Admissions Political Screening, Yu Tianjun's Creed, and Study Buddies in Mingdu (4.6k)

On the fourth day after Ling Tianyi and his companions enrolled at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, their admission assessment finally arrived, late but inevitable.

The judging panel boasted a lavish lineup: three Level 9 Soul Engineers serving as chair and vice chairs, and six Level 8 Soul Engineers as judges. Beforehand, they had sworn in the name of soul tools to keep everything they saw today confidential.

In the physical testing room, Academic Director Lin Jiayi ranked as little more than a little girl among these heavyweights. He called the three up to the testing apparatus one at a time.

"Student sex: female. Bone age: eighteen. Soul power fluctuations: level fifty-five..."

Ling Luochеn was the first to step onto the apparatus. After three days of mentally preparing herself, she had decided to go through the motions and open the eyes of these medicine jars from the Sun Moon Empire.

"Height: 1.72 meters. Weight: sixty-two kilograms. Left arm soul bone present. Physical strength: level sixty-seven. Physical resilience: level sixty-six..."

The mechanical voice announced more than thirty physical measurements. Even though the judges had come prepared, they were still a little startled and began reflecting on themselves.

Ye Yulin praised her lavishly. "Outstanding. The Shrek Seven Devils really do have better overall stats than ours."

Liao Mengkai offered a suggestion. "I heard Shrek students have to run from the moment they enroll. Could that be why we're behind? I suggest we learn from them."

Jing Hongchen rolled his eyes and snapped, "I've also heard Shrek teachers like expelling students on a whim, their cafeteria has no seats, and four hundred people in a dormitory share one toilet and washroom! Are we supposed to learn that too?"

"Try copying them and you'll drown in complaint letters. When everyone curses you to death, I'll just say you're an outsourced employee. Take your two Gold Soul Coins, pack your things, and get out."

Liao Mengkai smiled sheepishly. "I was just saying. Forget students—even a soul engineer corps would sign a joint protest over treatment like that. The geniuses of the Douluo Three Kingdoms really know how to endure..."

In a corner of the testing room, Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, Ju Zi, and Ke Ke were the only four students present. Meng Hongchen poked her brother in the kidney and said, "Brother, the Shrek Seven Devils have really strong physiques."

"Meng, don't focus on something so superficial. I've never thought we were inferior to them."

Arms folded, Xiao Hongchen boosted his sister's confidence in a thoroughly punchable tone. "Take you, for instance. You screw over your brother and grandfather and burn through money, but your poison scares me more than anything. If you fought Ling Luochеn one-on-one, I'd bet on you winning."

Meng Hongchen ground her little pointed canines. "Has anyone ever told you that leaving out the first half would improve your score in your sister's eyes a little?"

Xiao Hongchen looked astonished and said in an exaggerated tone, "I still have a score in your eyes? Didn't it go negative ages ago?"

Meng Hongchen ground her teeth, then realized he had a point. "...At least you know yourself. Look, Ye Guyi's going up. Looks like Tianjun will be last."

Xiao Hongchen wore an "I knew it all along" expression. "The moment I saw him, I knew he was a show-off. Of course he'd save himself for last."

Meng Hongchen pulled a long face, her gaze dark. "You're a show-off yourself, so you assume everyone else is too?"

Xiao Hongchen suddenly felt a toothache coming on. "Meng, when will you let your brother save a little face?"

"Bleh~ Keep dreaming." Meng Hongchen stuck out her tongue and made a face, cutting off his fantasies.

"Meng, you've broken my heart." Xiao Hongchen clutched his chest, his expression full of sorrow and indignation.

"If I stopped breaking your heart, it would mean I'd regressed. Thanks for the compliment." Meng Hongchen refused to give her conceited brother any chance to show off.

"Ju Zi, they're so close."

Ke Ke listened in, her face full of envy. Such pure sibling affection was so enviable.

Ju Zi patted her best friend's head and muttered to herself, "She doesn't have a fever. How come she can't tell good words from bad?"

The Hongchen siblings were clearly siblings on opposing battle lines. What kind of mental circuitry could interpret that as affection?

