Chapter 59 The Master's Trial

"Boss Dai, I heard your White Tiger Spirit is quite formidable!"
"You single dog, your roast chicken spirit is just passable!"
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun looked at Gu Chen in confusion. The intent to kill in the latter's eyes could hardly be concealed.
"What do you want to say?" Dai Mubai asked coldly.
"The two of you attack me together. As long as you don't use strength exceeding the Spirit Elder level, if I get injured, I lose! Conversely, if I don't, you lose. The loser must not only agree to do the winner's stinky laundry and socks for a month, but also fulfill three requests that do not violate their own principles. Do you dare to accept?"
Gu Chen narrowed his eyes, lifted his chin high, and a meaningful smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun hesitated!
This brat was too cunning. Something that looked like a pie falling from the sky must have hidden depths!
It was impossible for there to be no trap, yet rack their brains as they might, they could not figure out what trump card Gu Chen had to dare to challenge them like this.
Dai Mubai didn't believe Gu Chen had a trump card, and naturally, neither did Ma Hongjun.
The two looked at each other and both understood the other's decision.
"I accept!"
"I accept too!"
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun spoke one after another.
"Then let's begin!" A smile appeared at the corners of Gu Chen's mouth as he strolled in front of the two. Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun watched him vigilantly.
Gu Chen smiled slightly, stimulated his own martial soul, and shouted explosively, "Vajra Bear Spirit, First Spirit Ability: Savage Charge!"
The fierce and domineering Vajra Bear Spirit slammed toward Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun like a tank.
Dai Mubai did not dare to be careless and immediately activated his own martial soul to parry.
"White Tiger Spirit, First Spirit Ability: White Tiger Barrier of Protection."
Ma Hongjun launched an attack from the flank.
Ma Hongjun's first spirit ability was Phoenix Fire Line. He condensed a large amount of spirit power in his mouth and shot an ultra-powerful phoenix flame in a straight line toward Gu Chen.
"Starry Sky Phantom." This was a skill Gu Chen realized by running the Void Scripture and observing the Seventeen Swords of the Starry Sky—the fourth diagram. It could increase his speed by 200% for a short time, lasting one minute.
The more he practiced the Seventeen Swords of the Starry Sky, the more profound he found it.
This set of sword techniques was not merely simple swordsmanship; it also incorporated aspects of movement techniques and mental training methods...
The fundamental reason why he had not comprehended the complete fourth sword was that Gu Chen's mental power was insufficient. Without long-term tempering, it fell just a bit short.
As the young patriarch of the Intelligence Bureau, Gu Chen knew that the Spirit Hall tournament held this time featured a spirit bone that suited him.
In order to become a Martial God as soon as possible and help his mother lift her curse, Gu Chen could only go all out to seize every opportunity. He decided to create an opportunity for himself to participate in this competition.
...
Looking at the scorching flames closing in on him, Gu Chen took a step forward, reached Dai Mubai, and with a Savage Charge combined with the Iron Mountain Lean, directly sent Dai Mubai flying.
Then, using the exact same move, he sent the still-dumbfounded Ma Hongjun flying as well...
"How can this be? How could this be?"
Both Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun wore expressions of disbelief, muttering to themselves.
"Nothing is impossible! You were too careless. I am no longer at the realm you knew of a few days ago!"
"I didn't use my second spirit ability just to lull you into a false sense of security. If you are this prone to underestimating the enemy, how can you go and participate in the tournament? In my opinion, you shouldn't go at all. Why don't you just cede one of the spots to me?"
Gu Chen's seemingly joking remark was actually said on purpose.
Given a little more time, he would definitely surpass Dai Mubai and the others.
After all, in three months, he was going to marry a stunning beauty who was a level 53 Spirit Ancestor. It wouldn't do for his own level to be too low!
"You..." Dai Mubai was so angry he couldn't speak.
Ma Hongjun's face was also flushed red.
