Chapter 17: Initial Collaboration, Double Control Court

Huo Yuhao said somewhat speechlessly, "Pride leads to downfall, be more modest."

Wang Dong snorted, "Do you think my Martial Soul can be low-key?"

"Uh..." That's right! His Bright Goddess Butterfly Martial Soul was always a showstopper whenever it appeared, making it indeed difficult to stay low-key.

The night passed without conversation, spent in cultivation. The next morning, after breakfast, the two of them arrived at the teaching building. As soon as they entered the classroom, they sensed an intense atmosphere.

Following Teacher Zhou's grouping yesterday, today everyone was huddled in groups of three, whispering something to each other.

Xiao Xiao had arrived earlier than them and was already waiting there, and she quickly waved at them when she saw them come in.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong walked over, and Xiao Xiao said, "The assessment will officially start this afternoon; let's discuss our tactics."

Wang Dong spoke carelessly, "There's nothing to discuss, just fight our way through."

Xiao Xiao shook her head gently and said, "It's not that easy. I've heard that each class has formed elite teams composed of exceptionally outstanding students all aiming for the championship. They're not easy to deal with. We must have good coordination to have a chance."

Wang Dong wanted to say something else but was stopped by Huo Yuhao, "Wang Dong, get serious, or I'll ask Teacher Zhou to let me change teams."

Xiao Xiao, perhaps holding some grudge against Wang Dong for being rejected yesterday, immediately agreed, "Exactly, too much confidence is arrogance."

Wang Dong snorted but said no more.

Huo Yuhao put an arm around his shoulder and said, "Alright, don't be angry. If we cooperate well, won't it be easier to defeat our opponents during the assessment? Let's each talk about our strengths."

Although they had been classmates for three months, they studied together but cultivated separately, and they didn't even know much about each other's Martial Souls.

Huo Yuhao said, "I'll start. I have a spiritual attribute Martial Soul, good at Shared Spiritual Detection, which allows you to be aware of any movement within a fifty-meter radius during the fight, as well as anticipate the enemy to a degree."

Wang Dong said, "I'm a direct-attack class Battle Soul Master, capable of both close and long-range attacks, and I can also fly." Although somewhat arrogant, he did indeed have the capital to be proud. In terms of soul power cultivation, Martial Soul, and soul skills, he stood unrivaled among his peers. Being the owner of a Millennium level second soul ring in the entire academy was probably unmatched as well.

Xiao Xiao nodded and said, "My Main Martial Soul is the Three Lives Soul Suppression Cauldron, an integrated offense and defense tool with some battlefield control, mainly to strike and shock the enemy. Once it hits the enemy, it can cause dizziness and produce an attack effect. My second Martial Soul is the flute, the Nine Phoenix Flute, focusing on auxiliary control. Currently, my second Martial Soul only has a Centennial Soul Ring which can slow down the opponent during combat."

Wang Dong said in surprise, "Isn't your auxiliary Martial Soul supposed to enhance our allies?"

Xiao Xiao smiled proudly and said, "Not necessarily. Sometimes, weakening the opponent can be more effective than boosting ourselves. You'll understand when the time comes. However, I won't use my second Martial Soul lightly; we should keep some of our strength hidden and take it slow."

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong realized something, Xiao Xiao might be stronger than they thought.

What they didn't know was that when Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao formed a double control field, they would unleash astonishing control power.

"Bang, bang, bang." Three knocks sounded, and in the next moment, the whole class became as quiet as death, you could hear a pin drop.

Teacher Zhou stood at the classroom door, her right hand just let go after knocking, the sound had come from her hitting the door.

Straightening to the lectern, Teacher Zhou maintained her usual iciness, "I have already reported the teams for the competition. The matches officially start this afternoon. During the ten rounds of round-robin matches, you won't encounter each other but will face students from other classes. I have only one piece of advice for you: If anyone stands in your way during the assessment, beat the hell out of them. That's it, dismissed. Gather in the assessment area this afternoon." With that, the cool old lady turned and walked away.

Wang Dong whispered to Huo Yuhao, "Don't you think Old Lady Zhou is becoming more and more charismatic?"

Huo Yuhao glanced at him and said, "It's not charisma, it's domineering."

Xiao Xiao walked over with a giggle and said, "What Teacher Zhou has is presence. Come on, let's find a place to rehearse first, or how will we coordinate this afternoon?"

