Freshman Assessment

Everyone in Class One listened to Wang Yan. Instead of cultivating, they rested well for a night, conserving their strength for the upcoming Freshman Assessment.

But the assessment proceeded nothing like anyone had imagined.

They had expected to step straight into the ring and fight that morning, only to be hard-locked in the assessment area for the entire morning by Dean Yan's speech.

By the time he reluctantly finished speaking, Huo Yutong thought Xiao Xiao looked a little dead.

"Yu Tong, why do you think the academy's higher-ups love talking so much..."

The petite girl hung from Huo Yutong's neck, a sloth through and through.

After learning how incredibly strong Huo Yutong was, Xiao Xiao had developed a particular fondness for dangling from her best friend whenever she had nothing to do.

Hehe, Yu Tong feels so cool. So comfy...

"All right, come down already."

Somewhat helplessly, Huo Yutong patted the back of Xiao Xiao's hand where it rested against her collarbone, signaling for her to get down.

"Let's go find Wang Dong first."

"We can discuss our battle plan and grab something to eat."

"Do we really need to discuss a battle plan..."

Xiao Xiao seemed utterly unconcerned. She pursed her lips.

"With our team's strength, plus your Spiritual Detection Sharing, why would we need to practice coordinating beforehand?"

"As long as we don't run into El, we can steamroll everyone else!"

She had considerable confidence in her team's strength.

As Huo Yutong's best friend and roommate, she had naturally already experienced her Soul Skills-the disguised, made-up versions.

Both Spiritual Detection Sharing and Simulation had left her utterly awestruck!

Especially Spiritual Detection Sharing!

With that skill, the three members of their team would not even need to practice together beforehand. They could instantly become perfectly coordinated partners.

"Better to play it safe."

Huo Yutong caught Xiao Xiao by the back of her collar, lifted her gently, then set her on the ground.

"Hey! There you two are!"

A familiar voice rang out.

Both girls turned to find a black-haired, red-eyed boy waving at them.

It was none other than El, who had been nowhere to be seen all morning.

Half a step behind him followed their teammate-Wang Dong.

"El!"

A gleam flashed through Huo Yutong's eyes. She promptly abandoned Xiao Xiao and jogged toward El.

"Where did you go this morning? Why didn't I see you?"

Considering that their classmates were all around them, and that El was a prominent figure himself, Huo Yutong resisted the urge to throw herself straight into his arms. She merely rushed up to him and gripped a corner of his clothes.

"Back to the dorm to sleep, obviously."

El curled his lip.

"Who wants to listen to Dean Yan's interminable pile of drivel..."

Ordinary students couldn't escape, but couldn't he, the Radiant Dragon King?

He had that power!

"Hey, Yu Tong, aren't you forgetting your friends a little too eagerly at the sight of a pretty face?"

After laboriously squeezing past the students who were whispering among themselves and gawking as though at rare animals, Xiao Xiao finally returned to Huo Yutong's side.

She gave Huo Yutong's shoulder an exasperated pat.

"Let's not stay here. We're about to become rare Soul Beasts on display."

With El and Wang Dong-the two who could arguably be called the outer court's best-looking boys-standing there, more and more of the girls who had yet to disperse gathered around.

Those shining eyes gave even Xiao Xiao, who had been caught in the crossfire, goosebumps.

"Xiao Xiao's right."

Huo Yutong paused, then quickly came to her senses.

"Let's find somewhere a little quieter first."

There were too many girls around!

She pulled El through the crowd, with Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong following behind, and jogged all the way to the shore of Sea God Lake.

It was only noon, and hardly anyone was around here.

"We finally got out. El, you really are popular."

Xiao Xiao patted her little chest, speaking between breaths with a trace of lingering apprehension.

They had only managed it because they ran fast, and because El's fearsome reputation for thrashing Zhou Yi left those girls uncertain of his attitude.

That was how they had escaped so smoothly.

If they had stayed just a little longer, and one bolder girl had taken the lead in charging at El...

At the thought of that scene, Xiao Xiao gave a violent shudder.

Meanwhile, Wang Dong'er, who had remained silent and simply observed, twitched the corner of her mouth.

What charm did this guy with his awful personality have to deserve such adoration from those girls?

