The yellow soul ring above Ralts's head suddenly flashed. Its invisible mental power surged like an endless tide, layer upon layer sealing the Light Goddess Butterfly's yellow soul ring.
Wing Blade was a sustained-channeling offensive Soul Skill. After Imprison struck, Wang Dong's yellow soul ring trembled violently and suddenly dimmed, turning a dull grayish white. The golden patterns of Wing Blade instantly dissolved.
Like a butterfly caught in a spiderweb, she gradually ran out of strength and became the spider's meal.
Her vital joints were locked by Psychic Lock: knees, elbows, shoulder blades. Wang Dong struggled stubbornly, and faint creaks came from her joints.
"I've put up with you for a long time." Bai Cai slowly approached Wang Dong and gradually clenched his fist. "All this time, I've wanted to see that stupid, helplessly furious look on your face."
Bai Cai swung his right fist, feigning a punch. Wang Dong gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, as if resigned to her fate.
She felt nothing...
Wang Dong's big pink-and-blue eyes flew open. She saw Bai Cai cautiously retreat several steps, as if wary that she might break her promise and try to unleash her second Soul Skill at point-blank range.
Nameless fury blazed within her. Wang Dong laughed in her rage, and blue-gold energy flowed around her body, dispelling the restraints of Confusion.
The Light Goddess Butterfly's wings flashed with a fleeting blue-gold sheen. Wang Dong instantly smashed through the Psychic Shield Ralts had released and tackled Bai Cai.
"I won! Let me go!" Bai Cai struggled. "You, you—cough, cough!"
After tackling Bai Cai, Wang Dong wrapped her left forearm tightly around his neck. Her right hand instinctively gripped her left wrist, closing the hold as she steadily tightened it. To keep Bai Cai from struggling again, Wang Dong brought her long legs together and quickly locked his waist and legs in place.
"Give up." Wang Dong tightened her arm slightly and growled, "Hurry up and give up!"
"Cheap shot." Bai Cai was nearly suffocating. With them locked in close combat, Ralts didn't dare continue manipulating Confusion, afraid Bai Cai would suffer twice the harm.
His resistance gradually weakened. Wang Dong finally released her arm, and the referee carefully checked Bai Cai's condition before loudly announcing, "Wang Dong wins."
Bai Cai returned to the dormitory in a daze, his eyes vacant.
Why? Why had he lost? Bai Cai sank into deep self-doubt.
Huo Yuhao, with only eleven levels of Soul Power, had been able to defeat Wang Dong when she wasn't using her Martial Soul. Wang Dong's second Soul Skill had been disabled, her first Soul Skill had been Imprisoned, and her vital joints had been locked by Psychic Lock. Why had he still lost?
Back in the dorm, Bai Cai went straight to his bed and pulled the covers over himself. As a sonorous bell rang out, Wang Dong happened to push open the dormitory door.
"Are you mad?" Wang Dong sat on Bai Cai's bed.
"No." A muffled voice came from the bundle of blankets.
Wang Dong cautiously asked, "We're friends now, right?"
"If you say so, then we are." Bai Cai had given up entirely. "Does my opinion matter?"
"Your first Soul Ring is pink, right?" Wang Dong asked carefully. "I saw it that afternoon."
"You must have seen wrong." Bai Cai wrapped himself tighter in the covers and denied it flatly.
"I'm not trying to threaten you." Wang Dong chose her words carefully, then suggested, "We could trade secrets. Then we'd be friends, right?"
"I'm not interested in your secrets." Bai Cai paused, then said with disgust, "I just want to punch you once."
"Fine." Wang Dong agreed without hesitation. "I won't fight back."
"Really?" Bai Cai immediately threw off the covers and sat up on the bed. "I don't believe you."
"On my Martial Soul..." Wang Dong raised her right hand. Bai Cai waved to interrupt her. "Get up first."
Wang Dong did as he asked and stood properly in front of Bai Cai, her big pink-and-blue eyes sparkling. "During physical training this afternoon, could you..."
Power Attack System Soul Masters had better resistance to blows, but bruises and other marks wouldn't fade that quickly. Wang Dong didn't want to get hit in the face—the literal kind of face-slapping.
"Close your eyes," Bai Cai ordered without mercy.
When Wang Dong had been bound by Confusion and resigned herself to taking a beating, Bai Cai hadn't dared step forward and land a punch. He deeply regretted it.
"All right." Wang Dong gently closed her eyes. "Just one punch, or I'll hate you."
Bai Cai stared at her for a long while, then grabbed Wang Dong's left hand. Wang Dong flinched and trembled slightly.
"Ah!" A sharp pain suddenly struck near her left wrist. Wang Dong hurriedly raised her right hand to cover her mouth, stopping herself from making a strange sound.
A neat row of teeth marks appeared, and faint blood seeped from her skin. Bai Cai mocked her, "Does it hurt? Good. This is the hand that squeezed me until I couldn't breathe!"
"I really wanted to bite you then, but I couldn't reach." Bai Cai fumed.
After wiping away the remaining saliva, Wang Dong took the bracelet off her right wrist and moved it to her left, where it barely covered the bite marks. She asked hopefully, "We're friends now, right?"
That afternoon, in the Freshman Class One classroom.
Ten minutes before the bell, every seat was occupied. The room was unusually quiet, and not a single student dared speak loudly.
There was no assigned seating, so Wang Dong naturally sat beside Bai Cai.
When the bell rang, Zhou Yi entered the classroom. "Everyone up. Assemble in the plaza."
The students of Freshman Class One didn't dare dawdle. They followed Zhou Yi out in single file and quickly reached Shrek Plaza.
A pile of iron chains had already been set out on the plaza. Zhou Yi ordered the students to line up neatly.
"Wang Dong," Zhou Yi called.
"Here." Wang Dong stepped out and stood at attention.
Facing all the students, Zhou Yi said calmly, "Judging by your entrance exam results and this morning's test scores, Wang Dong currently has the highest Soul Power Level among all the students."
"So, from this moment on, Wang Dong is the monitor of Freshman Class One. Of course, the position is up for grabs. Anyone who can defeat her can become the new monitor."
The students in the line whispered among themselves. A few male students who thought highly of their own abilities began to sharpen their gazes, while most of the girls looked at Wang Dong with even greater warmth.
Zhou Yi raised her hand and pointed sternly at the pile of iron chains in front of them. "These Iron Vests are training equipment. Running with one on will improve your physical fitness. Choose one each. Put it on, then run laps around the plaza until the bell rings."
"You may use Soul Power, but you may not use Soul Skills. Your ranking will be based on the number of laps you complete. The student who comes in last will be expelled."
Zhou Yi nudged one foot, and a heavy Iron Vest made of thick iron chains slid over to Wang Dong.
Wang Dong lifted the heavy Iron Vest with one hand, her expression changing slightly. It weighed at least thirty pounds!
At the mention of expulsion, the students each chose an Iron Vest and struggled to pull it over their uniforms. The boys fared a little better, keeping their feelings off their faces. Nearly all the girls turned pale when they put theirs on.
Zhou Yi said coldly, "Can Soul Skills and Soul Cannons distinguish between Tool Soul Masters and Beast Soul Masters? Can they distinguish between boys and girls?"
"An enemy won't spare you because you're weak. They'll only stay away when they fear your strength."
Zhou Yi waved her hand, signaling that the clock had started.
Before you continue