Except for Freshman Class One, which had twenty groups, all other classes had over thirty groups. This was because, normally, only truly weak students were expelled; it was rare for anyone else to be. The teachers all tried their best to give them a chance to participate in this assessment.
In total, this assessment round involved exactly 310 groups, or 930 individuals. By the end of the assessment, only 150 groups, comprising 450 students, would officially become first-year students of Shrek Academy. All others would be expelled.
Studying at Shrek Academy was an intense and brutal struggle, but it was precisely through this that the potential of each student was unleashed through their relentless efforts. As a result, the academy's prestige has not only been maintained but has also grown steadily over the past ten thousand years.
Within the fifty areas designated for the freshman assessment, each area contained six or seven groups. These groups would take turns battling each other, then be re-grouped, continuing until ten rounds of battles were completed.
Huo Yuhao and his two teammates were assigned to Area 33. After finishing lunch, the three returned to their dormitory to meditate for a while before heading to find their designated area. Each area had a unique symbol, making it easy for them to locate.
By this time, all the students from other classes had arrived. Looking around, everyone seemed anxious. After all, these were only eleven and twelve-year-olds, and everything was still very simple for them. Yet, after this assessment, it was highly likely that only half of them would remain. Facing a battle that concerned their very future, how could they not show a hint of animosity?
—Attention, all freshman students! Attention, all freshman students! The assessment will begin in ten minutes. All are requested to gather at the Assessment Zone. Latecomers will be considered to have forfeited.
A voice boomed from the loudspeaker, its sound echoing through every corner of the Outer Court. The freshman students' expressions immediately turned serious. With the assessment about to begin, who could claim not to be worried?
Huo Yuhao clenched his fist, occasionally and unconsciously touching the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges at his waist. The assessment did not permit the use of soul tools, but weapons were allowed, and hidden weapons were also classified as a type of weapon. This meant that soul masters were very limited in their use of weapons, with soul tools being an exception. But who was Huo Yuhao? How could a Tang Sect disciple be troubled by such a problem?
Wang Dong slung his arm over Huo Yuhao's shoulder, leaned over, and whispered:
—Calm down, relax. It's nothing.
At this moment, Xiao Xiao didn't scold Wang Dong for his arrogance; instead, she nodded slightly at Huo Yuhao. After their sparring session earlier, although Wang Dong hadn't revealed his full strength, his final words were extremely confident. She knew then that his cultivation was definitely no less than hers. Moreover, with the class leader's miraculous skill, looking across all the freshman students, who could possibly be their opponent?
Huo Yuhao said in a low voice:
—We must be the champions.
Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong nodded simultaneously. The three stacked their hands together and slapped them down firmly. Though still young, all three clearly understood that passing this assessment was simple, but to become champions, unity was paramount. Because of this, Wang Dong's arrogance had also greatly diminished.
The freshman assessment was extremely important, so the announcement over the loudspeaker was merely a formality; all the students had already gathered fully in their respective areas.
At this moment, a teacher in his forties walked into Area 33. His appearance was very ordinary, and he no longer exuded an intimidating aura. A smile was always on his face, making him seem very friendly, a stark contrast to Zhu Yi. He quickly scanned the number of students, then smiled and nodded, saying:
"Alright, there are a total of six groups here, and everyone has arrived. So, let me introduce myself first. My name is Wang Yan, and I will be the teacher overseeing the assessment in Area 33 for the next two days."
"Greetings, Teacher Wang Yan."
The students quickly bowed to him in greeting.
Wang Yan smiled and said,
"There's no need for that. My teaching style has always been to treat my students as my friends. From now until the end of the assessment, you are all my little friends. Therefore, I do not wish to see anyone get injured. Although this assessment determines whether you can stay or not, I will reiterate: this is an assessment. Absolutely no killing, not even crippling. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to expel that person and report the incident to the academy."
The teacher did not explicitly state what punishment would befall those who committed such an offense, but the students below were all intelligent and immediately understood his meaning, nodding their heads.
Wang Yan smiled and said,
"Then, let's begin now. The sooner we start, the sooner we finish. Young people are always eager, aren't they?"
As he spoke, he opened a stack of documents, glanced at them for a moment, then looked up and said:
"First Round, first match. New Student – Class One: Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao; New Student – Class Three: Ouyang Junyi, Chen Junfeng, Zhao Haochen. You may enter the arena, one group on each side. When I call 'Begin,' you may release your martial souls. Go in."
There were six groups in Area 33, meaning there would be three matches. However, they hadn't expected the three of them to be the opening act. The trio exchanged glances, then entered the arena, heading towards the northwest.
The three stood in three different positions, but not randomly. Wang Dong stood at the front, followed by Xiao Xiao, with Huo Yuhao at the very back. On the other side, naturally, they chose the remaining corner, the southeast.
The three students from New Student – Class Three were all male. Their appearances were decent, and they were tall. Ouyang Junyi, in particular, was much sturdier, though there was still a significant gap compared to Wang Dong. Beside him, Chen Junfeng was not short but thin and frail. At the very back was the plump Zhao Haochen, with a round belly and a benevolent smile.
Seeing that both sides were ready, Teacher Wang Yan nodded and said:
"Assessment – Begin."
Both sides instantly released their martial souls. Huo Yuhao, standing at the back, carefully controlled his spiritual detection to only cover the arena. Xiao Xiao released her Three-Life Soul Suppressing Cauldron, while Wang Dong was more direct, leaping into the air. The pair of blue-gold wings on his back shone dazzlingly bright, startling both his opponents and the teacher supervising the match, who gasped in astonishment. This was because those wings were truly too beautiful, completely overshadowing Xiao Xiao and Huo Yuhao behind him.
Their three opponents were not to be outdone; their martial souls were also ready…