Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated.
******
Morning.
The assessment grounds in every area were already packed with new students.
As yesterday's first-place team, Su Wen's group only needed to wait for the second- or third-place finishers from other areas to "challenge" them, after which they would complete the four matches scheduled for the day.
As for Xiao Xiao…
Su Wen had already informed Yan Shaozhe in advance. Otherwise, the dean would never have shown up so early to watch such a low-stakes freshman assessment. At this moment, Yan was standing beside Du Weilun, raising his eyebrows suggestively, even nudging toward Xiao Xiao in Area Seven. When Su Wen gave a slight nod of confirmation, Yan secretly flashed him an OK hand sign.
If this girl were truly forced to attach a spirit ring to her second martial soul, then as Dean of the Martial Soul Department, it would be nothing short of dereliction of duty.
"New Class Two, Su Wen… versus New Class Seven, Huang Chutian's team!"
As the referee's voice rang out—
Huang Chutian and two blue-haired girls beside him looked utterly despairing. What kind of cursed match system was this? They had just lost to Xie Huanyue of New Class Two, and now they were being thrown straight against the true monster of the entire freshman class.
It was said that not long ago, this Su Wen had even defeated the Eternal Defense, one of the outer court's Twin Stars.
What rotten luck…
"Wufeng, stand to the side. Don't get in the way." Su Wen said flatly.
"There are four matches today—we finish them quickly."
"What?!! I'm a proud Level 25 Grand Soul Master, and in your eyes I'm just… getting in the way?" Wufeng's beautiful eyes widened in outrage, and she looked ready to sink her teeth into Su Wen's arm.
"..." Su Wen only shrugged.
"Match… begin!" At the referee's shout—
Huang Chutian bared his fangs. His martial soul possessed him, black fur spreading across his body, tearing his academy uniform as his explosive muscles bulged. He lunged straight at Su Wen.
Meanwhile, Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo's long azure hair surged like ocean waves, sweeping toward Su Wen from all directions—
Martial Soul Fusion Skill: Heaven's Net!
They had gone straight to their trump card.
Su Wen raised an eyebrow.
In the next instant—
A deep-blue scorpion shadow appeared on the stage.
Its carapace gleamed a radiant emerald hue under the sun. Though small in size, no one dared underestimate it in the slightest.
Several teachers from the First Area, who had been casually watching, instantly sprang to their feet in shock:
"An Ice Jade Scorpion?!! No—this isn't an ordinary Ice Jade Scorpion!"
"Could it be the legendary Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion? Someone actually has that as a martial soul?"
"But wait, wasn't his martial soul yesterday a mutated Wind Baboon? What's going on here?"
"I heard from Mu Jin he's a summoning type. Could it be similar to Zhou Sichen from New Class One…?"
"Impossible. Zhou Sichen can only summon century-old beasts. This Ice Jade Scorpion's aura already surpasses a millennium-level soul beast!"
Su Wen stood calmly at the center of the arena, pressing his palm down.
In that instant, a glacial storm swept across the field.
"Domain of Eternal Freeze!"
The biting wind howled, as though the entire arena had been frozen in time. For an opponent of equal rank, this wide-area attack might only slow them down. But against those he utterly outclassed, it was pure dimensional suppression.
"Urgh—"
Huang Chutian's face twisted in horror.
He could feel his body temperature plummeting, as if he had been thrown straight into the very heart of the Far North. Such an extreme climate would cause any Grand Soul Master at his level to collapse within minutes, their body turning into nothing more than a frozen statue.
Even as he struggled to resist, the blood in his veins crept slower and slower, crawling like a tortoise.
"I… surrender!"
The words left his lips—and immediately his body went rigid, completely frozen in place.
Meanwhile, the Lan sisters' Heaven's Net gradually froze solid under the spreading cold. Their flowing locks hung suspended midair like a painting, the foremost strands just inches from Su Wen before being stopped, frozen solid.
Time itself seemed to halt in this icy world.
"Achoo!!"
The referee stepped onto the stage and immediately sneezed, stunned. Even as a Soul King, he couldn't endure this chill?
"Um, Su Wen…" He looked at the boy uncertainly.
Su Wen only smirked, snapping his fingers.
With a crisp snap, the frost began to melt.
The Lan sisters' long hair slowly retracted as their soul power was exhausted, their fusion skill collapsing. Though they didn't faint, their strength was completely drained. Huang Chutian, on the other hand, woke with a shudder, cold sweat breaking out. For a moment, he had truly believed he was wandering through an endless frozen wasteland—if Su Wen hadn't held back, that snowy horizon might have marked his death.
"Waaah~"
Only then did the crowd erupt.
New students who had just finished their matches, those resting nearby, and even some curious upperclassmen all burst into a roar of discussion in the First Area stands.
"Ultimate Ice attribute!"
Cui Yajie exclaimed in excitement.
"This has to be Ultimate Ice!"
"Then that means… the mutated Wind Baboon he showed before was just the tip of the iceberg. This Ultimate Ice is his true trump card!"
"And he just reveals it like this?" Dai Huabin snorted coldly.
"..."
Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie exchanged a look. Then Cui shot Dai Huabin a glance full of contempt—Seriously? You think any of these fights could actually force him to reveal a trump card? What, with your White Tiger transformation?
Su Wen joining this tournament was nothing but a chance to show off.
"Hmph!"
Realizing he had misspoken, Dai Huabin turned away with a disgruntled snort.
"Forget it. As long as we secure top three, the academy rewards are still excellent. Besides, once you gain a Core Disciple identity, you'll have access to the inner court, following in Brother Yaoheng's footsteps." Zhu Lu consoled him.
"Hmph~" Dai Huabin's expression finally softened somewhat.
Outside the arena.
Su Wen's next opponent directly forfeited upon seeing him, so Su Wen simply brought Ning Tian and Wufeng along to find Yan Shaozhe.
The dean was currently focused on Xiao Xiao's team.
Against a group of Soul Masters in their teens, it was pure domination. Chen Yanjin fought with savage ferocity, venting yesterday's frustrations. Huo Yuhao remained hidden in stealth. Xiao Xiao directed her Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron, though she looked distracted…
"Wonderful, wonderful!"
Yan Shaozhe clapped with delight.
He was very pleased with Xiao Xiao's support abilities.
Her control over the Soul-Suppressing Cauldron, combined with her second martial soul—the Nine Phoenix Melody Flute—even stirred thoughts of taking her as his disciple.
With talent like this, as long as she was cultivated properly, she was destined to become a future Super Douluo. And with her simple background, just a minor sect in the Heavenly Soul Empire, she could easily be drawn fully into his own circle.
"This Zhou Yi… she's really asking for death…"
Yan Shaozhe's eyes flashed with a chilling light.
"As Dean of the Martial Soul Department, don't you think your reputation's taken a hit? If it were me, I'd have acted already. Why bother holding back?" Su Wen said cheerfully, deliberately fanning the flames.
"I'll take this girl under my wing, and Zhou Yi must pay the price. But not yet." Yan Shaozhe narrowed his eyes.
"If you don't want to make a move, I could do it for you." Su Wen smiled.
"You brat…" Yan Shaozhe was momentarily stunned, then let out a helpless laugh.
(End of Chapter)