Freshman Assessment

"Ning Tian hit the nail on the head."

From the back row, Gu Mingyuan added, "A one-ring soul master at level seventeen became captain over two Soul Grandmasters, and neither of them objected. That alone tells us something."

Mu Jin gave Gu Mingyuan an approving look and nodded. "Gu Mingyuan has sharp instincts. This Huo Yuhao has a rare spiritual attribute and a Body Martial Soul. His Soul Power may be low, but he's the tactical core. In the arena, you can't judge someone's strength by the color of their Soul Rings alone."

"Whatever his martial soul is, it means nothing in the face of absolute strength." Wu Feng lifted her chin, pride flashing in her eyes. "Don't worry, Teacher Mu. With Ning Tian leading us, we're guaranteed a place in the top three."

"Top three? Setting your sights that low?" Zhou Sichen closed the information sheet and slapped the desk, unwilling to back down. "Sorry, everyone, but our team has already claimed the championship."

Cao Jinxuan quietly read through the information, with no intention of joining the argument.

Wu Feng's face darkened, and she was about to lash out when Ning Tian caught her wrist, putting a stop to the pointless quarrel. She glanced at Gu Mingyuan and the other two. "Let's settle it in the arena."

That afternoon, the freshman assessment officially began.

The vast Assessment Area had been divided into dozens of smaller arenas. Gu Mingyuan and his teammates took their number cards and entered their assigned area.

Their first opponents were a moderately strong two-ring team. Their martial souls were a Rock Armor Bear, a Shadow Leopard, and a Green Vine: a standard strength-agility-control lineup.

At the referee's call of "Begin!", the three opponents quickly spread out into a wide formation.

They had clearly done their homework. They knew that, during an in-class sparring match, Gu Mingyuan had relied on his formidable defense and his explosive ability to "build power by taking hits" to send Wu Feng flying with a single punch.

So they had no intention of confronting Gu Mingyuan head-on.

"Pin him down! Take out the back line first!"

The Green Vine soul master shouted, and his first Soul Ring lit up. More than a dozen thick, blue-green vines raced along the ground, closing in on Gu Mingyuan's legs from every direction.

At the same time, the Rock Armor Bear and Shadow Leopard soul masters split left and right, bypassing Gu Mingyuan to target Cao Jinxuan and Zhou Sichen behind him.

As long as they restricted Gu Mingyuan's movement and denied him the chance to take hits and build power, his devastating punch would be useless.

Once the other two were eliminated, they could wear Gu Mingyuan down.

The plan made perfect sense.

Unfortunately, reality rarely went according to plan.

As the Green Vines swept toward him, a violet gleam flashed in Gu Mingyuan's eyes. He used the Ghostly Shadow Trace Step, and the vines that seemed to seal off every angle failed even to brush his clothes, striking nothing but afterimages.

The next instant, Gu Mingyuan appeared before the Rock Armor Bear soul master.

The Rock Armor Bear soul master's pupils contracted. He hurriedly swung his claws to drive Gu Mingyuan back.

"Who told you my fists aren't hard unless I charge up?"

His first Soul Skill, Golden Jade Barrier, activated in an instant.

Serious Punch!

A layer of jade-like golden markings covered his right arm as he threw a straight punch.

Bang!

The Rock Armor Bear soul master did not even see the punch coming. The blow struck his chest like a hammer, sending him sprawling past the boundary of the Assessment Area.

One hit was all it took.

The Shadow Leopard and Green Vine soul masters froze where they stood.

Cao Jinxuan seized the opening. The Passage of Time Clock hummed, and Slowness struck its targets precisely. Zhou Sichen's Earth Bear leaped forward and swiftly knocked the remaining two to the ground.

The entire match lasted less than half a minute.

A breeze swept across the distant viewing platform overlooking the Assessment Area.

Yan Shaozhe, dean of the Martial Soul Department, looked past dozens of arenas and fixed his gaze on Gu Mingyuan.

"Is he the freshman who sparred with Bei Bei on the Training Ground three months ago?" Yan Shaozhe studied the golden markings that had yet to fade from Gu Mingyuan's skin, then turned to Du Weilun, the director of teaching, beside him.

Du Weilun nodded. "That's him. Gu Mingyuan, from the Star Luo Empire. But there's something unusual about his martial soul."

"How so?"

"His original awakening record, registered locally, lists his Body Martial Soul as 'Bone.'" Du Weilun opened the roster in his hands.

"But when he arrived at the academy with his recommendation letter for the entrance test, his martial soul had already changed into what we see now. He calls it the 'Golden Jade Body.'"

Yan Shaozhe raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharpening. "Have you checked his background?"

"We have."

"The Household Registration documents currently available, the original martial soul awakening record, the seal on his recommendation letter, and his registrations in the cities he passed through all match up. We found no obvious signs that someone had taken his place."

"How does he explain it?"

"He says he got lost near the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, accidentally ate a strange medicinal herb, and woke from a long sleep to find his martial soul had changed." Du Weilun paused, then added,

"Bei Bei can confirm that Gu Mingyuan already had the Golden Jade Body when they first met in the Star Dou Great Forest. So we can rule out the possibility that someone assumed his identity after he entered Shrek."

Yan Shaozhe fell silent for a moment.

He watched Gu Mingyuan lower his fist in the arena, recalling the force behind that punch.

"From strengthening only his bones to strengthening his muscles, skin, and even his entire body at once..." Yan Shaozhe mused.

"The story about eating an herb sounds far-fetched, but the Douluo Continent has no shortage of Heavenly Treasures. Perhaps the boy really did stumble across something miraculous. It might even have been an incomplete Body Martial Soul Second Awakening."

"Dean, should we find a reason to conduct a thorough examination of his martial soul?" Du Weilun asked.

"No need." Yan Shaozhe waved a hand.

"As long as his background is clean, how his martial soul evolved is his own good fortune. We're right to be cautious when his records have changed, but we can't treat a genuine talent like a criminal because of it.

Don't alert him for now. Move his name up a tier and put him on the Inner Court's priority watch list. Let's see how far he can go in this assessment first."

Over the next few days, the freshman assessment's round-robin matches proceeded at full tilt.

Gu Mingyuan's team swept through their matches. After seeing what happened in the first one, their later opponents tried every tactic they could think of. Some attempted to slip past Gu Mingyuan with sheer speed; others kept their distance and wore him down, refusing to let him build power from physical blows. Still others targeted Cao Jinxuan from the start, hoping to take out the team's controller first.

But the outcome never changed.

The ten round-robin matches came to an end.

Gu Mingyuan, Cao Jinxuan, and Zhou Sichen's team had won all ten.

Meanwhile, in another arena, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao's team also finished undefeated.

The following round of sixty-four was just as uneventful. Both teams advanced with ease.

Then the draw for the round of thirty-two was announced.

Mu Jin stood at the edge of the viewing platform, scanning the notice board until her gaze settled on the matchup scheduled for Assessment Area Eight.

Just then, a voice came from behind her.

"You look pleased, Teacher Mu. What's this? The match hasn't even started, and you've already declared victory for your students?"

Mu Jin turned around.

Zhou Yi stood behind her, though Mu Jin had not noticed her approach. Her face was like ice.