Lin Yun vs. Wang Dong + Huo Yuhao

Mentioning this, Lin Yun felt a bit of a headache.

"You can't be serious, Dean Yan. I've already run myself ragged doing errands for the academy; do I really have to take the Freshman Assessment too?"

Dean Yan replied with a straight face, "Of course. You must go. Shrek Academy cannot keep opening back doors time and time again. However, you're just going through the motions. Regardless of your results, your student status will be preserved."

Dean Yan looked at Lin Yun for a long moment before speaking.

Lin Yun let out a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that since the assessment was just a formality, there was nothing left to say—he would just coast through it.

As Lin Yun thought this, Zhang Lexuan, who was standing in front, also spoke up.

"Dean Yan, since that's the case, why not let him enter the Inner Court early? At the very least, he could accompany me on missions."

Dean Yan frowned and said, "Lexuan, you aren't usually this muddled. Lin Yun is only a three-ringed Soul Elder right now. Even without considering the possibility of him turning into an Evil Soul Master later, his age alone makes him unsuitable to accompany you on missions."

Zhang Lexuan replied, "He needs to participate eventually; it would count as drawing a clear line between him and the Evil Soul Masters. Besides, just because he is a Soul Elder now doesn't mean he will be one forever. He managed to reach the Soul Elder rank so quickly without any support, after all."

Dean Yan glanced at Zhang Lexuan and said, "No. The academy has already made arrangements for him. You don't need to be in such a rush to complete the mission assigned by the teacher."

Zhang Lexuan said, "It's not that. I'm not doing this to complete the mission. I just feel that his mind is sharper than most in the Inner Court. Even if we lose a bit of combat power, having him along on a mission is acceptable."

Zhang Lexuan's voice grew quieter, but Dean Yan did not notice the change in her emotions—or perhaps he simply didn't care. He patted Zhang Lexuan on the shoulder and said, "As expected of someone the teacher values; bringing people into missions is the best way to ensure they are completed."

Zhang Lexuan: "..."

Faced with this reaction, the composition of which was unclear, Zhang Lexuan could only look silently at the sky and accept Dean Yan's words.

Returning to the academy, Zhang Lexuan followed Dean Yan to the Inner Court, while Lin Yun went back to his dormitory to rest.

Early the next morning, Lin Yun was called to the office by Zhou Yi.

As soon as he entered, Lin Yun saw Zhou Yi glaring at him with a stern face, while Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao stood to the side.

"Teacher Zhou, what is this about?"

Lin Yun walked to Zhou Yi's desk and asked curiously.

Zhou Yi kept her face stony and said, "So you've finally arrived?"

Lin Yun wondered who she was venting at. He hadn't provoked her, so why was she snapping at him? Still, he didn't want to lash out, so he suppressed his irritation and spoke politely.

"Yes, I'm here. I'm not late, am I?"

As he spoke, Lin Yun glanced at the soul-guided clock on the desk.

Zhou Yi retorted sharply, "You don't think you're late? When were you planning on showing up? Maybe at graduation?"

Lin Yun thought to himself that this was what it was about, so he lowered his voice and said, "I wish I could have, but I didn't have that kind of luck."

Zhou Yi immediately bristled and slammed the table, making both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong flinch. A hint of hostility flickered in Zhou Yi's eyes as she looked at Lin Yun and said in a deep voice, "What did you say?"

Lin Yun immediately put on a smile and said to Zhou Yi:

"I said it's not my fault! I was assigned a mission on short notice. Didn't Elder Mu tell you about it?"

Zhou Yi rolled her eyes, her tone becoming a bit strange.

"Nonsense. Does he need to consult with me?"

Seeing the topic drifting, Zhou Yi waved her hand and said, "That's enough. Back to business. The problem is that the teams are mostly assembled, and I need to find a way to squeeze you into one. Therefore, I need to know your level."

"You will spar with Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. You against the two of them."

"Let's do it on the roof. Keep it low-key."

The teaching buildings at Shrek Academy were reinforced with special materials. According to tests, a Power Attack System Soul Master below the fifth ring could not leave a mark on them.

At least, that was the case when they were first built; it was hard to say what the situation was like for this generation.

But at the very least, it didn't feel any more fragile.

Lin Yun felt the ground beneath his feet, then turned his gaze toward Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao.

Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao had poor chemistry at the moment, but Huo Yuhao seemed very eager to test his strength against Lin Yun.

Clearly, he had made some progress during this period and was aiming to use Lin Yun as a benchmark for his results.

Lin Yun was actually quite interested, taking this as an opportunity to gauge Huo Yuhao's current level.

Taking a step forward, the aura of the Skeletal Bone Dragon swirled around his body, and a massive, illusory bone dragon manifested behind Lin Yun.

Wang Dong stood in front of Huo Yuhao, the magnificent wings of the Radiant Goddess Butterfly appearing behind her.

A glow of Soul Power flickered in the depths of Huo Yuhao's eyes, and the soul ring bestowed upon him by the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm—which appeared to be ten years old but was actually a million years old—emerged at this moment.

Huo Yuhao immediately activated his Mental Sharing Detection, sharing the field of vision from his Mental Detection with Wang Dong.

However, reality was harsh; Huo Yuhao's Mental Detection only captured Lin Yun's movements for a fleeting instant.

As Lin Yun unfurled the bone wings of the Skeletal Bone Dragon, his figure instantly vanished from their sight.

Striking Huo Yuhao's back with a punch, Lin Yun did not use overly brutal force, yet he did not hold back either, sending Huo Yuhao crashing into the railing to the side.

Wang Dong immediately turned around, swinging a high kick toward Lin Yun's face.

Lin Yun seized the opportunity to grab Wang Dong's ankle, saying half-teasingly and half-seriously, "Although your Martial Soul is of the assault type, it is clearly better suited for agility and long-range combat. Why do you always insist on using your legs against me?"

As he spoke, Lin Yun yanked Wang Dong's leg toward himself, the massive disparity in strength instantly shattering her center of gravity and forcing her into a near-prone flight, soaring right over Lin Yun's head.

Lin Yun's fingers brushed against Wang Dong's stomach, feeling the bouncy texture of her skin, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"You!"

Wang Dong instantly flushed red, releasing the Light of the Butterfly God as she struck directly at Lin Yun's head.

Lin Yun dodged to the side, instantly appearing in front of Wang Dong and gripping her neck with his hand.

"Alright, truth be told, you had already lost just now. If I had used my bone claws to slash your stomach, you would have been disemboweled by now."

Lin Yun said to Wang Dong, who lowered her eyes at this moment before retorting, "I lost, but I am not your only opponent. Watch out!"

Lin Yun whipped his head around, a Mental Shock already surging toward him, and he instantly opened the External Soul Bone on his forehead—the Pupil of Fear...