On Monday of the third week, after the Sun Moon History class ended, Huo Yuhao found Feng Tingting to ask for information.
"Sister Tingting, what's the deal with that 'soul tool master genius'?"
"I am one of its writers. Sister just saw that you are so young and talented, so I helped you build up some fame!"
Feng Tingting didn't detect any displeasure from Huo Yuhao's expression and breathed a slight sigh of relief:
"Don't worry, it's not too ostentatious, I just posted a few handsome photos of you."
Truly... Huo Yuhao couldn't really comment on that, so he asked about the issue he was concerned about:
"I heard that before the holiday, there will only be one final Soul Engineer rank examination left, and it's related to the Promotion Ranking List?"
"Then you've found the right person!"
Feng Tingting pushed up her glasses, adopting a professional look:
"I happen to be one of the people writing the press release for this Soul Engineer rank examination, so I know the rules like the back of my hand!"
"The Promotion Ranking List is the ranking list in our academy that offers the most generous rewards, the fastest path to fame, and the highest prestige! It is divided into six lists, corresponding to the First through Sixth-Rank Soul Engineer examinations."
"Scores are converted into points at a 1:10 ratio. Not only will the top 100 on the list receive different amounts of point rewards, but they will also be listed."
"For those who maintain a top-10 rank on the Second-Rank List, they will receive a monthly reward of 10,000 to 50,000 Gold Soul Coins during their time in school."
"If you achieve a record-breaking accomplishment, the rewards will be even higher."
"The ranking on this list serves as a highly valuable proof of ability. It is an excellent stepping stone for future hot career paths after graduation, such as major research institutes, the military, and commercial guilds."
"I see that Yuhao, having just entered the academy, should already possess the ability of a Second-rank Soul Engineer. Are you planning to skip directly to the Second-rank Soul Engineer certificate exam, right?"
Huo Yuhao had originally planned to demonstrate his abilities to the teachers and take both the First and Second-rank Soul Engineer exams to get on both lists.
But when he thought about the students taking the First-Rank Soul Engineer exam, some of whom might be like him back then—facing difficulties and desperately needing the point rewards—
The resources the teachers gave me are already abundant enough. The Second-rank List can also showcase my abilities. Once Huo Yuhao figured this out, he said to Feng Tingting:
"If possible, I'll skip the test. Sister Tingting, how are the scores calculated? And what is the content of the Second-rank Soul Engineer examination?"
Feng Tingting replied: "The examination content is to use Soul Guidance Devices you personally manufacture on the spot, not exceeding the Second-rank, with a maximum quantity of three, to deal with varying numbers of Soul Beasts or Soul Engineers."
"First, the academy will provide every candidate in the testing site with an unlimited supply of common metals and a small amount of rare metals, and will give the candidates the battle roster for a total of 10 rounds."
"During the process of manufacturing a Soul Guidance Device of the same rank, no equipment other than carving knives may be brought in. Then, teachers will score the Soul Guidance Device, and this scoring is done through a double-blind process."
"After that, you will battle opponents in sequence according to the roster, facing progressively stronger opponents each round. The result of each battle will be scored by a professional tactical analyst. You can choose to forfeit midway."
"The scores from the two parts are added together to form the candidate's total score," she concluded.
Huo Yuhao pondered. As long as the gap isn't too large, everyone is at the level of a Soul Engineer of the same rank. If you can do it, I can do it too; it won't take too much time.
This ranking system can appropriately weaken the first-mover advantage of students with powerful backgrounds, aiming to bring everyone's level to the same standard for a fair evaluation.
"Sister Tingting, who are the people currently ranked high on the Second-rank List?"
"It seems Yuhao is determined to win this time!" Feng Tingting wasn't surprised. A disciple personally accepted by the Hall Master breaking precedent, how could he not have some strength? Perhaps he could break into the top five?
"Having confidence is good, but every single person you will be challenging is not simple! Come with me, the Second-rank List has been posted on the plaza."
Huo Yuhao followed Feng Tingting to the Second-rank List by the plaza. The first thing he saw was Senior Brother Xiao Hongchen's avatar, his expression looking like he had no worthy rivals, which was exactly consistent with the image he had seen before.
First Place: Xiao Hongchen, 3 Soul Guidance Devices: 423/450 points, Ten Rounds of Battle: 936/1000 points, Total Score: 1359/1450.
Second Place: Ma Rulong, 3 Soul Guidance Devices: 410/450 points, Ten Rounds of Battle: 931/1000 points, Total Score: 1341/1450.
Third Place: Meng Hongchen, 3 Soul Guidance Devices: 408/450 points, Ten Rounds of Battle: 932/1000 points, Total Score: 1340/1450.
Starting from fourth place, students had not completed all ten rounds of battle, so their total scores dropped sharply.
Huo Yuhao shook his head. Indeed, his senior brothers and sisters were all at the top of the list, but who was this Ma Rulong? His score was slightly higher than Senior Sister Meng's.
As if sensing Huo Yuhao's confusion, Feng Tingting pointed to a very tall and sturdy young man walking past in the plaza:
"Ma Rulong is him! He is currently a sixth-year student and will represent the academy as captain in the upcoming All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Duel Tournament next semester."
Huo Yuhao followed her finger and saw the young man, who had short hair, sparkling eyes, and an aura full of power, walking over.
"Junior Sister Tingting, are you still promoting your Xiao Hongchen's glorious achievements to the freshmen?" Ma Rulong looked at her speechlessly.
"Hmph, am I not allowed to?" Feng Tingting snorted. "Do you dare to wait for Brother Xiao in the sixth year? He will definitely push you off the top spot again then."
Ma Rulong shrugged dismissively:
"That guy always thinks his talent is unrivaled in the world and constantly challenges me, but he always ends up defeated by me."
