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"No, I must persevere. I absolutely can't be eliminated," Huo Yuhao clenched his teeth and quickened his pace once again. To wake up his tired spirit a bit, he even stimulated his soul power to release a Soul Shock targeted at himself. The severe pain in his brain also stimulated his bodily functions, and indeed, his speed increased a bit more. He surpassed the last group of people around him.
Zhou Yi stood there quietly, paying no attention to the students who had already completed the laps. Instead, she focused her gaze on those who had yet to finish.
Among these students, Huo Yuhao looked the most exhausted, his school uniform soaked through with sweat—there was no faking that! But he still bit down on his teeth and bore the hardship stubbornly.
Time flew by, and Huo Yuhao managed to run another eight laps. Now, only five minutes remained until the end of the two-hour mark. There were seven other people who, like Huo Yuhao, had not yet finished their laps. However, the number of laps they had left ranged from three to five, and they had all started to sprint with all their might. There was still a possibility they could finish. But Huo Yuhao was still twelve laps short!
Just then, suddenly, a figure burst out from Shrek square and fell in behind Huo Yuhao, catching up to him in just a few strides. Then, an astonishing scene occurred that took everyone's breath away.
From behind the person who caught up to Huo Yuhao, a pair of blue butterfly wings unfolded in an instant. The tips of the forewings changed continuously from dark blue to cerulean to light blue, and the whole expanse of the wings was like a blue sky interspersed with a string of bright halos in a V-shape, bringing light to the world. The shape and color were incomparably beautiful, beyond reproach.
"Ah—" The sudden appearance of such splendid wings was indeed shocking. Almost all the students, regardless of gender, let out exclamations.
The wings were just too beautiful. The entirety of the wings was like white waves surging on a vast blue sea, with spectacular colors and patterns shimmering in purple-blue. The whole expanse of the wings was like blue skies adorned with a string of bright halos, sometimes dark blue, sometimes cerulean, sometimes light blue. The white luminous patterns on the wings were like jewels set into them, dazzling and enchanting.
Although the wings were merely illusions of light, under the sunlight, they dazzled all onlookers, causing a mesmerizing sensation even in Zhou Yi, who was a teacher.
After the butterfly wings were released, that figure pressed up against Huo Yuhao from behind, passing his hands through Huo Yuhao's armpits, and with a fierce flap of the wings, he actually lifted him off the ground.
Huo Yuhao was shocked, and instinctively looked back, catching sight of Wang Dong's handsome face.
"You..."
"What 'you'? Hurry up and channel your soul power to make your body lighter," Wang Dong said as he flapped those spectacular wings on his back and suddenly accelerated, whirling at high speed around Shrek square with Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao was also stunned by the wings on Wang Dong's back; they were too beautiful. Was this truly his Martial Soul? Huo Yuhao could even feel the V-shaped luminous patterns on Wang Dong's wings absorbing the warmth of the sun. Not to mention these details, a Martial Soul capable of flight was already a formidable presence. Moreover, there's always been a legend in nature that the more beautiful something is, the stronger it is!
Zhou Yi's eyes revealed a trace of satisfaction amid her surprise as she murmured to herself, "The Goddess of Light Butterfly? The most beautiful butterfly Martial Soul on the continent. Good, very good. At least not all have disappointed me."
Wang Dong's flying speed was very fast. Five minutes to cover twelve laps was no longer an impossible task to complete. When he finished the last lap with Huo Yuhao and both of them landed, they couldn't help but stagger. Huo Yuhao quickly turned around and caught Wang Dong by the shoulder, while he himself fell backwards. Wang Dong collapsed directly on top of him.
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Although Wang Dong's cultivation was not weak among his peers, he was, after all, just a child! Having flown over three thousand meters with Huo Yuhao, his Soul Power was somewhat overextended. As soon as they landed, the splendid wings on his back retracted, and his face turned pale.
Huo Yuhao was pinned underneath him but showed a hint of a smile, "Thank you. Last time I was on top of you, this time you've returned the favor."
Wang Dong crawled up with a look of disgust, "You're stinky and sweaty, do you think I wanted to be on top of you?"
Huo Yuhao wasn't annoyed and followed him up, gasping for air while giving him a thumbs up.
