Douluo Continent: I got the Sharingan at the start!

Chapter 357 Skills Test, Begins!

He continued explaining the task for the second piece of metal, "The second one has many winding arcs, fifty evenly arranged." Finally, he pointed to the third piece of metal, "The third one has a windmill pattern."

After Ye Yulin announced the rules, the faces of the participating Soul Masters were ashen, as if they had swallowed a bitter melon. The nine techniques themselves were not difficult; they had all mastered them. The problem lay with those rare metals.

Ye Yulin's gaze swept over the crowd, a subtle smile appearing on her lips.

He clearly remembers that before the competition began, he had specifically instructed the staff to select the metal least suitable for skillful carving.

Some of these metals are incredibly hard, some are exceptionally soft, and some even possess strange magnetism, all of which greatly interfere with the transmission of soul power.

He wanted to see what tricks these self-proclaimed geniuses of the Soul Masters could pull under such harsh conditions.

The first thing that catches the eye is a piece of jet-black, shiny metal, its surface shimmering with the cold light characteristic of metal, exuding a sense of oppressive power that inspires awe.

This metal is extremely hard; even the sharpest carving knife cannot leave a mark on its surface.

The contestants picked up the piece of metal and tried to carve it with their carving knives, but the results were disappointing. The carving knives made a screeching sound as they struck the metal, but they couldn't leave any marks on its surface.

What made things even more difficult for them was that, according to the competition rules, they could not use their own carving knives, but could only use the standardized carving knives provided by the organizing committee.

Although this carving knife is well-made, it is made of ordinary stainless steel. Compared with the special carving knives they usually use, it is far inferior in both sharpness and durability.

"This...this is too difficult!" A small-statured Soul Master couldn't help but complain.

"Yes, this is simply an impossible task!" another Soul Master echoed.

The metal in front of them was far harder than they had imagined. Even with their most skilled carving tools, they might not be able to leave a mark on its surface, let alone with such an ordinary carving tool.

What's more, they also need to drill thirty holes in this incredibly hard metal, which is simply an impossible task!

"Thirty holes..." a Soul Master muttered to himself, his face filled with despair.

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

"This...how is this possible?" He stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

It should be noted that although this carving knife is made of ordinary material, it is still made of high-quality steel, which is hard enough to cut ordinary metals. However, in front of this piece of black metal, it appears so fragile.

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

"I don't know, I've never seen such a hard metal before." An experienced Soul Master shook his head, his face full of doubt.

Among them were many experts who had studied metals extensively; however, even they could not identify the type of metal.

This piece of metal, like a mystery, lay there quietly, waiting for them to unveil its secrets.

The next few pieces of metal, while not as hard as the first, each presented their own challenges. Some were incredibly soft, making it difficult to carve intricate patterns; others possessed a strange magnetism that interfered with the transmission of soul power, further complicating the carving process.

What gave them the biggest headache 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 deliberately making things difficult for us!" another Soul Master chimed in.

They were filled with discontent, yet they were helpless.

After all, that's how the competition rules are, and they have no choice but to bite the bullet and get through it.

Ye Yulin secretly felt smug as she looked at everyone's worried faces.

He intended to use this method to test the true strength of these Soul Masters.

He believes that only the truly strong can stand out under such harsh conditions.

"Skills test, begin!" Ye Yulin announced loudly.

As soon as he finished speaking, the nine participating Soul Masters sprang into action and began this arduous skills assessment.

The burly man in yellow chose the simplest and most direct method. He held a cigar that restored his soul power and used it to enhance the power of the carving knife, carving directly into the hard metal.

Compared to him, Han Yu appeared much calmer and more composed. He didn't rush to act, but carefully examined the metal in his hand, pondering how to respond.

He knew that brute force wouldn't work; he had to find a suitable strategy.

"You're hard, aren't you? Then I'll make you even harder," Han Yu thought to herself.

Han Yu firmly pressed her left hand against the cold metal, a chill piercing her fingertips. The ultimate ice soul power, like a surging river, flowed along the meridians of her arm, surging into the metal.

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

A biting chill permeated the air, the surrounding temperature plummeted, and even fine white mist could be seen condensing in the air.

The metal's color also changed; its original luster gradually dimmed, replaced by a cold, deep blue. A chilling aura permeated the air, as if time itself had frozen in that moment.

In just a few seconds, the temperature of the metal dropped below minus two hundred degrees Celsius. The extreme low temperature caused drastic changes in the metal's internal structure; the originally dense metal structure began to develop fine cracks, which spread densely across the metal's surface like a spider web.

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

After completing the first step, Han Yu slowly raised her right hand, grasping a delicate carving knife. The knife was entirely black, with an extremely sharp blade that gleamed coldly in the dim light.

Drilling is not simply a matter of drilling through; it requires precise control of force and angle to ensure that the hole is of uniform size, with smooth and rounded edges, and without any flaws to be considered合格 (qualified).

Han Yu stared at the carving knife in his hand, took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing, and brought his mind and body to their best state. He carefully placed the carving knife on the metal surface, his sharp eyes searching for the best drilling position.

The tip of the carving knife precisely aligned with the intended position, and Han Yu's eyes changed accordingly. The original deep black gradually faded, replaced by a light gray, as if shrouded in a thin mist.

