There were already quite a few students in the classroom when they arrived. However, the entire room immediately fell silent as the two of them walked in. All eyes turned to Huo Yuhao, who acted as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao's gaze was directed toward Wu Feng's seat. However, Wu Feng had not yet arrived. Calmly, he walked to his seat beside Wang Dong and sat down. It was only then that he noticed a trace of respect in the gazes of many students who looked his way.
The facts were already out. Yesterday's battle had shaken nearly every student—Dai Huabin included. Among the four Class 1 divisions, Class 1 itself held the highest level of strength. Naturally, the strongest students of Class 1 would become core disciples.
Wu Feng, the one whom Huo Yuhao had defeated, was one of the strongest students in Class 1. Therefore, the fact that Huo Yuhao had managed to beat her meant that his strength was among the best in the class.
At first, the students of Class 1 didn't understand why Huo Yuhao had been accepted as a core disciple. After all, he was only at level 20 and didn't even have his second spirit ring yet. Many believed it was solely because his team had won first place in the freshman assessment. This sparked envy and resentment in some students who had failed to become core disciples.
They silently questioned, Why did he become a core disciple, but not me? Is he stronger than I am? No—it must be because his team won that tournament. Several students who had only been accepted as temporary core disciples harbored these thoughts on the first day of class.
However, after witnessing Huo Yuhao's overwhelming performance against Wu Feng yesterday, those thoughts vanished from their minds. They finally understood the difference: Huo Yuhao had defeated someone who was at a higher level than he was and who had an additional spirit ring.
Of course, this was Shrek Academy—many students here could do such a thing. But most of them could only achieve that against ordinary Soul Masters outside. At Shrek, every student was already a genius. That was what made Huo Yuhao's feat even more impressive.
In fact, Huo Yuhao had seemed to defeat Wu Feng with ease and didn't appear to use his full power. The other students had not seen him collapse and be carried back to the dormitory by Wang Dong and Wang Feng, so they assumed he had been holding back.
The three of them proceeded to their seats.
Nothing noteworthy happened immediately afterward. After a few moments, a small figure suddenly leaped into the classroom. It was Xiao Xiao.
After Xiao Xiao saw the three of them already seated, she smiled and waved before quickly running over to sit next to Huo Yuhao.
As soon as she sat down, Xiao Xiao immediately asked about Yuhao's injuries, then tugged at the clothes he had changed into to take a look, as if she were inspecting his physical condition.
Huo Yuhao was being bombarded with questions from Xiao Xiao, but he didn't seem impatient at all. On the contrary, a smile remained on his face. He liked and even enjoyed the attention Xiao Xiao was giving him—it made him feel safe. He felt that Xiao Xiao genuinely cared about him and treated him as a true friend.
Once she was sure that Huo Yuhao was fine, Xiao Xiao started chatting with the three of them.
Wang Feng asked about what happened after he and Wang Dong left to bring Yuhao back to the dorm. Xiao Xiao explained that after the battle ended, Teacher Wang Yan had immediately dismissed the class and canceled the afternoon session.
Upon hearing that, Wang Dong and Wang Feng sighed in relief. They were glad they wouldn't be seen as skipping class since the afternoon lesson had been canceled. At first, they had braced themselves to face Zhou Yi's wrath, but now they felt at ease.
The four of them continued chatting casually as time passed without them realizing it.
When the class bell rang, Wang Yan and Zhou Yi entered the classroom right on time. Zhou Yi's face appeared calm, but her sharp gaze swept through the room like a knife, creating a tense atmosphere. The students from other classes didn't seem particularly affected by her presence, but the original students of Class 1 felt nervous deep inside. They knew Zhou Yi's nature well and were certain that she would soon assert her authority.
Their predictions quickly proved true. When Wang Yan informed Zhou Yi about the incident that happened the day before, the woman immediately berated Wang Yan harshly, not caring at all about his higher status in the academy. Even after she was done scolding him, Zhou Yi still showed her concern by personally checking on Huo Yuhao, who had been asleep in the dorm. Only after confirming that her student was truly alright did she finally leave.
Wang Yan stood near the door while Zhou Yi walked alone to the podium. Her icy gaze silenced the entire class, even those who hadn't known her before.
Wang Yan, who had never taught alongside Zhou Yi, was curious to see how she would handle these elite students. In his heart, he muttered, Let's see how you deal with these chosen ones, old woman.
With a cold voice that sliced through the air, Zhou Yi barked, "Everyone, stand up!" Instantly, the original students of Class 1 stood up from their seats in a well-trained reflex.
But it was a different story for the students from other classes—some stood up immediately, while others looked hesitant and moved sluggishly, their expressions showing they didn't think Zhou Yi had the same authority as Wang Yan.
Zhou Yi's sharp eyes measured every movement. "Good," she said with a flat yet meaningful tone. "There are 67 students here, with one absent. Thirty-six of you followed my order immediately," her voice suddenly rose, "while the other thirty hesitated! Those whose names I call—line up in the corridor for punishment!" Every word struck like a judge's gavel, making the atmosphere in the classroom incredibly tense.