Zhou Yi said,
"Alright, you two eat. After you're done, go back to your rooms and rest for a bit. This afternoon's match is about to begin. I will report your Martial Soul Fusion Skill situation to the higher-ups. If you're lucky enough to be considered for the core disciple group of the Outer Court, then the academy will provide these high-grade meals for free in the future. The cultivation benefits will be more than you can imagine. But I can't guarantee whether you'll be approved or not, because our Shrek Academy has never lacked talented disciples. Perhaps if you achieve a high rank in the assessment, it might be different. To be honest, when I studied here, I wasn't even considered a core disciple, nor did I have the qualifications to enter the Inner Court. Becoming a core disciple is one of the important steps to gain the qualifications for Inner Court admission. Nearly half of core disciples become Inner Court disciples, and furthermore, the academy will create all the best conditions for your study and cultivation, with the best teachers instructing you. Understand?"
"Yes."
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong replied in unison, then began to devour their food.
Zhou Yi's praise for the chef was not exaggerated at all. Huo Yuhao was better off; he had never eaten such delicacies before. But Wang Dong was different; he had tasted many such things before, yet the flavor here was the most delicious and special. Comparatively, it could be said to be several levels better.
After eating, both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong felt a warm current appear within them, starting from their stomachs and slowly spreading throughout their limbs and bones. The food was delicious and also so miraculous; truly, you get what you pay for!
Zhou Yi escorted them all the way to the dormitory door. Before leaving, she pulled and firmly gripped Huo Yuhao's shoulder, saying,
"If you're not born noble, then use your own strength to make yourself noble."
After saying that, she turned and left. Since entering the dining hall, her cold expression seemed to have completely vanished.
Near the dormitory door, there was an old man who liked to doze off in a chair. He seemed to be the manager here but never paid attention to anything. He heard Zhou Yi's last words and also let out a soft sigh of lament, but no one could hear it clearly. Huo Yuhao, as was his habit, greeted the old man before returning to his room with Wang Dong.
Since they had just eaten such precious food, it would be shameful not to cultivate immediately and let it go to waste. The next match would definitely not be as easy as the first one.
***
Ring ring ring.
The bell signaling the start of the afternoon classes was also the signal that the sixteen matches of the second round of qualifiers for the thirty-two teams were about to begin.
The thirty-two teams that had won their morning matches were all present in the assessment area to draw lots for their upcoming matches. After the draw, each team moved to its corresponding area. The afternoon competition area was no different from the morning, but since the number of teams had been halved, the large assessment area had its partitions rearranged, leaving only sixteen zones.
In the northern part of the assessment area, there was a high platform about twenty feet tall, supported by six massive iron pillars below. A few people stood high above, observing. From this height and position, it was easy to monitor all the assessment areas below and every situation that arose in each competition arena.
This time, Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao were not late, which made Xiao Xiao breathe a sigh of relief.
Their assessment area this afternoon was number eight. When the three of them arrived, a team was already waiting inside.
What surprised Huo Yuhao and his two companions was that the other three people were all girls, and all of them were pretty and cute.
***
On the observation platform.
Zhou Yi stood silently, watching the matches below as they prepared to begin. Although her class had the most teams enter the qualifiers in the first round, by this stage, a few disciples had revealed their true strength. So, by the time it was down to thirty-two teams, Class One of the New Students only had five teams left. Although still more than other classes, it no longer held the absolute advantage it had at the beginning.
The matches from thirty-two down to sixteen teams were very important.
"Teacher Zhou, are you looking for your ace team? I just came from the draw. What a coincidence, your ace team is facing our ace team. They're in area number eight. Guess which team will win?"
A female teacher, appearing to be about thirty years old, approached Zhou Yi, smiling as she spoke.
Zhou Yi's face darkened as she said,
"Mu Jin, do you think your disciples will win?"
Although Mu Jin's true age was no longer young, she still maintained a youthful appearance. She smiled and shook her head, saying,
"Not necessarily. Nothing in this world is absolute. However, I heard your class doesn't have any genius disciples above rank thirty. What a pity."
Zhou Yi said coldly,
"Are you provoking me?"
The smile on Mu Jin's face vanished instantly.
"What if I am? Didn't your class have the best results? I want to see how many of your disciples' teams can make it to the top eight. When I heard that my ace team was facing yours, I honestly felt very comfortable. This is the first time I've been so happy. I heard you want to be promoted to a senior rank. Ah, let's see how you get promoted this time."
Zhou Yi didn't even bother to look at Mu Jin's sarcastic expression. She focused her attention on Huo Yuhao and his two companions below and said calmly,
"Do you dare to make a bet?"
Mu Jin had indeed come here to provoke Zhou Yi into a rage, but hearing her words, she couldn't help but hesitate a little.
"A bet? What will you bet with me?"
Zhu Yi finally stopped ignoring the girl. She turned to face her directly and said coldly:
"A Soul Bone. Do you dare?"