Huo Yuhao agreed immediately before Wang Dong could speak, "Classmate Wang Dong, if you still want to eat grilled fish in the future, I request that during the freshman assessment, you obey all the orders of the class leader. Do you agree?"

"Uh..." Wang Dong looked at Huo Yuhao's resolute gaze and said with a face full of grief, "Huo Yuhao, you're taking advantage of me."

Huo Yuhao said nonchalantly, "You can choose not to eat."

After hesitating for a while, Wang Dong eventually gave in, "I'll endure it, I'll listen to you. But from now on, you're in charge of cleaning the dorm."

Huo Yuhao looked at him disdainfully. "Did you clean up in the past three months?"

"That...," Wang Dong replied speechlessly, "you're ruthless."

Xiao Xiao seemed to have completely taken Huo Yuhao's side now and chuckled, "Laziness is a sin."

Out of the blue, Wang Dong blurted out something that made Xiao Xiao's pretty face turn crimson, "Xiao Xiao, you switch affections really quickly, don't you!"

"You—" Xiao Xiao pointed at Wang Dong, her face full of anger and even a hint of hurt.

"Alright, alright. Weren't we going to practice? Let's hurry up and go. I think we should head outside the academy. There are a lot of woods outside, so we won't be disturbed by others."

Wang Dong stuck out his tongue at Xiao Xiao and ran off. Huo Yuhao comforted Xiao Xiao for a while, and she finally broke into laughter. The two then chased after Wang Dong, taking the lakeside path out of the academy.

Finding a quiet place outside Shrek Academy was easier than ever. Although there were many main roads crisscrossing the area, the sides of these roads were filled with a large number of plants. Some grew naturally, while others were artificially planted.

The three of them found a relatively flat clearing in the woods, and Wang Dong asked, "How do we practice? Should each of us just use our soul skills once?"

Xiao Xiao immediately replied, "What's the point of that? The best way to practice is to have some opposition. You're a direct-attack class Battle Soul Master, so you'll be on your own side, and the class president and I will be on the other. We'll have a confrontation."

"You two against me?" Wang Dong shook his index finger and said, "No chance, you stand no chance at all!"

Xiao Xiao coldly retorted, "How do you know if you don't try? But since you're a direct-attack class Battle Soul Master, it wouldn't be fair to start the fight in close quarters. Let's start with some distance, say, thirty meters."

Listening to their banter, Huo Yuhao increasingly realized how clever Xiao Xiao was. His Shared Spiritual Detection had a diameter of fifty meters, so by having Wang Dong start thirty meters away, he would enter his Spiritual Detection range the moment he made a move.

Wang Dong agreed without hesitation.

Xiao Xiao added, "You can fly, we can't. This is a practice, so don't you fly away if you lose."

Wang Dong casually replied, "I just won't fly more than five meters off the ground. There, I'll move now. You can say when to start." As he spoke, he had already backed away.

Xiao Xiao immediately turned to Huo Yuhao and said, "Class president, we're going to 'fly a kite'. Just keep using Shared Spiritual Detection to assist me. Let's make that smug guy suffer."

If this had been before Huo Yuhao came to Shrek Academy, he would have no idea what 'flying a kite' meant, but now he understood that it was a tactic of fighting while retreating.

Huo Yuhao nodded and said, "Okay, I'll coordinate with you." He was curious to see how powerful Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong really were. In three months, he had not seen Wang Dong really use his Martial Soul in battle. But, he was very aware that although Wang Dong was a bit arrogant, what he actually had was confidence, not conceit. Confidence comes from strength.

They quickly put some distance between them, and Wang Dong leaned casually against a big tree, looking at Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao thirty meters away. He even moved back a little further. He waved to Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao, signaling that he was ready.

Xiao Xiao and Huo Yuhao stood side by side. She was petite, even among the shorter members of the class and had the nickname of a 'pocket-sized beauty'. She turned her head and nodded to Huo Yuhao, "Class president, help me."

"Sure."

Only then did Xiao Xiao turn to Wang Dong and shouted, "Start!" At the same time, she rapidly unleashed her Martial Soul.

Two yellow circles of light shone beneath Xiao Xiao's feet and rose instantly. She was also a Grand Soul Master above level 20, which made Huo Yuhao beside her secretly ashamed.

