Bei Bei smiled and said,
"Although Junior Brother has not been in the academy for long, he is much more composed and diligent than his peers. His personality is gentle yet very resilient. Even though his first Spirit Ring is only ten years old, if he can fully utilize it with a spirit tool, that will be the key to our Tang Sect's future rise."
Tang Ya said decisively,
"The Tang Sect has declined to this extent in my generation. If there is no development, I fear it will wither away. That would truly be a disservice to our ancestors. Wang Dong, since Yu Hao has entered the Spirit Tool Department, you and I will practice the Tang Sect's ultimate techniques. Tomorrow, I will give Xiao Hao the principles and cultivation methods. Based on his understanding of spirit tool creation, this will greatly assist his studies."
Wang Dong looked at Tang Ya and Bei Bei with a hint of helplessness, thinking to himself, "I'm not a diligent honeybee like Huo Yuhao! I'm being forced to work hard!" He knew for sure that when he went back tonight, Huo Yuhao would drag him off to cultivate, making it impossible to sleep, and he couldn't help but frown.
The next day, the management of the Martial Spirit Department announced that first-year Class One students Dai Huabin, Zhou Lu, Huang Chutian, and Yu Feng would be transferred to Class Two to continue their studies.
Surely those students would complain to the academy, but Shrek Academy was still Shrek Academy. No matter what your status, as long as you studied there, you were treated equally. Students must respect their teachers' decisions. Just as Teacher Wang Yan said, although they had been expelled from Class One, they were still allowed to remain. Moreover, for core disciples, they often felt proud of their talent, so this setback was not necessarily a bad thing for them.
After this incident, the atmosphere in Class One changed a bit; most of them were like mice fearing a cat. Although it hadn't reached the point where they trembled at the sight of Zhou Yi, at least no one dared to defy her anymore. Wang Yan couldn't help but admire her; such strictness turning an ordinary class into a disciplined one was truly amazing.
Studies once again became stable, but this was true for the majority of students. For the diligent honeybee Huo Yuhao, his daily life was full of vitality. Of course, this was how he felt; in Wang Dong's eyes, he was truly a man of iron...
Every morning, he woke up to cultivate the Purple Demon Eyes, and then began a busy, intense daily life. For Huo Yuhao, studying in the Martial Spirit Department during the day was the easiest. He only needed to use his brain to understand; learning knowledge, receiving guidance from teachers on Spirit Master tactics, cultivation methods, and coordination.
Even at noon, he didn't waste any time. After lunch, he dragged Wang Dong along to cultivate for a while. This not only improved their spirits for the afternoon but also increased their strength.
Wang Dong felt that his and Huo Yuhao's research into the Hao Dong power was absolutely a mistake. He didn't need to actively cultivate every day; as soon as it was time, Huo Yuhao would immediately come and drag him along to cultivate. As a result, the lazy Wang Dong was forced to become diligent. His spirit power also grew very quickly.
As soon as afternoon classes ended, Huo Yuhao ran to the Soul Tool Department to train with Fan Yu. These two hours were the most arduous for him. Fan Yu was extremely strict in his teaching, and had exceptionally high demands for his direct disciples, arguably the highest at Shrek Academy. Earlier, He Caitou had also gone through this stage and suffered countless hardships.
But what surprised Fan Yu the most was that Huo Yuhao was like a resilient rubber ball; no matter how much pressure was put on him, he could endure it. Not only could he complete the tasks Fan Yu assigned, but he did so meticulously, without the slightest laziness. Even Fan Yu sometimes felt he was too harsh on him. Yet, Huo Yuhao never complained a single word, instead genuinely completing everything. Many times, he was too exhausted to return to his dormitory, but he never grumbled about the hardship. There were many times Fan Yu even had to carry him back. Once there, he wouldn't sleep, instead asking Wang Dong to help him cross his legs to cultivate his soul power and regulate his body.
