After Zhu Ziyang emerged from the Undead Demiplane, Ma Xiaotao came knocking.
She wore a long red dress, her face veiled with red gauze, and in her hands were two roasted fish that looked as if they had been cooked over charcoal.
"Sister Xiaotao, what made you decide to roast fish yourself?" Zhu Ziyang teased, seeing Ma Xiaotao's appearance.
"Go on! How could I, your sister, have that much free time?" Ma Xiaotao playfully scolded, handing one roasted fish to Zhu Ziyang. "I bought this from a roasted fish stall run by an Outer Courtyard disciple when I passed the Academy gates on my way back from Shrek City. That student's cooking is really good; you can smell the aroma from a long way off."
"Is that so?" Zhu Ziyang chuckled, taking the roasted fish from Ma Xiaotao. He took a bite, his eyes immediately brightening, and said, "Don't tell me, the taste is really good!"
"Didn't I tell you so!" Ma Xiaotao said proudly. "If I, Ma Xiaotao, say something is delicious, then it certainly won't be bad."
"Yes, yes, yes, Sister Xiaotao is invincible!" Zhu Ziyang agreed, eating the roasted fish and teasing her.
— —
Time flew by, and one evening a few days later, Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan were eating together.
"Brother, do you know?" Jiang Nannan suddenly said excitedly.
"Know what?" Zhu Ziyang was startled, then looked at Jiang Nannan and asked, "Has something fun happened in the Outer Courtyard again?"
"Exactly, exactly!" Jiang Nannan nodded her head and said, "I heard it from Tang Ya when I went to find her today. Isn't it time for the freshman assessment? Do you know what Huo Yuhao's score is now?"
Hearing this, Zhu Ziyang's face immediately showed a hint of thought, then he said, "I guess his score must be very good, even surprisingly good. Otherwise, Tang Ya wouldn't tell you about it, and you wouldn't be telling me with such surprise, right?"
"Oh, brother, you really have no sense of romance, you've completely ruined my fun of sharing," Jiang Nannan complained, her smiling face instantly falling as she heard Zhu Ziyang's analysis.
"Hahaha, my bad, my bad." Zhu Ziyang could only laugh awkwardly, saying, "Come on, tell brother quickly, brother is very curious!"
"Alright," Jiang Nannan said. "Huo Yuhao's team actually defeated two teams with Spirit Elders in succession and entered the finals! Brother, do you know? Huo Yuhao and his two teammates are only two Spirit Grandmasters and one Spirit Master, while the two Spirit Elder teams they defeated both consisted of a Spirit Elder plus two Spirit Grandmasters! This is truly astonishing!"
"So that's how it is!" Zhu Ziyang was slightly surprised. He had thought about how Huo Yuhao would impress the Academy's high-ranking officials, but he hadn't expected it to be in such a brilliant way! A team with a Spirit Master defeating a team with a Spirit Elder, and twice at that, one could imagine the astonished expressions on the faces of the Outer Courtyard teachers. Without a doubt, this year's freshman championship would belong to Huo Yuhao's team.
He wanted to go and see, so he asked Jiang Nannan, "Nannan, do you know when the freshman assessment finals are?"
"I asked Tang Ya, it's tomorrow," Jiang Nannan immediately understood Zhu Ziyang's thoughts and said, "Let's go watch together!"
"Good!" Zhu Ziyang nodded, his curiosity growing.
The next day, Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan arrived at the Outer Courtyard assessment area hand in hand.
"Ziyang, Nannan, why are you two here?" They met Cai Meier, Du Weilun, and other Outer Courtyard teachers outside the assessment area. Cai Meier asked with some surprise.
"Elder Cai, we came to watch the freshman assessment finals!" Zhu Ziyang replied with a smile. Because the Outer Courtyard teachers were present, Zhu Ziyang did not address Cai Meier as'Senior Sister'.
"Oh, I see. That's perfect, come with us then!" Hearing this, Cai Meier immediately thought of Zhu Ziyang's previous visit to her to look at files, and as if she had thought of something, she said with a smile.
Ever since Yan Shaozhe went into seclusion, all affairs of the Outer Courtyard had been handled by Cai Meier. For relatively important matters like the freshman assessment finals, her presence as the acting head of the Martial Soul Department was naturally required.
"Okay!" Zhu Ziyang immediately agreed, pulling Jiang Nannan to join the teachers' group. They also saw Xia Yu and Liu Xue, who were smiling broadly at the two of them. Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan naturally responded with equally happy smiles.
"Ziyang, who is that person you know?" Cai Meier asked curiously. "He should be one of the two sides in today's finals, right?"
