Cai Yue'er

Wang Hao was able to watch the scene Xu Yuan was facing from the side.

The Beast Arena was similar to the Spirit Ascension Platform. Its internal scenes could likewise be projected outside through technology.

An elderly woman walked in, leaning on a cane.

Wang Hao subconsciously glanced at her, then shuddered.

"Elder Cai, you're here." He gave an awkward smile and spoke respectfully to the old woman.

"This child is quite good."

Cai Yue'er's gaze settled on the screen as she watched Xu Yuan's response.

"He's Xu Yuan?"

"Elder Cai, you know him?" Wang Hao was surprised. He had not expected the Pavilion Elder to have known of this junior student so early.

"Hmph, how could I not? That old fellow Zhuo Shi personally told me to look after him." After snorting, Cai Yue'er turned back to the screen, approving of Xu Yuan's reaction.

If it had been a Shrek student, she would have given such a response a low score. It barely passed, but Xu Yuan was only seven years old after all.

Even if Xu Shengqun had wanted to teach him, he probably had not been able to teach Xu Yuan much practical application in a single year.

"What score did you give this kid for the first round?"

"Full marks," Wang Hao answered honestly.

"Full marks?"

"His willpower is very strong. He could even control himself and break free from the restraints of Dragon Might. And then there's his Spiritual Power—it's as high as two hundred and sixty." Wang Hao smiled bitterly.

Cai Yue'er's eyes brightened considerably.

She was beginning to take an interest in Xu Yuan.

Such outstanding Spiritual Power, and he was also an elemental controller?

As she watched Xu Yuan deal with the Earth Demon Rhino, she was also observing how far he had developed his control over the elements.

Xu Yuan bared his teeth in pain.

"This thing simply isn't meant to be killed. I can only hold out as long as possible."

Xu Yuan used the Five Elements to interfere with the Earth Demon Rhino's attacks, disrupting its exertion at critical moments each time so that none of its charges could be unleashed at full force.

Even so, Xu Yuan was in a rather sorry state.

He was also looking for an opportunity.

Unfortunately, the Earth Demon Rhino's defenses were already formidable. With the defensive boost from the Earth Element, it was difficult for Xu Yuan to break through its defense.

Unless he attacked a weak point.

Time passed, and a full half hour went by.

Feeling the Soul Power within his body, Xu Yuan had no choice but to make his final decision.

"Half an hour. I should have earned all the points I could by playing it safe. It's time to take a risk."

Xu Yuan's attacks found it difficult to break through its defenses, but it was not completely impossible. After all, when the Five Elements Spear Tactic fused as one, it could even strike space itself. Moreover, after his Soul Spirit evolved, he had comprehended the rudiments of Spear Will. His explosive power could definitely injure the Earth Demon Rhino.

Injuring it was easy; dealing a fatal blow was difficult.

Once he closed the distance in order to hurt it, Xu Yuan would find it hard to pull away again.

That was why he had never tried attacking with the Heaven Origin Spear.

He had needed to play it safe for points first.

It was perfectly normal for a seven-year-old participating in this assessment to do so.

The Heaven Origin Brush in his hand changed form.

With the Heaven Origin Spear in hand, Xu Yuan's aura instantly changed.

It became incomparably sharp, utterly indomitable.

Faced with the charging Earth Demon Rhino, Xu Yuan did not avoid it at all and instead rushed forward to meet it.

At the spear tip, the Five Elements collided and fused. Their clashes even caused the surrounding space to tremble.

It was as though the world around him had been stirred by Xu Yuan, making his aura inexplicably surge. At the same time, Xu Yuan himself was intensely focused, as if he had become a spear.

Pierce!

The First Soul Ring shone with purple light.

Splat.

Bang!

Xu Yuan's Heaven Origin Spear pierced through the Earth Demon Rhino's eye and drove straight into its head.

But in order to strike it, Xu Yuan had forcibly altered the spear's trajectory at the last moment. This caused the rhino horn, which had originally been meant to collide with the spear, to crash directly into Xu Yuan's body.

That impact made Xu Yuan feel as though all his internal organs had been shattered.

His entire body was sent flying backward.

Dense Wood Element power swirled within him, but it could only temporarily ease his pain.

The Earth Demon Rhino died, and Xu Yuan left the Beast Arena as well.

His body in the Beast Arena had been simulated. Once he returned to reality, the pain from that simulated body vanished, making Xu Yuan feel much better. However, the lingering sensation in his consciousness could not dissipate immediately.

"Kid, not bad. You get full marks for this round. I hope you can keep it up in the following rounds." Cai Yue'er personally scored Xu Yuan, then left leaning on her cane.

Xu Yuan sat down cross-legged. Without waiting for Wang Hao to speak, he began adjusting his condition on his own.

Through meditation, he quickly eased the pain in his mind.

"Not bad, Junior. Your First Soul Ring is already a thousand-year one."

Xu Yuan smiled modestly. "I just got lucky."

Wang Hao continued leading Xu Yuan toward the next assessment.

"The third round tests adaptability. These connected Guillotine Gates use real blades. If you get hit, you die. Passing in thirty seconds earns six points. For every three seconds less, you gain one point; for every three seconds over, you lose one point."

For the third round, Wang Hao clearly explained the scoring criteria.

Xu Yuan looked at the connected Guillotine Gates and did not feel afraid.

It could not really cut someone down, could it?

After all, at worst, he would just take longer to pass through.

"Begin!" Wang Hao immediately started timing.

Xu Yuan dashed out.

He was extremely fast. With his Spiritual Power spread out, every guillotine blade's state was clearly reflected in his mind. At the same time, he could instantly calculate the operating patterns of all the blades and select the optimal route.

Twelve seconds.

In just twelve seconds, he passed through every Guillotine Gate.

"Junior, your reactions are excellent too." Wang Hao praised him and recorded Xu Yuan's third perfect score.

"Let's go. The fourth round is next."

Wang Hao brought Xu Yuan into a room.

"The fourth round tests your specialty. Think carefully about what you excel at. I'll go invite the assessment teachers, so take this opportunity to consider it." With that, Wang Hao left through a side door, leaving Xu Yuan behind to think.

Though he was supposedly being given time to think, he was not given much time at all.

Cai Yue'er had been waiting at this round as well and soon entered the room.

"Xu Yuan, demonstrate the abilities you are most proficient in." Cai Yue'er sat in a chair. Two other middle-aged men sat with her, and their expressions showed great respect toward Cai Yue'er.

"I've only cultivated for one year, so I haven't begun specializing in any particular area. As for specialties, I currently have too many to list." Xu Yuan straightforwardly explained his situation.

Only cultivated for one year.

Wang Hao's mouth twitched.

Yet every ability you demonstrated in the previous assessments had already met Shrek's official admission standards.

"Then demonstrate all the methods you consider decent." Cai Yue'er was quite accommodating. She merely frowned before allowing Xu Yuan to demonstrate several different abilities.

Xu Yuan clasped his fists, and the Heaven Origin Brush appeared in his hand.

A purple Soul Ring emerged, greatly surprising the two middle-aged teachers.

Holding the Heaven Origin Brush, Xu Yuan drew in the air.

Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth!

Under his brush, the Five Elements took shape, freely combining and shifting in the air as the Heaven Origin Brush moved.