Among the Tang Sect's secret weapons, the first technique Huo Yuhao used was the forging method of the Chaotic Cloak Hammering Technique. This Chaotic Cloak Hammering Technique originally used force from the legs, waist, up to the hammer. The force of each strike continuously increased, which not only conserved energy but was also very effective in forging. This was a secret technique of the Tang Sect that was not to be passed on. (Editor's Note: This is from the Clear Sky Sect, right? Editor's Reply: Well, the Tang Sect also originated from the Clear Sky Sect, didn't it?)
Huo Yuhao learned and applied this Chaotic Cloak Hammering Technique by himself. Even when using the Mysterious Jade Hand, his hands would blister. His skin would turn into calluses, then gradually resemble a cocoon. But he never slacked off for a single day, never complained once. On the contrary, he enjoyed it immensely. He was like an iron man, constantly striving and working hard.
Three months later, his Chaotic Cloak Hammering Technique could continuously unleash eighteen strikes. Five months later, it increased to thirty-six strikes. The highest realm of the Chaotic Cloak Hammering Technique was only eighty-one strikes. When he could continuously unleash thirty-six strikes, he had passed the first hurdle in crafting soul tools. As Fan Yu said, the student had surpassed the master.
Previously, He Caitou had taken a year to pass this hurdle. Huo Yuhao, however, only took five months. This could be attributed to the effectiveness of the Tang Sect's ultimate technique, the Chaotic Cloak Hammering Technique, but Huo Yuhao's tenacious and hardship-defying character was also indispensable.
Autumn passed, winter arrived; winter passed, and spring returned. In the blink of an eye, eight months had gone by.
Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, along with Dai Huabin, Zhou Lu, and the others, were nearing the end of their first academic year at Shrek Academy. Next was the holiday break.
The academy had a one-month break every year. This month was not for students to relax and travel, but for them to reflect on the knowledge they had learned in the previous eleven months and to diligently cultivate. After this one-month break would be the promotion exam. Students who failed the exam would be directly eliminated. Therefore, the annual holiday break was, ironically, the busiest and most arduous time for students. Who would dare to be negligent and rest!
Soul Tool Experimentation Area, Laboratory Twelve.
Beside the large metal table, Fan Yu and He Caitou stood one on each side of Huo Yuhao, silently watching. Fan Yu’s hands were clasped behind his back, his attention completely focused. He Caitou, on the other hand, clenched his fists tightly, clearly a little nervous.
Huo Yuhao sat in front of the metal table, his left hand gripping a large hexagonal metal block about the size of a peach pit. His right hand held a slender small knife, carefully carving into the metal block.
His movements were slow, his hands steady. Each cut was extremely stable and firm.
The blue-gold metal block emitted a strange aura from its surface. The small knife in Huo Yuhao’s hand slowly etched complex patterns onto it.
His golden eyes were focused and careful, not blinking once for a long time. As seconds and minutes passed, his body remained as still as a statue. Only his fingertips controlled the small knife, slowly infusing soul power and gradually carving into the object. Even the rhythm of each stroke remained unchanged.
Excitement gradually appeared in He Caitou’s eyes, and Fan Yu’s eyes also lit up. His hands, clasped behind his back, couldn’t help but slowly clench into fists.
Finally, Huo Yuhao completed the last pattern. After removing the metal dust, his movements ceased.
The golden light in his eyes slowly faded, and his expression was a little tired. But when he looked up and saw Fan Yu and He Caitou, a bright smile appeared on his face.
“Teacher, Senior Brother, I succeeded. From now on, can I be considered a half-step Soul Tool Master?”
He Caitou looked at Huo Yuhao with a somewhat dazed expression. “Yuhao, you, you really succeeded?”
Huo Yuhao carefully lifted the metal block from his left hand and slowly infused soul power into it. The metal block began to emit a clear blue light, which quickly transformed into a beam of light about a foot high. The blue light was straight and unwavering. The metal block itself emitted a mysterious blue color.
“Good, good, good!”
Fan Yu finally spoke, his excitement clearly visible on his face, revealing his current mood.
