The Assessment Begins, a Bye
Holy Academy, inner court.
The individual assessment was divided into three stages in total. In the first stage, the ordinary and special classes each held individual combat assessments within their own ranks. Each person went through three matches, earning one point per win, and those who won every match continued to the second round of the assessment.
In the second round, everyone had to compete ten times. Once again, only those who won every match advanced to the next round, and each victory was worth one point. The special class, however, was different. Because of its smaller numbers, fifteen of the twenty-five students would advance based on points. The remaining ten would compete in additional matches against the undefeated students from the ordinary class. The winners would advance to the third round and might also enter the special class, but the additional matches awarded no points.
As for the third round, it was held purely for the Holy Ranking.
At the same time, fifty places would be added to the Holy Ranking, though the special class would still have fifty places.
After the final team assessment, the Holy Ranking would be reordered according to each student's points.
The first round of the assessment had been underway for five days. The special class had only fifty students in total, so it had taken just one day to determine the twenty-five who would enter the third round.
The ordinary class, however, had more students, so it naturally needed several days.
Hu Liena and Qian Renxue came together to watch the ordinary-class students' assessment. It was being held at the arena, which had been expanded threefold for the assessment, so there were many people there.
"Sister Xue'er, this is already the last day of the first round, and Senior Brother still hasn't come. What should we do? If he doesn't make it in time for the second round, will he be disqualified from the assessment?"
Hu Liena asked anxiously. Although the academy had used the bye system to keep giving Wang Feng the bye, he earned no points that way.
Although the current points had no effect on the final rankings, they would affect his graduation later.
Qian Renxue's expression remained unchanged. After a long silence, she said, "It's all right. I've already spoken to the people from Spirit Hall. They'll keep Wang Feng eligible until the additional matches."
"But what if Senior Brother still can't come when the additional matches start?"
"Impossible. He'll come for the additional matches. The second round of the assessment will take another three days. There's still time."
"All right, then!" Hu Liena nodded, but she was still a little worried.
At the academy, Spirit Hall was under considerable pressure. Wang Feng taking leave was understandable enough, but missing assessment after assessment was going a little too far. Besides, everyone now knew that the so-called bye system was being manipulated and deliberately reserved for Wang Feng.
In the dean's office, quite a few people stood behind Yu Xiaogang. Apart from the people from Spirit Hall, representatives of the other sects were all present.
"Dean, Wang Feng has gone too far! He's getting another bye in the second round that starts tomorrow. Spirit Hall may have overseen the founding of this Holy Academy, but it doesn't belong to them. How can they do whatever they want?"
"That's right! Dean, this can't go on! Otherwise, it'll only have a bad influence on the students and damage the Holy Academy's reputation!"
"I say we just expel him. What's the point of keeping a student like that?"
"Right, expel him. We can't let a student like that ruin our academy's reputation."
Almost everyone was of the same opinion: expel Wang Feng.
Yu Xiaogang frowned deeply. After a long silence, he turned to face them and said in a low voice, "This boy is exceptionally gifted. Expelling him would have an even greater impact on our Holy Academy. Besides, Spirit Hall has already promised that if Wang Feng is still absent from the additional matches, he'll be expelled outright. And if he fails to make the top fifty of the Holy Ranking, he'll be expelled as well."
"Top fifty of the Holy Ranking? What a joke! A student who's been on leave for a year thinks he can make the top fifty? What wishful thinking!"
"Him? He doesn't know how high the heavens are or how thick the earth is, yet he dares dream of the Holy Ranking's top fifty. Hmph!"
"That works out perfectly. Why not give him a chance, then? I'd like to see who dares stop us when it's time to expel him!"
After hearing Yu Xiaogang's words, the crowd stopped calling for Wang Feng's immediate expulsion for the time being. After all, they knew that Spirit Hall stood behind him, and expelling him was not so easily done. They had only been putting some pressure on the dean to make things difficult for Spirit Hall.
This news was an unexpected bonus, so there was no need to press the matter any further.
There were fewer participants in the second round of the assessment than before, so it naturally progressed much faster.
The special class was once again the main event on the first day. Tang San was now considered the most renowned student in the entire Holy Academy, and almost every faction had its eyes on him.
Tang San was only one person, but his little team had seven members. Among them were Dai Mubai, the third prince of the Star Luo Empire; Zhu Zhuqing of the Zhu Family; and Ning Rongrong, the only daughter of Ning Fengzhi, sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, one of the Upper Three Sects.
Although the other three had no particular backgrounds, one was hailed as a genius food-type Soul Master, and another possessed the Mutated Martial Soul Evil Fire Phoenix. Neither was to be underestimated. Then there was Xiao Wu, whom many students had endlessly debated. She was one of the special class's five beauties alongside Qian Renxue. She might have looked sweet and well-behaved, but she was a formidable character who showed no hesitation when she fought.
Once a team like that matured, its future would surely be boundless, so many factions wanted to recruit them.
The Heaven Dou Empire was especially interested, though many believed that, with Ning Rongrong among them, they would most likely choose to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
As it happened, Tang San's opponent was Qian Renxue, and nearly all the inner court's senior figures personally watched their match.
In the arena, neither of them used their Martial Souls at first, but when neither could gain the upper hand, they brought out their Martial Souls and Soul Skills. Although Tang San's Martial Soul, Blue Silver Grass, was regarded as a Trash Martial Soul, his performance in the arena shocked everyone present, and Qian Renxue was ultimately defeated.
Though many had anticipated this result, they still found it hard to remain calm, and it undoubtedly strengthened Tang San's standing in the inner court.
No one could shake his position at the top of the Holy Ranking.
The matches that followed were almost meaningless. Tang San won every match, while Qian Renxue, apart from losing to him, drew with Dai Mubai and won all her other matches.
The special class's assessment was completed in a single day, and Tang San's entire team advanced. Since support-type Soul Masters lacked combat strength, the academy had deliberately paired them against one another, so Ning Rongrong and Oscar advanced as well.
Qian Renxue and Hu Liena also advanced.
There was basically nothing worth watching over the next two days. Although the inner-court students' assessments were fiercely contested, they still fell somewhat short of the special class's.
Even so, quite a few people displayed impressive skill. After all, for most of them, an assessment like this affected not only their standing among the students but also the path they would take in the future. If a major faction took a fancy to them, they would have far fewer troubles ahead.