Old Nie, You Shouldn't Be

!

"A Rank 4 Soul Engineer? I'm not one."

Jiang Ming was rather surprised, and immediately denied it.

"Hm? Zhou Yi, you lied to me?"

Fan Yu turned to look at his girlfriend, a trace of doubt in his eyes.

He knew his girlfriend. She would never joke about something like this.

"You're not a Rank 4 Soul Engineer? Then why were you reading a book on Rank Four Soul Cannonballs? And looking so absorbed, too? Don't tell me you were just putting on an act?!"

Zhou Yi's beautiful eyes instantly widened, and she spoke with some anger.

Based on Jiang Ming's behavior, his obsession with soul tools, and the contents of the soul tool book he had been reading, she had judged from multiple angles that Jiang Ming was a Rank 4 Soul Engineer.

But if he was not, then she had truly made a huge blunder!

"Oh, so that's what you meant."

Jiang Ming scratched his head, a pure smile appearing on his face. He said softly:

"I really am not a Rank 4 Soul Engineer. I haven't gotten the Rank 4 Soul Engineer badge yet. As for that book, I'm ashamed to say I've been reading it for many days, but I still haven't been able to make a Rank Four Soul Cannonball. There are always some problems with the core formation."

"Wait!"

Hearing this, Fan Yu's brows suddenly furrowed. Then, as if he had thought of something, his eyes turned grave.

"You said... you haven't gotten the Rank 4 Soul Engineer badge yet?"

Jiang Ming nodded and continued:

"I was originally going to get it, but I came to Shrek Academy to enroll these past few days, so it got delayed. Besides, I probably can't get the Rank 4 Soul Engineer badge yet anyway. After all, I haven't even successfully made a Rank Four Soul Cannonball once."

As he spoke, Jiang Ming's expression became somewhat vexed.

When he was in Clear Water City, he had made a Rank Four Soul Tool before, but it had been the simplest kind of Rank Four Soul Tool. His goal was to make a Rank Four Soul Cannonball, and then apply for the Rank 4 Soul Engineer badge.

Unfortunately, he had never succeeded!

A Soul Cannonball was different from other soul tools. Once there was a problem with the core formation, it would explode on the spot!

These past few days, he had spent a ridiculous amount of money, but still had not succeeded.

So he urgently needed a powerful soul engineer who could guide him, so he could break through this long-standing predicament!

Gulp!

After hearing Jiang Ming's words, both Fan Yu and Zhou Yi were stunned! The way they looked at Jiang Ming was as if they were looking at a monster!

Their hearts were shaken beyond words!

What did a Rank 4 Soul Engineer represent? That was a level that allowed someone to graduate directly from the outer courtyard of Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department!

And yet, this kid had only just enrolled!

And he was only twelve years old!

The more Fan Yu thought about it, the drier his mouth felt. The look he gave Jiang Ming gradually grew scorching!

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and he looked at Jiang Ming in confusion before saying in a deep voice:

"Your talent with soul tools is so strong, so why did you go to the Martial Soul Department?!"

This was the part Fan Yu found completely incomprehensible.

A twelve-year-old Rank 4 Soul Engineer! Even if their evaluation standards here were slightly more lenient than those of the Sun Moon Empire, this was still an unparalleled genius!

At the very least, in the several decades of Fan Yu's life, he had absolutely never seen such a monstrous soul tool genius!

He did not know about the Sun Moon Empire's side, but even if they had geniuses of this level, there definitely would not be many! They might not even have any!

"Uh, about that. In the recommendation letter Old Nie gave me, he recommended me to the Martial Soul Department."

Jiang Ming answered truthfully.

"Old Nie? Who is Old Nie?! How could he recommend a soul tool genius like you to the Martial Soul Department?! That's simply f—"

Fan Yu felt like he was about to explode from anger. Even he, who usually had quite a good temper, nearly failed to hold back a curse!

In his view, for a soul tool genius like Jiang Ming, coming to the Soul Tool Department was the best choice! Going to the Martial Soul Department? Was that not burying his talent?

"Old Nie is my foster father."

Jiang Ming said this with a serious expression. Although Old Nie was not his biological father in this world, he already regarded Old Nie as a father and would not allow anyone to curse him.

"Your foster father?"

Fan Yu blinked, then took a few deep breaths and calmed the surging emotions in his heart. Afterward, he apologized without putting on any airs.

"Sorry. I was too emotional just now. But, but even if he's your foster father, he still shouldn't have made such an absurd choice! A twelve-year-old Rank 4 Soul Engineer! Sending you to the Martial Soul Department—what was he thinking?!"

Fan Yu could not understand. He truly could not understand!

In his view, even someone who did not understand soul tools or soul engineers, after seeing Jiang Ming's terrifying talent in the Soul Tool Department, should know that this child was more suited to the Soul Tool Department!

So how could he have been sent over to the Martial Soul Department?!

Just then, Zhou Yi suddenly grabbed Fan Yu and said in a low voice, "Fan Yu, this child's Martial Soul is a Body Martial Soul."

Fan Yu froze on the spot. His earlier confusion seemed to find its answer the moment he heard the words "Body Martial Soul."

"A Body Martial Soul? Which part?"

Fan Yu's expression turned somewhat grave.

If it was a Body Martial Soul, then it would be much harder for him to poach the boy from the Martial Soul Department!

He hoped it was not an important part. If so, he could still contact the dean of the Soul Tool Department and ask for him.

But Zhou Yi's words shattered that last bit of luck.

"This child's Martial Soul is the Golden Heart! A heart-type Body Martial Soul! And when I tested him this morning, his Soul Power was probably already past rank thirty!"

In an instant, Fan Yu's body seemed to have been sealed by something. He stood motionless, like a human statue.

A few seconds later, a voice suddenly exploded across the entire Soul Tool testing ground.

"What did you say?!!!"

That high-pitched voice, filled with utter shock, instantly drew everyone's attention. A few students who were still practicing with and testing Soul Tools here could not help coming over to ask what had happened, but Fan Yu waved them straight back!

Fan Yu's brows were tightly knitted. His still fairly handsome face had twisted together at this moment, like a constipated patient making one final effort.

He glanced at Jiang Ming, anxiety on his face, muttering under his breath as he kept pacing in circles on the spot.

"A twelve-year-old Soul Elder, with the Body Martial Soul Golden Heart... How is this kid's Soul Master talent this strong too?! It's over, it's over. The Martial Soul Department will absolutely never let him go!"

After thinking it over and over, Fan Yu still could not come up with a solution.

The people in the Martial Soul Department were not fools. If they could hand a genius of this level over to the Soul Tool Department, they might as well donate their eyes!

But a twelve-year-old Rank 4 Soul Engineer—heavens!

Old Nie, Old Nie, why did you have to recommend him to the Martial Soul Department?!

Although Fan Yu had never met Old Nie, the resentment he felt toward this Old Nie had already shot to the skies!

So much so that in Clear Water City, near the Far North, Old Nie, who was instructing and training Clear Water City's soldiers, sneezed several times in a row!

Old Nie sniffed, looked toward the distant direction of Shrek Academy, and smiled.

"Xiao Ming must be missing me at Shrek Academy."