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Inside the assessment space, combat raged on. A swarm of six-clawed bats—blindingly fast, razor-sharp talons glinting—exploded from shadowed treetops, shrieking piercingly.
Tang Wulin's staff whirled like a cyclone, shattering bats charging head-on. No gap breached his defense.
Bai Yuan, halberd in hand, carved icy arcs through the air. His strikes deflected flanking bats with lethal efficiency—no wasted motion, no flourish.
Just as the last bat fell, the ground heaved violently!
A behemoth crashed from behind thick jungle foliage—a forty-meter-tall monstrosity armored in dark red chitin, radiating putrid evil. Its massive fist descended, carrying earth-shattering force toward the trio.
"Careful! It's a Ba An!" Major Long Yuxue's voice, usually so reckless, now carried urgency. She retreated swiftly, warning them.
Roooar!
Golden light blazed in Tang Wulin's eyes. His bloodline erupted like a volcano, golden aura flaring as he surged forward, staff raised. A savage upward thrust met the Ba An's crushing fist—
BOOM!
Shockwaves cracked the earth beneath him. Tang Wulin's stance dipped but held—pure strength halting the monster's blow.
Simultaneously, Bai Yuan moved.
No golden aura surrounded him, yet his bloodline roared like a tidal wave. White-jade light shimmered beneath his skin.
Feet tracing uncanny steps, he ghosted beside the Ba An. The halberd became an extension of his arm—striking joints, armor seams, weak points with Body Sect precision.
For a moment, brute force and surgical skill combined. The Ba An staggered back, bellowing in fury.
But the danger wasn't over.
A shadowy figure materialized at the battlefield's edge—a humanoid female with bewitching eyes and alluring grace. An Abyss Mo Mei.
She unleashed silent mental blasts while conjuring shadow arrows aimed at Tang Wulin and Bai Yuan.
Hmph!
Tang Wulin grunted, his movements faltering under the psychic assault.
As the Ba An counterattacked and shadow arrows hissed toward him, he stopped holding back. A golden soul ring—forged from bloodline energy—flared beneath his feet.
BOOM!
Strength and speed surged. His staff became a golden lightning bolt, striking twice in a blur—
Pop! Pop!
The shadow arrows detonated midair. He pivoted, staff slamming into the Ba An's knee joint with mountain-shattering force.
CRACK!
Bone splintered. The Ba An crashed to its knees.
Bai Yuan, meanwhile, merely frowned at the Mo Mei's mental assault. His clear eyes remained undimmed—powerful will and his Abyss Devourer martial soul granting resistance to psychic corruption.
Seeing Tang Wulin subdue the Ba An, Bai Yuan focused entirely on the Mo Mei.
No bloodline ring to ignite—but his Body Sect–forged physique was weapon enough.
CLANG!
He deflected a shadow arrow, finding the halberd cumbersome against such a slippery foe.
He jammed the weapon into the ground, fists clenched. Bones cracked like firecrackers.
Roooar!
A guttural roar tore from his throat—inhuman, echoing primordial ferocity.
He vanished. Reappeared before the Mo Mei.
Fist. Palm. Elbow. Knee… Every body part became a killing tool.
The Body Sect's close-quarters killing techniques flowed with savage purity—no soul light, only raw power and speed.
The Mo Mei, adept at psychic torment and ranged harassment, had never faced such brutality. Her mental blasts dissolved like mist. Shadow shields shattered under Bai Yuan's onslaught.
Thud-thud-thud—BOOM!
A final fist, carrying bone-shattering force, punched through her hastily raised shadow barrier. It slammed into her chest.
Her beautiful face contorted. Her body flew backward like a ragdoll—then poofed into pure Abyss energy, dissipating.
The battle that felt epic lasted mere seconds—from the Ba An's emergence to the Abyss creatures' annihilation.
Long Yuxue, who'd ostensibly been "protected" yet observed with ice-cold focus, now dropped all pretense of disdain. Her eyes held naked shock.
She watched Tang Wulin's golden aura fade, his breathing steady. She watched Bai Yuan retrieve his halberd, calm after unleashing primal rage. Words failed her.
Such raw, physical dominance—shattering Abyss beasts without soul skills—was unprecedented in Blood God Legion recruit trials.
When the assessment space dissolved, returning them to reality, Long Yuxue took a deep breath, schooling her expression.
Silence stretched. Then, her voice returned, cold but with lingering wonder: "Assessment passed. Final rating pending higher authority."
A pause. Hesitation. Then: "I am Long Yuxue." She turned sharply, striding away—her retreat almost hurried.
The middle-aged registration soldier stared after her, stunned. Her famously aloof daughter had never volunteered her name to recruits.
Turning to the newcomers, she began formal processing:
"Tang Wulin. Twenty-one years old. Shrek Academy inner court disciple. Level 66 Soul Emperor."
(A/N: He hadn't wasted three years in the Dragon Valley thus his cultivation is higher.)
The lieutenant nodded. Exceptional for his age. Long Yuxue was only a five-ring Soul King—but in the Blood God Legion, soul power levels mattered little. She asked no further questions.
