Chapter 77: Freshmen Assessment
"Nervous?"
Outside the assessment zone, seeing the little girl fiddling with her skirt hem, Lin Yun couldn't help but laugh. He reached out and pinched her small face.
"A little bit…" Xiao Xiao lowered her head in embarrassment.
After all, this was the freshmen assessment, a real combat test against others. Feeling nervous was only natural. Lin Yun had already said that in the early matches, the two of them would also have to take action.
The freshmen assessment was not just a simple test—it was also a platform for students to measure their strength and display their abilities.
Even if Lin Yun didn't think much of Shrek's so-called reputation, letting Xiao Xiao fight more was still a good thing.
This was the Douluo Continent, the world of soul masters. You might not fight often, but you could not afford not to know how. Lin Yun did not want his woman to become a flower vase with no combat strength, hiding behind him in the future.
Even without him, he still hoped Xiao Xiao could stand on her own.
Strength could be built up later, but combat awareness had to be nurtured from the start. Lin Yun refused to raise Xiao Xiao into a useless person through overprotection.
"Do your best. Don't worry about winning or losing, just give it your all." Lin Yun gently patted Xiao Xiao's head. "After all, you still have me, don't you?"
"Yes, sister-in-law. With big brother here, we just have to try our best." Zheng Xiaolong shrugged as he spoke.
"You, a support who doesn't even have to fight, dare say that?" Xiao Xiao glared at him in embarrassment, clearly still unused to the title of sister-in-law.
This emotionally clever Zheng Xiaolong, after noticing Lin Yun and Xiao Xiao growing closer, had directly switched to calling her sister-in-law. The first time he said it, the little girl had been so embarrassed she ran away.
Now, though she was slowly getting used to it, in front of the crowds gathered for the freshmen assessment, she still felt uneasy.
Zheng Xiaolong only chuckled and turned his head aside, whistling at the scenery.
"Alright, let's head inside." Lin Yun shook his head helplessly, striding into assessment zone number twenty-seven. Xiao Xiao quickly grabbed his sleeve and followed.
On the first day, each team only needed to fight once. In every zone, six teams were present, facing off in pairs. The moment Lin Yun entered, his striking appearance immediately drew the attention of the teachers and all the teams.
The other five teams… their hearts skipped a beat.
"Walk out! Why is it this fiend?" Fifteen unlucky students groaned in despair. Compared to the other Soul Elders who kept a low profile, Lin Yun had practically laid his cards on the table, never bothering to hide his strength.
With Huo Yuhao drawing Tang San's attention, Lin Yun didn't care even if he went wild in Shrek.
Now, who didn't know Lin Yun was the number one among the freshmen?
To be assigned to the same zone as him, those fifteen students wondered if they had simply left home without checking the almanac today.
On the other hand, the teacher in charge of the zone looked delighted. Watching weaklings peck at each other was not the same as watching geniuses fight. He was eager to see just how capable this famous new student really was.
"Ahem, the assessment will begin shortly. Team captains, please come forward to draw lots to decide the match order," the referee teacher announced loudly after clearing his throat.
'Please, don't draw Lin Yun…'
'Don't let us face that fiend!!!'
At that moment, the inner thoughts of the fifteen from the other five teams strangely aligned. Lin Yun, however, strolled casually to the referee and drew a lot.
The teacher glanced at the bamboo stick in his hand, then announced, "Lin Yun's team will fight in the second match!"
Behind him, a somewhat burly male student nervously swallowed, stepped forward, and with trembling hands drew a stick. Seeing the small number "1" written on it, he laughed aloud in relief.
"Huang Chutian's team will fight in the first match!" the referee teacher declared without expression.
Huang Chutian?
Lin Yun's steps faltered slightly. He glanced back at the burly student, then turned his gaze further behind him. Sure enough, he spotted two delicate, nearly identical young girls.
Hair Martial Soul twins, Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo?
"What a coincidence…" Lin Yun muttered under his breath.
Coincidence, but not entirely. Though they had been assigned to the same arena, they were not set as direct opponents.
Upon hearing the referee's announcement, the two sisters, Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo, visibly exhaled in relief. The tension on their faces eased, and they even looked at Huang Chutian with a trace of admiration.
'Consider yourself lucky, boy. Otherwise, you would have tasted the suffocating grip of a serpent's coils!'
The expressions of the other four teams, however, grew even more anxious.
Doomed—the odds had shifted from one in five to one in four!
The second team captain's face was solemn, his lips trembling as he muttered prayers. With the resolve of a condemned man, he forcefully drew a bamboo stick.
The moment he saw the number, his vision nearly went black.
Match order: Second round!
"Wang Chunpeng's team, second round!" the referee declared once again.
Finished.
Wang Chunpeng's face turned ashen, tears nearly welling in his eyes.
The three remaining captains, while breathing a sigh of relief, could not help but look at this unlucky soul with sympathy. One male student, a friend of his, even walked over, patted his shoulder, and offered comfort. "Brother, my condolences. Better to die early and reincarnate."
"Get lost!" Wang Chunpeng glared at him bitterly, staggering back with trembling steps.
He could already imagine the storm of complaints that would rain down from his teammates when he returned to his group.
After Wang Chunpeng had taken the worst lot, the other three captains drew their sticks with relaxed faces. No matter what, their chances were far better than facing Lin Yun.
As long as it wasn't Lin Yun, they still had a fight to give.
With the lots drawn, the first battle began.
As Huang Chutian, along with Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo, stepped onto the stage, Lin Yun rested his chin on one hand, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Huang Chutian was nothing special—just an ordinary Titan Giant Ape spirit. But Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo were interesting. Their hair martial souls touched on the nature of body spirits, and together they could even unleash a martial soul fusion skill.
More importantly, all three members of this team were two-ring Soul Grandmasters. Considering the entry requirement was only rank fifteen, their cultivation placed them firmly among the top echelon.
Their opponents, on the other hand, each stood with only a single lonely soul ring beneath their feet.
As expected, the match ended in a decisive victory for Huang Chutian's team. With the first battle concluded, it was now Lin Yun's team's turn for the second round.
"Let's go, it's our turn!"
(End of this chapter)
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