'This Xuan Class trial is really something else; even the terrain is completely different.'
Xiao Yan stood on a lush green grassland. Although the plain wasn't very large, it was brimming with vitality, with green trees and riverbanks. If one didn't know better, one could mistake it for a vacation spot or a class 5A tourist attraction.
It was entirely different from the previous fighting platforms, with the greatest difference being the surroundings of the grassland.
Void!
He looked around. The edge of the grassland plain didn't have any barrier protection; it looked more like a piece of empty space, somewhat similar to the cosmos he knew. However, unlike the total darkness of space, the surrounding empty space was not entirely black. Instead, it had a hint of ink green, with unknown dust and objects floating around.
The entire world seemed somewhat dim, yet paradoxically, this grassland plain seemed to emit its own light that illuminated the area.
"What exactly is this place?" He walked to the edge of the grassland plain and looked intently.
In fact, this was a grassland plain floating amid the empty space. Falling off would likely turn one into the floating remnants surrounding it.
This was the first time Xiao Yan had seen such a place. He couldn't help but be astonished by the grandeur of the scene.
"Hehe, as expected of a native from the outside world, not even knowing what the void is," a voice full of disdain and arrogance sneered from behind him.
With his powerful Spiritual Strength, Xiao Yan naturally knew that his opponent had already arrived.
He turned around and saw a man about his age stepping out of the door. The man's eyebrows were filled with pride.
"'Soul'? Are you from the Hall of Souls?" Xiao Yan noticed the man was wearing a training outfit embroidered with a silver-white character for "Soul," and guessed that this time's trial opponent might be a direct disciple of the Hall of Souls or the Hun Clan.
He also understood that the Huang Class Qi Methods and Dou Techniques were merely baits to attract cannon fodder, to lure them into exerting effort. Only those who reached the Xuan Class were considered qualified personnel by the Hall of Souls and were eligible to enjoy its resources.
And to reach the Xuan Class, one had to defeat a true member of the Hall of Souls.
"Hmph, fighting with a native is just boring. I, Hun Yu Cun, will give you a chance to survive. If you give up all your soul points, kneel on the ground, and kowtow three times, I might let you leave this place. Otherwise, you'll just become another piece of trash floating in the void."
"Heh heh heh, I've heard that falling into the void means dying slowly in pain and despair."
Seeing the other party acting like a brain-dead jerk, Xiao Yan was too lazy to engage in conversation with such a person. Responding would only lower his own IQ.
He simply took out the Heavy Xuan Ruler and slammed it into the ground with a loud bang. His gaze intensified, delivering his response through his eyes.
If anyone had to be thrown into the void today, he believed it would be this Hun Yu Cun.
Hun Yu Cun's eyebrows furrowed slightly when he saw the suddenly calm young man. He sneered, "Even if you could fly, you won't be able to escape today."
He took out a dark gold great sword from his storage ring. His figure quickly shot out as he violently stomped on the ground and savagely slashed at Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan's face grew solemn as he felt the sharp wind pressure coming his way. He immediately circulated Dou Qi throughout his body, tightly gripping the handle of the Heavy Xuan Ruler with his right hand and grabbing the middle section with his left to block the slash.
"Huh? You're just a Dou Practitioner?" This exchange surprised Hun Yu Cun a bit, as Xiao Yan's Dou Qi was clearly that of only an 8-star Dou Practitioner, yet he managed to block his slash.
"Hmph, it seems you've trained your body well." Hun Yu Cun drew his sword for another strike, the great sword emitting a faint dark glow as he executed a Low Xuan Class sword technique.
Xiao Yan used his excellent Spiritual Strength and dodging skills to slightly tilt his body and quickly retreat. He did not dare to counter this Xuan Class Dou Technique directly. Instead, he shifted his center of gravity and used the heaviness of the Heavy Xuan Ruler to deflect the force of the powerful slash.
A long string of sparks shot out from Hun Yu Cun's great sword as it scraped across the Heavy Xuan Ruler. Even Xiao Yan's face was hit by these flying sparks.
Boom!!! A long gash immediately appeared on the grassland plain when the sword hit the ground.
From just this one slash, Xiao Yan realized that Hun Yu Cun's cultivation of Dou Techniques was far superior to Lu Xing's. This Low Xuan Class sword technique had likely reached a major level of mastery.
'He is a 6-star Dou Master like Lu Xing, but his Dou Techniques and Qi Methods are much more formidable!' Xiao Yan judged after their exchange. The person before him was a 6-star Dou Master with powerful Qi Methods and Dou Techniques, far superior to those in the Outer Academy of Jia Nan Academy, who only had their cultivation levels to show.
Xiao Yan supported himself on one foot and used it as a pivot to spin 360 degrees as he viciously swung the Heavy Xuan Ruler in his hand. The veins on his hands bulged as the terrifying centrifugal force added weight to the strike against Hun Yu Cun.
Clang! The black ruler and the great sword collided, sending sparks flying and the clear sound of metal clashing echoing slowly in the void.
!!!!
'Such a heavy weapon!'
Hun Yu Cun's hands went numb, and he could barely hold onto his great sword as he forcefully stepped back. His steps left very deep footprints on the ground, showing the weight of Xiao Yan's Heavy Xuan Ruler.
But Xiao Yan wasn't having an easy time either; his hands also became somewhat numb. Hun Yu Cun's strength was even greater than Lu Xing's when he used the Dou Qi cloak.
Hun Yu Cun released bursts of powerful invisible energy with a buzzing sound. This was a type of attribute-less Dou Qi and the first time Xiao Yan had encountered such a peculiar Dou Qi. If he had to describe it, it was like a layer of soul body wrapped around one's entire body.
It was actually a cloak composed of both Spiritual Strength and Dou Qi!
This type of Dou Qi soul cloak was stronger than the ordinary Dou Qi cloak, as it offered greater strength and enhanced perception!
Xiao Yan's mind tensed as he watched Hun Yu Cun condense this special cloak. Streams of Dou Qi began to flow out from his Qi cyclone and surged through his body, providing him with the necessary strength for battle.
"Ha ha ha ha, you indeed have some skills. No wonder you dared to choose the Soul Path trial challenge. You should be proud of yourself for forcing me to use my Dou Qi cloak!"
Xiao Yan's brow furrowed as he vaguely felt he had likely suffered a loss due to his ignorance. Had he unknowingly chosen the hell difficulty mode?
"Heh heh, take my strike! Soul Shaking Slash!" Hun Yu Cun leaped high into the air, his right hand gripping the great sword. Xiao Yan wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but for a moment, he thought he saw a human face emerge on the blade!
The blade sang and ghosts wailed as Hun Yu Cun unleashed a downward slash. There was even a burst of spiritual ripples beneath this slash, as if it could slay gods and ghosts alike.
Xiao Yan quickly steadied himself, using the Heavy Xuan Ruler to defend against the slash.
Sparks flew as the slash landed. Amidst the clashing sound of heavy weapons colliding, a powerful force created a half-meter-wide crater where Xiao Yan stood, causing his feet to sink into the ground.
Hun Yu Cun sneered, "You think you can block a High Xuan Class Dou Technique?"
Suddenly, a spiritual shockwave blasted through the Heavy Xuan Ruler, striking Xiao Yan's mind and causing him to spurt a mouthful of blood onto the ruler. Unexpectedly, this Soul Shaking Slash had a second layer of attack, and it was still a spiritual attack that could not be defended against!