Douluo: A Fake God in Peerless

It sounds cruel, but how many lucky ordinary soul masters are actually able to break through to the Soul King rank?

Therefore, medicinal pills are still quite popular in the academy, because even without taking these pills, they wouldn't get very far; the pills, on the other hand, offer them a glimmer of opportunity.

However, for a genius like Su Luoheng, it would be counterproductive, as they are bound to break through in rank sooner or later.

"Luoheng."

Ran Yuming patted Su Luoheng on the shoulder, speaking earnestly, "My expectations for you go beyond you becoming an outstanding soul master; your talent and aptitude allow you to go much further."

"This student will not let you down, Teacher."

Su Luoheng was very confident; he had always believed in his own strength.

"Good, that is exactly how it should be!" Ran Yuming laughed with satisfaction and gave Su Luoheng's shoulder a heavy pat. Having confidence without being blind to reality—he suddenly found that this closing disciple was unexpectedly to his liking.

Su Luoheng was equally satisfied with this teacher.

Whether it was his status or his personal ability, both could bring him immense benefits.

This was not to say that the two were overly utilitarian.

Before the master-disciple relationship was established, what kind of bond could there be? Wasn't it all about the benefits they could bring to one another?

Ran Yuming valued Su Luoheng's talent.

Su Luoheng valued Ran Yuming's status.

Both gained what they sought; clearly, this was a win-win outcome for both master and disciple.

"Luoheng..."

Just as Ran Yuming was about to speak, his gaze drifted casually and happened to notice that Su Luoheng was only wearing the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy badge on his chest.

"Luoheng, where is your soul master badge? Why aren't you wearing it?" He glanced over and asked casually.

"Teacher, I don't have a badge."

"Hmm?" Ran Yuming raised an eyebrow.

Su Luoheng scratched his head and explained, "My soul master skills were learned at home from my mother and my first soul skill; I have never participated in a soul master examination."

"Oh, right, there really aren't any examination centers in the Heaven Dou Empire. I had forgotten about that."

Ran Yuming slapped his forehead in realization.

Among the three original Douluo nations, the Douling Empire and the Star Luo Empire had more or less dabbled in soul guidance devices. Only the Heaven Dou Empire had consistently maintained an exclusionary attitude toward them. The academies within that entire country didn't even offer courses for the Soul Guidance Department, so even though Su Luoheng was a first-rank soul master, he had been unable to obtain certification.

"Teacher, is the soul master badge very important?" Su Luoheng asked with some curiosity.

"Of course it is important."

Ran Yuming nodded, and while rummaging under the experimental table, he said, "The academy distributes resources every month, and that is when a soul master badge is needed to verify one's rank."

"Where can I get certified for my soul master rank, Teacher?"

Upon hearing that the badge was linked to resources, Su Luoheng, who had previously felt it was optional, immediately became interested.

"You kid, what are you in such a hurry for?"

"Hehe~" Su Luoheng gave a sheepish smile.

"Don't worry, you won't be short-changed."

Ran Yuming saw through his young disciple's thoughts at a glance, smiling and waving his hand to signal him to be patient, "I should still have some soul master badges here."

"Hmm? Teacher, how do you have these?" Su Luoheng asked curiously.

"When I used to preside over soul master examinations, I remember there were a few badges left over. Let me find them first."

"Then please continue, Teacher."

Hearing this, Su Luoheng sat obediently in place.

Seeing this, Ran Yuming couldn't help but chuckle, thinking to himself: This little guy, he really still has the temperament of a child.

But that was normal, as he was truly just a child.

He then pulled out the storage box below and began to rummage through it.

He remembered that after his last soul master rank assessment, he had some low-rank badges left over. If they weren't here, he would just have to swipe one from Lin.

Just as Ran Yuming was thinking this, he happened to find the leftover badges.

He sifted through them and pulled out a first-rank soul master badge, which featured a diamond embedded in a water-blue eight-pointed star.

"Here, take it."

Su Luoheng quickly took the badge and pinned it to his chest.

The Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy emblem and the soul master badge were worn together, the sun, moon, and stars reflecting off one another.

From this moment on, he was finally a first-rank soul master recognized by the Sun Moon Empire. In the academy, this was not just a symbol of his status as a soul master, but also represented a month's worth of soul master resources.

As Su Luoheng was fiddling with the badge on his chest, he suddenly remembered something.

"Teacher, is it in accordance with academy regulations for me to receive this badge without having taken the soul master examination?"

"Of course it is."

Ran Yuming waved his hand and explained, "You already passed the advancement assessment previously, which effectively defaults to your status as a Level 1 Soul Master. This is just to issue you the badge you were owed."

"This student understands."

He had been primarily worried that this badge wouldn't be recognized and he wouldn't be able to obtain resources, but with Ran Yuming here, he naturally had no such concerns.

Even if the worst came to the worst and it couldn't be verified, he still had his teacher, didn't he?

