Chapter 378: A Slight Show of Strength
"What?! Did she shatter the current senior record so effortlessly? And not only that, she increased it by more than three times! This Cao Ying truly deserves the title of the witch of the Cao Clan!"
The spectators were in a state of absolute shock as they witnessed the four-digit number. Although Cao Ying was a disciple of Xuan Kong Zi, one of the three giants of the Pill Tower, the result shouldn't have been that astonishing, right?
'Is it really possible to achieve such a value in the Mortal Realm? Or perhaps...'
As this terrifying thought began to take hold in the minds of the crowd, Xiao Ming, who had been silent, smiled and spoke up, "I didn't tell you before. Congratulations on your breakthrough to the Spirit Realm, Miss Cao Ying."
Despite Cao Ying concealing her aura, for someone in the Heaven Realm like him, detecting the spirituality in her soul was a piece of cake.
At the same time, he finally understood why Xuan Kong Zi had requested Spirit Nourishment Powder a few months ago - it was for Cao Ying's breakthrough.
In the original story, Cao Ying's Soul Value in this competition was 976. Although it was unclear whether this improvement was solely due to the effect of the Spirit Nourishment Powder, it was evident that the powder had an enormous effect on alchemists, particularly highly talented ones like her. Witness the debut of this chapter, unveiled through Ñôv€l--B1n.
Cao Ying warmly smiled at him and patiently awaited Elder Sheng's comments.
Meanwhile, the crowd, who had already harbored suspicions, had their theories confirmed by Xiao Ming's words, and their excitement grew.
"Spirit Realm! Did I hear that correctly?"
"No wonder! I was just thinking it was impossible for someone in the Mortal Realm to achieve such a value. In the Spirit Realm, one can already start refining eighth-tier pills!"
"If we exclude Elder Xiao Ming, Cao Ying would undoubtedly be the most promising young alchemist in the Pill Tower..."
Even Elder Sheng was taken aback. He wasn't in the Heaven Realm like Xiao Ming and hadn't noticed the change in Cao Ying's soul until she decided to reveal it. This was why this result was beyond his expectations.
However, this was excellent news for the Pill Tower, so he nodded with a bright smile and declared, "Cao Ying passes. The next person, please step forward."
Dan Chen snapped out of her shock and glanced at Xiao Ming, who seemed like he wouldn't make a move yet. After a brief moment of contemplation, she bit her pink lips and took the initiative to step forward.
She and Cao Ying had always been in competition.
With a graceful bow to Elder Sheng and under his encouraging gaze, Dan Chen approached the stone tablet and delicately placed her fair hand upon it.
In comparison to the massive stone tablet, Dan Chen's petite and delicate figure appeared even more fragile. However, in the next instant...
A soul pressure far exceeding Dan Chen's and at least twice as powerful as Cao Ying's surged forth, causing Elder Sheng's expression to change dramatically as he felt the pressure.
If Elder Sheng felt it, then it was needless to say about the others. Cao Ying and Dan Chen were relatively unaffected because Xiao Ming controlled his soul power to minimize the impact on them. By releasing their own soul power, they could counteract the effects of Xiao Ming's soul pressure, but it was still a struggle.
The members of the Bai and Qiu Clans were the most uneasy. Cold sweat beaded on their brows, and their faces flushed with shock and even fear. Their knees shook as they felt compelled to kneel. This was the intense pressure brought on by the soul level. Simply put, if Xiao Ming became serious, he could defeat everyone present with his soul power alone.
The five great clans, as well as the spectators in the audience seats, were all staring at the young man in the center of the square, shocked, excited, and reverent.
"The Ye Clan is truly fortunate to have established a relationship with Elder Xiao Ming..."
"If only Elder Xiao Ming had chosen my clan back then..."
"Sigh..."
The raging soul pressure gradually subsided after about a minute. The rapidly rising number finally came to a halt within the trembling stone tablet, on the shiny mirror-like surface.
"4830!"
Seeing this number, the people in the stands were both surprised and disappointed. Although the number was indeed high, they felt it was too low. How could it be only twice as much as Cao Ying's? It was completely unreasonable! He must have deliberately held back!
However, Ye Zhong and Ye Xin Lan reacted differently than the others. They were filled with excitement, and their eyes shimmered with joy. With the dust settled, the heavy burden in their hearts finally lifted.
The members of the other four great clans gazed at the shining figure in the field, feeling deep admiration. It was only natural to lose when compared to this person!
Elder Sheng breathed a sigh of relief. He knew very well how much Xiao Ming had held back with this number. If Xiao Ming had truly tried, he could have easily surpassed a hundred thousand and shattered the stone tablet.
"Hehe, the result is clear. The first place in this Soul Testing is Elder Xiao Ming, representing the Ye Clan. He has broken Cao Ying's newly set record and established a new one. I believe this record will be hard to surpass in the future."
Elder Sheng sighed inwardly. Not to mention the value of 4830, Cao Ying's soul value of 2400 could only be achieved when one reached the Spirit Realm. Among the younger generation of the Five Great Clans, who could surpass that?
Cao Ying paid no mind to the crowd's doubts. Her phoenix eyes remained fixed on Xiao Ming, devoid of any disappointment. Her gaze was that of an ordinary girl watching her beloved shine.
Dan Chen also watched Xiao Ming with curiosity in her eyes. Her talent was already considered strong, but it paled in comparison to Xiao Ming. Sometimes, she wondered how this young boy of her own age could achieve such heights.
"The next test is called Spiritual Control..." Elder Sheng smiled as he looked at Xiao Ming and the other four candidates. After which, he took out a dark-black metal bead from his storage ring. The surface of the metal bead was extremely smooth. Moreover, it did not contain the slightest luster. The complete-black color gave it a kind of heaviness.
