At the sight of the girl's signature purple-black wings before him.
Yan Qing recognized her too. This was Yuanen Yehui, who had been concealing her identity.
Every student below the stage was shocked. That burly, imposing figure had actually turned into a slender girl.
Shen Yi, who had been watching from the sidelines, also stood up. Her gaze was graver than the other students'. As a teaching assistant, she had broader knowledge than they did.
Rumor had it that a Fallen Angel Martial Soul was bound to produce an Evil Soul Master.
She quickly walked aside and made a soul communicator call. Only after receiving a reply did her mind settle.
Yan Qing had originally wanted to test the effects of his Heart Prison Soul Skill.
Wasn't what Yuanen Yehui resisted deep inside precisely that experience involving her Fallen Angel Martial Soul?
On the field, Yuanen Yehui's pretty face flushed crimson. She had only come to help with the new student assessment to earn some contribution points, yet she had ended up exposing her hidden identity.
She no longer cared about holding back during the beginner assessment. She only wanted to beat Yan Qing up to vent her anger.
Her Fallen Angel Martial Soul had only two Soul Rings, and both flashed at once.
A pitch-black canopy descended from the sky, slowly spreading over Yan Qing.
With Yan Qing's Spirit Abyss Realm spiritual power, a Fallen Angel with only two rings posed no threat at all.
When her strike missed, Yuanen Yehui's two rings instantly became three as she switched back to her Titan Giant Ape Martial Soul.
She swung both fists straight at Yan Qing's face.
How violent!
Yan Qing really could not beat the enraged Titan Giant Ape before him in a head-on clash.
Left with no choice, he could only use that move.
Purple light shot from his pupils, striking the girl squarely between the brows.
Yuanen Yehui's eyes filled with unwillingness as she limply fainted before Yan Qing.
Yan Qing reached out and caught her. With soft, warm jade in his arms, his heart became a restless monkey and his thoughts a galloping horse for a moment.
He immediately came back to his senses. The girl in his arms had an extraordinary ability to hold a grudge. Who knew how many beatings Xie Xie had taken back then?
What a huge hot potato. Looks like I won't escape being hunted for a while even after entering the academy.
More than half of their group of seven passed the combat round. Even Xu Xiaoyan defeated her conceited senior through a clever trick.
Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi failed to last long enough in this round, leaving their accumulated scores below forty. Even perfect scores in the remaining two rounds would not get them over the passing line. With no chance of entering Shrek, their journey ended in disappointment.
The ninth assessment was also the second-to-last.
Shen Yi led everyone to metal capsules resembling those of the Spirit Ascension Platform. Their Ninth Trial would take place here.
"The ninth assessment is survival. You can treat this test as a simulated Spirit Ascension Platform. The difference is that all the Soul Beasts inside are real, and killing them can also yield Soul Rings and Soul Bones."
Seeing them nod, Shen Yi opened the metal capsules, and the same weightless sensation as the Spirit Ascension Platform swept over them.
The five appeared simultaneously in a dense forest.
Before they could steady themselves, tremendous fluctuations from a battle reverberated throughout the area.
Yan Qing climbed to the treetop. In the distance, he could see two enormous beasts fighting at the mouth of a valley.
The creature covered in dark gold, with a pair of terrifyingly huge claws, was undoubtedly a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.
The other creature trading blows with the bear resembled a dragon, yet was not one. Golden flames burned beneath its feet, and golden light flickered on its forehead.
On closer inspection, it actually had a third eye-the Sovereign Auspicious Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
Yan Qing curled his lips. Xiong Jun beating up the Auspicious Beast? If that really happened, braised bear paws would be on Di Tian's dining table the next day.
The two enormous beasts seemed to have truly grown angry, gradually moving away from the valley.
In the direction of the valley they had vacated, a faint light shone.
Everyone instinctively looked toward Yan Qing. After several years together, he had become the team's main commander.
He assigned tasks without hesitation. Although he knew the survival mission was fake, the points were real.
"Wulin and Gu Yue, scout inside the valley. Bring out anything valuable you find.
"If there are supplies you can't move and you need help, send a blast of wind element into the air."
"If there's a Soul Beast you can beat but you don't have enough people, send up a blast of fire element when you spot it."
"You only have three minutes to act. If we see neither you nor a signal within three minutes, we'll withdraw immediately."
Seeing the two nod, Yan Qing then assigned Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan to provide support near the valley.
Less than two minutes later, Tang Wulin returned with an unconscious little beast slung over his shoulder.
Yan Qing held the little beast in his hand. It was indeed a miniature Sovereign Auspicious Beast.
"Who needs a Soul Ring or Soul Bone?"
"Wulin, do you want it?"
"I already have a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear Soul Bone, so I won't..."
"Okay, let me ask again. Are you sure you don't want it?"
"I don't."
Tang Wulin answered firmly.
"Fine, then. Next."
Yan Qing decisively switched targets, holding the Three-Eyed Golden Lion in front of Gu Yue.
The silver-haired girl gently shook her head, an extremely faint trace of anger flashing through her eyes.
Yan Qing could not help loosening his grip on the little beast. He needn't have asked her at all.
After quickly asking everyone and receiving nothing but refusals, Yan Qing nodded in satisfaction.
"Okay, since none of you want it, then-"
Yan Qing tossed the little beast aside.
"Run! Its mother's coming back!"
The group immediately sprang into action, running in the opposite direction from the two enormous beasts' fight.
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion had been exchanging fierce blows.
Sensing the humans moving farther away, while the little Three-Eyed Golden Lion's presence had not vanished, they both involuntarily stopped.
This was not how their preset program was supposed to go.
Weren't they supposed to fight a round, then turn around and drive off the thieves?
The Emperor Auspicious Beast hesitated for a moment, but still chased in the direction the humans had disappeared.
Yan Qing led the others darting east and west through the miniature Spirit Ascension Platform, truly treating it as a survival stage.
Half an hour later, the running group felt the world spin around them and returned to reality.
Both the examiner and Shen Yi wore complicated expressions. This round, too, had undoubtedly earned everyone full marks, full marks.
There was nothing wrong with these children's character, but hadn't they made their choice a little too quickly?
Was the Three-Eyed Golden Lion really worth so little?
The final round's joint interrogation by three judges no longer mattered. All four had scored over sixty, while Yan Qing had achieved an unprecedented perfect score.
According to the rules, a student who earned perfect marks across the entrance examination could make one reasonable request of the academy.
Yan Qing tried asking for a hundred million federation coins. His request was firmly rejected, and he nearly received a thrashing from the furious Cai Yue'er. In the end, Yan Qing was awarded five thousand contribution points. The group successfully enrolled, becoming Shrek's new students.
Because they had arrived late at the start, all five enrolled as work-study students.
After moving his things into the work-study dormitory, Yan Qing looked at the leaking roof, tilted his head back, and sighed deeply.
After two days living here, I could write an "Inscription on a Humble Dwelling."
They really don't treat work-study students like people!
Several sections of the walls were broken, letting the wind pour in. His back felt chilly.
Wait. Yan Qing abruptly turned around.
At a café not far away, a red-haired waitress was staring at him.
Seeing him turn, she quickly looked away.
Oh no. How did I forget about this?
Yuanen Yehui was a work-study student too.
To avoid getting stabbed in the middle of the night, Yan Qing decided to move out as soon as possible.
A bold idea surfaced in his heart.