"Very good!" Jing Hongchen laughed heartily in satisfaction, stood up, and helped Huo Yuhao up. "You are now my final disciple, Junior Brother to Feng Yu and the others."
"As your teacher, I will test you. Do you know how Soul Engineers are classified?"
Huo Yuhao remained calm and activated his Telepathist ability, concentrating his spiritual power to observe carefully. He vaguely perceived Jing Hongchen's etheric body aura, which was clear, dense, and substantial, without any blurring or dispersion.
Its core possessed a color like the dawn, giving a feeling of warmth and tranquility.
The teacher didn't seem to have much intention of testing him severely, so Huo Yuhao simply shook his head:
"I don't know."
Jing Hongchen smiled:
"From a combat perspective, Spirit Masters are classified by profession as: Control System, skilled in tactical command during group battles; attack system, strongest in one-on-one combat; Defense System, possessing good defense against peers; Auxiliary Type, skilled in group battle enhancements; and Agility-Attack System, skilled in infiltration."
"Soul Engineers are not that complicated. In terms of combat, they are divided into two types: the rich ones, who are versatile fighters; and the poor ones, who are useless wastes."
"This shows how important resources are to Soul Engineers."
The starlight sapphire storage Soul Guidance Device on Jing Hongchen's right hand flickered with six star lines, and a black card appeared in his hand: "Today, your apprenticeship gift from your teacher is this card."
Huo Yuhao took it. This square card had no writing on it, no discernible front or back.
Its surface had the matte feel of metal, yet it felt as warm and smooth as the finest jade, making it impossible to discern the material.
"Teacher, what is this card?"
"This is my vice card of the dean. With this card, you can access any resource except medicinal pills from the Academy's proprietary merchant guild. Gold Soul Coins are unlimited, and rare metals within the academy are unlimited."
"Furthermore, you can go to the faculty cafeteria and eat the advanced Soul Engineer set meals specially supplied to Rank 8 Soul Engineers."
"The only reason pills are excluded is because, although they seem like a shortcut, they are something that needs to be restrained given your Spirit Master talent."
"If you need them, strive for them yourself. For pills awarded as academic rewards, I will reward you with double the Gold Soul Coin equivalent in value!"
Huo Yuhao was incredibly shocked by Jing Hongchen's generosity; these days looked full of hope!
This apprenticeship gift, if used reasonably, might be worth tens of millions of Gold Soul Coins, and those resources were the kind difficult to buy elsewhere!
In other words, all his cultivation and living expenses for the next several years were covered.
He, Huo Yuhao, was being taken care of!
Compared to Tang Yin, who almost burned to death and only lost one Soul Ascension Pill as compensation, Huo Yuhao felt that refusing the Tang Sect and not being admitted to Shrek was a fantastic choice.
"Thank you, Teacher!"
Jing Hongchen smiled, his tone shifting, and asked: "Having said all that, what do you think I want to see?"
Huo Yuhao grasped Jing Hongchen's thoughts and replied thoughtfully: "Study with all my might, make a name for myself in the Academy, use resources only on myself, and never waste them!"
"It's convenient talking to an intelligent person. Feng Yu, learn from your Junior Brother."
Ignoring the embarrassed Feng Yu, Jing Hongchen turned and found a few books on the office bookshelf, handing them to Huo Yuhao: "These are my early collection, all masterpieces. They explain knowledge from simple to profound, and they have my notes and insights from my youth written inside. They are very suitable for your studies."
"In the future, bring the books to my office on weekends to study on your own."
"Your theoretical level is already close to a Third Rank Soul Engineer. I have heavy research tasks, so I am usually at Mingde Hall and only come to the Academy on weekends to handle some official duties."
"You can ask questions on the weekend. Now, have Senior Brother Feng take you to the dormitory, and he can also introduce you to the functions of the various areas in our Academy."
"Teacher, my Martial Soul..." Huo Yuhao asked.
"Your Twin Martial Souls and the Ultimate Martial Soul you awakened later must not be exposed for now. Although it is relatively safe within the Academy, the means of the Spirit Masters in the Three Douluo Empires, including Shrek, exceed your imagination."
"Shrek Academy's style is very likely to have a high degree of possessiveness over owners of Ultimate Martial Souls. You registered at Shrek Academy before; perhaps they will use this to cause trouble."
"Everything is for your safety."
Huo Yuhao obediently followed Feng Yu out of the Tranquility Hall. On the way, Feng Yu reminded him to remember to attend his first class in the second-year Class One tomorrow.
After settling Huo Yuhao in, Feng Yu returned to the Tranquility Hall.
"Teacher, you told me to learn from Junior Brother, but you never gave me a vice card of the dean back then." Feng Yu expressed shock and envy, then smiled bitterly: "Teacher, isn't this a bit too extravagant?"
Jing Hongchen threw Feng Bujue's report onto the desk, frowning: "Feng Yu, you are not even as good as your younger brother! Your brother knows he needs to place a heavy bet, yet your capacity is so small."
"What's the point of squeezing out toothpaste? If I'm going to invest, I must invest to cultivate an unparalleled genius, to forge a bright future!"
