The Mighty Guan Sheng

Outside the Sect Secret Realm.

"Zhu Qing, I've said everything I need to. Be careful in there. If you fail, you fail—don't push yourself too hard. All that matters is that you come back safe." Yang Xiu finished speaking and stroked Zhu Zhuqing's head.

"I will, Brother Xiu. Don't worry." Zhu Zhuqing gave Yang Xiu a faint smile and spoke softly.

"Then do your best... I'll wait here for you."

Inside the Secret Realm, Zhu Zhuqing quickly chose three tasks.

So this is the trial Brother Xiu told me about? It looks pretty hard. At her level, none of the tasks were easy. She decided to obtain a Soul Ring first and began her challenge. In the end, she narrowly defeated a Thousand-Year Soul Beast and obtained a Thousand-Year Soul Ring. Her month of training showed its results: the ring reached 2,600 years and even carried the Netherworld Power unique to Netherworld Creatures. Her Soul Power also rose by two levels.

Third Soul Skill: Netherworld Power. Gather Netherworld Power and unleash a lethal strike that deals devastating damage and ignores ten percent of the target's defense.

With Netherworld Power, obtaining the Thousand-Year Soul Ring Experience Pill became easier. After she absorbed it, her Second Soul Ring became a thousand-year ring. Her Soul Power increased somewhat, though she did not gain another level.

For the final task, she defeated her own mirror image and obtained a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. It was the hardest task for Zhu Zhuqing, and she had won partly through luck. Once she had absorbed the Soul Bone, she hurried out. She knew Yang Xiu was waiting for her.

She emerged before long and hurried toward Yang Xiu, who was still waiting where she had left him.

"Brother Xiu, I'm level thirty-two now, and I got a Soul Bone too!" Zhu Zhuqing said with a hint of pride.

Hearing that, Yang Xiu gently pinched her cheek.

"My Zhu Qing is the best. You even got a Soul Bone. Come here—let me reward you." With that, he kissed her forehead.

Zhu Zhuqing blushed but did not move away. She stood quietly beside Yang Xiu without another word, her eyes full of happiness. Soon, Yang Xiu took her back to the villa.

Three months later, Yang Xiu woke from cultivation. He could feel a breakthrough approaching; it would take half a month at most. He looked at Zhu Zhuqing cultivating beside him, his eyes full of tenderness.

Before long, Hua Xiong came to see him. Yang Xiu saw that he was about to speak.

Yang Xiu gestured for silence and walked outside the villa with him.

"What is it? You don't often come looking for me. Didn't you go play with your little brother today?"

"Sect Master, Guan Sheng is back. That Wuji brat recently broke through to Soul Douluo and is consolidating his cultivation. He doesn't want to play with me."

"He broke through? Not bad. Four levels in less than four years—my Elixirs weren't wasted."

"But why has Guan Sheng come back? Have Xiao San and the others gone to Shrek?"

"Not yet, but they'll graduate soon."

"Shrek won't start recruiting for another month or so."

"Did he come back for something else?"

"Guan Sheng has reached level ninety."

"Mm. As expected of that man's descendant." As Yang Xiu spoke, he glanced at Hua Xiong.

Hua Xiong's face twitched, but he soon regained his composure. After all, he was no longer the man he used to be.

"Sect Master, please stop making fun of me."

"Haha! I never thought you could get embarrassed, Hua Xiong."

"With the Guan Family's ancestral technique, I imagine he wants a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring. Come on, let's go see him."

Yang Xiu and Hua Xiong arrived shortly afterward.

Inside the Nine-Story Tower,

"Greetings, Sect Master." Everyone bowed to Yang Xiu.

"No need for formalities." Yang Xiu's gaze settled on Guan Sheng.

The red-faced giant before him seemed a man of few words. The pride written across his face all but declared everyone around him a marked head waiting to be cut off.

"Guan Sheng, I heard you broke through. It seems you inherited your ancestor's true teachings."

Guan Sheng heard Yang Xiu address him.

He replied respectfully, "Sect Master, please don't say that. I still have a long road ahead before I can compare with my ancestor, the Martial Sage."

"Enough. Since I came to see you today, I have a few requests. A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring Experience Pill. Those two tasks will be difficult for you, but they aren't impossible. Choose the last one yourself. Of course, just do your best. Don't force it."

"I understand, Sect Master," Guan Sheng answered calmly. If he could not fulfill Yang Xiu's requests, he would be too ashamed to face him again. Such was the pride of the Guan Family.

Guan Sheng soon entered the Secret Realm. Though it was his first time, letters from the Sect over the years had told him a little about it. When a voice sounded in his mind, he was surprised but not shaken. He went straight to the tasks.

Task 1: Kill a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Reward: one Trait. (Upon absorption, grants a random Trait suited to you.)

Task 2: Kill four humans at your level. Reward: one Martial Strength Pill.

