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"Whoa! That's explosive!"
Wu Feng clenched her fists, eyes sparkling with glee. "Teacher Mujin actually likes Teacher Fan Yu!" She turned to Ning Tian and the others, mischief dancing in her eyes. "Should we play matchmaker and hook them up?"
"Feng," Ning Tian frowned, though her tone quickly shifted, "didn't you see how utterly indifferent Teacher Fan Yu was? Honestly, there's zero chance between them."
As the two gossiped, Wang Dong sidled over, equally intrigued.
Chen Junting, Ning Tian, and Huo Yuhao exchanged helpless glances.
Shortly after, they weren't sure what happened—but Wu Feng approached He Caitou with a question… and instantly froze in shock. Ning Tian and Wang Dong reacted the same way.
Once that little drama passed—
Testing resumed.
Wu Feng and Wang Dong both scored a solid Level 7, while the others hovered around Level 5 or 6.
Then came Chen Junting's turn.
He stepped calmly before the strength-testing soul-guided device. Before him loomed a massive metal wall, with a calibrated scale beneath it. Without flourish, he formed a fist with his pale, almost porcelain-like hand—and drove it straight into the metal.
BOOM—!
The impact shook the entire area. The metal wall shot backward at blinding speed, unleashing a shockwave that rippled outward.
Everyone gaped—except Ning Tian and Wu Feng, who'd expected this. When the wall finally stopped, the needle hovered precisely at Level 10.
"Strength: Level 10!"
He Caitou, recording results, stared at the freshman he'd just met yesterday in utter disbelief. Chen Junting didn't look particularly muscular—yet his raw physical power matched that of a Soul King-level attack-type soul master. This test measured pure bodily strength, after all—and Level 10 was the benchmark for that tier.
"Damn, you're insane!" He Caitou scribbled "Level 10" on the form, handed it back, and gave Chen Junting a thumbs-up.
Testing moved on.
Soon, Chen Junting's group arrived at the next station—physical toughness, overseen by Teacher Mujin. It had been a full minute since the last student emerged.
Ding—!
The door of the soul-guided diagnostic chamber slid open. A visibly drained student stumbled out.
Curiosity rippled through the line.
"How do they even test physical toughness?" Wu Feng whispered, standing on tiptoe to peer inside during the brief opening. But beyond Teacher Mujin standing within, she saw nothing useful.
"You'll find out once you're in," Chen Junting said calmly.
Half an hour later, Chen Junting stepped into the chamber and handed his form to Mujin.
Unaware of the commotion outside, Mujin's eyes widened the moment she saw "Level 10" in the strength column. She stared at Chen Junting, stunned.
Oblivious—or perhaps indifferent—to her shock, he asked evenly, "Teacher, may we begin?"
"Of course." Mujin suppressed her astonishment and stepped into a glowing circle. "Prepare yourself."
She pressed a button on a remote-like device.
Instantly, the air around Chen Junting thickened. Overwhelming soul power surged from all directions, pinning him in place.
Now he understood. This chamber was a soul power extraction and projection system.
Mujin's position extracted soul power.
His position received it.
Unlike direct soul master attacks, this device could:
- Precisely calibrate output levels
- Instantly halt if the subject neared injury
- Maximize pressure efficiency
- Minimize energy waste for the tester
Chen Junting braced silently.
Second by second, the pressure climbed. At soul power level 40, his expression remained unchanged.
Mujin, impressed, cranked it higher.
The display jumped to 45—and only then did Chen Junting's brow furrow slightly.
At 50—
Buzz—!
The pressure vanished.
"Beyond expectations," Mujin murmured, noting the result before tucking the form away. A smile had lingered on her lips since the test began.
"How'd I do, Teacher?"
"Exceptional. A monster among monsters."
Chen Junting stretched, eyeing the Level 50 reading. 'With this physical resilience—and if my spiritual strength holds—I can safely absorb a ten-thousand-year fourth soul ring.'
He recalled the Life Metal's recent boost to his spiritual sea. *I should ask Elder Electrolux about spiritual cultivation methods… but not now.*
Outside, classmates swarmed him the moment he exited.
"Physical toughness of Level 50?!" The news sent shockwaves through Class Nine.
Testing continued until the last student finished. Mujin then dismissed them—tomorrow's sessions would cover the remaining metrics.
The class scattered. After a quick lunch at the cafeteria, Ning Tian's group returned to their dorms. The toughness test had left them drenched in sweat—sticky and uncomfortable.
Freshly showered, Chen Junting sat cross-legged on his bed.
Outwardly meditating—
Inwardly, he entered his spiritual sea.
"Elder Electrolux."
In the emerald expanse of his spiritual realm, Chen Junting activated the Life Metal "Eye of Life" embedded in his brow. Moments later, Electrolux responded.
A green portal materialized—and the elder stepped through.
"Trouble?" Electrolux asked.
"Not trouble," Chen Junting said bluntly. "I need to strengthen my spiritual power—but I've found no methods."
"Ah." Electrolux chuckled. "For a mage, spiritual power is paramount. This is simple." He extended his right index finger. Golden runes flared to life, searing into the fabric of the spiritual sea. "This meditation technique is no ordinary method. It's the very reason my consciousness lingers here at all."
"Thank you, Elder Electrolux," Chen Junting said solemnly, gazing at the glowing runes. Then he added, "May I share this technique with others?"
Electrolux laughed softly—a rare, unreadable expression flickering across his face. "Thinking of your little girlfriend, are you?"
"Not just her," Chen Junting clarified. He explained his plan to eventually gift this technique to the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect—though not immediately. Ning Tian and Huo Yuhao, however, could learn it without issue.
"You have heart," Electrolux nodded, clearly pleased.
Loyalty to one's roots is rare indeed.
"Since I've given it to you," he said finally, "this technique is yours. Do with it as you will—no need to ask my permission again."
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