"Battle Armor?"
"Dragon Dance." Tang Wulin replied. (A/N: A different name from canon.)
Understanding dawned in the lieutenant's eyes. 'No wonder my daughter treated him differently. She saw his potential.'
Then she scanned Bai Yuan's file—and froze.
"Bai Yuan. Twenty-two years old. Shrek inner court disciple… Level 78 Soul Saint?!"
She stared, disbelieving. At his age, nearing Spirit Douluo? A monstrous genius!
Tang Wulin gaped too—recalling Bai Yuan's monstrous bloodline strength. 'Who carries the Golden Dragon King bloodline again?'
"Battle Armor?"
"Abyss Devourer." Bai Yuan answered calmly.
The lieutenant's brow furrowed. "'Abyss'? Explain this name."
In the Blood God Legion—where the sole duty was blocking Abyss incursions—even a name could be treasonous.
Bai Yuan met her gaze evenly. "My martial soul is a variant. It carries a trace of Abyssal energy. My recommender sent me here to learn control—to use this power."
Doubt lingered, but she recorded it all, marking it for high command review.
***
After registration, Tang Wulin and Bai Yuan exited the cave-like office to find Long Yuxue waiting.
Tang Wulin approached sheepishly. "Officer… where's the mess hall? We're… hungry."
Long Yuxue's gaze swept over them, flat. "In the Blood God Legion, military merit buys everything. New recruits have none. Unless…" A flicker of dry humor. "You find a 'benevolent' lender."
Tang Wulin brightened. "Can we borrow from you?"
She'd expected this. "Ten percent interest."
"Deal," Tang Wulin agreed instantly. Bai Yuan nodded silently.
At the mess hall, they met a lively female major—pretty, vibrant—Jiang Qiyue.
"Yuxue!" she called warmly.
"Qiyue," Long Yuxue acknowledged.
Jiang Qiyue studied the newcomers playfully. "Another batch of fresh meat? But everyone charges one hundred percent interest. You giving thirty? The others will riot!"
(A/N: Most recruits couldn't adapt to non-soul-power combat. High attrition meant loans were often uncollectible—hence the brutal rates.)
Tang Wulin realized Long Yuxue's rate was a kindness. He kept quiet, grateful.
"YUXUE!"
A thunderous voice boomed. A hulking man with an Lt. Col. insignia strode over—Jiang Wuyue, Jiang Qiyue's brother.
Long Yuxue gave him a frosty "Hm," then turned to the recruits. "Follow me." She marched toward the food line.
Jiang Wuyue, noting her unusual attention to the newcomers, blocked their path. "These the ones you assessed? What's their rank? Private Second Class? Third?"
Long Yuxue didn't turn. "I lack the authority to rate them."
"What?!" Jiang Wuyue and Jiang Qiyue gasped together.
In the Blood God Legion, recruit rankings dictated starting merit and privileges. Only top brass could defer such decisions.
Jiang Wuyue's eyes narrowed, scanning Tang Wulin and Bai Yuan with open contempt. "These pretty boys?"
Bai Yuan thought drily: Handsomeness always invites jealousy. Though Tang Wulin earned the "pretty" label—Bai Yuan's Body Sect physique was dense, lean muscle beneath healthy wheat-toned skin.
Jiang Wuyue had chased Long Yuxue for years. Seeing her favor these strangers ignited his rivalry. He barred their way, voice harsh:
"Hey! What's your specialty? Care to spar? No soul skills or martial souls—just what you claim to excel at!"
Tang Wulin saw an opportunity. Starving and merit-less, this was perfect. He stepped forward, fist to palm.
"Sir, I specialize in strength. How about an eating contest? Winner takes a meal's worth of military merit."
Jiang Wuyue blinked—then roared with laughter. "Food? Done! My appetite's legendary here!"
The result? Jiang Wuyue watched, green-faced, as Tang Wulin devoured ten men's portions. He winced, transferring a tenth of his hard-earned merit.
Bai Yuan stepped up next, smiling. "Sir, I also specialize in strength. Care to wager another meal?"
Still fuming, Jiang Wuyue sized up Bai Yuan's frame—slightly bulkier than Tang Wulin's, yet deceptively lean (Body Sect methods built bone density, not muscle mass).
"I'll bet! I refuse to lose twice!"
Then he witnessed true Abyssal hunger.
Bai Yuan ate "elegantly"—no mess, astonishing speed. An endless void consumed the mess hall's entire daily stock—enough for a hundred soldiers. He even politely asked the kitchen for reserves.
When Bai Yuan patted his flat stomach, savoring the faint energy from devoured food, he smiled at the shell-shocked Jiang Wuyue.
"I'm starting to feel full, sir. Thank you for the meal."
Jiang Wuyue stared at his merit account—a third of his hard-saved funds gone—mouth opening and closing soundlessly. Tears pricked his eyes.
These two weren't soldiers.
They were his karma.
He'll never speak to these "bottomless pits" again.
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