Chapter 195: Core Disciple Assessment (Part 2)
In the distance, a staggering, swaying figure slowly walked over. He reeled with every other step, the wine gourd in his hand swaying along with him, looking as if he might topple over at any moment.
Furina recognized him at a single glance—the Chicken Leg Douluo, the Supreme Elder of the Holy Spirit Cult, Elder Xuan.
She wasn't surprised. In the original story, he was the one presiding over this assessment. If Elder Mu had come personally, that would have been the real rarity.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Yan Shaozhe slowly pushing a wheelchair along behind Elder Xuan. Seated in the wheelchair was an old man, his features aged, his expression serene.
Furina and Bei Bei both froze for a moment.
Elder Mu?
Why is he here?
The surrounding students also began murmuring among themselves, sneaking glances at the old man being personally pushed by the Dean of the Martial Soul Department.
"Who's that guy?"
"No idea... but to be pushed by Dean Yan himself, he's definitely not ordinary, right?"
"Hey, why does he look a bit familiar? On the day of freshman registration, wasn't that the old grandpa sunbathing at the dorm entrance?"
At these words, quite a few people were stunned.
On the day of freshman registration, there had indeed been an old grandpa sunbathing at the dorm entrance, looking completely ordinary, nothing special about him at all. No one had spared him a second glance back then.
But now...
Some began to feel regret. If only they had been more polite, more courteous to that old grandpa back then, and slightly demonstrated their talent and character, maybe they would have been remembered?
Elder Xuan staggered unsteadily before the assembled students, let out a yawn, lifted his eyelids for a look, and shouted lazily: "Xiao Wang."
"Elder Xuan!" Wang Yan hurried forward and saluted with the utmost respect. He then looked toward Yan Shaozhe and the elder in the wheelchair behind and moved to salute again.
Yan Shaozhe waved a hand, signaling that there was no need for such formality.
Only then did Wang Yan straighten up and look back at Elder Xuan.
"Is everyone here?" Elder Xuan asked.
Wang Yan nodded and spoke rapidly: "All present. Martial Soul Department core disciples, second year to fifth year, twenty-seven people in total. Only one from the Soul Tool Department."
"Then get inside." As soon as Elder Xuan finished speaking, he turned and headed into the Spirit Arena district, his footsteps still that same swaying, unsteady gait, the wine gourd swinging back and forth at his waist.
Most of the core disciples had never seen Elder Xuan before, and even less did they recognize Elder Mu. But Yan Shaozhe's presence made them understand—these two old men were absolutely no ordinary people.
Dai Huabin couldn't resist lowering his voice to ask Xie Huanyue beside him: "Who are those two?"
Xie Huanyue shook his head and kept silent.
Huo Yuhao's gaze fell upon the elder in the wheelchair, and he thought silently to himself: Sure enough, this old grandpa is no simple figure!
The Spirit Arena district was empty, devoid of both teachers and students coming to spar.
Elder Xuan walked all the way to the center before stopping. Under the guidance of their teachers, the core disciples stood still, forming a loose semicircle.
Yan Shaozhe pushed Elder Mu to a spot with the best view and stopped. He bent down slightly and quietly asked something. Elder Mu nodded, and Yan Shaozhe straightened up, standing quietly to the side.
Elder Xuan cleared his throat and spoke in a muffled, gravelly voice: "You little brats, listen up. The content of the upcoming core disciple assessment is very simple—I call it the Grand Collective Brawl."
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
"Right here in this Spirit Arena district, you all fight however you like. No rules whatsoever. Soul tools are permitted. Those who concede, or are knocked out of the arena, are eliminated."
He swept a glance over the crowd, his tone as casual as if he were discussing what to eat today: "The last seven remaining are the winners. Alright, teachers, all of you get out. Once I give the signal to start, you can begin."
"Th-this... this works?"
The students' eyes went wide, staring at one another, their faces full of incredulity.
Twenty-eight people, cultivation levels completely uneven, martial souls of every description—a chaotic brawl just like that? What could this possibly assess?
