In the Dean's office of Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy, a man dressed in black, with deep-set eyes and a somewhat cynical aura, sat in a chair, looking out the window.
Sparse clouds drifted in the azure sky, slowly moving with the wind, while the bright sun hung high above.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
Three young individuals entered. The one leading them bore a seven or eight-tenths resemblance to the man, only appearing more youthful, yet he possessed a more composed demeanor than the man.
"Father, you called for us," Hun Yufeng said.
"Clan Leader!" Hun Jin and Hun Hunsheng, who were beside him, respectfully bowed.
"Yufeng, don't be so serious. Young people should have more vitality and sharpness," Hun Zheng said with a smile.
"It's precisely because of your attitude that the clan has experienced a significant loss of talent, and so many have gone to pledge allegiance to the former Soul Clan Leader who was expelled, joining the Soul Hall."
The gentle smile Mu Chen first saw on Hun Yufeng's face was gone. He spoke with a stern face and a low voice.
Hun Zheng did not defend himself, merely smiling as he said:
"Isn't this good too? The clan members have better development and can see a broader world. We should offer our blessings. After all, the blood of my Soul Clan flows within them."
"I beg to differ… The world only knows the Soul Hall, not the Soul Clan. I want to change all of this. I will make the Soul Clan's prestige resound throughout the Great Thousand World, becoming an existence like the Ancient Buddha Clan and the Moke Ancient Clan." The young man looked directly at his father, his gaze filled with determination.
Hun Zheng's face still held that cynical smile:
"Since you've chosen your path, then go down it. Whether as the Soul Clan Leader or as your father, I have no reason to object."
"Why did you call for us? It shouldn't just be for a chat, right?" Hun Yufeng's expression was serious.
"Your seriousness makes it hard for me to say 'yes.' Let me find a reason… Hmm, let me think… How's that new friend you made?" Hun Zheng asked.
"A new friend? Are you referring to Mu Chen?" Hun Yufeng raised an eyebrow. "It's quite surprising that he would pique your interest… I haven't had much contact with him, just a brief encounter."
He paused, glancing to his right rear: "Husheng, you brought this person. You tell us."
"Uh… His grilled meat is very delicious, but not as good as Luo Li's," Hun Hunsheng replied without hesitation.
Hun Zheng's smile subtly faded, and he said with a touch of exasperation:
"Child, knowing how to enjoy life is a good thing, but this is clearly not the topic we should be discussing now.
"Perhaps you can discuss your experiences in this area with your Dean afterwards; she might be interested.
"From this limited contact, what are your thoughts on Mu Chen? In terms of his personality, his conduct, his combat style, and his cultivation speed?"
Hun Hunsheng thought for a moment, organizing his words: "He has perseverance, values his companions, and his cultivation talent is actually very good; it's just that he lacked resources living in a small place before.
"Before the assessment in the North Cang Realm began, he was merely at the late Spirit Wheel Realm, but by the end of the assessment, he had advanced to the mid Divine Soul Realm.
"His comprehension is also not bad; he learned the Blood Emperor Body Tempering Art… This Spirit Art is not so easy to master. Additionally, he has a move that even I find somewhat daunting. I couldn't understand what that move was about… There wasn't a single trace.
"Judging from his title 'Blood Calamity Bringer' from the Spiritual Road, he should also be a ruthless person, at least towards enemies, and probably wouldn't care too much about the lives of unrelated people."
Hun Zheng's smile deepened slightly, and his right index finger lightly tapped the wooden armrest, making a tapping sound.
"Quite a promising young man, isn't he? What kind of girl do you think he would like?"
Hun Jin glanced at Hun Hunsheng, a hint of nervousness flashing in his eyes. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but swallowed the words back.
Hun Hunsheng thought for a moment: "Luo Li's grilled meat is very delicious."
Hun Zheng's expression froze for a moment, then he nodded slightly: "I think he's a promising talent. You all should interact with him more…"
After leaving the Dean's office and walking down the hallway, Hun Yufeng suddenly said, "I heard you had a conflict with someone at the teleportation hub?"
"Just two ignorant little ruffians," Hun Hunsheng said with disdain.
"They're from the Demon Sect. Do you want me to go deal with He Yao?" Hun Jin frequently looked at Hun Hunsheng.
"What is his strength?" Hun Hunsheng asked.
"Mid-Heaven Transformation Stage," Hun Yufeng replied.
Hun Hunsheng hesitated slightly, then said, "I'll handle it myself. It'll be a good way to get a ranking on the Heavenly Ranking."
…
Mu Chen and Luo Li arrived at a large plaza. The plaza had several spacious arenas, where many students were sparring.
In the center of the plaza, a high tower, approximately a thousand meters tall, stood. Its body was earthy yellow, as if weathered by wind and sand, carrying a sense of history and gravitas that transcended time, appearing out of place amidst the surrounding new white plaza.
"This place feels so strange. The tower's color is so out of sync with its surroundings… It feels like it was moved here from somewhere else," Mu Chen complained.
