"How did you know?" Wang Dong asked, her face full of disbelief. Could it have been Teacher Zhou? But surely Teacher Zhou wouldn't have told him!?
A moment later, she understood.
"So you really do have one?" Jiang Hai asked in surprise.
"You were bluffing me?" Wang Dong bristled, waving her arms as she said indignantly, "I knew you were no good! You're clearly so strong, yet you play the pig to eat the tiger, using schemes and tricks against your opponents!"
Jiang Hai smiled faintly. "What do you mean, schemes? That's called strategy. First there was a Soul Elder from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, then there were girls with a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Without a little strategy, winning might not have been a problem, but why waste all that mental effort? Should I be like you blockheads, battering your way through every match? How exhausting! And look at poor Xiao Xiao. You wore her out so badly that she's only just recovered."
Xiao Xiao clenched her fists and protested, "I wasn't tired! Besides, we're a team. We won't admit defeat!"
Only then did she look suspiciously at Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao and demand loudly, "You two, confess! When did you hook up?"
Wang Dong blushed, while Huo Yuhao said irritably, "Xiao Xiao, could you stop making it sound so awful? What do you mean, we hooked up?"
Wang Dong chimed in, "Exactly! If you don't know how to talk, little girl, keep your mouth shut. I haven't hooked up with this guy!"
Xiao Xiao smiled mischievously. "You're already practicing a Martial Soul Fusion Skill together, and you still say you haven't hooked up? Wang Dong, no wonder you don't care about all those people chasing you. So it's the class monitor you like! Well, I wish you a hundred years of happiness together!"
Wang Dong said, "You little brat, what a sharp tongue! Just watch what I do to you..."
"Ahahaha! Class monitor, save me!"
Perhaps because the final was an internal battle between classmates, the atmosphere was far more relaxed.
Up in the stands, Yan Shaozhe had appeared once again to watch in person. Looking at the youngsters fooling around below without the slightest tension between opponents, he couldn't help turning to Zhou Yi with a smile. "Teacher Zhou, your students get along quite well, don't they? Two teams from the same class reaching the Freshman Assessment final-nothing like this has ever happened in Shrek Academy's history. You certainly know how to teach!"
Zhou Yi smiled too. "Thank you for the praise, Dean, but these children are also obedient. They're the most diligent group of children I've ever seen when it comes to cultivation. Within ten years, they're sure to become Shrek Academy's pride."
Du Weilun added, "Indeed. The six children who've made it this far are the most outstanding students in this year's intake at Shrek Academy!"
Yan Shaozhe trusted Du Weilun's judgment and impartiality.
Before this, he had only paid attention to Jiang Hai, and most of what he knew had come from Ma Xiaotao. But according to Du Weilun's report, the other five were also first-rate talents.
Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong needed no further introduction. One had twin Martial Souls, while the other possessed the rare Light Goddess Butterfly Martial Soul and a thousand-year second Soul Ring. Both were exceptional talents, and they had performed brilliantly in this assessment, defeating two teams with Soul Elders.
Although Huo Yuhao's soul power was relatively low and his first Soul Ring was only a ten-year Soul Ring, the rarity of a spiritual Martial Soul was undeniable. However, obtaining Soul Rings for a spiritual Martial Soul was also more difficult. Coupled with the limitations of his first Soul Ring, this had led Du Weilun to qualify his recommendation despite Huo Yuhao's outstanding tactical understanding and command ability. He did not recommend making him a core disciple.
Yan Shaozhe generally approved of Du Weilun's judgment and eye for talent.
The performance of Jiang Hai's trio could likewise be described as stunning. They, too, had defeated two teams with Soul Elders, one of which even possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. In terms of performance, Jiang Hai's trio had the edge.
The endlessly versatile Sun Yunhai had developed a Soul Skill that could only change his Martial Soul's color to such an extent that even Yan Shaozhe was amazed. He truly lived up to his level-nine innate soul power as a Support System Soul Master. In the history of Support System Soul Masters, only one person had ever possessed innate full soul power. Level-nine innate soul power already represented the highest standard for Support System Soul Masters.
Previously, they had regretted how wasteful Sun Yunhai's first Soul Skill seemed. But now, it appeared there were no weakest Soul Skills, only weakest Soul Masters.
Chen Yong was no weakling either. His brown bear Martial Soul combined offense and defense with tremendous strength, and his keen sense of timing revealed exceptional combat talent.
If Jiang Hai's ability to anticipate attacks relied on countless accumulated experiences and powerful calculation, Chen Yong's predictions owed more to his body's innate instincts.
Before Jiang Hai revealed his formidable strength, his team had fought its way past every obstacle by demonstrating Chen Yong and Sun Yunhai's power. Even against Ning Tian's team, their tactics had been built around Sun Yunhai's abilities.
Similarly, Huang Chutian's team had been far from weak, yet the sisters Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo had been eliminated before they even had time to unleash their Martial Soul Fusion Skill. These talents possessed brains as well as strength, and people like that would go even further in the future.
Yan Shaozhe's personal attendance also showed how seriously he took this final.
Yan Shaozhe asked, "Weilun, little Zhou Yi, who do you favor in today's match?"
