Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect

"Ning Tian!"

As Mu Jin finished speaking, a graceful girl with short golden hair and a pretty face rose from the front row.

Faint freckles dotted her cheeks, but she had already shed her childish air. Her composure and confidence seemed innate.

Mu Jin lifted his gaze from the class roster to Ning Tian and smiled. "Tell us your level!"

"Teacher, I'm level twenty-nine!"

A wave of "Wow!" swept through the classroom. Discussions erupted at once, and many students seemed unable to believe their ears.

Mu Jin made no move to restore order. In fact, the uproar was part of his plan—to make those on the brink of elimination feel the pressure.

Under everyone's gaze, Ning Tian's lips curved into a smile.

She was not yet twelve, but she was already a level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster. If she worked hard, she might well advance to Soul Elder by the freshman assessment three months later.

The red-haired girl beside her seemed to share in the glory. Pride filled her face, and she looked down on everyone else.

Such cultivation at her age, and that distinctive surname... The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect has produced an extraordinary genius this generation!

Mu Jin watched the spirited Ning Tian with satisfaction.

Ning Tian's origins were not hard to guess. Few sects on the continent had the resources to nurture such a talent, and only one of them bore the Ning surname.

Support-type Martial Souls developed more slowly than other kinds. If Ning Tian had inherited the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, her becoming the next sect leader of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was practically set in stone.

He saw no harm in giving her a little extra attention. Making her class monitor, for instance, would also train her ability to lead.

After all, she could not establish real authority among more than a hundred proud teenagers with wildly different personalities by using her family background to throw her weight around.

Mu Jin let the students talk for a while before pressing both hands downward, quieting the classroom.

"Ning Tian, you'll serve as acting class monitor and help me maintain order!"

"Yes, Teacher!"

Eager to take on the role, Ning Tian nodded her acceptance.

Mu Jin motioned for Ning Tian to sit, then looked back at the roster. His finger ran down the list until it stopped at a name.

He raised his head and swept his gaze over the students before speaking calmly.

"Lu Yi!"

The classroom fell silent. A moment passed without an answer.

Only when Zhou Sichen nudged him with an elbow did Lu Yi realize he had heard correctly.

He sprang to his feet without another thought, and the entire class turned to look at him.

"I'm here, Teacher!"

Whispers broke out among the students again.

Now and then, girls exchanged giggles over something only they understood, then dissolved into laughter with their friends. Remembering their homeroom teacher's authority, they hurriedly restrained themselves and lowered their heads as though nothing had happened.

Mu Jin merely reminded Lu Yi not to let his mind wander next time. Then he continued, "Tell us your Soul Power Level."

The enrollment forms had not required students to disclose their Martial Souls, but Soul Power Levels were public information. Lu Yi had no reason to hide his. "I'm level seventeen," he announced.

Mu Jin gave a slight nod, but the other students cast sidelong glances at Lu Yi.

Levels seventeen and eighteen were neither high nor low. Most of the class fell within that range, where competition was fiercest.

With three months of hard work, some of those students might pull ahead of their peers and earn the right to remain at Shrek Academy.

The firm requirement for advancing to Shrek's second year was to reach level twenty before the school year began and obtain a Second Soul Ring.

That was not difficult for these students. They needed only to gain three levels over a year and complete their Soul Hunting during the break to qualify for the next year of study.

Looking through the roster, Mu Jin found that fewer than ten students in this class of over a hundred had passed level twenty.

No one dared object to Ning Tian becoming class monitor. But the students in their twenties were already eager to compete for deputy monitor, only for their homeroom teacher to call on a level seventeen student.

"Lu Yi, I heard you got into a fight with a classmate as soon as you enrolled. Is that true?"

Mu Jin's expression turned stern, and the mood in the classroom chilled at once. Most of the students simply waited to see what would happen next.

So that's what this is about!

Lu Yi finally understood why their homeroom teacher had singled him out.

No wonder nothing happened these past two days. He was waiting to settle the score!

"It's true!"

He had done it, and there was no denying it now.

Still, Lu Yi felt wronged. Wang Dong had been the one to challenge him, and the two of them had made up after the fight. Surely he would not be punished for it?

"I was forced to accept her challenge. I didn't start anything, and—"

"Enough! I don't need to hear it!"

Mu Jin cut off his explanation with a bark, as though none of that mattered. Lu Yi's heart sank.

But Mu Jin merely planted both hands on the lectern and leaned forward, fixing Lu Yi with an intense stare.

"Did you win?"

"Huh?"

Lu Yi had never expected the conversation to turn that way. Still, he nodded. "By a narrow margin!"

"I can't hear you! Did you lose?" Mu Jin's voice rose sharply.

"I won!" Lu Yi shouted.

"Very good!"

Mu Jin nodded in satisfaction. "You're now the deputy monitor of Class Nine!"

The class erupted.

Ning Tian had barely settled into her seat as class monitor when the red-haired girl beside her shot to her feet. She first cast a disdainful glance at Lu Yi by the window, then turned back to object. "Teacher, he won one fight. Isn't that a rather casual way to choose a deputy monitor?"

Seeing Wu Feng leap up, Ning Tian immediately tugged at her arm and whispered, "Wu Feng, sit down!"

"Young Mistress, but—" Hurt and resentment flashed in Wu Feng's eyes.

If the deputy monitor had been a girl, that would have been one thing. But what was so special about some level seventeen boy? How did he deserve to stand as the Young Mistress's equal?

Reason told her why the sect had sent the Young Mistress to the academy, but her possessiveness made her unwilling to see the Young Mistress have much contact with any boy.

"No buts. Sit down!"

The warmth vanished from Ning Tian's face, replaced by a commanding look. Only then did Wu Feng reluctantly sink back into her seat.

Mu Jin was not angry that a student had challenged his authority. Wu Feng's name had already caught his attention.

At level twenty-four, Wu Feng had reason to be dissatisfied. Geniuses capable of concealing their sharp edges were few and far between.

His job was not to grind that edge away, but to find a way to help them keep it.

Mu Jin did not answer her directly. Instead, he turned to Lu Yi.

"Tell me, what level was your opponent?"

"Level twenty-one, Teacher!"