On the other side, Zhou Yi did not go far after leaving the classroom.
She walked to the lounge next door to the classroom, her gaze falling through the window onto the swan-like young girl in the first row.
The girl wore a pink dress; her skin was fair and delicate, and her features were exquisite, like a Fairy walking out of a painting.
She sat in her seat with her eyes slightly lowered, her fingers gently stroking a crystal bracelet in her hand, her temperament cold and noble.
It was Tang Wutong.
The coldness and meanness on Zhou Yi's face instantly vanished, replaced by a gentle smile.
She gently pushed the door open and walked in.
"Wutong." Zhou Yi's voice was much softer.
Tang Wutong slowly raised her head. Seeing Zhou Yi, there was not a hint of warmth in her eyes, even carrying a trace of faint detachment.
She didn't speak, only giving a soft "Mhm."
Zhou Yi walked to Tang Wutong's side and said with a smile, "Your talent is excellent, and Shrek's resources are sufficient for your use."
"Don't waste your time and talent on insignificant people, understand?"
The "insignificant person" she spoke of naturally referred to Huo Yuhao.
Tang Wutong didn't even look at Zhou Yi, replying indifferently, "I don't need you to teach me what to do."
Her tone was very cold, even carrying a hint of impatience.
Facing Tang Wutong's assertiveness, Zhou Yi wasn't angry at all.
She knew Tang Wutong too well; such a Genius naturally had her own pride.
Only with such pride was one worthy of the status of a Genius.
She smiled, said no more, and simply patted Tang Wutong's shoulder before turning to leave the lounge.
What she needed to do was properly nurture these true geniuses and let them shine at Shrek.
As for trash like Huo Yuhao, he shouldn't be here at all, lest he ruin the atmosphere of Class 1 and waste everyone's time.
Zhou Yi's pace was hurried, her mind only on how to cultivate the most outstanding students.
She didn't notice a lonely figure slowly walking past the lounge window.
It was Huo Yuhao.
He had just walked out of the classroom and was wandering aimlessly on the small paths of the campus. The morning breeze blew past, carrying the fragrance of flowers and grass, but it couldn't blow away the gloom in his heart.
He looked at the high-spirited students around him, seeing their confident expressions, and the inferiority and loss in his heart grew stronger.
Just then, a gaze fell upon him.
Huo Yuhao instinctively looked up and met Tang Wutong's eyes.
Tang Wutong was standing by the classroom window, seemingly looking outside.
When her gaze met Huo Yuhao's, her brow furrowed slightly, and a hard-to-detect flicker of disgust flashed in her eyes.
Huo Yuhao's heart sank abruptly, as if he had been drenched in ice water.
He quickly lowered his head, not daring to meet Tang Wutong's gaze again, and quickened his pace, hurrying past the classroom door.
Tang Wutong watched Huo Yuhao's lonely back, her brow furrowing even tighter.
She turned to look at Zhou Yi, the disgust in her eyes deepening.
In her view, Zhou Yi clearly knew Huo Yuhao's situation yet remained so harsh, even letting him stay in Class 1—it was simply a waste of resources.
This scene was caught by Dai Huabin, who was sitting behind Tang Wutong.
Dai Huabin's face instantly darkened, his eyes filled with dissatisfaction and jealousy.
He was tall, and his spirit power had already reached Rank 32; he was a recognized Genius of Class 1, second only to Tang Wutong.
In his view, he was the one who should be the focus of attention, but now, Tang Wutong's gaze always fell on that Rank 11 trash, Huo Yuhao.
On what basis?
A piece of trash who couldn't even complete basic training—how was he worthy of Tang Wutong's attention?
Dai Huabin's fingers clenched into a fist, his knuckles turning white.
He stared fixedly at Huo Yuhao's back, a trace of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.
Huo Yuhao, you untalented garbage, you have no awareness of being trash, do you?
Since you're so ungrateful, let me teach you what Shrek's rules are, and what the rules of the strong are!
The air in the classroom instantly became more oppressive.
Sunlight poured through the window onto Huo Yuhao, but it couldn't dispel the gloom on him.
A storm targeting him was quietly brewing.
And Huo Yuhao seemed completely unaware, still immersed in his own World, silently enduring everything.
He didn't know that his path at Shrek was destined not to be smooth.
But he also secretly made up his mind that no matter how hard the road ahead was, he would persevere.
He wanted to prove he wasn't trash, that he was qualified to stay at Shrek, and qualified to stand at the top of the World!
The afternoon sun was fierce, baking the training grounds of Shrek's Outer Court until they were scorching hot.
