At that moment, in the distance, a figure staggered toward them. Judging by his unsteady steps—three sways for every one step—it looked like he might fall flat at any time.
Xuan Lao wobbled his way to the group of students, his bleary eyes half-closed. "Xiao Wang," he muttered.
"Xuan Lao," Wang Yan quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Everyone's here?" Xuan Lao asked.
"They're all here," Wang Yan replied.
"Mm. Then let's go in." Still swaying, Xuan Lao turned and tottered into the Battle Soul Arena.
Everything in the arena was the same as usual, yet today there were no teachers overseeing and no students dueling.
Xuan Lao walked straight to the center before stopping, and the core disciples followed their teachers, forming neat lines.
With a gruff tone, Xuan Lao said, "Listen up, you little brats. The core disciple assessment this time is simple. I call it a group free-for-all."
"Within this Battle Soul Arena, you can attack however you want. No rules. Fight however you like. Anyone who admits defeat or gets rescued is eliminated. The last seven standing are the winners."
"Alright, teachers—and Huo Yuhao—leave the field. Once I shout 'begin,' you may start fighting."
Hearing that Huo Yuhao wasn't participating, both Beibei and the bootlicker Xu Sanshi immediately protested.
"Xuan Lao? Why doesn't Huo Yuhao have to take part?"
Xuan Lao frowned and gave them both a deep look.
"Huo Yuhao is the academy's chosen genius. His position is already guaranteed. If either of you can achieve the same level as him, then you won't need to take the exam either—you'll be admitted directly!"
"Now, I don't want to repeat myself. The assessment begins!"
The senior students all stared wide-eyed, exchanging shocked looks.
"Wait, seriously?"
Beibei and Xu Sanshi were furious.
They had broken through to Soul Ancestor level just to teach Huo Yuhao a lesson—but now he wasn't even taking part?!
"Damn it!"
They could only swallow their frustration.
Before anyone in the arena could react, Xuan Lao suddenly raised his wine gourd high and shouted, "Begin!"
With a "whoosh," his figure vanished.
The change happened too fast. For a brief moment after Xuan Lao's shout, everyone froze.
Then chaos erupted.
Dozens of students—what were they supposed to do in a full-blown melee? From second-year to fifth-year, there were big differences in cultivation levels, but that couldn't make up for being outnumbered.
If five or six people ganged up on Beibei or Xu Sanshi, even they wouldn't last!
So after a brief daze, everyone had the same thought—form alliances!
Within moments, Zhou Sichen and Cao Jinxuan were eliminated.
Now, Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, and Ning Tian formed a team, charging toward Beibei's group as the great brawl began.
——
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
——
Soul rings flashed and floated everywhere.
Finally, after the chaotic battle, the six remaining participants stood victorious.
"The eliminated ones, step back. You six stay," Xuan Lao said while gnawing on a chicken leg, announcing the results.
With the teachers' help, the unconscious students were revived one after another, many wearing looks of unwillingness and frustration.
Especially Beibei and that bootlicker Xu Sanshi—Dai Huabin had gone after them alone just to prove himself.
Too despicable!
And since most of the male students had gone all out, the six who survived to the end were—
"Wang Dong, Wu Feng, Zhu Lu, Xiao Xiao, Jiang Nannan, and Ning Tian!"
Seeing those six names, Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered thoughtfully.
Then, in a corner where no one was watching, darkness flickered across Huo Yuhao's eyes, and his blue hair—just for an instant—flashed golden yellow.
Xuan Lao seemed to sense something. He turned sharply—but saw nothing.
"What's wrong, Xuan Lao?" Huo Yuhao asked.
After carefully confirming that nothing was amiss, Xuan Lao waved a hand dismissively.
"Nothing. Guess I'm getting old—my senses are acting up."
——
Although Xuan Lao told everyone to leave, no one moved. Every student kept their eyes fixed on him.
"Xuan Lao, this melee was too unfair! We didn't even get to show our true strength before being eliminated!"
"Yeah! It was chaos—no time to react, no coordination, nothing!"
"Xuan Lao, we should fight again! This one shouldn't count!"
The crowd voiced their complaints one after another.
Xuan Lao took another bite of chicken, snorted coldly, and said,
"Not convinced? Then show your dissatisfaction through strength in the future."
"You all think my chaotic free-for-all wasn't fair, that many of you couldn't display your true abilities and lost for no reason?"
The core disciples answered his question with silence.
Xuan Lao curled his lip. "But tell me—was it really unfair? The chaos tested every single one of you."
"If this were a battlefield, could you choose how many enemies you face, or what kind of situation you'll be thrown into?"
"At the very least, this melee put you all on equal footing—not in a hopeless situation. With the attitude you're showing now, none of you deserve to be inner court disciples."
"This seemingly unfair melee is actually the best way to test your overall ability."
"Such chaotic assessments are routine in the inner court. If you can't even handle that much, what qualifications do you have to call yourself an inner court student?"
His tone was calm, but each word struck like a heavy hammer on their hearts—charged with immense spiritual power.
"Don't think that becoming a core disciple guarantees entry into the inner court. Even if you do enter, that's not glory—it's just the beginning."
"To pursue the ultimate path of a soul master, you must place life and death aside. Only then can you achieve what others cannot. No matter your origin—once you enter Shrek Academy's inner court, you are truly part of Shrek, for life, bearing its mark forever."
"Do you know why Shrek Academy has remained the number one academy on the continent for ten thousand years without falling? It's not just because of relentless struggle—it's because every year, inner court disciples die. The number of inner court students rarely exceeds fifty at a time."
"Any other questions?"
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