"Wang Li, once the evaluation is over, immediately remove that guy from the list of candidates. How can our Tian Dou Royal Academy accept such a despicable and shameless character?"
Wang Li looked puzzled. "But, Teacher Sun, that kid didn't actually violate any of the academy's selection rules. He only had a minor conflict with another student. We can't expel him just like that. It'd be hard to explain to the three commissioners too."
"I don't need you to teach me. I know his background very well. That little baron is already the backbone of his family. The commissioners won't make a fuss about it."
"Also, remember this: when dealing with people who have no real background, you can afford to think independently. Otherwise, what's the difference between a person without independent thought and a salted fish?" Sun Buyu said helplessly.
"I understand!"
Wang Li nodded, then added, "I'll make sure he's gone right after the evaluation."
…
Gu Yecheng glanced down at the heavy, clumsy tag-along beside him—what a disgusting nuisance. This leech was slowing him down.
Gu Yecheng asked, "Why are you targeting me?"
The sausage-lipped boy replied, "No reason. I just don't like you. Plus, you called me an idiot earlier. I'm dragging you down with me."
Gu Yecheng said, "I didn't call you an idiot!"
The boy snapped, "You think I'm dumb? You really think I wouldn't notice if you insulted me?"
Gu Yecheng was speechless. The world really was full of all sorts. No matter how he tried to shake this guy off, he wouldn't go away. With no better option, Gu Yecheng kept running—with this giant meatball of a person in tow.
Up ahead, a man with a garlic-shaped nose saw Gu Yecheng stuck and jeered mockingly, "Ha! That's what you get for calling me an idiot! I only need to use a few tricks to make someone else take you down for me."
As Gu Yecheng ran, he glared at the garlic-nosed guy, who kept glancing smugly back. His temper flared. He cursed under his breath, "Damn bastard…"
"What?! He's calling me an idiot again?!"
The garlic-nosed man seemed to hear Gu Yecheng's muttering, turning back with a sneer. "Motherf—! Still got the nerve to insult me? Time to teach you a lesson."
He took out a Soul Tool the sausage-lipped boy had given him and channeled his soul power into it. The contents were all cheap tricks—thumbtacks, banana peels… just for show. Ignoring the silly traps, he pulled out a medium-sized bear trap and dropped it directly onto the path.
"Heh, let's see how you handle this."
Seeing the trap, Gu Yecheng smirked with disdain. "You guys want to play games? Fine. I'll play along."
He stopped running, his eyes narrowed with a mischievous grin. Then, still dragging the heavy tag-along with him, he stepped directly into the bear trap.
A blood-curdling scream echoed immediately.
"AHHHH! Help! My baby's injured! Get me to the infirmary—now!"
"Sigh… was that really necessary?" Gu Yecheng shook his head.
Originally, Gu Yecheng had intended for the trap to snap the guy on the backside—but when the sausage-lipped boy wiggled his hips at the last second, it snapped somewhere a lot worse…
Hearing the terrible scream, the garlic-nosed man looked back and saw the sausage-lipped guy cradling his groin, his dignity shattered. Instantly, his confidence crumbled.
Gu Yecheng had finally shaken off the leech—thanks, in a twisted way, to garlic-nose's help. But now, garlic-nose realized the tables had turned and panicked. Gu Yecheng was charging toward him with a deadly glare. He had to move faster or else…
"Heh, you think you can outrun me?"
Gu Yecheng stared at him like a cat toying with a mouse. The hunter and prey had switched roles—Gu Yecheng now had the upper hand.
He had used his Red Lotus Weakening Skill not on himself, but on the sausage-lipped guy. Normally, the skill reduces damage Gu Yecheng takes or weakens an opponent's defense. And it can be transferred freely.
At the moment of transfer, Gu Yecheng suddenly felt the full weight of his armor—his shoulders nearly gave out under the heavy copper plates. But he endured.
The sausage-lipped guy, now glowing faintly red, had been left with nearly no defense at all. Even a pebble could cause him agonizing pain—let alone a bear trap designed to catch small creatures.
The garlic-nosed man began to regret everything. He muttered, "What kind of monster is this guy? What did he do to him?"
"My bro's Soul Spirit is supposed to be super tanky. His first soul skill boosts all attributes—he could slam into a boulder and not flinch. So why is he in such pain now? And how did that guy break free so easily?"
Indeed, if the sausage-lipped guy had stronger soul power than Gu Yecheng, his defense wouldn't have crumbled. Unfortunately for him, his soul power was far weaker, making his defenses virtually nonexistent.
And that's the true terror of Gu Yecheng's Hellfire Red Lotus, an auxiliary-type Soul Spirit with terrifying offensive potential. Even though Gu Yecheng is technically a support-type Soul Master, with the enemy's defense gone, he might as well be a power-type attacker.
This reveals another detail: Gu Yecheng's innate ten-year soul ring has an armor-breaking effect, which scales based on the difference in soul power. Against someone weaker, it breaks nearly all their defense—reducing them to mere mortals.
"Sh*t, how is he so fast?!"
The garlic-nosed man was stunned—Gu Yecheng had picked up speed dramatically, despite wearing over 80 pounds of copper armor. Rather than slowing him down, it only increased his momentum. A collision with him now would send someone flying.
The garlic-nosed guy had chosen the "Stone Basket" item and could only maintain balance by bending over, even with soul power active. He was running out of juice—his soul power level was only around 10-plus after all.
He spotted a narrow side path ahead. One look behind at Gu Yecheng, filled with rage, and he panicked. Rules be damned—he wasn't about to lose his manhood over this.
Without hesitation, he darted down the small path, hoping Gu Yecheng wouldn't follow.
Sure enough, Gu Yecheng let him go and continued the assessment.
Watching garlic-nose flee, Gu Yecheng snorted coldly, "Weren't you the one who liked playing games? What, scared now?"
There are plenty of bullies like that in the world. Gu Yecheng didn't care for petty drama—but if someone picked a fight with him, they'd better be ready to bleed. Preferably in red.
With those two out of the way, the rest of Gu Yecheng's assessment went much smoother.
Soon, he arrived at the third section. He threw his copper armor aside into a nearby shed and retracted his soul power, saving the rest for the final section—which was tailored for support-type Soul Masters.
The third section favored control-type Soul Masters. The ground looked like a frozen lake—slippery and hard to run on. Without solid footing, you'd struggle. But for control-types, it was paradise.
At that moment, a beautiful young girl was comfortably in first place. It was obvious from this section that she had to be a control-type.
Even the examiner, Sun Buyu, praised her talent, saying she was a rare gem.
But there was something strange: her name was "Jiuying," and she looked about nine years old, yet the registration listed her age as sixteen. That was certainly odd.
Sun Buyu told Wang Li, "We can't lay hands on anyone from the Spirit Hall, but keep an eye on her. I have a feeling something's not right."
Back on the track, the rankings stood as follows:
1st place – Jiuying
2nd – Kong Long
3rd – Xi Yao
4th – Wuqing
5th – Cai Xiang
6th – Duoduo
7th – Wang Ba
...
Last place – Gu Yecheng
...
(End of Chapter)
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