"I think Han Yu is right. If you're dead, what's the point of revenge? Why start trouble at all? If anyone thinks life's too long, they might as well just take their own risks," another student chimed in.
The classroom buzzed with murmurs of agreement, and Zhou Yi's expression tightened, her face paling slightly under her mask. Suddenly, she slapped the desk, her voice sharp. "Silence! Did you not hear me? All of you—outside, now! Run your laps. Anyone who doesn't finish will be expelled!"
The students' frustration with Zhou Yi was now turning to open discontent. One of them stood up. "Teacher Zhou, I don't accept this! Why are we punished for not causing trouble? Do we have to act out to be considered real students in your class?"
Zhou Yi's eyes narrowed in anger. "Because these are the rules I set. My word is law in this classroom. If you can't respect that, you're free to leave—I have the authority to expel anyone who defies me." With that, she unleashed a powerful aura, and six soul rings materialized around her: two yellow, two purple, and two black, radiating a fierce energy that pressed down on the room.
The rebellious energy in the room evaporated under her imposing aura, and one by one, the students filed out to run laps, their protests quelled.
Once they had left, Zhou Yi turned her full attention to Han Yu, her aura now directed solely at him. Han Yu felt the weight of her power, his body tensing instinctively. But within moments, his Sharingan appeared, shielding him from the pressure.
"Is Teacher Zhou planning to crush students into submission with her power?" Han Yu asked coolly, a faint sneer on his face.
Han Yu realized then that Zhou Yi was, without question, a ruthless and domineering figure with little patience for dissent. When his defiance became clear, Zhou Yi's expression darkened, and she abruptly withdrew her Soul Emperor aura and her soul rings, her tone icy.
"Hmph! You three—join the others outside and run laps. Fail to finish, and you'll be expelled immediately." Without waiting for a response, she spun on her heel and stormed out of the classroom.
Huo Yuhao glanced at Han Yu, who remained unruffled, though a flicker of irony danced in Huo Yuhao's eyes. He really crossed the line with the head teacher on day one? Foolish.
Huo Yuhao cast a wary look back at Han Yu as he left, silently wishing him luck, then pulled Wang Dong along with him.
Wang Dong frowned, confused. "Why are you dragging me out like this?"
"Do you really want to risk challenging the teacher?"
"And what if I do? Aren't we supposed to listen to teachers?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "Forget about Han Yu. He's hot-headed and already made a mess of things with the head teacher on his first day. He's likely to get himself expelled."
Wang Dong shrugged as they left, both quietly relieved to avoid further trouble.
Meanwhile, in the teaching department, Du Weilun, the head of the department, looked at Han Yu in surprise. "You want to transfer classes?" he asked, his eyebrows raised.
Han Yu nodded calmly. "Yes, Director Du, I'm not well-suited to Zhou Yi's teaching methods. I'd like a class change—any other class would be fine."
Du Weilun frowned, feeling the familiar headache that came with dealing with Zhou Yi's students. He already knew the issue: Zhou Yi's high-pressure tactics had likely driven Han Yu to request a transfer.
Sighing, he nodded. "Fine. For now, go back and complete the current class. I'll arrange for your transfer by next session."
Han Yu offered a polite nod. "Thank you, Director Du. I'll take my leave."
As Han Yu walked away, Du Weilun's expression soured slightly. That woman… if it weren't for her powerful connections, I'd have removed her long ago. Hmph!
At Shrek Square, Zhou Yi stood observing the students, her satisfaction growing as they obediently ran laps. Her imposing presence seemed to command respect—or fear. Good, she thought, they're obedient, like well-trained dogs under my authority.
However, her satisfaction was soon replaced by irritation as she scanned the running students. Han Yu was nowhere to be found.
"That insufferable troublemaker!" Zhou Yi fumed, feeling a sharp sting to her pride. Few things irked her more than disobedience, especially from students who blatantly defied her orders.
It wasn't until the other students had completed nearly sixty laps that Han Yu finally arrived, strolling in with a casual air.
Zhou Yi's voice cut through the air, cold and piercing. "Han Yu, where have you been? Why weren't you here running with the others?"
"Running?" Han Yu replied, as though genuinely surprised.
Han Yu, who had spent his entire life training under the immense pressure of the sea, couldn't bring himself to take the so-called "running" seriously. Even with added weights, he felt little to no improvement from such exercises. To him, it was a waste of time.
He eyed the students running before him with a hint of concern. If they keep training like this, many of them will face long-term consequences. They might not feel it now, but over time, this kind of training will take a toll on their bodies.
"Why should I run?" Han Yu muttered, walking over to a small stone pier in the square and sitting down, perfectly content to wait for the class to end. I'll just change classes next time.
Zhou Yi's patience thinned, her voice growing colder. "So, you're rejecting my teaching methods?"
Han Yu raised a hand in mock surrender. "No, no, no! I'm not rejecting your teaching philosophy, Teacher Zhou."
Zhou Yi's expression softened slightly at his words, but before she could feel any relief, Han Yu's next remark shattered her composure.
"I just think it's rubbish. What's the point of this kind of training?"
He paused, scanning the students running laps. "Shrek Academy was doing this 10,000 years ago, and they're still doing it now. Isn't there anything new to try?"
Han Yu raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with disdain. For some reason, he felt oddly satisfied after speaking his mind.
Zhou Yi's face turned a deep shade of red as she took in his words, her chest rising and falling with each breath. Her tone turned sharp as she defended the tradition.
"This is the training method established by Master Yu Xiaogang 10,000 years ago," she snapped. "After countless trials and verifications, the strongest soul masters of Shrek were all trained this way. Do you dare to say it's wrong?"
"Tsk!" Han Yu clicked his tongue, unimpressed.
Han Yu curled his lips in disdain. To him, the so-called training regimen that Zhou Yi was enforcing was nothing more than a brutal survival-of-the-fittest system. Shrek Academy's large enrollment meant that they could afford to weed out the weak early on, creating a group of survivors who were the continent's top geniuses. But that kind of system could only work on the exceptional.
For ordinary students, it would only break them.
His current strength was the result of his own relentless training, even though he had some help from the system. Every day, he soaked in the deep sea to toughen his body and endured poison to refine his endurance. Would running laps really be the key to his strength? He laughed at the idea—if he were to rely on something as simple as running, all his sacrifices and hard work would be for nothing.
Zhou Yi, her chest heaving with anger, glared at Han Yu, clearly losing her composure.
"I'll say it again!" she shouted. "If you don't run, I'll expel you!"
Han Yu met her gaze with indifference, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "If you want to expel me, then go ahead. I came to Shrek Academy just to see if the teaching here is as good as the legends claim. Now that I've seen it, I'd say it's just… so-so."
"Arrogant!" Zhou Yi's eyes narrowed, her anger flaring. Her voice thundered with authority.
Han Yu simply shrugged, refusing to engage further. He didn't feel the need to argue with someone so set in her ways.
Zhou Yi, her fury still simmering, took a deep breath. After a moment of silence, she seemed to regain some composure. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she looked at Han Yu.
"Did you just say Shrek Academy is 'just like this'?" she asked, her voice cool but with an edge to it.
"I'll give you a chance now," Zhou Yi said coldly. "If you can survive in my hands for an entire incense stick of time without using any of your soul skills, this matter will be settled."
She paused, her gaze hardening. "Otherwise, you'll be expelled immediately. Pack your things and leave the academy. We do not tolerate students who refuse to obey orders."