Douluo Dalu 2: Reincarnated as the Auspicious Beast

"Do you have the guts to repeat what you just said?" Zhou Yi's face, as stiff as old tree bark, showed no expression, but her eyes burned with a fury as vast as the ocean.

Zhou Yi's teaching method of intimidating students with a show of dominance on the first day of school had been her signature for years. She had always been the epitome of strength and authority. Even the most talented students would shrink like lambs when faced with her overwhelming power.

It was laughable. New students, at best, could only reach the level of a Spirit Elder. How could any young soul not tremble in fear when faced with a Spirit Emperor?

This was the first time Zhou Yi had encountered a rebellious student who dared to challenge her authority as a teacher.

Powerful waves of spirit energy radiated from her body, pressing directly onto the troublemaker standing before her. One by one, her spirit rings rose from beneath her feet: two yellow, two purple, and two black, each exuding an aura of indomitable might.

Although she adhered to Shrek Academy's motto of "One who does not cause trouble is mediocre," she absolutely would not tolerate anyone causing trouble for her.

Just as she expected the boy with the black bun hairstyle to collapse under the oppressive force of her Spirit Emperor-level energy, a vast shadow of purple and black rose behind him, and an unusual spear materialized in his hand.

A single, thin, yellow spirit ring pulsed behind An Wen's back. A glance out of the corner of one's eye would reveal what seemed to be a faint, dark golden dragon within the ring. However, staring directly at it showed nothing; it was as though the dragon was a mere illusion.

An Wen used the spear in her hand to steady herself, gradually standing straight under the immense pressure of a Spirit Emperor.

"I said..." she enunciated each word with deliberate force, "before calling someone trash, a fool, or a failure... shouldn't you first make sure that you're not trash, a fool, or a failure yourself?"

Cold sweat trickled from An Wen's forehead down into her collar. The power of her true form and her human state were not interchangeable. Her current body genuinely only had the strength of a single-ring Spirit Scholar. Even so, she still stood defiant under the Spirit Emperor's crushing pressure, her neck stiff as she fired back.

"At your age, to only be at the level of a Spirit Emperor—what kind of failure does that make you? You think you're qualified to teach Shrek students?"

The taunting, confrontational expression on her face ensured she secured Zhou Yi's animosity. It was truly an art form. Her provocations were so potent they could be considered unparalleled.

Grandmaster of verbal sparring, the Golden Dragon King: Heh, nailed it.

While An Wen wasn't exactly a hothead, most of the time, she behaved like a lazy cat, too indifferent to care about much. However, that didn't mean she had a good temper. After all, her true form wasn't a particularly kind or gentle creature.

In the Star Dou Forest, her power was certainly on the lower rungs of her "family hierarchy," but a Spirit Emperor-level foe would be little more than a casual swipe of her claws.

Expecting An Wen to tolerate Zhou Yi's tone? Impossible.

This wasn't even seeking out an argument; Zhou Yi had handed her one on a silver platter.

Although Zhou Yi was not truly ancient, An Wen could easily see that the wrinkles on her hands didn't match those on her face. But so what? To An Wen, humans were categorized by one simple metric: her contract partner, Long Xiaoyao.

Anyone who couldn't match Long Xiaoyao's cultivation speed was trash. Full stop.

The new students, already discontent with Zhou Yi, were now coming to the same realization.

Every student who passed Shrek's admission exams was unquestionably an elite among their peers. At worst, they could reach the level of a Spirit Emperor by the age of thirty-five. Yet here was Teacher Zhou, clearly much older, still a Spirit Emperor. On what basis did she have the right to call them trash or fools?

The gazes of all Class One's new students toward Zhou Yi turned hostile.

Zhou Yi's weathered, wrinkled face, resembling dead tree bark, showed no emotion, but her eyes were ablaze with fury.

Her talent indeed couldn't compare to that of the disciples eligible for Shrek's inner court, but that didn't give An Wen the right to call her out.

What's more, with An Wen taking the lead, the other students' expressions now also showed defiance. Kids were like that. Once someone led the charge, the rest wouldn't be so easily intimidated.

But no matter. If she could suppress this troublemaker, the remaining cubs would think twice before rebelling.

The spirit power radiating from Zhou Yi intensified sharply. An Wen let out a muffled groan.

"Listen, kid, let me teach you something today. When facing someone far stronger than you, you'd better learn to show some respect. You're nothing more than a one-ring weakling, a coward who doesn't even dare to admit their fights, and trash that doesn't respect their teacher. You don't deserve to stay in my class. Pack your things and get out. Shrek has no place for someone like you!" Zhou Yi said coldly.

She then scanned the rest of the class, her voice rasping, "Because of his disrespect for a teacher, all of you now have to run 100 laps. If you can't finish in an hour, you'll be expelled. Anyone who has objections can leave with him! In this class, my word is law. I'm your homeroom teacher, and I have the authority to expel anyone—"

"She's full of crap," An Wen sneered. "Great job deflecting the blame. Let me tell you all something: she just wants an excuse to make you run. Her plan is to weed out those of you who are physically weaker or disobedient, so she can raise her class's exam pass rate. This old witch plays the same tricks on the upper grades. Do you think support-type students can match combat students in physical fitness? She just wants to expel those who might drag down her performance stats."

The first-years, who had initially begun to harbor resentment toward An Wen after Zhou Yi's speech, now looked at her with a mix of uncertainty and realization.

"Also, let me make one thing clear," An Wen said, her golden eyes gleaming with an ominous, bloodthirsty light as she stared down Zhou Yi. "When I fight, I call it sparring. If I really meant to fight, there'd be blood."

Zhou Yi froze.

Facing those golden eyes, she suddenly felt like she was staring into the gaze of a primordial beast in a rage. An icy fear crept up her spine, as though someone had poured cold water down her back. Her hands trembled.

She, Zhou Yi, had been intimidated by a first-year student.

When the fear faded, it was replaced by shame and anger.

"I said, get out!" she roared.

"Oh? Planning to use force?" An Wen smirked, patting her chest. "Go ahead. Right here."

Zhou Yi hesitated.

Shrek's students all had notable backgrounds. While An Wen's wasn't among the few illustrious families Zhou Yi recognized, it still had a special mark.

Instead of striking, she grabbed An Wen by her collar and tossed her out the window.

With a loud crash, the glass shattered.

An Wen landed unscathed, flashed Zhou Yi a cheerful gesture, and walked away.

As if Zhou Yi could monopolize bullying.

Back in the classroom, Zhou Yi was nearly apoplectic with rage.

The new students, however, now looked at An Wen with admiration.

Grinding her teeth, Zhou Yi glared at them.

Her attempt at establishing dominance had failed. This group of first-years, emboldened by the troublemaker, had grown unruly. They wouldn't be easy to control without severe measures.

But at the start of the school year, who could provide an excuse for punishment?

Her gaze landed on the pink-haired boy who had fought with An Wen earlier.

Though he had remained silent, his eyes still held defiance. A proud genius needing some tempering—an easy target.

Even if he had some backing, Shrek's closed-off boarding system meant news wouldn't spread easily. A harsh punishment followed by a small reward, like appointing him class president, would leave him grateful to her.

And if he tattled at home? Zhou Yi would still emerge as a teacher bravely disciplining all her students equally.

"Wang Dong, stand up," she said coldly.