The radiant glow lasted a long time, with each shimmering pulse filled with the breath of life.
Among them, Yali felt it most distinctly. She nodded slightly.
The golden orb slowly rose like a newly hatched chick, hovering in the air. Then something strange happened—it actually started flying around Gu You, just like a bird had found its mother, emitting joyful buzzing sounds.
Gu You smiled. This was a sign that the metal had just been granted life—and had simultaneously gained spirituality. It was an extremely rare occurrence.
None of his previous creations had shown this kind of spiritual resonance. This was the first time he had encountered such a vivid spiritual reaction from a piece of soul-forged metal.
Raising his hand, Gu You caught the orb naturally in his palm, immediately feeling a deep sense of intimacy—it was filled with attachment to him.
Gu You's face twitched slightly. If every future soul-forged creation felt like this, how could he possibly forge them for other people? Why did this feel like his own child?
"小游啊 (Xiao You)! You know we're kind of half-master and half-apprentice, right? How about we negotiate a little?"A familiar voice came from nearby—Feng Wuyu. Gu You looked up and was met with a wide grin.
"Sure, go ahead and say it. Just don't ask for this titanium. It's already bonded to me by blood. Giving it to you would be a waste." Gu You said without hesitation.
"You little brat!" Feng Wuyu flew off in a huff.
Back on the judging platform, however, he was still all smiles.
A successful creation. A successful soul-forging. The fact that titanium crystal had been forged into titanium meant that Gu You had reached a level where he could comprehend and master new metals he had never forged before. Despite spending most of his time recently on fusion forging, his understanding and insight into metal remained not only intact, but ahead of others. His control over forging was flawless.
"Match over. First Grade, Class One—Gu You wins."The judge announced the result calmly. In truth, it had long been obvious. He Xiaopeng stepped down dejectedly.
Clap! Clap!Applause resounded across the arena.
Gu You stepped down and returned to Class One's area, sitting down and entering meditation.
All the students in Class One stared at him. There was no longer a hint of disrespect in their eyes—only admiration and reverence.
"The Mecha Design Exchange Competition is about to begin. Will the representatives of both sides please take the stage."
Gu Yue glanced at Gu You, who was still sitting cross-legged on the ground, and narrowed her eyes slightly before heading toward the dueling platform.
After the exhibition match, everything returned to its usual pace:
Classes, forging, cultivation, and studying.But still, things had clearly changed.
Class One had grown much more united than at the beginning of the semester. Every student had matured mentally, and there was no longer any mockery toward anyone. Smiles exchanged with Gu You and his team were now genuine. Everyone trained harder. The whole class radiated a fiery spirit.
Time passed day by day, and in a blink, the first-semester final exams at Shrek Academy had arrived.
"The first half of the school year is about to end. The finals you've all been waiting for are coming."Shen Yi said with a smile—but her words instantly made everyone in the class sit upright.
Looking forward to finals? Nobody actually looked forward to them.
The final exam meant elimination.Ten students were to be eliminated during the first academic year. How many would be cut during the first semester?
Sure enough, Shen Yi's next sentence made the weaker students visibly tense.
"For the first semester's final exam, by rule, five students will be eliminated. So everyone needs to do their best, or you may become one of the eliminated."
Eliminating five people...
Seeing their reactions, Shen Yi chuckled and continued,"Weaker students still have a chance. The exam is point-based. To avoid elimination, you must first meet the passing mark. If everyone scores above the passing line, it's possible that no one will be eliminated from the class. But be warned—the passing mark will be raised by 5 points next semester."
"And here's why even weaker students have a chance: those who score above the passing mark can share their points with others. However, let me remind you—if you want to enter the Inner Court in the future, you'll need enough exam points. Giving your points to others will make getting into the Inner Court more difficult."
These words made the stronger students' expressions shift slightly. Who didn't want to enter Shrek's Inner Court? But sharing points would lower that possibility—this was now a tough decision.
"Now, let me explain the exam."
"You will have fifteen days. In these fifteen days, you must travel to Mingdu. On the way, you must pass through at least ten cities, including Mingdu itself. In each city, you must defeat one opponent whose cultivation is at least five levels higher than your own. No external help allowed. How you find your opponent, defeat them, and reach Mingdu—that's all up to you."
"Also, before departure, all your storage soul tools, communication soul guides, personal resources, and money will be confiscated. You will leave with nothing. You only have fifteen days. Complete the task and return in time—that's a pass. Your score will be based on the strength of the opponents you defeat. If you fail to complete the task in fifteen days, all your points will be halved, regardless of who you are. Don't worry about how the exam is graded. There will be teachers secretly following you. But they will never interfere, even if your life is in danger. So, take this final exam seriously—don't face an opponent beyond your capacity."
Upon hearing this, even Gu You couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air.
Leave with nothing?His storage ring was full of precious things!
And facing enemies five levels above him? He was just about to advance to Soul Saint. That meant his enemies would likely be One-Word Battle Armor Masters with Soul Saint cultivation—comparable to ordinary Title Douluos in combat power!
He's basically being told to fight nine Title Douluos!
After Shen Yi announced the exam format, the Class One classroom fell into complete silence. Everyone was deep in thought, mentally preparing for the grueling final exam ahead.
"No teams. Each of you must travel alone. If anyone is found helping another, you will automatically fail."Shen Yi threw this last statement over her shoulder as she left.
(End of Chapter)