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**
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Shortly after Ling Xiao and his group departed, the ground suddenly vibrated violently, as if some gargantuan creature were approaching.
Soon, a colossal beast revealed its form from the distance.
Even without counting its thick, powerful tail, its body length reached at least ten meters, and its shoulder height was nearly four meters—perhaps even more. Its four limbs were like massive pillars, and its entire body was covered in giant, dark-blue scales.
Three horns grew upon its head; two of them were exceptionally thick and huge, extending several meters in length. The Soul Power aura radiating from its body was utterly terrifying; its cultivation was definitely above the Ten Thousand Year level.
The massive evil beast, which appeared to move slowly, crossed several hundred meters in a short time. It arrived at the spot where the Wasteland Wolf pack and the Ghost Tiger had perished, devouring them one by one.
This behemoth was one of the overlord-level existences within the Mystic Trace Canyon: the Dark Thunder-Horned Rhinoceros Dragon. It possessed a massive frame, incredible physical strength, and extreme defense.
A dual-attribute evil beast of Darkness and Lightning, it was not only a top-tier Soul Beast but also carried a portion of the Blue Dragon Tyrant Lightning bloodline.
If the Wasteland Wolves were considered a dominant species among the low-to-mid-tier evil beasts of the Mystic Trace Canyon due to their numbers and pack tactics.
Then the Dark Thunder-Horned Rhinoceros Dragon was a supreme overlord race by virtue of its peerless individual strength. An adult Dark Thunder-Horned Rhinoceros Dragon always possessed a cultivation above ten thousand years and feared no Wasteland Wolf pack.
Even within the Mystic Trace Canyon where evil beasts ran rampant, there were few species whose bloodlines could rival theirs.
If Ling Xiao and the others had known that such a terrifying evil beast had visited their previous battlefield shortly after their departure, they would likely have felt a wave of relief.
Given their state at the time, escaping from such a Ten Thousand Year evil beast would have been extremely difficult. At this moment, high above the Mystic Trace Canyon, Chrysanthemum Douluo sat cross-legged in the void.
He concealed his aura to prevent being discovered by the high-level evil beasts within the canyon—some of which approached a One Hundred Thousand Year cultivation—while simultaneously observing the trial of Ling Xiao's party.
Even though he was not a Soul Master specializing in mental power, the mist shrouding the outer reaches of the Mystic Trace Canyon could not block his perception given his profound cultivation.
Seeing Ling Xiao and the others swiftly resolve the danger and immediately depart to find a place to recuperate, Chrysanthemum Douluo couldn't help but chuckle.
"It seems the little fellows have already tasted the perils of this Death Canyon. Heh, although you are all powerful and far surpass those of the same rank, the bloodthirsty evil beasts here won't play fair with you."
"Even possessing a Martial Soul Fusion Skill won't let you pass this trial easily. If you can successfully endure this ordeal, you will surely undergo a true transformation."
"The increase in cultivation is secondary; the most important thing is the mastery over your own Martial Souls and the tempering of your character. This seat truly looks forward to seeing what you will become in a year's time."
While Ling Xiao and his three companions were undergoing their trial in the Mystic Trace Canyon...
In the center of the Lima Plains—the most fertile region of the Balak Kingdom—lay the city of Suotuo, known as the granary of Balak. From its southern gate, a noble youth dressed in white finery slowly walked out.
Though he was a youth, his stature was already quite tall, no less than that of an average adult man, save for a hint of tenderness in his handsome, extraordinary face. He had broad shoulders and a face that combined handsomeness with a touch of fortitude.
Long golden hair fell loosely down his back, reaching nearly to his waist. His eyes were wicked—he was born with Double Pupils. Within those deep blue eyes, a coldness emanated from the depths of his soul; when his eyes half-closed, it seemed as though a divine light flickered within them.
Upon exiting the southern gate of Suotuo City, the youth continued southward. On both sides of the road lay vast stretches of fertile farmland; clearly, Suotuo City's reputation as the "Granary of the Balak Kingdom" was well-deserved.
After walking for a while, the youth arrived at a small village.
A wooden fence encircled the perimeter, seemingly designed to ward off wild beasts. A crowd had gathered at the village entrance, mostly comprised of children accompanied by their parents.
A single table was set up at the entrance, behind which sat an elderly man of about sixty years. To one's utter bewilderment, a somewhat dilapidated plaque hung from a crude wooden archway at the entrance.
Carved onto it were two simple words: Shrek Academy.
In front of those words was a green icon—the head of a humanoid monster. It was green, looked rather scruffy, and was not the least bit cute. The old man behind the desk wore a similar green circular badge on his chest, which was presumably the school crest of Shrek Academy.
The sight was truly hard to believe.
For this to be an academy was preposterous; it was far too crude.
What could such an academy possibly teach?
Within the borders of the two Great Empires, even the smallest Primary Academy would be many times larger than the school standing before them. Currently, about a hundred people were lined up at the gate of Shrek Academy.
Many had their brows furrowed, inwardly doubting if this academy was some sort of scam.
In the queue, a youth stood with both his parents. His mother grumbled, "Is this some kind of joke? This is a Soul Master academy? The one that claims every graduate becomes a Soul Ancestor powerhouse?"
The boy's father replied with uncertainty, "But this is what the people from Spirit Hall said; there shouldn't be a mistake. Still, this academy really is a bit of a dump. Why would Spirit Hall help promote a place like this?"
The youth chimed in, "Dad, I don't want to go to school here. It's too embarrassing. I'd rather go to the Suotuo City Intermediate Soul Master Academy. Back at the Primary Academy, I was considered a minor genius. If I study here, how will I ever face my old classmates?"
His father frowned.
"Since we're already here, let's wait a bit longer. Maybe this is just a test. Perhaps the real academy isn't actually here."
Similar conversations were breaking out all across the queue, with most of the youths and parents wearing expressions of deep disappointment.
The white-clothed youth did not linger on these applicants for long. He fixed his gaze on the very front of the line—the registration area. Enhancing his sight and hearing with Soul Power, he could vaguely catch the dialogue occurring there.
The old man responsible for registration looked lazy and sluggish. His clothes were quite plain; no matter how one looked at him, he appeared to be nothing more than a simple village elder.
At that moment, a youth stepped up to the desk to register.
The old man said lazily, "Registration fee is ten Gold Soul Coins. Just put them in that chest over there."
Hearing this, the father accompanying the boy hurriedly pulled out ten Gold Soul Coins.
A hint of reluctance flickered in his eyes, but when he thought of his son entering an Intermediate Soul Master Academy that reportedly rivaled a Senior Soul Master Academy, his hesitation was replaced by resolve.
He dropped the coins into a crate made of nailed-together wooden planks.
**
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