"Brother Moyuan, look at their expressions. Heh, they look just like I did the first time I saw your Soul Ring Configuration. Like they've seen a ghost."
Bai Yi spoke with a cheerful grin. Though he seemed nonchalant, a fierce fighting spirit had risen in his eyes. As a genius, he wouldn't pass up the chance to show off in front of thousands of people.
Just as Mo Yuan and the others arrived at Nineteen Area, the teacher and referee in charge of their section had also arrived.
He was a young male teacher who looked under thirty, with ordinary features and a serious expression that didn't invite a smile.
"We have six groups of students taking the assessment here. Since everyone's arrived, let's not waste any more time. Get ready to compete.
"Before we begin, there's one thing I need to make clear: you're not allowed to injure your opponents during the assessment. Anyone who does will be immediately disqualified. Don't even think about trying anything underhanded. If you're caught, you'll be expelled on the spot."
The male teacher's voice grew stern and even a little icy as he delivered his final warning.
In previous years, referees hadn't usually included such a warning during the New Student Assessment. But after Huo Yuhao's cheating scandal broke three months ago, all the teachers had begun adding it to every competition.
It was easy to dodge an attack you could see, but hard to guard against one you couldn't. They were genuinely afraid a student might come to harm because someone cheated right under their noses.
The students below didn't look surprised to hear this.
The male teacher scanned the crowd, nodded with satisfaction, then opened the folder in his hands.
"First match of the first round at Venue Nineteen. Newborn Class Two: Qu Hun, Han Li, and Li Feiyu. Newborn Class Nine: Mo Yuan, Bai Yi, and Nanmen Yun'er."
"You may take the field. Each team, stand at opposite corners."
At that, Mo Yuan, Bai Yi, and Nanmen Yun'er exchanged glances. They hadn't expected their team to be assigned the very first match.
But that was all. With their strength, it made no difference which match they were in. The team from Freshman Class One, on the other hand, was in for a rough time.
When they learned they'd have to face Mo Yuan in the very first match, the three of them couldn't help but smile bitterly, thinking their luck was terrible.
"Come on. What's coming can't be avoided."
Once on the field, the three students from Newborn Class Two took their positions at the northwest corner. Their formation was a classic one: Qu Hun, a Strong Attack System Soul Master, stood at the front; Han Li, a Control System Soul Master, stood at the rear to oversee the battle; and Li Feiyu, an Agile Attack System Soul Master, took the flank.
All three were boys, each with a distinct personality.
Qu Hun was powerfully built, with bulging muscles that stretched his uniform tight. His expression was a little stiff.
Han Li had unremarkable features and an utterly average face. He watched Mo Yuan's team with a grave expression, seeming to ponder something. He looked like a steady, cautious sort.
Li Feiyu was the best-looking and most athletic of the three. His expression seemed somewhat cold.
Once they were in position, they looked across at Mo Yuan's team—and couldn't help but be taken aback. Bai Yi and Nanmen Yun'er stood side by side at the front.
Mo Yuan, the strongest of the three, stood at the rear with his hands behind his back, showing no sign that he intended to fight.
The three frowned slightly. They had indeed learned about Mo Yuan and knew he was incredibly strong.
But over the past three months, the more people talked, the more exaggerated the rumors had become. The pressure of Mo Yuan's strength had begun to fade beneath the weight of all those stories.
And since almost no one outside Class Nine had seen Mo Yuan fight, people still feared him, but nowhere near as much as they had three months ago.
"Don't panic. Stick to the original plan. Qu Hun, use your physical strength to attack the girl. Li Feiyu, use your speed to close in on Bai Yi. We don't know what his Martial Soul is, but judging by his build, you'll probably have the advantage up close. As for Mo Yuan... I'll hold him off for as long as I can."
Han Li calmly gave his teammates their orders in a low voice. In their group, the one who seemed least like a captain was the one acting as captain.
Qu Hun nodded with a vacant expression, while Li Feiyu quietly loosened up, looking ready to spring into action as soon as the match began.
On the other side, Mo Yuan glanced over the three opponents, then turned to Bai Yi and Nanmen Yun'er, who stood in front of him.
"Just like we discussed. Until we face a team led by a Soul Elder, you two will handle things."
That was the plan Mo Yuan had come up with the day before. The reason was simple: the New Student Assessment wasn't just the academy's way of selecting outstanding students.
It was also a process by which the academy identified the small number of students with the most potential and focused its resources on developing them.
The better a student performed during the assessment, the more resources and support they would receive afterward.
Mo Yuan could certainly use his overwhelming strength to sweep through the competition alone, but that wouldn't be fair to Bai Yi and Nanmen Yun'er.
"Got it, Brother Moyuan. You know what I can do—there's no need to worry. I'll handle it easily."
Compared to Bai Yi, Nanmen Yun'er was much more composed. She answered in a gentle voice.
Seeing that both sides were in position, the male teacher nodded.
"Begin."
As soon as he spoke, the five students other than Mo Yuan released their Martial Souls, and their Soul Rings rose from beneath their feet.
Forest White Cold Qi slipped from Bai Yi's mouth. His gentle expression turned cold, and a flash of blue crossed his eyes. He reached out and grasped the empty air before him. A longbow nearly half his height appeared in his hand.
The bow was clear as crystal, as if carved from the purest ice. It radiated a bone-chilling Forest White Cold Qi, and two Yellow Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet.
A closer look revealed a few faint traces of purple along the edge of the Second Soul Ring. This showed that Bai Yi's Second Soul Ring was close to a thousand years old.
A flash of emerald light appeared behind Nanmen Yun'er. When it faded, a pair of small, emerald-green wings had appeared on her back.
Though the wings were small, they made Nanmen Yun'er incredibly fast. Her hands also turned emerald green, as if carved from jade.
The moment two Yellow Soul Rings rose from beneath her feet, she vanished from where she stood. In the blink of an eye, she was in front of Qu Hun, striking at him with her palm!
Before Han Li, their captain, could even process Bai Yi and Nanmen Yun'er's strength, he immediately released his Martial Soul and shouted a warning.
"Watch out!"
Fortunately, Li Feiyu, who was also an Agile Attack System Soul Master, reacted at once. The sharp buzz of fluttering wings rang out as a Yellow Soul Ring rose.
With Martial Soul Possession, two slender antennae sprouted from Li Feiyu's head. His uniform tore across the back, and three pairs of dark-golden wings, thin as a cicada's, beat at incredible speed.
Li Feiyu's Martial Soul was an insect called a Golden Eater Insect. Among insect-type Soul Beasts, it was famous for its exceptional speed and far greater defense than others of its kind.
As a Martial Soul, it was one of the rare ones that combined speed and defense.
Thump!
The sound of bodies colliding rang out. Li Feiyu had reacted in time to get in front of Qu Hun and block Nanmen Yun'er's decisive strike.
"I'll hold her off. Qu Hun, take my position."
Li Feiyu spoke calmly without looking back. Nanmen Yun'er's lightning-fast attack had thrown their original plan into disarray. To keep her from posing an immediate threat to Han Li, he had no choice but to use his speed to keep her occupied for a while.
After speaking, he looked at Nanmen Yun'er, who had immediately retreated after her strike missed. Without another word, he charged at her, his expression cold, and began trading blows with her.
He knew this was a fight with no suspense. But there was nothing they could do except give it everything they had. Even if they lost, they had to make it a good-looking defeat.
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