Yan Shaozhe swept a casual glance over the assessment area, his gaze lingering on Jiang Hai for a moment before he said, "I know everything that happened today. Jiang Hai is not an Evil Soul Master. That is beyond question. As for how this should be handled, we'll go with what Weilun said!"
"Liu Cheng will be suspended for one year, stripped of his Intermediate Teacher Qualification, and deprived of all benefits afforded to teachers at Shrek Academy!"
Yan Shaozhe looked at Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin and smiled. "As for Dai Huabin, Yueheng, the education at your White Tiger Duke's Mansion seems to have slipped. Soul Power is one thing, but you must also learn how to conduct yourselves. Otherwise, I fear you may stray onto an evil path one day. As an Inner Court disciple, you should know something about this. Soul Masters with evil martial souls aren't the only ones who become Evil Soul Masters. Those with crooked hearts can become Evil Soul Masters too!"
"Yes, I will remember that. Thank you for your guidance, Dean. Once we return, I will make sure to discipline my younger brother!" Dai Yueheng said with the utmost respect.
In the Star Luo Empire, the White Tiger Duke's Mansion stood second only to the imperial family, but compared with Shrek Academy, it was hardly worth mentioning.
"Then that's settled. Everyone may leave!" Yan Shaozhe nodded.
At that moment, however, Zhang Lexuan stepped forward. Looking at the two brothers, Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin, she said coolly, "The White Tiger Duke has deep pockets. The Soul Bone given to Jiang Hai as compensation must be at least thirty thousand years old, or this matter won't be over!"
Ma Xiaotao sounded displeased. "How could thirty thousand years be enough? In my opinion, it would take a Soul Bone at least fifty thousand years old to compensate my junior brother for the damage to his reputation."
"What do you think Soul Bones are? Something you can find lying on every street?" Dai Huabin demanded angrily.
"Shut up!" Dai Yueheng snapped coldly, then looked at Yan Shaozhe.
Yan Shaozhe smiled and shook his head. "Fifty thousand years is indeed a little excessive. But if I remember correctly, the White Tiger Duke's Mansion has a forty-thousand-year-old White Tiger Left Arm Bone, doesn't it? That one will do! Have it delivered in three days. As for the one million gold coins, Shrek Academy isn't short of that little bit of money. We can waive it!"
Dai Yueheng's expression darkened. "Understood. Within three days, I'll have someone deliver that Soul Bone into Junior Jiang Hai's hands!"
Then a smile appeared on Dai Yueheng's face, and he said to Jiang Hai, "Junior Jiang Hai, once again, I apologize on behalf of this disappointing brother of mine. With your talent, we should meet again in the Inner Court very soon. I look forward to the day we fight side by side!"
"You're too kind!" Jiang Hai replied.
"Then we'll take our leave!" Dai Yueheng said.
Once they left the assessment area, Dai Huabin finally lost his restraint and demanded, "What right did you have to promise my Soul Bone to that lowborn scum?"
Yes, his Soul Bone. Given his talent, that forty-thousand-year-old White Tiger Left Arm Bone would surely have belonged to him in the future.
"Shut up!" Dai Yueheng's face was thunderous. He slapped Dai Huabin across the face, the tremendous force sending him flying.
Half of Dai Huabin's face swelled up, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, yet a vicious glint flashed in his eyes.
Dai Yueheng hauled Dai Huabin up, his large hand clamping tightly around his brother's throat. "If you hadn't been such an idiot, would I have had to bow and scrape before them? Has Mother's pampering gone to your head while Father's away?"
"You're not the White Tiger Duke yet, but even if you were, once you offended Shrek Academy, even the White Tiger Duke couldn't save you!"
"If Shrek Academy hadn't retained some affection for the ancestors of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, do you think you could still stay here? Without Shrek Academy's approval, forget a mere White Tiger Duke-even the crown princes of the three great empires couldn't ascend the throne."
"And... more importantly, you nearly made an incredibly powerful enemy for the White Tiger Duke!"
"An enemy? That lowborn scum? Is he even worthy?" Dai Huabin coughed, his voice full of disdain.
Dai Yueheng sneered. "Lowborn scum? That lowborn scum made you use your Martial Soul Fusion Skill and still crushed you utterly. That lowborn scum has the support of two of the Inner Court's greatest talents! If you don't understand the weight Ma Xiaotao and Zhang Lexuan carry, I can tell you!"
"Ma Xiaotao is only twenty, yet she already has six Soul Rings. They say her Soul Power has reached level 70, and she can hunt a soul beast and obtain her Seventh Soul Ring at any time. Zhang Lexuan is the foremost disciple of the Inner Court, and her strength rivals even an ordinary Titled Douluo's. Even I must respectfully address her as Senior Sister when I see her. Both of them are certain to become senior leaders of Shrek Academy in the future. Zhang Lexuan is even fully qualified to become the master of the Sea God Pavilion!"
"With those two protecting him, even a pig would be far beyond someone you could afford to offend. And this person might even become Dean Yan's disciple! Didn't you see how Dean Yan favored him?"
Dai Yueheng drew a deep breath. "If this had been a struggle over interests, with something to gain, I could understand offending someone. But if it's merely because of your stupidity, then sooner or later, the White Tiger Duke's Mansion will fall at your hands!"
"I'll write to Father about what happened today. You'd better look out for yourself..."
Dai Yueheng tossed Dai Huabin aside and spoke flatly as he walked away.
Watching Dai Yueheng's retreating back, Dai Huabin's eyes flashed with resentment. He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and sneered. "You just want me to give up the White Tiger Duke's title, don't you? Why put on an act? Cough, cough..."
