"What?!"
The whole class erupted in an instant!
"One person on a team? Did I hear that right?!"
"Exams are always three against three! How can Yuhao fight by himself?!"
"Has Teacher Zhou gone crazy? No matter how strong Yuhao is, he can't beat three people!"
"Quiet!"
Zhou Yi snapped, her icy gaze sweeping across the room. The noisy classroom fell silent at once.
Seeing the confusion on her students' faces, she explained in a grave voice:
"I assigned Huo Yuhao to a team by himself because his Soul Power has already reached level 30!"
"Boom!"
Her words exploded through the classroom like a thunderclap. Everyone's eyes widened, and they all turned to stare at Huo Yuhao, their faces filled with disbelief.
"Yuhao is already level 30? I'm only level 25!"
"Did I hear that right? He was only level 12 when he enrolled! It's only been three months!"
"Eighteen levels in three months? That's an absurd rate of progress!"
Cao Jinxuan shot up from his chair, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Yuhao! Are you even human? It hasn't even been three months, and you've jumped straight from one ring to three?!"
Huo Yuhao smiled, but before he could say anything, Zhou Yi spoke again, dropping an even bigger bombshell:
"Not only that. Huo Yuhao is also now an official student of the Soul Guidance Department, and he has already passed the Level 3 Soul Engineer examination."
"What?! A Level 3 Soul Engineer?!"
If Huo Yuhao had only reached level 30 in cultivation, everyone might have stopped at being surprised.
After all, with that miraculous contract and the Life Crystal boosting him, his cultivation had advanced so quickly that they could just barely explain it away.
But becoming a Level 3 Soul Engineer in only three months was like a thunderbolt, sending the entire class into an uproar.
Everyone sprang to their feet, their gazes fixed on Huo Yuhao, disbelief and shock surging in their eyes.
His Soul Power had risen quickly, and now he was cultivating with Soul Tools too—and had become a Level 3 Soul Engineer in just three months?!
Many students in the Soul Guidance Department studied for a year or two without ever reaching Level 3!
"He knows how to use Soul Tools, too!"
"That's impossible! Soul Tools are so difficult to learn. How could he reach Level 3 in just three months?"
"So that's why he never came back to the dorm at night—he was grinding away in the Soul Guidance Department! What a try-hard!"
Over the past three months, with Zhao Ze and Electrolux guiding him, Huo Yuhao had worked diligently to raise his Soul Engineer rank as well.
Cao Jinxuan slumped into his chair and looked at Huo Yuhao as if he were about to cry.
"Good grief! I was wondering why you were nowhere to be seen every day. Turns out you were secretly becoming the biggest try-hard of us all! Are you trying to leave the rest of us with no way to survive?!"
Huo Yuhao scratched his head and gave an awkward laugh.
"I just wanted to learn a little more."
Wang Dong'er, seated diagonally in front of him, was completely stunned. The pen in her hand slipped and clattered onto her desk.
She stared blankly at Huo Yuhao, a storm raging in her heart.
She had always believed she was the most talented freshman in their year.
But Huo Yuhao hadn't just surpassed her in Soul Power—he had also become a Level 3 Soul Engineer!
Because Huo Yuhao had joined the Soul Guidance Department, she had gone out of her way to learn about Soul Tools.
She knew full well how much a Level 3 Soul Engineer's combat power could soar with the aid of Soul Tools.
Forget three ordinary freshmen—even five might not be enough to beat him.
A powerful sense of frustration welled up inside her. Wang Dong'er bit her lip and clenched her fists.
No!
She couldn't lose!
No matter how powerful Huo Yuhao was, she would still beat him in the exam!
Zhou Yi looked at the stunned students and continued:
"Because Huo Yuhao's overall strength far exceeds that of others at his level, the academy has made this arrangement.
In this exam, he'll face every three-person team on his own."
She paused, her gaze settling on Huo Yuhao again, her tone taking on a note of solemnity.
"However, the academy has also offered a corresponding reward.
If Huo Yuhao can defeat every team in the exam, then all the prizes for this freshman assessment will belong to him alone."
"All the prizes?!"
The students cried out again, their eyes fixed on Huo Yuhao with envy, jealousy, and resentment.
"No way! All the prizes go to him? Then even if we win, we get nothing?"
"That's so unfair! He gets all the rewards by himself!"
"Nothing we can do about it. He's the strong one..."
Zhou Yi shot a cold glance at the students who were complaining.
"You think it's unfair? Then show me what you've got and defeat him!
If even one team manages to beat Huo Yuhao, all the prizes will belong to that team."
The classroom fell silent at once.
Everyone looked from one person to another, but no one dared to speak.
Defeat Huo Yuhao, a level 30 Soul Elder and Level 3 Soul Engineer?
That was an impossible task!
But after a brief silence, the students in the class suddenly realized something.
No matter how strong Huo Yuhao was, he was still just one person!
One person had only so much Soul Power, and even less spiritual power!
He'd have to face more than twenty three-person teams in the exam. Could he really defeat them all before his Soul Power ran out?
They could wear him down with a gauntlet of challengers!
At that thought, the students who had been hanging their heads in defeat suddenly perked up. One by one, they rolled up their sleeves, fierce determination blazing in their eyes.
"That's right! A gauntlet! There's no way he can keep going forever!"
"Once his Soul Power is depleted, we can win! All the prizes will be ours!"
"Let's do it! For the prizes!!"
Seeing the students below her suddenly fired up, Zhou Yi allowed herself a rare hint of satisfaction.
That was exactly the effect she wanted. Only then could she bring out everyone's full potential.
"Very good."
Zhou Yi nodded.
"Now, let's form the teams..."
As soon as class ended, Cao Jinxuan threw an arm around Huo Yuhao's shoulders and grinned.
"Yuhao, sorry about this, brother! For the prizes, our team's going to challenge you!"
"Sure. Anytime."
Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded.
"Sigh, honestly, I'm not sure we stand a chance."
Cao Jinxuan sighed, looking helpless.
"You're just too ridiculous now.
A level 30 Soul Elder and a Level 3 Soul Engineer—there's no guarantee the three of us could beat you even together!"
Huo Yuhao was just about to reply when Wang Dong'er walked over.
She folded her arms across her chest and raised her chin slightly, her pink-blue eyes shining with defiance.
"Huo Yuhao, don't get cocky!
Even if you're a Level 3 Soul Engineer, I'll still beat you!"
Huo Yuhao scratched his head, feeling a little helpless.
He really couldn't understand why Wang Dong'er was always picking on him.
Just then, a clear voice came from the classroom doorway.
"Huo Yuhao, someone's looking for you!"
Huo Yuhao froze for a moment, then got up and walked to the classroom door.
He looked up and saw Ma Xiaotao standing in the hallway. She wore a fiery red outfit, and her long red hair was tied in a high ponytail, giving her a bold, spirited look.
As soon as she saw Huo Yuhao come out, she beamed.
"Yuhao!"
Ma Xiaotao strode over and naturally took hold of his arm, smiling as she spoke.
"Come with me to Sea God Lake. I need your help with my cultivation."
Before you continue