Whale Island University had a total of eight天王-level professors.
But... Not every professor was actually at the school. In reality, the天王的 often spent more time in the New World than on campus. They would come and go, returning periodically before leaving again.
"Aside from those three天王s who haven't shown up at school for quite a while, the other five all actually came?"
Wooden Forest天王: Wu Cuizhi! Martial Combat天王: Bu Tu! Gale Wind天王: Yu Hongfei! Vast Ocean天王: Wei Mingyuan! Demon Ghost天王: Yan Lanhui!
Yan天王 was the only female天王, middle-aged, exuding a cold and sharp aura. Many instructors merely greeted her, seemingly afraid to get too close.
Bu天王 had the most striking physique among them. Even from the platform where Su Hao and the other students stood, a good distance from the central observation deck, they could still make out Bu天王's imposing frame and explosively jaw-dropping muscles.
This天王 was the easiest to recognize—one glance left a lasting impression.
As for the others, Su Hao could only infer they might be天王s by seeing them seated in the front row.
"But that one... why does he look a bit familiar?"
That day, Wu天王 had merely had glossy, thick black hair with no particular presence. But today, a puppet stood behind him, its psychic power stirring up a slight breeze, making Wu天王's hair and clothes flutter gently. There even seemed to be some kind of eye-catching special effect. Projecting an aura of a big shot.
...
As the five天王-level big shots took their seats, the challenge segment entered its preparation phase.
An instructor stepped onto the high platform. Beside him followed a Nightmare Owl—the final evolution of the Cotton Owl. As a spirit adept at using sound, it amplified the instructor's voice to carry far and wide.
"Now, for the freshmen intending to participate in the challenge segment, release your spirits freely. You have five minutes to prepare. You may choose to occupy advantageous terrain, ally with other spirits, or brew your finishing moves, and so on... In five minutes, a no-holds-barred battle begins."
As the instructor's words fell, many spirits immediately moved, dashing toward the exits of the surrounding platforms and entering the simulated battlefield below. Flying spirits had it much easier.
The Dream Butterfly let out a "Gunuo" and dove from the platform dozens of meters high. The Fire Velvet Crow and Water Scale Beast followed closely behind. One spread its wings, the other stepped through the air—the three spirits quickly landed on the battlefield, taking a high ground position.
...
On the observation deck, the instructors watched the spirits and exchanged remarks.
"Twenty-nine elite-level in total, five more than last year." "Not bad, not bad. There should be some promising talents among them." "The two I had my eye on last year didn't pan out—their progress by sophomore year was just average... I think we should focus on uncovering hidden gems instead; those are the real potential stocks." "The challenge segment is meant to give outstanding freshmen a chance to shine. How can the weak perform? We have to wait for them to gradually stand out before we know who's a gem." "But we have to finalize our student lists by September 1st, at least three each... Can't we take it slow and dig for potential?" "Then you'll have to take that up with the principal..."
The instructors chatted about who was a good prospect, who came from which spirit-summoning family. Occasionally, they glanced at the five seated at the very front. "If there really are standout talents, they won't be ours to claim anyway."
...
In the front row of the observation deck, four天王s each occupied a seat. Bu天王 took up two, the chairs creaking and groaning as if barely holding up. "Terrible quality! Who's in charge of procurement?"
The instructors behind him twitched their mouths. With your build and muscle density, don't you have any self-awareness?! Of course, they dared not say it aloud.
But Wu天王 glanced over, finding it hard to watch. "Muscle-head Tu, can you have some sense? You're destroying school property! "The weather's so nice—why aren't you out working out? What are you doing here?"
Bu天王 replied, "Attending the freshmen challenge segment is what we professors should do, isn't it?" Sitting uncomfortably, he yanked at the chair, tearing the entire backrest off with a crack. Staring at the backrest in his hand, Bu天王 silently stood up. He summoned a Master Hound—the smallest of all his spirits.
When the Master Hound, standing about 1.6 or 1.7 meters tall, appeared, it looked up at its summoner, who was several heads taller, and silently... extended both paws. A yellow glow emerged, forming a hard, sturdy stone chair that could accommodate Bu天王's size. Bu天王 knocked on it, found it satisfactory, and sat down. The Master Hound, its task complete, vanished in a flash.
The other天王s: "..."
Wu天王, in particular, felt his eyelids twitch. Since when did Old Bu, that muscle-bound demon, have the patience to watch a bunch of rookies fight? And what about Old Wei, Hongfei, and that woman—why were they all here? Coincidence?
Wu天王 pondered, observing the others without changing his expression. Old Wei and Hongfei, like him, spent more time at school and attended the opening challenge segment more often. Their presence didn't surprise Wu天王 too much. But...
"No need to panic, no need to panic. Even if they've noticed Xiao Su's excellence, I've laid the groundwork early. I still have the biggest advantage!" Wu天王 quietly watched the battle unfold.
...
The simulated battlefield's area rivaled twenty or thirty football fields. For a 5v5 intercollegiate league match, the space was ample, supporting many tactical arrangements. But with roughly six or seven hundred spirits flooding in all at once, the scene was chaotic.
This was, after all, a prestigious school. Every freshman was a standout among their peers, and their spirits were well-trained. Chaotic as it was, they held back, not breaking into fights before the official start. The observing instructors nodded slightly.
Su Hao walked to the edge of the platform, looking down. Dense foliage and steep cliffs obstructed the view, but he could still grasp the overall situation. Whether one could relay information to their spirits mid-battle through the contract was also a test of a freshman's skill.
Su Hao then looked toward the far end of the battlefield, where he couldn't see. "I heard eight sophomore seniors have already sent their spirits in early. "The highlight of the challenge segment is whether we can beat the seniors' spirits."
Winning through a group fight still counted as a win. Organizational ability was also part of demonstrating strength. But in the complex environment, those experienced sophomore spirits wouldn't leave many opportunities to be ganged up on.
"Too bad, the distance is too far—I can't see those spirits' info." Su Hao's panel's mini-map had a limited range. Besides, with thousands of spirits around the simulated battlefield, it was hard for him to filter through them one by one. He'd have to rely on the Dream Butterfly to handle it on its own.
...
Inside the battlefield, the Dream Butterfly and its two companions occupied a high-ground area, observing their surroundings. Some spirits hid in the jungle. Others ran around, seemingly unable to find a place to settle. Still others grouped together—six or seven, eight or nine, even over a dozen.
"Strange, why isn't anyone asking to team up with me?" Su Hao rubbed his chin, feeling it shouldn't be the case. Was it because he was too handsome and didn't fit in with others? He thought so.
The instructor on the high platform gave the order. Boom~! The battle began.
Some spirits struck first—flames, frost, water bullets... various moves interwove into a hail of attacks. A few spirits were fighting, chasing and fleeing, when they stumbled upon the Su family battle group. They spotted three spirits that looked like trouble.
One spirit let out a roar, and the six spirits that had been brawling suddenly joined forces, charging at the little ones. Fierce and aggressive.
"Xilu?" The Water Scale Beast requested to join the fight. But it was denied.
Acting as the commander, the Dream Butterfly drifted down from the high ground at a leisurely pace. Its butterfly wings stirred up faint green glimmers. Its gaze swept across.
In those watery, big eyes, mist seemed to swirl, dreamlike and illusory. The few spirits in the middle of using their moves froze. The next moment, they collapsed with a thud.