Chapter 128: Give Him a Show!
Class One and Class Two were neatly arrayed in two formations.
Standing at the very front of Class One was undoubtedly Lin Yun, while leading the Class Two team was the defense-type genius Spirit Master, Xie Huanyue.
Without Lin Yun and Huo Yuhao, this grade would have been a heated contest between Dai Huabin, the assault-type White Tiger Spirit Master, and Xie Huanyue, the defense-type Armored Elephant Spirit Master. But at this moment, Dai Huabin could only stand behind Lin Yun, like a minor figure.
Looking at the universally scrutinized Lin Yun at the front of the line, Dai Huabin slightly lowered his head, his deep-blue eyes filled with jealousy and resentment.
As the legitimate son of the contemporary White Tiger Duke and a genius with Innate Full Spirit Power, he could walk sideways throughout Star Luo City, looking down on everyone.
Even his elder brother, Dai Yueheng, a genius who had broken through to Spirit Emperor before twenty and successfully entered the inner court of Shrek Academy, Dai Huabin still disdained. In his view, Dai Yueheng merely held an age advantage, and who would be stronger in the future was truly unknown.
However, since entering Shrek Academy—after the first three months—ever since the Freshman Assessment, Lin Yun had been like an unrelenting dark cloud, constantly hanging over his head.
No matter how excellent Dai Huabin was, Lin Yun could always suppress him by several levels. The person who received the most respect and awe in Class One was consistently Lin Yun.
Logically, all these honors should belong to him!
But alas...
Dai Huabin had talent and background, and he cultivated frantically enough under Lin Yun's shadow, but he didn't have a cheat!
For the past year, Dai Huabin had almost been forcing himself to cultivate continuously, just so that one day he could surpass Lin Yun and crush him underfoot.
He knew that Lin Yun's cultivation level had already reached Rank Thirty-Seven during the Freshman Assessment and must have broken through to Spirit Ancestor by now. Therefore, Dai Huabin had even recklessly consumed some pills that squeezed out potential, just to make a stunning impression in the promotion assessment.
A Spirit Ancestor before the age of fourteen suggests that Dai Huabin had indeed paid a considerable price.
While overdrafting potential was one thing, pills that significantly boost Spirit Power without compromising the foundation are also absolutely expensive.
"Just wait, Lin Yun!" A slight cold glint flickered in Dai Huabin's eyes.
"In this assessment, I'll let you know who the most genius student at Shrek Academy is!"
But he was destined for disappointment, even despair.
After the lengthy discourse from the leading grading teacher concluded, the second-year promotion assessment officially commenced. Only by passing this assessment could they shed the label of "freshman" and become genuine second-year students of Shrek Academy's Outer Court.
"Lin Yun, you go! Remember, show them the might of our Class One!" Mu Jin looked at Lin Yun, encouraging him with a smile.
Lin Yun nodded, released the grip on Xiao Xiao's left hand that he had been holding, and turned, walking toward the Beast Fighting Arena with his form in hand.
The Coliseum was Shrek Academy's most expensive facility, its annual expenditure alone accounting for one-third of Shrek City's tax revenue, burning more money than the Soul Tool Department, yet yielding little income return. The Spirit Beasts kept within were mainly used for practical combat training and assessments for students of both the Inner and Outer Courts.
Occasionally, they also became Spirit Rings for the teachers and students of Shrek Academy.
Given such enormous expenditure, the luxurious level of the Coliseum's construction was evident. The very arena where Lin Yun now stood was as large as two football fields, shaped as an octagon.
The perimeter was lined with solid high walls, over ten meters tall, preventing the Spirit Beasts from harming the students and teachers in the audience seats.
On all four sides of the high walls, there was a sturdy metal gate, which served as the channel for the target Spirit Beasts.
There were two teachers serving as referees, and the one on the left was clearly the main referee. He took the form handed over by Lin Yun and inquired,
"What is your main specialization?"
"Assault-type," Lin Yun replied.
"Choose the spirit beast rank you wish to fight," the referee nodded and continued.
"Thousand-Year Spirit Beast," Lin Yun was concise.
The referee glanced at him and pressed a purple button on the table in front of him.
"Assessment target: Thousand-Year Spirit Beast. During the assessment, demonstrate your combat style as an assault-type Spirit Master, and a score will be assigned based on your combat performance."
Lin Yun nodded, turned, and stepped into the Beast Fighting Zone.
Not long after Lin Yun was in position, one of the eight steel gates slowly opened, and the grinding kaka sound of the mechanism operating rang out continuously.
Lin Yun narrowed his eyes, looking at the dark tunnel revealed when the gate opened, patiently waiting on the spot. He had already heard the faint sound of the Spirit Beast's four limbs walking on the ground, getting closer and closer.
When the Spirit Beast slowly walked out of the tunnel, just as everyone thought it would continue to walk out slowly, a roar filled with intense malice suddenly erupted. A fiery-red figure abruptly accelerated, instantly leaping out of the tunnel.
Roar—!
The majesty of the King of Beasts swept across the entire arena, and the fiery-red figure revealed its true appearance: a majestic giant tiger engulfed in flames!
The Red Flame Giant Tiger is one of the top-tier fire-attribute tiger Spirit Beasts!
