At this age, with this level of cultivation, he could unleash an attack like that? Yan Shaozhe frowned tightly as he looked at Huo Yuhao, who had exhausted all his strength and was being helped up by the arriving Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao.
"Alas! That white ring ruined you in the end!" Yan Shaozhe looked deeply regretful. If his first Soul Ring had been a hundred-year Soul Ring, he might have had a chance of breaking through to become a level-seventy Soul Saint.
In the end, it was fate! After giving it some thought, Yan Shaozhe did not hesitate. He looked directly at the spectators below and slowly announced, "I declare Wang Dong Team the champions of this Freshman Assessment!"
Following Yan Shaozhe's announcement, thunderous cheers erupted from the crowd. Yet Zhu Lu and Ning Tian, as their friends, frowned and glared at Yan Shaozhe with displeasure.
"Strange? What's wrong with you two? Yuhao and the others won!" Wu Feng looked at the two unhappy girls in confusion.
"Feng, didn't you hear clearly? What team did that Dean Yan just name?" Ning Tian looked helplessly at her close friend. Good thing Wu Feng had a powerful Martial Soul and Ning Tian as her friend, or she would have been swindled out of everything she owned!
"Team? It sounded like he said... Ah! Wang Dong Team! Wait, aren't the three of them called Huo Yuhao Team? Why was the name changed?"
Seeing that Wu Feng still did not understand, Ning Tian and Zhu Lu exchanged helpless looks. Both patted her head and said it was nothing. If they kept explaining, they feared her brain would explode!
The people on the field had different reactions to the announcement. Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao looked delighted; Cui Yahao and Zhu Yu found it regrettable but acknowledged their strength. Only Dai Huabin glared maliciously at the supported Huo Yuhao.
With the Freshman Assessment over, the six of them gathered in the countryside and held a barbecue feast.
"To our friends for winning the championship, cheers!" Wu Feng beamed. Seeing her joy, everyone else smiled as well and raised their drinks for a hearty toast!
"Yuhao, would you be willing to join my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?" Ning Tian suddenly spoke up. Her eyes were fixed on Huo Yuhao. Everyone admired the strong, and Ning Tian, as the young sect mistress, was no exception!
Seeing the hope in Ning Tian's eyes, Huo Yuhao could not bear to disappoint her, but he still decisively shook his head. "No, I won't join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I'm planning to visit the Sun Moon Empire later. Their Soul Tools are very advanced, and I want to learn from them!"
Hearing his unmistakable rejection, Ning Tian lowered her head in disappointment. Yet she soon lifted it again with a proud expression, sweeping away her earlier dejection. She raised her drink, and everyone chuckled before raising theirs as well.
"Cheers!"
After a night of celebration, everyone collapsed onto the ground and fell soundly asleep. Huo Yuhao gazed calmly into the sky, seemingly lost in thought.
"Yuhao?"
Hearing someone call him, he turned around and saw Zhu Lu quietly making her way over. She wrapped her arms around his right arm and looked at him gently, as though she had seen through something.
"You figured it out?" Huo Yuhao softly asked as he looked at the beauty beside him. He did not seem surprised that Zhu Lu had noticed!
"Mm! Where do you plan to go next? The Sun Moon Empire?" Zhu Lu asked softly. Once he made up his mind, she would return to the dormitory to pack.
"I haven't decided yet! After all, I can't rely too heavily on Soul Tools. My own strength is important too." Huo Yuhao looked somewhat lost, unsure where he should go.
"I remember hearing that the Heavenly Soul Empire has a sect called the Body Sect!" Zhu Lu spoke softly. At those words, Huo Yuhao's eyes brightened slightly, as if he had found a goal!
"The Body Sect? Is that the sect that only accepts Body Martial Souls? I heard a Shrek Academy teacher mention them before. I never expected them to be in the Heavenly Soul Empire." Huo Yuhao curiously looked at Zhu Lu, but she shook her head.
"No, I don't know either. Grandpa Butler told me that, but I have no idea where he got the information." Zhu Lu leaned against Huo Yuhao's shoulder and explained where the news had come from.
"Grandpa Butler... Is he doing well?" Hearing the name of someone familiar, Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up. Zhu Lu shook her head, saying that Grandpa Butler was old, and because of the hidden injuries he had suffered in his youth, even his cultivation had begun to decline!
"Has Xu Xingling made any moves?" Huo Yuhao's gaze turned cold. The old butler was his last family in this world!
"No! The elders of House Dai stepped in. Even if Xu Xingling wanted to act, she couldn't!" Zhu Lu gently placed her hand over Huo Yuhao's, soothing his agitated emotions.
"Mm! Next, you..."
"I'm still following you! In life or death, I'm yours!" Zhu Lu playfully cut off Huo Yuhao before he could finish. Her eyes held an unprecedented determination!
"Xiao Lu... Thank you!" Huo Yuhao smiled softly, and Zhu Lu returned his smile. The two leaned against each other beneath the stars. Behind them, unnoticed by either of them, Wang Dong bit his lower lip and watched them with an unwilling expression!
The next day arrived, and all the Freshman Assessment participants gathered in the plaza!
"Hey! What rank do you think you got?"
"Who knows? Maybe we'll have to leave."
The examinees buzzed with discussion, but the noise stopped when Huo Yuhao's group of six appeared. Feeling the aura around them, everyone looked stifled. Huo Yuhao especially filled them with fear.
"Everyone! Today, we will announce the results of the Freshman Assessment and the rewards!" Yan Shaozhe's voice rang out, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
Once everyone had focused, Yan Shaozhe nodded to Du Weilun beside him. Du Weilun understood and stepped forward to announce the decision the higher-ups had made yesterday.
"Based on your performance during the Freshman Assessment, the Inner Court has declared the following students to be core disciples of Shrek Academy's Outer Court."
"Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Zhu Lu, Ning Tian, Dai Huabin, Zhu Yu, Cui Yahao, Xie Huanyue..." As the final name fell, the crowd's previously excited hearts jolted.
They all looked in disbelief toward the calm figure. Yes, Huo Yuhao's name had never been mentioned from beginning to end—the powerful freshman who had stood against the Netherworld White Tiger!
Yan Shaozhe had long expected this reaction, and Du Weilun immediately continued with the announcement.
"Next are the reserve students expected to become core disciples: Huo Yuhao, Wu Feng, Lan Luoluo, Lan Susu..." Aside from Huo Yuhao, they were all students who had performed quite well.
"Alright! Next, we will announce the rewards for the top three in the Freshman Assessment!" Du Weilun gave no one time to react and directly read out the next item.
When they heard that first place would receive a Soul Bone, as well as the free assistance of a Shrek Academy teacher in hunting a Soul Ring, everyone gasped sharply.
After Du Weilun finished announcing the results, Huo Yuhao and the others turned to leave, with no intention of staying any longer. As for those rewards, Huo Yuhao looked utterly disdainful.
However, just as Huo Yuhao and the others passed Dai Huabin and Zhu Yu—
"Hmph! So what if you won? You still couldn't even get the status of a core disciple!" Dai Huabin sneered contemptuously.
The six of them stopped at once. Their auras changed, as though they were about to swallow Dai Huabin whole!
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