Wang Dong hesitated for a moment before nodding at him and also giving a thumbs up. Then, a smile couldn't help but show on both their faces. Any previous grudges seemed to vanish in that moment.
All the students finished the required hundred laps within the allotted time and stood loosely in Shrek square.
Zhou Yi turned to the students with an expressionless face and said indifferently, "The following students step forward, Chen Cheng, Qiu Jianran, Tang Dao, Shangguan Chentian, Lin Zeyu, Zhuge Yun, Tai Long, Tang Ling, Yun Xiaopiao."
Nine people had their names called out. The students clearly didn't expect that, without introducing themselves, Zhou Yi could casually recall the names of nine of them.
The called students walked out calmly.
Zhou Yi said indifferently, "The nine of you can go back, pack your belongings, and leave the academy. From this moment on, you are no longer students of Shrek Academy."
"What?" The nine students who had just finished running and were still fatigued were suddenly shocked, while the rest of the students were in an uproar.
"Teacher, why?" A tall youth named Tai Long, with an angry expression, stood out. He was among the first to finish the laps in the earlier batch.
Zhou Yi said coldly, "Shrek Academy does not need students who rely on trickery. Strength without a good and correct mindset will only bring disaster, not help, to any country. Tai Long, tell me, did you really complete the hundred laps just now?"
Tai Long insisted, "Of course I did."
Zhou Yi smiled, "Really? If I remember correctly, at the start of the run, because I had not arrived at Shrek square yet, you leisurely walked for two laps. You only started to catch up when the leaders were on their fifth lap. Therefore, you did not run a hundred laps, but ninety-seven. I believe more than one person saw your initial laziness."
"I..." Tai Long's face suddenly turned beet red. He had never expected Zhou Yi, who was not present at the field at the start, to recount his cheating as if she had seen it with her own eyes, "But even if I ran a few less laps, you can't just expel me for that!"
Zhou Yi snorted disdainfully, "I've said it before, you are not worthy of being a student at Shrek Academy. Pack your things and get lost."
"You..." Tai Long was completely dumbfounded. In reality, with his strength, running a hundred laps was no problem at all; he could even be among the top students in the first-year, first-class based on his cultivation. However, he never imagined that he would be eliminated like this.
Zhou Yi looked at the other students and said indifferently, "Although I have a bad temper, I keep my word. The nine people I pointed out were all cheating during the run and did not complete the hundred laps. If you don't accept this, you can go to the academic affairs office to report me, but for now, you can leave."
"Teacher Zhou, I don't accept this. Just now he didn't run the full hundred laps either, it was with the help of others that he finished, why isn't he being eliminated?" Another student who was eliminated, named Lin Zeyu, spoke indignantly, pointing in Huo Yuhao's direction.
Zhou Yi laughed, "Not satisfied? He's called Huo Yuhao. If he hadn't finished a hundred laps as well, then he would be in your ranks. I don't go back on my words. But he finished the hundred laps. I never said earlier that mutual help was not allowed. Wang Dong helped him, and that was Wang Dong's own choice. If someone during the run was willing to help you, that would have been fine too. But did anyone help you? I don't look at the process, only the result, and the result is, Huo Yuhao finished a hundred laps, and you did not. Get out quickly, anger me further and I'll cripple your Martial Soul."
Under Zhou Yi's formidable authority, the nine students who were named left dejectedly. Of course, they were not going to pack their bags; they headed straight to the academic affairs office to lodge a complaint. It was only the first day of school! How could they just accept it?
Huo Yuhao's body was covered with even more sweat as he watched Zhou Yi impartially dismiss nine students, feeling anxious in his heart. If it were not for Wang Dong's help, he might have been among those people! With that thought, he couldn't help but look at Wang Dong with gratitude.
The other remaining students had completely changed their expressions at this point, not daring to even breathe heavily as they looked at Zhou Yi. In just the span of two hours, Zhou Yi had established absolute authority over the first-year, first-class.
"Go back to the dorm to change clothes, then come to the classroom for lessons. I'm giving you fifteen minutes," Zhou Yi said and turned to head back to the teaching building directly.
This time, no one dared to delay any further, and they dispersed tumultuously, almost all sprinting at the speed of a hundred-meter dash back to their dormitories.
