Lying Without Drafting, Face Unreddened and Heart Unshaken!

Lin Yuan's fingers twitched slightly, and the Authority of Wind was instantly activated, causing the airflow around him to surge violently. He extended his right hand, forming a gesture towards Zhao Haochen with his fingers loosely closed, thumb and index finger extended in a V-shape, while the other three fingers were bent inward.

"Ka-na~" A low voice fell as the air in front of his fingertips was instantly compressed and condensed, forming a visible pale green vortex of airflow. The vortex spun at high speed, emitting a sharp "hiss," and the surrounding light distorted slightly due to the airflow disturbance. The next moment, a green air column, as thick as a bowl, shot out from the vortex with a roar, charging straight at Zhao Haochen like an arrow released from a bow.

Zhao Haochen's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly activated his soul power to resist. However, he was an auxiliary-type Soul Master with weak defensive capabilities. The soul power barrier he hastily condensed was like thin paper in front of the air cannon.

With a loud "bang," the air column violently struck his chest, sending him flying backward and crashing heavily onto the ground. Zhao Haochen spat out a mouthful of blood, his soul power instantly in disarray, and the light of his first soul ring dimmed.

"The victor has been decided." Lin Yuan retracted his hand, the elemental light spheres swirling around him slowly dissipating, his tone calm and unwavering.

Wang Dong retracted his wings and landed steadily on the ground, the flowing light on his blue-purple wings gradually fading. Huo Yu Hao also withdrew his mental detection, the golden light in his eyes receding. The three stood in the arena, their breaths steady, as if they had merely completed a simple warm-up.

Zhao Haochen, heavily injured by the air column, struggled to get up but found his soul power in chaos, unable to even maintain his Martial Soul. He could only collapse onto the ground in unwilling defeat. Ouyang Junyi and Chen Junfeng's faces were pale, their gazes filled with horror as they looked at Lin Yuan and the other two. They hadn't even touched the corner of their opponents' clothes before being utterly defeated.

Wang Yan, watching from the sidelines, had a look of admiration in his eyes. The other three-person teams were also observing from the side. After witnessing this match, everyone's expression turned solemn, and the entire Sector 33 fell silent.

This was too powerful. How could there be such a vast difference between them, all freshmen? Some couldn't help but clench their fists, filled with unwillingness. Others quietly took half a step back, secretly praying they wouldn't have to face this trio too soon.

Even Wang Yan put away his usual gentle smile, his gaze locked onto Lin Yuan, his eyebrows slightly raised. He could tell that Lin Yuan hadn't used his full strength; those swirling elemental light spheres hid unfathomable power.

"Team Lin Yuan from Class 1 wins this match." Wang Yan announced before recording it on the file in his hand.

On the other side, Ouyang Junyi and his two teammates had already gotten up. Although not seriously injured, their faces were flushed with shame and anger. Having lost the match in less than a minute, they didn't want to stay a second longer and quickly ran off.

As more matches progressed, the first round of the freshman assessment soon concluded.

Today's assessment was mainly to help the freshmen adapt to this combat-style assessment method. Tomorrow's assessment density would significantly increase, with two rounds in the morning and two in the afternoon, totaling four rounds. On the third day, the assessment intensity would be even greater, with each team having to undergo five rounds. The entire freshman assessment lasted only three days, which was not only to train the students' practical combat abilities but also to test their endurance.

Under the intense competition format, the other freshman teams were not foolish. To achieve better results, they directly chose to "go easy" when facing Lin Yuan and his team. Therefore, unlike other teams who were exhausted, Lin Yuan and his two companions easily won their four matches on the second day, ultimately achieving a record of five wins and zero losses.

As the assessment teacher for Sector 33, Wang Yan was somewhat dejected. After five matches, Lin Yuan's team's combat pattern remained consistent: Wang Dong was the main attacker, Lin Yuan provided auxiliary control, and Huo Yu Hao "slacked off" the entire time, quickly ending the battles. He believed he had figured out Lin Yuan and Wang Dong's strategies but still couldn't fathom Huo Yu Hao's abilities, which frustrated him as a theoretical teacher.

"So satisfying! It was like slicing through melons and vegetables, a complete annihilation!" On the way back to the dormitory, Wang Dong said excitedly. He had finally had his fill of fighting today.

