Dai Huabin simply could not accept being pinned to the ground and beaten by a two-ring Soul Grandmaster. He scrambled to his feet in disgrace, shot Lin Mo an icy look, then walked out of the soul training area without looking back.
Seeing this, Zhu Lu hurried after him.
With the match over, the class monitor affair finally settled, and everyone returned to the classroom for lessons.
Compared to yesterday's lax atmosphere, today's classroom discipline was downright impeccable, leaving even Wang Yan dumbfounded.
Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu never returned. Both transferred straight to Class Two.
The days that followed returned to calm. Lin Mo's daily routine was almost immovable, come thunder or lightning: classes during the day, reading in the library toward evening, and cultivating with Huo Yuhao after returning at night.
Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao clung to him as always, and Zhang Lexuan still appeared at the library punctually every day.
In fact, besides Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao, someone else was also approaching Lin Mo, seemingly both deliberately and casually: Wu Feng.
But every time, every single time Wu Feng thought she was about to succeed in getting close to Lin Mo, a Huo Yuhao would suddenly respawn beside him and start snapping and biting at her like mad.
Eight months passed in a flash, and Lin Mo gradually grew accustomed to this life.
Mostly because he had no other options.
He had to get used to it, whether he liked it or not.
Over those eight months, Huo Yuhao competed like crazy as though pumped full of chicken blood, attending classes during the day, forging in the afternoon, then meditating and cultivating all night.
Watching Huo Yuhao grind himself into the ground made Lin Mo utterly miserable. To keep his cultivation from falling behind, he could only tearfully abandon his dream of lying flat, crawl out of bed, and join the grind.
And with both class monitors grinding for dear life, how could anyone else in the class have the nerve to slack off?
Although the students wailed endlessly, crying, "I can't grind anymore!" and "I want to drop out!" every day, in private they worked harder than anyone.
And so, through sheer grinding, Class One's atmosphere became the most competitive in the entire year.
Once, Yan Shaozhe came to inspect Class One.
He called it an inspection, but really, he just wanted to see his precious Mystic Bird.
Yet the moment he arrived, Class One's students dragged him in to teach. Only after he had delivered an entire lesson did they let him leave. At the time, it practically made Yan Shaozhe's brain crash.
Today was the last day before the holidays.
Early that morning, Huo Yuhao dragged Lin Mo out of bed and off to breakfast, dark circles ringing Lin Mo's eyes like a panda's.
When they reached the classroom after breakfast, almost everyone in Class One had arrived. The two had barely taken their seats when Zhou Yi and Wang Yan walked in, one after the other.
Wang Yan stepped up to the lectern.
Zhou Yi went to the back of the classroom and sat in an empty chair.
"Students, today is the last day of your first year. The academy hasn't assigned any teaching tasks. I'll say a few quick words, and then you can go back and pack."
As soon as Wang Yan said this, cheers erupted throughout the classroom. They could not even spare a thought for Zhou Yi's presence.
Since the start of the school year, they had spent nearly a year studying at Shrek Academy. Now that the holidays were finally coming, every heart had flown home like an arrow.
Who didn't want to go home and see their family?
Except, of course, those whose families had all croaked.
Only after everyone had vented their joy did Wang Yan raise a hand for silence.
Then he began explaining the advancement assessment they would face upon returning from the holidays, along with the corresponding class advancement.
The moment phrases like "fight a soul beast alone," "hundred-point scoring system," and "elimination system" came out, the holidays suddenly seemed less appealing. Instead, the pressure piled up like a mountain, and their desire to relax and have fun died before it could even poke its head out.
"That's all I have to say. Class dismissed. Go back and pack." Wang Yan waved a hand, dismissing the class.
"Lin Mo, come with me."
Lin Mo immediately stood and followed.
Wang Yan led him out of the teaching building and into the faculty office building next door, continuing without stopping all the way to the top floor.
There was only one office on the top floor. Wang Yan stopped at its door and knocked lightly.
"Come in."
Yan Shaozhe's voice came from inside.
Wang Yan pushed the door open. Following behind him, Lin Mo immediately saw the three people in the room.
The first two were familiar faces, Yan Shaozhe and Zhang Lexuan. The other was a scruffy, white-haired old man who looked very familiar.
The white-haired old man was curled up in an armchair, happily gnawing on a chicken drumstick, with grease staining his white beard.
"Lit-ahem, Lin Mo, you're here? Come in." At the sight of Lin Mo, Yan Shaozhe's smile instantly brightened.
The corner of Lin Mo's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, and he walked inside.
Wang Yan followed, closed the door behind him, then very tactfully retreated to stand by the wall.
Yan Shaozhe pointed at the sofa opposite him, his face full of kindly warmth:
"Don't be nervous. Sit."
Lin Mo did not move right away.
Because Zhang Lexuan was sitting on the very sofa Yan Shaozhe had pointed at!
Seriously, why was she everywhere?!
Zhang Lexuan noticed his gaze as well. She smiled gently at him, then lightly patted the empty seat beside her, her voice clear and warm. "It's all right. Sit down."
Lin Mo froze for a moment.
In the end, though, he could not withstand the pressure of a roomful of eyes. Bracing himself, he walked over and sat beside Zhang Lexuan.
The moment he sat down, a cool, soft hand landed on his head and gently ruffled his hair.
"How have you been lately?"
Zhang Lexuan tilted her head to look at him, a smile playing at her lips.
Lin Mo instantly stiffened, even stumbling over his words. "P-pretty good..."
Although his current body was only eleven, his mental age across three lifetimes was already pushing sixty. Having a girl in her twenties pat his head like this really felt strange!
But the person patting his head just happened to be Zhang Lexuan.
Forget it.
Pat away, pat away. It wasn't as though he could do anything about it.
Watching his innocent, awkward manner, Zhang Lexuan's lips curved a little higher.
Across from them, the more Yan Shaozhe looked at the pair, the better matched they seemed: one was his junior martial sister, and the other his future junior martial brother.
A talented man and a beautiful woman, a match made in heaven!
Mu Beibei, oh, Mu Beibei, you're free. Your betrothal partner could be changed now.
Because his junior martial sister had found a better match!
The scruffy old man off to the side could not bear to watch any longer. At his ripe old age, he still had to sit here eating dog food. He finished his drumstick in a few bites, tossed the bone onto the table, and coughed forcefully twice:
"Ahem! Ahem!"
Only then did Yan Shaozhe abruptly come back to his senses. Reining in his smile, he cleared his throat. "Lin Mo, Wang Yan told me you've already broken through to rank thirty, correct?"
Seeing that they were getting down to business, Lin Mo immediately gathered his somewhat wandering thoughts and nodded. "Yes."
On that subject, he could not help wanting to curse.
Eight whole months. Eight months!
Huo Yuhao was in the twenties, Xiao Xiao was rank thirty, and even Wang Dong'er had reached rank twenty-nine!!
And him?
He had merely broken through from rank twenty-nine to rank thirty.
And that breakthrough had only happened a few days ago!
It was so fucking ridiculous!!
What happened to having an awesome, special Martial Soul? His fucking rank rose slower than a snail!