Chapter 41

"Has defeating an opponent always rewarded this many Soul Points?" Xiao Yan defeated another opponent, watching his Soul Points rise from 2 to 4.

These Soul Points are like Credits at Jia Nan Academy—they can presumably be exchanged for Cultivation Methods, Dou Techniques, and some cultivation resources, but the problem is he can't leave.

Just now, Xiao Yan defeated another person, but this time he received more Soul Points.

Xiao Yan guessed this was probably because the opponent had 2 Soul Points; Xiao Yan had essentially plundered them and added them to his own.

In the final team battle of Jia Nan Academy's Inner Court examination, candidates must avoid having their Fire Energy stolen by senior disciples.

Soul Points are useful—they can be exchanged for things in the Soul Hall—but Xiao Yan didn't even know what he could exchange them for. Still, considering this was only a Yellow Grade Low-level Trial Grounds, and his opponents were all Mid-Level Dou Zhe, and two consecutive foes had lower Cultivation Realms than his own, he relaxed. When his evaluation rank rises, the rewards ahead will surely be better.

"It's a bit like a Pill Alchemist Ruins I discovered years ago."

Several years ago, a Medicine Gathering Team found a Third-Rank Pill Alchemist's Ruins in the mountains outside Wutan City. It caused a sensation throughout the entire city—even the Mitel Auction House sent Master Gu Ni personally to the Ruins, hoping to obtain ancient Pill Formulas.

To break through all the traps in the Pill Alchemist's Ruins, all the families and factions of Wutan City united. Xiao Yan didn't participate, but he learned from Xiao Zhan that many died trying to dismantle the Ruins' mechanisms—even some disciples of the Xiao Clan perished.

Now, this Soul Hall Trial Grounds is like a Ruins spanning the entire Black Horn Region, where countless treasure-seekers have died trying to claim the Treasure Vault.

A hum abruptly interrupted Xiao Yan's thoughts—he looked toward a circular formation nearby resembling a teleportation array, and thought: "Oh? Am I being sent somewhere else this time?"

The second combat platform was completely different from the first—a cold wind swept over, making Xiao Yan shiver.

"Ice?!"

When Xiao Yan stepped on the snow-white glacier beneath his feet, though the glacier's area was small—only the size of a soccer field—it was just like the first arena: impossible to leave.

Roar! Roar! Roar!!!

"Three first-rank Ice-elemental beasts—Ice and Snow Wolf Beasts."

First-rank beasts correspond to the power of a Dou Zhe. Although Dou Zhe can usually use Dou Techniques, beast bodies are far stronger; in their native environment, cultivators cannot defeat them.

As Xiao Yan pondered, dozens of meters away, the three Ice and Snow Wolf Beasts opened their jaws, unleashing three freezing gusts of wind.

In an instant, the three gusts surged like vast white waves toward Xiao Yan—if he were engulfed by this cold tide, he would surely become an ice statue.

Where the ice mist passed, the glacier's surface froze again, forming a thicker layer of ice.

Xiao Yan smiled confidently—he had slain a first-rank beast alone and unharmed in the forests of Wutan City at age fourteen, when he was a Dou Zhe of Star Level Three; even facing three first-rank beasts attacking together, he could fight and retreat.

Though these three Ice-elemental Ice and Snow Wolf Beasts could use Beast Techniques, spewing cold winds, their power only reached Yellow-class Dou Technique levels—how could they possibly threaten Xiao Yan now?

"Flame Splitting Wave Ruler—Flame Wave Sweep!" Xiao Yan used the same technique that had defeated Luo Bu and others, without the Heavy Flame Ruler—he swept his hand, and a wave of heat collided instantly with the cold tide, fire and ice clashing.

Xiao Yan's eyes turned fierce—he channeled his Dou Qi in an instant, stomped hard on the icy ground with his right foot, and blurred into a afterimage as he surged through the cold tide.

"Eight Extremes Crash—Knee Strike!"

