The Soul-Testing Stone Exploded, Han Su Lost Face

Crack.

The Soul-Testing Stone split apart on the spot.

Cracks spiderwebbed from the top all the way to the base, gray stone dust cascading down as the pedestal itself shuddered.

The entire room fell into a deathly silence.

The pen in the presiding instructor's hand dropped straight to the floor.

The two Deacons standing nearby remained frozen, unable to react for a long time.

Xiao Wu widened her eyes first, then burst into laughter.

"No way."

"You managed to break the stone just by testing your soul power?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized how absurd they sounded and covered her lips with her hand, though she couldn't suppress the mirth in her eyes.

Su Chen withdrew his hand.

His expression remained unchanged.

It was as if the object that had just shattered wasn't the Suotuo Branch Hall's Soul-Testing Stone, but merely a fragile teacup.

Han Su's face had turned incredibly ugly.

He stared at the cracked stone pillar, his eyelids twitching.

"What is the meaning of this?"

The presiding instructor's lips went dry.

"Vice, Vice Hall Master, this Soul-Testing Stone can normally withstand soul power fluctuations of over level thirty-five, logically speaking—"

"Logically speaking what?"

Han Su's voice dropped.

The presiding instructor immediately lowered his head, not daring to continue.

Shen Zhi stood not far away, watching the fractured stone, and slowly let out a breath.

"Over level thirty-five."

"Then it wasn't just a close call; he punched straight through the limit."

The students from Suotuo City finally erupted.

"The Soul-Testing Stone actually exploded?"

"How high did it get just now, thirty-seven?"

"More than that, I think it was still climbing."

"Is he even human?"

"Isn't he just that age? How is this possible?"

The group from Nuoding City was, conversely, much quieter.

Wang Sheng and the others were all stunned into speechlessness.

They knew Su Chen was strong.

They knew their boss was fierce.

They also knew he usually kept a low profile.

But they truly never expected him to be fierce enough to crush the Suotuo City Soul-Testing Stone until it cracked.

Wang Sheng opened his mouth.

"Boss, this..."

A work-study student beside him swallowed hard.

"I won't even dare to brag about this level of strength in the future."

Xiao Wu had already walked over to Su Chen's side.

She looked down at the cracked stone, then back up at Su Chen.

"Did you do that on purpose?"

"No."

"I don't believe you."

"It really wasn't."

Su Chen's tone was indifferent.

"It was just too brittle."

Xiao Wu was stunned for a moment, then her shoulders began to shake with suppressed laughter.

"If they heard you say that, half of them would die of anger."

Han Su had clearly heard everything.

He raised his eyes to look at Su Chen, fire suppressed in the depths of his gaze.

"Your Highness the Holy Son, the Soul-Testing Stone at the Suotuo Branch Hall is not a toy."

"If it cracked, it only means you failed to restrain your soul power when inputting it just now, ruining the procedure."

As soon as these words were spoken, many people around understood.

Han Su was trying to find a way to save face again.

It was too embarrassing for the Soul-Testing Stone to crack.

He couldn't admit that Su Chen was too strong, so he could only claim that Su Chen lacked control.

Xiao Wu was displeased upon hearing this.

"Are you addicted to being a sore loser?"

"If the stone is poor, just admit the stone is poor."

"How can you twist everything to blame others?"

Han Su ignored her, staring only at Su Chen.

"Soul testing is not just about raw output."

"It is even more about control."

"If you cannot even manage that, no matter how high your level is, it is merely superficial."

Su Chen looked at him.

"If you have something to say, get to the point."

Han Su raised his hand, pressing down his sleeve.

"There is another high-tier Soul-Testing Stone inside the branch hall."

"If Your Highness the Holy Son truly has the ability, then switch to that one and test again."

"If you can maintain the same result, I will have nothing more to say."

Shen Zhi frowned.

"Han Su, don't go too far."

"The high-tier Soul-Testing Stone is for internal use at the branch hall; it is not for outsiders—"

"Isn't it being used for an outsider right now?"

Han Su's tone turned cold.

"Or are you afraid as well?"

Su Chen looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"Fine."

"If you want to test, I will test with you."

"But let's make this clear first."

"If it cracks again this time, how will you answer for it?"

Han Su's expression tightened.

"The high-tier Soul-Testing Stone cannot crack."

"I am speaking in the event that it does."

