Bonus Chapter. Enjoy!
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Zhou Yi's gaze slowly swept across every youthful face in the classroom.
However, that look scrutinizing the freshmen lacked any of the gentleness or tolerance a teacher should have when meeting their students for the first time.
There was only scrutiny, along with an undisguised, almost loathing fastidiousness.
After a moment, she spoke.
Her voice was raspy and low, like sandpaper rubbing against rust; every word carried a coarse sensation that grated against the eardrums.
"My name is Zhou Yi, and I am the class teacher for Class One."
"Being assigned to my class is your misfortune."
"Because with me, it's impossible for any trash to pass the assessment."
Her gaze swept across the room again, as if confirming the blood draining from every face and the slight contraction of their pupils.
"What I want to cultivate are true monsters."
She emphasized the word "monsters" heavily, with an almost pathological persistence.
"Not idiots."
Silence.
The entire classroom was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Even the sound of breathing was intentionally suppressed, lowered until it was almost inaudible.
Dozens of young boys and girls, who had just gathered here from all over under the name of Genius, were now like fledglings with their throats seized, frozen in place and silent as cicadas in winter.
Watching these reactions, Zhou Yi's wrinkled face remained completely unmoved, but deep within her eyes, a trace of almost imperceptible satisfaction flickered.
This was exactly the effect she wanted.
Awe, fear, obedience.
This was Zhou Yi's starting point for teaching.
"During this year, at most only half of you will be able to advance to the second grade."
Finally, someone couldn't help but gasp; that faint hissing sound was exceptionally clear in the dead silence of the classroom.
Zhou Yi ignored it, her topic shifting without warning: "Those of you who have fought in the academy during these few days of registration, stand up."
Inside the classroom, the freshmen looked at one another, their eyes filled with surprise and confusion.
School had just started, and they hadn't expected the class teacher's first question to be this.
Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered slightly; he didn't understand what kind of game Teacher Zhou was playing either.
On the day of registration, he had indeed fought dozens of people alone at the academy's east gate.
He stood up calmly, his posture straight, his gaze meeting Zhou Yi's scrutinizing eyes placidly.
Beside him, Wang Dong bit his lower lip.
He remembered the scene from last night when he lunged at Huo Yuhao and then instantly lost consciousness. Did that count as a fight? It probably did, right?
After all, he had indeed made a move, even if he hadn't managed to touch the other person... He stole a glance at Huo Yuhao's upright profile, and then, as if out of spite, he stood up abruptly as well.
Zhou Yi didn't urge them; she just waited quietly.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three breaths.
No one else stood up.
Finally, a short, cold snort escaped Zhou Yi's nose.
"Only two?"
Her voice suddenly rose, carrying a sharp tone of disappointment: "A bunch of useless trash!"
"Haven't you heard the saying: only a mediocrity doesn't cause trouble?"
She slammed the lectern with a loud bang; the dull thud of her withered palm hitting the wooden surface made the students in the first row shudder in unison.
"With your cowardly behavior, you dare to apply to Shrek Academy? Do you even deserve to call yourselves Spirit Masters?"
Her gaze was like a poisoned blade sweeping across the room: "You might as well pack your bags and go home as soon as possible!"
The classroom remained deathly silent.
However, within that silence, it was no longer just pure fear.
Some were ashamed, some were defiant, some gritted their teeth, and some clenched their fists.
Huo Yuhao was also stunned by what he heard. He had thought Shrek Academy Ten Thousand Years later was arrogant and eccentric enough.
He had felt that things should be better Ten Thousand Years ago, but he hadn't expected the class teacher to give him such a shock on the first day of school.
It turned out that it wasn't just the Shrek of Ten Thousand Years later that was sick; even Ten Thousand Years ago, the teachers of Shrek Academy taught their students this way.
He suddenly understood.
He understood what it meant for subordinates to follow the example of their superiors, and what it meant for a problem to be so deeply ingrained that it was hard to change.
Shrek Academy becoming like that Ten Thousand Years later wasn't an overnight corruption; the seeds were already sown starting from this very time.
Zhou Yi's lips twitched as she was about to continue her hearty display of authority.
"Teacher."
A clear, steady voice, neither loud nor soft, firmly interjected between the words she was about to speak.
"I beg to differ with that statement."
The one who spoke was Huo Yuhao.
