Douluo: A Fake God in Peerless

The carriage sped toward the military barracks on the outskirts of Ming Capital.

Su Luoheng returned to his hotel.

The only thing he wanted to do now was get back to his room and have a good sleep.

Who would have thought so many incidents would occur?

Thinking of the young man he had just crossed paths with, his status in Ming Capital must be quite high; otherwise, the city guards wouldn't have been so respectful, changing their decision with a single word.

But none of that had anything to do with him.

To him, the man was merely a passerby encountered in the vast sea of people.

It was unlikely they would ever cross paths again.

Still, today could be considered quite fruitful.

Being able to fully comprehend the core arrays obtained through Analysis was a significant improvement for him.

However, his first priority now was to prepare for the entrance examination.

After returning to his hotel room, Su Luoheng began to meditate.

Although he had no doubt about passing the entrance test with his current strength, the future was at stake, so he could not afford to be careless and had to adjust himself to his best state.

The night passed in a flash.

The next day arrived in the blink of an eye. To prepare for today's entrance exam, Su Luoheng rose early. After a night of rest, he had recovered his vitality, and his rosy little face showed no signs of fatigue.

After finishing the complimentary breakfast provided by the hotel, Su Luoheng left and headed straight for the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.

According to Uncle Wang, the academy's admissions began at eight in the morning.

With over an hour to go and the distance between the two locations being less than two kilometers, he had plenty of time.

Passing the site of last night's accident, the sides of the street had already returned to their usual cleanliness. The vendors coming and going were as they had always been, showing no trace of the impact caused by the Silver-Patterned Horse the night before. This served as a testament to the Sun Moon Empire's exceptional efficiency.

A quarter of an hour later, Su Luoheng stood once again before the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.

At this moment, the academy gates were already packed tight.

Seeing the bustling crowd, Su Luoheng was not surprised; after all, the reputation of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy spoke for itself.

Although the time for the heavy iron gates to open had not yet arrived, a small circle of people had already gathered in front, mostly parents accompanied by children around ten years old, all there to participate in the admissions exam.

The status of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy in the Sun Moon Empire was the same as that of Shrek Academy in the Heaven Soul, Douling, and Star Luo Empires—it was a place that countless soul masters flocked to.

Su Luoheng found a nearby teahouse to wait.

Admissions were based on strength, not on who entered the academy first. Since he wasn't in a rush, why bother squeezing in with the crowd?

During the wait, guests at the neighboring table began discussing the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. Uncle Wang had given him a rough overview on the way here, but surely not as detailed as these locals of the Sun Moon Empire.

Curious, Su Luoheng leaned in to listen.

The Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was established by the Sun Moon Empire's government and was the undisputed premier academy within the empire.

The resources and faculty it commanded were far beyond what any other academy could compare to.

Above it all stood Mingde Hall.

It was the gathering place for the most elite soul masters in the Sun Moon Empire, a true holy land for soul masters.

Unlike the grading system on the Douluo Continent, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy did not use age as a standard. Aside from the requirement of having at least level ten soul power and being no older than twelve upon entry, age was not a metric for grade placement once inside.

Here, as long as your ability reached the level of a first-rank soul master, you could skip the first grade and enter the second grade to continue your studies after passing the assessments and tests. Those who reached the level of a second-rank soul master could proceed to the third-grade assessments, and so on. As long as you completed the assessments, you could advance; conversely, if you failed, you would be held back.

There were also time limits for these assessments.

If a student could not complete the third-rank soul master assessment by the age of eighteen, they would be expelled by the academy to fend for themselves. Conversely, if they met this benchmark, they could remain in the academy until at least the age of twenty-five.

The academy was divided into six grades in total.

The first grade was responsible for basic soul master training, aimed at most students who had just enrolled and had never been exposed to soul guidance devices. The second grade focused on first-rank soul masters, the third on second-rank, and so on, up to the sixth grade.

Because the academy operated on an advancement system, the number of students varied greatly between grades.

