24: Chapter 24 Freshman Assessment in Progress! Get Ready!

Gu Yuena's cold voice echoed in the empty classroom, devoid of any fluctuation, yet it made the hair on Huo Yuhao's back stand up instantly.

It was here.

It had finally come.

Huo Yuhao slowly turned around, meeting those silver eyes that seemed capable of seeing through everything.

He knew he couldn't avoid this question, and he absolutely couldn't answer it wrong.

The slightest hesitation might ignite this seemingly calm powder keg.

"I don't know her." Huo Yuhao's answer was swift and calm, as if he were merely stating the simplest of facts.

"We only sparred once during morning practice."

He added, his tone frank, "Her Spirit is very special, and her strength is also very high; she can be considered top-tier among the freshmen."

He attributed his attention entirely to evaluating the strength of a powerful individual—the most reasonable explanation for a reborn person, a mature powerhouse.

Gu Yuena watched him quietly, saying nothing.

Her silver eyes reflected Huo Yuhao's steady face.

She couldn't see any trace of a lie; his heartbeat and his Soul Power fluctuations were as steady as usual.

But her intuition told her it wasn't like that.

When Huo Yuhao looked at that blue-haired girl, the aura on his body had shown a violent fluctuation she had never felt before.

It was a complex emotion mixed with joy, sorrow, longing, and love, so intense that it made her feel like a stranger to it.

"Oh."

After a long while, Gu Yuena replied faintly, then turned her head back to continue looking out the window, as if the question just now had been asked casually.

Huo Yuhao let out a long sigh of relief in his heart.

The first hurdle had finally been barely muddled through.

He dared not think about anything regarding Wang Donger anymore, for fear that his subtle emotional changes would be captured by this "radar" beside him whose perception was perversely sharp.

Destroy it, really.

When will these days ever end?

...

A month's time flew by in the fulfilling and tense atmosphere of Shrek Academy.

In this month, Huo Yuhao's life was exceptionally "regular."

During the day, under the gentle guidance of Teacher Mujin, he systematically studied the theoretical knowledge of Spirit Masters.

At the same time, he also established initial tacit understanding with his new teammate, Wang Xiaoli.

This taciturn boy possessed an iron-like will and astonishing cultivation talent.

He executed all the tactical suggestions Huo Yuhao proposed without reservation, and the coordination between the two became increasingly refined.

At night, his single dormitory would invariably turn into a "three-person room."

Sister Tianmeng still lazily occupied half of his bed, asserting her "sovereignty."

And Gu Yuena would arrive on time late at night via "Teleportation," lying quietly on his other side, treating him like a body pillow from which she could draw warmth and a sense of security.

Huo Yuhao had gone from initial collapse to later numbness, and now to... habit.

He had even developed the ability to multitask; with two great beauties "sandwiching" him, he could still meditate and cultivate, and his Mental Energy steadily improved.

And the rumors about him were intensifying throughout the freshman area.

"The biggest mystery of this year's Shrek Academy freshmen: Huo Yuhao and his three, or even more, gorgeous female companions."

He had almost become the object of envy, jealousy, and hatred for all male students, and he was the focus wherever he went.

Regarding this, Huo Yuhao chose to completely ignore it.

This month, he deliberately reduced contact with Class 1 and did not take the initiative to look for Wang Donger again.

He knew it was not yet the time; before his wings were fully fledged, any rash move might change the trajectory of the future and bring about unpredictable consequences.

What he needed to do was wait, to accumulate strength.

And today was the first step for him to show his strength to the entire Shrek Academy.

The Freshman Assessment officially began.

...

Shrek Academy, Freshman Assessment arena.

The area around the huge competition field was already a sea of people.

Not only were there all the freshmen, but many senior students from the outer courtyard, and even some academy teachers, had come to watch.

The Freshman Assessment was the best stage to test the quality of the academy's fresh blood and a good opportunity to discover talented seedlings.

This year's freshmen were divided into eight classes, two fewer than in previous years, but the overall quality was recognized as the highest in decades.

The competition format was simple: each class selected three people to form a representative team to conduct a one-on-one elimination tournament until the final champion was decided.

This was not only a contest between students but also a duel of honor between various classes and homeroom teachers.

"Class 5 students, come on!"

"Class 1 must win! Teacher Zhou Yi is the best in the world!"

"Our Class 6 is the dark horse!"

In the spectator stands, students from various classes were cheering for their representative teams, and the atmosphere was heated to the extreme.

In the preparation area for Class 5, however, the atmosphere seemed exceptionally calm.

