Soul Land IV (Douluo Dalu) : Ultimate Fighting

888 – Tang Zhenhua’s Reminder

TL: BluVerse

After the subsequent contact was agreed upon, Lan Xuanyu returned with his companions, concluding the first part of their graduation assessment. Even though the assessment ended ahead of schedule, Lan Xuanyu and his team were not worried about their results at all. There was no need to worry! They had already exceeded the mission’s requirements. Their prowess in space wars was vividly demonstrated, showcasing their strength.

Lan Xuanyu spent most of his time practicing high-speed piloting of fighter jets, a challenging task to avoid mistakes in high-speed situations. This was because of the presence of the Emerald Demon Warship. The speed it could unleash in an instant was unmatched by any fighter jet. Moreover, the speed limit that the Emerald Demon Warship could endure was far beyond the reach of ordinary aircraft.

Undoubtedly, they had already passed the first graduation exam. The simulation cabin opened, and Lan Xuanyu and his companions emerged. At this point, Wang Tianyu and many teachers had already left, leaving only Ying Luohong, Xiao Qi, and Tang Zhenhua.

“You performed very well. Keep up the good work in the upcoming assessments,” Ying Luohong nodded to them and left. Xiao Qi laughed and approached, hugging Lan Xuanyu. “Xuanyu, that drift was really beautiful. Watching it makes me want to learn fighter jet piloting from Teacher Tang. Congratulations to all of you; everyone passed.”

Team assessments were undoubtedly more challenging than individual assessments, but the advantage was that once the team passed, everyone passed together. Especially in the Star Wars assessment, there was no initial plan to give individual scores. The crucial aspect of this assessment was to confirm whether the Star Wars Experimental Class was a successful experiment.

The answer had already been given by Wang Tianyu; they had received full recognition from the academy. The next assessments would be more traditional.

Tang Zhenhua didn’t show much joy. He was confident that Lan Xuanyu and his team would pass this assessment.

“You have two days of rest, and then the most important character assessment will take place. For others, it’s fine, but Xuanyu, the seven of you, come with me and teacher Xiao. I’ll explain the character assessment you’re going to face, and then you can rest.”

Lan Xuanyu looked surprised at Tang Zhenhua. He could sense that his teacher’s mood today seemed a bit off, very serious, which was rare for Tang Zhenhua.

“Yes, Teacher.”

Lan Xuanyu and his seven companions followed Tang Zhenhua and Xiao Qi to the Interstellar Center. The others went back to rest.

In the office, Tang Zhenhua said, “You just completed the Star Wars assessment, and you should have rested directly. However, information about the character assessment you will face next is crucial. So, I want to give you a heads-up.”

“What does our character assessment involve?” Lan Xuanyu asked curiously.

Tang Zhenhua said, “Your character assessment is not the standard for graduates but the standard for the Shrek Seven Devils. You should understand what I mean by that.”

Lan Xuanyu and his seven companions looked at each other, feeling a somewhat ominous premonition. The standard for the Shrek Seven Devils? What does that mean?

Tang Zhenhua took a deep breath, and a hint of fear flashed in his eyes. “In our academy, some predecessors have been silently watching over us. Among these predecessors, some have passed away, but their spiritual consciousness has persisted in a special form. In addition to the Eternal Tree in the Sea God’s Lake, there is another unique space, known as the Seven Saints Abyss.”

“Seven Saints Abyss?” This name was completely unfamiliar to Lan Xuanyu and his team.

“Yes, the Seven Saints Abyss.”

Lan Xuanyu noticed that even Xiao Qi, upon hearing this name, had an unnatural expression, as if he was afraid. Was it that frightening?

“This secret is not something ordinary Outer Court students can know. But you are destined to enter the Inner Court, so there’s no harm in telling you in advance. Your character assessment will take place inside the Seven Saints Abyss.”

“For us Shrek people, the Seven Saints Abyss is a double-edged sword. Firstly, entering the Seven Saints Abyss means gaining recognition from the academy. Only those who are destined to have significant development in the academy will be allowed to enter the Seven Saints Abyss for training. All the higher-ups in the Inner Court and all members of the Sea God’s Pavilion must have entered the Seven Saints Abyss. Even I and teacher Xiao do not currently have the qualifications to enter.”

“However, on the other hand, the Seven Saints Abyss is a place for the deepest tempering of human hearts. Our minds are like icebergs, floating in the ocean. Part of it is on the surface, exposed to the sunlight. That is our superego. Another part fluctuates with the tide, sometimes above the surface, sometimes below. That is our ego. And then there’s a part that is always beneath the surface, never seeing sunlight. That is our id. A wise person once said that the id of human beings is the dirtiest and most depraved part. Whether to release them or not determines a person’s character.”

“The Seven Saints Abyss magnifies our id completely. It questions our minds and tortures our spirits. If you can pass the assessment in the Seven Saints Abyss, your spiritual power will greatly improve. It will also make your inner self more steadfast, and your character will receive the highest recognition from the academy. On the contrary, you will face significant trouble. If someone cannot control their id, they may even lose the opportunity to enter the Inner Court. So, the Seven Saints Abyss is an opportunity, but more importantly, it is a test.”

Listening to Tang Zhenhua’s serious words, Lan Xuanyu and his team were somewhat puzzled. What exactly were they being tested on? Lan Xuanyu asked, “Teacher, how is the Seven Saints Abyss assessment conducted? And how does it bring out our id? For example, greed or something? Is that the question?”

Qian Lei suddenly became nervous. Is he asking on my behalf?

Tang Zhenhua said, “The Seven Saints Abyss is a comprehensive examination. Inside, there are seven predecessors, collectively known as the Seven Saints. They will assess you in the aspects of greed, gluttony, lust, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. The good news for you is that you are all very young, and you haven’t experienced the baptism of society. So, your hearts are pure, and relatively speaking, the assessment in the Seven Saints Abyss will be simpler for you. The older you are and the more experiences you have, the harder the assessment in the Seven Saints Abyss will be.”

Qian Lei scratched his head and asked, “Teacher Tang, how is passing and failing determined in this?”

Tang Zhenhua smiled wryly, “As long as you can come out from inside with your spirit intact, that counts as passing. I can’t teach you this because I haven’t been inside myself. Remember, no matter what you encounter inside, holding onto your true self is the most important. By holding onto your true self, your chances of passing will be greater. When you encounter any situation inside, ask yourself if you really want to do it.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, but honestly, they had no concept of such an assessment. It wasn’t a battle, nor was it an evaluation of abilities. It wasn’t even an examination of intelligence.

Tang Zhenhua sighed inwardly. He had only heard about the reputation of the Seven Saints Abyss. Ying Luohong had experienced the assessment of the Seven Saints Abyss before, and after coming out, it took her a full two months to completely recover mentally. It indicated how terrifying the Seven Saints Abyss assessment was. Afterward, she refused to mention anything related to the Seven Saints Abyss. At that time, Ying Luohong was still in her twenties.

But Tang Zhenhua had made up his mind; he would go. Perhaps, this was his last chance, for himself and Ying Luohong. If he couldn’t pass, perhaps their fate had come to an end.