The next day.
When Zhu Ziyang and his teammates arrived at the classroom, the students were already gathered in pairs or trios, discussing excitedly. Clearly, everyone had already received their team assignments and was getting to know their partners.
Team battles weren't just a test of individual strength. More importantly, they assessed team coordination. And the core of coordination was mutual understanding and trust.
"Should we also talk about our abilities? I've known you both for so long, but I still don't know what your martial souls and soul skills are!" Tang Ya said, though her gaze was fixed on Zhu Ziyang.
She was already familiar with Jiang Nannan's martial soul and soul skills—Soft Bone Rabbit. This martial soul shared a deep connection with Blue Silver Grass, and Tang Ya often marveled that they were meant to be best friends.
Given that, it was obvious Tang Ya's words were directed at Zhu Ziyang. Ever since the school year started, Zhu Ziyang had only fought once, and even then, he hadn't released his martial soul to win. Besides Jiang Nannan, not even Tang Ya—who spent time with them almost daily—knew what his martial soul and soul skills were.
"Sure." Zhu Ziyang smiled as he looked at Tang Ya's intense expression and said, "My martial soul is a scythe. My first soul skill is an offensive one. It can slash out a blade of energy and hit targets up to ten meters away. My second soul skill is a boosting ability that enhances my strength and martial soul traits. As for the third one, it's another offensive skill, one to two times stronger than the first."
"Wait, that's all you're going to say?" Tang Ya was dumbfounded, staring at him speechlessly.
"What else? You want me to activate my martial soul and demonstrate soul skills right here in the classroom?" Zhu Ziyang looked at her, equally helpless.
"Oh, right. We're in class!" Tang Ya finally realized and scratched the back of her head awkwardly with a sheepish grin.
"We'll find a place to practice in a bit. No need to rush," Jiang Nannan suggested.
"Alright!" Tang Ya nodded.
Soon, Xia Yu arrived.
"I've submitted the team list to the grade office. The assessment starts this afternoon," Xia Yu announced without expression. "In the first stage—the ranked points battle—you won't just be facing students from other classes. You might also face your classmates. But forget about friendship. As long as you don't kill anyone, go all out. Understood?!"
His final sentence was filled with killing intent—not because he encouraged actual violence, but to ensure Class Four students understood the seriousness of the situation.
"Understood!" the entire class shouted in unison, full of confidence. After all, they were the ones who survived three months of combat training. A fight? Bring it on!
"Very good. I like that spirit!" Xia Yu nodded in satisfaction. "Gather at the assessment area this afternoon. Dismissed!"
"Perfect! Let's go find a place to practice!" Tang Ya stood up at once, excitedly turning to Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan.
"Sure!" they both nodded.
At Shrek Academy, if there was one thing in abundance, it was forest. The three soon found a relatively flat clearing in the woods.
"Nothing trains better than actual combat. Nannan, team up with Tang Ya. Let's do a sparring match," Zhu Ziyang said.
"Yes! I've been dying to beat you up, Zhu Ziyang!" Before Jiang Nannan could speak, Tang Ya shouted excitedly, "Nannan, don't switch sides, okay?!"
"Alright, alright..." Jiang Nannan had no choice but to go along.
"Zhu Ziyang, wait for us—we're going to strategize." Tang Ya pulled Jiang Nannan aside to whisper tactics.
"Be my guest!" Zhu Ziyang replied confidently.
"Nannan, I'll control while you attack," Tang Ya said. "You already know my soul skills and I've got Tang Sect's secret techniques. You just focus on attacking. Once I bind him, you use your second soul skill and finish him! We're both Soul Grandmasters. Zhu Ziyang's definitely going to lose this time!"
"Nannan, actually..." Jiang Nannan hesitated.
But Tang Ya didn't give her a chance to speak. "Alright, let's go!" She pulled her along. "Zhu Ziyang, we're ready!"
"Then let's begin." Zhu Ziyang's smile faded slightly but still appeared relaxed.
The three maintained a fifty-meter distance. As they turned, the battle officially began.
Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya simultaneously summoned their martial souls—four yellow soul rings lit up.
Zhu Ziyang also summoned his Stillness Fate Ending Scythe. The golden war scythe appeared in his hand, but no soul rings surfaced. Under his control, the scythe looked like nothing more than a regular weapon—just a basic scythe. This was the first time he'd shown his martial soul in public since enrolling at Shrek.
