However, to be a department head, one's temperament must be steady, so Department Head Du immediately regained his composure, a helpless smile gracing his face.
"I admit you truly are excellent, capable of making me lose face. It's also partly because I underestimated your Martial Soul Fusion Skill; otherwise, I wouldn't have suffered such a loss."
A joke, once uttered, immediately softened the atmosphere, and the teachers on the high platform burst into laughter. Du Weilun's experience was very rich; with just a simple sentence, he resolved his awkward situation, and the teachers admired him. If it had been any of them, after enduring such an attack, they certainly wouldn't have been able to maintain their composure.
Du Weilun continued, "I also know that everyone doubts the results I announced. First, I will reaffirm once more that my words are completely accurate: the team of Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao won the championship of the New Student Assessment. The team's performance was excellent, and the team members cooperated very well; this result is entirely deserved."
He reiterated his declaration, making the expressions of Dai Huabin's team even more unsightly.
Du Weilun said, "Everyone saw the situation just now. I had to do that to avoid any casualties in this new student assessment. Both sides used Martial Soul Fusion Skills, so I think even the two deans would find it very difficult to judge who was superior, and allowing the two sides to collide was impossible. Therefore, I had to use myself as a test. Everyone saw that Dai Huabin's team's Netherworld White Tiger injured me, leading you to believe that team won. But everyone, think carefully: I am a Soul Douluo. Even if a Martial Soul Fusion Skill is extremely powerful, can it injure me when executed by a Soul Venerable and a Great Soul Master? Earlier, I urged my full Soul Power to create a defensive barrier. With the level of these two kids, could they truly injure me? If that were truly the case, then I wouldn't need to be this department head anymore."
Dai Huabin, who was furious, was startled after hearing these words. That's right! Du Weilun was not wrong; although his and Zhou Lu's Martial Soul Fusion Skill was very powerful, could it injure a Soul Douluo? This was indeed very unlikely.
Du Weilun continued, "Now I will give everyone the answer. The reason the Netherworld White Tiger could injure me was because at that time, I was also colliding with Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao's Martial Soul Fusion Skill. As someone who just took a full-force blow from the two of you, can I know the name of this Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"
Wang Dong smiled, "Teacher Du, you are the first person to withstand this disciple's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, and this is also the first time this disciple has used it in battle."
Du Weilun was surprised, "It seems I am very lucky then. So, can I know its name?"
Wang Dong nodded, then turned to look at Huo Yuhao, "You say it."
Huo Yuhao looked back at Dai Huabin, took a deep breath, and enunciated clearly, "The Martial Soul Fusion Skill of this disciple and Wang Dong is called: Brilliant – Desolation, Golden Road."
Du Weilun's gaze fell to the ground where the Golden Road Martial Soul Fusion Skill had passed, his face trembling slightly. Where this Soul Skill had passed, a large pit, more than thirty feet long and about half a foot deep, had formed, and the entire pit was a shimmering golden color under the sunlight.
The teachers on the stands, who had only been paying attention to the victory or defeat of the two teams, now began to look at this golden path.
Du Weilun stroked his chin.
"I have to admit, your Martial Soul Fusion Skill is the strangest Soul Skill I have ever seen. With your cultivation levels, the power of this move has exceeded my understanding of Martial Soul Fusion Skills. I am certain that the compatibility of your Martial Souls is very high."
At this moment, he looked at Dai Huabin.
"There is only one reason why your Netherworld White Tiger could injure me. Before your attack reached me, I was hit by the Golden Dew. However, I must keep the effect of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill a secret; this is also a basic rule for Soul Masters. The two deans, observing me block the two Martial Soul Fusion Skills, must have already seen who is superior and who is inferior."
"Your Netherworld White Tiger is very strong. If you had been able to dodge a direct hit from the Golden Dew earlier, victory would have been yours. But at that time, you were affected by Xiao Xiao's Soul Skill, so you certainly couldn't avoid it. Under those circumstances, a direct collision with the Golden Dew meant certain defeat for you. I can only say that much; this New Student Assessment should now conclude. Tomorrow morning, there will be a meeting about this new student assessment to award the top three groups and proceed with the first-year class assignments."
