Ning Ruoxue continued to smile, clearly confident that no one could resist the temptation of a soul bone. "The assessment is about to begin. I have full faith in Huo Yuhao's strength, as well as in your companions. However, considering your current team composition, I believe winning the championship might be a bit difficult, don't you think?"
"Ning classmate, please speak plainly!" Huo Yuhao replied.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tower martial soul, you must be familiar with it. I am currently at the second ring, and I can provide you with a thirty percent boost to all attributes. With this boost, I believe your strength will be on par with the help your teammates can provide you. While the strength of many can be powerful, there is also a saying that one strong person can overcome ten weak ones. In the face of absolute strength, any schemes are powerless. And you, Huo Yuhao, have absolute strength. So, come join us, and let us win the championship together." With that, Ning Ruoxue extended her delicate hand, formally inviting Huo Yuhao to join her team. Her smile was warm and sincere, as if she was already certain that Huo Yuhao would agree. After all, no one could resist the temptation of a soul bone.
Of course, these were just the thoughts of Ning Ruoxue, who was quickly silenced by Huo Yuhao's response. "Sorry, your offer is very tempting, but compared to charging forward alone, I trust my teammates more. They will be my strongest support. Ning classmate, you should look for someone else. I'll head upstairs now. Goodbye."
Ning Ruoxue was momentarily stunned. Everyone had seen Huo Yuhao's actions over the past three months, and she was certain that "trusting teammates" was just an excuse. But then, she pondered. Huo Yuhao's rejection was so decisive, it was unexpected. Could it be that Dong Xinyi and Xiao Xiao had remarkable strength, or was it that Huo Yuhao had absolute confidence in his own abilities? In any case, Huo Yuhao's team was definitely a formidable opponent.
Looking up at the dormitory building, Ning Ruoxue entered deep thought. Since she had failed to recruit Huo Yuhao, she decided to turn to Wang Dong, thinking that he might be an easier target. However, he shared a dorm with Huo Yuhao, and Ning Ruoxue felt it would be inappropriate to approach him immediately after speaking to Huo Yuhao. So, she decided to wait until tomorrow morning to speak with Wang Dong in private.
Back in the dormitory, after opening the door, Huo Yuhao saw several people gathered around Wang Dong, talking about something. A sweet-faced girl was clinging to Wang Dong's arm, acting cute and playful. Huo Yuhao shook his head. He didn't need to think much—she was probably trying to woo him. After a brief greeting, Huo Yuhao sat on his bed to meditate and cultivate, avoiding getting caught up in unnecessary distractions.
The next day, the freshman assessment arrived on schedule. Interestingly, no one had approached Zhou Yi to request a team switch that morning. Without a doubt, Ning Ruoxue's plan to recruit Wang Dong had also failed, and Wang Dong had boldly declared that he could win the championship on his own without any assistance.
In the morning, the three members of Huo Yuhao's team arrived at the assessment area. The Shrek Academy had a dedicated assessment zone, which was oval-shaped and spanned an area of twenty thousand square meters. The perimeter was surrounded by a wall, and the interior was divided into individual areas by partition boards. The entire assessment zone had been divided into fifty areas, each about four hundred square meters in size, with each field shaped like a 20-meter by 20-meter square.
To ensure fairness, the academy used a random draw to assign opponents. Of course, this fairness was just for show. The academy had announced beforehand that, in order to avoid students from the same class facing each other in the preliminary rounds, some manipulation of the draw could occur. After all, there were only so many ways to handle these matters.
A total of 302 teams had signed up for the assessment. Except for Class One, almost every class had more than thirty teams. Unlike Zhou Yi, many of the other freshman class teachers wouldn't casually expel students before the assessment. Even if a student's strength was subpar, they would still be given the chance to participate. Whether they stayed or not depended on their abilities. If they failed to meet the standard, it would be their own fault.
Since it was the first day of the assessment, the academy decided that each team would only need to compete in one match before returning to rest, though they could stay and watch the other matches if they chose to.
The three members of Huo Yuhao's team arrived at Area 27, which would be their battlefield for today. Many other students from different classes had also gathered there, all waiting for their turn.
The freshmen didn't engage much with each other, since they didn't know who would become their opponents. After all, the goal was to eliminate others to stay in the competition. However, some older students were chatting cheerfully. Some were simply there to watch the show, others had younger siblings or friends among the freshmen, and some more thoughtful ones were observing the matches to identify potential recruits from influential families. These students, compared to their peers, thought much more strategically. The freshmen who made it into the inner academy were few and far between, and those older students wanted to absorb talented individuals into their families, ensuring their own rise within the family structure, especially if they had ambitions to compete for high positions or even the family head position one day.
"Yuhao, over here!"
The voice seemed familiar. Huo Yuhao turned his head and saw a young man with purple hair and a refined appearance waving at him, accompanied by a ponytail girl.
"Beibei, Xiaoya, long time no see! What brings you here?" Huo Yuhao said, walking over to join them, bringing Xiao Xiao and Dong Xinyi along. It had been three months since they last met.
"We heard about your match and came to check it out. Yuhao, you're really low-key!" Beibei laughed. He had been keeping an eye on Huo Yuhao, and honestly, Huo Yuhao's low profile seemed more like a lack of ambition. Beibei had already heard a lot about Huo Yuhao's reputation in Class One.
"Attention all freshmen! Attention all freshmen! Please proceed to your respective assessment areas. There are only ten minutes left. If you fail to show up, you will be considered to have forfeited the match."
The announcement echoed through the outer academy, making the freshmen tense. Three months of preparation would be put to the test in these few days, which would determine whether they could stay at the academy.
At this moment, an elderly woman with graying hair and a face full of wrinkles entered Area 27. When the students saw her, the previously noisy area immediately quieted down. No one dared to even breathe too loudly. This old woman was notorious for her bad temper, and no one wanted to provoke her.
"My name is Zhou Yi. I'm sure you all recognize me. I'll be in charge of the assessment for this area. There are six teams in this area. When I call your name, you will have five minutes to take the stage. If you exceed the time, you will be considered to have forfeited the match. Do you all understand?" The elderly woman, Zhou Yi, was the head teacher of Class One, and her sharp gaze briefly swept over Huo Yuhao's team.
(End of Chapter)