Whether it was due to the existence of the Golden Tree or not, the peak where the Sea God Pavilion was located was only a few hundred meters high, yet it was shrouded in clouds and mist all year round.
In the refreshing early summer morning, where the cool air blended with the mist, Xu Zihuang, having left the Sea God Pavilion, arrived at a rocky cliff edge.
With a series of light taps of his toes on the protruding rock at the very edge, he leaped forcefully, his entire body instantly enveloped by the dense clouds. His deep purple eyes transformed into a brilliant gold in an instant. With the Golden Eyes that could pierce through the essence of all things, the full view of Sea God Island came into clear sight.
"Hum—"
A crisp sound, akin to the formation of ice crystals, rang out. Thin, dark red crystal mirrors appeared in the surrounding space. Xu Zihuang pinpointed the direction of the Soul Guidance Department and, borrowing force from the crystal mirrors, stepped through the air and drifted away elegantly.
Elder Mu had previously informed him that before the Ultimate Soldier Plan officially began, he and He Caitou would need to undergo an ultimate test to allow for the arrangement of a specific and reasonable training plan based on their conditions.
And this ultimate test was to take place today.
In almost the span of a single breath, Xu Zihuang passed through the clouds. A ray of morning sunlight traced the eastern horizon in the distance. As he overlooked the entirety of Sea God Island, his indifferent golden pupils revealed no trace of emotional fluctuation. Yet, the ambition and obsession that had surged within him four years ago, upon escaping that prison-like cage, inevitably rose in his heart at this moment.
Sea God Island was a microcosm of the Douluo Continent. In the near future, he would surely overlook the entire Douluo Continent just as he now overlooked Sea God Island, becoming the continent's sole ruler.
However, not long after leaving the range of Sea God Island, his brilliant golden pupils suddenly focused on a point on the vast surface of Sea God Lake.
A young woman, appearing to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, stood on the lake's surface. She had long ice-blue hair and eyes of the same icy blue hue, with skin as fair as snow. Unlike Ma Xiaotao's fiery allure or Jiang Nannan's gentle warmth, she exuded a cold and aloof aura.
With each light step of her lotus-like feet, an ice mirror would condense beneath her, supporting her body on the deep blue surface of Sea God Lake. Without a doubt, she possessed an ice-attribute martial soul. To achieve this without using her martial soul or soul skills was proof enough that her control over the ice energy within her soul power had reached an exceedingly refined level.
When she looked up and met Xu Zihuang's gaze, their eyes briefly locked.
Xu Zihuang was no stranger to this young woman. She was none other than Ling Luochen, the main control soul master of the original main team.
Xu Zihuang politely nodded to Ling Luochen in greeting before continuing toward the Soul Guidance Department.
Ling Luochen stared blankly in the direction Xu Zihuang had departed, a rare subtle change appearing on her icy countenance. Though her personality was the complete opposite of Ma Xiaotao's, the pride in her heart was just as strong.
During the time she spent recovering on Sea God Island, she had learned from messages sent from Star Luo City that Yu Tianhuang had replaced her as the team's main control soul master in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, delivering an astonishing performance that helped the Shrek team secure the championship.
She held no ill will toward Yu Tianhuang, but she couldn't help feeling a slight discomfort and regret. She, too, should have shared in that honor.
Yet, after witnessing Yu Tianhuang's exquisite use of his soul skills today, her discomfort vanished completely, leaving only the regret of not having represented Shrek Academy in the tournament. She knew that even if she had been there, she could not have achieved what he did.
Even without a true full-power confrontation between them, she knew she was no match for Yu Tianhuang. Even if she had participated in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, she could not have outperformed him.
It wasn't difficult to use a single soul skill in different ways. What was difficult was reaching the level of mastery Yu Tianhuang displayed, where every use of a soul skill was instinctive, with not a single ounce of power wasted—perfectly executed.
This was the realm every control-type soul master aspired to. She was still far from it.
Unlike the myriad thoughts swirling in Ling Luochen's mind, Xu Zihuang's heart remained undisturbed.
In his view, Ling Luochen's talent was only average, far inferior to a top-tier genius like Ma Xiaotao, who was on the verge of touching the level 70 bottleneck at the age of twenty. He had no interest in even interacting with someone like Ma Xiaotao, so how could he possibly spare any thought for Ling Luochen?
