False Data

"Physical testing..."

The children around him all looked curious when they heard the term.

As if he had not noticed their curious gazes, Lin Jiayi offered no explanation and led them into a room in a nearby teaching building.

All sorts of instruments had been placed inside. Lin Jiayi stopped and introduced them one by one.

"This is a strength tester. All you need to do is throw a punch at it with all your strength, and it will measure your power."

"This is a reaction speed tester. Reaction speed will also be an important quality when you study Soul Tools in the future, so do not underestimate it."

"This is..."

After introducing the functions of each instrument, Lin Jiayi stepped aside.

"Then let us begin with physical strength. The results of this physical test will count as your first examination grades at this academy, so I hope none of you take it lightly."

"..."

Bai Chen watched the children at the front begin their tests, deep in thought.

At his level, he certainly did not need to worry about whether he could achieve outstanding results. The only thing he needed to consider was exactly how outstanding those results should be.

He could not fake it too obviously. Some tests could not be fooled, and faking it too much would only arouse suspicion.

But at the same time, he could not truly reveal all his strength.

He had to grasp the balance between the two.

While he was thinking, fewer and fewer students remained ahead of him. Soon, it was his turn.

He stepped onto the physical strength tester. Soon, with a beep, Bai Chen's physical data appeared on it.

"Physical strength: Level 42. Physical resilience: Level 31. Soul Power Level: Level 16. Height..."

As that string of numbers was announced, the previously noisy room instantly fell silent.

Most of those present were six- or seven-year-old children. Their various statistics generally hovered in the single digits. Only a very small number of geniuses could reach double digits through the characteristics of their Martial Souls or their families' resources.

Compared to them, were Bai Chen's numbers not far too bizarre?

Lin Jiayi frowned as well. Just as he was about to say something, the machine began beeping repeatedly.

"Data corruption?"

Lin Jiayi checked the instrument and found that everything displayed on it had turned into gibberish.

That should not have happened. Bai Chen's measured data had been exaggerated, but only relative to children of his age and level. Logically, it should have been nowhere near enough to cause the machine to malfunction.

Bai Chen said innocently, "Teacher, since this machine has malfunctioned, can we begin testing the next set?"

"Hmm..."

Lin Jiayi carefully observed Bai Chen's expression. After confirming that he could not spot any flaws on his face, he sighed helplessly.

"Mm, that will have to do for now."

He felt this matter should have nothing to do with Bai Chen. If a six-year-old child could truly disguise his expressions that well, then Lin Jiayi would simply admit defeat.

Lin Jiayi pointed to the instrument beside him and said flatly, "Come. This is the strength tester. You will take this one first."

"Alright."

Bai Chen agreed without hesitation.

He knew exactly why the physical tester had reacted that way.

The answer was simple: he had an External Soul Bone.

This thing could detect how many conventional Soul Bones a Soul Master had equipped, but once it encountered an External Soul Bone, it would directly malfunction.

External Soul Bones were incomparably precious. Even in the Douluo Original Three Kingdoms, they were treasures among treasures, much less here in the Sun-Moon Empire.

Thus, lacking the relevant data, they simply could not create a Soul Tool capable of detecting an External Soul Bone.

But those were secrets. Bai Chen was certainly not going to tell them that he possessed an External Soul Bone on the level of the Darkgolden Terrorclaw.

He walked straight up to the strength tester, crouched slightly, then suddenly threw a punch at it.

Bang!

With a muffled sound, the board trembled slightly, and the number twenty-two appeared on it.

When Lin Jiayi saw that number, he felt more at ease instead.

It was an exaggerated number, but compared to the previous result, it seemed far too normal.

People liked compromises. If someone had told Lin Jiayi from the start that Bai Chen possessed the strength of a Soul Grandmaster, he would only have thought it was nonsense. But if they asked him what he would think if Bai Chen possessed Level 42 physical strength, then the number twenty-two no longer seemed like much.

So the machine really had been the problem just now.

Thinking this, Lin Jiayi recorded Bai Chen's data in his notebook.

Over the following tests, Bai Chen practically dominated first place in every category.

Even in the reaction speed test, his weakest category, he received a rating of good reaction speed.

Of course, only Bai Chen himself knew how much he had held back.

Without releasing his Martial Soul, he now possessed the physical strength of a Soul Ancestor through his domain and Soul Skills alone. If he had guessed correctly, the force of his full-strength attacks should already be close to that of a strength-type Soul Emperor.

It seemed that his recent forging had indeed helped improve his strength. Not long ago, he had only just reached the level of a Soul King.

This was the greatest difference between humans and Soul Beasts. Soul Beasts were born with powerful physiques and innate abilities, while humans were far weaker by comparison.

If humans wanted to catch up to Soul Beasts, they had to make good use of their intelligence and train through special methods.

Just as Ning Tian had discovered, during this period after his Martial Soul awakened, Bai Chen's body had been developing rapidly. His body had become increasingly suited to the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff, a purely strength-type Martial Soul.

"Alright, the physical testing ends here."

After making his final note in the notebook, Lin Jiayi snapped it shut and said, "The first class monitor of this class will be Bai Chen. Does anyone have any objections?"

"..."

He was met with silence.

Were they joking? Who would dare object?

Those who could come here to study did not have low social standing. Though they were still children, they had already learned some basic knowledge about the world of Soul Masters from their parents.

Given Bai Chen's situation, everyone else in the class could probably join forces and still not be his match.

"Then it is settled."