Two soul rings rose from beneath Xiao Xiao's feet, but her body remained unchanged. Instead, a black silhouette quickly took shape above her head. It was a cauldron with three legs and two ears, about a meter in diameter. It was Xiao Xiao's Main Martial Soul, the Three Lives Soul Suppression Cauldron.

Huo Yuhao's Shared Spiritual Detection was simultaneously activated. A white soul ring rose from beneath his feet, making Xiao Xiao feel somewhat insufficient by comparison and secretly thinking, no wonder the class president was so desperate to cultivate; his talent really was lacking!

However, Xiao Xiao was soon stunned by the strange scenery Shared Spiritual Detection revealed to her.

With their bodies as the center, everything within a fifty-meter diameter instantly appeared in her mind as a three-dimensional pattern. She didn't even need to think, as all sorts of information rapidly popped into her mind, including every blade of grass within the range. It was like a panoramic 3D map with an extra brain helping her to think.

Xiao Xiao was shocked and cast a glance at Huo Yuhao, while Wang Dong had already made his move on the other side.

Although Wang Dong appeared to look down on Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao, in reality, he was taking no chances. He had experienced Huo Yuhao's Shared Spiritual Detection and was fully aware of its powerful ability to predict the opponent's moves.

The splendid blue wings unfurled in a flash behind him, and a strange hue that shifted between blue and purple enveloped Wang Dong. Golden spots lit up on his massive wings, forming a V shape. One yellow and one purple soul ring rose, releasing the Bright Goddess Butterfly Martial Soul.

With a flicker, Wang Dong charged forward at high speed. Soul power burst from the golden spots on his wings, boosting him to high speed in an instant.This was not a soul skill, but an innate ability of his Bright Goddess Butterfly Martial Soul, which illustrated the strength of this Martial Soul.

Wang Dong, who had suddenly accelerated, covered a distance of over ten meters in nearly an instant, and was about to reach Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao. One could imagine, when a direct-attack class Battle Soul Master got close to two control-class Battle Soul Masters who lacked melee capabilities, the outcome seemed inevitable.

Just as Wang Dong rushed to within twenty-five meters of Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao, the data of his movements instantly appeared in Xiao Xiao's mind, including his trajectory, physical changes, Martial Soul changes, and she could even faintly sense the operation of the soul power within his meridians.

Xiao Xiao did not seem flustered at all; the soul skill generated by Huo Yuhao's white ten-year soul ring had already given her a great surprise. As she watched Wang Dong approach in an instant, she made her move.

Pointing her right hand at Wang Dong, the one-meter diameter cauldron shadow above her head immediately rushed forward. The cauldron shadow didn't collide directly with Wang Dong but struck where he had to pass. Likewise, she used the innate ability of her Tool Soul, not triggering a soul skill right from the start.

What made Wang Dong feel awkward was that the black cauldron flew exactly where he had to pass. Undoubtedly, this was the ingenious use of Huo Yuhao's Shared Spiritual Detection. Otherwise, Xiao Xiao could only rely on her sight and soul power fluctuations to judge, and couldn't possibly pinpoint the position as accurately as she did now.

With no other choice, Wang Dong slightly retracted his left wing, his body tilted slightly in the air as he attempted to change his course. But what frustrated him more was that the black cauldron swiftly moved sideways, still blocking his way.

Anticipating the enemy's move.

Xiao Xiao instinctively turned to look at Huo Yuhao beside her, whose eyes were shining with a golden light. With Shared Spiritual Detection, she didn't even need to use her eyes to look at Wang Dong; she simply followed the guidance of Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection to execute her attack. It couldn't get any simpler than this.

Wang Dong stubbornly refused to believe it, flapping his wings and maneuvering in the air, even accelerating several times. But Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection could even detect the operation of his soul power, always enabling him to anticipate the enemy's move. It was clearly unrealistic for him to avoid Xiao Xiao's freely-moving Three Lives Soul Suppression Cauldron in mid-air.

How frustrated Wang Dong was! Unable to help it, he exclaimed, "Huo Yuhao, don't you have any humanity! Fine, if I can't avoid it, I'll just force my way through."

As he spoke, his first soul ring suddenly glowed brightly. Huo Yuhao's eyes shone abruptly with golden light; through Spiritual Detection, he could clearly feel that Wang Dong's soul power was surging in an explosive manner, crazily infused into his front wings. His rear wings were completely spread to maintain the balance of his body.

