Jing Hongchen's Attention

"What did you say?" For a moment, Wang Heng felt like there was something wrong with his ears. Given Xiao Qiang's age and Soul Power, reaching Rank 4 Soul Engineer was already astonishing. He had never expected Xiao Qiang to want to take the Rank 5 Soul Engineer examination.

Although there had been no issues with the Rank 4 Soul Cannon Xiao Qiang had made, could someone really leap two major realms to create a Soul Tool?

"I said that since I've passed the Rank 4 Soul Engineer assessment, please arrange a Rank 5 Soul Engineer assessment for me as well. After all, haven't I already passed the Rank 4 assessment?"

Wang Heng fell silent for a moment. "Wait here for now. Since I am only a Rank 5 Soul Engineer myself, I cannot evaluate another Rank 5 Soul Engineer. I need to find a higher-ranked Soul Engineer to test you."

"Alright. Thank you for the trouble, Teacher Wang." Xiao Qiang cupped his hands. This was exactly the outcome he wanted.

After receiving Xiao Qiang's agreement, Teacher Wang rushed without pause to the Mingde Hall Master's office with the Soul Cannon Xiao Qiang had made.

A fourteen-year-old Rank 4 Soul Engineer was already enough of a genius to catch the Mingde Hall Master's attention. If he was a fourteen-year-old Rank 5 Soul Engineer, such talent would almost certainly make Hall Master Hongchen take him as a disciple.

If Hall Master Hongchen's disciple had been recruited into the academy by him, then it would not merely mean over a decade's worth of year-end bonuses. If he helped Hall Master Hongchen obtain a genius disciple, then when Hall Master Hongchen was pleased, even a casual reward would be enough to let him advance further.

Given Jing Hongchen's status, he would not even need to reward him with anything. A single word from him would be enough to let Wang Heng cross social ranks and reach the level of a Six-ring Soul Emperor, or even a Seven-Ring Soul Sage.

Sensing an opportunity for advancement, Wang Heng reached the building where Jing Hongchen was located at top speed. He directly spent money to smooth things over and had someone take him before Jing Hongchen as quickly as possible, afraid that delays might bring unforeseen changes.

Normally, it was not easy for a Five-ring Soul King to meet Hall Master Hongchen. However, Wang Heng had spent money, and he had claimed that the situation was urgent and needed to be reported to Hall Master Hongchen immediately. Thus, Wang Heng got his wish and met Jing Hongchen.

"Speak. What is it?"

Seated in the Mingde Hall Master's chair, Jing Hongchen wore a mask and appeared utterly stern. A faint but unceasing pressure radiated from around him.

"Hall—Hall Master, please look at this."

Wang Heng cautiously handed over the Rank 4 Soul Cannon Xiao Qiang had made, making Jing Hongchen frown.

However, as someone who stood on equal footing with Xuan Zi and Du Busi despite possessing only Rank 93 Soul Power, he could not be as unreliable in the head as Xuan Zi. In the time it took him to frown, he had already figured out what was going on.

"A Rank 4 Soul Tool. The person who made it is very young?"

"Yes. He is a student who just enrolled, only fourteen years old."

"Fourteen? Not bad talent. He can be properly cultivated."

"Hall Master, this Soul Tool was indeed made by that fourteen-year-old student, but it seems that he is capable of more than just this. He is also preparing to take the Rank 5 Soul Engineer assessment."

"Rank 5?" Jing Hongchen's face beneath the mask showed a flicker of surprise. Fourteen-year-old Rank 4 Soul Engineers were rare, but they did exist. Yet a fourteen-year-old Rank 5 Soul Engineer was something even he had not achieved. Not even his teacher, Kong Deming, had managed it.

In fact, no one had ever imagined that a fourteen-year-old could become a Rank 5 Soul Engineer.

"Yes, Hall Master."

"Where is he? Take me to him." Jing Hongchen rose to his feet. When it came to taking action, he had never been slow.

More importantly, although Wang Heng had not spread word of Xiao Qiang's talent and had not even had time to tell others about Xiao Qiang's circumstances, Jing Hongchen was still well informed about Mingde Hall. An organization as large as Mingde Hall could not possibly be free from infiltration by other powers.

As long as someone observant noticed Wang Heng's actions, they would surely be able to deduce that something had happened. To confirm that Xiao Qiang was a Rank 5 Soul Engineer—and to bind him to his own chariot the instant that was confirmed—Jing Hongchen moved with extreme speed.

Wang Heng was not allowed to fly within Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, but as the academy's dean, no one could stop Jing Hongchen from flying within its grounds.

Thus, in less than two minutes, Jing Hongchen had brought Wang Heng from his office to Xiao Qiang.

"I am Jing Hongchen. I heard that you wish to take the Rank 5 Soul Engineer assessment?" There was no concealment, nor any need for it. As the dean of Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and the master of Mingde Hall, Jing Hongchen was currently at the peak of his influence and in the prime of his vigor.

Though his age had worn away the arrogance of his youth, that overbearing, domineering air was something Jing Hongchen neither wished nor needed to hide.

"Yes, Dean."

"Very good. Young people should dare to think and act as you do." Jing Hongchen encouragingly patted Xiao Qiang's shoulder. A gentle smile, one that had never appeared before, showed on his human-skin mask, leaving Wang Heng utterly bewildered.

Wasn't the Hall Master supposed to be very stern? Such a gentle smile... could this Hall Master be fake?

Jing Hongchen was naturally not fake. As for why he had become like this, it was because during the less than two minutes he had spent flying here, Jing Hongchen had thoroughly studied the Soul Cannon Xiao Qiang had made.

Outsiders watched the excitement, while insiders saw the true craft. As a Rank 9 Soul Master, Jing Hongchen saw far more clearly than Wang Heng what Xiao Qiang's Soul Cannon represented.

When Jing Hongchen had first taken flight, he had intended to make use of Xiao Qiang to see which person within Mingde Hall was a spy sent by another faction. But after examining the Soul Cannon Xiao Qiang had made, that thought vanished completely.

The most important thing now was to draw Xiao Qiang, this top-tier genius in Soul Tools, into his own camp and have him become one of the Hongchen Family's pillars in the future.

For someone he wished to win over, even though Jing Hongchen had always presented a stern image, he could not possibly leave others with the impression that he was difficult to speak to upon their first meeting. That was why Jing Hongchen acted like a kind elder.

"Thank you for your expectations, Dean. I will not disappoint you."

"Very good. What Rank 5 Soul Tool do you intend to make? I can offer you some guidance."

"A Milk Bottle."

Jing Hongchen thought for a moment, then nodded. "A Milk Bottle? Not bad. Given the difficulty of making one, you only need to produce a Rank 4 Milk Bottle to be rated as a Rank 5 Soul Engineer."

Xiao Qiang shook his head. "No, Dean. I mean to make a Rank 5 Milk Bottle."

"A Rank 5 Milk Bottle? That is a Soul Tool only a Rank 6 Soul Engineer can make. Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

Jing Hongchen: "..."

Jing Hongchen had originally thought Xiao Qiang merely wanted to break a record, but now it seemed Xiao Qiang intended to do far more than break just one record.