Freshman Assessment

"Get up, get up! Stop sleeping, it's already afternoon!

"The freshman assessment is about to start. I thought you'd get up, so I only dozed off for a bit. I didn't expect to fall asleep too!"

Amid the noise, Yue Ling slowly opened his eyes. Only then did he belatedly snap fully awake.

"Damn, the freshman assessment!"

He sat bolt upright, startling Gongyang Mo.

"Come on, hurry! We'll be late..."

"Coming, coming..."

After straightening his clothes, Yue Ling grabbed Gongyang Mo and sprinted off with him.

In the north-central part of the Martial Soul Department, right next to the Soul Fighting District where students practiced, lay the freshman assessment grounds.

Compared to the Soul Fighting District, this place was much larger.

For Shrek's outstanding students, it was a stage on which to show what they could do. For students of more ordinary ability, however, it was practically a nightmare.

As a result, large numbers of students would be eliminated here.

The Assessment Area was oval-shaped. Unlike the Soul Fighting District, which resembled a stadium enclosed by walls, it was an open space.

A low wall surrounded the grounds, while partitions divided the interior into separate sections. The partitions could be moved around at any time to change the size of each section.

After the tense group assignments that morning, the assessments officially began in the afternoon.

Since it was the first day of the assessments, the academy wanted the freshmen to have time to adjust. Each team would only compete in one match today before they could leave.

The academy had sent fifty teachers to register the assessments in fifty different sections.

The opponents for today's matches had already been determined by drawing lots at noon. The assignments were arranged as much as possible to ensure that teams from the same class would not face each other during the ten round-robin matches ahead.

At present, the freshman assessments were taking place in fifty sections.

Each section had been assigned six or seven teams of students.

Not only would they compete in the same section today, but tomorrow they would once again face the other teams assigned there. This would continue until all the teams had faced one another, after which they would be reassigned to new sections for the rest of their ten matches.

Yue Ling and the other two had been assigned to District 13. The sections were easy to find, each marked with a clear sign. The three of them soon reached their assigned spot.

Ma Xiaotao was already there, arms crossed, waiting with an impatient look on her face.

The moment she saw them, she started complaining.

"What took you so long? The match is about to start!"

"I fell asleep, I fell asleep. Sorry."

"Ugh, I only meant to doze off for a bit, but I fell asleep too. This is so frustrating."

The students from the other classes who were competing here had arrived as well. Some looked extremely nervous, while others wore eager expressions.

They were all children of eleven or twelve, and couldn't hide what they were feeling. When they met one another's gazes, the hostility between them was plain to see.

Most importantly, there was a good chance that only half of them would be allowed to stay.

And though there would be ten matches in the assessment, every single one could determine their future.

"Attention, all freshmen! Attention, all freshmen! Please enter the assessment area at once and prepare to take part in the freshman assessment."

"You have ten minutes left to enter. Anyone who fails to arrive on time will forfeit this match."

Once again, we remind you.

"You have ten minutes left to enter. Anyone who fails to arrive on time will forfeit this match!"

The loud announcement rang throughout the Shrek Outer Court, its voice carrying into every corner.

Most of the freshmen grew serious. Their first assessment was about to begin. There was no way they weren't nervous.

"Yue Ling, do you think we'll be eliminated?"

Gongyang Mo stared at him nervously, practically begging for reassurance.

"What's there to worry about? One of us is level thirty-six, another is level thirty-three, and the last is level thirty-one. We'll crush them in a fight. It'll be easy." Yue Ling tried to pat his head to comfort him, but Gongyang Mo slapped his hand away.

He turned to Ma Xiaotao with an awkward smile, only to get an eye-roll from her.

"The two of us will take care of everyone quickly. Gongyang Mo is our trump card, so it's best not to reveal too much right away."

"Sounds good. Then I'll make the first move, and you can follow."

"All right. I'll focus on protecting him. I'll step in if you can't hold out."

"Okay."

The three of them discussed their plan and settled on a strategy. Then they started chatting among themselves.

Not long after, a teacher approached in District 13. Her white-and-gray hair was pinned up on her head, her face deeply lined, and her skin wrinkled like a chicken's. She wore a plain white robe. Only her eyes, bright and sharp, seemed at odds with her aged appearance.

After counting the students and confirming everyone was present, she said sternly, "My name is Zhou Yi. I'll be your assessment teacher over the next few days."

"Greetings, Teacher Zhou!" The students in District 13 bowed to her. It was obvious at a glance that she was not someone to be trifled with.

Zhou Yi nodded, then said, "This assessment will determine whether you can stay at Shrek Academy and continue your studies. But I must remind you that this is only an assessment. You absolutely must not injure your opponents. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to send you away and report you to the academy."

"Understood, Teacher Zhou!" The students weren't fools. They could understand what she meant by those blunt words, and they all nodded to show that they understood.

"Then let's begin."

"Freshman Class One: Yue Ling, Gongyang Mo, Ma Xiaotao. You'll face Freshman Class 2: Ling Luochеn, Chen Zifeng, and Yao Haoxuan. Enter the arena and take your places in the corners. You may not release your Martial Souls until I announce the start of the match."

"Enter the arena."

"Yes!"

Gongyang Mo craned his neck this way and that. At last, he spotted Yao Haoxuan.

Curious, Yue Ling followed his gaze. The boy was short and slender, with unremarkable features. Only his eyes were bright and alert, his expression composed and reserved.

"Yao Haoxuan! I can't believe we're facing you in our very first match."

"Oh? What a coincidence. Looks like you'll taste defeat in your very first match."

"Is that so? We'll see who wins!"

The two knew each other and seemed very familiar with one another.

Yue Ling paid them no mind. He was a little puzzled.

There were six teams of students in all, yet they were the first to compete. And their opponents looked like they'd be tough to deal with...

At the northern end of the Assessment Area,

a raised platform had been erected. It stood twenty meters above the ground and was supported by six metal pillars. From below, it was impossible to tell how many people it could hold. Faint silhouettes could be seen up there, as if several people were watching the matches.

From a height of twenty meters, one could look down over the entire Assessment Area and see what was happening in every arena.

Du Weilun and the other teachers were surprised to see Xuan Zi and Dean Yan both attending the round-robin matches.

As he ate a chicken drumstick, Xuan Zi pointed toward District 13 and mumbled, "Oh? Look, look! My disciple's out there."

"Indeed. I didn't expect Xiaotao to participate, either."

Du Weilun glanced at their opponents in surprise.

"Hiss, they're no pushovers. If Yue Ling's team underestimates them, they could suffer a serious loss!"

"Is that so? Good. That makes it interesting. Otherwise, why would I be here? To watch that brat Yue Ling, Xiaotao, and their teammate steamroll everyone?"

After finishing one drumstick, Xuan Zi took a swig of wine and began muttering to himself.

"It's been so long since I went to see him. I wonder if that brat holds it against me..."

"Never mind. I'll watch the match first."