Feng Yu muttered internally, *You weren't this generous when you were reviewing my project.*
"Teacher, what I mean is giving the vice card to Junior Brother upon the first meeting. What if... won't that have too big of an impact?"
Jing Hongchen shook his head: "You still don't understand what I mean. Do you know what Twin Martial Souls and an Ultimate Martial Soul imply?"
Without waiting for Feng Yu to answer, Jing Hongchen unceremoniously tapped the desk: "It implies that even if he grows solely based on his Spirit Master talent, he will inevitably change the structure of the continent and certainly protect Mingde Hall for two hundred years!"
"Moreover, his talent in Soul Guidance Devices is also top-tier on the continent. I currently even believe he will achieve Ninth Rank Soul Engineer status before you."
"Now, you and I are agonizing over a mere black card here? I know what you are worried about—you fear your cousin will bring a super mole into Mingde Hall, causing incalculable losses."
"However, I'm telling you today, let alone the Three Douluo Empires, it's impossible for them to send a top-tier Spirit Master genius, who possesses Twin Martial Souls and an Ultimate Martial Soul while still being so young, to be a mole."
"Even if he truly is a mole, he is only twelve years old. Even if I have to invest, I will use all sorts of resources to win him over! Do you understand?"
Feng Yu dared not wipe the spittle off his face: "Feng Yu understands."
"You understand? Everyone who knows about this matter must sign a confidentiality agreement." Jing Hongchen snorted coldly, pushing the opened report toward Feng Yu. "Look at what your cousin wrote."
Feng Yu carefully read the opened page of the report and sighed inwardly.
Jing Hongchen's tone softened: "He knows your research project failed and wants to push all the credit for recommending a good disciple to me onto you, to help you through this difficulty."
"Since that is the case, I will grant his wish. Go, finalize the wrap-up for the project, and then seal it. I will give you a key research project in the second half of the year."
"Whether you can grasp it or not depends on yourself."
"Thank you, Teacher!" Feng Yu bowed slightly and withdrew.
In the Tranquility Hall office, Jing Hongchen sat in his chair, his fingers unconsciously tapping the desk.
Although he had decided to cultivate Huo Yuhao, he still intended to thoroughly verify Huo Yuhao's background.
Although the admission process had already been reviewed according to Mingde Hall's standards, with a success rate of 98%, far exceeding the 87% average, faking records was not entirely impossible.
Huo Yuhao had no obvious noble heritage Martial Soul, his Martial Soul was likely a mutation. Every noble family had a host of messy issues; what happened was self-evident.
If it were a very ordinary Martial Soul, it would be harder to trace. But the Original Body Martial Soul was already rare, and the Spiritual Eye Martial Soul was even rarer.
The Star Luo Empire issued a Martial Soul Record Edict a century ago. Impoverished areas might struggle to enforce it, but the Martial Soul records in Star Luo City must be the most complete, and they would certainly be traceable.
This kind of investigation could be easily accomplished by Mingde Hall, leveraging its status in the continent's Soul Guidance Device economy, without arousing suspicion.
Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Second Year Class One.
The transfer student, Huo Yuhao, stood beside the window seat in the classroom. After giving a standardized self-introduction, the classmates' focus didn't seem to be on the introduction itself.
"Wow, his eyes are so special, they look like they have little stars in them!"
"Holy crap, how can this kid be as handsome as me?"
"Wow, little brother is so handsome, big sister doesn't mind that you're young!"
"Three minutes, I need all the information on this little brother!"
Among them, the giggling of the deskmate named Hu Mei was the most enthusiastic.
Huo Yuhao subtly activated his Telepathist ability and scanned the room. Most of the girls' etheric bodies were a faint pink, while the boys' reactions were generally muted.
Since arriving in Shrek City, he had escaped the situation of malnutrition. Later, after his Soul Power increased to Rank 20 and he even merged with the Ice Empress's Spirit Ring, he had reached the Thin Muscle Realm.
He had the typical build that looked slim in clothes but was muscular underneath.
"The first semester only has a two-month break, so those who haven't earned enough credits need to listen carefully."
Hearing the indifferent voice of the instructor, Feng Yu, the classroom quickly quieted down.
Feng Yu, who had been instructed by Jing Hongchen to place Huo Yuhao in Class One, nudged his assistant, Feng Tingting. The senior sister he had met yesterday then moved a stack of textbooks to Huo Yuhao's desk.
With everything settled, Feng Yu began the class, lecturing on "Introduction to Soul Guidance Devices."
This type of class usually lacked substance; the knowledge was often not found in textbooks, making it the subject that most tested the instructor's insight and understanding.
While Feng Yu was still in the introductory phase, Huo Yuhao quickly flipped through the second-year textbooks and discovered he had basically self-studied most of the material.
Feng Yu on the stage finally reached a topic that interested Huo Yuhao: "Even Soul Engineers of the same rank have differences in skill. Let's take a Seventh Rank Soul Engineer as an example."
"The first type: a Soul Engineer who can only use Seventh Rank Soul Guidance Devices. They might enjoy the stipend benefits reserved for Seventh Rank Soul Engineers by the Empire."
