On the square, more than a dozen people had already been waiting. When they saw Jing Hongchen, they immediately jogged over. One of them, a short and chubby middle-aged man, stepped forward respectfully and said, "Hall Master, everything is ready."
Jing Hongchen nodded slightly, then turned back to the Shrek group and smiled. "At our Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, the academy head is the current emperor. However, His Majesty usually only holds the title and rarely comes to the academy, so routine affairs are generally handled by the Director of Studies."
"This is our Director of Studies, Lin Jiayi. During the next two and a half years of your studies here, you can seek his help."
After the brief introduction, Jing Hongchen instructed, "Jiayi, the students are now in your hands. Principal Qian and Teacher Fan Yu, follow me."
"Yes." Lin Jiayi responded respectfully.
Qian Duoduo and Fan Yu followed Jing Hongchen. At the same time, the former transmitted his voice through soul power: "Follow them without worry."
Hearing this, the students, who had been somewhat nervous, immediately relaxed.
After the big shots left, Lin Jiayi made a gesture. Instantly, the dozen or so people behind him stepped forward, each holding a tray with a ring placed on it.
A relatively gentle smile appeared on Lin Jiayi's plump face. "First, on behalf of the entire faculty and students of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, I welcome you. These are storage soul guide rings for your use during your exchange studies. Inside are your uniforms, dormitory keys, as well as the academy map and rules."
Giving out soul guide rings right at the start?
The Shrek group was stunned. The lowest-priced storage rings were worth thousands of gold soul coins, and high-end ones—like the one in Huo Yuhao's hand—were worth millions. The rings on these trays weren't top-tier, but they were far superior to ordinary ones.
The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy was actually providing them for free for two and a half years?
This was insanely extravagant.
But it had to be said—they were indeed sincere.
Seeing the surprised expressions of the Shrek students, Lin Jiayi secretly nodded in satisfaction. Using extremely tempting benefits to lure some less resolute Shrek students—if successful in the future, the gains would be considerable.
After the Shrek students each took their storage rings, Lin Jiayi continued:
"To show our sincerity in this exchange program, in the future, each of you will have two days every week to study in Mingde Hall. Moreover, if you pass subsequent assessments, you can directly enter Mingde Hall until the end of your exchange period."
"One thing you may not know is that even outstanding students in our academy cannot enter Mingde Hall unless they pass its assessment. This restriction does not apply to you."
"That's all I have to say. The rest you will experience yourselves. Next, I will take you for a physical examination."
"Physical examination?" He Caitou frowned.
His voice immediately attracted Lin Jiayi's attention. Lin Jiayi's eyes lit up—this young man looked pretty good. For a soul engineer, physical strength was also an important indicator.
Lin Jiayi understood what the students were thinking and smiled lightly. "Don't worry, the physical examination is not targeted at you. In our academy, everyone undergoes a physical exam at the beginning of each academic year. This is just a basic enrollment requirement."
These words had an effect; the suspicion in everyone's eyes immediately lessened.
"Come on." Lin Jiayi turned and walked toward a brightly lit teaching building in the distance.
Ye Xiaosheng glanced at Huo Yuhao. Seeing that he didn't move, he instantly understood, smiled slightly, and was the first to follow Lin Jiayi.
Only then did the other students follow.
In an unfamiliar place, the first thing to do was to familiarize oneself with the routes. As they walked, Huo Yuhao also took out the map to study it.
Overall, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy was divided into three areas: the teaching area, the residential area, and the experimental area.
The experimental area was the largest, occupying two-thirds of the entire academy. The vast open area they had seen from the air earlier was precisely the experimental zone, mainly used to test attacks from level-seven and below soul guide devices.
As for higher-level ones, they had to go elsewhere—the map did not mark those locations.
On the huge map, there were also many unmarked buildings whose purposes were unknown.
As for Mingde Hall, it was located in the middle of one of the experimental areas. Whether it was safe to build it there was questionable—after all, who knew whether a stray shell might accidentally fly over?
While walking, Lin Jiayi also talked about the academy's advancement system.
Unlike Shrek Academy, the enrollment requirement of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy was that one must reach level ten cultivation and obtain a soul ring.