"If you want to defeat me head-on, you better hurry up. I will graduate at the end of next semester."
Xiao Hongchen's talent is very good, which is great, but if I graduate before you become a Sixth-Rank Soul Engineer, then the top spot in the sixth year won't be won by you defeating me."
"And this junior is?" Ma Rulong asked casually, looking at Huo Yuhao.
Feng Tingting's eyes flickered. Although she knew Huo Yuhao was Jing Hongchen's newly accepted disciple, Jing Hongchen hadn't publicized it everywhere, so why would she tell Ma Rulong?
"He's a freshman my Brother Yu asked me to look after."
I see. Ma Rulong nodded to Huo Yuhao and then left.
Huo Yuhao slowly withdrew his gaze. Sister Tingting actually had a connection with Senior Brother Xiao!
He wasn't the type to pry into friends' gossip, so he smiled:
"Sister Tingting, do you have the battle roster from the previous Second-rank Soul Engineer examination?"
"Naturally. Little Brother Yu, you go study in the Library first. I'll gather the materials and bring them to you later. I know where your seat is."
"Don't worry, generally, the first five rounds of the battle roster don't change much, but what I give you will definitely be the most complete and newest!"
"Then thank you, Sister Tingting."
Huo Yuhao thanked her and left, returning to the Library. Before he had read for long, Feng Tingting delivered a stack of printed materials.
The first page contained information on the venue, procedures, and time for this examination.
This Friday!
Huo Yuhao paused briefly on this date, then calmly turned to the next page. The next page was a table with the heading: Battle Roster (Reverse Order).
Previous Round:
1. First-Rank Soul Engineer (1 person)
2. Ten-Year Wind Baboon (3)
3. First-Rank Soul Engineer Squad (3 people)
4. Hundred-Year Wind Baboon (1)
5. Second-rank Soul Engineer (1 person
Huo Yuhao sighed softly, then quickly scanned the match lists from previous Second-rank Soul Tool Master examinations. He found that, just as Feng Tingting had said, the first five rounds remained largely unchanged.
Although the next five rounds kept changing, some patterns could still be discerned.
After reviewing the match lists, Huo Yuhao gained a clear understanding of the examination's difficulty and already had a preliminary plan for his choice of Soul Guidance Devices.
He then put down the match list and continued to absorb knowledge frantically.
Over the course of four days, Huo Yuhao finished studying another book and had already started on the fifth one.
People came and went in the Library, but whether it was because he had dealt with Wang Shaojie's troublemaking that day or for some other reason, Huo Yuhao felt the gazes falling upon him were increasing.
The attention from the female students was particularly numerous.
As the Soul Engineer rank examination approached, the number of people in the Library slightly decreased; most had gone to practice manufacturing the Soul Guidance Devices they planned to use for the exam to ensure smooth production at the test site.
Huo Yuhao did not choose to do that. Instead, on the day before the exam, he went to the Combat Practice Building to observe a standard tutorial for the long spear.
Then, he practiced the long spear in the combat training room, activating Mental Detection to scan himself and correct the force application of every inch of muscle. He practiced for a total of one hour.
...
The morning light streamed through the Library windows, illuminating the mat where Huo Yuhao was sitting cross-legged. He slowly opened his eyes, quickly washed up, and then set off for the 13th floor of the Combat Practice Area.
As soon as he arrived, he saw Feng Tingting, and unexpectedly, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen standing beside her.
Feng Tingting was busy instructing her assistants on how to set up the recording Soul Guidance Devices. Seeing Huo Yuhao, she grinned and waved, then pointed to the two people standing nearby.
Huo Yuhao first nodded to her, then greeted the Hongchen siblings: "Senior Sister Meng, Senior Brother Xiao. Why are you here? The 13th floor is the venue for the Second-rank Soul Tool Master examination."
He knew that both of them were still some way off from reaching fifty ranks of Soul Power, so they definitely weren't here to take the rank examination.
Xiao Hongchen put his hands in his pockets and tilted his head back at a forty-five-degree angle, gazing at the sky:
"As the oldest disciple among Grandpa's uninitiated students, it is my duty to come and observe Junior Brother's performance and give you some guidance."
"It doesn't matter if you can't break into the top five; our sect only needs me to support it!"
Meng Hongchen's eyes curved into crescents, and she chuckled softly, covering her mouth:
"Yuhao, don't listen to his bragging. We came to cheer you on. If you make it into the top five, the points you earn will be enough to exchange for some decent pills, oh."
Pills?
Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered. For Senior Sister Meng to describe them with the word 'decent,' they must truly be quite good.
Indeed, although the vice card of the dean could cover almost all daily cultivation expenses, the area of pills was restricted.
This made getting into the top five even more necessary.
The examination hall's broadcast sounded with a voice guiding the candidates:
"Candidates, please enter the examination hall. Entry is permitted only after verification with your campus card..."
"Yuhao, hurry up and go in. Your Senior Brother and Senior Sisters can all witness your heroic bearing!"
Feng Tingting patted the 'camera equipment' set up beside her, then pointed to the line that was beginning to form in front of the verification teacher.
Huo Yuhao nodded and stepped into the spacious examination hall.
Although there were four to five hundred candidates, and the hall was huge, Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen were simply too dazzling and eye-catching.
The scene of Huo Yuhao conversing with the three was seen by many second-year students, who began to whisper amongst themselves:
"The great demon king Xiao Hongchen? What is he doing at the Second-rank Soul Tool Master examination venue?"
"Miss Meng truly lives up to her title as the most dazzling gem in Mingdu. Just standing there fills me with strength; I'll definitely pass this exam today!"
"I really want to be Senior Sister Meng's dog."
"Mom!"
"Hey, isn't that kid talking to them the transfer student from Class One?"
