The Assessment Begins, Arrogant Wang Dong (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

The next morning, the rising sun quietly painted the horizon with a touch of fish-belly white.

Today was the day of the assessment. After waking up early, Huo Yuhao headed toward the academy.

For the new students of Shrek Academy, the annual freshman assessment was a stage where the gap between the strong and the weak became starkly apparent.

For the powerful students, they were eager to demonstrate their superior abilities during the assessment to attract the academy's attention and secure priority cultivation.

As for the weaker students with lower cultivation, they were all trembling with fear, praying to the gods and Buddhas, terrified of being eliminated by Shrek.

Huo Yuhao first met up with Ouyang Junyi and Chen Junfeng, and after grabbing breakfast at the Shrek canteen, he went straight to the Shrek Academy Assessment Zone.

The Assessment Zone was located in the north-central part of the Martial Soul Department, adjacent to the Spirit Fighting Zone that Huo Yuhao had visited before.

Compared to the Spirit Fighting Zone, the Assessment Zone was much larger. It was an oval-shaped area consisting of a vast open space surrounded by a low wall. Covering approximately 20,000 square meters, the interior was divided into about fifty zones to accommodate the large number of students participating in the assessment simultaneously.

Huo Yuhao's group had been assigned to District 33 for their assessment, and the three of them went directly to their designated area.

As soon as Huo Yuhao's group entered the assessment area, they immediately drew everyone's attention.

It was mainly because, among a crowd of new students with an average age of only twelve, Huo Yuhao's tall stature was far too conspicuous.

Why is everyone else a little sprout, but you suddenly shot up so tall? Are you an adult bullying children?

Coupled with Huo Yuhao's increasingly refined face, many female students in the assessment area began whispering among themselves.

On the other side of District 33, the sharp-eyed Xiao Xiao spotted Huo Yuhao. Her eyes lit up, and she tugged on Wang Dong's clothes, pointing in Huo Yuhao's direction. "Wang Dong, look! It's Huo Yuhao. He's in our district too."

Hearing this, Wang Dong immediately turned to look. When she saw Huo Yuhao, her eyes went wide.

This guy—three months no see, how did he change so much? How did he grow so tall?

Standing next to Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao was an ordinary-looking boy, clearly the third teammate of their group.

Wang Dong pushed through the crowd and walked straight toward Huo Yuhao, her face filled with arrogance.

"Huo Yuhao, I didn't expect you to be in this district for the assessment. Last time at the dormitory entrance, I was careless and accidentally lost a move to you. In this assessment, if I run into you, I will defeat you fair and square!" Wang Dong walked up to Huo Yuhao and said loudly, looking quite haughty.

"So it's you. Let alone whether you'll run into me, if we really do meet, it might indeed be quite tricky for me." Huo Yuhao looked down at Wang Dong and suddenly frowned as he replied.

"Heh, it seems you finally understand my strength. Of course you should find it tricky. Don't think you're invincible just because you've won against a few Soul Elders. If we really meet our team, it's not certain who will win this match."

Wang Dong smiled proudly at these words and was about to continue when Huo Yuhao waved a hand to interrupt her.

"Don't misunderstand. The 'tricky' I mentioned isn't because your strength makes me feel troubled. I mean that if I meet you in this assessment, I'm afraid I won't be able to display my true strength. That is what I find tricky."

"Unable to display your true strength? Why?" Wang Dong asked, puzzled.

"After all, would an adult ever get serious when playing with a child?"

Huo Yuhao's expression was calm, as if he were stating a simple fact.

Wang Dong stood frozen in place for a moment before the meaning sank in, and her face flushed bright red.

What does Huo Yuhao mean? Is he saying that in his eyes, we are no different from children?

"You jerk..." Wang Dong started to retort.

Just then, a booming broadcast echoed throughout the Assessment Zone: "Attention all freshmen, please proceed to your assessment areas immediately. There are three minutes of entry time remaining; exceeding this will be considered a withdrawal."

A middle-aged man arrived at District 33 along with the broadcast; it was Wang Yan, the instructor for Freshman Class 3.

Once Wang Yan arrived at the assessment area, he didn't waste any time. He took out a list and read aloud: "First round, first match: Freshman Class 1—Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Zhou Sichen—versus Freshman Class 10—Zhang Wei, Yang Zhi, Xiao Feng."

"You may enter the arena. The match begins in three minutes!"

As Wang Yan's voice faded, Wang Dong glared fiercely at Huo Yuhao before returning to her two teammates, and the three of them quickly walked onto the field and stood their ground.

Their opponents, three boys from Freshman Class 10, had also arrived and taken their positions.

This is actually quite interesting. Huo Yuhao watched from the sidelines with keen interest.

Wang Dong noticed Huo Yuhao's gaze and, remembering his words from earlier, felt a surge of anger.

She whispered in a tiny voice on the stage: "Wait a moment, neither of you move. This match is mine!"

After seeing both sides in position, Wang Yan nodded and said, "Before the assessment begins, I must remind you once more: this is an academy assessment. You must not maim your opponents, otherwise..."

Wang Yan looked at the six students on the field, and seeing that they all understood, he immediately issued the command.

"The match begins!"

Almost the instant Wang Yan shouted the start, both sides in the center of the field released their Martial Souls.

A massive golden cauldron condensed above Xiao Xiao's head, while in the hands of the ordinary-looking boy on the other side, a book-type Martial Soul appeared.

Wang Dong's display was the most impressive; a pair of blue-purple wings unfurled from her back, looking incredibly magnificent.

Even more shocking was that, compared to the two yellow hundred-year Spirit Rings on Xiao Xiao and the other boy, what rose from Wang Dong were one yellow and one purple Spirit Ring.

A thousand-year second Spirit Ring!

This astonishing sight left everyone present stunned, leaving everyone except Huo Yuhao completely dumbfounded.

Even Wang Yan wore an expression of disbelief. A thousand-year second Spirit Ring meant that the second ring had broken the theoretical limit for Spirit Masters throughout history!

This Wang Dong is truly a rare monster!

At this moment, the eyes of everyone present were filled with shock and disbelief as they looked at Wang Dong.

Wang Dong stood upon the stage, seemingly sensing the shock hidden within the gazes cast toward him by the crowd.

A small, irrepressible sense of pride welled up in his heart.

The next moment, he shot a glance toward Huo Yuhao down below, his eyes filled with a strong sense of provocation.

He let out a secret huff in his heart.

Huo Yuhao, did you see that? I, Wang Dong, am the true genius. My talent is absolutely not beneath yours!