Xu Tianzhen's Joining, The New Team Basically Forms

For the next month, the First Soul Tool Trial Ground became a complete "living hell."

"Boom--!"

A dazzling golden fireball exploded in the center of the arena, waves of heat rolling out and turning the metal plates on the ground red-hot.

"Stop!"

Gu Yuejin, holding a broken teaching whip he'd found somewhere, walked out of the smoke with a dark expression.

He pointed at the disheveled girl in the center of the arena, her hair scorched in a few places, and unceremoniously unleashed his venomous tongue:

"Xu Tianzhen, you have the Sun Martial Soul, not the self-destruct infantry!"

"I want a pinpoint explosion from 'Solar Flare,' not for you to roast yourself and your teammates!"

"Where's your Soul Power control? Eaten by dogs? If this were real combat, Meng Hongchen would have been killed by you three times already with that indiscriminate AOE just now!"

Xu Tianzhen pouted aggrievedly. Her expensive palace gown was already tattered, and there were two streaks of black ash on her face, making her look like a dirty little calico cat.

"I... I was trying my best to control it!"

She was a royal princess, doted on since childhood. How could she endure such treatment?

Tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn't help but stomp her foot and cry out:

"This is too difficult! I have to coordinate with Xiao Hongchen's Metal Storm rhythm, and also time it between Ma Rulong's charges. I'm not a precision instrument!"

"Can't do it?"

Gu Yuejin sneered and walked up to her, looking down at her.

"If you can't do it, then scram back and be your Vase Princess."

"This is the Reserve Team, a battlefield where we'll be fighting Shrek Academy to the death. No one will go easy on you just because you're a princess."

"Want to cry? Wait until after we lose the match, then you can cry all you want in front of the whole continent!"

These words pierced her heart like knives.

Xu Tianzhen bit her lip and stared intently at Gu Yuejin, forcing her tears back.

"Who says I can't do it!"

"I'll train! This princess will never be a vase!"

Watching Xu Tianzhen charge back into the arena, wiping her tears while condensing her Soul Power, Xiao Hongchen twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Teacher Gu Yue... you're too harsh. She's a girl, after all."

"Is there male and female on the battlefield?"

Gu Yuejin glanced at him. "Don't just stand there. The coverage rate of that Metal Storm barrage just now was only 85%. That missing 15% would have been enough for an agile attacker to get in and kill Huo Yuhao."

"Fifty more sets!"

Xiao Hongchen: "..."

Besides the devilish training for the existing members, Gu Yuejin didn't forget to address the team's shortcomings.

Three days later, he led two somewhat reserved-looking trainees into the trial ground.

"Let me introduce you to these two new members... hmm, 'tactical attachments'."

Gu Yuejin pointed to the slightly chubby, honest-looking boy on the left.

"This is Dazhuang, eighteen years old, a Food System Soul Ancestor."

"His Martial Soul is the 'Energy Gathering Meatbun'."

"Although the name sounds like cafeteria breakfast, its effect is simple and brutal—instant recovery of a large amount of Soul Power."

"For you 'cannons' who rely on Soul Tools for bombardment, he's a mobile ammunition depot."

Then, he placed his hand on the shoulder of the slender girl on the right.

The girl flinched, hugging several silver chains tightly to her chest.

"This is Xiaoya, also eighteen years old, a Soul Ancestor."

"Her Martial Soul is the 'Life Chain,' and her core Soul Skill is 'Damage Equalization'."

Hearing the words "Damage Equalization," Ma Rulong's eyes lit up instantly.

"Teacher, you mean..."

"Precisely."

Gu Yuejin snapped his fingers, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.

"Ma Rulong, aren't you always complaining about not being able to withstand the burst damage from top-tier offensive types like Dai Yueheng?"

"From now on, stuff this girl into your Heavy Defense Fortress and have her link the whole team with her chains."

"As long as you're not instantly killed, the damage you receive will be distributed among everyone."

"And the rest of you have Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection to evade damage, and Dazhuang's Soul Power replenishment."

"This is called the 'Zombie Flow' fighting style."

"Cannot be killed, can outlast, and will disgust the opponent to death."

After hearing this tactical concept, everyone present couldn't help but shiver.

It was too dirty.

This tactic was outrageously dirty!

But they had to admit... it was really effective!

"Brother Gu Yue, how exactly did your brain grow?"

