The Return of Godkin

Chapter 210: The Eighth Trial (Final)

Student number six finally made his move, torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to stay cautious.

Is this girl serious? He wondered. How did she even reach the eighth trial? Did she just stumble her way here?

Then the memory of the guillotine trial crept into his mind and sent a chill down his spine.

No… nobody who survives that is harmless. I can't underestimate her.

A soft glow bloomed in front of him as a crystal ball appeared, shimmering with hazy, refracted light. His three soul rings rose and revolved around it.

Tool-type martial soul: Crystal Ball.

"Crystal, crystal, deviate!" he called out sharply.

His first soul ring flared. White light filled his eyes as the crystal ball responded, and the flow of energy in the air twisted. Violetta's ice spear suddenly veered off course, curving away from him and racing straight toward her own ice wheel.

It was a clever move, using her attack to destroy her own setup.

Violetta's heart jumped. That's bad. If he succeeded, her entire plan would collapse.

At that critical instant, purple light flickered in her eyes.

Student number six stiffened as the sudden spiritual shock hit him. Violetta's Purple Demon Eyes, though not as strong as Ray's, were more than enough to disturb his focus. His control over the ice spear faltered.

With a quick flick of her staff, Violetta reclaimed it.

Her spiritual power, now over two hundred, surged outward. For a control-type soul master, long-distance manipulation was her greatest strength. The ice spear curved back, once again targeting student number six.

All eyes followed the spear, but almost no one noticed that the ice wheel above him had begun to spin faster. Not by much, but enough to matter.

Violetta raised her staff, a strange, solemn air gathering around her. "Stars in the heavens that shine in eternal stillness, grant me your strength. Starwheel!"

Silver starlight rained down, flowing into her Ice Staff and transforming it into the radiant Starwheel Ice Staff.

Her first soul ring lit up again, and a glowing starwheel appeared beneath student number six's feet.

The moment her staff transformed, Violetta severed her connection to both the ice spear and the ice wheel.

Only then did everyone realize what had truly been happening.

Freed from her control, the ice wheel above student number six's head, burdened by the heavy tungsten hammer strapped to it, plunged straight down. At the same time, the ice spear reached him from the front.

Student number six reacted on instinct. His second soul ring ignited, and his crystal ball flared brightly.

"Decompose!"

The ice spear shattered into glittering fragments of elemental energy that quickly melted away. He had neutralized the direct attack.

But his instincts screamed danger.

He lifted his head and saw the spinning hammer descending toward him.

So that was it… she distracted me with the spear so this thing could hit me? What a bizarre plan… but if that hammer lands, I'm finished.

He tried to step aside, but the starwheel beneath his feet suddenly blazed.

Chains of starlight erupted from the ground and wrapped around his body, locking him in place. His third soul ring flickered as he tried to activate it, but it was already too late.

Absolute control.

His eyes widened in terror as the hammer fell toward his face, stopping just an inch from his skull.

Sweat poured down his temples.

Giselle had already stepped in, catching the hammer with one hand. She weighed it curiously before turning to Violetta with an amused glint in her eyes.

"Girl, that was some fine acting."

Violetta smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Teacher."

The truth was that the tungsten hammer was not nearly heavy enough to truly trouble a two-ringed soul master. Even a control-type like Violetta could wield it without difficulty. She had deliberately pretended to struggle, drawing everyone's attention and lulling her opponent into lowering his guard.

That tiny deception had created the perfect opening.

The greatest weakness of the Starwheel Shackles was its lack of offensive power. It immobilized the target, but it also rooted Violetta in place, leaving her unable to follow up with an attack. That was why Ray had slipped her one of his heavy silver bracelet rings earlier and whispered a simple instruction into her ear.

Use this.

Violetta had understood immediately. Sometimes, brute metal was more dangerous than any soul skill.

Ten points.

After the eighth trial, Ray had sixty points, Lily forty-eight, Raziel fifty-one, and Violetta fifty.

With two trials left, their chances of passing were looking bright.

Giselle took a slow breath, emotions tangled in her chest. "Let's proceed to the next trial."

