"Hehehe, so these are the Hall of Souls' elites this time around? You look... rather worse for wear..."
Just as Mo Shang and the others were sizing one another up, a sinister voice rang out. They looked up and saw an elderly figure appear eerily at the front of the great hall, his malevolent eyes sweeping over them.
Under that scrutiny, Mo Shang's heart tightened, and he cautiously assumed a defensive stance.
"Oh? Rather interesting..."
As though he had noticed Mo Shang's little movement, the elderly figure turned his gaze toward him. He was about to speak when the "Heavenly Venerable" standing in front of Mo Shang interrupted him.
"Enough, Old Ghost. Don't frighten these youngsters..."
As his words fell, the "Heavenly Venerable" flickered and appeared beside the old man. His gaze swept over Mo Shang and the others before he said, "Congratulations. You passed the Hall of Souls' most grueling selection and now stand here as the most talented disciples among our many branch halls..."
"Of course, you... are also very unfortunate."
The "Heavenly Venerable" changed his tone and looked at them. "From this moment onward, you will undergo one final trial. You could also call it an opportunity. Should you succeed, your future prospects-and your chances of becoming a Dou Zun-will improve greatly..."
Hearing the "Heavenly Venerable" speak of this trial, the surviving Hall of Souls prodigies' eyes burned with fervor. Hadn't they joined the Hall of Souls precisely to gain strength?
In silence, the prodigies from the various branch halls exchanged glances, a spark of fire rising in their eyes. For the sake of their futures, they chose to stake everything on this chance!
Yet the future the "Heavenly Venerable" described stirred nothing in Mo Shang's heart. Everything he did was merely to climb to a higher