Turning back the clock a few minutes, Zhou Yi stood at the lectern, her gaze sweeping over the students below like a hawk's. A chilling pressure radiated from her.
She slammed her palm down on the lectern, sending chalk dust drifting down, and shouted, "Listen up, all of you! Shrek Academy only accepts monsters, not trash! Trash is trash wherever it goes!"
Her voice exploded through the classroom like thunder, making quite a few students flinch.
As soon as her words fell, her gaze suddenly sharpened like a blade. "The two little brats who fought recently, stand up!" The classroom instantly fell deathly silent, with only the sound of heavy breathing rising and falling.
When Wang Dong slowly stood up, Zhou Yi fixed him with a blazing gaze. "Very good." Then she turned to the other students, her voice dripping with contempt. "A bunch of good-for-nothings. Don't you know that 'those who don't dare cause trouble are mediocrities'?"
Her words were like a boulder hurled into a tranquil lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves. The students rose to their feet, anger and confusion written across their faces, and protests filled the classroom, one after another.
"Why? How can stirring up trouble be a good thing?" "We didn't do anything wrong!" "This is simply unreasonable!" Everyone spoke at once, their emotions running high.
Yet Zhou Yi seemed to have anticipated the students' resistance. Far from getting angry, she gave a cold laugh.
In an instant, a powerful surge of Soul Power erupted from her body. Six Soul Rings slowly rose, radiating a dazzling light behind her.
Her eyes blazing, she shouted, "Shut up, all of you! In ten minutes, get over to Shrek Square and run laps! One hundred laps in one hour-that's your first assessment. Anyone who doesn't finish can pack up and leave!"
The students were cowed by the powerful pressure. Though full of resentment, they could only keep their anger to themselves. Just then, Zhou Yi suddenly frowned, a trace of puzzlement flashing in her eyes. She muttered to herself, "Something's wrong. Twelve parts wrong out of ten."
Then she raised her voice and swept her gaze over the class again. "Why is there only one person who fought? Can one person fight by himself? The other one, stop hiding and stand up like a good boy. Don't force me to act! I never said causing trouble was a bad thing!"
Zhou Yi turned to Wang Dong, a threat in her eyes. "Who was the other person?" Wang Dong gritted her teeth and said nothing, clearly unwilling to betray Huo Yuhao. Zhou Yi's face instantly turned livid, and she shouted, "Don't think I can't find him just because you won't talk!"
Just then, several girls in the crowd began whispering, and soon the name "Huo Yuhao" spread through the classroom. At that moment, Huo Yuhao was immersed in his Sea of Consciousness, completely oblivious to everything outside. His eyes were closed, as though he were fast asleep.
"Well, well! Not only did you fight, you're sleeping in class too? Huo Yuhao, stand up! Right now!" Zhou Yi's face was red with anger as she screamed herself hoarse. When Huo Yuhao showed no response, she flew into a rage, circulated her Soul Power, and grabbed a blackboard eraser and hurled it at him.
The blackboard eraser shot toward him like an arrow loosed from a bow. Just as it was about to strike Huo Yuhao, his eyes snapped open, and his right hand darted out like lightning, catching it firmly.
The sight left everyone present dumbstruck. The classroom was so silent that a pin could be heard dropping.
"Huo Yuhao!" Zhou Yi practically forced the words out through clenched teeth.
The atmosphere in the classroom had clearly grown even more tense, and everyone looked at Huo Yuhao in a new light. After all, there weren't many people at the academy who dared do so much.
Huo Yuhao stood up unhurriedly and said calmly, "Teacher Zhou, you really don't need to say my name so loudly."
Zhou Yi was so furious that she laughed, flames of anger flickering in her eyes. "You really are something! In all my years of teaching, this is the first time I've seen someone dare sleep in my class. You've got some nerve! Tell me, were you the one who fought?"
Huo Yuhao scratched his head and admitted frankly, "It was me."
"Fighting and sleeping in class-you really are the first at Shrek Academy!" Zhou Yi said sarcastically, her voice full of mockery. Huo Yuhao felt a little impatient as well. Not wanting to keep arguing with her, he said bluntly, "Whatever the punishment is, I'll accept it."
Seeing how little Huo Yuhao seemed to care, Zhou Yi grew even more furious. "Fine! Very good! Huo Yuhao, you've got guts!" She turned to the class and ordered loudly, "Everyone, go to Shrek Square immediately!"
What a brat who doesn't know the heights of heaven and the depths of earth! she cursed inwardly, a ruthless glint flashing in her eyes. He dares act so brazenly on my turf. If I don't teach him a lesson today, how am I supposed to establish my authority as their homeroom teacher from now on? She clenched her fists, her nails nearly digging into her palms.
On Shrek Square, the students stood in neat lines, their eyes fixed on Huo Yuhao and Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi stared coldly at Huo Yuhao. "Huo Yuhao, you and I will fight. I won't use my Martial Soul. If you win, I'll let bygones be bygones and pass you in the assessment directly. But if you lose, pack your bags and leave!" She swore to herself, You little brat, I'm going to teach you a proper lesson today!
Huo Yuhao was somewhat bewildered. He had only been delayed in his Sea of Consciousness for a little while, so how had he suddenly been told to fight his teacher? But under the circumstances, he seemed to have no other choice. He could only brace himself and accept the challenge...
Huo Yuhao wore a calm expression, the faintest hint of a curve at the corner of his lips. He said clearly, "Since Teacher Zhou has issued a challenge, it would seem far too affected of me not to accept."
The moment he finished speaking, the students who had been about to take the lap-running assessment scattered like a tide, forming a circle around the edge of the square.
This sudden duel between teacher and student had instead become an "unexpected show" in everyone's eyes. Quite a few students secretly counted themselves lucky-if Huo Yuhao hadn't been "drawing fire," they would have been the ones running under the blazing sun.
Whispers rose and fell around the square, spreading through the crowd like a fine spiderweb.
"Teacher Zhou is a Six-Ring Soul Emperor!"
A boy tugged at his companion's sleeve, his face full of shock. "Huo Yuhao's just a freshman. How could he possibly win? Isn't he obviously asking for a beating?"
"Exactly, exactly. Huo Yuhao offended Teacher Zhou as soon as he enrolled. That's just his bad luck. Teacher Zhou is famous at Shrek for being strict, and she expels quite a few students every year."
The people around them nodded in agreement, their chatter tinged with interest in the show.
Wang Dong looked in Huo Yuhao's direction with a complicated expression, its meaning hard to discern. Perhaps the fight earlier had given him a new understanding of Huo Yuhao.
This person wasn't as weak as he looked. On the contrary, he was very strong. His strength wasn't on the surface; rather, he had a steadfast heart and the conviction that he would win.
Xiao Xiao, in the corner, was also watching the figure ahead. That figure looked a little thin, and she began to feel a trace of curiosity about him. After all, he had also peeked at her before...