Shrek's Preliminary Test, the Two Girls' Astonishing Stats (Two Chapters in One)

"Ye Zhiqiu."

When Lu Shiyan saw the name, his gaze lingered on the roster.

After reading Dong Qianqiu's and Lan Mengqin's profiles, he had already formed a preliminary assessment of this group's overall ability.

This class's average standard stood a cut above that of an ordinary intermediate academy, and the two girls' overall stats had even slightly exceeded his expectations.

Hearing his name, Ye Zhiqiu stepped out of the line and stopped in front of Lu Shiyan.

"Hello, I'm Ye Zhiqiu."

"Mm," Lu Shiyan said.

The boy before him was only about a head shorter than he was, yet his bearing felt entirely different, nothing like that of the other children his age.

"Please relax."

Lu Shiyan turned his wrist, and the silver-white metal sphere rose again, hovering about half a meter above Ye Zhiqiu's head. A halo spread from its underside, pouring down from above and slowly sweeping over his entire body.

About three seconds later, the scan finished. The metal sphere flew back on its own and fitted itself against the communicator on Lu Shiyan's wrist.

The communicator's screen lit up with a very faint beep.

Lu Shiyan lowered his head to look at the screen, then froze.

Bone age: eleven.

Soul power level: forty-six.

Spiritual power: 1,561 points.

Lu Shiyan stared at the spiritual power reading for a long while. Over fifteen hundred?? Was... was that even reasonable??

The teacher recording the results leaned over for a look, then went rigid, nearly losing his grip on his pen.

Lu Shiyan raised his head and looked at Ye Zhiqiu again. Did this child know how outrageous his spiritual power was? How could he be so calm?

"Bone age, eleven. Soul power, forty-six. Spiritual power, 1,561 points," Lu Shiyan announced.

Those stats weren't just a little heaven-defying—they were a billion times beyond reason! Barring any accidents, this boy was guaranteed to enter the Inner Court!

The training ground fell silent for about two and a half seconds, then erupted.

"Over fifteen hundred??"

"How much???"

"Heavens, I already thought Dong Qianqiu's seven hundred was ridiculous, and now he's doubled it?"

"He's only eleven, right? Eleven years old, with over fifteen hundred spiritual power?"

"I don't even know if I'll reach fifteen hundred in my entire life..."

"And his soul power is level forty-six! Forty-six!"

"That's Ye Zhiqiu for you, the undisputed strongest in our year."

"Ugh, he's the same age as me, and my soul power is only level twenty-nine..."

Ye Wenduo stood nearby, his expression showing little surprise.

As Class One's homeroom teacher, he knew Ye Zhiqiu's situation inside out. Every three months, the class underwent a comprehensive assessment of soul power, spiritual power, physical fitness, and Martial Soul condition, with detailed records kept for every category.

He had seen Ye Zhiqiu's stats countless times. They leaped higher with every test, and those leaps were only growing larger.

He had grown used to it, and he was overjoyed as well. This child was his hope of returning to the academy!

Then he turned toward the other teachers and discovered that they clearly hadn't grown used to it yet.

The subject teachers wore different expressions, but all were astonished by Ye Zhiqiu's stats.

Even the dean couldn't help giving Ye Zhiqiu a couple of extra looks. His gaze lingered on the boy before slowly shifting away.

After a moment's silence, Lu Shiyan put away the metal sphere, then looked at Ye Zhiqiu and asked earnestly, "Ye Zhiqiu, could you release your Martial Soul for me?"

Ye Zhiqiu didn't hesitate. He extended his right hand, palm upward, and willed it forth.

A white blade emerged from his palm, about a meter long and translucent, its edge so sharp that merely looking at it made one's eyes ache.

The white light wasn't dazzling, but the moment it appeared, several nearby students instinctively narrowed their eyes, as though something had pricked their eyeballs.

At the same time, three Purple Soul Rings and one black Soul Ring rose from beneath Ye Zhiqiu's feet in succession, rotating behind him at an unhurried pace.

Three purple, one black!

Eleven years old, level forty-six, with a soul ring configuration of three purple and one black.

Lu Shiyan stared at the black Soul Ring, silent for a long while.

He had seen plenty of geniuses. There were quite a few in the Shrek Inner Court who had become Soul Ancestors earlier than he had, but possessing a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring at eleven was rare even in Shrek Academy's records.

Even that little girl from the Yuanen Family had only obtained a black ring as her fifth Soul Ring.

He himself had been nearly thirteen when he obtained his first Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.

This child named Ye Zhiqiu was only eleven.

