Xuan Zi stuffed the last bite of meat into his mouth and smacked his lips, looking as though he still wanted more. He got to his feet and brushed off his backside.
"These kids are really good. They don't lose heart under pressure. They've got potential."
"Indeed, Elder Xuan. Watching them grow stronger under pressure—that's been Shrek's purpose all these years, hasn't it?"
Xuan Zi nodded in agreement, though his mind was clearly elsewhere.
He wanted to return to his courtyard and wait for that brat to cook for him once the boy was on vacation. Especially the roasted Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear meat—it was crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and not gamey at all. Add a little barbecue seasoning...
At the thought, drool ran from the corner of his mouth.
He casually wiped his mouth, said a few words to Yan Shaozhe and the puzzled Du Weilun, then got up and left.
Watching the figure vanish into the sky, Yan Shaozhe also chose to leave after Xuan Zi was gone, leaving Du Weilun alone, utterly bewildered.
Of course, the students couldn't see what was happening up there. As far as they were concerned, no one was above them.
Freshman assessment venue.
Yue Ling, Ma Xiaotao, and Gongyang Mo didn't leave after their battle ended.
It was important to observe their opponents and think over their next moves. They couldn't look down on their opponents just because they had more Soul Power and more Spirit Rings.
There had always been battles fought across ranks. What's more, this was Shrek, where geniuses gathered.
After watching the remaining two matches, Yue Ling and the others said goodbye to Zhou Yi and turned to leave.
The first round of the freshman assessment soon came to an end.
Today's assessment was mainly meant to help the freshmen adapt to this combat-based format. Tomorrow, the schedule would grow much more intense.
There would be two rounds in the morning and two in the afternoon, four rounds in all. The third day would be even more brutal, with each team taking part in five rounds. The entire freshman assessment lasted only three days.
The students were suffering under the strain of fighting continuously at such a high intensity. They had Wu Ya to thank for regularly organizing physical training, which had at least helped them hold up.
Ma Xiaotao, meanwhile, had turned into a walking frown.
Every time it was training, I was lazy, lazy, lazy. When it came to the assessment, I was tired, tired, tired.
If Ma Xiaotao had to fight nonstop, she'd stay fired up and wouldn't get too tired.
But her opponents were too weak, and she still had to keep releasing her Martial Soul. That was what made it such a chore for her.
So Yue Ling usually took over the match, while Gongyang Mo was kept as their trump card.
After observing the matches, he could already be certain that no team at the District 13 venue could threaten them.
Most eleven- and twelve-year-old students were Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters, and some even had only one ring. Aside from their own, Ling Luochеn's team was probably the strongest team in the district.
In a tournament with so many teams, the other freshmen weren't fools. Hoping for better results, they simply gave up on the spot when faced with Yue Ling's team.
As a result, unlike the other freshman teams, who were utterly exhausted, Yue Ling and the other two won all four of their matches on the second day with ease, bringing their record to five wins out of five.
With that record in hand, they could practically say they had already passed the freshman assessment. The five victories had also given them plenty of confidence.
Just then, Zhou Yi walked over.
"Congratulations on winning all five matches. But don't get arrogant. Keep working hard in the matches ahead, and aim to make it into the top sixty-four for the ranking tournament."
"Still, tomorrow's five matches definitely won't be as easy as today's."
"After today's matches, we'll draw lots again. Teams that lost all five matches will be eliminated outright."
"When we draw lots, we'll avoid matchups between students in the same class and take your earlier results into account. Tomorrow, you'll definitely still be competing in District 33, but you may face one or even two very strong teams."
Yue Ling nodded. "Thank you, Teacher Zhou. We'll remember that."
"Mm." Zhou Yi left once she had their answer.
"This is so boring. I hope we get some tougher opponents tomorrow!"
"It's fine by me. Watching you two mow them down while I coast to victory in the back is great!"
"Damn it..."
Seeing the two of them bickering, Ma Xiaotao didn't find it noisy. If anything, she felt a little more relaxed.
"Let's go get something to eat. I'm a little hungry."
At the mention of food, Gongyang Mo's eyes lit up. "Then let's go to a restaurant in Shrek City. Their stir-fried dishes are delicious!"
"Sounds good. I'm a little hungry too."
"Mm, me too."
The three of them left the assessment venue, still bickering.
The matches that followed were repetitive and dull.
Either Yue Ling's Flower Blade crushed the opposition, or Ma Xiaotao occasionally got itchy for a fight.
Since they'd had the best results in the previous five rounds, they remained in District 33. After the lots were drawn and the teams reshuffled, five new freshman teams were assigned to compete against them.
Those teams certainly weren't the top teams from the other districts, so they wouldn't face the strongest opponents in the next five round-robin matches. Still, the matches might not be as easy as before.
Nearly every team had Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters, with the occasional Soul Elder with three rings.
Now Yue Ling had no choice but to take things seriously. Of course, she had to make Ma Xiaotao hold back, or her Evil Fire would erupt and everyone present would suffer.
Six teams were taking part in the assessment. As soon as their match ended, the second match began.
After the freshman assessment had been reorganized by district, it had entered its second half—the most crucial scramble for points. Each additional win meant a better chance of staying.
So every team was now giving it their all.
Before long, all three matches in the first round were over.
Just as Yue Ling had hoped, the other four teams had also been heavily worn down.
They weren't just tiring themselves out today; they'd also used up plenty of energy in their series of matches yesterday. They still hadn't recovered to their best.
As a seeded team, they were the first to compete again when the second round began.
This time, their opponents were three students from Freshman Class Six.
After both sides announced their names, the students quickly took their positions. Yue Ling stood at the front, with Ma Xiaotao and Gongyang Mo on either side of her, forming a fixed triangle.
Yue Ling and Gongyang Mo would handle most of the attacking, while Ma Xiaotao would cover the rear.
Yue Ling and the others had watched their earlier matches and discovered that their opponents were also a team made up of two Power Attack Type Spirit Masters and one Support Type Spirit Master. They were also Two-Ring Soul Grandmasters.
At Zhou Yi's shout of "Assessment begins!"
Both sides released their Martial Souls at the same time.
At the signal,
the Support Type Spirit Master immediately unleashed a buffing skill on the two Power Attack Type Spirit Masters in front.
Yue Ling calmly brought out her first and second Soul Skills to respond. Gongyang Mo seized the opportunity to provide support, while Ma Xiaotao recovered her Soul Power and watched the state of the match.
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