The battle was not yet over. Seeing the Lan sisters fall and Heavenly Net and Earthly Web fail to defeat their enemies, Huang Chu Tian was stunned. But he quickly came to his senses, let out a low shout, and charged straight at Lin Yuan, who was closest to him.
Lin Yuan sidestepped, his figure ghosting across the battlefield before appearing before Huang Chu Tian in an instant. Huang Chu Tian's pupils contracted. Just as he tried to mobilize his Soul Power, Lin Yuan's palm clamped down on his shoulder like an iron vice.
Bang! A muffled impact rang out as Huang Chu Tian's burly body was slammed firmly into the ground, sending shattered stones flying. He struggled with all his strength, his arms erupting with tremendous force, but the hand on his shoulder did not budge. An invisible Space Power spread down his arm, locking the circulation of Soul Power within him.
"You've lost." Lin Yuan's voice was calm as he lightly stomped his foot. The ground around Huang Chu Tian suddenly rose, forming four stone shackles that firmly secured his limbs, leaving only his head able to move.
"Lin Yuan Team wins!" Seeing that the outcome had been decided, Wang Yan immediately announced the result.
Lin Yuan released Huang Chu Tian's shoulder and slowly walked toward Lan Su Su and Lan Luo Luo, who were slumped on the ground. The sisters' faces were pale, with traces of blood still at the corners of their mouths. When they saw Lin Yuan approach, a flicker of panic flashed through their eyes, only to be quickly replaced by admiration. They braced themselves against the ground, wanting to stand.
"Don't get up yet. Rest for a moment." Lin Yuan bent down, his voice gentle. "Having your Martial Soul Fusion Skill forcibly interrupted will throw your Soul Power into disorder. Moving around recklessly could damage your foundation."
Lan Luo Luo bit her lower lip, her large eyes filled with reluctance. "We lost..."
Lan Su Su lowered her head as well, her small hands clutching the hem of her clothes tightly. Clearly, she was upset that she had failed to show her true strength before her idol.
Seeing how close the two were to tears, Lin Yuan's heart stirred. He reached out and gently drew Lan Su Su into his arms, patting her back soothingly. "You were both very strong. Your Martial Soul Fusion Skill was exquisite. We only won by luck."
The warmth of his embrace drove away the chill brought by her disordered Soul Power. Lan Su Su's entire body stiffened before slowly relaxing. With her cheek pressed to Lin Yuan's chest, she could clearly smell the fresh fragrance of grass and trees on him, and the tips of her ears instantly turned crimson.
After releasing Lan Su Su, Lin Yuan turned toward Lan Luo Luo. The little girl's eyes lit up, though she pursed her lips and tried to appear reserved. Her body, however, unconsciously leaned closer to him.
Lin Yuan laughed, then reached out and pulled her into his arms as well, his movements gentle. "Your coordination is excellent. Keep working hard, and one day you'll definitely become a top-tier support duo."
"R-Really?" Lan Luo Luo buried her face in his chest. Her voice was muffled, but she could not hide her excitement.
"Of course." Lin Yuan released her and took out two small jade bottles from his Soul Tool, handing them to the sisters. "These will help settle your disordered Soul Power. Drink them when you get back and get some proper rest."
Lan Su Su and Lan Luo Luo accepted the jade bottles, their fingers growing hot when they touched. They exchanged a glance, then bowed with flushed faces. "Thank you, Abyss God!"
Watching this scene while trapped in stone shackles, Huang Chu Tian rolled his eyes helplessly. "Hey, could you let me go first? You win, and then just ignore your opponent?"
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow and casually waved his hand. The stone shackles around Huang Chu Tian instantly shattered. Huang Chu Tian stretched his numb limbs and walked over to the sisters, speaking helplessly. "I told you not to fangirl over him, but you wouldn't listen. Now you've lost completely, haven't you?"
"None of your business!" Lan Luo Luo glared at him, carefully storing the jade bottle in her Soul Tool. "Abyss God even praised us. He's way better than you!"
A total of six teams took part in this assessment. After Lin Yuan Team's match ended, the second match began immediately.
The Freshman Assessment had entered its latter half after the reshuffling, the most important phase for earning points. Every additional victory meant another chance to remain, so every team was now giving it their all.
The earlier clash between Lin Yuan Team and Huang Chu Tian Team had deeply shocked the other four teams. Knowing they did not possess that kind of strength, they decided to earn as many points as possible from the other teams.
Before long, all three matches of the first round had ended. As a seeded team, Lin Yuan Team was once again the first to take the field in the second round. Their opponents this time were three students from Class Four Freshman.
At Wang Yan's shout of "Assessment begin," both sides released their Martial Souls at the same time. The instant the three Agile Assault System Soul Masters on the opposing side released theirs, they charged out together, splitting into three paths as they rushed toward Lin Yuan Team.
Wang Yan stood at the edge of the field, his gaze fixed tightly on Lin Yuan's group. He did not dare relax in the slightest. He desperately wanted to figure out how Huo Yu Hao attacked and how his soul skills were released.
Just as Wang Yan focused on observing, the situation in the arena suddenly changed. The three opposing Agile Assault System Soul Masters shot forward like arrows, charging down the left, center, and right routes. Their speed surged after releasing their Martial Souls, leaving behind three afterimages as they targeted Lin Yuan's group.
Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. A flash of azure light flickered around him as he activated both the Authority of Wind and Space Authority. He did not move at all, merely raising a finger and tapping three times. Three barely visible vortices of airflow condensed before him.
Extreme Wind, Meteor Kill!
With that soft cry, three pale azure columns of wind as thick as bowls blasted from the vortices like arrows loosed from a bow, precisely locking onto the three Agile Assault System Soul Masters. They let out sharp shrieks as they tore through the air, ripping apart the atmosphere in their wake and even slightly distorting the light.
The pupils of the three Agile Assault System Soul Masters shrank. Instinctively, they tried to evade, but invisible Space Power lightly restrained them, slowing their movements by half a beat. That half-beat opening was already enough to decide the match.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three muffled explosions rang out almost simultaneously. The three wind columns struck the Soul Masters squarely in the chest. The overwhelming impact instantly shattered their protective Soul Power, sending them flying like kites with severed strings before they crashed heavily to the ground. The glow of their Martial Souls immediately dimmed, and no matter how they struggled, they could not rise again.
From the moment their opponents charged to the moment they were defeated, only an instant had passed. Before the spectators at the edge of the field could react, the match was already over.
Wang Yan's eyes widened, and the recording pen in his hand nearly slipped from his grasp. He had wanted to focus on observing Huo Yu Hao, but Lin Yuan's thunderous strike had completely stunned him. Without any cooperation from his teammates, Lin Yuan had ended the battle alone with an absolute crushing advantage. Such strength had already far surpassed Soul Masters of the same rank.
"Lin Yuan Team wins!" Wang Yan took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart as he loudly announced the result.
Lin Yuan lowered his hand, and the azure glow around him faded. His expression remained as calm as ever, as if he had merely done something insignificant.
Wang Dong retracted the wings of her Light Goddess Butterfly and curled her lips in dissatisfaction. "You stole the spotlight again. I haven't even warmed up yet."
Huo Yu Hao stepped forward. The golden glow in his eyes faded as he chuckled. "That move of Lin Yuan's is too overbearing. His opponents didn't even get the chance to come close."
In the following matches, Lin Yuan Team entered a virtuous cycle. None of the other teams wanted to clash head-on with them, and whenever they fought, they conserved as much strength as possible for later opponents.
They won the next three matches with exceptional ease. Especially in the fourth match, their opponents surrendered after only a token struggle. In the end, Lin Yuan Team, representing Class One Freshman, won all ten matches in the round-robin stage and achieved the best record in their region.
After the round-robin stage ended, Wang Yan could finally no longer hold himself back. Once the other teams had returned to rest, he stopped Lin Yuan's group. "Lin Yuan, you three stay behind."
"Teacher Wang." The three walked up to Wang Yan.
Wang Yan nodded at them and smiled. "Congratulations on achieving a perfect record in the Freshman Assessment round-robin stage. There are probably fewer than ten teams in the entire Freshman Assessment with results like yours. You truly are strong. However, I've always been curious, Huo Yu Hao. What exactly is your Martial Soul? I did not specifically ask around before because I wanted to see your Martial Soul and soul skills with my own eyes, which would also prove my own ability. But the facts have forced me to admit that I lost."
Huo Yu Hao responded softly, "Teacher Wang, my Martial Soul is the Spiritual Eye, a spiritual-attribute Martial Soul. As for my soul skills, please allow me to keep them confidential. After all, we still need to continue participating in the assessment."
Upon hearing this, a flash of wild delight passed through Wang Yan's eyes before he smiled gently. "I understand. I was presumptuous. Every Soul Master has their own secrets, and naturally, their trump cards must be carefully hidden." His tone shifted as his gaze fell on Lin Yuan, filled with curiosity and appreciation. "Lin Yuan, your control over space is extraordinarily refined, far beyond Soul Masters your age. Even many experienced Soul Masters cannot compare. Is this ability inherent to your Martial Soul, or did you encounter some other fortuitous opportunity?"
Lin Yuan smiled faintly and answered candidly, "You could say it's a special ability inherent to my Martial Soul. My Martial Soul is an Elemental Dragon. I can roughly control several basic elements and Space Power, but it's all only superficial skill."
Wang Yan took a deep breath, calming the shock and joy in his heart. "All right, you should go back and rest first." With that, he turned and hurried away.
Watching his retreating back, Wang Dong could not help muttering, "Could there be something wrong with Teacher Wang?"
Lin Yuan raised a hand and gave Wang Dong a light knock on the head, teasing her without using much force. "Making fun of a teacher doesn't exactly make you a 'good little girl.'" Before his words had even faded, he turned and briskly headed toward the dormitories, his silver-white hair ribbon drawing a cheerful arc behind him.
Wang Dong covered her forehead and glared at Lin Yuan's back. She stomped her foot angrily, but still hurried after him, muttering, "Who's a good little girl? He was the one asking strange questions..."
Huo Yu Hao followed behind them, shaking his head helplessly. After spending this time together, he had long grown used to the daily bickering between Lin Yuan and Wang Dong, the pair of quarrelsome enemies.
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