"Meanie. Don't drag me back to cold reality while I'm feeling moved." Ke Ke was deeply wounded.

"Oh."

Ju Zi responded with a vacant, adorable look, then pointed at Ye Guyi, who had finished her physical testing. "Here's another cold fact: every one of her stats is more than ten levels above her soul power."

"Boohoo..." Ke Ke refused to listen. Ke Ke covered her face and cried.

"Stop crying. That Qilin you've been going on about these past few days is taking the stage," Ju Zi reminded her.

"Now that you mention it, I'm wide awake!"

Ke Ke instantly returned to being an energetic girl, opening her big, mascara-ad eyes wide as she watched the Qilin war god walk forward.

As he stepped up, both the judges and Lin Jiayi, who was recording the figures, held their breath, their gazes fixing on the testing apparatus.

"Student sex: male. Bone age: approaching eleven. Soul power fluctuations: level forty-four. Height: 1.82 meters. Weight: seventy-five kilograms. Back soul bone present. Physical strength: level seventy-five..."

"Data error. Retesting... Data error! System malfunction! Data error, system malfunction..."

Mingdu's newest physical testing apparatus had encountered the sacred Qilin grandson of the Heavenly Dragon Sect. Despite fighting with all its might, it could not prevail. Finally, amid a string of beeps, its screen went black. It died.

"Did I break something?"

Yu Tianjun stepped off the apparatus, surprise showing on his face as he looked toward the judges.

"Who designed this apparatus? Come explain what happened."

The judges fell briefly silent, looking at one another before all their gazes finally landed on a Level 8 Soul Engineer.

The soul engineer stood with a flushed face and bowed ninety degrees, offering a deeply contrite apology. "I'm very sorry. This is my fault. When I designed the apparatus, I never considered a student like you. Once the discrepancy between readings exceeds thirty levels, it shuts itself down."

"Oh, then there's no need to change it. For now, there won't be a second person like me in the Douluo Three Kingdoms. By the way, your design is extremely innovative, far ahead of the Douluo Continent. You just need to be more careful about confidentiality. Don't let someone steal your ideas."

"Thank you."

Yu Tianjun chatted pleasantly with the apparatus's designer, then returned to his seat, utterly composed.

"Damn it. He's shown off again."

Watching Yu Tianjun successfully show off, former number-one pretty boy Xiao Hongchen felt worse than he did about failing to reach Soul King.

Xiao Hongchen, oh, Xiao Hongchen, you can't keep slacking off. Starting tomorrow, make a plan and go into seclusion to cultivate!

Meng Hongchen's gaze lingered on her good friend's exquisite profile as she gained a whole new understanding of Yu Tianjun.

She knew Yu Tianjun was strong, but the impact of seeing his stats on paper still astonished her.

With a level seventy-five physique, could he lift two of her, toss them into the air, and spin them around three times?

"Strategist, does this count as a muscular little boy?" Ke Ke blinked, finding it hard to believe that such terrifying strength lay beneath that handsome young exterior.

Ju Zi considered it seriously before saying, "As a delicate, physically weak soul engineer, I suggest you don't overthink it. We're only riding Teacher Xuan's coattails to slack off and escape our experiments. Once we leave, we can't breathe a word of this."

"Eww~ Strategist, there you go again." Ke Ke pouted.

Ju Zi smiled. "Thank you. It's my duty as your strategist. I recommend giving up those unrealistic fantasies, dear."

Ke Ke's face darkened. "I hate you. They say a strategist takes the field with tears streaming down her face. I look forward to seeing how you die, dear."

"That day will never come. Give it up."

"All right. We already have an understanding of the three of you and your combat capabilities, so we'll skip the strength assessment. Now, please tell us your plans after enrollment and your grand ambitions."

Jing Hongchen sat upright, signaling that the admission assessment had entered its most crucial stage: Political Vetting.

They had already witnessed Yu Tianjun's and Ye Guyi's combat capabilities yesterday. The hall master had deliberately let Meng Hongchen learn of Yu Tianjun's arrival so that his grandchildren could have a spirited soul-fighting match with the Tianyi duo.

