Chapter 55: Combat Against the Shadow of Bei Bei

Jing Shaoyu found himself in a vast, unfamiliar space brimming with intense spiritual and spatial energy, reminiscent of the Spirit Ascension Platform in the Spirit Pagoda.

"Welcome to the Hall of Heroes. First trial, difficulty: intermediate. Trial participant: Jing Shaoyu, age: ten."

"Trial requirements: First round, survive for thirty seconds."

Jing Shaoyu raised his eyebrows in surprise. Suddenly, a figure materialized before him—a handsome, refined young man with dark blue hair and a laid-back smile that immediately clued Jing Shaoyu in on his identity.

"Begin!" an electronic voice announced.

Sparks of lightning flickered in the young man's eyes as a yellow soul ring lit up beneath his feet. His right arm transformed, covered in blue-purple dragon scales, with a massive dragon claw crackling with lightning.

Seeing the youth's transformation, Jing Shaoyu thought, Just as I suspected. It's Tang Sect's senior disciple, Bei Bei!

With swift, phantom-like steps, Bei Bei appeared in front of Jing Shaoyu in an instant, his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon claw aimed straight for Jing Shaoyu's chest.

Jing Shaoyu's martial soul activated instantly, and he raised his hands to conjure a powerful surge of water. The wave collided with Bei Bei's dragon claw, knocking him back several steps before he could stabilize himself.

Bei Bei's eyes glinted as he quickly regained his balance. His figure flickered, and he approached Jing Shaoyu again, his dragon claw surging with even more intense lightning, his first soul ring glowing brightly. With formidable momentum, he charged forward.

In response, Jing Shaoyu lifted his hands again, launching several fiery orbs that burst into searing flames. The fireballs hurtled toward Bei Bei, aiming to intercept him.

Bei Bei's lightning-infused dragon claw clashed with the fireballs, triggering a powerful explosion that filled the space with smoke. Through the haze, a figure emerged, now surrounded by two soul rings instead of one.

As the fireballs collided with Bei Bei's dragon claw, the electronic voice announced:

"Thirty seconds have passed. First round complete."

"Second round begins. Requirement: Survive another thirty seconds, or defeat the hero's shadow."

Jing Shaoyu smirked, unbothered by the new challenge. It's just Bei Bei. I know his strengths. This is just a simulation, and even if it were the real Bei Bei, I'd still stand my ground.

Bei Bei lunged forward once more, his dragon claw larger and faster than before, crackling with dense lightning arcs. However, Jing Shaoyu remained calm. With a slight laugh, he activated his Primal Wings, sending him soaring into the air, easily evading Bei Bei's attack and creating a ten-meter gap between them.

Once airborne, Jing Shaoyu retaliated. The Crown of Nature behind his head glowed with a soft green light, releasing two flexible emerald-green willow branches. These were Qingyue Liu's branches.

The branches, guided by Qingyue Liu's control, extended to over ten meters, curling around to strike Bei Bei from behind.

Bei Bei turned, his dragon claw lashing out to sever one of the branches, then sidestepped to avoid the other. He tried to back away several meters, hoping to find the branches' limit. However, even after retreating more than ten meters, the branches continued to pursue him relentlessly.

Realizing he couldn't shake them, Bei Bei sliced off the branch tips with a sharp swipe of his claw. But the branches didn't seem to mind, pressing forward undeterred.

While Bei Bei was preoccupied with Qingyue Liu's branches, Jing Shaoyu prepared his ultimate move. He raised his hands, palms facing each other, as a brilliant red fireball began to form between them. The fiery orb absorbed all the fire elements in the space, radiating like a small sun, and the temperature in the area rose drastically.

When Bei Bei's shadow finally sensed something was amiss, the fireball had grown to nearly a meter in diameter. Jing Shaoyu, face flushed and eyes blazing, leaned back slightly before launching the fireball with all his might at Bei Bei's location.

The fireball landed, igniting a massive explosion that filled the space with scorching flames. The temperature spiked as the white walls turned red-hot, transforming the entire space into an inferno.

Bei Bei's eyes widened in shock, but before he could react, the flames engulfed him entirely.

Outside, Wu Zhangkong, who had been monitoring their progress, couldn't help but open his mouth as if to say something, but he quickly closed it, resuming his impassive expression.

As the scene faded, Jing Shaoyu exited the simulation.

He emerged to see Tang Wulin and Xie Xie, both looking worse for wear, covered in bruises as if they'd taken quite a beating.

"What happened to you two?" Jing Shaoyu asked, smirking. If I recall, Wulin's opponent was Xiao Xiao, and Xie Xie's was Jiang Nannan. Both of them ranked lower in strength among Shrek's Seven Monsters in Huo Yuhao's generation.

Xie Xie's face darkened. "We got… hammered," he admitted bitterly.

Tang Wulin circled around Jing Shaoyu, noting that he was spotless. "Why do you look perfectly fine?" he exclaimed, envy etched on his face.

"Haha!" Jing Shaoyu chuckled. "Alright, don't fret. Let me heal you two; walking around with black eyes would be embarrassing."

Jing Shaoyu activated his second soul skill, Healing Wave, surrounding Tang Wulin and Xie Xie in a gentle green glow. Within seconds, their bruises and aches disappeared.

"Brother Shaoyu, heal me too!" Xu Xiaoyan and Gu Yue had just exited as well. Gu Yue appeared only slightly pale, but Xu Xiaoyan, sporting several bruises, ran over with teary eyes, wincing. "It hurts…"

"There, there, it won't hurt anymore." Jing Shaoyu held her, offering comfort as he healed her injuries. "Who was your opponent?" he asked. "Mine was a blue-haired youth with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul."

"A brutish girl with a hammer!" Xu Xiaoyan complained, pouting.

"And how did it go? How many rounds did you pass?" Jing Shaoyu had a feeling Xu Xiaoyan's opponent was Wang Donger.

"I barely got past one round," Xu Xiaoyan lamented, sniffling.

Just as Jing Shaoyu was about to respond, a white light enveloped the group. When the light faded, they found themselves in a large office space about 200 square meters wide. Wu Zhangkong sat at the room's single desk, gesturing for them to take seats on the white leather sofas arranged before him.

"Sit," he said, motioning to the sofas.

Jing Shaoyu, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan sat on the central couch, while Xie Xie and Tang Wulin took the single chairs on either side. All of them faced Wu Zhangkong, awaiting his words.

"First, regarding today's exam," Wu Zhangkong began, stepping out from behind his desk. "During the trial, each of you faced opponents of the same level. Let me be clear—every opponent stored in the Hall of Heroes was once a real soul master, each one an extraordinary figure of their era."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "However, these simulations only showcase about seventy percent of their original strength. Now, how would you evaluate your abilities compared to theirs?"

Wu Zhangkong's question made Xu Xiaoyan, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie lower their heads, fully aware of how poorly they had performed. Jing Shaoyu

and Gu Yue, however, remained calm, meeting Wu Zhangkong's gaze with steady resolve.

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