Lin Jiayi said cheerfully, "Do not worry. The position of class monitor is not permanent. If any of you have ideas, you may challenge him—in the unique way of our Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy."

"What does that mean?"

The one who asked was a boy wearing glasses.

Lin Jiayi patiently explained, "Our Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy does not only evaluate your ability as a Soul Master. We also evaluate your talent as a Soul Engineer. Therefore, all examinations and competitions here are divided into the fields of Soul Masters and Soul Engineers."

False Data

According to Lin Jiayi's explanation, the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy calculated Soul Master assessments and Soul Engineer assessments separately.

For example, Bai Chen's Soul Master score would certainly be perfect, but the Soul Master score only accounted for fifty percent of the total. If his Soul Engineer score was a complete mess, he could still be surpassed by students whose raw strength was inferior to his.

It could be said that at the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, those without talent for Soul Tools immediately had half as many points as everyone else.

Of course, the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy did not deny opportunities to students who only excelled in Soul Master abilities. Once they advanced in grade, they could choose the path of the Practical Soul Guidance Department.

The so-called Practical Soul Guidance Department was, bluntly put, for Soul Masters skilled at using Soul Tools. Students there generally could not make Soul Tools themselves; they were only responsible for using them. A typical example was the Sword Maniac, Ji Juechen.

However, that would only come several years later. At least during the lower grades, studying Soul Tool knowledge remained critically important.

After hearing Lin Jiayi's words, the students in the class finally perked up again.

That was right. This was the Sun-Moon Empire. Talent as a Soul Master was not everything. As long as the Soul Tools they made were powerful enough, even poor Martial Souls could reverse the gap in strength.

Seeing them recover their spirits, Lin Jiayi smiled faintly and said, "Now that the physical testing has ended, please go to class. Your classroom is at the other end of this floor of the teaching building. Just walk straight out. The teacher responsible for instructing you is already waiting there."

"Alright."

Under his guidance, the students chattered as they left the testing room and headed toward the classroom Lin Jiayi had mentioned.

Lin Jiayi looked at the results recorded in his notebook and hummed thoughtfully before heading toward the dean's office.

At that moment, Jing Hongchen was the only person in the dean's office. Seeing Lin Jiayi enter, he asked in surprise, "What is it, Jiayi? I thought this was the time for those children's orientation."

"It ended early."

Lin Jiayi walked directly to the desk and placed the notebook in his hand on it.

"Hall Master, please take a look."

"Hmm?"

Jing Hongchen stopped what he was doing, picked up the notebook, and carefully flipped through it.

Very soon, he understood what Lin Jiayi meant.

"This Bai Chen's data... is quite impressive."

"Yes."

Lin Jiayi said, "And when we tested his physical data, the instrument malfunctioned for the first time. I suspect the Nine-Treasure Glazed Sect placed an item on him that could block detection, causing us to obtain false data."

After thinking it over, he still believed that Bai Chen's physical strength, supposedly over level 40, was fake. The machine must have malfunctioned.

It was not really his fault. Any normal person in his position would have thought the same.

Who could have imagined that a Level 16 Soul Master truly possessed the physical strength of a Soul Ancestor? That had already gone beyond the realm of humanity.

Moreover, only two seconds after the data appeared, the machine malfunctioned. It was hardly strange that he would reach such a conclusion.

"I see."

Jing Hongchen chuckled, put down the notebook, and said with a smile, "In that case, give him more benefits. Find a way to draw him over to our side."

He did not pay much attention to Bai Chen's extraordinary data. In Jing Hongchen's eyes, excluding the physical strength that was suspected to be false data, Bai Chen's other numbers were merely average.

The data measured by the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy used ordinary Soul Engineers as the standard. In other words, the strength Bai Chen displayed was only equivalent to that of a Level 22 Soul Engineer.

It was certainly unusual for a Level 16 Soul Master to wield Level 22 strength, but it was nothing remarkable compared to true geniuses.

At the very least, when Jing Hongchen's grandson and granddaughter had been at Level 16, their strength had already reached above Level 25, and neither of them had even been strength-type Soul Masters.

He did not know that the strength Bai Chen had displayed was merely the tip of the iceberg. If he knew that Bai Chen's full-strength power could even approach that of a Soul Emperor, he would never have remained so calm.

Compared to his strength, Jing Hongchen was more curious about how Bai Chen had reached Level 16 at such an age... but considering that the Nine-Treasure Glazed Sect was also a powerful sect with an inheritance of more than ten thousand years, it was not strange for them to possess some special secret methods.

As for whether Bai Chen could be drawn to his side, Jing Hongchen did not consider that much of a problem. Bai Chen was only six years old, precisely at the stage when his values were taking shape. It would not be difficult to win him over through subtle influence.

How mature could a mere six-year-old child be, no matter how mature he seemed? This child would be studying at the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy for a full five years. With enough sweetened bait, there was no need to worry about failing to win him over.

"Yes, I understand, Hall Master."

Having received Jing Hongchen's instructions, Lin Jiayi nodded lightly to show that he understood, then turned and left the dean's office.

He deliberately waited until Bai Chen's class was dismissed before calling Bai Chen over. With a gentle expression, he said, "Bai Chen, I told the dean about your physical test data. He said that a talent like you is qualified to receive more resources. Starting today, your laboratory's rare metal quota will be doubled."

"Really? Thank you, Director Lin!"

In front of Lin Jiayi, Bai Chen still put on an innocent, harmless act.

Seeing his overjoyed appearance, Lin Jiayi smiled in satisfaction.