The Wujin Mountain Range was covered in an unbroken stretch of snow-capped peaks. The thick accumulation of snow made traversing it incredibly difficult. The terrain was steep, the temperature plummeted as one ascended, and the air grew increasingly thin.
For an ordinary person, attempting this journey without any modern equipment would be outright impossible.
Even for a Soul Emperor-level expert, reaching the main peak where the Blood God Legion was stationed—without using their martial soul—would take several days.
However, for Xia Yi, this was no challenge at all. With a light tap of his foot on the snow, his entire figure leaped into the air like a spirit, landing gracefully on the tip of a snow-covered pine tree.
Then, with another light leap from the treetop, he appeared on a cliffside more than a hundred meters above.
Grabbing onto the cliff with one hand and using it as leverage, he propelled himself upward once again, gripping onto a piece of solid ice seventy meters higher.
Repeating this process over a dozen times, Xia Yi effortlessly reached the summit of the first snow-capped mountain.
Then, without hesitation, he leaped from the peak, easily soaring over the mountain.
The observers in the shadows, who were secretly assessing him, were utterly stunned.
The mountain Xia Yi had just leaped from, though not the main peak, was still at least a thousand meters high. If an ordinary Soul Emperor—even one equipped with a martial soul and battle armor—attempted such a jump, they would undoubtedly be smashed to pieces upon landing unless they were a flying-type soul master.
Yet Xia Yi, without using his martial soul or battle armor, remained completely unscathed.
"Not even a challenge, huh? The Mountain Dragon King's Torso Bone truly lives up to its reputation as a divine soul bone. Just this gravity control alone is insanely useful. Heh heh!" Xia Yi patted the snow off his body, looked up at the next snowy peak, and leaped forward once more.
Compared to soul rings and soul skills, the best thing about soul bones was that they could be activated without needing to use one's martial soul.
With the Mountain Dragon King's Torso Bone, what others saw as an arduous climb up a treacherous, snow-covered peak was no different from walking on flat ground for him.
What would take others several days, Xia Yi accomplished in less than an hour, reaching the base of the main peak where the Blood God Legion was stationed.
The main peak was nearly vertical, with an incline close to ninety degrees, and was covered in many slippery ice ridges. Without gravity control, even Xia Yi would have struggled to reach the summit.
However, for him, it was still a simple task. With the Mountain Dragon King's Torso Bone, every leap and landing gradually made the terrain appear flatter—something that had been imperceptible before.
Xia Yi pressed forward. After crossing one final ridge, he finally saw that the terrain ahead no longer sloped downward. Instead, it opened into a vast, plateau-like snowy plain.
More precisely, it was a snowfield.
On that snowfield, a dense cluster of barracks stood, forming a rather sizable encampment.
Watch posts were positioned around the area, though there were no observation towers. The buildings were all covered in thick snow, making it impossible to determine their construction materials at a glance.
"Finally here!" Xia Yi stretched his body, then quickly sprinted toward the camp.
He had only taken a few steps when his spiritual power suddenly detected something unusual in the snow ahead. He stopped abruptly.
About a hundred meters in front of him, four figures suddenly emerged from the snow, each pointing an obviously high-grade soul-guided raygun directly at him.
They were four soldiers dressed in thick, white winter gear, their guns held perfectly steady.
Xia Yi immediately raised his hands. "Don't misunderstand—I'm here to report for enlistment."
One of the four white-clad soldiers lowered his gun, but the other three remained vigilant, keeping their weapons trained on him.
The soldier who had stepped forward approached Xia Yi and removed the helmet from his head. Looking up at Xia Yi, he asked, "Recommendation letter?"
Xia Yi quickly retrieved his recommendation letter from his storage ring.
It was a silver-white metal plaque, upon which was embossed a relief carving of a completely snow-white bird.
The bird was extremely majestic, resembling an eagle, yet its body proportions were slightly different—larger and more robust.
"Follow me," the soldier said after verifying the letter. He suddenly stood at attention and saluted Xia Yi.
His salute was different from that of ordinary Federation soldiers—he clenched his right fist and forcefully struck his chest.
Then, without another word, he turned and strode toward the distant military camp.
Xia Yi nodded and quickly followed. Meanwhile, the other three soldiers once again burrowed into the snow.
The snow-covered surface swiftly smoothed over, as if they had never appeared in the first place.
