Chapter 37: Class One, Zhou Yi!
"Ah?!" Xiao Xiao's face turned pale instantly.
What kind of experience is it to be told by a classmate on your first day that your homeroom teacher is a brutal, unforgiving battleaxe?
At this moment, Xiao Xiao was truly living it.
It hurt. It hurt too much!
She felt like her entire academic future had just gone up in smoke. Still… with such a handsome classmate, maybe it wouldn't be so bad?
Xiao Xiao couldn't help but glance at Lin Yun again.
Hmm… not quite as painful anymore.
"Well then, if nothing else, see you when school starts!" Lin Yun said with a smile as he turned to leave.
"You still haven't told me your name!" Xiao Xiao called out anxiously.
"Lin Yun! Two trees, one cloud in the sky!" Lin Yun waved a hand without looking back, leaving behind a tall, broad silhouette.
A young man should have ambitions as lofty as the clouds—enough to change the heavens of Douluo!
[Huo-hanger continues down the path of darkness.]
With Electrolux intercepted and the Tianmeng Silkworm perpetually offline, Huo Yuhao—bullied by Wang Dong and overshadowed by Lin Yun—had hit a dead end.
His deep-seated inferiority and suppressed frustration, ignited by the stinging pain of Wang Dong's attacks, began transforming into intense anger and resentment.
Electrolux didn't just give Huo Yuhao power—he was a mentor to his mentality. And after sacrificing himself to protect Huo Yuhao and Xue Di, and following the events in the Valley of Love, that guidance had gone completely off-track.
As for the Tianmeng Silkworm, that eternally napping worm had no concept of guiding temperament.
To it, as long as Huo Yuhao kept growing stronger—strong enough to take it and the Ice Empress to become gods and attain immortality—that was enough.
What kind of personality Huo Yuhao had, what kind of emotions—none of it mattered. At most, it would help him flaunt a bit or protect him from dying prematurely.
"As long as I become strong enough—strong like that man (Lin Yun)—no one will dare bully me. Then I'll finally be able to avenge my mother!"
And thus, a dark seed was planted.
The Next Day
At dawn, before the sun had even risen, Shrek Academy was shrouded in a thin morning mist. Faint sounds of insects and birds filled the air. Lin Yun awoke from his cultivation.
"The concentration of elemental energy here in Shrek... it's not much worse than the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest. Is that the Golden Tree's doing?" Lin Yun murmured as he looked out the window at Sea God Lake, cloaked in fog.
He had been cultivating at Shrek for two days now, and his speed was comparable to what he achieved in the forest's core region.
If it were Sea God Island—closest to the Golden Tree—the training environment there might even rival the Lake of Life.
No wonder Shrek Academy produced so many powerful soul masters. With centuries of accumulated experience, massive resources as the continent's top academy, and such an environment, anyone with potential could grow into a formidable soul master here.
"The Golden Tree, huh… Seems like it shares a connection with the Star Dou Great Forest." Lin Yun smiled slightly and got up to wash and dress.
The source of life on Douluo Continent shouldn't be rooted here. It belonged back at the Lake of Life! Leaving it at Shrek would be a waste!
He needed to find a way to get rid of a certain old woman and guide the Golden Tree back!
Since today was the first day of classes, many new students woke up early. By the time Lin Yun was brushing his teeth, the hallway was already bustling.
For most of them, simply being admitted to Shrek was a great honor. No one wanted to be late on day one and leave a bad impression on the teachers.
Meanwhile—
Zhou Yi rose from her soft bed. Her husband, Fan Yu, had already gone to work in the Soul Tool Department, and she was preparing for another year of teaching.
After quickly taking care of her personal hygiene, she only ate a light breakfast before putting on her signature old-woman-style human-skin mask, concealing her delicate and beautiful features.
Zhou Yi was excited.
As the homeroom teacher, she had early access to the student information of her class—and one particular name had been lingering in her mind, keeping her awake with anticipation.
Lin Yun. Martial soul: Golden Dragon. Possesses the ultimate attribute of pure strength. Soul power level: thirty-seven.
Age: twelve!
"A genius like this should be trained by me, so I can turn him into a true piece of uncut jade!" A hint of undisguised excitement crept onto Zhou Yi's face. With Lin Yun in her class, she would undoubtedly become the most outstanding teacher—not just among the new student instructors, but in all of Shrek's outer court!
However...
All geniuses come with pride. But under her command, pride was a thing to be crushed. Her specialty was tempering that arrogance right out of her students.
Zhou Yi was confident. Under her guidance, Lin Yun would be tamed—like a well-behaved kitten!
—
While eating, Lin Yun suddenly shivered violently, nearly dropping the meat he had in his mouth.
"Damn it, which peasant's plotting against me?" He scratched his arm in discomfort, a wave of goosebumps crawling across his skin.
Looking around cautiously, he didn't spot anything unusual. All he saw were a bunch of lovestruck girls staring at him, which left him even less interested in finishing his meal. After hastily wolfing down a few more bites, he left the dining hall in a hurry.
"Yah, Lin Yun!"
As he stepped out, a soft, familiar voice rang in his ear.
It was Xiao Xiao.
"Oh, Xiao Xiao! Have you eaten yet?" Lin Yun waved and greeted her with the classic straight-man question.
But Xiao Xiao didn't mind at all. As the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder—and right now, even if Lin Yun were scratching his foot, he'd still look dashing in her eyes.
"I… I already ate! Let's go report to class together!" Xiao Xiao said, her small steps bringing her quickly to his side. She held the hem of her skirt lightly in her fingers, sneaking shy glances at Lin Yun's profile.
Under the rising sunlight, his radiant golden eyes gleamed even more brilliantly, completely mesmerizing her.
"So handsome…" she couldn't help but whisper to herself.
Lin Yun turned and grinned, "Good taste, Xiao Xiao. I approve of you."
Busted, the little loli immediately covered her mouth, her entire head steaming with embarrassment.
Hmph, just a little girl, Lin Yun thought, smirking with the confidence of a Dragon King before lazily strolling off toward the teaching building.
Xiao Xiao quietly followed beside him, though her evasive yet lingering glances kept landing back on Lin Yun.
Let's be real: for a face-connoisseur, she was absolutely getting wrecked.
—
The first-year teaching building was easy enough to find. At Shrek Academy, both teaching buildings and uniforms were color-coded based on soul ring levels:
White for first-years, yellow for second to third years, purple for fourth to fifth years, black for sixth years, and red for the inner court.
Each year welcomed nearly a thousand new students. Although only a third would remain after the entrance assessments, the freshman teaching building was still the largest.
Lin Yun had no trouble locating Class One within the first-year section of the building.
(End of Chapter)
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