“Yuhao, good child, you are not a half-step Soul Tool Master. Although your cultivation is not yet sufficient, I, your teacher, can now declare that you are officially a Class Two Soul Tool Master. Your talent is truly terrifying, and you are so diligent. Success is not accidental; your eight months of hard work have finally paid off!”
He Caitou cheered, his strong body lunging towards Huo Yuhao, wrapping his arms around his neck and lifting him into the air. A smile also appeared on Huo Yuhao’s face, but his lips were tightly pressed together.
That’s right, the metal block he had just finished carving was the core of a Class Two Soul Tool!
He spent five months completing the basics, then another month learning shaping, molding, tempering, and finally grinding before beginning to learn how to carve the spell formation into the center of the object. This was the most crucial step in the process of creating a Soul Tool.
If Huo Yuhao’s previous learning speed was due to his hard work and endurance, then when he learned to carve spell formations into objects, he truly demonstrated himself to be a genuine genius in Soul Tool crafting.
Huo Yuhao was more composed than his peers, and he possessed a natural advantage: his Spirit Eyes. Thanks to the Purple Demon Eyes and his Spirit Eyes, his eyesight was at least several times better than that of an ordinary person.
Array formations carved into objects often failed due to some errors, but such things would not occur with Huo Yuhao.
(1) Quenching is the process of rapidly cooling hot metal, typically by plunging it into water, to harden it.
Thanks to his Spiritual Detection, Huo Yuhao could easily discern every detail of the core. He could clearly see the depth of each carved stroke, making errors rare. Moreover, the time it took Huo Yuhao to learn the theory of array formations, then begin practicing carving, and finally complete his first Tier 1 Soul Tool was only one month.
In other words, in just seven months, Huo Yuhao had officially become a Tier 1 Soul Engineer.
At that time, Fan Yu told him that although it was unclear how the records in the Sun Moon Empire were kept, Huo Yuhao was entirely worthy of being called the number one person among the three great empires: Heaven Soul, Dou Ling, and Star Luo. He had been astonished when He Caitou took one year and four months to complete this process. Yet, Huo Yuhao had done it in less than half that time!
Huo Yuhao studied and trained diligently. In Fan Yu's impression, this child seemed to not know what boredom was. For the same array formation to be carved into a Tier 1 Soul Tool, he could use ordinary metal to carve it hundreds of times.
One month later, Huo Yuhao attempted to carve a Tier 2 array formation into a core for the first time. And he succeeded, truly succeeded. Although Fan Yu had considered this possibility, when Huo Yuhao succeeded, he couldn't help but shed tears.
Powerful teachers are hard to find, and genius disciples are even harder to come by! Especially one who possesses both talent and double the effort of others. Fan Yu was known for his strictness, but he couldn't find a single flaw in Huo Yuhao.
One must know that the complexity of a Tier 2 array formation was at least three times that of a Tier 1. Furthermore, it required an extremely high level of Soul Power application. Huo Yuhao's success was definitely not due to luck; he truly possessed this ability.
Fan Yu gently waved to He Caitou. Only then did he release Huo Yuhao, looking at his junior disciple with a sense of pride.
Huo Yuhao was now over twelve years old, having just passed his twelfth birthday not long ago. Compared to when he first entered the academy a year ago, he was about half a head taller.
Top-tier Martial Spirit, sufficient nutrition, and months of training had made Huo Yuhao's body much sturdier. Although his physique was not as exaggerated as He Caitou's, he was considered quite large compared to his peers. His muscles were well-defined yet full of flexibility. If he took off his shirt, he would look like a small leopard waiting for prey. His eyes were firm and steady. His posture was straight, standing still in one place.
Fan Yu gently waved to his two disciples:
"Sit down, both of you. Yuhao, give me the core you just finished. This is your first Tier 2 Soul Tool. I will personally help you complete the inner and outer casings. Consider this your first-year graduation gift."
"Thank you, Master."
Huo Yuhao did not refuse, smiling as he handed the core to Fan Yu.
Fan Yu said, "The holiday is coming soon. Do you two have any plans?"
