"Xuan Zi, Dean Yan."
Wang Yan bowed and respectfully presented the exam papers in his hands.
Standing before him were none other than Sea God Pavilion Elder Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe, dean of the Martial Soul Department.
The atmosphere between the two, however, was rather delicate.
Yan Shaozhe moved first. With a soft acknowledgment, he took the papers and read through them carefully, nodding occasionally.
A moment later, he turned to Xuan Zi beside him. "Not bad. His short answers flow seamlessly, though his grasp of soul tool fundamentals is rather poor."
"Take a look."
Xuan Zi took the papers, his eyes immediately falling on the score at the top: one hundred and one, twenty-six points above the passing mark. Slightly relieved, he skimmed a few sections before tucking the papers into his clothes.
"Not bad. His fundamentals are solid, and you can see the effort he's put into his studies. If his knowledge of soul tools is lacking, so be it. We can't force him to learn something he dislikes."
He looked at Wang Yan and said, "Oh, Little Wang, have Yue Ling come to the Soul Fighting District at six tomorrow morning for the next assessment."
"Yes, Xuan Zi."
"All right, off you go."
Xuan Zi waved languidly, took a sip of wine, and casually wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
"Yes."
Wang Yan bowed respectfully, then turned and left.
For a while, only the two of them remained.
Once Wang Yan was gone, Yan Shaozhe hesitated, his expression torn. "Xuan Zi, are we really going to do this? He's still young, and inside his body..."
"Enough, Shaozhe."
The scent of wine drifted over as Xuan Zi interrupted him. He smacked his lips after another sip, his dark eyes showing not a trace of drunkenness. Instead, they