Life Is Like a Play, It All Depends on Acting

"You mean you went out to clear your heads and happened to pick up an unparalleled genius along the way?"

Jing Hongchen, the dean of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, looked at his grandson and granddaughter with a smile, clearly not taking their words to heart.

Lin Jiayi, the director of studies standing beside him, also said with a smile,

"Although our Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy cannot compare to Shrek in terms of soul master talent, looking across the entire Douluo Continent, I'm afraid only Shrek surpasses us."

Their words left Xiao Hongchen deeply indignant. However, he did not waste any more breath arguing with them and instead turned to Huo Yuhao.

"Yuhao, let the two of them experience how powerful your soul skill is! Let them see it for themselves instead of being frogs at the bottom of a well all day!"

Jing Hongchen slapped the back of Xiao Hongchen's head and scolded him with a laugh.

"You little brat! The inherited martial soul of our Hongchen Family is a toad! Not some frog or bullfrog!"

Xiao Hongchen ignored his grandfather's colorful language and merely watched Huo Yuhao with eager anticipation. He had experienced that shock before, so naturally, his grandfather had to experience it too!

Xiao Hongchen wanted to see whether his grandfather could remain so calm after experiencing the power of Huo Yuhao's soul skill!

Just as Jing Hongchen and Lin Jiayi were about to say something else, a glimmer of silvery-white light flashed. A Soul Ring slowly rose beneath Huo Yuhao's feet, and a thread of Spiritual Power quietly sought to enter their minds.

Jing Hongchen and Lin Jiayi instinctively wanted to reject that Spiritual Power, but Huo Yuhao's calm yet slightly youthful voice rang out.

"Don't resist it. This is my first soul skill."

The two exchanged a glance and immediately relaxed. With their strength, even if Huo Yuhao, a soul master with only one Soul Ring, intended to harm them, it would have no effect whatsoever. Even the backlash from their Spiritual Power alone would be enough to severely injure him or cost him his life!

Yet when Mental Detection and Sharing connected with them, Jing Hongchen and Lin Jiayi finally understood why Xiao Hongchen called Huo Yuhao, a child who had only become a soul master at the age of twelve, an unparalleled genius!

"Th-this..."

Jing Hongchen abruptly stood up, the fat on his belly wobbling. At that moment, he could not care less about his image as he stared in shock at the scene unfolding in his mind.

Under Jing Hongchen's gaze, time itself seemed to slow. Every bit of information about whatever entered his sight appeared in his mind on its own. Whether it was rare metals or completed Soul Tools, even the tiniest details became incomparably clear.

What shocked him most was that this covered a massive circular area roughly fifty meters in diameter. The teacher in the neighboring room was flirting with his wife, while a researcher was intently crafting a Soul Tool. Yet if the researcher continued with that method, the Soul Tool would soon be ruined.

As Jing Hongchen unconsciously held his breath, Huo Yuhao gradually altered the range of Mental Detection. It changed from a circle into a straight line extending forward, only stopping at around one hundred and fifty meters.

Seeing the entranced expressions on Jing Hongchen and Lin Jiayi's faces, a faint smile flashed across Huo Yuhao's face. With a thought, he instantly deactivated Mental Detection and Mental Sharing.

In an instant, Jing Hongchen and Lin Jiayi, stripped of the enhancement from those two soul skills, felt a wave of emptiness rise within them, as though they had suddenly lost the meaning of life.

Xiao Hongchen stepped forward at just the right moment to show off on Huo Yuhao's behalf. With both hands in his pockets and his chin slightly raised, he snorted twice.

"Well? Do you understand now just how terrifying Yuhao's soul skill is? I guarantee that no Soul Engineer could refuse Yuhao's Mental Detection and Sharing! And I, Xiao Hongchen, was the one who brought such an unparalleled genius to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy!"

As he finished, Xiao Hongchen pointed his thumb at himself, waiting for praise from his grandfather and Director Lin Jiayi.

To his surprise, Jing Hongchen and Lin Jiayi had no intention of paying attention to him. After exchanging a glance, they turned toward Huo Yuhao with warm smiles.

"Yuhao, on behalf of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, I welcome you. From today onward, you can stay here and study without worry. Those things you experienced in the past will never happen again!"

"If anything comes up in the future, you can come find me at any time. If I'm not around, go to Director Lin Jiayi. He'll help you resolve any trouble! From now on, we are your elders!"

"The academy will be opening soon, so Director Lin can make arrangements for you to enroll alongside the other new students. Oh, and if you have any questions regarding Soul Tools, you may come ask me as well. As the dean, I am a top-tier Rank Nine Soul Engineer."

Lin Jiayi also pounded his chest and declared,

"Don't worry, Yuhao! From now on, the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy is your home!"

Huo Yuhao displayed exactly the gratitude and excitement they wished to see, repeatedly thanking the two of them.

"Thank you, Dean. Thank you, Director! I definitely won't let down your expectations. I'll study Soul Tool knowledge diligently in the future, and I'll absolutely expand the range of my Mental Detection as soon as possible!"

Seeing Huo Yuhao's tearful appearance, Jing Hongchen was deeply satisfied. He patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder in comfort, his heart filled with gratification.

"It's all right now, it's all right. What happened at the White Tiger Duke's Mansion will never happen to you again. Even if you wish to seek revenge against them in the future, we will still help you with all our strength."

Huo Yuhao raised an arm to wipe his eyes, then nodded heavily with reddened eyes. He looked so moved that he seemed incapable of speaking.

Watching this harmonious scene, Meng Hongchen had only one thought in her mind: Life is like a play, and it all depends on acting!

Huo Yuhao was nothing like the immature child he appeared to be. That look of someone overcome with emotion and tears after receiving care was all an act!

And yet his acting was flawless. Even her shrewd old toad of a grandfather had been fooled.

Meng Hongchen felt that if she had not known the truth, she would certainly have believed it too. How was Huo Yuhao some inexperienced young boy? He was clearly a deeply hidden schemer!

Unlike Meng Hongchen, Xiao Hongchen had yet to receive any praise. Watching this scene, he immediately complained in dissatisfaction.

"Grandpa, don't forget, I'm the one who brought Yuhao here!"

Jing Hongchen nodded perfunctorily.

"I know, I know. Take Yuhao to rest first. Yuhao traveled such a long way from Star Luo to our Sun Moon Empire, then came with you to the academy. Even though you had a Flying Soul Tool for the latter part of the journey, he must still be exhausted. Let him rest properly first. We can discuss everything else later."

While grumbling unhappily under his breath, Xiao Hongchen led Huo Yuhao out of the office. He only wanted someone to praise his luck. Why was that so difficult?

He had merely gone out to clear his head with his sister and encountered a Human Cheat like Huo Yuhao. Did his luck not deserve a little praise?