Frigid Mane Lion

"Alright, don't just stand there. Introduce yourselves so your seniors can get to know you." After Fan Yu finished speaking, Sun He stepped forward. "Wang Nan, you start."

"My name is Wang Nan. Assault Type Soul Elder, martial soul: Coiling Dragon Staff. I specialize in close combat." Wang Nan thought for a moment and gave both his martial soul and area of expertise. Since the Soul Tools were to be custom-made, the more detail, the better.

Sun He nodded, signaling for the next person to continue.

"Chen Zifeng, Assault Type Soul Grandmaster, martial soul: Soul Chasing Sword..."

Once all the Core Disciples from the Martial Soul Department had finished their introductions, several Soul Tool Department students began discussing matters in low voices. Before long, a girl stepped out from the other side.

"I heard that Junior Sister Ling Luochen's martial soul is ice and that she specializes in control. I happen to be better at defensive Soul Tools, so I can make Junior Sister a Soul Tool that improves her mobility and defensive capabilities. Would Junior Sister be willing?"

Ling Luochen did not like talking. She merely nodded slightly in agreement.

With that beginning, the Soul Tool Department students began speaking up one after another, enthusiastically discussing things with the Martial Soul Department students. In the end, only Wang Nan was left standing alone, with no one choosing him.

Sometimes, having higher Soul Power was not necessarily a good thing. Wang Nan was the only Soul Elder among the Core Disciples, which also meant that increasing his combat strength by twenty percent would be far more difficult than it would be for the others. This concerned their Promotion Assessment, so naturally, no one dared choose casually.

Wang Nan did not think much of it. After all, it was only human nature. If he were in their position, he might have done the same.

However, Fan Yu's expression beside him did not look very good. He had asked Sun He to bring the students here only after arranging things in advance. There were equal numbers on both sides, so how had Wang Nan been left over?

As his gaze swept across them, several Soul Tool Department students shrank their heads, afraid that Fan Yu would call on them.

"How about me?" A tall girl suddenly stepped out from the crowd. She stood half a head taller than Wang Nan, her long hair tied behind her head with a green ribbon, making her look exceptionally capable.

"My name is Lin Xiao. I can't fully guarantee that I can raise a Soul Elder's combat strength by twenty percent within three months, but if Junior Brother doesn't mind, we can give it a try."

Fan Yu looked at the other Soul Tool Department students with some displeasure, but seeing how frightened they were, he did not say anything more. He merely cast Wang Nan an inquiring look.

Wang Nan nodded. "Alright. Please guide me, Senior Sister Lin."

Since they still had the Promotion Assessment ahead of them, Wang Nan and the others did not stay long after splitting into groups and soon left the Soul Tool Department.

Early the next morning, all the second-year students gathered in the Beast Fighting Zone.

On the Douluo Continent, there were very few academies capable of raising Soul Beasts in captivity. Yet as the number one Soul Master Academy on the Douluo Continent, Shrek not only raised Soul Beasts, but also possessed the largest Beast Fighting Zone on the entire continent.

The fighting arena within was specifically prepared for students to undergo practical combat training and assessments.

After receiving their assessment forms, Wang Nan, as the strongest second-year student, stood at the very front. Head Teacher Sun He stood beside him, while more than twenty teachers stood around them to protect the students' safety.

Du Weilun, the Martial Soul Department's director of instruction, naturally would not be absent. He stood atop a raised platform to one side of the fighting arena and announced the start of the Promotion Assessment.

Sun He patted Wang Nan on the shoulder. "Show the same spirit you had when you beat me during the entrance assessment."

Wang Nan laughed and strode into the fighting arena.

"What is your primary specialization?" the referee's voice came from the side.

"Assault Type."

"Choose the Soul Beast for your assessment. The age range is in hundred-year increments, from one hundred years up to one thousand years."

"One thousand years." Although Wang Nan had faced a thousand-year Soul Beast in the Spiritual Sea before, that had been on his home ground, with the Luminous Orb helping him. This was his first time facing a thousand-year Soul Beast in reality, and he was rather curious to see what he could accomplish.

"Are you sure?" the referee teacher asked again. Since it was a thousand-year Soul Beast, he had to be more cautious.

"I'm sure."

"Prepare to begin."

As soon as the referee teacher finished speaking, the sound of rattling chains came from the other end of the fighting arena. Accompanied by a powerful aura, the distant iron gate slowly lowered, and a towering figure emerged.

It was a lion, snow-white all over, with only the mane around its neck a darker color that reflected a faint blue sheen beneath the sunlight. The moment it appeared, even the surrounding temperature dropped by several degrees.

A thousand-year Frigid Mane Lion.

As a thousand-year Soul Beast, the Frigid Mane Lion already possessed a certain degree of intelligence. Having been kept in captivity for so long, it naturally knew exactly what entering the fighting arena meant.

After looking around, its gaze quickly locked onto its opponent for this battle. It bent its limbs slightly and lowered its entire body, silently creeping toward Wang Nan on the pads of its paws.

This was a lion's hunting instinct: first conceal itself and quietly approach its prey, then use its powerful explosive force to pounce and inflict damage.

But it was still only a Soul Beast. It apparently had not considered that there were only itself and Wang Nan in the fighting arena. With a body that large, it would be difficult not to notice it no matter how well it hid.

Wang Nan had no intention of waiting for the Frigid Mane Lion to approach before competing with it in explosive force. He gripped the Coiling Dragon Staff and took the initiative, attacking before it had fully prepared itself.

Unexpectedly, a trace of cunning appeared in the Frigid Mane Lion's azure eyes. It opened its maw, and a cloud of Ice Mist rose before it. Wang Nan charged forward and plunged directly into the Ice Mist.

As for the Frigid Mane Lion, where was its previous cautious crawl? It let out a roar, raised its front leg high, and prepared to slam it down into the Ice Mist.

The instant Wang Nan entered the Ice Mist, he felt his movements abruptly slow by a beat. Looking ahead, he vaguely saw the Frigid Mane Lion lunging toward him.

He immediately understood that he had been deceived by this Frigid Mane Lion. It had first pretended to lack intelligence, instinctively acting as though it wanted to ambush him in order to lure Wang Nan into attacking. It had then seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, followed by a lethal strike.

After going through many battles in the fighting arena, this Frigid Mane Lion had actually learned how Soul Masters lured in their enemies.

Blocked by the Ice Mist, it was already too late for Wang Nan to retreat. He could only raise both hands and lift the Coiling Dragon Staff over his head to block the Frigid Mane Lion's front leg.

As the Frigid Mane Lion's paw came down, Wang Nan felt a sharp pain in the web between his thumb and forefinger, as if it were about to split apart. His legs also shuddered violently under the force, and he nearly dropped to his knees. But in the end, he still blocked the blow.

Wang Nan pushed forward with both hands and retreated with the momentum, leaving the range of the Ice Mist after several steps. Looking again at the Frigid Mane Lion, it raised its front paw and licked its palm, revealing a disdainful expression.

What on earth had those upper-year students been teaching this Frigid Mane Lion every day? Deception and taunting alike?

Wang Nan paused, then suddenly shouted twice as well. The Coiling Dragon Staff in his hand smashed fiercely into the ground twice without any apparent pattern, after which he charged straight at the Frigid Mane Lion.

Seeing the "enraged" Wang Nan, the Frigid Mane Lion repeated its old trick. It opened its maw and released another cloud of Ice Mist. Yet just as it raised its front leg high, ready to follow up with another attack, a staff gleaming with dark light extended from the Ice Mist and tapped its chest.