The soldier led Xia Yi into the camp, where the snow had evidently been cleared, allowing them to step onto solid ground.
Shaking off the snow from his clothing, the soldier briskly walked into the camp's interior.
The moment they stepped inside, the atmosphere felt distinctly different.
Everything was meticulously organized. Aside from the surrounding snowy landscape, it didn't seem much different from an ordinary military camp. However, Xia Yi noticed that there were very few people here—he saw almost no patrolling soldiers.
Xia Yi didn't ask any questions.
The best way to understand a place was to listen and observe—there was no need for excessive talking.
Besides, based on the soldier's tone, it was clear that the troops here were proud, even somewhat exclusive.
Xia Yi knew that in a place like the Blood God Legion, words wouldn't earn him recognition—only by proving his strength and quickly integrating into their ranks could he truly belong.
The soldier led Xia Yi to a building and pressed his palm against a certain spot. A beam of light scanned his body, and the metallic door slid open.
"Follow me."
Stepping inside, a surge of warm air enveloped them, seeping into Xia Yi's limbs and bones like a comforting embrace. Even the oxygen content in the air seemed to be higher.
Though he wasn't afraid of the cold, Xia Yi wasn't an Ice God's Heart. Only those with the Ice God's Heart would truly relish such frigid environments.
Compared to the frozen landscape outside, he much preferred this warmth.
He let out a satisfied sigh.
The soldier glanced at him before removing his helmet.
The man appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a soul power level of approximately sixty-five—Soul Emperor rank.
The soldier gave Xia Yi a once-over and said, "Come with me. A word of advice—starting now, you need to prepare yourself. Whether you stay or not will be determined in the next three days."
"Understood." Xia Yi nodded.
The soldier eyed Xia Yi's thin clothing and added, "In the Blood God Legion, never show off. Otherwise, you won't just endanger yourself—you'll put your comrades at risk as well."
With that, he turned and walked ahead.
Xia Yi couldn't help but chuckle.
He knew the soldier must have assumed he was deliberately showing off by wearing so little.
Following the soldier deeper inside, Xia Yi soon noticed something—this place was filled with various advanced devices, many of which he had never seen before.
Yet, despite the technology, there were still very few people around.
After passing through a corridor, they entered a room where a tall, brown-haired woman, also around twenty-five or twenty-six, was standing.
She wore a thick military uniform.
"Major, this is the newcomer. Please arrange his assessment," the soldier said to the female officer.
"Understood. You may go," the woman replied.
Turning to Xia Yi, she added, "Follow me. Once you pass the test, we'll discuss the rules of the Blood God Legion."
Xia Yi had some understanding of military ranks.
However, the fact that this young girl was already a major at such a young age—indeed, one should never judge a person by their appearance.
"Thank you," Xia Yi smiled slightly, his face full of sincerity as he expressed his gratitude.
His appearance was already extremely handsome, and with a smile filled with sunshine, he naturally gave off an approachable aura.
The major stood up and smiled as she said, "It has been some time since the Blood God Legion last received new recruits. I must remind you—no matter where you come from or what your background is, do not be arrogant. The Blood God Legion is not an ordinary army. Everyone who is recommended here is a prodigy, but only less than one-third can actually stay. Even the elites selected from other legions see more than half of their numbers eliminated. I hope you can make it through."
Xia Yi asked, "Does the assessment start now? No need to register?"
The major replied, "No need. You have already proven your identity, which is why you were brought here. Before you complete the assessment, registration is meaningless."
"That makes sense." Xia Yi nodded slightly.
The major led Xia Yi out of the room to a place resembling a warehouse. "You can choose any weapon here. Remember, in the upcoming assessment, you will not be able to use your soul power. You will have to rely solely on your body and these weapons. So, choose one you are skilled with."
An assessment where soul power could not be used?
Xia Yi was shocked.
Being unable to use soul power and being unable to use a martial soul were two completely different things.
Even soul bones and soul skills required soul power.
Inside the warehouse, there was a dazzling array of weapons and equipment. Many of them were modern soul devices, including ray guns and soul cannons—all compact, portable weapons meant for individual combat.
Among these weapons, Xia Yi could only recognize a small portion, and he barely knew how to use any of them.
He had never learned how to use these weapons.
With no other choice, Xia Yi picked up a pair of pitch-black octagonal plum blossom hammers.
Back when his soul power was low, he often used forging hammers to assist in combat.
The only weapon he was familiar with was a hammer.
