Douluo Continent: Thunder Roar

The classroom was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the breeze outside the window.

On the podium, the beautiful female teacher slowly scanned each face below the stage—whether curious, bewildered, or amazed—before her gaze finally met Ling Yu's once more.

This time, her eyes lacked the sharpness and stubbornness of the morning; instead, they held a calm, almost composed tranquility, and a hint of... indescribable, complex light.

Her red lips parted slightly, and her voice, no longer the hoarse and shrill raspy one from the morning, carried a unique magnetic and warm quality characteristic of a mature woman, clearly reaching everyone's ears:

Good afternoon, students.

She paused, seemingly considering her words.

"My name is Zhou Yi. I will be your class teacher for Class 1 of the freshmen."

The moment the name "Zhou Yi" was uttered, a collective gasp filled the classroom, followed by low, incredulous exclamations and whispers.

"Zhou Yi? Same name as that one from this morning...?"

"Impossible, right? There's another teacher named Zhou Yi in the academy?"

"But...this...this is way too different!"

Wang Dong'er's eyes widened suddenly as she looked at the pretty young woman on the podium, who was completely different from the wrinkled old woman from that morning. She then subconsciously turned to look at Ling Yu, who was standing calmly beside her, as if trying to find the answer on his face.

Zhou Yi, standing on the podium, took in the students' reactions. Her face showed no anger or displeasure, but rather a faint, self-deprecating, and bitter smile. She slightly raised her hand, signaling for quiet.

"You heard me right." Her voice remained steady, but carried a new weight. "I am the one you met this morning... 'Teacher Zhou Yi'."

"Whoosh—!"

The entire classroom erupted in chaos! Exclamations, doubts, and incredulous discussions filled the air.

"How is that possible?!"

"That one this morning was clearly an old lady!"

"What... what exactly is going on?"

Zhou Yi waited quietly for the murmurs to subside before continuing, her tone candid: "This morning, I wore a specially made mask, altering my voice and appearance. It was a 'disguise' I considered necessary over the years. I believed that a stern appearance and ruthless rules were the fastest and most effective tools for forging strong individuals. I believed that pushing pressure to the extreme would bring out true potential. Therefore, I used words like 'trash' and 'idiot' to provoke you, misled you with fallacies like 'those who dare not cause trouble are mediocre,' and even... used soul power to coerce a student."

This time, her gaze was clear, filled with deep remorse and a barely perceptible trace of gratitude, as she turned to Ling Yu by the window.

Ling Yu met her gaze quietly, his face remaining expressionless, showing neither the arrogance of a victor nor the emotion of someone being apologized to; he simply listened calmly.

Zhou Yi withdrew her gaze, faced all the students, and bowed deeply.

"Hereby, I sincerely apologize to the entire class for my words and actions this morning."

She maintained her bowed posture, her voice clear and firm coming from below.

"I shouldn't have arbitrarily labeled you before I even started teaching you. I shouldn't have hurt your self-esteem with insulting words. And I certainly shouldn't have imposed my own biased teaching philosophy on you, or even used violence to defend it."

"My approach is not strict, it's brutal; it's not tempering, it's hurting; it's not the way of a teacher, it's... arrogance and ignorance."

She straightened up, her eyes slightly red, but her gaze was brighter than before—a clarity born from the shedding of heavy shackles and the facing of her own mistakes.

"Especially Ling Yu." She looked at Ling Yu again, this time with a stronger sense of gratitude and a desire for approval, as if Ling Yu's approval was more important than her own awakening. "Your questioning and resistance were like a mirror, and also like a heavy hammer, waking me up. Your strength and your words about the essence of education have given me an unprecedented shock, and... shown me another possibility of becoming a true teacher. I offer you my sincerest apologies for my words and actions this morning. I'm sorry."

The classroom was deathly silent.

Everyone was stunned by this sudden and drastically different apology.

The fierce and arrogant "Old Lady Zhou" from this morning is now bowing and apologizing to them in such a genuine and beautiful manner.

And to analyze her mistakes so deeply and sincerely? This is even more unbelievable than Ling Yu defeating her this morning.

Zhou Yi took a deep breath, her gaze sweeping over the young and shocked faces. Her voice carried a hint of earnestness, but even more so, a sense of composure and determination:

"Zhou Yi in the past may have been an 'excellent' instructor, but she was by no means a qualified teacher."

"I don't know if, after everything that happened this morning, you're still willing to trust me, or willing to give me another chance..."

She paused for a moment, looked sincerely at everyone, and then, unconsciously, with a hint of trepidation and anticipation, glanced in Ling Yu's direction.

"An opportunity for me to stand here again as 'Zhou Yi,' a teacher who truly wants to 'impart knowledge, teach skills, and resolve doubts,' to accompany you, guide you, and learn and grow together with you?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it resonated clearly throughout the classroom.

"If you are willing to give me this opportunity, I will use all my heart and soul to make up for my past mistakes and to fulfill the true responsibilities of a teacher."

"If you are unwilling..." Her eyes dimmed for a moment, but quickly regained their firmness, "I will respect everyone's choice."

After she finished speaking, she stood there quietly, waiting for the students' response.

There was no coercion, no coercion, only a calmness after shedding all pretense, a courage to bear all consequences, and a secret expectation of a particular student's reaction that she herself may not have fully realized.