He just stood there, meeting Zhou Yi's suddenly sharp gaze.
"If one provokes a more powerful existence, that isn't bravery—it's looking for trouble."
He had come to study at Shrek Academy, but that didn't mean he had to accept these erroneous ideas taught by the academy!
Dozens of gazes simultaneously turned toward that upright back. There was astonishment, worry, and even a hint of... expectation from those who had been suppressed for too long and suddenly saw someone pry open a crack.
Zhou Yi's face darkened at a visible rate.
"Provoking a more powerful existence?" She said each word slowly, sneering, "That only proves... you are too weak."
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao felt speechless.
This wasn't an explanation; it was complete sophistry, devoid of any logic!
He opened his mouth, wanting to say more, but Zhou Yi didn't give him the chance to speak.
"In my class..." Her voice suddenly rose: "All you have to do is obey!"
That withered palm slapped the lectern again.
"No one... can question me!"
Before her voice could fade.
A majestic pressure of Spirit Power, like a physical giant wave, erupted from her seemingly stooped body!
Two yellow, two purple, and two black—six spirit rings rose and swirled from beneath her feet.
The Spirit Power fluctuations of a Spirit Emperor level were like an invisible mountain, ruthlessly crushing down toward the entire classroom.
Several students in the front row with shallow Spirit Power felt their chests tighten; their breathing suddenly became rapid and difficult, their faces turned pale, and their lips trembled slightly.
This wasn't a display; it was a suppression.
Using an absolute gap in strength to crush any defiance that might sprout.
However, Huo Yuhao, the core target of this Spirit Emperor's pressure, still maintained a calm expression.
Even deep within his eyes, an almost uncatchable light flickered.
Almost at the same instant, four spirit rings erupted from beneath his feet!
Two purple, two black.
The deep purple light intertwined with the solemn black, and an aura suddenly erupted with him as the center!
With the momentum of a hot knife through butter, it collided head-on with Zhou Yi's Spirit Emperor pressure!
The two invisible forces clashed violently in the middle of the classroom; the air rippled with visible distortions, and the desks and chairs let out faint creaks and tremors.
They were actually evenly matched, refusing to yield an inch!
The classroom was in a deathly silence.
Dozens of pairs of eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.
Everyone was a freshman who had just enrolled today, wearing the same white school uniform and sitting in the same classroom.
They really couldn't understand; they were currently only one or two-ring Spirit Masters, so how could the same-aged Huo Yuhao already be a four-ring Spirit Ancestor?
And that spirit ring configuration—two purple and two black?!
Are those spirit rings a human should have? Is this a dream?
On the lectern, a flash of shock also crossed Zhou Yi's eyes, followed by a look of solemnity.
She naturally sensed it; this Spirit Ancestor, Huo Yuhao, was actually no weaker than her, a Spirit Emperor, in terms of aura alone.
Zhou Yi had been teaching for over a decade and had seen many geniuses.
But those so-called geniuses were all inferior compared to Huo Yuhao!
Without a doubt, Huo Yuhao was a true Little freak!
Zhou Yi should have been happy that a true little freak had appeared in her class.
However... Zhou Yi's gaze became increasingly cold.
Because this Little freak was currently standing on the opposite side of her.
Defiant, untamed.
He even dared to push back in front of the whole class on the first day she was establishing her authority.
This would not do!If she couldn't suppress him today, who in this classroom would ever respect her, Zhou Yi, in the future?
Her rules, her authority, and her effective iron-fisted education methods would all become a joke.
"Decent strength," Zhou Yi's voice was low, her emotions unreadable, "But that is not capital for you to be arrogant."
Meeting her gaze, Huo Yuhao said calmly, "A teacher using power to suppress others... is also not a method for teaching and imparting knowledge."
The air froze once again.
Zhou Yi's pupils contracted sharply; under that disguised aged face, the long-suppressed anger finally tore through the surface calm.
In the classroom, not a sound was heard.
Everyone seemed to have even forgotten to breathe.
They looked at Zhou Yi, then at Huo Yuhao, their hearts pounding and blood racing, not knowing if they were seized by fear or ignited by some kind of expectation.
The first class of Shrek Academy's Freshman Class One had suddenly plunged to the freezing point in a way no one had anticipated.
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A/N:
5 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.