Freshman Assessment

Oh, he remembered now; the evaluation had stated it like this:

Thirty thousand years ago, there was a Spirit Hall at the center of the continent, a holy land yearned for by all Spirit Masters; thirty thousand years later, there is a Shrek Academy at the center of Douluo Planet, a holy land yearned for by all Spirit Masters.

Thirty thousand years ago, the Spirit Hall controlled the most Title Douluos and possessed the strongest combat power on the continent; thirty thousand years later, Shrek possesses the only Super God-ranked Douluo in the Douluo Galaxy and, in alliance with the Tang Sect, possesses the most advanced technology.

Although Shrek Academy did not launch wars like the Spirit Hall—after all, it is ostensibly just an academy—that did not stop it from forming inspection teams every day to enforce laws across borders, not only enforcing the laws of the Holy Spirit Cult but also those of the Federation and other organizations.

If Shrek Academy were not an academy, but a sect or an organization, the consequences would be unimaginable.

No one knew that in the eyes of the people of Douluo Continent, the flawless Shrek Academy was, to Xia Linyuan, pitch-black to the core.

"Xia Linyuan!"

Just as he was thinking this, Xia Linyuan heard someone call his name. He snapped back to reality; it was his turn for the entrance examination.

"Hey, what were you thinking about? You were so absorbed." Gu Yuena nudged his arm.

"Nothing much, just slandering something, that's all," Xia Linyuan said indifferently.

Seeing that Xia Linyuan wouldn't elaborate, Gu Yuena didn't press the matter. "It's your turn for the exam, go on."

"Mm."

Walking into the Beast Fighting Area, the noise around his ears suddenly faded away.

"Xia Linyuan, is it?" the examiner asked.

"Yes."

The examiner said, "Although your opponent is only a ten-year Spirit Beast, Spirit Beasts do not know what it means to hold back, so this exam is no child's play. Are you ready?"

"I am ready."

"Very well, the exam begins!"

The examiner gestured toward the distance, and the silent Beast Fighting Area was suddenly filled with the sound of mechanical gears turning. Then, the massive iron gate opposite slowly opened.

From the pitch-black tunnel came the sound of frantic running.

The sound of running stopped abruptly in the next second. At the mouth of the tunnel, a black shadow flashed past with incredible speed, covering dozens of meters in a few breaths, lunging straight at Xia Linyuan.

Xia Linyuan made a show of releasing his Spirit and Spirit Rings.

As two yellow and one purple Spirit Ring emerged from beneath his feet, countless black mists billowed out from Xia Linyuan's body, condensing behind him into a three-meter-tall humanoid shadow clad in robes and armor, carrying heavy weapons.

Compared to six years ago, when he could only vaguely discern a human shape while "spirit-fying" a portion of his power, his power had stabilized significantly after taking root in Douluo Continent and proving his existence through wars in the Endless Mountains and the Abyss Plane, finally allowing him to manifest his current form.

Seeing the three Spirit Rings pulsing around Xia Linyuan, the examiner said in surprise, "A three-ring Spirit Elder! It seems an incredible monster has arrived this year. And what kind of Spirit is this? I have never seen such a Spirit before."

Seeming to recall something, he flipped through the files on Xia Linyuan in his hand and couldn't help but mutter, "Hunter? What kind of Spirit is this? I've never heard of it."

When the examiner turned his gaze back to Xia Linyuan, his mouth fell open in shock.

What, what had he just seen!

He had only looked down at the files for a few moments, yet that ten-year Gale Bei had already been pinned to the ground by dozens of razor-sharp black tentacles, blood splattered everywhere!

Although it was easy for a three-ring Spirit Elder to deal with a ten-year Spirit Beast, not everyone prioritized practical combat ability like their academy. In previous exams, there had been plenty of two-ring Great Spirit Masters who were almost scared to tears when facing ordinary ten-year Spirit Beasts.

He had expected that even though Xia Linyuan was a three-ring Spirit Elder, it would take at least a few rounds to subdue the ten-year Gale Bei. He hadn't expected the boy to deliver a killing blow in a single exchange.

"Xia Linyuan, Xia Lin..." the examiner's muttering stopped abruptly.

He remembered now; wasn't Xia Linyuan the son of Duke Molong, Xia Yanqing, of the Star Luo Empire!

Thinking that Xia Linyuan was Xia Yanqing's child, the examiner suddenly felt it was perfectly normal for him to dispatch the Gale Bei so quickly and ruthlessly.

After all, the boy had been on the battlefield since he was seven, and not just any ordinary battlefield—his enemies were the brutal creatures of the Abyss Plane!

He was truly worthy of being the young war god endowed with the hope of surpassing the Duke of White Tiger! To have the strength of a three-ring Spirit Elder at such a young age!

"Xia Linyuan, exam passed!"

The examiner stamped "Passed" on Xia Linyuan's registration form and returned it to him; after all, he still needed the form to report and register later.

After Xia Linyuan, it was Gu Yuena's turn.

A ten-year Spirit Beast was nothing to Gu Yuena. She also incapacitated it in a single exchange and passed the exam without any surprises.

When she walked over with her registration form, Xia Linyuan asked indifferently, "You don't seem to be in a very good mood."

"Heh," Gu Yuena sneered. "How good do you think my mood could be, as the Lord of Spirit Beasts, seeing my subjects kept in captivity by humans, and then having one killed by you, my partner?"

"Oh, is that so? It doesn't matter if you're in a good mood or not, as long as I am."

Veins immediately bulged on Gu Yuena's fair forehead.

She really, really wanted to step on this infuriating guy and grind him into the dirt! But she couldn't beat him! He could grind her into the dirt with just one foot!

After the exam, it was time to report and register at the white freshman teaching building.

After completing his registration, as if sensing something, Xia Linyuan glanced at Gu Yuena. "What are you looking at me for?"

Gu Yuena gestured at him. "I don't have money for tuition."

The meaning was simple: I, Gu Yuena, pay up!

"Heh." Xia Linyuan tossed her a thousand Gold Spirit Coins. "Don't bother me unless it's important."

Passerby: "..." Look at that! Is that something a normal person would say?

After collecting their dormitory keys, two sets of uniforms, and a white freshman badge, the two walked out of the freshman teaching building.

As soon as they stepped out, they saw many students of similar age crowding toward the bulletin board.

"What's going on?" Gu Yuena asked.

Xia Linyuan glanced casually at the new notice posted on the bulletin board and said indifferently, "The class assignments are out. You and I are both in Freshman Class One, and the homeroom teacher is Zhou Yi."

"Eh?" Gu Yuena was stunned. She looked at Xia Linyuan, then back at the distance between them and the bulletin board. "Is your eyesight really that good?"

Xia Linyuan glanced at her and said, "Do you believe me if I say my eyesight is good enough to see how many pores are on your nose?"

Gu Yuena: "..."