An Unfair Assessment (1)
The four of them took their positions one after another. Four exceptionally gifted youths had gathered on the crude training ground, waiting quietly for the assessment to begin.
Before long, heavy, powerful footsteps approached, making the ground tremble slightly.
A burly man over two meters tall strode toward them. His massive frame rose like a mountain, his knotted muscles taut, every line of his body brimming with strength.
His face was rugged, and a fearsome scar ran from his brow to his jaw, lending him an even more intimidating air. He was none other than Zhao Wuji, Shrek Academy's vice dean, the Immovable Wisdom King.
Zhao Wuji's sharp gaze swept over the four new students, blazing like a torch. His rough voice rang across the training ground like a great bell. "I'm Zhao Wuji, your examiner for the second round. The rules are simple and brutal, with no fancy tricks: the four of you join forces and last against me for the time it takes one incense stick to burn, and you all pass. Anyone who can't hold out and withdraws is eliminated on the spot. There's still time to change your minds."
At this, Ning Rongrong immediately stepped forward with a frown, her voice tinged with haughty indignation and disbelief. "Senior, as a Soul Saint, isn't it unreasonable to make a group of new Soul Grandmasters join forces against you? Ordinary academies match assessment levels to their students. You're deliberately making things difficult for us!"
She came from a top-tier sect and adhered strictly to rules and procedure. She had never heard of an assessment with such a vast disparity, one that could not be called fair in the slightest, and she was filled with confusion and resistance.
Zhao Wuji grinned, baring a set of white teeth as he unleashed his fearsome presence in full. His tone was domineering and assured. "For the twenty years since Shrek was founded, we've stood by one principle: we accept monsters, not hothouse flowers! The strong in this world have never enjoyed the comfort of going with the current. They grow by breaking free of desperate straits. Those who fear, shrink back and crave safety aren't fit to enter Shrek. Anyone who doesn't dare fight can leave now."
Ning Rongrong was left speechless. His forceful manner suppressed her pride, but she remained thoroughly unwilling to accept it.
Zhu Zhuqing remained silent. Her long, narrow eyes narrowed slightly as cold Soul Power quietly circulated around her. She bent her legs, already poised for battle, ready to launch a surprise attack at any moment.
Tuo Mushuo remained composed. Two yellow Soul Rings shimmered faintly beneath his feet as layers of heavy defensive Soul Power spread around him. He silently took up a position on the flank, prepared to provide backup defense and wait for a chance to use poison.
Tang San's gaze suddenly sharpened. He quickly assessed everyone's fighting strength and sorted out the situation: he was a level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster; Zhu Zhuqing was a level twenty-seven agility-attack Soul Grandmaster; Ning Rongrong was a level twenty-six support Soul Grandmaster; and Tuo Mushuo was a level twenty-eight defense-system Soul Grandmaster.
All four were Soul Grandmasters facing a level seventy-six Power Attack System Soul Saint. The gulf between them was like an impassable chasm, and the danger was immense.
He immediately stepped forward, speaking steadily as he assigned their roles. "Everyone, the odds are overwhelmingly against us. Only by working together can we turn things around."
"Miss Ning Rongrong, you'll be responsible for amplifying our Soul Power throughout. Prioritize boosting the strength and speed of Miss Zhu Zhuqing, Brother Tuo Mushuo and me. Zhu Zhuqing, use your speed to move around and keep him occupied, then look for openings to launch sneak attacks. Tuo Mushuo, focus on backup defense from the front, blocking the impact and releasing poison mist to disrupt him when you get the chance. I'll take his attacks head-on and lead the effort to restrain him and control the field. Everyone, follow my orders. Don't act on your own. We only need to hold out for one incense stick!"
Though Ning Rongrong still disliked the crude grounds and harsh assessment, she could see that Tang San was steady and reliable, far calmer than others his age. She pursed her lips in frustration but ultimately did not argue, silently nodding her agreement.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly, a flicker of approval passing through her cool eyes. She lowered her stance a little, ready to strike.