"Damn that spirit system! I curse him to encounter a Soul Beast that counters him."
"He's taking the exam too? He's going to have a miserable time now!"
"Am I scared of him? There are more than a dozen Spirit Masters of the spirit system in the second year; I'm not afraid of that many!"
Huo Yuhao walked out from the noisy crowd of candidates and found his examination desk to take stock of the types and quantities of various metals.
Although there weren't many lights in the examination hall, they were all bright, making everything on the desk clearly visible.
A moment later, all candidates were seated, and the examination hall fell silent.
"The Second-rank Soul Tool Master rank examination now begins!"
"Part One: Based on the match list, manufacture Soul Guidance Devices. A maximum of three items may be made. Those who make more will have their results recorded at the lowest score. The time limit is five hours."
"Those who submit first will have priority in the ten-round battle sequence. The match lists will now be distributed!"
Before long, a proctor handed the match list to him.
Huo Yuhao glanced at it. The first five rounds indeed showed no changes. The overall difficulty was considered relatively high based on recent years' lists.
But this did not affect his plan.
Huo Yuhao took out the Level Six carving knife Soul Guidance Device 'Ice Shard' that Meng Hongchen had gifted him and placed it on the side of his workbench. After a brief thought, he buried his head and started retrieving the metals he needed.
Seventeen Star Spirit Gold, ten 3mm plates; standard refined iron, three plates; eighty-five titanium alloy, ten catties...
As Huo Yuhao was performing the preparation work in a fluid, smooth manner, suddenly, a figure dressed in formal attire, with meticulously combed hair and a refined and scholarly aura, entered his peripheral vision.
Senior Brother Feng?
Huo Yuhao glanced at the proctor's badge on his chest and continued with the actions in his hands.
He first used the clamp on the workbench to fix the 3mm plate of Eighty-five Titanium Alloy, then operated the wire cutter to slice it into a special shape...
Feng Yu stood behind Huo Yuhao with his hands clasped behind his back. He had heard from Feng Tingting that Huo Yuhao was also participating in this examination, so he decided to come and take a look.
He nodded. With the foundation of nearly an Rank 8 Soul Engineer, he could tell at a glance that selecting the Star Spirit Gold plates meant Huo Yuhao intended to make a card-style Second-rank Nursing Bottle.
The manufacturing difficulty of a card-style Second-rank Nursing Bottle was not small; it belonged to the first tier among Second-rank Soul Guidance Devices.
Exams for general ranks usually prioritize stability; very few people would choose such a high-difficulty Soul Guidance Device without absolute confidence. But as long as it was made successfully, this Soul Guidance Device was guaranteed 85 points.
This was not only a very suitable choice for scoring points but also meant he intended to challenge the tenth round of battles.
Yuhao is quite ambitious, too. One must know that the only reason the top three on the Second-rank list could complete all ten rounds was that they were already Spirit Elder level when they took the assessment.
When engraving the planar core array, a steady hand is needed, but a steadier heart is even more important. Yuhao's fundamental skills are truly solid; that brat Feng Bujue taught him well and didn't disgrace the academy.
No, it's more likely that his talent was inherently good.
Why is Teacher Feng staring at Huo Yuhao the whole time? Isn't he afraid of putting too much pressure on him and affecting his performance? Hu Mei, whose desk was right behind Huo Yuhao, grumbled inwardly.
Under Feng Yu's continuous observation, Huo Yuhao completed the card-style Second-rank Nursing Bottle with zero errors according to standard procedure.
No, Feng Yu corrected himself internally, this was a level higher than zero errors. Every single one of his movements was effective, truly representing the optimal solution!
Feng Yu glanced at the large clock hanging on the wall; only one hour had passed.
The card-style Second-rank Nursing Bottle provided sustained energy. What Soul Guidance Devices would Yuhao choose for the next two items?
Three hours after the examination started, a broadcast announcement sounded:
"More than half of the students have now submitted their Soul Guidance Devices. The teachers' double-blind scoring has begun. Students who have submitted their Soul Guidance Devices, please proceed to the combat zone."
"After the scoring ends, the duels will begin immediately!"
Huo Yuhao fastened the casing of his last Soul Guidance Device and engraved his name on it, letting out a slow breath. He turned to look at Feng Yu and said:
"Teacher Feng, my Soul Guidance Device is ready."
"Your close-combat Soul Guidance Device is very creative," Feng Yu gave him a thumbs-up, then personally took Huo Yuhao's creation to the scoring area to participate in the evaluation.
Outside the arena, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, who had left and returned, gathered around Feng Tingting's recording Soul Guidance Device:
"Tingting, what Soul Guidance Devices did Yuhao make?"
Feng Tingting replied, "Brother Xiao, he made a card-style Second-rank Milk Bottle, a first-rank soul tool ray gun, and a special close-combat long spear."
"Special? How special can it be?" Xiao Hongchen was slightly surprised, suddenly becoming interested.
Meng Hongchen was also a bit astonished:
"He actually chose the card-style Second-rank Milk Bottle, which has the highest Soul Power storage capacity? It looks like Junior Brother wants to try clearing all ten rounds."
Xiao Hongchen also wanted to know what Huo Yuhao was relying on. He shook his head, "Even with the Milk Bottle, his Soul Power might not be enough. Let's go to the combat zone together to watch."
...
The combat zone was extremely vast, supported by dozens of massive pillars holding up a huge dome. A small number of high-brightness Soul Guidance Device lamps hung from the dome for illumination.
The pillars and ten-meter-high metal nets divided the entire examination hall into dozens of smaller testing grounds, each one a square fifty meters wide and long.
Small paths ran between each testing ground, used for escorting cages containing Soul Beasts, which were covered with black cloth.
