Mu Jin looked over the freshmen sprawled or seated across the field, all gasping for breath, and clapped her hands in satisfaction.
"Alright, it seems everyone's physical foundation is fairly solid—at least much better than I expected."
It was an ordinary remark, yet it sounded especially grating to Dai Huabin, who had only just regained consciousness. His chest began to tighten with anger again.
As if she had not seen Dai Huabin's face darken like the bottom of a pot, Mu Jin continued with a smile. "However, no matter how strong an individual is, they will still struggle alone in modern Soul Master battles. Some of you may be thinking that fierce beasts travel alone, and only the weak form groups."
"But what I want to say is that ninety-nine percent of you here are not qualified to say that. Among you, there may only be a handful capable of influencing the course of a battle alone."
Dai Huabin silently lifted his chin.
Wasn't that obviously talking about him?
Eleven years old, a Soul Elder—who else could it be but him?
The others appeared thoughtful, but they all instinctively turned their gazes toward Chen Doudou.
Clearly, they believed Mu Jin was referring to him.
"So, in order to develop everyone's teamwork, the freshman assessment one month from now will use a three-person team battle format."
"What? Team battles?"
"And we have to form teams of three?"
The crowd below instantly erupted.
For freshmen accustomed to fighting alone, team battles were undoubtedly an enormous challenge—not to mention having to build rapport in only a single month.
Mu Jin raised a hand to press the noise down, signaling everyone to quiet down. Then she dropped the most crucial bombshell.
"To ensure fairness, and to prevent certain students from riding on others' coattails,