The four of them grilled fish and picnicked by the riverbank, as if they had returned to the journey three months ago when they rushed from the Star Dou Forest to Shrek Academy.
From the afternoon until the sky filled with stars, they finally dispersed.
What puzzled Xu Zihuang, however, was that neither Beibei nor Huo Yuhao had shown any obvious intentions that day.
Huo Yuhao was understandable, but Beibei—though outwardly gentle and refined—actually had many little schemes in his heart.
Especially Beibei's behavior today left a knot in Xu Zihuang's chest.
After three years of imprisonment, he had become especially sensitive. Perhaps Beibei had no ill intent, but Xu Zihuang could not let his guard down.
In his view, Beibei would surely lean closer to Huo Yuhao, who was also a disciple of the Tang Sect.
So while he kept an extra eye open, his interest in the picnic was naturally low.
Of course, none of this showed on his face.
Even if Huo Yuhao wanted to build a good relationship with him, after hardly seeing each other in the past three months, it wasn't easy to suddenly grow familiar.
Much less find common ground.
When the two of them returned to the freshman dormitories, they simply exchanged greetings and went back to their respective rooms.
The soul tool lamp on the ceiling cast warm, gentle light across the small room, leaving no corner in shadow.
Tuoba Yu lay on his bed, holding a book in his hands while shaking his legs, clearly unable to calm his mind and focus on reading.
Hearing the sound of the door, he looked up instinctively at Xu Zihuang entering, then sniffed the air.
"What's that smell? So fragrant. Where'd you go today?" he asked with a lewd grin, his true nature slipping through.
"Don't tell me you were out on a date with some senior sister?"
"You figured it out?" Xu Zihuang deliberately feigned surprise, nodding solemnly.
"Indeed, going on dates with four or five beautiful senior sisters in a row is a bit tiring."
Compared to the self-conscious, sensitive Huo Yuhao, he felt far more relaxed being with someone like Tuoba Yu, whose temperament matched his own.
Tuoba Yu's expression froze. Asking that question had doomed him to embarrassment.
Because whether true or not, if Xu Zihuang ever set his mind to it, he really could pull it off—dating a different girl every day without repeats.
In the end, Tuoba Yu could only mutter weakly:
"Take care of your health."
Xu Zihuang shook his head speechlessly, hung his white freshman uniform neatly in the wardrobe, and freshened up.
What Tuoba Yu smelled wasn't grilled fish at all, but the faint fragrance left behind after Tang Ya washed Xu Zihuang's uniform. It was a kind of plant-like freshness, though clearly different from the flower scent of the Ink Snow Princess on their dorm balcony.
When Xu Zihuang returned, Tuoba Yu had already started cultivating with a vexed heart.
After long exposure to Xu Zihuang, he had built some resistance. Each time he was stung by Xu Zihuang's presence, he channeled the frustration into motivation for cultivation.
Xu Zihuang, understanding the mood, hung a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door and sat cross-legged on his bed to cultivate.
Only one day had passed since the elimination rounds, yet the majority of freshmen had already been knocked out. By the second day, only the sixteen strongest teams remained—forty-eight freshmen in total. They were the elite among their year, perhaps even among their peers across the entire continent.
When the round of sixteen-to-eight elimination began the next morning, the assessment grounds felt much quieter than the day before.
The upperclassmen had gone to classes, and many freshman teams had been eliminated—that much was obvious. Yet the number of teachers in the stands hadn't changed.
Presiding over the drawing lots ceremony was once again Du Weilun, Director of the Martial Soul Department's outer court.
The competition area expanded once more, with eight wide arenas starting matches simultaneously. Unlike yesterday's Class Eight team that surrendered outright, today's opponents didn't give up.
Across from Xu Zihuang's group were three spirited male students. What surprised Xu Zihuang and Tuoba Yu most was that they had seen these three before.
They were the very same students who had once walked ahead of them, gossiping about Xu Zihuang's duel with Wu Feng.
The exaggerated rumors about Xu Zihuang afterward were probably inseparable from these three.
Tuoba Yu leaned close and whispered in Xu Zihuang's ear:
"So, want to handle them yourself? Consider it venting a bit?"
"Forget it. Let's stick to the plan. You and Yun'er should show your strength and aim for core disciple selection. I'll mainly focus on control and support in this match." Xu Zihuang shook his head casually, then turned to Nanmen Yun'er, who rarely spoke.
"Yun'er, do you have any objections?"
"No." Nanmen Yun'er nodded softly.
Truth be told, because Xu Zihuang's strength was so overwhelming, their team hadn't really needed to coordinate since the start of the freshman assessment.
Still, both Tuoba Yu and Nanmen Yun'er remained calm. With Xu Zihuang as their foundation, defeat was impossible. All they needed was to do their best.
"Both sides, announce your names. Prepare to fight," the supervising teacher said gravely, casting an extra glance at Xu Zihuang.
"Class Ten freshman, Zhou Sichen, assault-type Battle Soul Master."
"Class Ten freshman, Long Xiangyue, agility-type Battle Soul Master."
"Class Ten freshman, Cao Jinxuan, control-type Battle Soul Master."
Their firm, ringing voices revealed their confidence. Win or lose, they had to show momentum.
On the other side, Xu Zihuang's group also announced their names—an established courtesy in the world of soul masters, showing respect for the opponents.
"Class Nine freshman, Yu Tianhuang, control-type Battle Soul Lord."
"Class Nine freshman, Tuoba Yu, assault-type Battle Soul Master."
"Class Nine freshman, Nanmen Yun'er, agility-type Battle Soul Master."
At Xu Zihuang's words—"control-type Battle Soul Lord"—the three from Class Ten instinctively froze.
Even though they had prepared themselves mentally, facing Xu Zihuang in person left their hearts unsteady.
Zhou Sichen couldn't help muttering to Cao Jinxuan at his side:
"Jinxuan, can you really do this?"
The crushing defeat of Wang Dong's trio yesterday still haunted him.
Cao Jinxuan rolled his eyes irritably.
"My second soul skill should be able to restrain Yu Tianhuang for one to two seconds. The rest is up to you and Xiangyue. If you can't settle him in that time, then there's nothing we can do. We'll just have to gamble."
Long Xiangyue joined them, and the three exchanged solemn nods.
With Cao Jinxuan's special martial soul, they weren't entirely without hope.
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