Final Match Arrives, Crushing Victory From The Start!

The semifinals concluded, and the assessment area fell into a brief silence. As Lin Yuan and his two companions walked toward the dormitory building, Huo Yu Hao suddenly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. "Brother Lin Yuan, Wang Dong, we must win the finals this afternoon," he said, then proceeded to explain his reasons to the other two.

Lin Yuan patted Huo Yu Hao's shoulder. "Don't worry. Since he's been weighing on your mind, we will definitely win this final match."

Wang Dong nodded in agreement. "How dare he bully my teammate! I'll show him who's boss!"

After lunch, the trio returned to the assessment area. It was exceptionally quiet this time. Although it was the final round of the freshman assessment, there were no spectators. Shrek Academy's assessment system placed a high emphasis on the privacy of its students' abilities, so assessments were never open to other students.

Students not participating in the assessment were attending their regular classes, making the afternoon finals the least crowded it had ever been. However, fewer students didn't mean fewer people. Almost all the teachers from the Outer Court who didn't have classes were gathered at the assessment area to spectate. Shrek Academy's Dean, Yan Shao Zhe, and the Soul Tool Department's Vice Dean, Qian Duo Duo, personally attended, ascending the high platform accompanied by Du Wilun and a host of other teachers.

Although this was merely the routine freshman assessment held three months after the start of the academic year, nearly all of Shrek Academy's inner court students had once distinguished themselves in the freshman assessment before being heavily nurtured by the academy. The reason Yan Shao Zhe personally observed was the exceptional strength of this year's freshmen. Typically, even Shrek Academy students wouldn't reach the three-ring cultivation level until around their third year, which was also a prerequisite for advancing to the fourth year.

Yet, this year's freshmen cohort already boasted four three-ring Soul Elders. Such strength almost guaranteed their future entry into the inner court. Yan Shao Zhe wished to witness firsthand who would emerge as the champion among this exceptional batch of freshmen, even though he already had a general idea.

At this moment, both sides of the final had arrived early. They were making preparations for the match while covertly observing their distant opponents.

Although Dai Hua Bin didn't recognize Huo Yu Hao, he could clearly sense the threat posed by Lin Yuan's team. Was Ning Tian's group weak? Ning Tian, with her Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul, and Wu Feng, with her Fire Dragon Martial Soul, were both top-tier excellent students among the freshmen. Their team's overall strength was comparable to his own. Was Xie Huan Yue's team weak? Xie Huan Yue's defense was incredibly strong, but ultimately, a teacher had to intervene to end the match; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to retreat unscathed.

Therefore, before the final began, Dai Hua Bin had made thorough preparations, even specifically seeking out teams that had previously fought Lin Yuan's trio to meticulously investigate their abilities. However, the answers he received only deepened his concern; the trio's coordination was almost flawless, with no apparent weaknesses.

At this point, the referee teacher entered the spacious assessment area. All the partition boards had been removed at noon, revealing the complete, large-scale assessment grounds. The referee waved to both sides simultaneously, signaling them to enter the arena.

Lin Yuan's trio quickly entered the field, with Lin Yuan still at the forefront, flanked by Wang Dong and Huo Yu Hao. On the other side, Dai Hua Bin led the way, guiding two young girls into the center of the arena.

The referee called both sides forward and stated in a deep voice, "The rules for the upcoming finals have been slightly adjusted. Listen carefully. You may move freely within the arena, but holders of flying Martial Souls cannot fly higher than ten meters above the ground. To allow you to display your full strength, you may attack your opponents without reservation during the match. I will be monitoring the match progression in real-time. Anyone I move out of the arena will be considered eliminated. Do you understand?"

"Understood," both sides replied in unison.

"State your names."

"Lin Yuan."

"Wang Dong."

"Huo Yu Hao."

The three members of Dai Hua Bin's group, their eyes filled with clear hostility, stated their names in turn:

"Dai Hua Bin."

"Zhu Lu."

"Cui Ya Jie."

The referee spread his arms to his sides and said, "Retire to the edges of the arena. You may only launch your attacks after I announce the start."

Both sides slowly retreated. The teachers spectating from the high platform fell silent, their gazes fixed on the match unfolding in the arena.