"But this kind of Seventh Rank Soul Engineer is merely a Soul Guidance Device frame. They can hardly bring out the full power the Soul Guidance Device is capable of, and they cannot apply for Soul Guidance Device research projects. Therefore, these Soul Engineers often serve in the military."
"The second type is a novice Seventh Rank Soul Engineer: someone who has passed the examination, obtained the certificate, and has a certain success rate when fabricating Soul Guidance Devices of the same rank according to blueprints."
"The third type is an elite Seventh Rank Soul Engineer: someone skilled at fabricating various Soul Guidance Devices of the same rank, with a success rate reaching sixty to eighty percent, and capable of making minor parameter adjustments based on the situation."
"The fourth type is a senior Seventh Rank Soul Engineer: someone with the ability to innovate and research a specific branch of Soul Guidance Devices at their rank, possessing corresponding research achievements, and qualified to lead research groups and have dedicated laboratories. Every one of them is well-known within the Empire."
"The terms 'elite' and'senior' have no strict standard; they are industry consensus."
"And the fifth type is the top-tier Soul Engineer. Why didn't I specify Seventh Rank? Because top-tier Soul Engineers generally only appear among Ninth Rank or a very small number of Rank 8 Soul Engineers. They are often the leaders of major research directions, guiding the development trajectory of Soul Guidance Devices."
"These individuals are all titans in their respective Soul Guidance Device fields within the Empire, much like our Dean."
"Therefore, everyone here should strive toward becoming senior or even top-tier Soul Engineers in the future!"
Students naturally became extremely focused upon hearing these secrets of the advanced Soul Engineer field.
"Teacher Feng, what are the fields for advanced Soul Guidance Devices?" Huo Yuhao raised his hand and asked.
Feng Yu closed his book and said with a smile:
"Advanced Soul Guidance Devices are divided into several schools."
"The Integrated Soul Guidance Device field, the Linked Soul Guidance Device field, the Soul Bone Soul Guidance Device field, the High-Altitude Soul Guidance Device field, the Healing Soul Guidance Device field, the Sealing Soul Guidance Device field... Except for a few special fields, Mingde Hall possesses the most complete collection of academic materials on the entire continent."
Soul Bones can also be made into Soul Guidance Devices? What are High-Altitude Soul Guidance Devices for?
Huo Yuhao yearned internally for these Soul Guidance Device fields that sounded so interesting. These were new things he had never encountered in Shrek City, things that transcended the classification system of Spirit Masters such as attack system, defense system, and Agility-Attack System.
Soul Guidance Devices truly possessed the power to turn imagined things into tangible reality.
"Has human Soul Guidance Device technology developed to this extent? They can even make Soul Guidance Devices out of Soul Bones?" the Ice Empress exclaimed in the Sea of Consciousness, "That Hall Master Hongchen yesterday was an extremely powerful existence even in our Extreme North."
"Furthermore, when I first arrived in Mingdu, I vaguely sensed several Soul Guidance Devices that could threaten me at my peak."
"It seems your choice, Tianmeng, wasn't bad."
"Of course! Bingbing, the moment I entered the human world, I keenly noticed this magical field and made Little Yuhao study it thoroughly," Skydream Iceworm said coquettishly, moving closer to the Ice Empress in the Sea of Consciousness, "I also learned about a human garment called stockings worn on the feet—they are not only beautiful but also warm. Bingbing, do you want to try some?"
The Ice Empress didn't understand, but she was sufficiently wary: "Scram!"
After class, amidst the curious gazes of the entire class, Feng Yu called Huo Yuhao outside, handed him a small box and a reading list, and frankly stated:
"The learning pace for Soul Engineers with a Martial Soul-type Martial Soul is different from others. Normal classes will only delay your time. Except for the Sun Moon History course, if you need anything, you can skip class directly and just file a report afterward."
"The academy's Library houses tens of millions of volumes. In terms of both variety and quantity, depth and novelty, it is the best on the continent for beginner and intermediate Soul Guidance Devices."
"Feng Bujue is still writing supplementary materials, which won't be ready until tonight. Gather at my residence tonight, and I'll treat you all to a meal at the faculty canteen."
"This box and reading list are from the teacher; keep them safe."
He said the last sentence a bit more quietly. Huo Yuhao nodded and thanked Senior Brother Feng.
Unlike Shrek's method of physical punishment through weighted training and consuming the golden time of low-level Soul Engineers for metal forging—which was an anti-human practice—the curriculum arrangement at the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy was much more reasonable.
"Tsk tsk, they're giving you things again. Yuhao, they are trying to tie you down! Are you just accepting all this?"
Huo Yuhao replied, "Brother Tianmeng, if we remove the emotional aspect, this is essentially an investment and interest linkage. If I don't take any benefits, doesn't that show I don't want deep ties with them? How can that work? Taking more now allows me to take even more later."
He returned to his seat, and his deskmate asked curiously:
"Hey! Is your Martial Soul a Martial Soul-type? No wonder Teacher Feng values you so much."
Huo Yuhao glanced at her. From her etheric body, he saw a deep, reddish pink color. Based on his experience observing people, it was best not to have too much interaction with girls like this.
