Chapter 99: You're All Crazy
On the way to the Spirit Arena district.
The early autumn sunlight filtered through the leaves of the plane trees lining the shaded path, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow across the flagstone road. The new students walked in small clusters of three or five on the way to Shrek Academy's Spirit Arena district. Laughter and spirited discussion intertwined in the air, thick with the unique, vibrant energy of youth.
Quite a few students had already begun seeking out teammates, gathering in groups of two or three to discuss tactics. For these young soul masters who had just set foot in Shrek Academy, nothing was more exhilarating than a true test of strength.
Huo Yuhao walked among the crowd, his expression calm. His deep blue eyes habitually scanned the surroundings, taking in every detail of his classmates' demeanor. Some were gesticulating with excitement, some were clenching their fists with nervous tension, and some were calmly searching for suitable teammates.
"Hey, hey! Huo Yuhao!"
A crisp, clear voice sounded from beside him. Huo Yuhao turned his head to see Wang Dong hurrying to catch up. The youth's short pinkish-blue hair gleamed with a soft luster beneath the sunlight, and that face—far too pretty to be called merely handsome—wore an eager, itching-for-action smile.
"Let's team up, just the two of us," Wang Dong said, getting straight to the point, his eyes shimmering with anticipation.
Huo Yuhao nodded slightly. "We can, but didn't Sister Furina say she'd shuffle the teams later? This is only temporary."
"So what?" Wang Dong waved a hand dismissively. "Let's just experience it first! You have no idea—that third soul skill you used last time..."
He lowered his voice and leaned in closer. "It was absolutely incredible. I have a feeling that if you really wanted to, there aren't many in our class who could last three rounds against you."
The words were blunt, but they were also the truth. Huo Yuhao recalled his unique soul ring configuration, and a complex emotion stirred in his heart. White, purple, black—such a combination of soul rings appearing on a new student would strike anyone who saw them as utterly inconceivable.
He unconsciously raised a hand and scratched his head, his thoughts drifting. Among his peers, there truly might be no one who could rival him in spiritual power. Even Sister Furina—unfathomable as she was, with her high soul power rank—in a purely spiritual power contest, she should still fall short of him...
"But if we do that, wouldn't you and the other teammate have no chance to shine at all?"
Huo Yuhao pulled his thoughts back to the present and looked seriously at Wang Dong. "My abilities are too unusual. If I really go all out, I'm afraid the entire match will just turn into a one-man show."
Wang Dong blinked, then furrowed his brow. "You're right... that really is a problem."
He rubbed his chin and sank into thought, a contemplative light flickering in his pinkish-blue eyes. Just then, another voice cut in.
"If it's a three-person team—how about you two count me in?"
Xiao Xiao had somehow made her way to their side. The young woman wore her hair in a neat ponytail, and her lively, intelligent eyes darted back and forth between Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.
She paused, then added, "Actually, I'd rather team up with Furina. But she said earlier that since she's serving as the temporary teacher, it wouldn't be appropriate for her to participate in student matches. So she recommended I come find you two."
"She's really playing the part, isn't she," Wang Dong raised an eyebrow, his tone a mixture of exasperation and envy.
Huo Yuhao, however, simply nodded and said without the slightest hesitation, "Since Sister Furina said so—then consider our little team officially formed."
Seeing how readily they agreed, a smile blossomed on Xiao Xiao's face. But then, as if suddenly remembering something, her expression turned serious. "Oh, right—Furina asked me to pass a message to you, Huo Yuhao. She wants you to only use your first and second soul skills during the matches, and under absolutely no circumstances are you to use your second martial soul."
"What?!" Wang Dong nearly shouted. He forcibly swallowed the words back, but his expression clearly screamed: Is this demand not completely unreasonable?!
Huo Yuhao, in contrast, merely nodded calmly after hearing the message. "Alright, I understand. In the matches, then, I'll only use my first soul skill."
This reply left Wang Dong utterly speechless. He stared at Huo Yuhao for several long seconds, and in the end could only grumble inwardly: You're crazy too! You're both crazy! You clearly have that kind of overwhelming strength, yet you insist on putting shackles on yourselves. Isn't this just asking for trouble?
