Genius Class and the Genius Ranking

The gatekeeper led Qin Ming to the office door in the courtyard and lightly knocked. "Dean, a child from the Balak Kingdom has come to enroll with a letter from Pope Palace."

"Alright, let him in." A clear female voice came from inside.

The gatekeeper signaled to Qin Ming with his eyes, then turned and left.

Qin Ming pushed open the door. A blended fragrance of various flowers rushed toward him. Seated at the desk directly opposite the door was a woman in a black gauze dress.

The woman glanced Qin Ming over, then raised a hand to beckon him closer.

"Qin Ming?" Her willow-like brows lifted slightly, as if she was a little surprised that Qin Ming seemed younger than expected.

"Yes..."

"You can call me Dean Ling Yuan. Let me see Pope Palace's reply and the local Bishop's Recommendation Letter." The woman spoke to Qin Ming in a casual tone.

Every year, commoner genius Spirit Masters from all across the continent came to Spirit Hall Academy for further study after breaking through Level Twenty. The letter from Pope Palace was what confirmed their identities.

As for the Recommendation Letter, it was meant to provide an understanding of each person's specific circumstances.

"Alright, Dean Ling Yuan." Qin Ming handed over the two envelopes.

Ling Yuan then carefully read both letters. As she read, she kept glancing up at Qin Ming, as though confirming whether the person before her was truly the one described in the letters.

"Eight years old, Level Twenty-Two, Millennium Second Ring."

"Student Qin, you really have given me quite the surprise."

A smile rested on Ling Yuan's lips as her eyes continuously swept over Qin Ming.

Charlton's Recommendation Letter had truthfully described Qin Ming's situation. She had never seen such an extraordinarily gifted talent in her life.

The boy looked completely ordinary, well-behaved and sensible. Who would have thought he was hiding his true strength? If she had possessed such talent when she was young, she would have been looking down her nose at everyone.

"I was merely lucky enough to encounter a few opportunities," Qin Ming answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Ling Yuan nodded. Just as the Recommendation Letter had said, he was low-key and steady.

"Vermilion Fruit, and the Crystal Core of a thousand-year Fire Demon Spirit—treasures like these are rare even in Spirit City."

"How could you call that merely a few opportunities?" Ling Yuan shook her head with a laugh. She was also a Fire Attribute Spirit Master, and a Fire Demon Spirit's Crystal Core was priceless to her.

But the traces of a Super Soul Beast were incredibly difficult to find, something people could pursue their entire lives without obtaining. This sort of fortune truly made her envious.

"Student Qin, let me explain your future arrangements at Spirit Hall Academy."

"You will be joining the academy's Genius Class."

"The Genius Class is divided into Soul Grandmaster and Soul Elder levels."

"You are currently a Level Twenty-Two, Second Ring Soul Grandmaster, so you will be entering the Soul Grandmaster-level Genius Class."

"Oh, and by the way, I am the homeroom teacher for both Genius Classes, as well as your Combat Class instructor."

Ling Yuan calmly explained the class's various rules to Qin Ming. Ordinarily, she would have given some suppressive instruction to an outsider genius student like him.

But after reading Qin Ming's record in the Recommendation Letter, Ling Yuan felt that Qin Ming ought to be the one suppressing the Genius Class students.

"Alright." Qin Ming nodded. He thought of how there was a female Title Douluo in Spirit Hall in the original story whose title was also Ling Yuan, with the Blazing Spirit Kite Martial Soul. Could she be the homeroom teacher standing before him?

"Doesn't Spirit Hall Academy graduate students at the Soul King level? Shouldn't there be a Soul Ancestor Genius Class, then?" Qin Ming raised his question.

The mainstream advanced Soul Master academies on the continent graduated students at the Soul Ancestor level, but Spirit Hall Academy graduated students at the Soul King level.

"Hmph, you really are dreaming big, kid." Ling Yuan narrowed her eyes and laughed softly.

"Soul Ancestors are already powerful enough to stand on their own outside. Naturally, they will not be trained in an academy."

