The two-hour time limit slowly ran out amid the students' panting on the field.
By the time the students had barely managed to run fifty laps, Gu Yuan and Gu Yuena had already reached the finish line. Jin Ruiqiu, meanwhile, leisurely crossed the hundredth lap alongside the slightly slower Huo Yuhao.
The four of them kept a steady pace, their breathing even and unhurried. Only a thin sheen of sweat covered their foreheads. They were nowhere near disheveled; their breathing hadn't even grown uneven.
The twenty-kilogram load was a trifling matter for Gu Yuan and the others. Even for Huo Yuhao, it was no problem. Forget a hundred kilometers—even if they ran twice that distance, it wouldn't trouble them in the least.
Jin Ruiqiu bounced as she took the weight off her back, then shook her still-energetic little legs and sidled up to Gu Yuan with a grin. "I told you this distance was nothing. Those people are all exhausted, sprawled out like puddles of mud."
She looked toward the track. The remaining freshmen were crossing the finish line in twos and threes, their faces deathly pale and their bodies drenched in sweat. The moment they crossed, they collapsed onto the ground and gasped for breath, too exhausted even to lift a finger.
A hundred kilometers of cross-country running under a heavy load had wrung every last drop of Soul Power and strength from these boys and girls, whose Soul Power had barely reached the thirties at most.
In the end, fewer than half had finished within the time limit. Of the rest, more than half had either given up partway or arrived after time was up. According to Zhou Yi's rules, they were immediately given a major demerit, and the shadow of expulsion fell over everyone.
Zhou Yi stood beside the finish line with the class register in hand, checking off names one by one. Her face showed no emotion. She offered no praise to those who had finished, nor did she berate those who hadn't. Her sharp eyes remained fixed on Huo Yuhao, scrutinizing him without the slightest attempt to hide it.
She had noticed this boy long ago.
Throughout the entire hundred-kilometer run, the ten-year-old boy had stayed beside Gu Yuan and the others. His pace was steady, and his breathing never faltered. Even during the final sprint, he showed no sign of running out of strength.
For a Soul Grandmaster at level 23 to finish this kind of endurance run with such ease showed not only tremendous willpower, but also that his control over his own Soul Power was far beyond that of his peers.
More importantly, he was a Soul Master with an Ultimate Mental Attribute.
Across the entire Douluo Continent, Mental Attribute Soul Masters were already one in ten thousand. Those with an Ultimate Mental Attribute were rarer still.
Such talent promised a boundless future in Martial Soul cultivation. In another field, he would be a heaven-blessed genius—the Soul Guidance Department.
Zhou Yi saw Huo Yuhao preparing to leave the field with Gu Yuan and the others, and immediately hurried over to call out to him. "Huo Yuhao, wait a moment."
Huo Yuhao stopped and turned around at once, then bowed to Zhou Yi with great respect. "Teacher Zhou, did you need something?"
His manner was respectful but not servile, and his eyes were clear. Despite having just run a hundred kilometers, he was still alert and energetic, showing no sign of fatigue.
Zhou Yi looked at him, her admiration growing. She nodded and got straight to the point. "Huo Yuhao, tell me: are you interested in Soul Tools?"
Soul Tools?
Huo Yuhao froze for a moment, then shook his head in confusion. "Teacher Zhou, I don't know much about Soul Tools. I never had access to things like that before."
He had grown up in the woodshed of the White Tiger Duke Mansion, where even getting enough to eat had been a luxury. Soul Tools, those money-burning contraptions, had been completely out of reach.
He had only heard Gu Yuan briefly mention them on the way to Shrek, learning that Soul Tools were the future of the continent's development. He had never really understood them.
Hearing this, Zhou Yi wasn't disappointed. If anything, her eyes brightened. It was easier to paint the perfect picture on a blank canvas.
She softened her tone and explained to Huo Yuhao, "Soul Tools are special equipment made using Soul Power and Soul Guidance Arrays. They range from small storage tools to Fixed Soul Guidance Shells powerful enough to destroy heaven and earth. All of them fall under the category of Soul Tools. Soul Masters with a Mental Attribute are the rarest and most sought-after geniuses in the Soul Guidance Department."