The results had been gratifying. The holy angel lived up to her reputation, and the Five-Element Qilin had made the Three-Legged Golden Toad retreat three miles without even lifting a finger.

As for Ling Luochеn, there was even less need to test her. She had once been an opponent of the Sun Moon Team.

With their abilities maxed out, whether they had genuinely come to the Sun Moon Empire mattered even more—in other words, whether the three were undercover agents.

Although everyone from Kong Deming to Lin Jiayi believed the Sea God's Pavilion would have to be collectively brain-dead to send them undercover, what if?

Historical records showed that Qian Renxue had done exactly that. Mingdu had no choice but to follow procedure.

The first of the Ling Tianyi trio to state her position was Ling Luochеn. The former member of the Shrek Seven Monsters remained utterly expressionless, as if discussing something unrelated to herself.

"I swear on my martial soul that I intend to settle an old score with an old adversary at next year's tournament and vent this bitter anger for myself and my younger brother. I hope we work well together."

"Perfect answer."

The judges unanimously awarded her a high score of 9.9. That was precisely the attitude they wanted.

Ye Guyi stood second, her expression resolute as she spoke impassionedly. "As long as evil exists, the battle will never end. The holy angel was born to fight and will rest only in death!

"I will bring the angel's radiance to every corner of the continent and avenge everyone who has suffered at the hands of evil soul masters!

"Studying here is the fastest path for me to become strong and fulfill my dream."

A descendant of angels, with impeccable roots and convictions, she never forgot to charge toward the front lines against evil soul masters.

"Refined, grand, and first-class!"

"I'm giving that answer top-tier."

"No question. Ten points—a perfect score!"

Won over by the angel's righteous cause, the soul engineers unanimously awarded full marks.

The pressure shifted to Yu Tianjun. Every judge watched him with burning eyes, eager to hear this Qilin Prodigy's ambitions.

"Mine are simple. Right now, I need a safe environment to grow in, to become stronger step by step, take revenge in a way I approve of, and change the world around me when I have the ability."

Yu Tianjun's voice was calm. Compared with Ye Guyi, whose heart embraced the whole world, the aspirations in his answer clearly lacked grandeur.

"My life isn't as romantic as you judges imagine. There's a lot of pressure in it. I've had to hide myself since childhood, and I have some unpleasant memories.

"What I want most right now is to use the future to change all of them."

Yu Tianjun spoke straight from the heart. "I've chosen a path of revenge that ordinary people consider impossible. Pressure walks beside me. We all grow up in different circumstances, and I believe that before looking after others, you need to look after yourself.

"Only someone capable has the right to make promises to others and pursue grand visions. Right now, I'm still too weak. All I can think about is living well and improving myself.

"When in hardship, perfect yourself; when successful, help all under heaven. That is my creed. If Sun Moon does not fail me, I will not fail Sun Moon. I hope we work well together. Thank you."

When his words fell, the judges were silent. Their uplifted, smiling mouths settled, replaced by thoughtful expressions.

Ling Luochеn's eyes filled with heartache. Ye Guyi sighed softly. Xiao Hongchen and Ke Ke looked surprised. In Meng Hongchen's eyes, Yu Tianjun gained a beautiful, powerful, tragic filter, desperately in need of a pretty young heiress to soothe his wounded soul.

Ju Zi abruptly lifted her head. Her vacant, adorable look vanished, and her lustrous eyes fixed on Yu Tianjun's calm face, as though she had seen another soul silently licking its wounds in the darkness.

"Sure enough, you can't let children write personal narratives for important essays. Those plain words cut far too deep. It's practically cheating."

"After hearing him, I believe he's sincere."

"Say no more. I'm giving him a hundred points—beyond full marks."

The judges showered him with praise. The Ling Tianyi trio passed their Political Vetting and became students of the highest tier at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.

"Given your differing circumstances, student Ling Luochеn will receive special permission to pursue further study in the Radiant Virtue Hall and research any field that interests her. If none does, she may devote herself entirely to soul master cultivation. The academy will not force the matter."

Considering the three students' differing ages and soul engineering attainments, Jing Hongchen chose to teach according to their aptitudes and discuss each case individually.

