Before the Match

After breakfast, Yue Ling and Gongyang Mo headed together to the Assessment Area.

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

Seeing that they had come so early, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. She immediately waved them over.

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

"Come over. We can go over our tactics for this afternoon."

"Our opponents in the final will be tough to deal with."

Yue Ling nodded lightly and walked steadily over to Ma Xiaotao.

Gongyang Mo was still feeling a little uneasy. He glanced furtively at Yue Ling and saw that the fatigue of the early morning had long since faded from his face. Yue Ling looked calm and composed.

Seeing that, Gongyang Mo felt more at ease. He stopped hesitating and followed close behind.

Ma Xiaotao hadn't noticed anything unusual about Gongyang Mo. Her mind was entirely on the afternoon's match as she carefully reviewed their plans and considered their tactics.

Though they were all just new students and were far from the best at the vast Shrek Academy, the championship match of the freshman assessment carried tremendous weight.

Often, one inconspicuous detail could decide the outcome of the entire match.

Even though they were all now three-ring Soul Elders, they couldn't afford to underestimate any opponent.

Giving it their all was both a sign of respect for their opponents and a way of honoring this hard-won final.

The Assessment Area was unusually quiet at that moment.

Though it was the day of the freshman assessment knockout final, there wasn't a single student watching.

Shrek's assessment system had always placed great importance on student privacy. All assessments were closed to spectators.

Students who weren't taking part in an assessment attended class as usual. As a result, the final had the smallest student audience of the entire assessment.

There might have been few students, but the arena was far from quiet.

Nearly all the Outer Court teachers who didn't have classes had gathered in the Assessment Area to watch.

Yan Shaozhe, dean of the Martial Soul Department, had come in person to oversee the event. Even Yue Ling's teacher, Xuan Zi, had made a special trip.

Accompanied by Du Weilun and a group of instructors, several senior officials slowly made their way up to the viewing platform.

Yue Ling caught sight of the familiar, disheveled figure on the platform. He glared at him discreetly, then looked away and focused on discussing tactics with his teammates.

"Yue Ling, is that your teacher?" Ma Xiaotao asked quietly.

Yue Ling nodded lightly.

"Don't let my teacher's disheveled, carefree appearance fool you. His true strength is terrifying."

Gongyang Mo nodded as if he understood, his heart full of respect.

Ma Xiaotao, however, looked deeply moved.

"I can't believe Xuan Zi is your teacher."

"Oh? You know him? When I got into trouble in the Star Dou Great Forest, Xuan Zi and Sister Lexuan saved me."

"Sister Lexuan? You mean Senior Zhang Lexuan?" Ma Xiaotao asked, slightly taken aback.

"Yeah!"

Yue Ling rarely showed such a youthful side. Embarrassed, he scratched his head.

Seeing him like that, Ma Xiaotao inexplicably felt a little jealous. She pouted, her voice tinged with stubborn determination. "I'll definitely be even stronger than her one day. Just you wait!"

"Sure, sure. You're the strongest, and you'll be even stronger in the future," Yue Ling replied helplessly, humoring her.

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you just placating me?" Ma Xiaotao immediately glared at him.

"All right, all right. Don't start squabbling. The match is about to begin," Gongyang Mo hurriedly interjected, trying to smooth things over.

Ma Xiaotao gave a soft snort and turned away, still a little annoyed. She stopped bickering and went over her game plan by herself.

Outsiders might not know it, but Shrek's freshman assessment, held three months into every school year, seemed like nothing more than an entry-level contest for new students. In reality, it carried enormous weight.

Almost all the top talents who later rose to prominence and entered the Shrek Inner Court had distinguished themselves in the freshman assessment, catching the academy's attention and earning its dedicated support.

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

Under normal circumstances, most students in Shrek's Outer Court didn't break through to the three-ring Soul Elder level until their third year. Reaching the three-ring level was also a strict requirement for advancing from the third year to the fourth.

But this year's batch of freshmen had a wealth of three-ring Soul Elders. Every one of them was a promising candidate for the Shrek Inner Court.

Yue Ling was personally taught by Xuan Zi, while Ma Xiaotao was Yan Shaozhe's prized disciple. Both had exceptional talent and steady temperaments. It was already a foregone conclusion that the academy would name them Core Disciples of the Martial Soul Department.