"It's just a very ordinary Martial Soul-type Martial Soul," Huo Yuhao said, picking up his schoolbag and walking out.
Hu Mei was slightly embarrassed and frowned: "What's the big deal?"
The Library of the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy covered hundreds of acres and was a large complex of buildings.
However, the study seats were relatively concentrated in one building, which was designed for easy discussion, as self-seclusion was not advisable for most people.
Huo Yuhao found an empty seat among the densely packed 'occupied' spots and took out the small wooden box Feng Yu had given him from his schoolbag.
Upon opening it, he saw an unremarkable pill. It neither possessed the strong fragrance of the Xuanshui Pill nor the dazzling halo of the Soul Ascension Pill.
After carefully reading the instructions inside the box, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but sigh, feeling somewhat moved by how thorough his teacher was.
After putting the pill away, he took out the few books Jing Hongchen had given him yesterday:
"Principles and Applications of Self-Adaptive Core Formations"
"Common Sculpting Techniques for Soul Power Noise Reduction (9 Types)"
"Soul Power Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer"
"Logic Core Formations and Interfaces (Beginner)"
Although the book on Logic Formations was labeled 'Beginner,' its thickness was greater than the sum of the other three books, nearly half a palm thick, containing knowledge from the intermediate Soul Guidance Device field.
Senior Brother Feng had mentioned that this was content students under the teacher were required to study first; only by profoundly understanding Logic Core Formations could they barely comprehend books related to Integrated Core Formations.
He didn't rush to read these books. Instead, he reviewed the reading list given by Feng Yu. The suggestions on the list were extremely detailed, leaving no omissions regarding the suggested order of reading, the specific editions of the books, and errata information.
After finding each book in the Library, he began flipping through the table of contents of every book according to the suggested reading sequence, trying to understand the author's perspective on why the explanation structure of a book was planned that way.
When he encountered problems, he didn't try to understand them deeply but memorized the questions, intending to resolve them one by one during the intensive reading phase.
During the lunch break, he treated himself to a big meal at the Qinyuan Restaurant next to the Library, swiping his vice card of the dean.
In just half a morning and one afternoon, Huo Yuhao had woven the knowledge he needed to learn next into a knowledge network, detailing the key difficult points.
He simultaneously concluded that he could finish studying all these books in fifty to sixty days.
For him, finishing meant memorizing, and memorizing meant profound understanding.
As evening arrived, he was at the faculty canteen.
"Wow! Junior Brother Huo, thanks to you, I actually got to eat the most delicious tendons from the Ten Thousand Year Earth Kui Dragon!" Feng Tingting's cheeks were puffed out as she ate, giving a thumbs-up.
Huo Yuhao smiled and raised his cup: "Senior Sister, eat as much as you like; Senior Brother Feng is treating anyway, haha."
Feng Bujue didn't pick up his chopsticks but rubbed his waist and complained bitterly:
"Yuhao, I spent the entire day writing reports and materials, pulling an all-nighter to write them. The formatting requirements were ten times stricter than my graduation design!"
"Brother Bujue, thank you for your hard work," Huo Yuhao laughed heartily and pushed the small wooden box in front of him.
Feng Bujue was stunned; he was just venting and hadn't expected any reward immediately.
Huo Yuhao noticed his hesitation and smiled:
"Brother Bujue, why don't you open it and see what it is? This is something I won't be able to use for several years."
Won't be able to use?
Feng Bujue was also curious about what Huo Yuhao would give him.
He opened the wooden box. At first glance, he couldn't tell what kind of pill it was until he saw the name on the instructions. His eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to ask Feng Yu:
"Cousin, did the Dean see through my thoughts and attribute the credit for recruiting Yuhao to me?"
Feng Yu first nodded, then paused and shook his head:
"The teacher indeed saw through it, but the credit is indeed counted under my name. The teacher made a promise to me last night."
Feng Bujue pointed at the unremarkable pill inside the small wooden box and said in disbelief:
"Then why would he still give Yuhao something so precious! This is the Barrier-Clearing Pill, specifically used to help a Seventy-Ninth Rank Spirit Master with deep accumulated poison from pills to break through to the Eightieth Rank Soul Power."
"Only two or three are produced annually, and the outflow direction of every pill must be recorded with the Royal Family. It is often used to reward Seventh Rank Soul Engineers who made outstanding contributions that year and were eager to break through to the Eightieth Rank Soul Power."
Feng Yu sighed: "That's true. When Xuan Ziwen developed the Sealed Baby Bottle back then, one of his rewards was this."
"Over a decade ago, a prize winner auctioned a Barrier-Clearing Pill in Mingdu, and it fetched a sky-high price of thirty million Gold Soul Coins."
Sold for thirty million Gold Soul Coins? Huo Yuhao was slightly surprised, then nodded slightly. For top-tier Soul Engineer seedlings who had consumed too many medicinal pills, it might indeed be worth that price.
Feng Bujue finally believed his judgment. He swallowed, first looking at Huo Yuhao, who wanted to refuse but shook his head firmly, then looked at Feng Yu.
