"Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Bai Yan, you three stay for a while."
Zhou Yi questioned Xiao Xiao about her future cultivation direction, particularly her choice to focus on the control system:
"Xiao Xiao, I remember that your martial soul is an auxiliary weapon martial soul, Soul Sealing Cauldron, which is considered a top-tier weapon martial soul. Why have you considered specializing in control?"
Xiao Xiao explained softly, "Teacher Zhou, my Soul Sealing Cauldron is actually a mutant martial soul called the Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron. It has both offensive and defensive capabilities."
Zhou Yi frowned and shook her head, "That still doesn't relate to your decision, Xiao Xiao. I suggest you focus on one direction. Even if it's a mutant martial soul, you should have a clear tendency when attaching spirit rings."
Xiao Xiao whispered, "But I have another martial soul that can assist and control."
"What?" Zhou Yi was shocked, and Wang Dong and Bai Yan were equally stunned.
"Twin martial souls?!" Wang Dong, in particular, was taken aback.
She had thought that only Yuhao and herself possessed twin martial souls in the freshman class. She hadn't expected there to be another hidden talent in her class—and a formidable one at that.
'Since when did twin martial souls become so common?'
Xiao Xiao lowered her head shyly.
This unexpected revelation caused Zhou Yi's expression to shift.
After a moment, she encouraged them, "Alright, the control department it is. Although the freshman assessment is only your first evaluation at Shrek Academy, it is crucial for your future cultivation path. In our class, I have the highest expectations for the three of you."
"Not only are you ranked in the top three in soul power level, but you've also excelled in the tasks I've assigned. I am very pleased. I have a mission for you: in the freshman assessment, your only goal is to win the championship."
'Winning Championship?' Wang Dong couldn't help but sigh inwardly. 'This is going to be a game where winner is already decided.'
Fortunately, her current goal was simply to pass the freshman assessment and secure the status of a core disciple in the outer courtyard. With that in mind, he felt little pressure.
After three months of rigorous training and the aid of some modest resources, Wang Dong's soul power had reached level 24. Her second spirit ring, a millennium-level ring, was more than enough to compete with other soul masters. If she revealed his Clear Sky Hammer spirit, he could even make it to the finals.
But winning the championship? That was a different story. Unless the three of them teamed up to take down Huo Yuhao, their chances were slim. Otherwise, it was nothing more than wishful thinking.
Wang Dong had already learned about Ning Tian, the deputy monitor of Class Nine. Not only was she a soul Elder, but her spirit was the continent's premier auxiliary weapon spirit—the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda! Combined with Yuhao's abilities, the duo was practically unstoppable.
As for Zhou Yi's expectations? Wang Dong couldn't help but think, 'This old woman really overestimates us. Where does her confidence even come from?'
...
The seed team of Class One consisted of Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and Bai Yan. Xiao Xiao was petite and delicate, with a shy demeanor. Bai Yan, on the other hand, was tall and well-proportioned, with short black hair and curious eyes that seemed fascinated by everything around her.
The three of them found a relatively flat clearing in the woods. Despite having been classmates for three months, they had mostly trained separately and weren't very familiar with each other's martial souls. The atmosphere was slightly awkward.
Wang Dong broke the silence, "Let's start by discussing our abilities. I'm a strong attack-type spirit master, capable of both long and short-range attacks. I can also fly."
Bai Yan smiled and said, "My spirit is the Sharp-Tailed Swift. I specialize in agile attacks and speed, and I can fly as well."
Xiao Xiao nodded, "My primary spirit is the Three Lives Soul Sealing Cauldron, which is both offensive and defensive, with some control effects. It can stun enemies and disrupt their attacks. My second spirit is the Nine Phoenix Dancing Flute, which is mainly for auxiliary control. However, my second spirit only has one hundred-year spirit ring at the moment, which can slow down opponents in battle."
Wang Dong asked in surprise, "Doesn't your auxiliary martial soul enhance your allies, like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?"
Xiao Xiao smiled proudly, "No, sometimes weakening the enemy is far more effective than strengthening yourself. However, I won't use my second martial soul lightly. We should keep some of our strength hidden and take things step by step."
Bai Yan then asked, "How should we practice now? Should we each demonstrate our soul skills once?"
Xiao Xiao immediately replied, "That would be boring. Practice is only effective when there's real confrontation. Bai Yan and I will team up to face the class monitor."
"You two against me? That's fine," Wang Dong agreed.
As the class monitor of Class One, Wang Dong was far ahead of the other freshmen in terms of soul power cultivation, martial soul, and soul skills. However, after a few rounds of sparring, the mobility of Wang Dong's Light Goddess Butterfly proved too much for Xiao Xiao's Three Lives Soul Sealing Cauldron to keep up with.
Although Bai Yan was doing her best to hold her ground, her lethality was not strong enough, and her physical fitness was far inferior to Wang Dong's. As a result, she could only play a limited role in harassment.
