“That’s right, Senior Disciple Brother.”
Huo Yuhao immediately agreed. He also had his own decision. After seeing the power of the Fixed-Soul Tool, he had become interested. He knew that if he wanted revenge, he would have to face extremely powerful opponents, so he had to utilize all the forces around him. If he didn’t learn, how would he know that Soul Tools weren’t powerful?
He never expected that a simple thought at this moment would open a huge door for Soul Tools many years later.
Tang Ya said unhurriedly,
“But it’s not certain that everyone can enter the Soul Tool Department. Alas, the champion of the New Student Assessment will receive many advantages, but there are also problems. Little Huo, if you can’t enter the Soul Tool Department, it’s fine; just focus on cultivating.”
Huo Yuhao was startled and fell silent for a moment, then asked,
“Teacher Xiao Ya, why can’t I enter the Soul Tool Department?”
Tang Ya asked,
“Do you all know what the reward for the New Student Assessment champion is?”
Upon hearing the two words “reward,” six pairs of eyes immediately lit up. They were all just boys and girls not yet twelve years old, so their temperaments were still very naive and they weren’t good at hiding their emotions. Shrek Academy was the number one academy on the continent, and they had achieved the championship, so the reward would definitely be substantial.
Wang Dong was extremely nervous at this moment.
“Teacher Xiao Ya, what is the reward?”
Having just joined the Tang Sect, he also followed Huo Yuhao’s example and called Tang Ya “Teacher.”
Tang Ya said,
“The rewards for the assessment champions in previous years haven’t been too different. The reward changes each year depending on the quality of the new student class. I don’t know about other matters; after all, Shrek Academy hasn’t had a situation where a Soul Venerable appeared in the new student class for many years. Therefore, the reward for the three of you will be very great. Although I can’t say for sure, becoming core disciples is certain.”
“Core disciples?”
This wasn’t the first time the three of them, including Huo Yuhao, had heard this term. Teacher Zhou Yi had mentioned it before.
Tang Ya nodded,
“Since the three of you are the champions of the New Student Assessment, becoming core disciples is truly not difficult. Once you become core disciples, the teachers at the academy will do their best to support your cultivation to become powerful Soul Masters. And in that case, the teachers in the Martial Soul Department will not allow their disciples to be distracted by studying in the Soul Tool Department. In our academy, the Martial Soul Department always holds the dominant position.”
At this moment, the three of them, including Huo Yuhao, finally understood. Thinking about becoming core disciples, receiving full support, and eating delicious food every day… Huo Yuhao’s face immediately lit up. Source: http://xtruyen.vn
Bei Bei glanced at Huo Yuhao, his eyes showing a hint of worry, but he didn’t speak. Bei Bei told himself that he was just worrying for no reason.
Early in the morning, gentle rays of sunlight shone through the windows. Because the academy had the Seagod Lake, the morning air was exceptionally cool.
All the disciples who passed the New Student Assessment had gathered in Shrek Plaza, waiting to be assigned to their classes.
Immediately after, Du Weilun, the head teacher of the Martial Soul Department, led other teachers forward. Among these teachers, Huo Yuhao recognized two: one was Zhou Yi, and the other was Wang Yan. As for the other teachers, he had only glimpsed them a few times and had no impression.
Du Weilun held a stack of documents in his hand, a smile on his face as he looked at the young students:
"Perhaps everyone already knows that the New Student Assessment has concluded, and the top three groups have been determined. I will now officially announce the rankings of the groups and their rewards. Third place, Huang Chutian's group: Huang Chutian, Lan Susu, Lan Luoluo!"
Huang Chutian's group, after being defeated by Huo Yuhao's group, still managed to secure third place. They lost to Dai Huabin's group in the semifinals, then went on to defeat Zhou Sichen's group. One could say Huang Chutian's group was incredibly lucky; in the final match for third place, the two sisters Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo had recovered and were able to use their Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Otherwise, with only their individual strengths, they would not have been able to defeat Zhou Sichen's group.
Huang Chutian led the three of them forward to Du Weilun. Their faces were flushed with excitement. Achieving third place was considered an unexpected success for the group.
All the first-year disciples applauded. After the New Student Assessment, there were only about three hundred first-year disciples remaining, a two-thirds reduction from when the semester began.
"Second place, Dai Huabin's group: Dai Huabin, Zhou Lu, Cui Yajie!"
Applause rang out again, but the three members of Dai Huabin's group did not look happy as they stepped forward. Especially Dai Huabin; his face was extremely grim, and his head was slightly bowed as if he had something on his mind. His eyes were even bloodshot.
Du Weilun paused for a moment, then announced loudly:
"Now, let us all give a warm round of applause to the champions of this New Student Assessment. Wang Dong's group: Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and Huo Yuhao!"
Immediately, enthusiastic applause erupted. The three members of Huo Yuhao's group were slightly surprised after hearing Du Weilun announce the results.
