A Fine Sword for a Hero, A Beauty Loves a Hero

Ye Fan slowly crouched down and raised his hand above the wounds on Ji Juechen's battered body. In his palm, a warm, pure, pale-green life force slowly rippled outward.

The gentle light flowed slowly, wrapping bit by bit around Ji Juechen's failing body, repairing the wound that had pierced through him and regulating the vitality that had nearly run dry.

Ji Juechen, whose aura had been weak and who had been on the verge of losing consciousness, gradually began breathing again. A trace of color returned to his paper-pale face.

In the deathly silent Soul Fighting Arena around them, everyone held their breath and stared, all shaken by this miraculous healing power.

A moment later, Ji Juechen suddenly opened his eyes. The stunned disbelief of surviving a disaster rose across his face as he murmured in a low voice, "I'm not dead!"

Jing Ziyan hurriedly bent down and quickly told him everything that had just happened in the soul battle—the duel, Ye Fan risking himself to meet his move, and how Ye Fan had finally acted to save him.

After hearing it all, Ji Juechen's eyes were filled with emotion. Without the slightest hesitation, he supported his not-yet-fully-recovered body and heavily dropped to his knees, his tone solemn and sincere.

"I, Ji Juechen, accept my loss. From now on, you, Ye Fan, are my master. If you tell me to go east, I will never go west!"

Hearing this, Ye Fan was also rather moved. He stepped forward and helped Ji Juechen up. "Brother Ji, there's no need for that. From now on, we can simply address each other as brothers."

The moment he said this, Ji Juechen admired Ye Fan's strength and character even more.

And just as Ji Juechen was still marveling at Ye Fan's power and magnanimity, Ye Fan went on to do something that shocked everyone.

In front of Xiao Hongchen, Jing Ziyan, and the others, Ye Fan handed the Sword of Judgment in his hand to Ji Juechen.

Ji Juechen stared at him, completely dumbfounded. "Ye Fan, what do you mean by this?"

Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and Ye Guyi merely looked at one another.

Only Jing Ziyan roughly guessed what Ye Fan was thinking and sighed inwardly. This Ye Fan really knows how to win people over. After this whole series of moves, Ji Juechen might truly follow him with absolute loyalty.

But at this moment, she was both nervous and expectant.

Everyone looked at Ye Fan.

Ye Fan smiled at Ji Juechen and said, "Brother Ji, as they say, a treasured sword is given to a hero. Consider this your wages from me for the next twenty years."

Even if Ji Juechen was thickheaded, he understood Ye Fan's intentions now.

He did not refuse. He took the Sword of Judgment from Ye Fan's hand in one motion.

With righteous conviction, he said to Ye Fan, "Ye Fan, I swear that I, Ji Juechen, will follow you through life and death in this lifetime."

As he spoke, Ji Juechen was about to kneel and pay Ye Fan grand respect again, but Ye Fan grabbed him and stopped him.

Ye Fan thought to himself, With those words from you, giving away this sword was worth it.

In a few days, I'll introduce you to Grandpa and have him train you properly. In the future, my Angel Clan will gain another great general.

As for Jing Ziyan at his side, she was just a bonus.

Ye Fan was extremely satisfied with what he had done today.

Just as Ye Fan was feeling smug, Meng Hongchen really couldn't keep watching.

She gave a soft snort. "The match is over. Can you let us go back and rest now?"

From her tone, it was obvious that Meng Hongchen did not think highly of Ji Juechen, especially after seeing Ye Fan treat him this way.

Hearing this, Ji Juechen awkwardly looked at Ye Fan and waited quietly for his next instruction.

Ye Fan understood Ji Juechen's action and said softly, "Brother Ji, you and Jing Ziyan should recuperate for a few days first. Come find me at Grade 3 Class 1 in seven days. When the time comes, I'll give you another tremendous opportunity."

"Another gift?"

That was Ji Juechen and Jing Ziyan's first reaction—both pleasantly surprised and shocked.

"Another gift?" That was also the first reaction of Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and Ye Guyi, though they felt only curiosity and surprise.

Afterward, Ye Fan gave Ji Juechen a few more reminders. "Brother Ji, remember to cherish the person beside you."

As he spoke, Ye Fan did not forget to signal with his eyes toward Jing Ziyan beside Ji Juechen, making Jing Ziyan's face instantly turn bright red. She turned and left in embarrassment.