"That old hag is too ruthless," Wang Dong complained as he hurried back to the dormitory with Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao said, "Thanks, if it wasn't for you, I probably would have..."
Wang Dong snorted and said, "No need to thank me. If it wasn't for our fight, you would have finished on your own. Go in and change. I didn't sweat much."
Huo Yuhao was taken aback for a moment, "Aren't you in a rush to change too?"
Wang Dong said, "Did you forget the five rules I told you the other day? I don't like seeing other people's bodies; I'm afraid of styes, so you better hurry up."
Without any further ado, Huo Yuhao hurried back to his room, took off his clothes soaked with sweat, wiped his body with a clean cloth, and changed into another Shrek Academy uniform. The dirty set he could only wait to wash after today's classes.
After exiting the room and allowing Wang Dong to change clothes, Huo Yuhao was still somewhat out of breath. In his mind, he couldn't help but think again of the pair of wings Wang Dong had previously displayed behind him.
They were beautiful, truly beautiful! What exactly was that Martial Soul? Others might have been distracted by the wings and not noticed, but Huo Yuhao saw clearly that when Wang Dong released his Martial Soul, his Soul Rings also appeared—there were two of them. What shocked him even more was that Wang Dong's two Soul Rings were one yellow and one purple, which meant his second Soul Ring was at the Millennium level. This was beyond the common understanding of a normal Soul Master.
No wonder he was so arrogant; he indeed had the capital to be arrogant. In terms of strength, he was far behind Wang Dong.
As Huo Yuhao pondered, Wang Dong also emerged, having changed clothes. The two did not dare delay and quickly returned to the classroom.
Although Zhou Yi gave them fifteen minutes to change clothes, in reality, it took less than ten minutes for all the students to be sitting neatly in the classroom. The fear in their eyes had not yet dissipated looking at the nine empty seats.
Everyone had heard of the saying that it's easy to get into Shrek Academy but hard to leave. Now that it had happened to them, they felt a strong sense of crisis and no longer dared to think about cutting corners.
When the fifteen minutes were up, Zhou Yi arrived at the classroom on time. Seeing that all ninety-one students were present, she nodded and said, "We are starting the lesson now. The test just now was mostly satisfactory; the majority of you completed the simple task of running. Huo Yuhao, stand up."
"Teacher Zhou," Huo Yuhao quickly stood up, his back straight.
Zhou Yi coldly said, "Report your Soul Power level."
"Yes. My Soul Power is level 11," Huo Yuhao said respectfully. From the moment Zhou Yi called out their names, he knew that this Teacher Zhou, though she seemed unapproachable, was actually very knowledgeable about them and it was unlikely that he could hide his level of cultivation from her.
Upon hearing 'level 11,' skepticism appeared in the eyes of the students present, and Wang Dong even raised his hand to cover his eyes.
Embarrassing, too embarrassing, he had lost to someone of level 11. Wait, how could he only have level 11 Soul Power? Wasn't the admission baseline for Shrek Academy level 15? With this thought, Wang Dong couldn't help but look up at Huo Yuhao with surprise.
"Correct, Huo Yuhao's Soul Power is only level 11. I know you all are curious why he was able to pass the academy's assessment and become a new student. I will only address this issue once; as long as he has not been eliminated, no one is to question him about this again. He is a special admittance student at the academy, and he did not have to undergo assessments to enter. But that is the only exception for special admittance students. If they cannot complete the academic tasks set by the academy, they will be eliminated just the same. Alright, Huo Yuhao, you may sit down."
"Thank you, Teacher," Huo Yuhao sat down again, inwardly surprised. Teacher Zhou's words clearly seemed to be protecting him! By explaining the situation of his insufficient Soul Power level and still being admitted, no one would bring this up to him again.
Ignoring the students' reactions, Zhou Yi turned and wrote two big characters on the blackboard: Offense, Defense.
After writing, she turned back to face the students, "I know most of you are dissatisfied with me making you run laps and expelling nine people just now. You just don't dare to show it because of the pressure. I don't need to explain myself to you. Those who are perceptive will understand later, and the fools who can't grasp it, let them remain puzzled. Let's start our lesson now."