Senior brother's disciples really are something else, she thought. Their martial souls may not all be dazzling, but they don't need to be. Lily stands out, Raziel's twin martial souls are unusual, and Violetta… that girl is far sharper than she looks.

And Ray?

He was quietly turning into something far more frightening than a simple genius.

Giselle watched the four of them disappear into the capsules, a complicated swirl of thoughts rolling through her mind.

Ray really is a freak, she admitted to herself. Six full scores. Silverfalls Vine as his martial soul, yet a golden soul ring that doesn't belong to it at all. He never rushes, never panics, just keeps moving forward step by step, collecting perfect results as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

His talent might not be dazzling, but his strength came from something deeper. It was the fusion of potential and temperament, a stubborn will polished sharp through years of hardship.

Lily was clearly the most gifted in raw talent, but when it came to leadership, steadiness, and the ability to shoulder pressure, Ray stood at the very front. He truly deserved to be their captain.

Senior brother, your eye for people is terrifyingly good…

With that thought, Giselle led the four students into a small chamber.

This room felt nothing like the previous ones. The lighting was dim, the walls bare metal, and only a massive screen hung at the far end. A sense of déjà vu washed over them.

"This place feels like the spirit ascension platform," Raziel muttered.

Giselle nodded. "Your ninth trial is about survival. You've all experienced the spirit ascension platform before, so this should feel familiar. In a sense, the soul beasts inside are real. If you kill one and are at a bottleneck, you may even obtain a soul ring. Now, prepare to enter."

With a press of a button, several metallic capsules slid out from the walls.

Survive?

Lily, Raziel, and Violetta all instinctively turned to Ray. Confidence gleamed in their eyes.

Raziel, who had been feeling uneasy after scoring poorly earlier, immediately relaxed. Anything like the spirit ascension platform was their home turf. As long as they didn't provoke something they couldn't handle, they could survive indefinitely.

"Teacher, are we entering together?" Ray asked.

"Yes," Giselle replied. "This trial is always done as a group. It tests coordination as much as survival. You four came together, so you have an advantage. Good luck."

"Thank you."

They each stepped into a capsule, the metal doors sealing shut behind them.

As soon as the capsules slid back into the walls, two figures entered the room.

One was the irritable old woman they knew all too well, the Silver Moon Spirit King. The other was an elderly man with long gray hair and deep blue eyes, his presence heavy enough to press down on the air itself.

"Teacher," Giselle greeted respectfully.

Harold nodded. "How are they doing?"

Giselle hesitated before answering honestly. "They're… unbelievable."

Silver Moon Spirit King laughed, a sharp, delighted sound. "That they are. I even took away their fifth trial, yet one of them still has a perfect score. That Ray is marvelous. His blood essence reminds me of you, Harold. As for Lily, I've already set my sights on her."

Harold glanced at her coolly. "They're my granddisciples. Don't get any funny ideas."

"Are you trying to go back on your word?" she snapped.

"I'm stating a fact," he replied calmly. "If Lily doesn't want you as her master, you can't force her."

"Hmph!" she huffed. "That stubbornness is exactly what I like."

Harold turned his gaze toward the screen. "Let's see how they fare in this trial first."

Giselle swallowed. "Teacher… what difficulty did you set?"

"The highest."

Her breath caught in her throat.

*

Space twisted around Ray, but the sensation barely fazed him. A flash of light later, the four of them stood in a dense, ancient forest.

They instinctively formed their usual formation, Silverfalls Vine spreading from Ray's feet as Lily sent wind birds to scout.

"This feels too quiet," Ray murmured. "Like the intermediate spirit ascension platform. Be careful. If this is what I think it is, there could be thousand-year, maybe even ten-thousand-year soul beasts."

The words made the others draw in sharp breaths.

Violetta whispered, "Captain… if I reach Rank 30 here, could I get a soul ring?"

"Don't even think about it," Ray said firmly. "Your body can't handle that yet."

She stuck out her tongue. "Okay, okay."

They climbed a nearby hill to gain a view and rested, eating steamed buns Ray had saved.

Two hours passed.

Raziel finally broke the silence, unease creeping into his voice. "Captain… It's been too quiet. This doesn't feel right."