The moment Dai Huabin saw the two Soul Beasts, his pupils contracted. He recognized them immediately. Both were thousand-year Soul Beasts! Teacher Zhao had only said yesterday that Song Mu could summon a thousand-year Wind Tiger. He hadn't expected Song Mu to summon a Blazing Lion, even stronger than the Wind Tiger.
But his surprise lasted only an instant. Dai Huabin had absolute confidence that he could win.
Song Mu was only a Soul Grandmaster. Controlling two thousand-year Soul Beasts at once would surely wear him out before long. Besides, two Soul Beasts that had only just reached a thousand years were no match for the Hell White Tiger.
Seeing the two Soul Beasts charging toward him, Dai Huabin activated Martial Soul Possession and met them head-on.
He chose to take on the Blazing Lion. The instant its paw collided with his, Dai Huabin felt how powerful the Soul Beast was. Its strength was nothing like what a Soul Beast that had only just reached a thousand years should possess.
Then he remembered Song Mu's team's support-type Soul Master, Ning Tian, and her Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda.
Could her enhancement Soul Skill work on Soul Beasts, too?
"Third Soul Skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
"First Soul Skill, White Tiger Protection Barrier!"
Only after using two enhancement Soul Skills in succession could Dai Huabin just barely hold his own against the Blazing Lion.
Before long, Cui Yajie's scream rang out nearby.
Dai Huabin looked back and saw that the referee had already rescued Cui Yajie from the stage. Zhu Lu, meanwhile, was close to being overwhelmed by Wu Feng's relentless attacks.
"Zhu Lu!"
Dai Huabin sprang into action, racing toward Zhu Lu. She ran toward him, too, and they embraced.
Their Soul Power fused in an instant, and a huge tiger phantom appeared where the two of them had stood.
Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Hell White Tiger!
"Song Mu, you've got some skill. You actually forced me to use my Hell White Tiger. But this match ends here. I'm the only one who can be champion."
Across the competition stage, Song Mu paid him no mind. He chatted leisurely with Ning Tian, while Wu Feng had even retreated and dispelled Martial Soul Possession.
Dai Huabin was baffled by the sight. What was going on? Had they given up?
He was just about to taunt them again when the Wind Tiger and Blazing Lion charged at him.
Dai Huabin decided not to dwell on it. He would defeat these two Soul Beasts first, then knock the other three off the stage.
He had to end this quickly. The Hell White Tiger could hold its own against a Soul King, but it consumed too much Soul Power to keep fighting for long.
He swung his massive tiger claw at the Wind Tiger, intending to badly injure it in one blow. But thousand-year Soul Beasts were already physically powerful, and after Ning Tian, a Soul Elder, boosted it, its strength was comparable to that of a typical Power Attack System Soul Ancestor.
After a hard fight, Dai Huabin finally managed to badly injure the Wind Tiger. Now only the Blazing Lion remained.
"Come back, Wind Tiger."
Dai Huabin saw Song Mu recall the Wind Tiger and immediately felt that victory was assured. But then Song Mu took out another ball.
How was that possible? Didn't controlling Soul Beasts in battle consume Soul Power?
"Come forth, Bloodthirsty Demon Bear!"
As Dai Huabin stared in shock, Song Mu summoned another thousand-year Soul Beast.
Damn it, how could Song Mu still summon Soul Beasts? But so what if he sent out another one? Against overwhelming strength, it was nothing but a dying struggle!
His confidence restored, Dai Huabin charged at the two Soul Beasts again.
After another hard-fought battle, Dai Huabin had beaten both Soul Beasts until they could no longer fight.
"Heh, Song Mu, you're strong, but I, Dai Huabin, am stronger!"
Dai Huabin was already panting. After defeating three thousand-year Soul Beasts boosted by a Soul Elder with the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, both his and Zhu Lu's Soul Power had been nearly exhausted.
Still, it was more than enough to deal with Wu Feng.
Across the stage, Song Mu finally paid him some attention. "You still have Soul Power?"
Seeing that Song Mu had finally replied, Dai Huabin hurriedly taunted him. "You can't even begin to imagine the power of the Hell White Tiger."
Song Mu answered calmly, "Fine. If you still have Soul Power, then let's fight two more."
"What did you say?!"
Dai Huabin glared at Song Mu. Song Mu took out two more Intermediate Gulu Balls and tossed them to the ground, summoning two Soul Beasts: a Thunder Shadow Swift Leopard and an Iron-Spine Steel Wolf.
One was two thousand years old, and the other was three thousand!
The two Soul Beasts charged at the Hell White Tiger at even greater speed. With Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu nearly out of Soul Power, it took only a few exchanges for them to be forced out of their Martial Soul Fusion.
As the two Soul Beasts kicked him off the stage, Dai Huabin felt his entire worldview crumble. How could a Soul Grandmaster summon five thousand-year Soul Beasts in succession and fight with them? How much Soul Power did he have?
"The champion is Song Mu's team!"
After the referee announced the champion, Song Mu didn't hurry back. Instead, he walked over to Dai Huabin, who lay sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath, and said coolly:
"I thought you were something special. This is all you've got?"
Then he didn't spare Dai Huabin another glance and turned to walk off the stage.
The award ceremony wasn't until tomorrow. With nothing else to do today, Song Mu returned to his dormitory.
The next day.
There were no classes today. All the students who had passed the Freshman Assessment gathered at Shrek Plaza for the freshman elimination tournament's award ceremony and class assignments.
The head of academic affairs, Du Weilun, held a folder and walked onto the platform in front of Shrek Plaza. He first scanned the students below.
After the elimination rounds, only a little over three hundred of the original thousand freshmen remained—a reduction of two-thirds.
Du Weilun cleared his throat and announced loudly, "I'm sure you all know that the Freshman Assessment elimination tournament has concluded, and the top three teams have been decided. I'll now formally announce the results and the rewards they've earned. Third place in the Freshman Assessment: Wang Dong's team. Members: Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and Huo Yuhao. Step forward."
The three below who had been named, Huo Yuhao and the others, were all taken aback. They had submitted the name Huo Yuhao's team, with Huo Yuhao as the captain. Why had Du Weilun called them Wang Dong's team?
Puzzled, the three stepped forward.
"Second place in the Freshman Assessment: Dai Huabin's team. Members: Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, and Cui Yajie. Step forward."
Dai Huabin and the others stepped forward. As he made his way up, Dai Huabin shot Song Mu a vicious glare.
Down below, Song Mu could only feel speechless. He'd gone and provoked someone, lost, and then got angry about it himself. What a clown.
"Now, let's give a warm round of applause to the first-place team in the Freshman Assessment: Song Mu's team. Members: Song Mu, Ning Tian, and Wu Feng."
Under the gaze of the other students, the three of them walked up onto the platform.
What happened next was much the same as in the original story. The reward for the top three teams was the chance to apply to Shrek Academy to send someone to help them hunt a Soul Beast and obtain a Soul Ring of the optimal age.
They also announced the lists of core disciples and provisional core disciples. Huo Yuhao wasn't among the core disciples.
The students were divided into four classes. Song Mu was placed in Class One, the class for Power Attack System and Control System students.
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