Jiang Nannan teased lightly,"I thought you already knew the value and use of this ore—that's why you picked it. I didn't expect you'd still need to research it."
In her heart, she was convinced that Shi Yu must understand its true worth. Otherwise, why would he have chosen it at all?
Shi Yu only smiled without answering. Some things were better left unspoken; it was enough that he understood.
Sensible as always, Jiang Nannan didn't press further. She only hoped he wouldn't come to regret his choice.
As soon as Shi Yu left, the senior executives of Jubao Pavilion received word."He actually took that mysterious Space ore?" one of them said in surprise.
Another frowned. "Could it be that he's seen through its hidden secrets?"
For a thousand years, this peculiar ore had sat in Jubao Pavilion's vaults. Countless attempts had been made to study it, yet results were meager at best. Using it simply as an ordinary Space-attribute material felt like a waste, but no one had ever discovered its true potential. They were curious—how would Shi Yu make use of it?
Back at the dormitory, with Dai Huabin away, Shi Yu finally had the chance to examine the ore alone.
Holding it in his hand, he felt lost. How exactly was he supposed to use this stone to locate the Dragon Valley?
He poured his energy into it, even pressing his dragon-scaled left hand against its surface. The golden-silver scales only made the ore glow faintly brighter—no other reaction.
Shi Yu sharpened his senses, refusing to overlook the slightest detail. After more than ten minutes, he noticed a subtle resonance. His heart stirred as his gaze instinctively turned in one direction.
That way… the Dragon Valley lay somewhere beyond.
"I hope this ore truly can guide me there," he thought, anticipation rising within him.
But now was not the time. The Dragon Valley could be hundreds of thousands of kilometers away—charging off recklessly would be nothing short of suicide.
With that, Shi Yu set the ore aside and returned to his cultivation. As evening fell, he headed to the cafeteria for his usual shift. Survival still came first—working here wasn't something he could simply abandon.
The next morning, the New Student Assessment continued.Matches became more frequent—two per day for every team, sometimes even three or four.
The three hundred and ten groups were divided into thirty-one larger brackets. Only the top two teams of each bracket would advance directly to the knockout stage, while the third-place teams fought for two remaining slots. Out of thirty-one, only two third-place finishers would move on. The pressure was immense.
This ensured exactly sixty-four teams for the knockout rounds.
Shi Yu's group fought their first match of the day. The opponents weren't much stronger than before, and victory came swiftly.
With Shi Yu's spatial techniques, Dai Huabin's raw strength, and Zhu Lu's speed, their opponents stood little chance.
The afternoon battle was no different—another decisive win.
Day by day, the victories piled up. By the end of the group stage, they had secured nine consecutive wins—a flawless record.
First place in their bracket was theirs. That meant an easier draw in the top sixty-four: their initial knockout opponent would only be a second or third place team.
The conclusion of the group stage also marked the end of the New Student Assessment.
For some, it was their first and last semester at Shrek Academy. The bottom-ranked teams were eliminated, while the top teams qualified to remain. In most cases, barely half of the new students managed to stay.
Such was Shrek's ruthlessness. It was hard enough to enter, but even harder to remain. Those who survived a semester were already considered geniuses. This was why Shrek Academy was called the cradle of powerful Soul Masters.
When the top sixty-four draw was announced, Shi Yu's team was paired against a First Class group consisting of three Soul Grandmasters. Normally, such a lineup would be strong enough to secure first place in their bracket.
"Do your best," Jiang Nannan said warmly as she came to cheer him on.
Though busy with her own final exams, she had chosen to spend her time on Shi Yu instead. Without realizing it, he had already become someone very important in her heart.
Shi Yu smiled and waved back, relaxed.
Up until now, Dai Huabin had been the star of most matches, with Shi Yu often playing a supporting role. It wasn't that Shi Yu lacked strength, but Dai Huabin was eager to show off, leaving little room for him to step forward. Shi Yu didn't mind—he preferred to stay in the background unless needed.
The match began. Shi Yu immediately used his Displacement ability, swapping out the weakest opponent. The move had worked countless times before, and it worked again now.
Before the enemy could adapt, Shi Yu unleashed a spatial attack. Combined with Zhu Lu's strike, their target was swiftly defeated.
Meanwhile, Dai Huabin charged into the fray with ferocity, holding his ground even against two opponents at once.
The battle ended decisively in their favor.
One win carried them into the top thirty-two, then the top sixteen, then the top eight. Each match ended in overwhelming victory.
By now, whispers spread across the Academy—Shi Yu's team was already being hailed as one of the strongest contenders for the championship.