Challenge

"Huo Yutong, Qian Chaoguang, I don't like wasting words. I'm very curious about what your martial souls are. Even with my experience, I couldn't identify them. Now... I want answers." Zhou Yi spoke in a tone that brooked no defiance.

"My martial soul is the Spirit Eyes, a spiritual attribute." Huo Yuhao had no intention of hiding his martial soul and calmly told Zhou Yi.

"Extreme Ice Light. I don't know exactly what it is either." Qian Chaoguang looked equally unconcerned as he directly released his martial soul. He even casually stroked the feathers of the red skylark on his shoulder. He probably truly did not know, but Huo Yuhao did. His Extreme Ice Light possessed the dual ultimate attributes of Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Light!

That was so underhanded...

The temperature in the room noticeably dropped. Zhou Yi frowned. "Interesting. I'll need to consult some ancient texts before I can give you an answer."

Then she looked at Huo Yuhao again. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Can you tell me your soul skill?"

As she spoke, she waved a hand and isolated the sound. Soul skills were vital abilities for soul masters. Even someone as domineering as Zhou Yi used an inquiring tone.

"Imprint. My soul skill is Imprint." In Huo Yuhao's view, there was no need to hide his soul skill at all. He would inevitably need to borrow soul skills from others later anyway.

"Imprint?" Zhou Yi was somewhat surprised, not because the soul skill was particularly powerful, but because she had never heard of it...

And Huo Yuhao did not seem inclined to explain, so Zhou Yi felt awkward asking and let the matter drop.

"Qian Chaoguang, go back first. Huo Yutong, come with me." Hearing Zhou Yi's words, Huo Yuhao relaxed somewhat. Qian Chaoguang was simply too terrifying.

"Teacher, are you going to the Soul Engineering Department? Why not bring me along? I was just about to visit my teacher as well."

No!

Qian Chaoguang took out a badge. Zhou Yi's expression turned somewhat strange when she saw it, but she nodded and brought him along.

Under Zhou Yi's high-speed movement, the three of them quickly arrived at the Outer Academy's Soul Engineering Department. Low rumbles sounded intermittently nearby, and even the ground trembled slightly.

This was the Soul Tool Testing Area. Those rumbles came from Soul Tools being tested. Zhou Yi expertly held up a hexagonal silver token and arrived at Testing Area Twelve.

Boom— Despite being prepared, Huo Yuhao was still startled by the tremendous blast. Violent vibrations mixed with surging air currents rushed toward him, whipping his school uniform about.

Zhou Yi seemed accustomed to the place and led the two of them straight inside.

"Fan Yu!" Zhou Yi called out loudly. The moment her voice left her mouth, she froze. She had spotted the dean of the Soul Engineering Department—Qian Duoduo—as well as Mu Jin, the homeroom teacher of Freshman Class Nine. The two of them were gathered around a tall, rugged middle-aged man, discussing something.

The tall, rugged middle-aged man waved at Zhou Yi upon hearing her. This was Fan Yu, the third most important figure in Shrek Academy's Soul Engineering Department. He held immense authority, yet was devoted to research and had practically been designated as the department's future dean.

"Zhou Yi, what brings you here?"

"That matter you mentioned last time about spiritual-attribute soul masters using Soul Tools." Zhou Yi greeted Qian Duoduo first before getting down to business with Fan Yu. She looked somewhat displeased, perhaps because Mu Jin was present.

Huo Yuhao did not care about the grudges between the teachers, but he saw Xu Zihuang. Now he did not know which side frightened him more: Qian Chaoguang, who liked little Huo girls, or Xu Zihuang, whose fierce reputation was well known.

Others faced wolves ahead and tigers behind. He had a calamity star in front and a Southern Tong behind him. Huo Yuhao could only choose to turn around. He would rather the thing stabbing him from behind be a knife...

"What a coincidence! Teacher Mu has also brought a student with a spiritual attribute." Qian Duoduo said loudly. "She even brought my student here!"

"There's another spiritual-attribute student?" Fan Yu's eyes lit up. This man truly had little scheming in him. He did not even spare a glance at the dean's student, but Qian Duoduo was not someone who cared about such things. In fact, that was precisely why he appreciated Fan Yu.

