Freshman Assessment: Two Veterans Carry a Deadweight

While the Star Dou Great Forest entered a state of full alert, Lin Ming was eating fragrant roasted meat with Xuan Zi.

"Old man, I have to say, that three-headed dog had good taste. The meat's pretty good!"

Lin Ming held a skewer in his hand and spoke after devouring it in one bite.

Xuan Zi nodded in agreement, eating with both hands, each holding more than ten skewers. His mouth was slick with grease.

The peaceful days passed one by one, and before long, it was time for the first-year Outer Court Freshman Assessment.

That day, Li Wei stepped up to the podium, unable to hide the excitement in her eyes.

This was not her first time teaching students, but in the classes she had taught before, her class had always placed either last or second-to-last in each Freshman Assessment after the school year began.

This time, however, her class had two great figures like Lin Ming and Beibei. They could probably take first place even if they dragged along a dog.

"The Freshman Assessment is about to begin. I trust you've all been preparing for it. Earn good results and bring honor to the class!"

Li Wei looked at Lin Ming and Beibei. "Class monitor and vice class monitor, your teacher is setting a goal for you two. Find any other student to form a team with, and taking one of the top three spots in the Freshman Assessment shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Lin Ming shook his head. "Teacher, you're underestimating us too much, aren't you? Forget me—even if Beibei went alone, he wouldn't settle for something as low as the top three. Think bigger. We're definitely taking the championship!"

"Good! Since the class monitor has such confidence, your teacher naturally won't discourage you. Lead us to a triumphant return!"

Lin Ming and Beibei naturally formed a team, but every team needed three people. They only had two, so they still needed one more person.

As soon as class ended, the students in the class swarmed around them, hoping to ride the coattails of these two powerhouses and boost their scores.

Lin Ming did not care who he teamed up with, so he left the choice to Beibei.

Like he had said before.

In a competition of this level, they could win even with a dog on the team.

In the end, surprisingly yet reasonably, Beibei chose Tang Ya.

Lin Ming helplessly shook his head. "Lao Bei, love hurts too much. You can't handle it!"

And so, a max-level carry, a smaller carry, and a freeloader formed an ace team.

The other students had failed to team up with the powerful class monitor and vice class monitor, so they could only seek suitable teammates on their own to maximize their chances.

Soon, all the students had formed their teams. The total number of students in the class happened to be divisible by three, so no one was left without a team.

The Freshman Assessment would begin three days later.

That evening, on the snack street in eastern Shrek City.

"Beibei, you're so good to me!"

Tang Ya held the meat skewers Beibei had bought for her and happily ate them.

Lin Ming watched the two of them and helplessly held his forehead. Fortunately, he had long since straightened Beibei out. As long as Beibei was only friends with Tang Ya, there should not be much of a problem.

"Oh, right, Lin Ming." Tang Ya looked at Lin Ming, her eyes carrying a trace of concern. "You didn't teach the Tang Sect's secret arts to outsiders, did you?"

Lin Ming nodded speechlessly. "Don't worry, Sect Master Tang. I, Lin Ming, keep my word. If I said I wouldn't pass them on to outsiders, then I won't."

Lin Ming himself had not even mastered them yet. Where would he find the inclination to teach them to outsiders?

Three days passed quietly, and soon it was the day of the Freshman Assessment.

In the stands sat Du Weilun, the Outer Court's director of studies, along with a group of teachers.

At that moment, a figure reeking of alcohol also took a seat in the teachers' section.

Du Weilun noticed the newcomer and hurriedly stood up to bow respectfully. "Elder Xuan!"

The other teachers saw this and also bowed one after another.

Xuan Zi waved his hand, casually found a seat, and sat down to drink wine and eat meat.

He had come only to watch Lin Ming.

He spent every day in the academy and was truly bored to death. It could be said that apart from Lin Ming, his friend despite their age difference, Xuan Zi had almost no friends at all.

Mu En was now extremely old. He did not even have enough time to care for Beibei normally, so where would he find time to chat with Xuan Zi?

Before long, the two sides in the first match took the stage.

Lin Ming watched from below. The competitors were teams from Class Two and Class Three.

Lin Ming found the captain leading Class Two's team rather interesting.

Because he sensed from that person a Soul Power Level extremely close to Beibei's.

Beibei was currently level thirty-four, while the fluctuations Lin Ming sensed from that person were at least at level thirty-two.

Though this was nothing to him, among freshmen, it was indeed an extraordinary talent—perhaps even someone guaranteed admission into the Inner Court.

The match began.

The Class Two captain released his Martial Soul.

A massive azure wolf with two heads appeared behind him.

"It's actually a Gale Twin-Headed Wolf. Interesting." Lin Ming recognized the Martial Soul at a glance. Wasn't it the same mutated Martial Soul once possessed by Feng Xiaotian, the captain of Godwind Academy's team ten thousand years ago?

The captain of Class Two's team was named Feng Xiu. He was also Class Two's class monitor and its strongest student.

His two teammates were also high-level Soul Grandmasters.

The Class Three team opposite them was somewhat unimpressive.

Two Soul Grandmasters with one Soul Master.

The outcome was without suspense. Feng Xiu led his team to victory.

"Next match: First-Year Class One versus First-Year Class Four!"

It was Lin Ming's team's turn to take the stage.

Lin Ming walked at the very front of the team, his face full of casual ease.

Beibei appeared comparatively calm.

Tang Ya, meanwhile, was bursting with excitement. In her eyes, with two such powerful teammates, all she needed to do was be their cheerleader.

"Friendship first, competition second. Neither side may maliciously harm their opponents. You have one minute to release your Martial Souls. The match begins!"

At the referee teacher's command, the three members of Class Four's team released their Martial Souls one after another.

This team was Class Four's core lineup, and it also had a Soul Elder anchoring it.

Behind the tall youth at the front, a brownish-yellow phantom appeared.

"Zhao Tai, Martial Soul: Earth Crushing Rock Bear. Level thirty-one assault-type battle Soul Elder!"

Three Spirit Rings—two yellow and one purple—emerged beneath Zhao Tai's feet. His body also became even taller and more muscular due to Martial Soul Possession.

His other two teammates also released their Martial Souls. One was an agility attack type, while the other was a defense type. Their lineup was fairly complete, and both were high-level Soul Grandmasters.

Lin Ming smiled faintly and patted Beibei on the shoulder. "It's up to you. Fight well, and don't embarrass me!"

Afterward, Lin Ming walked to the edge of the arena, took out a table and a chair from his storage Soul Tool, leisurely crossed his legs, and began cracking sunflower seeds.

Seeing this, Zhao Tai and the other two were so furious their eyes nearly split open. They had never expected the three members of Class One's team to look down on them so much that they would send only one person against them.

And what about Tang Ya? She simply followed beside Lin Ming, stood next to the table, and watched Beibei work.