But the subsequent advancement was interesting. If you became a level-one soul engineer in just a few months, you could directly skip a grade and enter the second year, and so on.
As for assessments, the academy had only one kind: the soul engineer assessment. The assessment time was not fixed—whenever a student applied, the test would be conducted that very day, even if only one person registered.
There were restrictions, of course. If one had not reached level-three soul engineer by the age of eighteen, they had to leave. If they passed, they could stay until twenty-five. If they reached level-five soul engineer, they could participate in the Mingde Hall assessment.
During their studies, the academy even provided living expenses—and reportedly quite generous ones.
Listening to this, even Huo Yuhao felt some emotion. No wonder in the Douluo fanfictions he read in his previous life, many protagonists chose to start at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
With conditions like these, who wouldn't be tempted?
Back then, he had also considered coming to the Sun Moon Empire after finding the Heaven Dream Iceworm, but ultimately stayed at Shrek Academy out of concern that he might waste his knowledge of the original plot.
Well, everyone had their own choices, but the final outcomes were similar.
Eventually, Lin Jiayi led everyone into a first-year teaching building. The building was huge, with corridors extending in all directions. Looking up, many windows were still lit, with figures moving inside.
"Some students lack talent and choose to make up for it with hard work. The academy will give them the greatest support. After all, ordinary people make up the majority of this world," Lin Jiayi said jokingly.
"Of course, the metals provided are not rare ones—otherwise, the academy wouldn't be able to sustain itself."
Hearing his teasing tone, the Shrek students couldn't help but smile, and the atmosphere became livelier.
At the end of the east corridor, there was a room with a sign hanging above it that read: "Physical Testing Room."
"We're here." Lin Jiayi stopped, took out an identity card, and swiped it across a crystal-like screen in the middle of the door. With a beep, the double doors slid open.
Everyone followed him inside.
The physical testing room covered an area of about three hundred square meters. Different areas were filled with various soul guide instruments. To the students, these devices were all novel, sparking curiosity.
"Next, we'll begin the physical tests. Don't carry any metal items on your bodies. You can temporarily give your soul guide rings to your companions," Lin Jiayi said, scanning the curious students.
"Don't worry, the soul guide devices used in the tests will not cause any harm to your bodies. These instruments have even begun to be used in the medical field—though you don't need to worry about that."
Medical field?
Everyone looked at each other. Huo Yuhao felt a sense of familiarity—this was just like the group physical examinations organized by schools in his previous life.
As the undisputed leader, Ye Xiaosheng was the first to undergo testing. Under everyone's gaze, over thirty data points were measured.
Physical strength: level fifty-four.
Physical resilience: level sixty-one…
As the data appeared, Ye Xiaosheng was slightly stunned—it was roughly what he had estimated.
This naturally drew the others' attention. Revealing physical data wasn't something they liked, but it was unavoidable.
Soon, one student after another underwent testing. Teachers operating the instruments recorded the data and handed summaries to Lin Jiayi.
The more he looked, the more serious Lin Jiayi's expression became.
In terms of soul guide devices, they could crush Shrek Academy. But purely in terms of physical qualities, they were far inferior—even many students already in Mingde Hall were weaker than this group from Shrek.
From what he knew, it seemed that in Shrek Academy, only those with weaker talent chose soul guide devices…
Damn it, then how monstrous were those martial soul-type students?
Tearing soul cannons with bare hands?
Kicking fixed-position cannons?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
"Next." Lin Jiayi forcibly suppressed his inner shock and looked expectantly at He Caitou.
The other teachers and Shrek students also looked over. In terms of physique, He Caitou indeed looked the strongest.
He Caitou took a deep breath and began the test.
A few minutes later, all data appeared.
"Physical strength: level seventy-one.
Physical resilience: level sixty-four.
Height: two meters and two centimeters.
Additional torso soul bone.
Soul power: level fifty-two…"
As each data point was announced, the testing room fell into silence.
Lin Jiayi's eyes widened.
A person with soul power level fifty-two had an average physical quality reaching the Soul Emperor level, with some even approaching the Soul Saint level.
The sound of someone swallowing saliva echoed in the room, though no one knew who it came from.
