Early the next morning, Wu Changkong brought the group to a small, deep-blue building. There was no one at the entrance, so Wu Changkong stepped forward and pressed his hand against the glass.
A smug voice rang out. "Long time no see, Donghai's little Changkong."
The moment the voice fell, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie both froze. A second later, they couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing together, their shoulders shaking as they desperately tried not to double over.
Lin Chen silently reminded himself, Don't try to hold in a laugh you can't control. Luckily, he managed to keep it together.
Wu Changkong heard the sudden laughter from the two disciples beside him and immediately gave Xie Xie and Tang Wulin each a light kick.
He glanced at Lin Chen and Gu Yuena, who both looked perfectly composed, then said in a low voice, "Open the door."
The smooth glass doors slid apart, revealing a cool, pale-blue glow within. As they stepped inside, they saw a circular metal platform with four wristbands floating above it.
Wu Changkong instructed them calmly, "Put them on."
After everyone had put one on, Xie Xie stared at the band on his wrist, unable to hold back his curiosity. "Teacher Wu, what's this thing for?"
Wu Changkong explained gravely, "It's an identity verification wristband. Wearing it is the only way to ensure the defense system here doesn't destroy you."
Wu Changkong then led them into a deep-blue space. He fiddled with something nearby, and a screen appeared in front of him. After a few more operations, everyone was teleported away.
Wu Changkong was left standing alone in front of the screen, quietly watching the footage of their trials.
As the blue light faded, Lin Chen landed steadily on both feet. A female electronic voice came from the void overhead.
"Identity verification complete. Welcome to the Tang Sect Hall of Heroes."
"First trial. Advanced difficulty. Age: ten."
"Pass the trial by surviving for thirty seconds."
As soon as the voice fell, the space before Lin Chen twisted. A blurry figure slowly took shape. He studied the other person's face, and the longer he looked, the more familiar it seemed.
"Holy crap, isn't this Little Scumbag? Now I can beat him up ahead of schedule."
The Azure Dragon Martial Soul appeared behind Lin Chen, and strands of violent azure lightning crackled around him.
Little Scumbag's expression remained calm, his gaze fixed on Lin Chen as the Soul Rings beneath his feet lit up. The first yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring flashed, and Blue Silver Grass burst from the ground, growing wildly in dense clusters. Coated in poison, it surged toward Lin Chen from every direction.
Lin Chen planted his feet firmly. Lightning exploded around him, and streaks of crackling light slammed into the oncoming Blue Silver Grass, destroying it instantly before it could get anywhere near him.
Lin Chen rolled his wrists and muttered, "You should've absorbed that ten-year-old dead bamboo back then. Then at least you could've used your Blue Silver Grass to pole-vault."
Azure lightning surged around Lin Chen as the two clashed back and forth. Azure bolts and Blue Silver Grass collided and burst apart, the thunder rumbling without end.
After a brief exchange, a strange feeling began to creep into Lin Chen's mind. Something feels off. Is this damn thing the Blue Silver Emperor? The Tang Sect Hall of Heroes pulled this kind of stunt?
But Lin Chen remained composed, without the slightest trace of panic. Even if this virtual Little Scumbag's combat strength was absurdly overpowered, he still couldn't suppress Lin Chen.
The fight grew ever more intense. The crisscrossing azure lightning gradually faded, and then a ridiculous sight appeared: the Thunder Hell Vine was floating beside Lin Chen.
Little Scumbag was held aloft by the lightning released from the Thunder Hell Vine, his limbs stretched out in an X.
Lin Chen strode over to Tang San, bound in midair. Looking up at him, he wore a faint, playful yet ruthless smile and muttered, "You once said I had a death wish. Today, I'll let you taste what Extreme Lightning feels like."
As he spoke, his fingertip twitched. A concentrated streak of azure lightning shot from it and struck Tang San squarely in the abdomen.
The violent lightning exploded. Unable to dodge, Tang San's tightly bound clone let out a shrill scream, his body convulsing uncontrollably.
Tang San panted like an ox, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Lin Chen. His bound limbs continued to struggle, to no avail.
Looking at him, Lin Chen said mockingly, "Now that's more like it. So, how does it feel to be shocked by Extreme Lightning?"
He glanced up at the time remaining. "That's about enough. Time to wrap up the game."
As soon as he finished speaking, a layer of azure-gold dragon scales spread across his arm. A razor-sharp dragon claw took shape in an instant, and he thrust it viciously into Tang San's body.
Violent lightning poured into him. Tang San's bloodshot eyes suddenly went blank, and he dissolved into a sky full of tiny blue lights before Lin Chen.
The female electronic voice rang out again. "Yun Linchen has destroyed the trial target. Trial passed."
Soft blue light enveloped Lin Chen. The next moment, he was teleported outside. When he opened his eyes, he found Wu Changkong staring at him in confusion.
Under Wu Changkong's fixed gaze, Lin Chen felt a little uncomfortable. He scratched the back of his head and said, "Teacher Wu, don't stare at me like that. You're making me blush."
Wu Changkong ignored him and asked, "During the later part of your trial, the signal suddenly became abnormal, so we couldn't see what was happening inside. Once the screen came back, it showed that you'd defeated the trial target and passed."
Several flashes of blue light followed as Xie Xie and Tang Wulin were teleported out. They landed with their heads drooping, their faces bruised black and blue.
Gu Yuena wasn't in much better shape. A few faint bruises marred her fair cheeks, showing she'd had a rough time during her trial.
Seeing this, Lin Chen released his Soul Power and used the life attribute inherent to his Martial Soul to heal them.
They visibly recovered little by little, which made Wu Changkong's eyes light up.
Xie Xie rubbed his healed cheek and let out a long sigh of relief. "My god, I thought I'd have to go back to the academy with a face full of bruises. Captain, your Martial Soul sure comes in handy."
Gu Yuena looked up at Lin Chen beside her. "Thank you, Lin Chen. That opponent was really hard to deal with. It took me a lot of effort to defeat him."
Lin Chen waved a hand. "There's no need to thank me. We're close. I'm just glad you're okay."
Tang Wulin rolled his neck and said, "Thanks, Lin Chen."
Once they'd mostly recovered, Wu Changkong led them out and into an office.
The room held only a modest desk and a few sofas. Wu Changkong gestured for them to sit.
His gaze swept over them before he spoke calmly. "Do you know who you were up against?"
Xie Xie was the first to sit up straight, his face full of curiosity. "Teacher Wu, who were they? They were ridiculously strong."
Wu Changkong lightly tapped his fingers on the desk and said, "The four of you each faced one of the Tang Sect's greatest ancestors from throughout history."
"Xie Xie faced Jiang Nannan, the Demon Rabbit Douluo, one of the Shrek Seven Monsters from ten thousand years ago."
"Tang Wulin faced the ancestor Xiao Xiao, who possessed Twin Martial Souls."
"Lin Chen faced Tang San, the founder of the Tang Sect from twenty thousand years ago, and the strongest person in history."
"Gu Yuena faced Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao, the founder of the Spirit Pagoda from ten thousand years ago and one of the Shrek Seven Monsters."
Before Tang Wulin and Xie Xie could react in shock, Wu Changkong continued, "Have you ever heard of the Tang Sect..."
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