Assessment Tournament

Spirit City was, after all, a place where every inch of land was worth a fortune. There had long been no vacant land left, but Bibi Dong still gave Mo Lin an empty house near the edge of the city. It was not large enough for him to become an industrial tycoon, but it was more than sufficient for running a small workshop.

As it happened, the items Lou Gao had sent had also arrived, so Mo Lin moved everything related to forging and refining into that house.

After all the items had been transferred, Mo Lin checked the surroundings. Seeing no irrelevant bystanders, he took out a Devouring Pouch and released another kind of puppet he had spent the past three years making. These puppets could only do one thing—forge.

At present, Mo Lin had made only two of these puppets, specifically to earn money for himself. In this world, the token Bibi Dong had given him could indeed solve quite a few problems. But if he wanted to do something secretive in the future, something that could not expose his identity, he would definitely need money to smooth over various connections.

Some people might have thought, You already have the Double Full Hands, so what are you afraid of? If you need to do something, just alter other people's memories and change your own face.

But based on Mo Lin's own experiments and the Double Full Hands' performance in Under One Person, whether altering memories or changing one's appearance, both required time. It was impossible for him to alter the memories of every person involved whenever something happened in the future—exhausting and inefficient. Nor could he stand in the middle of the street, or right in front of someone, and knead his face into another shape. What, did they think he was performing Sichuan opera face-changing?

Therefore, making money was still quite important to Mo Lin at the moment.

For now, Mo Lin had programmed the two puppets to forge ten sets of armor every month, armor capable of resisting Soul Master attacks and possessing a certain degree of flexibility. He would then hand them to Lou Gao to sell on his behalf, and Lou Gao only needed to send the money along with the materials for the following month.

Though this plate armor could only withstand attacks from Soul Masters in the teens, it was a valuable treasure to small landowners without soul power and Soul Masters with poor talent. In the current market, ordinary armor was made by common blacksmiths, while high-grade armor capable of defending against attacks from Soul Elders or Soul Ancestors was researched by master blacksmiths. Plate armor with defensive power between those two extremes was a rarity.

Moreover, the plate armor would also receive the puppets' artistic embellishments, making it equally outstanding in appearance. It could even be sold as artwork. With the Blacksmith Association personally selling it, it would certainly fetch an excellent price.

Thus, aside from replenishing the two puppets' "qi" each day, Mo Lin could use all his remaining time to train his body and soul power. He could even spare some time to make more soul tools—magical artifacts. As for Bibi Dong's demands, Mo Lin felt he could fulfill them easily.

Smack! A month later, Mo Lin was sprawled on the floor in Bibi Dong's room once again.

Bibi Dong sat in her chair, smiling at Mo Lin.

"Mo Lin, it seems you haven't been putting much effort into cultivating your soul power this month."

Lying face-down on the floor, Mo Lin outwardly replied, "Yes, yes, Master is right about everything."

Inside, however, he thought, Cut the crap! You used way more force this time than last time, okay?! Is there really a master who tricks her own disciple like this?!!! Wait, there actually is—ordinary mortal Zhang Zhiwei.

Seeing Mo Lin yield, Bibi Dong withdrew her soul power.

"Since that's the case, you'll obediently follow my arrangements for the next month!"

The next day, Mo Lin unexpectedly appeared at the training grounds, greatly startling Hu Liena. It was the first time she had ever seen him there.

"Mo Lin, are you... just passing by?"

Mo Lin shrugged.

"I wish I were just passing by, but starting today, I'll be training with you for at least the next month."

Hu Liena raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Who said today was for training?"

"Hm? What do you mean?" Mo Lin was thoroughly puzzled by Hu Liena's words.

"Mo Lin? You came too?" The voice was full of surprise.

Mo Lin turned around and saw Xie Yue and Yan.

Although Xie Yue had been forcibly taken in as Yue Guan's personal disciple over the past few years because of the Strange Velvet Heaven-Reaching Chrysanthemum, his personality had not been influenced by Yue Guan at all. He still carried himself like an older brother, which had always disappointed Mo Lin greatly.

Looking at the two of them, Mo Lin asked, "Shouldn't you be training at another training ground? What are we doing today?"

Xie Yue looked even more surprised.

"Today is the annual assessment tournament. Everyone gathers at this training ground first, then splits up to compete at the various training grounds. You're Her Holiness the Pope's disciple, yet you don't know that?"

"Huh? What is that?" Mo Lin was still rather dazed. Bibi Dong had never even mentioned something like this to him over the years.

Xie Yue explained, "Because Spirit Hall students—especially those from the Papal Palace—only leave Spirit Hall when they need to obtain soul rings or visit the Grand Soul Arena. Teachers accompany them when they hunt soul rings, and the teachers cripple the soul beasts first. So, to ensure students have some combat experience before entering the Grand Soul Arena, battle-type and control-type students participate in this tournament once their soul power exceeds level thirty. After that, the students who have participated are assigned matches at the Grand Soul Arena.

"Of course, participating once does not mean you no longer have to participate. If your soul power has not reached level forty, you must attend this tournament every year until graduation. So this tournament serves as a reminder for those who are already older but still refuse to work hard, telling them, 'At your age, still being here is simply embarrassing.' Once your soul power exceeds level forty, naturally, you no longer need to participate. At that point, Spirit Hall will arrange intensive Grand Soul Arena matches for you."

Mo Lin nodded.

"So that's how it is. Just how unserious does Bibi Dong think I am? Did she think I'd refuse to come if she told me directly?!"

"Wait," Mo Lin suddenly thought of something and looked at the three of them. "You three... haven't become Soul Ancestors yet?"

Hu Liena immediately grabbed Mo Lin's face and gave it a thorough "kneading."

"What do you mean by that? The three of us are deliberately holding off on advancing so we can accumulate more wins and combat experience in the Grand Soul Arena. But you—since you gave us immortal herbs, you must have taken one yourself too, right? How is your soul power level falling farther and farther behind ours?"

Mo Lin smacked his lips.

"How should I put it? Over the past three years, I've focused all my attention on soul tools—magical artifacts. I really did neglect my soul power cultivation somewhat."

As they spoke, many students and several teachers poured into the training ground. The students all looked older than Hu Liena and the others, with only a small number appearing to be around fourteen or fifteen. Most of them immediately focused their attention on the Golden Generation as soon as they entered.

Ever since the three members of the Golden Generation had become Soul Elders a few years ago, one of them had won the annual assessment tournament every year. They were extremely well known within Spirit Hall, so Mo Lin, standing beside the three of them, naturally became the subject of discussion among the other students.

"That junior looks so young. He's actually a Soul Elder too?"

"And he's standing so close to Goddess Liena and the others."

"Have you all become idiots from cultivation? Her Holiness the Pope took in a new disciple four years ago. How could you forget something that big?"

Once all the students participating in the tournament had arrived, Bibi Dong and the two Soul Douluo, Chrysanthemum and Ghost, also came to the training grounds and stood atop a raised platform resembling a podium. A row of teachers stood below.

All the students, except Mo Lin, bowed together.

"Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope!"

Bibi Dong began her speech.

"Students, today is Spirit Hall's xxxth assessment tournament... I have seen the progress you have made over the years. I hope that during these next few days of competition, you will display the results of your years of hard training and achieve good rankings. The tournament begins!"

After the leader finished speaking, a Spirit Hall teacher stepped forward.

"Now, the drawing of lots shall begin!"