Task

Yan, sitting by the window, had a face so gloomy it looked as if it could drip water.

He had been unhappy with Su Ming for a long time.

Especially as time passed, Hu Liena had grown increasingly cold toward him while becoming more and more enthusiastic toward Su Ming.

This only deepened his resentment.

Seeing Su Ming join Elite Class One, he spoke up immediately, "Nana, you aren't joking, are you?"

"This brat is at most level thirty-something. By what right does he get into our Elite Class One?"

As soon as these words left his mouth, the others turned to look at Su Ming with questioning gazes.

Facing their skepticism, Hu Liena merely smiled faintly.

"Su Ming has indeed not reached level forty yet, but his current spirit power is level thirty-nine."

"Furthermore, his exceptional admission into Elite Class One is a decree issued personally by the Teacher. If any of you are dissatisfied, you are welcome to go to the Pope Palace and argue with her."

Hearing that it was an order from Pope Bibi Dong herself, the room fell silent at once.

The Pope's word was absolute authority.

No matter how dissatisfied they were, they dared not defy it.

Besides, for Su Ming to reach level thirty-nine at such a young age, he certainly possessed the talent to be in the Elite Class.

It was just that his time hadn't fully come yet.

However, upon hearing this, Yan's dissatisfaction with Su Ming only intensified.

Level thirty-nine?

How could this guy be level thirty-nine?

Wasn't he only level thirty a few days ago?

It must be that the Pope was playing favorites and had secretly used some secret technique on him!

Just then, the crisp sound of footsteps echoed from outside the classroom door.

"The teacher is here, sit down!"

Someone shouted, and the students scrambled back to their seats at top speed, the room falling so silent that a falling leaf could be heard.

A few seconds later, a female teacher of about forty, dressed in a form-fitting black instructor's robe, walked slowly onto the podium.

Though nearing forty, her skin remained fair and firm, and her figure was incredibly hot.

Her ample bosom stretched the fabric of her robe taut, yet her waist remained slender, the entire woman radiating the unique beauty of a mature lady combined with the sternness of a superior.

Her name was Liu Ru, the head teacher of Elite Class One and a powerful level seventy-two Tool Spirit Saint.

Liu Ru walked to the center of the podium, placed her lesson plan on the desk, and swept her sharp, phoenix-like eyes across the room.

Finally, her gaze landed on Su Ming.

Before coming to the classroom, the academic office had already briefed her, so she was naturally well aware of this boy's background.

Liu Ru gave a light cough. "Su Ming, is it? I am very pleased to have you join our Elite Class One."

"Thank you, Teacher," Su Ming replied politely.

Then, Liu Ru addressed the class. "Since everyone is here, I will now announce the periodic assessment task for this semester. Throughout this term, all of you must head to the Spirit Arena for practical combat training."

"The requirements are simple: achieve ten victories in solo duels and twenty victories in duo matches, and you must include a streak of five consecutive wins!"

"Anyone who fails to meet these quotas will be demoted and kicked out of Elite Class One."

"Do you understand?"

A low gasp of air echoed through the classroom.

Completing twenty victories in a semester wasn't actually that high a bar. But if you added a five-win streak, the difficulty spiked significantly.

One had to realize that the Spirit Arena was full of hidden talents; after every win, the matched opponents would only get stronger.

A five-win streak essentially meant facing opponents several levels higher than oneself.

"Quiet!"

"Class begins now!" Liu Ru didn't waste any time and started the lesson immediately.

Soon, the class ended.

As soon as Liu Ru left, the classroom erupted into chaos.

The students stood up one after another, beginning to scout for strong teammates within the class.

Yan walked over to Hu Liena's desk.

He extended an invitation: "Nana, for the duo matches at the Spirit Arena, let's team up. With our spirit power and synergy, securing twenty wins will take us no more than half a month."

In Yan's view, in terms of strength and compatibility, aside from Xie Yue, he was the only one worthy of teaming up with Hu Liena.

An assault-type paired with a control-type was the most perfect combination for the Spirit Arena.

Of course, Xie Yue certainly wouldn't compete with him for the spot.

Xie Yue was well aware of his feelings for Hu Liena.

The surrounding students all turned to look; in everyone's eyes, these two were indeed the perfect pair.

They would have liked to team up with Hu Liena themselves, but they simply lacked the strength to do so.

However, faced with Yan's request, Hu Liena didn't even pause to think before refusing him outright.

"No need, Yan."

"I already have a better candidate for my duo partner. You should go find someone else."

The smile on Yan's face froze instantly.

Being rejected in front of the entire class left him incredibly embarrassed; his face shifted from red to green, looking unsightly to the extreme.

He never expected Hu Liena to refuse him so bluntly in public, not even bothering to offer an excuse.

After rejecting Yan, Hu Liena stood up and, under the gaze of over twenty pairs of eyes, walked straight to Su Ming in the corner of the back row.

The crowd was astonished. Could it be that Hu Liena intended to team up with Su Ming?

But he was only level thirty-nine; the gap in strength was far too wide, wasn't it?

Facing Su Ming, the icy expression on Hu Liena's pretty face melted away in an instant.

It was as if her gentleness was reserved for him alone.

She tilted her head slightly, a smile like that of an older sister gracing her lips. "Junior Brother Su Ming, would you like to team up with your Senior Sister for the duo matches at the Great Soul Arena?"

"You handle the frontal assault, and I'll take care of the crowd control. If we join forces, those ten victories will be a breeze."

The crowd was shocked.

She was actually inviting Su Ming?

Wasn't she afraid that Su Ming would hold her back?

No matter how high his talent was, his strength hadn't fully matured yet.

Hearing Hu Liena's invitation, Su Ming looked up slightly.

He didn't waste any words.

Reason told him that after Hu Liena evolved into the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, her crowd control abilities were formidable; teaming up with her was indeed the fastest and most efficient way to complete his task.

Besides, a duo match required a partner.

Other than Hu Liena, he didn't seem to have any other options.

He couldn't exactly team up with Yan, could he?

That guy clearly looked like he wanted to eat him alive.

Su Ming nodded slightly and uttered a single word: "Fine."

"It's a deal, then. We'll leave together after class." Seeing him agree, Hu Liena smiled with satisfaction, turned around, and strode out of the classroom.

Not far away, Yan's fists were clenched so tightly they cracked.

He glared fiercely at Su Ming in the back row, his eyes bloodshot and the veins on his forehead bulging.

The goddess he had pursued for years had turned around in public to fawn over and invite a twelve-year-old brat, and that brat even had the audacity to act as if he were doing her a favor, looking so high and mighty.

"Damn you, Su Ming! You just wait!"