Jiang Hai had little interest in the affairs of the two Dai brothers. He had already arrived at the School Infirmary. Blood vessels in his arm had ruptured in several places, and with another match that afternoon, he needed treatment from a healing-type Soul Master to recover quickly.
He had to admit that the Dai Family's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Hell White Tiger, was far more powerful than he had imagined. Had he not used Borrow Strength on Ma Xiaotao, he truly would have been no match for it.
Ma Xiaotao had spent long periods cultivating inside the Golden Coffin to suppress her evil fire, and Jiang Hai's martial soul had become imbued with her aura. As long as they weren't too far apart, he could borrow a portion of her power.
An azure butterfly appeared in the hand of a gentle female teacher dressed in white. It fluttered around Jiang Hai's arm, scattering tiny motes of green light that sank into his flesh. The ruptured blood vessels rapidly healed.
A little over ten minutes later, Yu Die withdrew her martial soul, Green Leaf Butterfly, and smiled gently. "All done. Your injuries weren't serious, and your constitution is excellent. Go back, wash off the blood, and rest for a while. You should be fine."
"All right. Thank you, Teacher!" Jiang Hai thanked her and left the School Infirmary.
Only then did Chen Yong breathe a sigh of relief. He asked curiously, "Boss, aside from Sister Xiaotao, who was that senior sister in the white dress who stood up for you today? She was so imposing! Even Dai Huabin's older brother seemed afraid of her. Without her, you wouldn't have gotten a forty-thousand-year-old Soul Bone. That's a Soul Bone, and a forty-thousand-year-old one at that! Seeing Dai Huabin's bitter expression was so satisfying!"
"That was Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan, the foremost disciple of the Inner Court, our senior sister, and an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo. You could also call her the person who set me on my path!" Jiang Hai said.
Zhang Lexuan had presided over the awakening of Jiang Hai's martial soul. It could be said that without her, he might never have become who he was today.
"Our senior sister!" Chen Yong exclaimed. "Boss, you're getting harder and harder to figure out. I used to think you just had incredible strength and talent, but now it looks like you've got some serious backing too. With two great Inner Court senior sisters looking out for you, nobody would dare bully you!"
Jiang Hai said calmly, "Once you're strong enough, no one will be able to bully you either. Come on. Let's go back and prepare properly. This afternoon's match won't necessarily be easier than this morning's. For you two, it might be even harder!"
Sun Yunhai asked curiously, "Because of Huo Yuhao?"
They were a team from the same class, after all, and he had been keeping an eye on Huo Yuhao and the others.
Jiang Hai nodded. "Huo Yuhao's Soul Skills are very unusual: Spiritual Detection and Spiritual Sharing. With those two skills in play, your Seven-Colored Cloud Illusion won't be of much use!"
Sun Yunhai's Seven-Colored Cloud Illusion was arguably the Soul Skill with the greatest potential Jiang Hai had ever seen, but its strengths and weaknesses were both glaringly obvious. Mental-type and fire-type martial souls alike countered his abilities extremely well.
Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection and Spiritual Sharing were an especially perfect counter to Sun Yunhai.
Aside from Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, who possessed twin martial souls, would also be difficult to handle.
Moreover, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had a Martial Soul Fusion Skill too. All things considered, their team wasn't necessarily weaker than Dai Huabin's.
Sun Yunhai nodded solemnly. Having come this far, they didn't want to give up the championship at the final hurdle, even if their opponents were Huo Yuhao and his teammates.
The sight of Jiang Hai subduing the white tiger with a single coffin kept replaying in his mind. Others might marvel at Jiang Hai's strength, but he and Chen Yong had been struck even more deeply by the loneliness Jiang Hai had displayed at that moment.
If the two of them had done a little better and eliminated Zhu Lu first, there would have been no Martial Soul Fusion Skill afterward. Jiang Hai wouldn't have been so alone, forced to face a powerful enemy by himself.
Their self-reproach became fuel for their desire to grow stronger. Once they returned, both began cultivating, racing against every passing moment. Even becoming the slightest bit stronger would be better.
After lunch, the three of them gathered at the assessment grounds again that afternoon.
The assessment area was quiet. Aside from Huo Yuhao and his teammates, there were no other students watching. On the raised platform where the teachers gathered, however, almost every teacher without a class to teach had arrived.
It was the freshmen's final, after all. The performances that morning had been spectacular enough. Though they didn't expect the afternoon's match to outshine them, they had still come.
After all, this was the final. Perhaps it would hold some unexpected surprises for them!
Seeing Jiang Hai and his teammates arrive, Huo Yuhao approached with Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao. After a day of competition, Xiao Xiao had recovered as well.
"Brother Jiang, thank you!" Huo Yuhao said gratefully.
Jiang Hai knew what Huo Yuhao meant. He shook his head and smiled. "No need to thank me. I thought you might blame me for not leaving you a chance. After all, cutting down your enemy with your own hands would feel even better!"
"Brother Jiang, you... knew I had a grudge against Dai Huabin?" Huo Yuhao asked, deeply shaken. He glanced at Wang Dong. She was the only person he had told about his past.
Jiang Hai laughed heartily. "I didn't. I guessed. The way you looked at Dai Huabin this morning, you were practically ready to devour him. I'm not blind. It would've been ridiculous if I couldn't figure it out."
Wang Dong gave an angry huff, then looked at Jiang Hai with a strange expression. "You really are a complete monster. But we won't necessarily lose today, you know. Just wait. We've got a big surprise for you."
"A surprise?" Jiang Hai smiled curiously. "Don't tell me it's a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"
The expression on Wang Dong's face slowly froze.
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