As for Gongyang Mo, Du Weilun had already looked into all his records.

Gongyang Mo's Martial Soul was the Rainbow Dragon, a top-tier support and amplification 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 also bore seven rings but specialized more in boosting large teams.

When activated, its skills formed an aura that could empower two or three teammates at once, enhancing their strength, Soul Power recovery, and skill-casting speed in every way. It was exceptionally well suited to team battles.

Its innate, faint dragon might could also provide an extra boost to all Spirit Masters with dragon-type abilities.

However, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda had been passed down for ten thousand years and possessed deep foundations. It had long since overcome its weakness in group support, making it formidable in both single-target and team battles. Its only drawback was its enormous Soul Power consumption.

The two top-tier support Martial Souls each had their strengths and weaknesses. It was hard to say which was superior.

Du Weilun had served in the Outer Court for many years. He had a keen eye and was fair in his dealings, and he had trained countless talents for Shrek.

Yan Shaozhe had always trusted Du Weilun's judgment of people and his ability to handle affairs.

At Shrek Academy,

the academy's departments and responsibilities were clearly defined.

Yan Shaozhe was the overall dean of both the Inner and Outer Courts of the Martial Soul Department. The academy also had a dean for the Spirit Guidance Department. The two oversaw their respective systems and managed the academy's affairs.

In terms of authority, Yan Shaozhe, who oversaw the traditional Martial Soul system, had greater influence. But the Spirit Guidance Department operated independently and remained in healthy competition with the Martial Soul Department, with neither interfering in the other's core affairs.

Both deans devoted nearly all their attention to the Inner Court. After all, the Inner Court was the true heart of Shrek's strength.

Besides the two deans, the Martial Soul and Spirit Guidance Departments each had a vice dean in charge of the Outer Court.

As a result, neither dean usually had to worry about the Outer Court's day-to-day affairs.

The Outer Court dean of the Martial Soul Department, who was also the academy's vice dean, was a scholarly teacher. He devoted most of his energy to teaching the fifth and sixth years.

He was responsible for selecting outstanding students for the Inner Court and leading them through rigorous assessments in various areas. He had less involvement in other matters.

Aside from this Outer Court dean, Du Weilun was the most powerful figure in the Martial Soul Department.

As the Martial Soul Department's Outer Court director of studies, Du Weilun wielded considerable authority, yet he had no rivals in that position.

He had worked diligently for twenty years and made outstanding contributions to the Martial Soul Department. Yan Shaozhe therefore trusted him completely and had full confidence in his judgment of the students.

On the viewing platform, Yan Shaozhe turned to the two beside him and spoke softly. "Xuan Zi, Weilun, which team do you favor today?"

Xuan Zi was still holding a chicken wing, his mouth glistening with grease as he mumbled, "Isn't that obvious? My disciple's team, of course! I personally hunted the Soul Beast that gave him his third Soul Ring. It's incredibly powerful!"

Du Weilun smiled gently, his voice steady. "I actually favor their opponents. Yue Ling and the others are certainly impressive as Soul Elders, but their opponents have a strong foundation too. They mustn't take them lightly. Underestimating an opponent can cost them dearly."

Yan Shaozhe nodded slightly and looked down at the arena.

"The match is about to begin. Let's see who takes home the championship."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the arena,

Yue Ling and the others finally got a good look at their opponents in the final.

There were three of them, two men and one woman. One of the boys had a brooding expression and sinister eyes. He looked like someone best avoided.

The three opponents glanced over at them, their eyes brimming with provocation. They were arrogant and overbearing, their whole demeanor screaming that they looked down on everyone.

Ma Xiaotao had always been hot-tempered and couldn't stand that kind of provocation.

Besides, the teachers and Xuan Zi were all watching from the platform. She couldn't afford to lose face in front of them.

Anger flared in her heart. She was about to step forward and confront them when Yue Ling reached out and firmly stopped her.

Just then, the teacher officiating the final walked into the spacious assessment arena.

All the partitions that had been set up temporarily at noon had already been removed. The enormous Soul Fighting arena lay fully exposed, vast and open, awaiting the start of the final.