Before the Match

After breakfast, Yue Ling and Gongyang Mo headed to the Soul Fighting District for their assessment.

Ma Xiaotao had arrived early and was waiting for them at the edge of the arena.

Seeing the two of them arrive so early, a flash of surprise crossed her eyes, and she beckoned them over.

"Why are you here so early today? Perfect."

"Come over quickly; we need to go over our tactics for this afternoon."

"Our opponents in this final match are truly not easy to deal with."

Yue Ling nodded gently and walked steadily to Ma Xiaotao's side.

Gongyang Mo, standing to the side, was actually still feeling quite uneasy. He glanced quietly at Yue Ling and noticed that the morning fatigue on his face had long since faded, replaced by a calm and steady expression.

Seeing this, he felt much more settled. No longer hesitating, he followed closely behind.

Ma Xiaotao did not notice Gongyang Mo's unease at all. Her entire focus was on the afternoon's match, as she meticulously reviewed their strategy and refined their tactics.

Although they were only newly enrolled students and could not yet be considered the top tier within the vast Shrek Academy, the weight of this freshman assessment championship was immense.

Often, it was an inconspicuous detail that could determine the outcome of the entire match.

Even though they were all three-ring Spirit Grandmasters now, they could not afford to underestimate any opponent.

Giving their all was not only a sign of respect for their opponents but also for this hard-won final.

The assessment area was exceptionally quiet at this moment.

Even though it was the final day of the freshman assessment knockout tournament, there were no students watching from the sidelines.

Shrek's assessment system had always prioritized student privacy; all assessments were strictly closed to spectators.

Students not participating in the assessments attended classes as usual, and because of this, the number of students at today's final was actually the lowest it had been throughout the entire assessment period.

Despite the small number of students, the atmosphere in the arena was far from dull.

Almost every teacher from the Outer Court who did not have a class had gathered in the assessment area to watch.

Yan Shaozhe, the Dean of the Martial Soul Department, had come in person to oversee the event, and even Yue Ling's master, Elder Xuan, had made a special trip to attend.

Accompanied by Du Weilun and a group of faculty members, the high-ranking officials slowly ascended the viewing platform.

Yue Ling caught sight of that familiar, disheveled figure on the platform and gave him a quiet, annoyed glare before withdrawing his gaze to focus on discussing tactics with his teammates.

"Yue Ling, is that your teacher?" Ma Xiaotao asked in a low voice.

Yue Ling nodded slightly.

"Don't let his disheveled and lazy appearance fool you; his true strength is terrifyingly formidable."

Gongyang Mo nodded as if he understood, his heart filled with respect.

Ma Xiaotao, however, was full of emotion.

"I really didn't expect Elder Xuan to be your teacher."

"Oh? You know him? When I was in danger in the Star Dou Great Forest, it was Elder Xuan and Sister Lexuan who saved me."

"Sister Lexuan? You mean Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan?" Ma Xiaotao was slightly startled.

"Yes!"

Yue Ling rarely showed a hint of youthful shyness, scratching his head in embarrassment.

Watching him like this, Ma Xiaotao felt a strange pang of jealousy. She pouted, her tone carrying a stubborn, competitive edge: "I'll definitely be stronger than her in the future, just you wait and see!"

"Yes, yes, you're the best, and you'll definitely be even stronger in the future," Yue Ling said, helplessly humoring her.

"What is that supposed to mean! Are you just brushing me off?" Ma Xiaotao glared at him immediately.

"Alright, alright, stop messing around; the match is about to start," Gongyang Mo said quickly to smooth things over.

Ma Xiaotao huffed and turned her head away, a bit of lingering annoyance keeping her quiet as she began to organize her thoughts for the match.

Outsiders might not realize it, but this freshman assessment held three months into the school year at Shrek, while seemingly just an introductory trial, actually carried immense weight.

Almost all the top geniuses who rose to prominence and entered the Inner Court had first made a name for themselves during the freshman assessment, catching the academy's eye for focused cultivation.

The reason Yan Shaozhe had come to watch in person this year was that the overall strength of this year's freshmen far exceeded previous years.

Under normal circumstances, most Shrek Outer Court students had to reach their third year before successfully breaking through to become three-ring Spirit Grandmasters, as the third-ring cultivation was a hard threshold for advancing from the third to the fourth year.

Yet, among this year's freshmen, three-ring Spirit Grandmasters were emerging one after another, each one a promising candidate for the Inner Court.