At the same time, a strange green light shone 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 manifestation of necromancy—the light of corruption.

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

One by one, green dots of light, like fireflies, were evenly dotted onto the hard metal by the cold rain.

These points of light flickered with an eerie glow, as if possessing some mysterious power capable of corroding the structure of metal. After completing this step, Han Yu withdrew the soul power of the Ultimate Ice, and the ice crystals on the metal surface rapidly melted, rising in wisps of white mist.

At the same time, wisps of blue smoke began to rise from the surface of the metal, accompanied by a slight hissing sound—a sign that the corrosive light was at work.

The Corrosive Light from necromancy possesses extremely strong corrosive properties, making it incredibly destructive to any object. With Han Yu's current level of mental strength, she could easily cast this spell instantly. However, this spell also has limitations: it cannot lock onto a target, and its attack range is very small.

However, it works surprisingly well in metal processing.

The rare metal, already frozen by the extreme ice, was further damaged by the corrosive light, making it even more fragile.

At this moment, Han Yu once again activated her soul power, and the carving knife in her hand danced like a dragon, easily piercing through the metal and completing the task of drilling.

His control over the corrosive light was exquisite, with no leakage whatsoever. He would first drill a small hole, and then continuously expand the diameter of the hole using the corrosive light, thus conserving more soul power than others.

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

Moreover, his mental energy recovered extremely quickly, and the feeling of weakness had disappeared, with his condition getting better and better.

The seven judges' gazes swept over the nine participating Soul Masters. They were all in different postures and had skillful techniques. The clanging of metal against metal rose and fell, like a peculiar melody.

The judges nodded slightly, their eyes showing approval. Although these Soul Masters had different purposes for participating, their solid basic skills were undeniable.

Han Yu's hands moved like butterflies flitting among flowers, dancing among the metal parts, completing each step with precision and speed.

Although he wasn't the fastest, he maintained a steady and efficient pace, consistently ranking among the top three.

Ye Yulin secretly wondered how Han Yu could maintain such speed after expending so much soul power earlier.

Unbeknownst to her, Han Yu's humanoid soul tool was continuously providing him with soul power support, saving him precious energy.

The burly man in yellow moved with a rough and powerful gait. He seemed tireless as he wielded the tools in his hands, kneading and shaping the metal as if it were a toy.

His soul power fluctuated violently, clearly indicating that he was releasing his power without reservation.

The hourglass ticked away quickly, and the man in yellow was the first to complete the skills test, becoming the first contestant to finish all the steps.

Han Yu caught a glimpse of the yellow-clad giant completing the task out of the corner of his eye. His movements suddenly quickened, his fingertips dancing like sprites among the metal parts. After a series of dazzling maneuvers, he became the second person to complete the skills test.

Following closely behind was the girl from the Ordinary Alliance, dressed in yellow. Her movements were light and agile, like a skilled dancer, gracefully completing all the steps.

Huang Zheng was the fourth to finish. He was steady and meticulous, striving for perfection in every movement.

The remaining contestants were still intensely undergoing skills assessments, their clothes soaked with sweat, but they dared not slack off in the slightest.

Time ticked by, the sand in the hourglass dwindled, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

Below the stage, An Litong, president of the Aodu Chamber of Commerce, and Shangguan Weier, leader of the Pingfan Alliance, both looked somewhat solemn. An Litong's three contestants were clearly lagging behind, and their faces showed signs of anxiety.

Shangguan Weier's expression was also not good. Although she had one contestant who made it into the top four, her overall performance was not as good as Xishui Alliance.

"Time's up!" Chief Referee Ye's booming voice echoed throughout the arena. As the last grain of sand in the hourglass fell, the skills assessment officially ended.

Of the nine contestants, five completed the assessment, while four failed. The seven judges approached the four who had not finished and carefully examined their work. Ultimately, the representative from the Aodu Chamber of Commerce, whose work had the lowest completion rate, was eliminated.

The two Soul Masters who ultimately qualified from the Aodu Chamber of Commerce ranked last and third from last, respectively.

The one ranked last will soon face the yellow-clad giant who won first place in the skills assessment. His figure is as imposing as a mountain, his aura overwhelming, like an iron god of war standing in the center of the arena.

Meanwhile, the Soul Master from the third-to-last ranked Aodu Chamber of Commerce will face off against the yellow-skirted girl from the Ordinary Alliance.

The girl's figure was light and graceful, her skirt flowing like a butterfly in flight, leaving a beautiful and agile silhouette on the arena.

At this moment, in the rest area below the stage, Nangong Wan of the Xishui Alliance revealed a subtle smile. He nodded slightly, seemingly quite satisfied with the current situation.

Han Yu, the man in yellow, and Huang Zheng all made it into the top four in the skills assessment, which was undoubtedly a huge surprise for him, especially the man in yellow who won first place, which was even more unexpected.

He then realized that this tall, taciturn man, who always wore a mask, actually possessed such profound spiritual power.

A powerful aura emanated from him, making him someone not to be underestimated. Truly worthy of being a highly skilled seventh-level Soul Master!

Nangong Wan's gaze swept over the three of them, and he secretly considered his strategy for the upcoming match.

Han Yu, the 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 advance smoothly in their respective competitions, then the chances of Xishui Alliance winning the final championship will greatly increase.

(End of this chapter)