New Semester Test

"I, Meng Li, have never gone to soak my feet. Only spoiled young masters like them go all the time."

... Xie Xie hated people who abandoned all humanity the moment they saw the opposite sex. How was he a spoiled young master? Though he did rather like the title.

"Really never?" Gu Yue asked suspiciously.

"Really never." Meng Li looked utterly sincere.

"Gu Yue, why are you policing him so closely? Are you two together?" Xie Xie asked curiously.

"No!"

"No."

Gu Yue and Meng Li spoke at the same time, then turned their faces away at the same time.

"And you say you're not? Even your body language is freakishly synchronized!" Xie Xie chuckled. Based on his years of experience frequenting romantic haunts, there was an eighty percent chance these two had something going on.

"I think you're asking to die!" Gu Yue snapped in embarrassment, her clenched fists crackling.

What followed was another brutal beating for Xie Xie.

That evening, Xie Xie treated Meng Li and Gu Yue to a meal. Tang Wulin did not come, and no one knew where he had gone.

The next morning, the once-every-six-months opening ceremony was held.

Next came the class interaction session. The teacher talked a little, the students chatted below, and just like that, the day was over. Normal training would not begin until the following day.

Class Zero, however, was different. On the first day of the new term, Class Zero welcomed a transfer student—Xu Xiaoyan.

"Introduce yourself." Upon returning to the classroom, Wu Changkong spoke directly to Xu Xiaoyan.

Xu Xiaoyan stood up. Facing Wu Changkong, she always seemed especially shy. "Hello, everyone. My name is Xu Xiaoyan, and I'm ten years old. My martial soul is the Star Wheel Ice Staff. I have seventeen levels of Soul Power."

Wu Changkong nodded. "Over the next month, you will need to prove your strength. At the same time, you will need to prove that you are suited to the collective of Class Zero. After one month, your place here will be decided."

"Yes." Xu Xiaoyan obediently agreed.

"Her brother was the one who set us up in the Spirit Ascension Platform last time," Xie Xie said.

"Oh." Meng Li nodded.

"Yeah, that sister complex." Xie Xie nodded.

Meng Li narrowed his eyes.

Wu Changkong turned to Meng Li's group. "Next, your physical condition will be tested again, along with your actual combat ability. You have half an hour to meditate."

"You too." Wu Changkong glanced at Xu Xiaoyan.

It was another round of tests. Other than Spiritual Power, Meng Li still took first place in everything. Xu Xiaoyan was so shocked that she could not speak. That number—nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine—was not even his limit. It was simply the highest number the machine could display.

Everyone else, including her, could only be considered ordinary. She could not help wondering what the result would have been if Meng Li had been present in the Spirit Ascension Platform back then.

Could I become this strong too after training under that handsome teacher? Xu Xiaoyan glanced at the cold and stern Wu Changkong, her heart full of hope for the future.

"Teacher Wu, I'd like to apply to have my Spiritual Power tested again tonight." Xu Xiaoyan raised her hand.

"Hm?" Wu Changkong looked at her, a thought stirring in his mind. "Will your Spiritual Power change at night?"

"Yes." Xu Xiaoyan nodded.

"Alright."

"Actual combat will begin shortly!"

"Meng Li and Gu Yue against the three of you!"

Gu Yue gave a light laugh and cracked her knuckles, ready to deal with the three people before her.

"Begin. Give it everything you have." Wu Changkong's voice came from afar.

"Brother Meng, give us a chance." Even Xie Xie, a genius himself, felt somewhat inferior in front of Meng Li.

"Don't worry!" Meng Li drew the wrapped Murasa and pulled out the blade.

A flash of cyan light appeared around Gu Yue, and countless ice crystals emerged around her.

The match officially began.

Tang Wulin's purple soul ring lit up, and Blue Silver Grass blocked the incoming ice crystals.

Xie Xie closed in on Gu Yue, and Tang Wulin did the same. Their strategy was to deal with Gu Yue first, since she could not withstand close combat.

They knew it, and Meng Li knew it too. When Xie Xie and Tang Wulin were halfway through their ambush, Meng Li intercepted them.

Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon Claw and Xie Xie's Light Dragon Dagger struck Murasa at the same time.

None of the three weapons were damaged. Xu Xiaoyan sent an ice wheel spinning like a crescent moon toward Meng Li.

Gu Yue summoned a fireball to block the ice wheel. The ice wheel and fireball collided and exploded.

Then Gu Yue unleashed the earth element. A large pit appeared beneath Xie Xie and Tang Wulin's feet, causing both of them to sink down.

That gave Meng Li an opportunity. He drew Murasa and slashed it toward Xie Xie's neck.

Xie Xie hurriedly dodged, while a strand of Blue Silver Grass blocked Meng Li's attack.

Taking advantage of the opening, Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon Claw attacked Gu Yue in the distance.

Gu Yue retreated continuously. Just as the Golden Dragon Claw was about to seize her, a snow-white Angel Wing blocked its attack.

The dazzling wing flared open, and a two-meter-long phantom of a golden dragon appeared in the sky, its claws reaching for Tang Wulin's chest.

This was an attack replicated by Meng Li's martial soul!

Gu Yue stood rooted to the spot. She was certain now—the Tang Wulin before her was Tang San's son, and the Golden Dragon King Essence was inside his body.

Once she devoured it, she could destroy the soul masters. But she estimated that after devouring it, she would not be far from death herself. The God Kings in the heavens would never watch her act so recklessly.

Even after devouring it, all she could do was bring a certain degree of disaster upon soul masters, making them understand that soul beasts were not to be bullied. She wondered what would happen if Meng Li devoured the Golden Dragon King Essence within Tang Wulin's body.

The thought passed in an instant. She did not want to experience approaching someone with an ulterior motive a second time.

Besides, she did not want Meng Li to take such a risk. The God King had given the Golden Dragon King Essence to his son. If someone snatched it away, he would definitely cause trouble for Meng Li.

The manifested Golden Dragon King also shocked Xie Xie and Wu Changkong. They knew that Meng Li's First Soul Skill: Feather Transformation could replicate techniques.

But the move Tang Wulin had used was not a soul skill of the Blue Silver Grass martial soul. It was the soul skill of a dragon—a golden dragon!

"How could this be?" After dodging the replicated Golden Dragon Claw, Tang Wulin panicked a little. The golden dragon within his body had been exposed before everyone just like that—and there was even an outsider present.

Meanwhile, Xu Xiaoyan was quietly approaching Gu Yue from behind.

But just as she neared Gu Yue's back, a blade was pressed to her neck. Its wielder wore a cold expression.

"You're out!"

Only then did Gu Yue realize someone had tried to ambush her. She looked at Meng Li in thanks.

Wu Changkong was startled as well. He had only just noticed Xu Xiaoyan's ambush. If Meng Li had not reacted quickly, Gu Yue might have been the one eliminated.

Blue Silver Grass sprang up around Tang Wulin and crazily wrapped around Meng Li. Why was his target not Gu Yue? Because he could tell that all of Meng Li's attention was on Gu Yue.

If they attacked Gu Yue, their chances of winning would decrease.

The two sides fought back and forth. They were classmates, after all; the purpose of sparring was mutual improvement. If one side won immediately, what would there be left to improve?

Later, Xu Xiaoyan rejoined the battle. This time, she had learned her lesson and did not approach Gu Yue at close range.

Gu Yue's environment for dealing damage became exceptionally comfortable.

After a while, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie were defeated due to insufficient Soul Power!

"Alright, that's enough. You performed very well today. You all understood the importance of team coordination and worked together quite well."

Wu Changkong nodded in satisfaction.