Combat recorders were installed in the four corners of every testing ground, transmitting the footage in real-time to another location where a professional team of tactical analysts would score them.
The scores were instantly fed back onto the metal display screens located beside the testing grounds.
Some testing grounds already had students taking their exams, with soul tool rays shooting everywhere, making the entire area somewhat noisy.
The broadcast sounded: "Testing Ground Number 13, Huo Yuhao!"
Huo Yuhao first looked up, then located Testing Ground Number 13. As expected, the examiner and referee was Feng Yu.
The three Soul Guidance Devices that had been scored were displayed near the entrance of the testing ground.
Five cages covered with black cloth, containing Soul Beasts, were already placed beside the testing ground. Standing next to them were over a dozen low-ranking Soul Engineers wearing different colored work uniforms and several healing-type Spirit Masters in green uniforms.
Outside the metal netting, the Hongchen siblings and Feng Tingting had already arrived. Feng Tingting even had her recording Soul Guidance Device aimed at the center of the testing ground.
Huo Yuhao twitched his lips, carefully inspected his Soul Guidance Devices, and then reported, "Second Year Class One, Huo Yuhao, reporting."
Feng Yu clapped his hands, and a First-Rank Soul Engineer wearing a white uniform walked into the testing ground, holding a first-rank soul tool ray gun and watching Huo Yuhao warily. Feng Yu performed the routine check:
"Candidates entering the testing ground, please check if your Soul Guidance Devices are functioning normally. Positioning is arbitrary. Does the candidate have any questions?"
"Should I hold back when shooting?"
"Just perform as you normally would," Feng Yu said calmly. "Scoring team, please take your positions. Is the candidate ready?"
Huo Yuhao walked into the testing ground holding his Soul Guidance Device, looking calmly at the First-Rank Soul Engineer opposite him:
"I am ready."
"Round one, one First-Rank Soul Engineer, begin!"
Whoosh!
The instant the word "begin" faded, a bright white ray of Soul Power instantly crossed the twenty-meter distance, precisely hitting the exact center of the First-Rank Soul Engineer's chest.
However, strangely, it caused no damage. The First-Rank Soul Engineer could even turn around calmly and walk out of the testing ground.
It turned out that a layer of white fluorescence had invisibly attached itself to the chest of the First-Rank Soul Engineer at that moment, protecting him.
In front of Feng Yu, a disc-shaped Soul Guidance Device's milky white light slowly faded.
He slowly put it away, glanced at the metal display screen where numbers were rapidly jumping:
"Fast reaction. Round one, one hundred points."
After being advanced into the testing ground, the three Wind Baboons inside the cage, whose black cloth had been pulled back, squinted when they saw the light, then roared loudly toward Huo Yuhao standing in front of them.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao smiled with satisfaction, as if meeting old friends.
He raised the Second-rank soul tool ray gun in his hand and switched it to single-shot mode.
Simultaneously, he released two ordinary yellow Spirit Rings. One of them lit up, activating Mental Detection.
"Round two, three ten-year Wind Baboons, begin!"
As the announcement fell, the cages opened simultaneously.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Before the first Wind Baboon could take two steps, it was hit by a soul tool ray shot directly into its wide-open, screeching mouth.
For the second one, as it just crawled out of the cage, a soul tool ray suddenly magnified rapidly in its field of vision.
The third one didn't even manage to crawl out of the cage before it was eliminated.
The numbers on the display screen did not change: "Round two, one hundred points."
"Round three, First-Rank Soul Engineer Squad, begin!"
The First-Rank Soul Engineer Squad consisted of three people. Their configuration was very complete, including a first-rank shield, a first-rank close-combat blade, and a first-rank soul tool ray gun.
But the first-rank shield was clearly no match for the Second-rank soul tool ray gun.
Moreover, under Huo Yuhao's Mental Detection, every single ray precisely struck the weak points of the first-rank shield!
Clang clang clang!
After three shots, the first-rank shield shattered.
Although the operator of the first-rank soul tool ray gun had decent aim, Huo Yuhao merely tilted his head slightly and dodged the only soul tool ray fired by the squad.
Without the cover of the first-rank shield, Huo Yuhao didn't want to waste even a bit of Soul Power, switching his Second-rank soul tool ray gun to single-shot mode.
Three shots were enough for these three to complete their work for the day.
Seeing that Huo Yuhao hadn't moved his feet throughout the first three rounds, Meng Hongchen commented:
"Junior Brother not only has fast reactions, but with the help of Mental Detection, his accuracy is also very high. Just with this skill, he should be able to pass the first five rounds."
Xiao Hongchen slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering something, and said with distress:
"I was wondering what I seemed to have forgotten earlier! I only focused on how Mental Detection helps me conserve Soul Power, but I didn't realize it's also a sharp tool for precisely pouring out firepower!"
"Doesn't this complement me perfectly? I have damage, but I lack precision. He has vision, but his cultivation is lower."
"Also, that head tilt just now, why was it so cool? Is he imitating me?!"
"It's fine, Yuhao is my Junior Brother. Huh? Why is he my Junior Brother?"
"I get it!"
Meng Hongchen and Feng Tingting exchanged a knowing glance. Meng Hongchen asked curiously, "Brother, what did you figure out now?"
"He is the helper sent by Heaven for me to display my peerless talent to the world!"
Having grasped the key point, Xiao Hongchen looked at Huo Yuhao with a face full of admiration:
"His Second-rank soul tool ray gun must have incorporated a first-rank power system. This means that among Second-rank Soul Engineers, he is also a top talent, not inferior to me when I was a Second-rank Soul Engineer."
"But it was so easy just now because he hasn't encountered opponents who are fast or have high defense yet."
