Advancement Test

"Stop right there. Little ones, this is Spirit Hall. You can't just barge in." Zhao Ming and Xiao Wu had barely arrived at Spirit Hall when the guards at the entrance stopped them.

Nuoding City's Spirit Hall was an enormous domed structure. The front alone spanned more than a hundred meters, stood twenty meters tall, and had three floors in total.

The entire building was brown. The Spirit Hall emblem above the main entrance bore only a single longsword, signifying that Nuoding City's Spirit Hall was the lowest-ranked type of Spirit Hall.

The two guards at the entrance looked to be around twenty years old. The fluctuations of Soul Power around them were faint, and they probably had not even reached the rank of Soul Master. The rank of this Spirit Hall alone showed that Nuoding City held a rather low status within the Heaven Dou Empire.

"Hello, we're first-year students from Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy. We came here to test our Soul Power Levels." Zhao Ming pointed to the school uniforms on himself and Xiao Wu as he spoke to the guards.

Testing Soul Power?

The two guards were startled. They rarely saw children this young come to test their Soul Power.

At the same time, they noticed the Nuoding Academy uniforms the two wore, and their eyes revealed a hint of envy. Though Nuoding Academy was not some elite Soul Master Academy, it was still a hall of dreams for the vast majority of ordinary people.

"Is that so? Then go on in. Find Soul Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo in the first-floor reception hall. He'll help you."

Zhao Ming nodded and took Xiao Wu's hand as they headed into Spirit Hall.

The two guards' envious gazes followed them until they entered Spirit Hall. One of them said, "If I could have afforded Nuoding Academy back then, maybe I'd be a Soul Master now too. Huh? Nuoding Academy should have its own tools for testing Soul Power. Students only come here when they advance. Why did these two children come all the way to our Spirit Hall?"

"Who knows? Maybe they've broken through to Soul Masters."

"Pfft. Children that young becoming Soul Masters? Maybe once they grow up." One of them scoffed.

"Forget it. Why think so much about it? Just focus on doing our jobs." The other shook his head and said no more.

Nuoding City's Spirit Hall had been built on a grand scale, its main hall standing a full twenty meters high.

The domed ceiling of the hall was covered in murals. Each small panel depicted a different Martial Soul. Set against a gleaming golden background, they gave the place a resplendent yet ancient air.

Zhao Ming and Xiao Wu wandered around the Spirit Hall lobby when a woman's voice called out to them.

"Why are there such young children in Spirit Hall? Could they be some noble young master and young lady here for Martial Soul Awakening?"

She was a female Soul Master, tall and voluptuous, with looks that could be considered above average.

"We're students from Nuoding Academy. We came to Spirit Hall for an Advancement Test and to test our Soul Power while we're here," Zhao Ming answered first.

"An Advancement Test? Little brother, are you sure you haven't made a mistake?" The female Soul Master widened her eyes in astonishment.

"That's right. An Advancement Test. We're both Soul Masters." Xiao Wu gave the female Soul Master a sweet smile.

"Soul Masters? Then how old are you?" the female Soul Master could not help asking.

"Six."

"Six-year-old Soul Masters? Are you Innate Full Soul Power?" The female Soul Master's mouth fell open, her face filled with disbelief.

"What do you think?" Zhao Ming frowned and replied irritably.

Only then did Sisi realize that she had talked too much. Such things were every Soul Master's secrets, and she should not have asked.

"Right, my name is Sisi. I didn't mean anything by it. It's just that yesterday, a child about your age also came here to advance to Soul Master, so I was a little surprised. After all, you're both so young." The female Soul Master smiled.

"I'll take you to the reception area. Otherwise, it'll take you some time to find it yourselves."

Leading Zhao Ming and Xiao Wu, Sisi quickly reached the second floor. Familiar with the way, she arrived at the door of a room and pushed it open without hesitation.

It was a bright office. An elderly man sat behind a broad desk. His neat Soul Master uniform and the standard three-sword emblem on his chest identified him as a Battle Soul Master of the Soul Grandmaster rank.

The old man frowned and was about to flare up, but when he saw who had arrived, his expression immediately softened and his face broke into a lecherous grin.

"Sisi? Why are you here so early? Didn't we agree on tonight?" The old man chuckled. "Could it be that you couldn't wait?"

"You old pervert!" A blush flashed across Sisi's face as she hurriedly said, "Don't talk nonsense. It wouldn't be good if Brother Tao and the others heard you."

"What about Su Yuntao? He's only a little younger than me. Don't forget, I was the one who got you into Spirit Hall. Otherwise, with you being such a minor Soul Master..."

"Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo, that isn't what I meant." Sisi hurriedly explained, her face full of frustration.

My heavens, there's a story here!

But can't you settle your affairs in private? Isn't this a little inappropriate in front of us?

"Sister Sisi, are we testing our Soul Power here?" Zhao Ming reminded them at the right moment.

Ma Xiunuo's expression changed upon hearing Zhao Ming. Zhao Ming and Xiao Wu were short, so he had not noticed the two behind Sisi.

Sisi complained somewhat, "Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo, stop rambling. These two children are here for an Advancement Appraisal. Please help them."

"An Advancement Appraisal? Could they be another two with Innate Full Soul Power?" Ma Xiunuo was slightly startled.

"Then you can head out first. I'll take them for the appraisal."

The place for Advancement Appraisals was not here. After the three of them walked down a long corridor and reached its end—

Three tall arched doors suddenly came into view before them.

"This is where Advancement Appraisals are conducted. The three doors are for Soul Master, Soul Grandmaster, and Soul Elder Advancement Appraisals respectively. However, we can't conduct appraisals for higher ranks here. For those, you have to go to a major city." Ma Xiunuo introduced the place to Zhao Ming and Xiao Wu as he led them into the room on the far left.

The room was spacious and lofty, covering a full two hundred square meters. A huge floor-to-ceiling window provided ample light.

The moment he entered, Zhao Ming felt a pulling force stirring his Soul Power. He quickly found the source: five small black stones placed around the room. They were likely what was drawing on his Soul Power.