Yet as Wang Dong looked at Xie Huanyue's brimming confidence, a disdainful smile curled his lips. When had he ever said the Eight-Stage Throw was all he had?
He turned his head toward Huo Yuhao. "Yuhao, control the whole field. Xiao Xiao, keep harassing them."
Both nodded at once. Huo Yuhao released her Spiritual Eyes Martial Soul again, and Spiritual Detection Sharing covered the entire field.
Xiao Xiao used her Nine Phoenix Comes to the Ceremony Flute to unleash a Soul Skill, tying down the other two opponents.
Meanwhile, the Clear Sky Hammer materialized in Wang Dong's hand. Hammer in hand, he sprang forward and charged at Xie Huanyue.
Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer! Activate!
You really think I'm helpless without the Eight-Stage Throw? Strong defense, huh? Let's see how many hits you can take.
The first hammer strike crashed down, but Xie Huanyue did not budge. He grinned. "That's it?"
The second strike, the third, the fourth... Wang Dong's hammer swings grew faster and faster, their force greater and greater. Every strike landed precisely on the same spot on Xie Huanyue.
Xie Huanyue's smile gradually froze. He could feel that force climbing at a terrifying speed.
Are you kidding me? What kind of strength does this guy have? It feels like it's already surpassed ten thousand jin!
Yan Shaozhe stood at the edge of the field, watching Wang Dong's hammer technique flow like drifting clouds and running water. His pupils contracted slightly.
"Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer... that's the Clear Sky Sect's ultimate technique! Paired with his freakish strength-what kind of combination is this?"
As dean of the Martial Soul Department, he naturally understood all kinds of Martial Soul knowledge, including the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer of the Clear Sky Sect, whose legacy stretched back to ancient times!
Hiss! An ordinary Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer might be formidable, but there were limits. The problem was that Wang Dong also possessed innate divine strength!
He sucked in a breath. "As expected of the greatest sect ten thousand years ago... even within the Clear Sky Sect, probably few could master this hammer technique to such a degree."
Xuan Zi sat in the stands. At some point, he had put down the chicken leg in his hand.
As he watched the boy with long pink-and-blue hair in the arena, a strange glint flashed through his cloudy old eyes.
This kid... not only had an excellent Martial Soul and keen combat instincts, but he had also mastered the Clear Sky Sect's ultimate technique so thoroughly. He suddenly felt a little tempted to take a disciple.
What he lacked was just such a fine disciple to inherit his mantle!
In the arena, the hammer strikes had already stacked to sixty. Xie Huanyue finally could not hold on. He felt as though his defenses were being peeled away layer by layer, every strike smashing straight into his bones. The pain made him bare his teeth and grimace.
No longer caring about saving face, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "I surrender! I surrender!"
He could not withstand many more blows. It would not be worth suffering serious injuries, and he certainly did not want to end up like Dai Huabin.
Wang Dong stopped his hammer and caught his breath. Looking at Xie Huanyue's bedraggled state, he grinned. "Thanks for the match."
Xie Huanyue slumped to the ground, trembling all over. He looked at Wang Dong as though he were a monster.
When his two teammates saw Wang Dong walking toward them with the Clear Sky Hammer, looking thoroughly menacing, they raised their hands and surrendered without another word.
How the hell were they supposed to fight this? If even Xie Huanyue's defenses couldn't withstand him, wouldn't they just be serving themselves up on a platter?
The competition soon continued. When the draw for the round of sixteen came out, another uproar swept through the stands.
Wang Dong had drawn another strong team. What kind of luck was this? He had drawn all three Soul Elder teams in the earlier rounds.
Team Wang Dong versus Team Ning Tian.
Ning Tian, a support-type Soul Elder, was one of only three Soul Elders among this year's freshmen.
Although she herself was a support type, her two teammates were both genuine power attack specialists, one at rank twenty-eight and the other at rank twenty-seven. Their coordination was seamless, and their combat strength was quite impressive.
Many people felt that even if Team Ning Tian could not beat Team Wang Dong, they could at least put up an exciting fight.
Yet once the match began, everyone fell silent.
Wielding the Clear Sky Hammer, Wang Dong sent Ning Tian's two teammates flying out of the arena, one clean, decisive blow apiece.
