Zhou Yi's heart skipped a beat as she felt the pressure from Han Yu's advancing speed, but she steeled herself for the confrontation. Her eyes glinted with resolve as she summoned her soul power to her arms, ready to unleash a devastating blow. Her belief that Han Yu would not survive the impact of her strike was unwavering—if he didn't comply with her commands, he had outlived his usefulness. The academy would surely back her, a highly respected teacher, over any student, especially one who had shown nothing but defiance.
Her thoughts turned to cold calculation as she prepared to strike. I'm doing this for the academy's good—removing the waste will benefit everyone.
But as her hands surged with soul power, her eyes narrowed with a sudden, sharp sense of danger.
In a flash, Han Yu's presence shifted. The space around him seemed to ripple, his figure blurring, and his crimson Sharingan eyes gleamed with a sharp, unnerving focus. He locked eyes with her, the intensity of his gaze sending a shiver down her spine.
"Do you have murderous intent towards me?" Han Yu's voice was calm, but his words carried an undeniable weight. He could sense her intentions with chilling clarity.
Before Zhou Yi could react, the world around her seemed to slow down. Han Yu's Sharingan activated.
Swish!
The world seemed to freeze. Her body stiffened as an unnatural sensation gripped her mind. In that split second, Han Yu's presence was overwhelming—she could feel his soul power rising, but it felt like it was pressing against her very thoughts.
Her heart raced as she fought against the influence, trying to maintain control of her body, but Han Yu's eyes were like a force of nature. She realized too late—this wasn't just a fight of power, but of will. The tension was palpable, the battle now not only for dominance of the physical body, but for the control of her very thoughts.
The Sharingan wasn't just a tool of combat—it was an embodiment of Han Yu's will, capable of bending the battlefield to his advantage.
Zhou Yi's body trembled as she tried to resist, but it was too late. The pressure from Han Yu's gaze was simply too much to bear.
When their eyes met, Zhou Yi's expression suddenly froze, and her hands stopped mid-motion. Her soul power retracted into her body, leaving her with a blank, dazed look in her eyes.
"I was planning to stop, but since you want to push me.." Han Yu's voice was cold. "Don't blame me for going all out."
Without hesitation, the Chidori in Han Yu's hand surged with power, and he thrust it directly into Zhou Yi's chest.
"Sizzle-"
A sharp, painful scream ripped through the air as Zhou Yi's body was thrown backward, a spray of blood following her as she flew like a ragdoll. The scream was so piercing that it seemed to shake the entire Shrek Square.
Han Yu stood still, his gaze following her flight, deep in thought. The physical defenses of soul masters are more fragile than I expected. The Chidori's penetration is more than enough to pierce through them.
It seemed that the soul masters of Douluo Continent, much like ninjas, relied heavily on their offensive power while neglecting their defenses.
Having used the Sharingan to control her briefly, Han Yu felt the strain. His face turned pale, and he felt waves of emptiness in his mind. It was still a bit too much. Forcing control over a Soul Emperor with my current mental strength is incredibly draining. l've already used up most of my energy, and I could barely hold her for even a couple of seconds.
He stood there, silently adjusting himself, trying to regain his composure.
The shrill scream had caused the nearby students, who had been running their laps, to stop and gather around in confusion and fear. They stared at Zhou Yi, who was now lying motionless on the ground, and then turned their shocked gazes to Han Yu standing calmly nearby.
"What's going on?" Tailong asked in a trembling voice.
"Go report to the teacher quickly, save her first!" someone shouted. A student immediately ran off to get help.
Seeing Zhou Yi lying motionless on the ground, the rest of the students took several steps back in horror, as if they had seen something monstrous.
"Ah, damn bastard! I'm going to kill you!" Zhou Yi, barely conscious, yelled with fury. Her chest had a large, concave wound, blood pooling around her as it flowed freely. She struggled to get up, letting out a series of pained screams.
Tailong rushed to hold her down, trying to stop her from moving. "Teacher Zhou, don't move! The more you move, the faster the blood will flow."
"Ahem, let me go!" Zhou Yi coughed, her voice strained and weak.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were stunned by the scene unfolding before them. They rushed over but hadn't expected such a turn of events.
"Brother Han Yu, you didn't hurt Teacher Zhou, did you?" Huo Yuhao asked cautiously, fear evident in his eyes as he glanced at Han Yu, who stood calmly nearby.
"It was me," Han Yu replied, his tone oddly calm. "I was sparring with Teacher Zhou, and she got careless. I didn't expect it to go this far. I thought she was strong, but... well, I guess I misjudged her."
Han Yu let out a sigh, almost as if he were genuinely regretful. However, his eyes gleamed with a hint of something more, suggesting that his intentions had changed after Zhou Yi had shown hostility.
As a spiritual soul master, Han Yu had a deep sense of his surroundings. He could feel the danger Zhou Yi had intended for him, and he wasn't about to show mercy in return. He never sought out trouble, but if someone came after him, he wouldn't hesitate to be ruthless.