The air in the classroom seemed to freeze. The students looked at each other, completely bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

"She...she really is Teacher Zhou Yi?" a boy whispered to his deskmate, his face saying, "This world is too magical."

"An apology...so sincere. Even my parents have never apologized to me like this..." a girl murmured softly, the hostility in her eyes softening considerably.

"But she scolded us like that this morning..." Another student frowned, clearly not so easily forgiven.

"What will Ling Yu say?" Many people's eyes subconsciously turned to the figure by the window.

He is at the center of this storm; his attitude can almost determine the direction of the wind.

Just then, that calm voice rang out, breaking the silence.

I accept your apology.

All eyes instantly focused on the source of the sound—Ling Yu.

He slowly stood up, meeting Zhou Yi's complex gaze, a mixture of surprise, gratitude, and the satisfaction of finally getting a response, as well as the astonished stares of the entire class.

"To err is human, to forgive divine." Ling Yu's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a strange persuasiveness. "Teachers are human too, and they make mistakes. The important thing is whether they have the courage to admit their mistakes and are truly willing to correct them."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the freshmen around him, whose expressions varied, and continued:

"I thought Teacher Zhou's ideas and methods this morning were wrong. But at this moment, she has realized her mistake and is willing to ask for a chance to correct it and start over, being her true self."

He looked at Zhou Yi, his tone calm, as if engaging in an equal dialogue, rather than a victor's pronouncement to the loser: "I'm willing to believe in this sincerity, and I'm willing to give you this opportunity. Not because of your apology, but because you chose to face it, instead of running away or being stubborn. This takes more courage than winning a duel."

Ling Yu felt somewhat relieved upon hearing Zhou Yi's apology.

Zhou Yi's transformation is equivalent to that of the Akatsuki organization, and it is also his first answer sheet to the world, which he hopes will be perfect.

I initially thought it wouldn't be that simple, but I didn't expect to see results so quickly.

Next, he will carefully observe Zhou Yi's changes, which will then influence the other students in Class One. This is his purpose in coming to Shrek Academy.

It's not about beating anyone up, nor is it about firing anyone.

Rather, it was for some ideas in his own mind.

Ling Yu's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.

His attitude was clear and tolerant; he did not dwell on being a "victim" nor act superior because of his victory.

This magnanimity that transcends personal grievances and respect for the value of "correction" itself has subtly changed the mindset of many students who were originally indignant or at a loss.

...Even Ling Yu, who was at the heart of the conflict, was willing to give him a chance...

Wang Dong'er looked at Ling Yu's straight back, then at Zhou Yi on the podium, whose eyes were slightly red and whose expression was earnest. Zhou Yi had clearly breathed a sigh of relief because of Ling Yu's words, and whose eyes had regained their light. She pursed her lips.

The resentment she felt towards Zhou Yi because of what happened that morning had unknowingly dissipated by more than half.

With Ling Yu's initial statement and his calm and magnanimous words, the atmosphere in the classroom quickly began to ease.

"Ling Yu has already said that..."

The way she apologized didn't seem fake.

"Perhaps...we can take a look?"

"Anyway, she looks much better than she did this morning..."

Whispers arose, and the hostility and confusion on the students' faces were gradually replaced by contemplation, hesitation, and even a faint expectation.

The fear and anger of the morning began to melt away like ice and snow.

Zhou Yi looked at Ling Yu, her eyes seeming to redden even more, not from sadness, but from the excitement of being truly understood and given a precious opportunity.

She bowed deeply to Ling Yu again, this time as a pure and solemn thank you, as if thanking him for not only defeating her but also "awakening" her and for being willing to be her first "witness" and "supporter" on her path of transformation.

Then, she raised her head, tried to calm herself down, and her gaze became firm and gentle again as she looked at the class. Her anxiety turned into anticipation.

"So, students... what's your decision?"

This time, her question no longer carried any coercive meaning; she was simply waiting.

After a brief silence.

Wang Dong'er was the first to raise her hand, though she still looked a little awkward and her voice wasn't loud: "I...I'd like to take a look too."

With one person taking the lead, more and more hands were raised one after another.

I agree.

"Let's give Teacher Zhou a chance."

"Yeah, I hope things really will be different in the future..."

Although not everyone raised their hand immediately, the vast majority of students no longer showed any resistance.

A new atmosphere, tinged with uncertainty but mostly anticipation, quietly permeated the classroom of the first-year students.

Looking at the raised hands below the stage and the renewed sparkle in the students' eyes, Zhou Yi nodded vigorously, a genuine and gentle smile, the first of its kind belonging to "Zhou Yi herself," appearing on her lips.

"Thank you... thank you everyone."

She knew this was just the beginning, a beginning far more difficult, but also more meaningful, than the battle that morning.

All these changes stemmed from the black-haired boy who had now calmly sat down.

Ling Yu watched this scene with a calm expression.

Changing a stubborn mind is far more difficult than defeating a powerful opponent.

But at least, the first step has been taken.

This is one of the reasons why he came to Shrek.

"Well then... let's begin the first lesson for Class 1 of freshmen." Zhou Yi's voice interrupted the students' daze.

Her gaze swept across the room, and her previous gentle and earnest demeanor receded like the tide, revealing the calm and focus that a teacher should possess.

"Attention, everyone! Assemble on the playground. First lesson: Physical Fitness Basics. One hundred laps around Shrek Square. Time limit: one hour."