Zhilin understood what Ye Tianming meant, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes.
He slowly raised his hand. A powerful wave of Soul Power rippled through the air and settled over Long Chen.
The force showed no aggression, yet carried an imposing pressure that could not be underestimated, as if an invisible mountain weighed heavily on Long Chen's heart.
Long Chen suddenly found himself unable to move.
"Xiao Chen, I'm going to test you with my Soul Power. There's no need to be nervous. Just show me your true strength."
Zhilin's voice was gentle but firm, and his words held a hint of a challenge.
Long Chen said nothing, only nodded, his gaze growing more resolute.
He wanted to find out just how much pressure he could withstand now.
Under the weight of that pressure, Long Chen urged the Soul Power within him.
A warm, powerful energy flowed through his body, as if covering him in an invisible suit of armor to shield him from the pressure around him.
Zhilin immediately sensed that Long Chen's Soul Power had indeed reached the Thirty-second Rank.
As Zhilin gradually increased the flow of his Soul Power, the pressure grew stronger.
Little by little, the pressure he exerted on Long Chen reached the level of a fortieth-rank Soul Power.
For a Battle Soul Elder, fortieth-rank Soul Power was already a burden that was difficult to bear.
Yet Long Chen showed no sign of pain.
His body trembled slightly, but not from pain.
Under the pressure, the Soul Power within him was stirred into greater activity, as if silently struggling against the force bearing down on him.
Seeing this, Zhilin couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
He knew that Long Chen's Martial Soul was the Dark Night Demonic Lute, and that he was a Control System Soul Master.
He hadn't expected this young Control System Soul Master before him to have such remarkable resistance to pressure.
Zhilin continued to increase the force until his Soul Power reached an intensity that only a fiftieth-rank Soul Master could withstand.
Under such pressure, even a young Soul Master with exceptional talent would struggle.
But Long Chen gritted his teeth and held on. His eyes showed no hint of retreat, only a yearning for the challenge and an unyielding will.
Having taken Whale Rubber had made his body exceptionally tough.
And with two lifetimes behind him, how could his will be compared to an ordinary person's?
At last, Zhilin withdrew his Soul Power, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"What a tenacious little fellow! Your Soul Power is remarkably pure, and your will is unusually steadfast. I take back my earlier doubts. You certainly qualify as a Tiandou Rank Student, and you may even have the potential to surpass that rank."
Long Chen let out a sigh of relief, his expression calm.
"Thank you for putting me to the test, Teacher."
Meng Shenji and Bai Baoshan had watched the entire process from the side. They nodded as well, expressing their approval of Long Chen.
Meng Shenji patted Long Chen on the shoulder and said earnestly,
"Xiao Chen, you have extraordinary potential and an unyielding will. I believe that before long, you'll make a name for yourself in the Soul Master World and bring glory to the Royal Academy."
Before Long Chen had come to meet the three members of the education committee, Liu Zhicheng had already told them that Long Chen's Martial Soul was the Mutated Martial Soul, the Dark Night Demonic Lute.
Meng Shenji's Martial Soul was the Black Demon, which possessed a dark attribute but had not evolved into an Evil Attribute.
He wasn't concerned that Long Chen's Dark Night Demonic Lute Martial Soul possessed a powerful Evil Attribute.
He believed that with proper guidance, even Soul Masters born with Martial Souls of an Evil Attribute could follow the right path.
Seeing the three members of the education committee's attitude toward Long Chen, Ye Tianming felt deeply reassured.
He knew that sending Long Chen to Heaven Dou Royal Academy had been the right choice.
Here, Long Chen would have the chance to receive better training and develop his abilities.
Afterward, with Liu Zhicheng leading the way, Long Chen and Ye Tianming said goodbye to the three members of the education committee and headed to the boys' dormitory.
Long Chen was now a Tiandou Rank Student.
There were few Tiandou Rank Students at the academy, and they were entitled to private dorm rooms.
The academy staff arranged a luxurious single room for Long Chen.
After unpacking, he went with Ye Tianming to the training grounds to find Ye Lingling.
Ye Lingling was delighted to see them and hurried over, beaming with joy.
"Dad, Brother Chen, what brings you here?"
Ye Tianming smiled.
"Lingling, you've grown quite a bit. I've brought you some good news."
"What good news? Did Brother Chen come to our academy?"
Ye Tianming nodded.
"Starting today, Xiao Chen is a member of the Royal Academy too."
"Really?"
Ye Lingling stared straight at Long Chen.
Long Chen froze for a moment.
Without him realizing it, Ye Lingling had changed. She was no longer the little girl she used to be.
She had blossomed into a graceful young woman.
Her limpid eyes shone with delight and disbelief, like brilliant stars in the night sky, reflecting the joy surging within her.
A faint blush rose to her cheeks, lending her an air of girlish shyness and innocence.
As the corners of her mouth lifted on their own, two shallow dimples appeared and disappeared on her cheeks, making her look all the sweeter.
She stepped toward him lightly, moving with the unique grace and liveliness of a young girl. Her smooth, long hair swayed gently with her steps, carrying a faint fragrance.
Her voice, too, was bright with excitement, clear and pleasant to the ear.
"Brother Chen, you really came! Now we can go to school together!"
Long Chen smiled and nodded.
"That's wonderful! Have you already broken through the thirtieth rank?"
"Mm. Uncle Ye and I just went to the Star Dou Great Forest to get my third Soul Ring. My Soul Power is at the Thirty-second Rank now."
"Thirty-second Rank?"
Ye Lingling's eyes widened.
"Brother Chen, you're amazing. You've only just arrived at the academy, and you're already a Tiandou Rank Student."
The three of them chatted as they walked.
Ye Lingling told Ye Tianming how she had been doing.
After dinner, Long Chen and Ye Lingling walked Ye Tianming to the academy gate.
"All right, you two should head back. Study hard at the academy and take care of yourselves. I'll come see you again in a while."
"Okay, we will. Don't worry, Uncle Ye. I'll take good care of Lingling."
They watched Ye Tianming leave before turning and walking back into the academy.
As they climbed the stone steps leading to the Main Campus, they chatted along the way.
Ye Lingling was in high spirits. She had been looking forward to this day for a long time.
"Brother Chen, whenever you and Dad came to visit me before, I'd secretly watch you leave from this road. This time, with you by my side, I won't be lonely anymore."
"Lingling, I'll always be with you from now on."
"Brother Chen, you're already a Tiandou Rank Student, but I'm still a Tianhui Rank Student. Since we're in different ranks, we can't train together."
Long Chen smiled.
"Lingling, we can train together. Isn't the academy going to form a new School Team soon? As long as we both join it, we can train together."
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