"The two characters I've written on the blackboard should be familiar to all of you: offense and defense. Today, in this first lesson, I will discuss with you the ways of attack and defense for a Soul Master. Since ancient times, we Soul Masters have been divided into many classes according to the abilities of our Martial Souls, including the direct-attack class, agile-attack class, support class, food class, control class, defense class, and so on. Some Soul Masters develop in one direction to the extreme, while others develop in a more balanced way. There are various cultivation methods. Wang Dong, answer me, among all the classes, which are more inclined to attack, and which should tend toward defense and support?"
This question was simple, and Wang Dong stood up without hesitation and answered, "Naturally, the direct-attack, agile-attack, and control classes are more inclined to offense, while the support, food, and defense classes lean more toward defense."
Zhou Yi said bluntly, "That's an idiot's response."
Wang Dong was stunned, "Teacher Zhou, my answer…"
"Sit down." Zhou Yi cut him off and waved her hand. A strong surge of Soul Power rushed towards him, forcing the rest of his words back down his throat and making him sit back down in his seat.
"If this was over four thousand years ago, before Sun Moon Land had collided with our Soul Land, Wang Dong's answer would have been correct. But today, his answer is far from accurate. Huo Yuhao, tell me why."
Huo Yuhao secretly thought that Teacher Zhou was really going after him and Wang Dong today; luckily, it wasn't about being expelled. In the blink of an eye, he came up with his answer and stood up, "Because of the Soul Guidance Device."
Zhou Yi's stern face softened a bit, "You are not too dumb, no wonder you could become a specially invited student. Yes, it is precisely because of the advent of Soul Guidance Devices that the lines between attack and defense have become blurred. This is also the topic I'll be covering today. Sit down."
"I believe everyone is quite aware, over the past few thousand years, Soul Guidance Devices have developed rapidly. Initially, what Sun Moon Land brought were more exotic materials and the basic methods of making Soul Guidance Devices. And through the development over these millennia, the fabrication of Soul Guidance Devices has become increasingly refined, and their power, ever greater. This has resulted in even a food-class Tool Soul Master wielding a Soul Guidance Device powerful enough being able to unleash an attack not inferior to that of a direct-attack class Battle Soul Master, and sometimes even surpassing it. And if an agile-attack class Battle Soul Master holds a Soul Guidance Device with great defensive power, then he too can temporarily play the role of a defense-class Tool Soul Master."
"One can say that the emergence of Soul Guidance Devices has greatly changed the direction and status quo of Soul Master cultivation. In fact, it is the role of Soul Rings that has been weakened. As long as there is sufficient Soul Power, one can make up for the insufficiency of the Soul Rings' might with a Soul Guidance Device. This has led many to overlook the role of Soul Rings, forming the current situation where the Soul Masters of the Four Major Empires all pursue Soul Power as the method of cultivation."
"Undoubtedly, this method of cultivation is indeed effective in the short term, especially for Soul Masters below level 50, where the effect is quite pronounced. But what I want to tell you is, we at Shrek Academy do not cultivate such Soul Masters. Because once they exceed level 50, they are all worthless."
"Don't understand, right? Let me give you an example. If you are a Tool Soul Master and you have cultivated to level 50, and I am an agile-attack class Battle Soul Master, who has also cultivated to level 50. You have a Soul Guidance Device in your hands that can threaten my life, and I am without a Soul Guidance Device. In this battle, who will win?"
"The answer is simple, I will win. Why? Because with my speed, you won't have a chance to hit me with the Soul Guidance Device at all. Even if you are equipped with top-tier Soul Guidance Devices, I can grind you down with my speed advantage until your Soul Power is exhausted. The more powerful a Soul Guidance Device is, the greater the consumption of Soul Power. Therefore, although defense, support, and food class Tool Soul Masters can have the attack power of a direct-attack class Battle Soul Master with the help of Soul Guidance Devices, they absolutely do not have the combat power of a direct-attack class Battle Soul Master. This point you must understand clearly. Hence, Soul Guidance Devices do greatly enhance the ability of defense, support, and food class Tool Soul Masters. But if your body is not strong enough, then on the battlefield, you will always be the first to be killed. Your enemy won't spare you just because you're not a Battle Soul Master; on the contrary, they pick the softest persimmon to squeeze. Your attack power is strong with the help of Soul Guidance Device, but the other aspects are weak. How will the enemy choose?"
