Gu Yuena’s cool, aloof voice resonated in the empty classroom.
It carried not a single hint of emotion, yet it instantly made the hairs on the back of Huo Yuhao’s neck stand on end.
It was here.
It had come after all.
Huo Yuhao turned around slowly, meeting a pair of silver eyes that seemed capable of seeing through everything.
He knew he couldn’t dodge this question, nor could he afford to answer incorrectly.
The slightest hesitation might ignite this seemingly peaceful powder keg.
“I don’t know her,” Huo Yuhao replied quickly and calmly, as if stating the simplest of facts.
“We only crossed paths once during morning practice.”
He added, his tone open and composed, “Her martial soul is quite special, and she’s very strong—definitely top-tier among the freshmen.”
He framed his attention entirely as an appraisal of a powerful individual’s strength.
This was the most logical explanation for a reborn cultivator—a mature, powerful soul.
Gu Yuena looked at him quietly without saying a word.
Her silver eyes reflected Huo Yuhao’s steady face.
She couldn’t detect the slightest sign of a lie.
His heartbeat and soul power fluctuations were as even and calm as usual.
Yet her intuition told her otherwise.
When Huo Yuhao had looked at that blue-haired girl, an intense ripple had surged through his aura—one she had never sensed from him before.
It was a complex mixture of joy, sorrow, longing, and deep affection, so potent that it felt entirely foreign to her.
“Oh.”
After a long pause, Gu Yuena gave a faint response.
She turned her head back to look out the window, as though her question had merely been an offhand comment.
Huo Yuhao let out a long, quiet sigh of relief in his heart.
The first hurdle was barely managed, at least.
He didn’t dare think any further about Wang Dong’er, terrified that even the subtlest change in his emotions would be picked up by the unnaturally sensitive “radar” beside him.
*Just end me, seriously.*
*When will these days ever end?*
…
In the dense, intense atmosphere of Shrek Academy, a month flew by in the blink of an eye.
Over the past month, Huo Yuhao’s life had been strangely “routine.”
During the day, under Teacher Mu Jin’s gentle guidance, he systematically learned theoretical soul master knowledge.
At the same time, he developed a preliminary rapport with his new teammate, Wang Xiaoli.
This reticent youth possessed a will of steel and astounding talent for cultivation.
He carried out every tactical suggestion Huo Yuhao offered without reservation, and the tacit understanding between them grew sharper with each passing day.
At night, his single dorm room invariably turned into a “triple room.”
Sister Tianmeng continued lazily claiming half his bed to assert her “sovereignty.”
Gu Yuena, meanwhile, would teleport over punctually in the dead of night, lying quietly on his other side and treating him as a body pillow from which she could draw warmth and security.
Huo Yuhao had gone from his initial breakdown, to eventual numbness, to his current state of…
complete habituation.
He had even developed the ability to divide his mind.
Flanked on both sides by two peerless beauties, he could still meditate and cultivate, steadily increasing his spiritual power.
Meanwhile, rumors about him spread like wildfire throughout the freshman area.
“The greatest mystery of this year’s freshmen at Shrek Academy: Huo Yuhao and his three—or possibly more—stunning female companions.”
He had practically become the target of envy and resentment for every male student, drawing eyes wherever he went.
To all of this, Huo Yuhao chose total indifference.
Over the month, he deliberately minimized contact with Class 1 and made no move to seek out Wang Dong’er.
He knew it was not yet time.
Before his wings were fully grown, any rash action could alter the trajectory of the future and bring about unpredictable consequences.
What he needed to do was wait and gather power.
And today was the first step in revealing his power to all of Shrek Academy.
The Freshmen Assessment had officially begun.
…
Shrek Academy, Freshmen Assessment Arena.
Around the massive competition grounds, packed crowds gathered.
Not only were all the freshmen present, but many senior Outer Courtyard students and even academy teachers had come to watch.
The Freshmen Assessment was the premier stage for testing the caliber of the academy’s new blood, as well as a prime opportunity to discover promising young geniuses.
This year’s freshmen were divided into eight classes—two fewer than in previous years—but their overall quality was widely acknowledged to be the highest in decades.
The assessment format was straightforward: each class selected three students to form a representative team, competing in team matches in an elimination tournament until a champion emerged.
This was not only a contest between students, but also a duel of honor between classes and headteachers.
“Class 5, go for it!”
“Class 1 is bound to win!
Teacher Zhou Yi is number one under the heavens!”
“Class 6 is the real dark horse!”
In the spectator stands, students from every class cheered at the top of their lungs for their representative teams, pushing the atmosphere to a fever pitch.
In the staging area for Class 5, however, the atmosphere was unusually calm.
