The Eighth Trial

Xu Yuan arrived at the next room and saw equipment similar to the Spirit Ascension Platform.

"Your eighth trial will take place in the Soul Arena. Your opponents will be Projections with the strength of ordinary Soul Grand Masters from the continent. Your task is to fight continuously. Win ten matches to pass and earn six points. After that, each additional victory will earn you one more point."

The seventh trial had tested actual combat first.

Then the eighth trial tested endurance through actual combat as well.

Soul Arena.

Was it a virtual platform modeled after the Great Soul Arena?

Xu Yuan had long known that the major powers had mastered the foundational technology of the Spirit Ascension Platform, but he had not expected Shrek to use that technology to develop so many virtual platforms.

First the Beast Arena, and now the Soul Arena.

"Of course, this trial allows you to cooperate and participate in 3v3 matches."

There was even 3v3?

"Then let's do 3v3." Xu Yuan shrugged indifferently.

Although having Xu Lizhi, who lacked combat ability, would put more pressure on him, Xu Lizhi was not entirely useless. His steamed buns could restore stamina, making them uniquely helpful for this endurance test.

The three of them entered separate sealed chambers.

"Welcome to the Soul Arena."

The scene before them changed completely. The examination room became a massive arena.

There was no host or audience in the arena, only a mechanical voice from the system.

"3v3 team match, first round."

As the mechanical voice rang out, three figures began to appear opposite Xu Yuan's group.

The Soul Arena differed from the Tang Sect's Hall of Heroes. The Hall of Heroes contained simulations of powerful Soul Masters who had truly existed in Tang Sect history, with strength at each realm reasonably extrapolated from their abilities.

The Soul Arena, meanwhile, had been built using information Shrek had gathered on Soul Masters of every rank across the present-day continent.

That did not mean its opponents were actual Soul Masters from somewhere on the continent.

The Soul Arena had collected information on nearly every type of Martial Soul and all kinds of Soul Skills on the continent. It could combine Martial Souls, Soul Skills, and Soul Rings as needed to generate Projections.

The enemies Xu Yuan's group faced now were all at the level of the most ordinary Soul Grand Masters.

One Yellow Soul Spirit, two Yellow Soul Rings, Soul Power below level twenty-five, and combat techniques at the beginner stage.

"Both sides, prepare."

Only three seconds after the opponents were generated, the mechanical voice announced the start of the match.

Xu Yuan released his Martial Soul and held the Heaven Origin Brush.

He did not intend to fight with the Heaven Origin Spear. In a small team battle, he was best suited as a control-type Soul Master, and in this form, he could conserve Soul Power more effectively.

Ye Xinglan released her Martial Soul, the Stargod Sword. She held the sword in her right hand, her gaze sharp.

Xu Lizhi hid behind Xu Yuan and began making buns.

His First Soul Skill was the Restorative Big Meat Bun. It could restore stamina and Soul Power while also providing basic healing for injuries. If the injury was not serious, a Big Meat Bun could heal it completely.

Ye Xinglan charged out with the Stargod Sword in hand. Her fighting style had always been to take the initiative.

The three figures opposite them quickly scattered. Two enemies who appeared to be Agility Assault System Soul Masters circled around Ye Xinglan from either side, while the remaining defense-type Soul Master, whose Martial Soul was a Mystic Tortoise, charged straight at Ye Xinglan to hold her down.

From the rear, Xu Yuan swung the Heaven Origin Brush.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two clumps of ink swiftly landed before the Mystic Tortoise Soul Master. Wood Element erupted from one of them, and a mass of trees grew up to entangle him. The other clump hit the ground, transforming into earth that wrapped around him along with the trees.

Painted Ground Prison.

Xu Yuan continued swinging the Heaven Origin Brush. Two clumps of ink formed from water and earth elements created small bogs beneath the feet of the Agility Assault System Soul Masters on either side.

When Ye Xinglan was halfway through her charge, the Yellow Soul Ring around her body flashed.

"First Soul Skill, Sword God Star!"

The tip of the Stargod Sword gleamed like starlight. That starlight streaked through the air in a line, thrusting toward the Soul Master with the leopard Martial Soul at her side.

Xu Yuan swung the Heaven Origin Brush, cooperating with Ye Xinglan to restrict the leopard Soul Master's movements.

Ye Xinglan put everything into this strike.

When she had seen Xu Yuan's spear before, she had been stunned that he had already comprehended Spear Will.

She had yet to forge her own Sword Intent, but her heart had long been devoted to the path of the sword. At this moment, she poured all her focus into this strike.

Three Soul Masters were challenging three Soul Grand Masters above their level.

Moreover, Xu Lizhi had no combat ability. He could only remain in the rear and had to guard against surprise attacks.

Xu Yuan and Ye Xinglan were under enormous pressure as well.

But they could still defeat their opponents in the end.

The only difficulty was that they had to fight battle after battle without pause.

After winning, they had to keep fighting.

Fortunately, though Xu Lizhi had no combat power and needed protection, he could make restorative Big Meat Buns.

After calculating it, Xu Yuan was certain that he could last from beginning to end.

One battle consumed only half of Xu Yuan's Soul Power, and as long as he ate one bun, he could return to full condition. In roughly one battle, Xu Lizhi's Big Meat Bun could perfectly take effect as well.

As for Ye Xinglan, her consumption was much faster.

Xu Yuan drew upon Elemental Power by fusing his own Soul Power with the Heaven and Earth Origin Qi in the surroundings, and his own Soul Power accounted for only forty percent of the expenditure.

Ye Xinglan, however, would basically exhaust all her Soul Power in one battle.

Of course, eating more Big Meat Buns could restore her to full condition too, but she needed to eat three.

It seemed like they could keep going forever, but in reality, the problem was considerable.

Each battle lasted only a little over ten minutes.

Ten battles took no more than an hour and a half, yet she had to eat thirty buns.

And this was during battle.

The first five matches were fine, but by the sixth, Ye Xinglan truly could not eat any more buns.

Fortunately, the power of the meat buns that remained undigested in her body continued restoring her, allowing her to barely squeeze out Soul Power to fight during the sixth match.

In the seventh match, she ate another Big Meat Bun.

Xu Yuan exerted several tenths more strength to restrict their opponents and reduce her pressure.

In the eighth match, Ye Xinglan stayed beside Xu Lizhi on defense and essentially did not fight. She ate two Big Meat Buns and recovered to full condition.

In the ninth match, they switched positions.

Xu Yuan returned to full condition.

In the tenth match, they switched again. Xu Yuan also exhausted his Soul Power before defeating the three Soul Grand Masters alone.

Ye Xinglan, however, had not fully recovered.

She truly could not eat any more. She barely managed one Big Meat Bun, then spent the remaining time meditating to recover her Soul Power.

As a result, Xu Yuan was under immense pressure. He truly fought three opponents by himself.

"Chubby, give me a few more buns!"

In the eleventh match, Xu Yuan did not intend to step down. He still chose to fight one against three.

He could still eat.

While fighting, he used the Heaven Devouring Earth Eating Great Art to consume the Big Meat Buns. Not only did he recover faster, but he could also quickly dispel the feeling of fullness.

It could be said that his coordination with Xu Lizhi was perfect.

However, Xu Lizhi was troubled.

"Xu Yuan, my Soul Power is nearly exhausted too. At most, I can make five more Big Meat Buns."