Tuo Mushuo answered in a deep voice, "No problem. Leave the defense and disruption to me."
The sun sank low, spreading its golden-red afterglow across the yellow-clay training ground and stretching the four figures into long, upright silhouettes. A Shrek assessment battle between vastly unequal opponents, a test of their ability to withstand extreme pressure, was about to erupt.
Zhao Wuji rolled his shoulders and wrists, his bones cracking in succession. His immense, domineering Soul Power slowly surged, and the air pressure around him plunged.
His gaze swept over the four youths, a trace of casual disdain in his eyes. As a level seventy-six Power Attack System Battle Soul Saint facing four young Soul Grandmasters, the strongest of whom was only level twenty-nine, he saw the outcome as a foregone conclusion. This was nothing more than a casual test.
"If you're ready, let's begin!"
With that thunderous shout, Zhao Wuji's Soul Power erupted. Seven Soul Rings shot up from beneath his feet: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black. The classic top-tier combination circled him in layers, and a terrifying pressure of Soul Power crashed down over the entire training ground like a mountain overturning.
A dark, heavy silhouette took shape behind him: the enormous, ferocious apparition of the Great Strength Vajra Bear Martial Soul. The wild, domineering presence of a Beast Martial Soul swept over them, sending dust drifting up from the ground.
The sudden, terrifying pressure crushed down on everyone. Ning Rongrong, the weakest in cultivation, turned deathly pale and staggered back two steps. Her breathing grew labored, her chest tightened, and she could barely remain standing.
"Everyone, positions! Attack!" Tang San shouted, taking the initiative to break the deadlock.
Two yellow Hundred-Year Soul Rings lit up instantly. Pale blue Blue Silver Grass Soul Power gushed from beneath his feet and burst from the earth.
Countless slender, resilient grass vines surged toward Zhao Wuji in overlapping waves that blotted out the sky. He activated both skills at once: the First Soul Skill, Entanglement, and the Second Soul Skill, Parasite.
In the blink of an eye, dense coils of Blue Silver Grass covered Zhao Wuji's legs and waist, binding him layer upon layer and sealing off his movements. The vines' roots dug wildly into the ground, attempting to use their binding force to restrain the Soul Saint's attack.
"Little grass vines dare bind me?" Zhao Wuji scoffed, his expression unruffled. The Soul Power around him suddenly shook with violent force.
Second Soul Skill-Great Strength Vajra Palm!
Vast, heavy golden Soul Power condensed into a gigantic palm print that struck out through the air, its wind howling with terrifying force. A rapid series of sharp cracks rang out as the resilient Blue Silver Grass snapped inch by inch, scattering into a rain of blue fragments.
The palm strike's remaining force surged onward, undiminished, bearing straight down on Tang San's chest.
Tang San's expression did not change. He pushed Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to its limit, his body becoming a flickering afterimage. Like willow catkins in the wind or duckweed on water, he moved with extraordinary subtlety and barely dodged the deadly palm.
Boom! The palm wind struck the ground, blasting a shallow palm-shaped crater into the yellow clay and sending dust flying-a clear sign of the Soul Saint's overwhelming power.
Just as Zhao Wuji's previous burst of strength had faded and the next had yet to rise, a black shadow suddenly darted out at extreme speed.
"Hell Stab!"
Zhu Zhuqing's figure blurred, faint Nether Soul Power curling around her. The sharp edges of her black claws gleamed with a chilling light as she slipped silently behind Zhao Wuji and stabbed straight for a vital point on his back, her attack swift and cunning.
Without looking back, Zhao Wuji abruptly tensed the muscles in his back, concentrating Soul Power around his body.
Third Soul Skill-Gravity Enhancement!
An invisible gravitational field suddenly contracted and enveloped the area, doubling the gravity within several meters. Zhu Zhuqing abruptly felt her body grow heavy. Her swift movement was instantly impeded, her actions suddenly sluggish, and her attack missed.