He Caitou smiled and said,
“Teacher, I am an orphan, so I will stay at the academy and continue cultivating. Junior Brother’s rapid progress makes me feel a bit of a threat. I must strive to reach Rank Four Soul Engineer next year. I don’t think it will be long before Junior Brother catches up to me.”
Fan Yu smiled and said, “Don’t underestimate yourself. The higher a Soul Engineer goes, the harder it is to advance. Your Junior Brother has an extraordinary talent for carving soul arrays, but his cultivation is not yet sufficient. To carve more advanced soul arrays, he must first improve his cultivation; otherwise, his soul power will not be enough to complete the carving. Huo Yuhao, this is also what you need to do next. Strive to increase your cultivation. If I’m not mistaken, your soul power has already reached Rank Twenty. Teacher will go with you to the Star Dou Great Forest. You must find a suitable soul ring.”
Indeed, Huo Yuhao’s cultivation had already reached Rank Twenty, and he had achieved it two months prior. For the past eight months, he had cultivated tirelessly, and with the help of Hao Dong’s power, his soul power growth rate was no less than his cultivation progress.
He reached Rank Twenty but it was not yet the holiday, so Wang Yan suggested that he not rush to collect a soul ring but continue to cultivate diligently. According to the theory of the first generation Grandmaster of Shrek Academy back then, a soul master’s cultivation does not stop because they haven’t obtained a soul ring; it merely waits to burst forth. In other words, after Huo Yuhao reached Rank Twenty, his rank would not increase, but his cultivation would still progress as before, and it would manifest after he obtained a soul ring.
Therefore, Huo Yuhao always cultivated diligently. Wang Dong’s soul power also grew extremely fast. He and Huo Yuhao cultivated Hao Dong’s power simultaneously, and the speed of one person’s increase was equivalent to two people cultivating at the same time. Over the past eight months, his soul power had obviously increased by three ranks, reaching Rank Twenty-Eight. According to Wang Dong’s calculations, at most by the end of this year, he would be able to obtain his third soul ring. His cultivation speed was truly astonishing.
Huo Yuhao received the treatment of a core disciple in the Martial Soul Department, not just in daily meals. Every week, inner court teachers would come to guide them in their cultivation. Of course, he only enjoyed the superficial benefits of a core disciple. But what he learned was no less than what others learned.
“Teacher, there’s no need. When this disciple won the championship in the freshman assessment, there was a reward that an academy teacher would help the disciple obtain a soul ring with the maximum possible endurance. You are busy with research, and this disciple does not wish to trouble you.”
Fan Yu laughed heartily and said, “That’s right! I forgot about this. You can directly go find Director Du; he arranges all these matters. When will you go?”
Huo Yuhao said, “Perhaps the day after tomorrow. I will depart early in the morning the day after tomorrow. Please rest assured, I will complete it quickly. I will return immediately after obtaining the soul ring.”
Fan Yu nodded and said, “Huo Yuhao, if you want to enhance your Martial Soul, I suggest you look for a mental attribute skill. But if you want to enhance your Soul Engineer abilities, then I suggest you focus on Mental Detection. Teacher cannot give you too many opinions, and how you obtain a soul ring also depends on fate. Remember to bring the soul tool you just completed.”
“Yes, Teacher, this disciple has noted it.”
Huo Yuhao nodded. But today was the first time he had lied to Fan Yu. He had no intention of asking the Soul Spirit Department to help him obtain his second spirit ring. He wanted to go alone, because he had the Heavenly Dream Iceworm.
Just thinking about becoming a Great Soul Master, guided by the Heavenly Dream Iceworm, and with his second martial spirit officially awakened, his spirit couldn't help but burn with excitement.
Fan Yu said, "The holiday is almost here. You don't need to work so hard today. Let's go, go back and pack your things, then get some rest."
He Caitou couldn't help but widen his eyes. This was the first time he had heard the words "get some rest."
Leaving the experimental area of the Soul Tool Department, the sky outside was already dim. The weather today wasn't very good; rain was falling in a drizzle, and the late spring weather still brought a cool sensation.
