Freshman Assessment

Everyone in the classroom listened attentively. They had endured a thousand hardships to reach Shrek Academy. If they lost, they could only settle for a lesser academy, and becoming one of the continent's greatest experts would be countless times harder.

Zhou Yi said calmly, "There are fifty-eight students in our class, enough for nineteen teams with one person left over. I classified you according to your martial souls and, after careful analysis, assigned your teams. If you're dissatisfied, you can make changes after class, but once I submit the list tomorrow morning, no changes will be allowed. Otherwise, you'll bear the consequences."

"Song Qinghan!" Zhou Yi called sternly.

"Here!" A frail boy stood up.

Zhou Yi said, "Every homeroom teacher can nominate one student to pass the assessment directly. Based on my observations, you're better suited to training in the Soul Tool Department, so I've decided to give you that place. You now have two choices: go to the Soul Tool Department and continue your training, or pack your bags and leave!"

"Yes!" There was no disappointment on Song Qinghan's face. He had intended to join the Soul Tool Department all along.

Zhou Yi fell silent for a moment, her gaze lingering on Jiang Hai and Huo Yuhao before she said, "Jiang Hai, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, the three of you will form a team. Any objections?"

Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao stood up almost simultaneously. They had already planned to team up, never expecting Zhou Yi to arrange it that way as well. They exchanged a glance, each seeing the excitement in the other's eyes.

Jiang Hai, however, spoke up. "Teacher, I don't want to be on a team with those two."

Without question, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were strong. Wang Dong had already been a Soul Grandmaster before school began, and Huo Yuhao even had a million-year soul skill. They were unquestionably the best possible teammates. But what Jiang Hai wanted most was to hone his own strength. With those two beside him, Huo Yuhao's cheat-like skills would do nothing to help him sharpen his combat techniques.

Zhou Yi said, "I understand your concerns, but I've studied your martial soul as well. You don't necessarily have to develop toward the power attack system. You could also take a defense system role, which would prevent any overlap with Wang Dong."

Jiang Hai said, "I know, but I'd rather have teammates I'm more familiar with!"

Zhou Yi glanced at Jiang Hai. She had already been weighing whether to put the three of them together, and she had her own selfish considerations. With Huo Yuhao, Jiang Hai, and Wang Dong on one team, they would certainly take first place in the Freshman Assessment. In truth, however, their martial souls did not complement one another particularly well. Yes, Jiang Hai could become a defense system soul master, but that would be a complete waste of his talent. Wang Dong was also a promising seedling.

Zhou Yi nodded. "All right. Huo Yuhao, Xiao Xiao, and Wang Dong, you three will be Team One. Jiang Hai, you'll be with Sun Yunhai and Chen Yong in Team Two..."

Zhou Yi quickly finished assigning the teams. Apart from that initial objection, no one else protested.

And so Jiang Hai, Chen Yong, and Sun Yunhai became teammates.

Over the past three months, Chen Yong and Sun Yunhai had both made their breakthroughs and obtained their second soul rings. Nearly everyone on this team was already a Soul Grandmaster, with Jiang Hai the sole exception.

"Huo Yuhao, Xiao Xiao, Wang Dong, Jiang Hai, Chen Yong, and Sun Yunhai, stay behind. Everyone else, go prepare. The assessment officially starts tomorrow. I expect all nineteen of your teams to remain here after this assessment. If anyone ends up packing their bags and leaving, don't blame me for leaving you with a few unforgettable memories," Zhou Yi said calmly.

At those words, everyone's fighting spirit flared with murderous intensity.

After handing in the slips of paper listing their chosen training directions, the other students left one after another.

Once Zhou Yi had collected all the slips, she suddenly pulled out six and smiled. "You lot are quite interesting. Trying to put me in my place on purpose, are you? Three control system soul masters and three support system soul masters. Very amusing, isn't it?"

Although Zhou Yi was smiling, her gaze was as fierce as a lion's, exerting tremendous pressure.

"First, Huo Yuhao, Xiao Xiao, and Wang Dong, explain why all three of you chose to become control system soul masters. The competition starts tomorrow, and now you've decided to mess with me together? Although the rules limit each team to one power attack system member, they also require all three students to have different specializations. Huo Yuhao, you explain first. Your martial soul couldn't be better suited to support, so why did you choose control?" Zhou Yi asked coldly.

Huo Yuhao hurriedly said, "Teacher Zhou, my dream is to become a control system soul master who can oversee the entire battlefield. My Spirit Eyes martial soul lets me clearly perceive the situation on the battlefield, and my future soul skills can't all be support skills. I'll also add some control abilities. That's why I don't want to become a purely support system soul master. The control system suits me better!"

Zhou Yi nodded. "Strictly speaking, the control system does have better prospects than the support system. I'll grudgingly accept that explanation. Now, Wang Dong-I'm talking to you. What are you hiding for? Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao might have reasons for wanting to become control system soul masters, but can your Light Goddess Butterfly serve that role too?"