Du Weilun said, "Huo Yuhao's team is very strong too, but I believe Jiang Hai, who subdued the white tiger with a single coffin, is stronger still. If Huo Yuhao's team has no way to restrain Jiang Hai, I think they'll find it very difficult to win."
Yan Shaozhe smiled and turned to Zhou Yi. "Little Zhou Yi, what do you think?"
Zhou Yi thought for a moment, then said, "I don't know!"
Although Jiang Hai had proved even stronger than she had imagined, when she thought of Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, with its perfect compatibility, she wondered whether it might be even stronger than that morning's Hell White Tiger. Besides, Martial Soul Fusion Skills came in all kinds of strange forms. Jiang Hai's strength lay in his power, while the Hell White Tiger was also renowned for power and speed. Had it not underestimated its opponent and given Jiang Hai an opening, he might not have won.
If Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong could unleash their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, and it happened to counter Jiang Hai, the outcome would still be uncertain.
"You don't know? It seems Teacher Zhou has plenty of confidence in Huo Yuhao's team too!" Du Weilun said with a smile.
"Since Old Du thinks Teacher Zhou is confident, I'll put my faith in her too. I think Huo Yuhao's team will win." Just then, a deep, powerful voice rang out.
Yan Shaozhe smiled. "Qian Duoduo, what brings you here too? I could smell that copper stench of yours from miles away!"
The newcomer was none other than Qian Duoduo, deputy dean of the Soul Tool Department.
Qian Duoduo was burly, nothing like his name suggested. He looked to be in his fifties, but he was muscular and towering, standing well over two meters tall. His skin reflected a bronze metallic sheen, and a metallic smell clung to him. Beside him stood Fan Yu, who carried the same metallic smell.
Shrek Academy had two full deans, one for the Martial Soul Department and one for the Soul Tool Department, as well as two deputy deans overseeing the Outer Court. Qian Duoduo was one of them, responsible for the Soul Tool Department, while the Martial Soul Department's deputy dean mainly led fifth- and sixth-year Soul Masters in their studies and practical training.
Yan Shaozhe remained seated, but Du Weilun hurriedly rose and respectfully went to greet him. "Dean Qian, what wind blew you our way?"
Qian Duoduo chuckled. "I just happened to be passing by and heard people guessing who would win. As it happens, I enjoy a wager, so I came over!"
Yan Shaozhe gave an exasperated smile. "You, with that copper stench all over you, just happened to be passing by? You're only coveting my Martial Soul Department's outstanding students!"
Qian Duoduo sat beside Yan Shaozhe and protested, "What do you mean, your Martial Soul Department's students? They're only studying basic Martial Soul knowledge in your department. They don't choose between the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department until their third year!"
Yan Shaozhe said indifferently, "Say whatever you like. You're not getting your hands on a single one of those six students down there!"
Qian Duoduo said angrily, "Old Yan, aren't you being too overbearing? Why don't we make a wager? If I win, I'll get to pick any one of the new students in the Martial Soul Department's Second Year and Below to join my Soul Tool Department. How about it?"
Yan Shaozhe said irritably, "I knew you weren't brewing anything good. Don't even think about it."
Qian Duoduo said, "You haven't heard me out yet. How about this? The student I choose won't have soul power above Level 30, and won't be one of your core disciples!"
Yan Shaozhe said, "Old Qian, you call that a wager? Don't you already take plenty of students like that every year?"
Qian Duoduo looked thoroughly dejected. "Don't get me started. Students these days have their eyes on top of their heads. They dismiss us without understanding anything about Soul Tools. We've recruited plenty of students, but very few truly suit our needs. You know about that plan too. Its requirements for talent are extremely stringent, yet whenever a student has even a slightly better Martial Soul, your people guard them like mother hens guarding their chicks, leaving me no chance at all. If this keeps up, won't the whole plan go down the drain? You agreed when the Sea God Pavilion voted on it. If you won't support my work, I'll ask Lin'er to snatch people from the Martial Soul Department's Inner Court. Let's see whether you dare stop her!"
Seeing Qian Duoduo's sincerity, Yan Shaozhe pondered for a moment and said, "You really won't choose a core disciple? Or one of our second-year Soul Masters who has reached Level 30 or higher?"
Qian Duoduo snorted in frustration. "Old Yan, when have I ever lied to you? And I can tell you honestly that one of your Martial Soul Department's freshmen has already asked someone to contact Fan Yu because he wants to study Soul Tools under him. That person is one of the six competing right now. Our Shrek Academy puts people first. If someone is begging to learn about Soul Tools, we can hardly refuse, can we?"
"Bullshit!" Yan Shaozhe slammed a hand onto his chair's armrest and snapped.
Qian Duoduo chuckled. "Old Yan, don't be angry. Haven't I told you about it now? Besides, we're still considering whether to accept him!"
Du Weilun also spoke up. "Dean Qian, surely that doesn't comply with the rules?"
He was the Martial Soul Department's Director of Education, second only to its two deans, and his loyalties lay with the Martial Soul Department.
Yan Shaozhe also calmed down. With a cold snort, he asked, "Who is it? That Huo Yuhao?"
Before you continue