Task 3: Defeat a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Reward: one Soul Ring Experience Pill (100,000 years).

Task 4: Kill a Ninety-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Reward: one Soul Ring Experience Pill (50,000–99,999 years).

Task 5: Defeat your mirror image. Reward: one Soul Power Pill.

Task 6: Kill a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Reward: one Sect badge.

Task 7: Defeat a Power Attack System Soul Douluo at your level. Reward: one Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone.

...

Task 8: Defeat a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Reward: one Soul Ring.

...

Task 9: Kill a hundred-thousand-year speed-type Soul Beast. Reward: an External Soul Bone suited to you.

There were only nine tasks in the level-ninety trial.

Guan Sheng studied them, his proud expression turning grave. Defeating a Soul Beast and killing one were two different things. Proud though he was, no Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast would be easy to deal with. Even if his Dragging-Blade Technique gravely wounded one, it might still escape. After thinking it through, he chose the tasks that required victory rather than a kill. His final choices were tasks two, three, and eight.

He had to complete task two first. If he did the other two and grew stronger, his Soul Power would exceed level ninety, and he would have to face four Titled Douluo instead. The trial would not care whether he had obtained a Soul Ring.

Guan Sheng summoned his Martial Soul and gripped the Azure Dragon Crescent Moon Blade. Then he spoke quietly to the Secret Realm Spirit.

"Accept task two." As four level-ninety Limit Soul Douluo began taking shape before him, he struck without waiting for them to finish forming. He unleashed his Dragging-Blade Technique, and three slashes dispersed three of them just as they took shape. Only the last Limit Soul Douluo remained. Guan Sheng breathed easier. He could not use the Dragging-Blade Technique again for now, but one-on-one, with the pride of the Guan Family behind him, he feared no one. An evenly matched battle began. Half an hour later, Guan Sheng proved the more skilled and took his opponent's head with the Azure Dragon Crescent Moon Blade.

"A marked head, offered up for the taking," Guan Sheng declared with considerable swagger.

The fourth figure gradually vanished, leaving a Martial Strength Pill behind. At the sight of the pill floating in the air, even Guan Sheng's proud face broke into a smile. He knew how important strength was. Without hesitation, he sat cross-legged, swallowed the Martial Strength Pill, and began absorbing its power.

After the time it took an incense stick to burn, Guan Sheng opened his eyes. His whole body brimmed with strength. Without a new Soul Ring, though, he could not tell how much his Soul Power had increased.

Guan Sheng did not rush into another challenge. He continued meditating to recover. An hour later, he could feel that he could use the Dragging-Blade Technique again.

"Accept tasks three and eight."

A colossal Soul Beast soon appeared before Guan Sheng. Because the tasks required him to defeat it, a three-second countdown came before the fight. The seconds slipped by, and they clashed. At first, the gap in strength left Guan Sheng fighting on the back foot. His Soul Power had risen beyond level ninety, but a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was as strong as a level-ninety-five opponent. As time passed, however, he gradually mastered his newfound strength. Holding nothing back, he unleashed his Dragging-Blade Technique and gravely wounded the beast before it could react. A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast had formidable vitality; before long, it stood again. Guan Sheng's face grew grim. Just then, the Secret Realm Spirit judged the tasks complete, and the beast gradually disappeared.

Guan Sheng looked at the two rewards floating in the air and let out a long breath. He was glad he had not chosen the task that required killing a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

Guan Sheng began absorbing the Soul Ring. More than an hour later, he swallowed the Soul Ring Experience Pill. Soon, everything was done, and his journey through the Secret Realm came to an end.

Yang Xiu had been waiting there the whole time. Sensing movement, he woke from his cultivation.

He used his Detection Technique.

Name: Guan Sheng

Soul Power: Level 95 (yellow, yellow, purple, red, black, black, black, black, red)

Martial Soul: Azure Dragon Crescent Moon Blade

Trait: Dragging-Blade Technique

Yang Xiu stared at Guan Sheng's status panel, stunned most of all by the level ninety-five. When he noticed the fourth ring was red, though, his surprise eased. The two red rings alone could not have raised Guan Sheng to level ninety-five. He must have completed a third task.

"What was your third task?" Yang Xiu asked outright.

"I was lucky enough to get a Martial Strength Pill."

At that, Yang Xiu no longer found it strange.

After all, a Martial Strength Pill was a heaven-defying thing. It could grant anywhere from one to five levels—who knew how many Guan Sheng had gained?

"Excellent. The Sect is stronger again."

"Now that you're out safely, I need to focus on my cultivation and break through."

"Oh, and you don't need to go to Xiao San's side anymore. Besides you, he has his father, the Clear Sky Douluo, watching over him. In a little over a month, they'll all go to Shrek. Come with me to see them then."

"For now, take some time to consolidate your cultivation."

After chatting with Guan Sheng a while longer, Yang Xiu returned to his villa.