Shrek Academy had over a thousand new students, divided into around three hundred teams. Every six teams were assigned to one area, and teams within the same area would battle in pairs. Finally, scores were tallied based on the number of victories. Wang Nan's team's examination venue was in District Nine.
When the three arrived at the examination venue, students from the other teams were already there, as no one wanted to be late for this assessment. Not long after, a thirty-something-year-old invigilator walked over. He seemed short and held a list of the competing teams.
"I won't repeat the assessment rules. Shall we start directly?"
The invigilator looked left and right. Seeing that no one raised any questions, he began to call out names from the list.
"First round, first match of the assessment: New Student Class Nine, Chen Zifeng, Wen Mozhu, Qu Sheng. New Student Class One, Wang Nan, Ling Luochen, Gongyang Mo."
After stepping onto the ring, Wang Nan stood at the front, sizing up his opponents.
Among the three opponents, the most eye-catching was the student named Qu Sheng. He had four gourds, two large and two small, hanging from his waist. It was unclear what was inside them.
As for Chen Zifeng… Wang Nan pondered this name. After becoming roommates with Gongyang Mo, he had considered the possibility of encountering characters from his past life's memories, but he hadn't expected to meet one in the very first match. As someone who would later become one of the Shrek Seven Devils, he was certainly not a simple opponent.
"Assessment—Begin!"
"I have a ladle of wine, it can comfort the weary traveler."
As soon as the invigilator's voice fell, Qu Sheng lightly shouted and raised the gourd at his waist. With a flash of his spirit ring, a wisp of clear brew appeared out of thin air, steadily falling into the gourd. Immediately after, he threw it forcefully. The gourd arced through the air and was caught by Chen Zifeng, who was standing at the very front.
'A Food-Type Spirit Master?' Wang Nan instantly understood the gourd's purpose.
Without further hesitation, he gripped the Coiling Dragon Staff in his hand. With the flow of a green light, his body rushed forward like a gust of wind. The new student assessment ring was not large, and almost instantly, he was in front of Chen Zifeng.
Wang Nan swung his staff, and what met him was a thin sword, about three feet six inches long, with three blood grooves engraved on it. It was Chen Zifeng's Spirit, the Soul Chasing Sword.
Chen Zifeng held the sword in one hand and raised the gourd in the other, bringing the wine inside to his mouth. When Wang Nan's staff strike landed, although it hit the Soul Chasing Sword, he could clearly feel that the force of the strike was diverted elsewhere, causing no substantial impact.
On the other side, Wen Mozhu also activated his Spirit. With a wave of his right hand, a black dot suddenly appeared at Wang Nan's feet. At first, it was only the size of a fist, but it quickly spread outwards, enveloping Wang Nan.
Wang Nan dared not be careless. He took two quick steps back, exiting the black dot's range. However, under Wen Mozhu's control, the black dot continued to advance, its speed even a few points faster than Wang Nan's.
This was Wen Mozhu's First Spirit Ability—Splashing Ink.
However, Wang Nan also had teammates. Just as the ink dot was continuously approaching, Ling Luochen in the distance waved the ice staff in her hand. The ink dot that was sticking to Wang Nan immediately stopped in place, then turned into ice crystals, scattering across the ground.
After the initial probing, Wang Nan roughly understood his opponents' abilities. Qu Sheng was a Food-Type Spirit Master, whose First Spirit Ability should be for absorbing damage or enhancing defense. Wen Mozhu leaned towards control, and with Chen Zifeng, they formed a team of one attack system, one control, and one support.
'All three opponents have two spirit rings, and the two Spirit Abilities they've already used are quite effective. It seems they are Class Nine's seeded team,' Wang Nan thought.
Each class would have one or two teams composed of new students with relatively higher strength and better coordination. Their overall strength would be significantly higher than other teams. Such teams were also called seeded teams, prepared for the subsequent elimination rounds.
Wang Nan roughly assessed the opponent's strength, then looked at Gongyang Mo behind him.
Gongyang Mo understood. He, who had not yet made a move, finally revealed his Spirit. A pair of wings unfolded behind him, their brilliant colors, along with three spirit rings (yellow, yellow, purple), instantly drew the attention of everyone on the opposing side.