Teacher Mujin was gently giving the final instructions to the three: "Yuhao, Xiaoli, Nana, don't be nervous, just play according to the tactics we practiced this month. Remember, you are a team, believe in each other."

"Yes, Teacher Mujin." Huo Yuhao and Wang Xiaoli responded in unison.

Gu Yuena just nodded slightly, her silver eyes calm, as if what was about to begin was not a fierce battle, but a boring walk.

"Yuhao, you are the core of the team, the controller. You must observe the overall situation at all times and protect yourself and your teammates." Teacher Mujin turned to Huo Yuhao.

"Xiaoli, you are the main attacker, the sharpest sword of the team. Do not hesitate, listen to Yuhao's instructions, and when it is time for you to strike, use your strongest attack to win in one blow."

"Nana..."

Teacher Mujin looked at Gu Yuena, slightly hesitant.

For this past month, this girl, who was incredibly beautiful, had been indifferent to everything else except when she was with Huo Yuhao.

In team training, she had never truly attacked.

"You... just protect Yuhao." In the end, Teacher Mujin could only say this.

"Mm." Gu Yuena replied faintly; she liked this task very much.

As the referee's loud voice rang out, the first round of the competition officially began.

"First match, Class 5 representative team, against Class 3 representative team! Both teams, please take the stage!"

Huo Yuhao, Gu Yuena, and Wang Xiaoli walked onto the competition platform side by side.

Their opponents, the three students from Class 3, were also ready and waiting.

It was a very standard combination: one control system Spirit Master, whose Spirit was "Thorn Vine," and two agility-attack system Spirit Masters, whose Spirits were "Ghost Leopard." Both had Soul Power around level 25, and their coordination was quite tacit.

"Both sides, prepare!" the referee shouted.

The three members of Class 3 instantly released their Spirits; the two-yellow, one-white spirit ring configuration was already considered quite excellent among freshmen.

They looked at the three from Class 5 opposite them, their eyes full of fighting Spirit.

Especially when they saw Gu Yuena, many male spectators let out gasps of admiration.

"My god! That silver-haired girl from Class 5 is too beautiful!"

"Is she really here to compete? She feels like someone who walked out of a painting."

"But it seems I don't see her spirit rings; is she a support system?"

However, the three from Class 5 hadn't even released their Spirits.

Huo Yuhao just stood quietly, Wang Xiaoli held the long sword wrapped in cloth behind his back, and Gu Yuena hadn't even changed her posture.

"What are they doing? Why aren't the people from Class 5 opening their Spirits? Are they looking down on us?" The control system Spirit Master of Class 3 frowned.

"Match start!"

The referee's arm swung down violently!

At this moment, the three from Class 3 moved.

"First Spirit Ability, Binding!"

The yellow spirit ring at the control system Spirit Master's feet shone brightly, and dozens of thick thorn vines burst out of the ground like poisonous snakes, winding towards Huo Yuhao and the others from all directions.

At the same time, the figures of the two agility-attack system Spirit Masters also became blurred, turning into two afterimages.

Flanking from the left and right, their sharp claws flashed with cold light, aiming directly at the team core, Huo Yuhao!

This was a very classic and efficient tactic, with control and strong attack launched simultaneously, making it hard to defend against.

However, the moment they launched their attack, all three felt their brains "buzz" violently, as if they had been struck hard by an invisible hammer.

Mental Interference!

Their movements stalled for a fraction of a second, and the circulation of their Soul Power also showed a slight disconnection.

Now!

Huo Yuhao's lips moved slightly, and one word clearly entered Wang Xiaoli's ears.

"Left."

Wang Xiaoli did not hesitate at all, his body instantly stepping forward and to the left.

He didn't even look at the opponent's position; this was entirely out of absolute trust in Huo Yuhao's judgment.

"Clang."

A crisp sound of a sword ringing out.

Wang Xiaoli drew his ancient-looking long sword; the blade was pitch black, yet it exuded a heart-palpitating sharpness.

"Zanpakuto!"

Two yellow spirit rings rose at his feet, and the first spirit ring shone brightly!

"First Spirit Ability, Void-Breaking Slash!"

He held the sword with both hands, aimed at the empty space in front of him, and slashed down violently!

A black sword light nearly three meters long instantly broke away from the blade, carrying a whistling sound that tore the air, and slashed forward fiercely!

At the same time the sword light appeared, the figure of the Ghost Leopard Spirit Master on the left had just flashed to that position!