Ji Juechen was thickheaded, so Ye Fan did not forget to urge him. "Brother Ji, aren't you going to chase after her?"

Only then did Ji Juechen react half a beat late and chase after Jing Ziyan. "Ziyan, wait for me."

The next day, after a night of rest and recovery, Ye Fan's injuries had completely healed. There was no sign at all that he had suffered a fatal wound the day before.

Because of this, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen both looked at Ye Fan as if they were looking at a monster.

Xiao Hongchen even punched Ye Fan in the chest and said, "Ye Fan, everyone says Shrek Academy only accepts monsters, but I think you're even more damn monstrous than a monster."

Hearing this, Ye Fan merely laughed and did not explain too much. Then the four of them headed together to the classroom of Grade 3 Class 1.

Quite a few people had already arrived in the classroom.

Their homeroom teacher, Lin Jiayi, was also present.

Ye Fan and the others greeted Lin Jiayi. "Hello, Teacher Lin."

They were about to find random seats and sit down, but Lin Jiayi stopped them and asked, "Ye Fan, I heard you fought a fierce battle with Sword Fanatic Ji Juechen yesterday and both of you were badly injured. Are you all right?"

"Do you want to forfeit this exam?"

The moment he said that, Xiao Xiafeng, Chen Fei, Wang Shaojie, and the others immediately grew dissatisfied. "Teacher, that isn't fair."

"Why does he get to postpone the exam just because he's injured?"

"Then if we hurt ourselves now, can we ask to postpone the exam too?"

Hearing this, Lin Jiayi frowned slightly and was just about to lose his temper and scold them.

But Ye Fan stopped him by speaking up. "Teacher, I'm fine. My injuries aren't serious. They won't affect the next assessment."

But after Ye Fan finished speaking, he coughed several times in a row, clutching his body with one hand, his face twisted in pain.

It all vanished in an instant, but Xiao Xiafeng, Chen Fei, Wang Shaojie, Ju Zi, and the others still saw it.

After he spoke, Lin Jiayi remained doubtful, but he still forced down his anger and said gently to Ye Fan, "In that case, you all go sit down and rest first."

"When everyone's here, I'll take you to the assessment venue."

Ye Fan and the other three said in unison, "All right!"

Time flew by. Before long, everyone from Grade 3 Class 1 had arrived.

Counting the four transfer students, Ye Fan and the others, there were exactly thirty-two people.

Two people per group, for a total of sixteen groups.

Lin Jiayi announced loudly, "This assessment will be a ranking match."

"Following a single-elimination format: sixteen to eight, eight to four, four to two, and two to one."

"First place receives a full score of 100, second place 90 points, third and fourth place 80 points, fifth through eighth place 60 points, and ninth through sixteenth place fail with 0 points."

As soon as the rules came out, many people's expressions changed at once. Some cursed under their breath, while others remained completely calm.

Among them, Wang Shaojie's group reacted the most strongly. Wang Shaojie cursed, "Damn it. According to these rules, doesn't that mean unless I get first place in the practical combat assessment, I might be in danger of getting kicked out of class?"

In Ma Rulong's group, Ma Rulong looked perfectly calm, like some lofty expert detached from worldly affairs. Chen Fei, on the other hand, stared provocatively at Ye Fan and Xiao Hongchen. "Ye Fan, Xiao Hongchen, I hope you don't get eliminated too early. Otherwise, that would be way too boring."

In response, Ye Fan and Xiao Hongchen both gave Chen Fei a huge eye roll.

After Lin Jiayi finished announcing the rules, he began randomly assigning the groups.

In the end, Ye Fan and Ye Guyi were placed in the upper half of one quarter of the bracket. Their first match would be against Wang Shaojie and Zi Mu. If they won, their next opponents would be the winning team between Ju Zi and Keke's team and another group.

If they won again, they would have to face the strong contenders from the lower half of that quarter, where Li Yan and Mijia's team were.

Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen were in the upper half of another quarter on the opposite side of the bracket.

Ma Rulong and Chen Fei were likewise in the lower half of another quarter on the opposite side of the bracket.

Who knew whether the class teacher, Lin Jiayi, had done it deliberately or not? In any case, Grade 3 Class 1's powerful combinations had all been cleverly scattered and separated, preventing them from meeting in the first round.