After they finished washing up, they went to the cafeteria for breakfast.
After a short while, Wang Dong stood up, stretched his arms, and said, "Let's go."
Cao Yu had just finished eating.
After having eaten and drunk their fill, Cao Yu and Wang Dong headed towards the assessment area.
There are already quite a few people in the assessment area, including new students and teachers responsible for supervising the assessment.
Everyone was enthusiastic, seemingly dreaming of winning the championship, so the entire assessment area was lively, filled with the sounds of discussion.
Walking towards the thirty-third area, I soon saw Teacher Wang Yan sitting on the side.
The two greeted each other with smiles.
Wang Yan stood up and said, "You two little ones need to work harder. You made it into the top 32 in the knockout stage, right? Once you get into the top 8, you'll need to work even harder."
"High-ranking officials from the college will be watching your competition. Besides, the prize money for the champion is quite substantial, in our opinion, and you can't miss it."
Cao Yu and Wang Dong both nodded and replied, "Okay, Teacher Wang, we will try our best."
Soon, Du Weilun, the Dean of Instruction of the Martial Soul Department of the Outer Court, had finished calling the roll, and the next step was to draw lots.
It was just a freshman assessment; there weren't many complicated ceremonies.
The assessment area has been repositioned with partitions, divided into sixteen zones, each of which is now much larger, making it easier to use Soul Skill without feeling restricted.
Xiao Xiao took Cao Yu's arm and, after reading the elimination round rules, said sweetly, " Brother Yu, does that mean we have to participate in three more days of competition?"
Cao Yu nodded and said, "Yes, if nothing unexpected happens."
As he spoke, a teacher in charge of the assessment handed him a number from a lottery.
"District Thirteen," Cao Yu murmured, looking at the numbers in his hand.
The proctor has changed; this time it's a male teacher in his forties who looks rather old.
After explaining some important points to them, Cao Yu and his two companions went on stage to compete.
The opponents they faced this time weren't very strong; they were all at the Soul Grandmaster level, so Cao Yu and his team finished the match in just a few minutes.
"Yes, you've made it into the top 32." Xiao Xiao leaned on Cao Yu's shoulder, her arms tightening around him.
"The real show is yet to come; this is just the appetizer." Cao Yu patted her head, took her hand, and left the assessment area together.
After this match, they can go back and rest for a bit, as there's another match in the afternoon.
Cao Yu and his two companions walked out of the assessment area gate with the joy of victory.
Then they saw Zhou Yi standing at the entrance of the assessment area, seemingly waiting for them.
Zhou Yi asked the group, "How did it go? Did you make it into the top 32?"
She had already guessed what was going on from their smiles, but she still wanted to confirm it.
After all, these were her three most valued students. If Cao Yu and the other two failed to advance, the other students in Class One would have even less of a chance.
Wang Dong burst into laughter and said loudly, "Teacher Zhou, these top 32 are just an appetizer. We're aiming for the championship! Hahaha!"
This time, Zhou Yi smiled, a rare occurrence, and said with satisfaction, "Alright, Wang Dong, don't be arrogant. Keep up the good work in the next match, and don't let me down. Okay, I've said what I needed to say. You can go back and rest now."
"Then we'll be leaving now, Teacher Zhou."
Zhou Yi nodded and watched them leave.
After the group finished eating and returned to the dormitory entrance, the old man lying on the chair opened his eyes and immediately saw Cao Yu and Xiao Xiao's affectionate appearance. His eyes seemed to show some envy, and the wrinkles on his face lifted. He smiled, a rare occurrence for him.
In the old man's blurry eyes, the two people leaning on each other's shoulders did not seem to be Cao Yu and Xiao Xiao.
In a hazy moment, it was as if time and space had reversed, and that was also his youth with his beloved.
Isn't that wonderful?
As usual, Cao Yu and his companions greeted the old man and then returned to their dormitory to rest.
When the afternoon class bell rang, the freshman assessment elimination round, the competition to narrow down the field from 32 to 16, officially began.
To the north of the assessment area, a high platform has been erected, about 20 meters off the ground, supported by six metal pillars.
Looking up from below, it's impossible to see the number of people that can be accommodated at the top; there are only shadowy figures above, seemingly some people watching the battle.
From a height of twenty meters, one can have a clear view of the entire assessment area and see the competition situation in each venue.
On the high platform, Zhou Yi and Mu Jin were arguing fiercely over the outcome of their respective seeded players' match. Judging from their appearances, there was a huge age gap between them, like a mother-in-law scolding her daughter-in-law.
They all share the same identity: homeroom teachers for first-year students, just in different classes.
This time, Cao Yu and his two companions happened to be facing off against the top contenders in Mu Jin's class, so she deliberately came to suppress Zhou Yi.
They finally stopped arguing after agreeing to settle their bet with Soul Bone and Soul Tool.
In this match, although there was only one man on the opposing team, and he seemed to have the highest Soul Power among the three opponents, and he was positioned in the middle, he should be the captain of this team.
The remaining two girls were quite good-looking, very pretty.
One of the girls had short red hair and even her eyes were fiery red.
"She has a bit of Xiaotao's vibe, but not as mature."
Yes, that's confirmed. This is just a weaker version of Xiaotao.
A closer look reveals that her features are extremely delicate, and her skin is as white as jade.
However, his eyes are cold and aloof, which makes him look either arrogant or just pretending to be.
They see everyone else as superior.
Cao Yu felt an inexplicable urge to train and teach her.
After all, Wang Dong had the same bad temper when she first came to the dormitory, and he disliked her very much, as if someone owed him money.
However, people like this can usually become as gentle as kittens after being trained and tamed.
After all, Cao Yu had gained some experience in training and instructing Wang Dong.
The other girl had long, light green hair draped over her shoulders, and her dark green eyes gave her a somewhat unconventional look.
It is obvious that their physical characteristics are affected by their own Martial Soul, after all, there is no such thing as hair dye in this world.
At the same time, her fragile expression evoked a strong desire to protect her, a stark contrast to the red-haired girl from before.
The proctor announced, "Both sides, please enter and state your names."
The six people lined up and stood on both sides of the field.
The man opposite spoke first, " Freshman Class Nine, Hong Lei, level 29, Defense System Battle Soul Master."
The girl with short red hair proudly declared, " Freshman Class Nine, Wu Feng, level 25, Power Attack System Battle Soul Master."
Another woman with long, light green hair said softly, " Freshman Class Nine Nanmen Yun'er, Class 9, Level 24 Agility Attack System Battle Soul Master."
(End of this chapter)