Wang Nan had long anticipated this. Among all Spirits, the Rainbow Dragon Spirit's brilliance was renowned. Coupled with the pressure brought by a Spirit Elder, the opponents' attention was inevitably diverted somewhat.
And this was precisely the opportunity Wang Nan had been waiting for. His First spirit ring flashed, and with the boost of wind control, he charged towards the opponents' backline.
At the same time, Gongyang Mo also released a Spirit Ability. A yellow halo landed on Wang Nan, making his speed even faster. When the Rainbow Dragon Spirit used a Spirit Ability, it would release halos according to the colors of the rainbow. The yellow halo was precisely his Third Spirit Ability.
The shining of the purple spirit ring brought Chen Zifeng and his two teammates back to their senses. However, in just these two short breaths, Wang Nan, boosted by two Spirit Abilities, crossed half the ring and arrived beside Qu Sheng.
Chen Zifeng quickly moved to defend but was interfered with by Ling Luochen's ice element. It was already too late to rescue him immediately.
"Enjoy what's in the cup, who cares for worldly fame."
Although Qu Sheng was flustered, he still recited his second Spirit incantation. With a flash of his Second spirit ring, a large splash of wine was thrown towards Wang Nan.
Wang Nan tried his best to dodge, but still couldn't avoid being splashed with a few drops. The moment the wine touched Wang Nan, a rich aroma filled his nostrils. For a moment, he truly wanted to put down his weapon and enjoy a good drink.
Wang Nan had held back a move, and the opponent had also held back a move. Who knew that a Food-Type Spirit Master would actually have a control Spirit Ability? If Wang Nan hadn't used his speed, enhanced by two powerful Spirit Abilities, to dodge most of it, he really would have fallen for it.
Seeing Wang Nan instantly break free from the control, Qu Sheng shouted 'I surrender' while jumping off the ring. With his plan seen through, he didn't want to face an attack system Spirit Master alone.
Seeing one of his teammates eliminated, Chen Zifeng instead calmed down. Although Qu Sheng was off the stage, his Spirit Ability was still in effect. At this moment, Wang Nan was on his side, which was an opportunity for him.
Thinking of this, Chen Zifeng's left hand slid across the sword blade, leaving a wound. A drop of blood fell into the blood groove of the Soul Chasing Sword. Immediately after, his right hand tossed the sword, and the Soul Chasing Sword actually remained suspended steadily in the air.
His First and Second spirit rings lit up simultaneously. The Soul Chasing Sword's blade trembled slightly, its tip emitting three inches of light, and then flew towards Gongyang Mo.
Since Wang Nan could think of breaking into the opponent's formation, he naturally also guarded against such a move from the other side. The moment Qu Sheng stepped down, he was already rushing back and was now right beside Chen Zifeng.
"Mozhu!" Chen Zifeng shouted loudly.
"Second Spirit Ability, Blank Space!" What responded to him was Wen Mozhu's Second Spirit Ability. Along with his voice, Chen Zifeng himself turned into a white outline, his limbs and facial features indistinguishable, like a blurred white shadow remaining in place.
Wang Nan was puzzled, but his actions didn't stop. He swung his staff, scattering the shadow in front of him. Looking around again, Chen Zifeng's figure was nowhere to be seen.
Ling Luochen, who had been observing from the side, saw Chen Zifeng disappear. She quickly scanned her surroundings and waved the ice staff in her hand. Tiny ice crystals fell like raindrops. Although they had no offensive power, they exposed Chen Zifeng's position.
'Good!' Wang Nan praised inwardly, then quickly locked onto his target.
Gongyang Mo moved away from Chen Zifeng while releasing his First Spirit Ability. A red halo landed on Wang Nan, and at the same time, Wang Nan's Second spirit ring also lit up.
"Bang—"
Wang Nan's Coiling Dragon Staff did not land on Chen Zifeng but was intercepted by the invigilator at the side.
"Chen Zifeng is out."
Compared to Chen Zifeng's team, Wang Nan's Spirit Abilities were much simpler, but the power they provided was substantial. Even the invigilator imperceptibly grimaced after taking that staff strike.
"I surrender." Seeing his two teammates leave the stage, Wen Mozhu no longer persisted. After all, there were still matches to come, and there was no need to waste spirit power.
"The winner of this match: New Student Class One, Wang Nan's team."