Even without soul power, he had the most confidence in his own strength, and with a pair of hammers, it would be enough.
Seeing him choose a pair of hammers, the major raised an eyebrow, her eyes showing a hint of surprise.
"You're a blacksmith?" the major asked curiously.
In the Blood God Legion's assessment records, the only people who chose hammers were usually blacksmiths.
"That's right," Xia Yi smiled and asked, "Can I use my own forging hammers?"
"No!" The major shook her head decisively. "Blacksmiths' forging hammers are not simple. Using them would be unfair to others."
The major's eyes gleamed. Although she had refused Xia Yi's request, she was even more interested in him now.
A blacksmith, huh? No matter where, blacksmiths were always in high demand.
Even more so in the military.
After selecting his weapon, the major led him out of the warehouse and into a particularly large building at the center of the camp.
The building had a conical roof and was the tallest structure in the entire camp, reaching about fifty meters high. Entering from a side door, Xia Yi finally saw other soldiers.
There were dozens of people inside, all dressed in white military uniforms. The uniforms were well-designed, and on the chest was the Snow God Carving emblem—the same as on the letter of introduction he had received earlier.
No one paid attention to Xia Yi, who was brought in by the major.
However, Xia Yi noticed that the rank insignias on their shoulders indicated they were all officers. The lowest rank was second lieutenant—there were no enlisted soldiers present.
Was this the command center of the Blood God Legion?
The female major took Xia Yi to an elevator. When they exited, they found themselves in a metal corridor. Following the corridor inward and turning left, the major led him into a room.
As soon as he entered, Xia Yi's face showed a look of surprise.
Because this place gave him a strong sense of déjà vu.
This was...
Why did it look so much like the entrance to the Spirit Pagoda's Ascension Platform? And not just any, but the intermediate-level Ascension Platform? Around the room, one by one, there were glass capsules clearly meant for people to stand in.
The major walked up to the control panel and operated it swiftly. Her fingers moved across the keyboard at high speed, producing a crisp tapping sound.
Two glass capsules slowly opened, and the instruments in the room lit up.
"Have you been to the Ascension Platform before?" the major turned around and asked.
"I have," Xia Yi answered truthfully.
The major nodded. "Your assessment will be similar to the Ascension Platform. Your task is simple—protect me until the assessment is over."
"Okay." Xia Yi nodded and walked toward one of the glass capsules.
The major narrowed her eyes slightly before quickly following him inside. She reminded him again, "Remember, you won't be able to use soul power inside. You can only rely on the weapon in your hands. Understood?"
"Understood." Xia Yi mentally assessed the upcoming test—it was similar to the Ascension Platform but restricted soul power. This meant he would have to rely entirely on his physical abilities and reflexes to fight.
Stepping into the glass capsule, it slowly sealed shut. Metal plates attached themselves to his body, and a metal clasp secured his back. The surroundings gradually brightened.
It had been a long time since Xia Yi had last been to the Ascension Platform. He closed his eyes and silently felt the changes happening around him.
A slight tingling sensation spread from his limbs, converging at his brain. His body trembled slightly, and his mind went blank.
Vaguely, Xia Yi could sense electrical stimulation, data fluctuations, and spatial energy surges.
This was something he had never felt before, but now that his spiritual power had reached the peak of the Spirit Abyss Realm, he could perceive it so clearly.
There was no discomfort. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in a snowy landscape, still holding the octagonal plum blossom hammers he had chosen.
What surprised him even more was that the area around him seemed to resemble the camp he had just visited. Was this a simulation? The resemblance was uncanny.
However, beside him was a massive pit, bottomless and filled with darkness. A vague, ominous energy rose from below, sending shivers down his spine.
At that moment, light flickered, and the female major appeared beside him.
She looked exactly the same as before, but when she saw Xia Yi, a hint of surprise appeared on her face!
"You got in so fast?" the major asked in confusion.
"Not too bad, I guess," Xia Yi chuckled. His spiritual power had long surpassed the Spirit Abyss Realm, and after absorbing the Light Dragon King's skull soul bone, he had reached its peak. How could he not be fast?
The major's expression returned to normal. She pointed at the pit beside them and said, "Jump down."
"Oh." Without hesitation, Xia Yi leaped directly into the black abyss.
Since this was a virtual world, what was there to be afraid of?
Would he really be scared of falling to his death?
What a joke.
