Below the stage, Dai Huabin's, Xie Huanyue's, and Ning Tian's teams stood together, their faces green.
All three teams had been widely recognized as favorites to win the championship, yet none had even made the top three.
Dai Huabin was still wrapped in bandages. Had Shrek Academy not brought in a Soul Douluo-ranked combat healing Soul Master, he would not even have been able to get up yet. Even so... his entire body still hurt.
His face ashen, he stared at the boy with long pinkish-blue hair on the stage, nearly grinding his teeth to pieces.
Why had heaven brought this Wang Dong into the world when it had already given birth to him, Dai Huabin?!!!!
Xie Huanyue took it a little better. He patted Dai Huabin's shoulder and sighed. "Stop dwelling on it. That guy is a monster. There's no shame in losing to him."
The three Soul Elders got along fairly well. They all came from great aristocratic clans and naturally belonged on the same side.
Ning Tian gave a bitter laugh as well. "True. His Clear Sky Hammer is far too outrageous. Those two teammates of mine couldn't even withstand a single blow."
Dai Huabin snorted coldly without speaking, clenched his fists, and turned to limp away.
After the awards ceremony ended, Yan Shaozhe personally approached the three members of Wang Dong's team and handed over an exquisite brocade box.
He opened the box. Inside lay a silver-white Soul Bone, quietly emitting a faint glow.
"This is the additional reward for the champions... the Void Spirit Demon Leopard Left Leg Bone." Yan Shaozhe looked at the three of them. "
There's no need for me to say much about the value of a Soul Bone. No matter what kind it is, every Soul Bone is an exceedingly rare treasure. This one can greatly improve its user's speed and agility. It's a very good Soul Bone.
Wang Dong glanced at the Soul Bone but inwardly shook his head. The Void Spirit Demon Leopard Left Leg Bone was indeed good, but for him, it was far too inferior.
He possessed the Golden Dragon King Bloodline and the Twin Martial Souls of the Clear Sky Hammer and Soft Bone Rabbit. This Soul Bone was simply unworthy of him. It did not even qualify as a normal Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone.
A Soul Master could absorb six Soul Bones, and Wang Dong was unwilling to waste this slot.
If he needed Soul Bones, the Clear Sky Sect could certainly find them for him.
Besides, he had long since made plans. The Soul Bones he needed were not of this caliber.
"I don't want it." Wang Dong shook his head. "This Soul Bone doesn't suit me."
Yan Shaozhe froze for a moment. "It doesn't suit you?"
"Mm." Wang Dong nodded without explaining further.
Huo Yuhao shook her head as well. "I don't need it either. My Martial Soul... isn't suited to this kind of speed-enhancing Soul Bone."
What she left unsaid was that the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm Martial Soul within her had no need for external things like this to improve her speed. Like Wang Dong, she already had a clear plan for her cultivation path.
Xiao Xiao stood to one side, staring fixedly at the Soul Bone.
When she heard that neither Wang Dong nor Huo Yuhao wanted it, she could hardly believe it. "You... neither of you wants it?"
"It's yours." Wang Dong looked at her and smiled. "You're a support-type Soul Master. Speed and agility are important to you. This Soul Bone is just right for you."
Xiao Xiao stood stunned for a long while before her eyes suddenly reddened. She looked at Wang Dong, then at Huo Yuhao, her voice catching. "You... you're really giving it to me?"
"Take it." Huo Yuhao smiled too. "You deserve it."
Xiao Xiao finally lost control. She threw her arms around Wang Dong and burst into tears. "Captain! You're so good to me! I'll definitely do my best to support you from now on!"
Her embrace caught Wang Dong somewhat off guard. He was just about to push her away when he noticed Huo Yuhao standing to one side with an odd expression, looking as though she wanted to say something but held back.
He suddenly felt that Huo Yuhao's expression seemed to be saying, Why are you repaying kindness with vengeance?
The next morning, the sun shone brightly. All the freshmen gathered in Freshman Square once again, a sea of bobbing heads amid a lively atmosphere.
Quite a few of Shrek Academy's senior figures were already standing on the raised platform directly ahead of the square.
Among them were Yan Shaozhe, dean of the Martial Soul Department, and Du Weilun, the director of studies. In a corner, an unremarkable-looking old man leaned against a pillar, holding a roast chicken and leisurely gnawing on it. It was none other than Xuan Zi.
The freshmen were all brimming with excitement, whispering among themselves.
"They're confirming our core disciple status today! I'm so nervous!"
"I heard core disciple privileges are amazing. Rare, special meals for free, plus all sorts of hidden benefits!"
"Most importantly, pretty much everyone who gets into the Inner Court is a core disciple. You almost never hear of anyone who isn't a core disciple getting in."
"Then we'd better do our best!"
As the championship team, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and Huo Yuhao naturally stood at the very front of the group.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao both looked relaxed. Only Huo Yuhao kept her head lowered, clutching the corners of her clothes in both hands, feeling uneasy.
The strength she showed on the surface was far too weak: rank nineteen Soul Power and a single Ten-Year Soul Ring. She was practically at the bottom among the freshmen.
Although she had won the championship alongside Wang Dong, she knew full well that, in the eyes of those senior figures, she might merely be dead weight basking in Wang Dong's reflected glory.
Wang Dong noticed her unease, tilted his head to glance at her, and asked quietly, "What's wrong?"
Huo Yuhao shook her head. "Nothing."
Wang Dong frowned but said nothing more. He could roughly guess what Huo Yuhao was worried about, and a faint sense of foreboding arose in his heart as well.
Du Weilun stepped onto the raised platform, cleared his throat, and began announcing the list.
"Those who performed outstandingly in this Freshman Assessment have, following the academy's evaluation, been confirmed as core disciples. The list is as follows...
He opened the booklet in his hands and read out the names one by one.
"Ning Tian, core disciple."
"Xie Huanyue, core disciple."
"Dai Huabin, core disciple."
A low murmur rose below the stage. All three were Soul Elder-ranked experts. Although their results in the competition had been poor, their Soul Power spoke for itself, so being named core disciples was only reasonable.
"Wang Dong, core disciple. Xiao Xiao, core disciple..."
Du Weilun paused, his gaze falling on Huo Yuhao. His delivery faltered slightly. "Huo Yuhao... will temporarily receive core disciple privileges."
For an instant, everyone below the stage fell silent, then a flurry of whispers broke out.
"Temporarily? What does that mean?"
"It means it's temporary, obviously. Not official."
"Why? Wasn't she on the championship team?"
"Her Soul Power is only rank nineteen. The academy probably thinks she doesn't qualify."
Huo Yuhao kept her head lowered, making her expression impossible to see. She clutched the corners of her clothes tightly, her fingertips turning faintly white. Although she had already had a premonition, when she actually heard the result, she still could not help feeling a pang of bitterness.
Standing in the crowd, Dai Huabin watched Huo Yuhao's appearance, a mocking smile curling his lips. Although he did not have official core disciple privileges, he was at least an official one. And Huo Yuhao?
"Temporarily" meant, bluntly put, that she was a temporary worker who could be kicked out at any moment.
Du Weilun closed the booklet and swept his gaze across those below the stage. "That concludes the list. If there are no objections, you may all disperse."
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