Chapter 357 Skill Assessment Begins!
He continued to explain the task of the second piece of metal, "The second piece, more curved lines, evenly arranged fifty." Finally, he pointed to the third piece of metal, "The third piece, wind-milled pattern,"

After Ye Yulin announced the rules, the faces of the participating soul masters were as ugly as if they had swallowed bitter melons. The nine skills themselves were not difficult, they all mastered them, but the problem lay in those rare metals.

Ye Yulin glanced at everyone, with a barely perceptible smile on his face.

He clearly remembered that before the competition started, he had specifically instructed the staff to select metals that were least suitable for technical engraving.

Some of these metals are extremely hard, some are unusually soft, and some even have strange magnetism, which greatly interferes with the transmission of soul power.

He just wanted to see what tricks these self-proclaimed genius soul masters could come up with under such harsh conditions.

The first thing that catches your eye is a piece of shiny black metal, its surface flashing with the unique cold light of metal, exuding a daunting sense of oppression.

This piece of metal is extremely hard, and even with the sharpest carving knife, it is difficult to leave the slightest mark on its surface.

The contestants picked up the piece of metal and tried to carve it with the carving knives in their hands, but the results disappointed them greatly. The carving knives collided with the metal, making a harsh friction sound, but they could not leave any marks on the surface.

What makes it even more difficult for them is that according to the rules of the competition, they cannot use their own carving knives and can only use the uniform standard carving knives provided by the organizing committee.

Although this carving knife is well-made, it is made of just ordinary fine steel. Compared with the special carving knives they usually use, it is much less sharp and sturdy.

"This... this is too difficult!" A thin soul master couldn't help but complain.

"Yes, this is an impossible task!" Another soul engineer also echoed.

The hardness of the metal in front of them was far beyond their imagination. Even with their most skilled carving knives, they might not be able to leave a mark on its surface, let alone using this ordinary carving knife.

What's more, they need to drill thirty holes in this extremely hard metal, which is simply an impossible task!
"Thirty holes..." a soul master muttered to himself, his face full of despair.

He tried to scratch the metal lightly with the carving knife in his hand, but found that the blade of the carving knife was slightly curled.

"This...how is this possible?" He widened his eyes in disbelief.

You know, although this carving knife is made of ordinary material, it is also made of fine steel, and its hardness is enough to cut ordinary metals. However, in front of this piece of black metal, it looks so fragile.

"What kind of metal is this?" another soul engineer couldn't help but ask.

"I don't know. I've never seen such hard metal." An experienced soul master shook his head, his face full of confusion.

Among them, there are experts who are well versed in metal research. However, even they cannot identify the type of metal.

This piece of metal, like a mystery, lies there quietly, waiting for them to uncover its mystery.

The next few pieces of metal, although not as hard as the first one, also have their own difficulties. Some are extremely soft and difficult to carve fine lines; some have strange magnetism, which will interfere with the conduction of soul power, making the carving process more difficult.

What gave them the most headaches was the last piece of metal, which was extremely soft and required the most complex carving techniques.

This is undoubtedly a huge challenge for them.

"This... this is too much!" A soul master couldn't help but complain.

"Yes, this is simply making things difficult for us!" Another soul guide also echoed.

They were filled with dissatisfaction, but helpless.

After all, that's the rules of the game and they can only go ahead and do it.

Ye Yulin looked at everyone's sad faces and felt secretly proud.

He wanted to use this method to test the true strength of these soul masters.

He believed that only the truly strong could stand out under such harsh conditions.

"The skills assessment begins!" Ye Yulin announced loudly.

As he finished speaking, the nine participating soul masters took action and began this difficult skill test.

The big man in yellow chose the simplest and most brutal way. He held a cigar with restored soul power in his mouth, and directly used his soul power to enhance the power of the carving knife, and began to carve on the hard metal.

