Book 4: The Golden Road
Chapter 24.3: The Bet
Zhou Yi said, “Okay, you two should quickly start eating. Once you’re done, go back and take a small rest. The afternoon match is going to start soon. I’ll be reporting this matter to the higher-ups. If you’re selected as a core disciple of the outer courtyard, the Academy will provide you these top-ranked dishes free of charge. I’m pretty sure you can imagine how much this’ll benefit your cultivation. However, possessing a martial soul fusion skill doesn’t mean that you’ll definitely be selected as a core disciple. Remember, our Shrek Academy has no lack of geniuses. Your final ranking in the knock-out tournament will greatly affect your chances at entering the circle of core disciples. Truth is, I managed to graduate from the outer courtyard during my time, but I wasn’t able to become a core disciple, much less obtain the qualifications to enter the inner courtyard. But for you two, becoming a core disciple is an important step that’ll help you to enter the inner courtyard. Out of all the core disciples that’ve been in Shrek Academy, over half of them managed to pass the inner courtyard’s assessment. Also, becoming a core disciple signifies that you’ll receive even more help from Academy teachers. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” The two replied together. Then, they immediately gorged themselves silly.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong immediately acknowledged Zhou Yi’s praise of the Academy’s chefs. Huo Yuhao was still somewhat better; he’d never tried these types of high-ranked foodstuffs before. However, Wang Dong differed from him. He’d eaten these delicacies in the past, but the flavours created by his family’s chefs couldn’t compare to the dishes cooked by the Academy’s canteen.
Once they finished eating, the two instantly felt their bodies heat up. This was especially true for their stomachs; waves of warmth spread through their entire bodies, causing an indescribable relaxing feeling to arise. Sure enough, you really got what you paid for!
Zhou Yi followed them all the way to the dorm entrance. Before leaving, she placed her hand on Huo Yuhao’s shoulder and whispered, “Since you weren’t born as a noble, use your own strength to become one.”
With that, she turned and left. Ever since the meal had started, her icy expression seemed to have disappeared.
The old man who seemed to be the dormitory manager, yet never cared about anything, continued to lean on his recliner. He seemed to have heard Zhou Yi’s words, and mumbled something in response, but nobody heard him.
After Huo Yuhao greeted the old man as he usually did, he returned to his dorm room along with Wang Dong. They’d just finished eating, but they had to cultivate for a while. After all, wasting time was disgraceful! Furthermore, the afternoon match clearly wouldn’t be as effortless as the morning match.
When the afternoon bell rang, the freshmen assessment’s knock-out tournament’s round of sixteen officially began.
When compared to the morning, the number of competing students had decreased by a half. Once they drew their lots again, the students immediately headed toward their designated areas to start their respective matches.
The layout of the area hadn’t changed, as this match was being held on the same day as the previous match. However, only the first 16 battlefields were used for the matches.
There was a tall stage erected by the northern part of the Assessment Area. This stage was 20 meters above the ground, and was supported by six metallic pillars. From the ground, it was impossible to see the number of people the stage contained. However, there were vague figures up there, as if there were people who were watching their matches. On the other hand, a distance of 20 meters from the ground was enough to overlook the entire Assessment Area, allowing the people up there to clearly see the state of every match.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong weren’t late this time around. Instead, they came to the Assessment Area very early to draw their lots, causing Xiao Xiao to sigh in relief.
This time, they were assigned to the eighth arena. By the time they arrived at the arena, the other team who’d been assigned to the eighth arena as well had already arrived.
To Huo Yuhao’s astonishment, their opponents were all girls. Furthermore, they were young ladies who were very pretty.
The Spectator’s Stage.
Zhou Yi quietly stood on the stage, surveying the matches that were about to start. Class 1 had been the biggest winner among the ten classes during the round-robin tournament, but a few strong students had begun to reveal their true potential and strength when the knock-out tournament started. After the round of 32, only five teams from Class 1 remained. Although their numbers were greater than those from the other classes, their dominance was no longer that obvious.
The round of 32 was extremely crucial.
“Teacher Zhou, are you looking for your seeded team? I’ve just looked at the lots, and coincidentally, the seeded team you’ve chosen just so happened to meet up with the seeded team from my class. They’re over there at the eighth arena. Say, who do you think will win?”
A thirty-or-so-year-old female teacher had walked up to Zhou Yi, and spoken with an amused tone.
Zhou Yi immediately squinted, “Mu Jin, do you think that your students will win for sure?”
Although Mu Jin wasn’t young, her appearance could definitely be described using the words ‘young and pretty’. She smiled, shaking her head. “That’s not true. There are no absolutes in this world. However, I’ve heard that there aren’t any particularly outstanding talents from your class this time around. At the very least, I’ve heard that you don’t have any students who’re above Rank 30. What a pity.”
Zhou Yi’s gaze turned chilly. “Are you trying to provoke me?”
Mu Jin’s smiling expression instantly vanished, “So what if I am? Doesn’t your Class 1 have good results? I want to see how many of the students who you’ve taught can get into the top 8. When I saw that my seeded team was paired up against your seeded team, I felt very happy. Ever since you expelled my disciples even when I bitterly begged you not to, this is the first time that I’ve felt this happy. I’ve heard that you want to be promoted to a senior teacher, but aih, you might be out of luck again.”
However, Zhou Yi didn’t pay attention to Mu Jin’s provoking look. She cast her gaze down to the arenas below her, and fixed her eyes onto the eighth arena that Huo Yuhao’s team was on. Then, she indifferently said, “Would you like to make a bet with me?”
Mu Jin’s objective had been to enrage and humiliate Zhou Yi. Thus, she didn’t hesitate to reply after hearing Zhou Yi’s words. “A bet? What’re you betting with me?”
Zhou Yi finally stopped ignoring her. Turning around, she spoke with a serious tone. “One soul bone. Do you dare to bet with me?”
After hearing the words ‘soul bone’, Mu Jin’s eyes suddenly shrank.
A soul ring was already an extremely precious item to a soul masters, as a soul master needed a soul ring to be able to breakthrough the existence known as a bottleneck.
However, soul bones were a hundred times more precious than soul rings. Every soul master could fuse with six soul bones, which were the skull bone, the torso bone, and the four limb bones.
Every soul ring could give a soul master one skill, while a hundred thousand year ring could give two skills. In other words, an ordinary soul master who managed to cultivate his way to the nine-ringed Titled Douluo stage should possess nine skills. On the other hand, soul bones were a completely different story altogether. Every soul bone would give a soul master another skill, and would drastically increase the strength of the body part it was added to.
Soul rings were items that soul beasts would definitely produce, but that wasn’t the case for soul bones; only hundred thousand year soul beasts would definitely produce soul bones. On the other hand, soul beasts below the hundred thousand year rank would only have a one percent chance of producing a soul bone! The appearance of any soul bone would definitely cause a scramble among soul masters.