Niu Wenchuan still had wet blood on him. Leaving a bloody footprint with every step, he slowly returned to the trainees' ranks. His face was expressionless, but the murderous intensity around him left everyone staring in astonishment.
The trainees who had been hesitating, afraid to step forward, suddenly seemed to have received a shot straight to the heart.
With the extraordinary defense of his armored giant rhinoceros Martial Soul, Niu Wenchuan had easily slaughtered a Soul Grandmaster-level convict. Though they lacked such monstrous defensive talent, they were all geniuses carefully selected by Spirit Hall. Naturally, they could do it too!
For a moment, the atmosphere in the Martial Arts Arena changed completely. The deathly silence gave way to an eager fighting spirit. Trainees stepped out of the ranks one after another and began choosing their opponents.
Most, however, knew their limits. Aware that they could not compare to Niu Wenchuan, they dared not choose Soul Grandmasters outright and instead picked slightly weaker, high-level Soul Masters. Only a handful of bold trainees confident in their strength dared select Soul Grandmaster-level opponents.
Battle after battle began, but the results varied wildly.
Only a scant few could steel themselves to kill their opponents. Most trainees struggled, either because their attacks lacked ruthlessness or because their control over their Soul Power fell short.
A few even overestimated themselves and insisted on challenging Soul Grandmasters. Not only did they fail to win, but their opponents drove them back again and again, nearly killing them on the spot. Only the timely intervention of the Sacred Hall Warriors standing guard pulled them back from death's gates and saved their lives.
Many of those unlucky trainees simply could not cross that barrier in their hearts. Even when they held the advantage, they could not bring themselves to strike