Chapter 10: Assessment

Listening to the bustling crowd, Jin Bao was burning with impatience, wanting to rush in at once, but as soon as his body squeezed in, he was bounced out again.

It was Tie Li who pulled him, clearing the way ahead, forcing his way in.

"Who's that, keep pushing inside."

"Don't push, don't push, you're pushing the wrong spot."

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Ignoring the surrounding criticism, Tie Li looked up and saw several recruitment zones for the Intermediate Academy.

Anyone who meets the minimum recruitment requirement will come here today, and even those who don't will come to try their luck.

Tie Li saw several familiar faces, all senior sixth‑year students of the academy.

"Tie Li?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Tie Li turned his head and saw Li Li.

But why does he look so happy when he sees me?

Standing beside Li Li was a girl of the same age, dressed in plain cloth.

"Tie Li, could you do me a favor?"

Before Tie Li could ask, Li Li explained the situation.

By his standards, he could easily pass the Intermediate Soul Master Academy assessment; he chose the White Radiance Intermediate Soul Master Academy. The usual assessment questions weren't hard, but Li Li wanted an excellent rating to waive the tuition.

The girl beside Li Li shared the same goal, so the White Radiance Academy's teachers drafted a special assessment for them.

They were to find a third student with a Soul Power Level below Level 15 to form a team and compete in a three‑on‑three team match.

Li Li's Soul Power Level Breakthrough had reached Level 18, and the girl's Soul Power Level was Level 16.

Their opponents, all at Soul Power Level 19, were students of the White Radiance Academy.

"If I join you for the assessment and we pass, when I go to the White Radiance Intermediate Academy, will I also get tuition waived?"

That's what Tie Li cared about; tuition at an Intermediate Soul Master Academy is a hefty sum, so he'd gladly welcome a waiver.

"Um… I'll go ask for you."

"Alright."

Li Li hesitated a moment, then stood and ran toward the White Radiance Intermediate Academy's recruitment area.

In no time, Li Li came back, running excitedly.

Tie Li felt a surge of joy; it seemed to have worked!

"The teacher agreed; you can go with us to report."

Tie Li nodded, letting Jin Bao wander around alone while he followed, signaling the two to slow down.

Soon the three‑on‑three team match will start, so both sides need to get acquainted for simple coordination.

"Tie Li, Level 13, First Ring Battle Soul Master, martial soul is Forging Hammer, suited for frontal strong attacks," Tie Li introduced first.

"Xiao Li, Level 16, First Ring Battle Soul Master, martial soul is Swift Wind Mouse, advantage is speed," the girl said.

"Li Li, Level 18, First Ring Battle Soul Master, martial soul is Scythe, capable of long‑range attacks or close‑range bursts."

Hearing Li Li's introduction, the girl looked at him with surprised eyes, not at his Soul Power Level but at his soul skill?

Two attack modes? He only has one Soul Ring, and his martial soul is quite ordinary…

At the White Radiance Academy's recruitment point, the assessment teacher was a man in his early forties, casually dressed, a light‑blue robe draped loosely, with a white outer garment underneath embroidered with exquisite golden thread patterns;

His face bore a friendly smile, adding a few points of goodwill.

"Come, let's run a test; Teacher Bai will record his information."

The assessment teacher took out a blue crystal sphere and gestured for Tie Li to place his hand on it.

"Sss"

The blue crystal sphere emitted a faint glow, and the teacher said, "Age ten, Soul Power Level 13, meets the pre‑recruitment criteria."

"Alright, you have five minutes; the assessment will begin shortly."

The three didn't delay, quickly arranging simple tactics for the upcoming assessment; after all, with only five minutes there wasn't time for elaborate plans.

With Li Li's hint, Tie Li saw the three opponents they would face shortly.

All were boys of thirteen or fourteen, but a hint of arrogance flickered in their eyes.

"Alright, begin the assessment."

The White Radiance Academy cleared a plot, forming a circle with white powder, where the six fought inside.

If the teacher intervenes or a body steps out of bounds, it counts as elimination.

Tie Li's three entered the circle first, lining up in a row: Tie Li in the middle, Li Li on the left, Xiao Li on the right.

As the opposing three stepped into the circle, the assessment teacher announced the start of the battle.

Team assessments are relatively rare in recruitment tests, drawing considerable attention from students and teachers.

"Bang"

Tie Li bent his knees slightly, gathered power, and leapt explosively, his speed astonishingly rapid.

His right hand summoned his martial soul, a clear scale pattern, the hammer's handle bearing a unique sharp tip, bearing no obvious likeness to a Forging Hammer; a yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring encircled the martial soul, highlighting its distinction.

The three opponents were startled by Tie Li's sudden burst, immediately summoning their martial souls; all three bore beast martial souls, with beast traits manifesting on them.

They were respectively wolf, tiger, and snake martial souls; except the snake soul master possessed a Hundred-Year Soul Ring, the other two each had a Ten-Year Soul Ring.

On Tie Li's side, aside from Xiao Li's Ten-Year Soul Ring, both Tie Li and Li Li had Hundred-Year Soul Rings.

Tie Li's chosen soul master turned out to be the strongest among the three, the snake‑martial‑soul master.

His snake martial soul was of low quality, but his First Soul Ring came from a four‑hundred‑year‑old Thunder Python; the ring's aura exerted a markedly suppressive effect on him.

First Soul Technique, Thunder Hammer!

The snake soul master, affected by the Thunder Python's aura, shivered, failed to dodge, even forgot to release his soul skill, and the electrified great hammer was about to strike his chest.

Bang.

The assessment teacher acted, catching the thunder hammer for him.

The heavy force, accompanied by high lightning damage, made the assessment teacher glance at Tie Li with slight surprise.

Although the two sides had a huge level gap, even without a martial soul, sheer bodily strength could still withstand Tie Li's attack; however, the right hand that caught the thunder hammer still tingled briefly.

The assessment teacher's intervention meant he was eliminated, and now it was three against two—a very favorable situation.

Sizzle.

Two long blade auras sliced from the assessment teacher's sides, and Li Li unleashed the First Soul Technique, attacking the other two Soul Masters.

"No need to continue, you have passed the assessment."

The assessment teacher struck again, dispersing the blade auras that Li Li had slashed.

"You two are quite good, promising seedlings."

The most unbelievable thing was Xiao Li—she hadn't even acted yet, yet she passed the assessment?

And it was all the assessment teacher intervening, shielding them from the attacks.

Are the two of them really that powerful?

(End of chapter)