He had never believed that anyone among his peers could stand on the same level as him. Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen were no exception. With his unparalleled talent, he would only become someone they would look up to in the future.
Of course, he still needed to maintain surface-level relations, which was why he had taken the initiative to greet Ling Luochen earlier, upholding his persona.
As his thoughts raced, Xu Zihuang quickly crossed Sea God Lake, arriving at the Soul Guidance Department in the northwest corner of Shrek Academy.
Soul Guidance Department, in front of the Soul Guidance Testing Area.
Fan Yu, with He Caitou in tow, was already waiting there.
Xu Zihuang approached with a warm smile and greeted the two.
"Teacher Fan Yu, Senior Brother He. Sorry to keep you waiting."
He Caitou rubbed his bald head and chuckled.
"Actually, Teacher and I just got here too."
Fan Yu looked at Xu Zihuang, and even the usually stern man's eyes softened with a hint of a smile.
"Tianhuang, I'm glad you made this choice. By the decision of the Sea God Pavilion, the Soul Guidance Department will allocate all resources to you and Caitou, fully supporting the execution of the Ultimate Soldier Plan. But at the same time, you'll face immense pressure. Still, I believe you and Caitou won't let us down. Come with me first. Dean Xian and Dean Qian want to see you."
With that, Fan Yu turned and headed into the heavily fortified Soul Guidance Testing Area.
Xu Zihuang and He Caitou exchanged a smile before quickly following.
As they walked, Fan Yu began explaining the Ultimate Soldier Plan in detail to the two. In truth, He Caitou was already familiar with it, so Fan Yu was mostly addressing Xu Zihuang.
"Before meeting Dean Xian and Dean Qian, let me explain the significance of the Ultimate Soldier Plan. The so-called Ultimate Soldier aims to cultivate a powerful individual capable of single-handedly altering the outcome of a war. The wars in question refer to legion-level confrontations. In any of the four great empires on the continent, soul masters are part of military legions. Under normal circumstances, a legion commander must at least be at the Soul Sage level. A well-trained soul master legion, paired with a sufficient number of soul guidance devices, is something even a Titled Douluo would not easily confront head-on."
"As the selected candidates for the Ultimate Soldier Plan, you will not only learn the creation and use of soul guidance devices but also skills and knowledge in areas such as disguise, infiltration, concealment, sabotage, military tactics, and more. According to the academy's plan, this will be attempted over a decade. Dean Xian, Dean Qian, and I estimate that within two years, we'll see initial results from you both."
"However, Tianhuang, your focus differs slightly from Caitou's. Tianhuang, your primary focus will be the creation and use of soul guidance devices, infiltration, concealment, reconnaissance, and sabotage. Caitou, your focus will be the creation, use, and carrying of soul guidance devices, disguise, wilderness survival, military tactics, quick reaction, stealth, escape, strategy, explosives, and more."
"In simple terms, Tianhuang, you'll take the pure destruction route, maximizing your destructive power and mastering all means to crush enemies. Caitou, as an auxiliary-type soul master, already possesses some supportive abilities. Beyond destruction, he'll need to learn more skills to support you, becoming your strongest backing."
Xu Zihuang glanced sideways at He Caitou. Though He Caitou maintained his usual honest and simple demeanor, a faint, almost imperceptible glint flickered deep in his eyes.
Just as they had discussed when revealing their identities, everything was proceeding as expected.
Unknowingly, Fan Yu had led them to the door of an office deep within the Soul Guidance Testing Area.
Fan Yu pressed a few times on the metal door in front of him. A soft white light appeared on its surface, accompanied by the clanking of metal. The heavy metal door revealed a seam in the middle before sliding open to both sides.
"Dean Xian, Dean Qian, they're here."
In the spacious office, Xian Liner sat in a chair behind the desk, while Qian Duoduo, over two meters tall with a burly frame, stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the desk in front of Xian Liner. His bronze-colored muscles gleamed like metal, making him look like an enlarged version of He Caitou.
"Dean Xian, Dean Qian, greetings." Xu Zihuang and He Caitou bowed to Xian Liner and Qian Duoduo in unison.
