Elimination Round, Soul Grandmaster Team

The preliminary rounds had ended. Zhou Yi had been in an excellent mood these past few days, and she had even rarely praised the students in her class. After all, every team from New Student Class One had advanced; not a single one had been eliminated.

There were even two teams that had won every preliminary match: Yuwen Tuo's team and Huo Yuhao's team.

Although Huo Yuhao was not as strong as in the original story, the support abilities of his million-year soul ring were no joke. Combined with Wang Dong's overwhelming strength, even without Xiao Xiao, they could still crush their opponents with ease.

Moreover, the person who had joined their team in Xiao Xiao's place was not weak either. He had also reached two rings and was a defense-type Soul Grandmaster.

He was not as versatile as Xiao Xiao, but focusing on protecting Huo Yuhao and allowing Wang Dong to attack freely at the front was still a solid strategy.

In truth, Yuwen Tuo felt that New Student Class One's complete advancement was not entirely Zhou Yi's achievement. Certainly, anyone who remained after enduring her high-pressure training would improve in strength.

But the problem was that those who managed to stay under her were already exceptionally outstanding. She had merely weeded out all the weaker students and kept the talented ones. If those already outstanding students could not even pass the preliminaries, then Yuwen Tuo could only say that her teaching ability was truly terrible.

Starting from the sixth match, they would begin encountering teams from other zones. For Yuwen Tuo, this was still no challenge at all. His opponents were too weak, and he could still cut them down in swathes with a single slash. Huo Yuhao's team, on the other hand, encountered the relatively capable Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo sisters, just as in the original story.

Both sisters possessed hair as their martial souls, which could barely be considered Body Martial Souls. However, the strength of a Body Martial Soul depended on how important that body part was to the human body. The more vital the body part used as the martial soul, the better the Body Martial Soul. Hair could grow back after being cut off, but what if one lost their eyes?

What was more, Huo Yuhao possessed a spiritual attribute. In other words, his martial soul was effectively his eyes connected to his brain. That was a truly top-tier Body Martial Soul.

Still, the Lan Family Sisters possessed the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Heaven and Earth Net, so they were not weak.

Unfortunately, they were still no match for Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao. Huo Yuhao even gained a new idea from the two sisters and began experimenting with Martial Soul Fusion Skills alongside Wang Dong.

After ten preliminary matches, Yuwen Tuo guessed that the two of them had probably already developed that move, Withering Amidst Brilliance—Golden Road.

"A Martial Soul Fusion Skill?" Yuwen Tuo quietly pondered something. His martial soul would probably find it difficult to form a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with anyone in this world, but...

"Tuo Tuo, what are you thinking about?" Xiao Xiao patted Yuwen Tuo on the shoulder. She had called out to him several times just now, yet he had ignored her every time.

"Is Yuwen worried about the upcoming elimination rounds?" Lian Yue asked.

During class just now, Zhou Yi had told them about the results of the Round Robin Tournament in the other groups.

This year's Shrek freshmen were especially outstanding. Most frighteningly, there were actually three entire Soul Grandmaster Teams among the new students.

They were freshmen, which meant they had to be under twelve years old. Reaching level thirty before turning twelve—what kind of genius was that?

"Yuwen, don't put too much pressure on yourself. We've already passed the assessment. Even if we lose afterward, the academy won't expel us," Lian Yue comforted him. She thought he was unwilling to accept the situation.

After all, he and Wang Dong had always been the top students in the class, yet now they had been surpassed by so many people.

Wang Dong was still fine, since she was only eleven. By the time she reached twelve, she would surely be able to break through to become a Soul Grandmaster just like those three, and would not be inferior to them.

But Yuwen Tuo truly had been crushed by people his own age. They were all twelve, yet those three were seven or eight levels above him.

"Tuo Tuo wouldn't be afraid of them. If it weren't for..." Xiao Xiao trailed off, fury filling her heart. If Yuwen Tuo had not been crippled for those six years, what was a Soul Grandmaster? Even if all three came at him together, they would not be enough for him to fight.

"Lian Yue, thank you for your concern. And Xiao Xiao, there's no need to be angry. Even now, I still won't lose to them," Yuwen Tuo said with a smile.

They were only three Soul Grandmasters. How could they truly place any pressure on him?

"But I heard that all three of them come from great clans. Since childhood, they've enjoyed the best food and medicinal pills, which is why they have such cultivation. Their physiques are stronger than those of ordinary Soul Grandmasters, and they also possess soul skills passed down directly through their families. With just the three of us..." Lian Yue had the typical mindset of an ordinary person, without the slightest spirit of refusing to admit defeat.

She only thought that her goal of remaining at Shrek had already been accomplished. She did not harbor the slightest ambition for the championship, completely lacking Xiao Xiao's drive.

No wonder Xiao Xiao would become one of the future protagonists, while this person was merely an insignificant extra whose name would barely be mentioned.

Seeing how completely lacking in confidence she was, Yuwen Tuo did not get angry. After all, not everyone could possess a heart that pressed ever onward. There were far more ordinary people in this world.

"Lian Yue, if you're afraid, then stand in the corner of the arena during the match and just provide Xiao Xiao and me with support. If you encounter danger, jump off the arena without hesitation. Remember, your own safety comes first. Leave the rest to Xiao Xiao and me," Yuwen Tuo said with a smile.

Lian Yue nodded. "Yes, thank you, Yuwen. I'll do my best not to cause trouble for you and Xiao Xiao."

The day after tomorrow, the elimination rounds of the New Student Assessment would officially begin. There were sixty-four participating teams in total, all of them teams that had performed exceptionally in the Round Robin Tournament.

Soon, the referee teachers finished calling roll, and the drawing of lots began. This was only the New Student Assessment, so there were not many complicated ceremonies. As captain, Yuwen Tuo drew lots on behalf of his team. The sixty-four teams would face each other in pairs, for a total of thirty-two matches. Losing any one match meant immediate elimination.

After a day of rest, the assessment area had been renovated. It was divided into sixteen larger zones. Compared with the Round Robin Tournament, each zone was several times larger, giving the students participating in the elimination rounds a much broader space to display their abilities.

The elimination round rules were simple: one match each morning and afternoon. Losing teams would be directly eliminated and could obediently return to class, while winning teams would continue competing. Within three days, the top three would be decided.

The schedule was quite tight.

Once the drawing was complete, the round of sixty-four began immediately, with all thirty-two matches taking place at the same time. Such a packed schedule ensured efficiency while also giving victorious students more time to rest after their matches, allowing them to enter the afternoon battles in better condition.

This time, Yuwen Tuo's team was assigned to Zone Fourteen.

During the drawing, there had only been numbers. They would not know who their opponents were until they stepped onto the field. However, when they arrived at the arena, they felt somewhat helpless. Lian Yue was even more despairing. Their first-round opponent was precisely the team with a Soul Grandmaster she had been so afraid of.