As the sun rose, the bustling crowd began to stir. It was time for the Individual Battle to begin. Opponents were determined by drawing lots, and Huo Yuhao, excited, had woken before dawn. After waiting for quite a while, he finally got the chance to practice the Purple Demon Eye. As his training deepened, he felt that his Spirit Eye was growing more and more lively. Or maybe that was just his imagination.
In high spirits, he ran out of the dormitory to start his morning exercises. Even though he had an exam today, he couldn't let up. Once he had prepared everything and made sure he hadn't forgotten anything, he went to meet the others. Tang Ya insisted on watching Huo Yuhao compete and cheering him on.
Outsiders were normally forbidden from entering, but they were students of Shrek Academy. If Huo Yuhao got hurt, they could help take care of him. And since he'd scored poorly in the special ability assessment, they might also want to keep an eye on things and make sure there was no foul play.
The score for the special ability assessment had already been finalized, and there was no way to change it. All he could do was try his best in this exam, though it didn't seem like it would make much difference.
Winning one match wouldn't be a problem. Huo Yuhao had already proved as much in his fight with Xu Sanshi. The biggest issue was that he couldn't keep it up. At this stage, no one could counter his Mental Attack, and there weren't many ways to counter it later, either. But it was a single-target attack, unbeatable in a one-on-one fight, and this exam had three rounds. His mental strength wasn't enough to support him in defeating three opponents in a row. Ultimately, his body couldn't keep up with his mind, and that problem was likely to persist throughout his growth.
The most important thing now was managing his strength. He had to figure out how much power it would take to defeat each opponent while still saving enough for the other matches. Berserk was a trump card, though Huo Yuhao didn't know how useful it would be. Besides, the Green Aura had fallen dormant, and he had no idea when it would emerge from its cocoon. If all else failed, he could only call on Tian Meng for help. Huo Yuhao had also considered Electrolux. After absorbing most of Tian Meng's energy, Electrolux had said he could act once. Huo Yuhao had no clear idea how strong Electrolux was, only that he was immensely powerful. It was best to save him for a crisis. Having him step in for an exam would be like using a nuclear bomb to kill a mosquito.
After thinking it over, Huo Yuhao could only rely on the Tang Sect Secret Techniques he'd recently learned. That was secondary, though. What mattered most today was luck. If he got lucky, he could coast straight through. If he didn't, he might run into two healthy Power Attack System Soul Masters and have to give up—unless Tian Meng stepped in.
But then he'd have a much bigger problem on his hands. It wouldn't be a question of whether he could get into Shrek Academy, but how an unarmed Support System Soul Master had managed to unleash hidden strength and defeat two Power Attack System Soul Masters. The academy's teachers would definitely take a keen interest in Huo Yuhao and admit him outright. Was that a good way to get in? Most people probably wouldn't want to take that route.
When Xu Sanshi heard Huo Yuhao had his exam today, he came over too. The meals he'd paid for over the past few days had made a serious dent in his wallet. He was nearly broke. As Huo Yuhao's benefactor, he felt perfectly entitled to check on the results of his training.
People always wanted most what they couldn't have. Huo Yuhao's support abilities had caught the eye of even Bei Bei, that old schemer, so they were bound to be impressive. Bei Bei had started cultivating him even before the exams, which made Xu Sanshi itch to try them out himself. But Bei Bei had always been careful not to let Huo Yuhao use Mental Sharing on him, leaving him to suffer—and to keep investing. The more he invested, the harder it became to walk away.
Xu Sanshi was mostly just putting on a show; he found it fun. The tournament was held every three years, and starting with their year, students could form their own teams. Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei would definitely compete for a spot, and they were all but guaranteed to make it. But when it came to choosing teammates, things got complicated.
The Shrek Team had always held the top spot, with only a few occasional losses. Anyone who made it onto the team was practically guaranteed second place at worst. Even if you competed as a substitute, you'd be all but assured a starting spot next time. Everyone wanted in, so what could they do? They had to fight for it. But everyone had their own circle, and most heirs to the great clans could be found at Shrek Academy. Those clans were all connected. If you took one member, you'd be expected to take another. What about your own people? Even setting aside your friends, most of the teammates brought in through those connections wouldn't be a good fit.
Take the new student from the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect this year. He already had a Power Attack System partner. If you recruited him, what would happen to that partner? And if you brought him in, where would Bei Bei fit? There were all sorts of problems.
Then along came an outstanding support Soul Master with no ties to anyone. Support Soul Masters were especially likely to have connections. Under Shrek Academy's brutal elimination policy, it was hard for them to survive without help. By the time team selection came around, the teams had already taken shape, and it was difficult to break them apart.
So the best approach was to find suitable recruits among the new students and train them while offering support. That took good fortune and incredible luck. Bei Bei had been lucky enough to find Huo Yuhao and bring him along.
As an original investor, Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao were in it together. Xu Sanshi had come along later, so he needed to prove his loyalty. He didn't have much besides money, while Huo Yuhao had everything he needed except money. Their strengths complemented each other perfectly.
Bei Bei had his own little schemes, too. He, Xu Sanshi, and Huo Yuhao filled the Power Attack, Defense, and Support roles, respectively. They still needed Control and Agility Attack. Could Tang Ya fill the Control role? That was something they could discuss.
Bei Bei couldn't go against the majority of the team and bring Tang Ya in without support. He needed allies, and it would be best if Tang Ya had done him a favor. That would reduce resistance, especially if Tang Ya were paired with an excellent support Soul Master. It would give them much more room to maneuver. Whether someone could compete in the Spirit Master Tournament made a huge difference. Tang Ya dreamed of restoring the Tang Sect and clearing out all the trash that had strayed from the right path. That was not a dream she could achieve on her own; she needed enough strength behind her. Bei Bei planned to use ties to the Shrek Seven Devils to gain the support of their families—or, at the very least, persuade them to remain neutral. Many people didn't want to see another sect rise again.
Setting aside whether this plan could work, Bei Bei really was a genius. He had both exceptional talent and the ability to get things done. Of course, no one in history had ever succeeded by compromising. You could take a step back, but without the strength and planning to move two steps forward, you'd only lose ground. Most of the time, once you stepped back, you no longer had the strength you'd had before. Material conditions determined consciousness; where you stood determined your thoughts and your power.
Naturally, all of this depended on Huo Yuhao passing his exam. Now it was his turn to draw lots.
Huo Yuhao followed the teacher's instructions into the competition arena, carrying the hopes of several people on his shoulders.
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