How Many Did You Say?!

As a student, when faced with a problem they could not solve, the usual solution was to contact a teacher or advisor.

The senior student called over a junior nearby and sent him to fetch someone. A moment later, a tall female teacher in glasses, around thirty years old, walked over.

After briefly learning about the situation from the senior student, the teacher turned her gaze toward Huo Yuhao, who was sitting quietly to the side, looking exceptionally well-behaved.

"Hello, little brother. My name is Lin Mei. You can call me Teacher Lin. Are you applying for our academy's Martial Soul Department or Soul Guide Department?"

Sun Moon Royal Soul Guide Academy also had a Martial Soul Department and a Soul Guide Department. However, the Martial Soul Department's situation was much like Shrek's Soul Guide Department.

The higher-ups intended to prioritize it, but various limitations made development impossible.

Lin Mei asked because applicants to the academy's Soul Guide Department needed a certain foundation as Soul Engineers. The handsome little boy before her clearly did not have one—after all, he was far too young.

"I want to apply for the Soul Guide Department!"

"Then do you know that to apply for the Soul Guide Department, you must at least be a Rank 1 Soul Engineer?"

That was only half true. Sun Moon Royal Soul Guide Academy did have such a rule: the final examination at the end of the first year was the Rank 1 Soul Engineer assessment. Those who failed would be expelled.

Lin Mei had brought up this requirement early because she wanted Huo Yuhao to back off in the face of difficulty. He was simply too young.

"Oh, I haven't taken the Soul Engineer ranking examination before."

"Exactly, so little brother, you should wait a few more years before—"

". . . But, Sister Lin, I made this. They said it counts as a Rank 2 Soul Tool, and that makes me a Rank 2 Soul Engineer, so I came here to enroll."

"Wait. You made this?!"

As a Rank 6 Soul Engineer and a resident instructor at Sun Moon Royal Soul Guide Academy, Lin Mei spent her days recruiting students. Now, she stared at the exquisitely crafted Soul Tool the young boy had suddenly pulled from his backpack!

Without a moment's hesitation, Lin Mei instinctively took the Soul Tool from Huo Yuhao's hand and held it before her eyes. Her lenses shifted slightly, revealing faint ripples. Clearly, the glasses themselves were also a Soul Tool.

Lin Mei carefully examined the Silver Cube, then tentatively pressed a small indentation on its surface. The next moment, a Silver White Short Blade appeared in her hand.

"This, this. . ."

Lin Mei's eyes lit up. She tried channeling a little Soul Power into it, and in an instant, the Soul Guide Array Runes inscribed along the Silver White Short Blade's body emerged. Soul Power flowed smoothly over the blade and gathered at its edge, increasing its sharpness.

Heavens, those clean, decisive inscriptions! That Soul Guide Array arrangement, like a work of art! That perfect connection between metal and metal!

This was practically art!!!

Lin Mei's mind shook as this simple Rank 2 Soul Tool dazzled her eyes.

It did not involve much profound Soul Guide knowledge. With her experience as a Rank 6 Soul Engineer, she could determine the tool's general structure with just a glance or two.

But! At least two of its Soul Guide Arrays were innovative! Without changing their function, their volume had actually been reduced to one-third of the original size! What kind of innovation was this?!

And those fundamentals, plain to see with the naked eye. How should she put it? This Soul Tool was like something a shameless Rank 9 Soul Guide Master had made solely to flaunt their skills.

But this child said he had made it himself. Yet he was only eight, right?

The hell, this was made by an eight-year-old?!!

Lin Mei steadied herself, then looked seriously at Huo Yuhao. "Little brother, are you sure you made this?"

"Mm, I did! If Sister Lin doesn't believe me, I can make another one right here for you to see."

Huo Yuhao spoke with a smile, without the slightest trace of falsehood in his tone.

Huo Yuhao rarely lied.

Lin Mei stared fixedly at Huo Yuhao. After a long while, she made her decision. She bent down slightly, looked at him seriously, and spoke in a low voice.

"Then I'll take you somewhere, little brother. Make it for me there. If you really can make one, I'll let you enroll. How about it?"

Lin Mei felt like an evil older sister trying to abduct a pretty young boy, but there was no helping it. If the boy was not lying, then the young man before her possessed terrifying talent as a Soul Engineer!

She had to find a way to get a child like this into their academy!

She watched the boy, waiting for his answer. He did not disappoint her. Without the slightest hesitation, he nodded.

"Okay, Sister Lin! Let's go!"

Huo Yuhao smiled—a sincere smile, with his affinity turned all the way up.

"Headmaster! Headmaster!! Headmaster!!!" "Something terrible has happened!!!"

With a bang, the office door flew open.

Jing Hongchen frowned slightly, displeased. But upon seeing that the visitor was his former student, he silently suppressed his emotions.

I'm a teacher. I need to act like one. Don't get angry. Don't get angry. I absolutely must not get angry.

Jing Hongchen repeated this in his heart, then calmly reached for the tea beside him.

As he reached out, Jing Hongchen spoke evenly.

"Lin Mei, Lin Mei. You've been graduated for so many years, yet you still have that reckless temperament. As Soul Engineers, we must remain calm at all times. Otherwise, how can we create outstanding works?"

Jing Hongchen began his usual lecture, but Lin Mei paid no attention to it and hurriedly said, "Teacher! I found a genius! The kind with absolutely terrifying talent!!!"

"Oh? Tell me about it."

Jing Hongchen remained calm.

Geniuses, there were always one or two every year, but most of them were nothing special.

Jing Hongchen's assessment was that none of them could compare to even a single hair on his grandson or granddaughter. Just some ordinary genius—who did they think they were?

Jing Hongchen shook his head, feeling that his student's psychological fortitude needed improvement. Then he calmly took a sip of red tea.

"But, Teacher! That child is only eight! At eight, he can already make a Rank 3 Soul Guide Array Core!"

"Pfft—cough, cough, cough!"

The red tea sprayed out, splattering all over the thousand-year-old redwood desk.

However, Jing Hongchen could not care less about that. He shot to his feet and stared at Lin Mei in disbelief.

"How many?!"

"Eight years old! He can make a Rank 3 Soul Guide Array Core!" Lin Mei said firmly.

Jing Hongchen stared hard at Lin Mei. After a while, he calmed down and resumed his elegant posture.

"Lin Mei, really now. Don't joke around with your teacher."

"The child is in my laboratory! If you don't believe me, go see for yourself right now!"

Lin Mei's absolute certainty made Jing Hongchen lose some of his confidence. After hesitating for a moment, he made up his mind.

"Let's go! Take me to see!"