Midnight
"Hah…" Chen Junting opened his eyes, exhaling a breath of turbid qi.
His body faintly pulsed with soul power—the unmistakable sign of his imminent breakthrough from peak Level 34 to Level 35.
He was just one step away.
"Life Gold truly is extraordinary," he murmured, glancing at Dugu Xin, still deep in meditation across the room.
In just three months, his cultivation had surged by nearly two levels!
A pace utterly impossible for any Soul Grandmaster—even one with Full Innate Soul Power.
"Heh…" A soft chuckle echoed in his mind.
"Elder Electrolux?"
Recognizing the ancient laugh, Chen Junting sank into his spiritual sea. Moments later, Electrolux materialized before him, staff in hand.
"Young Junting," Electrolux said, eyes sharp, "you've neglected your studies of magical runes and soul-guided arrays for days."
"I've been preparing for the assessment," Chen Junting replied. Though confident no one could wrest the championship from him, he wasn't arrogant.
Even a lion uses full strength against a rabbit.
Facing opponents with Martial Soul Fusion Skills demanded peak readiness.
"As long as you have a plan," Electrolux nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips. He'd summoned Chen Junting partly to nudge him—having come to regard the youth as a promising disciple, he disliked half-hearted efforts.
"But my main reason for coming," Electrolux continued, gesturing to the Eye of Life hovering over Chen Junting's spiritual sea, "is to warn you: before using Life Gold, your physique and talent were already stabilized by heavenly treasures. Thus, its direct enhancement is limited. Your current rapid progress stems from residual vitality left over from the meridian-purifying process. Once this dissipates, your cultivation speed will normalize."
"Ah—so that's it!" Chen Junting's eyes lit with realization.
He'd sensed something off—his speed now dwarfed even his pace from two years prior. Now it made sense.
"Since you understand, I won't linger," Electrolux said, stepping through a verdant portal that dissolved behind him.
Chen Junting returned to his body, unfazed by the revelation. From his ring, he produced a Soul-Advancement Pill—jade-green, translucent, radiating a fragrant aura. He'd saved it since becoming a Soul Grandmaster.
Now, it would propel him to Level 36.
He bit into the pill. A burst of refreshing aroma flooded the room, followed by a stream of green essence flowing into his abdomen. The dorm instantly smelled like a blooming meadow.
Even Dugu Xin jolted awake from meditation.
"Soul-Advancement Pill?!"
Sensing his own mind sharpen, he recognized the pill instantly. Feeling Chen Junting's surging soul power, he thought, 'He's about to break through to 36…'
A flicker of urgency sparked within him. Under the pill's ambient energy, he closed his eyes and plunged back into meditation.
Soon, a ripple of soul power pulsed through the room…
…
Next morning, Assessment Zone
With only 64 teams (under 200 students) in the elimination rounds, the zone was far quieter than three days prior. Outside, nearly thirty instructors stood in a line.
Chen Junting's group clustered with Class Nine, discussing which students to recruit for the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
As time passed, Dugu Xin scanned the crowd, frowning. Most participants had arrived—but no sign of Huo Yuhao or Wang Dong. He leaned toward Chen Junting.
"Junting, Yuhao and Wang Dong aren't here."
Just then, Mujin rushed over, clearly worried.
"Chen Junting—have you seen them?"
Chen Junting and Ning Tian exchanged glances and shook their heads. Mujin's face fell.
Before she could react, Du Weilun's voice boomed:
"Class Six—"
Mujin sighed and returned to her position.
Ning Tian and Wu Feng fretted. "What's wrong with those two?"
"Don't worry," Chen Junting said calmly. His memory was hazy, but he recalled their lateness was tied to Martial Soul Fusion Skill practice. He nodded toward Du Weilun, who'd just called Class Two. "They're safe in the academy. They'll apologize sincerely—Du Weilun will let it slide."
Ning Tian exhaled but said nothing, hoping they'd arrive soon.
When Du Weilun reached Class Six, frantic footsteps echoed from the entrance. In the sudden quiet, the sound was jarring. Everyone turned to see two disheveled figures sprinting toward the zone—clothes rumpled, caked in mud and dew, utterly bedraggled.
Du Weilun's face darkened. Mujin and Ning Tian winced.
Embarrassing!
"Reporting in!" Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong skidded to a halt between teachers and students, voices trembling. Wang Dong looked ready to vanish into the earth.
Du Weilun set down his list. "Which class? Explain."
Wang Dong couldn't speak, so Huo Yuhao stepped up. "Reporting, Teacher Du! Freshman Class Nine—Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. We… overslept from overtraining."
Du Weilun's glare turned icy. After a glance at Mujin, he declared, "Late for the assessment? No sense of time? After your match today, you'll scrub every hallway in the freshman building. Fall in."
"Yes, sir!" they squeaked, scurrying to Chen Junting's group.
Chen Junting's eyes flicked sideways—Zhou Yi had appeared beside Mujin. Though he couldn't hear their exchange, Mujin's flushed, speechless face spoke volumes.
Zhou Yi's furious gaze locked onto the latecomers. Chen Junting shook his head.
These two are doomed.
As they rejoined the team, Wu Feng hissed, "Did you two sleep outside together and oversleep? How do you miss elimination rounds?!"
Her suggestive grin made them blush crimson.
Wu Feng's eyes sparkled with glee—Oh, the scandal!—but Wang Dong snapped, "We were preparing a surprise for you in the match! Wait till you're getting your butts kicked!"
"Pfft! You?" Wu Feng scoffed.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao bowed his head. "Sorry, Sister Xiao Tian, Brother Junting, I—"
"It's fine, Yuhao," Ning Tian cut in, her earlier displeasure gone. "Du Weilun punished you—that's payment enough."
Chen Junting's tone was sharper. "Just remember this. Don't let it happen again."
"Yes, Sister Xiao Tian, Brother Junting," they mumbled in unison.
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