The Unlimited Division

"Unlimited Division?" Huo Yuhao remembered... he seemed to have heard that term somewhere before.

He quickly recalled that Zhou Yi had mentioned the concept during her very first class.

"You two should still remember that I briefly mentioned the Unlimited Division at the start of the school year." Zhou Yi walked to the blackboard and wrote four terms on it: Primary Division, Intermediate Division, Advanced Division, and Unlimited Division.

"Spirit Soul Academy is made up of these four divisions. The entry requirements for the first three are very simple: you need to possess Soul Power and pass the corresponding entrance examination. If you apply for financial aid, you can skip the Primary Division entrance exam."

"However, the Intermediate and Advanced Division exams each include an additional assessment of 'work-study points.'"

"Generally speaking, the requirements for these two divisions aren't difficult. Each has a fixed benchmark tied to age and Soul Power Level, along with a practical test. The Intermediate Division benchmark is reaching level ten before the age of twelve, while the Advanced Division requires reaching level fifteen before the age of fifteen."

As she spoke, Zhou Yi watched Huo Yuhao and Dong'er's expressions. When they heard those two benchmarks, both looked visibly surprised.

Huo Yuhao's reaction was especially obvious. After all, even in his previous life, despite having only level one Innate Soul Power, he had managed to reach level ten by the age of eleven through hard work alone, starting with nothing. In an environment like Spirit Soul Academy, unless a student spent all day idling around or had a particularly unusual Martial Soul, those so-called fixed benchmarks might as well not exist.

"As for the Unlimited Division, it's the most unusual division in the academy, and its admission requirements are considerably stricter."

"The first requirement is to have obtained your first Soul Ring before the age of nine, and it must be at least a Hundred-Year Soul Ring. According to your enrollment records, both of you have Innate Full Soul Power, so this requirement doesn't really matter for you."

"But the second requirement may be difficult for you, since you're only six: you must defeat a Hundred-Year Soul Beast randomly selected by one of the academy's teachers. Of course, don't worry. Someone will monitor you throughout the test, so your safety won't be at risk."

"This is also the most difficult part of the exam. Generally, students who meet the requirements choose to take on the challenge after turning nine. After all, for most people, six is the age when they've only just awakened their Martial Souls. They have no Spirit Skills and no combat experience. But since you have Innate Full Soul Power, you already possess your first Spirit Skills, which gives you a huge advantage in the test. That's why I've decided to have you take it now."

"However, if you feel you aren't ready, you can stay here for now. I'll simply turn your future cultivation classes into practical combat lessons."

After finishing, Zhou Yi sat quietly at the lectern and waited for their answer.

Huo Yuhao raised his hand first.

"No need, Teacher Zhou. I choose to take the test."

His answer was so decisive that even Zhou Yi was a little surprised.

"Oh? So confident? But as far as I know, your Martial Soul is called the Spirit Eye, a support-type, spiritual Martial Soul. How do you plan to defeat a Hundred-Year Soul Beast?"

"It's true that my Spirit Eye is a support-type Martial Soul, but there's something Teacher Zhou may not know: my first Soul Ring came from a thousand-year Dream Silkworm."

At the mention of the Dream Silkworm, Zhou Yi's eyes immediately lit up.

"Dream Silkworm? You mean the only kind that can be absorbed without regard for a Soul Ring's age limit—the Dream Silkworm that has appeared only a handful of times in the continent's ten-thousand-year history?"

Huo Yuhao nodded. A purple Soul Ring then appeared behind him.

Zhou Yi stood up at once, staring intently at that thousand-year Soul Ring.

Without a doubt, if Huo Yuhao had only had Innate Full Soul Power and a Body Martial Soul, trying to forcefully absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring would have ended with his body bursting apart. There was no way he could have survived.

"Teacher Zhou, the Dream Silkworm's Soul Ring is special. It not only gave me support abilities, but also granted me some offensive power. With both of those combined, I'm confident I can face a Hundred-Year Soul Beast!"

Hearing Huo Yuhao's confident declaration, Zhou Yi thought for a while longer, then finally nodded.

"Then... what about you, Dong'er?"

Zhou Yi turned to Dong'er, who had been silent for a long time. Huo Yuhao looked over as well.

To be honest, Huo Yuhao had only just learned that she also had Innate Full Soul Power. The past two weeks had been so hectic, and after class in the evenings they each returned to their own dormitories. The students hadn't had much time to discuss their Martial Souls or Soul Power Levels.

"Teacher, since you know Yuhao's Martial Soul, you should also know that mine is a top-tier Power Attack System Martial Soul."

Dong'er's meaning was clear: neither of those two tests would be a problem for her, either.

Dong'er looked at Huo Yuhao, her face practically declaring, "My theoretical studies may not be as good as yours, but when it comes to fighting, I won't lose to you."

"Since that's settled... get your things together. We're going for your physical examinations now. You'll probably be able to head straight to the Unlimited Division classrooms for evening study tonight. You might even make it in time for the class representative elections."

Twenty minutes later, Zhou Yi led them to the entrance of a towering building. The words "Spirit Soul Academy Affiliated Soul Tool Research Institute" were written above the door.

"Go on in. Someone's waiting inside."

"Welcome, Spirit Soul Academy teacher Zhou Yi."

As an electronic voice sounded, Huo Yuhao and Dong'er followed Zhou Yi inside without a hitch. Huo Yuhao was all right; the decor here was much like the Crafting Bureau's, with a thoroughly high-tech feel.

But Dong'er had clearly never seen anything like it. She looked this way and that as they walked, just like Huo Yuhao had the first time he visited the Crafting Bureau.

"Are these... all Soul Tools?" Dong'er pointed at the rectangular devices around them, asking about one here and another there.

Zhou Yi didn't seem bothered. She began patiently explaining.

"More precisely, this entire building is itself one enormous Soul Tool."

"The entire building is a Soul Tool?" Dong'er exclaimed, and Huo Yuhao echoed her in surprise.

"That's right. The whole building was designed by Tang You, the current head of the Crafting Bureau. The actual construction and modification designs were handled by another Soul Tool teacher from Spirit Soul Academy."

"That person is my husband, Fan Yu. You look surprised... Heh, it's no secret around the academy. We met here and fell in love. The dean even officiated our wedding."

Seeing their astonished expressions amused Zhou Yi, but then she realized it might not be appropriate to tell two little children all this. So she used the devices as an excuse to move on from the topic.

Before long, the three of them reached a vast, empty space. A tall man was standing in front of them, adjusting some equipment.

"I brought them over. Hurry up. They might still make it to the class representative elections tonight."

"Your husband's been busy as all hell these past couple of days. You could at least show him some concern..."

The man's voice was steeped in exhaustion. When he turned around, the first thing Dong'er and Huo Yuhao noticed was the deep dark circles beneath his eyes.