Seeing Dai Huabin return covered in blood, Wang Yan frowned slightly.
"Dai Huabin, you've already passed the advancement assessment. Go back and clean yourself up first."
But Dai Huabin shook his head, glancing sideways at Xu Zihuang, whose expression had remained unchanged from beginning to end.
Wang Yan hesitated for a moment, then no longer insisted. He turned to the other students of Class One of the second grade and asked, "Who's next?"
"I'll go."
Before Wang Yan's words had even finished, Wang Dong's voice rang out. He walked forward proudly, passing between Xu Zihuang and Dai Huabin.
It seemed that Dai Huabin's excellent performance just now hadn't shaken him in the slightest. He appeared full of confidence.
Entering the field, he made his choice before the examiner could even ask.
"I choose a thousand-year soul beast."
Since Dai Huabin had just chosen a thousand-year soul beast earlier, the examiner wasn't overly surprised this time.
But almost all the students of Class One began murmuring. Dai Huabin had entered the academy already at the Soul Elder level, his strength second only to Yu Tianhuang. That he could defeat a thousand-year soul beast wasn't shocking.
But Wang Dong was only a Soul Grandmaster! Even if his second soul ring was of the thousand-year level, facing a thousand-year beast was still extremely risky.
Even Xiao Xiao, the only classmate close to Wang Dong, was stunned.
"What is Wang Dong planning?"
The answer soon revealed itself.
Brilliant blue light flared. Without any hesitation, Wang Dong released his martial soul immediately. Whether out of caution or a desire to show off was unclear.
Gasps of astonishment spread throughout the arena. Even many teachers looked shocked.
It wasn't his dazzling Bright Goddess Butterfly martial soul that surprised them, but the three soul rings that rose at his feet.
That was Wang Dong's confidence.
Over the past year, he had pushed himself desperately in cultivation, seeking to wash away past humiliation. He had even taken several potential-squeezing elixirs. With his family's support during the month-long vacation, he finally broke through the bottleneck of level thirty and gained his third soul ring.
Those elixirs were all heavenly treasures, with some side effects—but effects that could be resolved and wouldn't harm his future development.
On the high platform, Du Weilen's eyes lit up, even more delighted than when watching Dai Huabin's assessment earlier.
"Good. One yellow, two purple—an excellent configuration. With such a top-grade martial soul, his future achievements may surpass even Dai Huabin."
Naturally, Wang Dong's third soul ring was also of the thousand-year level. As a Soul Elder now, he possessed two powerful thousand-year soul skills. He wasn't far behind Yu Tianhuang anymore.
Dai Huabin never expected Wang Dong—whom he had always dismissed—to break through to Soul Elder within a year. Though Dai Huabin's cultivation was still higher, both now had three rings. And in terms of soul ring quality, Wang Dong surpassed him. Purely comparing soul skills, Wang Dong held the advantage. This closed much of the gap between them.
Dai Huabin's confident expression froze, his face darkening as his fists clenched involuntarily.
That Yu Tianhuang surpassed him, he could reluctantly accept, since Yu Tianhuang had defeated him openly in combat.
But Wang Dong? How could this nobody suddenly rise above him?!
As he ground his teeth in anger, another soul beast rushed out from the distant gate of the field. Compared with the thousand-year Blood-Red Baboon Dai Huabin had faced, this one was much smaller.
Its body was barely one foot long, covered in a black carapace, with four sturdy short legs on each side. On its head were six eyes, two large and four small, glowing eerie green.
It was a soul beast common in any forest: the Qianjun Ant.
Qianjun Ants were extremely tenacious, with strong physical defenses, great resilience, and astonishing strength far exceeding their size.
But that was all. They had no innate soul skills. In any soul beast forest, they were often prey. Though tough, their defenses were limited, and lacking attack methods, their great strength was hard to use effectively.
Normally, a ten-year Qianjun Ant was about three inches long, with only a pair of incisors to bite through hard material. At a hundred years, it grew to six inches at most. Only after reaching a thousand years could it reach one foot in length. Such thousand-year Qianjun Ants were rare, because they lacked survival skills and often cannibalized within their own kind.
The one before them was only half a meter long. It had no special skills, moved slowly, and apart from strength, was useless. With Wang Dong's Bright Goddess Butterfly able to fly, the ant couldn't even touch him. He was practically invincible.
Standing at the front of Class One, Zhou Sichen smacked his lips.
"Wang Dong's luck is incredible. Running into a trash beast like a Qianjun Ant—he could pass the test with his eyes closed."
He wasn't wrong. As long as it was a thousand-year soul beast, the base score was 100.
Hearing this, Wang Yan chuckled and added:
"Actually, the Qianjun Ant species has produced a few especially powerful individuals. Records in our academy mention that ten thousand years ago, three Qianjun Ant Emperors, each close to a hundred thousand years, appeared. Ancestor Tang San slew them, turning them into spirit rings for the Clear Sky Hammer."
But that was only a rare exception. Wang Yan didn't refute Zhou Sichen's comment.
The Qianjun Ants were numerous but weak—basically trash beasts.
Still, he found it strange. He had never seen a Qianjun Ant used in advancement assessments before.
Du Weilen on the high platform also frowned. By Shrek Academy's rules, assessment beasts were supposed to be of mid-to-high difficulty, to better temper students.
Why had a Qianjun Ant appeared today?
He wanted to ask but couldn't.
The one managing this soul beast arena held a position equal to Dean Yan Shaozhe of the Martial Soul Department. Sending a teacher to question him would be disrespectful.
Besides, Wang Dong could clearly pass, so there was no need.