When it was Ye Guyi's turn, Ye Yulin took over, smiling broadly:

"Student Ye Guyi is a Level 4 Soul Engineer, but has considerable gaps in her theoretical knowledge. You may transfer into the fifth year immediately, or cram before the next semester begins and enroll in the new academic year.

"You may choose an instructor at any time. Many of us, myself included, would gladly fulfill that role. Your martial soul needs to be concealed to some extent, and the necessary soul tools are already being made."

"Student Jun Tianyu..."

The judges turned toward their heavyweight, Yu Tianjun. Jing Hongchen reclaimed the floor and said:

"Your talent as a soul master is exceptionally outstanding. After deliberation, we have decided to grant you the greatest possible freedom. From now until the end of this semester, you may freely enter all unrestricted areas of the academy and the Radiant Virtue Hall to observe and learn.

"The academy will devise the training program best suited to your circumstances, aiming to make soul tools a source of support for you. We also sincerely hope you come to enjoy the academy's environment and soul tools.

"Perhaps, coming from the Heaven Dou Empire, you don't particularly approve of soul tools. I can tell you now that the Radiant Virtue Hall's greatest goal is to make soul tools accessible to ordinary people, allowing them to use soul tools and enjoy the conveniences they bring to daily life.

"I believe that aligns with your original ideals. You are a pacifist at heart."

"The academy will arrange for your formal enrollment in the new academic year."

Yu Tianjun thought for a moment before saying, "Hall Master, respected judges and teachers, my experiences at the academy these past few days have given me a few ideas:

"Soul tools and powerful soul masters are not entirely at odds. On the contrary, the two can be combined to create even stronger individuals.

"To put it bluntly, one important reason the Sun Moon Empire is so enthusiastic about soul tools is the generally insufficient talent of its soul masters. The drive to survive and develop pushes soul masters to seek greater power and use soul tools to improve their overall strength.

"In the Original Three Kingdoms, it is fairly common for soul masters with relatively weak martial souls or no combat capabilities, such as food-type and support-type soul masters, to embrace soul tools.

"But for soul masters with relatively powerful martial souls, soul tools hold less significance. The power of their martial souls and soul skills alone is enough to sweep across the land. I'm one example."

"If we extend that to sects, we can compare the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Body Sect. The former actively embraces soul tools, while the latter firmly believes in its own strength. I've heard that the soul tools they currently use are limited to transportation, such as Flying Soul Tools and earth-boring soul tools."

"Personally, I believe suitable soul tools would benefit me. A powerful soul master using soul tools tailored to them is the strongest combination."

"Given the continent's current situation, soul tools can affect every soul master below Limit Douluo."

"I would gladly research civilian soul tools that improve daily life, such as heating soul tools. That was a childhood dream of mine. I also look forward to using powerful combat soul tools to enhance my fighting strength."

"Good, good, good. Excellent."

Jing Hongchen grinned so broadly he could barely close his mouth. Yu Tianjun's endorsement of soul tools was beautifully put. It made him feel wonderful.

The soul engineers' gazes toward Yu Tianjun also grew much warmer. Having a soul master of peerless talent acknowledge soul tools brought joy second only to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy crushing Shrek and casting off its thousand-year runner-up hat.

"Student Jun Tianyu, considering that you are still unfamiliar with the academy, we have decided to assign you three dedicated study buddies: Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, fifth-year students outstanding in both character and academics, and Ji Juechen, a Level 5 practical-control soul engineer from the Radiant Virtue Hall."

"If you have any questions, you may ask them for help. They are obliged to help you become familiar with campus life and Mingdu."

Having raised the Qilin Prodigy's approval bar within just three days of enrollment, Jing Hongchen pressed his advantage and assigned Yu Tianjun study buddies.

The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy also offered top-tier treatment to international students?

Yu Tianjun was surprised, but there was no reason to turn down benefits delivered to his door. He nodded. "Then thank you to the academy and all my seniors for your generous regard."

With that, the admission assessment reached a successful conclusion. Each of the Ling Tianyi trio found their place and settled into the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye. Yu Tianjun's cultivation advanced, and he turned eleven.