"This is your martial soul?" Tang Ya's excitement turned to disappointment as she looked at the scythe. "It doesn't look special at all. And where are your soul rings?"
"Heh." Zhu Ziyang smiled. "No rush. You'll see soon enough."
The battle began.
Jiang Nannan's first soul ring and Tang Ya's second soul ring lit up. Her body flickered, becoming slightly illusory, while a green vine coiled around her waist.
"Nannan, go!" Tang Ya shouted as she rushed forward, her hands flashing rapidly as she threw darts in tricky trajectories toward Zhu Ziyang. Jiang Nannan followed closely behind, moving with agility.
"So these are Tang Sect's hidden weapons?" Zhu Ziyang's eyes gleamed. He swung his scythe and moved forward, dodging the darts with ease and batting away others with a whirl of his blade.
"So fast!" Tang Ya was startled. She didn't expect Zhu Ziyang, a Power Attack Soul Master, to be so quick—almost as fast as Jiang Nannan. She threw more darts, but they failed to slow him. In just three seconds, he was in front of her.
Panicked, she hurled a barrage of hidden weapons, but Zhu Ziyang's rotating scythe formed an impenetrable wall. None of her attacks could breach it. Gritting her teeth, she shouted, "Damn it!" while launching her first soul skill.
Blue Silver Web!
A large net of Blue Silver Grass shot toward Zhu Ziyang. He smiled and slashed at it. The blade tore through the net easily, cutting it in half.
But just as he relaxed, one half of the vine entangled his scythe, while the other half wrapped around his arm, binding his movements.
Surprised, he thought, 'What's going on? The Blue Silver Grass is still functional even after being split in two? Has the Star Vine enhanced it that much?'
"Haha! Nannan, your turn!" Tang Ya shouted triumphantly. "Bet you didn't expect this! After absorbing the Star Vine, my Blue Silver Grass became not just tougher but fully controllable! Not using your soul skills now, are you?!"
Jiang Nannan attacked. She leapt at the restrained Zhu Ziyang, closing the distance in a flash.
Zhu Ziyang finally got serious. His Stillness Fate Ending Scythe glowed. Behind him, one yellow and two purple soul rings emerged—his first time revealing them at Shrek.
"What…" Tang Ya stood frozen, staring at the two dazzling purple rings.
Then one lit up.
"Second Soul Skill, Light's Blessing!" Zhu Ziyang activated the ability. His scythe radiated with brilliant light and chilling sharpness.
With the scythe now empowered—strength, hardness, sharpness, and light attributes all amplified by 150%—he swung it. The vines around his weapon and body were instantly shredded.
By then, Jiang Nannan had reached him, ready to activate her second soul skill.
Zhu Ziyang stepped back, narrowly avoiding her grasp—her skill only worked if she made physical contact.
She wasn't giving up. She lunged again.
Zhu Ziyang shifted his grip on the scythe, holding the blade ring and shaft with both hands. He feinted an attack, tricking her into moving closer. Then, at the last moment, he spun, dodged around her, and thrust his scythe toward the unsuspecting Tang Ya.
In the blink of an eye, his blade was at her neck.
"Match over," Zhu Ziyang said calmly. With the control-type Soul Master out, the agility-type alone couldn't defeat him.
"Argh! So frustrating!" Tang Ya shouted in defeat. "Zhu Ziyang, are you some kind of monster? How is your second soul ring already a thousand-year one?!"
Jiang Nannan walked over, having retracted her martial soul. "I tried to warn you."
"Ahhh!" Tang Ya was still flustered but suddenly grinned. "Luckily, you're my teammate! I don't think we can lose the freshman assessment now!"
"Naturally," Zhu Ziyang replied, brimming with confidence.
"Yeah! We'll definitely win!" Jiang Nannan echoed.
The three smiled at each other, filled with anticipation for the upcoming battle.
"But I have to say, your tactics were awful." Zhu Ziyang turned serious. "You were up against a Power Attack Soul Master. One of you is control, the other agility. You should have focused on kiting and attrition. Why would you charge in head-on?"
Tang Ya pouted. "Fine, fine, I get it! You be the team leader then, Captain Zhu!"
Jiang Nannan stuck her tongue out, silently admitting fault.
(End of Chapter)
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