One could see that his front wings turned completely blue, while the clusters of golden patterns on them spread out golden light, instantly forming a three-inch wide golden edge around the wings' periphery, extremely sharp.

Xiao Xiao's expression also changed slightly. Through Huo Yuhao's Spirit Share, she could clearly feel that Wang Dong's soul skill-enhanced wings possessed astonishing destructive power.

Wang Dong raised both hands simultaneously, each grabbing the inside of his front wings, and with a fierce pull, the wings unfolded at his sides. Combined with the golden edges, they were like two large cleavers. With a violent twist of his body, his right wing swung towards the Three Lives Soul Suppression Cauldron. Just as he had said, if soft approaches failed, he'd resort to force.

However, he still underestimated the formidable coordination between Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao as a twin control team. The Three Lives Soul Suppression Cauldron didn't directly withstand the attack but moved back two meters instantly, just evading his right wing's chop, then charged forward fiercely, striking the flat of his wing.

With a loud boom, Wang Dong's body was sent flying over ten meters away, while Xiao Xiao's Three Lives Soul Calming Cauldron remained fixed in mid-air.

Wang Dong was truly frustrated. He believed his strength was definitely superior to Xiao Xiao's, but when faced with the combined assault from Xiao Xiao and Huo Yuhao, he just couldn't exert his power, rendering his actual strength unusable. Suddenly, his eyes brightened, and instead of advancing, he retreated. With a flash, he broke away from Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao's twenty-five-meter range, naturally escaping the range of Spiritual Detection.

"Hehe, Huo Yuhao, I'd like to see how you detect me now. Brother here has a remote attack." As he spoke, his second soul ring lit up.

Huo Yuhao smiled slightly and said, "Did you forget that I can detect in a fixed direction? Right now, I can detect up to about a hundred meters. If you believe your attack can exceed a hundred meters in distance and can lock onto us, feel free to try. Moreover, when your remote attack enters the range of my Spiritual Detection, I'll have enough time to help Xiao Xiao block it. Unless your strength can shatter Xiao Xiao's Three Lives Soul Calming Cauldron. And don't forget, Xiao Xiao still hasn't used her second Martial Soul yet."

Wang Dong was stunned. Yes, his second soul skill, although at the Millennium level and quite formidable in power, would significantly weaken if it exceeded a hundred meters. Besides, Huo Yuhao did have enough time to assist Xiao Xiao in blocking it. However, he couldn't admit defeat verbally, "My remote attack is still an area-of-effect attack; your detection will be useless against it."

Xiao Xiao laughed and said, "Don't be so smug, Wang Dong. Don't forget, I haven't used my two soul skills yet. Do you even know what the soul skills of my Three Lives Soul Calming Cauldron are? To be honest, you might not necessarily be a match for me one-on-one. As for your so-called remote attack, it might be powerful, but I only need to buy enough time for myself and the class president to dodge. Just watch."

As she spoke, she pointed with her right hand towards the Three Lives Soul Calming Cauldron again, and immediately, the caldron trembled slightly. Following that, it split into three, instantly spreading out above her and Huo Yuhao's heads, forming a tripod stance. Simultaneously, Xiao Xiao's first soul ring lit up.

A thunderous boom echoed in the air, as the space above their heads, spanning roughly ten square meters, began to distort amidst the violent shaking.

The three cauldrons merged back into one and quietly landed in front of Xiao Xiao.

This time, both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's expressions changed. Such a strong Martial Soul it was—the Three Lives Soul Calming Cauldron's division into three was instinctive, and the final tremor was the actual attack. Through Spiritual Detection, Huo Yuhao could clearly sense the terrifying force of that vibration.

Wang Dong's complexion quickly returned to normal, "Let's stop fighting. I indeed can't handle the two of you together. However, Xiao Xiao, you'll realize in the future that you're definitely not a match for me one-on-one. But, under similar cultivation levels, whoever has Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection has almost guaranteed victory. His skill leaves no room for survival to the opponent. Unless one's cultivation far exceeds and can overwhelm with absolute power, they will always be at a disadvantage."

