A Face Born of the Heart

"Excuse me, Teacher Zhou, did the academy appoint you as the assistant homeroom teacher or the head homeroom teacher?"

Jiang Bai sat below with one leg crossed over the other, calmly asking Zhou Yi on the podium a question.

Jiang Bai's posture, combined with his careless expression, might not have been particularly harmful, but it was deeply insulting.

The sight made Zhou Yi fly into a rage!

"What did you say?!"

Zhou Yi glared furiously at Jiang Bai, who had spoken up from the front, and shouted sternly. What was this brat saying?!

Was he questioning whether she was qualified?

Who knew why the academy had made Wang Yan the head homeroom teacher? With that level of strength, perhaps he could serve as an ordinary teacher, but why should he be the head homeroom teacher?

The head homeroom teacher position should obviously have been hers! The class should have been hers!

Looking at the furious, aged face before him, Jiang Bai found it truly ugly.

A face was born of the heart. Although the original story said Zhou Yi was beautiful, perhaps she had put on that mask because she felt her heart suited the face she wore now.

Feeling Zhou Yi's gaze, which seemed ready to kill him, Jiang Bai stared back without backing down.

"Do you understand the importance of respecting your teacher?"

Zhou Yi's expression darkened. Six Soul Rings appeared behind her, and the terrifying pressure of a Soul Emperor spread through the entire classroom. In an instant, the room fell silent.

Once the six Soul Rings appeared, most of the students in the classroom lowered their heads.

Even Dai Huabin, who had been acting so arrogantly just moments ago, did not dare provoke Zhou Yi.

Of course, there were exceptions among the crowd.

"Respecting one's teacher?"

Jiang Bai's puzzled voice reached Zhou Yi's ears, followed by words even more arrogant.

"Heh, a teacher who raises the class promotion rate by expelling ordinary students and keeping only the promising ones, then uses the cultivation of a Six-Ring Soul Emperor to suppress students? You're talking to me about respecting one's teacher? I don't see anything about this teacher worth respecting."

Jiang Bai did not care in the slightest about the pressure of a mere Six-Ring Soul Emperor.

Xiao Xiao beside him had also undergone special pressure training. Unless it was the aura of a Titled-level powerhouse or someone directly used Soul Power pressure against her, it would not affect her much.

However, Zhou Yi's target was Jiang Bai. As Jiang Bai's deskmate, Xiao Xiao was naturally caught in Zhou Yi's pressure as well. Under that pressure, it was not easy for her, with only two rings of cultivation.

At that moment, only four people in the classroom still had their heads raised.

Xiao Xiao and Jiang Bai, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.

However, Wang Dong was not in much better condition than Xiao Xiao. She had only kept her head raised because she was not afraid.

The only two people in the classroom who appeared completely normal were Jiang Bai and Huo Yuhao.

Jiang Bai's spiritual power, will, aura, and Soul Power had fused as one, achieving unity between man and heaven. Trying to suppress him with aura alone was simply impossible for a Six-Ring Soul Emperor.

Huo Yuhao, meanwhile, relied on Tian Meng's spiritual power to become immune to Zhou Yi's aura.

All four of them looked at Zhou Yi at the same time.

Those four gazes made Zhou Yi feel that her authority as both a teacher and a Six-Ring Soul Emperor was being challenged.

This was absolutely a provocation! A provocation against her authority!

"Good, good, good! You four!"

After saying "good" four times in a row, Zhou Yi's anger had reached its peak. Her fists cracked as she clenched them. Just as she was about to sternly announce the expulsion of all four, Wang Yan finally spoke from beside her.

"Teacher Zhou Yi, I am the homeroom teacher of Class One. If anyone is to be expelled, it must be with my approval. If you question my qualifications as the homeroom teacher, you may submit a report to the Academic Affairs Office. Now, please leave the classroom!"

Wang Yan was very calm, but also very angry. Before this, he had thought Zhou Yi was merely somewhat hot-tempered and strict in her teaching, that there was no major problem overall. But now, it was clear that was not the case at all!

What kind of teacher released Soul Rings to suppress students after arguing with them? What did she take the academy for?

Seeing Zhou Yi's actions, Wang Yan could not help wondering whether someone like her was really suited to be a teacher.

After hearing Wang Yan's words, Zhou Yi's face darkened further. Even with that ugly mask on, Jiang Bai could tell.

Hearing Wang Yan's voice, which was suppressing his anger, Zhou Yi gritted her teeth.

However, when she remembered that his position as homeroom teacher had been granted by the academy, she did not dare say anything more.

She truly had no authority to expel students!

To avoid further embarrassing herself, Zhou Yi left the class with a dark face.

After the old woman left, Wang Yan looked over the students below. Only those four still had their heads raised, and they seemed particularly dissatisfied.

Sensing their resentment, Wang Yan rubbed his brow with a headache and explained to everyone below, "I already know about Jiang Bai and Huo Yuhao's situation, and it has already been resolved. Do not make wild guesses."

"Continue your normal activities. The advancement assessment will be held this afternoon."

After saying that, class was dismissed. Wang Yan also had to deal with Zhou Yi's problem.

