Du Weilun blocked the Golden Path once again.
He had been hit by the exact same Martial Soul Fusion Skill twice in a single day.
"Any objections?"
Du Weilun looked at the three of them as they released their Martial Soul Possession.
"No."
Huo Yutong shook her head.
Du Weilun looked at An Zhen, a flash of delight passing through his eyes as he announced loudly, "I declare that the champions of this year's Freshman Assessment are the team of An Zhen, Ning Tian, and Wu Feng."
"The Freshman Assessment has now concluded successfully. The academy has witnessed your growth and progress. A freshman assembly will be held tomorrow morning, where the top three teams will be awarded and assigned to classes."
"Wow—"
A huge roar erupted from the spectator stands.
Though they had long expected An Zhen's team to win, no one had expected them to win like this.
Two consecutive Martial Soul Fusion Skills.
And they had even been the other side's Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
Holy Light Dragon, Heavenly Net, and that Golden Path.
Where had this freak come from?!
"An Zhen!"
The annoyed pink-blue-haired youth marched up to An Zhen, glaring at him with a fierce yet adorable expression!
Bad guy!
He had used her own abilities against her!
The finals had ended very quickly.
Heavenly Net.
The First Soul Skill of the Nine Phoenixes Paying Homage to the Xiao: Slow.
Both were control-type soul skills. Only the final Golden Path possessed a measure of offensive power beyond its inherent effect, but Du Weilun had blocked it as well.
Yet that was precisely why Wang Dong felt so stifled. None of the tactics they had discussed beforehand, nor any of her own strength, had been displayed before the battle ended.
"You were the one who told me to go all out."
An Zhen spread his hands, looking utterly innocent.
"Hmph."
Unable to argue back, Wang Dong could only stomp her foot viciously.
Tonight, I'll stomp you to death!
"Congratulations, An Zhen-gege." There was not the slightest hint of dejection on Huo loli's face. In the girl's heart, An Zhen-gege should have been first place from the start.
"An Zhen."
Ning Tian and Wu Feng hurried over. The Golden-Haired Young Miss gazed happily at An Zhen with her azure eyes. This was another enormous surprise. There was no need to mention the control abilities of Heavenly Net; An Zhen could even unleash the Golden Path capable of dispelling a Soul Douluo's protective Soul Power.
The Freshman Assessment had ended. The students who had successfully remained at the academy enjoyed some rare leisure time, as a reward for their efforts over the past three months. The eliminated students could only leave and report to other advanced academies. Though they could not compare to the geniuses staying here, anyone who met Shrek Academy's enrollment requirements was already an elite.
An Zhen's group happily went out for a meal. Ning Tian had chosen an upscale restaurant. As the young miss of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, she understood only too well the importance of connections. Xiao Xiao, with her Twin Martial Souls; Wang Dong, with her Light Goddess Butterfly; and even Huo Yutong, who had yet to reach two rings—setting aside her relationship with An Zhen, Ning Tian had experienced the shared Spiritual Probe An Zhen had copied, as well as that Martial Soul Fusion Skill. She believed Huo Yutong was immensely worth befriending.
"Wow, this meal must cost several thousand Gold Soul Coins, right?" Xiao Xiao was stunned by the dishes on the table, all made from materials from thousand-year Soul Beasts or better.
Wang Dong shot Ning Tian a wary glance. Was she really this rich? Wang Dong could not help worrying whether An Zhen would fall to the rich woman's monetary offensive. The girl deeply doubted her boyfriend's resistance.
Although the young miss of the Clear Sky Sect could easily afford it as well, spending nearly ten thousand Gold Soul Coins on a single meal was still rather extravagant.
Ning Tian smiled openly and generously.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was rich enough to rival a nation. That was meant literally.