The whole thing happened too quickly for anyone to react. From the referee's announcement of the start to the end of the fight, not even ten seconds had passed.
Ning Tian stood in the arena, looking at her two teammates lying outside the field and howling in pain. Then she looked at the boy opposite her, who rested the Clear Sky Hammer on his shoulder and watched her with a smile. After a moment of silence, she slowly raised her hand.
"I surrender."
A support-type Soul Elder's greatest reliance was her teammates. With both teammates gone, what could she possibly do as a support type? Surely she could not go up and trade hammer blows with Wang Dong?
What was the damn point of playing this out? Might as well surrender.
Yet Ning Tian's eyes, clear as autumn waters, remained fixed on Wang Dong's retreating back as she pondered something.
"So handsome and so strong... if..."
As she thought about it, Ning Tian's face even reddened a little.
The next two matches held even less suspense. Their quarterfinal opponents had no Soul Elder, and neither did their semifinal opponents.
Wang Dong barely even needed to act. Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection Sharing and Xiao Xiao's Soul Power chains locked their opponents down completely. Then Wang Dong went over and gave each of them a hammer strike, ending the match.
Team Wang Dong had successfully advanced to the final!
Their opponents in the final were an obscure team of three Soul Grandmasters, without a single Soul Elder among them.
The match itself offered little worth mentioning. Wang Dong did not even use the Clear Sky Hammer. With just the Soft-Boned Charm Rabbit's Instantaneous Shift and Eight-Stage Throw, he threw all three opponents into such a daze that they surrendered outright.
The instant the referee announced Team Wang Dong as the champions, Xiao Xiao leaped into the air.
"We won! We won! We're the champions!"
Her face flushed with excitement, and she spread her arms to throw herself at Wang Dong.
But halfway there, a pair of hands stopped her. Huo Yuhao had unobtrusively stepped in front of Wang Dong, letting Xiao Xiao hug her instead.
"Yuhao! We won!" Xiao Xiao hugged Huo Yuhao, bouncing with excitement. "I didn't do anything, and we still won! Getting carried feels amazing!"
Held in her embrace, Huo Yuhao was a little excited too, her eyes faintly reddening. She nodded hard, her voice trembling slightly. "Yes... we're the champions."
As she spoke, she stole a glance at Wang Dong. He stood to one side with a faint smile, looking as calm as a gentle breeze beneath light clouds, as though winning this championship were only natural for him.
In truth, Wang Dong really did not think this championship was anything to get excited about. When all was said and done, the Freshman Assessment was merely a low-level match.
He had not transmigrated into this world just to develop step by step at Shrek Academy. He clearly remembered the Sun Moon Empire watching like a tiger eyeing its prey and the Holy Spirit Cult stirring restlessly. The tragedies of the original story flashed through his mind, scene after scene.
He had to grow stronger, strong enough to change those tragedies.
Huo Yuhao's breakthrough to her second ring was crucial. Once she awakened her Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion Martial Soul, her strength would undergo a qualitative leap.
He himself also needed to reach three rings as soon as possible. He planned to visit the Star Dou Great Forest, try his luck, and see whether he could find a suitable Soul Ring.
He also had another treasure land to visit: the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Perhaps that place would mark the beginning of a turning point in his fate.
The earlier an immortal herb was consumed, the greater its effects. It was not just Huo Yuhao who needed immortal herbs for her rise; he did too.
One of them, an immortal herb suited for tempering the body, would suit him very well... it was called the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.
The Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, which could purify bloodlines, was also a good choice.
However, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well of this era was somewhat dangerous. He needed to find a way to get there.
The award ceremony soon began. Team Wang Dong stood on the highest podium, receiving the attention and applause of the entire crowd.
The other two teams, who had picked up the spoils, stood beside them, grinning from ear to ear.
Even they had never expected it. They had originally entered the competition with the attitude that participation was what mattered, only to pick up the spoils all along the way and somehow end up as runner-up and third place.
P.S. A question suddenly occurred to me: the Emperor Auspicious Beast has Wang Dong's soul...
If they were to fall in love, how would that work...
Dating himself?
Before you continue