Although Xiao Xiao was unwilling to admit Wang Dong's claim that he could win against her one-on-one, she agreed with the latter part of his speech and nodded, "Indeed! With the class president's Spiritual Detection, I only need to simply use my skills in battle. Class president, your skill is really powerful. The feeling of cooperating with you is fantastic. I'm sorry I underestimated your ten-year soul ring!" She was a straightforward girl, expressing whatever was on her mind without beating around the bush, immediately winning Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's favor.

Huo Yuhao extended his right hand to Xiao Xiao, and with a beaming smile, she placed her right hand on his, while Wang Dong walked over and stacked his right hand on top.

Huo Yuhao said, "From now on, we are partners in a team. In the freshman assessment, we're aiming for the championship."

"We're aiming for the championship!" The three of them shouted in unison. Their relationship instantly became closer, with Xiao Xiao naturally being the happiest, feeling that Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had genuinely accepted her. As they say, among Soul Masters, strength is always the simplest, most direct, and effective way to speak.

The examination area of Shrek Academy was located in the northern-central part of the Martial Soul Department, adjacent to the Soul Fighting Area. Compared to the Soul Fighting Area, the examination area was much larger. For the students of Shrek Academy's outer court, it was a paradise for outstanding students to showcase themselves, but a nightmare for those with lower cultivation. Every year, a large majority of students would be eliminated for failing to pass the assessments, most of which took place in this examination area.

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The assessment area was oval-shaped and didn't resemble the enclosed stadium of the Soul Fighting Area; rather, it was an open space. Around the perimeter was a low wall, while the interior was divided into individual sections by partitions that could be removed at any time to change the size of the areas.

The annual new student assessment always had the most divided areas, not only because of the large number of new students but also because the students' destructive power and attack range were limited, meaning a smaller area was sufficient for them to show off their abilities.

In total, the assessment area was about twenty thousand square meters, which was already divided into fifty sections by now, each section being approximately four hundred square meters, forming a square with a side length of twenty meters. For the new students, who typically had a cultivation of the 1st or 2nd Ring, this was already enough.

After the tense grouping in the morning, the official assessments began in the afternoon. Since today was the first day of the assessment, to allow new students to adapt, each team was only required to participate in one match before leaving. The academy dispatched fifty teachers to register assessments in the fifty areas. The opponents for today's assessment had already been drawn and grouped at noon. This was done to ensure teams from the same class would not encounter each other in the ten matches of the upcoming cycle.

Besides Class One of the new students, which only had twenty-two teams, the other classes generally had more than thirty teams. Unless a student showed particularly poor performance during the new student period, the teachers of the new student classes were not likely to eliminate students from the assessment easily; they always provided an opportunity for them to undergo the assessment.

In the end, there were a total of three hundred and ten teams, adding up to nine hundred and thirty students participating in the new student assessment. Out of these, only one hundred and fifty teams would remain, officially becoming first-year students to continue their studies, while the rest would be eliminated.

Study at Shrek Academy undeniably embodied fierce and cruel competition. However, it was precisely because of this environment that students were driven to work harder and better tap into their potential. This has led to Shrek Academy's enduring, ever-victorious state for ten thousand years.

There were a total of fifty areas for the new student assessment, which meant each area was allocated to six or seven teams. Not only today, but they also would need to compete with other teams allocated to the same area tomorrow, continuing until they had faced each other, and then would be regrouped to complete the ten rounds of the competition for each team.

Huo Yuhao and his teammates were assigned to Area Thirty-Three. After having lunch together, the trio returned to the dormitory for a brief meditation before setting off together. The division of areas was easy to find, each marked clearly, and soon they found the section they belonged to.

Other students from different classes who were there to compete had also arrived, some looking anxious, some ready to fight, raring to go. They were all eleven or twelve-year-old kids, unable to hide their emotions, and when they looked at each other, their hostility was crystal clear. After all, there was a chance that only half of them could remain. And even though there were as many as ten matches in the assessment, each one was crucial to their future.

"Attention all new students, attention all new students, please proceed to the assessment area to prepare for the new student assessment. There are ten minutes left to enter the area; latecomers will be considered to have forfeited the match," announced a loudspeaker voice that resounded throughout the outer court, loud enough to reach every corner. The new students' expressions became serious; their first assessment match was coming up, and it would be false to say they weren't nervous.

