"What?!"
For the first time in nearly a century of spiritual calm, Mu En was shaken. He opened his eyes, the cloudiness within them now replaced by inquiry as he looked at Yan Shaozhe and said, "I remember that child's martial soul was Light-attributed."
"Yes, Teacher! Zhu Ziyang possesses an Ultimate Light Martial Soul!" Yan Shaozhe replied, unable to hide the joy on his face. Every time he thought about Shrek Academy producing someone with an Ultimate Light Martial Soul, his heart couldn't help but cheer.
"Ultimate Light, huh..." Mu En's murky eyes gradually lit up as he realized the purpose of Yan Shaozhe's visit. "Very well, Shaozhe. Once the freshmen assessment is over, bring the boy to the Sea God Pavilion."
"Yes, Teacher!" Yan Shaozhe nodded excitedly. With his teacher's guidance, Zhu Ziyang was sure to grow even faster. Once he became a Titled Douluo with an Ultimate Light Martial Soul, Shrek Academy's strength and prestige would surely rise further—possibly reaching the peak of its 3,000-year history!
"Alright, go now," Mu En said, his eyes slowly closing again, his expression returning to one of absolute calm.
Yan Shaozhe left.
"Ultimate Light…" Mu En murmured, his fingers—like withered branches—tapping gently on the armrest of his wooden chair, producing a crisp knock knock. One could tell he was in a good mood.
"Zhu Ziyang, you rascal, you really kept things hidden well. Not even I knew!" After class, Zhu Ziyang and his teammates were kept behind by their teacher, Xia Yu, who was full of emotion and excitement.
"I wasn't really hiding anything—I just hadn't met an opponent worth revealing my full strength against," Zhu Ziyang replied with a smile, his tone as calm as if discussing something trivial.
"You little brat, you're good with words!" Xia Yu chuckled and cursed lightly. "You should've seen our faces when you revealed your soul rings. Even Dean Yan and Director Du stood up in shock!"
"Teacher Xia, why are you only complimenting Zhu Ziyang? Nan Nan and I did really well too!" Tang Ya pouted, clearly displeased with Xia Yu's focus on Zhu Ziyang.
"You're so impatient," Xia Yu laughed, "I wasn't done yet. Look at Nan Nan—not in a rush at all."
"Well, you're praising Zhu Ziyang, which makes her even happier than being praised herself," Tang Ya muttered, pouting.
"Xiao Ya!" Jiang Nannan's face instantly turned red, and she scolded her softly.
Xia Yu chuckled while watching them, then asked, "So, do you have confidence for the final tomorrow?"
"One hundred percent," Zhu Ziyang replied with calm certainty.
"Hehe, Teacher Xia, you're overestimating Class One. We already beat Beibei's undefeated team. Chu Hua's team are all just Soul Grandmasters who couldn't even beat Beibei's team—how could they be a match for us?" Tang Ya said proudly, clearly riding on the glory of Zhu Ziyang.
When Zhu Ziyang's team beat Beibei's, the other two semifinalists had also competed, and Chu Hua's team from Class One emerged victorious to enter the finals.
"If that's the case, then all the better!" Xia Yu beamed. "Once you win the championship, I'll host a celebration for you at the best restaurant in Shrek City!"
"What?!" All three were shocked. From Xia Yu's serious expression, he clearly wasn't joking. Confused, they asked, "Teacher Xia, isn't that a bit too much? It's just a freshman assessment championship—does it really warrant a celebration?"
"Why not?" Xia Yu said sternly. "If you win, you'll be the first freshman champions I've ever taught in my ten years of teaching. That alone is worth celebrating!"
"As long as you're happy, Teacher," the three replied, exchanging helpless glances.
The final day of the freshmen assessment.
The morning's third-place match unsurprisingly went to Beibei's team.
The afternoon championship match also unsurprisingly belonged to Zhu Ziyang's team.
Even the runner-up team—Chu Hua's—was happy. Though they were crushed by Zhu Ziyang's trio, losing to the champions wasn't shameful.
Zhu Ziyang's team was glad to win, but it wasn't an overwhelming joy—the victory had come too easily. Zhu Ziyang barely used any real strength to win the finals. The battle wasn't even as intense as the semifinals. Without the expected hard-fought struggle, the victory didn't feel quite as sweet.
Evening. Shrek City. Tianying Pavilion.
Tianying Pavilion, the most luxurious restaurant in Shrek City—Xia Yu booked a private room here to host a celebration for Zhu Ziyang's team.
"Teacher Xia, you're really loaded!" Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya had already said that for the third time. Both girls wore expressions of amazement.
"Of course I am!" Xia Yu replied proudly with a smile, then turned to Zhu Ziyang and said, "If nothing unexpected happens, you'll all become core disciples."
"Core disciples?" Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya echoed in curiosity, while Zhu Ziyang remained calm.
"Yes. Core disciples of the Martial Soul Department in the outer court of Shrek Academy are outstanding talents who receive extra resources and attention. Normally, all outer court core disciples eventually become inner court students. I won't go into all the perks—you'll experience them for yourselves soon enough."
"I see," Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya nodded in understanding.
Morning light bathed Shrek Square in a warm glow. The ground shimmered faintly, and the air was filled with a refreshing, joyous humidity.
All students from the six first-year classes had been assembled. After the freshman assessment, only 300 students remained.
Soon, Director of the Martial Soul Department, Du Weilen, arrived with more than ten teachers. Among them were the former homeroom teachers of the six first-year classes—"former" because following the assessment, the classes would be reorganized.
Holding a folder, Du Weilen stepped forward, scanned the students, and said:
"As you all know, the freshmen assessment has concluded, and the elimination rounds have determined the top three teams. I now formally announce the top three teams and their rewards.
Third place: Beibei's team—members: Beibei, Xu Sanshi, Xue Weiwei—step forward."
Applause rang out as Beibei's team stepped up with expressionless faces. For a team with three Soul Grandmasters above level 25, third place was a blow. But bad luck had them facing Zhu Ziyang's team in the semifinals—what could they do?
"Second place: Chu Hua's team—members: Chu Hua, Ye Ning, Xiao Xuan—step forward."
Chu Hua's team wore content smiles. They were proud of their achievement and stepped forward amidst loud applause.
Du Weilen paused, then smiled and said,
"Now, the team that earned first place in the freshman assessment—our well-deserved champions—please step forward:
Zhu Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, Tang Ya!"