After Wang Li and Golfa finished the breakfast delivered by the staff and rested briefly, they went out.
When they arrived at the main campus again, it was finally a bit livelier. When they had come yesterday, large areas of the campus were completely empty. Tiandou Royal Academy was vast to begin with, and the mere five to six hundred students usually stayed up in the mountains or trained in various simulated cultivation environments below the mountains, except during classes.
Normally, no outsiders came to the academy. Now that outsiders had arrived, Wang Li swept his gaze across the area. There were about thirty middle-aged men and women, who were likely the principals of intermediate soul master academies, as well as over fifty young men and women, who were probably graduates from those academies.
As they approached, everything was in place: the competition arena, the spectator seats, all of it. Although it was an open-air venue, it was spotless, showing that staff cleaned it every day.
Golfa led Wang Li to a quiet spot and sat down, waiting for the three Education Committee members to appear.
Before long, the three committee members arrived, wearing dignified long robes with black fabric and gold trim. This was not their everyday attire but a very formal outfit, exclusive to Soul Douluo–level figures, showing how seriously they regarded today's event.
Behind them followed many teachers and students from Tiandou Royal Academy. They would serve as the referees and opponents for today's assessment.
Soon, the three committee members stepped onto the main platform. One of them walked forward. He was very tall and very old, yet his presence was immensely imposing. Apart from the other two committee members, no one could compare to him.
At this moment, however, a smile appeared on his stern face as he said:
"Thank you, principals, for sending your academies' most outstanding graduates to our academy. There is no need to explain the assessment method and rules any further."
"We will now prepare for the assessment. Please wait a moment while our teachers collect the students' files."
Below the platform, Golfa quietly introduced them to Wang Li:
"The one who just spoke is the chairman of the Education Committee, Meng Shenji. The slightly chubby one on the left is the vice-chairman, Bai Baoshan. The lean one on the right is the third seat, Zhi Lin…"
By the time Golfa finished his introduction, teachers from Tiandou Royal Academy had already come over. Golfa skillfully handed over Wang Li's file.
When the teacher saw Wang Li standing beside Golfa, a look of shock appeared on his face. The graduation requirement for intermediate soul master academies was to reach level 20 soul power before the age of eighteen, then hunt a soul beast to obtain a soul ring and become a Great Soul Master.
But Wang Li's face was young and immature, definitely not that of a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old youth. At most, he looked eleven or twelve. In reality, he was only nine.
However, the teacher quickly calmed down. There was no need for bone testing or soul power testing. In the eyes of Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhi Lin,three Soul Douluo,no trick or concealment could escape detection.
Whatever the situation was, once Wang Li stepped onto the arena, it would be up to the three committee members to decide.
The teacher soon left and, together with the others, handed all the collected files to Meng Shenji.
Meng Shenji took the top file, opened it, glanced over it, and announced:
"Xueling Intermediate Soul Master Academy, Aixi, step onto the arena!"
…
This was the assessment method: participants were randomly called onto the stage. Victory or defeat was not important. What mattered was displaying one's own strengths. If one caught the eye of the three committee members, they passed; otherwise, they failed.
Each match lasted three to five minutes on average. Although short, it was enough to judge whether a soul master was outstanding.
After about an hour, Meng Shenji opened the next file. After glancing at it, his pupils shrank. He almost could not believe his eyes. What was he seeing?
Liega Intermediate Soul Master Academy…
Wang Li…
Nine years old…
Mutated Blue Silver Grass…
Level 25 soul power…
…
Taking a deep breath, Meng Shenji tried to remain calm:
"Liega Intermediate Soul Master Academy, Wang Li, step onto the arena!"
As soon as the words fell, Wang Li heard his name and immediately jumped down from the seats and onto the arena.
Because of his youth and immature appearance, the surrounding crowd erupted into discussion. This really did not look like a graduate from an intermediate soul master academy.
Wang Li's opponent also stepped out at this moment: a young man in his early twenties wearing a pale yellow school uniform, with an arrogant expression, likely a noble.
With the referee's command:
"Prepare yourselves. Summon your martial souls!"
The noble youth activated his martial soul, transforming into a white werewolf, with two hundred-year soul rings floating around him.
Wang Li was also surrounded by Blue Silver Grass, likewise with two hundred-year soul rings.
The noble youth's eyes were filled with disdain as he attacked first. His first soul skill, White Wolf Assault, fired a white energy projectile from his mouth. Wang Li stepped lightly with Instant Step and easily dodged it.
Immediately afterward, Wang Li's Blue Silver Grass, empowered by his first soul skill, swept toward the noble youth.
The noble youth tried to dodge, but as a power-type soul master, his speed was not fast. He truly could not evade it, so he activated his second soul skill, White Wolf Guard. A white protective shield condensed around him, but he was still tightly bound by the Blue Silver Grass.
His claws could not cut through the Blue Silver Grass. He had no choice but to expend a large amount of soul power, repeatedly using his first soul skill. After great effort, he finally blasted open a hole. Once he broke free, he charged straight at Wang Li.
Wang Li was somewhat surprised. Seeing the shield around him, Wang Li activated Violent Step and flashed forward. With the boost in speed and strength, he kicked and shattered the shield, then kicked the noble youth in the chest. Accompanied by the sound of bones cracking, the noble youth screamed and was sent flying backward.
Wang Li landed and walked toward the noble youth. A teacher who had been stunned finally reacted and hurriedly stopped him:
"Stop! You've already won. You are not allowed to continue fighting!"
Wang Li said innocently:
"Teacher, you've misunderstood me. I just want to help heal his injuries."
The teacher froze at his words. Then Wang Li walked over to the noble youth, crouched down, placed his hand over the youth's chest, and used his second soul skill, Revival.
At that moment, his soul power transformed into life energy and surged into the noble youth's body. In less than ten seconds, the noble youth's complexion improved, his breathing steadied, and both internal and external injuries were basically healed.
Seeing this, Wang Li withdrew his hand and stood up. Immediately after, Zhi Lin leapt down from the main platform and arrived beside him.
He pinched and prodded Wang Li all over, touching and examining him repeatedly. Finally, he turned to Meng Shenji and Bai Baoshan and said:
"I recommend this child for entry into the Tiandou Royal Team Reserve Training Camp!"
Meng Shenji and Bai Baoshan did not hesitate and spoke one after another:
"Agreed!"
"I agree as well!"
The Tiandou Royal Team Reserve Training Camp was not part of the academy's regular class structure. It was a special class established by the three committee members to prepare for the next All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Tournament.
All the students inside were under twenty years old and had soul power above level 25. Many were Great Soul Masters at level 28 or 29, and even Soul Elders at level 31 or 32.
At present, there were only a little over twenty people in the camp. According to their plan, over the next one to two years, through elimination and selection, a first team and second team would be formed.
The first team would receive massive resources and support, becoming the absolute main force in the next All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Tournament.
Drawing on lessons from last time, the three committee members were introduced quickly with a fast-paced approach. Tomorrow, Qin Ming, Yu Tianheng, and Dugu Yan could appear.
Actually, this assessment could also have been written to show everyone's shock and highlight how impressive the protagonist is, but since there were no important characters, it was skipped.
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