In the following time, everyone returned to their busy training routines.
Time passed by day by day, and before long, it was the end of the first semester at Shrek Academy.
Shrek Academy was different from other academies.
Other academies had two semesters per year, with each semester lasting six months.
But at Shrek Academy, each year had three semesters, and each semester lasted a year.
Shrek Academy was indeed a great place for cultivation.
If one could earn enough contribution points, the cultivation speed here was truly unmatched elsewhere.
The Xia Yi trio never had to worry about a lack of contribution points.
Their cultivation naturally advanced by leaps and bounds.
In one year's time, Xia Yi had reached level 38.
Gu Yue reached the peak of level 39.
A month ago, she had already been at the peak of level 39, but she was hesitant to break through.
When Xia Yi asked her, she simply said she was waiting for the right opportunity.
Wu Jin, on the other hand, had broken through to become a Four-ring Soul Master.
Among the first-year students, besides Wu Jin, Ye Xinglan and Na'er had also broken through.
However, neither of them had caused any more trouble for Xia Yi.
Aside from occasionally casting cold glances at him, everything else was normal.
"The first semester's classes are about to end, and the final exam you've all been eagerly anticipating is coming," said Shen Yi with a smile, which caused most of the class to sit up straight.
Only the true geniuses didn't feel anything.
Strength equals confidence.
No matter what the final exam was, it was not a problem for them.
Xia Yi sat in the back row, leaning against the wall, playing with Gu Yue's black hair while listening absent-mindedly.
Shen Yi continued, "The first semester final exam will follow the usual rules, and five people will be eliminated. Therefore, you need to work hard for the final exam, or you could very well be one of those eliminated."
Eliminating five people…
Shen Yi's words immediately made the students with weaker cultivation look uneasy.
Although they had long known that Shrek Academy used a last-place elimination system, when this day actually arrived, they were still terrified.
At that moment, Tang Wulin suddenly raised his hand.
"Yes?" Shen Yi looked at him.
Tang Wulin asked, "Teacher Shen, is it possible for no one to be eliminated?"
Shen Yi glanced at him, "Yes."
"How would that happen?" Tang Wulin asked further.
Shen Yi replied, "The final exam will be based on a points system. Students who score above the passing grade can give their points to others. But I must remind you that if you want to enter the inner academy in the future, you will need enough points from the exam. If you give your points to others, it will be more difficult to enter the inner academy."
Upon hearing this, the stronger students' expressions subtly changed.
Who wouldn't want to enter Shrek Academy's inner academy? But if they gave their points to others, their chances of entering the inner academy would decrease. This was worth considering.
Tang Wulin smiled faintly and said no more.
"Now, let me announce the final exam method. You will have 15 days for the final exam. During these 15 days, you need to travel to Mingdu. Along the way, you will pass through at least ten cities, including Mingdu. In each city, you need to defeat one opponent who is five levels above you. No external help is allowed. How you find opponents, how you defeat them, and how you get to Mingdu are all up to you."
"Also, before you leave, all your storage soul guides, communication soul guides, and all your resources and money will be left behind. You will depart with nothing, and go on your way. Remember, you only have 15 days. If you finish the task and return within the 15 days, you pass. Your score will depend on the strength of your opponent. If you fail to return within the 15 days, you will be considered failed, and all your points will be halved. You don't have to worry about how your score is calculated; the teachers from the academy will follow you secretly. However, they will not intervene, even if you are facing life-threatening danger. So, during the entire final exam, be cautious and avoid facing opponents you cannot handle."
After Shen Yi finished explaining the final exam method, the classroom fell into complete silence.
Xia Yi, however, furrowed his brow slightly. Fifteen days, and so many things to do.
For ordinary two- and three-ringed soul masters, they would have trouble even earning enough for transport, let alone find someone to challenge.
In that case, many students might resort to illegal methods to earn the fare.
"No groups allowed. Everyone must go alone. If anyone is found helping each other, they will be considered failed," Shen Yi added before preparing to leave.
At that moment, Xia Yi raised his hand.
"Speak!" Shen Yi said coldly.
"Teacher Shen, I have a question. What about auxiliary soul masters?" Summer Yi grinned.
He would never admit that he wanted to travel with Gu Yue.
As soon as Xia Yi spoke, several glances immediately turned toward him.
They were all auxiliary soul masters.
They were only support-type, and sending them to challenge opponents five levels higher than them would be a suicide mission.
They had been wondering the same thing, but hadn't dared to ask.
Or rather, they knew that, with their abilities and talents, asking would be useless.
At Shrek Academy, if you wanted to speak, you had to have the strength to back it up.
Otherwise, no one would pay attention to you.