Luo Li, her blue eyes like a forest lake, looked at the tall tower and softly said, "It somewhat resembles the architectural style of the West Heaven Continent."
Upon entering the tall tower, the surrounding light and shadows became hazy, with various color blocks flashing by. In just a moment of distraction, he found himself standing on a circular platform, with a massive void in front of him, dark and bottomless.
Luo Li, who had been with him, was nowhere to be seen, leaving him alone.
Is this the Trial Tower? What should I do next? A hint of confusion flashed in Mu Chen's mind.
He muttered to himself: How come there isn't even a guide?
Just then, a beam of light shot out from his palm, then hovered in front of him.
It was the Spirit Value plaque.
Now, it was lit up, with a light screen appearing on its surface. The small tower icon within the light screen was constantly trembling.
Mu Chen tried tapping the small tower with his finger. The small tower icon rapidly enlarged, the scene changed, and everything around them darkened, leaving only the image of a tower filling the entire light screen.
The small tower was divided into thirteen floors, and currently, only the first floor was lit. Mu Chen tapped the first floor, and then a light gate appeared in front of the platform.
"The first floor challenge has begun. Disciples participating in the trial, please enter within the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, otherwise it will be considered a forfeiture of the challenge."
A voice echoed in the empty space. Mu Chen put away his Spirit Value plaque and walked into the light gate.
In a blink of an eye, he arrived in a vast desert. The sky was gloomy, wind and sand filled the air, reddish-brown towering rocks stood all around, and underfoot was a pile of rubble.
A figure appeared in front. Mu Chen focused his gaze on the cloaked figure, seeing its face which was indistinguishable from a real person, yet devoid of any expression.
This was a puppet at the early Divine Soul Realm.
The puppet moved, running directly towards Mu Chen. When the distance was less than ten meters, it suddenly pushed off the ground, shooting straight towards Mu Chen like an arrow.
The latter slightly turned his body, sweeping his left leg out, kicking the puppet at its waist.
"Bang!"
The puppet was kicked away, falling into the pile of rubble, no longer moving.
"First stage, cleared. Continue?" The emotionless, mechanical voice echoed between heaven and earth.
"Continue."
In the second stage, the number of puppets increased to two, their strength still at the early Divine Soul Realm.
This posed no difficulty for Mu Chen. He simply seized the opportunity and threw two punches, knocking down both puppets.
"Second stage, cleared. Continue?"
"Continue."
The third stage had three puppets, the number increasing to three.
Mu Chen still passed easily.
In the fourth stage, the number of puppets reverted to one, but its cultivation level changed from early Divine Soul Realm to mid Divine Soul Realm.
Mu Chen had to use the Spirit Art "Bansho Death Seal" to defeat it.
Fourth stage, cleared.
Fifth stage, cleared.
Sixth stage, cleared.
Seventh stage, cleared.
In the eighth stage, Mu Chen finally felt a hint of pressure. His opponents had now become two late Divine Soul Realm puppets.
Mu Chen himself was only at the mid Divine Soul Realm. Although these puppets were unremarkable in both their Spirit Arts and combat awareness, they also didn't exhibit any obvious weaknesses.
Facing two puppets a minor realm higher than himself, he took some effort to resolve them.
"Eighth stage, cleared. Continue?"
"Continue," Mu Chen said without hesitation.
The ninth stage began, and three late Divine Soul Realm puppets appeared.
A solemn expression appeared on Mu Chen's face.
The three puppets attacked simultaneously. Their speed and strength were no different from those in the seventh and eighth stages, but their coordination was excellent. Facing all three at once, Mu Chen felt their attacks were as fierce and relentless as a storm.
Mu Chen held his breath and focused, either dodging or parrying, maneuvering with considerable difficulty.
His footsteps moved rhythmically on the ground, each step leaving a spiritual energy imprint.
After nearly a minute of maneuvering, he intentionally took a punch from a puppet, seizing the opportunity to disengage from combat, then formed hand seals and activated the formation he had set up during the fight.
This was the strongest formation he could currently deploy, the "Dragon Elephant Formation" exchanged for with a sixth-level imprint in the North Cang Realm.
Golden light quickly spread, transforming into a dark-golden Spirit Array nearly a hundred feet vast. The Spirit Array slowly rotated, dark-golden light interweaving, appearing like a dragon and an elephant coiled between heaven and earth.
The golden dragon soared into the sky, then roared as it plunged downwards. The giant elephant raised its trunk, emitting a high-pitched roar.
The three late Divine Soul Realm puppets did not wait to be defeated. They simultaneously unleashed the same Spirit Art, and a fiery snake emerged from each of their palms.
The three fiery snakes merged together, transforming into an even larger fiery snake, charging towards the golden dragon and giant elephant.
Boom!
A violent collision sound rang out, strong winds howled, and dust flew everywhere.
Although he felt that the three puppets probably couldn't withstand this move, Mu Chen cautiously pulled back.
Only when the mechanical prompt sounded did he relax.
"Ninth stage, cleared. Continue?"
☰