As everyone in the classroom took their seats, Mu Jin stood on the platform.
His gaze slowly swept over the students before he picked up the forms and handed them out one by one.
"You've spent a month together. I know you must have friends you're familiar with."
"Or friends you knew beforehand, so I won't force you into teams for this freshman tournament."
"Form your own teams with people you know. Whoever's left will be assigned to groups afterward."
Mu Jin spoke calmly, and quite a few students' expressions brightened slightly at his words.
Some quickly gathered to discuss forming teams of three, while some friends who knew one another had already formed their teams.
Li Mu came over to Wang Dong, who silently glanced at him.
Then she calmly wrote Li Mu's name on the form. After writing down Wang Dong's name, Li Mu went to find Xiao Xiao.
Naturally, Xiao Xiao was delighted to team up with two handsome guys.
So once Li Mu explained the situation, she immediately wrote her name on the form.
Everyone else wrote their names down quickly. If there was anyone who was slower, or rather, showed little sign of doing anything-
It would have been Zhu Lu.
Most people were writing names down, but Zhu Lu stood there silently, her expression somewhat subdued.
As Dai Huabin's fiancée, she knew many things about him that others might not.
And she already knew about Dai Huabin's death.
Or rather, something like this could be concealed from the empire's lower ranks, but not its upper ranks.
The slaughter of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion was far too momentous to conceal, so Dai Huabin's death had long since come to light.
But fearing that the public might stir or develop other ideas, the entire upper echelon of the Star Luo Empire, including the imperial family-
Had joined forces to suppress the news, completely sealing it off so ordinary people could not learn of it.
Looking at Zhu Lu standing quietly with her head lowered in silence, Mu Jin's eyes flickered for a moment, but he said nothing.
What had happened at the White Tiger Duke's Mansion could be concealed from the vast majority of people, but not from Shrek Academy.
At Shrek Academy, most teachers with any standing or connections already knew the news.
It simply could not be spread outside.
Apart from that woman Zhou Yi wildly casting accusations, claiming Li Mu had stormed in and destroyed the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
Everyone else maintained their silence, and as for Zhou Yi's words, they all simply thought she had gone mad.
A teacher, a Soul Emperor-level expert, making trouble for a newly enrolled student.
Even Xian Lin'er had nearly lost her composure over that at the time.
At the thought, a trace of mockery entered Mu Jin's eyes as well.
His gaze turned to Li Mu, who stood there with a mild expression. Remembering Zhou Yi's hysterical state, a trace of disdain flashed through his eyes.
Only a lunatic like Zhou Yi would suspect something like that. This boy clearly only has two rings.
With two-ring strength, he stormed the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, where Soul Saints and even Soul Douluos stood guard?
Isn't that a joke? Besides, there were so many people in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion. His meager strength might not even have been enough to kill them all.
Mu Jin shook his head at the thought as most of the forms were filled out.
After collecting the forms, Mu Jin gave them a quick look.
He was rather curious about the team Li Mu had chosen.
After all, he had heard little about either Wang Dong or Xiao Xiao, though he had heard a little about Wang Dong.
But he had never heard of this girl named Xiao Xiao at all, nor even known such a person existed.
Actually, whether he knew of her was unimportant. What mattered was that this girl had managed to establish a connection with Li Mu.
After all, although Li Mu was only a Two-Ring Soul Master-
They all knew that he had blocked a blow from Zhou Yi and even severely injured her.
Although Li Mu had said he had other trump cards.
Their current guess was that the boy before them clearly had some hidden means up his sleeve.
Those would certainly be prohibited during an actual match, though. After all, bringing out a hidden means capable of contending with a Soul King would be rather too terrifying.
Once he finished the simple registration, Mu Jin clapped his hands and looked at the excited students below the platform.
"I won't say anything else. The freshman assessment tournament starts tomorrow afternoon, so make sure you're ready."
With that, Mu Jin turned and left without concerning himself with the students any further.
Seeing Mu Jin leave, and with no classes that morning, most students chatted and laughed, discussing their own affairs.
Only Xiao Xiao sat there, looking curiously at the other two.
Wang Dong leaned back in her chair with one hand tucked into her trouser pocket.
He glanced at Li Mu, his cool, handsome pink-blue eyes filled with grievance.
Li Mu remained expressionless throughout, standing there casually.
As he watched everyone laughing and making merry, his eyes remained as still as an unrippled pool from beginning to end.
After class, the students began heading to the cafeteria in twos and threes to eat, while Li Mu went alone to the shore of Shrek Lake.
Looking at the Sea God Pavilion beside the lake, a trace of silence passed through Li Mu's eyes.
After all, this era was so close to the Sea God Island of ten thousand years ago.
Sea God Island had once been so glorious, one of the foremost powers in the world.
Yet because of Tang San alone, the entire Sea God Island had all but vanished in the end, no different from not existing at all.
The world only knew of Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion and Shrek Academy's might, unaware that Sea God Island had once existed.
Such a powerful force in the seas.
And now, even with Tang San as that so-called Sea God-
Controlling everything belonging to all Sea Soul Beasts and all Sea Soul Masters, those of the sea remained just as fallen and forlorn.
Even now, they did not have a single force worth showing off.
Li Mu shook his head at the thought, feeling a rare touch of wistfulness.
After all, even to him, someone so ungrateful was truly a rare sight.
But before Li Mu could think further, a figure shot into the sky.
Seeing the figure and the intensely concentrated power of flames surrounding her, Li Mu's eyes flickered, a trace of surprise flashing through them.
Naturally, he knew who she was. Ma Xiaotao. Her Evil Fire had most likely gone out of control.
Normally, though, this should not have been the time for her Evil Fire to go out of control.
Watching Ma Xiaotao charge toward him, Li Mu slowly opened his eyes.
His left eye turned pure silver. Silver light flowed, transforming it into a silver slit pupil.
His right eye was pure gold. His eyes were different from Gu Yuena's purple eyes.
These eyes had evolved purely from the power of his bloodline. Since he was not the Silver Dragon King at present, he did not possess the purple eyes unique to such high-ranking dragons.
But as his gold and silver eyes opened, formidable spiritual power spread freely outward.
Everything around him was clearly reflected in his mind.
At that moment, a figure stood calmly at the entrance to the Sea God Pavilion.
Dressed in casual clothes, he was none other than Yan Shaozhe.