Peerless Monster, Academy Black Card

"Hmm?"

Wang Dong narrowed her eyes slightly, sensing that something was wrong.

This was a Thousand Year second Soul Ring.

Where was the shock? The praise? The cheers that belonged to yours truly?

She had eaten so much Whale Rubber she was nearly sick of it just to obtain such a Thousand Year Soul Ring. What had it been for?

Wasn't it precisely because it was different enough?

Why were these people reacting so normally? Could there be someone even more monstrous than her?

On the second floor of Teaching Building No. 3,

Zi Yao entered the testing room, where quite a few other qualified students had gathered.

Some were outside recruits who had already passed the screening, while others were Nobles with letters of recommendation.

At the center of the classroom stood a cylindrical device. From the front, it looked like a crystalline pillar extending from top to bottom, over two meters tall, with a circular platform before it.

At the teacher's request,

the students stepped onto it one after another for testing, including the Nobles.

As the Sun Moon Empire's highest institution of learning and the Holy Land of Soul Engineers across the continent,

this noble academy was not a place one could enter through connections alone. At the very least, one had to prove they possessed the talent to become an outstanding Soul Engineer.

"Physical strength, Level Twenty-seven. Physical resilience, Level Twenty-nine. Soul Power fluctuation, Level Twenty-eight..."

"Physical strength, Level Twenty-one. Physical resilience, Level Twenty-seven. Soul Power fluctuation, Level Twenty-four..."

"Physical strength, Level Thirty-four. Physical resilience, Level Thirty-seven. Soul Power fluctuation, Level Thirty-one..."

The young men and women came forward one by one for testing.

These noble students could only be considered average.

The results would be scored and ranked before the students were assigned to classes.

The first year of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Master Academy had thirty-two classes in total. As students advanced through the grades, the number of classes decreased year by year.

After graduating from the sixth year, those who became Rank 6 Soul Tool Masters could enter Mingde Hall and receive state subsidies and status.

It was soon Zi Yao's turn.

He stood on the cylindrical platform. A crystal-like barrier descended from above and enveloped him as white light slowly scanned him from head to toe. After a long while, the results finally appeared.

"Physical strength, Level Fifty-three. Physical resilience, Level Forty-eight. Soul Power fluctuation, Level Thirty-one. Height, 1.78 meters. Weight, 76 kilograms. Age, twelve. No Soul Bone enhancement. Overall evaluation..."

Soul King-level physical strength...

Zi Yao glanced at it and felt it was decent enough.

After all, he had yet to absorb a Soul Bone.

When Huo Yuhao had been tested back then, his Level Forty cultivation had yielded Level Sixty physical strength only because of the Ice Empress's Four Hundred Thousand Years torso bone and Left Arm Bone, as well as an External Soul Bone.

Reaching this level through natural body refinement alone meant that slowing down his cultivation had not been in vain.

Everyone present immediately looked at him as if he were a monster.

In the Sun Moon Empire, where taking supplements was popular, cultivation speed was the highest priority. As long as one's Soul Power rose, other shortcomings could be compensated for with Soul Tools.

People like Zi Yao, who refined their bodies, were exceedingly rare.

"Beep... beep... beep... Program error..."

The Soul Tool Body Tester suddenly emitted strange noises. The teacher in charge of testing stepped forward to inspect it, then said with complete conviction,

"Monster. An absolute monster. This kid has thrown the Soul Tool's program into chaos. Go on to the next test."

Zi Yao went to the next testing area.

The Strength Tester was enormous, occupying a tenth of the entire room. At its center was a thick leather striking area, a full square meter in size.

"Just use your full strength. We need to test your maximum power. You may not use Soul Tools, but you may use Soul Power and Soul Skill enhancements."

Zi Yao nodded and exhaled.

Ninth gear!

The moment he entered the Blood Burning State, his strength surged. He clenched his right fist, his muscles hard as steel.

With a deafening bang, his fist struck the center. After a half-second pause, the leather caved in deeply. The entire impact area rippled like waves, sending surging air currents outward.

The massive Strength Tester was forced back nearly three inches by that punch, only slowly returning to its original position two seconds later.

"Level Fifty-nine!"

The teacher recording the test data could not hide his shock.

A Level Thirty-one Soul Elder could unleash strength approaching that of a Soul Emperor?

Although the other party possessed Soul King-level physical strength, that was only physical strength. Without Soul Power enhancement, their attributes could not be compared on the same level.

For instance, Huo Yuhao possessed Level Sixty-one physical strength and Level Sixty-five physical resilience, yet the force he could unleash was only around Level Fifty-five, even with the Tang Sect Techniques.

For a Soul Elder to unleash power at this level was terrifying no matter how one looked at it.

"Phew..."

Zi Yao deeply exhaled and withdrew from the Blood Burning State, feeling somewhat weak.

This should have been the limit of the explosive strength he could currently unleash.

For someone with the Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline, consuming sixty percent of his bloodline would not affect his normal bodily functions.

Any further would make him feel weak, but even activating the ninth gear would not harm his physical foundation. He would fully recover in two or three hours.

There was naturally no need to say much about the following tests.

Zi Yao had almost no weaknesses and completed every test exceptionally well, taking first place with record-breaking results in nearly every category.

Such talent naturally drew the attention of those above.

A short, plump Middle Aged Man approached, his expression kind.

"Hello. I am Lin Jiayi, the dean of studies at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Master Academy."

"Zi Yao."

Zi Yao introduced himself calmly.

With the heaven-defying talent he had displayed, it would not have been surprising even if Jing Hóngchén had come personally to welcome him.

"Your name has long been known to everyone. Teachers from every department have come to report that a genius has appeared among this year's students."

Lin Jiayi praised him without reservation.

A Soul Elder whose attributes in every aspect rivaled those of a Soul King was simply far too terrifying.

For Soul Engineers, Soul Master talent was equally important. Soul Engineers primarily achieved an effect where one plus one was greater than two; it was impossible to rely entirely on Soul Tools to become strong.

He handed over a Black Card. Its edges were made of the Rare Metal Platinum, and it was thinner than a coin, truly as thin as a cicada's wing.

"The Black Card is your student identification. With it, you may use all training facilities at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Master Academy for free."

"This card also has a limit of two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. It can be used anywhere on the continent, and you do not need to repay it."

"Most importantly, this card itself is a Rank 5 Soul Tool. Its design is indescribably ingenious. As long as you send a distress signal with your Soul Power, its location will be transmitted back to the academy, and we will rush to rescue you as quickly as possible."

Zi Yao did not immediately agree.

There was no such thing as a free lunch; what was free was often the most expensive.

"There is only one condition: after you graduate, you must join Mingde Hall."

Lin Jiayi continued slowly.

With such talent, if he left the academy after graduation, would that not be the greatest loss?