But Huo Yuhao felt that the rain was not unsettling at all; on the contrary, he felt as if his soul was cleansed, and all feelings of fatigue disappeared. Just as he was about to step into the rain, to savor this cool moment, his eyes flickered slightly, looking to the left.
In the distance, a person holding an umbrella was slowly walking towards them. Gradually, he saw clearly: under the umbrella was a short-haired person in a first-year uniform, with a pair of blue eyes full of spiritual energy, and a hint of surprise within them.
"Does the Iron Man also have free time?" he said with a smile to Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao looked at him in surprise. "Why are you here?"
"It's raining. We'll be parting ways the day after tomorrow. I came to pick you up." The young man's expression was a little unusual.
Huo Yuhao laughed loudly and said, "There's no need to be so reluctant, is there? It's only for a month; we'll meet again very soon. Let's go, let's head back to the dormitory first. I'm not idle either; Teacher Fan Yu specifically let me leave a bit early."
The person who came to pick him up was indeed Wang Dong. Over the past eight months, being in his puberty, Wang Dong had grown a little taller, but still not as tall as Huo Yuhao. Huo Yuhao was already a bit taller than him.
The two slowly walked towards the dormitory. Usually, Huo Yuhao would run back quickly, but today was different. He walked slowly, step by step, and walking in the rain also gave him an unusual feeling. The two deliberately walked slowly.
"Did the Soul Tool Department agree to help you collect a spirit ring?" Wang Dong asked.
Huo Yuhao nodded and said, "Of course, I am a core disciple of the Soul Tool Department after all." As he said these words, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty in his heart. Because of the secret of the Heavenly Dream Iceworm, he had no choice but to lie to both sides.
Wang Dong said, "I also have to go home. I'll try to get back a little earlier. You must pay attention to safety. It's a pity my soul power hasn't reached level thirty yet; otherwise, it would be great if I could go hunt soul beasts with you."
Huo Yuhao laughed loudly and said,
"You shouldn't be too greedy either. After we obtain Haodong Force, our cultivation speed will also increase very rapidly. Ask the other students; after level twenty, is there anyone like you who increased so much in one year? Now, after the holiday, and passing the promotion assessment, it's been more than two or three months, and you might even reach level thirty. Although I haven't obtained a Soul Ring yet, I can estimate my current Soul Power to be around level twenty-two. Later on, Haodong Force will give us even more distinct advantages. Let's try to catch up to Dai Huabin in Soul Power during our fourth year."
For the past eight months, Huo Yuhao had dedicated all his energy to cultivation. Now, he could calmly face Dai Huabin. However, this wasn't because the hatred in his heart had disappeared, but rather because it was buried even deeper. Hatred had taken root and sprouted; how could it disappear so easily?
They no longer knew what Dai Huabin's current Soul Power level was, perhaps around thirty-three. Although it was said that Soul Power became harder to advance after level thirty, Dai Huabin's innate talent was originally not bad. Increasing three or four levels in a year was normal for him. Moreover, after being expelled from Class One, Dai Huabin seemed to have cultivated even harder.
Wang Dong smiled without saying anything further, but his eyes were full of confidence.
Normally, this walk would only take a little over ten minutes, but today they felt it took a very, very long time. When they saw they were almost back at the dormitory, Wang Dong suddenly said:
"Let's go to the shore of Seagod Lake. It's rare for you to have a free afternoon, and it's been a long time since I've had your grilled fish."
Huo Yuhao said with a hint of embarrassment, "I haven't prepared the ingredients... if I had them, I would grill some for you to eat."
Wang Dong chuckled and shoved the umbrella into Huo Yuhao's hand.
"Wait for me here for a moment."
As he spoke, he dashed like a shot towards the dormitory. A moment later, he ran back out, gesticulating wildly as he ran, saying,
"Let's go."
Huo Yuhao's eyes widened. "You had a scheme planned early on!"