Hearing the two words "Soul Bone," Mu Jin's eyes narrowed slightly.
For a Soul Master, a Soul Ring was already extremely precious, because every Soul Master needed it to break through their current realm.
But a Soul Bone was hundreds of thousands of times more precious than a Soul Ring. Each Soul Master could fuse with six Soul Bones, corresponding to their four limbs, head, and torso.
Each Soul Ring would grant a Soul Master one skill, with the exception of a 100,000-year Soul Ring, which granted two. In other words, a normal Soul Master who cultivated to the Titled Douluo rank with nine Soul Rings would have nine different skills. However, a Soul Bone transcended this category. It could itself grant a Soul Master a skill, and it also had the effect of improving and assisting the corresponding body part.
Soul Rings were produced from any Soul Beast after its death, but Soul Bones were not. Only 100,000-year Soul Beasts had the ability to produce Soul Bones. For lower-level Soul Beasts, the probability of producing a Soul Bone was pitifully low, only one in ten thousand! Therefore, whenever a Soul Bone appeared, it would cause fierce competition among Soul Masters.
Among Soul Masters, there was a saying: "To become a powerful Soul Master, one must diligently cultivate their soul power and find the best Soul Ring within their body's tolerance. But, to become a great Soul Master, a true powerhouse on the Douluo Continent, one must possess their own Soul Bone. The more Soul Bones one has, the more powerful they become."
In another sense, a Soul Bone could also be considered a type of cultivation-enhancing elixir, as each time a Soul Master fused with a Soul Bone, their soul power would increase significantly.
Yet, at this moment, Zhu Yi wanted to use a Soul Bone as a wager. How could Mu Jin not be shocked and terrified by such a reckless gamble? Most importantly, she couldn't understand why Zhu Yi was so confident.
Zhu Yi's mouth curved into a sneer, revealing disdain.
"If you don't dare, then stay away from me. Your perfume makes me nauseous."
Mu Jin's eyes flashed with killing intent. She said,
"Alright, I'll bet with you. There's no need to try and intimidate me. If I lose, I'll give you a Soul Bone. If you lose, then have Fan Yu make me a Close-Range Soul Tool."
Zhu Yi said coldly:
"I am the one betting with you, not him. If I lose, I will also give you a Soul Bone."
Mu Jin snorted.
"I don't need your Soul Bone. I only need a Close-Range Soul Tool made by Fan Yu."
"Alright, I'll agree on her behalf."
A deep voice rang out, and a tall, burly figure had, at some unknown point, walked to Zhu Yi's side. Was this not the same Teacher Fan whom Zhu Yi had brought Huo Yuhao to meet in the Soul Tool Department before?
Seeing Fan Yu appear, Mu Gong's expression instantly changed. His previous arrogant demeanor completely vanished, his face turning pale as he retreated a few steps, his eyes red-rimmed as he looked at Fan Yu and said,
"You're ganging up with her to bully me."
Fan Yu's expression remained calm, his brows only slightly furrowed.
"You were the one who deliberately provoked trouble first. If you want to bet, then continue. If not, then stop looking for trouble with Zhu Yi. As for you and me, we are merely colleagues, nothing more."
"Bet? Why wouldn't I dare to bet? My losing to her doesn't mean my students will also lose to her students."
After Mu Jin finished speaking, she turned her attention to the competition arena below, her hands gripping the railing tightly, her red-rimmed eyes on the verge of tears.
Huo Yuhao and the other two below were completely unaware of what was happening above. They were still busy observing their opponents.
The three girls were all wearing New Student uniforms. Standing at the very front was a relatively tall girl with short blonde hair, only slightly shorter than Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. She looked agile, with large, round blue eyes and long eyelashes, her small face delicate and lovely.
Behind her, to the left, was a girl with fiery red short hair and red eyes that carried a hint of terror, yet her facial features were extremely perfect, her skin as white as snow, her cold gaze comparable to that of Old Lady Zhu. To the right was a girl with a bright and gentle beauty, her long green hair flowing loosely behind her, her eyes the same color as her hair, but at this moment, they made onlookers feel as if she was a delicate girl in need of protection.
The supervising teacher shouted loudly.
"Both sides, enter the arena and state your names."
The two teams, six people, simultaneously entered the arena. Huo Yuhao's three maintained their old formation, with Wang Dong in front, followed by Xiao Xiao, and finally Huo Yuhao.
On the side of the three girls, there was a slight change. The blonde girl stood first, and the two girls behind her swapped places.
The girl with short red hair said proudly,
"New Student Class Nine, Yu Feng, Level Twenty-five, Strong Attack System Battle Soul Master."
The girl with long green hair heard this and gave a gentle, reproachful glance, but she did not change her demeanor. However, her gentle voice made it seem less like a rebuke.
"New Student Class Nine, Nanmen Xuan'er, Level Twenty-four, Agile Attack System Battle Soul Master."
As soon as the green-haired girl finished speaking, a calm voice came from behind.
