Only when the first ray of morning sunlight pierced the clouds did the revelry in the square gradually subside.
Vina, Jiang Yixi, and the other female Soul Masters had returned to their quarters early to rest.
Now the Body Sect disciples lay sprawled every which way on the ground, satisfied smiles on all their faces.
Huo Yuhao leaned against a stone pillar, watching the campfire gradually die out, the corners of his mouth lifting without his realizing it.
"This is nice."
The Ice Empress and Sky Dream Ice Silkworm spoke simultaneously within his Sea of Consciousness.
"Perhaps this is why some Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts choose to take human form." Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sighed. "You simply never see scenes like this in the Soul Beast Realm."
For once, the Ice Empress did not mock Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. Instead, she nodded in agreement. "Yes. In all my years living in the Far North, I've never seen Soul Beasts feel this way because a new life joined them."
"Even when the Martial Ancestor placed the dragon egg beneath the Ice God Altar, the Far North never cheered like this."
Du Busi came over to Huo Yuhao.
"Still able to stand?"
Huo Yuhao nodded. "Ultimate Ice gives me a strong resistance to alcohol. I could keep drinking for another day without a problem."
"Good enough."
Du Busi summoned Jin Peng and the other Body Sect elders to his side. "Everyone, come with me to Shrek in a bit. Today is our first battle since coming out of seclusion. We'll put them under the knife first!"
"Good!" Fighting spirit blazed in the eyes of Jin Peng, Hong Yue, and the other elders.
They had kept their anger bottled up all this time. Shrek Academy had forced them to seal their mountain and retreat into seclusion back then, and now they could finally fight their way back openly and honorably!
Du Busi grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. "But we're not going there to kill people and set fires this time. We're going to reason with them."
He gave a sinister chuckle. "Back then, their Xuan Zi shamelessly went after Di'ao Academy. As the sect charged with protecting the Heaven Dou Empire, we must go settle that score today. So, we're going there to reason with them."
"Of course, if the people of Shrek aren't willing to listen to reason, we'll help them recognize it!"
Huo Yuhao's eyelids twitched wildly as he listened from the side.
Du Busi grabbed Huo Yuhao by the arm. "Boy, you're coming too. Let me show you the might of our Body Sect!"
The next moment, dozens of powerful auras shot into the sky and raced toward Shrek Academy.
They made no attempt to conceal their imposing presence. Wherever they passed, the winds and clouds changed color.
This was an undisguised declaration to the world: starting today, the Body Sect had officially emerged from seclusion!
Shrek Academy.
For some reason, Xuan Zi kept feeling unsettled.
"Strange," he muttered to himself, not even noticing when the chicken leg in his hand fell to the ground. "Why do I keep having an ominous feeling today?"
Before him, Shrek Academy's new students for the year were training.
"Wang Dong!"
Zhou Yi stood at one side of Shrek's field and shouted, "You can clearly go faster! Why are you slowing down?"
Wang Dong gritted her teeth, sweat sliding down her cheeks, but she did not dare voice the slightest complaint.
The other students in the class were as silent as cicadas in winter. Afraid of drawing that old woman Zhou Yi's attention, they all quickened their steps.
"Xiao Xiao!"
Zhou Yi's shrill voice rang out again. "Why is your Martial Soul control so poor?! If I see your cauldron fall one more time, pack your things and get out of Shrek Academy! Shrek has no need for trash like you!"
Xiao Xiao's face was pale, and both her legs were trembling slightly.
Her Soul Power was nearly exhausted, but under the pressure of being expelled by Zhou Yi, she could only force herself to stay focused and continue training.
Watching Zhou Yi train the students, Xuan Zi inexplicably grew increasingly irritated.
He picked up the chicken leg that had fallen to the ground. Not caring that it was dirty, he shoved it straight into his mouth and tore into it.
"One, two..."
He counted how many students remained in Zhou Yi's class, as though only this could ease the irritation in his heart.
"Fifty-three, fifty-four. That's it? Why is the expulsion rate in Zhou Yi's class so high this year?"
Xuan Zi frowned and casually wiped his greasy fingers on his clothes.
"Even if Zhou Yi is known for strict teaching, this year's expulsion rate is far too high."
His gaze swept over the exhausted figures on the field.
At last, Xiao Xiao could no longer bear the strain on her body. She stumbled and fell, and the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron that had remained suspended above her head crashed to the ground with a clang.
Zhou Yi's eyes narrowed sharply. "Fifteen minutes left! Anyone who doesn't finish will be expelled!"
Xiao Xiao struggled to push herself up. Although her legs were already so numb that she could no longer feel them, her desire to study still made her shakily rise to her feet again.
"I... I can keep running."
Gritting her teeth, she summoned the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron again and staggered onward.
At the sight, a trace of pity flashed through Wang Dong's eyes.
She wanted to give Xiao Xiao a hand, but stopped when Zhou Yi's piercing gaze forbade it.
"Sorry. I don't want to be expelled either," Wang Dong said quietly.
Xiao Xiao managed a strained smile. "It's all right, class monitor. Keep running. I can still hold on."
In Zhou Yi's class, any unnecessary sympathy could bring even harsher punishment, or even get the person offering it expelled as well.
Xiao Xiao had no idea how much time had passed.
All she knew was that she and three other classmates with support-type or control-type Martial Souls could not complete Zhou Yi's assignment.
Zhou Yi strode forward.
She paid no attention to the other three students, because their Martial Souls were not worth mentioning compared to Xiao Xiao's Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron.
"Xiao Xiao!" Zhou Yi snapped. "What is wrong with you today? It's only a hundred laps with the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron over your head. How could you fail to hold out? You're disgracing the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron!"
"Teacher Zhou, I'm sorry, I..."
Zhou Yi waved a hand, cutting Xiao Xiao off. "Enough. Go back and reflect on your mistakes. Next time you run, you'll do twenty extra laps as punishment!"
Xiao Xiao's Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron was one of the rare powerful Martial Souls in this year's class. Zhou Yi believed Xiao Xiao could use it to give an outstanding performance in the upcoming freshman assessment.
Thus, after some consideration, Zhou Yi chose not to expel Xiao Xiao.
"You three..."
Zhou Yi turned her gaze to the other three students. "You didn't have the burden of holding the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron over your heads like Xiao Xiao, yet you still failed to finish a hundred laps within the allotted time. I don't keep trash in my class. Withdraw from the academy yourselves."
"Teacher Zhou! We-"
"Enough!" Zhou Yi barked. "Don't force me to actually expel you! Withdraw on your own after receiving treatment. This is the last shred of dignity I'm giving you."
The three students immediately lowered their heads and began sobbing quietly.
"Well, well. Even someone like this can teach at Shrek. No wonder each generation is worse than the last."
"Xuan Zi, for the sake of our old friendship, let this old man remind you of something."
"You've already ruined one generation of Shrek students. Are you really going to keep watching scum like this harm the next?"
Just then, a thunderous voice suddenly rang out from above Shrek Academy.
As the voice fell, a vast, suffocating pressure abruptly rolled down from the sky, enveloping Zhou Yi, whose face had filled with horror.