Previously, when they registered, the group name was Huo Yuhao. Now, the group name had changed to Wang Dong, even though Huo Yuhao was truly the leader of the group. At this moment, the applause was already ringing out, so the three of them did not dare to stand still and ponder, but quickly stepped forward. However, as they moved, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao deliberately slowed down a beat to let Huo Yuhao lead the way.
Seeing the three of them step forward, Du Weilun smiled and gestured for them to stand in the center. Huo Yuhao glanced at Dai Huabin and saw him staring intently at Wang Dong. Perhaps he did not know that his defeat was related to Huo Yuhao.
Du Weilun said:
"Alright, I will now announce the rewards. All three top groups, when advancing to Soul Master, Great Soul Master, Soul Ancestor... will be able to make a request to the academy. The academy will, according to each person's capacity, bestow the best and most suitable Soul Ring."
Du Weilun continued:
"Considering Wang Dong's group's outstanding performance and perfect record, the academy has decided to award an additional special prize. I will keep this prize a secret; the three of you will know later when you follow me."
There's a special prize? Is this the difference between the champion and the second and third place teams? The three of them's eyes lit up, and the feeling of disappointment from their group name being changed to Wang Dong faded.
Regarding Huo Yuhao's group receiving a special prize, no disciple objected. During the assessment, Huo Yuhao's group had successively defeated groups with Soul Ancestors such as Ning Tian, Xie Huan Yue, and Dai Huabin, and advanced to the highest position. All the Soul Ancestors had fallen at their hands, so it could be said that this championship was well-deserved, and an additional special prize was also very reasonable.
Du Weilun said:
"Alright, you may return to your places."
After speaking, he paused for a moment, waiting for the three people to return to their positions.
Du Weilun continued:
"After this assessment, I hope you will continue to work hard. Even with great talent, without effort, success will be impossible. Our Shrek Academy is the best academy on the continent. I hope all of you can graduate, and not only that, but achieve the best results. Given that some disciples showed outstanding performance in this New Student Assessment, the academy has decided to accept those disciples as core disciples. Here is the list of selected disciples."
The entire Shrek Plaza suddenly fell silent. Core disciples were not limited to the top three ranked groups! Although Du Weilun hadn't explicitly stated it, everyone knew the benefits of becoming a core disciple. Therefore, at this moment, all the disciples were silent and focused, as if afraid Du Weilun would omit their name.
Du Weilun opened the document in his hand and read:
"Based on the performance of the disciples in this New Student Assessment, the academy has decided to select the following disciples as core disciples: Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Dai Huabin, Zhou Lu, Zhou Sichen, Cao Jinxuan, Lan Susu, Lan Luoluo, Ning Tian, Yu Feng."
The moment Du Weilun mentioned the words "core disciples," Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao already knew that Teacher Xiaoya's information was accurate.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were extremely excited after hearing their names, but then both were startled. After their names came Dai Huabin's name. Why wasn't it Huo Yuhao? Huo Yuhao was their captain!
Because Du Weilun was still reading, both remained hopeful, until Du Weilun's voice stopped, and Huo Yuhao's name still did not appear.
Huo Yuhao was stunned, his face pale. In that instant, he felt as if a large rock had suddenly pressed down on his heart.
Since entering Shrek Academy, he had continuously strived, cultivating desperately every day. When others rested, he cultivated; when others enjoyed themselves, he still cultivated. Since participating in the New Student Assessment, he had always given his all with his teammates, and only then did they achieve first place. But... why? Why? Why wasn't his name there?
Although Huo Yuhao's expression was always composed, his heart was extremely gloomy. Having endured countless hardships in the Duke's Mansion since childhood made him very withdrawn. Then, suddenly seeing Dai Huabin, his hatred almost erupted. If not for Wang Dong and a bit of remaining reason holding him back, he would have acted. Now, once again, he had to suffer injustice. Why, why must I endure such things? Huo Yuhao now understood why Du Weilun had called his group "Wang Dong's group" instead of "Huo Yuhao's group." It turned out everything had been decided beforehand!
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao stood beside Huo Yuhao and both sensed that Huo Yuhao had become abnormal. Wang Dong quickly grabbed Huo Yuhao's hand, fearing he would act rashly, but didn't know what to say. He and Xiao Xiao had become core disciples, but Huo Yuhao had not. What would Huo Yuhao be thinking?
Du Weilun continued to speak:
"Additionally, in this New Student Assessment, there are a few disciples who, despite lacking some ability and talent, performed quite well. Therefore, the academy has decided to temporarily allow these disciples to receive support, assistance, and cultivation equivalent to other core disciples. This treatment will last until the end of the academic year. If these disciples achieve breakthroughs and good results in the promotion examination, they will officially become core disciples. Here is the list of these disciples: Huo Yuhao, Cui Yajie, Huang Chutian, Long Xiangyao, Nanmen Yun'er. Announcement concluded!"