"New Student Class Nine, Ning Tian, Level Thirty-one, Support System Tool Soul Grandmaster."
As soon as the girl finished speaking, Huo Yuhao and the other two were simultaneously shocked. Level Thirty-one, Soul Grandmaster?
They never expected that they would encounter one of the three who had reached the Soul Grandmaster rank so early in the thirty-two team elimination round, and a Support System Tool Soul Grandmaster at that...
Because Tool Soul Masters cultivate much slower than Battle Soul Masters, yet the opponent, who was only approximately twelve years old, had already reached Level Thirty-one. This girl's talent could no longer be simply described with the two words "genius."
Although terrified, the three of them, Huo Yuhao, did not forget to state their names. Since their opponents started with Soul Masters, so would they.
"First Year, Freshman Class, Wang Dong, twenty-fourth rank, Strength Attack System Battle Soul Grandmaster."
"First Year, Freshman Class, Xiao Xiao, twenty-second rank, Control System Battle Soul Grandmaster."
Huo Yuhao was the last to introduce himself.
"First Year, Freshman Class, Huo Yuhao, seventeenth rank, Control System Battle Soul Master."
Hearing that he was only at the seventeenth rank, Yu Feng immediately curled her lip in disdain.
Wang Dong frowned at Yu Feng's attitude, his eyes blazing with killing intent as he stared at the girl. He didn't know why, but seeing Yu Feng's contempt for Huo Yuhao made him furious.
Yu Feng also felt his gaze. Their eyes met, and Yu Feng let out a cold snort. The battle hadn't even begun, but the atmosphere was already thick with the smell of gunpowder.
Huo Yuhao patted Wang Dong's shoulder. Wang Dong turned to look at him, and their eyes met. Without needing to speak, they understood each other's intentions.
Just then, the supervising teacher outside shouted loudly.
"Battle—Begin!"
Wang Dong pushed off with his feet and shot forward, his two wings simultaneously spreading wide.
No matter how confident Yu Feng, Nanmen Xuan'er, or Ning Tian were, when they saw the brilliant wings of the Radiant Goddess Butterfly martial soul, they couldn't help but be stunned, secretly praising how beautiful it was.
A moment later, Yu Feng regained her composure. She let out a loud shout, and her lithe body shot forward. The air temperature around her also rose accordingly; one could even vaguely hear the roar of a dragon. Suddenly, Yu Feng's lithe body transformed. In just a few seconds, she changed from an eleven or twelve-year-old girl into a beautiful sixteen or seventeen-year-old woman. As her body transformed, her outer clothes ripped, revealing another set of clothing underneath.
The girl was clearly well-prepared, wearing a stretchy one-piece outfit underneath, revealing only her slender legs and full, ample breasts.
Yu Feng's skin color at this moment also began to turn a bright, glossy red. The left side of her face was covered in dragon scales, extending down her neck, over her shoulder, and all the way to her left hand.
Yu Feng's martial soul was quite similar to Bei Bei's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul; it was a type of dragon martial soul, but it was relatively softer. However, that was only relatively speaking. Her martial soul was the Red Dragon, with fire attributes. After that, two brilliant yellow Soul Rings also rose from beneath her feet.
Facing this powerful aura, Wang Dong did not immediately use a soul skill but instead circled around and delivered a lightning-fast kick to Yu Feng's left arm.
"Boom!"
The two collided with a loud bang. Wang Dong was also sent flying five feet by the shockwave, while Yu Feng landed lightly. In this first clash, Wang Dong clearly suffered a disadvantage. Although both were Strength Attack type Soul Masters, their specialties were not the same. If they were to compete physically, how could he gain an advantage against the Radiant Goddess Butterfly and the Red Dragon?
At this very moment, Nanmen Xuan'er from Ning Tian's team began her attack. She moved with astonishing speed, covering dozens of feet in an instant, approaching Xiao Xiao.
Only when she got closer did it become clear that a pair of azure wings had appeared on Nanmen Xuan'er's back at some unknown point. These wings were not as large and brilliant as Wang Dong's Radiant Goddess Butterfly martial soul, but they served to increase her speed to its maximum. Nanmen Xuan'er's hands also turned an azure color, as if made of jade, striking directly towards Xiao Xiao.
At the same time, Ning Tian, standing in the distance, raised her right arm and shouted:
"Seven Treasures turn into Glazed Glass!"
Suddenly, her entire body spun in a circle, and a seven-colored rainbow light flew out from her body. This stream of light slowly condensed, forming a seven-colored pagoda in Ning Tian's hand.
This treasure pagoda emitted a dazzling, flickering light. Although it was not inlaid with any gems, its mere appearance immediately attracted the attention of all the observers on the high platform.
Three soul rings, two yellow and one purple, slowly rose from Ning Tian's right hand and gradually moved around her body.
On the observation platform, Mu Kun turned around and saw the extremely terrified expressions of Zhou Yi and Fan Wu. Zhou Yi cried out in alarm:
"Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda!"