Xiao Xiao was also somewhat puzzled. She tilted her head and studied Huo Yuhao, trying to read something from that calm, untroubled face. Furina wouldn't impose such restrictions without a reason, and for Huo Yuhao to agree so readily—he must have his own considerations. Could it be... that this seemingly ordinary white soul ring actually concealed some astonishing secret?
The thought flickered past, and even Xiao Xiao herself found it somewhat absurd. How strong could a white soul ring possibly be? But on second thought—was there anything about Huo Yuhao that followed common sense? Perhaps this first soul skill truly did possess some ability beyond imagination.
As the three conversed, quite a few classmates had been casting glances their way. Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had already left a profound impression on everyone during the soul ring display earlier. Both possessed soul ring configurations that defied all convention, and one of them was a three-ringed soul master to boot. Who wouldn't want to join a team with partners like that?
Several students had originally been walking over to ask whether there was still room in the team. But seeing that Xiao Xiao had already gotten there first and the three had clearly reached an agreement, they could only turn away with regret. The freshman assessment team battles had a strict maximum of three per team. Forcing oneself in would only provoke resentment.
They could only silently hope that when Furina shuffled the teams later, they might be fortunate enough to be placed in the same group as Huo Yuhao or Wang Dong.
The group pressed onward. The iconic circular building of the Spirit Arena district had already appeared at the end of their field of vision. This massive venue, built specifically for soul master competitions, occupied an enormous footprint. Its gray stone exterior walls looked heavy and solemn beneath the sunlight. It was said that the combat platforms inside had all been specially reinforced and could withstand any attack below the Soul Emperor level.
Just as the crowd was about to step through the main entrance of the Spirit Arena district, a middle-aged teacher emerged from the gatehouse and extended a hand to block their path.
"Hold on—what are you all here for?" The teacher's gaze swept across the crowd before finally settling on Furina and Zhou Yi at the front. "There aren't any matches scheduled for today, are there? If you're here to spectate, you need to apply in advance. Or is it... that some of you want to reserve a platform for sparring?"
His tone carried obvious puzzlement. So many students arriving at once—this was hardly a common occurrence.
Furina stepped forward, a perfectly measured smile gracing her face. Her heterochromatic pupils looked especially striking in the light. "Hello. I've brought the entire class to the Spirit Arena district for practical combat drills. I wanted to give everyone a chance to acclimate to the combat atmosphere in advance and strengthen their practical abilities."
She deliberately omitted mentioning her status as a temporary teacher. This subtle omission made the corner of Zhou Yi's mouth twitch beside her—yet this teacher, infamous for her severity, didn't utter a single word of correction.
The teacher blocking their path was stunned. His gaze shifted back and forth between Furina and Zhou Yi, his mind racing. Bringing students to the Spirit Arena for combat on the very first day of school? This efficiency was simply too high.
And besides... he studied Furina closely, certain that he had never seen this face among the faculty. Those heterochromatic eyes, especially—such a distinctive feature. If he'd seen them before, there was no way he could forget.
Yet Teacher Zhou Yi—her, he recognized. Shrek Academy's notoriously fiery temper, a woman whose eyes could tolerate not a grain of sand. If Furina were her student, speaking in this tone and brazenly leading the entire class to the Spirit Arena district without authorization, she'd probably have been expelled on the spot.
But the reality was—Zhou Yi stood right beside her, silent, not even a trace of displeasure on her face.
What on earth was going on?
Various possibilities flashed through the teacher's mind, finally settling on the most improbable yet seemingly only plausible explanation. Could this young woman, who looked barely past her teens, with those heterochromatic eyes—could she really be a newly arrived teacher? But that was just too...
"Teacher Zhou, this..." He looked hesitantly toward Zhou Yi, hoping for a clear answer.
Zhou Yi let out a sigh and finally spoke. "Teacher Wang, this is Furina. She is temporarily serving as my class's substitute teacher. Today's practical combat drills have my approval. Would you please arrange the venue for us?"
Though her tone was calm, Zhou Yi's heart was not nearly as composed as she appeared. Letting a student serve as a temporary teacher—this was a first in her many years of teaching. And Furina seemed to have fully embraced the role of a genuine teacher, showing not the slightest deference toward her. It was just that she couldn't very well lose her temper over it.