Meng Hongchen couldn't help but sigh, her eyes filled with admiration as she looked at Gu Yuejin, "You can even come up with such a devious trick. If Shrek Academy encountered this, they'd probably be angered to the point of spitting blood, right?"

"There's no deception in warfare," Gu Yuejin said with a faint smile. "As long as I can win, I don't mind being a scoundrel."

The high-intensity special training lasted for a full month.

During this month, Huo Yuhao, as the team's "core brain," did not have to endure blows at the front like Ma Rulong, but his spiritual power consumption was several times that of an ordinary person.

He not only had to maintain the shared Spiritual Detection for the entire battlefield but also constantly analyze the situation and command his teammates through the tactical hand gestures taught by Gu Yuejin.

This extreme pressure finally led to a qualitative change.

Late at night, in the dormitory area.

Huo Yuhao, who was sitting cross-legged on his bed, suddenly felt his Soul Power surge violently.

The previously calm Sea of Consciousness churned like stormy waves, and purplish-gold light emanated from his eyes, illuminating the entire room.

Crack.

It was as if some kind of shackles had been broken.

An aura belonging to the Soul Elder rank suddenly rippled out from his body.

Level thirty!

"Hoo..."

Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes, feeling the surging Soul Power within him, a smile of excitement appearing on his face.

"Finally... level thirty."

"Master! I did it!"

He eagerly jumped out of bed, not even bothering to put on his shoes, and rushed straight to Gu Yuejin's room.

Knock, knock, knock!

The door opened, and Gu Yuejin, wearing a bathrobe, calmly looked at his panting, foolish disciple at the door.

"What are you yelling about in the middle of the night?"

"Master! I broke through! Level thirty!"

Huo Yuhao danced with excitement, "I can go get my third Soul Ring now!"

Gu Yuejin yawned and reached out to flick Huo Yuhao's forehead.

"I know."

"After eating so many Immortal Herbs and having two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones as a foundation, if you still hadn't reached level thirty, you wouldn't even be worthy of calling me Master. You'd be a disgrace."

Although his tone was dismissive, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Gu Yuejin's eyes.

This kid's resilience truly didn't disappoint him.

"Pack your things. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning," Gu Yuejin said as he turned back into his room, leaving behind a casual remark.

"Go where? Star Dou Forest?" Huo Yuhao pressed.

"Not Star Dou."

Gu Yuejin's voice came from inside the room, tinged with laziness.

"Star Dou is Shrek's backyard. We're going to the Sun Moon Empire's territory."

"Jingyang Mountain Range."

The next morning.

Two figures quietly left Mingdu, heading straight northeast.

Jingyang Mountain Range, a famous habitat for Soul Beasts within the Sun Moon Empire.

Unlike the pristine and vibrant Star Dou Forest, this place was mostly bare rock, precipitous peaks, and a metallic scent that permeated the air.

"Master, what is our target this time?"

Huo Yuhao followed Gu Yuejin, stepping on the hard rocks as he curiously asked.

"Your Spirit Eyes Martial Soul's first two Soul Rings have too high a starting point."

As Gu Yuejin walked, he casually tapped the rock face by the roadside, as if probing something.

"The first ring is a million-year spiritual type, mainly for detection and sharing; the second ring is a seven-hundred-thousand-year Extreme Ice, mainly for close-combat bursts."

"What you're lacking now is a powerful mid-range control or mental interference method."

"Only by filling this weakness can your tactical position in the team be truly solidified, and you won't just be a 'human radar'."

Gu Yuejin stopped, his gaze sweeping toward the mist-shrouded main peak in the distance.

"The Jingyang Mountain Range is rich in spirit-attribute Soul Beasts, especially a pack-dwelling Soul Beast called the 'Silver Moon Wolf,' which is very suitable for you."

"And..."

A miserly smile appeared on Gu Yuejin's lips.

"This is the empire's largest rare metal producing area."

"Training those prodigal sons in the academy's Reserve Team burns through funds too quickly."

"This is the perfect opportunity for me, your Master, to bring you here to 'restock,' and incidentally, get some good materials for Soul Tools."

Huo Yuhao: "..."

Seeing his Master's eyes light up, Huo Yuhao silently mourned for the Soul Beasts and ores in this mountain range for three seconds.

"Let's go, deep into the hinterland."

Gu Yuejin's figure flashed, turning into an afterimage as he disappeared into the forest.

"I have a feeling that this time, not only will I find your Soul Ring, but we might also encounter some other... 'surprises'."