Shattering Your Hot-Blooded Dream with a Single Punch (Part 1)

After the first round of the new student assessment concluded, the remaining two hundred-plus students and sixty-four teams were divided into two groups for one-on-one elimination matches.

Each team would only need to participate in a maximum of two matches per day. Those who lost their first match could immediately return to class, while the winning teams would continue to compete.

With this schedule, in just a day and a half, the sixty-four strong teams that had advanced from the first round of assessment were reduced to just eight teams, totaling twenty-four students.

While this might sound like intense competition, it truly was. Even Bai Yi and Nanmen Yun'er, both two-ringed Soul Grand Masters, nearly lost to a strong team when Moyuan didn't intervene.

Whether by coincidence or design, the academy's four teams led by Soul Elders were all conveniently placed in separate matches through two separate draws.

Wang Dong, Huo Yuhao, and Xiao Xiao from Class One of the new students also managed to advance to the top eight, thanks to their good luck.

"Man, that scared me to death. We almost lost. If it weren't for you pulling me back, Moyuan, I think that Long Xiangyue would have sent me flying just now."

Bai Yi sat tiredly on a chair in the rest area, watching the three figures walk off the stage from the other side. He patted his chest as if still reliving the fear.

"Exactly! Who would have thought Cao Jinxuan's Martial Soul could pause time?"

Nanmen Yun'er chimed in, her closeness to Moyuan and Bai Yi undoubtedly growing after spending a few days together in the same team.

Moyuan, listening to Bai Yi and Nanmen Yun'er, said nothing. He quietly watched the three figures descend from the stage with disappointed expressions. They were their opponents from just now.

Cao Jinxuan, Long Xiangyue, and Zhou Sichen from Class Ten of the new students. In the original story, this team had reached the semifinals without a Soul Elder leading them.

They relied on Cao Jinxuan's Martial Soul, the Time Flies Bell, a time-element Martial Soul that was almost rarer than a physical body Martial Soul.

As the saying goes, space is king, and time is revered. Any Martial Soul or Soul Skill related to time is never weak.

In the match just now, Cao Jinxuan used his second Soul Skill to control them right from the start. Logically, even a Soul Ancestor could only be controlled for at most one second by Cao Jinxuan's second Soul Skill.

Unfortunately, his opponent was Moyuan, a monster. Even without using Time Zero or Instant to negate the Soul Skill's effect, Moyuan broke free from the control with only a slight resistance.

However, Cao Jinxuan's team was not a Soul Elder team after all. According to the original plan, Moyuan still didn't make a move, only reaching out to help Bai Yi and Nanmen Yun'er, allowing them to dodge the winning blows from Long Xiangyue and Zhou Sichen.

Afterward, Bai Yi and Nanmen Yun'er adjusted their states and fought a tough battle. Because Cao Jinxuan was incapacitated by a backlash from his Martial Soul, it became a two-on-two fight. In the end, Bai Yi secured the victory by utilizing his advantage in the air.

Recalling the feeling of being briefly controlled by the temporal stasis, Moyuan shook his head slightly. The Time Flies Bell was indeed an extremely powerful Martial Soul.

However, within the cultivation system of the Douluo Continent, it was difficult for time-element Martial Souls to avoid wasting their talent and unleash their true potential.

After all, there were only so many Soul Beasts related to time. Without a top-tier background, hunting those Soul Beasts would undoubtedly require a vast amount of time, and there was no guarantee of success in the end.

Thinking of this, Moyuan couldn't help but sigh: Time Zero is truly a bugged Words of Truth...

At the same time, Bai Yi, who was resting on a chair, seemed to recall something and asked Moyuan, "Moyuan, I suddenly remembered something. After the last match yesterday, what did Teacher Mu Jin say to you?"

Hearing this, Nanmen Yun'er immediately perked up her ears like a curious baby. After the thirty-two to sixteen match yesterday afternoon, As the three were about to leave, Mu Jin suddenly stopped Moyuan, saying he had something to discuss with Moyuan, and then directly pulled him away.

Upon hearing this, Moyuan shook his head slightly and said nothing. He turned his gaze towards a spot not far from the assessment area. There, a high platform had been erected yesterday, about twenty meters off the ground, supported by six metal pillars.

Looking up from below, one could vaguely see dozens of figures standing there watching. At a height of twenty meters, it was enough to overlook the entire assessment area and clearly see the matches in every arena.