Wang Dong said sheepishly, "Attacks can restrict enemies too!"

Zhou Yi frowned. "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. I can understand wanting to stay with Huo Yuhao, but why are people getting more and more foolish? When have you ever seen power attack system soul masters separated from control system soul masters? Even once you reach First Year, power attack system soul masters train alongside control system soul masters. Change it back right now."

"Oh!" Wang Dong nodded meekly and took back her slip.

Then Zhou Yi turned to the other girl and asked, "Xiao Xiao, if I remember correctly, your martial soul is the Soul-Suppressing Cauldron, a tool martial soul. Isn't that a traditional support system martial soul?"

Xiao Xiao lowered her head bashfully. "Teacher, my martial soul isn't an ordinary Soul-Suppressing Cauldron. It's a mutated martial soul, the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron. It combines attack and support, and it can defend as well."

"Besides, I have another martial soul, and that one is a true control system martial soul!"

"You have twin martial souls?" Zhou Yi asked, momentarily stunned.

Twin martial souls were an extraordinary talent, generally appearing in people whose parents possessed equally powerful martial souls. They were born with one more martial soul than everyone else and could attach an additional soul ring. By level 90, they could have nine extra soul rings. How powerful was such a talent? Tang San had possessed twin martial souls, but even at Shrek Academy, they were incredibly rare. Had they really just encountered someone with them?

Apart from Jiang Hai, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and the others also looked at Xiao Xiao curiously.

Zhou Yi suppressed her shock and nodded. "That makes sense, then. One power attack system member and two control system members-that combination is acceptable, and you can continue training together in the future. Now, that leaves you three. I won't ask you one by one. They have support martial souls but want to become control system soul masters, while you three, aside from Sun Yunhai's somewhat ambiguous specialization, are pure power attack system types, aren't you? Why become support system soul masters? Don't you know support system soul masters are the weakest? Jiang Hai, explain. I know Sun Yunhai and Chen Yong both follow your lead. You're behind this little stunt of theirs too, aren't you?"

Sun Yunhai and Chen Yong lowered their heads in embarrassment, but Jiang Hai said, "That's right. All three of us have chosen the support system, but that doesn't mean we can't train in the power attack system. Think about it, Teacher Zhou. When we fight someone in the future and introduce ourselves, what if all three of us say we're support system soul masters? What would their first reaction be? Then we swarm them, catch them off guard, and win through surprise!"

The corner of Zhou Yi's mouth twitched. A scene surfaced in her mind: two teams facing off in the arena, with every member of one side introducing themselves as a support system soul master.

"And that's not all. We can lie about our martial souls and soul power too. I really don't understand it. Before matches, plenty of senior students seem desperate to announce even their ID numbers. Isn't that stupid? If I say I'm a support system soul master, then the moment someone sees my martial soul, they'll instinctively start thinking about my support abilities. They'll try to counter those abilities during the fight, when I'm actually a power attack system soul master..." Jiang Hai continued.

In the past, watching both sides introduce themselves before soul fighting on the Douluo Continent had made Jiang Hai's blood boil with excitement. But now, the more he thought about it, the more foolish it seemed. Besides, with such a perfect opportunity, why not play the pig to devour the tiger?

Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and even Zhou Yi felt a shadow cross their foreheads. Jiang Hai seemed to be calling them stupid.

Sun Yunhai and Chen Yong, on the other hand, were already used to Jiang Hai's wild flights of fancy. He could use a color-changing soul skill like Seven-Colored Cloud Illusion to simulate transformations, so what was a little lie during introductions?

Wang Dong felt that Jiang Hai's words ran completely counter to everything she had been taught growing up, and she could not help arguing, "Duels between soul masters are supposed to be open and honorable. Isn't that far too underhanded? Even if you win, it wouldn't be fair!"

"Death is fair!" Jiang Hai said flatly. Little girl, you have no idea how treacherous the world is!

Zhou Yi rubbed her brow. "Jiang Hai, your idea has merit. On the battlefield, you should use every means available to survive. But fights between students are supposed to put friendship first and competition second. This behavior violates the principles of the soul master world, and many people would criticize you for it. Of course, once you leave, you can do that, but the academy won't allow it!"

Jiang Hai said, "In that case, Shrek Academy is a little disappointing. Are all the other soul masters outside the academy innocent, kind little darlings? If they never experience the world's brutal beatings, isn't Shrek Academy still raising flowers in a greenhouse?"

If the soul master world really allowed people to act openly and honorably, I wouldn't feel so hopeless about this world! Jiang Hai did not voice that last thought.

Zhou Yi fell silent for a moment, then said, "Fine. I'll register all of you as support system soul masters, but whatever problems arise afterward will be yours to bear. Go back and work hard. My goal for the others is to pass the assessment, but for your two teams, if you fail to place in the top three, whoever held the team back had better remember this: reaching First Year doesn't mean you can escape the palm of my hand. Whatever else happens, I'm still a teacher at Shrek Academy..."

"Yes, understood!"