This was actually a very normal occurrence. After all, even in the Star Luo Empire auction house, ninth-level soul tools could be openly auctioned off, and Jiu Jiuding had even specially emphasized that they were products of the Mingde Hall.
So the one who should feel embarrassed wasn't Zhang Lexuan—it was actually them.
Now that this matter had been brought to light, everyone felt awkward...
Xu Cheng coughed lightly twice and glared at a nearby staff member. "Machine malfunction? How can you mess up even such a small task?"
Lin Jiayi quickly caught on and repeatedly apologized. "My apologies, everyone. That was a mistake on our part at Mingde Hall. Please, everyone, move forward to use a different machine. I assure you, the other one will work perfectly."
Zhang Lexuan finally felt relieved.
She pretended to be calm as she stepped off the machine, but her palms, clenched tightly, were already drenched in sweat.
That was close...
Xu Cheng, however, cast a surprised glance at her.
As a Spirit-type martial soul user, his immense spiritual power often gave him a much sharper sense of perception than ordinary people, even without using his soul skills.
So he also noticed Zhang Lexuan's abnormal reaction.
Why was she this nervous?
But before he could think any further, Lin Jiayi had already announced that the next person would be tested.
Chu Tianran, Mo Xuan, and the others took turns undergoing the test. Once it was over, a clear division had formed within Shrek Academy—
On the Martial Soul side, whether it was physical fitness, strength, or soul power, they were exceptionally formidable, far surpassing ordinary soul masters. This also reflected the intense resources that Shrek Academy had at its disposal.
On the Soul Tool side, however, apart from He Caitou, who barely managed to pass, the rest were a complete mess.
Many of the results even shocked the staff, leaving them astonished.
As expected of the number-one academy.
Xu Cheng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, scanning the group with a thoughtful gaze.
He wasn't in a hurry to recruit these outstanding students. However, from observing them, he could gain insight into the potential of aristocratic families. After thousands of years of monopolization and development, these powerful families had cultivated bloodlines that upheld Shrek's millennia-long honor.
If he wanted to advance, he naturally wouldn't reject the olive branches extended by these noble families.
Shrek Academy
Inside the classroom—
Watching Zhou Yi, who wore a perpetually sour expression and had just ordered everyone to the training ground for running, Xiao Hongchen closed his textbook in confusion and followed the group outside.
"That old witch wants us to run?" He turned to Lin Xi beside him.
Lin Xi was equally puzzled. "Shouldn't we be learning some basic martial soul knowledge first? But then again, this is Shrek Academy. Maybe they have their own reasoning."
Thus, by the evening—
When everyone returned to the dormitory, they were all full of complaints.
Xiao Hongchen: "That crazy old hag has lost her mind!"
Lin Xi: "I think so too!"
Ma Rulong: "Just go to sleep early. We have to get up early to run again tomorrow."
Everyone: "..."
The Next Morning
Xiao Hongchen arrived at the classroom with a bit of excitement.
"Today, she should finally start teaching something, right?"
Zhou Yi entered the classroom with her usual scowl, striding up to the podium.
She gave a disdainful glance at the exchange students from the Sun Moon Empire.
"You were placed in the sixth-year class because we thought you were strong enough to prepare for the Inner Court entrance exam. But after yesterday's training? You're nothing but a bunch of useless trash! You don't even have the stamina to back up your skills—what else can you do?"
Xiao Hongchen immediately felt indignant, but Ma Rulong pulled him back before he could say anything.
Zhou Yi continued to sweep a contemptuous gaze over the class.
"Enough. There are specially compiled Shrek textbooks on your desks. Today, we'll be having a history lesson. Learn about the history of the continent and Shrek Academy first!"
Xiao Hongchen flipped open the textbook and skimmed through it, but the content left him bewildered.
Then, he turned to the table of contents:
Shrek's Millennia-Long Honor
A Small Event in the Life of the Original Shrek Seven Devils
Our Revered Shrek Headmaster
The Continental War Four Years Ago – Shrek's Divine Soldiers Descend from the Heavens!
Shrek's Contributions to the Continent
He raised his head and exchanged a confused glance with Lin Xi.
Looking at the book, all he could see were one crooked words—Loyalty!
Zhou Yi, seeing the bewildered expressions on the students' faces, became even more impatient.
"Head to the training field and run fifty laps with weights! The last person to finish—cough—the last person to finish won't be eating tomorrow! Have some shame!"
With that, she flicked her sleeves and left.
The students were left staring at each other in dismay.
Zhou Yi's Office
On her way back, many people greeted her carefully.
"Good morning, Teacher Zhou."
"Teacher Zhou, welcome back."
But she only responded with a cold nod, acknowledging them with a sense of superiority.
In her eyes, these fellow teachers were not worth her attention.
This, in her opinion, was how she demonstrated her "authority."
Fan Yu had led a team to the Sun Moon Empire, didn't that prove his importance to the academy? Hmph. And the other person leading the team was none other than the Inner Court's top disciple, Zhang Lexuan! If her husband was on equal footing with Zhang Lexuan, didn't that mean she was just as important?
But the more she thought about today's events, the more irritated she became.
The criteria for entering the Inner Court were different for Martial Soul and Soul Tool divisions.
Since the first year, she had implemented a rigorous elimination system, cutting down her class from over seventy students to just twenty. Her terrifyingly high advancement rate into the Inner Court made her stand out across the entire grade. But now, these unexpected exchange students from the Sun Moon Empire had completely disrupted her "elite" plan.
Just Lin Xi alone, along with several other fifth-level Soul Engineers, was completely unqualified for the Inner Court based on Martial Soul standards—because the Inner Court assessment didn't take Soul Tools into account, only Martial Soul strength.
Of course, if she had even half of Wang Yan's knowledge about Martial Souls or his depth of understanding, she wouldn't be in this predicament.
But with her only approach being endless running drills, and her sole idea of "progress" being "increasing weight while running," it was no wonder she felt completely helpless, gnashing her teeth in anger at the Sun Moon Empire exchange students...
(End of Chapter)