Before long, the next day arrived.
Shrek Academy's Assessment Zone lay in the north-central part of the Martial Soul Department, adjacent to the Soul Fighting Zone. Compared with the Soul Fighting Zone, the Assessment Zone was much larger.
For the students of Shrek Academy's outer academy, this was the best place for outstanding students to show what they could do, but it was also hell for those with weaker cultivation. Every year, large numbers of students were eliminated through the assessments.
The Assessment Zone was oval-shaped. Unlike the Soul Fighting Zone, which resembled an enclosed stadium, it was an open stretch of ground.
A low wall surrounded it, while partitions divided the interior into individual areas. These partitions could be dismantled at any time to change the size of the areas.
Every year's Freshman Assessment took place when the Assessment Zone was divided into the greatest number of areas. This was not only because there were so many freshmen, but also because their destructive power and attack range were limited. They did not need much space to display their abilities.
The entire Assessment Zone covered roughly twenty thousand square meters. At present, it had been divided into fifty areas, each approximately four hundred square meters-a square with sides twenty meters long. For freshmen whose cultivation generally amounted to only one or two rings, this was enough.
Today was the first day of the assessment. To give the freshmen time to adjust, each group only had to complete one match before finishing for the day.
The academy had dispatched fifty teachers to handle assessment registration in the fifty areas. Apart from Freshman Class One, taught by Zhou Yi, which had only twenty groups after she expelled nearly half its students, the other classes generally had more than thirty groups.
Unless a freshman committed a serious violation of school rules, the teachers of the freshman classes generally would not eliminate students lightly before the Freshman Assessment. They had to give them a chance to take the assessment.
In the end, more than three hundred groups, totaling over nine hundred students, participated in the Freshman Assessment. Of those three hundred-plus groups, only one hundred and fifty would ultimately remain and officially become first-year students, continuing their studies.
At Shrek Academy, a portion of the students would be eliminated every year, from the second year through the third. The competition was undoubtedly fierce and cruel.
But precisely because of this, the tense atmosphere could push students to work harder and draw out more of their potential, selecting the truly finest geniuses and allowing Shrek Academy to flourish for ten thousand years without decline.
Fifty areas were used for the Freshman Assessment, meaning that each area was assigned six or seven student teams.
They would compete in the same area not only today, but tomorrow as well. Once every team had faced all the others, they would be regrouped, eventually completing ten matches per team.
Nezha's trio had been assigned to Zone Seven. Students from the other classes competing there had already arrived, and every team participating in Zone Seven looked utterly dumbfounded when they saw Nezha.
"That's... Nezha!!"
"Heavens, how could our luck be this bad? We're actually in the same area as Nezha."
Indeed, word had long since spread about Nezha single-handedly taking on all the boys in his class and beating the third-year senior Xu Sanshi senseless.
What freshman did not recognize Nezha? That Fire-Tipped Spear and those two buns made from his black hair had practically become the most unmistakable symbols of this year's freshmen.
Just as these students were wailing over their fate, the Freshman Assessment began.
"Attention, all freshmen. Please enter the Assessment Zone immediately and prepare for the Freshman Assessment. You have ten minutes left to enter. Anyone arriving late will be considered to have forfeited this assessment match."
The teacher responsible for their area was a man who looked to be under thirty. His face was stern and his gaze sharp; one look was enough to sense his authority as a teacher.
He swept his gaze over the teams assembled in the area and cleared his throat.
"We have six groups of students taking the assessment here. Since everyone is present, let's not waste your time. However, I must announce beforehand that injuring or crippling your opponents is forbidden during the assessment. Anyone who does so will immediately be disqualified."
His tone was stern, and the freshmen obediently nodded as soon as they heard it. After all, none of them wanted to be disqualified over this. Wouldn't that amount to being eliminated outright?
"First round, first assessment match. Freshman Class Seven: Ye Hei, Bai Linbin, Feng Bao'er."
"Freshman Class Nine: Nezha, Ning Tian, Nanmen Yun'er."
"You may enter the field. Take your positions in opposite corners."
Nezha's trio entered the field and stood in one corner. Ning Tian stood at his side, her long platinum-blond hair falling behind her shoulders. Nanmen Yun'er stood on his other side, her short ponytail swaying gently. She clasped her hands in front of herself and licked her lips a little nervously.
The three across from them looked at one another, then at the Fire-Tipped Spear Nezha had brought out. The expressions on their faces were quite a sight.
The boy leading them, Ye Hei, and his two teammates swallowed. After hesitating for less than a breath, all three raised their hands in unison.
"Teacher, we concede."
Clean and decisive, without the slightest dragging of their feet.
The referee had evidently seen plenty of scenes like this. He nodded expressionlessly. "Nezha's team wins."
"You're giving up already? Not even going to fight?" Nezha stood there looking speechless, the spear shaft resting lazily on his shoulder. At the announcement, he tilted his head, his tone carrying a hint of lingering disappointment. "I wanted to see whether I'd improved lately."
Ning Tian smiled and patted him, her azure eyes curving. "All right, since they've conceded, let's leave the field."
Nanmen Yun'er followed behind with excited little skips, her short ponytail swinging back and forth. Her small face was full of the delight of someone who had stumbled into a bargain. Winning without lifting a finger felt great.
The first round of the Freshman Assessment soon ended. Today's assessment was mainly intended to help the freshmen adapt to this combat-based assessment format.
Tomorrow, the frequency of the assessments would increase sharply, with two rounds each in the morning and afternoon, for a total of four rounds. On the third day, every team would undergo five rounds of assessment. The entire Freshman Assessment lasted only three days.
This tested not only the students' practical combat abilities, but also their ability to endure prolonged fighting.
Of course, that applied to the other participating teams. For Nezha, it was simply a matter of going through the motions.
What freshman at Shrek Academy did not know Nezha's fearsome reputation? Unless they had masochistic tendencies, probably no one wanted to fight his trio.
After all, this was a Round-Robin Tournament. They did not need to win every match to advance. Better to preserve their strength and save their stamina and soul power for the other soft persimmons ripe for squeezing.
As a result, in stark contrast to the other exhausted freshman teams, Nezha's trio achieved a perfect record without even making a move.
Every match consisted of their opponents immediately conceding, the referee declaring their victory, and the three turning around and leaving the field.
Ning Tian even brought a book to read. Nanmen Yun'er sat beside her munching melon seeds, while Nezha dozed against the back of his chair, occasionally waking to ask, "Is it over?"
After three days of tense assessments, the Freshman Assessment was essentially over. Those with weak abilities could already pack their bags and prepare to go home.
For the students who had advanced, the goal was no longer to secure their place at Shrek Academy, but to earn a better ranking and the status of a core disciple.
After the Round-Robin Tournament ended, there was a day of rest, both to let the contestants recover their stamina and to allow the eliminated students to pack their bags and leave the academy.
A day later, the knockout stage for the Top 64 teams in the Freshman Assessment began.
Before you continue