"Is it this one? Dean, if we add one more person, that plan will definitely succeed!" Fan Yu looked toward Qian Chaoguang, excitement in his eyes. Qian Chaoguang finally understood how Huo Yutong felt, and goosebumps rose on his skin.

"Shoo, shoo. He's my disciple, not him." Qian Duoduo waved a hand.

"Teacher." Qian Chaoguang called out at the right moment.

"It's him, Huo Yutong, one of this year's freshmen." Zhou Yi pointed at Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao looked shyly at everyone, a faint sense of foreboding rising in his heart...

"Oh... Level eleven. I really don't know how he got admitted. Have Shrek's admission standards dropped so low?" Mu Jin mocked. She and Zhou Yi had once fallen out over Fan Yu. Now that she had a chance to suppress Zhou Yi, she would not let it pass.

"He's a specially recruited student," Zhou Yi said coldly.

Fan Yu only cared about his plan. He carefully assessed Huo Yuhao, then shook his head. "No. His body and Soul Power are both far too weak. He probably can't even lift the weakest Fixed Soul Tool. And... his aptitude is too poor."

Huo Yuhao knew he did not have the Spiritual Detection from the original work, which had been tremendously helpful with Soul Tools. Zhou Yi had nothing left to say. In truth, the soul skill Imprint definitely met Fan Yu's standards, but she did not know what Imprint was...

"I told you so. Yu Tianhuang is a three-ringed Soul Elder, and his martial soul is the Golden Eyes. Only someone at that level is qualified." Mu Jin pressed her advantage and began showing off Xu Zihuang.

"Yu Tianhuang?" Qian Chaoguang paused. Was that not Xu Zihuang's false name? He glanced at Xu Zihuang, pondered for a moment, then walked up to him and bluntly asked,

"Have you eaten?"

Xu Zihuang was dumbfounded by the question. Why ask whether he had eaten at a time like this...? But it was indeed time for lunch.

"No..." Before Xu Zihuang could finish, he saw Qian Chaoguang release his martial soul.

"Then eat my blade!" Qian Chaoguang pulled a long saber from his storage Soul Tool and brought it down in a slash!

Clang!

Xu Zihuang was sent flying several meters. Had he not blocked with the Radiant Dragon Claw, that strike would have split his face open.

"Chaoguang!"

"Stop!"

"What are you doing?!"

"Qian Chaoguang!"

Several teachers instantly moved to stop him. Fortunately, Qian Chaoguang did not make another move. He merely sheathed his saber and smiled easily. "Don't be nervous. I used the flat of the blade. I just saw that this brother was pretty strong and felt a little itchy."

"Qian Chaoguang?" Xu Zihuang looked at him in uncertainty, then glanced at Huo Yuhao. Huo Yuhao was trembling as he crouched down with his head in his arms. Xu Zihuang immediately ruled him out as a suspect. How could someone so timid possibly order Qian Chaoguang to attack him? Besides, he had kept his hostility toward Huo Yuhao buried in his heart and had not shown any of it.

Huo Yuhao, however, saw everything clearly. The reactions of these two were quite interesting. They seemed to know which works the other came from, yet neither knew that he was also a character from fanfiction.

Now this was interesting.

It was noon, and everyone had finished what they needed to do. Qian Chaoguang had met Dean Qian, and Fan Yu had also examined the students brought by Mu Jin and Zhou Yi. The two homeroom teachers led their students back to the freshman teaching building. Because of Mu Jin, Zhou Yi was in a terrible mood and did not say much to Huo Yuhao and the others, merely dismissing them.

"Chaoguang, I'm leaving first." Huo Yuhao tossed out a sentence and immediately fled without looking back. Being alone with Qian Chaoguang was simply too dangerous.

"Yu Tong! We're over here!" For some reason, Huo Yuhao felt inexplicably reassured when he saw those two pink-and-blue figures.

"Here. We knew you'd be late, so we got a meal for you." The two of them handed him a food box. The exquisite dishes made Huo Yuhao's mouth water.

"Thank you." Huo Yuhao was starving as well. Since the cafeteria had no seats anyway, he found a bench and began enjoying his lunch.