Soon, both sides reached the edges of the arena. The assessment area was vast, and at this moment, the figures of their opponents appeared minuscule in each other's eyes.

The referee raised his right hand, then brought it down sharply. The clear command, "Start," reached the ears of all the participating students.

The instant they heard the command, both sides moved in unison, charging towards each other. The distance was too great; even Huo Yu Hao's mental detection couldn't ascertain the specifics of their opponents' situations.

During their run, Wang Dong let out a soft cry. The Goddess of Light Butterfly's wings suddenly unfurled, and she soared into the air. However, neither she nor Lin Yuan surpassed Huo Yu Hao's position, maintaining a relatively tight formation.

On the other side, Dai Hua Bin's trio maintained their previous formation as they charged forward. Dai Hua Bin, at the front, roared as he ran, "White Tiger, possess me!"

A powerful white light erupted from his body. As his arms extended to the sides, his bones let out a series of crisp cracking sounds, and his muscles bulged, stretching his clothes taut. His golden hair instantly turned black and white, with white dominating the majority, a few strands of black hair interspersed, making them particularly striking. Four faint patterns appeared on his forehead, three horizontal and one vertical, forming the character "King". The changes in his hands were the most apparent; white fur covered his palms, and as his fingers moved, sharp claws extended from his palms. At his feet, two yellow and one purple soul rings rose in sequence, the fluctuations of his soul power clearly visible.

The two young girls beside him also completed their Martial Soul possession. Zhu Lu's eyes became deeper in color, her ears perked up, and her slender body appeared more agile and powerful. Sharp blades extended from each of her fingers. Though her speed didn't surpass Dai Hua Bin's, her movements created a series of afterimages.

The change in the other red-haired girl, Cui Ya Jie, was even more striking. After releasing her Martial Soul, her appearance, which was around twelve years old, instantly transformed into that of a youthful maiden full of vitality. Her long, pink hair became even longer and developed large waves; her eyes were clear and bright, and her ears became pointed, even more so than Zhu Lu's. A faint smile graced her stunning face, enough to make one lose their senses. Most peculiar was the addition of two tails, about a meter long, behind her. Their dense pink fur shimmered with a moist luster under the afternoon sun, making one instinctively want to reach out and touch them.

Lin Yuan didn't give them a chance to close the distance. The instant Dai Hua Bin's trio completed their Martial Soul possession, silver-white spatial patterns erupted around Lin Yuan. Ripples appeared in the void beneath his feet, and he vanished from his original position like a phantom.

The next second, Cui Ya Jie felt a flash of light before her eyes, and a powerful force seized her neck. She hadn't even seen Lin Yuan's movement before her body left the ground, dragged by an irresistible force towards the edge of the arena.

"Bang!" Cui Ya Jie landed heavily on the buffer pad at the edge of the assessment area. The light of her Martial Soul instantly dimmed, her soul power became chaotic, and she lacked the strength to even stand up. All of this happened in the blink of an eye; from Lin Yuan's movement to the resolution of Cui Ya Jie, it took only two breaths. Dai Hua Bin and Zhu Lu hadn't even had time to react.

"So fast!" a middle-aged male teacher on the high platform couldn't help but exclaim, his recording pen nearly slipping from his hand. "This speed far surpasses that of a normal agile-type Soul Elder! He didn't even use a Soul Skill; he achieved this surprise attack solely through his control of space!"

The female teacher beside him nodded repeatedly, her gaze fixed on Lin Yuan in the arena. "It's not just the speed; his timing is also precise. He deliberately chose the moment when the opponent had just possessed their Martial Soul and their soul power hadn't fully circulated to strike, ending the fight in one blow without any hesitation. Such combat awareness... is this truly an eleven-year-old child?"

In the arena, Dai Hua Bin and Zhu Lu's expressions changed drastically. Cui Ya Jie's unexpected elimination instantly put them at a disadvantage, two against three. They exchanged a glance and immediately adjusted their tactics: Zhu Lu flickered, her speed drastically increasing, leaving a trail of afterimages behind her as she lunged straight for Wang Dong in the air.

As Zhu Lu launched her attack, Dai Hua Bin's assault followed suit. He let out a roar, and a dense white light converged on his head, his second soul ring suddenly lighting up. Immediately after, a ball of white light, condensed with violent soul power, was spewed towards Lin Yuan.