Teacher Zhou Yi

Tang Ya gently stroked Lin Qianyi's head, her tone tender yet tinged with concern. "You have three months to study. After that, there will be a Freshman Assessment. The competition in this assessment is exceptionally fierce—the academy will use it to select the most outstanding students. Out of more than nine hundred people, only about one-third will remain. And every class has an elimination system each year. There will be a Promotion Assessment at the start of every semester, so very few students can enter the Inner Court." Lin Qianyi said firmly, "Don't worry. We'll definitely pass the Freshman Assessment."

Tang Ya glanced at the sky and said, "It's getting late. You should head back first." Beibei added, "Junior Sister, Junior Brother, my dorm is Room 306. Come find me anytime if you need anything." Lin Qianyi answered in acknowledgment, then left with Huo Yuhao.

Watching their departing figures, Tang Ya sighed softly. "Qianyi and Yuhao may be the Tang Sect's hope for the future." Beibei nodded. "Although we haven't spent much time with Qianyi, her decisiveness and sense of proportion have left a deep impression on me. She believes in herself and trusts those around her, but her personality still needs further tempering."

Back at the dormitory, Lin Qianyi's attention was drawn to a distinctive girl. The girl's teal-green hair was braided into twin plaits, and her fair skin carried a fresh, unworldly air. Though she was not devastatingly beautiful, she possessed a pure and adorable charm of her own, and she was slightly petite for her age. At that moment, the girl raised her head and let her gentle gaze fall on Lin Qianyi. "You're the new roommate, right? My name is Xiao Xiao," she asked softly.

Lin Qianyi nodded. "Mm, I'm Lin Qianyi."

Xiao Xiao skipped over with light steps and said enthusiastically, "That's great! I'm so happy to meet you! You know, my Martial Souls are really powerful. One is the Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron, and the other is the Nine Phoenix Auspicious Flute. What about you? What's your Martial Soul?" Curiosity sparkled in her eyes.

Lin Qianyi paused slightly before giving a simple answer. "Azure Luan." She carefully concealed the secret of her other Martial Soul, a secret like the most precious treasure hidden deep within her heart, not to be shown lightly to anyone.

"Azure Luan? That's a top-tier Beast Martial Soul! Among the freshmen, a Martial Soul like yours is practically one of the very best among the few!" Xiao Xiao said excitedly.

Lin Qianyi said modestly, "You can't put it that way. Those who made it in—who among them could be weak?"

"That's true." Xiao Xiao smiled in agreement, then pulled Lin Qianyi aside to sit down. Just like that, the two began chatting. Xiao Xiao's lively, cheerful, endlessly talkative personality gradually helped the initially reserved Lin Qianyi relax, though she still occasionally felt a little unaccustomed to the other girl's enthusiasm.

The next morning, dawn light fell softly across the window lattice. Lin Qianyi woke early and gently roused Xiao Xiao. "Xiao Xiao, get up. It's the first day of class, and being late wouldn't be very polite." Her voice was soft, yet carried an unquestionable firmness.

The two began getting ready in perfect sync and changed into their brand-new school uniforms. The uniforms were designed in silver-gray, like exquisite works of art. Delicate decorations adorned the shoulders, with circular ornaments gleaming faintly in the morning light like stars in the night sky. The wide cuffs were embroidered with intricate, elegant floral patterns, as if telling ancient tales. Below was a white short skirt, cinched at the waist with a gold belt that perfectly outlined their slender waists while adding a touch of liveliness and playfulness.

Once they were ready, they walked out of the dormitory building one after the other, their steps light as though they were about to begin a new journey full of anticipation.

When Lin Qianyi arrived in front of the teaching building, she spotted a familiar figure at once—Huo Yuhao. Beside him stood an exceptionally eye-catching girl. Her skin was as fair as snow, her blue-pink eyes resembled deep starlit pools, and her equally dazzling hair complemented them perfectly. Her blue-toned clothes further accentuated her elegant bearing.

"Morning, Qianyi!" Huo Yuhao was the first to break the silence.