But Wang Dong himself was frustrated. He had prepared to amaze everyone—yet his opponent turned out to be a worthless Qianjun Ant.
Hovering in midair, he swept his wings irritably. Diving down, he crossed his forewings and unleashed his first soul skill, Guillotine Wings, slamming hard into the ant's carapace and stunning it outright.
Du Weilen and the other four examiners exchanged glances before announcing:
"Wang Dong, you chose a thousand-year soul beast. Base score: 100. Considering it was a Qianjun Ant, lacking offensive means, combat skill score: 20. Total: 120. You pass."
Just after he announced the result, several figures walked in from a side door near the beast pens. At the front was an elder with a red, jujube-like face, a tall body, and striking red hair.
The elder inspected the ant's condition, then grinned up at Du Weilen.
"Hehe, Little Du, I caught this Qianjun Ant recently in Star Dou Forest. Thousand-year ones are rare, so I brought it back. My men must've put it in the wrong place. It didn't affect your assessment, did it?"
Du Weilen immediately leapt down from the platform, bowing respectfully. He dared not look down on this elder.
"Elder Gong, you're too serious. It's no problem."
This red-haired elder was Gong Changlong, the director of the Grand Soul Arena. He held an exalted status at Shrek Academy and was an expert in soul beast research.
Straightforward by nature, Gong Changlong laughed and patted Du Weilen's shoulder.
"That's good. Carry on with the assessment. I'll be off."
He ordered his men to take away the Qianjun Ant and clear the field.
Du Weilen nodded to Wang Yan, signaling for the assessment to continue.
"Teacher Wang, I'll go next," Xu Zihuang said calmly, stepping into the field. As he did, he brushed past Wang Dong.
At that moment, Wang Dong raised his chin arrogantly and snorted, his eyes full of provocation.
Though annoyed at having drawn a weak opponent, his one yellow and two purple rings were enough to make others marvel. The awe and uncertainty in his classmates' eyes said it all.
In talent, I'm no weaker than you. I just didn't work as hard before.
Xu Zihuang, however, remained calm. Entering the field, he looked to the referee and said lightly:
"I want to challenge a ten-thousand-year soul beast."
His tone was flat, his voice not loud—but the words shook everyone like thunder.
The arena erupted.
"Challenge a ten-thousand-year soul beast?!"
It wasn't just the ordinary students of Class One and Class Two—Wang Dong and Dai Huabin also stared in disbelief.
Insane! Challenging a ten-thousand-year beast?!
Reaching ten thousand years marked a qualitative leap for soul beasts. Xu Zihuang's skills were strong, but that gap was too vast.
Generally, beasts of the same level were stronger than human soul masters.
Only Soul Emperors and above could fight ten-thousand-year beasts one-on-one—and even then, only those just past ten thousand years.
And what was Yu Tianhuang's rank? Merely a Soul Elder! To challenge such a beast seemed sheer arrogance.
Even the examiners, aside from Du Weilen, were shocked.
Forget second-year advancement—no fifth-to-sixth-year assessment had ever included a ten-thousand-year beast.
Only Wang Yan and Du Weilen, who knew some of the truth, stayed calm.
Even Gong Changlong, who had just been leaving, stopped in surprise.
"Let him choose," Du Weilen's voice came from the platform.
"Yes," the examiner replied, then asked Xu Zihuang with a strange look, "Are you ready?"
Xu Zihuang nodded slightly.
The examiner signaled, reminding him, "Be careful. If it's beyond your strength, protect yourself."
He was indeed conscientious.
All eyes—students, teachers, and examiners alike—focused on Xu Zihuang.
At the back of Class One, another pair of eyes glared at him with resentment.
Wu Feng's emotions were conflicted. Logically, she thought Yu Tianhuang was overreaching. But if he dared make such a choice, he must have confidence. She didn't know why she felt that way.
Then came a chilling sound—clicking, scraping.
Several long black spider legs stretched from the gate, releasing an aura of evil and cold that engulfed the arena. Weaker students turned pale, their bodies trembling.
A shadow flashed. A monstrous spider appeared on the field.
Its main body was over five meters in diameter, its eight spear-like legs nearly ten meters long. Its black carapace gleamed. Each slender leg pierced the ground silently with every step.
Its legs moved so swiftly they left afterimages.
At once, Du Weilen and the other teachers released their martial souls.
"A ten-thousand-year Human-Faced Demon Spider?! How could such a thing be here?!"
The arena fell into chaos. Gong Changlong reacted first, unleashing overwhelming soul power.
Two yellow, two purple, five black—nine rings rose at his feet. He was a Titled Douluo.
Clutching his forehead, he rushed forward, full of regret.
"Damn!"
Almost no one ever challenged ten-thousand-year beasts here, much less in a second-year assessment.
He had forgotten that the beast pens had recently been restocked. This Human-Faced Demon Spider was the strongest among them.
Just then, Xu Zihuang's deep violet eyes suddenly turned into blazing gold.
Purple, purple, purple, black—four rings rose around him. The second purple ring lit up.
The spider lunged instantly, two legs stabbing down at him.
Golden light shone in Xu Zihuang's eyes as he retreated swiftly, calm and unhurried. Strange dark-red ripples spread over the spider's body.
In an instant, thick dark-red crystal enveloped its massive form. Then cages of the same crystal formed, layer upon layer, huge and solid.
Though he could not injure it heavily, he could restrain it.
But only for a second. With a crash, the spider's power shattered the crystal into fragments.
By then, Gong Changlong had arrived, suppressing the beast with his immense strength.
The others finally regained their senses, staring in shock at the four rings around Xu Zihuang—especially the fourth one: a deep, mysterious black.
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