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"Good day, everyone. I am your teacher from this point forward. My name is Zhou Yi. Let me make one thing clear: in my class, obedience is paramount. I have no tolerance for disobedient students. Now, let me announce the positions of class president and vice president. The class president will be Huo Yuhao, and the vice president will be Wang Dong!"
A new day, a new class, but an all-too-familiar teacher.
Yuwen Tuo rested his chin on his hand, silently staring at Zhou Yi with exasperation. This woman was far more unreasonable than Wang Yan from the original storyline.
In the original story, Wang Yan had been the teacher of this class. Though he valued Huo Yuhao highly, when selecting candidates for the position of class president, he had only included him as one of several options.
But Zhou Yi? She didn't even bother with pretense—she directly appointed Huo Yuhao without hesitation.
If Huo Yuhao were a high-level soul master, it might not have been such a big deal. But with only ten-plus levels and a measly ten-year first spirit ring, how could anyone expect these proud students to accept him as their leader?
"Teacher, I object," came a voice, breaking the silence. It was Wu Feng, seated near the back, not far from Dai Huabing.
Zhou Yi adjusted her glasses and spoke coldly, "Wu Feng, what is your issue?"
Wu Feng sneered. "I believe Huo Yuhao is unworthy of being class president. He's merely a single-ring soul master with a ten-year spirit ring. How can he possibly lead us? Even Wang Dong as vice president doesn't sit well with me. While she has a thousand-year second ring, she was eliminated by Yuwen Tuo in the third round of the rookie tournament."
Her words immediately sparked agreement among many students, especially those specializing in control-type soul skills. For a moment, the atmosphere became heated with discontent.
Cao Jinxuan stood up abruptly. "Teacher, I agree with Wu Feng. I propose that Yuwen... uh, I mean, Yuwen Tuo should be the class president. As the champion of this year's rookie tournament, he deserves the position. As for the vice president, I recommend Xiao Xiao or Dai Huabing. Xiao Xiao was part of the championship-winning team, and Dai Huabing is the only three-ring Soul Honored in our class. Either of them would make a suitable vice president, and no one would object."
"Yes, exactly! If Yuwen Tuo, Dai Huabing, or Xiao Xiao were chosen, we'd willingly accept them," voices chimed in from the crowd. After all, this was a world where strength reigned supreme. These three individuals' abilities were undeniable, whereas forcing them to follow a single-ring soul master would be an insult to their dignity.
"This apprentice of mine is digging his own grave," Yuwen Tuo muttered under his breath. He had been perfectly content watching the drama unfold, but now Cao Jinxuan had dragged him into the spotlight. He had no intention of becoming class president—it was a thankless, exhausting job. Why couldn't they just leave it to Huo Yuhao?
"Discontent? You dare object?" Zhou Yi's piercing gaze swept over Wu Feng and Cao Jinxuan. "You… don't have the qualifications to challenge my decision. If you don't like it, get out of Class One."
While Zhou Yi might have lacked some of Wang Yan's qualities, her authority over her class was unquestionable.
However, the students she was dealing with weren't ordinary freshmen anymore. They were now official Shrek Academy students who had passed the rookie trials. Many of them were core disciples, and even those who weren't came from influential families. How could they simply back down because of her threats?
"I refuse to accept this!" Wu Feng retorted angrily. "If he had Yuwen Tuo's strength, I'd submit. Or isn't it said that control-type soul masters counter power-type soul masters? If he can defeat me in battle, I'll concede."
As one of the academy's core disciples, Wu Feng knew full well that Zhou Yi didn't have the authority to expel her. As a member of the Nine Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect, why should she fear a mere teacher?
"You want to fight? Fine, let's settle this on the Spirit Dueling Arena!" Wang Dong's eyes burned with fury, her soul power surging to the surface, ready to explode.
Huo Yuhao lacked physical attack skills and had weak soul power. There was no way he could stand against Wu Feng.
"Enough!" Zhou Yi's authoritative voice reverberated through the room, laced with overwhelming soul force. Both Wang Dong and Wu Feng instinctively fell silent.
Zhou Yi was about to assert her dominance when, unexpectedly, Huo Yuhao stepped forward and accepted Wu Feng's challenge.
He understood that if he didn't do this, even if Zhou Yi forced the class to obey her decision through sheer power, they wouldn't truly respect him.
With no other choice, Zhou Yi reluctantly agreed to the duel.
Yuwen Tuo hadn't expected this confrontation to happen, despite Huo Yuhao avoiding conflict with Wu Feng during the rookie tournament. But then again, it was Zhou Yi's fault for prematurely appointing him as class president.
Assigning a single-ring soul master like Huo Yuhao as class president? It was no wonder the students refused to accept it.
Yuwen Tuo rose to his feet, smiling. "Let's go, Xiao Xiao. We've got money to make—and perhaps we'll witness an entertaining show."
Sitting beside him, Xiao Xiao asked curiously, "Tuo Tuo, you seem particularly interested in Huo Yuhao."
"That's right," Yuwen Tuo leaned closer, whispering into her ear, "This guy is no ordinary person. He has three spirit souls!"
"Th-three...?" Xiao Xiao gasped, nearly shouting in shock.
"Shh..." Yuwen Tuo placed a finger over her lips, transmitting his thoughts secretly. "Don't be so surprised. Having multiple spirit souls isn't always an advantage. A strong soul master needs only one spirit soul, two is a bonus, and three... well, it doesn't add much value. Humans have limited physical endurance. In history, even dual-soul masters have exploded under the strain. With three spirit souls, adding all six spirit bones still wouldn't be enough to handle the burden while human. Once ascending to godhood, divine positions become the true source of power."
Xiao Xiao calmed down after Yuwen Tuo's explanation, nodding in understanding.
Tuo Tuo was right. Having three spirit souls simply meant more versatility in combat. It wasn't necessarily better than her dual-soul setup when it came to cultivation.
What truly intrigued Yuwen Tuo, however, was Elekes—the Holy Ghost of Necromancy. He wanted to see this legendary figure in action.
"The bets are open! I'm the bookie. Place your wagers! Huo Yuhao pays ten-to-one odds; Wu Feng pays one-to-ten!" Zhou Sichen shouted enthusiastically.
Spirit duels were always accompanied by gambling—it was an unchanging rule of Douluo Continent.
This was the money-making opportunity Yuwen Tuo had been referring to.
"I'll bet on Wu Feng—100 gold spirit coins!" Dai Huabing was the first to respond, tossing a heavy pouch onto the table in front of Zhou Sichen.
Zhou Sichen hadn't expected such a large bet right off the bat. His face twitched slightly. "Young Master Dai, small bets are fun, but big bets can hurt."
Dai Huabing sneered. "You dared to set up shop—are you saying you don't have the guts to accept bets?"
Provoked, Zhou Sichen snapped back, "Fine, bring it on! Do you think I'm afraid of you? Wu Feng's odds are ten-to-one. Even if she wins, I'll only pay out ten gold spirit coins. I can afford it—I'll take any amount!"
Most of the students followed suit, placing their bets on Wu Feng. After all, two rings versus one, and a hundred-year spirit ring versus a ten-year spirit ring—it was clear who held the advantage.
"Then I'll bet on Huo Yuhao—10,000 gold spirit coins!" Suddenly, Xiao Xiao tossed a card onto the table in front of Zhou Sichen.