"Welcome to the Heroic Hall. Beginner Trial. Difficulty: ULTIMATE."
"Name: Fang Yang. Age: 10. Soul Power: Level 45 Soul Ancestor."
"Objective: Survive three minutes… or defeat your opponent."
A mechanical voice echoed through the void.
Fang Yang opened his eyes—finding himself in a strange, otherworldly arena.
Before him, a blue-haired youth materialized from thin air.
Unremarkable features, yet bright, piercing eyes radiated unshakable confidence.
"This… is Tang San, the 'Ice-Clear Jade-Pure One'!"
Fang Yang recognized him instantly—surprise flashing in his eyes.
The Tang Sect's Heroic Hall was simulating Tang San himself as the trial opponent!
Hehehe…
Fang Yang let out an eerie chuckle.
"Tang San… let's see your strength!"
The Tang San phantom remained expressionless.
His right hand rose—Blue Silver Grass martial soul erupted!
Four pitch-black ten-thousand-year soul rings blazed beneath his feet—
radiating soul-crushing pressure.
"First Soul Skill: Blue Silver Bind!"
Instantly, countless Blue Silver Grass vines lashed toward Fang Yang like serpents, their surfaces glowing with lethal, venomous blue light.
Fang Yang stood calm.
His right hand clenched—Black Flame ignited in his palm, warping space itself.
"Go."
No soul skill—just a casual flick.
The Black Flame surged like a tidal wave.
HISSS…
On contact, the Blue Silver Grass exploded into fire—burning silently, vanishing into ash without a trace.
The Tang San phantom's eyes flickered with shock.
He retreated like a phantom, leaving multiple afterimages.
"Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps?" Fang Yang mused, eyes narrowing.
The phantom said nothing.
His eyes suddenly blazed violet—"Purple Demon Eye!"
A psychic spear shot toward Fang Yang's brow.
Fang Yang didn't flinch—staring straight into those violet eyes.
CLASH!
Their spiritual powers collided—the phantom grunted, blood tears seeping from his eyes, staggering backward.
Fang Yang seized the opening, dashing forward like a bolt of black lightning.
The phantom clenched his teeth, hand flashing to his waist, A jade-green bolt streaked toward Fang Yang.
"Yama's Invitation!"
This deadly hidden weapon—
Yama's Invitation—ranked #3 in the Tang Sect's Hidden Weapon Manual.
Potent poison—inescapable, incurable.
Even amputating the limb upon impact wouldn't stop the toxin's spread.
Sensing Fang Yang's threat, the phantom unleashed his strongest card.
Fang Yang's eyes hardened.
His third soul ring blazed abyssal black—"Third Soul Skill: Flame Avatar!"
ROAR!
Black Flame erupted, coalescing into a towering avatar—its form etched with arcane runes, blazing with apocalyptic heat.
The Yama's Invitation struck the avatar and vanished without a trace.
"Impossible…" the phantom whispered, shock finally cracking his composure.
"Ice-Clear Jade-Pure Tang San… it's over," Fang Yang's right hand clenched.
The Flame Avatar mirrored his motion—a colossal flame palm plunging like a black sun.
Space warped under the heat.
The phantom tried to dodge, but Ghost Shadow Steps were too slow.
CRUSH!
The flame hand engulfed him.
"Refine—Now!"
As the phantom disintegrated into blue particles, the mechanical voice declared:
"Trial Passed!"
The Flame Avatar dissolved.
Fang Yang stared at the empty space—thoughtful.
This Heroic Hall phantom was but a shadow of the real Tang San.
It used only Blue Silver Grass and hidden weapons—no External Soul Bone, no Hao Tian Hammer, no Killing God Domain, no Chaotic Wind Hammer Technique…
How could it compare to the real Tang San—now a God-King?
—
In the observation chamber, Wu Zhangkong watched the screen—surprise in his emerald eyes.
"Fang Yang… passed the Ultimate difficulty… so quickly?"
Each Class Zero member faced a different legend:
- Tang Wulin—vs. Tang San, Founder of the Tang Sect, Sea God Ascendant.
- Xie Xie—vs. Jiang Nannan, Agile-Attack Douluo of 10,000 years past.
- Wang Jinxi—vs. Bei Bei, Dragon God Douluo.
- Zhang Yangzi—vs. Bai Chenxiang, Swift Swallow.
- Gu Yue—vs. Huo Yuhao, Founder of the Spirit Pagoda, the Greatest Spiritual Master in History.
Fang Yang felt a dizzying twist—then reappeared in the deep-blue chamber.
Before him stood Gu Yue, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi.
- Gu Yue stood serene—but pale.
- Tang Wulin's robes were torn, yet his eyes burned bright.
- Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi leaned on each other, exhausted from battle.
- Xie Xie was bruised black-and-blue—clearly beaten to a pulp.
Fang Yang couldn't resist. "Xie Xie… going for a panda cosplay?"
"Fang Yang, you—!" Xie Xie sputtered, face redder than his bruises.
"Gu Yue—you alright?" Fang Yang hurried to her side, voice soft with concern.
"Just spiritual exhaustion," she shook her head calmly.
Tang Wulin's curiosity spiked. "Fang Yang—how many stages did you clear?"
"One." Fang Yang replied flatly.
"WHAT?!" Xie Xie's jaw hit the floor—Fang Yang, of all people, only cleared one stage?!
Just as he opened his mouth to gloat—
Gu Yue spoke coolly:
"I also cleared one stage."
She paused—then added: "Ultimate difficulty."
Xie Xie's smugness evaporated.
…He was the clown all along.
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