Shrek Academy was holding its reserve team selections in full swing, and the Sun Moon Empire was no less active.
After Lin Yun and Snow Empress had verified their Soul Engineer levels,
they also began their reserve team selection tests.
The reserve team tests on the Sun Moon Empire's side were not particularly rigorous, either.
Unlike Shrek Academy's free-for-all, here the candidates were tested one by one. They had to hold out for a certain amount of time against a Soul Engineer one or two levels above them.
If they managed to kill their opponent instead, they would enter the reserve team directly, without any scoring or selection.
Lin Yun was one of the "lucky" ones—or, to put it bluntly, one who had been targeted. He was a Level 3 Soul Engineer, but because his cultivation was at the Soul Ancestor level, he was matched according to his cultivation. His opponent was a Level 6 Soul Engineer.
Fortunately, his opponent was a close-combat Soul Engineer. He didn't have the ranged Soul Engineers' Soul Cannons, which could deliver a full-power Soul Emperor's strike at the drop of a hat. Those things were downright monstrous.
Even so, this was still going to be troublesome. You never knew how many Soul Tools a close-combat Soul Engineer had on hand that he could use like a famous blade.
And since close-combat Soul Engineers specialized in fighting at close quarters, their weapons often had strange special effects.
The most classic example was the Judgment Sword's reversed attributes and its ability to forcibly bestow the Dark attribute.
That was an Level 8 Soul Tool, though, while the man in front of him was only a Level 6 Soul Engineer. He wasn't that monstrous.
Still, Lin Yun had to be careful.
When Lin Yun stepped onto the stage, he looked at the man across from him, who was dressed in a somewhat Japanese style.
He really did look Japanese, especially with that white headband tied around his forehead and a red dot on it for some unknown reason.
Lin Yun felt as if someone had just slapped a buff on him.
Lin Yun cupped his hands. The man across from him dipped his head slightly in response.
"Then, Examiner, shall I begin?"
Lin Yun asked.
"Bring it on. I won't go easy on you."
Lin Yun nodded. A pair of bony wings suddenly spread from his back.
His eyes turned red, and he said to the man,
"If you won't go easy on me, all the better. Going easy back and forth would only be a hassle."
As he spoke, a beam of purplish-black light shot from the top of Lin Yun's head.
The Terror Demon Dragon King's external head Soul Bone: Terror Ray.
The Soul Engineer immediately drew the saber at his waist.
A layer of pale golden light glimmered around him.
"Frankly speaking, this won't be a fair fight for you. As the examiner, I have your profile in advance, so I can prepare Soul Tools specifically to counter your attributes."
Lin Yun glanced at the four Soul Rings beneath his feet, then at the six beneath his opponent's, and couldn't help grumbling,
"Do you really have to spell that out?"
"Anyone who isn't blind can see this isn't an even fight."
"Even without a single Soul Tool, wouldn't you still crush me with six rings against four?"
The Soul Engineer said,
"So, if you're still standing on the stage when the sand runs out, you'll have passed. Come on, let me see what kind of skills the Evil Soul Master taught by Shrek Academy has!"
Hearing that nickname, Lin Yun's face went dark. His desire to fight the man cooled considerably. He replied,
"In that case, watch closely. That hourglass should only take about ten minutes."
The Level 6 Soul Engineer didn't understand what he meant, but out of professional diligence, he answered seriously,
"Fifteen minutes. What about it?"
Lin Yun took a step back, and his Second Soul Ring flashed.
"Undead Legion, descend!"
As Lin Yun spoke, he raised his hand.
By now, the Undead Legion had truly reached the scale of an army. After being transformed and supplied with energy,
its ranks included thirteen Bone Dragons, as well as an Ice Empress who could maintain her full power for ten minutes.
The Ice Empress's spirit flew from Lin Yun's hand. She yawned and said,
"Do you really need to go to all this trouble for a nobody like him? You really are a hopeless commander."
Lin Yun looked at the Ice Empress and said,
"No more after this. I want to enjoy this one."
The Ice Empress nodded, her voice still languid.
"All right. Since you've promised it won't happen again, I'll deign to help you this once."
As she spoke, the Ice Empress's spirit entered the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion's skeleton, surrounded by the thirteen Bone Dragons.
This was a complete Ice Jade Empress Scorpion skeleton, forged from the strengths of generations of Ice Jade Empress Scorpions and combined with the Ice Empress's control.
With thirteen Bone Dragons bolstering it, it surged forward in a mighty charge, truly like a freight train.
The Soul Engineer across from them was completely dumbfounded.
What the hell did it mean for a pile of bones to stand up?
This was far beyond the Level 6 Soul Engineer's understanding.
The close-combat Soul Tool in his hand looked utterly ridiculous beside the Ice Empress's enormous scorpion claw.
The Ice Empress used her thick, powerful pincer to clamp down on the Light-element Soul Sword and casually snapped it in two.
The Level 6 Soul Tool shattered and scattered across the ground like a shower of flowers.
The Soul Emperor was heartbroken. He hurriedly used a skill to put some distance between them, but the moment he took off, a flying Bone Dragon behind him snatched away his Flying Soul Tool with one claw.
The Bone Dragon gave it a squeeze with its enormous claw.
Another Soul Tool crumbled.
The sand had not yet run out, but the Soul Engineer had retreated to the edge of the arena. He raised both hands and shouted,
"I surrender! I surrender! No more! There's no way I can fight this!"
Lin Yun put away his Undead Legion, then asked the Soul Engineer in front of him,
"So, does that mean I passed?"
The Soul Engineer glared at him, his beard practically bristling.
"If you'd told us you could do that, would we have needed to go through all this? My Soul Tools!"
"With strength like yours, forget being on the reserve team—even the captain of the main team is yours for the taking!"
"You're such an Evil Soul Master through and through. Your heart and brain are rotten, and your conscience is rotten to the core."
"With a power that defies the heavens, you still act like you're the one being wronged, pretending you're weak."
Lin Yun shrugged and said,
"Whether I'm weak or not is one thing. I really am upset about being treated differently. Forget anyone else—Xue Lin, who came with me, is also a Level 3 Soul Engineer and a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor. Why did she get matched against a Level 4 Soul Engineer?"
"I don't believe there wasn't any rigging behind the scenes."
The Soul Engineer didn't respond. He silently signed a certificate admitting Lin Yun to the reserve team.
After taking the certificate, Lin Yun didn't make things difficult for him any further. He cupped his hands, then turned and left.
Meanwhile, Snow Empress had just finished her final test.
Lin Yun asked curiously,
"Did you get in directly, or did you get points?"
Snow Empress answered calmly,
"I was going to earn points. It's better to keep a low profile, given my situation. But I sensed Bing'er's presence, so..."
Before you continue