Ning Tian's Squad

The next day, the morning matches concluded hastily. Team Bai Cai successfully advanced to the quarterfinals, though Xiao Xiao was forced to reveal her second soul skill.

At noon, Bai Cai returned to the dormitory to circulate his meditation technique and recover soul power, while Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao gathered combat intelligence on the other seven teams.

In the afternoon, the class bell rang, and Bai Cai returned to the assessment area to draw lots on behalf of the team. The number of combat arenas remained at sixteen, but only the first eight were opened.

When Team Bai Cai arrived at the fifth combat arena, the atmosphere suddenly grew heavy. The opposing team remained composed; three beautiful girls stood gracefully, their every movement elegant and charming.

High up on the viewing platform, overlooking the two teams from Freshman Class One that had reached the quarterfinals, Zhou Yi wore a rare look of concern.

Team Huo Yuhao, having barely scraped into the quarterfinals, encountered Team Xie Huanyue. Even with the exceptional effects of Huo Yuhao's soul skills, they were still crushed and missed out on the final four.

Team Bai Cai had run into Team Ning Tian, a match with little hope of success. Zhou Yi felt a sense of pity; when luck is against you, what can be done?

If Team Bai Cai had encountered Team Xie Huanyue, they might have had a chance at victory. After all, Team Xie Huanyue relied entirely on Xie Huanyue himself; while he was strong, he was a lone tree hard to support.

"Zhou Yi, what a coincidence. The seeded team from Freshman Class One is Team Bai Cai, right?"

A female teacher around thirty years old walked over to Zhou Yi, leaned against the railing of the viewing platform, and sneered, "The fifth combat arena—what a pity. Team Ning Tian is aiming for the top spot."

Zhou Yi stared at the teacher and said, "Mu Jin, it is still unknown who will win and who will lose."

"Sorry, Zhou Yi, but I'm afraid a high-level teaching position is not in your future." Mu Jin spread her hands and mocked, "Expelling my younger brother? Heh, it's not that retribution won't come, it's just that the time hasn't arrived yet."

With her gaze still locked on the fifth combat arena, Zhou Yi said slowly, "Care to bet?"

Mu Jin did not back down, provoking her with her words, "Bet what?"

"A soul bone." Zhou Yi turned around and said indifferently, "One soul bone. Do you dare?"

Mu Jin's pupils contracted sharply, and she fell silent. Soul bones were even more precious than ten-thousand-year soul rings. Depending on their type, they were categorized into seven classes: head, torso, limbs, and external soul bones.

A soul bone granted a soul master an additional boost, either by bestowing an extra soul skill or by improving their physique and enhancing their soul power.

For soul beasts below the hundred-thousand-year level, the probability of producing a soul bone was only one in ten thousand.

Of course, the higher the age of the soul beast, the higher the chance of producing a soul bone. For instance, a ten-thousand-year soul beast had about a one-percent chance, a thousand-year soul beast had about a one-in-ten-thousand chance, and for hundred-year or ten-year soul beasts, the probability was negligible.

An excellent soul master needed to maximize their soul power level and attach soul rings of appropriate types and ages.

A top-tier soul master had to obtain their own soul bones; the number of fused soul bones often reflected a soul master's true combat strength.

With such a precious item, who would ever think they had too many?

Unless the attributes were incompatible or the soul bone slots were already occupied, using a soul bone as a wager was akin to brewing tea with immortal herbs or stewing soup with medicinal pills—it was a complete waste of a heavenly treasure.

Losing a soul bone was like losing one's entire fortune. Why would Zhou Yi propose betting one?

"Are you afraid?" Zhou Yi looked at her with disdain and said with disgust, "If you aren't betting, get away from me. You reek of a foul stench."

"Fine." Mu Jin was filled with towering rage, her expression fierce. "A bet is a bet. It's just one soul bone. If you lose, have Fan Yu personally craft a close-combat soul tool for me."

