As soon as those words left her mouth, many of the students' faces showed visible signs of anger. They were all top-tier students selected from various academies, some of the best among their peers, yet they were being belittled like this by an old woman.
Bang!Even though the old woman had just revealed her power as a Six-Ring Soul Emperor, some students still couldn't bear the humiliation and slammed their fists on the desk. A beautiful blue-haired girl stood up angrily, her face flushed with rage. "Teacher, is this the way of education at Shrek Academy? Are you, by any chance, a Soul Emperor by birth?"
"That's right! Moreover, is it really something to be proud of that a teacher of your age has reached the level of a Soul Emperor?" A short-haired boy stood up after the blue-haired girl, speaking slowly. Though he seemed to dismiss the Soul Emperor rank, in truth, it was just to show off, essentially acting arrogantly.
Zhou Yi did not respond immediately, but waited for a moment. When she saw that no other students were stepping forward, she continued, "I don't care how the academy runs, but this is my teaching method. If you can't accept it, you can go to the teaching office and apply for a class transfer or just leave. As the class head, I have the right to expel any student."
As she spoke, six soul rings appeared around her again, but this time, the pressure only targeted the blue-haired girl and the short-haired boy who had spoken out. The rest of the students felt no discomfort, but the blue-haired girl froze, unable to move, cold sweat pouring down her face. The short-haired boy was even worse off, collapsing to the ground under the oppressive force, with tables and chairs falling over.
This scene caused many students to inwardly complain. Zhou Yi truly demonstrated what it meant to pressure others with force. They had heard about this class head before; she had previously been the class head of the third grade but was demoted to the new student class after the students reported her harsh teaching methods multiple times.
Zhou Yi pointed at the blue-haired girl and the short-haired boy, speaking calmly, "Now, everyone get out. Run one hundred laps around Shrek Academy's square. If you don't finish, you'll be expelled immediately." She then turned her gaze to the blue-haired girl and short-haired boy, "Remember, they are being punished because you both dared to defy me. So, you two will run 120 laps."
"What are you waiting for? Do you all want to be expelled? You have one hour to finish. If you don't finish within the hour, you're out!" Zhou Yi's voice suddenly rose, and she angrily shouted at the students. At the same time, she retracted the oppressive force from the blue-haired girl and the short-haired boy.
Once the command was given, the students rushed out in a swarm. Many of them felt as if they were facing not a teacher, but a tyrannical beast, a mother tyrannosaurus ready to snap at any moment.
The sun was blazing high in the sky, the breeze cool, and the sky was as blue as could be, with not a cloud in sight. On the Shrek training grounds, a large group of students dressed in white uniforms was sweating profusely. Nearly half an hour had passed since they began, and the few students at the front were fiercely competing, all vying for first place. Wang Dong was at the front, leading by a wide margin. Aside from the top ten or so students, the rest were the main group, nearly a hundred students in total. Huo Yuhao was among them, not trying to stand out. After all, Zhou Yi had only said to run one hundred laps, and there was no mention of rewards for running faster.
With his temperament, he had no interest in competing for speed. His current persona was that of an ordinary, motivational, poor boy, and he shouldn't reveal too much of his abilities.
Not far away, Zhou Yi stood with her hands behind her back, her gaze sweeping over the students without a hint of emotion. Her intention was to give these arrogant kids a lesson, to see how they would react under this punishment. Of course, it was impossible to discern the full measure of these new students just from running. For example, some were already at the front, their necks red, gasping for air. They were pushing themselves to their limits for the sake of a little pride, while others kept a steady pace, clearly biding their time and hiding their strength. Huo Yuhao was among them.
Of course, there were a few lagging behind, but they were few in number and didn't stand out. From Zhou Yi's perspective, this year's new students were somewhat satisfactory, with only a few trying to slack off.
With only ten minutes remaining before the time limit, all the new students had already completed their laps. They gathered together in a disorganized manner, some with flushed faces, others bent over, hands on their knees, gasping for breath. Some were even lying on the ground, exhausted, their new uniforms drenched in sweat.
It was worth noting that the blue-haired girl and the short-haired boy, who had initially defied Zhou Yi, had completed the task as well. They had run an extra twenty laps but were not the last ones to finish. This showed that their arrogance was not entirely baseless.
Zhou Yi walked over to them with a blank expression and said indifferently, "Cheng Cheng, Qiu Jianrao, Tang Dao, Shangguan Chentian, Lin Zeyu, Zhuge Yun, Qin Long, Tang Mo, Yun Xiaopiao. The ones whose names I called, step forward."
After a brief silence, the nine students stepped forward, standing in a row in front of Zhou Yi. Most of them looked uncomfortable.
The rest of the new students looked at Zhou Yi in surprise. They had not introduced themselves previously, but this class head was able to call their names accurately, which meant she had done her homework.
"You nine can go back and pack your bags and leave the academy. From now on, you are no longer Shrek students."
"What?" The nine students were stunned, and so were the other students. They couldn't understand why the class head was doing this. Failing to get into Shrek was not embarrassing—after all, it was the most prestigious academy on the continent, and its standards were high.
But being expelled after entering was a different matter. People would wonder what they had done wrong, and rumors would spread, painting them in a bad light. It would be one thing if they were dismissed for failing exams, but these were new students being expelled right after enrolling. People would wonder if they had done something dishonorable or even illegal.
"Teacher Zhou, why? What did we do wrong?" The largest of the nine students stepped forward, his face full of defiance.
Zhou Yi coldly replied, "I don't need to explain myself to you. Shrek does not need students who resort to shortcuts. If you have strength but lack a proper mindset, then after being trained, you will only bring disaster, not help, to any nation."
This statement may not have had much impact on the other students, but to Huo Yuhao, it sounded especially absurd. According to the original story, in a thousand years, the continent would be unified by the Sun Moon Empire, and Shrek Academy would remain independent, holding its own military force. In the end, the government tried to destroy Shrek using a superweapon, but Shrek had prepared in advance, surviving the attack.
(End of Chapter)