"Starting from the fourth round, it won't be this easy anymore
However, the facts proved that the Fourth and Fifth rounds, featuring a lone Century Wind Baboon and a Second-rank Soul Tool Master wielding a Second-rank Shield, offered Huo Yuhao no advantage whatsoever.
After making several completely ineffective evasion maneuvers, the Second-rank Soul Tool Master gave up the idea of dodging.
He instead relied on his durability and charged toward Huo Yuhao, enduring the firepower of the Second-rank Soul Tool Ray.
The Century Wind Baboon only withstood four shots, while this Second-rank Shield was damaged only after taking six shots head-on. The result was that the Second-rank Soul Tool Master only managed to advance a dozen meters.
Perfect scores for the first five rounds.
Logically, a perfect score wouldn't be easily awarded by the Tactical Analyst, but Huo Yuhao was simply too monstrous.
Across the five rounds, all twenty Second-rank (or lower) Soul Tool Rays hit their critical spots.
It was as if this spear in Huo Yuhao's hands was not just a spear, but the sharpest dagger, always stabbing at the most vital and weakest points.
This is why the Tactical Analysts unanimously gave him a perfect score.
The fifth round concluded, and there was a fifteen-minute adjustment period during halftime.
Huo Yuhao took out his nursing bottle to restore his Soul Power, which was only at forty percent, glanced at the situation in the nearby examination areas, and then secretly reviewed his performance.
Regarding these five battles just now, he had only one feeling: this Second-rank Soul Tool Ray Gun was truly slow and weak.
Its speed was insufficient; opponents with stronger abilities might have time to react. Its power was inadequate; against opponents with tough hides, even finding a weak spot made it difficult to instantly kill them.
Even though he had added a Second-rank 'High Pressure' core formation to the Soul Tool Ray Gun, the power was still not enough.
Once this exam ended, he needed to look into which Soul Guidance Devices among the advanced Soul Guidance Devices offered the highest single-target burst damage.
No wonder that out of nearly ten thousand students from the first to sixth grades in the academy, only the top three on the Second-rank list managed to clear ten rounds—it was this difficult.
He had underestimated the senior martial brothers and sisters, but he wasn't entirely unprepared.
"Halftime break is over, candidates please take your positions!"
Feng Tingting, standing nearby, checked the recording Soul Guidance Device, while Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen also looked toward the arena.
Huo Yuhao saw Feng Yu clap his hands, then put away the nursing bottle and gently caressed the pitch-black, peculiar long spear in his hand.
This long spear had an Ironwood shaft and a Black Obsidian tip. The three Second-rank planar core formations covering the spearhead had nothing to do with Sharpness, Penetration, or Light Blade.
Their only function was to flash! And the kind that blinds the eyes!
"Round Six, three Century Wind Baboons, begin!"
This time, Huo Yuhao did not choose to utilize his reach advantage for attrition.
Instead, he performed an action that everyone present failed to understand: he aimed the muzzle of the Soul Tool Ray Gun, switched to its First-rank rapid-fire mode, directly upward.
What was he trying to do?
The next second, Huo Yuhao provided the answer. A series of First-rank Soul Tool Rays were fired toward the dome.
Huo Yuhao used the most Soul Power-saving method to rapidly shoot out and destroy all the lighting Soul Guidance Devices surrounding his examination arena!
A corner of the entire combat zone dimmed, causing minor commotion.
Fortunately, there were no ongoing exams next to Huo Yuhao's arena, and students slightly farther away were not significantly affected.
However, this specific arena truly darkened, its brightness dropping by several levels.
The three Century Wind Baboons seemed unaffected. They locked onto Huo Yuhao's position, lined up, and charged straight ahead, crossing the twenty-meter distance in the blink of an eye.
Huo Yuhao let out a cold laugh, planted himself in a standard horse stance, aimed the Blinding Black Dragon Spear at the first Wind Baboon, and then injected Soul Power.
Fire!
In the eyes of the three Wind Baboons, their entire vision was instantly filled with white light, but the next moment, it turned completely dark.
Although they were Century Soul Beasts, their eyesight had no fundamental difference compared to Decade Soul Beasts.
The high-intensity illumination core formation, flashing at an extremely high frequency, caused them to temporarily lose their vision.
Huo Yuhao performed a simple thrust, a quick flick, and a sweep. Every spear strike landed on their throats and eyes. All three Century Wind Baboons lost their ability to move.
"Teacher, please start Round Seven quickly," Huo Yuhao urged Feng Yu, looking over. If the lighting Soul Guidance Devices on the dome were repaired too quickly, he would have to shoot them down again, wasting too much Soul Power.
Feng Yu had been a teacher at the academy for over a decade and had overseen many ranking exams, but this time he truly saw something new.
So, the person you ask about holding back isn't just the opponent, but also the examination facilities, right?
But this was considered reasonable utilization. He hadn't borrowed any external Soul Guidance Devices; everything was within the rules. Even the Dean would have a hard time saying it wasn't.
The metal display screen also took a long time to display the score, suggesting the Tactical Analysts were engaged in a fierce debate.
Finally, they gave a high score of 95 points.
Huo Yuhao breathed a slight sigh of relief upon seeing this.
"Round Seven, Second-rank Soul Tool Master squad."
This time it was still the standard formation: one shield, one melee, and one ranged.
But under Huo Yuhao's Blinding Black Dragon Spear, they struggled to advance.
The ranged attacker couldn't hit him, and those who charged through the hail of spear fire had their eyes blinded. Under Huo Yuhao's Mental Detection, the information gap was stretched to infinity.
Even though these three were veterans of the examination grounds, they were completely helpless!
After just a few simple close-quarters exchanges, the three were defeated and lost their combat capability.
"Damn it! In such dark conditions, his broken spear is too dazzling!"
"This is too unfair, too suffocating!"
"I demand an inspection! No, we need to add sunglasses!"
