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 acknowledged 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 called in a Soul Douluo-level healing Soul Master, he would not even have been able to get up yet. Even so... his entire body still ached.
His face livid, he stared at the boy with long pink-and-blue hair on the stage, grinding his teeth so hard they nearly shattered.
Since heaven had brought me, Dai Huabin, into this world, why did it have to bring Wang Dong into it too?!
Xie Huanyue took it somewhat better. He patted Dai Huabin's shoulder and sighed. "Stop dwelling on it. That guy's a monster. There's no shame in losing to him."
The three Soul Elders got along fairly well. They all came from powerful clans and naturally belonged to the same camp.
Ning Tian gave a bitter smile as well. "Exactly. His Clear Sky Hammer is absurdly powerful. Neither of my teammates could withstand even a single blow."
Dai Huabin snorted coldly without a word, clenched his fists, then turned and limped away.
After the awards ceremony ended, Yan Shaozhe personally approached the three members of Wang Dong's team and handed them an exquisite brocade box.
He opened the box. Inside lay a silvery-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.
"I need not explain the value of a soul bone. Every soul bone, regardless of its type, is an exceedingly rare treasure. This one can greatly improve its user's speed and agility. It's quite a fine 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 one of those slots.
If he needed a soul bone, the Clear Sky Sect could easily find one for him.
Besides, he already had a plan in mind. The soul bones he needed were far beyond this level.
"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?"
"Right." Wang Dong nodded without elaborating.
Huo Yuhao shook his head too. "I don't need it either. My martial soul... isn't suited to this sort of speed-enhancing soul bone."
What he left unsaid was that the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm martial soul within him had no need for such external objects to improve his speed. Like Wang Dong, he already had a clear plan for his cultivation.
Xiao Xiao stood beside them, staring at the soul bone with wide eyes.
When she heard that neither Wang Dong nor Huo Yuhao wanted it, she could hardly believe her ears. "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 remained stunned for a long while, then her eyes suddenly reddened. She looked at Wang Dong, then at Huo Yuhao, her voice choked with emotion. "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 wonderful! I'll definitely do my best to support you from now on!"
Caught off guard by her embrace, Wang Dong was about to push her away when he noticed Huo Yuhao standing beside them with a peculiar expression, looking as though he wanted to say something but held back.
Suddenly, he felt as though Huo Yuhao's expression was saying, Why are you repaying kindness with betrayal?
The next morning dawned bright and sunny. All the freshmen gathered once again in Freshman Square, 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 at the front 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, leisurely gnawing on a roast chicken he held in one hand. 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 hear core disciples get amazing privileges. Rare, nourishing meals for free, and all sorts of hidden benefits!"
"Most importantly, almost everyone who enters the Inner Court is a core disciple. You hardly ever hear of anyone getting in without being one."
"Then we'd better put on a good showing!"
As the championship team, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and Huo Yuhao naturally stood at the very front.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao both looked relaxed. Huo Yuhao alone kept his head lowered, his hands gripping the hem of his clothes as unease churned inside him.
His publicly known strength was far too weak: rank nineteen soul power and a single ten-year soul ring. He was practically at the bottom among the freshmen.
Although he had won the championship alongside Wang Dong, he knew perfectly well that, in the eyes of those senior figures, he might be nothing more than dead weight basking in Wang Dong's reflected glory.
Wang Dong noticed his unease, turned to glance at him, and asked quietly, "What's wrong?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "Nothing."
Wang Dong frowned but said nothing more. He could more or less guess what Huo Yuhao was worried about, and a faint sense of foreboding stirred within him as well.
Du Weilun stepped onto the platform, cleared his throat, and began announcing the list.
"Following the academy's evaluation, those who performed exceptionally well in this Freshman Assessment have 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-level experts. Though their competition results had been poor, their soul power spoke for itself, so their selection as core disciples was only reasonable.
"Wang Dong, core disciple. Xiao Xiao, core disciple..."
Du Weilun paused, his gaze settling on Huo Yuhao, and his voice briefly faltered. "Huo Yuhao... will temporarily receive core disciple privileges."
The crowd fell silent for an instant before hushed whispers broke out.
"Temporarily? What does that mean?"
"It means it's temporary. He's not an official core disciple."
"Why? Wasn't he on the championship team?"
"His soul power is only rank nineteen. The academy probably thinks he doesn't qualify."
Huo Yuhao kept his head lowered, hiding his expression. He tightened his grip on his clothes, his fingertips turning slightly white. Though he had already suspected this might happen, hearing the result still filled his heart with a bitter ache.
Standing in the crowd, Dai Huabin watched Huo Yuhao and curled his lips into a mocking smile. Though he did not have official core disciple privileges, at least his status was official. And Huo Yuhao?
Temporary privileges-put plainly, he was just a temporary worker who could be kicked out at any moment.
Du Weilun closed the booklet and swept his gaze over the crowd. "That concludes the announcement. If there are no objections, you may all disperse."
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