But the teachers clearly would not disobey Elder Xuan's command. They all withdrew from the Spirit Arena district one after another, leaving only the students standing where they were.
Within the Spirit Arena district, only the twenty-eight students remained, along with Elder Xuan, Elder Mu, and Yan Shaozhe in the distance.
Before anyone could even react, Elder Xuan suddenly raised the wine gourd in his hand and bellowed: "Begin!"
The moment his voice rang out, his entire figure vanished with a whoosh, so fast that no one could even see him clearly.
In the Spirit Arena, only the twenty-eight students were left, staring blankly at one another.
It had all happened far too suddenly. After Elder Xuan disappeared, nearly everyone froze in place, standing motionless, their minds blank.
But Furina was well prepared.
Calmly and unhurriedly, she took out a Nut Cake and ate it with deliberate leisure. A faint layer of golden light rose from her body, forming a protective shield that encased her entirely.
Then she pulled a bag of potato chips from her storage-type soul tool, sat down on the spot, crossed her legs, and watched the others with an air of complete, unhurried ease.
"Keep it up, everyone." She tore open the chip bag, pinched a single chip, and popped it into her mouth. Crunch. "Come find me for a fight once there are only seven left."
She swept a smiling glance over the crowd: "If anyone wants to fight me right now, I can send them out of the arena immediately."
No one moved.
And no one dared to move.
A Soul King-level cultivation, combined with the bizarre soul skills displayed during the freshman assessment, those unfathomable soul bone abilities, and no way of knowing whether she had even more formidable soul tools on her now—whoever went looking for trouble with her, wasn't that just asking for a beating?
On the other side, Huo Yuhao's reaction speed was extremely fast.
Both his hands shot out simultaneously, seizing Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao's hands. Light erupted brilliantly from his back, propelling the three of them rapidly toward the direction where Bei Bei was standing.
Second year to fifth year—there was bound to be a gap in cultivation. But as long as this gap wasn't on the level of a freak like Furina, it absolutely could not compensate for the advantage in numbers.
Thus, after a brief moment of stupor, the first thought in everyone's mind was—gather allies.
Huo Yuhao was no exception. The very first person he locked onto was Bei Bei.
Bei Bei also instantly understood his intention. He barked out in a low shout: "San Shi, Nannan, we join forces!"
The fifth year only had the three of them, and they were all four-ringed. In this kind of situation, they were the most likely to become the target of everyone's attacks. Fortunately, their relationship was already quite good to begin with. Although things were a bit delicate between Jiang Nannan and Xu Sanshi, for the sake of cooperation, Jiang Nannan should be able to tolerate it for the time being—as long as Xu Sanshi didn't act shameless.
Upon hearing this, Xu Sanshi was practically overjoyed.
He silently gave Bei Bei a huge thumbs-up in his heart: Good brother! Too loyal! Finally, I can fight side by side with Nannan!
When Jiang Nannan heard Bei Bei's shout, she also caught the two words "Xu Sanshi." She furrowed her brow slightly but did not hesitate, quickly moving closer to Bei Bei.
She knew that at a time like this, the bigger picture took priority.
Very quickly, the crowd began to rapidly divide and differentiate. Small teams swiftly formed, each warily keeping their distance from one another.
Aside from Furina, there was still one more person all alone—He Caitou.
In the distance, Elder Mu watched this scene, a trace of a smile appearing on his aged face.
"This is rather interesting," he said softly.
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Thanks for reading the chapter!
I started a new translation and I would be very happy if you decided to check out my new translation for a rather rare fandom. It's a crossover based on Mondaiji (Problem Children Are Coming from Another World, Aren't They?)
This story has a somewhat similar style to my other translation for this fandom (same author, after all), but it's completely different from any other fanfic I've come across for this fandom! It's set thousands of years before the original novel/anime, and the MC literally plays a part in shaping the backstory of this world. I really enjoyed it—hope you will too!
Mondaiji: I Really Didn't Want to Become God https://www.webnovel.com/book/36945944200410205