Ten minutes before the afternoon class bell rang, all one hundred students had already filled the classroom of Freshman Class Nine.
But everyone in the classroom was buzzing with discussion. Listening closely, one could tell they were discussing what Huo Yuhao had said that morning when answering Mu Jin's question.
Most of Shrek Academy's freshmen came from the various Soul Master factions of the three empires native to the Douluo Continent, including their imperial families. The education they had received since childhood portrayed Soul Tools as ravenous beasts and raging floods, demonizing them as the culprits that had nearly destroyed the Douluo Continent.
And from the very first day they awakened their martial souls and set foot on the path of a Soul Master, their family elders had drilled into them the belief that Soul Engineers were weaker than traditional Soul Masters at the highest levels. They warned them that studying such crafty gimmicks as Soul Tools would only delay their own cultivation, and might even bring their progress to a complete halt.
Yet Huo Yuhao's words had utterly overturned everything they had understood about Soul Tools for the past dozen years. In his description, Soul Tools were nothing wicked or filthy, but tools no different from the chopsticks they ate with or the shoes they wore when walking.
Although the beliefs their families had instilled in them since childhood were deeply rooted, what Huo Yuhao said aligned perfectly with the thinking of these young Soul Masters, fresh out into the world and convinced they would be its future masters. It opened an entirely new road for them.
"Ning Tian, what do you think of what Huo Yuhao said this morning?" Wu Feng asked Ning Tian beside her. Her gaze, however, kept drifting back toward the rear rows, where Huo Yuhao was propping his head on one hand and zoning out.
"The future development of Soul Tools is an unstoppable tide. The Tang Sect's intricate hidden weapons proving utterly helpless against those powerful Soul Tools back then is one example," Ning Tian replied.
"Thousands of years have passed, and no one knows just how far the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Tool technology has developed. But every faction in the Soul Master world can foresee that the Sun Moon Empire will absolutely embark on another campaign of conquest. This time, who will bring down the prize stag remains unknown."
"Then after we're assigned to our classes, should we study Soul Tools on the side too?" Wu Feng asked.
"As a support system Soul Master, I'll study Soul Tool creation to make up for my inherent lack of combat and defensive capabilities, and to provide opportunities for our sect's future development," Ning Tian said with a smile. "But you're different. You only need to follow Huo Yuhao's advice and learn how to use Soul Tools. Learning to make them would only waste your energy."
"Mm..." Wu Feng nodded obediently.
When Mu Jin strode into the classroom, the atmosphere in Freshman Class Nine immediately turned solemn, and everyone fell silent.
Huo Yuhao also snapped out of his distracted state.
He had a great deal to think about now. Besides cultivating, he needed to study alchemy and Soul Tools, and find time to visit the library to look up secrets and history from the Soul Master world to broaden his horizons.
On top of that, he strengthened his physique with Yao Lao's help every single day without fail, leaving him very little free time. Still, his life was fulfilling, and Huo Yuhao enjoyed it.
An overpowered cheater as an opponent wasn't frightening. What was frightening was a cheater who was also a relentless grinder, pushing the competition harder every day with his cheats switched on. That was downright against the laws of heaven.
"Huo Yuhao, you answered this morning's question very well. I also ended class early so they could digest what you said." Mu Jin smiled. "Now, have you decided who will serve as Class Nine's vice class monitor, Huo Yuhao?"
Huo Yuhao stood and swept his gaze around the classroom before looking toward the blond figure in the front row.
"Teacher, I choose Ning Tian as vice class monitor."
Ning Tian froze briefly at his words, then stood and turned around, offering Huo Yuhao a smile.
Huo Yuhao returned a knowing smile. Since he wanted to find himself an assistant, he absolutely couldn't choose some fool who only knew how to charge headlong into everything.
Ning Tian had already shown wisdom and quick wits, and had also extended him some goodwill. That was why he had chosen her.
"Very good. The class monitor and vice class monitor positions are both settled. Next, everyone stand up and assemble in the square."
No one dared dawdle. The students swiftly left the classroom and followed Mu Jin in neat, silent ranks all the way to Shrek Academy's square.
When they arrived at Shrek Academy's square, quite a few chainmail vests had already been piled on the ground. Sure enough, what came next was Shrek Academy's traditional sporting event: weighted running.
Huo Yuhao also noticed that some other classes seemed to have already begun running around the square. Class Nine hadn't arrived particularly early.
"Today is your first day of school, so we'll begin with the most basic training," Mu Jin said loudly, clapping his hands.
"For students with different martial soul abilities, I'll use different methods to give you targeted physical training in the future. But running is the most basic form of physical training, and it also fully reflects your overall physical condition."
Mu Jin pointed to the chainmail vests in front of him. "These are Iron Vests. Take one each, put it on, and begin running laps around the square. Start now and keep running until the dismissal bell rings. You may use soul power, but not Soul Skills. You'll be ranked by the number of laps you complete."
"Huo Yuhao, Ning Tian, you two will draw up a chart ranking everyone in the class. In the future, they'll receive targeted special training based on their differing physical fitness data."
Huo Yuhao and Ning Tian nodded. Mu Jin's method was very scientific. Arranging different kinds of targeted training according to the students' physiques would avoid injuring their bodies.
And Mu Jin wouldn't casually expel a student just for finishing last in the laps, like that madwoman Zhou Yi.
In fact, Shrek Academy's teachers wouldn't readily expel any student unless they committed a serious offense or completely refused to obey the academy's rules.
After all, every student entered Shrek Academy carrying their family's earnest hopes. The teachers had no grudge against the students or the factions behind them, so they would at least give them a chance to participate in the freshman assessment.
With Zhou Yi's methods, and now without Huo Yuhao's protagonist halo to deliver salvation to the masses, Huo Yuhao doubted whether Class One would even have more than ten students left by the freshman assessment three months later.
And Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, with their twin martial souls, were practically guaranteed to enter the Inner Academy. By then, Zhou Yi's Inner Academy admission rate would once again reach an astonishing one in five!
So freakin' cool!
Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrived. Just as Huo Yuhao was silently cursing Zhou Yi, that deranged old spinster actually left Freshman Class One's ranks and came over to Mu Jin.
"Mu Jin, you and that brat Huo Yuhao got me a thorough scolding from Du Weilun!" Zhou Yi said with a cold sneer.
Zhou Yi had suffered truly rotten luck that day. Du Weilun had berated her in the Disciplinary Office for a full two hours, and she hadn't even had time for lunch.
If not for her husband Fan Yu, Du Weilun would undoubtedly have reported the incident to Yan Shaozhe, or even to the Sea God Pavilion.
"You brought that on yourself, sitting atop a mountain of treasure without even knowing it!" Mu Jin scoffed and waved a hand. "Yuhao is now the class monitor of our Freshman Class Nine. Just wait. At the freshman assessment three months from now, Class Nine will grind you into dust."
"With him? A mere brat with rank-eleven soul power!" Zhou Yi snapped angrily. "Since you're so confident, why not have our Class One monitor compete against him? We'll judge them by the number of laps they run!"
Before you continue