Xirui

As soon as the dean spoke, the clamorous square fell silent once again.

No one was willing to miss their grouping information just because they were whispering; it was the custom of Martial Soul Hall Academy that everything was only stated once.

Didn't hear it?

I'm sorry, you can head back the way you came.

The academy does not accept students who lack discipline.

"Group one: Huo Sheng, Wang Qiming, Zeng Zhi, Xu Kun, Zhao Lele."

"Group two: Chen Xing, Yang Dongfeng..."

The dean spoke very quickly, as if he didn't intend to give these newcomers any time to react.

Mu Qian could understand this; the other party wasn't trying to be difficult on purpose.

With a total of over five thousand people, if the pace were even slightly slower, they wouldn't be able to do anything else today besides grouping.

Mu Qian observed silently as those whose names were called did not linger in the square, heading straight for the north gate via the side paths.

Many senior students were scattered around the square, guiding those who were leaving toward the route to Death Canyon.

Assessment teachers were already waiting there for the newcomers, though according to the information Hu Liena had revealed in advance, those teachers usually did not appear before the students.

Only when facing a life-or-death crisis would they intervene, which would simultaneously signal that the student had been eliminated.

As for those who might get lost along the way... that could also be considered a different kind of assessment.

While it wouldn't lead to immediate elimination, they only had one month in total; the longer they were delayed, the lower their chances of passing would be.

If you can't even find the location, I'm sorry, you'll just have to settle for a zero.

The sun gradually moved toward the zenith, the shadows of the trees in the square growing shorter and shorter, until eventually, only a few people remained.

Mu Qian remained expressionless. Although according to the rules, those who set off earlier had an advantage, in the face of overwhelming strength, that slight edge could be wiped out in an instant.

He could even do nothing at all, and he estimated that hunting just one ten-thousand-year soul beast would be enough to rank in the top five hundred.

Therefore, neither he nor Zhu Zhuqing was in a hurry.

Soon, it was noon, and the temperature had already risen, evaporating the sparse moisture in the air.

Aside from the internal staff of Martial Soul Hall Academy, only three people remained in the square.

Mu Qian, Zhu Zhuqing, and... a girl with a delicate and lovely appearance.

As for Hu Liena and the old man suspected to be Ghost Douluo, they had left midway, though it was unclear if they had headed to Death Canyon or had other business.

"It seems our strength has been noted by the academy's higher-ups, assigning us to this group of only three."

Mu Qian shook his head and looked at the girl not far away: "In that case, her strength must be considered top-tier among this year's freshmen, right?"

"Perhaps even second only to Zhuqing and me?"

The girl was young, appearing to be about the same age as Mu Qian and Zhu Zhuqing, her height of over 1.6 meters almost level with Zhu Zhuqing.

Her light purple hair, which reached past her knees, hung down behind her, and her jade-like feet were encased in a pair of crystal-clear glass slippers, with light pink crystal chains adorning her ankles.

The girl seemed to be a bit tired of standing; beneath her short white dress, her fair, slender legs bent slightly forward, and every movement seemed to be accompanied by the crisp sound of bells.

Seeming to notice Mu Qian's gaze, the girl turned to the side and returned a bright smile.

She was also very beautiful, but unlike Zhu Zhuqing's cold elegance or Hu Liena's allure, she gave off a somewhat ethereal feeling.

She looked delicate and clear, as if she were not a person of this mortal world, yet as her eyelashes fluttered, that smile—which seemed to stun time itself—felt as if she had descended from a fairyland into the world.

It could be said that this girl was a peerless beauty, and one could only wonder whose heartstrings she would tug at in the future.

Mu Qian nodded in acknowledgment, not being rude enough to stare, though he couldn't help but wonder to himself.

"A-Mu, do you know her?" Zhu Zhuqing had also noticed the girl.

The other party's image was too striking; when there were many people earlier, she hadn't paid attention, but now that only three were left, it was impossible not to notice.

Mu Qian shook his head and said, "I don't."

Logically speaking, a girl with such an outstanding appearance—regardless of her strength—would not have been completely absent from the original story based on her looks alone.

Yet, in his memory, there was absolutely no recollection of her.

'The original story had very few descriptions of Martial Soul Hall Academy; the only ones with names who actually appeared were the three members of the Golden Generation.'

'Perhaps she is a genius that the original story never mentioned,' Mu Qian thought to himself, not dwelling on it further.

It seemed the three of them would be assigned to the same group, so there would be plenty of time to get to know her later.

"Group one thousand and twenty-one, the final group: Mu Qian, Zhu Zhuqing, Xirui."

The dean, Matthew, let out a sigh of relief; he had finally finished reading everyone's names.

Having been busy all morning, his mouth hadn't stopped moving, and even with his soul power of over level eighty, he felt a bit parched.

Finally hearing his name, Mu Qian took Zhu Zhuqing's hand and walked forward, as did the young girl.

Fortunately, the two of them were assigned to the same group, so there was no need to worry about being separated.

"Xirui... just a name, no surname?" Mu Qian observed the other party from the corner of his eye.

As the girl drew closer, a faint, delicate fragrance lingered at the tip of Mu Qian's nose.

It was a fresh and comfortable sensation, making one feel as if they were standing in a lush forest after the rain, naturally putting the mind at ease.

On the platform ahead, with the elder gone, the dean was now the person with the highest status present.

Matthew looked at the three people below with satisfaction and couldn't help but nod, saying, "You have been assigned to the smallest group; do you have any objections?"

Mu Qian and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance and said in unison, "No objections."

"Teacher, I have no objections~" At the same time, an ethereal and melodious voice rang out from beside him, sweet and pure, without a trace of impurity.

Matthew nodded, his satisfaction impossible to conceal: "Very good. I can give you a reminder: sometimes, having more people is not a good thing, because the hardest thing to guard against in this world is the human heart."

"You three have the highest natural talent among this year's freshmen. I believe passing the assessment will not be a problem for you. I will be waiting for your arrival at the academy."

Just as he had said, the entry of Mu Qian and the other two into the academy was practically a certainty.

Especially for Mu Qian, whose terrifying soul power of level forty-two was something he had almost never heard of in children of the same age!

The only reason they were still made to participate in the assessment after the investigation was simply to reflect the word fairness.

Of course, there was no such thing as true fairness in this world.

For the sake of these three, Martial Soul Hall had spared no effort in dispatching two Titled Douluo to ensure their safety.

Mu Qian had already met one of them, while the other... had long since headed to Death Canyon in advance.