Transformation

Half a month had passed since that great brawl. Afterward, Hals never explained why he hadn't sent out a signal. But once it was over, he had asked Yu Xiaoya to bring a healing Soul Master to treat the students. He still remembered the astonished looks on Yu Xiaoya's face and that Level 65 healing Soul Master's when they saw the students covered in wounds. Hals hadn't said much, brushing it off as "a trial."

Hals had kept his promise. He gave the seven remaining students the right to choose how the seven control-type Soul Masters would be assigned.

Unlike before, none of the seven wore even a trace of joy. With cold faces, they claimed the seven control-type Soul Masters in order of their rankings...

Hals was very satisfied. Through their cold exteriors, he saw how profoundly they had changed.

Time proved him right.

Hals stood on a branch of a towering tree, watching the students' weekly trial below.

Hals believed that anyone who had once known his students would be shocked and horrified to see them as they were now. The reason was simple: the students seemed to have lost their human emotions. They were more like emotionless, cold machines, putting the mission above all else.

The Soul Flame gave off an unmistakable spiritual fluctuation as it watched the students' movements through the hood.

To keep the students in this state, Hals assigned them a trial every weekend. The task was simple: split into two groups, one to defend and one to attack, then carry out a decapitation strike.

Xu Ning suppressed his presence as much as he could, lying in the grass at the foot of a tree and coldly watching his comrades on the attacking side.

One after another, his comrades fell, gravely wounded, yet even as they lost consciousness, they still struggled to use their final Soul Skill.

There were no screams, only the sounds of battle.

Xu Ning didn't move. He watched with an indifferent gaze.

Fewer than ten members of the attacking side remained on the field, while fifteen had entered the fight for the defending side. The battle was completely one-sided. Soon, all ten attackers had fallen. A plain-faced, golden-haired youth watched it all with the same cold gaze. Only after the last attacker had fallen did he sweep his eyes over the battlefield and issue an order.

"Check the battlefield. Give everyone a final blow. Leave no survivors."

There was no reply. The nine remaining defenders silently rushed onto the battlefield, hands held like blades. They struck down at the necks of the fallen, one after another—even their own teammates. That was Hals's order, meant to prevent any of their people from being captured and forced to reveal secrets.

It was also a reminder that the mission had only two possible outcomes: success or death. There was no other choice.

"Haah!"

A shout rang out. The golden-haired youth frowned and looked over. One of the attackers, covered in blood, suddenly sprang up and brought his blade down on the chest of a defender who was delivering a final blow. Blood sprayed everywhere.

The blow landed with tremendous force, sending the defender flying into a nearby tree.

The trunk shuddered, and countless leaves shook loose, drifting slowly to the ground and adding to the desolate scene.

Only then did a trace of unwillingness show in the eyes of the otherwise emotionless defenders.

Seeing their teammate lying at the foot of the tree, the team didn't wait for the golden-haired youth to say anything. They split into two groups on their own. One surrounded the attacker, who stood leaning on his blade, then launched a steady succession of attacks like waves crashing ashore. The other group nimbly ran or leaped to the injured teammate.

A girl stepped forward and covered her hand in Soul Power. After a cursory examination of the wounds, she turned and shook her head at the golden-haired youth, who was watching from nearby.

The golden-haired youth understood. It meant the teammate couldn't rejoin the group after receiving treatment. If he stayed alive, he would become a burden.

The golden-haired youth nodded without expression, then warily surveyed the surroundings.

With his signal, the girl turned back and struck her injured teammate on the neck. There wasn't a trace of pity in her eyes. After checking and confirming his "death," she quietly returned to the group.

Before long, the defenders had finished clearing the battlefield. They silently took up positions and kept watch.

Seeing the others wrap things up, the golden-haired youth calculated the time. His expression was indifferent, and his voice slightly cold. "It's getting late. Prepare to move. We can't give those attackers a single chance to find us." A cold smile appeared on his face. "I'm going to end this trial."

Without a sound, the defenders quickly and quietly withdrew.

Even after the others had left, Xu Ning stayed where he was, still lying low and suppressing his presence.

Xu Ning remained like that for a full quarter of an hour. Then, one of the "corpses" strewn across the ground rose to his feet—a youth covered in blood. He swept a cold gaze over the area, then turned and quickly tracked down the main group.

Xu Ning's caution paid off, but he still didn't let his guard down. He waited another five minutes before getting up. Then, keeping his form concealed, he coldly watched the direction the defenders had taken and followed them.

A figure emerged from the shadows, cloaked from head to toe. Only the lower half of his face showed, and it was utterly expressionless.

The Soul Flame flickered. An obscure, indescribable ripple spread from his skull. After confirming that there were no human spiritual fluctuations nearby, Hals finally summoned the Soul-Guiding Lantern, which he hadn't brought out in a long time. It appeared at his waist.

The Lantern's glow flickered between light and dark, as if reproaching Hals for keeping it put away for so long, or perhaps expressing its longing for new souls.

Hals extended his pale, faintly translucent left hand from beneath his robe and gently stroked the Lantern at his waist, as though caressing his beloved—or soothing a hungry child.

The Soul Flame in Hals's eye sockets flickered gently and gracefully, revealing a tenderness unlike anything he'd shown before. His voice remained low and hoarse, but it was exceptionally soft. "Oh, don't be impatient. Not long now. Soon, you'll have the chance to taste some new souls. Don't be impatient. Perhaps you'll even get to taste a flavor you've never had before..."

As if agreeing with Hals, the Lantern's eerie green light grew slower and gentler, though it remained as mysterious and unsettling as ever.

After stroking the Lantern at his waist a couple more times, Hals reached into it and drew out a few wisps of soul. He hesitated, then put them back. He murmured, "No, no. The Wolf Bandits' souls would make you greedy and reckless. The Ring Snake souls are better..."

Looking at the few wisps of soul floating before him, Hals gently pushed forward with his left hand. They turned into a little Soul Essence, which seeped in varying amounts into the unconscious students lying on the ground...

"Now you're perfect... Heh heh."

Hals looked at the students as if they were a flawless work of art. His proudest creation...

He didn't look again at the students lying on the ground. After stroking the Lantern as if to comfort it, he put it away and turned, vanishing into the darkness.

"I should go see my dear disciple. Don't disappoint me, heh heh..."

As his voice faded, the forest fell silent, leaving only the faint breathing of the group. Looking around, one could see their wounds slowly healing. But upon closer inspection, faint points of green light shimmered among the flesh—only to vanish in an instant...

How interesting...