"We'll first give you some tests, then tailor a study plan specifically for you. After all, you're a genius from the Douluo Three Kingdoms. We won't give up on any talent."
"Talents like you should receive the most elite training and the finest cultivation to strengthen the Sun Moon Empire."
After hearing that, Zhong Kui did not object. It was only natural for him to accept the Sun Moon Empire's cultivation; at the very least, he should give something back to the empire.
Moreover, Zhong Kui did not think the Douluo Three Kingdoms had anything good about it. Although he had been born there, the problem was that the Douluo Three Kingdoms was inherently a slave-owning—or rather, feudal—society.
His family had merely been one struggling to survive in that society.
In this life, Zhong Kui's identity on the Douluo Continent included Soul Master parents, but they did not come from any powerful family.
His Soul Master parents had basically worked for sects or nobles with some influence. Although awakening their martial souls had given them connections that could help awaken their child's martial soul, life was still difficult. They never lacked food or clothes, but they had to constantly watch other people's expressions. When they encountered someone they could not afford to offend, they had to bow their heads.
Even when facing nobles with little real strength, they still had to smile obediently. Those nobles might have had almost no influence left, but they were nobles nonetheless. Even civilian Soul Masters with some strength could not provoke them. Otherwise, they would be infringing upon the interests of other nobles and, more importantly, their dignity, inviting trouble for themselves.
Thus, families like Zhong Kui's—Soul Masters living at the bottom of society—had no foundation and no power. They could only work honestly for others and scrape together a living.
But everyone wanted a better life. Why should they work for a group of people with no real strength, smile at them, and become their slaves?
That was why Zhong Kui had turned his gaze toward the Sun Moon Empire. Although the Sun Moon Empire was the villain in the novel, a closer examination showed that it was the most progressive nation, the one that most deserved to unify the entire Douluo Continent.
It had to be admitted that while the Sun Moon Empire was not exactly wonderful, it was still far better than the Douluo Three Kingdoms.
The Sun Moon Empire could be called a highly progressive nation. It was far ahead of the Douluo Three Kingdoms, understanding how to use the power of Soul Tools to strengthen Soul Masters and educate students.
It taught students through scientific methods. Look at Shrek Academy's education in the Douluo Three Kingdoms: it hoarded geniuses, treated students as tools to make itself famous or something, taught only monsters, and refused to teach the useless.
A truly great academy should turn useless people into geniuses, not turn monsters into monsters. Yet the Douluo Three Kingdoms saw nothing wrong with that. Wasn't that ridiculous?
Or perhaps the Douluo Three Kingdoms knew it was ridiculous, but did not dare say so. There was no way to resist.
After all, the Douluo Three Kingdoms needed Shrek's strength to resist the Sun Moon Empire. Shrek had Ultimate Douluo, and the Douluo Three Kingdoms could only rely on Shrek for help, so they could not expose the truth.
Returning to the matter at hand, Zhong Kui was soon brought to a Soul Tool laboratory responsible for testing students.
Jing Hongchen walked over at that moment. He was a beautiful man with silver hair.
(It looks like many people in this world are modeled after their manga appearances.)
(Note: I don't really like the appearances in the anime or novels, so the characters are generally based on their novel appearances. But for some anime characters, I'll still use their anime appearances.)
"Zhong Kui, there's no need to be nervous. My name is Jing Hongchen, and I'm the master of the Sun Moon Empire's Virtue Hall. You can think of me as the person in charge of the academy. We won't give up on a genius like you. I imagine you could no longer tolerate the ridiculous system of the Douluo Three Kingdoms, which is why you came to the Sun Moon Empire. Otherwise, I simply can't imagine why a genius like you would come to our Sun Moon Empire."
After hearing Jing Hongchen's words, Zhong Kui nodded.
(I'm no genius. I cheated with the system. But since you think so, I can't exactly say anything. I can't reveal the system, after all. Still, I really don't like the Douluo Three Kingdoms. Life in the Sun Moon Empire is better than life there.)
"I truly don't like living in the Douluo Three Kingdoms. It is a paradise for nobles. Any noble is entitled to enjoy everything, yet civilian Soul Masters like us cannot become nobles or obtain what we deserve. We even have to smile at nobles with no real strength."
After hearing Zhong Kui say that, the master of Virtue Hall felt that his guess had indeed been correct, and that Kong Deming's words made sense.
No matter how foolish the Douluo Three Kingdoms might be, they should not have casually let a genius go to the Sun Moon Empire. Clearly, this genius had not been valued, which was why he had come to the Sun Moon Empire. He could not possibly be a spy either.
Reaching the Soul Emperor level at such a young age already made him a genius. How could a genius like that have been sent to the Sun Moon Empire?
Unless the other side had rocks in their head.
"Now, let's test your personal strength and some of your abilities."
The tests began quickly. First came the strength test. Zhong Kui walked before a machine, put on a pair of gloves, and began testing his strength.
"Let's see your strength. Put on the boxing gloves and strike the machine. Let's test just how strong you are."
Upon hearing that, Zhong Kui immediately put on the gloves and threw a punch. The result? He punched straight through the machine, leaving a hole in it!
"!!!" The master of Virtue Hall was dumbfounded when he saw the result. He had expected Zhong Kui, as a Soul Emperor, to be very strong, but he had not expected him to be absurdly strong. He had casually punched a hole through it. Was that something a Soul Emperor could do?
"Are you sure he's only a Soul Emperor? I'd believe it even if you said he was a Soul Douluo—I'd believe it!"
Jing Hongchen stared at the machine in disbelief. It could easily withstand attacks from a Soul Saint, yet a Soul Emperor had destroyed it and punched a hole through it.
"According to the test, the Soul Power display confirmed that he was indeed a Soul Emperor-level Soul Master at the time. But his immense strength may be due to prolonged strength training, or perhaps his Soul Rings are strength-type."
"Um, may I ask? Your martial soul is an eye, right? Could it be that all of your Soul Rings are...?"
"All of my Soul Rings are spiritual attribute."
"Then where did your strength come from?"
"I underwent training. After all, in the Douluo Three Kingdoms, if you weren't strong, you couldn't survive."
"I understand. Then let's continue with the next test."
Before you continue