Only when the giant hand that symbolized the manifestation of heavenly mandate had completely dispersed did that unseen, unfathomable might finally recede.
Everyone present felt their bodies loosen at once, finally regaining the ability to move.
"Whew-!"
No one knew who let out the first long breath. Immediately afterward, gasps rose and fell throughout the arena, as though everyone had just surfaced together from deep water.
Holding Huo Yuhao, who had fainted from overdrawing his Soul Power, in one arm, Lin Mo slowly descended from midair.
He lowered his eyes. Huo Yuhao's eyes were tightly shut, his face pale, and his entire body limp, looking utterly devoid of strength.
Was this guy really that feeble?
But Lin Mo did not dwell on it and soon looked away.
Huo Yuhao buried his face against his chest, his eyes still tightly closed, but the corners of his lips curled up ever so slightly.
Across from them, the Netherworld White Tiger had already vanished. Only Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu remained, sprawled miserably on the ground with their Soul Power exhausted. Supporting each other, they slowly climbed to their feet.
"Good! Excellent!"
Just then, a hearty laugh rang out from the raised platform.
Yan Shaozhe actually leaped down, landing lightly in the center of the competition stage, his face filled with undisguised pride and delight.
"Children, you did very well! You've shown me a truly spectacular match!"
Then he looked around, cleared his throat, and declared in a ringing voice, "Now, I announce that the champions of the freshman assessment elimination tournament, the winning team, are-"
"Team Lin Mo!"
As his words fell, thunderous applause instantly erupted all around.
"Lin Mo!" Xiao Xiao was the first to run over excitedly, her little face flushed with exhilaration. She threw her arms around him. "We won! We're the champions!!"
Her tackle sent Lin Mo staggering back two steps. Instinctively, he reached out and caught her securely.
But before he could catch his breath-
"Wait, there's still this young lady!"
"I was the one who cut a path straight through the preliminaries!"
Below the stage, Wang Dong'er refused to be left behind. She immediately rushed up, spotted an opening, and launched herself at him, hanging straight off Lin Mo's back.
And so, the scene became the following:
Lin Mo held Huo Yuhao in his left arm, had his right arm around Xiao Xiao, and had a Wang Dong'er hanging off his back.
Lin Mo: "..."
Well, wonderful. Winning the championship had actually left him a little excited, even bringing back a bit of his youthful spirit from back then. But after these three made such a fuss, that excitement was gone, replaced by heart palpitations.
In plain language: a heart attack.
Did this bunch of demon brats really have to crowd around him babbling every single day?
Yan Shaozhe reached Lin Mo in two strides and said with a beaming smile, "Young fellow, we meet again."
Lin Mo inwardly rolled his eyes, but obligingly put on just the right measure of surprise. "Uncle, it's actually you?"
Yan Shaozhe's smile deepened, clearly quite pleased.
"That's right. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Yan Shaozhe, dean of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department. Might I have the honor of learning the name of your Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"
A name?
Lin Mo frowned in thought.
Although he had known that he and Huo Yuhao had a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, today was his first time using it.
As for the Martial Soul Fusion Skill's name...
He really had never thought about it.
"Dean Yan."
Just as Lin Mo was pondering how to make one up on the spot, a somewhat weak voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.
"Our Martial Soul Fusion Skill is called: the downcast gaze beneath heavenly mandate, Mystic Bird Fixes Fate."
Lin Mo looked down at the voice and discovered that Huo Yuhao had woken up in his arms at some point.
"Excellent! What a Mystic Bird Fixes Fate!"
Yan Shaozhe froze for a moment, then burst into laughter again, clapping his hands in admiration. "Good, very good! You truly deserve to be called the finest seedlings among this year's freshmen. The Martial Soul Department welcomes you!"
With that, he turned and walked over to the gloomy-faced Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, offering them a few gentle words of comfort.
After all, although these two had lost, they still possessed the Netherworld White Tiger Martial Soul Fusion Skill and were likewise rare, promising seedlings.
"All right, the freshman assessment has now concluded."
Yan Shaozhe announced in a ringing voice:
"Tomorrow morning, a freshman assembly will be held to present awards to the top three teams and assign the first-year classes."
Having finished, Yan Shaozhe wasted no more time and strode away in a hurry.
As he walked, he happily calculated to himself:
The Mystic Bird performed so wonderfully today. Of course I have to pick out a Soul Bone worthy of an auspicious creature! If my little bird is in a good mood, perhaps I'll shoot straight up to Super Douluo!
"Since you're awake, get down."
As he spoke, Lin Mo prepared to release his grip and dump this guy onto the ground.
But the moment his grip loosened even a fraction, Huo Yuhao wrapped an arm around his neck, then tilted his face up, blinked those large azure eyes, and said with an innocent expression:
"It's not that I don't want to get down. You saw us use the Martial Soul Fusion Skill just now. My Soul Power is overdrawn, I have no strength, and I can't walk."
"You can't expect Wang Dong'er or Xiao Xiao to carry me, can you?"
Lin Mo: "..."
He forcibly suppressed the urge to throw this guy away and turned to Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao.
But before he could speak, both girls stepped back in unison, crossing their hands in front of their chests with perfectly synchronized movements.
Wang Dong'er said solemnly:
"No! Men and women mustn't touch!"
"Exactly!" Xiao Xiao nodded beside her, her little face held rigid.
Lin Mo was so annoyed that he laughed. "Why didn't you two mention that men and women mustn't touch when you threw yourselves at me just now?"
Xiao Xiao was thin-skinned to begin with. At his words, the flush on her cheeks instantly spread to the tips of her ears. Her eyes darted about, and she stammered without managing to get anything out.
By contrast, Wang Dong'er, standing beside her, stiffened her neck and planted her hands on her hips.
"That was different!"
"How was it different?"
Lin Mo raised his eyebrows and watched her at his leisure.
Wang Dong'er choked. Her imposing manner visibly shrank by half, but her voice rose again. "I don't care! Anyway... anyway, it was just different!"
As the three bantered, another figure had descended from the raised platform at some point.
"Children!"
It was Zhou Yi.
At that moment, she bore none of her usual stern classroom manner. As excited as a child, she gave each of the three a great big hug. "You really were wonderful. I'm proud of you!"
In response to the four students' thanks, Zhou Yi said:
"As a teacher, imparting knowledge and teaching you is my duty. But the championship is the result of your own hard work."
"The ones you should truly thank are yourselves."
The freshman assessment was completely over, and the teachers on the spectator platform had already dispersed in twos and threes.
Only Zhang Lexuan remained where she was. Resting one hand on the cool railing, she quietly watched the teacher and four students below as a breeze brushed the ends of her hair and gently lifted her clothes.
Yet her gaze rested neither on Lin Mo nor on Huo Yuhao, who could perform a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with him.
Instead-
"Xiao... Xiao."
Zhang Lexuan murmured the name, a trace of something unusual flickering in her eyes.
Then she abruptly withdrew her gaze, turned, and slowly walked down from the platform.
There was no hurry. There were plenty of days ahead.