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New Class One.
Zhou Yi looked at the two students hanging their heads low, her brows nearly furrowed into the shape of the character "川." This team was one of the groups she valued most. Among the fifty-four students in New Class One, spread across eighteen teams, they were one of the few capable of ranking in the top three.
But who could have predicted such a sudden turn of events?
The team had already been formed, and they had even trained together for a few days. Yet that ungrateful brat, Wang Dong, ran off to join the neighboring class, handing his contribution points to that slut Mu Jin. Zhou Yi had invested three months of effort training her, and this was the thanks she received—without a shred of gratitude.
"You two… Forget it. As it happens, there was originally an extra student, Chen Yanjin. The Academy was planning to assign him to another leftover team anyway, so I'll slot him into yours." Zhou Yi rubbed at her temples.
"..."
The two students remained silent, heads still lowered.
With Wang Dong included, the class had fifty-five students. Anyone left without a team was either utterly useless or had a problematic personality.
Fortunately, Chen Yanjin was only somewhat arrogant by nature. His strength, however, was undeniable—already a twenty-fourth rank Grand Soul Master, an assault-type spirit master. At least he could make up, to some degree, for Wang Dong's absence.
Xiao Xiao bit her lip, unable to hide the disappointment in her eyes.
She had chosen this team because of Wang Dong. Her tendency to judge based on appearances, paired with his top-tier strength within New Class One, made her accept Zhou Yi's earlier decision to add Huo Yuhao into the team. But now, with Wang Dong suddenly reassigned, she was left with only herself and the weakest member of the class, a mere fifteenth-rank soul master…
If not for the fact that her family background was far inferior to Wang Dong's, she too might have considered leaving.
The top three teams in the elimination tournament received rich rewards, prizes far beyond the reach of a small family like hers. That had always been her goal. But with Huo Yuhao dragging them down, it would likely be difficult for them to even make it into the elimination tournament.
Huo Yuhao clenched his teeth. Insecure people are always sensitive, and he could feel Xiao Xiao's disappointment. At the peak of the fifteenth rank, he was solidly the weakest in New Class One. After all, most students had already reached the fifteenth rank just to qualify for admission.
Wang Dong's sudden departure left him even more withdrawn.
He was unwanted, but he dared not voice any complaint.
Zhou Yi had placed him in this team because of his talent—primarily his potential with the Soul Tool Department. Otherwise, given her usual style, he would have been assigned to a group of weaklings barely above the tenth rank, leaving them unable to even reach the top fifteen. His Spirit Eyes were rare, yes, but a Spirit Eye user whose rank was only in the teens would have to fight hard to even be considered for core disciple status.
"All right, that's settled."
Zhou Yi waved impatiently, signaling the two to leave. With New Class Two's morale soaring, she had grown increasingly irritable from the pressure put on her by that slut Mu Jin. As a result, her training sessions for the past three months had been far harsher than for her previous classes, to the point they could only be described as devil training. Naturally, the number of students eliminated had also risen significantly.
"Oh, right—Xiao Xiao, stay." Zhou Yi suddenly remembered something, narrowing her eyes as she fixed her gaze on the girl.
A chill instantly ran down Xiao Xiao's back, and her body tensed with nerves.
"Yes!" Huo Yuhao nodded and left the room, leaving behind a trembling Xiao Xiao.
"Don't be nervous. I'm your teacher, not some villain. Since I'm responsible for you, I naturally want to see you succeed… Do you want to win those top-three rewards?" Zhou Yi's voice softened, coaxing gently.
"I do!" Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up instantly.
"With your current lineup alone, it will be difficult." Zhou Yi shook her head.
"..." Xiao Xiao's expression dimmed again.
She knew it well enough. Chen Yanjin was talented, but far inferior to Wang Dong. And then there was the burden of a teammate who wasn't even a Grand Soul Master.
"You're a Twin Martial Soul user, aren't you?" Zhou Yi smiled slyly, suddenly asking the question.
