Two Girls Thrash Three Boys

Zhou Sichen's tome was nearly falling apart from being flipped through, while Long Xiangyue's boomerang was knocked away again the moment he retrieved it.

Cao Jinxuan's bell chimes were completely suppressed by Xiao Xiao's flute melody.

In the end, amid several crisp bell chimes and a helpless sigh, Zhou Sichen and the other two were blasted off the competition platform.

"The match is over! The winners are... Jiang Ziming's team from Freshman Class One!"

The stands instantly erupted with thunderous applause and cheers.

"Damn! Wang Donger was way too cool! That Butterfly Goddess's Light completely knocked Zhou Sichen senseless!"

"Xiao Xiao was so fierce too! I really want Miss Xiao Xiao's Soul Suppressing Cauldron to pin me down hard."

"Two girls fought three guys and actually won? That's insane..."

"It was mainly those carrots, right? They were like drugs after eating them. Jiang Ziming's martial soul is seriously freakish."

"Seriously... But come to think of it, Jiang Ziming didn't even summon that sword martial soul today. The whole match was just those two girls putting on a show."

"That's the bearing of a true show-off. Why fight yourself when you can win lying down?"

The spectators chatted animatedly, and quite a few gazes fell upon Jiang Ziming, filled with envy and awe.

Yet no emotion points appeared. It seemed they had gradually grown accustomed to Jiang Ziming's strength and developed a resistance to his showing off.

"That's it? We won?"

Wang Donger licked her lips, still not fully satisfied.

"What else?"

Jiang Ziming smiled.

"Come on, let's go back and rest. Once we finish the finals tomorrow, it'll all be over."

Xiao Xiao put away the Nine Phoenix Court Flute. Excitement gleamed in her emerald-green eyes, her cheeks flushed as though still carrying the lingering heat of battle.

She looked at Jiang Ziming, then at the bamboo flute in her hand, unable to stop the corners of her lips from lifting.

"Ziming, your carrots are really incredible..."

"Want one? I can feed you two more."

Jiang Ziming reached out and gently ruffled her hair.

Xiao Xiao's face immediately turned red, but she did not dodge away.

Seeing this, Wang Donger gave a huff and turned her head aside.

Noon.

Sunlight spilled across the stone paths of the Shrek campus, while mottled shadows from the trees danced across the ground.

Jiang Ziming had just reached the vicinity of the dormitory area when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him.

"Class monitor! Class Monitor Jiang Ziming!"

He turned around and saw a frail boy running toward him, panting heavily.

Huo Yuhao?

Jiang Ziming froze for a moment. He had been so busy lately that he had nearly forgotten this original protagonist. Why had Huo Yuhao come looking for him?

Huo Yuhao did not look well, with fine beads of sweat covering his forehead.

"What is it? Why are you running so urgently?"

Jiang Ziming stopped.

Huo Yuhao ran up to him, bent over and took several breaths, then lifted his head with a complicated expression.

"Class monitor... congratulations on reaching the finals."

"Thanks."

Jiang Ziming looked at him.

"You ran all the way here just to say that?"

Huo Yuhao shook his head. After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke.

"Class monitor, your opponents in the finals... are Dai Huabin's team."

When he said that name, his voice noticeably lowered, as if it had brought back some unpleasant memories.

"He's the legitimate son of the White Tiger Duke. He's very strong, already a three-ringed Soul Elder. His martial soul is the Evil-Eyed White Tiger, a top-tier beast martial soul with extremely powerful offensive ability. You... must be careful!"

Jiang Ziming looked at Huo Yuhao's worried face and fell silent for a moment.

Of course, he knew who Dai Huabin was.

The legitimate son of the White Tiger Duke, immensely talented and arrogant by nature.

In the original story, Huo Yuhao and his mother had been bullied by people from the White Tiger Duke's Manor, and Dai Huabin had been one of the most vicious among those tormentors.

Those memories were undoubtedly painful for the current Huo Yuhao.

Jiang Ziming reached out and gently patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder.

"Don't worry."

His voice was not loud, yet it carried a certainty that put people at ease.

"I'll teach him a hard lesson."

Huo Yuhao froze, then raised his head to look into the smiling eyes of the boy before him.

For some reason, the unease and anxiety in his heart suddenly faded by more than half.

"Thank you, Class Monitor."

He lowered his head and softly said the words.

Jiang Ziming withdrew his hand, waved casually, and turned toward the dormitory building.

Huo Yuhao remained where he was, watching the boy's figure gradually vanish at the end of the path.

At that moment, a gentle voice sounded in his mind.

"This little fellow is far from ordinary."

It was Heavenly Dream Iceworm's voice.

"The aura within him is very unusual. It feels somewhat familiar to me... but he definitely bears no ill intent. Little Haohao, becoming friends with him will do you no harm."

Huo Yuhao nodded.

"Mm, I know."

He paused, and a faint smile surfaced on his lips. "Class Monitor... is a really good person. If not for his carrots, I might have been expelled long ago."

That afternoon, the long-awaited finals finally began.

The arena stands were packed with people, and even the aisles were filled with students who had come to watch the excitement.

After all, it was the finals of the freshman assessment. Many upperclassmen and teachers were curious to see who this year's strongest little "monsters" were and just how strong they might be.

At the front of the stands, several upperclassmen lounged with their legs crossed, cracking sunflower seeds as they chatted.

"Hey, who do you think will win?"

"Do you even need to ask? Jiang Ziming, obviously. You saw that sword yesterday, didn't you? That little red-haired girl was scared so badly she wet herself."

"Dai Huabin isn't weak either, right? He's the White Tiger Duke's son, a three-ringed Soul Elder. The Evil-Eyed White Tiger is a top-tier beast martial soul."

"What's a top-tier beast martial soul going to do? Jiang Ziming's sword is invincible. Didn't you see how Ning Tian's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was crushed into a toy by that sword yesterday?"

"True... But those noble families are used to being proud. If Dai Huabin loses today, that kid's expression is going to be spectacular."

"Haha, I'm ready to laugh."

Elsewhere, several girls from the freshman classes gathered together, their eyes fixed on the straight-backed figure on the stage.

"Jiang Ziming is so handsome... And that sword strike yesterday, oh my god, I screamed right there in the stands."

"Keep your voice down! There are people beside us..."

"What's there to be afraid of? Everyone's looking at him anyway. But I heard he has a maid who's especially pretty?"

"That's true, but she's a maid, not his girlfriend. You still have a chance."

At the highest point of the stands, Yan Shaozhe, the dean of the Martial Soul Department, sat beside the white-haired Mu En.

Yan Shaozhe stroked his beard, his gaze resting on Jiang Ziming with a trace of anticipation in his eyes.

"Elder Mu, it's been many years since you last came to watch something like this. What surprise do you think this child will bring us today?"

Mu En smiled faintly, his gaze deep.

"This Jiang Ziming's background is destined to be far from as simple as it appears... Dai Huabin is likely in for some suffering."

Yan Shaozhe laughed heartily.

"Then I'll have to watch closely. To be honest, Du Weilun talked me into coming yesterday, but I still didn't manage to see anything noteworthy."