Teaming Up

"Support-type soul masters were relatively weak in combat. One-on-one fights were unrealistic, so assessments were generally conducted through team battles. This year, the Academy had decided on three-versus-three."

"Form your own teams within the class. If you fail to form a team on your own, I'll give you two options: one, draw lots; two, I'll assign your teams."

"All first-year freshmen in the entire Academy will participate in this assessment. There are roughly three hundred teams, and half the students will be eliminated and expelled. So you must give it everything you have."

"During this time, think carefully about the direction of your further training. After the assessment, the students who remain will undergo targeted cultivation."

"I'll give you ten minutes to form teams. Hand in your intended team lists afterward. Huo Yuxi, come up here." Zhou Yi looked down at the roster in her hands, her voice calm.

Huo Yuhao looked at Huo Yuxi worriedly. "Xixi."

"It's fine." Huo Yuxi reassured him softly before walking up to the podium.

"What level is your Soul Power at now?"

"Level 32, Teacher."

Zhou Yi set down what she was holding. "That fast? You rose three levels in just three months?"

These siblings truly never stopped surprising her.

Huo Yuxi possessed exceptional talent. At only eleven years old, she had already reached level 32.

Although Huo Yuhao's talent was somewhat lacking, after taking two Mystic Water Pills and one Soul Ascension Pill, combined with his diligent cultivation, he had now reached the peak of level 17.

Zhou Yi fell silent for a moment before continuing, "All freshmen are required to participate in this competition. Your strength exceeds my expectations by far, so I'll personally arrange your team. Any objections?"

Huo Yuxi shook her head. Although she wanted to team up with Huo Yuhao, Zhou Yi had her own arrangements, so she naturally had no objections.

"Mm, then go back down."

After a while, the team assignments were handed up to the podium. After discussion, Zhou Yi would reasonably allocate any teams that could not be filled.

She sorted through the team lists and began announcing them. "Alright, I'll announce the roster now. Team One: Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao."

Xiao Xiao found it somewhat regrettable that she could not be on the same team as Huo Yuxi, but since she at least knew her teammates, she did not dwell on it.

"Team Two: Huo Yuxi, Lu Wanwan, Luo Ling."

"Team Three..."

Three months had passed. Of the class's original ninety-plus students, sixty-nine remained, making exactly twenty-three teams.

"Registration for the assessment begins tomorrow morning, and the matches will begin that afternoon. Make good use of your time to get to know your teammates and build coordination."

It happened to be time for dismissal. After Zhou Yi gave a few more instructions about the arena rules, she left.

"Huo Yuxi, hello. I'm Lu Wanwan, and this is Luo Ling. Please take care of us."

Luo Ling did not speak much and had a rather gallant appearance, while Lu Wanwan truly lived up to her name, possessing a gentle temperament.

Looking at the two girls, who were clearly taller than herself, Huo Yuxi felt a little nervous. In a soft, delicate voice, she said, "Hello. Please take care of me."

Registration was in the morning, and the assessment began at noon. Since Huo Yuxi and the other two did not know one another well, they hurriedly arranged to practice together. This time, even Huo Yuhao's grilled fish could not tempt her away.

The three arrived at an open clearing. Huo Yuxi introduced herself first. "Huo Yuxi, level 32 Soul Elder. My martial soul is the Soul Devouring Spider. It has a spiritual attribute and can resist all spiritual attacks."

"Level 32?" The two spoke in unison. They had known from the start of school that Huo Yuxi's talent was extraordinarily high, but they had not expected her to enter the Soul Elder realm after only three months.

Huo Yuxi now knew that her talent was excellent. Faced with such a reaction, she did not know how to respond. Being modest would seem pretentious, while accepting the praise would make her seem arrogant.

Fortunately, the two were only stunned for a moment. Once they recovered, they began introducing themselves as well.

"Luo Ling, level 24 Soul Grandmaster. My martial soul is Sea Spirit."

"Lu Wanwan, level 21 Soul Grandmaster. My martial soul is the Radiant Cloud Spirit Deer."

Huo Yuxi was secretly astonished. According to what she had read in books, the Radiant Cloud Spirit Deer was an exceedingly rare support-type beast martial soul. And Luo Ling was actually a Sea Soul Master—she had hidden herself well.

"Your level is higher than ours. How about the two of us spar with you once?"

Lu Wanwan's voice was gentle and soft. Huo Yuxi could not help lifting her head to look at that pretty face. Her own cheeks flushed slightly as she nodded.

Luo Ling pulled Lu Wanwan farther away and took her position. Once Huo Yuxi signaled that they were ready, both sides summoned their martial souls.

When they saw Huo Yuxi's one yellow and two purple Soul Ring configuration, the two were stunned again. They had originally thought that the two of them fighting her seemed a little like bullying, but now... they should worry about themselves instead.

"First soul skill, Whirlpool."

Luo Ling's First Soul Ring lit up first. Rings of watery whirlpools appeared around her and sped toward Huo Yuxi.

Lu Wanwan followed closely behind. She placed both hands over her chest, lowered her head slightly, and stood there devoutly. A phantom of a pure porcelain-white elk appeared before her. "First soul skill, Step by Step Bloom."

The elk began running across the clearing. Wherever its hooves landed, white lotuses bloomed and drifted with the wind.

Huo Yuxi noticed that after the lotuses collided with the whirlpools, their speed seemed to slow. Her gaze deepened as she began moving swiftly in a serpentine pattern.

Just as a lotus was about to strike her, she evaded it with a flip. The lotus that landed on the ground suddenly exploded, leaving behind a small crater.

Good thing she had not acted recklessly. After dodging another whirlpool attack, she raised the left hand supporting the Soul Devouring Spider. Her clear voice rang out. "Second soul skill, Wrath of the Stranglehold."

The Soul Devouring Spider doubled in size, and the air around it rippled. Luo Ling and Lu Wanwan instantly felt their Soul Power being consumed at twice the rate, accompanied by ringing in their ears. By the time they recovered, Huo Yuxi had already vanished.

Sensing something, Luo Ling looked at Lu Wanwan. "Wanwan, be careful."

At the same moment, six flying blades shot at Lu Wanwan from four different directions. After three months of training, Huo Yuxi could already control the Gui Yan Blades smoothly in battle.

None of the students who could enter Shrek Academy were simple. Lu Wanwan reacted quickly, tapping the ground with her toes and leaping lightly.

Watching the direction she dodged toward, Huo Yuxi's face broke into a radiant smile. A perfect opportunity—she had guessed correctly.

With a sweep of her right hand, the Gui Yan Blades turned around along their original trajectories and shot straight toward Lu Wanwan with tremendous force. The two blades that had not appeared earlier shot directly at her from the front, stopping steadily less than half an inch from her eyes.

Lu Wanwan's eyelashes trembled. Her tightly clenched palms were slick with sweat. She had been careless.

Luo Ling darted to Lu Wanwan's side with an agile step, her expression worried. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I've been eliminated. You two continue." Lu Wanwan stepped aside.

After confirming that she was truly fine, Luo Ling turned toward Huo Yuxi. She gracefully spread her arms, and a humanoid sea phantom appeared behind her. Two massive water tornadoes hovered at either side of her.

"Second Soul Skill, Drowning Water."

As she activated her second soul skill, water branched off from the tornadoes, forming columns that began to coil around Huo Yuxi.