Quarter-Finals

As their opponents entered the arena, they immediately adopted the exact same formation as the team from yesterday.

A power attack system Soul Master and a defense system Soul Master stood at the very front, while an auxiliary system Soul Master stayed in the back to provide support. The division of labor was clear; it was obviously a team strategy they had practiced in advance.

The only difference was that one of the power attack Soul Masters in the front was quite strong. Two yellow soul rings lit up, and his martial soul was the Blazing Lion, known for its impressive offensive capabilities.

What surprised Yue Ling the most was that the opponent's auxiliary system student possessed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda as a martial soul.

Fortunately, this Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda user only had two rings; he was merely a Great Soul Master.

Yue Ling breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

It was lucky the opponent's auxiliary cultivation was low. If the opposing side had two Soul Elders paired with the powerful amplification of a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the gap in soul power would have been significantly narrowed, making this battle ten times harder to fight.

Wang Yan stood on the sidelines and spoke in a deep voice, "The match begins!"

As soon as the words fell, one of the power attack Soul Masters on the opposite side instantly accelerated, with the defense system Soul Master following closely behind. They charged straight toward Yue Ling, who was at the very front.

Their tactics were simple, yet cunning.

They intended to take out Yue Ling first—the person at the front who appeared to be the strongest—to disrupt the formation, and then pick off the remaining two one by one.

The idea was good, but they severely underestimated Yue Ling's physical strength and defensive capabilities.

Yue Ling's expression remained unchanged. He activated his first soul skill immediately. Relying on the offensive and defensive buffs of the Heavenly Chrysanthemum Body Protection, he steadily entangled the two power attack Soul Masters. Locked in close-quarters combat, he did not fall behind in the slightest.

"Gongyang Mo!"

Hearing the command, Gongyang Mo immediately activated his dual amplification at the same time, steadily providing power and speed boosts to Yue Ling and Ma Xiaotao.

Empowered by the buffs, Ma Xiaotao went all out. She unleashed her first and second soul skills in quick succession, her fiery offensive so fierce and dense that it left their opponents gasping for air.

Even with the support of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the two-ringed power attack Soul Master on the other side simply could not withstand such explosive output.

"Ah! I can't hold on anymore..."

After all, the opponent was only a two-ringed auxiliary, and his amplification was limited. Gongyang Mo, however, was a genuine three-ringed top-tier auxiliary, and the amplification effect of his Rainbow Dragon was no less effective than the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

As one side grew stronger and the other weaker, the two-ringed power attack Soul Master did not last long before being forced out of the arena, resulting in his elimination.

"Damn it, how is their firepower so intense..." The defense system Soul Master looked at Yue Ling's team in disbelief.

Having dealt with the front-line opponents, Yue Ling immediately shifted his offensive. He unleashed his second soul skill, Falling Blossom Storm, to its full extent. Layers of sharp Flower Blades locked down the entire arena, pressing forward step by step until he forced the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda user in the back out of the ring shortly after.

Only the defense system Soul Master remained on the field.

Filled with unwillingness and refusing to admit defeat, he activated his soul skills to their limit. Gritting his teeth, he struggled to hold on, still looking for a chance to turn the tide.

Yue Ling kept a close watch on the entire arena, not giving the opponent a single opportunity to exploit.

Relying on Gongyang Mo's continuous amplification, Ma Xiaotao kept releasing Phoenix Fireline. The continuous flames covered the arena, suppressing the opponent completely.

Before long, the last person could no longer withstand the suppression of the relentless flames and was swept out of the arena, suffering the same defeat.

The entire battle was crisp and decisive. The three of them dominated from start to finish, securing victory with lightning speed and successfully advancing to the top eight.

All the teachers watching from the sidelines were astonished by this scene, casting side-glances at one another.

On the high platform, Yan Shaozhe watched the arena with a look of gratification in his eyes, his heart filled with emotion.

Ma Xiaotao, the one he worried about most, finally had reliable teammates and partners she could entrust her back to.

Now, he could finally set his mind at ease.

After the match, Ma Xiaotao specifically looked up at the high platform, wanting to send a cool look toward Yan Shaozhe.

But his figure was already gone from the platform, and Ma Xiaotao felt a sudden sense of loss.

Fortunately, with Yue Ling and Gongyang Mo there to comfort and guide her, she quickly regained her spirits.

With this, the freshman assessment elimination tournament had reached its final stages.

After a morning of competition, the top eight teams of this year's freshman assessment were all decided. The eight teams that made it this far were all the most elite groups among the new students.

In the afternoon, Yue Ling and Gongyang Mo arrived at the competition venue on time.