The major followed closely behind, jumping in after him.
Everything around began to darken, but Xia Yi's eyes grew brighter.
This was indeed a cavern. The surrounding walls were jagged and uneven, not appearing to be artificially excavated. After falling about a hundred meters, their descent suddenly slowed significantly as a large net caught their bodies.
Xia Yi surveyed his surroundings. Beside the large net that had stopped them were numerous round holes of varying sizes. The largest had a diameter of ten meters, while the smallest was over two meters. These holes were irregular in shape, as if something had dug them out.
The female major climbed toward one of the holes along the net and gestured for Xia Yi to follow. Holding his octagonal plum blossom hammers, Xia Yi quickly climbed over.
Once he stood beside the major, she said, "From this moment on, we may encounter danger at any time. Your task is to protect me while we continue deeper inside. The distance you advance will determine your assessment score. Understood?"
"Yes!" Xia Yi nodded, lifted his hammers, held them in front of him, and took the lead in moving forward.
The tunnel the major chose was about three meters in diameter, dark inside, making it difficult to see ahead.
Xia Yi narrowed his eyes. He couldn't use soul power, but his spiritual power was unaffected. Relying on his spiritual perception, he could barely sense up to thirty meters ahead—an impressive feat in such a dimly lit tunnel.
More importantly, the deeper he went, the more he felt a strange force. Even his spiritual power weakened significantly upon contact with it.
Xia Yi moved at a steady pace, while the major followed closely behind, neither too fast nor too slow.
Suddenly, a gust of air seemed to rush toward them. Almost instinctively, Xia Yi raised his hammer and struck at the incoming force while simultaneously stepping back with his right foot to shield the major behind him.
With a soft puff, Xia Yi felt his hammer hit something. His Lingyuan Realm-level spiritual power allowed him to see within the airflow—a bat-like creature, not particularly large but with considerable impact force, likely weighing several hundred kilograms. However, to him, it was nothing.
With just a light swing of his hammer, the bat-like creature was sent flying, and in the next instant, its body exploded in midair. Was this pure force?
Xia Yi's control over his strength was precise. The power remained concentrated within the hammer and only exploded upon impact, sending the creature flying apart.
The female major behind him raised an eyebrow slightly, but Xia Yi paid her no mind and continued forward.
As he passed the bat's corpse, he crouched slightly and was surprised to see the body rapidly shrinking before slowly vanishing, with a faint energy dissipating into the air.
"This isn't a soul beast—it should be an Abyssal creature," Xia Yi murmured.
Just as he straightened up, more gusts of air rushed toward him—this time, multiple streams. Xia Yi remained calm, swinging both hammers simultaneously. Standing firm like an unmoving mountain, he struck precisely.
Puff, puff, puff! Three bat-like creatures exploded in midair. As before, their bodies shattered and then gradually dissipated upon hitting the ground.
He pressed forward without hesitation. More bats appeared, sometimes one at a time, other times in groups of six or seven. Their large sizes nearly filled the entire tunnel at times. Yet, against Xia Yi's hammers, not a single one could break through. Every last one of them was smashed to pieces.
After advancing roughly a hundred meters, light began to appear ahead, and the number of bats gradually decreased. The illumination was faint but far better than complete darkness.
The tunnel ended in a left turn. After making the turn and taking just a few steps, Xia Yi suddenly stopped, his face clearly showing shock.
Before him was an enormous cavern, large enough to rival a sports stadium. Along one side of the cavern, embedded in a towering wall, were over a hundred holes of various sizes. The cavern's height reached roughly a hundred meters. At this moment, at least a hundred of the same four-clawed bats Xia Yi had encountered earlier were flying overhead. Even more were emerging from the opposite holes.
The faint glow came from these holes. Though not very bright, it was sufficient for Xia Yi, whose spiritual power had reached the Lingyuan Realm.
Was the assessment just about defeating bats?
Xia Yi's eyes flickered, and at that moment, the major came to his side, suddenly looked up at him, and smiled.
Xia Yi admitted—her smile was sweet. However, no matter how he looked at it, it felt completely malicious.
Then, the major softly said, "Protect me, okay?" As she spoke, she suddenly sprinted straight into the cavern.
Xia Yi's mouth twitched. Was this what they called artificially increasing difficulty? Although he inwardly complained, his actions were swift. With a light push off the ground, he quickly followed behind her.