"Your mental power can precisely control Soul Guidance Arrays and provide the most accurate guidance for Fixed Soul Guidance Shells. You can do things ordinary Soul Masters could never accomplish in their entire lives. With your talent, you could become a top powerhouse through Martial Soul cultivation alone. But with Soul Tools as well, your future achievements will only be greater."
Huo Yuhao listened intently, but he still wasn't sure what to think.
Almost instinctively, he glanced at Gu Yuan, who stood not far away. His eyes clearly sought advice and reassurance.
In his heart, Gu Yuan was like an older brother, the person he trusted most in this world. Whenever he faced a difficult decision, Gu Yuan was always the first person he wanted to ask.
Following his gaze, Zhou Yi looked toward Gu Yuan and immediately understood.
She had already noticed that Huo Yuhao trusted Gu Yuan completely and always put his opinion first.
Gu Yuan walked over at an unhurried pace. "Since she's offering in good faith, the Soul Guidance Department really is a good fit for you. The Mental Attribute has the strongest compatibility with Soul Tools of any attribute. If you want to take a look, go with her. There's no need to worry."
He already knew from memories of the future that Huo Yuhao was destined to be connected with the Soul Guidance Department. Soul Tools would become one of the sharpest weapons in Huo Yuhao's arsenal. Besides, the development of Soul Tools was an unstoppable trend, so it would be good for Huo Yuhao to get an early look at them.
With Gu Yuan's approval, Huo Yuhao felt much more at ease.
He turned to Zhou Yi and nodded firmly. "All right, Teacher Zhou. I'll go take a look with you."
"Let's go!" A rare smile appeared on Zhou Yi's face. She patted his shoulder, then turned and led him away from the field.
Watching them leave, Jin Ruiqiu couldn't help sidling up to Gu Yuan and tilting her head. "Your Excellency, you're really letting that old hag take Yuhao away just like that? What if she steals him from us?"
"She won't." Gu Yuan smiled and shook his head, looking toward the Soul Guidance Department.
Besides trusting Huo Yuhao, Gu Yuan also wanted to see just how loyal Huo Yuhao was to him now.
Beside him, Gu Yuena spoke in a calm, understanding tone. "Soul Tools are bound to become the mainstream in the future. The Sun Moon Empire's Soul Tool Technology is already far ahead of the Heavenly Soul and Star Luo Empires. Letting him get an early look is better than having him face them unprepared in the future."
Gu Yuan gave a slight nod and said no more.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yi led Huo Yuhao through Shrek Academy's teaching district, heading all the way to the western side of the academy.
Unlike the bustling Martial Soul Department, the Soul Guidance Department was much quieter. Independent laboratories stood everywhere, and the air carried a faint scent of metal and ore. The occasional sound of hammering and the hum of operating arrays drifted from inside the labs. Everything spoke of rigor and professionalism.
"Our Shrek Academy has two major departments: the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Guidance Department. The outside world knows that the Martial Soul Department is famous across the land, but few realize that our Soul Guidance Department is one of the best on the entire continent as well." As she walked, Zhou Yi introduced it all to Huo Yuhao, though most of what she said was meant to sell him on the department.
"It's just that the Soul Guidance Department has an extremely high entry bar and very strict requirements for talent. Its demands on mental power are far greater than those of the Martial Soul Department, so it's always been much smaller."
As he listened, Huo Yuhao curiously looked around. Through the doors of every laboratory they passed, he could see students in work clothes, completely absorbed in polishing Soul Tool components and engraving Soul Guidance Arrays. Every one of them looked intensely focused.
Their earnest concentration, as they immersed themselves in their own world, stirred a nameless yearning in his heart.
Before long, Zhou Yi led him to the largest independent laboratory and pushed open its heavy alloy doors.
The laboratory was enormous. Precise Soul Tool instruments filled the room, and all kinds of Soul Tool blueprints hung on the walls. The forging table in the corner still radiated warmth, and the air was thick with the smell of metal.
In the very center of the lab, a tall, middle-aged man was bent over, intently polishing a tiny Core Array.
He wore black work clothes covered in metal shavings. His features were rugged, his jaw set, and his eyes deep and sharp. Even with his head lowered, he gave off an aura of decisive action.
Fan Yu was one of the core teachers in Shrek Academy's Soul Guidance Department, a Level 8 Soul Engineer, and Huo Yuhao's first mentor on the path of Soul Tool Technology in the original story. He was also Zhou Yi's husband.