Huo Yuhao scratched his head, thinking these three Second-rank Soul Tool Masters in work uniforms would maintain strict professional ethics and remain silent.
Feng Yu had just frowned when a staff member approached:
"Teacher Feng, Director Lin Jiayi, who is overseeing the examination work, agrees to the combatants' request as a counterbalance to student Huo Yuhao damaging the examination facilities."
"The next round begins. Tactical Analysts must not suppress the score on the grounds of damaging examination facilities."
Feng Yu looked at him speechlessly, or more accurately, at Lin Jiayi, who was standing in the distance observing this arena.
Would sunglasses help?
Look closely at what Huo Yuhao's spearhead is made of!
It's Black Obsidian!
Even if they wear sunglasses to block the flashing illumination Soul Guidance Device, they won't be able to see the spearhead anyway.
But since Lin Jiayi had given the order, he went along with it:
"As the Dean of Students directs."
At that moment, the rating provided by the Tactical Analysts arrived: 95 points!
"Round Eight, three Century Shrieking Demonic Bats."
"Century Shrieking Demonic Bats in the Eighth Round?" Xiao Hongchen's expression changed slightly. "When Little Meng and I enrolled, this was the configuration for the Ninth Round."
Meng Hongchen was also somewhat surprised:
"Century Shrieking Demonic Bats fight without relying on sight, and their innate Spirit Ability is to spew out black mist that repels Mental Power. They can even burrow into the mist!"
"This specifically counters Junior Brother's Mental Detection."
"Most importantly, they can fly, and their agility is incomparable to the previous opponents."
"If they are introduced in the Eighth Round, what configuration will the final two rounds have?"
Feng Tingting also shook her head: "The luck of this batch of students is too poor. I wonder how many will be eliminated at this stage."
Xiao Hongchen concluded: "If Junior Brother stops at the Seventh Round, he won't even make the top twenty on the Second-rank list."
Feng Bujue announced: "Round Eight, begin."
Screech! Screech! Screech!
As soon as the Century Shrieking Demonic Bats, with a wingspan of one meter, were released from their cages, a cloud of mist rapidly enveloped half the arena.
Huo Yuhao tried to use Mental Detection to lock onto the Century Shrieking Demonic Bats within the mist and found that this mist indeed possessed the ability to repel Mental Power.
The gap in Mental Power between Huo Yuhao and them was like a huge chasm, and their approximate locations were locked at all times.
But since they were being interfered with, the feedback from Mental Detection was not as precise.
Huo Yuhao had long prepared for this. He calmly put away the Blinding Black Dragon Spear and switched the Soul Tool Ray Gun to First-rank rapid-fire mode.
While the Shrieking Demonic Bats were troublesome, they were also fragile.
Mental Sharing, activate!
This time, instead of sharing Mental Detection with others, he used his suppressive Mental Power to forcibly share the vision of the Shrieking Demonic Bats' bodies.
Forced lock-on!
Mental Detection has trouble locking onto your precise location?
Your vision will tell me the answer!
Not only that, Huo Yuhao activated the Telepathist ability simultaneously.
Simple-minded, low-level Soul Beasts couldn't hide their thoughts in front of him.
The combination of the three was practically equivalent to cheating.
Huo Yuhao fired three First-rank Soul Guidance Device Rays into the mist consecutively, the angles so casual it looked like test firing, making Feng Yu's eyelids twitch.
In the Mental Detection, the Shrieking Demonic Bats inside the mist actually slammed their heads into the First-rank Soul Guidance Device Rays themselves.
The Demonic Bats let out squeaking cries, their wings fluttering as clusters fell out of the mist.
How is this possible!
Feng Yu's eyes widened. He had originally thought that even if Huo Yuhao passed this round, he would definitely have to fight tooth and nail.
But the reality was that these three Hundred-year Shrieking Demonic Bats had caused him less expenditure than a Second-rank Soul Engineer!
"There's actually a move like this?" Xiao Hongchen's eyes widened. "Junior Brother's Mental Power is actually that powerful?"
"He directly locked on with precision while enduring the interference!"
Xiao Hongchen pictured a scene:
He, Xiao Hongchen, stood on the Douhun Platform, his Spirit Rings all shining.
Aided by Mental Detection, he instantly formed thousands of Soul Guidance Device Ray Guns, firing the Soul Guidance Device Rays straight at one spot.
Perfectly utilizing the destructive power of every shred of Soul Power, he honorably defeated Ma Rulong.
No longer like before, a massive flood of indiscriminate fire, where the Soul Guidance Device Ray bombardment failed to cause effective damage.
He trembled all over with excitement, his face unnaturally flushed.
Handsome!
So handsome!
"Tingting, did you record that part just now? I need to watch it closely!"
"Brother, are you still happy?"
Meng Hongchen covered her mouth, gloatingly pointing out the crucial part:
"Junior Brother only lost five points after eight rounds!"
"His total score might actually surpass yours!"
Meng Hongchen first admired Xiao Hongchen's frozen smile, then looked curiously at Huo Yuhao.
Was the interference the mist caused to Mental Detection really that weak?
Meng Hongchen's blue eyes sparkled. Doesn't that mean...
"Yuhao, when I shared Mental Sharing with you, I thought it could only be used for Mental Detection, as its auxiliary Spirit Ability."
The Skydream Iceworm in the Sea of Consciousness was also full of shock. Mental Sharing could be used like this!
"How did you think of using Mental Sharing this way?"
Huo Yuhao chuckled, "Brother Tianmeng, do you still remember that book, 'Logical Formations and Interfaces'?"
"What?"
Seeing the Skydream Iceworm looking confused, Huo Yuhao explained:
"The interface relative to the core formation, in my understanding, is like Mental Sharing relative to the soul."