Feng Yu frowned:
"Why are you looking at me? My breakthrough to Rank 8 Soul Engineer only involves difficulties in research projects, and you've helped me enough already."
"This is from Yuhao; you should accept it."
"Yes, Brother Bujue, please accept it," Huo Yuhao also persuaded, "If you pass this pill to Senior Brother Feng, it would contradict the teacher's intentions."
Seeing the three siblings of the Feng family looking at him, Huo Yuhao explained:
"The teacher did attribute the credit to you, Senior Brother Feng."
"Strictly speaking, the teacher giving this pill to me, and then me gifting it to Brother Bujue, is intended to help me repay Brother Bujue's favor and express his regard for me."
"So, Brother Bujue, you must accept this Barrier-Clearing Pill."
"Moreover, Brother Bujue, you deserve it," Huo Yuhao said seriously, "Without your help, I probably wouldn't even be at Twentieth Rank Soul Power right now, let alone come into contact with Soul Guidance Devices."
"Even if it can sell for thirty million, the help you gave me back then was priceless to me."
"Then I will accept it." Feng Bujue carefully put the small wooden box into his storage ring, a wry smile on his face.
The reason he was so good to Huo Yuhao was indeed partly due to an investment idea.
But he hadn't expected the return to be so fast and so significant!
Thinking carefully, what had he given? Only a few months of spare time, a few hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, and a bit of insignificant goodwill.
He had underestimated the status of Huo Yuhao's talent in the Hall Master's heart!
Despite feeling unworthy, he still accepted it.
After all, one of the reasons he left the Sun-Moon Empire for several years was to find a way to break through to the Fiftieth Rank Soul Power; he just hadn't expected it to happen this way.
Feng Bujue quietly wiped away a tear and chuckled:
"I also want to see what effect the Barrier-Clearing Pill, which can open the door to the Eightieth Rank Soul Power for a Seventy-Ninth Rank Spirit Master and clear accumulated poison, will have on a Forty-Ninth Rank Spirit Master."
"Well, but I need to make preparations and adjust my condition before taking such a top-tier pill in a couple of days."
Feng Tingting watched Huo Yuhao, without changing his expression, casually give away a Barrier-Clearing Pill worth tens of millions, her shock still lingering in her eyes.
... During the following week, Huo Yuhao was completely immersed in Soul Guidance Device knowledge.
Except for the Sun Moon History class, his figure was almost never seen in the classroom; he ran back and forth between the Library and the canteen every day.
Yes, he didn't even return to his dormitory. Instead, he prepared a small mat, circulating his Soul Power through the Heavenly Cycle while studying. When he was tired from studying, he would sit on the mat to meditate and cultivate.
This almost frenzied study drew the attention of the surrounding students who were studying, all speculating about which year's top achiever had arrived.
Living in the Library, huh? Truly squeezing every bit of value out of the tuition fees.
Originally, Huo Yuhao planned to go to the Tranquility Hall to study on the first weekend, but Jing Hongchen sent Feng Yu to inform him that the Soul Guidance Device research project had encountered a significant problem, and time was tight.
The Tranquility Hall study session for the first week was canceled
"Meimei, your deskmate, Tingting, is on the cover of the report!" Hu Mei's best friend excitedly placed a copy of "soul tool master genius" on Hu Mei's desk.
Hu Mei glanced sideways, saying indifferently, "Not interested."
"Still mad? He's just relying on having a Martial Soul-type Martial Soul and acting high and mighty!" Her best friend's eyes darted around, and after thinking for a moment, she said, "Hmm, since you're so angry, I'll tell Wang Shaojie about it."
Hu Mei frowned but didn't stop her. Wang Shaojie was a fourth-year student pursuing her, and he was currently preparing for the Fourth-Rank Soul Engineer exam.
If her best friend leaked the news to him, Huo Yuhao would definitely get a taste of trouble.
...
The second week, more and more people were reserving seats to study in the Library. Stacks of books were piled up everywhere, and many students were burying their heads in cramming theoretical knowledge.
Relying on his ability to enter a flow state at any time, Huo Yuhao had already studied and digested the knowledge from one book, and was already several chapters into the second one.
His progress was extremely rapid, far exceeding the speed that Feng Yu had told him was normal for a Spirit Master of the mental system.
However, Huo Yuhao started to feel something was off. Why was it that starting this week, everyone who entered the study room would deliberately glance at him?
Ding ding ding!
The dismissal bell from the distant teaching building rang. This was the last class of the afternoon, and the cafeteria was ready to welcome the students.
The students preparing to eat dinner in the Library got up one after another. Huo Yuhao overheard their faint murmurs:
"Is that the transfer student from Class Two, Grade Two, the guy who made it onto 'soul tool master genius'?"
"He hasn't looked up since he buried his head in his books. Is he acting or is he really that engrossed?"
"You don't understand the flow state? I heard that talented people can sometimes enter the flow state."
"I get it, but can anyone tell me what kind of flow state can last for a whole week?"
"Another dead-end mental system guy, and he hasn't even passed the First-Rank Soul Engineer exam yet. Is he here to climb the ranking board and boost his record?"