"After reaching Four Rings, Genius Class members will directly enter the Spirit Hall system. Their training will focus mainly on practical experience, and they will be dispatched across the continent to carry out missions."

"That is also what makes Spirit Hall Academy different from other advanced Soul Master academies."

"Of course, it is still too early for you to worry about that."

"Also, let me tell you about the Genius Class rules separately."

"The academy will provide you with basic cultivation resources every month, but if you want anything extra, you will have to fight for it yourself." A meaningful smile curved Ling Yuan's lips.

"Fight for it?" Qin Ming was somewhat confused. Did attending school require risking one's life?

Ling Yuan seemed to see through Qin Ming's thoughts and shook her head. "Of course I do not mean risking your life. Every level of the Genius Class has a Genius Ranking."

"The ranking points change constantly and are settled at the end of each month. On the first day of the following month, the points are reset, and additional cultivation resources are distributed according to the previous month's rankings."

"And there is only one most important factor in determining those rankings!" As she spoke, Ling Yuan clenched one hand into a fist and waved it before Qin Ming.

"That is Soul Fighting. The stronger you are, the more points you earn. Understand?"

Qin Ming nodded. It was like raising venomous insects—the strongest one received more resources, then became even stronger.

"Oh, right. The Recommendation Letter said you need a method for Spiritual Attack, correct?" Ling Yuan recalled that Charlton had mentioned it in the letter, and she looked at Qin Ming with a mischievous smile.

"That's right. Could it be..." Qin Ming nodded. A method for using Mental Power to attack others was indeed something he needed.

"Then go ahead and give it a try. As long as you can remain first in consecutive rankings, you can have Soul Beast materials, medicinal pills, resources, cultivation methods, even manuals containing the Self-Created Soul Skills of other powerful experts."

In short, if you had the strength, come and take it.

But Qin Ming knew that if Spirit Hall could be so generous, even offering manuals of Self-Created Soul Skills, then it must have regarded the Genius Class as a reserve force for Spirit Hall's future Soul Douluo and even Title Douluo.

Ling Yuan before him was one such example.

But there were drawbacks to this approach as well. "Wouldn't that mean Level Twenty-One students could end up facing Level Twenty-Nine students? And what about Support Type students?" Qin Ming asked.

"Once you leave the academy, enemies will not spare you just because your Soul Power Level is low. Since you are geniuses, then fight across levels!"

"I was discovered by Spirit Hall and brought here to study as well. I am now a Level Eighty-Seven Soul Douluo."

"Back then, I still fought Level Twenty-Nine opponents when I was only Level Twenty-One. I took first place in the Genius Ranking again and again, and eventually a Title Douluo took me as a disciple."

"As for Support Type students, their assessment standards are also based on actual combat, but their standards differ from those for Battle Soul Masters like you."

"Besides, practical combat accounts for the largest portion of Genius Ranking points, but it is not the only factor."

"Of course, as Genius Class students, you also have a privilege."

"You only have theoretical lessons for one morning in the classroom. As for the rest of your time, whether you cultivate or fight Soul Battles to climb the rankings, you may arrange it yourselves."

"Aren't you our Combat Class instructor?" Qin Ming spotted the inconsistency.

"Ahem. Do you think a unified Combat Class is still necessary under a system like the Genius Ranking?"

"Of course, if there is anything you need my guidance on in practical combat, you can come ask me." Ling Yuan closed her eyes and deliberately avoided looking at Qin Ming. In truth, she simply wanted to slack off. Although those above had required Combat Classes, she did not think these geniuses would want them.

After all, every genius had their own combat rhythm and methods.

Teaching them in a rigid, standardized manner like ordinary students—such as how Defense Type students should fight Power Attack Type students, or how Power Attack Type students should fight Control Type students—would be a complete waste of time.

After all, geniuses were different from ordinary people.

"It is difficult to explain everything at once. Spend a few days in the class, and you will more or less understand." Ling Yuan waved her hand.

Then she glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and said, "There is still time. I will take you to the class first."