Huo Yuhao's Crushing Defeat, Wang Yan Steps In

"The current curriculum in the Outer Academy is mainly divided into theory classes and practical combat classes,"

Mu Jin said.

"Given the Freshman Assessment three months from now, the upcoming classes will focus primarily on physical training."

"Ning Tian will serve as our class monitor. She is the student with the highest soul power aside from Lu Ran."

"As for the vice monitor..."

Her gaze shifted to the side of Ning Tian, "Wu Feng will take that role."

Wu Feng was delighted, and secretly leaned closer to Ning Tian, but Ning Tian's slender hand patted her firm thigh under the table, a signal for her to be more restrained, which only made Wu Feng even happier.

As for why Lu Ran wasn't chosen, it was naturally because Yan Shaozhe understood his temperament and had instructed Mu Jin accordingly.

Morning ended.

In the office, Huo Yuhao, who had personally witnessed Zhou Yi expel nine students in her very first class, stood nervously by the desk, his small hands sweating from tension.

"I know you entered through the Tang Sect's exemption quota,"

Zhou Yi said, her gaze sharp.

"Tell me about your martial soul."

Huo Yuhao's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed unconsciously, holding nothing back:

"My martial soul is called Spirit Eye. It's an eye-type, spiritual attribute Body Martial Soul."

Zhou Yi's eyes lit up, and her tone suddenly rose:

"What is your first soul skill?!"

Huo Yuhao felt tense under her stare. He summoned a pale white soul ring, and a glint of gold emerged in his deep blue eyes, sharing his Mental Detection with Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi felt the sudden change, her gaze freezing for a moment, then a smile spread across her wrinkled face—

so unsettling that Huo Yuhao's heart skipped a beat.

Brother Sky Dream... Brother Sky Dream... Brother Sky Dream, wake up!!

"Follow me!"

Zhou Yi stood up and directly led Huo Yuhao outside the office. Without giving him time to react, she grabbed his shoulder, and they soared through the air.

Inside Test Site No. 12, two thousand meters in diameter, cold metal panels divided the various areas.

Zhou Yi calmly watched Lu Ran's thin, solitary back, her gaze slowly deepening.

Heh. Du Weilun, Mu Jin, aren't you good at snatching?

You took all the geniuses, leaving me only the scraps.

You took Lu Ran away, but I still have Huo Yuhao!

When the time comes, I'll make you see who was right...

"If one day your Mental Detection can reach a hundred meters,"

said Fan Yu, his figure tall and sturdy with broad shoulders, his voice gentle, "I'll teach you to make Soul Tools."

"Thank you, teacher!"

Huo Yuhao's face flushed with excitement as he hurriedly bowed respectfully.

In the Star Dou Great Forest, Tang Ya had introduced him to soul tools, and he had gained a basic understanding of them—soul tools could carry things, fly, dive underwater, and, above all, kill!

In the distant Sun Moon Empire, these things were incredibly powerful!

Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up.

This was the first time in his life—

the first time in eleven years that someone had seen potential in him... told him he had great talent... made him a promise.

This was different from Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's talk of becoming a god.

Teaching him to make soul tools was real, right before his eyes!

He silently turned his head to look at the disc that had just slammed into the metal plate. Its power was astonishing.

And Fan Yu was now speaking of something he had never heard of before—the Fixed Soul Tool, saying its power was extremely terrifying, that it could be triggered from a distance, and didn't even require much soul power!

...If he could master such an ability himself—

Huo Yuhao slowly clenched his fist, a deep longing shining in his dark blue eyes, staring fixedly ahead.

Nighttime, the dormitory.

Lu Ran crossed his hands behind his head, staring at the Soul Guiding Lamp on the ceiling.

It only needed a bit of soul power to light up.

Today had passed—long yet fleeting.

Before the Freshman Assessment, the courses for officially entering the Outer Academy and those for entering the Inner Academy were completely different.