Once you advanced to the sixth grade and became a fifth-rank soul master, there were no more classes; instead, you were trained and taught by a dedicated mentor. If you could pass the Mingde Hall assessment before the age of twenty-five, you could remain in the academy indefinitely.

Chapter 19: Entrance Test [Seeking recommendations, investments, and bookmarks!]

It was no exaggeration to say that any student who graduated from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy would receive preferential treatment regardless of which faction they joined.

Furthermore, as the Sun Moon Empire was built on soul guidance technology, students enjoyed various preferential policies and subsidies within the academy: free pills for breaking through soul power levels, a fixed amount of free metal supplied every month, financial subsidies upon enrollment, and a series of other benefits. Whether you were born to nobility or common folk, if you had talent in soul guidance, you would never be buried!

It is precisely for this reason that every year, when the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy opens its admissions, the crowds are always overwhelming.

Among them, there is no shortage of those who fail to meet the standards but still attempt to slip through, as well as those who were eliminated in the previous days. Whether it is because their bone age does not meet the requirements or their soul power level is insufficient, they remain unwilling to leave until the very last moment, despite the slim chance of passing.

For ordinary people, as long as they can enter the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, even if they cannot graduate successfully, it is enough to change their entire lives!

How many people could possibly give up such an opportunity?

This state of affairs continues until the enrollment deadline, as parents all wish for their children to join this academy.

The Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy sets its annual enrollment date during the Autumn Equinox. At this time, the day and night are of equal length, which coincides with the Sun Moon Empire's philosophy of the intersection of Yin and Yang, favoring the nation's destiny. Beyond this, the other day when the sun and moon reach a balance is the Spring Equinox, during which the sixth-year students of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy hold a grand competition, and the top performers are selected for advanced study in Mingde Hall.

Time passes second by second.

Suddenly, the crowd becomes boisterous.

The noise in the teahouse ceases abruptly, and everyone looks toward the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.

"It's starting!"

"Out of so many children, how many will be able to pass?"

"..."

When the sunlight shines upon the two gates adorned with the Golden Sun Silver Moon pattern, the heavy doors of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy slowly creak open. Simultaneously, nearly a thousand young teenagers, led by their parents, surge through those gates. Su Luoheng has also long since left the teahouse and walks into the academy with the flow of people.

After entering the gates, a majestic voice rings out, clearly reaching the ears of every student.

"Welcome, everyone, for choosing our Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. In this academy, ability and talent determine one's qualifications, regardless of whether you are royalty, nobility, or a commoner."

"The entrance examination for this academy is divided into a preliminary test and a secondary test."

"As long as your soul power level has reached level ten and you are under twelve years of age, you may pass the preliminary test."

"The secondary test is divided into two categories. The first focuses on martial soul cultivation, including soul skill usage, soul power strength, combat ability, physical fitness, and other various tests. The second focuses on soul master ability, including understanding of core arrays, basic theory of soul guidance devices, and other assessments. As long as you possess talent in either of these two areas, you may enter our Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy to study."

"The enrollment process now officially begins. I wish you all success in joining our Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy."

Everyone looks toward the source of the voice and sees a middle-aged man, appearing to be in his forties, short and stout, dressed in formal attire, standing on a high platform. Although he looks unremarkable, on the right side of his chest is a badge with the sun and moon as the base, with eight stars suspended and inlaid upon it. This clearly marks the man as an eighth-level soul master, and one who belongs to Mingde Hall!

An eighth-level soul master, even in the deep-rooted Sun Moon Empire, is a figure of prominent status.

That he is able to personally attend and preside over the enrollment ceremony represents the profound heritage of the Royal Soul Master Academy and also demonstrates the importance they place on recruitment.

Even compared to the prestigious Shrek Academy, they are in no way inferior.

(Original setting: A standard soul master badge is a water-blue octagonal star inlaid with diamonds, the number of diamonds determining the soul master's level. The badge for Mingde Hall soul masters features the sun and moon as the base, with stars suspended.)

