Zhou Yi still made them run. Chi Hong: "Bet you can't outrun me?"

Chi Hong recalled Charizard, looking regretful.

"The first battle gives the most experience. I'll let you grow a little more, then harvest you when you're nice and plump."

Chi Hong turned to leave. As he passed Mu En, who was lying in a chair, he even greeted him.

Mu En opened his eyes.

"Kid, your Martial Soul is quite interesting. I've lived a long time, but I've never seen that fire dragon you captured."

Chi Hong thought for a moment before replying.

"Grandpa, it hatched from a dinosaur egg passed down in my family. It's only natural you wouldn't recognize it."

"All right. But making a Soul Beast your partner is dangerous. Take care of yourself."

After that warning, Mu En closed his eyes again.

Chi Hong waved to show he understood.

He didn't need to kill Soul Beasts to obtain Soul Rings. He only needed to battle people.

For now, humans seemed more dangerous.

After defeating a Soul Beast, he could simply throw a Poké Ball and catch it.

Humans, on the other hand, held grudges when they lost.

Over the next few days,

Chi Hong sought out freshmen to battle, along with a few third- and fourth-year students from the outer academy. Almost none of them were a match for Charizard.

Charizard had only just reached the thousand-year level, but its base strength was already on par with a three-thousand-year Soul Beast.

Against opponents who were merely Soul Grandmasters or Soul Elders, it could crush them with ease.

None of them gave as much experience as Wang Dong, though.

That made Chi Hong want another few battles with Wang Dong.

But Wang Dong usually took a detour whenever he saw Chi Hong. All he did was glare at him.

Soon, the first day of school arrived.

Chi Hong was assigned to Class One.

As he sat at his desk, few of his classmates dared sit near him.

His reputation had spread far and wide among the freshmen over the past few days.

A weirdo in a red cap would suddenly appear, block your path, and threaten you into fighting him.

Then he'd have the terrifying Soul Beast he'd captured beat you senseless.

He was bullying freshmen just because he was strong!

Even plenty of older students had fallen victim to him.

Chi Hong had gradually become the outer academy freshmen's resident bully.

He insisted he was innocent.

He was just a Pokémon enthusiast who loved battling.

Charizard was so adorable.

Who wouldn't want a thrilling battle with it?

Just then, an old woman with white hair and wrinkled skin walked in. It was Zhou Yi.

She stepped up to the lectern and barked,

"For the next year, I'll be your homeroom teacher. No trash will pass the assessments in my class. I'm here to train monsters, not fools."

She swept her gaze over the students and asked,

"Which one of you is Chi Hong?"

"I am," Chi Hong answered.

"Good." Zhou Yi turned a cold gaze on the others. "Even I've heard of him these past few days. He likes challenging people, and he hasn't lost once. Now look at yourselves. Are you all useless? Can't you learn from him? Anyone afraid to stir up trouble is mediocre! A fool!"

"Now, everyone except Chi Hong will run a hundred laps around Shrek Square! Anyone who fails is expelled!"

The students in the class were close to despair. Before school had even started, a monster had been bullying them.

They'd thought their homeroom teacher might rein him in once classes began.

Who the hell could have guessed she'd praise him instead?

And then join in on bullying them?

What kind of insane class was this?

"Teacher, I have a suggestion! It'll give everyone better training!"

Chi Hong raised his hand.

"What suggestion?" Zhou Yi frowned, bunching the wrinkles on her face together.

Chi Hong stood, his expression bright.

"Why not have everyone battle me? I'll give them a proper test!"

His gaze fell on Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao.

That way, he could force the two of them into battles and farm experience.

Huo Yuhao felt like crying. He couldn't understand why Chi Hong kept targeting him.

He was just an inconspicuous nobody with a ten-year Soul Ring and an eye Martial Soul.

Zhou Yi's face remained expressionless.

"Making these spineless failures fight is pointless. All of you, go run."

Chi Hong objected.

"Teacher, how can gaining practical combat experience be pointless? What I summon is a Soul Beast, too. Making twelve-year-old Soul Masters run is what's truly pointless. How is running supposed to improve their combat strength?"

Zhou Yi fixed him with a cold stare.

"Are you saying my teaching methods are pointless? In that case, you can run a hundred laps too. No, two hundred."

Six Soul Rings flashed into view around her, and the oppressive presence of a Soul Emperor swept through the classroom.

Most of it bore down on Chi Hong.

But Chi Hong was a superhuman from Pallet Town. Even the pressure of legendary Pokémon didn't frighten him, so this felt like a gentle breeze.

Chi Hong smiled faintly.

"Teacher, if you want to prove running really works, you should demonstrate it. Race me, for example."

"What did you say? You want to race me? I'm a Soul Emperor."

Anger crept into Zhou Yi's expression.

As the homeroom teacher, she was trying to establish her authority on the first day, yet a student dared challenge her.

The atmosphere grew heavier. Tension crackled between them as though a fight might break out at any second.

The students scarcely dared breathe.

Seeing the two people who had been tormenting them turn on each other was a good thing. Some even found themselves grateful to Chi Hong.

It turned out Chi Hong truly feared no one. Neither strength nor status could make him back down.

Now that was the spirit of a true boss!

A grin tugged at Chi Hong's lips.

"Teacher, you're a Soul Emperor. I can't match your raw strength. But when it comes to running..."

"Bet you can't outrun me."

Zhou Yi laughed in anger.

"Heh. I thought your willingness to stir up trouble meant you had potential. But you'd even dare challenge me? You're just an arrogant fool who doesn't know his own limits!"

You encountered the wild Soul Master Zhou Yi. You will compete in a race.

Even running could trigger a match.

He just didn't know how much experience he could earn from something so unofficial.

A short while later,

the entire class arrived at the square, with the two competitors standing in front.

The other students watched with curiosity. At the same time, a strange fondness for Chi Hong began to grow in them.

After all, if Chi Hong won, they wouldn't have to run.

But if he challenged them to battle afterward, how could they refuse?

Chi Hong said,

"Teacher, I'll give you a ten-second head start. Go on, fly ahead."

Under the students' strange looks, Zhou Yi began to feel a deep hatred for Chi Hong.

She was a teacher. Why should she have to compete with a student, especially in a grueling event like running?

But she'd already accepted. Backing out now would destroy her standing in front of the students.

Damn that troublemaking Chi Hong!

At his words, she activated her Soul Rings and flew off.

She would show this fool just how powerful a Soul Emperor was.

A teacher's authority was not to be challenged.

Chi Hong watched for a few seconds.

"She's fast. Too bad she doesn't have wings."

He took out a Poké Ball and opened it.

The moment Charizard appeared, it beat its wings and roared at the sky, looking utterly imposing.

Chi Hong vaulted onto its back and adjusted the brim of his cap.

"Let's go, Charizard! Overtake that old lady!"