As soon as they appeared, they immediately drew the focused attention of the other seven teams in the top eight.

Everyone knew in their hearts that this team, composed entirely of Soul Elders, was far too formidable.

During the draw for the quarter-finals, no one wanted to run into them, and they could only pray silently to avoid them.

"Team Yue Ling, come forward to draw lots."

Hearing Du Weilun's voice, Yue Ling walked up and pulled a number from the drawing cylinder.

"Number one!" Du Weilun held up the draw result and announced it to the crowd.

In the crowd, the team that had also drawn number one instantly turned pale, forced to helplessly accept their fate.

Both sides stood in their respective combat zones, confronting each other and announcing their names and martial souls in turn.

This opponent came from Class Six of the freshmen. All three were Great Soul Masters above level 20, and their overall strength was not weak; they were considered a powerful team among the top eight.

The battle strategy remained the same.

Yue Ling stood at the front to absorb pressure and lead the attack, Ma Xiaotao provided support from the center, and Gongyang Mo sat in the back, responsible for auxiliary amplification throughout the match.

The opponent's lineup consisted of one power attack type, one agility attack type, and one control system Soul Master.

When the opponent summoned their martial souls, Yue Ling discovered that their control system user actually possessed a plant-type martial soul.

This immediately maximized his advantage.

As a fellow plant-type martial soul, his Wonder-Silk Heavenly Chrysanthemum was a top-tier superior martial soul, possessing an inherent absolute suppression.

"Why? Why is there a superior suppression coming from your martial soul?" The control system Soul Master asked, his face full of disbelief.

Yue Ling chuckled, "That is the gap between martial souls."

Under the suppression of his aura, the opposing control system Soul Master could not release any decent soul skills, remaining completely countered throughout the match.

The outcome of the battle was never in doubt.

It didn't take long before the three opponents were swept away one after another by Ma Xiaotao's flames, and Team Yue Ling successfully advanced to the top four.

After the match, Yue Ling and Gongyang Mo returned to their dormitory to meditate and recover.

Ma Xiaotao was taken away separately by Yan Shaozhe; no one knew exactly what it was about.

The two did not slack off in the slightest, immediately settling down to meditate and regulate their breathing.

The battle for a spot in the finals would only be more difficult, and they had to be fully prepared in advance.

The next morning, sunlight spilled through the window into the dormitory, landing on the chrysanthemum placed on the windowsill.

Yue Ling and Gongyang Mo opened their eyes almost at the same time.

"Hah, I'm going to wash up first."

"Alright."

Gongyang Mo got out of bed first to wash up, folded his quilt, and pushed open the window.

The morning breeze blew through his hair, and a trace of lingering restlessness was hidden in his eyes.

His mental state hadn't been great lately. Fortunately, by focusing all his efforts, he hadn't made any mistakes during the matches. Otherwise, he would have failed both the expectations of his teammates and the investment of Dean Yan.

Shaking his head, he muttered silently in his heart.

Father, Mother, I am doing very well now.

At Shrek, I have friends, teammates who fight by my side, and a teacher who, despite being sloppy, treats us with sincerity.

I will cultivate diligently and become stronger step by step.

Sooner or later, I will destroy all the Evil Soul Master forces, avenge you, and avenge the entire Hundred Flowers Village!

Ten minutes later, Gongyang Mo finished washing up and tidied his bed.

Yue Ling also cleared his mind with the help of the morning breeze, then got up to wash.

"Hurry up, hurry up, I'm a bit hungry!"

"What's the rush? Just a second..."

Once they were ready, the two headed to the cafeteria together to eat.

Today was a tough battle; they had to maintain their best condition.

They brought breakfast for Ma Xiaotao as well, intending to eat it themselves if she was late and didn't show up.

The sky was completely bright by the time they finished eating and headed to the assessment arena together.

Today, the final spots for the finals would be decided, and the champion of this year's freshman assessment would be born.

Having reached the top four, every duel allowed for no mistakes; they had to be sufficiently steady and cautious.

The number of spectators at the arena today was higher than ever.

However, those present were mostly academy teachers; the lower-grade students still had to attend classes and could not watch.

Before the match.

"Ma Xiaotao, have you eaten?"

"I'm done, why?"

He looked at her slightly protruding lower abdomen, confirming she had indeed eaten, before continuing. "Nothing, I was afraid you hadn't eaten, so I brought you some breakfast..."

Ma Xiaotao was a bit surprised upon hearing this and reached out, only for Yue Ling to tease her.

"Since you've already eaten, I won't give it to you."

"Hmph, who cares."

Learning she had already eaten, Yue Ling finally felt completely at ease and began waiting for the next match.