Compared to him, Han Yu seemed more calm and composed. He did not rush to act, but carefully observed the metal in his hand, thinking about how to deal with it.

He knew that brute force would not work and he had to find a suitable strategy.

"Aren't you hard? Then I'll make you harder." Han Yu said to himself.

Han Yu held the cold metal firmly with his left hand, and a bone-chilling chill came from his fingertips. The ultimate icy soul power flowed like a surging river, flowing along the meridians of his arm and into the metal.

Frost quickly formed on the surface of the metal, and a thin layer of ice crystals spread at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if a layer of crystal clear ice armor was covering the metal.

The biting cold permeated the air, the temperature around suddenly dropped, and one could even see fine white mist condensing in the air.

The color of the metal also changed, the original luster gradually dimmed, replaced by a cold dark blue. The cold air was overwhelming, as if even time was frozen at this moment.

In just a few seconds, the temperature of the metal dropped to below -200 degrees Celsius. The extremely low temperature caused the internal structure of the metal to undergo drastic changes. The originally dense metal structure began to show tiny cracks, which were densely distributed on the surface of the metal like a spider web.

Although these cracks are small, they cause considerable damage to the strength of the metal itself, creating favorable conditions for subsequent processing.

After completing the first step, Han Yu slowly raised his right hand, holding a delicate carving knife. The carving knife was black in color, with an extremely sharp blade, which flashed coldly in the dim light.

Drilling is not just about drilling through. It requires precise control of force and angle to make the hole uniform in size, smooth and rounded in edges, and without any flaws. Han Yu stared at the carving knife in his hand, took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing, and adjusted his body and mind to the best state. He carefully compared the carving knife to the surface of the metal, and looked for the best drilling position with sharp eyes.

The tip of the carving knife was precisely aimed at the predetermined position, and Han Yu's eyes changed accordingly. The original deep black gradually faded, replaced by a light gray, as if covered by a layer of mist.

At the same time, a strange green light lit up from his right hand, flickering like a will-o'-the-wisp, adding a touch of mystery to the cold scene.

This green light is the embodiment of undead magic - the light of corrosion.

Since he was inside the humanoid soul guide, Han Yu only needed to open the metal casing of his hands and expose his arms to operate, so outsiders could not see the changes in his eyes or the green light emanating from his hands.

Green spots of light, like fireflies, were evenly dotted on the hard metal by the cold rain.

These light spots flickered with strange light, as if they had some mysterious power that could corrode the metal structure. After completing this step, Han Yu withdrew the soul power of the ultimate ice, and the ice crystals on the metal surface quickly melted, and bursts of white mist rose.

At the same time, wisps of green smoke began to emerge from the surface of the metal, and a slight sizzling sound was heard, which was a sign that the corrosion light was taking effect.

The corrosive light in the undead magic is extremely corrosive and has a strong destructive power on any object. With Han Yu's current mental strength, he can cast this magic instantly. But this magic also has its limitations, that is, it cannot lock onto the target and the attack range is also very small.

However, when used in metal processing, the effect is surprisingly good.

The rare metal that had already been frozen by the extreme ice was further damaged by the corrosive light, becoming even more fragile.

At this time, Han Yu once again mobilized his soul power, and the carving knife in his hand danced like a dragon, easily penetrating the metal and completing the task of drilling.

His control over the light of corrosion was exquisite and subtle, and it would not overflow at all. He would first drill a tiny hole, and then continue to expand the aperture with the light of corrosion, thus saving more soul power than others.

Although Han Yu's mental strength has not yet fully recovered, he still performed well in the subsequent skill assessment with his solid technical foundation, and his completion speed was no less than that of others.

What's more, his mental strength recovered very quickly. The feeling of weakness had disappeared and his condition was getting better and better.

The seven judges glanced at the nine participating soul masters. They had different postures and skillful techniques. The clinking sounds of metal colliding came one after another, like playing a strange piece of music.

