A twelve-year-old Soul Master does have the right to be proud," Su Wen said with a grin, his gaze fixed on the thin boy walking into the arena below.
Xiao Yan's face was still youthful, yet tinged with arrogance—a confidence nurtured by endless praise.
"The inner court is never short on geniuses," Elder Gong scoffed. "Any one of them could beat him senseless.
And you, brat, don't act like you're detached from worldly affairs."
"You became a Soul Venerable at ten. Forget his peers—could he even take one move from you right now?"
"It's good for young people to be modest, but don't start acting like an old man with one foot in the grave," Elder Gong said disdainfully.
"It's a pity you're not in the same grade as him. Otherwise, you could've knocked that arrogance right out of him. I can't stand watching him."
"…"
Su Wen shrugged and continued watching the match.
The surrounding teachers' expressions shifted—especially Zhou Yi's. Her nails dug deep into her palms.
This child was clearly not the offspring of any outer court teacher.
Rather, he was a genuine little monster from the inner court.
Like Ma Xiaotao—whose background was unknown, but whose terrifying talent alone said everything.
Reaching the Soul Master realm at ten years old—
Even among Shrek Academy's sea of monsters, that was a feat worthy of being written into history.
As long as he didn't die young, he was almost guaranteed to become one of Shrek Academy's pillars.
Mu Jin, however, went from shock to pure delight.
She caught the crucial detail.
This child was only ten years old.
Which meant—he would enroll next year.
Teaching someone like him wasn't just about "results."
It was an outrageous political asset.
In the future, when Su Wen rose to a high position within the academy, a single sentence from him could decide countless matters.
Zhou Yi tortured her students day after day, all for a so-called Outstanding Teacher selection within the Martial Soul Department—wasn't it all for something like this?
Mu Jin almost wanted to laugh out loud.
Zhou Yi had brought this upon herself.
No matter what, this child would never enter Zhou Yi's class.
For disciples from other sects, choosing their own class at Shrek Academy was extremely difficult—but this boy clearly didn't have such concerns.
With a single word, he could probably choose any instructor he wanted.
One less competitor.
Perfect.
…
Even so, Mu Jin hesitated and didn't step forward to speak.
Several other teachers preparing to lead future classes were also tempted.
They exchanged glances, but all maintained neutral expressions as they continued watching the match.
"Roar—roar—roar!"
Xiao Yan let out a series of roars.
His body suddenly changed.
His arms thickened and lengthened, sharp claws extending from his fingers. His legs shortened, and a blood-red tail burst forth from behind him.
His entire body transformed into a small blood-red baboon, but one arm shimmered with an eerie silver hue.
"This is his martial soul—the Blood Silver Baboon," Mu Jin said with a smile upon seeing Su Wen's surprised look. Thinking her opportunity had arrived, she stepped forward and explained naturally.
"It's a mutated form of the Blood Red Baboon, the strongest baboon species in the Star Dou Great Forest.
It possesses both bloodlust and metallic attributes."
"Metallic defensive properties?" Su Wen nodded thoughtfully.
Bloodlust acted like a berserk buff, explosively boosting combat power.
Metallic attributes enhanced both attack and defense.
Among mutated beast-type martial souls, Xiao Yan was undeniably fortunate.
Seeing Su Wen nod politely, Mu Jin was overjoyed.
The other teachers watching nearby looked annoyed.
What a wasted opportunity.
"Tch, kid," Elder Gong sneered, "which soul beast are you planning to use to beat him up?"
"Little Gold," Su Wen thought for a moment. "It's safer."
"Alright—Little Gold it is!" Elder Gong chuckled maliciously and whispered something to a staff member behind him.
As the arena staff hurried away,
Mu Jin and the other teachers grew increasingly confused.
What did they mean by his soul beast?
Was this a beast-taming martial soul?
At the same time—
a deafening roar erupted from behind the iron fence.
An overwhelming pressure descended upon the arena, instantly silencing everyone.
Xiao Yan, who had been brimming with confidence moments earlier, froze in place. The roar nearly forced his martial soul back into his body.
As the gate slowly rose,
a dark-gold bear resembling a dinosaur, nearly four meters tall, slowly stepped into view.
"Gulp…"
Xiao Yan swallowed hard, his neck stiff as he stared at the assessment area.
"You want me to fight that?
No—
just say you want me dead!
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