Finals: Rivalry Between Classmates

The freshman assessment had reached its fifth day, and at last, the final had arrived.

After round-robin matches and elimination rounds had whittled down the competitors, the two teams standing on the final stage both came from the same class: Class One, Year One.

Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao versus Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Cui Yajie.

Once the news spread, the entire first year erupted.

Class One had swept both first and second place—a rare occurrence in Shrek's freshman assessments in recent years.

While the students from the other classes were envious, they could not help but wonder: in this "civil war," who would win?

The final was scheduled for the Hour of the Snake that morning, at the academy's central Grand Martial Arena.

The stands were packed. Besides the current freshmen, many upper-year students and teachers had come as well.

Even several elders from Sea God Pavilion had appeared in the viewing stands. They wanted to see for themselves just how capable the students Huo Chen had trained were.

Huo Chen stood at the edge of the arena with his hands behind his back, his expression calm.

Ice Empress and Snow Empress had come too, sitting in an inconspicuous corner of the stands. Ice Empress had a lollipop in her mouth. She had recently become addicted to this human snack, and she asked around it, "Who do you think will win?"

"Hard to say," Snow Empress replied blandly. "Yuhao's side has Spiritual Detection and soundwave control, and their teamwork is more seamless. Ning Tian's side has the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's boosts, giving them stronger frontal combat power. The outcome depends on which side can better exploit its own advantages."

Ice Empress gave an "Mm" and did not ask further, concentrating on sucking her lollipop.

On the arena floor, both teams had already taken their positions.

Huo Yuhao stood at the front of his team, calmly watching the three teammates across from him.

Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Cui Yajie. Over the past three months, they had attended classes together, trained together, and eaten together in the cafeteria. They had long ceased to be ordinary classmates and had become friends.

"I never expected to face you in the final." Wang Dong stood with her hands on her hips, a trace of sentiment in her voice. "If I'd known, I should've revealed less of our tactics yesterday."

"You didn't reveal any tactics yesterday," Xiao Xiao quietly exposed her from the side.

"Heh, you little—"

"Enough, quit messing around." Huo Yuhao cut off their bickering, his gaze still fixed on the other side. "It's about to begin."

The referee raised his right hand. "The final begins!"

The instant his words fell, Wu Feng moved first.

The Fire Dragon Martial Soul possessed her in an instant. Crimson flames surged around her, scorching the surrounding air until it warped and twisted.

She kicked off the ground fiercely, shooting straight at Huo Yuhao like a flaming cannonball. She knew he was the core of the team—if she could take him down first, the threat posed by Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao would be greatly reduced.

But Huo Yuhao had anticipated her intentions long ago.

His Spiritual Eyes lit up with golden radiance as Spiritual Detection instantly spread across the entire arena.

Wu Feng's movements were crystal clear within his senses. He could even predict where she would land next and the angle of her attack.

"Wang Dong, hold her on the left. Xiao Xiao, disrupt Ning Tian's boosting rhythm with soundwaves."

The two orders were simultaneously conveyed to his teammates through Spiritual Sharing.

Wang Dong flashed forward. The wings of her Light Goddess Butterfly unfurled, golden radiance illuminating half the arena as she met Wu Feng head-on.

Xiao Xiao raised the Nine-Phoenix Flute to her lips. A melodious flute note rang out, transforming into invisible soundwaves that precisely disrupted Ning Tian's gathering of soul power.

Ning Tian's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda had just lit up, and she was preparing to boost Wu Feng when the soundwave interference broke her rhythm.

She frowned and swiftly adjusted her position, attempting to gather her soul power again.

But Huo Yuhao would not give her that chance.

Golden light flared from his eyes as he silently released a wave of Spiritual Interference.

Ning Tian felt her mind sway slightly, and her movements involuntarily paused for an instant. Though it was only a brief moment, for Wu Feng in the midst of high-speed combat, that gap was fatal.

Without Ning Tian's boost, Wu Feng's offensive immediately weakened by several degrees.

Wang Dong seized the opportunity. The Light Goddess Butterfly's wings beat sharply, and a golden beam slammed into Wu Feng's crossed arms, knocking her back several steps.

"Yajie, flank them!" Ning Tian steadied herself and swiftly gave the order.

Cui Yajie moved at once. Her Nine-Tailed Fox Martial Soul emerged, and a pink mist silently spread outward.

After several days of real combat, her illusion techniques had become far more practiced than before. The pink mist carried an effect that muddled the mind, attempting to disrupt Huo Yuhao's team's judgment.

But Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection acted directly upon the sea of consciousness, so the illusion had almost no effect on him.

He even caught Cui Yajie's position immediately and relayed it to Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao through Spiritual Sharing.

"Xiao Xiao, front right. Soundwave shock."

Xiao Xiao's flute tone suddenly rose. A sharp soundwave sliced through the pink mist like a blade, striking directly at Cui Yajie's position.

Caught off guard, Cui Yajie staggered when the soundwave struck her, and her illusion instantly collapsed.

At the same time, Wang Dong launched another fierce assault. The Light Goddess Butterfly's wings spread to their fullest behind her, golden soul power surging forth like a tide. Her entire body seemed to transform into a golden meteor as she blasted straight toward Wu Feng.

Wu Feng gritted her teeth and pushed the flames of her Fire Dragon Martial Soul to their limit as well. Crimson fire and golden light collided brutally.

Boom!

Shockwaves rolled outward, sending dust flying.

After the dust settled, Wu Feng was half-kneeling on the ground, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. The flames around her had already dimmed considerably.

Wang Dong stood before her. Though he was breathing slightly heavily as well, he clearly had the upper hand.

"Wu Feng has lost her ability to fight," the referee announced after confirming her condition.

A wave of regretful sighs came from the sidelines. Wu Feng was one of Class One's strongest assault-type soul masters. Her defeat meant Ning Tian's team had lost a great deal of its direct combat strength.

Ning Tian took a deep breath, her gaze still resolute. "Yajie, cover me."

Cui Yajie nodded. The pink mist of her Nine-Tailed Fox spread out once more, attempting to create visual interference for Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao.

However, Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection rendered such tricks useless. He clearly caught Ning Tian's position and movements.

"Wang Dong, break through from the right. Xiao Xiao, provide sonic cover."

Wang Dong moved at once, circling around the pink mist and charging straight at Ning Tian from the right. Cui Yajie tried to intercept him, but Xiao Xiao's sound waves forced her back.

Watching Wang Dong close in, Ning Tian could only grit her teeth and unleash the final enhancement from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, boosting her own speed and defense.

But the head-on gap between an auxiliary-type soul master and an assault-type soul master was not something a single enhancement could make up for.

Wang Dong's palm struck Ning Tian's defensive soul power barrier, and golden light exploded outward.

Ning Tian's barrier lasted for less than three breaths before shattering with a crash. Wang Dong's second palm stopped three inches from her face, not advancing any further.

"You lost," Wang Dong said.

Ning Tian looked at the palm hovering before her. After a moment of silence, she gave a bitter laugh and raised both hands. "I concede."

After confirming both sides' conditions, the referee announced, "The finals are over. Huo Yuhao's team is victorious!"

Thunderous applause erupted throughout the arena.

Huo Yuhao withdrew his martial soul, walked over to Ning Tian, and extended a hand. "That was an excellent fight."

Ning Tian took his hand and used it to pull herself up. She smiled as well. "You were still better than us. But next time, we won't lose."

"Then we'll compete again next time," Huo Yuhao said with a smile.

Wu Feng climbed to her feet and brushed the dust off herself. Though she had lost, she did not look too dejected. "Fine, losing to one of our own isn't embarrassing. But Wang Dong, wasn't that final strike a little too heavy? My chest still hurts."

"I already held back," Wang Dong said, hands on his hips. "If I hadn't, you wouldn't be standing there talking right now."

"Hey, you—"

"Alright, alright." Ning Tian hurriedly grabbed Wu Feng, who was about to flare up. "A loss is a loss. Don't make excuses."

Standing nearby, Cui Yajie could not help laughing as she watched them bicker.

At the sidelines, Huo Chen watched the scene with a faint smile.

Every member of Class One had advanced, and both champion and runner-up had been claimed by his students. The result was even better than he had expected.

"Congratulations, Teacher Huo." Du Weilun walked over and smiled as he cupped his hands in greeting.

"Class One swept both first and second place. This is the first time it has happened in Shrek's freshman assessment in nearly ten years. Elder Mu even praised you just now, saying you really know how to teach students."

"The students worked hard themselves," Huo Chen said modestly, though the satisfaction in his tone was impossible to hide.

In the stands, Ice Empress bit through the last of her lollipop and said around it, "Not bad. They didn't embarrass us."

Snow Empress gave a faint "Mm." Her gaze settled on Huo Yuhao, who was chatting and laughing with his teammates in the arena, and a trace of barely noticeable approval flashed through her eyes.