"Auxiliary soul masters." Shen Yi frowned and said, "All auxiliary soul masters, come up and register. You can choose any battle soul master to team up with. However, the opponents you challenge must also be two in number."
"That's more like it," Xia Yi was the first to run up to the podium.
"What are you doing?" Shen Yi asked in confusion.
"Registering," Summer Yi said nonchalantly.
"Registering? Are you an auxiliary soul master?" Shen Yi gritted her teeth and asked.
"Isn't a healing soul master considered an auxiliary soul master?" Summer Yi asked nonchalantly.
"You're..." Shen Yi was about to say "get lost," but suddenly remembered that Wu ZhangKong had mentioned that Xia Yi was indeed a healing soul master.
Xia Yi's strength and dominance had completely made her forget that his first soul skill was a healing one.
Not just her—had Xia Yi not mentioned it, probably no one would have remembered that he had a healing soul skill.
Shen Yi rubbed her white forehead, speechless.
She really didn't know how Xia Yi had the face to claim to be an auxiliary soul master.
Even if he had a support-type soul skill, when had auxiliary soul masters ever clashed head-on with the Spectral Tiger or the Titan Giant Ape?
"Well, am I an auxiliary soul master?" Summer Yi grinned.
"What I mean by auxiliary soul master is a pure support-type. You don't count," Shen Yi refused without hesitation.
She couldn't bring herself to put Xia Yi in the same category as other auxiliary soul masters.
"Alright," Xia Yi shrugged and then asked, "Then let me ask another question. If two people meet on the road, does that count as forming a team?"
Shen Yi felt that Xia Yi wasn't asking innocently, but didn't know how to argue. She could only nod and say, "As long as you don't help each other, it doesn't count as forming a team."
"In that case..." Summer Yi's eyes lit up, and he looked at Shen Yi and asked, "Teacher Shen, are you from the Tang Sect?"
"Tang Sect outer disciple," Shen Yi replied proudly. She had joined the Tang Sect along with Wu ZhangKong.
However, her status in the Tang Sect wasn't as high as Wu ZhangKong's.
"Since that's the case, could you please pass a message to the Tang Sect? From Shrek Academy to Mingdu, through ten cities. Ask them to pick out the strongest disciples under the rank of Soul King, and I'll challenge them one by one," Summer Yi said calmly, as if he were talking about an insignificant matter.
He seemed completely unaware of the cold stares from Tang Wulin's team and Shen Yi.
They knew Summer Yi's strength all too well.
"Under Soul King? You have some nerve," Shen Yi said coldly. Xia Yi was at level 38, so under his challenge, he could be facing opponents of level 49.
"Could it be that the Tang Sect is afraid?" Summer Yi ignored Shen Yi's previous words and deliberately acted hurt, saying, "I remember that the Tang Sect has been around for 20,000 years, and is the combined effort of the Sea God and the God of Emotions. Now you're afraid of a mere Soul Elder? If I were the Sea God, I would be so angry at you unworthy descendants. What about the glory of 20,000 years..."
"Shut up!" Shen Yi suddenly shouted, interrupting Xia Yi's speech. "Fine, I'll report it. Let's see what gives you the courage to challenge the Tang Sect, hmph."
"Count me in," Gu Yue immediately spoke up as soon as Shen Yi agreed.
"Me too," Wu Jin also spoke up.
Rather than go to each city to find opponents, they figured it was better to challenge the Tang Sect directly.
The Tang Sect had branches in every city.
It was perfect.
"Hmph!" Shen Yi snorted coldly and walked out.
That very day, the news that Xia Yi was going to challenge the Tang Sect spread among the first-year students.
The higher-ups of the Tang Sect were furious.
The news had already spread.
The Tang Sect, a twenty-thousand-year-old organization, had no choice but to respond.
But with Xia Yi and his team's strength, if they let them rampage and crush the Tang Sect all the way to Mingdu, the Tang Sect's reputation would be utterly ruined.
"At the very least, we have to win more than half," Tang Sect's Amorous Douluo, Zang Xin, instructed personally.
His voice was firm.
The Tang Sect couldn't back down and couldn't afford to lose.
...
"Achoo!"
Xia Yi sneezed.
"Damn it, let's see who's plotting against me," Xia Yi gritted his teeth.
As time passed, his uneasy feeling grew more and more real.
He felt that someone had been scheming against him.
They had ill intentions toward him.
...
Mingdu, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.
A fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl pouted, "Not happy, not happy. I've been waiting for so long to teach Xia Yi a lesson. He wants to challenge the Tang Sect but doesn't come to Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. Not happy, not happy."
"I can't let this slide. I need to find a good excuse to deal with him. His talent is so strong. If I don't teach him a lesson now, it won't be long before I can't beat him anymore."
(End of Chapter)