Final Examination

A week later.

Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and Ye Guyi arrived at the academy as usual. This time, however, they didn't split up. They all headed toward the teaching area, since today was the day of the final examination.

It was Xiao Hongchen's first time visiting his own classroom: Class 1 of Grade 5.

Ever since he'd transmigrated, he'd been studying in Mingde Hall. Even when he occasionally ate with his younger sister, they went straight to their "usual spot" in the cafeteria, so he'd never had any reason to visit his classroom.

Besides, he already counted as a Level Six Soul Engineer and should have been in the graduating class long ago. It was only because of Jing Hongchen's instructions that he still had a place in Class 1 of Grade 5 on paper.

His peers: Soul Elders and Soul Ancestors, sitting in class, making the most basic Soul Tools, and working hard to earn their rare-metal allotment.

Xiao Hongchen: a Soul King, keeping up with the latest Sealed Milk Bottle project in Mingde Hall, and using so much rare metal his hands went numb.

Yeah, you know how it is... right? (facepalm laugh)

Meng Hongchen liked to sleep in, so she'd gotten into the habit of arriving in class at the last possible moment. This time was no exception.

The three of them entered the classroom to the crisp sound of the bell.

The whole class's gaze quickly fixed on Xiao Hongchen.

No other reason—he was a rare sight.

Xiao Hongchen swept his gaze around the entire classroom, as if no one else were there, hoping to find some characters from the original story.

He really did find two.

The first was a chubby boy named Xiao Xiafeng. His Martial Soul was a Steamed Bun, and he used the Soul Tool Turret style of combat. During the first Soul Master Tournament, he and Ma Rulong had teamed up against Ma Xiaotao in the "two-two-three" formation.

The other was a handsome young man with silver hair and brown eyes, and an elegant bearing: Lan Xiu.

His Martial Soul was pure Spiritual Power, and he was skilled at using Nine Glories, a Soul Tool that could reflect an opponent's attacks.

As the team's only control-type Soul Engineer, he gave Shrek Academy a fair bit of trouble during the second Soul Master Tournament.

Xiao Hongchen withdrew his gaze and followed his younger sister to a seat beside her.

They had barely sat down when their homeroom teacher walked in and got straight to the point.

"The final examination will test your Soul Tool crafting and combat skills. Everyone, head to the Public Laboratory."

The classroom immediately erupted in groans.

Xiao Hongchen, however, looked unconcerned. He stood and headed out, walking down the hall side by side with the other two and drawing plenty of glances.

The Public Laboratory was on the first floor of this building, a vast workshop large enough to hold five hundred people.

Each workbench was equipped with a standard carving knife, and the material racks were neatly stacked with all kinds of rare metals.

Xiao Hongchen glanced over the supplies. The materials were a grade below what he usually used, but more than adequate for the final examination.

What did surprise him a little was that, besides students from the other classes in his year, there were also several students wearing the graduating class uniform. He didn't even need to think about it: his grandfather had clearly picked out his opponents.

Once all the students had arrived, Director of Studies Lin Jiayi clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.

"For this final examination, you'll have two hours to craft a Soul Tool. Everyone must make at least one Level 4 Soul Tool, though you may make more if you're capable. You may use any materials on the workbenches, but using any prepared components or finished products is strictly forbidden. Anyone caught doing so will be disqualified immediately."

Lin Jiayi paused, swept his gaze across the room, and continued:

"Once you've finished, each homeroom teacher will grade the work of students outside their own class. The criteria are Core Array precision, material efficiency, and finished-product power. Each is worth up to one hundred points."

"After grading, we'll move on to the combat round. You may only use the Soul Tool you just made, and you'll fight one-on-one against an opponent chosen by drawing lots. That's all."

"Begin!"

At Lin Jiayi's order, the large Soul Tool timer lit up, and the two-hour countdown began.

The laboratory filled with the rustling sounds of students gathering materials.

Xiao Hongchen didn't hurry to begin.

He simply walked over to an empty workbench and sat down, glancing over the rare metals on the racks.

After releasing his Martial Soul, Xiao Hongchen didn't pick up a carving knife. He merely raised his left hand.

First Soul Skill: Metal Control!

More than a dozen kinds of rare metal trembled on the racks. As if seized by invisible hands, they swiftly flew to the workbench in front of him.

Under the stunned gazes of those around him, the metal chunks hovered in midair and visibly began to shrink.

Xiao Hongchen focused his Spiritual Power and started refining the metal on the spot!

The metals could originally make, at most, Level 5 Soul Tools. Under his control, their impurities were rapidly stripped away, while their density and purity kept increasing.

The whole process took less than ten minutes.

When the last trace of impurity had been forced out, the metal hovering before him had become a high-purity alloy with a pale golden sheen. It retained most of the advantages of the metals that made up the original material.

"This... should just about do."

Xiao Hongchen nodded in satisfaction. The Dark Gold Profound Blade in his right hand blazed with brilliant golden light.

Then he began crafting at full speed.

His carving knife flowed like water, every stroke precise to the very last millimeter.

The metal quickly took shape under his blade as layers of Core Arrays were added, making the structure more and more complex.

Xiao Hongchen wasn't making a Level 4 Soul Tool at all. He was crafting a Soul Tool that had clearly reached Level Six!

An hour and a half later, the ninth Core Array was complete.

Xiao Hongchen casually waved his left hand. The leftover high-purity alloy flew toward him at once, and under a shroud of golden light, the hard metal gradually softened into flowing liquid.

The golden liquid enveloped the hovering Core Arrays and his right hand.

"Condense."

At his low command, the liquid cooled and hardened in an instant, fusing perfectly with the Core Arrays.

With a soft click, the golden armguard was complete, fitting snugly over his right arm.

Since he'd used his own right arm as a mold, the fit was nearly perfect.

The armguard was a Soul Tool that combined defense, ranged attacks, and close combat.

First, it came with a Level Six Soul Tool shield. Once activated, it could spread a pale golden barrier over his whole body, and it could recharge automatically.

Next, it could fire successive Soul Power pellets. It compressed the user's Soul Power into pellets and launched them, each shot as powerful as an ordinary Level 5 Soul Guidance Ray.

Finally, it provided the usual close-combat enhancement. The armguard's shell was made of high-density alloy, and infusing it with Soul Power increased the metal's strength even further. It was excellent for both blocking and striking.

The invigilating teacher took the armguard and turned it over in his hands for a long while, then fell silent.

After a while, he picked up the score sheet and gave it a straight three hundred points. There was no other choice: even he couldn't have made one as well as Xiao Hongchen. The materials alone would have stumped him.

Meng Hongchen made a Soul Tool rapier, while Ye Guyi made a Soul Tool longsword.

Both pieces ranked among the best in their class. Their blade patterns flowed smoothly, and their Core Arrays were cleanly contained. Even the teachers grading students from other classes took a second look.

Still, compared with the weapons they usually used—the ones personally crafted by Xiao Hongchen and Jing Hongchen—they fell short.

Before long, all the students had finished crafting, and their scores had been recorded one by one.

Lin Jiayi clapped his hands and signaled for everyone to move to the Soul Fighting Arena.

Spectators gradually filled the surrounding stands.

Lin Jiayi stepped up to the platform with a stack of numbered lots in his hand.

The combat examination was about to begin.