The grim smile on his face had not yet dissipated when the rapidly enlarging black sword light was reflected in his pupils.

"What?!"

He was terrified and wanted to dodge, but it was too late!

Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection had long ago calculated all his possible attack routes clearly.

This slash was a prediction, and even more, a fatal blow!

"Puff."

The black sword light hit the Ghost Leopard Spirit Master without any obstruction.

His protective Soul Power shattered instantly, and he was struck as if by lightning; he screamed and flew backward, falling heavily off the competition platform, fainting directly.

One strike!

It only took one strike to instantly kill an agility-attack system Spirit Master!

The audience was in an uproar!

"What's going on? How did he know the opponent would appear there?"

"That swordsman from Class 5, his attack power is so strong!"

And the battle on the field was not over yet.

The remaining two Class 3 members were stunned to see their companion instantly killed.

The thorn vines controlled by that control system Spirit Master also slowed down by half a beat because he had lost his composure.

A purple light flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes.

Soul Shock!

This time, his target was that control system Spirit Master.

"Ugh!"

The Spirit Master groaned, only feeling a sharp pain in his brain, seeing stars, and the spirit rings at his feet became unstable; the vines he had just gathered instantly lost control.

"Right."

Huo Yuhao's voice rang in Wang Xiaoli's ears again.

Wang Xiaoli did not pause, backhanded his sword, and delivered another "Void-Breaking Slash," slashing towards the empty space on the right!

The other Ghost Leopard Spirit Master, who was just reacting from the shock, prepared to sneak attack from the right, but ran head-on into this deadly sword light!

The same script played out again.

With another scream, the second agility-attack system Spirit Master was also cleanly knocked off the stage.

In less than ten seconds, Class 3 was left with only that control system Spirit Master who was still suffering from a splitting headache.

He looked at the opposite side in horror; the boy with the black sword and determined face was like a demon god in his eyes.

And Huo Yuhao, who had stood in the same place from the beginning to the end without even raising his hand, made him feel fear from the bottom of his heart.

The most terrifying thing was that the silver-haired girl had just stood there quietly from start to finish, without even a flicker in her eyes, as if all of this had nothing to do with her.

She... didn't even look at them.

"We... we surrender!"

The control system Spirit Master used all his strength to shout these three words.

The referee was stunned for several seconds before reacting and raising his hand high.

"This match, Class 5 representative team, wins!"

The audience was first dead silent, and then erupted into thunderous applause and exclamations.

"My god! It's over already?"

"Less than five minutes! No, it seems like it wasn't even one minute!"

"Too strong! That control system didn't even make a move! The whole time was that swordsman fighting! No, it was that Huo Yuhao commanding!"

"This is the real control system! Strategizing and winning from invisible places!"

In the preparation area, Teacher Mujin stood up excitedly, her face full of gratified and proud smiles.

She knew her students were excellent, but she didn't expect them to be this excellent!

Huo Yuhao's trio walked off the competition platform.

"You have improved." Gu Yuena walked to Huo Yuhao's side and suddenly said faintly.

She was referring to his use of Mental Energy, which was more exquisite and more controlled than a month ago.

Huo Yuhao smiled: "After all, I've been at Shrek for a month; I can't have made no progress at all."

Wang Xiaoli also walked to his side, wrapped the Zanpakuto with cloth again, and carried it on his back.

He looked at Huo Yuhao, his eyes full of gratitude and admiration, and whispered: "Thank you, the tactical advice you gave me was very useful."

Huo Yuhao patted his shoulder: "We are teammates."

A simple conversation, but it brought the relationship between the three a step closer invisibly.

At the highest point of the spectator stands, in an inconspicuous corner.

Wang Qiuer was wearing the uniform of an inner courtyard student, sitting with her legs crossed, her golden long hair shining in the sun.

She looked at the calm and composed figure off the field, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but hook into a satisfied smile.

This is more like it.

It wasn't in vain that I specially ran out to watch.

Just then, the big screen in the center of the arena began to randomly scroll through the next round of matchups.

Everyone's eyes were attracted.

Lights flickered, and one matchup combination after another was determined.

When the last matchup list froze, the entire arena instantly boiled over!

On the big screen, the names of two classes radiated dazzling light.

Class 5 vs Class 1

Huo Yuhao's gaze also fell on that screen.

His eyes passed through the noisy crowd and landed precisely on the preparation area of Class 1.

There, Wang Donger was also looking up at the big screen.

Their eyes met across the distance again.

In the next round, they would stand on the same stage as opponents.