Inside the dormitory.
Zhu Ziyang sat cross-legged on the bed, entering a meditative state.
Within his spiritual sea, Zhu Ziyang looked at the two guests floating on the lake surface, feeling very strange.
Electrolux had been dormant for over three months. The originally unstable gray bead had become very stable, now appearing very restrained, emitting no aura at all. It looked like an ordinary small gray ball. Zhu Ziyang had a feeling that Electrolux might be about to wake up.
As for the other guest, the rhomboid crystal that might house the soul of the Silver Dragon Wolf, it showed no change at all. It was exactly as it had been before, appearing to be a stubborn fellow. Zhu Ziyang understood that only when he cultivated the Heavenly Frost Sacred White Dragon Spirit would this Dragonwolf crystal possibly show any anomaly.
Additionally, the most noteworthy thing was that with two months of deep mastery and development of his Silver Right Eye, Zhu Ziyang was surprised to discover a silver cyclone appearing in his spiritual sea. This cyclone appeared abruptly, and he hadn't even noticed it at first. Only a few days ago did he accidentally discover that this cyclone was devouring his mental force. After his blue mental force was devoured by this silver cyclone, it transformed into a more condensed and purer silver mental force. He was pleasantly surprised to find that his mental force was actually growing on its own—this was truly an unexpected bonus!
Now, in his spiritual sea, silver mental force already occupied a quarter of the area. He had a premonition that when the entire spiritual sea turned silver, his mental force might reach the realm of substantial yet formless.
Substantial yet formless signifies a state of existence that is intangible and untouchable. It is the second layer in the mental force realm. Spirit Masters who reach this realm will experience a significant improvement in their understanding and application of mental force, such as influencing the surrounding environment through mental force or controlling the power of Spirit Abilities through mental force—these are things that can only be achieved at this level. Generally speaking, substantial yet formless mental force is standard for Spirit Saint-level Spirit Masters. For Zhu Ziyang, as a non-mental system Spirit Master, to be able to touch its threshold at the Spirit Elder level was truly a unique advantage.
Zhu Ziyang's consciousness left his spiritual sea and entered the cultivation of his spirit power. The spirit power condensed by the Great Bright Art was pure and robust, filled with a vast and grand aura. It repeatedly washed over his meridians and acupoints, cleansing his body, refining the light element of the Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe, and steadily solidifying Zhu Ziyang's foundation.
—
First day of the elimination rounds.
Sixty-four freshman teams arrived outside the assessment area. One hundred ninety-two freshmen were silent, quietly watching the more than thirty teachers standing in front of them, not daring to breathe loudly due to the immense pressure.
Du Weilun, the director of education for the Martial Soul Department, was calling names.
...Freshman Class Four, Zhu Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, Tang Ya, Lin Ziwei...
The students whose names were called responded one after another.
Before long, the roll call was completed, and the drawing of lots for the sixty-four into thirty-two competition began.
After yesterday's adjustments, the assessment area was now divided into sixteen zones, its size expanded several times, making it much more spacious. This significantly reduced the limitations for agility-attack system Spirit Masters. Jiang Nannan even jumped for joy upon seeing it.
Soon, the drawing of lots concluded.
The sixty-four teams were divided into thirty-two groups. The thirty-two groups would compete in two batches: sixteen groups in the morning and sixteen in the afternoon. In one day, thirty-two teams would be decided to enter tomorrow's next round of competition.
Soon, the thirty-two teams competing in the morning were called away. The remaining thirty-two teams were instructed to return to their classrooms for class and were only permitted to appear in the assessment area when they had their afternoon matches.
Zhu Ziyang's team was scheduled for the twelfth assessment arena in the morning.
"Ha! It's the twelfth assessment arena again."
The three were somewhat surprised, but what surprised them even more was yet to come. The examiner for the twelfth assessment arena was still the female teacher named Liu Xue, and their opponents were surprisingly the same team from the ranking competition's arena, Lu Shaoyou's team from Class Three.