Sensing intruders, the four-clawed bats in the air let out a series of sharp screeches. They swooped down from all directions toward Xia Yi. Yet, the major seemed oblivious to them, running straight toward the cavern's center.
Xia Yi shook his head helplessly and leaped from the ground, quickly intercepting the bats. His hammers swung rapidly, each strike causing a bat's body to explode in midair.
Not a single bat managed to get within two meters of the major.
The astonishment in the major's eyes grew more evident. She had already known Xia Yi's identity.
Tianfeng Douluo Xue Yi had once taken a step into the Quasi-God realm and was a legendary figure in the Blood God Legion.
While Xia Yi, the man of the renowned Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, was also widely known, many in the Blood God Legion were curious—what made him so capable that Leng Yaozhu would willingly be his woman?
She had seen many new recruits take the assessment—some expert marksmen who could hold their ground, others who skillfully wielded soul devices to overcome the challenge. However, few relied solely on their physical strength and close combat to protect someone. Typically, the test's content was explained beforehand, but she had deliberately withheld information.
Upon arrival, they should have proceeded cautiously, yet she had chosen to sprint instead.
She wanted to see what Xia Yi was truly capable of, increasing the difficulty intentionally.
Yet Xia Yi, using only a pair of octagonal hammers—hardly suitable for long-range combat—had completely blocked every bat from reaching her.
The upper ranks of the Blood God Legion were also watching this assessment.
Zhang Huanyun, intrigued, turned to Leng Yaozhu. "Blood One, what exactly is Xia Yi's hammer technique? It looks chaotic, yet every strike—whether in force or angle—is perfectly controlled. He defeats enemies efficiently while conserving energy to the maximum."
Would they not pay attention when the man of Tianfeng Douluo joined the Blood God Legion?
From the moment Xia Yi set out for the mountain, the high command had been watching.
"There's no hammer technique. He's just following his instincts," Leng Yaozhu said smugly.
"Instincts?" Yue Tiandouluo Guan Yue frowned slightly.
"This is what they call 'the Dao in its simplest form.'" Leng Yaozhu smiled faintly at the screen. After a moment of thought, she added, "My husband's greatest strength lies in the way he unconsciously executes his every move. Even I once thought his techniques were ordinary, but as my cultivation advanced, I realized he had reached the state of returning to simplicity. You might think his soul skills are extraordinary, that they are the reason for his success—but that's not the case. Even without those so-called heaven-defying soul skills, his achievements wouldn't be diminished in the slightest. He has long surpassed the concept of techniques. Soul skills? Divine skills? To him, they make no difference."
"Stop glorifying your man," Long Yeyue scoffed.
"You won't understand until you reach this realm," Leng Yaozhu said indifferently, shaking her head as if looking at a fool.
In Long Yeyue's shocked gaze, Guan Yue actually bowed deeply to Leng Yaozhu and said,"The Great Dao is simplicity itself. What a profound truth—many thanks, Blood One. I seem to have gained some insight."
Leng Yaozhu shook her head with a smile and replied,"Why thank me? I haven't done anything."
Seeing Leng Yaozhu like this, Long Yeyue couldn't help but transmit her voice privately to Guan Yue,"Guan Yue, what exactly is she trying to do? Why is she suddenly offering you guidance?"
Guan Yue sighed bitterly and replied through voice transmission,"You're wrong. We were all wrong. Perhaps, in the eyes of the Phoenix Douluo, she never even considered us as enemies. Or rather, she no longer even sees us as being in her league."
"She is warning me—warning us—not to follow in the footsteps of the Heartless Douluo and defect from the Blood God Legion. She doesn't want to fight us."
Long Yeyue scoffed coldly in her heart, "Hmph! Acting like some kind of saint!"
Guan Yue let out a soft sigh as he looked at Long Yeyue.
Long Yeyue and Cao Dezhi did not truly understand the terror that was Leng Yaozhu.
As a Quasi-God himself, Guan Yue could keenly sense just how profound and unfathomable Leng Yaozhu had become.
Over the past year, the gap between them had only grown wider and wider.
At times, he even wondered—if Yun Ming were still alive, would he even be a match for her?
He even felt that, even without the Divine Realm's summons, if Leng Yaozhu so willed it, she could ascend to godhood on her own.
To Leng Yaozhu, Long Yeyue and Cao Dezhi were probably nothing more than mere clowns.
Of course, this was merely Guan Yue's personal perception.