The major acted as if she could not see the bats and ran headlong toward the center. Tang Wulin brandished the rod in his hands like a spear. With every stab, a Four-clawed Bat exploded in the air. The shadow of the rod flitted around the major, and not even a single bat was able to get within two meters of her.
With every passing moment, the major's eyes grew more shocked. She had seen her fair share of new recruits who came here to be assessed. There were great marksmen who were able to take charge of the entire situation, and there were those who relied on dexterous and masterful controls of various soul weapons to overcome the challenges. However, those that relied on their own bodily strength and battle experience to take protective measures at close-range were few and far between.
Naturally, she had her own reasons for choosing to assess Tang Wulin herself. After she had guided Tang Wulin to the first lieutenant, she obtained the security footage of the mountain's perimeter. She saw how Tang Wulin brazenly climbed the mountain and came to the barracks.
Too fast. That was her first judgment after she saw the recording of Tang Wulin. He was more than three times faster than when she first came here. This fellow seemed inhuman. Without using any soul power, he had stabbed into the thick ice with his bare hands. The final climb was undoubtedly the most shocking part of his endeavor.
Curiosity had made her come to assess Tang Wulin personally this time. Under normal circumstances, the contents of the assessment would have been briefly explained to the recruit before it began. However, she did not do so this time. Also, after they arrived, she should have moved forward slowly, but she chose to run. She wanted to see just how skillful this new recruit was, so she increased the difficulty of the assessment on purpose.
However, the fact that Tang Wulin's strengths were not simply explosive power was obvious. The force from the Four-clawed Bats' advances could reach up to five hundred kilograms. It was not something that could be easily blocked even by three-ringed or four-ringed soul masters with exceptional physical strength. Yet, when faced with Tang Wulin's blows, they were reduced to carcasses or puffs of air that quickly dispersed.
By the time the major ran to the center of the cave, more than half of the Four-clawed Bats had already been killed by Tang Wulin.
Even so, Tang Wulin had noticed a problem. These Four-clawed Bats were tough and unafraid of death. They had no notion of fear. So many of their companions had already died, but they still attacked madly. Their bodies were filled with bloodlust.
Even soul beasts would not do this! Their attacks were very determined, and Tang Wulin could only see cruelty in their eyes. There was no sign of terror, fear, or timidity.
What kind of creatures were these? Were they created by the Blood God Army to increase the assessment's difficulty?
While immersed in his own thoughts, he killed most of the bats that pounced at him. As the number of dead bats increased, even within the dim light, Tang Wulin could see wisps of air rising and gradually gathered together. Then, they drifted toward the holes.
Tang Wulin turned to look at the major, "That's it?"
A smile reappeared at the edge of the major's lips. "You think too much."
At that exact moment, a low growl suddenly echoed through the cave. Shortly after, from a medium-sized cavern, a massive bat flew out.
It was more than two times larger than the previous bats, and it had six claws under its belly. It spread its wings and let out a sharp cry.
The sound seemed to send ripples through the air. Tang Wulin's eyes focused. 'A sonic attack?'
He quickly unleashed his spiritual powers. He knew very well that this sonic attack was not something that he could block simply by covering his ears. At the same time, he reached out and pulled the major into his arms, supporting her waist with his left hand. Golden light burst out of his eyes.
Being held so close to Tang Wulin, the major could not see the golden light coming from his eyes.
Within Tang Wulin's firm, warm embrace, the major felt her heartbeat increase instantly. However, the anticipated sonic shockwave did not reach them. It was as if it had been blocked by something.
The Six-clawed Bat in the air howled shrilly. It suddenly retracted its wings and shot at Tang Wulin like an arrow. It continued to shriek as it ceaselessly attacked Tang Wulin with sonic waves.
Tang Wulin snorted. He focused his gaze and two beams of light shot out from his eyes like purple lightning. At that moment, the major had just happened to raise her head and saw the purple flash which burst from his eyes.
The Six-clawed Bat let out a high-pitched screech. Its pouncing body immediately paused, and Tang Wulin leaped into the air. His left hand still clung tightly to the major while he lashed out with the metal rod in his right hand.
The Six-clawed Bat was truly tough. Even under Purple Demon Eyes' spiritual attack, it could still react. It extended its wings once more and slashed at Yang Wulin's metal rod. It's six claws were clearly larger than the Four-clawed Bats'.
"Bam!" the Six-clawed Bat's body that was more than two meters long was sent flying. It was not so different from the Four-clawed Bats before. While the female major stared in bewilderment, its body exploded in the air with a loud boom. It turned into countless fragments and scattered everywhere.
This…
'Did he just destroy a Six-clawed Bat without using any soul power?' The female major felt as if her brain did not have the capacity for this.
However, Tang Wulin did not take any notice. He loosened his arm around her waist and said apologetically, "I'm sorry if I've offended your modesty. I didn't mean to. It was because of the bat's sonic attack. If you were too far away from me, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to guarantee your safety."
The major said nothing. She looked at Tang Wulin a little differently. The curiosity that was already there intensified.
In the beginning, she thought that Tang Wulin was arrogant since he picked a rod as his weapon, of all things. However, when she saw Tang Wulin destroy the Six-clawed Bat with one strike, this notion of hers vanished right away. With his close-quarter fighting skills, he had basically passed the assessment of strength.
However, the Blood God Army's assessment was not as simple as a test of strength alone. The more important aspect was one's personality. There were not many in the Blood God Army, but they were truly loyal officers that would always have each other's backs. The reason they required the new recruits to protect another person during their assessment was that they wanted to test if they would sacrifice themselves for another in a perilous situation.
However, this could only be tested under actual perilous situations! If there was no danger, how could they test this?
Hence, since the major could not stop the assessment midway, she chose to stay silent.
The Six-clawed Bat was killed and the Four-clawed Bats that lingered around the cavern for a few moments finally made themselves scarce. However, their moment of peace only lasted briefly. Three massive Six-clawed Bats crawled out of the cavern.
Three bats. Their power was not simply three times that of a single bat. These creatures not only resembled bats in appearance but also had similar combat styles. They possessed great strength in battle and were skilled in synchronizing their movements with each other. 'Let's see how he's going to handle this now.'
As the major was anticipating the battle, Tang Wulin was already on the move.
This time, he did not wait passively for them to attack. Without the threat of the Four-clawed Bats, he no longer had to worry about the major's safety. That was why when the three Six-clawed Bats crawled out of the cavern, Tang Wulin immediately sprang into action.
The metal rod in his hands suddenly turned into a black shadow. With a deafening explosion, it flew straight at one of the Six-clawed Bats. At the same time, he took a running jump and brazenly leaped at the second bat.
The metal rod was the first to hit its target. With a loud crash, the Six-clawed Bat in the cavern was instantly destroyed before it could even crawl out of it. The other two bats had barely poked their heads out when Tang Wulin was already upon one of them