Chapter 49

In a remote cultivation ground of the Soul Realm, a hall filled with the spiritual candles of all clan disciples suddenly saw one candle marked "Hun Yu Cun" extinguish.

"Huh? Hun Yu Cun's soul candle went out." A young boy sweeping nearby exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh, you mean that Hun Yu Cun? I heard someone from outside challenged the Soul Dao—he went to fight and probably got killed." The middle-aged man beside him glanced briefly, then said nothing.

"But teacher, shouldn't we report this? A clan disciple has been killed..." the boy asked.

The old man sneered coldly, dismissing him: "Just a low-grade bloodline servant disciple—someone who didn't even qualify for the Adult Ceremony. No Clan Mark, no worth. Let him die."

The old man waved his hand dismissively; in the Dou Emperor Family, the concentration of Dou Di Bloodline was everything—low-grade bloodlines weren't even regarded as true clan members.

On another side, within the Soul Realm's Trial Passage, Xiao Yan held his Soul Token and said: "I want to add a trial! Challenge the Soul Strength test!"

Although Xiao Yan didn't know how many days he'd been inside, he hadn't forgotten what Hun Lao Gui had said when he entered: the Soul Hall valued soul cultivation and Soul Techniques, and urged him to choose Soul Battle trials.

In other words, at the start, Hun Lao Gui had advised Xiao Yan to challenge based on Soul Strength, not Cultivation Realm or Dou Techniques—because Xiao Yan's cultivation was far too weak.

Yet due to his innate nature, Xiao Yan's Soul Strength was exceptionally strong; this talent could earn him a high rating.

Xiao Yan hadn't chosen the Soul Strength trial at first precisely because he wanted to do it now—to add it.

He'd planned it all along: earn some Soul Points first, exchange them for a pill to boost Soul Strength, then challenge the Soul Strength trial—surely that would push his rating up a bit more.

If he could directly reach an Arcane-Rank High-Level rating and claim a thousand Soul Points, wouldn't the Soul Gathering Scripture be his for the taking?

Especially after fighting Hun Yu Cun, Xiao Yan's desire for soul cultivation methods grew even stronger.

Hummm~~ As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, his Soul Token emitted a faint glow, and his mind grew dizzy. He was no longer surprised—this Soul Token had the power to detach the soul from the body and pass through the Soul Realm passage.

When Xiao Yan opened his eyes again, he found himself in another trial ground: before him stretched only a runway, with three spiritual light membranes as obstacles.

"So this is where they test Soul Strength?"

Xiao Yan looked down at his hands—he was no longer in physical form, but in a Soul Body, without substance.

Logically, his current Soul Strength shouldn't allow him to become a Soul Body—but here, within the Soul Hall's Soul Dao, the power of the Soul Token made it possible.

【Conducting Arcane-Rank Soul Force evaluation test. Learn the most basic Yellow-class Advanced Soul Technique: Soul Shock. Use Soul Shock to strike the spiritual light membranes. Shatter the membranes to pass.】

A burst of Soul Information instantly implanted into Xiao Yan's mind; details of a Dou Technique rapidly formed within his thoughts.

"Yellow-class Advanced Soul Technique: Soul Shock—allows the user's soul to temporarily detach from the body and collide with an opponent's soul, leaving them defenseless."

Xiao Yan frowned. Soul Shock must be the weakest Soul Technique in the Soul Hall—yet it was only Yellow-class Advanced.

And though this technique seemed powerful—detaching the soul briefly to strike—the way Xiao Yan understood it, it was pure, unskilled collision.

Like headbutting someone's head—it all came down to who had the harder skull. Soul Shock simply measured who had stronger Soul Force; the weaker side would be stunned—or even have their soul shattered, losing their spirit entirely.

But if the opponent's soul was stronger, it was like an egg hitting a rock—equivalent to suicide!

"No wonder they use this technique as a trial—it has zero technique, pure Soul Force!"

Hun Lao Gui hadn't lied to Xiao Yan—he recommended the Soul Force trial because it was his greatest advantage.

In cultivation-based combat trials, battles change in an instant, and opponents can have countering advantages.

Like Zhang Chuanwu of the Poison Sect in Yun Country—if unprepared, fighting a Poison Master was extremely dangerous. Yet he'd happened to encounter Xiao Yan, an Alchemist.

With a full arsenal of Elixirs.

When fighting Hun Yu Cun, Xiao Yan had won only because of his Earth-class Dou Technique—if he hadn't had the Flame Division Devouring Wave Ruler, he might have lost.

But Soul Force testing was simple: Soul Force was Soul Force—it didn't change based on powerful Dou Techniques, Soul Techniques, or cultivation level.

Soul Force testing was more like a talent assessment.

Xiao Yan sat cross-legged, recalling the Soul Information. Even if he failed the trial, learning this free Yellow-class Advanced Soul Technique wasn't a loss.

Maybe, in a critical moment, Soul Shock could prove decisive.

"This technique doesn't seem that hard to learn. Could it be easier to master Soul Techniques while in Soul Body form?" Xiao Yan slowly stood, staring at the light membrane before him.

Soon, Xiao Yan had already grasped how to use this Soul Technique! Unlike Dou Techniques, it had no mastery levels—no beginner, no mastery, no peak.

The strength of Soul Shock depended entirely on Soul Force.

After studying, Xiao Yan understood the light membranes better: though they appeared thin, they couldn't be shattered unless one's soul realm was at least Common Realm Intermediate.

"This Arcane-Rank Soul trial has three membranes—corresponding to Arcane-Rank Low, Mid, and High. To achieve Arcane-Rank High-Level, I must shatter all three in succession."

Xiao Yan patted his forehead—he was in Soul Body form, meaning using Soul Shock now was literally smashing his head into the membrane!

In a sense, Soul Shock made your head harder.

Soul Shock had no technique—only head toughness!

Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, lunged forward with his legs, and with brutal simplicity, slammed his head into the first membrane.

Boom! The membrane shattered like glass; Xiao Yan felt a powerful rebound, leaving his spirit dazed.

"So this is Soul Shock—using the technique carries risk to oneself." Soul Shock was the most basic Soul Technique; higher-level ones were fundamentally similar—concentrating one's soul to strike others.

Any backlash from a Soul Technique would always reflect back, harming the user's soul.

Xiao Yan didn't stop—he charged forward, slamming his head into the second membrane with full force. CRACK! The clean, sharp sound of breaking echoed; Xiao Yan instantly felt his soul trembling violently.

"I don't believe it!" Xiao Yan clenched his fists, kicked off the ground like a cannonball, and hurled himself at the final membrane.

THOOM! A bell-like crash reverberated; Xiao Yan was flung backward and crashed to the ground. If anyone saw him now, they'd be stunned—his Soul Body flickered like a broken TV screen, barely holding its form.

【Soul Trial completed: Arcane-Rank High-Level achieved. Awarded title: Arcane-Rank High-Level Soul Envoy. You may now exit the Trial Grounds and enter the Treasure Hall to exchange Soul Points for resources.】

Hearing the Soul Sound, Xiao Yan slowly sat up, grinning at the membrane—the center now had a small hole pierced through it!

"Hey, Hun Xu Zi, can you hear me? If I refine Elixirs, can you give me extra points?"