Lin Yuan glanced at Wang Dong helplessly but had to admit that such overwhelming victories did save a lot of trouble.

Huo Yu Hao smiled faintly, "Let's go. I'll treat you to grilled fish. I ordered some extra yesterday."

As the three of them walked out of the assessment area, they encountered two people: Ma Xiao Tao, an inner disciple dressed in red, and Xu San Shi, whom she had brought with her a few days ago.

Unlike his usual spirited demeanor, Xu San Shi's face was now ashen, as if his energy had been drained. He looked listless, his clothes wrinkled and disheveled, appearing utterly dejected. Ma Xiao Tao was still beautiful, but her delicate face had an unnatural flush, and the pale pink of her eyes deepened slightly.

"Did someone suck your yang energy dry?" Lin Yuan teased with a half-smile.

Xu San Shi weakly rolled his eyes, lacking the strength to retort. He merely waved his hand. After days of torment and intense suffering, he had finally pulled through, but the depletion of his spirit, physical strength, and soul power was immense. He just wanted to return to his dormitory and sleep until the world ended.

"I found them. Sister Xiao Tao, can I go now?" Xu San Shi asked with a pained expression.

Ma Xiao Tao nodded, "Alright, you can go."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xu San Shi gave Lin Yuan and Wang Dong a "good luck to yourselves" look and turned to leave.

"You two, follow me. Junior, you can go back first," Ma Xiao Tao said calmly.

Huo Yu Hao was about to speak when he saw Lin Yuan shake his head, signaling him to leave and assuring him that they would be fine. Huo Yu Hao nodded and turned to leave. Lin Yuan and Wang Dong then followed Ma Xiao Tao towards the lakeside path. After walking along the path for a while, they arrived at the spot where they had been attacked.

Ma Xiao Tao stopped at the edge of Sea God Lake, her back to them, and said, "I know you two should recognize me. That's right, I'm the student who ran out of the inner court and almost injured you. I had no choice, and I apologize to you both here."

"It's all in the past, and the academy has already compensated us," Lin Yuan waved his hand.

Upon hearing this, Ma Xiao Tao suddenly turned around, the color of her pink eyes deepening abruptly, and an indescribable pressure instantly enveloped Lin Yuan and Wang Dong.

"But for me, this matter isn't over. That day, someone clearly stopped me and prevented you from getting hurt. This person is crucial to me. Tell me everything you know, or tell me whose protector he was? I must find him."

She had come to find Lin Yuan and Wang Dong because, after returning that day, she suddenly remembered why these two students looked familiar; she had seen their records in the inner court. For the past three months, she had made considerable progress in her cultivation by seizing the opportunity to have her evil fire completely devoured. However, in the end, the evil fire rekindled, and she had no choice but to find Xu San Shi again. But she discovered that although Xu San Shi's Mysterious Nether Turtle Martial Soul was a top-tier Beast Spirit, it was water-attribute rather than ice-attribute, offering her less and less help. Unable to suppress the evil fire, she had to stop cultivating, and the evil fire could erupt at any moment, causing her to lose consciousness.

After much thought, she decided to seek out Lin Yuan and Wang Dong. If she could find the person who stopped her that day, her problem might be solved.

Lin Yuan looked at the urgency and obsession in Ma Xiao Tao's eyes, his purple eyes calm and unwavering, and said in a detached tone, "We were both scared unconscious that day and didn't see who saved us. The academy also told us to forget about it, likely not wanting to dwell on it."

Wang Dong quickly chimed in with a nod, his blue-purple eyes filled with "sincerity," "Yes, it was too sudden. I only remember a wave of heat rushing over, and then I didn't know anything else." He secretly glanced at Lin Yuan and, seeing his calm expression, secretly admired his ability to lie so steadily.

Ma Xiao Tao frowned, clearly not believing their story. She stepped forward, her soul power subtly fluctuating, her gaze beneath the red veil sharp as a knife, scrutinizing them repeatedly. "You're lying to me. Although I lost control that day, I vaguely remember someone directly touching my evil fire and even devouring it. Someone who can do that is definitely not an ordinary Soul Master. You were the ones involved; you couldn't possibly have no clues at all."

