Spirit Hall Retests Soul Power

"Don't let him leave!"

The Spirit Hall captain blocked the exit, leveling the spear in his hand.

Xu Zhou looked at the spear, then at the Black Ancient Book in his own hand.

"I just barely escaped death from the jaws of three snakes, and now you want to arrest me?"

"We're only taking you back to Spirit Hall for verification."

"Verify what?"

"Your Soul Power."

The captain pointed at Xu Zhou.

"Someone with Innate Zero Soul Power cannot create illusions among three Mandrake Snakes, much less make Soul Beasts chase after him at the same time. You must have hidden your Soul Power."

The people around them nodded one after another.

"I think so too."

"There must be something wrong with that black book Martial Soul."

"Maybe all of his previous test results were fake."

"Didn't Yu Xiaogang say he might have Innate Soul Power Level Twenty?"

"Looking at it now, even Level Twenty would be conservative."

Voices streamed into Xu Zhou's ears.

The Black Ancient Book turned its pages.

[Multiple people have formed a new judgment: the host has concealed Soul Power far beyond ordinary people.]

[Judgment incorrect.]

[Cognitive Bias collected.]

A warm current flowed into his body.

Xu Zhou nearly laughed.

The more others tried to prove how deeply he had concealed himself, the faster he gained Soul Power.

But this could not continue.

If everyone became convinced that he was a genius hiding his Soul Power, the Public Script of becoming a Soul Master within thirty days would run into problems.

What he needed was for others to believe he had no talent for cultivation.

Not to believe that he was deliberately pretending to be worthless.

"My Soul Power has already been retested three times."

Xu Zhou spoke.

"The Spirit Hall crystal ball, the academy testing stone, and the bronze mirror all showed Zero Soul Power."

"Testing tools can be tampered with."

"What about the Soul Power lamp?"

"It didn't react."

"That's because you restrained your Soul Power in advance."

"How could I restrain Soul Power when I don't have any?"

The captain paused at the question.

"The strong always have their ways."

That answer was very characteristic of a transmigrator.

Anything that could not be explained was attributed to the strong.

Grandmaster Yu walked over to Xu Zhou with Luo Sanpao in his arms.

"I personally witnessed his result."

"Grandmaster Yu, your theories are not always correct."

"At least this time, they are."

"How can you guarantee that?"

"I can't."

Grandmaster Yu raised a hand and placed Luo Sanpao on the ground.

"I am only stating the result I saw with my own eyes."

Luo Sanpao had not recovered yet. After landing, it lay there without moving, too lazy even to flap its wings.

Grandmaster Yu reached out and stroked its back.

"It can prove that Xu Zhou has no Soul Power."

"It can barely prove itself at this point."

The captain glanced at Luo Sanpao.

"A wounded Martial Soul can make mistaken judgments."

Grandmaster Yu's hand froze in midair.

"What did you say?"

"I was merely explaining the situation."

"Say that again."

Grandmaster Yu rose to his feet.

The air around them fell silent.

Tang San stepped to Grandmaster Yu's side, his right hand already resting on his belt.

"Don't fight yet."

Xu Zhou looked up at Grandmaster Yu.

"They want to take me away because they want to confirm how much Soul Power I have hidden. Fighting them now will only make them believe their own judgment even more."

"But he insulted Luo Sanpao."

"He only said that an injured Soul Beast has no judgment."

"Isn't that enough?"

Grandmaster Yu retorted.

Xu Zhou looked at him and suddenly did not know how to respond.

This Grandmaster was usually thick-skinned whenever he guessed wrong.

But when it came to defending his Martial Soul, he did not hesitate in the slightest.

"Spirit Hall only wants to verify the results."

Ma Xiunuo emerged from the back of the group.

He held a small crystal ball in his hand, with two academy teachers following beside him.

"Xu Zhou, you may refuse to come with us, but you must accept an on-site retest."

"Here?"

"Here."

Ma Xiunuo handed him the crystal ball.

"If the result is still Zero Soul Power, Spirit Hall will not make things difficult for you."

"And if it isn't?"

"Then it means there was a problem with your previous test."

Xu Zhou did not take the crystal ball.

"Then what?"

Ma Xiunuo said nothing.

The captain answered for him.

"You'll be taken back to Spirit Hall for investigation."

Investigation.

That word sounded better than arrest.

In reality, there was little difference.

Xu Zhou glanced around.

Spirit Hall personnel stood outside the iron fence. Academy teachers were present as well. Members of the Soul Beast Protection Faction surrounded the Millennium Mandrake Snake, while a group of gamblers waited in the distance to see the result.

If he touched the crystal ball now, regardless of what it showed, it could become the reason for someone's next round of betting.

"We can test it."

Xu Zhou extended his hand.

"But I have one condition."

The captain sneered.

"You still dare to make conditions?"

"Since this is a public retest, record the result in front of everyone."

Xu Zhou looked toward Wang Sheng.

"Wang Sheng, bring the ledger."

Wang Sheng immediately ran over carrying the ledger.

"I can write it down."

