At nine o'clock, the bell rang for class.
A man with a plain appearance, average build, and a gentle expression—looking to be in his early thirties—walked into the classroom and made his way to the podium.
In an instant, the once-noisy room fell silent. One hundred new students turned their gazes toward him in unison, filled with curiosity and intrigue.
No one dared underestimate him because of his ordinary looks—for one simple reason: he was a teacher at Shrek Academy.
Throughout the entire continent, it was widely acknowledged that all Shrek Academy teachers were top-tier experts. To become a teacher at Shrek, one had to meet two conditions: first, be a graduate of the academy; second, possess a cultivation level of at least Soul Emperor.
Indeed, Shrek Academy's Outer Court was the only intermediate soul master academy on the continent where every teacher was at least a Soul Emperor.
That's right—intermediate soul master academy. The Outer Court was, in essence, a middle-tier institution, built as an extension of the true Shrek Academy: the Inner Court. It was created four thousand years ago to satisfy the requests of the three great empires' royal families.
"First, congratulations to all of you for becoming provisional members of Shrek Academy," the man said after scanning the room. His voice was just as ordinary as his appearance, but his first sentence sent a chill through the students' hearts. "Why do I say 'provisional'? Because before advancing to the fourth year, you will undergo several rounds of assessments. Every assessment will result in eliminations. Only those who pass all assessments will be considered true members of Shrek Academy. So don't assume that getting into the Outer Court means you can rest easy."
As he finished that sentence, his expression turned notably stern.
A sense of unease spread through the classroom like a plague.
The man continued, ignoring the students' discomfort. "My name is Xia Yu. I'll be your homeroom teacher. Until the freshman assessments are over, your stay here is entirely up to me. Let me make it very clear: as your teacher, I have the authority to expel any student directly. So I hope you take my words seriously."
Everyone's expressions changed. The underlying threat was obvious in his tone.
"And now, the most important matter—three months from now, we'll hold the freshman assessment," Xia Yu said, voice lowering but still firm. "Let me tell you in no uncertain terms—half of the new students will be eliminated."
"What?!" Gasps echoed throughout the classroom. The students stared at Xia Yu in disbelief.
"Oh my god! Eliminating half? Isn't that a bit much?" Tang Ya said with a heavy expression.
"It's normal. This is Shrek Academy, after all," Zhu Ziyang said with a small smile. This was the kind of rule only the number-one academy on the continent would have.
"Silence!" Xia Yu spoke softly, yet his voice seemed to echo directly in everyone's ears.
The large classroom quieted instantly.
"I know you're shocked, but this is how Shrek operates. If you don't want to be eliminated, then work harder and improve yourselves," Xia Yu said expressionlessly. "This year's class has the fewest students in thirty years. It also has the widest gap in soul power levels."
"Teacher, you said we have the widest soul power gap. Just how big is it?" a boy asked.
"In this class, the lowest soul power level is rank 16. The highest… there's only one student, but he's also the most powerful new student we've had in nearly ten years," Xia Yu said with a touch of admiration. "That student has reached the level of… Soul Elder."
"Whoa!"
"A Soul Elder? And he's in our class?!"
"Shrek Academy really lives up to its name!"
"Level 30 at twelve years old? I was happy just reaching Soul Grandmaster by then!"
Expressions of awe filled the room, and the students began murmuring excitedly.
"Hey Nannan, how do you think that Soul Elder trained? That's insane! Could he be the heir of some hidden sect?" Tang Ya poked Jiang Nannan's arm with a look of wonder.
"Nope. He's a commoner," Jiang Nannan answered with a soft smile. Of course she knew who Xia Yu was referring to. There was pride in her voice.
"A commoner? No way..." Tang Ya instinctively wanted to argue, but she noticed the confident smile on Jiang Nannan's face. A suspicion crept into her mind.
"Teacher, can you tell us this Soul Elder's exact level?" another student asked.
"You'll find out soon enough," Xia Yu replied with a knowing smile, scanning the class. "Because that exceptional genius is a student in this very Class Four."
"What?!"
The class erupted again.
All eyes began darting around, scanning each other, trying to identify the prodigy.
"Nannan, is it him?" Tang Ya asked, eyes shifting toward Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan, who remained calm amid the commotion.
"Mhm!" Jiang Nannan nodded proudly.
"No way!" Tang Ya gasped in disbelief.
"Alright, enough chatter," Xia Yu interrupted. "Next, we'll begin self-introductions."
"Nannan, seriously?! Tell me!" Tang Ya wrapped her arms around Jiang Nannan's and shook her insistently.
"Xiaoya, calm down. The teacher's watching," Jiang Nannan said helplessly, giving her hand a little squeeze as a reminder.
"Ah!" Tang Ya blinked and looked up—right into Xia Yu's gaze.
"Very good," Xia Yu smiled, pointing at her. "Why don't the cheerful girl with the lovely smile go first?"
Tang Ya blinked again, then stood up with a grin. In her mind, she thought, 'This teacher has good taste.'
"Hi everyone! I'm Tang Ya, from Tiandou City in the Heaven Soul Empire. I'm also the current leader of Tang Sect. If anyone's interested in joining Tang Sect, come talk to me!"
'She really has "revive Tang Sect" etched into her bones,' Zhu Ziyang thought.
However, the moment her words fell, murmurs broke out across the classroom. Many students who had heard of Tang Sect looked at her differently—some with pity, others with ridicule. Yet Tang Ya's smile remained undisturbed, showing that she was long used to this.
Jiang Nannan, moved by her courage, gently took her hand and offered an encouraging smile.
"Oh! So we have a student from Tang Sect, one of the oldest sects in the continent—founded by none other than Tang San, the Thousand-Hand Douluo and a member of the original Shrek Seven Monsters," Xia Yu stepped in to ease the atmosphere. "Those of you interested in Tang Sect's legacy can talk to Student Tang Ya after class."
Tang Ya gave him a grateful look before sitting down.
"Alright. Next, the lovely young lady sitting beside Tang Ya," Xia Yu said, gesturing toward Jiang Nannan.
(End of Chapter)
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