"My understanding of the soul is still too superficial right now, so I can only share vision based on the huge gap in Mental Power."
"When my cultivation becomes stronger in the future, and I have a deeper and more profound understanding of the soul, combined with the ability of the spectator sequence, there will definitely be very interesting applications."
"Junior Brother's opponent for the ninth round is actually the Second-rank Soul Engineer Squadron!"
Xiao Hongchen looked surprised at the five Second-rank Soul Engineers entering the arena.
"Second-rank Soul Engineer Squadron?" Meng Hongchen suddenly understood why the three Hundred-year Shrieking Demonic Bats were only ranked eighth.
This Second-rank Soul Engineer Squadron was the tenth round of the Second-rank Soul Engineer examination she took previously.
If it weren't for their Spirit Elder level Soul Power and the effective coordination between their Martial Souls and Soul Guidance Devices, she and Xiao Hongchen would have lost long ago!
Weren't those opponents supposed to be reserved for the Level Three Soul Engineer examination because their coordination was too high?
Meng Hongchen thought as a five-person Second-rank Soul Engineer team entered the field, setting up a standard iron bucket formation:
Two Soul Engineers holding Second-rank Shields were in front, one with a long spear for close combat and one with a long saber for close combat guarded the sides, and the last one providing remote support from the rear.
This Soul Guidance Device combination was clearly aimed at Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao looked at the five opponents wearing dark glasses and couldn't help but smile.
"Ninth round, Second-rank Soul Engineer Squadron, begin!"
The five Soul Engineers cooperated very tacitly. The Soul Engineers holding the Second-rank Shields poured their Soul Power into the shields without reservation.
They didn't intend to give Huo Yuhao any chance. After seeing his position, they hid behind the Second-rank Shields and rushed forward protected by the close-combat fighters!
Huo Yuhao's response was to activate his Second Spirit Ability!
His second Spirit Ring lit up, and his entire body, along with the Spirit Ring, vanished directly from the testing ground.
Huh?
The two Soul Engineers holding Second-rank Shields rushed to Huo Yuhao's original position, both dodging to the side, blocking his movement while letting the close-combat fighters rush ahead!
As a result, there was no one!
By the time they realized something was wrong and looked back toward the remote output, he had already been instantly eliminated by a Second-rank Soul Guidance Device Ray that appeared out of thin air.
The long saber close-combat fighter warned vigilantly, "Damn it, he actually has an invisibility Spirit Ability. Let's surround him and wear him down!"
"Good!"
The two long spear close-combat fighters and the two Soul Engineers holding Second-rank Shields—the four of them agreed in unison.
The long saber close-combat fighter was just relaxing when his expression suddenly changed:
Where did the two long spear close-combat fighters come from???
Huo Yuhao had achieved his goal. He struck out like a dragon, erupting suddenly. He poked the long saber close-combat fighter in the center of his brow, eliminating him.
Under the sudden drastic change, the iron bucket formation was no longer viable. Huo Yuhao executed a slightly clumsy counter-charge, thrusting his spear toward the long spear close-combat fighter.
The long spear close-combat fighter was not afraid at all. The flash movement was useless; it was restrained by his dark glasses.
He was confident that if he competed purely in spear techniques with Huo Yuhao, he would absolutely crush this top student from the Royal Soul Engineer Academy!
However, when he looked closely, he only saw a stick without a spear tip. The stick stopped in front of his left chest, but the real pain registered on his left chest instead.
After eliminating the two close-combat fighters, Huo Yuhao directly used the First-rank Rapid Fire mode to kite and kill the two shield-holding Soul Engineers.
Everything happened in a flash. Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and Feng Tingting didn't see it completely; Huo Yuhao had already won.
The tactical analyst gave the score: Ninth round, perfect score!
This result made Feng Yu swallow hard:
"Junior Brother, if your performance in the next round is good enough, you can break the record!"
After nine rounds of combat, Huo Yuhao's movements were completely efficient, displaying the same combat style as when he manufactured Soul Guidance Devices.
But Feng Yu still found it somewhat unbelievable. Was the record set by the current Hall Master of the Worship Hall really that easy to break?
He didn't deliberately stall for Huo Yuhao to adjust; instead, he announced directly:
"Tenth round, Hundred-year Silver Moon Wolf Pack, seven individuals."
After the announcement, he couldn't help but look forward. This tenth round was also the tenth round faced by Kong Deming 150 years ago.
The Soul Beasts hadn't even changed; no, their age had increased by 150 years, making them stronger!
Although Kong Deming originated from the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy, he never entered the Mingde Hall.
Instead, he was taken as a final disciple by the then-Hall Master of the Worship Hall before he even graduated.
The Worship Hall presided over by Kong Deming was in competition with the Mingde Hall regarding internal resources and influence.
If his teacher's disciple broke the record Kong Deming left at the academy, his teacher would surely be very happy, right?
"The old senior has arrived," Xiao Hongchen commented with a wry smile, watching the large iron cage open.
Although he hadn't fully understood the principle behind Huo Yuhao's Second Spirit Ability, he didn't think it could fool these seven wolves.
If he had encountered them in his Second-rank Soul Engineer examination, under the condition that he could only use Second-rank Soul Guidance Devices at maximum, he would have almost no chance of winning.
These seven Hundred-year Silver Moon Wolves had been at the academy for over two hundred years. Even Feng Yu could call them 'old seniors'.
Because of their collaboration ability, which surpassed ordinary wild Silver Moon Wolves, they quickly stood out among a group of expendable test Soul Beasts.
They received meticulous care from the academy and were all robust and strong.
The leading Silver Moon Wolf was a Wolf King approaching a thousand years old.
It was two meters long, slender and well-built, with a crescent shape formed by a tuft of silvery-white fur on its forehead.
