"Are you nervous?"
Outside the assessment area, Lin Yun couldn't help but laugh when he noticed the little loli nervously fiddling with her skirt. He reached out and pinched her cheek.
"A little..." Xiao Xiao lowered her head shyly.
After all, it was the freshman assessment, which involved actual combat. It was normal for her to feel nervous. Lin Yun had already said that both of them would need to take action in the early matches.
The freshman assessment wasn't just a simple test; it was also a platform for students to test their strength and showcase their abilities.
Even though Lin Yun didn't think much of Shrek Academy's so-called "elites," it would still be good for Xiao Xiao to gain more combat experience.
This was Douluo Dalu, the world of soul masters. You didn't have to fight, but you couldn't afford to not know how to fight. Lin Yun didn't want his woman to be a powerless vase who could only hide behind him in the future.
Even without him, he hoped Xiao Xiao could stand on her own.
Strength could be improved over time, but combat awareness had to be cultivated from a young age. Lin Yun didn't want to turn Xiao Xiao into a useless person by overprotecting her.
"Just do your best. Don't worry about winning or losing. Give it your all," Lin Yun gently patted Xiao Xiao's head. "After all, I'm here, right?"
"That's right, sister-in-law. With big brother here, we just need to do our best," Zheng Xiaolong shrugged and said.
"You're an auxiliary-type who doesn't even have to fight. Why are you saying this to me?" Xiao Xiao glared at him, clearly still a bit uncomfortable with the "sister-in-law" title.
Zheng Xiaolong, with his maxed-out emotional intelligence, had started calling her "sister-in-law" after noticing the growing closeness between Lin Yun and Xiao Xiao. The first time he called her that, the little loli had been so embarrassed that she ran away.
Now, although she was gradually getting used to it, being called that in public during the freshman assessment still made her feel a bit awkward.
Zheng Xiaolong chuckled and tactfully turned his head away, whistling as he looked at the scenery.
"Alright, let's head in," Lin Yun shook his head helplessly and led the way into Assessment Area 27. Xiao Xiao quickly grabbed the corner of his clothes and followed.
On the first day of the assessment, each team only needed to fight once. There were six teams in the assessment area, paired up for battles. As Lin Yun walked into the area, his distinctive appearance immediately drew the attention of the teachers and all the other teams.
The other five teams... felt their hearts skip a beat!
"Walk out! Why is it this demon?!" The fifteen unlucky souls groaned inwardly. Compared to the other three soul elders who always kept a low profile, Lin Yun was practically an open book, never hiding how powerful he was.
With Huo Yuhao acting as a decoy to draw Tang San's attention, Lin Yun could go all out at Shrek Academy without a care.
So now, who didn't know that Lin Yun was the top freshman?
Being assigned to the same assessment area as Lin Yun made the fifteen of them wonder if they had forgotten to check the almanac before leaving home today.
On the other hand, the teacher in the assessment area was excited. Watching rookies fight and watching a genius student fight were two completely different experiences. He wanted to see just how much weight this little guy, who was the talk of the outer court, carried.
"Ahem, the assessment is about to begin. The captains of the six teams, please come here to draw lots to determine the order of matches," the referee teacher cleared his throat and announced.
'Don't draw Lin Yun...'
'Don't draw that demon!!!'
At this moment, the fifteen members of the other five teams shared the same eerie thought. Lin Yun, however, walked up to the referee teacher with a carefree expression and casually drew a lot.
The referee teacher glanced at the bamboo slip in Lin Yun's hand and announced, "Lin Yun's team will fight in the second match!"
Behind Lin Yun, a slightly burly male student swallowed hard, stepped forward, and with a trembling hand, drew a bamboo slip. When he saw the small "1" on the slip, he let out a relieved laugh.
"Huang Chutian's team will fight in the first match!" the referee teacher announced expressionlessly.
Huang Chutian?
Lin Yun paused mid-step as he walked back, turning to glance at the burly male student. Then he looked toward where the student had come from and saw two delicate-looking, strikingly similar girls.
The twin sisters with hair martial souls, Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo?
"What a coincidence..." Lin Yun murmured softly.
A coincidence, but not entirely. Although they were assigned to the same assessment area, they weren't matched as opponents.
After hearing the referee's announcement, Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo visibly relaxed, the tension on their faces easing. They even gave Huang Chutian a look of approval.
'Lucky for you, or else you'd get to experience the suffocating sensation of being constricted by a python!'
Meanwhile, the members of the other four teams grew even more nervous.
Oh no, the odds just went from one in five to one in four!
The second captain, with a solemn expression, kept muttering prayers under his breath before resolutely drawing a bamboo slip.
When he saw what was on the slip, he nearly fainted on the spot.
Match order: Second match!
"Wang Chunpeng's team will fight in the second match!" the referee teacher announced again.
Doomed!
Wang Chunpeng's face turned ashen, and he looked like he was on the verge of tears.
The other three captains who hadn't drawn yet breathed a sigh of relief while casting sympathetic glances at this unlucky soul. One of them, a male student who was on good terms with Wang Chunpeng, even walked over and patted his shoulder, consoling him, "Bro, take it easy. The sooner you die, the sooner you'll be reborn!"
"Get lost!" Wang Chunpeng glared at him and stumbled back to his team.
He could already imagine the storm of complaints he'd face from his two teammates when he returned.
After Wang Chunpeng drew the worst possible lot, the other three captains drew theirs with much lighter expressions. After all, no matter what they drew, it couldn't be worse than facing Lin Yun.
As long as it wasn't Lin Yun, they still had a chance.
Once the lots were drawn, the first match began.
Watching Huang Chutian, Lan Susu, and Lan Luoluo step onto the stage, Lin Yun propped his chin on his hand and narrowed his eyes.
Huang Chutian wasn't anything special—just an ordinary Great Strength Ape. But Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo were a bit more interesting. Their hair martial souls had a touch of the body soul, and they could even unleash a martial soul fusion skill.
More importantly, all three members of this team were two-ringed Great Soul Masters. Given that the enrollment requirement was only a level 15 soul power, Huang Chutian and his team were already in the top tier.
Their opponents, on the other hand, only had a single soul ring each.
Unsurprisingly, the match ended in a complete victory for Huang Chutian's team. After the first match concluded, it was time for Lin Yun's team to take the stage for the second match.
"Let's go, it's our turn!"
(End of Chapter)
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