"Stop working. I've brought you a promising student," Zhou Yi called out.
Fan Yu's hands paused. He set down his carving knife and Core Array, then turned around.
His gaze first fell on Zhou Yi, then shifted to Huo Yuhao beside her. His sharp eyes examined the ten-year-old boy from head to toe, weighing him with a probing look.
"This is him?" Fan Yu asked in a low, resonant voice, like iron striking iron, with a metallic ring to it.
"The new student with the Mental Attribute, Huo Yuhao?"
"That's right, this is him." Zhou Yi smiled and nodded, giving Huo Yuhao a nudge on the shoulder.
"Yuhao, this is Teacher Fan Yu, the best Soul Engineer in the Soul Guidance Department. If you want to learn Soul Tool Technology, there's no one in all of Shrek Academy better suited to teach you."
Huo Yuhao immediately bowed to Fan Yu and said respectfully, "Hello, Teacher Fan Yu. I'm Huo Yuhao from Freshman Class One."
Fan Yu looked at him without speaking. His sharp eyes seemed able to see right through people as they fixed on Huo Yuhao.
With the power of an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo, he could sense an extremely pure and vast force of mental power inside the boy. Even though the boy was deliberately holding it back, Fan Yu could still feel the unique fluctuations of his Mental Attribute.
But he had taught Soul Tool Technology all his life and had seen countless children hailed as geniuses who eventually faded into the crowd.
Talent was only a stepping stone. Whether Huo Yuhao could truly walk the path of Soul Tools would depend on how well he controlled his mental power.
"Zhou Yi told me that you have a Mental Attribute, a Ten-Year Soul Ring as your First Soul Ring, a Thousand-Year Soul Ring as your Second Soul Ring, and level 23 Soul Power as a Soul Grandmaster," Fan Yu said slowly.
"I want to see your Soul Skills and how well you control your mental power for myself."
"Teacher Fan Yu, just tell me what you want me to do. I'll cooperate," Huo Yuhao replied, standing straight and meeting his gaze without a trace of timidity.
"Good." A hint of approval flashed in Fan Yu's eyes. He turned and walked to the wall of the laboratory, then pressed a switch.
With a soft hum, the laboratory floor slowly split open, and a circular testing platform ten meters in diameter rose up.
Twelve targets stood around the platform. Precise Soul Guidance Arrays were engraved on each one, allowing them to accurately measure the impact, precision, and range of Soul Skills.
"Do you see those targets?" Fan Yu pointed to the targets around the platform and spoke to Huo Yuhao.
"I want to see just how well you control your mental power."
"Yes!" Huo Yuhao answered and immediately walked to the center of the testing platform.
He took a deep breath and focused his mind, instantly activating the Soul Power within him.
Hum—
A pale blue glow lit up between his brows as his Spirit Eye Martial Soul opened. A faint purple-gold glimmer flashed through his eyes.
The next moment, a white-gold Million-Year Soul Ring and a purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring slowly rose from beneath his feet. Both Soul Rings shone brilliantly, dazzling in the laboratory.
Seeing the white Ten-Year Soul Ring, Fan Yu couldn't help shaking his head. It was a pity that his First Soul Ring was only ten years old. At least his Second Soul Ring was a thousand years old, which made up for it somewhat.
As the Soul Rings lit up, a vast and pure force of mental power spread from Huo Yuhao like a tide, instantly covering the entire laboratory.
The positions of all twelve targets appeared clearly in Huo Yuhao's mind. Even with his eyes closed, he could sense the precise location of every bullseye. He could even see the patterns etched into the arrays on each target in perfect detail.
"Spirit Detection Sharing!"
Huo Yuhao called out, instantly releasing his First Soul Skill.
His mental power spread like an invisible net, enveloping the entire laboratory. Not even the metal shavings floating in the air could escape his detection.
Zhou Yi and Fan Yu, standing nearby, immediately felt their vision being shared. Every corner of the laboratory appeared clearly in their minds—far more clearly than they could see with their own eyes.
"A divine skill! A divine skill for the Soul Guidance Department!" Fan Yu couldn't help exclaiming, his eyes blazing with unprecedented light.
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