And considering that the boy was already level forty-six, didn't that mean he had absorbed this black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring when he was ten?!

Lu Shiyan fell silent for a moment. His gaze swept twice between Ye Zhiqiu's Martial Soul and Soul Rings, then he lowered his head to check the spiritual power reading recorded earlier.

Then he spoke, his tone far more serious than before.

"Junior."

At that form of address, everyone present underwent a subtle change in expression.

The surrounding teachers and students all froze.

Junior.

Lu Shiyan was an Inner Court disciple of Shrek Academy. In terms of seniority and status, he should have stood at least a cut above everyone present.

Earlier, he had merely addressed Ye Wenduo as "senior" and greeted the other teachers with nods.

But now he was calling Ye Zhiqiu his junior?

What did that mean?

Ye Wenduo raised his eyebrows, his gaze lingering on Ye Zhiqiu. This student of his really had given him quite a few surprises.

"Junior, would you like to enroll directly?"

The training ground first fell deathly silent at those words, then exploded.

"Enroll directly???"

"Without taking the assessments???"

"An exam exemption for Shrek Academy?"

"What does that mean? He can enter Shrek right now?"

"He doesn't even have to take the Preliminary Selection?"

"That's way too outrageous. We're still worrying about whether we can pass the preliminary selection..."

Every student's gaze converged on Ye Zhiqiu.

Ye Zhiqiu himself showed little reaction. He stood there and quietly listened to everything Lu Shiyan had to say.

Lu Shiyan continued, "Your stats and Martial Soul quality already far exceed Shrek Academy's admission standards. If you're willing, you can skip the preliminary selection and all subsequent assessments, and receive direct admission to Shrek Academy's Outer Court."

Direct admission?

Shrek Academy.

Exam exemption.

Put together, those three phrases formed a temptation almost impossible for any Soul Master to refuse. After all, this was one of just thirty places available across the entire Federation in each intake!

Standing nearby, Ye Wenduo glanced at Ye Zhiqiu's expression, curious to see how his student would react.

He wasn't worried about Ye Zhiqiu failing. That was right—even if everyone else on Heaven Dou Star failed, he believed Ye Zhiqiu wouldn't.

Ye Zhiqiu fell silent for two and a half seconds. Of course, that pause was for everyone else's benefit. Refusing without even a second's hesitation would have been rather disrespectful to Shrek Academy.

"Sorry, senior. I want to pass the assessments together with my two partners."

The training ground fell silent again.

Even Lu Shiyan was briefly taken aback. Few people could resist such a temptation. Then he followed Ye Zhiqiu's gaze toward a spot not far behind him.

Dong Qianqiu stood in the line, her long, deep-blue hair tied in a ponytail that hung beside her shoulder, watching them.

Lan Mengqin stood beside her, also looking at Ye Zhiqiu.

Seeing this, Lu Shiyan withdrew his gaze and looked back at Ye Zhiqiu.

"Are you sure? If you pass this up today, this place won't be available anymore. It's one of only thirty places in the entire Federation, you know."

"Yes." Ye Zhiqiu nodded and continued, "We agreed to get in together. It wouldn't feel right to enter first and wait for them."

Standing in the line, Dong Qianqiu tightened her fingers slightly around her test sheet when she heard those words.

Lan Mengqin also fell silent, her gaze lingering on Ye Zhiqiu's back. After all, this was no small temptation.

Lu Shiyan looked at Ye Zhiqiu for a moment, then nodded. There was no disappointment in his expression; instead, a little more appreciation appeared.

"All right, I respect your choice. The three of you are indeed strong enough to pass the assessments, so I won't say anything more. I look forward to seeing you again at Shrek."

"All right. Thank you, senior."

Ye Zhiqiu returned to the line. As he passed Dong Qianqiu, she tilted her head to look at him and asked softly, "Just now... were you waiting for us?"

"What else?" Ye Zhiqiu slipped his hands back into his pockets, his tone casual.

Dong Qianqiu said nothing more, merely turning her face away.

Testing continued for about another half hour, but the pace was noticeably faster. Everyone's attention still lingered on those three astonishing sets of stats. The remaining students stepped forward one by one, had their stats measured, received their results, and were entered into the records, with little excitement throughout.

Fortunately, most passed the preliminary test. Only two students' stats barely scraped over the threshold, prompting a few extra words from Lu Shiyan.

Once testing ended, Lu Shiyan briefly spoke with the teachers, then turned and left the training ground with the dean.

As he passed Ye Zhiqiu, he paused slightly and said, "I meant what I said earlier. If you change your mind later, you can contact me through Dean Chen at any time."

