In reality, it really did play out this way.

  Student number one’s eyes glinted as his first soul ring lit up. He shot his hand into the air, an illusory sphere of light materializing close to his palm, strands of blue, green, and white light dancing around his fingers.

  He chanted a few verses and a protrusion clawed its way out of the initial sphere. Once it reached the ground, it transformed into an enormous illusory hound.

  The hound’s body was lit in a wreath of flames, and as the yellow and orange grew brighter and more turbulent, its shape began to resemble a lion. Though smaller than lion-type soul beasts, it still seemed domineering.

  A lion mastiff?

  Is this a soul skill or a spirit soul?

  Tang Wulin was in awe. Could it be a summoning-type martial soul? But this lion mastiff doesn’t look like something a Soul Elder should be able to summon!

  The lion mastiff roared at the heavens, the air trembling at its declaration of might. Its gaze landed on Gu Yue, killing intent almost tangible.

  “Materialize!” Student number one jabbed a finger at the beast, conducting rays of light into its form. In an instant, the lion mastiff’s body became more corporeal.

  “Little Lion, go!” Student number one was dead set on Gu Yue’s defeat. Like a flash of lightning, the lion mastiff pounced on her.

  He has three purple soul rings, so that means he only has one spirit soul. Since the summoned beast has a name, maybe that’s his spirit soul?

  Never before had Tang Wulin witness someone using their spirit soul as the primary means of battle. But it was nothing too bizarre in Shrek Academy.

  It wasn’t as if Gu Yue stood twiddling her thumbs while her opponent prepared his attack. She waved her hands in the air in a controlled beat, her three twinkling soul rings revolving around her. Then, her rhythm changed. All three soul rings lit up at once, trembling slightly in unison. Which soul skill she was using was anyone’s guess.

  In a flash of azure light, Gu Yue conjured a ball of ice in her palm that was half a meter in diameter. She slapped it again and again, and the sphere of frozen water trembled with each strike.

  The lion mastiff charged at her. As it accelerated in speed, its fur stuck out like the tail end of a blazing meteor.

  Yet, Gu Yue was the picture of boredom. To her, this was nothing more than a chore. She shot an ice ball at the beast when it neared……

  Her next action was incomprehensible to class zero. Gu Yue began walking back toward Tang Wulin with her back to the lion mastiff.

  Just what is she doing?

  While almost everyone was flabbergasted, the lion mastiff stretched its maw wide, firing a scorching golden-red fireball.

  However, the meeting of fire and ice played out breathtakingly.

  The ice ball exploded into countless icicles, all homing toward the lion mastiff. Jaws dropped when the projectiles flickered, changing from a frigid blue to a deep green mid flight. At the same time, a third of them vanished in a flash of silver, before reappearing right in front of student number one’s nose. These paragons of sharpness surrounded him in a dome and attacked on the spot.

  “Not good!” This was his first time encountering something like this. Because his priority had been strengthening the offense of his lion mastiff, he left himself open to attacks.

  Several of the green wind icicles melted on impact, but some evaded that fate. Aided by gusts of wind, the projectiles spiraled in the lion mastiff’s direction, leaving it to endure the barrage. The lion mastiff roared, its coat of flames diminishing, its figure growing transparent.

  And then, it disappeared. The battle ended.

  Before student number one was impaled, Shen Yi jumped in to protect him. Lucky for him, or else he’d be a glorified pincushion.

  Shen Yi had not been optimistic about student one’s chances from the very beginning. True to that, Gu Yue’s control of the elements utterly suppressed him.

  After all, she was someone the Silver Moon Douluo had recognized! It was obvious that Gu Yue, the girl who caught Elder Cai’s fickle eye, would emerge victorious. Though, Shen Yi hadn’t expected the match to finish so quickly.

  By the battle’s official end, Gue Yue was standing at Tang Wulin’s side, looking as calm as ever. She had decided on an instant victory since night had already descended.

  There was no doubt that Gu Yue got a full ten points, granting her a total of forty-eight. Her chances of entering the outer court were looking hopeful with two trials left.

  Xu Xiaoyan was the last to go. Before she went up, Tang Wulin whispered a few words into her ear.

  She raised her head in astonishment. “Really? Like that?’


  Tang Wulin raised a brow, a gentle smile on his lips. “Just try it out. It’s time for you to go.”


  “Okay.” Xu Xiaoyan nodded.

  She didn’t have much confidence in herself. Among the students of class zero, she was undoubtedly the weakest. Assisting in team battles was doable with her control abilities, but fighting one-on-one was practically out of the question. To make up for her weaknesses, she focused more on her strengths than her brother, as evident in the differences between their Ice Spears.

  While her brother’s focused on penetrating power, Xu Xiaoyan’s was all about freezing. In fact, Tang Wulin’s cultivation plan for her perfectly maximized her strengths!

  So, this trial was disadvantageous for her either way. Night or day, it didn’t matter.

  Thankfully, she calmed down once she stepped foot in the arena. After three years of combat experience with her teammates, Xu Xiaoyan obtained a firm grasp on her emotional state. Besides, she was just as devious as her captain.

  Her opponent was the muscular young man, student number six!

  “Begin,” Shen Yi promptly declared.

  Two yellow soul rings materialized around Xu Xiaoyan, making her seem weak and pitiful. She stumbled to catch the item conjured in her hands.

  Her opponent also released his soul rings, but when he saw her nearly topple over, he hesitated.

  The scene of the frail little girl before him screamed outlandish.

  Although Xu Xiaoyan held her staff after releasing her soul rings, her right hand gripped a jet-black hammer. No one could make it out clearly from the distance. Even so, its heaviness was noticeable, since she had to lean on her staff to keep balance.

  Just what is going on? Is that a soul device? But this trial forbids them!

  Shen Yi eyed Xu Xiaoyan for a moment, but she held her tongue in the end. The reason was simple; that hammer wasn’t a soul device because it lacked the slightest bit of soul fluctuations!

  After Xu Xiaoyan’s first soul ring lit up, a massive ice wheel appeared in front of her, its diameter no less that a third of a meter. Then, she duct-taped the hammer to it.

  She levitated the wheel of ice, which swayed back and forth from the added weight.

  Looking like a struggling kitten, she raised her staff, directing the contraption at her opponent.

  Her actions went beyond strange. They transcended to the realm of bizarre!

  Bearing the weight of the hammer, the ice wheel flew forth like an inebriated snail. It looked like it would drop at any moment.

  T-this is how she’s attacking?

  The Shrek Academy students watched with odd expressions, furrowed brows and pinched noses. They had seen astonishing things before, though never something so uncanny!

  It was an unprecedented battle style. She expects to win like this? Will that toy even reach him?

  Xu Xiaoyan paid no regard to their stupor. Her second soul ring lit up and a spear of ice congealed before her.