Su Chen's voice was not loud.

Yet, it suppressed all the murmurs from the sidelines.

"Since you keep raising the stakes, there must be a proper wager."

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up instantly.

She loved watching this most of all.

"Exactly."

"Don't just run your mouth."

"What are we betting?"

Han Su stared at Su Chen, silent for two breaths.

"What do you want?"

Su Chen raised his hand and pointed at the registration ledger from earlier.

"If it cracks again."

"For all subsequent procedures today, the Suotuo Branch Hall shall not add any additional scrutiny."

"The registration for Xiao Wu and myself shall be approved directly according to the highest special recruitment standards."

"Furthermore."

He paused, looking at Han Su.

"You will apologize to her yourself."

Xiao Wu was stunned.

She had originally thought Su Chen would continue to suppress Han Su himself.

She hadn't expected the second half of his demand to be for her sake.

She tilted her head to look at Su Chen, her gaze softening instantly.

Han Su's expression darkened further.

"On what grounds?"

"On the grounds that you have been targeting her from start to finish."

Su Chen's tone was indifferent.

"Passing messages at the entrance, changing the rules on a whim, and repeatedly adding hurdles to the process."

"You dare to do it, but not own up to it?"

The sidelines fell silent.

Lu Qingci stood outside the crowd, holding her Wind-Splitting Spear, saying nothing.

But her eyes were already fixed on Han Su.

The several Suotuo City students nearby also stopped making a sound.

Because these words were impossible to refute.

Han Su gritted his teeth.

"Fine."

"If it cracks again, I will concede."

Su Chen nodded.

"Go and bring the stone."

Han Su flicked his sleeve, signaling the Deacon behind him to handle it.

Not long after.

Four sturdy Deacons walked over, carrying a taller and thicker dark blue stone pillar.

The base of the pillar was cast from black iron, its surface covered in denser patterns, with even the corners reinforced with soul-guiding metal.

Just by looking at its weight, it was clearly a cut above the previous one.

The presiding instructor wiped his sweat as he introduced it.

"This piece can stably measure soul power for those below level forty."

"It is generally only used for talent evaluations within the branch hall."

After hearing this, Xiao Wu muttered in a low voice.

"Another 'generally'."

"Why does everything they call 'general' around here love to crack so much?"

Su Chen heard her, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

Han Su's face turned even blacker.

"Begin."

Su Chen did not drag things out.

He walked up to the dark blue stone pillar and raised his hand to press it against the surface.

This time, not a single person on the sidelines spoke.

Everyone's gaze was locked onto that hand and the stone pillar.

One breath.

Two breaths.

The markings inside the stone pillar suddenly lit up.

Level twenty.

Level twenty-five.

Level thirty.

Level thirty-five.

The speed was still frighteningly fast.

But unlike before, this time, that surge of soul power did not rampage wildly.

It was steady.

Steady as a blade edge tracing a line upward.

Thirty-six.

Thirty-seven.

Thirty-eight.

At this point, the stone pillar shuddered visibly.

But it did not crack.

The light continued to push upward.

Thirty-nine.

People on the sidelines were already holding their breath.

Han Su stared at that engraved line, his fingers tightening.

The next instant.

A ring of brilliant blue-white soul light erupted at the top of the stone pillar.

The scale stopped firmly at level thirty-nine.

No cracks.

No explosion.

Not a hint of instability or wavering.

It simply stopped, clear as day, before everyone's eyes.

The entire venue went quiet for a moment.

Immediately after, it erupted like a boiling pot.

"Level thirty-nine!"

"What the hell is there left to test?"

"Thirty-nine at this age? He hasn't even fully grown yet, has he?"

"Suotuo City has hit an iron plate this time."

"That's not an iron plate; that's a mountain."

Wang Sheng, standing behind, was so excited his face turned red.

"Thirty-nine!"

"Boss is at thirty-nine!"

The few work-study students nearby couldn't shout anything else, only repeating those three words over and over.

Shen Zhi stared at that high-level Soul Testing Stone, his gaze shifting.

It wasn't because of the number thirty-nine itself.

It was because of the control displayed just now.

Steady—it was far too steady.

This meant that when Su Chen cracked the ordinary Soul Testing Stone earlier, it truly wasn't because he couldn't control his strength.

It was because he hadn't even taken that stone seriously.