Huo Yuhao also unconsciously clenched his fists, touching the Twenty-four Bridge Moonlit Night at his waist from time to time. The use of Soul Guidance Devices was not allowed during the assessment, but hidden weapons were just ordinary weapons and not included in this restriction. Generally, Soul Masters rarely used weapons unless they were operating Soul Guidance Devices, but as a Tang Sect disciple, Huo Yuhao was an exception.

Wang Dong rested his left hand on Huo Yuhao's shoulder, leaning against him at an angle, "Don't be nervous, it's a piece of cake," he said.

This time Xiao Xiao did not comment on Wang Dong's arrogance and simply nodded at Huo Yuhao. Today, during their sparring, Wang Dong might not have revealed his true strength, but his final words were very firm, indicating that his cultivation was at least not inferior to her own. Add to that the class leader's astonishing Spiritual Detection capability, and indeed very few fellow students could pose a threat to their team.

In a low voice, Huo Yuhao said, "We are going to be champions."

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Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong both nodded at him, and their palms stacked together once more. Although they were young, they all understood that passing the examination might not be difficult for them, but if they wanted to win the final championship, unity was the most important aspect. Therefore, even Wang Dong reined in his pride.

The importance of the freshman assessment couldn't be overstated, and the academy's broadcast reminders through Soul Guidance Devices actually had little effect, as all the students had already arrived at their designated areas and were prepared.

A teacher who appeared to be around forty years old arrived at Area 33. He looked very ordinary, with no imposing aura, his face all smiles, presenting a friendly demeanor, a far cry from Zhou Yi's sternness. After counting the number of students, he nodded with a smile, "Good, we have a total of six teams of students here for the assessment, and everyone has arrived. Let me introduce myself; my name is Wang Yan, and I will be your teacher for the next two days of this assessment."

"Good day, Teacher Wang," the students hastily greeted him with a bow.

Wang Yan chuckled and said, "No need for so many formalities, my teaching habit is to treat everyone like friends. From now until the end of the assessment, you'll all be my little friends. So, I don't want to see anyone getting hurt. The assessment will indeed determine whether you can stay and continue your studies at Shrek Academy, but I must remind everyone that this is an assessment, and you must not cripple your opponent, or else I will have to regretfully ask him to leave and report it to the academy."

He spoke gently and understatedly, not mentioning the consequences of crippling an opponent, but the students capable of entering Shrek Academy were all sharp individuals. They could discern the implication in his words and nodded in understanding.

Wang Yan smiled and said, "With that in mind, let's begin. Ending the matches earlier means you can go back and prepare sooner. A sense of urgency is good for young people."

While speaking, he took out a folder and opened it, looking at it before lifting his head to say, "For the first round of the first match of the assessment, freshman Class 1: Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao; freshman Class 3: Ouyang Junyi, Chen Junfeng, and Zhao Haochen. You may enter the field now, each taking a corner. You can only release your Martial Souls after I give the signal to start. Enter the field."

The six groups of students would undergo three matches today in Area 33, and Huo Yuhao and his team hadn't expected to be the first ones up. After exchanging glances, they quickly entered the field and took their positions in the northwest corner.

Their positioning was very particular; Wang Dong was at the very front, Xiao Xiao was second, and Huo Yuhao stood at the back corner. The other team naturally chose the southeast corner.

The three students from freshman Class 3 were all male and quite good-looking. The tallest among them was Ouyang Junyi, who also had the most attractive features. Although he still fell short compared to Wang Dong, his physique seemed to be much stronger. Next to him stood Chen Junfeng, not short, but very slender. And Zhao Haochen at the back was a little chubby, with a round belly and an honestly cheerful smile.

Seeing that both sides had taken their positions, Teacher Wang Yan nodded and announced, "The assessment begins."

Both sides immediately released their Martial Souls at the first opportunity, and although Huo Yuhao stood in a corner, he deliberately controlled his Spiritual Detection not to encompass the area behind him but only the entire Soul Fighting Area. Xiao Xiao also released her Three Lives Soul Suppression Cauldron, and the black cauldron quickly took shape above her head.

Wang Dong's action was even more direct. He dashed out with a flash, and in mid-air, a pair of stunning blue-purple wings unfolded. The dazzling golden patterns and the magnificent wings took everyone by surprise, including the watching Teacher Wang Yan. His wings were so beautiful that it overshadowed any attention Xiao Xiao and Huo Yuhao might have garnered.

Their opponents were also fully prepared and released their Martial Souls at the first instance.