With Wang Yan's shout of "Begin!" the six martial spirits instantly burst forth.
As usual, Huo Yutong remained at the back, controlling the field. Thanks to the Dragon's Beard Tea she had taken the night before, not only had her soul power improved, but her spiritual power had also made a considerable breakthrough.
In other words, at this moment, Huo Yutong was already a third-rank Soul Engineer.
Yet she did not unleash the characteristic firepower barrage of a soul engineer. Instead, she chose to conserve her strength—clearly, the three opponents before them were not enough to warrant her taking them seriously.
"Come, my roast drumsticks!"
Zhao Chenhao shouted, and two steaming chicken legs appeared at his teammates' sides.
Taking a bite each, Chen Junfeng and Ouyang Junyi launched forward.
Ouyang Junyi's martial spirit was the Sword Inscription Hummingbird—his right arm transformed into a sharp spike as he charged. Chen Junfeng's martial spirit was a flexible soft sword.
But with all three of them being only one-ring Soul Masters, their lineup looked pitifully meager compared to the dazzling formation on the other side.
Still, to pass the freshman assessment and remain in Shrek, they could only grit their teeth and fight.
On the referee's platform—
Neuvillette watched the almost one-sided battle unfolding below. Shaking his head slightly, he sighed in regret. To run into Huo Yutong's team right at the start… this defeat would no doubt cast a heavy shadow on their future matches.
Yan Shaozhe also clicked his tongue.
His gaze fell upon Wang Dong.
The Radiant Butterfly Goddess spread its gorgeous wings wide. With every movement, rainbow-colored brilliance shimmered across the arena, dazzling and elegant.
But it was not merely for show—the strength behind it stunned the surrounding spectators.
Facing two opponents at once, Wang Dong defeated them in less than thirty seconds.
Even more impressive: in this battle, only one person on the team had made a move. Xiao Xiao and Huo Yutong simply stood to the side, "spectating."
Only Yan Shaozhe's eyes narrowed slightly.
"A spiritual-type martial soul—Ling Eyes. A very unique body martial soul…"
"And that Xiao Xiao—twin martial spirits, Flute and Cauldron. Both are of outstanding quality as well."
As he spoke, he chuckled, draping his arm casually over Neuvillette's shoulder.
"These three, I want all of them. How about it, little brother—can't you do your senior a favor and let me reserve them in advance?"
Neuvillette's expression remained calm. He did not answer.
This made several teachers nearby break into a cold sweat. To bluntly brush off the face of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department Dean… wasn't this going too far?
One must know, Yan Shaozhe had presided over the Martial Soul Department for nearly a century.
His strength was not his only weapon—his terrifying network of influence stretched across the entire continent.
Many princes, even future emperors, had once studied under him at Shrek. And when they met him later, they would bow with utmost respect, greeting him as "Teacher."
Such a person was enough to make even seasoned instructors feel on edge in his presence—afraid of making the slightest misstep.
Yet here was Neuvillette, brushing him off without a care…
"Just yesterday, the Heavenly Soul Empire's royal family sent over an Icebound Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Ox. Its meat is of the highest quality—rare across the entire continent. A true delicacy."
Yan Shaozhe raised a brow, tempting further.
"I don't eat beef."
Neuvillette smiled faintly.
Yan Shaozhe blinked, puzzled.
"Why? Don't tell me you have some kind of food taboo?"
Neuvillette shook his head, his expression turning faintly mysterious. Slowly, he spoke:
"Because it is kind…"
Yan Shaozhe: "…"
"Come on, senior brother. Let this child remain in the Soul Engineering Department. After all, Uncle Qian already reserved her before you. And only in the Soul Engineering Department can she truly bring out her natural gifts."
Rising from his seat, Neuvillette turned and left quietly.
The matches went by quickly. At this level and age, soul power reserves were small—once expended, that was it. So victories were decided fast.
Yet Yan Shaozhe remained frowning, deep in thought.
"It is kind… what does kindness have to do with eating it or not?"
"Du Weilun, what do you think? What did Little Neuv mean by that?" He turned his gaze toward Du Weilun beside him.
"Uh… Saint Son's meaning might be… perhaps he just isn't used to eating beef, yes, not accustomed to it, haha…"
Cold sweat streamed down Du Weilun's forehead, terrified of saying the wrong thing.
In front of these two true giants, he—the Martial Soul Department Director so revered by outsiders—was nothing but a trembling subordinate.
"I see…" Yan Shaozhe nodded slightly, seeming to accept this explanation. "Then I'll just try bribing him with something else."
With that, his figure flickered—and he vanished on the spot.
Only then did Du Weilun dare to wipe the sweat from his brow.
In all the Martial Soul Department, only Yan Shaozhe would openly hang the word 'bribery' on his lips without shame…
"Wang Dong, you stood out today. I saw plenty of pretty girls from our year looking at you—and even some older senior sisters were asking about you."
The little beauty Xiao Xiao teased with a grin, skipping along playfully.
Huo Yutong walked quietly beside them, smiling as she listened to her companions' chatter.
At those words, however, Wang Dong suddenly pictured in his mind a refined figure in a deep-blue formal suit, leaning gracefully on a staff—elegant, dignified, and breathtakingly beautiful.
His flawless features flushed with embarrassment.
Almost without thinking, he blurted out:
"That's impossible—I don't like girls!!"
"What?"
This time, not only Xiao Xiao but even Huo Yutong widened her lovely eyes in disbelief, staring at him.
"You don't like girls… then could it be—you're actually… a l—"
Before Xiao Xiao could finish, Wang Dong slapped his hand over her mouth.
"Don't talk nonsense! I just… just cough, don't want to think about that kind of thing right now, that's all." His pale cheeks were flushed red as he "threatened" viciously.
Xiao Xiao's lips curled into a sly smile. She let out a long, meaningful "oooh~" before Wang Dong chased after her, flustered, in mock outrage.
The three little ones laughed and bickered toward the cafeteria—
Only to run into three all-too-familiar faces.
The tall and broad-shouldered Dai Huabin, with his arm wrapped tightly around the alluring and voluptuous Zhu Lu, and beside them, the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit Master, Cui Yajie.
The enmity between the groups went deeper than Dai Huabin's longstanding hostility toward Huo Yutong in the Duke's mansion.
Though thanks to Neuvillette's intervention, Duke Dai Yueheng had eased Huo Yun'er's hardships, giving her and her daughter better conditions, small conflicts inevitably piled up over the years.
What's more, because Dai Yueheng doted more on Huo Yutong, Dai Huabin received less of the "love from O Dou Dou," which only fueled his resentment.
So Dai Huabin had always despised her.
Now, after Huo Yutong entered Shrek and even dared to change her surname back to her mother's, Dai Huabin could barely stomach the sight of her.
Thus, when the two groups met, both immediately stopped in their tracks.
"Dai Yutong—you dare change your surname without permission? Our Duke's Mansion treated you well enough, didn't it? You ungrateful little bitch!"
"Who are you calling names?"
Wang Dong's face burned with fury, soul rings rising beneath his feet. His radiant wings flared out behind him—ready to strike.
(End of Chapter)