The judges nodded slightly, their eyes showing approval. Although these soul masters had different purposes for participating in the competition, their solid basic skills were unquestionable.

Han Yu's hands were like butterflies flying among flowers, flying among the metal parts, completing each step accurately and quickly.

Although his speed is not the fastest, he maintains a stable and efficient rhythm and is always ranked in the top three.

Ye Yulin secretly guessed in his heart that Han Yu had consumed a lot of soul power before, and it was not easy for him to maintain such a speed now.

She didn't know that Han Yu's humanoid soul guide was continuously providing him with soul power support, saving him precious energy.

The big man in yellow's movements were rough and powerful. He swung the tools in his hands as if tirelessly, and the metal in his hands was kneaded and shaped like a toy.

The soul power in his body was fluctuating violently, and it was obvious that he was releasing his power without reservation.

A quarter of an hour passed quickly, and the big man in yellow was the first to complete the skill test, becoming the first contestant to complete all the steps.

Han Yu caught a glimpse of the big man in yellow finishing his work from the corner of his eye. His movements suddenly quickened, and his fingertips jumped between metal parts like flying elves. After a series of dazzling operations, he was the second one to complete the skill test.

Following closely behind was the girl from the Ordinary League in yellow clothes. She moved lightly and nimbly, like a skilled dancer, completing all the steps gracefully.

The fourth person to finish was Huang Zheng. He was steady and meticulous, striving for perfection in every move.

The other contestants were still nervously undergoing the skill tests, their clothes soaked with sweat, but they still did not dare to slack off at all.

As time passed, the sand in the hourglass became less and less, and the atmosphere became more and more tense.

Below the stage, the president of the Aodu Chamber of Commerce, An Litong, and the leader of the Ordinary Alliance, Shangguan Weier, both looked a little solemn. An Litong's three contestants were obviously lagging behind, and their faces looked a little anxious.

Shangguan Wei'er's face also did not look good. Although one of her contestants entered the top four, the overall performance was not as good as that of Xishui League.

"Time's up!" Chief Judge Ye's resounding voice echoed throughout the venue. As the last grain of sand fell from the hourglass, the skill assessment officially ended.

Of the nine contestants, five completed the assessment and four failed. The seven judges walked over to the four unfinished contestants and carefully checked their works. In the end, the representative of the Aodu Chamber of Commerce with the lowest degree of completion was eliminated.

The two soul masters from the Aodu Chamber of Commerce who finally qualified were ranked last and third from the bottom respectively.

The opponent that the one at the bottom of the ranking was about to face was the big man in yellow who won the first place in the skill assessment. His figure was as tall as a mountain, and his aura was overwhelming, like a steel god of war, standing in the center of the arena.

The soul mentor of the Aodu Chamber of Commerce, who ranks third from the bottom, will compete against the girl in yellow skirt from the Ordinary Alliance.

The girl has a light figure and a flowing skirt, just like a dancing butterfly, leaving a graceful shadow in the arena.

At this time, in the rest area below the stage, Nangong Wan of Xishui League showed a barely perceptible smile on his face. He nodded gently, as if he was very satisfied with the situation at hand.

Han Yu, the big man in yellow, and Huang Zheng all ranked among the top four in the skills assessment, which was undoubtedly a huge surprise for him, especially the big man in yellow winning first place, which was beyond his expectations.

Only then did he realize that this big man who always wore a mask and was taciturn had such profound soul power cultivation.

A strong aura emanated from him, which made people dare not underestimate him. He was indeed a skilled seventh-level soul mentor!
Nangong Wan glanced at the three people, secretly calculating the next game strategy in his mind.

Han Yu, the big man in yellow, and Huang Zheng all made it into the top four, which means they will definitely not meet in the first round of the knockout stage.

If the three of them can successfully advance in their respective confrontations, then Xishui League's hopes of winning the final championship will be greatly increased.

(End of this chapter)