Yue Ling had the personal instruction of Elder Xuan, and Ma Xiaotao was Yan Shaozhe's prized disciple. With their top-tier talent and steady temperament, it was already a foregone conclusion that they would be designated as core disciples of the Martial Soul Department.

As for Gongyang Mo, Du Weilun had long since investigated his background thoroughly.

Gongyang Mo's martial soul was the Rainbow Dragon, a top-tier auxiliary martial soul similar to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

Unlike the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, which was limited to seven rings, the Rainbow Dragon could also support seven rings but was better suited for large-scale team buffs.

When his skills were activated, they manifested as halos that could simultaneously empower two to three teammates, providing an all-around boost to strength, Spirit Power recovery speed, and skill casting speed, making him highly adaptable for team battles.

Furthermore, his innate, faint dragon aura provided additional benefits to all dragon-type Spirit Masters.

However, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda had been passed down for ten thousand years with a deep foundation, having long since perfected its shortcomings in group assistance; it was formidable in both individual and team combat, with its only drawback being the massive consumption of Spirit Power.

Both top-tier auxiliary martial souls had their own strengths and weaknesses, making it hard to say which was superior.

Du Weilun had served in the Outer Court for many years; his judgment was sharp and his actions fair, having cultivated countless talents for Shrek.

Yan Shaozhe had always been very confident in his ability to judge people and handle affairs.

At Shrek, the academy's organizational structure was very clearly defined.

Yan Shaozhe was the Dean of both the Inner and Outer Martial Soul Departments, and the academy also had a Dean of the Spirit Guidance Department. The two managed their respective systems and oversaw all affairs of the academy.

In terms of power, Yan Shaozhe, who controlled the traditional martial soul system, held more sway, but the Spirit Guidance Department was a school of its own, relatively independent, and existed in a state of healthy competition with the Martial Soul Department without interfering in each other's core affairs.

The two deans poured almost all their energy into the Inner Court, as the Inner Court was the true core foundation of Shrek.

In addition to the two deans, both the Martial Soul Department and the Spirit Guidance Department had a vice dean in charge of the Outer Court.

Therefore, in daily life, the two deans rarely had to worry about the trivial matters of the Outer Court.

The Outer Court Dean of the Martial Soul Department, who was also a vice dean of the academy, was a scholarly teacher who focused most of his energy on the fifth and sixth-year curriculum.

He selected excellent disciples for the Inner Court while leading them through various rigorous assessments, managing fewer other affairs.

Aside from this Outer Court Dean, the person with the most power in the Martial Soul Department was Du Weilun.

As the Director of the Martial Soul Department's Outer Court, Du Weilun held immense power, yet he had no rivals for his position.

For twenty years, he had worked conscientiously and made outstanding contributions to the Martial Soul Department. Thus, Yan Shaozhe trusted him implicitly and had complete faith in his judgment of the students.

On the high platform, Yan Shaozhe turned his head to look at the two people beside him and spoke softly: "Elder Xuan, Weilun, which team are you betting on today?"

Elder Xuan was still holding a chicken wing, his mouth glistening with grease, and he mumbled vaguely: "Need you ask? Of course, it's my disciple's team! That third Spirit Ring of his was hunted by me personally; its power is formidable!"

Du Weilun smiled gently, his tone steady: "I, on the other hand, favor the opponents. The three-ring strength of Yue Ling and his team is indeed outstanding, but their opponents' foundation is not weak either. One must never underestimate the enemy; doing so will lead to a heavy loss."

Yan Shaozhe nodded slightly, his gaze falling onto the arena below.

"The match is about to begin, so let's see who will ultimately take home the championship."

At the same time, on the other side of the arena.

Yue Ling and his two teammates finally saw their opponents for the final.

There were three of them in total, two men and one woman. One of the boys had gloomy eyes and a sullen expression, looking like someone not to be trifled with.

The three of them swept their gazes over, filled with provocation. Their eyes were arrogant and overbearing, and their entire demeanor was one of contempt for everyone else.

Ma Xiaotao had a fiery temperament and could not stand such provocation.

Moreover, with the teachers and Elder Xuan watching from the high platform, she could not afford to lose face in such a setting.

Anger flared in her heart, and she was about to step forward to confront them when Yue Ling reached out and held her back firmly.

Just then, the referee teacher in charge of the final stepped into the spacious assessment arena.

All the temporary partitions set up at noon had been removed, and the entire massive soul fighting arena was fully revealed—vast, open, and waiting for the final to begin.