"Boom!"
A deep explosion resounded in the center of the arena, followed by a terrifying wave of energy rippling outward in all directions. The once-solid floor shattered to pieces in its path.
The force of the blast momentarily left the surrounding students in stunned silence, before the entire arena began to tremble. On the stands, many students lost their balance and tumbled down like rolling marbles, throwing the crowd into disarray.
The energy wave came and went quickly, fading away as swiftly as it had come. When the dust finally settled, the arena was left in ruins.
In the center of the arena, no stone floor was left intact—only a field of rubble remained. The ground was covered in fragmented tiles, all reduced to debris by the force of that devastating energy.
"Was… was that Xiao Yan's doing?" Wang Yan muttered, his face pale as he took in the ravaged arena.
"What about Dai Huabin?" A voice called out from the stands, and all eyes immediately shifted toward the dust-covered center of the arena.
As the dust settled, Dai Huabin's figure emerged first, sitting on the ground with his face pale, gasping for breath. His cold, indifferent expression had given way to a blank, stunned look. There was a faint dampness around his abdomen, though he appeared to be unharmed.
The spectators were equally stunned. From the explosion they'd witnessed, it seemed impossible for Dai Huabin to come out unscathed, even with the power of the Netherworld White Tiger.
However, as the dust finally dispersed, the reason for Dai Huabin's condition became clear: Shrek Academy's headmaster, Yan Shaozhe, stood in front of him.
Yan Shaozhe's seventh black spirit ring was glowing brightly, and a brilliant phoenix shadow had formed behind him. His outstretched hand hovered over the massive crater left on the ground, indicating he had blocked Xiao Yan's attack with his Martial Spirit Avatar.
The reason Dai Huabin was unscathed was because Yan Shaozhe had intercepted the blow.
"Headmaster Yan? Did that Xiao Yan force the Headmaster to use his Martial Spirit Avatar?" The students on the stands were wide-eyed, exclamations of disbelief echoing all around.
Yan Shaozhe stood unmoving, a grave expression on his face. Slowly, he withdrew his hand, which trembled faintly as he tucked it into his sleeve, his face tight with strain.
Finally, the last of the dust cleared, revealing the black-robed youth with the heavy ruler. Xiao Yan's face was slightly pale, his hands gripping his ruler tightly, his dark eyes fixed on Dai Huabin with a chilling intensity. Had Yan Shaozhe not intervened, Xiao Yan was confident his Flame Splitting Tsunami Blade could have ended Dai Huabin.
The strain of using this powerful Dou Technique left Xiao Yan drained, but the technique's potency filled him with satisfaction. With this skill, he knew he would be able to challenge much stronger opponents in the future.
Under the silent gaze of everyone, Yan Shaozhe turned his eyes to Xiao Yan, his voice calm but firm as it carried through the arena, "Young man, your team has won this year's freshman assessment!"
Yan Shaozhe's words echoed across the arena, causing a brief moment of stunned silence before the freshmen of Class Seven erupted in cheers. Overcome with excitement, some students hugged each other without a second thought.
"Class Seven is the champion! Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan!"
"Lan Susu, I like you!"
"Xiao Yan, I adore you…"
Hearing the jubilant cheers around him, Xiao Yan managed a faint smile, holding his chest as he coughed softly. He turned to Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu, saying, "Luckily, I didn't disappoint."
Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu immediately stepped forward to support him, concern etched on their faces. "You look so exhausted. Are you okay?" they asked worriedly.
"I'm fine, just a bit worn out," Xiao Yan assured them with a smile.
At that moment, Yan Shaozhe's robe suddenly tore in the back, revealing deep claw marks. Seeing this, Dai Huabin frowned and, ignoring his exhaustion, got to his feet, protesting, "Headmaster, how is it that they won? We should be the winners! Our Netherworld White Tiger left claw marks on you."
"What did that guy's attack do?"
Yan Shaozhe turned to Dai Huabin, his gaze cold. "The Netherworld White Tiger is powerful, but it pales in comparison to Xiao Yan's attack. It only managed to scratch me because I first took Xiao Yan's blow head-on. I am a Title Douluo—I can tell who is stronger."
"I'll say it again: the champions of this year's freshman assessment are Xiao Yan, Lan Luoluo, and Lan Susu. Their extraordinary performance earned them a deserved victory."
Yan Shaozhe's confirmation of the outcome only made Dai Huabin's face twist with frustration.
"I'm still standing, am I not?" Dai Huabin's voice suddenly rang out again, defiance lacing his words. "Even if that attack hit me, the Netherworld White Tiger wouldn't necessarily have lost."
"Yes, we haven't lost! We can still fight!" Zhu Lu echoed, her tone defiant. In her mind, if the Netherworld White Tiger had clashed with Xiao Yan's attack head-on, it wouldn't necessarily have lost. Yan Shaozhe's intervention had muddied the outcome.
"Silence!" Yan Shaozhe's face darkened as he snapped, "Dai Huabin, if you dare question my judgment again, I'll expel you from Shrek Academy. Don't think your family's influence will shield you."
Seeing that Yan Shaozhe was clearly angry, Dai Huabin clenched his fists, wanting to protest but not daring to. After all, this was Shrek Academy, a place where even his father, Dai Hao, would show respect.
In a place like Shrek Academy, even if his father himself came here, he'd have to kneel before the statues of the original Shrek Seven Devils. What could Dai Huabin possibly do?
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