"Your Excellency, the Pope, can any teacher participate in this competition?"
"Even I can!"
A steady and gentle voice suddenly rang out amidst the deafening noise of the square. Although the voice was not loud, at this moment, it drowned out all other sounds.
Teachers and students alike turned their gaze towards the source of the voice. He stood at the very front of the first-grade class A’s side.
The person standing in this position represented the homeroom teacher of the class.
The homeroom teacher of class A was not only a representative of strength but also a symbol of status and position. Without explicit instructions from the Pope to the grades, the homeroom teachers of class A in each grade held absolute authority over all students and even teachers within their respective grades.
They could promote or demote students, allocate resources, and even expel students, strip them of their spirit power, and banish them from the academy, all without incurring any punishment.
The power wielded by the homeroom teacher of class A within the academy was second only to the Pope. Even Yue Guan and Gui Mei, elders of the Spirit Hall, could not claim to achieve the same feats within the academy as a class A homeroom teacher.
Yet, it was precisely such a person, possessing both strength and power, who posed a question that inexplicably sent a chill down everyone’s spine.
Wang Zhong's face showed surprise, and his eyes held a deep sense of disbelief.
Hu Liena, Xie Yue, Yan, and the other three, Yin Can and Feng Bailing, also stared with dumbfounded expressions at Ying Yanyang, who had uttered those words.
Bibi Dong cast her gaze towards Ying Yanyang. Her peerlessly beautiful face showed no change, but the light in her wine-red eyes seemed to dim slightly.
"Yes, you can! Teachers from any class are allowed."
Ying Yanyang held one arm across his chest, his index finger resting on his chin with the other hand. He nodded calmly and then turned his gaze to Wang Zhong, saying with a light smile.
"It seems I also have a chance."
"Wang Zhong, are you prepared to face a Soul Sage's challenge for five years!"
The entire square erupted at that moment as if a volcano had exploded.
The news of a Soul Sage challenging a Great Soul Master was already incredibly astonishing. Moreover, the peculiar relationship between these two individuals made the event feel utterly surreal to everyone.
Ying Yanyang was the homeroom teacher of class A, and Wang Zhong was the chief student of class A. This pair, originally close and with deep affection, had now become adversaries over a spirit bone, turning into opponents.
This bizarre development and dramatic turn of events gave everyone a feeling akin to watching a climax-filled ethical drama.
Ying Yanyang walked forward with a smile, stopping dozens of meters in front of Wang Zhong, his expression serene and peaceful.
Wang Zhong lowered his eyes, the complexity on his young face causing his brows to furrow deeply. He had never imagined that Ying Yanyang, his homeroom teacher, would one day become his opponent.
Looking at the man's straight, tall, somewhat thin but sturdy figure, Wang Zhong opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but no sound came out.
If Wang Zhong had only made one friend at the Spirit Hall Academy, it would be Qian Renxue. Then, the only elder Wang Zhong truly acknowledged was Ying Yanyang before him.
He wasn't like Shuang Yue Lian, who possessed a warmth that could permeate one's very being. He wasn't as handsome and dashing as Xia Xuan, nor did he, like Yue Shan, exude a sense of bold and magnificent grandeur simply by his presence.
Ying Yanyang was truly an ordinary person, in appearance, physique, and temperament. If he walked among a crowd in his usual manner, no one would suspect he was a Soul Sage unless told otherwise. Who would ever imagine such an ordinary person possessing such formidable and terrifying strength?
In class, Ying Yanyang's teaching style was primarily strict and solemn, even somewhat rigid. As a result, Wang Zhong would often fall asleep during Ying Yanyang's lessons.
Despite falling asleep, Wang Zhong held a deep, heartfelt respect for Ying Yanyang. This respect stemmed not from power, but from knowledge. In terms of erudition and theory, Ying Yanyang gave Wang Zhong a sense of unfathomable, inscrutable mystery.
It was as if he knew everything and understood everything. No matter the problem, Ying Yanyang could always pinpoint its core and provide a solution that was almost a killing blow.
Fast, accurate, and ruthless, just like an eagle preying on its victim, precise and deadly.
Yan's youthful, complicated feelings, Wang Zhong's arrogant and conceited personality, Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and everyone in the class, all had their own issues, be it big or small.
But regardless of the problem, Ying Yanyang could always identify it at the first opportunity and, at the most opportune moment, provide a solution that would be unforgettable.
Furthermore, Ying Yanyang had personally designed a complete set of training plans and spirit development strategies for every student in the class. Although Wang Zhong and none of the others had seen this plan, everyone had felt the difference in their daily training.
This difference, a year later, now that everyone in first-grade class A had obtained their spirit rings, manifested as an inexplicable sense of compatibility between their bodies and spirit rings. This was no longer explainable by mere erudition; it was also a testament to Ying Yanyang's foresight!
To explain it, Ying Yanyang had once told Wang Zhong and the others that he had already seen everyone's future!
As a teacher, his erudition was paramount, and in this regard, Ying Yanyang had achieved the extreme among all teachers.
And there was the most crucial point: character!
Wang Zhong possessed the Eight Extremes Heaven and the Eight Inner Gates technique. These two were almost impossibly powerful, clearly top-tier self-created spirit skills that anyone could recognize.
Others might not know, but as Wang Zhong's homeroom teacher, how could Ying Yanyang not?
As the homeroom teacher, he could have used his authority to coerce, tempt, or force Wang Zhong to hand over these two spirit skills. However, Ying Yanyang had never shown the slightest possessiveness towards them in front of Wang Zhong, not even curiosity.
The only time he had done something related to it was when he was forced to test Wang Zhong, acting on a decree from the Pope brought by Gui Mei. But even then, he had cut it short before Wang Zhong could speak.
As a teacher, his erudition and noble character were beyond reproach. In these two aspects, Ying Yanyang was truly worthy of the title of teacher and the position of homeroom teacher for first-grade class A.
But now, for a spirit bone, Ying Yanyang stood opposite Wang Zhong, issuing a five-year challenge invitation as an opponent, or rather, an enemy!
Wang Zhong could not understand, nor could he accept it. In fact, a strange sense of fear arose in his heart.
It was not due to Ying Yanyang's strength, but rather his own fear that one day, the teacher and the student would be forced into a life-and-death struggle.
This was not an alarmist statement but a highly probable scenario.
Ying Yanyang, as a Soul Sage, his strength was beyond doubt. Wang Zhong's stubborn and arrogant nature also guaranteed that every challenge would be met with full effort.
Fists and feet knew no mercy, and spirit skills had no eyes. No one could guarantee that in such intense battles, a calm mind would always prevail.
In the early stages, Ying Yanyang might have the power to crush Wang Zhong, preventing such a possibility. But what about the later stages? Given Wang Zhong's current rate of progress, who dared to say that someone could always suppress him!
And once the battle reached a point where even Ying Yanyang had to be extremely cautious, everything would unfold in an unpredictable direction.
What Wang Zhong feared was this unpredictability.