This was something Xiao Xiao had never hidden and had truthfully reported to the Academy.
As her teacher, Zhou Yi naturally knew.
"Yes!" Xiao Xiao replied, somewhat confused, and nodded.
"Then your second martial soul has never had a soul ring attached, has it?" Zhou Yi pressed, her intentions finally revealed.
Xiao Xiao: "..."
——
Watching Xiao Xiao leave the office with a conflicted expression, Zhou Yi smirked.
She had dangled a tempting prize before the girl—the top-three reward would almost certainly be something precious, perhaps a powerful medicinal pill to boost cultivation, or even a soul bone!
And if it was indeed a soul bone, she would add another one of her own, ensuring both she (Xiao Xiao) and Huo Yuhao received one each.
But… ever since she had taken Huo Yuhao to Fan Yu, and her husband had confirmed his talent, Zhou Yi had paid special attention to him. Otherwise, she would never have placed him in one of the strongest teams. After all, Xiao Xiao was already a support-type control master. To then add another pure support? Zhou Yi hadn't known at the time that Huo Yuhao's first soul skill had four different abilities.
So if the team truly did win rewards—
One soul bone would unquestionably go to Huo Yuhao. As for the one she personally purchased, that was reserved for Chen Yanjin. With his strong family background, she had no reason to offend him.
"Ah, blame your lack of connections," Zhou Yi muttered, shaking her head. "If you manage to squeeze into the top three, I'll at least try to get you a core disciple position."
A small clan from the Heavenly Soul Empire was nothing compared to the forces backing Chen Yanjin.
If Wang Dong had been the one with a second martial soul, Zhou Yi knew she could never have suggested attaching a soul ring in this way. He would have reported her to the Academy immediately, making the issue explode. But this naïve girl had simply fallen into hesitation…
"If Xiao Xiao's Nine Phoenix Flute gains a soul ring, combined with Chen Yanjin's assault strength, maybe this team can break into the top three." Zhou Yi sighed, then turned her attention to other matters.
——
Once the final roster was announced—
Su Wen lounged idly by the window, gazing at the scenery. Ning Tian and Wu Feng whispered together, while Xie Huanyue teased Xue Ling with shameless lines like, "What, you leveled up today? Then what about yesterday?" leaving the girl utterly speechless.
Suddenly, someone called Su Wen's name in a voice as soft as cotton candy. He turned and saw an absolutely stunning figure standing there, smiling sweetly at him.
The surrounding male classmates all glared at him with jealousy, to the point of no longer even caring about his fearsome "demon king" reputation.
No mercy at all!
Even a beauty like her had been snatched by him?
"Nan Nan-jie?"
Su Wen's surprise was genuine.
He quickly left his seat, grasping the fair, delicate wrist of the beauty and leading her away.
"Damn! Even Jiang Nannan knows him?!"
"She's the number one beauty of the outer court, my goddess—how did he manage this?!"
"Ahhh! He held her hand! He touched her!"
"When Wen-ge gets back, I'm licking his hand. That's the goddess's scent!"
"..."
As soon as he left, the classroom erupted in anguished howls.
The two walked to a quiet pavilion.
Only then did Su Wen release her hand. From the look in Jiang Nannan's eyes, it seemed she had something important to say.
She hadn't resisted as he pulled her along, though her pale ears had flushed red.
From her storage soul tool, she took out a scarf embroidered with Su Wen's name and gently draped it around his neck, wrapping it once and letting the ends fall. She even adjusted his clothes slightly, her eyes revealing a shy satisfaction.
"Auntie (my mom) knitted this towel?" Su Wen asked, suddenly realizing. The autumn chill was setting in, after all. But still—he possessed the ultimate ice martial soul. Could he even feel cold?
Yet… the warmth lingered.
"..."
Jiang Nannan froze for a moment, lips parting as though to speak, but her expression dimmed with disappointment.
(End of Chapter)