"What?!"
For the first time in nearly a century, Mu En's tranquil heart wavered. His cloudy eyes opened, carrying a hint of inquiry as he looked at Yan Shaozhe and said, "I remember that child's martial soul was of the light attribute."
"Yes, teacher! Zhu Ziyang possesses an Ultimate Light Martial Soul!" Yan Shaozhe replied, unable to hide the joy on his face. Every time he thought about Shrek Academy having a student with an Ultimate Light Martial Soul, he couldn't help but cheer inwardly.
"Ultimate Light…" Mu En's murky eyes gradually brightened. He already understood Yan Shaozhe's purpose in coming and said, "Very well, Shaozhe. Once the freshman assessment is over, bring that child to the Sea God Pavilion."
"Yes, teacher!" Yan Shaozhe nodded with great excitement. With Mu En's guidance, Zhu Ziyang would surely grow even faster. When that time came, a Title Douluo with an Ultimate Light Martial Soul would elevate Shrek Academy's strength and prestige to an unprecedented level—perhaps even the strongest it had been in three thousand years!
"Go on now," said Mu En, closing his eyes once more. His face returned to a state of tranquil stillness.
Yan Shaozhe left.
"Ultimate Light…" Mu En murmured, his gnarled fingers tapping lightly on the wooden armrest of his chair, creating a crisp dong dong sound that revealed his rather good mood.
——
"Zhu Ziyang, you really hid deep. Even I didn't know." After class, Zhu Ziyang and his teammates were kept back by Xia Yu. His face was filled with emotion and excitement.
"I wasn't intentionally hiding anything. I just hadn't encountered anyone who could force me to show my full strength." Zhu Ziyang smiled calmly, as if he were stating something insignificant.
"You little brat, you really know how to talk!" Xia Yu laughed and scolded. "You have no idea what kind of faces we teachers made when you revealed your soul rings. Even Dean Yan and Director Du stood up in shock!"
"Teacher Xia, why are you only praising Zhu Ziyang? Nannan and I are also amazing!" Tang Ya was quite unhappy about Xia Yu only focusing on Zhu Ziyang.
"You girl, so impatient. I wasn't even finished yet, was I? Look at Nannan—not anxious at all," Xia Yu replied with a helpless smile.
"You're praising Zhu Ziyang. That makes her happier than getting praised herself!" Tang Ya pouted.
"Xiao Ya!" Jiang Nannan's face instantly turned bright red as she scolded.
Xia Yu chuckled at their banter, then asked, "So, are you confident for tomorrow's finals?"
"One hundred percent," Zhu Ziyang replied with a calm, carefree tone.
"Heh, Teacher Xia, you're giving too much credit to Class One. Even Beibei's undefeated team couldn't beat us. Those three from Chu Hua's team aren't even as strong as Beibei's. How could they be our match?" Tang Ya grinned smugly, clearly enjoying basking in their recent victory.
While Zhu Ziyang's team was securing their victory over Beibei's, the other match also concluded. Class One's Chu Hua team advanced to the finals.
"If that's the case, all the better!" Xia Yu's grin was radiant. "Once you win the championship, I'll treat you to a celebration banquet at the best restaurant in Shrek City!"
"Huh?!" The three of them were stunned. Xia Yu didn't seem to be joking, which left them puzzled.
"Teacher Xia, isn't that a bit too much? It's just a freshman assessment championship. Is it really worth such a grand celebration?"
"Why not?" Xia Yu responded seriously. "If you win, you'll be the first freshman champions I've ever taught in my ten years here! That alone makes it worthwhile!"
"As long as it makes you happy," the three of them exchanged glances and spoke helplessly.
——
The final day of the freshman assessment.
In the morning, the battle for third place unsurprisingly went to Beibei's team.
In the afternoon, the championship match—again unsurprisingly—belonged to Zhu Ziyang's team.
Even Chu Hua's team, which placed second, was quite pleased. Although they were overwhelmed by Zhu Ziyang's team, there was no shame in losing to the champions.
Zhu Ziyang's team was happy too, but not as overjoyed as one might expect. The win had come too easily. Zhu Ziyang hadn't even needed to use much of his strength. The final battle wasn't even as intense as the semifinals. Perhaps it was because they hadn't gone through a hard-fought battle to earn their victory that the fruits of success didn't taste quite so sweet.
That evening in Shrek City, at the Tianying Pavilion.
Tianying Pavilion was the most luxurious restaurant in Shrek City. Xia Yu had reserved a private room there to host a celebration for Zhu Ziyang and his team.
"Teacher Xia, you're really rich!" It was already the third time Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya had said this. The admiration was written all over their youthful faces.
"Naturally!" Xia Yu replied without a trace of modesty, smiling. Then he turned to Zhu Ziyang and said, "Barring any surprises, you'll all become core disciples."
"Core disciples?" Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya asked in unison, curious. Zhu Ziyang, on the other hand, remained calm.
"That's right, core disciples," Xia Yu nodded. "Core disciples of the Martial Soul Department in the outer court receive more resources and attention. Under normal circumstances, core disciples of the outer court will inevitably become inner court disciples. I won't go into all the perks now—you'll find out for yourselves soon enough."
"I see." Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya nodded in understanding.
——
Morning light bathed Shrek Plaza, its glow softly illuminating the stone tiles, and the air was filled with a fresh and cheerful dampness.
All students from the six first-year classes were gathered in the plaza. After the trial of the freshman assessment, only 300 students remained.
Soon, Du Weilun, the head instructor of the Martial Soul Department, arrived with a group of more than ten teachers. Among them were the original homeroom teachers of the six classes. They were referred to as "original" because, with the end of the freshman assessment, all new students would be reassigned to new classes.
Holding a folder, Du Weilun stepped forward, swept his gaze over the students, and spoke.
"I believe everyone is already aware that the freshman assessment has concluded. The elimination tournament has also determined the top three teams. Now, I will formally announce the members of the top three teams and the rewards they will receive."
"Third place, Beibei's team. Members: Beibei, Xu Sanshi, Xue Weiwei. Step forward."
Applause rang out as the three of them stepped forward with stoic expressions. For a team composed entirely of Soul Elders with power levels above 25, third place was a shame. But unfortunately, they had the misfortune of encountering Zhu Ziyang's team in the semifinals.
"Second place, Chu Hua's team. Members: Chu Hua, Ye Ning, Xiao Xuan. Step forward."
Chu Hua's team behaved more normally. They were quite satisfied with their result and walked up to Du Weilun amidst enthusiastic applause.
Du Weilun paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Next is the champion team of the freshman assessment—the well-deserved champions. Please step forward: Zhu Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, Tang Ya!"
(End of Chapter)
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