"All right. Thank you, senior."

Lu Shiyan nodded and left.

Only after he had gone far away did the atmosphere in the training ground return to normal.

"Why didn't you agree just now?" Dong Qianqiu walked up to Ye Zhiqiu and looked at him with her arms crossed. Her voice held a trace of emotion that even she hadn't noticed.

"I told you, we're getting in together."

"That was guaranteed admission to Shrek Academy. Do you know how many people fight until their heads split open and still can't get it?"

"I know," Ye Zhiqiu said.

"Then why did you..."

"For me, getting into Shrek Academy only takes a little time anyway. Besides, I want to experience the fun of the assessments. Getting guaranteed admission would be too boring," Ye Zhiqiu said with a smile.

Dong Qianqiu: "..."

Lan Mengqin: "..."

The teachers and students: "..."

Bro, could you take a serious look at what you're saying?

What do you mean securing a place in Shrek's assessments only takes you a little time?

Sure, you're right, but could you stop humblebragging so naturally??!

How are we supposed to feel? What are we supposed to do?

"A little time..."

"What do you mean you can get it with just a little time?"

"That's a place in Shrek Academy's assessments! How many people across the Federation fight until their heads split open and still can't get in..."

Dong Qianqiu's mouth twitched. Looking at Ye Zhiqiu's utterly matter-of-fact expression, she couldn't find the words to refute him.

Lan Mengqin also fell silent for a moment before saying, "Do you have any idea how much that just made me want to punch you?"

"I do." Ye Zhiqiu's expression didn't change. He even nodded solemnly and said, "But I'm stating a fact."

"You..." Lan Mengqin took a deep breath, then let it out and said irritably, "Fine. You're amazing."

The other students kept glancing their way. Several had already gathered to whisper among themselves, their eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and admiration they couldn't conceal.

The class monitor stood at the front of the line. He looked back at Ye Zhiqiu without saying anything, but his expression was complicated.

His own stats ranked among the best in the class, but compared with Ye Zhiqiu, the gap was indeed enormous.

Ye Zhiqiu paid little attention to the gazes around him. He turned and headed back with Dong Qianqiu and Lan Mengqin, asking as they walked, "When is the Preliminary Selection?"

"In three days," Dong Qianqiu said.

"That's pretty tight. Let's prepare properly over the next couple of days, then."

"What else do you need to prepare? You even turned down guaranteed admission. What's left to prepare?" Lan Mengqin asked with a smile.

"I can't really go in without fighting at all, can I? That would leave the other students feeling far too disheartened."

After that, the three days passed quickly.

During those three days, Ye Zhiqiu made no special preparations. He cultivated as usual and occasionally fought a match in a Simulation Pod to keep himself sharp. Classes had already stopped for these last few days; anyone with questions could go find a teacher themselves. It was exactly like the final days before the college entrance exam in his previous life.

In truth, he had little to prepare. His raw strength spoke for itself. Even without deliberate preparations, passing the Preliminary Selection wouldn't be a problem.

On the morning of the third day, all thirty students of Class One gathered in the training ground inside the Simulation Pod.

Their homeroom teacher, Ye Wenduo, stood in front of the line with a roster in hand, his gaze sweeping over them.

"Based on the preliminary test results, all thirty of you have qualified for the Preliminary Selection. Today is the day, and it'll take place inside the Simulation Pod. Follow me, everyone."

They followed him through a side door of the training ground and entered a room that was usually closed.

A counter had appeared to the left of the entrance. Its paint was a lighter shade than the other equipment in the training ground, and a young woman sat behind it.

The woman was about twenty-two, with pretty features and a gentle smile in her eyes. When she saw them enter, she rose to greet them.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Xu Musheng, your guide for this Preliminary Selection."

Ye Wenduo nodded and said, "Sorry for the trouble."

Xu Musheng smiled and waved her delicate hand, scattering soft light from her palm.

The next instant, light flashed, and everyone except Ye Wenduo appeared somewhere else.

Ye Zhiqiu's vision brightened, then quickly adjusted to the change in lighting.

They stood on a platform halfway up a mountain. Beneath their feet lay grayish-brown rock, its surface rough and their footing firm.

A sheer cliff dropped away from the platform's edge. Looking down, they saw a valley filled with jagged, strangely shaped rocks. Sparse vegetation grew in places, but most of the area consisted of bare rock and scree slopes.

The sky was grayish-white, with no sun. The light was so even that it seemed to shine from every direction at once.

The air was dry, carrying the scent of rock and dust.