Yare yare, finally solved her. I wonder who my next opponent will be?
Nan Fusheng stretched lazily, but before he could think further—
Boom!
A terrifying explosion rang out ahead. A huge chunk of blackened mass dropped from the sky not far in front of him, then immediately turned into a streak of light and vanished.
With the Tang Sect's Purple Demon Eyes, Nan Fusheng could see clearly: what fell wasn't coal at all, but a charred human figure.
It looked like someone had been blasted into the air and slammed down nearby. Before Nan Fusheng could even process this, a bright figure appeared in front of him, and a crisp female voice rang out:
"Oh my, fancy meeting someone else here. Too bad for you."
Meanwhile, in the monitoring room, Cai Yue'er watched the massive soul guide screens lining the walls. Each screen broadcast the forest battlefield where the new students were fighting.
She noticed one particular scene—Nan Fusheng defeating Zheng Qiaran.
"Oh? That little fellow should be Zhuoshi's disciple's disciple, right? His name is Nan Fusheng, isn't it? To defeat Zheng Qiaran that easily, and being a Spiritual-type Soul Master at that… his mental power must be very high." Cai Yue'er commented with surprise.
"Yes. Judging from his spiritual strength, he's second only to Gu Yue, already at the Spirit Sea Realm. And from the looks of it, his power has grown further."
Wu Zhangkong respectfully replied.
"So, who do you two think will win the class monitor position this time?" Cai Yue'er asked.
Shen Yi only shook her head, showing she wasn't sure.
Wu Zhangkong, however, answered firmly: "Tang Wulin."
"Tang Wulin? That boy who can perform Spirit Forging?" Cai Yue'er nodded. "Not bad. From the bigger picture, when faced with danger during the entrance exam, he didn't hesitate to stand with his companions. That shows loyalty and courage.
"And to even make Gu Yue—that proud and unruly girl—willing to follow his lead and call him captain, it's clear the boy has outstanding leadership ability."
Hearing her words, even the cold Wu Zhangkong allowed the corner of his lips to rise slightly. That was his student, after all.
"But…" Cai Yue'er's tone turned serious, "Leadership ability alone isn't enough. This world follows the law of the jungle. Many have leadership, but only a few stand at the very top.
"Without overwhelming power to suppress everyone, no matter how capable you are, others won't submit. Tang Wulin is indeed excellent, but in this year's batch of new students, there are still quite a few who are stronger than him."
Her gaze swept back to the screens. "It looks like Nan Fusheng's luck isn't great—he's run into the strongest among this year's new students. I wonder how long he'll last."
Both Shen Yi and Wu Zhangkong followed her gaze. They, too, were curious about the true strength of Forth Woll, the girl whom Elder Cai had declared the strongest.
So far, all her opponents had been too weak—she'd simply blown them away with flame attacks.
Yes, her fire was certainly Extreme Fire, but could that alone make her the strongest of the new students?
At this moment, Nan Fusheng was staring silently at the girl smiling in front of him.
"What's wrong, not going to fight? Even if we've met a few times, I won't be going easy." Fourth Woll laughed lightly. After all, this was only a simulated battle. With all of Shrek Academy watching, she couldn't afford to look weak.
"Then let me see it for myself—why they call you the 'Strongest of the New Students.'" Nan Fusheng's voice carried a playful sharpness.
"Third Soul Skill: Spirit Threads."
His spirit power surged, battle intent blazing. Even through the soul guide screens, Cai Yue'er and the others could see that Nan Fusheng was going all out.
"Take this!"
He controlled his spirit power, weaving it into fine threads that shot out toward Forth Woll.
But—
Whoosh!
Before his Spirit Threads reached her, Forth Woll's figure suddenly vanished. The next instant, Nan Fusheng felt an enormous weight slam down on his shoulders.
Boom!
Though his posture stayed upright, his legs from the knees down sank deep into the earth. His height instantly shortened by half a head.
The cause was two smooth, pale hands pressing down on his shoulders. They looked delicate, but the pressure was like a mountain crushing him.
Instant suppression.
"Well then, do you still want to keep fighting?"
Fourth Woll stood gracefully before him, withdrawing her hands. She looked down at the now half-buried Nan Fusheng with a mischievous smile.
"Nope, I give up, I give up. Since we know each other, how about letting me surrender and join your side?" Nan Fusheng smiled bitterly.
"Sure—if you kneel, lick my feet, and call me 'Your Majesty, Queen.' Then I'll accept."
"…I choose death."
Nan Fusheng refused without hesitation. Clearly, she was just trying to humiliate him. What did she take him for? He wasn't about to lose all dignity.
Licking ice cream was one thing. Kneeling and calling her Queen? Absolutely not.
"Haha, I'm just teasing. After all, you did help me before. This time, I'll carry you."
With that, Forth Woll grabbed his shoulders and pulled him out of the ground.
"So, what's the plan now?" Nan Fusheng asked helplessly.
"Simple. Whoever blocks us, we smash through. We'll go on a rampage and let everyone know who the true big sister of this class is." Fourth Woll answered decisively.
Elsewhere, Tang Wulin and his two teammates advanced cautiously through the forest. From the burly student beside him, he had learned the names of the top figures in this year's Class One.
"Youmen Wu Siduo, Constriction Luo Guixing, Undying Xu Yucheng, Dark Bear Yang Nianxia, Emerald Serpent Zheng Qiaran." Tang Wulin repeated the five names.
The big fellow at his side was Yang Nianxia, the Dark Bear. His martial soul was Darkgold Bear, a bloodline inheritance of the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear, though lacking its signature claws. It was still a top-tier martial soul.
Even in this short time together, Tang Wulin could tell that beneath Yang Nianxia's seemingly simple and honest appearance was a shrewd, calculating mind.
Anyone who underestimated him because of his looks would pay dearly. If even someone ranked only 27th on the Young Genius List had this level of ability, the others would be no less dangerous.
These five were all listed on the Genius Ranking. They were undoubtedly the strongest of Class One's new students.
But then, Tang Wulin remembered someone else—the black-haired, black-eyed girl whose beauty and presence left a deep impression.
A girl praised by his grandmaster, the Scarlet Dragon Douluo. A girl whom Cai Yue'er herself had publicly declared the strongest of this year's intake.
Yes, Cai Yue'er might have had personal reasons, but someone of her level would never label a student "the strongest" without sufficient proof.
That girl—Forth Woll—must have terrifying strength backing her confidence.
Thinking back, even Teacher Wu had remarked that she was extraordinary from the very first time they saw her at the hotel