It lacked the fierce aggression of the Hundred-year Wind Baboon. Huo Yuhao could only read composure and calmness from its pair of silver eyes.
The other six Silver Moon Wolves lagged a step behind it. After glancing at Huo Yuhao, they focused their attention on Feng Yu's expression.
This was the confidence and understanding of examination rules they had developed by eliminating countless students from the Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Looking at these seven Silver Moon Wolves, Huo Yuhao actually had the illusion of facing a well-trained Second-rank Soul Engineer team.
"Tenth round, begin!"
Huo Yuhao repeated his trick, entering the invisibility state directly.
The six wolves moved tacitly, slowly walking toward Huo Yuhao's original position. Their muscles were tense while their wolf noses twitched, sniffing the air molecules.
The Wolf King followed slowly, its gaze scanning the surroundings vigilantly, still approaching slowly, seemingly not having lost its target.
Simulation could distort light, alter aura, and even imitate scent, but smell was a Domain it was not skilled in.
This point was precisely what the Silver Moon Wolves excelled at countering.
Huo Yuhao was not surprised by this. Instead, relying on the absolute first-strike advantage of the invisibility state, he threw a 'nursing bottle' toward the Silver Moon Wolf King.
The four leading Silver Moon Wolves immediately opened their mouths and unleashed a burst of their innate Spirit Ability, Moon Blade; the remaining two remained on guard.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
The Second-rank nursing bottle struck by the Moon Blades exploded instantly.
Boom!
The shockwave, carrying fine metal fragments, swept across the entire field, immediately disrupting the Silver Moon Wolf Pack's advance rhythm.
The purpose of designing the Second-rank nursing bottle was not just for restoring Soul Power, but for this moment!
Huo Yuhao maintained the simulated invisibility. Brilliant crystals appeared on his arm's surface, and the Ice Empress's Pincer blocked the shockwave and the metal fragments within it.
First, he rapidly fired six angled First-rank Soul Guidance Device Rays to hold back the two vigilant Silver Moon Wolves and the Wolf King.
Then, he charged against the current with his spear, his first target being the four Silver Moon Wolves whose old momentum was spent and new momentum hadn't built up.
With a few strides, he rushed in front of the four Silver Moon Wolves. A standard forward thrust, and one wolf instantly lost its ability to move.
However, a sudden change occurred.
Awoo!
The Wolf King let out an urgent howl. The other five wolves, whose formation was already broken, seemed to obey the command, simultaneously unleashing six Moon Blades directly at him.
Huo Yuhao performed a Carp Rolling (carp roll), dodging all the Moon Blades.
Boom!
Cold sweat beaded on Huo Yuhao's back. Even with a Second-rank Shield, resisting such concentrated fire would be impossible!
Awoo!
Another howl sounded. The Wolf King finally realized how troublesome this student was and chose to recall the remaining Silver Moon Wolves to reorganize their formation.
Huo Yuhao's movements did not pause at all.
He utilized the metal shockwave sweeping across the field, in the gap where metal particles drifted in the air, filling it with a metallic smell.
He simulated the appearance of the Silver Moon Wolves, blending in with them in the center, and then activated Mental Detection, Telepathist, and Mental Sharing all at once.
His mind rapidly processed the complex visual feeds and various pieces of information.
Then, an explosion!
Thrust, poke, sweep, block, collapse, smash...
He executed the basic spear techniques methodically, but at this critical time and critical location, they achieved an extremely terrifying effect!
Catching them off guard, three Silver Moon Wolves were pierced straight through, instantly losing combat effectiveness.
The remaining two Silver Moon Wolves had blood seeping out onto their snow-white fur, their mouths looking as if they had eaten dragon fruit.
The Wolf King's condition was slightly better, but its aura was also quite weak.
Huo Yuhao's expression was calm. He was already certain of victory. He didn't continue the close-quarters combat but rapidly retreated a few steps to finish them off with ranged shots.
A few breaths later, the Wolf King fell in front of Huo Yuhao.
Tenth round, passed with a perfect score!
Huo Yuhao's tense mental state slowly relaxed, and he let out a breath.
He looked down at his tattered school uniform. Although he only sustained minor injuries, his Soul Power was completely depleted.
Several high-intensity bursts made him feel like he had returned all the food he had eaten at the academy.
"Yuhao, you've set a record that is almost impossible to break!"
Feng Yu excitedly told him the results:
"Soul Guidance Devices: 3 items, 440 points. Ten rounds of combat: 995 points. Total score: 1435 points, first place, record broken!"
On the other side, Meng Hongchen poked Xiao Hongchen:
"Brother, you've been surpassed!"
Xiao Hongchen argued, "I also cleared all the levels back then, he's not stronger than me!"
"Brother, you've been surpassed!"
Xiao Hongchen stubbornly retorted, "The opponent lists were different, there's no basis for comparison!"
"Brother, you've been surpassed!"
Xiao Hongchen completely lost his composure, "I'm not convinced, I also cleared ten rounds!"
Meng Hongchen: "You cleared ten rounds because your abilities only reached the tenth round. Junior Brother cleared ten rounds because there were only ten rounds."
"Mental Detection, it must be the auxiliary effect of Mental Detection!"
Xiao Hongchen found the key point:
"Such an amazing person is not allowed to exist in the academy!"
"If I had Mental Detection, I would definitely be stronger than him!"
"Tingting, give me a copy of the recording. I must analyze it frame by frame! Mental Detection can actually have such a marvelous use?!"
After severely striking Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen's disheartened mood recovered somewhat. She stared intently at Huo Yuhao.
The Junior Brother's Second Spirit Ability seemed to be able to distort space through mental fluctuations and simulate various forms using himself as the foundation.
Junior Brother, how many things about you are we still unaware of?