The white spear whistled through the air, but Gu Yue lightly tapped the ground with her toes. Instantly, she was enveloped in swirling winds, her whole body as light as a feather as she gracefully dodged the white knight's thrust. At the same time, her hands moved rapidly, conjuring several fireballs that gathered around her, radiating intense heat as they hurtled toward the giant knight.
"Boom—!"
A violent explosion erupted, flames shooting sky-high. The powerful shockwave warped the air around them.
But in the midst of the fire and smoke, the giant knight, its purple shield now dimmed, was not pushed back by the attack.
With a roar, it charged out from the flames with undiminished fury, its target still fixed on Gu Yue.
The wind element surged wildly, fierce gusts whipping Gu Yue's black hair into a frenzy, her skirt billowing loudly.
Her long legs, clad in black stockings, tapped lightly as she leapt, seemingly stepping on air to rise into the sky.
In an instant, a cyan tornado formed around her, tightly enveloping her figure.
A cold light flashed in Gu Yue's eyes. Using the tornado's force, she delivered a sharp flying kick, filled with overwhelming power, striking the giant white knight's glowing purple shield.
The kick triggered a chain reaction.
The cyan wind swelled, transforming into countless wind blades that wrapped around the giant knight like a torrential downpour.
"Bang—!"
With a crisp, shattering sound, the purple shield on the white knight broke apart like a dream, dissolving into fragments of light.
The supposedly indestructible white shell began to crack under the cutting wind blades, as if it could no longer bear the strain.
Gu Yue didn't stop there. She raised her right leg high, cyan light rapidly gathering like rivers flowing into the sea.
Then, from top to bottom, a crescent-shaped wind blade tore through the air with a sharp whistle.
Wherever it passed, ripples spread in the air.
In a flash, the giant white knight was sliced in two by the unstoppable wind blade, dissolving into countless points of light.
"Mm!"
As the white knight vanished, Gu Yue let out a satisfied sigh.
The rush from her growing power surged through her, wave after wave, making her almost intoxicated.
After taking a moment to adjust, Gu Yue took a deep breath and unhesitatingly started the four-star trial.
This time, she faced three giant white knights radiating oppressive power.
Gu Yue's expression was calm. She'd already defeated this opponent before; even facing three, she was confident.
Relying on her mobility, she weaved skillfully between the three knights, dodging their attacks and looking for openings, eventually defeating them one by one.
Although the battle cost her considerable time and energy, her excellent combat skills secured her victory over the three white knights, successfully passing the four-star trial.
At this point, even if she quit, she'd be guaranteed an A-rank student rating.
But Gu Yue's ambitions went far beyond that.
She not only wanted the S-rank evaluation, but also sought more of that high-level energy that could accelerate her growth.
An S-rank would make it easier to approach her goal, and that advanced energy benefited both her avatar and her true body.
Soon, the five-star challenge began. This time, her opponent was another strange soul beast she'd never seen.
This soul beast was ten meters tall, covered in an iron-hard white shell that gleamed coldly in the sunlight. Its head was small compared to its massive body, and its limbs were abnormally thick, radiating terrifying power.
Its feet were like giant hammers, each step threatening to smash a crater in the ground.
Sharp spikes covered its forelimbs and back, making it look fearsome.
Gu Yue couldn't help but twitch her lips at the sight.
Just from its size and appearance, she could tell this was a brute force type monster.
With the aura it exuded, she marveled inwardly—no wonder passing the five-star trial earned you an S-rank. This soul beast's strength probably rivaled that of a ten-thousand-year beast.
For a new student, this difficulty was off the charts!
Compared to the three white knights of the four-star trial—difficult but not impossible for a top martial soul Soul Elder—the five-star beast would trouble even a Soul King.
"Boom—!"
Before Gu Yue could think further, the white beast crashed down like a cannonball at incredible speed.
With a deafening crash, violent air currents and shockwaves blasted out, instantly blowing Gu Yue away.
Her expression changed instantly, but she quickly summoned a gale to steady herself.
She had only glimpsed a white blur before the giant beast dropped from the sky.
That was close! If she'd dodged a moment slower, she'd be a pile of jelly by now.
This soul beast was even faster than the very first white mosquito!
Considering the difference in their sizes—tenfold!—such explosive speed was terrifying. The impact alone could easily kill her.
Gu Yue took a deep breath, knowing she could no longer hold back. Against such a powerful foe, she had to give it her all.
With a thought, the elements around her danced like awakened spirits, gathering joyfully.
Six colored orbs—red, blue, yellow, green, black, and white—formed behind her, slowly rotating and radiating a heart-stirring energy.
Each orb held a different elemental force: blazing fire, deep water, solid earth, agile wind, holy light, and eerie darkness—all under her command.
A moment later, the six orbs launched dazzling elemental beams, like six lightning bolts, striking at the mountain-like white beast.
"Boom boom boom—!"
Explosions erupted in rapid succession, the air trembling under the onslaught.
Although the white beast moved slowly, its bursts of speed were astonishing, each movement stirring up a storm.
Its defense was even more terrifying—her elemental attacks only made its body shudder slightly; it easily withstood the assault.
Its offensive power was even more frightening—those thick limbs and sharp spikes, a single hit could kill Gu Yue, even a glancing blow would injure her.