Chapter Twenty-Eight: The First Lesson of the New School Year—Take Down Shrek!

"Also, today is the first day of school. By tradition, there are no classes; formal instruction begins tomorrow, but—"

Zhang Xuanfeng’s words captured everyone’s attention in the classroom, only for him to suddenly shift his tone.

"You are the geniuses of the Sun Class. Every second of a genius’s time must not be wasted."

"Therefore, students, we are starting class now!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a chorus of groans erupted throughout the room. Ignoring their wailing, Zhang Xuanfeng gave a gentle wave toward the door, which closed under the influence of a soft surge of soul power.

"Before we officially begin, I have a question for you."

He paused, scanning the room before asking, "As students of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy, do you know what the academy's ultimate goal is?"

Upon hearing this question, the expressions of those present became subtle.

Any native of Mingdu knew that the ultimate goal of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy was to topple Shrek Academy, shake off the title of "the eternal second-best," and become the undisputed number one academy on the continent. Yet, knowing it was one thing; no one was willing to be the one to say it out loud.

At the very back of the classroom, Xu Zhao was sitting properly when he noticed Zhang Xuanfeng’s gaze land on him. He had no choice but to stand up and reply:

"Break Shrek, level the Sea God Pavilion, and renovate Shrek City into the public restrooms for the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy..."

Before he could finish his sentence, his voice suddenly cut out. Zhang Xuanfeng had suppressed his voice with mental power, then pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

"My dear little ancestor, it’s one thing to think that, but is that something you can actually say out loud?"

If Yun Ming were to hear that, he would likely come charging over with his Sky-Piercing Divine Spear in hand.

Listening to the voice echoing in his mind, Xu Zhao looked up at the podium with an expression that said, "You’re the one who asked me to say it, don't blame me!"

"Haha, Student Xu Zhao is truly outspoken, but that is not our academy's ultimate goal." Zhang Xuanfeng put away his handkerchief, a slightly awkward smile forming on his face.

"The ultimate goal of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy is to surpass Shrek Academy and become the undisputed number one academy of the Douluo Federation."

"The academy knows that achieving this goal is difficult, so we have been waiting for the right moment. And now, that moment has arrived."

As he spoke, Zhang Xuanfeng’s emotions steadied, his gaze burning with a touch of fanaticism as it swept over the students, particularly Xu Zhao, Xu Yucheng, and Long Chen.

"This year’s Sun Class has five peerless geniuses with innate full soul power and top-tier martial souls, along with seven others possessing innate soul power of nine and a half levels. Such a luxurious lineup is a first in the academy’s tens of thousands of years of history."

"Because of this, the academy sees in you the hope of surpassing Shrek Academy, which is why they appointed me as your head teacher."

He paused for a moment, his tone becoming solemn. "Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Zhang Xuanfeng, a level 95 Titled Douluo, a three-word battle armor master, and a top-tier mecha master. I was originally the Dean of the Academy’s Senior Division, but by the direct appointment of the Principal, I have been transferred to the Junior Division to serve as the head teacher of this year’s Sun Class."

Among the thirty-six students in the Sun Class, only a small portion who had done their homework beforehand recognized the identity of their teacher. Consequently, upon hearing his credentials, most of the class wore expressions of profound shock and admiration.

Battle armor master was a profession every soul master aspired to, and mecha master was a career most boys dreamed of. Their teacher was not only a Titled Douluo but also an expert in both battle armors and mechas; he was practically an idol.

The empty seats in the front rows were quickly filled as students moved closer. Seeing the looks of adoration on the children's faces, Zhang Xuanfeng’s vanity was greatly satisfied.

"As everyone knows, Shrek Academy, currently the number one academy on the continent, has a world-renowned soul master group known as the 'Shrek Seven Devils'."

Zhang Xuanfeng set aside his momentary pride and spoke seriously:

"Since our academy aims to surpass Shrek and become the best on the continent, we need a soul master team capable of rivaling them. After deliberations between the Principal and the upper echelons of the academy, it has been decided that this group will be called the 'Seven Stars of the Radiant World,' and they will receive the academy's full support."

"The seven spots for the Seven Stars of the Radiant World will all be drawn from this year’s Sun Class."

Seeing the eager expressions of the students, Zhang Xuanfeng nodded with satisfaction. Throughout the entire Douluo Federation, only Shrek Academy could contend with the foundation of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy. The gap between the second and third-ranked academies was even greater than the gap between the third and the tenth.

One could only imagine: faced with the full backing of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy, how many soul masters in the federation could remain unmoved?

"The selection period for the Seven Stars of the Radiant World will last for one year, which covers both semesters of your first year in the Junior Division."

Zhang Xuanfeng spoke to the expectant crowd:

"During this year, the academy will grade your performance. Based on a comprehensive score across all aspects, the seven students with the highest marks will become the 'First Generation Seven Stars of the Radiant World' of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy."

"If the academy succeeds in surpassing Shrek, the first generation of the Seven Stars of the Radiant World will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the first generation of Shrek's Seven Devils, their names immortalized in history."

Although it was a one-year selection process, Zhang Xuanfeng already had a rough idea of who would be chosen. The five students with innate full soul power would undoubtedly take five of the spots.

While the seven geniuses with nine and a half levels of innate soul power were only half a level behind, the real gap was much wider. The seven were at nine and a half because their talent was capped there, whereas the top five were at full soul power because that was the maximum level innate talent could reach.

Legend held that there was an innate level twenty soul power, but that was god-given, not a natural talent. The Angel family was the best example. During the era of the Spirit Hall, the Angel family possessed the Seraphim martial soul and innate level twenty soul power. Now, however, their martial soul had regressed to the Holy Angel, and their peak potential had returned to innate full soul power.

Therefore, the academy leadership unanimously agreed: as long as these five top-tier geniuses did not slack off in their cultivation over the next year, their selection for the Seven Stars of the Radiant World was all but guaranteed.

That left only two spots. Since the gap between level nine and level nine and a half was truly only half a level, the remaining two spots would likely go to students within that tier of talent.