After explaining the function of the Soul Master badge, Ran Yuming began to test Su Luoheng's understanding of Level 2 soul devices. As a teacher, he naturally needed to fully grasp his student's level so he could provide targeted instruction on soul devices later on.

He was quite experienced when it came to education.

Otherwise, how could he have cultivated several students qualified to join Mingde Hall?

"..."

"Teacher, that is my understanding of Level 2 soul devices." After finishing, Su Luoheng humbly asked for guidance; personal instruction from Elder Ran was a rare opportunity.

"Not bad. Your theory is already sufficient."

Ran Yuming nodded slightly, very satisfied with his performance.

Although there was room for improvement in some details, his overall theory regarding Level 2 soul devices was mature and without issues.

"Have you attempted to craft a Level 2 soul device?" Ran Yuming asked next.

"I have tried before, but I didn't succeed. I think it might be due to my soul power."

Su Luoheng spoke truthfully. According to Ye Lan's speculation, his failure to craft Level 2 soul devices was mainly constrained by his own soul power level being too low to sustain the consumption required during the crafting process.

Hearing this, Ran Yuming pondered for a moment and nodded, saying, "At Level 17 soul power, it is indeed quite difficult to successfully craft a Level 2 soul device."

"My soul power is still too low..." Su Luoheng nodded, looking slightly disappointed.

"You don't even think about how old you are!"

Hearing this, Ran Yuming couldn't help but roll his eyes and laughingly scolded, "If the other students in the class were nine years old and had your Level 17 soul power, they would probably wake up laughing in their dreams!"

"If you think this is low, how are the others in the class supposed to feel?"

"Hehe~"

Hearing this, Su Luoheng scratched his head. "I just—"

Grumble~~

Before he could finish, his stomach protested first.

Ran Yuming's voice came to an abrupt halt; he was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.

Su Luoheng awkwardly rubbed his nose.

He had consumed quite a bit of soul power and physical strength while performing the Analysis of the soul device earlier, and since more than an hour had passed and it was now noon, it was perfectly normal for his stomach to growl.

It was just the timing...

Su Luoheng coughed twice and said nonchalantly, "Teacher, please continue."

"Haha, let's stop here for today. We can talk about soul devices this afternoon. Come, come, let's go eat first. Your teacher will take you to have something good!"

"Something good?"

Upon hearing there was good food, Su Luoheng immediately perked up.

"Is the teacher treating?"

"Of course, I'm paying today, eat whatever you want!"

As he spoke, he beckoned Su Luoheng to leave the laboratory and head toward the cafeteria.

Ran Yuming certainly didn't break his word.

He brought Su Luoheng to the top floor of the restaurant, and before long, a table full of dishes was served.

The ingredients used in these dishes were quite rare; if ordinary people ate them long-term, they could strengthen their bodies, and if they were soul masters, they could also receive a slight boost.

Su Luoheng had a huge appetite for this meal.

Whether it could provide a boost or not aside, the taste of these dishes was beyond reproach.

After lunch, Su Luoheng did not return to the laboratory.

Because he had corresponding classes in the afternoon.

Although the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy focused primarily on soul masters, research over the years had led them to place increasing importance on the innate abilities of soul masters themselves. For instance, in Su Luoheng's second-year curriculum, in addition to the corresponding soul device courses, there were also courses aimed at improving a soul master's physical fitness.

Ran Yuming placed particular importance on the foundations of a soul master, so he would naturally not interfere with the daily learning process.

Therefore, the Level 2 soul device training was naturally pushed back until after all his classes were finished; he wasn't in a rush for this moment anyway.

Returning to the laboratory, Ran Yuming fell into deep thought.

"Su Luoheng..."

He was weighing whether or not to bet on Su Luoheng; originally, he had intended to wait until the boy reached the level of a Great Soul Master before making a decision.

However, Su Luoheng's performance today had left him exceptionally satisfied.

This time, he was truly tempted.

The students he had taken on previously were far inferior to him at this age, and when combined with Su Luoheng's unique martial soul and soul skills, he felt an extraordinary sense of anticipation for the future of this final disciple.

His talent as both a soul master and a soul engineer was equally outstanding.

As long as a student like this was nurtured properly, there was a high probability that he could reach for that realm in the future!

The realm that all soul engineers dreamed of.

Although he himself had no hope of reaching it in this lifetime, he could realize his theories through the form of a legacy.

"Analysis of soul tools, huh..."

Still hesitant, a sharp glint flashed in Ran Yuming's eyes the next moment as he muttered, "Such a special ability is certainly worth a try."

"Luoheng, do not let your master down."

He finally made his decision: he wanted to cultivate Su Luoheng with all his might.

Su Luoheng's talent deserved this, and if he were to cultivate him personally, what would Su Luoheng's future look like?

A trace of anticipation flickered in the depths of Ran Yuming's eyes.

Time flew by until the afternoon.