Chapter 34: freshman assessment
In the classroom of Freshman Class Nine, although the bell for class had already rung, it was still buzzing with noise.
Three months had flown by, and the once seemingly distant freshman assessment was now right around the corner.
Faced with a major life event that determined whether they would stay or go, most students had faces filled with a complex mix of excitement and anxiety, except for a few who were extremely confident in their own strength.
While the students whispered about potential teammates, their eyes would unconsciously drift toward the back row by the window with a look of awe.
Lin Xuan.
This name was now synonymous with legend in the Outer Academy.
Almost everyone secretly hoped that if they could be assigned to the same team as him, not only would passing the assessment be a given, but winning the championship would be a sure thing.
Outside the corridor, the sound of crisp footsteps approached from afar.
Teacher, holding a stack of papers, walked up to the podium and scanned the room.
The classroom, which had been noisy just a moment ago, instantly became silent.
She nodded with satisfaction and distributed the papers in her hand.
"Before I announce the groupings for the freshman assessment, everyone should first write down your future cultivation direction on the paper. This will help the academy teach according to your individual needs."
After waiting for a while until everyone had finished writing and the papers were collected, Teacher opened her lesson plan under the expectant and nervous gazes of the crowd.
"Now I will announce the groupings for the freshman assessment. Everyone, listen carefully."
"Group One: Zhou Mingrui, Luo Feng, Ye Fan."
"Group Two: Xu Qi'an, Lu Mingfei, Xiao Huohuo."
"..."
"Group Eight: Ning Tian, Nangong Yuner, Ya Lu."
"Group Nine: Lin Xuan, Dugu Qing, Wu Feng."
"..."
Hearing his name alongside Lin Xuan's, Dugu Qing's face immediately showed extreme joy, and he almost couldn't help but pump his fist.
Lin Xuan's expression, however, became a bit subtle.
Wu Feng?
He instinctively looked toward the front row, and the back of the red-haired girl seemed to stiffen for a moment.
How did she end up in this group?
After Teacher finished the announcement, she looked at the students, most of whom showed expressions of relief or eagerness, and felt quite satisfied.
This list was the result of her repeated considerations, striving to maximize the passing rate of each student within the rules.
As for the teams of Ning Tian and Lin Xuan, they were her 'trump cards' reserved for winning the championship.
If the academy hadn't forbidden placing two Soul Elders on the same team, she would have even wanted to put Ning Tian directly into Lin Xuan's team.
"The groupings are based on the characteristics and complementarity of your Martial Souls. After careful consideration, if there are any objections, they can be raised before this afternoon."
Teacher closed her lesson plan, "Today's classes are canceled. I suggest you take this time to get to know your teammates and familiarize yourselves with each other's Martial Souls and Martial Soul Abilities. This will be highly beneficial for you."
After saying that, she left the classroom.
In the next second, the silence was completely broken!
Students flocked to their teammates, and intense discussions instantly filled the entire space.
Soon, groups of students left the classroom together, eager to start coordinating.
In just a moment, the large classroom became empty, leaving only two teams—six people.
Ning Tian gently patted the shoulder of Wu Feng, who was sitting beside her with her head down and silent, and said in a gentle tone,
"Go on, Wu Feng. Remember, don't throw a tantrum anymore."
"Mm... I know," Wu Feng replied in a low voice, stood up, and walked toward the back row of the classroom.
Seeing this, Dugu Qing, who was talking excitedly with Lin Xuan, instinctively wanted to get up and slip away.
These two had fought before; the atmosphere was off, so it was better to run for it now.
"Sit down," Lin Xuan said in a flat tone. "What, don't you want to pass the assessment anymore?"
"Uh... how could I not?" Dugu Qing gave a sheepish smile and sat back down firmly.
Only then did Lin Xuan turn his gaze to Wu Feng, who had reached the table but was just standing there silently.
"You..."
Just as he spoke, Wu Feng instinctively took a small step back as if startled.
Lin Xuan's expression became a bit strange.
No way... could it be that I hit her too hard last time and gave her PTSD?
Wu Feng immediately realized that her reaction was a bit over the top, and a blush of embarrassment and anger instantly rose on her cheeks.
She forced herself to stay calm, pulled out the chair next to Lin Xuan and sat down, staring straight ahead. Her tone was deliberately calm, even a bit cold,
"Our group doesn't have any tactics to discuss, right? With you here, what opponent can't we beat?"
Lin Xuan shrugged indifferently. "We all know each other and our strengths, so there really isn't much to say."
At this point, Ning Tian also walked over and gave Lin Xuan an apologetic smile,
"Student Lin Xuan, about what happened before... I hope you don't mind. Wu Feng just has a bit of a short temper."
"It's a small matter," Lin Xuan shook his head and said casually,
"It's just a child throwing a tantrum; a good beating will fix it."
The words 'child' and 'beating' made Wu Feng's eyelid twitch, and she couldn't help but look up and glare at Lin Xuan.
But when Lin Xuan's gaze turned toward her, she quickly lowered her head again, staring at the tabletop.
Lin Xuan found it quite amusing in his heart.
Seeing that the atmosphere was about to get awkward again, Dugu Qing quickly stepped in to smooth things over,
"Well... the assessment starts tomorrow. Why don't we find a quiet place to briefly go over some basic coordination? We'll definitely win with Lin Xuan around, but it's always better to get hit less and make things easier."
Lin Xuan nodded. "Sure."
...By the shore of the Sea God Lake, on a bench under the shade of a tree.
Dugu Qing was the first to plop down on the very edge, grinning as he said, "It's quiet here, pretty good."
However, the awkward part came: the remaining space on the bench was just enough for two people to sit side-by-side, but they would be quite close.
Lin Xuan didn't mind; he walked straight over, sat down naturally, and even stretched his arms out.
Wu Feng looked at the remaining space and clearly hesitated. After a moment, as if she had made some kind of decision, she walked over quickly and sat down next to Lin Xuan, but her body was deliberately tilted outward, trying to maintain some distance.
"So, should we start with the simplest things like positioning and our respective Soul skills information?" Dugu Qing tried his best to play the role of the discussion leader.
The so-called 'discussion' quickly turned into a conversation between Lin Xuan and Dugu Qing.
Dugu Qing spoke seriously about his Martial Soul characteristics and Soul skills effects, while Lin Xuan occasionally gave concise suggestions.
Meanwhile, Wu Feng remained silent.
She turned her face away, her gaze seemingly fixed on the shimmering lake, but the corner of her eye would always uncontrollably drift toward Lin Xuan beside her.
The morning light filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting fragmented spots of light on his perfectly outlined profile, his expression calm.
He feels... he doesn't seem that eyesore after all?
He's quite good-looking, and his strength is terrifyingly high... although his personality is a bit annoying, it seems... he's not that bad?
As soon as this thought popped up, Wu Feng startled herself, and a strong sense of self-condemnation surged in her heart.
Wu Feng! What are you thinking?!
You only have Ning Tian in your heart! You can only have Ning Tian!
Fickle-minded! Spiritual infidelity! Get a grip on yourself!
Her face turned from red to white and back again, her brow unconsciously furrowed, and her hands on her knees clenched.
Although Lin Xuan seemed to be listening to Dugu Qing, his peripheral vision took in all of Wu Feng's rich facial expressions.
Seeing her gnashing her teeth as if engaged in an intense internal struggle, he felt speechless.
This girl... could it be that I really hit her a bit too hard last time and damaged her brain?
Why does she look... like she's not very bright anymore?
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