Teacher Wang Yan was quite impressive. Mu Jin actually had not come to cause trouble? In the original story, Mu Jin had clung to Huo Yuhao's case without letting go.

Jiang Bai looked at the scene ahead and thought of how, in the original story, Huo Yuhao had only avoided expulsion by producing his Second-Level Soul Engineer badge and revealing that he was Fan Yu's disciple.

Of course, Mu Jin had been the main one stirring things up, but her absence this time was probably also Wang Yan's doing.

In fact, Mu Jin had originally planned to investigate after returning. After all, this was Zhou Yi's class, and neither Jiang Bai nor Huo Yuhao had any background.

Although she had taught Jiang Bai before, Jiang Bai was now under Zhou Yi's care.

Expelling those two would be a perfect way to slap Zhou Yi in the face.

However, after Wang Yan said the matter had been resolved, Mu Jin did not say anything further.

Although Mu Jin did not know Wang Yan's identity, she knew it was definitely not ordinary, so she gave up on causing trouble for Huo Yuhao and Jiang Bai.

Was Wang Yan Xuan Zi's disciple's grandson? Thinking of this, Jiang Bai could not help sighing inwardly.

It really was good to have connections.

"Jiang Bai, what Soul Beast are you going to choose?"

His deskmate Xiao Xiao asked him. The advancement assessment was in the afternoon, and the score was very important.

"Can't I just pick any hundred-year Soul Beast and defeat it?"

Jiang Bai asked doubtfully. Wasn't that how it worked? He could just find a hundred-year Soul Beast and control it.

"Then your score will be very low."

Xiao Xiao could not help worrying. Jiang Bai was currently only a provisional Core Disciple. If he failed to become official, he would lose many resources.

"Then let it be low. Passing is enough, isn't it?"

Jiang Bai did not care. What did scores matter? Passing was enough. It was not as if getting full marks in this advancement assessment would earn him a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone. If it did, Jiang Bai might actually be interested.

He had never seen a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone before, though he had seen quite a few Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones. They had all been dug out of the snow.

Of course, most of those Soul Bones had been used to research Huo Yuhao's "Divine Outfit," and he had also developed a set himself.

Strictly speaking, it should count as "Soul Armor" developed on the basis of Battle Armor. However, it was very expensive. One set required one Soul Bone, which was far too wasteful.

If he had the chance in the future, Jiang Bai wanted to try wearing Battle Armor and see what it felt like.

"Why are you so unambitious?"

Xiao Xiao was speechless. Jiang Bai truly had no ambition at all. How had he cultivated to level thirty like this?

"I've always had ambition."

Jiang Bai said firmly. He had always had ambition; he simply did not put it toward showing off. Revealing too much would get him killed.

"As long as you do."

Time passed, and soon it was afternoon.

The Beast Fighting Area, advancement assessment! It was about to begin!

Classes One and Two arrived in succession under the guidance of their respective teachers.

There were nearly a hundred second-year students from the two classes fighting in the Beast Fighting Area. For the students' safety, Shrek Academy had arranged quite a few teachers around the area to supervise. One purpose was to protect the students, while another was to observe the matches from every angle.

"Our class will be the first to go today. Who plans to go first?"

Wang Yan asked the students of Class One. Class One would naturally be the first to appear; otherwise, why would it be called Class One?

The order of appearance in this assessment was one way to ignite fighting spirit. Wang Yan naturally wanted to stir everyone's competitive drive and let them achieve better results.

Of course, in Wang Yan's view, his class did not need to compete with other classes for anything. They only needed to show their best selves.

"I—"

Dai Huabin, among the Class One students, was about to speak when Huo Yuhao, who stood farther ahead, was even faster.

"Teacher, I'll go first."

His answer was decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

Wang Yan thought for a moment and nodded. "Then Yuhao, you go first."

Zhu Lu behind them wanted to say something, but Dai Huabin stopped her. Staring at Huo Yuhao ahead, he wanted to see what kind of Soul Beast Huo Yuhao could choose.

He was merely a two-ring Soul Grandmaster, and a control-type one at that.

Noticing Dai Huabin's provocative gaze, Huo Yuhao returned an even more hostile one.

"Hmph."

Huo Yuhao entered the arena and arrived before the two referees.

"What type?"

"Control type."

"Choose your Soul Beast. The age range is one hundred to one thousand years."

"Could you stand a little farther away from me?"

Among the Class One students watching from the front, Xiao Xiao stood beside Jiang Bai, while Wang Dong was right next to them.

"What? Why should I stand farther away?"

Seemingly provoked by Jiang Bai's words, she moved even closer to him.

"Uh..."

He only hoped that when Huo Yuhao released the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring and simulated the Ice Empress's aura, she would not be frightened.

At that moment, a hundred-year Soul Beast and Huo Yuhao had already appeared in the arena.

"One hundred years?"

Xiao Xiao was already shocked. Why only a hundred years? Wang Dong beside her also showed surprise, but she still chose to trust Huo Yuhao.

"It's coming."

Jiang Bai narrowed his eyes and looked toward the Soul Ring Huo Yuhao released in the arena.

The instant Huo Yuhao's second Soul Ring flashed, a blood-red pressure swept through the entire Beast Fighting Arena!

Scarlet red! A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring?!