"Those who win without arrogance and lose without discouragement will surely make progress. You are currently the most outstanding disciples of the New Student class; absolutely do not forget this. I hope this competition will not leave any negative impact on your future development. All right, I'm leaving now!"
After speaking, Du Weilun immediately turned and left the assessment area.
Dai Huabin's body trembled violently. Zhou Lu next to him had to exert all her strength to support him so he wouldn't fall. All the stubbornness, competitiveness, and arrogance on his face had disappeared. He was disbelieving, unwilling!
Lost, truly lost! And to two kids with far lower cultivation levels, this couldn't be happening!
Huo Yuhao's gaze was very sharp. At this moment, he could clearly see the change in Dai Huabin's mood, and a feeling of exhilaration surged within him. At this moment, Huo Yuhao suddenly realized that defeating Dai Huabin in the very field he was most proficient in was a wonderful revenge.
"We won!"
"We are the champions!"
Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong suddenly rushed over, hugged Huo Yuhao, and tossed him into the air.
Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong were very clear about whose contribution was greatest for their trio to achieve the championship in the new student assessment!
Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong's powerful strength in the previous matches was very impressive, and the teachers also highly regarded them. But without Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection Sharing, Spiritual Shock, and accurate judgment, and without Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, they could not have reached this position!
Although Huo Yuhao's individual strength was very weak, if it were another Soul Master, even if his cultivation was above level twenty, he might not necessarily have done better. At this moment, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao truly admired him. As teammates in the same group as Huo Yuhao, they knew that he not only constantly strived but also possessed astonishing talent.
Zhou Yi also stepped down from the arena and leaped towards them. The teacher, who was usually very strict, was now so excited that she hugged the three of them, Huo Yuhao, and jumped around.
Dai Huabin's homeroom teacher also came to comfort the three, but Dai Huabin's mood remained unchanged. His eyes glared fiercely at Huo Yuhao and the other two, his fists clenched tightly: "Next time, I definitely won't lose!"
The results of the New Student Assessment quickly spread throughout the academy. That evening, Huo Yuhao didn't go out to sell grilled fish. Instead, he led Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Bei Bei, and Tang Ya into a patch of woods and treated them all to grilled fish.
Bei Bei and Tang Ya hadn't expected Huo Yuhao's group to win the championship. From the moment they learned that three Soul Venerates were participating in the assessment, their expectations for the group had almost vanished. But they never imagined Huo Yuhao would bring them such a pleasant surprise.
"Wang Dong, do you still want to join the Tang Sect?" Tang Ya began to get down to business after eating her fill of grilled fish.
Wang Dong quickly nodded: "Yes, of course I do!"
Tang Ya giggled: "Haha, since you've already won the championship, this Sect Master can't go back on her word. Ahem, I've decided to invite you, little brat Wang Dong, to join the Tang Sect. Do you want to?"
Xiao Xiao was immediately startled and mumbled: "Tang Sect?"
Tang Ya said: "That's right, it's the Tang Sect. Once you're a disciple of the Tang Sect, you'll receive all the best support for cultivation, and all the Tang Sect's绝学 (juexue, unique skills) will be open to you."
Xiao Xiao smiled and said: "That's great! In that case, I'd also like to join the Tang Sect. After all, I haven't joined any sect yet. Also, I want to learn Huo Yuhao's footwork."
Tang Ya nodded vigorously: "Small matter. As long as you join the Tang Sect, anything is possible."
Although Tang Ya appeared carefree on the surface, she was overjoyed. Wang Dong's strength and potential were immense, and after this new student assessment, his strength had taken a leap forward. And Xiao Xiao was no less impressive; she was a genius with Twin Martial Souls, and unexpectedly, she naively joined the Tang Sect.