"Similarly, if my physical body is extremely strong and I already possess strong combat power, then a powerful Soul Guidance Device in my hands would simply be an added advantage. That is truly a strong powerhouse."
"As the distinction between offense and defense becomes blurred, any member of a Soul Master team can serve as an attacker, but improving one's own physical qualities is the way to greatly enhance your survival capability on the battlefield. Unless one day Soul Guidance Devices can develop to a point where they can completely replace your bodies, the cultivation of your physical body and the selection of Soul Rings are crucial for your future cultivation."
Zhou Yi had no idea that, ten thousand years later, Soul Guidance Devices would indeed develop to the extent she described, completely replacing the body.
"For the next three months, the main focus of the training I'll be conducting for you all will be on physical conditioning. No matter who you are, what background you have, or how talented you may be, if you cannot pass my assessment after three months, then just like those nine before you, you can get lost."
"That's all for this morning's class. I suggest you all have a good lunch, as we will commence physical training this afternoon. Class dismissed. Huo Yuhao, come with me to the office."
Having said that, Zhou Yi didn't dawdle and turned to leave. At this moment, the bell signaling the end of the morning classes was still far from ringing.
Until Zhou Yi left through the classroom's door, the room remained still, with the vast majority of students immersed in her earlier discourse. Although this Teacher Zhou didn't play by the rules, they all had to admit that what she said made a lot of sense.
Huo Yuhao stood up and followed Zhou Yi out, not only to the staff office building located behind the purple and black teaching buildings, but also to the simple offices within every teaching building.
Following Zhou Yi into an office not far from the classroom, she gestured for him to close the door. She then walked to her desk and sat down, her movements revealing no signs of her age.
"Huo Yuhao, I am not one to mince words. Wang Dong's Martial Soul surprised me, but yours has piqued my curiosity. Even with my experience, I cannot discern what your Martial Soul is. Now I want to know the answer," Zhou Yi said with an assertive tone in her words.
There was nothing to hide about his Martial Soul from the teacher, so Huo Yuhao said, "My Martial Soul is Spirit Eyes, of the spiritual attribute."
Zhou Yi visibly started upon hearing Huo Yuhao's words, a flicker of surprise shining in her bright eyes that contrasted with her aged face, "A self martial soul of the spiritual attribute? Eyes?"
Huo Yuhao nodded.
Zhou Yi half-closed her eyes as if pondering something. After a moment, she inquired, "Can you tell me what your first soul skill is?"
It was normal for a teacher to ask a student about their Martial Soul, but soul skills were each Soul Master's most important capability and secret. Even with Zhou Yi's assertiveness, she used a tone of inquiry.
Others might have hesitated, but Huo Yuhao had no such concern. With four skills in his first soul ring, it wouldn't be odd for him to reveal two.
Without directly answering Zhou Yi, Huo Yuhao's clean white first soul ring slowly rose at his feet, and a layer of light gold covered his eyes. Soon after, Zhou Yi felt a wave of spiritual fluctuation in front of her.
Zhou Yi, unlike Bei Bei and Tang Ya, was a Soul Emperor level expert above level 60. Although she wasn't a Soul Master with a spiritual attribute, her cultivation meant her Spiritual Power was naturally strong. It would have been effortless for her to reject Huo Yuhao's spirit skill, as he was merely a level 11 Soul Master. However, she obviously wouldn't reject it now and chose to accept it immediately.
The moment she accepted it, Zhou Yi's pupils couldn't help but dilate instantly.
The Shared Spiritual Detection appeared distinctly within Zhou Yi's vision. Everything around her became different, conveying a clarity akin to walking out of a fog. All became crystal clear and orderly, and everything could be described with data. This precision in judgment, like having a second brain, shifted continuously as her line of sight changed.
About a minute later, Huo Yuhao retracted his skill and stood honestly in front of Zhou Yi.
After a moment of stupor, Zhou Yi murmured, "A miraculous skill. No wonder, no wonder the Tang Sect chose you as a special invitee. Just with this one skill, that girl Tang Ya chose the right person. I wondered why that clever but not too talented girl would choose someone with just level 11 cultivation and average physical quality. So there was this secret after all."
"Huo Yuhao, come with me," said Zhou Yi as she quickly stood up, taking Huo Yuhao out of the office and walking briskly.
