Dispute

Wang Dong'er and Huo Yuhao got into an argument over a trivial matter.

Upon learning they had been matched against a Soul Elder team, Xiao Xiao began to lose confidence.

Xiao Xiao complained, "Class monitor, there are still three Soul Elder teams ahead of us. We set our goal too high. We'd be lucky to even take fourth place."

A mere Freshman Assessment had actually produced Soul Elders. This was beyond their expectations.

As a fellow girl, Wang Dong'er agreed with Xiao Xiao. A loss was a loss. They had already advanced anyway, and they had a decent ranking.

She was competitive by nature, but she was not someone who failed to assess the situation. She had the highest Soul Power in the team at only Rank 25; Xiao Xiao was Rank 22, while Huo Yuhao was merely Rank 17.

With their lineup, reaching the quarterfinals was already pretty good.

However, Huo Yuhao disagreed.

"Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, our goal isn't eighth place, nor is it fourth. Since we're participating, there is only one goal: the championship!"

He spoke these heartfelt words with confidence.

Wang Dong'er disagreed. Did he not see what his own cultivation was? They would probably lose the very next match.

"If you think you can't win before even competing, then you might as well surrender," Huo Yuhao retorted.

The two began arguing because of this.

After learning what had happened, Wang Xiao had not expected them to quarrel over something like this.

They had probably already had conflicts in the past, and this had merely brought them to a head.

After hearing them out, Ning Tian and Wufeng felt that Huo Yuhao's courage was commendable, but he was being far too idealistic.

Their team had nearly lost against Huang Chutian, and that was when the other side did not even have a Soul Elder.

Dai Huabin, meanwhile, was not only a Soul Elder but also the heir of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion. If he and Zhu Lu could unleash their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, they would have no chance at all.

"I think you should just focus on competing first. No matter what the outcome is, finish the match before discussing anything else," Ning Tian said tactfully.

Wufeng wore the expression of someone owed a million gold soul coins, clearly very displeased with Huo Yuhao.

Win the championship? Did that not mean he intended to stomp all over them too?

She would not have objected if Wang Dong'er had said it, but a Rank 17 piece of trash dared to say such a thing.

His guts were absurdly huge!

Huo Yuhao's gaze was resolute. "No matter how strong the enemy is, as long as we work together and put in ten times the effort, we will definitely win!"

"I really don't want to crush your confidence, but competitions are decided by Martial Souls and cultivation. Effort alone cannot close the gap," Wang Xiao said.

He understood this himself. Many things did not yield results simply because one worked hard. Otherwise, he would have beaten Zhou Yi long ago instead of enduring her.

Huo Yuhao frowned deeply and argued, "Brother Wang, I still think that battles between Soul Masters are not decided by Soul Power or Martial Soul quality."

"If Soul Power were all that mattered, we could have surrendered the moment everyone revealed their cultivation."

Wang Xiao was stunned. Battles between Soul Masters did not depend on Soul Power Level? Then what did they depend on? Effort?

His scalp suddenly tingled. How had Huo Yuhao come up with something like that?

Ning Tian secretly rolled her eyes. The faint goodwill she had once felt toward Huo Yuhao had now vanished completely.

"All techniques are limited to fights between opponents of similar strength. Before absolute power, no amount of tricks can easily close the gap. Sigh... forget it."

Wang Xiao patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder. "Just compete properly. Pretend I said nothing. Maybe you really can create a miracle."

Just then, Zhang Lexuan's voice rang out, calling for the participating students to take the field.

Before going onstage, Wang Dong'er gave Wang Xiao a satisfied glance. At least he knew to speak up for her. She had not misjudged him.

Only after Huo Yuhao had left did Wufeng snort unhappily. "Young mistress, why did you stop me? A brat who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth like him deserves a lesson."

"You're too impulsive."

Ning Tian tapped Wufeng on the forehead. "He is Little Wang's friend, which makes him our friend too. Don't interfere in other people's business."

"Oh..." Feeling the warmth on her forehead, Wufeng's cheeks immediately reddened.

Watching silently, Wang Xiao broke out in goosebumps. He could not bear to look! He really could not bear to look!

At Zhang Lexuan's command, the match began.

Only then did Wang Xiao see Huo Yuhao's team's opponent: a heavyweight Soul Elder—Xie Huan Yue!

He was also a huge, two-meter-tall fatty with a waist as wide as a barrel.

"This guy got even fatter after Martial Soul Possession. He must weigh at least five hundred jin," Ning Tian said in surprise.

If that fatty landed on someone, they would definitely die.

"Xie Huan Yue's Martial Soul is Elephant Body. His strength and defense are terrifyingly powerful. Huo Yuhao and the others are doomed," Wufeng said disdainfully.

The facts proved exactly as she had said.