In short, all of Shrek's current courses could be divided into two major categories: practice and theory.

Practice went without saying—

one-on-one, team battles, physical training.

In short, everything happened on the arena or the training ground.

Theory was further split into two major branches: Martial Soul theory and Soul Guidance theory.

Martial Soul classes covered basic soul master knowledge, martial soul theory, potential development, team coordination, tactical layouts, soul beast types and age identification...

As for Soul Guidance—

yes, even though Dean Yan Shaozhe himself was extremely unenthusiastic about soul tools, every grade and academy at Shrek still taught soul guidance technology.

After all, Yan Shaozhe might be the dean, but Shrek wasn't run by him alone.

Still, don't expect the Martial Soul Department to teach soul guidance well.

The courses were things like "The Origins of Soul Tools," "The Development of Soul Tools Over Ten Thousand Years," "Types of Soul Tools"...

If you really wanted to learn seriously, you had to enter the Soul Guidance Department.

But all of this required at least officially entering the Outer Academy before you could study it.

Lu Ran was still in the early stages of the Freshman Assessment, So basically, they were only teaching physical improvement, martial soul coordination, team integration... that sort of thing.

After all, at least half the students would be eliminated in three months.

Too many courses would just drag the students down.

"..."

"...Hey, why aren't you saying anything?"

Wang Dong lay on the bed, glancing at Lu Ran with an irritated expression.

She spoke first, but Lu Ran acted as if he would never speak at all.

It wasn't him who got pinned to the ground...

"..."

Lu Ran turned his head to look at her.

To be precise, he looked at her head.

Even more precisely, he looked at a wisp of Divine Sense within her Sea of Consciousness.

That was left by Tang San.

Fortunately, aside from the Chastity Lock, it had no other functions and couldn't monitor him. Otherwise, he would have been in danger long ago.

But... Elder Yi might be able to resolve that wisp of Divine Sense... or even absorb it, perhaps?

Divine Sense should count as nourishment for the soul, right?

Wang Dong followed Lu Ran's gaze... immediately covered her forehead, somewhat embarrassed and annoyed.

"What are you looking at?!"

Lu Ran spoke slowly: "I was just thinking..."

"Thinking about what?"

Wang Dong pressed immediately.

"Thinking about the Freshman Assessment three months from now..."

"You're afraid of the Freshman Assessment?"

Wang Dong said incredulously.

You have three thousand-year Soul Rings, ridiculously strong, and you're worried about the Freshman Assessment?

"Of course not,"

Lu Ran explained: "Class Nine has 101 people total. The Freshman Assessment is three people per group, which means there will inevitably be one person left over to team up with students from other classes."

Huh?

Wang Dong was stunned, nearly counting on her fingers right there.

Three people per group, one hundred and one people...

"Shouldn't that leave two people?"

Lu Ran looked at her matter-of-factly.

"Do you think I need teammates?"

"..."

Wang Dong really wanted to say yes, but she couldn't get the words out.

Nor could she refute Lu Ran.

Looking at that infuriating expression, her teeth suddenly itched.

The words stuck in her throat, refusing to come out.

Frustrated, she flipped over directly, lying on her side facing the wall, which just happened to reveal the curve of her round, perky bottom wrapped in the school uniform.

Lu Ran silently averted his gaze, looking back at the Soul Guiding Lamp.

"Hmph, then I'll team up alone too."

After a moment of silence, Wang Dong's defiant voice rang out.

Another room.

Lin Hu, who had just finished showering and was drying his hair with a towel, stared wide-eyed at Huo Yuhao cultivating on the bed:

"Do you have a death wish?!"

"Still cultivating now?"

After running a hundred laps in the morning, wearing a twenty-jin iron vest for an entire afternoon class, plus the mental pressure from Zhou Yi's torment, he could barely catch his breath.

And Huo Yuhao could still cultivate at night?!

Wasn't that too absurd?