"It's the last Soul Engineer rank exam before the holiday, so the competition on the ranking board is fierce again."
Huo Yuhao activated his Telepathist ability and roughly scanned the ether bodies of all the students present, reading emotions like envy, jealousy, and disdain from them.
Hmm? Why is there someone who just walked in with an angry emotion? And he's coming for me!
Huo Yuhao stood up and watched a tall youth storm toward him. The youth stopped in front of him and questioned aggressively, "You are Huo Yuhao, the transfer student from Class Two, Grade Two? You act like a big shot."
The tall youth's voice was not quiet, immediately attracting the attention of the students who were about to rush out to grab dinner.
After working hard all afternoon, a little gossip was an irresistible break for them.
Huo Yuhao calmly observed this person using his Telepathist ability while constantly reviewing the entire process of his interactions with all the students since enrolling in his mind.
Who did I offend? Who did I act high and mighty towards?
He must be trying to stand up for someone. Who in the academy would need him to stand up for them? That could only be a student.
Although he had been enrolled for ten days, he had spent most of his time in the Library and rarely interacted with others, so he quickly locked onto one person: Hu Mei!
Girls with deep pink ether bodies are often more casual about romantic matters and tend to have more pursuers.
Combining this person's brown ether body, which represented vigilance, with the fact that he was featured in "soul tool master genius," Huo Yuhao quickly grasped the situation and formulated a countermeasure.
He scrutinized the person before him and smiled, "May I ask how Senior should be addressed?"
The tall youth snorted lightly, "Wang Shaojie. Stop trying to get close to me, boy. You haven't answered me yet."
"Senior Wang likes Hu Mei?"
Huo Yuhao went straight for the jugular. Just by looking at Wang Shaojie's flushed face, he knew he guessed correctly. He thought for a moment:
"Senior, rest assured. Although she is my deskmate, I already have someone I like and won't have too much interaction with Hu Mei."
Although Huo Yuhao didn't have a crush, he might as well make one up to lower Wang Shaojie's guard.
As expected, Wang Shaojie's expression softened considerably. His main purpose in coming was to confirm whether Huo Yuhao, who was featured in "soul tool master genius" magazine, would become his rival.
But he also didn't mind teaching the transfer student a lesson to boost his presence in Hu Mei's mind.
"Hehe, Senior, that's not how you chase girls," Huo Yuhao said with the air of an experienced veteran, waving Wang Shaojie over.
Wang Shaojie looked at him suspiciously, but he liked Hu Mei too much, so his body obediently leaned closer. "You spend all day in the Library, what would you know about chasing girls?"
"Not quite, not quite. Doesn't Senior know that you can't judge a book by its cover?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head, feigning profound wisdom, and whispered, "Girls, they just want to be flattered, flattered by all sorts of means! As long as Senior is sincere, success is bound to follow."
Wang Shaojie pondered, "Unscrupulous flattery will get you called a simp. How can that work?"
"Senior, don't you want to be Hu Mei's boyfriend?"
Huo Yuhao's face hardened, and he continued, "Haven't you heard? A simp, a simp, if you simp to the end, you'll have everything you want."
"When the time comes when you two are in perfect harmony, flying wing to wing, who can say it's wrong for you to spend money on your wife? If you're unwilling to spend money, how can you pursue a girl?"
"Senior, think about it, haven't you spent much money before? And your pursuit progress has been quite slow, right?"
"I really haven't spent much money before!" Wang Shaojie recalled the process of his 'interaction' with Hu Mei carefully, and said blankly, "So the problem is here!"
"Exactly, what's there to be afraid of being called a simp? What matters is getting her in the end!" Huo Yuhao slapped his thigh hard and said sincerely, "Senior Wang, go for it!"
"Huo Yuhao, you understand this so well. Have you simped for many girls before?"
Wang Shaojie gave Huo Yuhao a thumbs-up, as if he had obtained a martial arts secret manual. He quickly turned and left the Library, probably off to harass Hu Mei.
Huo Yuhao watched his retreating figure and tugged at the corner of his mouth. He actually got dragged into this?
However, having such a diversion in his busy study life didn't seem too bad?
Wang Shaojie had the possibility of obtaining love, Hu Mei gained an awakened simp, and he got to watch the show.
Everyone has a bright future!
Huo Yuhao also left the Library and headed toward the faculty cafeteria.
In the faculty cafeteria, he took out the vice card of the dean to pay first, then found a clean small table and surveyed today's custom-made meal.
The high-level Soul Engineer set meal was too nourishing. The professional chef, who was an Eighth-Rank Food-type Soul Master and understood his situation, had specially prepared dishes suitable for his digestion.
Stir-fried Millennium Phoenix Cry Bird Tongues, spicy and refreshing, after eating, his Soul Power seemed to ignite and circulated even faster; Steamed Ten-Thousand-Year Silver Knife Fish Belly, tender and fresh, made his whole body feel warm, and the fatigue seemed to vanish instantly; and the Emerald Sea Cucumber Soup, which made him much clearer-headed after drinking, and also had a nourishing effect on his Mental Power...
The tempting aroma from each plate was like a drumstick, beating against Huo Yuhao's already hungry stomach, making it rumble!