The battle on the arena was extremely intense.

Xie Huan Yue was difficult enough to deal with, and his two teammates were both control-system Soul Masters.

Huo Yuhao's trio was suppressed throughout the entire match and could not contend with their opponents head-on.

They could only keep dodging. Once they were controlled, Xie Huan Yue would roll over like a human cannonball, and anyone hit would be severely injured.

Fortunately, Wang Dong'er could fly and use her aerial advantage to charge into the backline.

When Xie Huan Yue rushed toward Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao, she seized the opportunity and used Butterfly God's Light to instantly defeat the two Second-Ring Soul Masters.

However, the two in the rear were not so fortunate.

Xiao Xiao was blasted into the air, with nowhere to evade.

How could Xie Huan Yue let such an opportunity slip by? He activated a soul skill, and a thick elephant-trunk whip swept toward Xiao Xiao in midair.

If it hit, she would definitely be badly injured.

During this match, Huo Yuhao keenly realized how powerless he was and how little he could contribute. He suddenly leaped up and shoved Xiao Xiao through the air, but he himself was left suspended there.

At the critical moment, Fan Yu stepped in and saved Huo Yuhao, preventing him from being injured.

"The vice dean of the Soul Guidance Department?"

Ning Tian was surprised. As a Rank 8 Soul Engineer, he had actually come to watch the Freshman Assessment.

Wufeng was even more shocked. What kind of relationship did Huo Yuhao have with Fan Yu that he was worth saving?

Wang Xiao explained that Huo Yuhao had exceptional talent with Soul Tools and was highly valued. Fan Yu might already be training him as a personal disciple.

Wufeng was surprised. She had not expected that weakling to have such a side to him.

"What about you? Why don't you study Soul Tools?" Ning Tian asked.

"I've considered it, but they might not accept me."

Wang Xiao said that if he went to the Sun Moon Empire in the future, he could study their most advanced Soul Tool knowledge.

Combining Soul Tools with modern weaponry was another possible path.

As for Shrek's Soul Guidance Department—

Given the relationship between Zhou Yi and Fan Yu as husband and wife, Wang Xiao did not believe Fan Yu would be generous enough to tolerate him.

At this point, the battle on the field had reached its final stage.

Wang Dong'er needed fifteen seconds to charge Butterfly Goddess Slash.

Xiao Xiao desperately held back Xie Huan Yue's assault. In the end, at the cost of exhausting all her Soul Power, she endured those golden fifteen seconds.

Rank 98 Titled Douluo Xuan Zi appeared and saved Xie Huan Yue, who had nearly died, then declared Huo Yuhao's team victorious.

"Dong'er was hiding power like this? A Butterfly Goddess Slash that covered half the arena?"

Wang Xiao was deeply amazed. Wang Dong'er truly deserved to be the girl with the strongest fortune. At Rank 25, she already possessed the strength to kill a Soul Elder.

If it were him, without activating Susanoo, Blue Silver Grass alone definitely could not withstand Butterfly Goddess Slash.

"Let's go. There's no need to watch the remaining matches. Tomorrow's final opponent is obvious," Ning Tian said.

Dai Huabin's team could not possibly lose, so there was no need to watch.

Wang Xiao nodded. After this match, all of them had entered the semifinals.

However, the so-called semifinals actually had only three teams.

Their trio, Huo Yuhao's team, and Dai Huabin's team.

Clearly, the final champion would be decided among these three teams.

"You two go back and rest first. I'll go treat Xiao Xiao."

Ning Tian and Wufeng insisted on going with him. After several matches together, the three teams had formed a bond. Naturally, they would share both hardship and fortune.

Wang Xiao took out a tiny golden-green tree and fed it to the unconscious Xiao Xiao.

If he did not intervene, the little girl would not wake up tomorrow, and Huo Yuhao would have to forfeit.

"Let her rest for one night. She'll wake up tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Wang Dong'er carried Xiao Xiao toward the girls' dormitory.

"Big Brother Wang, thank you," Huo Yuhao said gratefully. After all, they were opponents.

If Xiao Xiao could not wake up, it would definitely benefit Wang Xiao's team.

"What are you thinking? The little girl is my friend before she's an opponent. I can still tell the difference," Wang Xiao said.

The night passed, dawn arrived, and the final round came.

Today was the final, as well as the last day of the Freshman Assessment.

The three teams arrived at the plaza early to gather.

The moment Huo Yuhao saw the golden-haired, evil-eyed youth, his face darkened instantly and his eyes turned blood-red.

"Dai Huabin!"

He clenched his fists tightly, so hard that his nails dug into his flesh without him noticing.

At that moment, Huo Yuhao's eyes contained nothing but hatred. He wished he could immediately tear Dai Huabin apart and avenge his mother!