Authorization Upgrade

Smack!

A crisp slap rang out.

Xiao Hongchen's whole body was knocked slightly backward.

The imposing aura he had worked so hard to create instantly vanished without a trace.

Seeing this, quite a few people below the stage held their laughter in until their faces turned red, yet none of them dared to make a sound.

Xiao Hongchen forcefully shook off Meng Hongchen's hand, then covered his face. Veins throbbed on his forehead as he snapped,

"Meng Hongchen!"

"Are you asking for a beating?"

"Come on, then."

Meng Hongchen planted her hands on her hips.

"Who's afraid of who?"

Seeing that the siblings were about to start fighting on the spot again,

the instructor hurriedly spoke up,

"This is still class. The two of you, watch yourselves."

Only then did the two settle down.

The matches then continued, with groups of students taking the stage one after another.

Although his own turn had already ended, Ye Luochen did not leave right away. Instead, he stood at the edge of the arena the entire time, carefully observing the situation.

He was especially curious about Xiao Hongchen.

At fifteen, Xiao Hongchen had already reached the Soul King level, and his Soul Tool expertise had also reached the fifth rank. It was certainly worthwhile to watch and learn how he used Soul Tools in battle.

However, those thoughts ultimately came to nothing.

Xiao Hongchen did indeed take the stage, and he did indeed use a Soul Tool to defeat his opponent.

But after watching for only a moment, Ye Luochen knew there was no way he could learn it.

Who knew how that guy did it? In what seemed like an instant, he conjured nearly a hundred Soul Guidance Cannons out of thin air.

In a single exchange, he crushed his opponent with irresistible firepower.

Then, with a disdainful sweep of his gaze across the arena, he left the stage in dashing fashion.

"This guy may be flashy to the extreme, but his strength really is impressive."

Ye Luochen could not help but sigh.

The class continued, and when the final group of students left the stage, it finally came to an end.

Compared to before class,

the way everyone looked at Ye Luochen had now changed noticeably.

If, before, they had merely known that a talented new classmate had joined their class,

then after this practical combat lesson, especially with Xiao Hongchen's explanation,

they had begun to truly realize how terrifying Ye Luochen was.

In half a month, he had risen from zero foundation to become a second-rank Soul Engineer.

And through Soul Tool techniques, he had defeated a fourth-rank Soul Engineer in actual combat.

It seemed the academy had truly gained someone extraordinary this time...

After the morning classes ended, Ye Luochen went to Mingde Hall as usual that afternoon.

However, before he could begin practicing, his supervising instructor stopped him.

"Don't rush into practice yet. The Hall Master wants to see you."

Hearing this, Ye Luochen was slightly stunned, but he quickly nodded.

"Alright."

Led by the instructor, Ye Luochen passed through layer after layer of checkpoints and arrived before the office at the deepest part of the hall.

The door was not closed. Jing Hongchen sat behind his desk, flipping through documents.

When he saw Ye Luochen arrive, a smile immediately appeared on his face.

"You're here?"

"Greetings, Hall Master." Ye Luochen gave a slight bow.

Jing Hongchen waved his hand.

"Sit."

After Ye Luochen sat down, Jing Hongchen did not beat around the bush.

He went straight to the point.

"You performed well in today's practical combat lesson."

"Using dismantling to damage the integrity of the Soul Guidance Cannon platform while disrupting your opponent's mentality was a very good idea."

Ye Luochen said,

"It was only a trick."

"A trick?"

Jing Hongchen smiled.

"If it were truly that easy to use tricks, wouldn't every fourth-rank Soul Engineer be defeated by second-rank Soul Engineers?"

"Actually, I called you here for something else."

As he spoke, Jing Hongchen took a silver-white badge from a drawer.

He placed it on the desk.

The badge was not complicated. A special pattern was engraved in the center, with Mingde Hall's emblem surrounding it.

"What is this?" Ye Luochen asked in confusion.

Jing Hongchen explained,

"A Mingde Hall Internal Authorization Badge."

"Starting today, your authorization level in Mingde Hall will be raised to level six."

Ye Luochen was immediately stunned.

After spending the past half month in Mingde Hall, he naturally understood the importance of authorization.

Not every place in Mingde Hall could be entered freely.

Students of different ranks had access to entirely different materials, equipment, and instructor resources.

As for blueprints for high-level Soul Tools, ordinary students were not even qualified to look at them.

And now, Jing Hongchen had directly raised his authorization to level six!

One had to know that this was not a Soul Engineer rank.

There were nine authorization levels in Mingde Hall.

The sole holder of level-nine authorization was Hall Master Jing Hongchen.

The other three ninth-rank Soul Engineers held level-eight authorization.

Below them, those with actual authority, such as Elder Ma, held level-seven authorization.

Apart from those few special figures, level six was the highest authorization level in Mingde Hall.

"Thank you, Hall Master."

After accepting the badge, Ye Luochen spoke seriously.

Jing Hongchen smiled and waved his hand.

"Don't thank me just yet. Take a look at your new authorization first."

As he spoke, he took out a document and handed it over.

Ye Luochen accepted it.

[Access granted to theoretical databases for first- through eighth-rank Soul Tools.]

[Access granted to databases for first- through eighth-rank core formations.]

[Access granted to use of the high-level experimental area.]

[An additional fivefold monthly rare metal quota.]

One authorization after another entered Ye Luochen's sight.

Ye Luochen could not help but feel slightly shaken.

Setting everything else aside, that fivefold rare metal quota alone was enough to make countless Mingde Hall students green with envy.

Rare metals were absolute hard currency in Mingde Hall, where Soul Tools were held in such high regard!

After all, the most expensive part of being a Soul Engineer was practice.

Every failed engraving meant a batch of materials was ruined.

And rare metals were strictly controlled.

Not only were they expensive, but even if one could afford them, it was difficult to find a way to buy them.

Thus, what held back many students was not that they could not learn, but that they did not have enough materials to practice with.

But now, Jing Hongchen had directly increased his resource quota fivefold!

This was basically the same as telling him: practice all you want, build whatever you like, there would be plenty.

Seeing Ye Luochen's surprised expression, Jing Hongchen smiled.

"Make good use of these resources. Don't waste your talent."

"Of course, you're a smart person. Since Mingde Hall has given you resources, we naturally hope to see corresponding returns in the future."

Hearing this, Ye Luochen slowly rose to his feet and clasped his hands solemnly.

"Rest assured, Hall Master. I will not disappoint you."

Jing Hongchen burst into laughter.

"Good. I'll wait for that day."

After Ye Luochen left, the office fell quiet once more.

A moment later, a figure slowly emerged from the side door.

It was Elder Ma.

Looking at the already closed door, Elder Ma hesitated slightly.

"Hall Master, aren't we giving him too much too soon?"

"After all, it has only been half a month, and Ye Luochen only passed the assessment this morning."

Jing Hongchen merely smiled at that.

"Too soon?"

"If someone like him is not worth investing in, then I truly do not know who is."

Jing Hongchen continued,

"At fifteen, with only innate fourth-rank Soul Power, he cultivated to nearly level forty."

"In half a month, he went from zero foundation to becoming a second-rank Soul Engineer, and he could precisely dismantle a fourth-rank Soul Engineer's Soul Tool in actual combat."

"Every day, aside from cultivation, he studied. Not once did he slack off."

"With talent and temperament like that, how many could you find in the entire Sun Moon Empire?"