The air was thick with the dry heat of evaporated sweat, and fluctuations of spirit power rose and fell as the students of Freshman Class 1 underwent the basic spirit power control training assigned by Zhou Yi.
Huo Yuhao stood in the center of the training formation, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, his face as pale as paper.
His hands were pressed firmly against the formation lines on the ground, trying to guide the meager spirit power within his body to circulate as required.
But that Rank 11 spirit power was like a dried-up stream; no matter how he urged it, it could only crawl through his Meridians with difficulty, completely unable to complete the spirit power condensation and release required by Zhou Yi.
Time passed minute by minute, and the students around him finished their training one after another, retreating to the side to rest, leaving only Huo Yuhao still struggling bitterly.
His arms trembled slightly, the dizziness from spirit power exhaustion hit him repeatedly, and his vision darkened in waves.
"Time's up." Zhou Yi's cold voice was like an ice-dipped blade, slicing through the silence of the training field.
She walked slowly up to Huo Yuhao, looking down at him from above, her eyes showing no mercy, only bone-chilling disappointment and resolve.
"Huo Yuhao, you failed again." A simple sentence, yet it made Huo Yuhao's whole body shudder, all his strength seemingly drained in an instant.
He slowly released his hands and slumped onto the ground, panting heavily, his chest heaving violently.
Zhou Yi's gaze swept over him, her tone without a ripple: "I gave you a chance; you didn't cherish it yourself."
"From now on, you are expelled. Pack your things and leave Shrek immediately."
This time, she didn't mention Bei Bei or Tang Ya, nor did she hesitate in the slightest.
In her eyes, trash like Huo Yuhao didn't deserve to occupy Shrek's resources, let alone stay in her Class 1.
Huo Yuhao looked up abruptly, his eyes bloodshot, staring fixedly at Zhou Yi: "I..."
He wanted to defend himself, to speak of his efforts, but when the words reached his lips, he found everything seemed so pale and powerless.
A Rank 11 one-ring Spirit Master who couldn't even complete the most basic training at Shrek—he had no right to argue.
Without the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm, without Electrolux, without any fortuitous encounters, he was just an ordinary youth with mediocre talent and no background.
In this academy where the strong are revered, he didn't even have the confidence to resist.
In the end, Huo Yuhao could only clench his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, letting humiliation and anger surge in his heart, but unable to say a single word.
He slowly stood up and, dragging his heavy footsteps, walked toward the freshman dormitory step by step.
The sun was still blinding, but as it fell on him, only cold loneliness remained.
The gazes of the surrounding students—some curious, some disdainful, some gloating—were like countless needles, piercing him to the core.
Back at the freshman dormitory, Huo Yuhao was in a daze, as if he had lost his soul.
He kept his head down, his steps unsteady, not even noticing the hunched old man lying on a recliner by the dormitory entrance.
Thud!
With a dull thud, Huo Yuhao's knee slammed hard against the armrest of the recliner. Intense pain shot through him instantly, making him let out a muffled groan.
He stumbled back a step and looked down at the old man lying on the recliner with his eyes closed, dozing.
The long-accumulated grievances, anger, and resentment erupted completely at this moment.
"You old geezer! What are you doing sleeping here?! Don't you know you're blocking the way?" Huo Yuhao's voice was hoarse and violent, filled with hysterical despair.
He looked up, his gaze sweeping toward Shrek Academy, his eyes full of hatred:
"Even you are bullying me! What 'Shrek', what 'Cradle of Spirit Masters'—it's all sanctimonious and unworthy of its reputation!"
"I, Huo Yuhao, am staying no longer! Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west! One day, I will make all of you regret this!"
His roar echoed at the dormitory entrance, carrying a desperate resolve to burn his bridges.
Having said that, he didn't stay a moment longer, turning to rush into the dormitory and quickly pack his things.
His luggage was simple: just a few changes of clothes and a white tiger dagger.
That was the only memento his mother had left him, his last connection to this World.
He gripped the white tiger dagger tightly. The cold touch calmed him slightly, but it also strengthened his resolve to leave.
Carrying his simple bundle, Huo Yuhao rushed out of Shrek Academy without looking back.
His back was lonely yet stubborn as he disappeared onto the road outside the academy gates.
And the old man he had cursed slowly opened his eyes after he left.
They were eyes that seemed cloudy yet were incredibly deep, as if they could see through everything in the World.
He looked in the direction Huo Yuhao had gone and sighed softly, a trace of regret in his tone:
"Sigh, Zhou Yi is still a bit too extreme. It's time to let her reflect properly."
As the words fell, the old man closed his eyes again, as if nothing had happened, continuing to doze on the recliner like an ordinary gatekeeper.