Wang Dong didn't deny it and continued, "I originally planned to invite you to play after you finished your break tonight. I didn't expect you to have an early break today, so let's just splurge today. Anyway, if you don't feed me until I'm full today, don't expect to sleep peacefully."
Huo Yuhao laughed heartily and said, "Alright, as long as you prepare enough ingredients, I guarantee you'll eat until you can't take it anymore."
At this moment, by the dormitory door, the old manager who was always dozing off suddenly opened his eyes, looked at Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, and whispered,
"Before, how many girls said that to me! Every time, I fed them until they were truly full. These two children are truly interesting." (DG: He's old but still has this kind of spirit, he's truly interesting...)
Both excitedly walked towards the shore of Seagod Lake. Wang Dong held the umbrella, and Huo Yuhao sat down to start the fire. It was only a light drizzle, so an umbrella was enough. A moment later, the smell of cooking smoke slowly rose, blending into the rain.
By the shore of Seagod Lake, the fine rain continued to drift, enveloping even Seagod Island in the distance. The atmosphere here was extremely cool but also incredibly damp, making Huo Yuhao, who was starting the fire, feel a constant thumping of worry. It wasn't until the fire blazed up that he and Wang Dong looked at each other and smiled with satisfaction. Both of their cheeks were flushed from sitting near the fire, and the smiles on their faces were full of joy. The earlier worry had also vanished with the smoke.
Huo Yuhao placed each fish on the grill, then focused his mind to control the flames. This level of concentration was no different from when he carved spell formations into a core.
Wang Dong still stood beside him, holding an umbrella, but at this moment, his attention was not on the grilled fish, but on Huo Yuhao. He was sitting amidst the fresh but slightly chilly air, next to a hot charcoal fire, with the grilled fish slowly emitting a fragrant aroma. All of it formed a heartwarming scene. Wang Dong knew clearly that perhaps he would never forget this sight for the rest of his life. He really liked this feeling; Huo Yuhao was grilling fish just for him…
A moment later, the first batch of grilled fish was done. Huo Yuhao immediately offered it to Wang Dong.
"It's hot, eat quickly."
"Mm."
Wang Dong took it and slowly ate. The smell of grilled fish had already made his stomach rumble.
Huo Yuhao grilled and spoke, "Why didn't you invite Teacher Xiao Ya, Senior Brother Bei Bei, and Xiao Xiao to eat with us? They like this dish a lot too."
"No, today you are only mine."
Wang Dong almost blurted out after hearing that.
Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned when he heard this, turning his head to look at Wang Dong. He saw that the other's blue eyes were filled with stubbornness and defiance.
"I mean your grilled fish, it's all mine."
Wang Dong quickly added another sentence. Under the red fire in the dark sky, his flushed face became even more prominent.
Today's grilled fish feast lasted for a very long time, so long that they couldn't even remember. It wasn't until both of them were completely full that they finally returned to the dormitory.
As soon as he entered the door, Huo Yuhao collapsed onto his hard, cold bed.
"Ah, the feeling of eating until you're full and satisfied is truly comfortable. Today, I've decided that if I'm going to be lazy, I'll be thoroughly lazy. I'll just sleep in. You're right, sometimes you have to play around a bit."
"No, sit up and cultivate quickly."
Wang Dong walked to Huo Yuhao's bed and reached out to pull him up.
"Nooooooooo…"
Huo Yuhao cried out miserably.
"I've worked so hard, I want to rest…"
Wang Dong said, "The holiday is the day after tomorrow. We need to make the most of our time now. When there's no more Hao Dong power, you can be as lazy as you want."
"Alright."
Huo Yuhao reluctantly sat up. Just as he was about to cross his legs and sit on the bed, Wang Dong suddenly spoke, "Come over to my bed. Consider it payment for grilling fish for me today. Today, I'll allow you to cultivate on my bed."
"Huh?"
Huo Yuhao was startled for a moment, then looked down at the sheepskin blanket on Wang Dong's bed. He then chuckled and unceremoniously climbed over.
"Hey, I didn't tell you to get on right away. Go change your clothes."