He placed a bowl of Hibiscus Crystal Rice in front of him and began to devour it heartily. The Skydream Iceworm in his Sea of Consciousness was drooling:
"After these few days, I finally get it. Your high-level Soul Engineer set meal is truly the pinnacle of refinement; it's even better than what I used to eat!"
The Ice Empress, who usually rested without speaking, also made a rare comment:
"Having been one of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North for so many years, I rarely saw humans eat this well. Sometimes, being able to eat a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was satisfying enough. Unlike you... sigh!"
Huo Yuhao said, "Brother Tianmeng, Ice Empress, don't worry. When I become powerful enough, I will definitely restore your bodies, and we will eat the best delicacies on the entire continent together!"
Hearing this, the Ice Empress's icy expression melted, and a faint smile touched her lips, "Good
The second weekend arrived. At the Library, Huo Yuhao opened his eyes early. After a simple wash, he headed to Tranquility Hall, where Jing Hongchen's office was located.
Downstairs at Tranquility Hall, Meng Hongchen stood gracefully by the entrance, dressed in a white dress with white hair cascading over her shoulders, a blue gemstone bracelet adorning her wrist. Her deep blue eyes were fixed intently on the intersection.
Xiao Hongchen, clad in white, shook his short white hair and sighed with his hands behind his back:
"In the past, a great master toiled for a hundred years, yet failed to create a core magic array. Now, the profound principles of the magic array before my eyes overflow with marvels, yet I find my spiritual sense struggling to grasp them, unable to fully observe them. What sorrow!"
Meng Hongchen poked Xiao Hongchen. "Brother, be normal! Grandpa asked us to welcome Junior Brother. Don't disgrace us!"
Xiao Hongchen, immersed in some profound feeling, said deeply, "Little Meng, you wouldn't understand."
"The future of the millions of Soul Engineer students across these two academies and seventy-three departments rests on my shoulders. If I do not lead the vanguard development of Soul Guidance Devices, who will carve out new research directions for them?"
Meng Hongchen said irritably, "Brother, stop saying that. Didn't Grandpa say last time that if you keep acting like this, he'll break your legs?"
"Grandpa can only break my legs; he cannot extinguish the ambition in my heart," Xiao Hongchen waved his hand, his expression forlorn.
Huo Yuhao, having just arrived nearby and overheard the conversation, was stunned. He had heard from Senior Brother Feng that this Senior Brother Xiao was unusual, but he hadn't expected him to be so... melodramatic.
Huo Yuhao lifted his foot and walked to the entrance of Tranquility Hall.
The first person he saw was a girl with a melon-seed face, white hair, blue pupils, a tall figure, and an elegant posture.
If Huo Yuhao had to use a phrase to describe her, it would likely be: 'Viewed from afar, she is radiant like the rising sun in the morning mist; viewed up close, she is dazzling like a lotus emerging from clear water.'
The other was a youth with short white hair, dressed in snow-white robes, exceptionally handsome.
He paid no mind to whether Huo Yuhao had heard his grand pronouncements. With a smile in his eyes, he waved toward Huo Yuhao:
"You must be our Junior Brother? Yuhao, we have been waiting for you for a long time."
Meng Hongchen gracefully took out a blue carving knife from her storage gemstone bracelet and handed it over with a smile.
"Hello, Yuhao. I am Meng Hongchen; you can call me Senior Sister Meng. This is a welcome gift from Senior Sister: a sixth-rank carving knife Soul Guidance Device, Ice Shard."
"Although it is a sixth-rank Soul Guidance Device, its craftsmanship is complex, utilizing top-tier heterogeneous gradient fusion core array technology. It can be used even by those with Soul Power below rank sixty."
"Thank you, Senior Sister Meng!"
Huo Yuhao quickly accepted it. The moment the knife was in his hand, he knew the texture was superb, definitely crafted from extremely precious materials.
Coincidentally, the fine iron carving knife Brother Bujue gave him was also becoming inadequate for his needs, so this knife arrived at the perfect time.
"Uh..."
Xiao Hongchen clearly hadn't prepared anything. He simply patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder.
"Junior Brother, your Senior Brother and Senior Sister are now both fourth-year students. In the future, we will look out for you in the Academy."
"Grandpa told me you possess a Spirit Ability that is extremely compatible with being a Soul Engineer. I asked Grandpa, and he told me to experience it myself. Are you available, Junior Brother?"
Seeing Meng Hongchen also looking over with curiosity, Huo Yuhao naturally agreed and nodded:
"Senior Sister Meng, Senior Brother Xiao, please relax your minds."
In their eyes, their vision was no longer limited to their sight; it was as if an extra dimension of perception had been added.
A comprehensive range with a hundred-meter radius seemed imprinted in their minds, no longer restricted by terrain, obstructions, or their own physical position.
Compared to the range, Xiao Hongchen was most concerned with testing the precision of this Spirit Ability for local perception.
He raised his hand and took out a piece of metal from his storage ring. Under the combination of his pale golden Soul Power, the metal dissolved as if it were flowing water.