The entanglements of love and hate from the past need not be mentioned now. Zhou Yi took a deep breath and said coldly, "It's just one soul bone. I can afford it."

"Who cares about your soul bone?" Mu Jin said indignantly, her voice filled with resentment. "Have Fan Yu personally craft a close-combat soul tool for me, or there is no deal."

"Very well, I accept on her behalf." A deep, resonant voice rang out at the perfect moment. Before anyone knew it, a tall and imposing figure had arrived at Zhou Yi's side.

As Fan Yu appeared, Mu Jin's arrogant aura vanished completely, her eyes turning slightly red. "Zhou Yi is bullying me, are you going to bully me too?"

"Don't be unreasonable." Fan Yu frowned. "Are you betting or not?"

"Fine!" With her eyes brimming with mist, Mu Jin turned abruptly and looked back toward the fifth combat arena.

The three beautiful girls whispered among themselves.

The girl standing at the front was particularly tall, even slightly taller than Wang Dong, with short, golden hair reaching her ears. Her eyelashes were long, and her water-blue eyes were like the calm surface of a blue sea; a few freckles only added to her charm and cuteness.

The girl on the left had a cold gaze, her short, neat hair as red as fire. Her bright pupils were like ignited charcoal, her features were extremely delicate, and her skin was as white as mutton-fat jade.

The girl on the right had a gentle gaze, her light green hair falling naturally, and her dark green pupils were like a forest lake, evoking a sense of pity.

The referee said, "Both sides, enter the arena."

Team Bai Cai and Team Ning Tian entered the arena simultaneously. Team Ning Tian shifted their formation; the golden-haired girl slowly retreated, while the red-haired girl and the green-haired girl closed in, shielding her.

The red-haired girl said proudly, "Freshman Class Nine, Wu Feng, twenty-fifth-level assault-type battle soul master."

The green-haired girl sounded slightly petulant yet still gentle, "Freshman Class Nine, Nanmen Yun'er, twenty-fourth-level agility-type battle soul master."

Behind the two girls, Ning Tian's expression remained unchanged as he said nonchalantly, "Freshman Class Nine, Ning Tian, thirty-first-level support-type tool soul elder."

Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda—the atmosphere suddenly froze. It was common knowledge that for the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul, the degree of enhancement provided by soul skills was related to the number of soul rings. At the soul elder level, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda could provide an enhancement of up to forty percent.

"Freshman Class One, Wang Dong, twenty-fourth-level assault-type battle soul master."

"Freshman Class One, Xiao Xiao, twenty-second-level control-type battle soul master."

"Freshman Class One, Bai Cai, twentieth-level control-type soul master."

Eyes met—contempt, gravity, indifference, pity, all were present.

The referee shouted, "The match begins!"

Gorgeous butterfly wings suddenly unfurled, shimmering with azure, sea-blue, and light-blue radiance. Wang Dong locked onto Wu Feng, his wings flapping as a gale roared.

Wu Feng let out a low cry, distorted heat waves surging around her. A faint dragon's roar echoed as her form gradually matured, appearing like a young girl of sixteen or seventeen, her body bursting through her ill-fitting school uniform.

The highly elastic, one-piece leather suit clung tightly to her skin, accentuating the firm, fleshy curves of her legs like a bodysuit.

Her skin, fair as mutton-fat jade, rippled with a rosy flush as a layer of fine, pale red scales sprouted across the left side of her face, spreading down to cover her neck, left shoulder, and left arm, while her hand transformed into a sharp claw.

Bei Bei's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon manifested, his appearance ferocious. Wu Feng's Red Dragon martial soul manifested with a touch more grace; her long legs and beautiful, delicate features gave her hot-blooded physique a unique, exotic allure.

Two yellow soul rings rose rapidly as Wu Feng let out a cold snort, stepped back heavily, and surged forward like a gale.

Wang Dong raised his leg high for a spinning flying kick, but Wu Feng did not dodge or evade, instead sweeping out with her left arm.