"Morning. And the one beside you is?" Lin Qianyi's gaze lingered briefly on the extraordinary girl as she asked curiously.

"This is my roommate, Wang Dong," Huo Yuhao introduced simply.

"This is my roommate, Xiao Xiao," Lin Qianyi replied. After exchanging polite greetings, the four entered the classroom together and took their respective seats.

The classroom was still filled with noise as the students immersed themselves in casual chatter. However, when the classroom door slowly opened, the previously boisterous voices seemed to be silenced by magic. In an instant, the entire room fell completely quiet.

The classroom door slowly opened, and a tall figure appeared in the doorway. Zhou Yi walked into the room with steady steps. Her face bore the composure and authority forged by time, while the gaze behind her thin black-rimmed glasses was as sharp as a blade. A white robe draped elegantly over her slender frame, and her jet-black hair was neatly coiled behind her head. Every gesture she made exuded an extraordinary presence.

"Good morning, students. I am your new Homeroom Teacher, Zhou Yi." Her voice was cool and firm as it echoed through the silent classroom. "There are a few things I need to make clear. In my class, rules are iron laws. In my classroom, orders are the standard. We cultivate elites, not mediocrities."

The moment she said this, murmurs broke out below. These noble children, who had passed rigorous selection, were clearly displeased by the word "mediocrities." But Teacher Zhou's gaze swept across the room before finally settling on a girl named Lin Qianyi. The latter's expression remained indifferent, as if none of it had anything to do with her.

"Has there been any fighting in class recently? Stand up." Teacher Zhou's voice remained calm. Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong exchanged a glance, then rose to their feet. "Only two students?" Zhou Yi frowned slightly. "In that case, everyone except these two will go to the field and run one hundred laps."

Someone objected, "Teacher, that's unfair! We didn't take part in the fight!"

"I already said it. In my classroom, orders are the rules." Zhou Yi's tone did not change, but Soul Rings quietly appeared beneath her feet—two yellow, two purple, and two black—silently declaring her strength. Lin Qianyi did not say a single word before turning and leaving. Her action actually earned Zhou Yi's secret approval. Seeing this, the other students hurried out as well.

"If you fail to finish within two hours, bear the consequences yourselves." Once the last traces of commotion faded, only Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong remained in the classroom, staring at each other with shock and contemplation in their eyes.

Zhou Yi kept Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong behind. After speaking with them briefly, she said, "All right, you two should go run as well." Wang Dong immediately asked in confusion, "Teacher Zhou, didn't you say those who fought didn't have to run?" Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh? Did I say that?" Her eyes held an unquestionable firmness. "One hundred laps. Not one less."

A burst of indignation rose in Wang Dong's heart, and she was about to argue her case when Huo Yuhao gently pulled her back. Once they reached the field, Wang Dong could not help complaining, "Why did you stop me just now? She's being completely unreasonable." Huo Yuhao sighed, his gaze deep and calm. "Do you think you could reason with her? A Soul Emperor with six Soul Rings could deal with the two of us as easily as turning her hand over. Besides, I fully believe her when she says we'll be expelled if we can't finish."

Elsewhere, Xiao Xiao asked Lin Qianyi in confusion, "Qianyi, Teacher Zhou was obviously making things difficult for you just now. How could you still leave so decisively?" Lin Qianyi's tone was calm but helpless. "There was no way to argue it. Even if we were in the right, what could we do in a situation like that? We might as well obediently do as we're told. Otherwise, if we really get expelled, it'll be too late for regrets."

Twenty minutes later, Lin Qianyi was the first to cross the finish line, completing the one hundred-lap endurance training. The other students arrived one after another, but Huo Yuhao was still persevering. He had completed ninety-three laps, and his strength was gradually giving out.

Suddenly, a blue-gold flash streaked through the air, and a pair of magnificent Light Goddess Butterfly wings bloomed behind Wang Dong's back. She rose lightly into the air and steadily caught Huo Yuhao just as he was about to collapse. Zhou Yi slowly approached, a hint of approval in her gaze. "The rarest Light Goddess Butterfly Martial Soul on the continent truly lives up to its reputation."