"If it is Zero Soul Power, Spirit Hall will acknowledge on the spot that the previous testing was accurate."

Xu Zhou looked at Ma Xiunuo.

"If it does not test as Zero Soul Power, the academy and Spirit Hall must also clearly state that the test result changed, not that I had concealed my Soul Power before."

"Is there a difference?"

"There is."

Xu Zhou touched the Black Ancient Book.

"The first means I suddenly gained Soul Power. The second means I have been deceiving everyone all along."

The Public Script could not be ruined by the second explanation.

Ma Xiunuo watched Xu Zhou for a moment, then nodded.

"Fine."

The captain still wanted to speak, but Ma Xiunuo raised a hand to stop him.

"It is only a test."

"We'll discuss it after the result comes out."

Xu Zhou took the crystal ball.

The crystal ball showed no reaction.

Not even the faintest ripple of light appeared within it.

A wave of discussion rose from the crowd.

"Still Zero Soul Power."

"Could that really have been a Soul Skill effect just now?"

"But isn't his Soul Skill a clone?"

"The projection abilities of a book Martial Soul are very unusual."

"Why did the Soul Beasts chase him?"

"Maybe the projection left behind a scent."

Those who had originally been convinced that Xu Zhou hid his Soul Power immediately began searching for new explanations on his behalf.

The Black Ancient Book remained quiet for a moment.

[Most targets have revised their judgment: the host's Soul Power is zero, and the previous ability came from a special Martial Soul effect.]

[Incorrect judgment formed.]

[Cognitive Bias collected.]

Soul Power flowed into his body.

Xu Zhou gripped the crystal ball tightly, finally relaxing inside.

This time, he had not been exposed.

Yet the Spirit Hall captain did not give up.

"Soul Power can be faked. Crystal balls can be tampered with too."

"What else haven't you tested?"

Xu Zhou asked.

"Your Martial Soul."

"How do you want to test it?"

"Force a summon."

The captain raised his spear.

"Make his Martial Soul attack once."

"Why?"

"As long as he can unleash a Soul Skill, it proves that he possesses Soul Power."

Grandmaster Yu frowned.

"A Martial Soul's abilities are not equivalent to the Soul Power Level within its host."

"Grandmaster Yu, this is Spirit Hall's judgment."

"Then your judgment is not accurate enough."

The two began arguing once more.

Xu Zhou did not join in.

He saw the member of the Soul Beast Protection Faction walk over to Tang San, holding a new map in hand.

"The Four-Hundred-Twenty-Three-Year Mandrake Snake in the northern river valley has left its original location."

"Where did it go?"

"Someone got there first and took it away."

Tang San took the map and flipped it over.

A red arrow was drawn on the back.

"Last known location of the target: southwest side of Soul Hunting Forest."

"Not the northern river valley?"

"That was yesterday's information."

"We were late again?"

"This time, it wasn't moved by the protection faction."

The man lowered his voice.

"Someone put up a sign specifically for Tang San and drew over a dozen soul-hunting teams."

Tang San looked at Xu Zhou.

"Someone's using my Soul Ring to make a business?"

"Your Soul Ring has always been a business."

Xu Zhou replied.

Tang San lowered his gaze to the map.

He had originally thought that as long as he found a Mandrake Snake around four hundred years old, his first Soul Ring could follow the original route.

Now, it seemed that Mandrake Snakes not only ran away, but could also be snatched by others.

The true iconic scene from the original story had already been broken into many pieces.

Everyone wanted to sell each piece for money.

"Then we'll go to the southwest side."

Tang San put away the map.

But Yu Xiaogang did not move.

"Return to the academy first."

"Teacher?"

"Xu Zhou is poisoned, Luo Sanpao is injured, and we all need rest."

"But that snake..."

"Soul Beasts won't wait for people, and neither will soul-hunting teams."

Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San.

"Not absorbing a Soul Ring today doesn't mean you won't have another chance later."

Tang San fell silent for a moment, then nodded.

Xu Zhou looked toward the exit.

The people from Spirit Hall were still there.

"Can we leave now?"

Ma Xiunuo was just about to speak when a scream suddenly rang out in the distance.

A guard rushed out of the woods, wrapped head to toe in Blue Silver Grass.

He staggered and fell to the ground, still clutching a shattered wooden sign in his hand.

"The Mandrake Snake got away!"

"All the soul-hunting teams on the southwest side have been attacked!"

"That snake is looking for someone!"

"Who?"

The guard looked up and pointed at Xu Zhou.

"They're looking for Xu Zhou!"

The Black Ancient Book opened.

[A new Public Script is about to form.]

[Current misconception: All high-year plant Soul Beasts will hunt Xu Zhou.]

[Participants: 499.]

Before Xu Zhou could speak, a Blue Silver Grass plant came flying from the direction of the academy.

A letter was tied to its blade.

The signature was not Straw Hat Blue Silver Grass.

It was a Spirit Hall emblem.

There was only one sentence in the letter.

"Xu Zhou, report to the Spirit Hall Branch in Notting City immediately, or Holy Soul Village will be listed as an object of Soul Beast protection investigation."