Chapter 61: The Tempting New Student Competition
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Ye Wen stood tall on the high podium, his gaze sweeping over the neatly arranged rows of students with satisfaction.
Unless a soul master had an exceptionally strange martial soul, they generally wouldn't be unattractive. Most of the new recruits before him were above Level 20 in cultivation, around fifteen or sixteen years old, at the prime of their youthful vigor.
Dressed in Ye Wen's specially designed school uniforms—black with golden thread patterns—they exuded an air of competence and discipline.
Many influential factions had come to celebrate the academy's opening. At the very least, representatives from the upper three sects, the two empires, and the Spirit Hall were present, all holding positions of considerable importance.
Though the academy hadn't expected much interaction with the Hao Tian Sect, they were surprised when Tang Yuehua was sent as their representative.
Tang Yuehua was an elegant and noble woman through and through, but Ye Wen knew little about her. For instance, he had no idea what her innate soul power level was.
In the original story, she was described as someone whose soul power remained stagnant at Level 9 for life, possessing the Noble Circle Innate Domain, which could purify people's minds.
Beyond that, she rarely appeared in the narrative.
Though her appearances were few, her contributions to Tang San were significant. Without her help, Tang San wouldn't have recovered so quickly after leaving the City of Slaughter. Yet, it seemed Tang San never properly repaid her kindness.
To be honest, the men of the Hao Tian Sect were like that—always demanding sacrifices from others while expecting gratitude in return when they offered help.
Returning to the topic at hand, it wasn't hard to guess why Tang Yuehua had come to attend the celebration.
Her martial soul mutation shared significant overlap with Yu Xiaogang's, though hers was even more complicated. As an expert in this field now, she likely came seeking Ye Wen's assistance in resolving her martial soul issues.
As for Tang Yuehua herself, Ye Wen didn't particularly dislike her. In fact, he might even consider planting a subtle move here, using her to obstruct Tang San's path to godhood in the future.
"Dear students, guests, and parents, greetings!" Ye Wen began his obligatory, albeit tedious, opening speech from the podium.
He himself found it tiresome, but there was no avoiding it. In this era, such formalities were essential—if skipped, it would seem out of place.
Formalism—the dregs of human development (°﹃°).
By the end of his speech, even with Ye Wen's cultivation as a Soul Emperor, his throat was dry, and his lips twitched as he noticed many students slouching, half-asleep.
This was truly a mutual ordeal.
However, since it was the grand opening of a new academy, some flashy events were necessary. With a final burst of energy, Ye Wen raised his voice and shouted:
"Students!"
The sudden increase in volume jolted all the drowsy students awake, their eyes snapping toward Ye Wen.
"Do you want to surpass everyone around you? Do you want to know where your future lies? Do you want to become a true genius admired by the entire continent? Answer me!"
Fueled by youthful passion, the crowd roared in unison:
"Yes!"
"Excellent! If that's the case, I'll give you an opportunity.
Starting now, the first Tian Xing Advanced Academy New Student Competition officially begins! This competition consists of three stages: the Test of Will, which examines endurance and perseverance; the Test of Insight, which evaluates perception; and finally, the Test of Combat, which tests strength.
The top three finalists will receive personalized, detailed cultivation plans from me and gain the privilege of training for one year in the core area of the Blue Silver Forest.
Now, the first challenge—the Test of Will. Under Director Lu's sixth soul skill, endure for thirty minutes. Those still standing after thirty minutes will advance to the next round.
Prepare yourselves! 3… 2… 1… Begin!"
As Ye Wen's final words rang out, Lu Feng, who had been silently standing to the side, stepped forward. His martial soul activated, and seven soul rings shimmered around him—two yellow, two purple, and three black, representing the optimal configuration. The ten-thousand-year soul ring corresponding to his sixth soul skill glowed brightly, exerting an invisible pressure on the students below.
At first, the pressure wasn't overwhelming, and even the medical class students managed to withstand it. However, five minutes in, the pressure suddenly doubled.
The physically weaker medical soul masters couldn't hold on any longer and quickly raised their hands to signal their withdrawal.
Ye Wen wasn't surprised by this outcome. He signaled for the teachers maintaining order to escort them out.
Privately, Ye Wen sighed. These children, hailing from humble backgrounds, had given up far too easily. If they had met his expectations, they should have endured until the fourth stage, withstanding four times the gravity.
Ultimately, their poor nutrition, weak bodies, and improper control of their martial souls and soul power were to blame.
After all, even ordinary people from his previous life could temporarily endure two to three times normal gravity.
Twenty minutes slowly passed. By now, the gravity had increased to four times its normal level. Aside from a handful of strong students, most had already exited the arena to watch from the sidelines.
What was initially thought to be a mere thirty-minute endurance test turned out to be far more challenging than expected.
Even Lu Feng, a near-Soul Douluo, struggled to maintain the continuous use of his soul skill. Fortunately, as the number of participants dwindled, the area he needed to cover shrank, allowing him to persevere.
Though there hadn't been any brutal battles, approximately a hundred students remained. The attending guests watched Ye Wen's selection process with great interest, fully aware of his intentions—to identify top talents for specialized cultivation.
As for the gravity-based soul skill, it hadn't garnered much attention before. Who would have thought it could be used this way? They resolved to report this back to their respective sects.
The prizes Ye Wen mentioned were undeniably tempting. Setting aside the personalized cultivation guidance, the allure of the Blue Silver Forest was well understood by all factions.
During this period, the millennium-old Blue Silver Trees in various spirit beast habitats had been thoroughly harvested. Only the dangerous creatures in the mixed zones prevented further incursions.
Unfortunately, that area was off-limits to outsiders. Otherwise, shameless sects would have long since intruded.
The guests harbored their own thoughts, while Tang Yuehua of the Hao Tian Sect observed with a flicker of intrigue in her eyes.
Gravity-based body tempering wasn't uncommon in the Hao Tian Sect, especially since wielding the mighty Hao Tian Hammer required immense physical strength.
But for a civilian soul master, even one hailed as a master, to possess such insight was remarkable. Perhaps her martial soul issues could indeed find resolution through him.
Ye Wen surveyed the remaining hundred or so students with satisfaction. That one-tenth of the freshmen had endured this far exceeded his expectations.
"To those who passed this round, your aptitude is commendable. But don't grow complacent—there are countless prodigies on the Douluo Continent.
Collect your certificates. This afternoon, go meditate and recover in the Blue Silver Forest. The second challenge, the *Test of Insight*, will commence here tomorrow morning at eight o'clock sharp.
May your martial paths prosper. Dismissed."
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