Upgrade Assessment

The battle erupted in an instant!

The Ghost Shadow Leopard did not bother with any probing, relying on its extreme speed to dash out, its form dissolving into several blurred black shadows.

It circled and wove around Xu Sanshi, moving so fast that it was nearly impossible for the naked eye to track, constantly seeking a flaw to launch a sneak attack.

Xu Sanshi dared not slacken in the slightest; with a grave expression in his eyes, he let out a low shout: "Martial Soul Possession!"

Pale blue soul power, possessing both water and earth attributes, instantly swept over his entire body as the phantom of the Black Tortoise of Profound Mystery emerged slowly behind him.

Wrapped in thick, steady defensive soul power, he planted his feet firmly on the ground, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings as he remained fully focused and vigilant against any ambush from the shadows.

Just as Xu Sanshi's gaze subconsciously flickered toward the shadows on the east side, a pitch-black figure suddenly lunged out from the blind spot in the southeast!

Its sharp claws, shrouded in the biting sound of tearing wind, struck directly toward Xu Sanshi's shoulder with lightning speed.

At the critical moment, Xu Sanshi reacted with extreme swiftness, his internal soul power erupting as he instantly triggered his first soul skill!

"Black Tortoise Shield Formation!"

Several thick, heavy Black Tortoise shields condensed before him in an instant, firmly blocking the Ghost Shadow Leopard's surprise attack.

Bang!

A violent collision echoed out, the impact causing Xu Sanshi's frame to sway slightly, but the Ghost Shadow Leopard, having failed its first strike, proved incredibly cunning.

Refusing to be drawn into a prolonged struggle, it used the momentum to leap away, instantly vanishing back into the surrounding shadows without a trace.

The following moments turned entirely into a showcase of the Ghost Shadow Leopard's hit-and-run tactics.

Utilizing the blind spots and shadows of the Beast Enclosure Arena, it constantly prowled and lurked, darting out from tricky angles to slash and bite before retreating immediately. It refused to engage in a head-on confrontation, instead steadily draining Xu Sanshi's soul power and patience.

Unable to secure a victory after a long assault and failing to break through Xu Sanshi's defense, the beast's irritable nature was fully ignited.

The Ghost Shadow Leopard in the shadows let out a low roar, its speed suddenly surging as it abandoned its stealthy tactics.

Gathering all its shadow soul power, it charged straight at Xu Sanshi in a ferocious, head-on collision, its posture incredibly savage!

The entire audience held their breath; everyone couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for Xu Sanshi, fearing he would be severely injured by this powerful assault.

Even Jiang Nannan, who had maintained a detached and distant expression, subconsciously clenched her palms, her beautiful eyes locked onto the arena. A hint of undisguised tension hid in her gaze, her emotions completely swayed by the battle.

This subtle scene was captured precisely by Su Ming, who stood to the side.

Su Ming sighed inwardly; they truly were a pair of star-crossed lovers with sharp tongues but soft hearts.

Clearly, they both cared for each other immensely—one rushing forward with passionate, fervent preference, the other secretly fretting and worrying in silence—yet neither was willing to be the one to break the ice, leaving them trapped in a cycle of mutual tug-of-war and awkwardness.

Just as the Ghost Shadow Leopard closed in, Xu Sanshi's eyes turned sharp. Seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he stopped playing defense!

"Black Tortoise Shock!"

His first soul skill erupted with full force!

A massive, surging wave of water and earth vibration exploded from the center of Xu Sanshi, visible ripples instantly sweeping across the entire arena!

The high-speed charging Ghost Shadow Leopard was caught off guard and struck by the shockwave; its body stiffened violently, its brain reeling from the intense impact, and it fell into a state of brief dizziness, freezing in place.

Strike while the iron is hot!

Xu Sanshi did not give his opponent any chance to react, unleashing his second soul skill to its full extent!

"Power of the Black Tortoise!"

The thick, majestic bloodline power of the Black Tortoise flooded his body, his water and earth soul power surging several times over as his physical strength, offense, and defense were all comprehensively amplified!

In the next instant, Xu Sanshi stepped forward and threw a punch, carrying a heavy, massive force—one punch, two punches, three punches!

Heavy blows landed in succession on the stunned and rigid Ghost Shadow Leopard, each strike imbued with thick soul power, steady and domineering.