"Yu Tong! You're here... Huh? Why are you sitting between two beauties?" Tang Ya happened to come looking for him. Seeing Huo Yuhao sitting between Wang Qiu'er and Wang Dong'er, she wore a teasing smile.

"No, it's not like that, Teacher Xiaoya. They're roommates who hunted soul beasts with me before. This is Senior Tang Ya, a fourth-year student and also a teacher from my sect." Huo Yuhao introduced everyone.

"Hello, Senior."

"Hello, Senior."

For some reason, Qiu'er and Dong'er were unusually well-behaved this time. Tang Ya was Huo Yuhao's elder, so there was no harm in acting cute around her.

"Wow! So adorable. Are you twins?" Seeing them so obedient, Tang Ya was delighted. "I ordered some green fish. Come eat with us this afternoon too. Let me tell you, Yu Tong's cooking is amazing!"

"Yay!"

"Yay!"

Huo Yuhao naturally agreed as well. After chatting for a while, the group returned to their dorms to cultivate. Before they knew it, afternoon arrived.

Unlike the others, Huo Yuhao did not fear Zhou Yi that much. He cultivated until the last possible moment before arriving at the classroom. Upon entering, he found that nearly everyone was already there, yet the room was exceptionally quiet. It seemed Zhou Yi's pressure that morning had worked quite effectively on the students.

"Everyone, stand up. Assemble at the square." Zhou Yi said only that after entering the classroom, then turned and walked out, leading the students to Shrek Square.

Iron chains were piled up in the square. Zhou Yi had the students stand in orderly rows. Even Huo Yuhao found the sight absurd. Was weight-bearing running the only way Shrek knew how to temper the body? Was this really Shrek's teaching standard?

"Qian Chaoguang," Zhou Yi called.

"Here!" Qian Chaoguang slowly walked out.

"Based on this morning's test and the entrance results, Qian Chaoguang is currently the strongest. Therefore, I announce that from this moment onward, he is the class monitor of Freshman Class One. The position of class monitor is subject to challenge. Whoever can defeat him may replace him as class monitor. Do you all understand?"

After speaking, Zhou Yi pointed to the iron chains before her. "These are iron vests, specially used to improve physical fitness. One for each of you. Put them on, then start running laps around the square. From now until the dismissal bell rings, you will keep running. You may use Soul Power, but not soul skills. You will be ranked by the number of laps you complete. The last-place student will be expelled from Freshman Class One."

"There is one point I must emphasize again. In my class, students are not eliminated only during examinations. Eliminations can happen at any time. Today, ninety-seven people will become ninety-six. Begin now."

As she spoke, Zhou Yi flicked her toe, sending an iron vest flying toward Qian Chaoguang.

A thirty-pound iron vest, worn by a group of soul masters who were only level sixteen or seventeen and not yet twelve years old, then making them run for two hours until class ended... with the last one expelled.

This was not right.

Zhou Yi coldly swept her gaze over the students. "I know many of you want to say this is unfair, because boys and girls are naturally physically different, and different soul masters have different physical constitutions. But I will tell you this: in my class, everyone is treated equally. Think about it. On a battlefield, would the enemy spare you just because you're physically weak? Start running!"

Huo Yuhao knew the plot of the original work. Because of Huo Yuhao's persistence in the original work, no one was eliminated.

But what if there were no Huo Yuhao?

Then one person would be eliminated because of this unreasonable arrangement...

"Classmates, I'm the class monitor. Listen to me. I have a way to ensure that none of us are eliminated. As long as all of us complete the same number of laps, there won't be a last place. Then..."

Halfway through speaking, Qian Chaoguang felt someone pat his shoulder. Turning around, he found Huo Yuhao standing there.

"You're a good person, but I don't like that method." Huo Yuhao smiled.

"This kind of thing... is not right, so I don't like it."

"Such a requirement... is unreasonable. It disgusts me."

"So I don't want to... and I won't compromise."

"Who even understands what you're talking about...?" Qian Chaoguang was still somewhat bewildered.

Huo Yuhao smiled and left him with only his back.

"Teacher Zhou, this student dares to seek your guidance. If I can obtain even a move or two from you, then please rescind your order!"

"Back then, Tang San, as a Soul Grandmaster, fought the Soul Sage Zhao Wuji! Today, I will follow his example!"