However, Tang Ya didn't know the real reason Xiao Xiao wanted to join the Tang Sect: it was because Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had joined. The Martial Soul Fusion Skill that Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong used in the finals left a deep impression on Xiao Xiao, and she also had a very good impression of both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. Although Huo Yuhao's current strength was still lacking, his resolute character and talent were in no way inferior to Wang Dong's. Xiao Xiao firmly believed that Huo Yuhao's future achievements would absolutely not be small, and forming a group with the two of them would be excellent for both cultivation and future development.
In the world of Soul Masters, having good teammates was extremely important. Xiao Xiao had now begun to get used to fighting with Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection Sharing, and the three of them were cooperating more and more seamlessly. At Shrek Academy, it would take at least ten years to enter the Inner Court, and if the three of them could always cooperate during those ten years, their group's strength would be very formidable after graduation.
Xiao Xiao was, after all, just a girl over ten years old; her wish was simply to increase her strength and find good friends. Thanks to this, Tang Ya found another excellent disciple for the Tang Sect.
At this moment, the Tang Sect had made great progress, growing from its initial two members to five members.
Bei Bei then said:
After everyone passes the assessment, they will be assigned to different classes. The Strong Attack System and Control System are considered one family, and since the three of you are in the same group, the teachers will surely put you in the same class. Not to mention Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao must also know a little about the Tang Sect. Our Tang Sect was famous for hidden weapons, but after the appearance of Soul Tools, we gradually faded from the stage of history. This is also the main reason why the Tang Sect has declined more and more. If we want to revitalize the Tang Sect, we must pay attention to hidden weapons, but we cannot use hidden weapons as simply as before. Only by integrating hidden weapons and Soul Tools can we bring glory back to the Tang Sect. What are your thoughts on Soul Tools? After becoming first-year students, you can choose Soul Tools as a subject.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao glanced at each other and frowned, then Xiao Xiao whispered:
"I originally have two Martial Souls. If I also have to research and create Soul Tools now, I'm afraid I won't have enough time to cultivate. Moreover, I feel that if one is a Soul Master, cultivation should be prioritized, and researching Soul Tools is only for Soul Masters with poor talent or bad Martial Souls."
Wang Dong also nodded:
"I agree with Xiao Xiao. I don't want to learn how to create Soul Tools."
After expressing their thoughts, the two thought Bei Bei and Tang Ya would be disappointed. Unexpectedly, Bei Bei and Tang Ya also smiled. Tang Ya tried to sound serious and said helplessly:
"You two are indeed worthy of being great disciples of the Martial Soul System. This is also a common thought among other disciples in the Martial Soul System. And not just you two, even Bei Bei and I feel that we don't have enough time to cultivate, and we spend very little time researching Soul Tools. Never mind, it's up to everyone. The Tang Sect does not restrict anyone's cultivation direction; we just want to know if you two are interested. Both of you have excellent talent, so it's not good to be distracted by other things. Perhaps we will have to wait a while longer to find a few more disciples to cultivate Soul Tools."
"Teacher Xiaoya, I want to learn Soul Tools."
Just then, Huo Yuhao spoke up.
Tang Ya's eyes lit up:
"Little Huo, do you really want to?"
Huo Yuhao nodded:
"Soul Tools must have some magical quality to be able to replace our Tang Sect's hidden weapons and become weapons valued by various nations. I also want to try it out. If I don't have the talent, then so be it, but if I truly have talent for Soul Tools, I will pursue it."
"Good, very good!"
Tang Ya was overjoyed:
"You are truly very suitable for learning Soul Tools. Your Martial Soul belongs to the spiritual system, and what you lack most are offensive skills. If you combine with Soul Tools, your combat power will increase greatly. Moreover, the deeper your understanding of Soul Tools, the stronger the power of Soul Tools will be."
Bei Bei opened his mouth to remind him:
"Little Huo, you must also pay attention to your cultivation time. Your Martial Soul still has great potential, so you don't need to focus too much on learning Soul Tools. Soul Power and Soul Rings are the foundation of a Soul Master; to unleash a powerful Soul Tool, you also need a strong source of Soul Power."