The disgust he had imagined never came. Chrysanthemum Douluo's pupils trembled slightly, and he actually stretched out both arms and pulled Qin Chao into his embrace...
"Little Qin Chao, you're so young, yet you already have so much weighing on your mind. You must have suffered so many wrongs before..." Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice was low and gentle, filled with heartache.
Qin Chao's nose stung, and something seemed to lodge in his throat. Usually so eloquent, he found himself speechless. He could only bury himself in Chrysanthemum Douluo's embrace, drawing warmth from his master's arms.
My teacher is wonderful, and Spirit Hall is wonderful too. This world really is so, so wonderful...
Without comparison, there was no hurt.
Qin Chao remembered everything he had experienced in the orphanage in his previous life. Suddenly, he felt that only after coming to the Douluo World had he truly begun to live...
Looking at the man before him, whose appearance blurred the line between male and female and was even somewhat uncanny, Qin Chao felt his desire to grow stronger climb ever higher.
In the novel, Spirit Hall had been destroyed, and Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo had both died at Tang San's hands. But now Qin Chao, armed with a system, had come to this world and become its sole variable.
He silently gritted his teeth and made up his mind. Whatever price he had to pay, he would change this story's ending. His first step was to pass the Golden Generation's assessment and secure his footing in Spirit Hall.
He not only had to win this battle-he had to win it brilliantly!
Registration was complete, and the boys and girls who met the requirements had already gathered in the Training Ground.
Their faces showed apprehension and nervousness, but above all, excitement.
Perhaps Qin Chao's intimidation had worked. No further incidents occurred before the assessment began. Qin Chao stood with Xie Yue and the other two in a corner of the Training Ground, their expressions perfectly calm.
Dressed in a golden ceremonial gown and holding a scepter, Bibi Dong stood on the raised platform at the center of the Training Ground. Looking at the boys and girls below, each wearing a different expression, she sighed inwardly. They were all future pillars of Spirit Hall, but among these dozens of youths, how many truly obeyed her commands as Pope?
Her gaze shifted to Qin Chao and the other three in the corner of the Training Ground. They were looking at her with affectionate admiration, and there was little sign of nervousness on their faces.
At any time, strength was a Soul Master's greatest source of confidence. They possessed dazzling talent and the determination to cultivate diligently. Bibi Dong believed that, for them, the assessment was not an obstacle but a stepping stone upward. One day, these four youths would surely stand at the pinnacle of the Douluo Continent!
"Your Holiness, everyone is here. Shouldn't we begin the assessment..." Beside Bibi Dong, Demon Subduing Douluo, dressed in a Consecration's robe, reminded her quietly.
Naturally, Qin Chao and his companions' relaxed demeanor had not escaped his notice. These four were elites Bibi Dong had painstakingly nurtured, but today's assessment would change the paths they took in the future...
After another long look at the four in the corner, Bibi Dong finally spoke slowly.
"You are all elites of Spirit Hall, bearing its future upon your shoulders. Being able to participate in this assessment already proves your strength. However, the Golden Generation Plan seeks to select the elite among elites!"
"This assessment consists of three rounds. The first is a pressure test. Shortly, Demon Subduing Douluo's soul power pressure will envelop the entire field. As time passes, he will gradually increase his soul power. Anyone who can endure for the time it takes an incense stick to burn will pass..."
"A Titled Douluo's soul power is far stronger than you imagine. If you cannot hold on, you must withdraw promptly..."
Bibi Dong looked around and, seeing understanding on everyone's faces, declared in a clear voice, "The assessment now officially begins!"
Light flashed from her Soul Tool. With a flick of her fingers, an incense stick shot straight into the bluestone paving of the Training Ground. It moved so fast that its tip had already ignited by the time it struck the ground.
Everyone taking part in the assessment was startled by this sight, and their reverence for the noble Pope deepened further.
At that moment, however, they no longer had the chance to gasp in amazement.
Demon Subduing Douluo extended his right arm horizontally. As his soul power circulated, even the air within the Training Ground began to distort. That savage pressure descended in an instant, bearing down upon the boys and girls like a mountain.
The sounds of bones grinding rang out one after another across the Training Ground. A Titled Douluo's soul power was immensely vast; even a mere fraction of his strength left everyone on the field feeling suffocated.
Qin Chao and the other three stood straight in their corner of the Training Ground. Powerful though a Titled Douluo's soul power was, the test had only just begun. Supported by the soul power within their bodies, the four had not even summoned their martial souls...
Compared with the effortless composure of Qin Chao's group, the other boys and girls looked somewhat bedraggled. Martial souls accompanied by gleaming Soul Rings were summoned one after another, adding a little splendor to the Training Ground.
The hot blood of youth.
They clenched their teeth fiercely, the soul power within their bodies circulating frantically.
The tantalizing prospect of joining the Golden Generation lay right before them. No one was willing to let such an opportunity slip through their fingers.
The pressure was still bearable. Qin Chao swept his gaze around and soon spotted exactly what he had expected in the northeastern corner of the Training Ground.
Three youths stood there with their hands behind their backs, their expressions as placid as drifting clouds in a gentle breeze. They seemed entirely unaffected by the surging pressure. Looking closely, even their hair had not stirred.
That old bastard really is holding something back. Those three must be the Elder Hall's true pawns...
Qin Chao silently committed the three youths' appearances to memory, and his gaze grew somewhat cold.
Mercy toward an enemy was cruelty toward oneself. With the Elder Hall arranging matters, he would inevitably face those three in the later rounds. Qin Chao had already resolved that, if an opportunity to kill them arose, he would not hold back...
Demon Subduing Douluo lowered his palm slightly, and the soul power pressure on the field grew stronger still. Finally, someone could no longer withstand that surging soul power. After coughing up a mouthful of blood, he raised his hand to signal his withdrawal.
Gui Mei had long been waiting outside the field. Seeing someone raise a hand, he swiftly darted forward and carried him out of the Training Ground.
As the palm continued to press downward, more and more participants conceded and withdrew. Ghost Douluo's figure flashed like black lightning, darting back and forth between the inside and outside of the Training Ground.
Healing Soul Masters were already waiting outside. As their Soul Rings flashed, the youths who had conceded were healed.
They looked at their companions still holding on in the field, their eyes filled with envy...
When Demon Subduing Douluo lowered his palm for the fifth time, Qin Chao and his companions finally could not hold on any longer and summoned their martial souls.
The optimal yellow-yellow-purple configuration of Xie Yue and the other two naturally drew envy, but the most eye-catching sight was still Qin Chao's terrifying pair of yellow and purple Soul Rings.
Ever since the assessment began, Demon Subduing Douluo's gaze had remained fixed on these four. Now, seeing them reveal their Soul Rings, his pupils instantly contracted.
With his discerning eye, he naturally recognized the ages of Qin Chao's Soul Rings at a glance.
He absorbed Soul Rings beyond his age limit-and two of them?! No wonder Bibi Dong protects him like the apple of her eye...
A trace of coldness flashed through Demon Subduing Douluo's eyes. This boy will undoubtedly achieve extraordinary things in the future. Since he cannot be of use to me, I might as well destroy him...
Before you continue