Lin Yuan shrugged, his tone frank, "Senior Sister, we are telling the truth. If we really knew any clues, why would we hide them? This concerns your safety, Senior Sister, so we have no reason to keep it to ourselves." He paused, changing his tone, "Moreover, a powerful individual capable of devouring evil fire must have profound cultivation. If that person wanted to reveal themselves, they would naturally seek you out. If they didn't, even if we knew something, we probably wouldn't dare to reveal it casually, lest we bring trouble upon ourselves."

These words were reasonable, pointing out their fear of speaking out while also hinting at the possibility of ignorance, leaving Ma Xiao Tao momentarily speechless. She stared intently at Lin Yuan's purple eyes, trying to find any trace of deception, but those eyes were clear and calm, like a bottomless lake, without any flaws.

Wang Dong added at the opportune moment, "Yes, Senior Sister. The academy specifically instructed us to forget about it, there must be a reason. We are just ordinary freshmen; how would we dare to defy the academy's wishes?" He deliberately showed a hint of timidity, making him appear even more genuine.

Ma Xiao Tao fell silent for a moment, the fluctuation of soul power around her gradually subsided, and the sharpness in her eyes softened slightly. She knew they had a point; with that mysterious person's strength, if they didn't want to be exposed, no one could force them. She took a deep breath, suppressing her urgency, and her tone softened, "I was too abrupt. It's just that this matter concerns my cultivation foundation, and I am truly anxious."

Seeing this, Lin Yuan seized the opportunity, "We understand your difficulties, Senior Sister. If we have the chance to meet that powerful individual in the future, we will inform you immediately."

Ma Xiao Tao nodded, no longer pressing the issue, but her gaze lingered on Lin Yuan for a moment longer. For some reason, every time she got close to this young man, the evil fire within her would inexplicably calm down a bit. Although not obvious, it was real. She suppressed this doubt and said, "Sorry to have bothered you. You two can go back now." With that, she turned and left.

After Ma Xiao Tao's figure disappeared down the forest path, Wang Dong immediately leaned close to Lin Yuan, his blue-purple eyes full of mischief. He poked Lin Yuan's arm, "Not bad, Class Monitor Lin. You can lie without even preparing, your face doesn't blush, and your heart doesn't skip a beat. You looked so calm just now, I almost believed you."

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow and flicked Wang Dong's forehead, "What? Envious?"

"Who's envious!" Wang Dong rubbed his forehead and took half a step back, his earlobes quietly turning red. "I just think you're too much of a show-off. You're clearly the one who did it, yet you spoke as if it were true." He paused, leaned closer, and lowered his voice, "But speaking of which, why didn't you admit it? Senior Sister Ma Xiao Tao was so anxious; it wouldn't have hurt to help her a little, right?"

Lin Yuan turned and walked in the direction of the dormitory. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting fragmented light on his silver-white hair ribbon. "Help her? How? Tell her I can devour her evil fire and have her come to me every day to put out the fire?" His tone carried a hint of amusement. "I have no interest in being a mobile fire extinguisher. Besides, as long as the root of her evil fire isn't removed, devouring more will only be a temporary fix and will make her dependent on this method."

Wang Dong quickly caught up, frowning as he retorted, "But you clearly have the ability to help suppress it. Just now, when she got close to you, I could feel the fire energy on her weaken a bit."

Lin Yuan explained calmly, "Suppression is not a solution. Her problem lies in the Martial Soul itself. Unless the origin of the Martial Soul is completely purified, the evil fire will only accumulate more and more. If I help her now, and her evil fire erupts even more fiercely in the future, who will be responsible?"

Wang Dong was speechless. After a long pause, he managed to blurt out, "But you shouldn't have lied to her. You sounded so convincing just now, I almost thought you really forgot."

Lin Yuan stopped and turned to look at him, his purple eyes carrying a hint of playfulness. "What? Feeling sorry for her?"

"Who's feeling sorry for her!" Wang Dong abruptly turned his face away, his earlobes turning even redder. "I just think you're too cunning!"

"Cunning?" Lin Yuan chuckled and reached out to ruffle his hair. "This is called assessing the situation. Some things, if revealed, won't benefit anyone. I have no need to get involved."