Preliminary Selection
The day of the primary election was overcast, and the wind carried the dampness of the approaching rain.
The selection field for the Spirit Hall Academy was set up in an independent training ground on the north side of Spirit City, surrounded by high walls topped with Soul Power barriers. When Ning Buhui arrived, there were already about twenty people standing on the sidelines, all between fifteen and twenty years old, mostly core disciples recommended by various branches of the Spirit Hall. He recognized a few faces; they were from the special training batch last autumn, and their strength was not weak. There were also some who had come through other channels, dressed in different styles and with varying temperaments.
He glanced around but didn't see Yan or Xie Yue. Those two had said they wouldn't be participating, and they certainly weren't here today. Hu Liena was there, though, but she stood on the other side of the field, nodding at him from afar as a greeting. She'd come just to check things out out of boredom.
Ning Buhui stood at the edge of the crowd, wearing the uniform of the Spirit Hall. Several Soul King- level deacons were maintaining order on the sidelines, while three people sat on the examiner's platform. The middle-aged man with blond hair, solemn and with sharp eyes, was an elder of the Worship Hall. Ning Buhui had never seen him before, but she could feel the heavy pressure emanating from him, at least at the Soul Douluo level. The middle-aged woman on the left was an instructor at the Spirit Hall Academy, and the younger deacon on the right was responsible for taking notes.
"Line up in two rows," the deacon on the sidelines shouted.
Everyone quickly took their positions. The blond middle-aged man on the examiner's platform glanced at everyone and spoke in a low voice, which silenced the entire room. "The preliminary selection consists of two rounds. The first round is an individual strength test. The second round Simulation team battle. The individual test is simple: release your Martial Soul, display your Soul Ring, and then unleash your Soul Skill on a target I designate. I will score you based on the Soul Skill's effect, release speed, and Soul Power consumption."
He paused, then said, "Don't try anything funny. The Spirit Hall's selection process is no joke. Every single one of you will have your Martial Soul, Soul Skill, and Soul Power data recorded in your files. If anyone thinks they can get away with it, they can leave now."
No one moved.
"The first one is Zhao Yan."
A burly man of eighteen or nineteen stepped forward, his Martial Soul being the Ironback Bear, two yellow and two purple. He unleashed his Soul Skill on the wooden stake in the testing field, his fist striking with fierce force, cracking the stake. The blond middle-aged man in the examiner's seat nodded, and the deacon beside him quickly took notes.
The next few people took to the stage one by one, each with a different Martial Soul —some with swords, some with Beast Martial Soul, and some with beast-type martial souls. Most of them had two yellow and two purple Soul Ring Configuration. Several of them were indeed quite strong. One was a nineteen-year-old Control System Soul Master Martial Soul was vines. His Fourth Soul Skill simultaneously laid out more than a dozen vines on the field to block movement, and he was questioned a few more times by the blond middle-aged man. Another was an eighteen-year-old Power Attack System spirit master Martial Soul was a double-edged axe. His Third Soul Skill's axe beam could cut through the armored target used in the test, showing great explosive power.
Ning Buhui stood in the group, observing everyone's performance. These people would be top performers among their peers outside, but compared to Xie Yue and the others, they were still a step behind. The true core combat power of the Spirit Hall was indeed not in this selection arena.
"Ning Buhui."
He stepped forward and walked to the center of the arena. The middle-aged woman on the examiner's platform glanced down at the roster, her eyebrows twitching slightly, seemingly surprised by his age. The blond middle-aged man, however, showed no reaction, only raising his chin. "Release your Martial Soul."
Ning Buhui raised his right hand. The Nine Hell Soul-Suppressing Pagoda emerged from his palm, its black and white body suspended above his hand, and four Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet. Two were yellow and two were purple. The blond middle-aged man glanced at his Soul Ring but said nothing.
"Auxiliary System?"
"Yes."
"Unleash your support Soul Skill on the target Soul Master."
Ning Buhui's First Soul Ring lit up, "Butterfly Dance Flowing Radiance." A pale golden butterfly, like a white fish swaying its tail, flew out from the tower, fluttered its wings, and landed on the test subject's shoulder, disappearing into their body in a flash of golden light. The blond middle-aged man remained expressionless, while the steward beside him asked questions and took notes while assisting the test subject. Then Ning Buhui's Second Soul Ring lit up, "Vine Armor Spring Life," a dark green vine armor phantom landing on the test subject. The Third Soul Ring lit up again, "Wind Thunder Wing Shadow," with cyan and purple lightning patterns covering the test subject's body. Finally, the Fourth Soul Ring lit up, "Bear Iron Wall," a bear spirit phantom attaching itself to the test subject.
All four support Soul Skill were unleashed. Ning Buhui and took a step back. The blond middle-aged man was silent for two breaths before speaking, "Your support Soul Skill have a wide range of coverage, including attribute enhancement, defensive shields, speed boosts, invincibility, and burst damage. They cover multiple aspects, and the release speed is also fast."
He paused, his gaze lingering on Ning Buhui for a moment longer. "How's the consumption of your Soul Skill?"
"The round we just used up about 10% of our resources."
The middle-aged man nodded and asked again, "How old are you?"
Nine years old.
A very slight commotion arose from the sidelines. Several young Soul Master turned to look at him, their eyes filled with surprise. Nine years old, Soul Ancestor, two yellow and two purple rank. In the history of the Spirit Hall, this achievement would easily rank him in the top ten.
The blond middle-aged man didn't show much expression, only nodding. "Next."
Ning Buhui returned to the ranks. A young man of about seventeen or eighteen years old next to him quietly turned his head and lowered his voice. "You became Soul Ancestor at the age of nine? What's your background?"
"I was lucky," Ning Buhui said.
The man wanted to ask more questions, but a glance from the deacon on the sidelines made him shrink back.
The individual tests lasted for more than half an hour, and everyone went through them. The blond middle-aged man did not announce the results on the spot, but only told everyone to go back and wait for further notice. When Ning Buhui came out of the arena, it was already dark. Hu Liena was waiting for him at the door. When she saw him come out, she greeted him with a smile, "Junior Brother, you really surprised a lot of people just now."
"I'm just more hardworking," Ning Buhui said.
"That's true, nobody pushes themselves harder than you." Hu Liena patted his shoulder. "Let's go eat. You're treating."
"Why should I treat you? Shouldn't you be the one treating me?"
"Okay, I'll treat you, you pay."
"..."
The two of them playfully walked towards their usual restaurant.