The first five matches of the Freshman Assessment had been completely lacking in intensity. Aside from the first match, when he'd taken Zhou Yi to task, You Jie hadn't lifted a finger in any of the remaining contests, giving Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo plenty of practice controlling their Hair Net.
But after the Freshman Assessment's groups were reshuffled on the third day, You Jie took one look at Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao's hostile expressions and knew he'd probably have to step in again.
Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo were fairly strong, but asking them to take on two opponents with Twin Martial Souls, both of whom were members of the Shrek Seven Monsters in the original story, was asking too much of them.
Besides, although both opponents had ruined their Twin Martial Souls to varying degrees, in exchange, they were still quite formidable fighters at this stage.
Yet when faced with the murderous glares from Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, You Jie wasn't the least bit afraid. Instead, he laughed.
After all, he'd initially worried that if Wang Dong got elbowed out of the Freshman Assessment's final sixty-four by some first-year Soul Elder team, he'd miss out on a lot of fun.
Ever since Wang Dong had suddenly come knocking on his door and forced him to activate Forbidden just to escape with his life, You Jie had been looking for the right chance to get even.
But taking the initiative and attacking in accordance with Shrek Academy's usual "those who fear causing trouble are useless" approach didn't fit You Jie's own sense of justice.
So the Freshman Assessment was a perfectly legitimate occasion.
What's more, the Freshman Assessment limited how high flying Soul Masters could fly, which meant Wang Dong couldn't even use her last advantage.
Not that You Jie lacked ways to make her crash even if she took off right there and then, sending her to keep Lao Da company.
But then You Jie suddenly remembered something else: the rules of the Freshman Assessment.
Teams that had won every match in the first round almost never left their respective zones when the groups were reshuffled for the second round.
You Jie's team was the textbook example of an undefeated team, so their zone hadn't changed. Even Zhou Yi was still in the same place beside them, glaring at You Jie with venomous eyes but not daring to meet his gaze.
And though You Jie didn't know the exact zone number Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao had been assigned in the previous round, he vaguely remembered that their zone had been right in the middle of the Assessment Zone.
With Wang Dong's flashy, eye-catching Light Goddess Butterfly, it would've been hard for You Jie to miss her while slacking off the whole time.
So, they...
You Jie's gaze swept across Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong. Xiao Xiao looked perfectly normal, but Wang Dong was far too pale.
"Damn it, if I hadn't suddenly gotten diarrhea yesterday, how could I have suffered the humiliation of losing a match?"
Seeing You Jie's rather peculiar smile, Wang Dong cursed to herself.
After Wang Dong's team had gotten off to a winning start two days ago, she'd been so excited that she went to the stalls outside the school gates and bought three of Huo Yuhao's grilled fish, along with all sorts of other food, to celebrate with her two teammates.
Then Wang Dong got an upset stomach and performed poorly in the matches the next day.
Although Xiao Xiao and their other teammate could've fought with everything they had to keep their winning streak alive that day, they decided to forfeit one match, considering the high-intensity matches awaiting them the next day.
As a result, not only had Zhou Yi chewed them out for failing to win every match, they'd also been forced to change zones for the third day of the Freshman Assessment—and ended up running into You Jie, the person who'd humiliated Zhou Yi on the very first day.
At that moment, all they wanted was to avenge Zhou Yi, beat You Jie to his knees, and then...
"Begin!"
At the referee's swift announcement, all six students on the field revealed their Soul Rings at once.
Their last teammate was named Chun Sanxiang. Her Martial Soul was a Tusk Boar. Once she released it, her already plump figure grew even bulkier, and her chubby hands turned into pig trotters. She charged at the only actual boy on the field, unleashing her Second Soul Skill, Boar Rush.
Wang Dong also revealed her Light Goddess Butterfly Martial Soul and charged at You Jie's team.
Xiao Xiao, meanwhile, brought out her Second Martial Soul, the Nine Phoenix Flute, and used her First Soul Skill to slow You Jie's team down.
Seeing the lone Hundred-Year Soul Ring on Xiao Xiao's Nine Phoenix Flute, You Jie's expression immediately darkened.
This was the first time he'd ever seen someone stupid enough to cripple their own abilities like this.
His own Twin Martial Souls were a special case; he could only add Soul Rings to both at the same time. But a regular Twin Martial Soul Soul Master ought to wait until reaching Soul King, when they could absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, before even considering adding Soul Rings to their other Martial Soul, right?
Xiao Xiao's reason in the original story was that she wanted to catch up with the talented people her age as soon as possible. When You Jie had read that part, his vision had gone black.
The tactics they'd chosen for this match were even more baffling. Neither You Jie nor the Lan Sisters relied on speed to fight. What was the point of using a slowing aura now?
At the thought, You Jie couldn't help sighing. The Third Soul Ring on his left arm lit up.
The next moment, it was as if an invisible wall had risen across the field. Wang Dong and Chun Sanxiang suddenly felt their strength ebb away, their power weakening considerably.
Then Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo unleashed their Hair Net together, binding Wang Dong tightly in midair.
You Jie also reached Chun Sanxiang and kicked her back beside Xiao Xiao with a powerful volley.
"Is this all you've got? What a waste of your Martial Souls."
As he spoke, the First Soul Ring on You Jie's body lit up. Junk Synchron, Speed Warrior, and Junk Converter appeared on the field one after another.
Seeing Xiao Xiao switch her Martial Soul to the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron and Chun Sanxiang stand back up in her boar form, You Jie gave a bored wave of his hand.
"You can't even rescue your teammate. No wonder you're a student of that perverted old crone."
"Also, is this how you're supposed to use Twin Martial Souls?"
"If that's how it is, don't blame me for giving you a special offer."
The next moment, Speed Warrior and Junk Converter both turned into light, while Junk Synchron once again became three green rings of light.
Xiao Xiao and Chun Sanxiang had thought You Jie would fight using summoned creatures, as he usually did in class and in sparring matches with other students—something Zhou Yi had learned about from her inquiries. They immediately looked astonished.
"The gathering anger shall grant a selfless warrior the soul of a demon god. Become the road upon which the light shines!"
"Finish them, Junk Berserker!"
The pillar of light faded, and a towering figure clad in red armor and wielding a battle-axe appeared in the very center of the field. Whether it was Wang Dong, who had just broken free from the Lan Sisters' Hair Net by unleashing Light of the Butterfly Goddess with all her might, using a method that cost her a thousand to inflict eight hundred points of damage, or Xiao Xiao and Chun Sanxiang, all of them wore looks of shock.
Even Zhou Yi at the edge of the field was so startled that she stumbled back several steps and fell to the ground.
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