The third trial was held along the route to the fourth. An old man lay lazily on a deck chair, basking in the sun.
"Teacher, someone has made it to the third trial."
"Oh? I didn't think I'd be needed this year."
The teacher for the third trial sat up from his deck chair.
"There are actually five of them?"
He looked a little surprised.
Dai Mubai pointed at Ye Lin.
"Actually, there's only one. The other four went straight to the fourth trial."
The teacher for the third trial looked at Ye Lin.
"The third trial tests how well a candidate can control their Martial Soul."
"Miss, show me your Martial Soul. Do whatever you like, and I'll take a look."
Ye Lin nodded. Holding the Immortal Sword, she twirled it in a flourish, then slashed toward the teacher.
A look of surprise crossed the teacher's face. He raised his right hand and easily caught the Immortal Sword between two fingers.
"Not bad, not bad."
"Your Soul Power is only at level twenty, but your control is far beyond what someone at that level should be capable of. Even some Soul Elders would fall far short of you."
"You pass."
"To enter Shrek Academy with only one Spirit Ring—you're even more of a monster than the others."
With that, he lay back down and quietly basked in the sun once more.
"Lin, I knew you could do it!"
Xiao Wu giggled.
Dai Mubai led the five of them onward.
The fourth trial took place in an open area of about two hundred square meters. A middle-aged man in his fifties sat dozing in a chair at the center.
His muscles bulged all over, and even as he slept, he gave off a sense of tremendous strength.
Ye Lin recalled what she knew about him.
The Immovable Bright King, Zhao Wuji. A level seventy-six Soul Saint whose Martial Soul was the Vajra Bear.
"Teacher Zhao, I've brought them to the fourth trial."
"Oh? We actually have candidates who've made it to the fourth trial this year—and five of them, at that?"
The surprise on Zhao Wuji's face was no less than that of the previous teacher.
"Not only are there five, but four of them came straight from the first trial. The other one has reached level twenty Soul Power without obtaining a Second Soul Ring."
Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up.
He rose from his chair, looking like an iron tower.
"To reach the fourth trial with only one Spirit Ring—that's a first in Shrek Academy's history."
Zhao Wuji looked the five of them over, then thought for a moment.
"Little Dai, go test the one with only one Spirit Ring. See what she can do."
"Sure." Dai Mubai readily agreed. It was exactly what he'd wanted.
Ye Lin and Dai Mubai faced each other.
One held the Immortal Sword, a Yellow Soul Ring pulsing beneath her feet.
The other was in White Tiger Possession, two Yellow Soul Rings and one Purple Soul Ring releasing a faint pressure.
Zhao Wuji folded his arms.
"If you can hold out against Little Dai's attacks for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, you'll pass the fourth trial."
He produced an incense stick from who knew where, pinched it between his thumb and forefinger to light it, then flicked it with his right hand. The stick embedded itself upright in the ground.
"Begin!"
As soon as Zhao Wuji spoke, Ye Lin launched her attack, sword in hand.
She darted straight toward Dai Mubai.
"Good!"
A look of admiration crossed Zhao Wuji's face.
"I thought she'd defend for the whole time, but she actually went on the offensive."
"That's the spirit of an assault-type Soul Master!"
"When you're weaker than your opponent, the best defense is a good offense."
"I'm getting more and more curious to see what she does next."
The tiger claws on all ten of Dai Mubai's fingers sprang out, and he met Ye Lin's Immortal Sword head-on.
"Clang!"
The two collided in a flash, like lightning striking.
They separated after the first clash.
Neither had gained the upper hand!
Although Ye Lin had only level twenty Soul Power and just one Spirit Ring, her attack was no weaker than Dai Mubai's.
The age of Ye Lin's First Soul Ring was nearly two thousand years. Even the combined ages of Dai Mubai's three Spirit Rings were not much greater.
"What a powerful attack!"
Zhao Wuji watched Ye Lin in admiration. "What a little monster! If you and Little Dai were at the same level, one strike from your sword would probably have beaten him."
The four others watching were all amazed, especially Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing.
They had thought Ye Lin was simply lucky, but they hadn't expected her to be so strong.
Zhu Zhuqing compared herself to Ye Lin. She hated losing, but no matter how she looked at it, she couldn't have blocked that last strike.
"Are you really only at one Spirit Ring?"
Dai Mubai was astonished. His opponent had two fewer Spirit Rings than he did, yet her attack had matched his own.
If she had even one more Spirit Ring, the outcome of this battle would be hard to predict.
Her competitive spirit flared.
He wanted to end the fight quickly and claim victory.
His Second Soul Ring flashed.
With a tiger's roar, a milky-white ball of light surged from his mouth.
"Second Soul Skill: White Tiger Intense Light Wave!"
A powerful shock wave hurtled toward Ye Lin.
"First Soul Skill: Blade Thrust!"
Ye Lin murmured. Her First Soul Ring flashed, and she shot forward.
The shadow of a green dragon's head flickered across the blade. The Immortal Sword split the milky-white ball of light in two, right down the middle.
The sword continued straight toward Dai Mubai.
"So strong!"
Dai Mubai was astonished once more. It was only her First Soul Skill, yet its attack power was greater than his Second Soul Skill.
How could he have known that Ye Lin's First Soul Ring came from a Mandala Dragon nearly two thousand years old?
It surpassed his own in both age and the quality of the Soul Beast.
"First Soul Skill: White Tiger Barrier!"
Dai Mubai's First Soul Ring flashed, and his Evil Eyes suddenly turned white.
A burst of intense white light exploded from his abdomen, then formed a bright white barrier before him, meeting the sword blade head-on.
"Break!"
Ye Lin uttered a single word. The blade pierced through his White Tiger Barrier with a pop.
"What?!"
Dai Mubai was instantly shocked, his tiger pupils wide with disbelief.
Neither of his two Soul Skills had managed to stop Ye Lin's attack!
Zhao Wuji's estimation of Ye Lin rose even higher. He began to wonder just how old her First Soul Ring was.
Its power far exceeded that of an ordinary Hundred-Year Soul Ring. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it the power of a Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
After all, Dai Mubai had level thirty-seven Soul Power.
Forget a level-twenty Soul Master with only one Spirit Ring—even an ordinary Soul Elder would be helpless against Dai Mubai.
A strange look flashed through Zhu Zhuqing's eyes as she pondered the matter.
"How did she train? She's so strong."
Before you continue