Huo Yuhao finally nodded in satisfaction and waved over Xiao Xiao and Yu Lei, who had not resisted much in order to preserve their strength and had been easily defeated by Gu Yuena and Zhu Lu.
Looking at Wang Dong'er, who had confidently claimed she would defeat the others before the fight, now looking utterly defeated, Xiao Xiao couldn't hold back a chuckle.
Although Wang Dong'er looked like she'd been tormented, Xiao Xiao knew that Huo Yuhao had shown mercy by merely tickling her. She just needed a moment to recover, and it wouldn't affect their team's overall fighting strength.
"Thank you," Xiao Xiao softly thanked Huo Yuhao as she took Wang Dong'er from his arms. When he walked away, she turned to Wang Dong'er with a mischievous look.
"Captain Wang, how does it feel to be defeated by tickling?"
"I—I wasn't ready for that! Besides, who would have guessed that guy, Huo Yuhao, would use such a ridiculous trick," Wang Dong'er muttered, sneaking a glance toward Huo Yuhao, who was heading over to Gu Yuena and Zhu Lu. Her pink-blue eyes flickered with a complex emotion.
"I definitely won't lose next time!"
"Really? So next time, you won't be afraid of being tickled?"
At that, Wang Dong'er choked, then snapped, feeling both shy and annoyed, "Whose side are you on!? I'm already miserable enough, and you're still siding with him? You even thanked him just now—what's that supposed to mean? Let's see if you're ticklish!"
"No, I'm sorry, Captain! Hahaha…"
Since she'd already gone through the suffering, Wang Dong'er took her revenge on Xiao Xiao with ruthless tickling. Finally, when she caught her breath, she said with a slight scowl, "Never mention this again. Next time I meet him, there's no way I'll let him tickle me like that!"
"The three-day freshman assessment has ended. Our class had four teams eliminated, but twelve teams made it to the top sixty-four. Congratulations to everyone here on being able to stay at Shrek Academy for the rest of the academic year. Your three months of hard work have paid off," Zhang Lexuan announced, her gaze sweeping across the room.
"Besides that, two of our class teams achieved undefeated records. Only seven teams in the entire grade managed that. Among the first-years, our class is, without a doubt, the best."
At her words, Dai Huabin, one of the undefeated teams' members, couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as his eyes subtly flicked over to Huo Yuhao.
For the first time, Dai Huabin felt his fear of Huo Yuhao lessen.
After all, he wasn't the same person who used to tremble in fear at the Duke's mansion. Now, they were both undefeated captains. Dai Huabin had led his team to victory, while Huo Yuhao had relied on a much stronger teammate, Gu Yuena, to achieve the same.
Even though Huo Yuhao managed to defeat the Outer Court Twin Stars, it was due to his unusual spirit abilities. Besides, that Beibei fellow was only at the same level as him, a Soul Elder.
Seeing it this way, the gap between himself and Huo Yuhao wasn't as vast as he had once thought, and there was no reason to continue fearing him.
Holding back his excitement, Dai Huabin clenched his fists.
Just wait, Huo Yuhao.
I'll make sure you suffer for the pain you put me through!
Unaware of Dai Huabin's thoughts, Huo Yuhao's mind wandered as Zhang Lexuan spoke. He thought of the first-year classes he remembered from his previous life.
Unlike the previous timeline, this year's freshman Class One not only had Tang San but also included classmates like Zhou Sicheng, Cao Jinxuan, Wang Dong'er, and Xiao Xiao, who used to be in Class Ten in his past life.
But even with such members, Class One's performance hadn't been stellar.
After the ten rounds of the round-robin competition, he noticed there were only thirteen teams left from Class One, with one team failing to make it into the top 150 and getting eliminated outright.
The current Class One had fewer than forty students, a stark contrast to the more than twenty teams that all made it to the finals in his past life.
Upon further thought, Huo Yuhao understood the reason. In his previous life, his presence, as a student with a unique white spirit ring and eleven ranks of spirit power, had inspired others.
With him as an example, Class One's students had developed greater resilience and perseverance, rising to new heights.
