Wang Feng saw that his soul power had risen from level 34 to level 36—in just one month, he had broken through two levels.
Originally, his soul power was at level 34. After meditating for several days following the acquisition of his third soul ring, his soul power increased by one level. However, after undergoing the compression process, it had temporarily dropped back to level 34.
Wang Feng felt very satisfied. Thanks to the Martial Soul Fusion, his cultivation speed had increased significantly.
In addition, his physical strength was now equivalent to that of an early-stage Soul Emperor.
Wang Feng let out a soft sigh and closed the system panel in front of him. He clenched his fist tightly, feeling the new power flowing through his body.
"Wang Feng!"
The voice broke his concentration. His door slowly opened, and Huo Yuhao appeared carrying breakfast, followed closely by Wang Dong, who looked annoyed.
Both of them had also experienced growth. Among the three of them, Huo Yuhao had shown the most improvement.
Huo Yuhao had undergone a significant overall change. Besides his cultivation rising, he had also grown taller through daily training. Initially, he was a bit shorter than Wang Dong, but now he was nearly the same height. His body, once thin and frail, had become much stronger — although in Wang Feng's opinion, it was still soft and not as sturdy as his own.
After Wang Feng jokingly mentioned that he had measured it himself, he got beaten up by Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, who accused him of being a pervert!
Currently, Huo Yuhao was at level 20. His level had increased significantly, thanks not only to their joint training but also to the continuous intake of the Xuanshui pills Wang Feng had given him. The pills alone boosted his soul power by about four to five levels, and the rest came from cultivation.
Wang Dong had also changed a lot. He was no longer lazy, and his true cultivation talent had begun to shine. In fact, if he hadn't been so lazy during childhood, his soul power when entering the academy wouldn't have only been at level 23.
Now, with monsters like Wang Feng around and seeing Huo Yuhao's rapid progress, Wang Dong had become motivated to train diligently. His current soul power was at level 27.
Wang Feng turned and smiled slightly at the two of them.
"Why are you making so much noise early in the morning?" he asked casually, getting up from his bed.
"I brought breakfast," said Huo Yuhao, lifting the tray in his hands, which carried steamed buns, porridge, and a few simple side dishes. "You need to eat a lot after yesterday's training."
Wang Dong snorted and crossed his arms. "Don't think I wanted to bring you food too. This was all Huo Yuhao's idea."
Wang Feng just chuckled softly, not reacting to Wang Dong's complaints. He walked over and took the tray, thanking them sincerely.
"I appreciate it," he said lightly. "You guys should eat a lot too. We'll need our strength for this afternoon's training."
Huo Yuhao nodded enthusiastically, while Wang Dong just mumbled under his breath.
The three of them then enjoyed breakfast together while chatting about classes.
Speaking of classes, it must be said that under the strict guidance of Zhou Yi, the atmosphere in the freshmen class had completely changed.
But what surprised the upper management of Shrek Academy the most was that after three months of training, there were still 68 students left in Zhou Yi's freshman class.
This was a huge difference compared to the academy's original estimate that only a third of the students would remain.
It must be said, even though it's unclear whether this was the best class Zhou Yi had ever taught, it was definitely the class with the highest retention rate.
...
The day's classes had ended, and Wang Feng, who had spent most of the day lazing around, was lying on his desk, dozing off. It was all thanks to Huo Yuhao, who sat next to him and kept covering for him.
Rolling her eyes at the drowsy Wang Feng, Zhou Yi looked around the podium at all the students and said, "Class is dismissed for today."
Zhou Yi stood behind the podium. Although her old face remained as indifferent as ever, there was a trace of nostalgia and reluctance in her expression.
"Three months have passed since the start of the school year. You will soon be facing your first assessment to officially enter Shrek Academy. Only by passing the assessment can you truly become first-year students and be recognized as true members of Shrek Academy. If nothing unexpected happens, you will be able to continue training at the academy at least until your first-year graduation exam. The assessment will begin tomorrow. Today, I'll explain the key points about the assessment."
Zhou Yi's voice was unusually calm. Her eyes swept over the sixty-seven students in front of her. In fact, she was very satisfied. Although the overall quality of this group of students might not surpass previous classes, after three months of training, their willpower was certainly stronger than any class she had ever taught. For Zhou Yi, this was definitely a pleasant surprise. Huo Yuhao, the team leader, played a very important role in that development.
"Huo Yuhao."
"Here." Huo Yuhao immediately stood up straight and answered respectfully.
Zhou Yi waved at him, and Huo Yuhao quickly walked up to the podium to receive a stack of papers from Zhou Yi. Without needing further instruction, he swiftly distributed the papers to each student in the class.