After finishing his speech, the eighth-level soul master departs.

Soon, other staff members enter the field.

Under their guidance, the crowd is divided into more than a dozen queues, and the chaotic plaza finally becomes orderly.

Su Luoheng follows one of the queues and is brought before a large metal instrument.

The entire instrument is nearly two meters tall.

Its exterior is an arc similar to a doorway, with enough space in the middle for an adult to stand. At the same time, there is a crystal column running from top to bottom on the front, and a circular platform on the ground in front of it.

Beside each instrument, an academy staff member supervises the process.

Faced with the novel soul guidance device, the students cast curious gazes and begin to whisper among themselves.

"Children, quiet down."

When all the children are in their queues, a teacher steps forward and gestures with his hands to signal for silence.

Once it is quiet, he speaks, "Before you is the Soul Guidance Physical Examination Instrument developed by our academy, responsible for the preliminary test of your bone age and soul power level. Now, please line up and come forward one by one to be tested. Only when the green light turns on will you be considered qualified to proceed to the next test."

"Now, please, candidates, line up in order for the examination."

As soon as he finishes speaking, the first teenager stands before the Soul Guidance Physical Examination Instrument.

Feeling the countless eyes staring at him from below, his thin body trembles slightly, whether from nervousness or excitement, he cannot tell.

"Child, don't be nervous. You don't need to do anything; just relax your whole body. A beam of light will sweep over you in a moment. The entire process will not cause you any harm."

As he finishes speaking, the teacher walks to the other side of the Soul Guidance Tester, his palm glowing with a faint white light, and presses his hand into a palm-shaped indentation on the side.

"Relax your whole body. Starting now."

As the teacher speaks, everyone feels a dense wave of soul power suddenly released from his body. It is most evident at his arm, where a white halo can be clearly seen flickering. Immediately following this, a white light illuminates the top of the Soul Guidance Physical Examination Instrument. The light takes the shape of a fan, covering an area of about one square meter, and slowly descends from top to bottom.

The teenager enveloped by the white light keeps his eyes tightly shut, his eyelashes fluttering uncontrollably.

After all, he is only an eleven or twelve-year-old boy; how could he not be nervous under the gaze of so many people?

Fortunately, the white light comes and goes quickly, and the test is over in five seconds.

After another two seconds, a line of data appears on the screen on the side, and at the same time, a green light illuminates at the base of the platform.

The teacher in charge of recording nods slightly and says, "Bone age eleven, soul power level ten. Test passed. Take your physical examination data sheet and go to the back to participate in the second round of the secondary test."

"Th-thank you, teacher!"

Hearing this, the boy is stunned for a long moment before snapping back to reality. He excitedly takes the report card and walks away, thrilled.

"Next."

"..."

"Soul power level nine, fail."

"Age limit exceeded, fail."

"..."

One by one, the youths stepped onto the Soul Guidance Tester, though their reactions upon stepping off were starkly different: those who passed wore expressions of joy as they headed to the next round, while those who failed could only leave the academy with their heads hung low in defeat.

Every flicker of red or green light from the Soul Guidance Tester decided the future fate of a youth.

Each test took roughly half a minute.

After about an hour, it was finally Su Luoheng's turn.

As the academy teacher activated the Soul Guidance Tester, a white light completely enveloped him, and a string of data quickly appeared while the base simultaneously lit up with a green glow.

"Hmm, qualified. Age nine, soul power... soul power level seventeen?!"

"Nine years old, level seventeen?!"

The testing teacher couldn't help but rub his eyes, looking back at the young boy before him, his previously calm expression instantly replaced by utter shock.

Nine years old, level seventeen soul power!

Such talent was rarely seen even at Shrek Academy, right?

The scene fell into absolute silence, and the other waiting youths couldn't help but cast looks of astonishment his way.

It was Su Luoheng who finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"Teacher, may I step down now?"