"Relax, don't you know what I'm capable of? Even senior students aren't my match," Jiang Qingtong assured Wang Dong confidently.
Seeing Wang Dong agree, Xiao Xiao also had no objections, accepting the arrangement.
Soon, the mood in the class shifted into something almost comedic—a group of students crowding around Jiang Qingtong and her two teammates, begging them to go easy during the exam and let them pass.
To that, Jiang Qingtong simply replied: she'd do her best not to make them lose too badly.
The next day, when news broke that the freshman assessment would be held in the form of a tournament, uproar erupted among the other new classes. Students were frantically trying to find out who the defenders were.
Once word spread that it was none other than Jiang Qingtong—the girl who had her first soul ring at the thousand-year level and had even defeated senior student Xu Sanshi—the noise died down. Many fell into stunned silence.
Several homeroom teachers from different classes went together to confront Wang Yan and protest the new assessment format.
But Wang Yan didn't even bother explaining. He simply invoked Dean Cai Meier's name to shut them down. If they had an issue, they were welcome to go argue with her directly.
As soon as they heard Cai Meier's name, the teachers backed down quietly. Upon returning, they began gathering all available intel on Jiang Qingtong—only to discover that her combat records were nearly nonexistent. Besides the duel with Xu Sanshi, there were no documented fights at all!
All they knew was that she was a two-ring Soul Grandmaster with two thousand-year soul rings. They didn't even know what her soul skills were.
So, in the end, no one had any real counterstrategy.
Word also spread that the three defenders would automatically pass the assessment.
When it was revealed that Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao had been handpicked by Jiang Qingtong, many instructors began reviewing their files. Among students, some envied them, wondering why they hadn't been chosen, while others questioned how strong a team of three two-ring soul masters could really be.
Meanwhile, Jiang Qingtong was quietly eating in the dining hall when a shadow fell across her table. She looked up blankly at the person standing before her and asked, "Who are you?"
"I'm Ning Tian, from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect," the girl announced, clearly expecting the name to leave an impression.
Jiang Qingtong simply replied with a flat "Oh," and asked, "So, what do you want?"
Ning Tian looked surprised at Jiang Qingtong's indifference toward her identity. She took a deep breath and said, "I can't believe you didn't choose me as one of your teammates. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda is the number one support martial soul in the world!"
"You wanted a free pass through the assessment? Don't have much confidence in yourself, huh?" Jiang Qingtong responded calmly.
"Of course not! I'm very confident in my abilities!" Ning Tian quickly denied it. She wasn't here for the guaranteed pass. It just irked her that Jiang Qingtong hadn't chosen her. As someone with the best support-type martial soul, she believed she was the most suitable person to be at a powerhouse's side. Being passed over made her feel strangely defeated.
"I get it now." Jiang Qingtong studied Ning Tian's expression and suddenly understood. Then she added, "But we're not close."
Ning Tian froze. Truthfully, Jiang Qingtong had indeed become famous after defeating Xu Sanshi, but she rarely interacted with other students. Besides essential coursework, she spent most of her time training under Yan Shaozhe and Cai Meier, almost never appearing in the outer court.
So naturally, she wasn't familiar with most of the freshmen.
Ning Tian looked at Jiang Qingtong's sincerely innocent face and clenched her fists. "Just wait—during the tournament, I'll show you that the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda is the most qualified martial soul to support the strong!"
With that, she turned and left.
Shortly after, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao arrived with their trays and sat down beside Jiang Qingtong. Xiao Xiao asked, "Who was that just now?"
"Ning Tian. She's from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect," Jiang Qingtong replied casually, digging into her food again.
"The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect? That's the top support martial soul in the world. Pretty impressive," Xiao Xiao said with some admiration.
Wang Dong wasn't convinced. He scoffed and said, "So what if it's well-known? Trust me—our trio is gonna wipe the floor with everyone! We'll show them it's not about reputation. What matters is who has the biggest fists!"
"Well said, class rep!" Xiao Xiao agreed enthusiastically.
Wang Dong grinned. "After we finish eating, we should find a place to practice—get a feel for each other's martial souls and soul skills. That way we'll coordinate better during the tournament."
"I'm in," Xiao Xiao nodded. "But we have to find a secluded spot—if anyone overhears us, we'll be giving away all our tricks before the fight even starts."
"Good point," Wang Dong agreed.
Then he turned to Jiang Qingtong and asked, "What about you, Qingtong? Any thoughts?"
Jiang Qingtong was still busy eating.
Wang Dong tapped the table. "Quit eating—we're discussing strategy here!"
Mouth full, Jiang Qingtong mumbled, "Let's go to the inner court. No one'll be spying there."
Xiao Xiao frowned. "But how are we supposed to get into the inner court?"
"I've got a pass. Just stick with me," Jiang Qingtong said casually, having finished her meal.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao both looked at her in shock. They had never heard of any outer court freshman being granted an inner court access pass.
Wang Dong slapped the table and stared at her. "Be honest. Are you some high-ranking official's daughter? Secretly going undercover in the outer court to pose as a normal student?"
Jiang Qingtong sighed. "Wow, your imagination is something else."
"Then how'd you get a pass to the inner court?" he pressed.
"Because the dean and vice dean are my teachers," she said matter-of-factly.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were stunned into silence.
After a while, Wang Dong finally muttered, "So that's why Dean Cai changed the rules for the freshman assessment—it was just to give you some practice!"
Xiao Xiao sighed wistfully. "Ah… I wish a big shot like that would take me in too."
Wang Dong patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. After we crush all the other freshmen, someone's bound to notice you and take you in as a disciple!"
Xiao Xiao pumped her tiny fist. "Then let's knock them all down!"
After they finished eating, Jiang Qingtong led them to the inner court.
PS: Access advance chapters at
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