Unfortunately, the strongest person in his family was only a Soul Douluo. If they wanted to stand tall in front of Shrek Academy, they would have to wait until Lin Yao grew stronger.

After the teacher left, Lin Yao moved his bed to the center of the room, and the previously cramped dormitory suddenly felt much more spacious.

The teacher had clearly been looking out for him; he had only removed the unnecessary bed, leaving the matching storage cabinets and other furniture behind.

Lin Yao effectively ended up with double the usable space.

The next morning, Lin Yao stepped out of his dorm to find Ye Guyi already waiting for him.

Since they were assigned to the same class, they shared a smile and walked together toward the freshman teaching building of the outer court.

Freshman Class Nine was at the very end of the corridor. Lin Yao and Ye Guyi opened the door and walked in. The classroom wasn't very full yet, and most of the seats were empty.

Shrek Academy didn't assign seats, leaving it entirely up to the students to choose where to sit.

It was somewhat similar to a university lecture system. Lin Yao and Ye Guyi sat together in the back row by the window.

Not long after they settled in, the rest of the class arrived one after another.

When the bell for the start of class rang, a teacher with vibrant green hair, dressed in sharp, elegant clothing and high heels, walked into the classroom with a rhythmic click-clack. She stood at the podium, opened a blue folder, and glanced at it.

"Greetings. From today on, I will be your homeroom teacher. My name is Mu Jin. I hope that during these three months of the freshman term, we can cooperate happily and that everyone will be able to remain at Shrek Academy." Mu Jin introduced herself briefly, then placed her fingers on the blue folder.

"Next, we will take attendance so I can get to know you. When your name is called, please stand up and answer."

After the roll call was finished, Mu Jin scanned the room with a satisfied look, her gaze finally coming to rest on Lin Yao, who was sitting in the back row...