Zao Wou-ki looked at Gu Chen with a smile, praising him in his heart: This brat, truly shameless!
"Junior Brother Gu Chen, what level are you at now?"
Hearing Gu Chen say he had broken through again, Ning Rongrong asked curiously.
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Gu Chen with an infatuated gaze, her eyes sparkling.
That was the radiance of being pierced by thousands of arrows from Cupid's bow of love—the light of love capable of penetrating a dozen centimeters of steel plate.
"Level 23," Gu Chen replied calmly.
He couldn't tell the truth; that would be too shocking!
Even so, everyone was shocked speechless.
Zao Wou-ki was smiling so widely that the corners of his mouth were almost splitting to his ears.
At that moment, the previously constipated-looking expression on Ma Hongjun's face suddenly lit up with a brilliant light.
"Grandmaster, Little Ao, Third Brother, you're here!" Ma Hongjun's face blossomed into a chrysanthemum-like smile as he greeted them happily, with a hint of flattery.
A middle-aged uncle in a grey long gown walked over.
Tang Sanchen and Oscar followed behind him. Notting Junior Academy's Principal Kruqi walked beside them.
Kruqi wore a dark grey robe and had short hair. Half of his blonde hair had turned white, making him look about sixty years old.
He was about the same height as the Grandmaster, with a slightly thin build, some wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, a large nose, and a rather kindly expression.
"Principal Kruqi!" Having just finished bathing and smelling fragrant, Xiao Wu skipped over to the playground.
Her long scorpion braid swung back and forth in the air, looking very playful and cute!
"Principal, long time no see!"
"Ah, it's Xiao Wu! You've grown so much! You've grown taller and even prettier than before!"
"Thank you for the compliment, Principal! It's been so long, but you look just about the same as before—so young!"
"Right, Principal Kruqi, why did you suddenly come to our Shrek Academy today?"
"Xiao Wu! Principal Kruqi was invited by me!" Without waiting for Kruqi to reply, Tang San, whose face looked somewhat weak, took the words first.
"I went out for experiential training the past two days, passed by Notting Junior Academy, and happened to run into Principal Kruqi. We talked a lot, and he yearned for our current Shrek Academy, so he came specially to take a look."
"Yes, yes, yes, Little San is quite right. I just came to see how you all are living here."
What Tang San and Kruqi said seemed completely reasonable, but Xiao Wu could sense that there seemed to be some sort of conspiracy hidden within it.
Perhaps this was a woman's sixth sense.
Kruqi glanced at the handsome, dashing, and exceptionally debonair Gu Chen, and secretly praised him.
Truly, heroes come from the young! No wonder a proud favored son of heaven like Tang San couldn't tolerate him!
"Alright, stop reminiscing for now. The Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament will begin in a month and a half. I am going to put you through some special training. As a student of Shrek Academy, Gu Chen originally had no qualification to train with them, but since he has already reached level 20 and above, he will train with them as well."
"Understood, Grandmaster!" Gu Chen did not harbor hostility toward Yu Xiaogang just because he was Tang San's master.
It wasn't that Gu Chen lacked a sense of right and wrong, but in Gu Chen's eyes, Yu Xiaogang was no different from a beast, actually harboring improper thoughts toward his own cousin. Just how starved must one be?
If he were to bicker with such a person, it would be far too beneath him!
"The test I have for you today is to experience the life of ordinary people for a day," Yu Xiaogang said with his hands behind his back, expressionless, as if everyone in the world owed him money.
"During the assessment period, you must live in Soto City for a day. You are not allowed to use spirit power before the assessment ends. If the use of spirit power is discovered by us, it will be considered a violation."
"Do you see those bags over there? They contain some daily necessities. I want you to bring all of them back intact by tomorrow morning. If anything is missing, it will be considered a failure of the assessment, and your academic credits will be cleared to zero. Don't even think about having any holidays this year! All of you will remain at the academy for training."