When Lu Shaoyou and his two teammates saw Zhu Ziyang and his two teammates, their faces turned green. If the elimination rounds hadn't prohibited surrendering, they probably would have fled the assessment area long ago—this was simply too painful!
"Wh-why is it you guys?!" Lu Shaoyou cried out in agony. His two teammates also wore identical bitter expressions.
Liu Xue tried hard to suppress her laughter. She swore she had washed her hands before drawing the lots!
"The three of you, can you please go easy on us?" Lu Shaoyou said with a bitter face.
"We can consider it, oh." Tang Ya said with a mischievous smile on her face.
The match began. Because they had fought before, this match lasted even shorter. Zhu Ziyang and his two teammates quickly and cleanly dealt with the three opponents.
Listening to Liu Xue announce the results, Lu Shaoyou and his two teammates indignantly declared, "Heavens, you can't play with us like this!"
Originally, with their record of eight wins and one loss in the ranking competition, even if they couldn't make it to the top eight in the elimination rounds, they shouldn't have been eliminated in the first round. But fate seemed to be deliberately toying with them, as they encountered Zhu Ziyang's team again in their very first match. This was truly not due to their lack of strength; their opponents were simply too strong!
"Goodbye, I wish you all the best in winning the championship!"
Lu Shaoyou and his two teammates left with that message, then, heads bowed, they jogged away from the assessment area. As they exited the main gate of the assessment area, they noticed their homeroom teachers, who had not yet left, and their teachers' ashen faces. They immediately felt a sense of dread—they were done for, they were going to be lectured by their homeroom teachers.
The three of them sped up their departure.
"Oh, Teacher Chu, aren't those three students from your class?"
...You shut up!
...
Zhu Ziyang and his two teammates, who easily advanced to the next round, did not leave the assessment area immediately. Instead, they strolled around, observing the strength of other teams. Then, in the second assessment arena, they saw Yu Beibei's team.
Yu Beibei's team's opponents were a team consisting of two Spirit Grandmasters and one Spirit Master. Facing such a team, just Yu Beibei and Xu Sanshi were enough, so Zhu Ziyang and his two teammates' plan to investigate Xue Weiwei's information fell through, as Xue Weiwei didn't even summon her Spirit.
Yu Beibei and Xu Sanshi each had two yellow spirit rings behind them.
In the arena, Yu Beibei and Xu Sanshi easily secured victory with a simple display of their abilities.
Yu Beibei's right arm transformed into a thick Dragon Arm covered in blue-purple dragon scales, and his palm became a huge, ferocious Dragon Claw. Blue-purple lightning, like tiny snakes, coiled around it—Dragonization, the iconic ability of a top-tier Dragon Spirit.
Yu Beibei charged towards the two Spirit Grandmasters. His first spirit ring was already shining brightly. Amidst intense spirit power fluctuations, a blue-purple lightning dragon claw, about a foot in diameter, shot out, striking one of the White Rhinoceros Spirit students. The White Rhinoceros Spirit student's expression changed slightly, and his first Spirit Ability instantly lit up. A layer of white energy shield appeared, protecting his body within it.
However, how could the first Spirit Ability of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Spirit be compared to the first Spirit Ability of the White Rhinoceros Spirit? The Thunder Dragon Claw heavily struck the white energy shield, shattering it instantly. The White Rhinoceros Spirit student retreated a few steps in disbelief. Yu Beibei, not giving an inch, instantly unleashed his second spirit ring. Countless crackling, snake-like lightning bolts erupted from the palm of the huge Dragon Claw, shooting towards the White Rhinoceros Spirit student. They exploded in the air, forming a net of thunder that enveloped the White Rhinoceros Spirit student.
The White Rhinoceros Spirit student immediately lost his ability to resist. His teammate, the other Spirit Grandmaster, had a Swift Dragon Spirit, a wind-attribute sub-dragon. In the face of the Dragon Might of the true Dragon Spirit, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, his spirit power circulation was not smooth, let alone providing effective support. He could only watch helplessly as his teammate was sent off the stage by Yu Beibei. He himself was subsequently sent off the stage by Yu Beibei.