Qian Duoduo let out a hearty laugh in his booming voice and slapped Xu Zihuang's shoulder with a hand as large as a fan.
The force of his slap made Xu Zihuang's body tremble slightly, giving a sense of just how much strength he had used.
"Good kid, you've got good judgment."
Qian Duoduo was undoubtedly referring to Xu Zihuang's choice to participate in the Ultimate Soldier Plan. When the Sea God Pavilion meeting had allowed Yu Tianhuang to choose, it had left both him and Xian Liner displeased.
Yu Tianhuang was practically born for their Ultimate Soldier Plan, and they truly didn't want to miss out on the perfect candidate, settling for second best.
Xian Liner appeared calmer, though the joy in her eyes was genuine.
"I believe Fan Yu has already told you. Before you officially begin the Ultimate Soldier Plan, you'll undergo a test. You have one hour to prepare. After that, you'll head to the Star Dou Great Forest. Your test is to survive for half a month in the mixed zone of the Star Dou Great Forest. During this time, you may use all your abilities, including any soul guidance devices, except for stationary soul guidance weapons."
Upon hearing Xian Liner's decision, Qian Duoduo's expression remained unchanged, but Fan Yu couldn't help frowning. Clearly, Xian Liner and Qian Duoduo hadn't discussed this with him beforehand.
The Star Dou Great Forest, as the continent's premier soul beast habitat, was fraught with danger. Generally, the outermost twenty kilometers were considered the peripheral zone, home to ten-year, hundred-year, and thousand-year soul beasts. In the mixed zone, however, thousand-year soul beasts dominated, and ten-thousand-year soul beasts were not uncommon.
Surviving in the mixed zone for half a month wasn't just about facing soul beast attacks; it was a grueling test of both body and mind. Even a Soul Emperor or Soul Sage would find it extremely difficult to survive there for that long.
However, Fan Yu was aware of Yu Tianhuang's performance in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, where his combat strength was comparable to a Soul Emperor. That was why he didn't immediately raise objections.
Moreover, while the Star Dou Great Forest was dangerous, the soul beasts there were wild and highly aggressive, making it the perfect environment to push Yu Tianhuang and He Caitou to their limits.
"Survive in the Star Dou Great Forest's mixed zone for half a month?" Xu Zihuang murmured calmly, while He Caitou felt a trace of unease. Though he had experienced life-and-death trials during the palace coup, his experiences after being saved by Fan Yu paled in comparison to Xu Zihuang's tumultuous journey, making him somewhat less resilient mentally.
Xian Liner's joyful expression faded, her face growing serious.
"Any issues?"
"No issues," Xu Zihuang and He Caitou replied in unison after exchanging a glance.
Xian Liner waved her hand, signaling them to go prepare.
"Bang—" The heavy metal door opened and closed again. The spacious office now contained only Xian Liner, Qian Duoduo, and Fan Yu, the three giants of the Soul Guidance Department.
Fan Yu couldn't help asking Xian Liner, "Dean Xian, isn't this a bit too risky?"
"Fan Yu, I understand your concerns. Don't worry. Liner and I will personally follow them and evaluate their test," Qian Duoduo said nonchalantly, cutting in.
"No matter how much we test them in the academy, they won't truly experience life-or-death crises. Liner and I discussed it and concluded that the Star Dou Great Forest is the most suitable place. Moreover, as a team, facing potential crises together and fighting side by side will better foster trust between them."
Hearing Qian Duoduo's explanation, Fan Yu felt reassured.
Dean Xian and Dean Qian were both titled Douluo, just one step away from becoming Super Douluo. Together, they could even fight a ferocious beast-level soul beast. Ensuring Yu Tianhuang and He Caitou's safety in the mixed zone would be no issue.
On the other side, Xu Zihuang and He Caitou, having just left, began their preparations. They split up. He Caitou went to the Soul Guidance Testing Area and his room to gather the various soul guidance devices he had made, while Xu Zihuang procured sufficient dry rations and water from the nearby Soul Guidance Department cafeteria.
A quarter of an hour later, the two were ready and met at the entrance of the Soul Guidance Testing Area, heading together toward the outside of Shrek Academy.
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