But in this life, without him, Class One students had struggled under Zhou Yi's grueling training regime, leading to many students dropping out. The fact that they still had forty students left was already impressive.
"Now, I'll explain the elimination round rules to the twelve advancing teams. If you're not interested, feel free to study on your own."
"The elimination round will include sixty-four teams. Losing a match does not incur penalties, but it will end your participation in the tournament. The winning team advances to the next round until the top three teams remain, who will receive academy awards."
Zhang Lexuan glanced over at Huo Yuhao, smiling slightly, before continuing.
"Let me add that this year's freshmen are much stronger than previous years. Out of the first-years, five students have reached the rank of Soul Elder, which is rare. Apart from the two Soul Elders in our class, I'm sure everyone already knows the most significant threat to teams aiming for the championship."
Hearing her reminder, the class exchanged knowing smiles.
Who else but the infamous "Naked God of War," who made his name in the bathhouse brawl?
Though the title was a bit embarrassing, everyone had to admit that the student named after the legendary Tang San was impressively strong.
Dai Huabin, however, wasn't smiling. His face turned dark as he remembered that his opponent had risen to fame by stepping over him. Yet despite his anger, he felt a sense of helplessness. Having experienced Huo Yuhao's strength firsthand, he was acutely aware of the gap between them.
The freshman assessment allowed the use of hidden weapons. His only chance of victory lay in Huo Yuhao facing off against Tang San in a brutal, draining fight, leaving him a chance to seize the crown.
"That's all. You're dismissed."
After a day's rest, the top sixty-four teams returned to the examination grounds, the tournament's elimination phase about to start.
Amused, Huo Yuhao noticed Zhang Lexuan, whose youthful appearance made her stand out among the other instructors.
"Huo Yuhao."
Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded beside him.
He turned to see Wang Dong'er approaching. Her teammates, Xiao Xiao and the other, were absent. Seeing her hesitation, he asked with curiosity.
"What's up?"
Wang Dong'er looked around, pretending to act nonchalantly, and replied, "Nothing. I just thought you might lose quickly, so I came to cheer you on."
".?"
Huo Yuhao was stunned, his eyes widening as he looked her up and down, then hesitantly asked, "You didn't develop a tickling addiction, did you?"
"No way!" Wang Dong'er's face flushed red.
"I just think you're reasonably strong, and since you know my identity, I want you to help me beat up the guy tarnishing my clan's name."
"."
Huo Yuhao blinked, momentarily stunned.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Wang Dong'er's puzzled expression, Huo Yuhao glanced at her, then subtly turned his head to where Tang San was eavesdropping nearby.
Wang Dong'er's words weren't exactly quiet, and Tang San heard them clearly, leaving him frozen in shock.
He'd rushed over, worried that Huo Yuhao might do something to Wang Dong'er, only to overhear his daughter asking another guy to beat up her own father.
"Of course," Wang Dong'er said without hesitation, balling her fists with an indignant look. "I've been fed up with that guy for a while. If I could beat him myself—"
She hesitated, glancing at Huo Yuhao with a complicated expression before whispering, "Of course, he's a bit of a monster, but his strength is undeniable. I'm just saying, if you encounter him, don't push yourself too hard. If you can't win, it's okay to give up."
She added quietly, as if talking to herself, "It's not like I'm worried about you or anything. I just don't want him getting more arrogant."
!!!
Tang San's eyes widened.
What's this supposed to mean?
After what he did to you, and you're worried about his safety!?
Huo Yuhao couldn't hold back a smirk as he glanced at Tang San, who was visibly seething, his fists clenched, and his whole body trembling with rage. Silently, Huo Yuhao marveled at the situation.
What a tragedy.
After stifling a laugh, Huo Yuhao nodded solemnly, "Don't worry. Leave it to me."
"Alright, take care of yourself," Wang Dong'er said, patting his shoulder with a pleased smile. "If you beat him, I'll treat you to a meal!"
With that, she walked away to rejoin her teammates.
Watching her leave, Huo Yuhao glanced at Tang San, now out of sight, and finally let out a laugh.
With the captains drawing lots, the elimination round, promising more intense battles, officially began.
(End of Chapter)