Teacher Mu Jin was gently giving her final words of advice to the three: “Yuhao, Xiaoli, Nana, don’t be nervous.
Just follow the tactics we practiced this month.
Remember, you are a team.
Trust each other.”
“Yes, Teacher Mu Jin,” Huo Yuhao and Wang Xiaoli replied in unison.
Gu Yuena merely gave a subtle nod.
Her silver eyes were as unruffled as a tranquil well, as though what was about to begin wasn’t a fierce battle, but a tedious stroll.
Keep a constant eye on the overall situation and protect yourself and your teammates,” Mu Jin said, turning to Huo Yuhao.
“Xiaoli, you are the main attacker, the sharpest blade of the team.
Don’t hesitate.
Follow Yuhao’s commands, and when it’s your time to strike, use your strongest attack to win in a single blow.”
“Nana…”
Teacher Mu Jin looked at Gu Yuena, hesitating slightly.
Over the past month, this ridiculously beautiful girl had been utterly indifferent to everything, showing reactions only when around Huo Yuhao.
In team practice, she had never once truly raised a hand.
“Just…
keep Yuhao safe,” Teacher Mu Jin ended up saying.
“Mm,” Gu Yuena answered softly.
She liked this task very much.
As the referee teacher’s resonant voice rang out, the first round officially began.
“First match: Class 5 Representative Team versus Class 3 Representative Team!
Players from both sides, please take the stage!”
Huo Yuhao, Gu Yuena, and Wang Xiaoli walked onto the arena stage side by side.
Their opponents, three students from Class 3, were already waiting in full array.
It was a standard team composition: one control-system soul master with the martial soul “Thorn Vine,” and two agility-attack-system soul masters with the martial soul “Grimace Leopard.” Their soul power was around Level 25, and their coordination was quite seamless.
“Both sides, get ready!” the referee shouted.
The three members of Class 3 instantly unleashed their martial souls.
A configuration of two yellow and one white soul ring was already considered quite exceptional among the freshmen.
They looked at the Class 5 trio across from them, their eyes burning with battle intent.
When the audience noticed Gu Yuena, many male spectators gasped in awe.
“Heavens!
That silver-haired girl in Class 5 is way too gorgeous!”
“Is she really here to fight?
She looks like she walked right out of a painting.”
“Wait, I don’t see her soul rings.
Is she a support-system?”
Yet the Class 5 trio hadn’t even released their martial souls.
Huo Yuhao simply stood quietly, Wang Xiaoli held the cloth-wrapped long blade slung across his back, and Gu Yuena didn’t even shift her posture.
“What’s going on?
Why aren’t Class 5 unleashing their martial souls?
Are they looking down on us?” the control-system soul master from Class 3 muttered, frowning.
“Begin!”
The referee’s arm swept down forcefully!
At that exact instant, the Class 3 trio moved.
“First Soul Skill, Thorn Entanglement!”
The yellow soul ring beneath the control-system master’s feet blazed with light.
Dozens of thick, thorned vines burst from the ground like venomous snakes, twining toward the Class 5 trio from all directions.
At the same time, the figures of the two agility-attack soul masters blurred into twin afterimages.
Flanking from left and right, their sharp claws gleaming with a cold light, they targeted the team’s core—Huo Yuhao!
This was a classic and highly effective tactic: initiating control and direct assault simultaneously, leaving opponents no room to react.
However, the moment they launched their assault, all three felt their minds violently buzz, as if struck by an invisible sledgehammer.
Spiritual Interference!
Their movements halted for a fraction of a second, and the flow of their soul power stumbled.
Now!
Huo Yuhao’s lips twitched slightly, transmitting a single word clearly into Wang Xiaoli’s ear.
“Left.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Wang Xiaoli stepped diagonally to the left front.
He didn’t even look at his opponent’s position; his move was born of absolute trust in Huo Yuhao’s judgment.
*Clang!*
A crisp blade ring echoed.
Wang Xiaoli unsheathed his simple long blade.
The blade was jet-black, yet radiated an unsettlingly sharp aura.
“Soul-Cutter Blade!”
Two yellow soul rings rose beneath his feet, the first shining brilliantly!
“First Soul Skill, Void-Rending Slash!”
Gripping the hilt with both hands, he chopped downward violently at the empty air in front of him!
A jet-black blade beam nearly three meters long instantly flew off the sword, screaming as it cleaved the air and roared forward!
At the exact moment the blade beam manifested, the figure of the Grimace Leopard soul master on the left flashed right into that spot!
The vicious grin on his face hadn’t even faded before his pupils reflected the rapidly expanding black blade beam.
“What?!”
Horrified, he tried to dodge, but it was already too late!
Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection had long since calculated every possible offensive path down to the millimeter.
This swing was a prediction—and an absolute execution!
*Thwack!*
The black blade beam hit the Grimace Leopard soul master without hindrance.
His protective soul power shattered instantly.
Struck like a bolt of lightning, he let out a bloodcurdling scream and was sent flying backward off the arena stage, instantly knocked unconscious.
One strike!
An agility-attack soul master had been instakilled in a single hit!
The whole crowd erupted!
How did he know the enemy would show up right there?”
“That Class 5 swordsman’s attack power is insane!”
And the battle on stage was far from over.
The remaining two Class 3 members froze in shock upon seeing their teammate instantly eliminated.
The Thorn Vines manipulated by the control-system soul master stuttered mid-air as his focus wavered.
A faint purple light flashed in Huo Yuhao’s eyes.
Soul Shock!
This time, his target was the control-system soul master.
“Ugh!”
The soul master grunted softly.
A searing pain stabbed through his brain, making his vision turn black with stars.
The soul rings at his feet flickered uncertainly, and the vines he had just conjured instantly went out of control.
“Right,” Huo Yuhao’s voice rang in Wang Xiaoli’s ear once more.
Wang Xiaoli didn’t pause for a moment.
Backhanding his sword, he unleashed another “Void-Rending Slash” toward the empty space on the right!
The other Grimace Leopard soul master, who was just recovering from his shock and preparing to launch a sneak attack from the right, ran straight into the deadly blade beam head-on!
The exact same script played out again.
With another shriek, the second agility-attack soul master was cleanly knocked off the platform.
In less than ten seconds, Class 3 was reduced to just the control-system soul master, who was still clutching his splitting head.
He looked across the stage in horror.
The firm-faced youth holding the black blade looked like a god of war in his eyes.
And Huo Yuhao, who had stood in place from start to finish without even lifting a finger, inspired a fear that pierced straight to his soul.
Most terrifying of all was the silver-haired girl.
From beginning to end, she simply stood there, her eyes calm and unruffled, as if none of this had anything to do with her.
She…
hadn’t even spared them a single glance.
“We…
we concede!”
The control-system soul master squeezed out those three words with every ounce of strength left in him.
The referee froze for several seconds before recovering his senses and raising his hand high.
“Match winner: Class 5 Representative Team!”
A dead silence fell over the entire stadium before suddenly shattering into thunderous applause and frantic clamor.
“Holy cow!
It’s already over?!”
“Less than five minutes!
No, wait, that was barely even a minute!”
“Insane!
That control-type didn’t even move!
The swordsman did all the attacking!
No, wait, that guy named Huo Yuhao was commanding the whole thing!”
“Now that’s a true control-type!
Deciding victory behind the scenes, unseen and unstoppable!”
In the staging area, Teacher Mu Jin stood up excitedly, her face lit with a warm and proud smile.
She had known her students were exceptional, but she hadn’t expected them to be *this* extraordinary!
Huo Yuhao and his team walked down off the stage.
“You’ve improved,” Gu Yuena said softly as she stepped up beside Huo Yuhao.
She was referring to his application of spiritual power, which was far more exquisite and controlled than it had been a month ago.
Huo Yuhao smiled.
“After all, I’ve been at Shrek for a month now.
I couldn’t bear to make zero progress.”
Wang Xiaoli walked over as well, wrapping his Soul-Cutter Blade back up in cloth and slinging it across his back.
Looking at Huo Yuhao, his eyes were filled with gratitude and admiration as he said quietly, “Thank you.
The tactical advice you gave me was extremely effective.”
Huo Yuhao patted his shoulder.
“We’re teammates.”
This brief exchange drew the three of them subtly closer together.
High up in the spectator stands, in an inconspicuous corner.
Wang Qiuer sat with her legs crossed, wearing an Inner Courtyard student uniform, her long golden hair shimmering in the sunlight.
As she watched the calm and composed figure down below, a satisfied smile unknowingly curved her lips.
*Now that’s more like it.*
*At least it wasn’t a waste of my time coming out to watch.*
Just then, the giant screen in the center of the arena began randomly cycling through the pairings for the next round.
Everyone’s attention was drawn toward it.
Lights flickered as matchup after matchup was locked in.
When the final pairing settled into place, the entire arena erupted into a frenzy!
On the screen, the names of two classes glowed with dazzling light.
Class 5 vs.
Class 1
Huo Yuhao’s gaze settled on the screen as well.
His eyes cut through the clamorous crowd, landing precisely on Class 1’s staging area.
There, Wang Dong’er was also looking up at the big screen.
Their eyes met once again across the distance.
In the next round, they would face each other as opponents on the very same stage.