Champion's Reward

"Wrong, wrong." Without waiting for Huo Yuhao to react, Xu Jie immediately spoke.

"What's wrong?" Huo Yuhao asked, confused.

"If you weren't born noble, then use your own strength to wipe out all nobles." After saying that, Xu Jie patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder, picked up the secret manual Dugu Lu had left behind, and began flipping through it.

Xu Jie actually had much more to say, but now was not the time. At the very least, he would wait until Soul Tools had developed enough to level the gap in individual combat power before speaking those words.

He believed that with his involvement, that day would arrive very soon.

"Sigh!" A soft sigh sounded within Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Sea of Consciousness. The sleeping Sky Dream Ice Silkworm suddenly awoke and looked at the gray speck of light floating within the sea of consciousness, his face filled with confusion.

Early in the morning, the rising sun cast its radiance below the freshman dormitory building. Freshmen emerged from their dorms. Some walked toward Shrek Plaza with relaxed expressions, while others carried their luggage toward the gates of Shrek Academy. The former beamed with delight, while the latter wore gloomy faces.

Dugu Lu was one person who stood out from the crowd. His brows were tightly furrowed, yet he stood at the entrance empty-handed.

A while later, Xu Jie and Huo Yuhao came downstairs. When Dugu Lu saw them, his brows immediately relaxed. Xu Jie and Huo Yuhao both looked calm. After the three gathered, they did not hurry to Shrek Plaza. Instead, they ran to the cafeteria for breakfast first, then leisurely made their way toward Shrek Plaza.

By the time the three reached the plaza, they waited for dozens more minutes before Du Weilun, the Martial Soul Department's dean of instruction, finally arrived with more than a dozen teachers. The teachers stood on the raised platform in Shrek Plaza. Du Weilun opened the folder in his hand and looked at the students in the plaza with a smile.

"Ahem. The freshman assessment has concluded, and the top teams in this competition have been decided. Next, the students whose names I call will come up to receive their awards. Third place in the freshman assessment: Dai Huabin's team. Its members are Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, and Cui Yajie."

As soon as he finished speaking, Dai Huabin led his two teammates before Du Weilun. None of the three showed the slightest excitement. Their faces were dark, especially Dai Huabin's. He was extremely dissatisfied with today's results.

Although Dai Huabin and the other two looked cold, it did not affect the thunderous applause from the students below. After three months and the eliminations of this assessment, two-thirds of the students had been cut, leaving only a little over three hundred.

"Second place: Ning Tian's team. Its members are Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Nanmen Yuner." As Du Weilun spoke again, the three girls stepped out from the ranks. They cast complicated looks at Xu Jie, who was still among the crowd. Wu Feng's gaze in particular carried a hint of provocation.

"This competition's champions: Huo Yuhao's team. Its members are Xu Jie, Huo Yuhao, and Xiao Xiao." At those words, two boys and a girl stepped out of the ranks. Unlike the boys' calm expressions, the girl's face was filled with excitement.

Once the nine were in position, Du Weilun looked at the crowd below and continued, "Ahem. I hereby announce that the top three teams will all receive rewards from the academy. Whenever any of you require a soul ring, you may submit a request to the academy, and the academy will obtain the most suitable soul ring for you.

"However..." That single word immediately tightened everyone's hearts. Du Weilun turned to look at Xu Jie. Only after seeing that his expression had not changed in the slightest did he slowly continue.

"However, because student Xu Jie has a Martial Soul defect and cannot break through Rank 30, student Xu Jie's reward will be transferred to Huo Yuhao. The academy will assist Huo Yuhao in obtaining soul rings on two occasions."

An uproar instantly broke out below the stage. The expressions of the people onstage also turned to shock, while Dai Huabin and his two teammates wore amused looks.

Ning Tian was stunned, then her gaze toward Xu Jie became somewhat disappointed. Wu Feng, on the other hand, wore an expression of gloating, while Nanmen Yuner remained indifferent.

Smack! Xu Jie grabbed Huo Yuhao's raised hand and whispered in his ear, "Yuhao, calm down."

Pfft! A laugh suddenly rang out, then gradually grew louder. "Hahahahahaha!"

Xu Jie immediately turned around and looked at the red-clad girl whose laughter was growing louder and louder. When Wu Feng saw Xu Jie looking at her, her laughter immediately became even more boisterous.

Whoosh!

Three soul rings rose from beneath Xu Jie's feet. Wu Feng, seemingly in provocation, summoned her own Martial Soul as well. A faint smile appeared on Xu Jie's face. The aura around him rapidly expanded, then contracted, pressing down entirely upon Wu Feng.

The teachers nearby merely watched. Not a single one showed any intention of stopping them.

Smack!

Two crisp sounds rang out as two delicate hands grabbed Wu Feng, preventing her from collapsing to the ground. Cold sweat streamed down Wu Feng's face as she was supported. Among Martial Souls of the same attribute, an Ultimate Martial Soul was king. The pressure of a superior upon an inferior was immensely powerful. This was also one of the reasons why Ultimate Martial Souls were invincible among those of the same rank.

Xu Jie had extremely precise control over his own power. During the earlier assessment, the aura he displayed had been neither too much nor too little, just enough to suppress Wu Feng. But showing mercy once did not mean he had no temper.

Since she had dared to provoke him, she had to taste the consequences of that provocation.

It was just a little unfortunate that someone had helped her, preventing him from slamming her to the ground.

Ning Tian and Nanmen Yuner, standing nearby, each grabbed Wu Feng and were about to summon their Martial Souls. Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao behind Xu Jie also prepared to summon theirs, while the others chose to take a step back.

"Enough!" At that moment, Du Weilun, the dean of instruction on the platform, let out an angry roar. The area above and below the stage fell silent at once, and Xu Jie withdrew his Martial Soul and returned to his place.

Having lived through two lifetimes, he always treated others peacefully. But being peaceful did not mean being weak. A Wu Feng was not worth fearing. Moreover, within Shrek Academy's outer courtyard, almost no one could raise their cultivation to Rank 50 before graduation. It could be said that even if Xu Jie remained at Rank 30 the entire time, with his Ultimate Fire Martial Soul, he would basically have no opponents.

Seeing that the scene had quieted down, Du Weilun continued, "As for the champion team, Xu Jie's group, the academy will award them a special reward. After the class assignments are finished, follow me to collect it.

"You nine may return to your ranks first."

At those words, the nine people onstage stepped down one after another and returned to where they had stood before. Xu Jie could feel many aggressive gazes directed at him from below the stage. To these competitive youths, Xu Jie, whose talent had once been exceptional, had been a star far beyond their reach. But now that the star had fallen, it seemed everyone wanted to find out what it felt like to step on it.

"In this freshman tournament, many outstanding students have emerged. The academy will make a special exception and designate some students as Core Disciples of the outer courtyard. I will now announce the list." After the nine returned to their positions, Du Weilun continued.

Shrek Plaza immediately fell silent. Everyone pricked up their ears, especially those students who had entered the elimination rounds.

"Based on the freshmen's performances during the assessment, the disciples who have passed the academy's final review are: Xiao Xiao, Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, Dugu Lu..."

As Du Weilun's voice fell, just as Xu Jie had expected, neither his name nor Huo Yuhao's appeared from beginning to end. In the academy's eyes, one no longer had any value worth nurturing, while the other would have no value even if nurtured.

Huo Yuhao, standing behind him, looked even gloomier than before. Xu Jie had already warned him beforehand, so he had long known what today's outcome would be. He knew that as a little soul master not yet at Rank 20, there was nothing he could do at this moment.