School Team Selection

As they walked, Ming Lunyu gradually sensed that something was off.

He kept feeling that the students around them were looking their way. Yet whenever Ming Lunyu swept his gaze over them, they hurriedly looked away.

In a corner, several girls had gathered together and whispered among themselves.

"Look, he's so handsome! That resolute, striking face, and that aura that seems above the mundane world!" one girl said, pointing at Ming Lunyu.

The other girls looked over curiously and gasped in admiration as well.

"Is he a student at our academy too?"

"Of course. He's wearing the uniform."

"Then why haven't we heard of him? Which class is he in?"

"No idea."

At last, the leader of the little group of girls made the decision.

"Stop talking about it. If you want to know, why not just go ask him?"

"Ooh, are you going to flirt with him? Is Sister Sisi lovestruck?"

Qin Sisi, the leader of the group, blushed prettily.

"Flirt my ass! Didn't you see he already has a girlfriend? Besides..." Besides, she was so beautiful, practically a fairy descended to earth.

Just looking at her made Qin Sisi feel deeply discouraged.

"Hello, Senior! Can we get to know each other?"

Just as Qin Sisi hesitated, another girl stepped forward.

Qin Sisi could not help but grow nervous. She did not know whether she was worried that the girl approaching him would be rejected, or afraid that she might actually succeed.

Ming Lunyu reached out to steady the female student who had suddenly bumped into him. Hearing that she wanted to get to know him, he began to think.

"Indeed, none of the students know me yet. I really should make an appearance among them and gain some prestige. Otherwise, when I represent the academy in the competition, it'll be ridiculous if not a single student even recognizes me."

"If that's the case, then..."

With that thought, Ming Lunyu gripped the girl's shoulders. "Take me to the academy's Soul Arena!"

The girl: ?

Three minutes later.

"So Senior Ming and Senior Ma are members of the academy's Advanced Competition Class. No wonder we've never seen you before."

After explaining the situation, the two followed the girl toward the Soul Arena built within the academy.

"What is Senior planning to do?"

"Of course, select talent. Actually, I came today under the dean's orders to choose suitable students to join the Advanced Competition Class."

"So that's how it is! Then, Senior, do you think I qualify? I really want to compete and bring honor to the academy too!"

"What Martial Soul do you have? What level are you?"

"My name is Yun Cu. I'm fourteen this year, my Martial Soul is dumplings, and I'm currently level nineteen!"

Yun Cu? Dumplings?

"Your name really does suit your Martial Soul."

"Of course. I didn't even have a name before I was six. It was only after my Martial Soul awakened that my parents named me based on it."

It was Ming Lunyu's first time hearing of such a practice. But in truth, it was not all that uncommon. Many families named their children only after they turned six. If the child's Martial Soul was a leopard, they would be named something Leopard; if it was a tiger, something Tiger.

Compared to that, Yun Cu's name was already rather cultured.

"Senior, you still haven't answered me. Do you think I qualify?"

Ming Lunyu thought for a moment before finally saying tactfully, "You need more training."

Yun Cu looked somewhat disappointed. "I knew my talent was still too poor." But she quickly rallied. "Then I'll leave the task of bringing honor to the academy to Senior and Senior Ma! You have to win!"

Ming Lunyu found it amusing. "You seem to have a strong sense of belonging to the academy."

"Of course! My family is actually quite poor. We looked at several academies, but their fees were all too expensive, and I didn't have the kind of talent that would make them admit me as an exception... But after I enrolled in our academy, I found that the registration fee was only three Gold Soul Coins, and its teaching resources weren't bad either. I hope an academy like this can become even better!"

Ming Lunyu understood.

"Senior, the Soul Arena is up ahead. You can head over directly. Class is about to start for me, so I'll be going now."

"Mm, thank you."

"You're welcome!" Yun Cu waved and happily ran off.

"She's not bad, actually. I think level nineteen at fourteen is pretty decent. After all, she's a Food System Soul Master, so her cultivation speed is slower," Ma Hongjun said.

"If she can reach Soul Elder within two years, she could indeed be brought onto the field. But the tournament is meant to showcase an academy's student quality and teaching quality to the entire continent. We must present talent outstanding enough to show everyone what our academy is capable of. That's why, even though I'm confident I can sweep through the tournament alone, I still need to select some teammates," Ming Lunyu said.

The two entered the Soul Arena and immediately ran into someone.

"Young Master!"

The man's booming voice and ramrod-straight posture made his identity obvious.

"You're from the Breaking Clan?"

"That's right. My name is Yang Ling, I'm from the Breaking Clan, and I currently serve as the Soul Arena supervisor," Yang Ling said.

Ming Lunyu waved a hand. "Don't call me Young Master at the academy. When we're working, address me by my title."

"Yes, ficus!"

"?"

Yang Ling realized he had said something stupid, and his face flushed with embarrassment.

Ming Lunyu patted his shoulder. "Relax, relax. I came here on a whim this time. Go inform the dean and have her notify the entire academy. All students can come here after class to challenge me. Anyone who earns my approval can enter the school team candidate pool."

"Yes, Young Master!"

"My title..."

"Yes, ficus!"

Ming Lunyu: "...Forget it. It's fine, just go."

Ma Hongjun was already laughing herself silly.

"Come on, let's go inside first." Ming Lunyu took her hand.

"Yes, ficus! Pfft, hahaha!"

Under normal circumstances, the Soul Arena was unused. Only certain classes were brought there by teachers.

Ming Lunyu walked straight to the center of the Soul Arena, took out a wooden board, and used Soul Power to write the words "School Team Selection" on it. Then he waited calmly.

Meanwhile, after receiving the notice, Dugu Bo quickly issued an announcement. The students immediately became excited, eager to show off their skills. They could not even focus on class anymore.

After the teachers reported the situation, Dugu Bo simply waved a hand and granted the entire academy three days off. During those three days, students could freely go to the Soul Arena to challenge him. After three days, everything would be settled.

Thus, the vast majority of students flooded toward the Soul Arena. Even if they did not intend to participate, they still wanted to watch the spectacle.

Before long, a large number of students arrived at the Soul Arena, filling nearly twenty percent of the spectator seats.

When it was first designed, the Soul Arena had enough seating for two thousand people. Twenty percent meant four hundred people, while the first group of students numbered three hundred and ninety. In other words, every student had come.

When the students arrived at the Soul Arena, they discovered that the scene was different from what they had imagined.

There was no judging panel in sight. Instead, there was only a handsome young man and a beautiful young woman in academy uniforms standing in the middle of the arena, holding up a sign.

"What's going on?"

"No idea."

"They can't be the judges, can they?"

"You've got to be kidding. They don't even look older than me!"

Just as the spectator stands buzzed with discussion, Ming Lunyu moved.

"Silence!"

His voice, amplified by Soul Power, swept through the entire Soul Arena. At the same time, four black Soul Rings rose around him.

The Soul Arena fell deathly silent. Everyone stared at Ming Lunyu in shock.

Several seconds later, the students erupted into an uproar, marveling in disbelief at Ming Lunyu's Soul Ring configuration with the people around them.

"Knew this would happen." Ming Lunyu shrugged and decisively activated Divine Slaughter's Domain.

A bloody, murderous aura swept in every direction. The students felt a chill at their necks, while their chests filled with oppressive pressure. Gradually, the discussions quieted down, and they looked toward the center of the arena with reverence in their eyes, waiting for what came next.