Huo Yuhao's vacant, lifeless eyes gradually recovered. It was true! His own abilities were indeed still severely lacking. Among the disciples called out by Director Du Weilun, he was the only one who hadn't reached level twenty. Treatment like a core disciple? Was it really that good? A fleeting sadness appeared in Huo Yuhao's eyes. He lowered his head slightly, burying that trace of sorrow deep within his heart.
Perhaps if he didn't have the Martial Soul Fusion Skill with Wang Dong, he wouldn't even have this so-called treatment. But who could he blame? It was due to his insufficient strength, and because his first Spirit Ring was, in their eyes, just a useless ten-year Spirit Ring. The corner of Huo Yuhao's mouth twitched slightly, then he raised his head, but his gaze was now colder than before.
"Yuhao, are you alright?"
Wang Dong asked softly.
Huo Yuhao shook his head and forced a smile.
"It's nothing, I really don't qualify as a core disciple. I'm only a level seventeen Spirit Master."
Wang Dong quickly exclaimed,
"No, that's not true. It's just that they don't know your importance in the team..."
Xiao Xiao also nodded repeatedly.
After seeing Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao's reactions, Huo Yuhao's smile became more natural than before.
"I'm really fine. Director Du also said that I can receive the same support and assistance as core disciples. I just need to keep working hard until next year's promotion examination, and then I'll become an official core disciple."
Wang Dong sighed softly and released Huo Yuhao's hand. The two had been together for quite a long time, and both shared the Hao Dong Power and the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, so Wang Dong understood Huo Yuhao's personality quite well. Huo Yuhao appeared calm and had a gentle disposition, but deep down, he was incredibly stubborn and persistent. Wang Dong only understood a part of this after Huo Yuhao revealed his past. But truly, no one could help him; only he could overcome himself.
Following that was the class reassignment. First-year disciples were divided into four classes. Class One included the Strength Attack and Control systems, Class Two included the Defense and Agility Attack systems, Class Three was the Support system, and Class Four included the Plant and Healing systems. Additionally, Battle Spirit Masters and Tool Spirit Masters were assigned to one of the four classes based on their unique Martial Souls.
Class One was considered the strongest. All three, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and Huo Yuhao, were assigned to Class One. In Class Two, Xie Huan Yue, who was proficient in defense, was placed. Class Three was not entirely composed of Support types; it also had some Battle Spirit Masters and Tool Spirit Masters who could both fight and support, such as Ning Tian with her Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul. Class Four included Spirit Masters who had almost no combat power but were very important in major battles, such as Plant and Healing system Spirit Masters.
Each grade was divided into sections like this, but the higher the grade, the fewer disciples there were. After all, the elimination rate at Shrek Academy was very high. The number of outer court disciples who could successfully graduate each year was no more than fifty. In other words, out of the more than three hundred people here, it would be excellent if fifty or sixty remained after ten years.
Next, it was the turn of the head teachers to introduce themselves. The only good news Huo Yuhao received was that Teacher Zhou Yi would continue to be their head teacher. Each class had two head teachers, and the second head teacher was someone who had always thought highly of Huo Yuhao: Wang Yan.
Zhou Yi had not expected that a teacher who usually taught advanced classes would come down to the first-year class for Huo Yuhao.
"Alright, everyone, follow your section assignments to find your head teachers and then return to the Teaching Building. Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, Huo Yuhao, the three of you follow me to receive your rewards."
Head Teacher Du Weilun continued.
Huo Yuhao seemed to have returned to normal at this point, at least his facial expression indicated as much. The three of them followed Du Weilun into an advanced Teaching Building, where the teachers worked.
Du Weilun's office was on the top floor. This room was larger than Zhou Yi's and did not have too many ornate furnishings. Bookshelves filled with valuable materials lined the walls.
Du Weilun smiled and pointed to the chairs:
"The three of you, please sit down. Huo Yuhao, there's no need to feel pressured. Besides you, there are still many disciples outside the first three groups. Your performance in this assessment was not bad, and you have the auxiliary ability to help Wang Dong complete the Martial Soul Fusion Skill... it's just that your ability still needs to be greatly improved. As for the champion's reward, you can use it to ask the academy to help you obtain a perfect second Soul Ring. If you perform well in next year's promotion assessment, the academy will consider admitting you into the core disciple group."
"Head Teacher Du, that's not entirely true. Huo Yuhao isn't just an auxiliary disciple..."
He was interrupted by Du Weilun waving his hand. In Du Weilun's eyes, this was just a bunch of kids trying to show off their friendship.
Huo Yuhao also pulled on Wang Dong's sleeve and respectfully said to Du Weilun:
"Thank you, Head Teacher Du. This disciple will work hard. Thank you for your concern."