Xiao Yan leapt violently, driving his right knee into the central alpha wolf's body. Eight layers of hidden force pierced through its flesh and bone, shattering its skeleton and spiritflesh into pulp in an instant.

Roar! Roar!! The other two Ice and Snow Wolf Beasts lunged from left and right—Xiao Yan expanded his Soul Perception, moved his feet nimbly, and effortlessly dodged the pincer attack.

In the moment he evaded, he seized the wolves' necks with both hands and delivered a gentle palm strike, snapping their cervical vertebrae.

The entire battle lasted no more than ten seconds—Xiao Yan was far too practiced in fighting beasts, for the sake of practicing Pill Alchemy and identifying Medicinal Materials, he often ventured alone into deep mountains to gather herbs; he was an expert at handling beasts.

"Indeed, my Soul Points reached 10—two per beast."

When his Soul Points hit 10, the Soul Token emitted a faint glow; the words "Yellow Grade Low" gradually changed, finally becoming "Yellow Grade Mid."

The changes didn't stop there—two teleportation portals appeared, one ahead and one behind, and a cold, emotionless Soul Sound echoed from all directions.

【Completed Yellow Grade Low-level Trial. Awarded Yellow Grade Low-level Soul Envoy title. You may choose to exit the Trial Grounds and enter the Treasure Hall to exchange Soul Points for resources, or continue forward into the Yellow Grade Mid-level Trial.】

Xiao Yan touched the ring on his finger and murmured: "Could this Soul Realm passage be a series of trials—one after another? If I pass them all, will I gain entry to the Soul Realm?"

"Yellow Grade Low-level Soul Envoy… so I'm already considered a Soul Envoy of the Soul Hall?"

"Isn't this just doing menial labor?"

The Mercenary Group founded by Xiao Yan's two older brothers had a similar system: once one reached Dou Shi level, they earned a minor position in the Xiao Clan and gained access to Profound-class Dou Techniques.

Effectively, a half-member of the Xiao Clan.

Xiao Yan stared at the two teleportation portals ahead and behind, thinking: "The opponents in Yellow Grade Low were mostly ordinary High-Level Dou Zhe. Mid-level ones are probably Nine-Star Dou Zhe or low-end Dou Shi. My current strength should be enough for Yellow-class Advanced, right?"

Xiao Yan grimaced. The Soul Hall was evil, yes—but undeniably powerful. In Jia Nan Academy, his talent surpassed even the Vice Dean's granddaughter, yet here, he was only Yellow Grade—not even Profound Grade.

If someone of Earth Rank or Heavenly Rank was sixteen, wouldn't they already rival a Great Dou Shi—or even match a Dou Spirit?!

"I'll go see what this so-called Treasure Hall offers first."

Xiao Yan chose not to proceed forward but headed toward the Treasure Hall passage—he wanted to see if the Soul Hall had any Cultivation Methods or Soul Techniques for cultivating the Spiritual Soul.

After entering the teleportation portal, Xiao Yan found himself before a vast room with no visible boundaries—a completely white chamber that seemed to have no walls, with countless energy-shielded orbs floating around it, slowly pulsing with light, illuminating the room as bright as day.

"Are those energy shields containing Cultivation Methods and Dou Techniques?"

No sooner had Xiao Yan spoken than the Soul Token emitted a beam of Spiritual Soul light, transmitting a stream of Soul Information directly into his mind—like a menu.

When Xiao Yan looked again at the glowing orbs, he could perceive their contents and the required Soul Points for exchange through his Soul Wave frequency.

"Heh, only 10 Soul Points can buy a Yellow Grade Low-level Cultivation Method or Dou Technique."

"No wonder I need to raise my evaluation rank—even with enough Soul Points, Yellow Grade only lets me exchange for Yellow Grade items; Profound-grade Cultivation Methods and Dou Techniques require a Profound-grade evaluation to unlock."

Xiao Yan suddenly frowned—he stared at the orb directly in the center.

"Spiritual Heart Soul Gathering Scripture, Profound-Rank High-Level—when perfected, it can elevate the Spiritual Soul to the Spirit Realm!!"