Trials Breed Change

Across the entire Douluo Continent, the number of Soul Masters did not exceed six figures.

From bustling metropolises filled with towering skyscrapers to secluded, peaceful villages with wisps of smoke curling from chimneys, the Soul Awakening Ceremony for every civilian was fully managed by professional personnel from the Spirit Hall.

The Spirit Hall was like a vast net, gathering almost all children with exceptional talent across the continent to Junior Soul Master Academy in Martial Soul City.

This seemingly unremarkable four-district trial, located in the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest quadrants, actually held hidden secrets and served as an important stage for talented individuals to shine. The rising stars of the new generation were all gathered here, ready to demonstrate their abilities.

For this competition, Martial Soul City had dispatched a full three thousand Guardian Knights and five hundred Soul Masters to maintain order.

The arena had a diameter exceeding one hundred and fifty meters.

Before long, everyone was in their positions.

"Please have the Soul Hunting Squad captain, Platinum Bishop Tuoba Xi, deliver the opening remarks for this year's trial!"

Tuoba Xi was in charge of the Spirit Hall's Soul Hunting Squad.

The Soul Hunting Squad had the privilege of selecting talent first. Taking advantage of the trial, the Soul Hunting Squad would select suitable individuals to join their ranks after the Pontiff and Elders had made their choices, providing focused training.

As a Platinum Bishop, Tuoba Xi was dressed today in a magnificent crimson robe that covered his entire body. He wore a five-pointed platinum crown on his head. His muscular physique was like a mountain. With each step he took on the temporarily constructed high platform made of wooden planks, he made no sound at all, a truly remarkable sight.

Sitting on the platform alongside him were the principals of the four Junior Soul Master Academies from the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest districts of Martial Soul City.

Tuoba Xi walked to the platform, raised his right hand, and lightly gestured to the students and teachers, silencing the applause. A vast plaza fell into complete silence.

A loud and resonant voice echoed throughout the arena through an amplification Soul Tool.

"I, Platinum Bishop of the Spirit Hall, representing the four Junior Soul Master Academies of the Spirit Hall, declare the 1376th Four Academy Tournament officially open!"

The applause thundered again, followed by cheers.

When the applause subsided once more, Tuoba Xi's voice continued.

"I won't go into the details of the rules."

"I hope that all students participating in this tournament will fully demonstrate their abilities and achieve good results."

"Do your best to survive in the canyon as much as possible, and strive for greater heights. Show your brilliance for the glory of the Spirit Hall!"

The applause erupted a third time.

This time, the Soul Masters in the plaza all released a burning glow in their eyes.

For students about to graduate from Junior Soul Master Academies, such a tournament would be the best stage to showcase their abilities.

The host then supplemented the rules of the tournament.

Each year, the four Soul Master Academies would set the trial grounds in the canyon ahead.

The canyon stretched for hundreds of miles in depth, with the widest point being fifty miles.

Within the canyon were ordinary wild beasts with a lifespan of ten years or less, as well as flying creatures and beasts with a lifespan of up to three thousand years.

This canyon belonged solely to the Spirit Hall.

The Spirit Hall, after more than a thousand years of development, had transformed it into ten layers. The deeper one went, the more the terrain would gradually rise, and the higher the lifespan of the Soul Beasts encountered, the greater the danger coefficient would become.

The purpose of the trial was to select talent and prizes were established.

The top fifty would receive Gold Soul Coins, and the top ten would receive considerable cultivation resources. The higher the ranking, the better the cultivation resources awarded.

Once a student reached the top ten, they could forgo attending an Advanced Soul Master Academy and instead enter the Spirit Hall Sanctum, receiving focused, one-on-one training from the Spirit Hall.

What exactly was the Spirit Hall Sanctum?

It was the highest institution within the Spirit Hall, second only to the Pontiff's Hall and the Douluo Hall.

Therefore, the Spirit Hall Sanctum's status was actually the highest institution within the Spirit Hall.

It not only had excellent treatment but also various cultivation measures and the honor of the Spirit Hall Sanctum.

"The trial begins!"

With the voice of the host, the students from the four Soul Master Academies successively passed through the iron gate of the canyon and entered the canyon ahead.

Standing at the entrance of the canyon, a sense of antiquity permeated the air. The dense, verdant canyon seemed like a giant beast lying prone on the ground, ready to devour anyone who dared to enter.

Within the forest, Tuoba Yan stood on the trunk of a large tree, watching a map in his hand.

Tuoba Yan's grandfather had not shown favoritism. The map was not from his grandfather; in fact, each student had a map of the canyon in their hands.

Having a map didn't mean one could pass through the canyon.

The Soul Beasts within the canyon wouldn't recognize anyone; they would attack students who entered the canyon at any time.

Suddenly, Tuoba Yan put away the map in his hand and called out, "Come out!"

As the sound fell, Zhang Ping emerged from behind the tree trunk where Tuoba Yan was standing.

"There are still two!"

With those words, two more people walked out from behind Zhang Ping. They were Hu Li Na and Xie Yue.

Tuoba Yan spoke directly, "You've been following me, what do you want?"

Zhang Ping said, "I want to team up with you. Together, we can reach the fifth layer. There's a greater chance we can reach the sixth layer!"

The rules for the trial were simple: ranking was determined by how high one climbed. The higher the elevation reached, the higher the ranking.

At the same level, ranking was determined by the order in which participants completed the challenge. Whoever spent the least time or finished first would rank higher.

The trial lasted for a month.

To ensure that the students participating in the trial could handle the challenge, the map accurately marked the age and type of Soul Beasts on each level.

Most students in the Spirit Hall's sixth grade possessed a Soul Ring. The third level, where the Soul Beasts' age didn't exceed a thousand years, was their limit.

Looking back at the performance of previous students, the highest achievement was the fifth level.

The fifth level of the canyon was inhabited by Soul Beasts ranging from five thousand to ten thousand years old, possessing the cultivation of a Soul Elder, and nearly all could reach that level.

Tuoba Yan's gaze shifted to Xie Yue and Hu Li Na.

Xie Yue, a former subordinate defeated by Tuoba Yan, remained silent. Hu Li Na, steeling herself, invited, "Climbing the sixth level will earn you merit points. My brother and I would like to form a team with you and brave the sixth level together."

"I'm not interested."

As Tuoba Yan spoke, he continued to focus on advancing deeper into the canyon.

"Tuoba Yan, don't refuse so quickly. Teaming up with us will only benefit you, with no drawbacks."

Just then, a masked man suddenly jumped out from the bushes.

He was enveloped in a black robe, revealing only a pair of eyes.

With each step he took toward Tuoba Yan, a Soul Ring appeared above his head. The final number of Soul Rings was six.

Six Soul Rings, colored from inner to outer, were yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, and black.

"Soul Emperor!"

Hu Li Na's brow furrowed tightly, her eyes filled with vigilance and worry.

"Heh heh heh!"

The masked man let out a bone-chilling laugh, raising his hand. Light flickered in his palm, and a chillingly cold battle-axe suddenly appeared in his grasp.

Wielding the battle-axe, he pointed directly at Tuoba Yan, and said viciously, "If anyone else doesn't want to die, you can leave now. My target is only Tuoba Yan!"