Seeing the level-six soul engineer badge on He Caitou's chest, Lin Jiayi did not hesitate and marked his file in red.
Key observation target.
He Caitou stepped off the final testing device and took back his storage ring from Huo Yuhao. Now, only Huo Yuhao had not been tested.
Because he wore a level-three soul engineer badge, Lin Jiayi, the teachers, and even the Shrek students were more focused on Huo Yuhao's soul master abilities.
His identity was more like an exchange for Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen.
Under a female teacher's guidance, Huo Yuhao stepped onto the soul guide detection platform. Soon, a beam of white light scanned his body from top to bottom.
Data appeared on the light guide screen.
Everyone looked over curiously.
But the moment they saw the data, the entire testing room fell into dead silence, with only the ticking of machines remaining. Lin Jiayi's expression was nothing short of shock.
Physical strength: level eighty-two.
Physical resilience: level eighty-four.
Soul power fluctuation: level forty-seven.
Height: 1.85 meters.
Weight: 90 kilograms.
Bone age: fourteen years old.
Additional soul bones: torso bone, left arm bone, right palm bone, external back soul bone, external eye soul bone…
When all the data appeared, Lin Jiayi blinked, then turned stiffly to the female teacher operating the instrument and asked, "Are you sure the soul guide testing device isn't broken?"
The female teacher looked even more stunned than him and said blankly, "It's not broken…"
Lin Jiayi and the teachers stared at Huo Yuhao in shock. If this data were made public, it would definitely cause a huge uproar.
What kind of level-forty-seven Soul Ancestor had physical strength at the Soul Douluo level without relying on soul power enhancement?
Was this guy a transformed soul beast?
Even more terrifying—some Titled Douluo didn't even have a single soul bone, yet you had five?
Does your family wholesale soul bones?
As for Ye Xiaosheng and the others, they stood there dumbfounded, their minds buzzing.
Now they finally understood why Huo Yuhao had been evaluated by the academy as a permanent Shrek Seven Monsters.
Huo Yuhao stepped down from the testing platform, took the storage ring from He Caitou, glanced at the screen, and nodded calmly. "Looks okay. A bit stronger than I imagined."
Visible show-off—the deadliest kind.
The Shrek students felt as if they had been punched heavily in the face, their expressions sinking into silence.
Lin Jiayi looked at Huo Yuhao and thought: You call this okay?
A bit stronger? More like billions of times stronger.
Although soul masters placed more emphasis on soul power cultivation, physical strength also played a crucial role in combat. At the very least, it made them harder to beat.
Otherwise, why was there a saying that once a Soul Ancestor ran out of soul power, if their physique was weak, they couldn't even beat fully equipped elite soldiers?
"Fortunately, this kid's soul engineer level isn't high. Otherwise, he'd definitely be a huge problem in the future," Lin Jiayi suppressed his shock and felt a trace of relief.
If Jing Hongchen knew what he was thinking, he would definitely slap him.
You've been a soul engineer for too long and forgotten about soul masters, haven't you? This is clearly a future Super Douluo at the very least.
"Ahem." Lin Jiayi coughed a few times, waking everyone from their silence. "Next, we'll test strength. You can use soul power to enhance yourselves, but you cannot use soul guide devices. The strength tester is designed according to power-type soul masters."
Everyone calmed down, choosing to forget what had just happened, and walked toward the strength testing device.
The device was square-shaped, with a thick leather-like surface, about one square meter in size.
The test was simple—throw a punch with full force.
Ye Xiaosheng and the others went first again. As dull impacts echoed, the results appeared one after another, with none exceeding level sixty.
Although Shrek students' physical qualities were generally slightly stronger than those of the Sun Moon Academy, their strength under soul power enhancement was not overwhelmingly high—still within an acceptable range.
This was understandable. Most soul engineer-type students at Shrek focused on enhancing soul power and did not prioritize soul skills, which was similar to the Sun Moon Academy.
Soon, it was He Caitou's turn. After smoking a strength-enhancing snow cigar, he poured all his power into a punch and reached level seventy.
The data was still astonishing, but with Huo Yuhao, the ultimate monster, yet to act, everyone's tolerance had increased.
