"Alright, don't just stand there. First, introduce yourselves so your Senior Brothers and Sisters can get to know you." Sun He stepped forward after Fan Yu finished speaking. "Wang Nan, you start."
"My name is Wang Nan, an attack system Spirit Elder. My Spirit is the Coiling Dragon Staff, and I specialize in close combat." Wang Nan thought for a moment, then stated his Spirit and area of expertise. After all, they were custom-making spirit tools, so a little more detail was necessary.
Sun He nodded, signaling for the next person to continue.
"Chen Zifeng, an attack system Spirit Grandmaster. My Spirit is the Soul Chasing Sword…"
After all the Core Disciples from the Martial Soul Department had introduced themselves, several Disciples from the Soul Guidance System began to discuss in low voices. Before long, a girl walked out from the opposite side.
"I just heard that Junior Sister Ling Luochen's Spirit is ice and she specializes in control. I happen to be good at defense-oriented spirit tools. I can make a spirit tool for Junior Sister that can improve her mobility and defensive capabilities. I wonder if Junior Sister agrees?"
Ling Luochen did not like to talk; she just nodded slightly, indicating her agreement.
With this beginning, the Disciples from the Soul Guidance System began to speak up, engaging in lively discussions with those from the Martial Soul Department. In the end, only Wang Nan stood alone, unchosen.
Sometimes, high spirit power is not necessarily a good thing. Wang Nan was the only Spirit Elder among the Core Disciples, which meant that helping him increase his combat power by twenty percent would be much more difficult than for others. This was related to their promotion assessment, so they naturally dared not choose carelessly.
Wang Nan didn't think much of it; after all, it was human nature, and he might have done the same if he were in their shoes.
However, Fan Yu's expression on the side was not very good. He had brought the students here with prior communication, and since the number of people on both sides was the same, there was no reason for Wang Nan to be left out.
His gaze swept across the Soul Guidance System Disciples, who all shrank their heads, afraid that Fan Yu would call on them.
"How about I do it?" A tall girl suddenly walked out from the crowd. She was half a head taller than Wang Nan, and her long hair was tied back with a green ribbon, making her look very capable.
"My name is Lin Xiao. I cannot fully guarantee a twenty percent increase in a Spirit Elder's combat power within three months, but if Junior Brother doesn't mind, we can try."
Fan Yu looked at the other Soul Guidance System Disciples with some dissatisfaction, but seeing their terrified expressions, he said no more, only casting an inquiring glance at Wang Nan.
Wang Nan nodded, "Okay, Senior Sister Lin, please guide me."
...
Because there was a promotion assessment later, Wang Nan and the others left the Soul Guidance System shortly after forming their groups.
The next morning, all second-year students gathered in the Beast Fighting Area.
On the Douluo Continent, only a handful of academies were capable of raising Spirit Beasts. As the number one Spirit Master academy on the Douluo Continent, Shrek could not only raise Spirit Beasts but also possessed the largest Beast Fighting Area on the entire continent.
The arena within it was specifically prepared for students to conduct practical combat training and assessments.
After receiving their assessment forms, Wang Nan, as the strongest second-year student, stood at the very front, next to his class teacher, Sun He. More than twenty other teachers stood around to protect the students' safety.
Du Weilun, as the head of the Martial Soul Department, naturally would not be absent. He stood on a high platform on one side of the arena, announcing the start of the promotion assessment.
Sun He patted Wang Nan's shoulder, "Show the same aura you had when you fought me during the entrance examination."
Wang Nan chuckled and strode into the arena.
"What do you major in?" The referee's voice came from the side.
"Attack system."
"Please choose the Spirit Beast you wish to be assessed against, in units of one hundred years, from one hundred years to a maximum of one thousand years."
"A thousand years," Wang Nan said. Although he had faced a thousand-year Spirit Beast in his spiritual sea, that was on his home turf with the help of that light orb. Facing a thousand-year Spirit Beast in reality was his first time, and he was curious to see how far he could go.
"Are you sure?" the referee teacher asked again. After all, it was a thousand-year Spirit Beast, so he had to be cautious.
"Sure."
"Prepare to begin."
As the referee teacher's words fell, a series of iron chain sounds came from the other end of the arena, accompanied by a powerful aura. The distant iron gate slowly lowered, and a tall figure walked out.
This was a lion, completely white, with only the mane around its neck being darker in color, reflecting a faint blue luster in the sunlight. As soon as it appeared, even the surrounding temperature dropped by several degrees.
A thousand-year Ice Lion.
As a thousand-year Spirit Beast, the Ice Lion already possessed a certain degree of intelligence. Having been raised in captivity for a long time, it naturally knew what coming to the Beast Fighting Area meant.
Looking around, its gaze quickly locked onto its opponent for this battle. Its four limbs slightly bent, pressing its entire body low, and using the pads on its feet, it silently crept towards Wang Nan.
This was a lion's hunting instinct: first, to hide its form and quietly approach its prey, then to use powerful explosive force to pounce forward and inflict damage.
However, being merely a Spirit Beast, it didn't consider that there were only it and Wang Nan in the arena at this moment. No matter how much it tried to hide, its large physique would be difficult to conceal.
Wang Nan did not want to wait for the Ice Lion to approach and then compete with it in explosive power. Instead, he lifted his Coiling Dragon Staff and actively moved forward, striking first while it was not fully prepared.
Unexpectedly, a hint of cunning appeared in the Ice Lion's azure eyes. With a wide-open mouth, a burst of ice mist rose in front of it. Wang Nan charged forward and plunged right into the ice mist.
Looking back at the Ice Lion, there was no longer any sign of its careful crawling. With a roar, it raised its front paw high, ready to strike into the ice mist.
The moment Wang Nan entered the ice mist, he felt his movements suddenly slow down. Looking forward, he vaguely saw the Ice Lion attacking him.
He immediately understood that he had been tricked by this Ice Lion. First, it pretended to lack intelligence, instinctively acting as if it wanted to ambush to lure Wang Nan to attack, then took the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, followed by a fatal blow.
This Ice Lion, having experienced many battles in the Beast Fighting Area, had actually learned the Spirit Master's tactic of luring the enemy.
Blocked by the ice mist, Wang Nan was too late to retreat. He had no choice but to raise his hands, holding the Coiling Dragon Staff above his head, to block the Ice Lion's front paw.
As the Ice Lion's paw fell, Wang Nan felt a sharp pain in the web of his hand, as if it were about to split open. His legs also trembled violently from the force, and he almost knelt on the ground. However, he ultimately managed to block the attack.
Wang Nan pushed his hands forward, his feet retreating in response, and after a few steps, he left the range of the ice mist. Looking back at the Ice Lion, it raised its front paw and licked its palm, revealing a disdainful expression.
Seriously, what are the senior students teaching this Ice Lion every day? It's all about trickery and taunting.
Wang Nan paused, then suddenly roared twice, slamming his Coiling Dragon Staff haphazardly on the ground twice, then charged straight towards the Ice Lion.
Seeing the "enraged" Wang Nan, the Ice Lion repeated its trick, opening its mouth wide for another burst of ice mist. However, just as it raised its front paw high, preparing to pursue again, a dark-glowing rod extended from the ice mist and touched its chest.