With the conclusion of the final match at dusk, the first phase of the freshman assessment officially came to an end.
Zhu Ziyang's team secured nine consecutive victories, making them one of the few undefeated teams and earning them the seed position from the twelfth examination ground as they entered the elimination round!
"So many classmates are gone now!" Tang Ya sighed as they walked out of the classroom, a trace of melancholy on her delicate face.
"Yeah, I didn't think the academy would be this ruthless," Jiang Nannan echoed with a lingering sense of unease. She recalled how grim Teacher Xia Yu's face had been earlier, and the sorrowful expressions of the students he named. Her kind heart couldn't help but ache at the memory.
After the ranking competition ended, every freshman class held a meeting. Once it concluded, ten teams—thirty students—from Class Four were dismissed from Shrek Academy.
Across the entire grade level, one hundred teams were eliminated—three hundred students in total!
"Don't dwell on it," Zhu Ziyang said calmly, his eyes clear. "It's not necessarily a bad thing for them. With their aptitude, even if they had stayed, they'd have struggled painfully. Imagine being surrounded by classmates who are all stronger and cultivate faster than you. No matter how hard you try, you can't catch up. That kind of hopelessness would crush anyone."
"..."
Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya trembled slightly as they listened. It really was suffocating to imagine.
Especially Tang Ya—she was already feeling that pressure. Seeing Yu Beibei and Jiang Nannan break through to level 27 and 28 while she remained stuck at level 22 had made the gap between herself and true geniuses painfully clear. The weight of that realization was overwhelming.
"I don't even want to talk right now," Tang Ya said with a bitter smile.
Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan exchanged a helpless glance and both shrugged.
"Xiao Ya!" Yu Beibei called out as he approached with Xu Sanshi and Xue Weiwei beside him.
"Beibei, how many students from your class got eliminated?" Tang Ya asked.
"Fifty-one," Xu Sanshi answered on his behalf.
"Why is the academy so heartless?" Xue Weiwei asked with a sorrowful expression. Clearly, she was upset by the cruelty of the system.
"You get used to it eventually," was all they could say.
—
After the ranking matches, the students were given one day of rest.
But for teams that made it into the elimination round and had their sights set on ranking high, this wasn't a rest day—it was a crucial day of preparation.
That morning, Zhu Ziyang and the others were summoned to Teacher Xia Yu's office.
"Brother Yu, we're here," Zhu Ziyang said as he knocked on the door, then pushed it open. Inside, Xia Yu sat alone.
"Great, you came!" Xia Yu's face lit up as he warmly greeted the three.
"Brother Yu, why'd you call us? Do we get some kind of reward?" Tang Ya asked teasingly, her face full of smiles.
"Hahaha!" Xia Yu laughed, shaking his head. "You wish."
"So what's this about, then?" Tang Ya wasn't disappointed; she had only been joking after all.
"It's about tomorrow's elimination round," Xia Yu said, his face turning serious.
"I see." The three of them also straightened up, their expressions becoming solemn.
"You three are our class's best hope for taking the championship," Xia Yu said, sweeping his gaze across them before settling on Zhu Ziyang with hope in his eyes. "If you have the ability, make sure you win this year's freshman tournament. It may be your only chance in life to compete in a freshman competition—don't leave any regrets behind."
"Don't worry, Brother Yu. We're aiming for the championship anyway," Zhu Ziyang said, speaking on behalf of the trio.
"Good, that's what I like to hear!" Xia Yu looked pleased with their resolve, his stern expression easing into a smile. "Since Xiao Ya asked about rewards, I'll tell you this—while I don't have anything to give, the academy has prepared a very generous prize for the champions of this freshman assessment."
"Really? What kind of reward?" Both Tang Ya and Jiang Nannan's eyes lit up with excitement.
"I don't know the exact details," Xia Yu said, "but I can guarantee this is the most generous prize offered in the past fifty years! It's said that Director Yan of the Martial Soul Department personally selected the rewards from the inner court's treasury!"
Just mentioning Yan Shaozhe and the inner court filled Xia Yu's face with admiration and reverence.
Hearing this, Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya grew even more excited. Zhu Ziyang, however, remained calm, his eyelids twitching slightly but his heart as still as a lake.
"Brother Yu, is this really all you called us in for? Just to talk about the rewards?" Zhu Ziyang asked, gently nudging Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya out of their daze and addressing Xia Yu directly.
"Not quite." Xia Yu chuckled, then handed over a form. "This is a list of the other teams that made the top sixty-four. Study it when you get the chance. I trust in your strength, but caution never hurts. A little preparation can go a long way."
"Got it. Thank you, Brother Yu," Zhu Ziyang replied as he accepted the form.
"Alright, I won't take up more of your time. Off you go," Xia Yu said.
"Goodbye, Brother Yu!" The three of them left the office.
—
After leaving, the group found a quiet spot near Sea God Lake.
"Let me see the list," Tang Ya said.
"There's not much to look at. Aside from Yu Beibei's team, none of the others are worth worrying about," Zhu Ziyang replied, though he still handed over the list.
"What martial soul does that girl in Yu Beibei's team have? I didn't get to see her fight last time," Jiang Nannan asked.
"Xue Weiwei, Martial Soul: Golden Crystal Mystic Deer. Level 25 control-type Soul Grandmaster," Tang Ya read aloud.
"Golden Crystal Mystic Deer? What kind of martial soul is that?" Jiang Nannan looked puzzled.
"It's an extremely rare type that imposes negative status effects on enemies as a form of control. We'll need to be careful," Zhu Ziyang explained, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. "I'm not sure what her two soul skills are exactly, but if we end up facing their team, Nannan, you and Tang Ya should take her out first."
"Understood," Jiang Nannan nodded.
"So what do we do now? Train?" Tang Ya returned the list to Zhu Ziyang and asked.
"No. We go rest," Zhu Ziyang said firmly.
"Huh?" Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya both looked at him in surprise, not expecting that answer.
"Heh," Zhu Ziyang chuckled under their gaze and explained, "We've been under intense pressure for three straight days. Don't you understand the importance of balance? Today we rest. Tomorrow's elimination round is going to be even more intense—we need to be in peak condition!"
"Fine," Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya nodded. Tang Ya added, "Then I'm going back to the dorm to sleep. I haven't rested well these past few days!"
"What do you mean? Didn't you sleep like a baby last night? You were even snoring!" Jiang Nannan teased immediately, a playful grin on her face.
"Aaah! Jiang Nannan! Why'd you say that?!" Tang Ya shrieked, lunging at her. Jiang Nannan skillfully dodged as the two girls ran off toward the dorms, laughing and tussling. Zhu Ziyang followed behind with a big smile on his face.
(End of Chapter)
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