"Yes, his name is Huo Yuhao," Zhu Ziyang said without concealment. He had indeed come to the Outer Courtyard for Huo Yuhao.
"Oh? You know Huo Yuhao?" Cai Meier seemed very surprised, not expecting Zhu Ziyang to know Huo Yuhao.
Cai Meier had a rather strong impression of this special recruit from the Tang Sect, a freshman who, with just one spirit ring, had made it into the freshman assessment finals. Unlike Du Weilun and others who believed he relied on his teammates to reach the finals, Cai Meier felt that this Huo Yuhao was not simple, especially his Spirit, the Body Spirit Eye. Although Shrek Academy had no experience in cultivating Body Spirit Masters, as a Titled Douluo, her vision was naturally beyond ordinary people. Even though Huo Yuhao was currently only a one-ring Spirit Master with a spirit ring less than a hundred years old, Cai Meier believed in the potential of Body Spirits and was willing to give this Huo Yuhao more time and attention!
"Actually, we're not that close. Isn't he a special recruit from the Tang Sect? You know, Nannan and I have a very good relationship with Tang Ya, so we met once before," Zhu Ziyang said. "I found him very interesting, and then I heard he entered the freshman assessment finals, so I specifically came to watch."
"I understand," Cai Meier nodded and said, "I'm quite curious about him too. I hope this child is as resilient as his actions suggest."
The group arrived at the viewing platform of the assessment area.
At this time, on the arena, the two teams had already gathered, standing at opposite ends of the field, staring at each other with a tense, drawn-sword atmosphere.
Zhu Ziyang observed the six people on the field, starting naturally with Huo Yuhao's side. He already knew Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. His focus was on their third teammate, a small, cute little girl named Xiao Xiao, who possessed twin spirits. At this moment, Huo Yuhao's spirit power was level seventeen, Wang Dong's was level twenty-six, and Xiao Xiao's was level twenty-four.
Zhu Ziyang was somewhat shocked. Huo Yuhao was only level eleven when he enrolled, yet he had increased by six levels in three months. Was this the Son of Destiny? Wasn't that too terrifying? Didn't his file say his innate spirit power was only level one? Is this the cultivation speed a level one innate spirit power should have? And that Wang Dong, level twenty-one upon enrollment, now level twenty-six, increasing by five levels in three months, only one level less than Huo Yuhao. This is too outrageous!
Compared to them, the little girl Xiao Xiao, their teammate, only increased by one level in three months, she was practically a mediocrity!
Shameless, both of them are cheaters! Xiao Xiao cursed and left the group chat.
Huo Yuhao's opponents were one male and two females: Dai Huabin, a level thirty-two Spirit Elder with the Hell White Tiger Spirit; Zhu Lu, a level twenty-five Spirit Grandmaster with the Spirit Cat Spirit; and Cui Yajie, a level twenty-three Spirit Grandmaster with the Nine-tailed Fox Spirit.
Zhu Ziyang's expression was a bit strange. Huo Yuhao and Dai Huabin, he hadn't expected the final opponents to be these two pairs. This was interesting.
"Ziyang, which side do you favor?" Cai Meier asked.
"Hard to say," Zhu Ziyang shook his head and replied, "In terms of spirit power level, Dai Huabin's team far surpasses Huo Yuhao's team. But if we consider talent and potential, Huo Yuhao's team is far superior to Dai Huabin's team. If only combat power is considered, Dai Huabin's team possesses the Hell White Tiger Spirit fusion skill. Unless Huo Yuhao's side also has a Spirit fusion skill, it will be very difficult to win."
"Spirit fusion skill?" A rough voice, tinged with surprise, reached everyone's ears. It was Qian Duoduo!
"Greetings, Dean Qian!" Everyone immediately bowed and greeted Qian Duoduo.
Qian Duoduo waved his hand, then asked Zhu Ziyang, "Ziyang, how do you know that Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu can use a Spirit fusion skill?"
"Brother Yueheng told me," Zhu Ziyang said. "I asked Brother Yueheng, and he said that among their generation, only Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu are peers who have been cultivating their bond together since childhood."
"So that's it!" Qian Duoduo's face showed a look of sudden understanding, then a hint of worry flashed in his eyes.
"Old Qian, why are you here?" Cai Meier felt a hint of curiosity, but more so confusion and bewilderment, at Qian Duoduo's sudden appearance. The Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department, while not having a harmonious relationship, could certainly be described as being at odds with each other. Qian Duoduo's sudden appearance at the freshman assessment finals made Cai Meier sense something unusual.