Hmph, a bunch of shallow women!

She, Wang Dong'er, would never fall for someone just because of their looks!

After shooting El an irritated look, Wang Dong'er turned away and nodded at Xiao Xiao and Huo Yutong. Her tone was fairly amicable, though traces of arrogance still lingered in her expression.

"Hello, I'm Wang Dong."

She took the initiative to extend her hand to Huo Yutong and Xiao Xiao.

Both girls responded in turn.

"I'm Xiao Xiao, class monitor."

"Huo Yutong."

Compared with the beaming Xiao Xiao, Huo Yutong appeared rather composed.

Naturally, both of them knew Wang Dong.

After all, before El and Huo Yutong had joined Freshman Class One, Wang Dong had been its strongest student and had also been appointed class monitor by Zhou Yi.

Coupled with that handsome face, it was only natural that Xiao Xiao, a sucker for good looks, had paid attention to her.

As for Huo Yutong, it was simply because Wang Dong was El's roommate.

"We're teammates who'll be charging toward the championship together, after all. Let's each give a proper introduction."

Xiao Xiao extended her hand first, holding it palm-down between the three of them.

"I'm Xiao Xiao. My Soul Power is rank 24, and my Martial Soul is the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron."

Although everyone in Class One had introduced themselves in Wang Yan's class, Xiao Xiao did not think they would all remember everyone else's rank and Martial Soul.

Their Soul Skills, meanwhile, had only been demonstrated to Wang Yan individually. In truth, the students did not know what one another's Soul Skills were.

Especially Huo Yutong, who had devoted her entire heart and mind to El!

Xiao Xiao did not believe for a moment that she would pay attention to anyone besides El.

But that was merely her assumption. Besides El, little Miss Huo had actually been keeping an eye on someone else all along...

"Huo Yutong. Soul Power rank 28. Martial Soul: Spirit Eyes, Mental Attribute."

Seeing her best friend take the lead, Huo Yutong followed closely behind, placing her hand atop Xiao Xiao's small one.

"I'm Wang Dong. My Soul Power is also rank 28, and my Martial Soul is the Light... Light Goddess Butterfly."

When Wang Dong'er's turn came, her eyes visibly flickered with a hint of awkwardness.

Still, she placed her hand atop theirs as well.

The three girls' hands were stacked together.

"Great! That's the spirit!"

Xiao Xiao spoke happily.

"We're going for the championship!!"

"Hey, hey, I'm still here."

El tapped Xiao Xiao's forehead in exasperation.

"Get past me first, then talk about the championship."

"Aren't you supposed to be in a league of your own, El?"

A question mark practically popped up over Xiao Xiao's head.

No matter how she thought about it, someone as strong as El should not be ranked alongside them, right?

"I am in a league of my own, but as for the specifics... you'll find out when the time comes."

El laughed it off.

After discussing it with Yan Shaozhe, he had decided to leave the announcement of his arrangements until the final eight had been determined.

A little surprise for his fellow students.

Meanwhile, Huo Yutong had not noticed the exchange between her best friend and El.

Within her Sea of Consciousness, the Water Dragon King, who had just woken up, wore a somewhat strange expression.

"The Light Goddess Butterfly..."

"What's wrong, Mom?"

Huo Yutong asked in confusion.

"No, nothing."

The Water Dragon King shook her head and said nothing more.

She concealed the fact that El's roommate was actually a girl.

After all, was she supposed to give up her fun just because the other party was her successor, her daughter?

That was how a useless dragon thought!

So this is how His Highness Huang feels...

Recalling a certain fun-loving dragon, the Water Dragon King's lips curved into a smile she could not suppress.

She was already looking forward to it.

Afternoon soon arrived.

Huo Yutong's trio also met their first opponents in Division 33.

"Round one, match one of the assessment. Freshman Class One: Huo Yutong, Xiao Xiao, Wang Dong! Freshman Class Three: Ouyang Junyi, Chen Junfeng, Zhao Haochen!"

Wang Yan, who happened to have been assigned as the referee for this match, adjusted his glasses. Once both sides had taken their positions, he made the announcement with an indescribable sense of anticipation.

"Begin the assessment!"