But possessing too much wealth also required the strength to protect it. Every generation of Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan leaders understood this principle. On the small scale, they sponsored soul masters and spent large sums helping children awaken their martial souls for free, taking the opportunity to recruit talented commoners. On the large scale, they funded major operations by the Empire without asking for even a shred of compensation or credit. They even made substantial donations to Shrek Academy every year.
The world was not merely about fighting and killing; it was about connections and social ties.
Ning Tian believed that once her father learned of An Zhen's recent performance, he would undoubtedly greatly increase the resources she could mobilize, perhaps even granting her soul bones of exceptional quality. Helping someone in their hour of need was far better than adding flowers to brocade, and besides, An Zhen was already practically half one of their own.
After dinner, the group left in high spirits.
Back at the dormitory.
"After we're assigned to classes, the study workload over at the Soul Guidance Department will probably get heavier, right?"
Perhaps the butterfly's arrival had stirred up a storm, or perhaps the timeline had already changed. Huo Yutong had not formally joined the Soul Guidance Department only after the Freshman Assessment, as Huo Yuhao had in the original story. Instead, she had joined right after Zhou Yi took her there. After afternoon classes and dinner, she would sell milk tea for half an hour before rushing over. During these past three months, Huo Yutong had practically split every minute in half, yet with the Virtual World, she had instead completed both her martial soul and Soul Guidance Department tasks perfectly.
"Mm."
An Zhen took out a card.
"There are twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins in here. Stop setting up the stall from now on. That way, Yutong will have more time to study."
They had already kissed before.
Although this differed somewhat from his original plan of confirming their relationship after Huo Yutong gained her second martial soul and became more confident, what had happened had happened. This was good too—it gave him an appropriate reason and relationship through which Yutong could accept his goodwill.
"!"
Wang Dong became alert. "Did Ning Tian give that to you?!"
"No."
What Ning Tian had given him was inside the bracelet on his wrist.
An Zhen tucked the card into Huo loli's hand and explained, "This is part of the compensation Senior Sister gave me before."
"No, An Zhen-gege, I can't accept this." Huo Yutong refused.
An Zhen reached out, pulled Huo Yutong into his arms, and captured her soft cherry lips.
"Mmph!"
Her sparkling eyes instantly widened. The girl instinctively wrapped her arms around An Zhen-gege's body, and Huo Yutong suddenly remembered something—Wang Dong was still here! Yet the sudden assault left her mind entirely blank. She completely forgot that they were in front of her best friend and immersed herself in the intimacy with her beloved.
"..."
With her hands on her hips, Wang Dong watched the two kissing.
Hey, hey, hey! Why were they doing this in front of her again?!
"Hmph!"
Kicking off her shoes, Wang Dong, her slender jade-like feet clad in white socks, sat cross-legged on the bed and silently stared at them.
After a while.
Though they had not officially confirmed their relationship, under An Zhen's forceful attitude, Huo Yutong still accepted the card.
An Zhen left the two girls' dorm room beneath the gaze of someone gritting her teeth in fury.
"An Zhen-gege..."
Huo loli stared blankly at the card in her hand.
She knew Wang Dong and An Zhen-gege accompanied her every night to sell milk tea because they were looking after her. They had never needed to do that in the first place. If she accepted it, An Zhen-gege and Wang Dong would no longer have to waste that time every evening.
She had to work hard. Only then would she be capable of standing beside An Zhen-gege in the future, perhaps even supporting An Zhen-gege herself.
Virtual World.
"An Zhen!"
Wearing a white-and-blue suspender dress, her dreamy pink-blue hair streaming behind her, the beautiful little butterfly charged straight at him and kicked the youth to the ground with her pair of fair, slender legs.
"You're finished!"
Her pale, jade-like foot stepped directly onto An Zhen's face.
Although An Zhen had created the clothes in the Virtual World, so he naturally knew what Wang Dong'er was wearing, he suddenly found that appreciating it so directly was rather nice. Pure white paired with the beautiful Light Goddess Butterfly.
"Even if you call me big sister now, it's useless."
Before you continue