"As expected of the class monitor, he's really strong," Xiao Xiao couldn't help but sigh. They hadn't even managed to force Wang Dong to use her second soul skill before being defeated.
"Maybe... we really can win the championship," Bai Yan murmured, also impressed by Wang Dong's strength.
"Champion? We're still far from that. Let's focus on improving our teamwork for now," Wang Dong replied, having gradually learned the meaning of humility after seeing the heights of true strength.
"I've heard from others that your performance in the freshman assessment determines whether you can be selected as a core disciple. So, you must give it your all during the assessment. During the competition, I'll back you up—just go for it."
"Thank you, class monitor!"
The morning passed in a flash.
…
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao had formed an independent group, which meant there was no need for teammates to get to know each other. He went straight back to the dormitory to continue his training.
Whether he was alone or burdened with teammates, it made no difference to him. The championship of the freshman assessment was a must-win for him.
The next afternoon, the assessment area of Shrek Academy buzzed with activity.
Located in the north-central part of the Martial Soul Department, adjacent to the Combat Soul District, the assessment area was much larger in comparison.
It was the best place for outstanding students to showcase their abilities, but it was also a nightmare for those with lower cultivation levels.
Every year, a large number of students were eliminated for failing to pass the assessment.
The assessment area was oval-shaped, unlike the fenced stadium of the Combat Soul District. It was an open space surrounded by low walls, with partitions inside to adjust the size of the areas.
The entire assessment area spanned about 20,000 square meters and was divided into 50 smaller areas, each roughly 400 square meters. For freshmen who generally only had one or two spirit rings, this was more than enough space.
Today was the first day of the assessment. To allow the freshmen to adapt, each group only needed to compete in one match before leaving. The academy had assigned 50 teachers to oversee the assessments in each area.
Due to Zhou Yi's tendency to expel students at will, Class One had only 19 groups participating, while other classes generally had more than 30 groups. Unless students committed serious disciplinary violations during the freshman period, teachers usually didn't eliminate them before the assessment, always giving them a chance to prove themselves.
In the end, more than 300 groups, totaling over 900 students, participated in the freshman assessment. Only 150 groups would remain and officially become first-year students, continuing their studies at Shrek Academy.
The competition at Shrek Academy was undoubtedly fierce and cruel, but it was precisely this environment that pushed students to unlock their potential, contributing to the academy's everlasting legacy of excellence.
In each of the 50 areas, six to seven teams were assigned to compete. The matches would continue until all teams in each area had faced each other, after which they would regroup and complete a total of ten matches per team.
Huo Yuhao was assigned to Area 11. Students from other classes who were also competing there had already arrived. Whether they were nervous or eager to fight, their eyes revealed clear hostility as they sized each other up. This was about elimination, and every match was crucial—their futures were on the line.
When Huo Yuhao arrived alone, all the teams in Area 11 immediately recognized him. He was the freshman who had defeated Xu Sanshi, one of the twin stars of the outer courtyard, in the Combat Soul District three months ago. His appearance was too striking, making him stand out among the freshmen.
The atmosphere grew tense.
"That's... Huo Yuhao!"
"What terrible luck."
"How are we supposed to fight him?"
Whispers spread as teams began discussing tactics, and some even considered surrendering outright.
But some sharp-eyed individuals noticed something unusual—Huo Yuhao was alone!
Could the rumors be true?
The news that Huo Yuhao was participating alone had spread the previous day, but it seemed too outrageous to believe. Except for Class Nine, everyone else assumed it was a smokescreen deliberately released by the class. Now, seeing it with their own eyes, they had to admit: the rumors were true!
However, in Area 11, there was no one from Class Nine to explain the situation to them. Due to the rule of avoiding matches between teams from the same class, the academy's lottery system ensured that teams from the same class wouldn't face each other in the first ten round-robin matches.
"All freshmen, please pay attention. All freshmen, please enter the assessment area immediately to prepare for the freshman assessment. There are only ten minutes left to enter. If you are late, you will be considered to have forfeited this assessment."
The broadcast echoed throughout the outer courtyard, reaching every corner. The freshmen grew serious. Their first assessment was about to begin, and it would be a lie to say they weren't nervous.
The freshman assessment was so important that the academy's broadcast reminder through the soul guide was almost unnecessary. All the students had already arrived at their designated areas, ready for what lay ahead.
The person in charge of Area 11 was Wang Yan.
…
If you'd like to support me and gain access to 60+ advanced chapters, you can follow the link:
patreon.com/DarkLord621
📖 Explore my fanfiction collections:
🔹 Douluo: Infinite Lottery System - 234+ Chapter
🔹 Douluo: Peerless Gu Master - 157+ Chapter
🔹 My Disciple Are All Dou God - 70+ Chapter
Thank you for your support!