He Caitou walked back calmly. In his childhood as a prince, he had eaten plenty of top-tier food, and with the support of the Sun Martial Soul and the cigar, his strength was naturally formidable.
"Your turn," Lin Jiayi looked at Huo Yuhao.
Instantly, everyone held their breath, eager to see what result Huo Yuhao would produce.
Huo Yuhao stepped forward. He did not use any soul power or soul skills, relying purely on physical strength. He bent his elbow, gathered power at a single point, and in the next moment, his fist slammed into the device like a dragon piercing through the clouds.
With a loud boom, the room seemed to tremble. The data on the light guide screen soared, finally stopping at level seventy-two.
After everything they had experienced today, the number barely stirred any reaction. No one spoke.
Lin Jiayi said nothing, his tone complicated. "Next is the third test: reaction speed. You can only rely on spiritual power and your own reflexes."
On a platform divided into sixteen palm-sized grids, the grids lit up one by one after activation, requiring manual strikes to extinguish them. The speed increased gradually.
Except for Huo Yuhao and He Caitou, the Shrek students' results were similar. He Caitou lasted until eight grids lit up simultaneously.
As for Huo Yuhao…
Letting someone whose spiritual power had reached the level of tangible yet intangible play this game was basically just entertainment.
The final result was unsurprising—he broke the Sun Moon Academy's record with a perfect score.
Looking at the data from the three tests, Lin Jiayi felt a headache coming on. The academy's student records were about to be dominated by an outsider.
In the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, any record was like an unparalleled beauty, attracting students to compete for first place year after year—not only for fame but also for rewards. But now, after fighting fiercely, they turned around and discovered that the beauty was gone—held in the arms of an outsider.
Just imagining that indescribable pain made Lin Jiayi feel sorry for the academy's students.
"Alright, today's tests end here. It's getting late. Next, I and the teachers will take you to the dormitory building to rest," Lin Jiayi said after organizing the information.
Soon, everyone left the testing room and headed toward the dormitory building. Along the way, they passed several grade-level teaching buildings, lively just like Shrek Academy.
Occasionally, people walked out of these buildings. When they encountered Lin Jiayi and the teachers, they respectfully greeted them, without paying attention to the Shrek students.
However, the Shrek students noticed something curious—the uniforms of these people seemed different from the ones they had received.
Seeing this, Lin Jiayi smiled and explained, "In our academy, there are two types of students. One is soul engineer students, and the other is called practical-control soul engineer students. They don't manufacture soul guide devices; they only use them."
Hearing this, everyone's expressions shifted slightly. Not manufacturing, only using—this seemed familiar, as if their own academy had something similar.
"Damn, a beauty."
Suddenly, Ye Xiaosheng widened his eyes and blurted out, but quickly realized this wasn't his own academy and hurriedly coughed to cover it up.
Lin Jiayi and the teachers twitched their mouths, pretending not to hear.
But boys were extremely sensitive to the word "beauty." Following Ye Xiaosheng's gaze, they subconsciously looked over—except for He Caitou and Huo Yuhao.
He Caitou seemed uninterested in women, completely immersed in soul guide studies. Moreover, in this life, he had almost no interaction with Xiao Xiao, so his development naturally differed from the original story—perhaps only revenge filled his heart.
As for Huo Yuhao, his girlfriend was already a top-tier mature beauty. His resistance was strong.
At the building marked as the sixth-year teaching block, a少女 walked down the stairs. She had dazzling golden long hair, her skin fair and luminous under the lights. Because she was sideways, only her profile was visible.
Even just her profile was enough to captivate the eyes.
Suddenly, sensing multiple gazes, the少女 frowned and looked over, revealing her full face.
Her features were extremely delicate, her lines elegant. The slight frown made her cold, beautiful eyes appear even more distant. Yet, the more distant she seemed, the more people wanted to explore her, to peel away that cold exterior.
In an instant, Ye Xiaosheng and the others' eyes lit up, but they still maintained restraint and did not embarrass themselves. Realizing she had noticed them, they smiled awkwardly and shifted their gaze away.
The少女 coldly withdrew her gaze, her steps light as she left, disappearing into the night.
..............................
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