Wang Dong quickly called out.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao had already crossed his legs and sat down. He said, "Don't be so troublesome. Come over quickly. If you keep nagging, it'll be morning."
Wang Dong's expression was a bit reluctant, but he finally sat down opposite Huo Yuhao. Their palms touched, and they began to circulate Hao Dong power. Then, they both closed their eyes. At this moment, neither of them noticed the uncontrollable smile that appeared at the corner of the other's mouth.
The next morning.
Perhaps it was because they had enjoyed themselves all afternoon yesterday, but both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong felt incredibly energetic. Today was also their last class of their first year. Tomorrow, Shrek Academy's Outer Court would officially begin its holiday.
After they finished breakfast, they went to class. Yesterday, Fan Yu had already given Huo Yuhao a temporary leave, so from now on, he no longer needed to rush to practice crafting Soul Tools after class. He had been studying at Shrek Academy for eleven months, and today was the first day he felt so relaxed. That feeling of mental release, of not having to worry about anything, was truly comfortable.
So he decided that no matter what, he would play to his heart's content today.
Today, Zhou Yi and Wang Yan were teaching together. As long as Zhou Yi was in the classroom, every student would adopt a serious demeanor. Even though tomorrow was a holiday, it was no exception. How could anyone dare to offend this "Overlord Flower" teacher? If she went crazy, how could anyone bear it?
Wang Yan stepped onto the podium, while Zhou Yi walked to the back of the classroom, then pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Hello, students. Today is your last day of class, and the academy has no assignments for you. I just have a few simple words I want to say to you, and then you can all return to your dorms to pack your belongings."
As soon as Wang Yan finished speaking, the entire class cheered, even though Zhou Yi was sitting in the back, she didn't care. The holiday was approaching, and everyone was eager to go home to visit their families. Who wouldn't miss their loved ones and their hometown? Of course, except for those who were orphans and alone.
Wang Yan smiled and said,
"Over the past year, all of you have done very well. I can say that currently, among the four first-year classes, our class is the most outstanding. Zhou Yi and I thank everyone for their efforts. Your efforts have brought glory to our entire class."
"But..."
At this point, Wang Yan's demeanor suddenly changed.
"Every student at the end of the year will have a promotion exam, but our Shrek Academy does not. I think everyone already knows why. The test to see if you are qualified to advance to the second year will take place on the first day of the new semester. Therefore, from now until then, you absolutely must not slack off in your cultivation. In fact, in this one month, your cultivation speed must increase several times. Only then will you have the opportunity to continue studying at this academy. I hope all of you can be present here in full next year, without a single person missing."
"Next are some particularly important points in this promotion assessment. You must listen carefully and remember them well. First, and most fundamentally, is your soul power level. For first-year students to advance to second-year, all disciples must reach level twenty or above. If you still don't have two Soul Rings by the time of the assessment, then I think you don't need to come here next year. No matter how well you perform in the assessment, if this aspect does not meet the requirements, it will be useless. The academy's rules have never changed. Therefore, disciples who have not reached level twenty must complete it at all costs within this month. Furthermore, you must also have a second Soul Ring. This is proof that your strength has reached the Grand Soul Master level."
"However, simply having two Soul Rings does not guarantee you can pass the promotion assessment. Even Teacher Zhou and I are not yet clear on the specific content of this assessment. But based on my experience, the academy usually assigns each student a task to hunt a hundred-year-old Soul Beast by themselves, under the supervision of a teacher. Remember, it's by yourself, without any assistance. This type of assessment is the one the academy uses most often. If this task is chosen for you this time, then you should thank your lucky stars, because to complete it, you only need your own strength to be sufficient. As for the remaining tasks, in addition to strength, you also need luck, wisdom... no matter which type, they are all extremely difficult and arduous. However, normally these only appear in the promotion assessments for high-level students. Ours probably won't be that abnormal.
Moreover, the promotion assessment is not just an individual matter; it concerns our entire class. Each class must undergo an assessment, and based on the results, the maximum number of students for the class in the following year will be determined."