The dark-gray armor covering its entire body, the menacing horned crown, and the razor-sharp tail hook that looked as though it had been forged from steel.
Although its body was much larger now, and its color had changed from blue-gray to a much deeper dark gray, that heavy, solid feeling that seemed to originate from the very essence of its life, along with the oppressive aura that felt capable of devouring everything.
How similar was it to that tiny, stubborn young beast from Nuoding Academy six years ago, the one that loved gnawing on rocks!
A long-forgotten name, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of familiarity, suddenly burst through the floodgates of Xiao Wu's memories!
"Ah—!"
Xiao Wu suddenly covered her mouth and let out a short cry of surprise. Her lively eyes widened as she pointed at Tyranitar with a trembling finger before abruptly turning toward Lin Xia's handsome, calm face.
Fragments of memory rapidly pieced themselves together.
Six years ago, at Nuoding Academy, there had been that equally calm and composed young man who had traveled with a strange little Rock-type beast, rejected Grandmaster's invitation, and mysteriously disappeared!
"It's you!"
Xiao Wu's voice rose sharply with extreme shock, filled with disbelief.
"You're Lin Xia! The Lin Xia who left Nuoding Junior Spirit Master Academy!"
Xiao Wu's exclamation was like a massive stone thrown into the frozen air!
Tang San's entire body trembled violently!
All his doubts and that vague sense of familiarity were instantly illuminated by Xiao Wu's cry!
He abruptly turned toward Lin Xia, activating his Purple Demon Eye to its fullest.
That young face he had briefly glimpsed six years ago at the back of Nuoding Academy, belonging to a boy whose composure had seemed completely out of place for his age, finally overlapped perfectly with the handsome, calm, yet unfathomably deep face before him.
Lin Xia!
That mysterious young man who had rejected Yu Xiaogang's offer to take him as a disciple and disappeared outside Nuoding City with that strange Soul Beast!
The same peer who Tang San had thought was extraordinary at the time, yet had never paid much attention to!
It was actually him!
The twelve-year-old Level 58 Soul King standing before him was actually that same person?!
The City Lord of Gengxin City?!
The enormous disparity between what Tang San knew and what he was learning struck his mind like a tsunami, leaving him momentarily speechless.
He could only stare at Lin Xia, his eyes filled with unprecedented shock, confusion, and a trace of fear that even he himself had not noticed.
Zhao Wuji, Li Yusong, Dai Mubai, and Ning Rongrong were all stunned by this sudden revelation. Their gazes repeatedly shifted between Lin Xia and Xiao Wu.
Facing Xiao Wu's recognition and Tang San's stunned gaze, the playful smile on Lin Xia's face finally widened into a clear, gentle smile.
Lin Xia gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Wu and Tang San. His tone carried a hint of emotion at meeting old acquaintances again, yet remained as calm as though he were merely stating an insignificant fact.
"Heh, it's been six years. Looks like you two still remember that classmate who loved eating rocks. That's right, it was me. I never expected us to meet again here after parting ways at Nuoding Junior Spirit Master Academy."
Lin Xia then turned his gaze toward Zhao Wuji. His smile remained gentle, yet for some reason, the Unmoving Bright King felt his heart tighten.
"Allow me to introduce myself again. My name is Lin Xia."
As his voice fell, there was no sign of any violent fluctuation in his Soul Power.
One ring, two rings, three rings.
Five Soul Rings emerged silently, as though they had naturally flowed out of the void, appearing one after another and quietly circling his tall figure.
Purple, purple, purple, black, black!
A Soul Ring configuration that surpassed the optimal ratio!
The two ten-thousand-year Soul Rings, as deep as an abyss, resembled black holes that devoured all light, radiating an aura so terrifying that it made one's soul tremble!
Especially the final black Soul Ring, so deep that it seemed capable of swallowing the surrounding light. The pressure contained within it was enough to make even Zhao Wuji, a Level 76 Soul Saint, feel a chill in his heart!
Five Soul Rings hovered in silence, conveying a cold and undeniable truth that overturned everyone's understanding of cultivation.
There was no longer any need for Li Yusong to say another word.
All the rage, suspicion, and ferocity on Zhao Wuji's rugged face receded like a tide, leaving behind only a frozen expression of absolute disbelief.
His burly body stood rigidly in place, his mouth unconsciously hanging open wide enough to fit a goose egg.
The entire clearing fell into deathly silence.
Only the mournful sound of the wind passing through the dilapidated farmhouse could be heard, along with the faint clicking sound of Tyranitar's steel-armored tail tip lightly scraping against the ground like metal against stone.
Dai Mubai's face was deathly pale. His entire body felt as though he had fallen into an icy abyss. He desperately closed his eyes, the last trace of hope in his heart completely crushed by those five Soul Rings.
Tang San's mouth felt dry. His Purple Demon Eye fluctuated violently from the overwhelming shock, while an unprecedented sense of insignificance and immense pressure weighed heavily upon his heart.
Xiao Wu covered her mouth, her large eyes filled with disbelief.
Ning Rongrong covered her small mouth, her gaze burning with excitement, curiosity and eagerness to investigate almost overflowing from her eyes.
Li Yusong collapsed onto the ground. Looking at those five Soul Rings, tears of excitement streamed down his aged face as he muttered to himself.
"It's real... It's really real..."
Zhu Zhuqing stood quietly beside Lin Xia. Her cold, cat-like eyes swept across everyone's various expressions before finally settling on Zhao Wuji's frozen, dumbfounded face. The corners of her lips curved upward ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Zhao Wuji suddenly shuddered, as if he had been pricked by a needle, finally snapping out of his immense shock.
He took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the raging turmoil in his heart. His rugged face twisted into an extremely awkward, even somewhat ferocious smile as he tried to recover a trace of the dignity befitting a vice dean and the imposing aura of the Unmovable King.
"Ahem… Hmph!"
Zhao Wuji coughed heavily. His voice carried a faint dryness that was difficult to detect. His gaze swept over Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong before finally settling on Lin Xia and Zhu Zhuqing. In a deliberately booming voice, he said,
"Good! Good! Good! Looks like Shrek really hit the jackpot this year! Five little monsters! All of you passed the previous tests without having to take them and have made it directly to the fourth test!"
Zhao Wuji paused for a moment, his gaze lingering on Li Yuesong for an instant. The unspoken meaning was obvious.
Old Li, what the hell have you recruited for the academy?!
Is this even something we can teach?
However, his gaze eventually returned to Lin Xia. His expression was incredibly complicated, containing shock, disbelief, intense curiosity, and even a trace of displeasure at having his authority challenged.
"Since all of you have made it here…"
Zhao Wuji straightened his massive chest, attempting to regain some dignity through sheer physical presence.
"The rules cannot be broken! The fourth test is a practical assessment!"
Zhao Wuji's gaze shifted, suddenly landing on Dai Mubai, who was standing nearby with a pale face and desperately trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. A hint of malicious amusement or perhaps simply a desire to shift the pressure flashed through his eyes.
"Mubai!"
Zhao Wuji's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unmistakably commanding tone.
"Get up there! Let me see whether you've been slacking off lately! As one of the guardians of the four tests, give these junior students a proper test!"
"Swish!"
Everyone's eyes instantly turned toward Dai Mubai.
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