"Damn, Li-ge, this chick's got an attitude. Look at her—acting all high and mighty, like she's a whole different species from us."
"Hah, what attitude? This batch of students is full of Grand Soul Masters. Heck, there are even a few with three rings already—Soul Sovereigns. She's just some frog at the bottom of a well, doesn't even know her own weight. Let's just watch the show. No need to waste time on her."
A bald chubby newbie nearby waddled over, grinning and chiming in, "You two seniors are right. I'm not from Class Nine, but I've heard some gossip. Apparently, this Wu Feng wasn't originally part of the team. It was the captain, Ning Tian, who knew her and requested the switch. Basically pulled her in. And rumor has it, Wu Feng is actually a servant of Ning Tian's family."
The two seniors sneered slightly at that, looking unimpressed. So she got in through connections—figures.
Suddenly, Wu Feng spun around, eyes locked onto the bald chubster like she was ready to devour him. Her glare made his scalp tingle. She had a naturally competitive, aggressive personality—how could she tolerate people slandering her like that? She made up her mind to teach that punk a lesson later. But she wasn't stupid—those two were senior students, not people she could mess with. So she channeled all her fury toward the bald newbie.
"Feng'er." One of the three girls, a blonde with short golden hair, gave a soft reprimand. Unexpectedly, the previously defiant Wu Feng became docile as a lamb before this girl, quietly returning to her place.
Then, at the blonde girl's signal, the girl to Wu Feng's right stepped forward. She had long, light green hair and exuded a gentle, delicate aura—completely different from Wu Feng's fierce and domineering vibe. She made people want to pull her into a comforting hug.
"Freshman Class Nine, Nanmen Yun'er, Level 24 Agility-type Battle Soul Master," the girl said softly, her sweet, soft voice making the male students in the crowd itch with desire like cats clawing at their hearts.
"Freshman Class Nine, Ning Tian, Level 31 Support-type Tool Soul Master."
As a bunch of lusty morons were getting lost in fantasy, a calm voice brought them crashing back to reality.
At that moment, everyone froze in shock and drew a sharp breath. Though they'd heard that some in this class had three rings, seeing a true genius of this level in the flesh still left them stunned.
Even Huo Yuhao couldn't help but admire her. Sure, there were other Soul Sovereigns in the freshman class, but none held a candle to Ning Tian. Support-type Soul Masters usually cultivate slower than Battle Soul Masters, yet Ning Tian had reached Level 31 by age twelve—a monstrous talent, the kind rarely seen in history.
Take the original Shrek Seven Devils, for instance. Two of them were Support-type Soul Masters: Uncle Sausage Oscar and Ning Rongrong of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Let's be real—Oscar was still stuck at Level 29 at age fourteen, wasting his innate full soul power like a clown. Total disappointment.
Ning Rongrong? Level 26 at twelve. No comparison.
The most gifted in the Shrek Seven Devils were the core duo: Tang San and his wife Xiao Wu. Both hit the three-ring milestone at twelve—but they were outliers. Tang San was a transmigrator with cheat codes and Tang Sect techniques from birth. Xiao Wu was a 100,000-year-old Soft-Boned Rabbit Soul Beast turned human—a literal millennia-old demon granny.
The team leader usually appears last, and Ning Tian lived up to that spotlight. The moment she entered, she stunned everyone. Facing the gazes of the crowd, she remained calm and composed—not a hint of stage fright. That poise and presence could fool anyone into thinking she was a Control-type Soul Master.
"Cousin, long time no see. Didn't expect you to have improved so much," came a female voice. The crowd turned to see the speaker: Ning Ruoxue, Ning Tian's opponent.
"Indeed, it's been three years. I've missed you. How's Third Uncle doing?"Ning Tian smiled faintly.
Ning Ruoxue looked at Ning Tian with complicated eyes. They were born in the same month, but their family always compared them. She had always wanted to compete, yet she was always a step behind. Three years ago, her father had a falling out with the family and moved south, cutting ties with Ning Tian. She didn't expect that upon their reunion, the gap between them had become a chasm—Ning Tian had left her far behind, nothing but a speck in her rearview mirror now.
"Dad's doing great. Just had a breakthrough recently. He's been feeling pretty proud of himself,"Ning Ruoxue replied absentmindedly.
Ning Tian nodded. "That's good to hear. Send him my regards. Or better yet, let's go visit him together sometime."
"Enough chit-chat. You can catch up later. The match is starting." The old crone Granny Zhou spoke up.
"Crimson Wolf Possession."
The moment Zhou Yi gave the signal, Class One jumped into action. Liang Siyuan, the main attacker, swiftly released his Martial Soul: Crimson Flame Demon Wolf. From the name alone, you could guess it was a fire-type.
In the blink of an eye, Liang Siyuan's entire body transformed—his already tall, lanky frame grew taller, his body covered in dense crimson fur. His claws gleamed with a cold shine, unnervingly sharp. His face turned blue-black, long fangs jutting out, making him look monstrous and terrifying. One phrase fit him perfectly now: "blue face, sharp fangs."
Feeling all eyes on him, Liang Siyuan knew he looked hideous. He was used to it. Beast-type Soul Masters often had ugly transformations when possessed. His was on the extreme end—especially his face. Show him to a random person at night and they'd probably drop dead from fright.
"Attack!"
Suddenly, a crisp voice shattered the silence—it was Ning Tian. Her face darkened slightly. Class One's reaction time was faster than she expected, and judging by the looks of it, they had plenty of combat experience too. Zhou Yi's reputation was clearly well-earned—her teaching skills were the real deal.
At her command, Wu Feng and Nanmen Yun'er snapped back to attention. Seeing their opponents already making a move, they didn't hesitate to release their Martial Souls.
A small, three-inch treasure pagoda spun rapidly in Ning Tian's palm. Its shape was identical to the one in Ning Ruoxue's hand. Three soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple—hovered above it. The final purple ring, representing a thousand-year soul ring, shone with dazzling brilliance that mesmerized everyone.
Ning Tian calmly glanced around. She was clearly pleased with their stunned expressions. She smiled inwardly. Among the freshmen, she alone had three rings—this was her source of confidence, her unshakable belief that she could defeat anyone who stood in her way.
The audience was glued to the battle. Red flames, green light, and the dazzling rainbow glow of Ning Tian's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda interwove into a dazzling spectacle. Even in broad daylight, the arena sparkled with vibrant colors, utterly mesmerizing.