Ignoring the gasps of surprise emanating from the audience seats, Lin Yun's mouth curved upward. His pair of brilliant golden eyes instantly narrowed into vertical pupils. The golden color was gradually dyed with blood, and the wildly ferocious, blood-colored vertical pupils of the Golden Dragon King maliciously locked gazes with the Red Flame Giant Tiger.
The Red Flame Giant Tiger, which had been so imposing, instantly collapsed onto the ground like a sick cat upon seeing Lin Yun's eyes. It trembled and tucked its tail, looking at Lin Yun in horror.
The students who were cheering suddenly stopped, as if their throats had been choked. They stared wide-eyed, completely dumbfounded, at the man and the tiger in the Beast Fighting Zone.
"Holy cow, what is happening?!"
"The Red Flame Giant Tiger is actually shivering in front of Lin Yun, not even daring to move?"
"Is this really normal? The Spirit Beast isn't even attacking him!"
"This is completely incomprehensible!"
The audience seats were in an uproar.
Even Mu Jin and Wang Yan were stunned, exchanging a look only to see the same bewildered expression on the other's face.
"Teacher Wang, do you know what's going on?" Mu Jin raised her chin toward the arena, asking in confusion.
After the initial shock, Wang Yan's eyes immediately became feverish. He looked at Lin Yun as if he were gazing at a priceless treasure.
After becoming one of the Class One head teachers, Wang Yan had naturally sought information from Lin Yun about the Golden Dragon Martial Soul and the Ultimate power. For a scholar, the Golden Dragon, a legendary martial soul, was undoubtedly immensely appealing to Wang Yan.
In the original work, he was curious about Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Eye Martial Soul. However, in this world, Huo Yuhao was not very outstanding and kept his cultivation relatively low-profile, so Wang Yan had not noticed him. Instead, he was captivated by Lin Yun, the only Spirit Master with an Ultimate Attribute Martial Soul at Shrek Academy.
Regarding Wang Yan's inquiries, Lin Yun had cooperated by conducting some non-critical experiments, helping him understand a portion of the Golden Dragon Martial Soul's might.
As for the Ultimate Talent and the like, he certainly hadn't told Wang Yan. This was a trump card; no matter how good Wang Yan was, Lin Yun could not let him know all of his abilities.
This led to Wang Yan discovering for the first time that Lin Yun could actually exert such a profound influence on a Spirit Beast, even making the Spirit Beast bow down before him.
"This is simply too incredible! Is this the Golden Dragon Martial Soul? Is this the power of the Ancestor of Strength?" Wang Yan was utterly ecstatic, wishing he could pull Lin Yun over and properly study him right now.
The assessment continued.
Even though the Red Flame Giant Tiger instantly yielded, this bizarre situation left the two referee teachers a bit flustered. They had never encountered such a scenario and had no idea how to handle it.
Du Weilun, the Outer Court Dean in the center of the audience, was also somewhat bewildered. He subconsciously glanced at Yan Shaozhe next to him.
In this situation, Yan Shaozhe's word was undoubtedly the most authoritative.
"Don't worry, just keep watching," Yan Shaozhe smiled faintly, saying calmly after sensing Du Weilun's questioning gaze.
Du Weilun could only nod helplessly and continued to watch the strange assessment.
Fortunately, Lin Yun made a move.
He walked toward the Red Flame Giant Tiger without any guard up, not even activating his martial soul, but the draconic might caused the Red Flame Giant Tiger to continuously retreat. A low purring sound emanated from its throat, a sound that conveyed both submission and warning.
'Don't come closer, don't force me to kneel down and beg you to let me go!'
The Red Flame Giant Tiger was likely trying to say something along those lines.
Lin Yun indeed stopped in his tracks, extended his hand, and beckoned to the Red Flame Giant Tiger with a hooked finger.
However, this was not a gesture of provocation. Instead, it was more like greeting one's own pet.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk..." Lin Yun slightly parted his lips, making the clicking sound used to call a small dog, which instantly petrified everyone in the Beast Fighting Zone.
"Good boy, come here!" Lin Yun smiled faintly and beckoned again with his hand.
At that moment, everyone in the Beast Fighting Zone turned into Spartans, their mouths gaping wide enough to fit an apple.
What shocked them even more was that after a moment of hesitation, the Red Flame Giant Tiger actually started walking, slowly approaching Lin Yun. Its large head rubbed against Lin Yun's leg, and a low purring sound came from its mouth.
The Emperor Engine!
Lin Yun squatted down, his smile very bright. He gently scratched the Red Flame Giant Tiger's head with both hands, as if petting a cat. The warm, soft fur felt extremely comfortable, without the stiff, prickly feeling.
He couldn't get enough of it!
Upon sensing the goodwill emanating from Lin Yun, the Red Flame Giant Tiger also dropped all its defenses, immediately rolling over to expose its belly in front of Lin Yun. Its pair of sharp tiger eyes comfortably narrowed.
"Oh, you're a little Tigress, aren't you?" Lin Yun glanced at the Red Flame Giant Tiger's belly, commenting with a laugh. The Red Flame Giant Tiger softly huffed a couple of times, rubbing its large head into Lin Yun's embrace.
The harmonious scene of one man and one tiger made people almost forget that this was a promotion assessment and not an intimate interaction between a pet and its owner!
"This... Dean Yan, what should we do now?" Du Weilun felt utterly lost, tilting his head forty-five degrees to look up at the sky in self-doubt.
"Uh..." Yan Shaozhe was speechless.
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