What a Fine Blade—Truly a Fine Blade! (Please Favorite, Recommend, Vote!)

An eleven-year-old, thirty-seventh-level Spirit Master, with a thousand-year first Soul Ring and ten-thousand-year second and third Soul Rings!

Ma Yun felt as though his heart had skipped a beat.

He had been in charge of recruiting new students for many years, yet this was the first time he had encountered a genius like the child before him.

"My name is Ma Yun. I am in charge of new student recruitment at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy."

Ma Yun paused and carefully examined Xu Tianming from head to toe, but he could not discern what Xu Tianming's Martial Soul was.

"Child, what is your name?"

"Xu Tianming."

Retracting his Soul Rings, Xu Tianming answered.

"Xu Tianming?"

Ma Yun's gaze sharpened slightly.

He was not some inexperienced youngster like Chen An. Merely hearing Xu Tianming's name was enough for him to draw certain conclusions.

After all, a ten-thousand-year soul beast's Soul Ring was not something just anyone could hunt.

Considering Xu Tianming's surname and name, along with the three over-limit Soul Rings on him—

Ma Yun was almost certain that this child was absolutely connected to the imperial family!

"Student Tianming, with your talent, you are fully qualified to join our Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy."

Ma Yun patted Xu Tianming on the shoulder, the wrinkles on his old face nearly bunching together from his smile.

In recent years, the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy and Shrek Academy, the two most renowned academies on the continent, had been influencing one another.

There was no need to mention Shrek Academy, which had established its so-called Soul Guidance Department.

Meanwhile, the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy had also begun placing greater emphasis on cultivating Spirit Masters' fundamentals.

"However, if you wish to continue with the upcoming assessment, there is no problem with that either."

After a pause, Ma Yun continued:

"According to the rules of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy, there are two types of entrance assessments."

"The first assessment focuses on a Spirit Master's ability to create Soul Tools. Students taking it must use the specified materials to create a third-level Soul Tool within the allotted time."

"The other assessment focuses on the Spirit Master's own abilities. The Spirit Master must defeat a thousand-year soul beast alone, though Soul Tools matching his level are permitted."

It had to be said that the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy's entrance assessment was far more reasonable than Shrek Academy's.

At the very least, enrolling in the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy did not require a city lord's letter of recommendation.

Furthermore, the entrance assessment could filter out Spirit Masters with talent for becoming Soul Engineers.

Shrek Academy's entrance assessment, on the other hand, did not contain a single item related to Soul Tools.

To put it simply, Shrek Academy still focused primarily on nurturing powerful Spirit Masters.

Soul Tools were merely accessories for powerful Spirit Masters.

"I'll still follow the rules."

Shaking his head, Xu Tianming said:

"I'll choose the second assessment."

Not to mention a thousand-year soul beast—even a ten-thousand-year soul beast was not necessarily worth Xu Tianming's attention.

Ma Yun nodded slightly. Xu Tianming's choice was within his expectations.

He had also seen Xu Tianming's information on the registration forms earlier.

A First-Level Soul Engineer was indeed far too low in the Sun Moon Empire's environment, where Soul Tools were so highly valued.

"Student Tianming, please follow me."

Ma Yun beckoned to Xu Tianming, then led him into the academy.

In order to test Soul Tools and train students' practical combat abilities, the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy also had something similar to Shrek Academy's beast-fighting arena.

However, the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy called it the Trial Grounds.

The Trial Grounds of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy were divided into two sections.

One was a training area for the academy's students to practice real combat, while the other was a testing area for experimenting with Soul Tools.

From the outside, the building before Xu Tianming really did resemble the arena of a certain country from his previous life.

"Elder Ma!"

The teacher in charge of the practical assessment was slightly startled upon seeing Ma Yun.

"Mm."

Ma Yun casually nodded at the assessment teacher, then turned his gaze toward Xu Tianming.

"Student Tianming, you need to defeat a five-thousand-year soul beast."

The assessment teacher beside them changed expression slightly at those words.

There were already few new students who chose the practical assessment, and they were only supposed to challenge two-thousand-year soul beasts.

"Do you need to use a Soul Tool?"

Although he knew Xu Tianming was only a First-Level Soul Engineer, Ma Yun still asked.

"There's no need for a Soul Tool."

A flash of light appeared in Xu Tianming's hand, and an unusual three-foot-seven-inch longsword appeared within it.

The blade was entirely emerald green, faintly glinting with a cold light.

Unlike ordinary weapons, whose hilts were made of wood or metal, its handle was wrapped in white cloth.

"What a fine blade! Truly a fine blade!"

Besides being responsible for new student admissions, Ma Yun was also an Eighth-Level Soul Engineer.

With just one glance, he could tell that the longsword in Xu Tianming's hand was extraordinary.

Although no Core Array had been inscribed upon it, Ma Yun felt as though the blade were alive.

"Student Xu, this blade is..."

Ma Yun asked curiously.

"I forged it myself. No Core Array has been inscribed on it, so it probably does not count as a Soul Tool, right?"

Xu Tianming flicked his wrist, drawing a flourish with the blade. Under the sunlight, its emerald-green body became even more dazzling.

"Since no Core Array has been inscribed, it naturally does not count as a Soul Tool."

Ma Yun stared intently at the blade in Xu Tianming's hand and asked somewhat embarrassedly:

"Could you lend me this blade for a look?"

Xu Tianming readily handed over the longsword.

"However, I should warn you that it does not like being used by anyone other than me."

"Heh, a blade that can choose its owner? That's rather unusual."

Ma Yun chuckled, assuming Xu Tianming was simply reluctant to part with his beloved blade.

He was an Eighth-Level Soul Engineer, yet this was the first time he had heard of a weapon forged from metal possessing emotions such as dislike.

"Hm?"

Yet the instant he gripped the blade, his expression changed.

He truly felt an intense sense of rejection coming from the longsword.

After he injected a trace of Soul Power into it, the blade immediately began trembling violently in his hand, startling him into hurriedly returning it to Xu Tianming.

"The material of this blade should be Qingjingang."

As expected of an Eighth-Level Soul Engineer, Ma Yun had discerned the origins of Xu Tianming's blade after merely handling it.

"But even if it is Qingjingang, it should not possess this level of toughness!"

"And why... why does this blade actually have emotions of its own?"

Ma Yun could not help being curious.

As an Eighth-Level Soul Engineer, he had handled countless rare metals.

Yet he had never encountered a metal like the blade in Xu Tianming's hand, one that gave him such a vibrant sense of life.

"Elder Ma, shouldn't we finish the trial before discussing anything else?"

Xu Tianming gently stroked the blade as though comforting it before speaking.