When he handed one to Wang Feng, he even lightly tapped Wang Feng's head with his hand.
Feeling a tap on his head, the drowsy Wang Feng woke up. He looked around and saw Huo Yuhao winking at him, quickly understanding the situation.
While Huo Yuhao was handing out the exam papers, Zhou Yi said, "After the freshman assessment is complete, everyone here will be taught according to their individual talents. Now, please write down your intended cultivation direction for the future and hand it in later."
Hearing Zhou Yi's instructions and looking at the paper in his hand, Wang Feng immediately wrote down "Attack Department" without much thought.
But because he had just woken up from his sleep, he didn't realize that he had actually written "Auxiliary Department" on his paper.
By the time Huo Yuhao finished distributing the papers and returned to his seat, he was the last one to start writing his own goal.
The type most suitable for him would undoubtedly be a Control-Type or Support-Type Soul Master. However, he glanced back at Wang Feng, who was deep in thought behind him, then looked at Wang Dong, who was sitting beside Wang Feng. He thought he should choose to be a strong Attack-Type too, because Wang Dong would likely pick the same, just like Wang Feng.
If things continued this way, Wang Feng and Wang Dong would be together day and night, and he wouldn't be able to stay by their side... like he was now.
Thinking of this, Huo Yuhao wrote his answer on the paper...
He signed his name at the bottom. However, he didn't realize that behind him, Wang Dong was doing the same thing—staring at Wang Feng without writing anything. It was only after he saw Wang Feng writing that he finally reacted and started writing down his own idea...
Seeing the students writing on their exam papers, Zhou Yi said, "All of you are my students. Although the classes will be divided again after the freshman assessment, I hope you won't forget what I have taught you. Please submit your papers after class. Now, I will explain the key points of the freshman assessment."
"The freshman assessment will be conducted uniformly across all classes. Since the number of students at our academy has increased significantly over the years, there will be nearly 300 groups participating in this freshman assessment, but only half of them will make it through—that is, the top 150 groups. The ranking will be based on the points you earn in battle matches."
"The competition will be determined by drawing lots, and each student group will fight at least ten times. In the end, they will be ranked based on the number of victories. Among them, the top 64 teams will enter the knockout stage, and the top four colleges in the knockout stage will receive different rewards. The prize for the champion team will be extremely rare."
"And what I want to tell you is that our school always places great importance on the freshman assessment, so the rewards for the champion have always been very generous. If you manage to win it, you might immediately surpass your peers..."
"Currently, there are 68 students in our class, and we can divide you into 22 groups, with two additional students."
"I have grouped you based on your martial soul characteristics, and after careful analysis, I have finalized the groupings. If anyone is dissatisfied, you may change after you return. However, if no objections are raised by the time I officially register the teams tomorrow morning, you must strictly follow my arrangements. Otherwise, you all know the consequences."
"Song Qinghan."
"Here." A thin student quickly stood up.
Zhou Yi said, "Each head instructor of the freshman classes can nominate one special recruit to pass the assessment directly. I have chosen you. After observing you, I believe you are more suited for further training in the Soul Guidance Department. Any objections? You now have two choices: go to the Soul Guidance Department, or pack your things and leave."
"I'm willing. Thank you, Teacher Zhou." Song Qinghan showed no resistance to Zhou Yi's domineering attitude. His goal in coming to Shrek Academy was to enter the Soul Guidance Department!
"Now we'll start forming groups. The first group will be Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao."
Wang Feng wasn't surprised to hear this. Since the Academy had already set requirements, they would arrange things accordingly.
"Group two: Zihao, Ma Qingshuang, and Leng Leng."
"Group three..."
"Alright, that's how I've grouped you. If you have any opinions, raise them now. I'll give you a day to think it over once you return."
"And submit all your papers before you leave. Then you can return to the dormitory. Rest well when you get back—no fooling around. The freshman assessment will start tomorrow, and the result I want to see is that all 22 groups advance. Anyone who gets eliminated will not only have to pack up and leave, but I will also make sure they leave with a deep impression."
"Wang Feng, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, the four of you stay behind for a moment."
"Huo Yuhao, collect the papers!" Zhou Yi said.
After the other students handed in their papers stating their future cultivation directions, they left the class and returned to the dormitory. In the end, only Wang Feng and the three others remained.
Zhou Yi glanced at Wang Dong, who was looking somewhat evasive and anxious, and immediately understood the reason behind it.
Zhou Yi flipped through the submitted papers.
When Wang Dong saw Zhou Yi flipping through the papers, he immediately lowered his head, quietly took a step back, and hid behind Wang Feng.