After reaching port, the group dispersed according to prearranged plans.
Xie Xie, Yuanen Yehui, Le Zhengyu, Ye Xinglan, Xu Lizhi, and others would leverage Shrek and Tang Sect's surviving connections to join relatively neutral or sympathetic regional legions within the Federation.
They chose to use their real names—partly to sever overt ties with the "destroyed" Shrek Academy, and partly for their long-term personal development.
Only by establishing themselves through merit in the military, climbing rank by rank, could they eventually wield sufficient power and influence to aid Shrek's rebirth.
Yun Ming and Ya Li remained in the shadows—her very existence a top-secret matter.
Though Yun Ming had forcibly restored his cultivation to Level 99 by absorbing three new spirit souls—especially the hundred-thousand-year Blue Thorn Golden Spearfish—his realm remained unstable.
He smiled bitterly. "I possess Level 99 soul power in quantity, but the poor quality of my soul rings drags down my soul power's density and intensity. At best, I'm now a quasi-demigod—barely capable of half-god combat power. And…" His gaze settled on his Four-Word Battle Armor, its light dimmed, riddled with hairline cracks. "It's too damaged. It will require prolonged spiritual energy and time to recover. The road ahead… remains long."
Tang Wulin and Bai Yuan traveled together toward the continent's most mysterious—and dangerous—Blood God Legion. Their recommendation letters came from Tang Sect's remnants and the Body Sect's Mu Ye, respectively.
Journeying across the desolate, scorching Blazing Fire Basin, they finally entered the perpetually snow-capped Sky-Cleaving Mountains.
Bone-chilling wind carried ice shards that cut like knives against their faces. Endless white stretched in all directions. The majestic mountain ranges loomed like dragon spines, bridging heaven and earth.
As they traversed the terrain, a squad of soldiers in white snow-camouflage uniforms materialized silently around them—movements as swift as foxes.
The leader lowered her hood, revealing a strikingly beautiful yet icy face. Her eyes were as clear and cold as these mountains.
"Halt!" Her voice was crisp, brooking no argument. "State your identities and purpose!"
Tang Wulin stepped forward, presenting the recommendation letter. "We're reporting to the Blood God Legion. Here are our credentials."
The female officer scrutinized the seals and hidden marks before her gaze swept over their thin clothing. Her brow furrowed slightly. "Arrogance is always the path to death," she remarked flatly. Clearly, she viewed their attire as reckless defiance of the mountain's lethal cold.
Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon King bloodline burned like a furnace within him. This cold was trivial. He simply rubbed his nose, offering no defense.
Bai Yuan didn't even lift his eyes. As if he hadn't heard her, he studied the jagged, snow-buried rocks around them—sensing something.
'The Abyss's aura… faint through the spatial barrier, but undeniably present.'
Irritated by Bai Yuan's near-dismissal, the officer's gaze turned colder—but she said nothing. "Follow me."
They entered the Blood God Legion's mountain-base complex—a fortress carved into the cliffs, guarded by vigilant sentries. At the registration desk, a stern-faced female soldier in her forties snapped to attention, right fist pressed to her left chest in a crisp military salute. "Major!"
The escorting officer held the rank of major—a significant position in any military. She returned the salute, her tone still frosty. "Register these two recruits." Without a backward glance at Tang Wulin or Bai Yuan, she departed.
The middle-aged soldier sat, pulling out forms. As she recorded their details, she delivered a blunt warning:
"I don't care who recommended you or what backgrounds you have. In the Blood God Legion, dragons coil and tigers crouch. Our entry trial eliminates one in three applicants. Fail, and you go back where you came from."
She gestured toward an open armory. "Choose your trial weapons now. Remember: no soul power or martial souls permitted during evaluation. Soul device energy is fixed—once depleted, they're scrap metal. Cold steel tests your raw physical strength, combat skill, and willpower."
The armory brimmed with options: regulation longswords, heavy blades, spears, battle-axes, even compact soul device beam rifles and shields.
Tang Wulin approached a rack of staffs. He selected the heaviest—a hundred-refined steel rod as tall as his brow—hefting it with satisfaction.
Bai Yuan's eyes scanned the racks before settling on a halberd of ancient design, its weight formidable. He lifted it effortlessly, swinging it twice with a dull whoosh.
Spears favored agility and technique. This halberd would better channel his Body Sect-cultivated strength and the Abyss Devourer's barbaric, domineering aura.
The soldier's eyes flickered with "predictable" resignation at Tang Wulin's staff choice—many newcomers relied on brute strength.
But when Bai Yuan chose the halberd—a weapon demanding immense power and commanding presence—her frown deepened. She merely pointed inward. "Go to Assessment Hall Three."
Inside the designated hall, they found their examiner waiting: the same major.
Clad now in lightweight combat gear, she crossed her arms, watching them.
"I'll oversee your evaluation," she said plainly, yet her presence pressed down like a physical weight. "The format resembles the Ascension Platform's trials. We'll enter a simulated battlefield. Your task is simple—" She paused, her sharp gaze boring into them. "Before I choose to act, protect me. Ensure I'm not 'killed' by simulated enemies."
'Protect the examiner?' Tang Wulin thought inwardly. 'An unusual test.'
Bai Yuan remained indifferent.
Without further explanation, the three stepped onto a metal platform wired with complex soul devices. Light flashed—reality blurred.
They now stood in a dense, humid tropical rainforest. The air reeked of decaying vegetation and damp earth. Distant chirps and snarls echoed from unseen creatures.
"Stay close!" the major snapped. Without waiting for their reaction, she lunged forward like a hunting leopard—straight toward the noisiest insect chorus!
The instant she moved, bushes rustled violently. Several armored, leopard-like soul beasts—Corrosive Leopards—exploded from cover. Acidic drool dripped from their fangs as they pounced toward the major.
"Careful!" Tang Wulin roared. Instinct took over. He shot forward, staff whistling through the air. A Sweeping a Thousand Armies strike slammed into the first two leopards—
Thud! Thud!
The beasts flew backward, shells shattering, howling in pain.
Simultaneously, another leopard lunged from the side, claws aimed at the major's back.
She seemed to sense it—body angling to counter—
But a black shadow moved faster.
Bai Yuan's halberd flashed—a single fluid motion. The blade tip traced a cold arc, piercing the leopard's skull with surgical precision. No wasted motion. Only brutal, almost artistic violence.
The major turned. Seeing the instantly slain beast and Bai Yuan standing impassive, halberd in hand, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
'This one… seems like it wasn't just arrogance.'
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips. This trial had just become interesting.
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