The metal, which originally could only be meticulously carved with a knife, moved at his will in his hands, constantly changing into various shapes.
Core magic arrays, various Soul Guidance Devices, and even specialized Soul Guidance Devices like baby bottles grew out of the liquid metal.
Huo Yuhao's pupils trembled at this sight. Was this the characteristic of Senior Brother Xiao's Martial Soul?
One had to know that for even the highest-ranked Soul Engineers, over ninety percent of their technical foundation lay in manipulating metal. Possessing such a Spirit Ability characteristic meant he was absolutely a Soul Engineer born for the role.
Little did they know, Xiao Hongchen was also deeply shaken. A divine skill, absolutely a divine skill!
With such a minute and exhaustive divine perspective, the Soul Power consumption for controlling metal deformation could be saved by at least thirty percent.
If he familiarized himself further with Mental Detection, he was even confident he could materialize a fifth-rank core magic array right now at rank forty-nine!
This meant his output capability would see a significant boost.
"Hahaha! Heaven did not give birth to me, Xiao Hongchen, yet the world of soul engineering remains as dark as night for eternity!"
Huo Yuhao didn't know why Xiao Hongchen was laughing. He felt that Senior Sister Meng seemed a bit more normal.
He looked toward Meng Hongchen and happened to see her examining him using Mental Detection, while she muttered softly:
"No way?"
"Am I seeing things?"
"There isn't a single flaw on his entire body?"
"Too monstrous!"
"Does Junior Brother cover his backside even when walking upstairs?"
"Then when he sleeps, does his butt face the wall?"
Huo Yuhao's mouth twitched. Senior Sister Meng's inner monologue was incredibly rich. He quickly interrupted:
"Senior Brother, Senior Sister, let's go inside quickly!"
Xiao Hongchen's train of thought was suddenly interrupted. Feeling as if he had forgotten something, he nodded to Meng Hongchen:
"Little Meng, let's go inside then."
...
In the office, Huo Yuhao was already sitting obediently on a small sofa not far from Jing Hongchen. A book was already placed on the table.
Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen found seats as well, but before they started studying, they both looked toward Jing Hongchen, who was walking toward Huo Yuhao.
"What book did you bring to study by yourself today?" Jing Hongchen asked sternly.
Huo Yuhao had already taken two books out of his storage ring:
"Reporting to Teacher, one is 'Manifold Soul Power and Solving Array Formations' by Ma Kelong, borrowed from the Library.'"
"And this one, 'Logical Array Formations and Interfaces,' which Teacher gave me half a month ago. I plan to read them side-by-side for comparison.'"
Jing Hongchen nodded. "Mm, Feng Yu did give you good advice. Alright, I won't disturb your studies for now. If you have anything you don't understand, you can ask anytime.'"
"Okay, Teacher. Oh, right, if you finish your water, remember to call me. I'll go get you more. I'm afraid I might be too focused on reading and not notice.'"
"No need, no need. Your teacher is in the prime of my life; I can still move." Although Jing Hongchen refused, his stern demeanor was entirely gone; he was clearly pleased.
"Okay, then I'll start reading now, Teacher."
Saying that, Huo Yuhao directly opened 'Manifold Soul Power and Solving Array Formations' and continued reading.
He had already read quite a bit of this book yesterday and was continuing today.
Junior Brother knows how to flatter Grandpa so well? Xiao Hongchen glared at Huo Yuhao. Trying to start an internal struggle, was he? Hmph! Xiao Hongchen has never feared a challenge!
However, after opening the book, Huo Yuhao entered a state of flow without any hesitation.
Xiao Hongchen immediately felt a sense of futility, like trying to flirt with a blind person. He shook his head and also took out a book to begin self-study.
Huo Yuhao deeply understood that those who could achieve the status of top-tier ninth-rank Soul Engineers in the field of Soul Guidance Devices must be individuals with extensive knowledge and extraordinary minds.
The reason he could enter the Royal Soul Engineer Academy and become Jing Hongchen's disciple, enjoying such excellent treatment, was fundamentally because Jing Hongchen valued his talent, and nothing else.
Trying to play tricks under the nose of a great figure was true foolishness. Therefore, Huo Yuhao adopted a naturally expressive approach.
Furthermore, for Huo Yuhao, once he immersed himself in the knowledge within the book, he could genuinely tune out everything happening around him.
Thus, the office immediately fell silent.
While quietly reading, when Huo Yuhao encountered points that required thought or clarification, he would pick up a pen and casually sketch diagrams or perform derivations on the prepared manuscript paper...
These were all instinctive actions, the same as when he studied independently in the Library.
Truthfully, these actions, observed by Jing Hongchen, a master of Soul Guidance Devices, brought him more genuine gratification than any so-called 'thoughtful' gesture.
He had also taught in the Academy in his youth; one could tell at a glance whether a student was serious during self-study.
Xiao Hongchen's sensitivity to theoretical knowledge was not even comparable to Meng Hongchen's, let alone Huo Yuhao's. Self-studying with books was extremely boring for him.
But he possessed an unparalleled affinity for metal. In terms of innate talent for Soul Guidance Devices, he was probably the highest among the three