Within a few short breaths, several heavy blows rained down.

Accompanied by the final dull thud of impact, the once-ferocious and restless thousand-year Ghost Shadow Leopard's limbs went limp, losing all power to resist. Its eyes rolled back, and it collapsed to the ground with a crash, thoroughly knocked unconscious.

The entire battle had reached its conclusion.

As the dust slowly settled in the beast cage, Xu Sanshi panted heavily, drenched in sweat. Although he had emerged victorious from the struggle with the thousand-year Ghost Shadow Leopard, it had consumed a significant amount of his soul power. His steps were slightly unsteady as he swayed out of the assessment area, yet there was no sign of fatigue on his face; instead, it was plastered with a smug, triumphant grin.

The moment he exited the arena, he looked toward Jiang Nannan in the crowd and hurried over, leaning in with a look of seeking praise as he raised an eyebrow and laughed, "Nannan, how was that? Was I cool just now? That Ghost Shadow Leopard was so tricky, but it still couldn't escape me!"

Faced with Xu Sanshi's blunt and childish showing off, Jiang Nannan turned her cheek slightly, looking away. Her expression remained as cold and detached as ever, and she said nothing, appearing completely indifferent.

But Su Ming, standing to the side, saw it all clearly.

The moment Xu Sanshi won the fight, Jiang Nannan's tense shoulders had quietly relaxed, her tightly clenched palms slowly opening, and the trace of imperceptible tension and worry in her eyes had completely vanished—she had clearly let out a massive sigh of relief.

It was just that she was stubborn and thin-skinned; even if she cared deeply, she would never show it.

Su Ming smiled to himself, wondering if the dense Xu Sanshi had caught that subtle gentleness. It didn't matter, though; he had already silently noted it down. When they returned to the dormitory tonight, he would definitely tease Xu Sanshi about this—it would surely keep the guy happy for the whole day.

The assessment continued, and the remaining students took the stage one by one.

Most of them encountered soul beasts that were standard; while there were surprises, there were no dangers. When Bei Bei took the stage, he was composed and unhurried. Relying on his stable Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul, his thunder surged, exerting immense suppression. He easily dealt with his assessment soul beast, remaining at ease throughout the entire process.

Jiang Nannan, who followed, moved with grace and exquisite footwork. Relying on her extreme speed and precise control of her soul skills, she ended the battle cleanly and efficiently, without a hint of hesitation.

Only Tang Ya encountered a moment of danger.

She had drawn a Brute Force Ape, a beast with an irritable temperament and fierce strength. The ape-type soul beast was agile and violent, its close-range suppression extremely strong. Tang Ya was forced back step by step, nearly pushed out of the assessment area and eliminated. At the critical moment, she reacted with great speed, nimbly tripping the beast with her foot and using the momentum of its own charge to throw it off balance. As it stumbled to the ground, she seized the opening to launch a counterattack, narrowly completing the challenge.

With all the students having completed their assessments, it was finally the turn of the last person—Su Ming.

In an instant, every gaze in the Beast Enclosure Arena converged upon him.

Students, referees, proctors, and arena staff—everyone's eyes were locked onto Su Ming as he stepped slowly forward.

Throughout the entire Outer Court, there was no one who hadn't heard of this freshman's heaven-defying reputation.

The day he stood his ground against the six-ring Soul Emperor Zhou Yi, sweeping the field with a soul-power-driven Soul Tool Gatling, that scene had been deeply branded into everyone's hearts.

Yet, while everyone had seen him crush opponents using a Soul Tool, they had never seen him fight relying purely on his own martial soul, physical body, and soul skills.

However, the Shrek Beast Enclosure assessment had set rules: the use of large-scale lethal Soul Tools was prohibited within the arena, and everyone had to pass by relying on the strength of their martial soul alone.

This meant that today, they would finally see Su Ming's true hidden strength.

The atmosphere in the arena was pushed to its peak, and countless people were filled with extreme curiosity and anticipation.

Soon, the result of Su Ming's assessment opponent draw was revealed.

Great Strength Giant Elephant!

A pure strength-type thousand-year soul beast, possessing a massive frame, thick skin, and monstrous brute force, it excelled most at frontal charges and head-on collisions!