With the enhancement of Dragon Blood, Moyuan's keen senses allowed him to clearly see everyone on the platform. They were basically the homeroom teachers of the new student classes and teachers from other grades.

Moyuan's gaze briefly paused on Du Weilun, Mu Jin, and Zhou Yi before he prepared to look away. As he scanned the originally empty area at the edge of the high platform, his pupils couldn't help but shrink slightly.

A stranger had appeared there at some unknown time. It was a disheveled old man with messy hair and several tears in his clothes. The old man was barefoot, with his feet casually resting on the chair. He held a purplish-red gourd and was gulping down something from it. Beside him, on a paper bag, sat a pile of sizzling chicken legs.

The moment Moyuan's gaze fixed on the old man, the seemingly dazed old man seemed to sense it and looked back at him.

Instantly, an invisible pressure washed over Moyuan. While inwardly alarmed, Moyuan did not avert his gaze, his expression calm.

This pressure was like killing intent; as long as one's heart was fearless, it would have little effect.

Sacred Spirit Cult's Supreme Elder Xuanzi? What is he doing here? Is he looking for any good seedlings from the Sacred Spirit Cult?

Moyuan mused in his heart as he looked at Xuanzi. After recognizing the old man, he basically knew who it was, as Xuanzi's characteristics were too distinct...

"Not bad, kid."

Xuanzi said with a satisfied expression, swallowed the liquid in his mouth, took another bite of chicken leg, and then returned to his dazed demeanor.

Seeing this, Moyuan, though unsure why Xuanzi was here, didn't care. After all, as long as he wasn't taken away from the academy by Xuanzi, there would be no danger.

After a midday rest, following rounds of elimination matches, the remaining eight teams, totaling twenty-four students, gathered below the high platform. They were to compete for the top four spots that afternoon.

On the high platform, Mu Jin glanced at Moyuan's group and Wang Dong's group below before turning to exchange a subtle glance with Du Weilun, who was preparing for the match draw. Then, with a smile, she approached Zhou Yi.

"Zhou Yi, that team from your class is quite good. They've had quite a bit of luck to reach the top eight. What a shame, though. The outcomes of the upcoming matches won't be decided by luck anymore."

Zhou Yi's expression turned cold. "Are you here to provoke me?"

Mu Jin dropped the pretense. "Yes, I am here to provoke you. Isn't Class One supposed to have good results? I want to see how many of your students can make it into the top four.

This is the first time I've been in such a good mood since you expelled my brother despite my desperate pleas. I heard you want to get a promotion to a senior title. Oh well, it's probably going to fall through again this time, especially since three of the eight teams are from our Class One. The probability of them meeting is extremely high."

Zhou Yi stopped looking at Mu Jin's provocative expression and turned her gaze downwards. Upon seeing Huo Yuhao's group, she seemed to recall something and said calmly, "Wanna bet?"

"Huh?"

Mu Jin was taken aback, her expression somewhat confused. The words she had prepared got stuck in her throat. Then, a flicker of delight flashed in her eyes. Before Zhou Yi could say anything more, she quickly said, "What are you betting? What do you have to bet against me?"

"If your class's team defeats our class's team in the subsequent match, I'll give you a soul bone. Do you dare?" Zhou Yi said sternly.

"Fine, but we need to add one more condition on top of that!" Mu Jin said sharply.

"If you lose, you'll personally submit your resignation letter to the academy and leave. If I lose, the same applies!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the other teachers who were watching were stunned. Aren't these two rivals, not enemies? How are things escalating so much?

Zhou Yi fell silent upon hearing the condition. However, thinking about the power of Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's martial soul fusion skill, and Mu Jin's statement that 'Moyuan wouldn't make a move until he encountered a soul elder's team,' Zhou Yi felt increasingly that his side had a greater chance of winning.

The advantage is mine!

"Alright, I'll bet."

Seeing Zhou Yi agree, Du Weilun, who had been ready with the draw, immediately stepped forward.

"Then I'll be the witness."

After exchanging a subtle glance with Mu Jin, Du Weilun took the draw box and walked down from the high platform to the eight teams.

"Now, the eight-into-four matches will begin. Just like before, opponents will be decided by drawing lots. The team from Class One of the freshmen will go forward to draw first."

I won't write about the matches in between. They're not exciting and just drag things out. I'll skip straight to the remaining two matches and speed up the plot.