However, he realized that his earlier attack had been slightly miscalculated. If his strike had landed without interference, it would have at least severely injured Zhou Yi. It wasn't that she would have died—after all, she was a Soul Emperor, and this was Shrek Academy, where many skilled healing soul masters were around. But it might have made her rethink challenging him in the future. Han Yu couldn't help but smirk slightly at the thought.
Huo Yuhao, sensing the tension, instinctively took a step back. His voice held confusion as he asked, "Brother Han Yu, why did you fight with Teacher Zhou and hurt her so badly?"
Han Yu shrugged nonchalantly. "It's simple. She told me to go for a run, but I refused. Then she threatened to expel me, saying I had to fight her. She didn't use any soul skills, so I just went along with it."
Huo Yuhao's expression shifted, his concern evident. "Brother Han Yu, I think you were wrong here. As a student, you shouldn't resist your teacher. Teacher Zhou's methods are strict, but I believe she's just trying to make us stronger. A strict teacher produces excellent students. Look at how Master Yu Xiaogang trained the first generation of Shrek Seven Devils—it worked for them. I believe this kind of training will help you grow too."
Though Huo Yuhao's perspective was clear, Han Yu wasn't swayed. He didn't share the same blind respect for the "tough love" approach. To him, it wasn't about the method; it was about respect and fairness, and Zhou Yi had overstepped by threatening him.
Huo Yuhao's words only made Han Yu's expression darken further. He stared at him with an intensity that seemed to pierce through him, as though seeing him for the first time. Slowly, Han Yu spoke, his voice cold and biting.
"Do you have a problem with your brain?" Han Yu asked, his gaze never leaving Huo Yuhao. "Do you know what Zhou Yi did? The first students to be eliminated in Shrek are the ones with low soul power, like you. Do you think you can run those 100 laps? Do you really think so highly of yourself?"
Han Yu couldn't understand how Huo Yuhao could be so blind to the reality of the situation. Zhou Yi, a teacher who had used him as a stepping stone, had crossed a line. And now, Huo Yuhao was siding with her? It made no sense.
Han Yu frowned, his patience running thin. Perhaps out of some misguided sympathy for Huo Yuhao—someone who seemed to be treated like a dog—he had originally considered helping him. But now, it seemed pointless. Huo Yuhao was just another small player, a rat hiding in the dark, not worthy of attention. Shrek Academy wasn't a place for someone like him, and Han Yu had no intention of staying there much longer.
"I don't have anything else to say to you," Han Yu muttered as he turned to leave. "Shrek isn't a place for me."
Huo Yuhao's face flushed, his frustration palpable. "I don't know if I can finish 100 laps, but I'll try. As long as I work hard, I'm sure I can stay."
Han Yu simply shook his head, his decision made. The path Huo Yuhao was walking—blindly believing that effort alone could overcome everything—was not one Han Yu was willing to follow. With one last glance, he walked away.
Wang Dong, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up in agreement. "I think Huo Yuhao is right. If we keep working hard, our strength will improve. Teacher Zhou may seem strict, but her methods really work."
"I feel like my soul power has improved," Wang Dong said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.
Han Yu glanced at him, his expression cold. "You're the least qualified to talk about hard work. With a top-tier martial soul, you're only at level 21. You're a waste. Such talent is being squandered." His words were blunt, like daggers.
"You're just lazy and lack someone to push you. It's not because Zhou Yi's method is effective." Han Yu's voice was laced with disdain. The fact that Wang Dong, the daughter of the God King with a three-life martial soul, was only at level 21 was a testament to how wasted her potential was. Han Yu couldn't help but feel disheartened by it.
If Han Yu had been given her starting conditions, he knew he'd be at least level 40 by now.
Wang Dong's face flushed with anger. "What did you say?" he snapped.
He was about to charge forward, but Huo Yuhao quickly grabbed his arm, trying to hold him back. "Wang Dong, don't! Don't waste your time with him."
"Why are you stopping me?" Wang Dong growled, his voice full of frustration. "I'm going to teach him a lesson today!"
Han Yu raised an eyebrow, his voice dripping with contempt. "Teach me a lesson? What qualifications does a loser like you, who can't even beat Huo Yuhao, have to teach me anything?"
That day, Han Yu had seen the entire confrontation between Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao outside the dormitory. Although it was nothing more than a scuffle between amateur students, Han Yu had been surprised by the spectacle. The level of incompetence was staggering, and it had shocked him to see how poorly Wang Dong handled himself.
It was hard to even call Huo Yuhao a soul master. He was, at best, weak in comparison to others, and the fact that he had beaten Wang Dong only reinforced that impression.
She was actually knocked down by Huo Yuhao on the spot. She herself is the owner of the beast martial soul, which has greatly
improved her physical condition.