Xiao Wu looked up at Su Chen, her eyes shining as if soaked in light.

"Thirty-nine."

She whispered it once, then broke into a smile.

"No wonder you said yesterday that Zhou Ling didn't know he would lose."

"He really didn't know anything."

Su Chen withdrew his hand.

The light on the stone pillar was still slowly fading.

He turned around and looked at Han Su.

"Now, is it clear enough?"

Han Su stood rooted to the spot, his expression beyond merely unsightly.

What he had brought out just now was the most stable high-level Soul Testing Stone in the Branch Hall.

Yet, not only had it failed to suppress Su Chen, but it had also presented both "level thirty-nine" and "perfect control" to everyone present.

In one stroke, the face of the Suotuo Branch Hall had been wiped clean.

Su Chen did not press the issue.

He simply offered a calm reminder.

"What did you promise just now?"

Han Su's Adam's apple bobbed.

The gazes of everyone around him pressed down upon him.

If he tried to welch on his word now, he would truly become a laughingstock after today, and his position as Vice Hall Master would be a joke.

Han Su slowly turned his head to look at Xiao Wu.

This glance was filled with extreme reluctance.

Xiao Wu, however, stood straight, not dodging in the slightest.

She even took half a step forward.

"Go ahead."

"I'm listening."

The muscles on Han Su's face twitched slightly.

In the end, he squeezed a sentence out through gritted teeth.

"Regarding today's events, the Suotuo Branch Hall acted improperly."

Xiao Wu blinked.

"Is that all?"

Han Su stared at her.

Xiao Wu smiled.

"You promised to apologize just now."

"That sentence doesn't count."

Someone nearby almost couldn't hold back a laugh.

The hands hidden inside Han Su's sleeves were clenched until they turned white.

But with so many people watching, he could only swallow that breath of rage.

After two seconds, he stiffly added another sentence.

"...I'm sorry."

Having heard it, Xiao Wu was satisfied.

She tilted her head to look at Su Chen, her eyes curving into crescents.

"I received it."

That sense of triumph was impossible to suppress.

Su Chen looked at her and also curled the corners of his lips slightly.

The presiding instructor finally dared to continue the process, hurriedly opening the registration ledger and writing in it with flustered hands.

"Su Chen, level thirty-nine."

"Xiao Wu, level twenty-seven."

"Passed according to the highest special recruitment standards."

His hand was still shaking as he wrote.

Because with these two lines written down, the ceiling for this year's special recruitment in Suotuo City had been completely blown off.

Shen Zhi walked over and said in a low voice.

"The subsequent soul power and combat registration are theoretically finished."

"However, according to the procedure, there will be a small induction banquet at the Branch Hall this evening."

Xiao Wu immediately frowned.

"We have to eat again?"

"Can we skip it?"

"I lose my appetite just looking at Han Su."

Shen Zhi coughed.

"You can choose not to go."

"But if you go, you can obtain full access to the Branch Hall archives and the keys to the training grounds."

As soon as Xiao Wu heard the word "keys," her lack of interest vanished.

She turned to look at Su Chen.

"You decide."

Just as Su Chen was about to speak, a rhythmic sound of footsteps suddenly came from the side of the arena.

Two squads of Martial Soul Hall Branch Hall guards stepped aside from the entrance of the passageway.

A young woman dressed in a moon-white gown walked in slowly.

She was not old, yet her temperament was remarkably serene; a string of small silver keys hung from her waist, and she made almost no sound as she walked.

After entering, she first glanced at the cracked old Soul-Testing Stone, then looked at the new stone pillar that had lit up to the thirty-ninth level.

Finally, her gaze fell upon Su Chen.

"I am late."

"Though it seems the excitement is already over."

The moment Shen Zhi saw her, his expression changed instantly.

"Why are you here?"

The woman did not answer him.

She merely withdrew a thin letter bearing the secret seal of the Branch Hall from her sleeve and handed it to Su Chen.

"What Han Su can give you are only the files and keys on the surface."

"Inside this letter are the things in Suotuo City truly worth seeing."

Xiao Wu looked at her, then at the letter.

"Who are you?"

The woman turned her head, her voice very soft.

"Suotuo Branch Hall, Internal Affairs Department, Xu Tinglan."

She paused for a moment, then added one more sentence.

"And also the person at tonight's banquet who most wanted His Highness the Holy Son not to attend."