Jiang Nannan stood up. Every boy in the class turned to look at her—except for Zhu Ziyang. Among the girls in Class Four, only Tang Ya could barely match her in beauty; the rest were no competition.
"I'm Jiang Nannan, from the Heaven Soul Empire," she said simply and sat back down after her one-sentence introduction.
"Jiang Nannan—pretty name for a pretty girl," Teacher Xia Yu said with a smile, offering a brief comment. Then his gaze shifted to Zhu Ziyang, and his tone turned more observant.
"The boy sitting next to Jiang Nannan, please introduce yourself."
This time, it was the girls' turn to turn and look. Zhu Ziyang's appearance stood out among the boys.
"I'm Zhu Ziyang, also from the Heaven Soul Empire."
His introduction was just as concise. He sat down afterward.
"Very good. Handsome and composed. I like handsome students best!" Xia Yu's eyes sparkled when he heard Zhu Ziyang's name, and he made a lighthearted comment. Then he turned to the next student.
"Next, the girl sitting in front of Zhu Ziyang."
"I'm Yang Yun, from Tidelight City, Dou Spirit Empire."
"Tidelight City, eh? A traditional stronghold for sea-type soul masters," Xia Yu remarked.
"I'm Luo Xuan, from Yuntian City, Star Luo Empire."
"Luo Xuan…"
…
Roughly half an hour passed as each of the hundred students introduced themselves. Xia Yu didn't skip a single one, and even gave a personal comment for every student.
Just like that, the new students quickly felt more connected to him. Many thought to themselves,
"Our homeroom teacher's not so bad after all!"
"Very well. Now that we've gotten to know each other, it's time to elect a class president. Any volunteers?" Xia Yu asked with a warm smile.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhu Ziyang raised his hand.
There was no doubt—Zhu Ziyang was very interested in becoming class president. First, he refused to be beneath anyone—he had his pride and wanted to be the best among his peers. Second, in Shrek Academy, the class president held status and recognition. Class presidents were seen as leaders of their peers, and they were already on the radar of the academy's instructors.
In addition to Zhu Ziyang, two boys and two girls also raised their hands. Xia Yu studied the five of them carefully before finally stopping at Zhu Ziyang. With a smile, he said,
"Zhu Ziyang, you'll be the class president of Class Four."
"Understood, Teacher!" Zhu Ziyang accepted without hesitation. This outcome didn't surprise him. Given his overwhelming strength, there was no reason Xia Yu wouldn't choose him. After all, a class president without strength commands no authority.
The other four candidates all wore unpleasant expressions. One seemed deep in thought, another glared with open dissatisfaction. It was clear they weren't happy with Xia Yu's unilateral decision.
Xia Yu noticed their reactions and smirked playfully. He added,
"Of course, the position of class president isn't set in stone. If any student is able to defeat Zhu Ziyang, they may take the title from him. Shrek Academy values those who hunger for glory."
As soon as he said this, not only did the four other candidates perk up, but even several students who hadn't raised their hands were suddenly tempted.
"Alright, let's begin the first lesson," Xia Yu said, clearly satisfied with their reaction.
"Starting today, I'll be teaching you the course 'Soul Master Development and Direction.'"
As for Zhu Ziyang, now surrounded by the eager and competitive gazes of his classmates, he appeared totally unaffected.
Truthfully, he didn't mind. Even against a Soul Ancestor, as long as he didn't use his second martial soul or soul bone, he could still fight them to a draw.
"Hey, Nannan… can you give me a hint about Zhu Ziyang's real strength?" Tang Ya whispered with curiosity, lying on her desk and eyeing Jiang Nannan.
"He doesn't seem the least bit worried!"
"Guess," Jiang Nannan said, her lips curling slightly into a teasing smile.
"…Don't tell me he's actually a Soul Elder?" Tang Ya bolted upright in shock and blurted it out loud.
"Miss Tang Ya, do you have a question?" Xia Yu asked, frowning at the disruption.
"N-No! Haha…" Tang Ya laughed awkwardly.
Xia Yu didn't press the issue and continued the lesson.
Tang Ya leaned closer again and whispered,
"Nannan, is the Soul Elder freshman really your Zhu Ziyang?"
"Mm," Jiang Nannan nodded softly.
"Good heavens…" Tang Ya's mouth fell open, stunned speechless.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the morning class.
Xia Yu ended his lecture immediately, called out "class dismissed," and left the room without another word.
Shrek Academy's class schedule was quite unique: only two periods per day—one in the morning, one in the afternoon—each lasting an hour and a half. This gave students more free time, which was intentional. For soul masters, theory was useful—but real power came from strength.
Zhu Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, and Tang Ya were just about to leave the classroom when someone blocked their way.
"Zhu Ziyang, I challenge you!" the person declared loudly.
All the students in the room turned to watch, faces full of interest and amusement.
Zhu Ziyang paused, then looked at the person standing before him—a slightly chubby red-haired boy.
He recognized him: Wang Qiao, one of the other class president candidates.
Zhu Ziyang smiled and replied,
"Sure."
The students all grew excited. Those who had their eyes on the class president position were especially pleased.
"Great! Let's go to Shrek Plaza!" Wang Qiao said, beaming.
"Hold on!" a voice rang out.
Just as everyone was about to leave, Teacher Xia Yu suddenly reappeared from the crowd, stopping them.
"Teacher Xia?" everyone exclaimed in surprise. Wang Qiao's expression stiffened—he worried Xia Yu might stop them.
"If you want to duel, go to the Dueling Arena," Xia Yu said calmly, ignoring their looks. Then he turned to Zhu Ziyang and Wang Qiao.
"However, I'd like you to wait until this afternoon's class. I'll take the opportunity to explain the academy's dueling system."
Though it sounded like a request, Xia Yu's tone left no room for argument.
What could Zhu Ziyang do? He nodded and said,
"I'm fine with that."
"I agree too," Wang Qiao said when he saw Zhu Ziyang accept.
"Very good." Xia Yu smiled, pleased with their cooperation. Then, in the blink of an eye, he vanished—leaving the entire class dumbfounded.
After he left, Wang Qiao looked at Zhu Ziyang and sneered arrogantly.
"Hmph. Enjoy being class president while you can. This afternoon, the title is mine! I won't let some commoner sit above me!"
Faced with Wang Qiao's provocation, Zhu Ziyang simply smiled and said nothing.
The other students scattered, and Zhu Ziyang and his two companions left the classroom.