Huo Yuhao was utterly confused. He could feel Zhou Yi's emotions fluctuating greatly after learning about his Martial Soul and soul skill, but he was unclear if this was good or bad, let alone what Zhou Yi was planning to do with him.
Exiting the freshman teaching building, Zhou Yi led Huo Yuhao towards the back of the academy, to the west. They hadn't walked far when Zhou Yi frowned slightly and said, "This is too slow. I'll carry you for a bit." As she spoke, she flashed beside Huo Yuhao, grabbed his shoulder, and the next moment, Huo Yuhao felt like he was riding the clouds and driving the fog.
Scenery whizzed by, and although there seemed to be an invisible barrier protecting his body, everything around blur.
Without a doubt, Zhou Yi was the most powerful Soul Master Huo Yuhao had ever encountered. What speed! He hurriedly released his Spiritual Detection, which allowed him to faintly make out the direction Zhou Yi was heading.
After heading west for a while, Zhou Yi then turned north, where Huo Yuhao felt they had left the Martial Soul Department of the outer courtyard and entered the Soul Guidance Department area.
Even at such high speed, several minutes passed before Zhou Yi stopped, bringing Huo Yuhao in front of a massive building.
The teaching building in front had already been sizable, but it paled in comparison to the rectangular grey structure they now faced. The total area of this building could probably rival that of the dormitory buildings in the Martial Soul area.
The grey building appeared very solid, not just built of brick and stone, but many parts also gleamed with the luster of metal. Continuous low rumbles emanated from within, and even caused slight vibrations under Huo Yuhao's feet.
Next to them, a sign indicated this place: Soul Guidance Device Testing Area.
Huo Yuhao's heart was filled with questions. Why would Teacher Zhou bring him to the Soul Guidance Device Testing Area? What was she planning to do?
Zhou Yi naturally wouldn't explain. She let go of his shoulder and walked towards the Soul Guidance Device Testing Area.
Upon entering, Huo Yuhao saw that the entire Testing Area was made of metal structures. The metal that constituted this place was of a dark brown color he had never seen before.
After the entrance was a long horizontal corridor, somewhat similar to the dormitory area but only one side had doors every thirty meters labeled with "Testing Area One," "Testing Area Two," and so on.
Zhou Yi seemed to come here often and was familiar with everything, leading Huo Yuhao along the corridor heading north, stopping in front of a door marked "Testing Area Twelve."
Zhou Yi flipped her wrist, and a hexagonal silver token appeared in her hand. She placed the token against the door of Testing Area Twelve.
A miraculous scene unfolded as a notch opened in the door, perfectly accommodating her token. Huo Yuhao felt a brief soul power fluctuation, and then the token popped out of the notch. Accompanied by the sound of sliding, the massive door of Testing Area Twelve opened laterally.
Once the door was fully open, Zhou Yi gestured to Huo Yuhao, and they walked in together.
"Boom—" Just as Huo Yuhao stepped through the threshold, a loud noise startled him as a strong shockwave mixed with a blast of air hit him, causing his school uniform to flutter noisily.
Zhou Yi, however, seemed quite accustomed to this and continued to walk inside.
It was only upon entering Testing Area Twelve did he realize it was a world unto itself, with thick metal plates dividing it into different sections. It was like a series of metal boxes. Under Zhou Yi's lead, they soon arrived at one of the largest sections. This area was an open space, about two thousand square meters in size and over ten meters high. Along the edges of the field, several people held odd objects and fiddled with something.
"Fan Yu," Zhou Yi bellowed, drawing the attention of the group at the edge of the field toward them.
A tall, sturdy middle-aged man with a slight frown on his brow walked over to them.
The middle-aged man was about one meter eighty tall, with broad shoulders and clothed in simple garments; his strong and muscular arms were exposed, resembling granite boulders. With sharp facial features and a deep, serious look in his eyes, his presence was akin to a mountain, solid and unyielding.
"Zhou Yi, why are you here?" Clearly, this man was Fan Yu, the person Zhou Yi had called out to.
"Do you remember what you said to me last time?" Zhou Yi asked with a tinge of excitement in her voice.
Fan Yu showed a wry smile tinged with helplessness, "I've said many things to you. How would I know which you're referring to? If there's nothing important, go back. I have several experiments to conduct here."