Chapter 28: The Class Leader Selection Battle

By the time Jing Shaoyu left the Mecha Association, it was already late afternoon. After some thought, he decided to return to the academy.

Upon entering his dorm room, he was surprised to find his roommates had changed. Wei Dayong and Duan Xiaopeng were gone, replaced by Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi.

"What's going on?" Jing Shaoyu asked, puzzled.

"Hello, Jing Shaoyu." Zhang Yangzi greeted him politely. "Teacher Ye said the four of us are all Soul Grandmasters, so she thought it would be better for us to stay together and exchange training insights. That's why Jinxi and I moved here."

"I see." Jing Shaoyu sighed, slightly exasperated, but there was nothing he could do about Ye Yingluo's decision. "And what about Wei Dayong and Duan Xiaopeng?"

"They moved to our old room, 302, next door." Wang Jinxi yawned from his bed, looking drowsy. "Ah, I need a nap. Yangzi, wake me up when it's time for dinner!"

"Sure." Zhang Yangzi nodded.

Relieved by the explanation, Jing Shaoyu decided to check in on his friends next door.

"Shaoyu! You're back!" Wei Dayong and Duan Xiaopeng greeted him warmly, clearly unaffected by the room change.

"Yeah," Jing Shaoyu nodded, smiling. "I didn't know about the room switch until just now."

"What a shame," Duan Xiaopeng sighed. "We thought we'd be roommates for the long haul, but then Teacher Ye asked us to switch with Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi right after class."

"Yeah!" Wei Dayong agreed, nodding.

---

The next morning in Class One's classroom, Jing Shaoyu asked his classmate, "Xiaoyan, what did your family want when they called you home?"

"It was nothing—just that they missed me." Xu Xiaoyan blushed slightly, avoiding his gaze.

"Oh, it looks like you're quite pampered at home." Jing Shaoyu chuckled. "Only a day away, and they're already missing you?"

"It's not good at all! It's so annoying!" Xu Xiaoyan muttered in frustration.

Just then, Teacher Ye Yingluo entered the classroom, silencing any further teasing.

"Good morning, everyone," Ye Yingluo greeted with a serious expression. "Today, we're going to elect a class leader. Everyone, follow me to the playground. We'll determine the class leader through a series of one-on-one battles."

Upon hearing her words, the students quickly stood and prepared to leave.

"Teacher, I have a question!" Wei Xiaofeng suddenly raised his hand, drawing everyone's attention.

"Speak," Ye Yingluo replied, curious.

"Teacher, does the healing-type Soul Master have to participate too? It seems unfair!" Wei Xiaofeng asked righteously.

Everyone froze for a moment before turning to look at Jing Shaoyu, the only healing-type Soul Master in Class One.

Jing Shaoyu simply smiled, showing no reaction. This guy is really looking for trouble, he thought.

"There's no unfairness," Ye Yingluo replied coldly. "A Soul Master is still a Soul Master, no matter the type. You must be able to defend yourself. Enemies won't spare you just because you're a healer!"

She glanced at Jing Shaoyu, mistakenly thinking Wei Xiaofeng was advocating for him, or that Jing Shaoyu might have concerns. To her surprise, Jing Shaoyu looked eager rather than discontent.

"Understood, Teacher!" Wei Xiaofeng replied loudly, glancing at Jing Shaoyu with a smug look. Jing Shaoyu chose to ignore him.

"Alright, everyone, follow me to the training grounds!" Ye Yingluo commanded.

The students followed her to the academy's training grounds, where she divided them into eight pairs. Winners would advance to the next round, and losers would be eliminated. The rules were simple and direct.

The battles began swiftly. In the first round, Zhang Yangzi easily defeated his opponent, a girl named Luo Wei, who had only sixteen soul power, advancing to the next round.

Jing Shaoyu was in the second group, pitted against Wang Jinxi—a strong assault-type Soul Grandmaster. Whether by coincidence or design, Ye Yingluo had arranged for Jing Shaoyu to face a challenging opponent.

As Jing Shaoyu and Wang Jinxi took their positions, Xu Xiaoyan called out, "Go, Brother Shaoyu!"

The other girls soon joined in, cheering for him as well, leaving the male students envious and somewhat resentful. Sure, he's good-looking, they thought, but what really counts here is strength!

"Prepare!" Ye Yingluo announced.

At her signal, both Jing Shaoyu and Wang Jinxi summoned their martial spirits.

Wang Jinxi's body surged as two yellow soul rings appeared beneath him. His lean frame swelled with muscle, his bones growing visibly larger, making him look like an oversized skeleton. Black energy, the essence of darkness, surrounded him. Confident in his intimidating appearance, Wang Jinxi thought this was the true mark of masculinity.

However, no one paid him much attention. All eyes were on Jing Shaoyu.

When Jing Shaoyu summoned his martial spirit, his short black hair transformed into flowing green locks, a jade ring with two pure white gems appeared behind his head, and white wings sprouted from his back, exuding a sense of holy purity. A purple rune adorned his brow, and his eyes turned sky-blue, enhancing his elegant and serene aura that was both noble and approachable.

While the girls marveled at Jing Shaoyu's transformation, the boys were dumbstruck by the sight of his soul rings. Two purple rings glowed behind him, captivating and mystifying.

"How… how is this possible?" Wei Xiaofeng gasped, unable to contain his shock.

Those were millennium rings! How could Jing Shaoyu withstand them? The sheer gap in talent between himself and Jing Shaoyu was overwhelming, leaving Wei Xiaofeng feeling crushed and leading him to label Jing Shaoyu as a "monster."

"Impressive…" Ye Yingluo's eyes sparkled with excitement as she took in the sight of Jing Shaoyu's two purple rings, her mind briefly wandering to the Class Five homeroom teacher with satisfaction.

"How… how did you do it?" Wang Jinxi, equally astonished, stammered. How could someone with a spirit that seemed gentle and fragile carry millennium rings?

"Begin!" Ye Yingluo called out, regaining her composure.

"Fine, you may have millennium rings, but you're still just a healer!" Wang Jinxi rallied himself, charging at Jing Shaoyu, his eyes flashing with dark fire.

Wang Jinxi's right arm expanded, transforming as his fingers fused into four thick, ebony claws that resembled the claws of a wraith. With fierce determination, he lunged forward, invoking his first soul skill—Bone Dragon Claw.

Facing Wang Jinxi's onslaught, Jing Shaoyu calmly raised his hand, sending a gentle green glow across the field. Instantly, the wild blue-silver grass growing on the academy's training field surged with life.

Yes, it was blue-silver grass. The training ground's grass was a genuine blue-silver species, providing Jing Shaoyu with an unexpected advantage.

With a wild growth spurt, the grass quickly filled the space between Jing Shaoyu and Wang Jinxi, wrapping around Wang Jinxi's legs in a matter of moments.

Wang Jinxi smirked disdainfully, activating his second soul ring. The vines binding his legs disintegrated as if they had merely been holding ont

o empty air. His legs shimmered with a faint, ethereal glow, revealing his skill's defensive power.