As the students stepped into the shadow wall, almost all of them immediately let out horrified screams. The bloody war had shown them what cruelty was, and that things were not as beautiful as they had imagined.
Under such intense pressure, the number of people who passed the test on the first try could be counted on two hands, and their strength was almost all of the strongest, all above the Soul Elder, with some even having broken through to the Soul Ancestor level.
Although few in number, these individuals were undoubtedly among the elite students, possessing both courage and resourcefulness, which caught Qi Ling's attention.
"Once you're ready, you can proceed with your second attempt!" Qi Ling said. "I won't stop my Soul Skill until all of you pass the test or choose to give up!"
The fact that they lack the courage to face war does not mean that their mental fortitude is inadequate. The greatest strength of humankind lies in its ability to learn and improve.
Having witnessed the cruelty of war, the fact that they still have the courage to face it is a success in itself. It shows that they have overcome their fear and grown a step further.
Even those who fail the test are not hopelessly defeated; they are simply not prepared for war and can still play a role in other areas.
Having prepared themselves mentally for the first attempt, the students challenged the shadow wall once again, and this time, the pass rate was significantly higher, with around three hundred students passing the test.
After several more attempts, the number of students who passed the test was finally capped at just over five hundred!
The fact that half of the people passed the test far exceeded Qi Ling's expectations. He originally thought that two hundred of these flowers grown in a greenhouse would be a very high percentage, but now it seems that they are even more outstanding than he thought.
After encouraging the students who had not passed the test, Qi Ling gathered the five hundred who had passed and specially asked the first few who had passed to step forward and stand in front of everyone.
"You are all among the first to pass the test, which at least shows that you all have exceptional qualities and are more mature psychologically!" Qi Ling said. "With great power comes great responsibility. Now I will assign you a task. Are you willing to accept it?"
"Yes!" The group was all eager; being noticed by Qi Ling was the happiest thing for them.
"Very well, but before that, I need to know your names and your abilities!" Qi Ling said. "Everyone, state your names, ranks, and the characteristics of your Martial Soul!"
"Yes! My name is Mu Zixi, Soul Power Level 42, Agility Attack System Battle Soul Ancestor, Martial Soul: Hound!"
"My name is Lei Jun, Soul Power Level 43, Power Attack System Battle Soul Ancestor, Martial Soul: Lightning Hammer!"
"My name is Jia Xuesong, Soul Power Level 42, Defense System Battle Soul Ancestor, Martial Soul: Snowfield Pine!"
"My name is Ming Yin, Soul Power Level 39, Support System Tool Soul Elder, Martial Soul: Bell!"
"My name is Da Chundan, my Soul Power Level is 38, I am Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder, and my Martial Soul: Great Horned Deer!"
"My name is Bi Yuntao, my Soul Power Level is 37, I am Defense System Battle Soul Elder, and my Martial Soul is the Blue Crystal Shield!"
"My Liu Mangguo, Soul Power Level 36, Food System Tool Soul Elder, Martial Soul: Mitsubishi Mango!"
"My name is Guan Chen, Soul Power Level 44, Power Attack System Weapon Soul Master, Martial Soul: Three-Pointed Spear!"
After the eight people introduced themselves, Qi Ling said with satisfaction, "Very good. Since you have made such a decision, then I will give you a task: each of you will lead 60 people, and any surplus will be automatically filled!"
"You are responsible for the safety of everyone in your team, and all team members must obey the captain's orders! There are no jokes on the battlefield; anyone who disobeys orders will be severely punished!"
"Finally, I want you to remember your primary task!" Qi Ling said, "Three words: Survive!"
After assigning the five hundred men, Qi Ling let them work together on their own. The more familiar they were with each other, the higher their chances of survival on the battlefield would be.
In the days that followed, everyone prepared for war while anxiously awaiting the outcome of the battle between the Heaven Dou Empire's army and the Spirit Hall's Soul Master.
Everyone thought that even if the 200,000 elite troops couldn't defeat the 40,000 Soul Master, they shouldn't suffer a crushing defeat. If the Spirit Hall lost too much of its strength, then they would be unable to attack the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for at least a short period of time.
Of course, if a miracle really happens and the 200,000-strong army defeats the Spirit Hall, then everyone will be overjoyed, and all they need to do is wait to settle accounts with the Spirit Hall later.
Because of the remoteness of the battlefield, no one could obtain information about it immediately. Even Qi Ling was powerless to do so and could only wait for intelligence from the army to be transmitted back.
That's why, when the first intelligence report came back, it was already evening. Fortunately, it was good news: the Heaven Dou Empire's army had won a great victory in the first battle, successfully scattering the Spirit Hall's Soul Master and now they were engaged in fierce fighting.
Everyone was quite surprised to learn that the Heaven Dou Empire's army had actually gained the upper hand in the first encounter. Could a miracle really happen, and would the army defeat the Soul Master?
Subsequently, a second and third intelligence report arrived in succession, all reporting great victories for the Heaven Dou Empire. The Spirit Hall was routed by the overwhelming force of the Heaven Dou Empire's army and could only retreat continuously, while the Heaven Dou Empire's army pursued relentlessly, seemingly determined to achieve a complete victory.
Upon seeing this news, everyone was celebrating and waiting for good news, but Qi Ling was the only one who frowned and became increasingly anxious.
Are the Soul Master of the Spirit Hall really so incompetent that they can't even stop an army composed of ordinary people? That's obviously impossible. Even if they win, the Heaven Dou Empire's army couldn't possibly win so decisively.
The only explanation for this is that there is a conspiracy involved, but Qi Ling cannot interfere with what is happening on the battlefield. All she can do is wait for news, just like everyone else.
But as everyone eagerly awaited news, no further updates came. People lost all information about the war and had no idea how the situation was developing.
When the next intelligence report arrived, another day and night had passed. But this time, the report made everyone's faces change, and they couldn't believe their eyes!
The Heaven Dou Empire's army suffered a crushing defeat! Of its 200,000 troops, only 50,000 remained, and their whereabouts were unknown. Only the Spirit Hall's forces reappeared!