News that Chen Mo had passed the Level 1 Soul Engineer assessment in just three months spread throughout the academy in less than half a day.
The news landed like a heavy bomb!
It stirred up towering waves!
The teachers who had previously fought over him were all green with envy, their faces filled with regret.
They were envious that the dean had taken in such a genius, and regretful that a student this gifted was not under their own tutelage.
One teacher surnamed Xuan, in particular, beat his chest and stamped his feet in bitter regret when he heard the news.
As for the students, especially those in the higher years, they all expressed shock and disbelief upon hearing it.
After all, they had been through it themselves.
They knew just how outrageous it was for a freshman who knew absolutely nothing about Soul Tools to become a Level 1 Soul Engineer in three months.
According to the academy's statistics, ordinary students needed a year, while those with some talent needed several months to pass the Level 1 Soul Engineer assessment.
That was why they found it so hard to believe Chen Mo had done it in three months.
As for why the news had spread so quickly...
Naturally, someone had ordered it.
Jing Hongchen's response was: "What? I finally managed to take in a genius student. Can't I show off a little?"
Inside a fourth-year classroom.
"He passed the Level 1 Soul Engineer assessment in three months!"
"How is that possible?"
"Meng, are you thinking straight?"
"That news sounds way too fake."
The handsome boy's voice was full of suspicion. Clearly, he did not believe it.
Across from him, a girl with outstanding looks and bearing said softly, "It's true. I even went to Grandpa to confirm it, and the news has already spread throughout the academy."
The two were none other than...
Jing Hongchen's grandson and granddaughter.
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen.
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible!"
"It's not like you don't know Grandpa. You actually believe what he says? He might just be teasing you," Xiao Hongchen said, still unconvinced.
He knew his grandfather all too well.
Extremely arrogant, obsessed with saving face, and fond of bragging.
He had proclaimed himself the foremost figure in the Soul Tool world.
In reality, Kong Mingde still stood above him.
Seeing that her brother still refused to believe it...
A mischievous smile appeared on Meng Hongchen's lips. "Brother, is it because someone broke your record, and you're so upset you want to cry that you refuse to believe the news? It's all right. If you want to cry, just let it out."
"Meng, aren't you underestimating your brother a little too much?"
"I, Xiao Hongchen, am the greatest genius in the history of the Sun Moon Empire!"
"An invincible existence among my peers."
"How could a freshman passing the Level 1 Soul Engineer assessment possibly upset me?" Xiao Hongchen declared with supreme conceit.
"Bragging..." Meng Hongchen muttered, curling her lips.
She had finally figured out where her brother's conceit and habit of bragging came from.
He had inherited them from their grandfather, Jing Hongchen.
"Then what if Chen Mo breaks your other Soul Engineer assessment records later?"
"Meng, you can eat recklessly, but you can't speak recklessly."
"I admit that kid has some talent, passing the Level 1 Soul Engineer assessment in just three months."
"But you know perfectly well that Soul Engineer assessments get harder and harder as you advance!"
"There's absolutely no way he can break my records for the higher-level assessments," Xiao Hongchen said firmly.
"But what if he does?" Meng Hongchen saw things differently. "What if Chen Mo breaks your other Soul Engineer assessment records later?"
Xiao Hongchen snorted softly and pointed at the table before him. "If he really manages it, I'll eat this table."
"Eating a table is so boring. Why don't we make a bet instead? Let's bet on whether Chen Mo will break your record for becoming a Level 2 Soul Engineer."
"If Chen Mo breaks your record, I win, and you give me a month's allowance. Otherwise, I'll give you a week's allowance."
At those words, Xiao Hongchen's expression shifted slightly. He asked in confusion, "A bet? Didn't Grandpa just give us our spending money? You're already out of allowance again? Meng, you spend money way too fast. How are you ever going to find a husband?"
"None of your business. Just tell me whether you're betting or not," Meng Hongchen said irritably, rolling her eyes at him.
"Sure, we can bet," Xiao Hongchen said, "but why do I have to give you a month's allowance if I lose, while you only give me a week's if you lose? Can't we make it fair?"
Meng Hongchen was reluctant. "Of course not. I get my allowance weekly, and one week of mine is worth a month of yours. If we made it fair, I'd be losing out."
"What did you say?!" Xiao Hongchen's eyes widened, his voice filled with disbelief. "One week of your allowance equals a whole month of mine?!"
Realizing she had let it slip...
Meng Hongchen hurriedly covered her mouth and put on an innocent expression.
Meanwhile, Xiao Hongchen was still questioning his entire existence. "No wonder you always spend money like water while I save wherever I can, yet you're still richer than me at the end of the month. So this was why?"
"Is the old man treating me like someone from the Star Luo Empire just to mess with me?"
"Oh, don't worry about that," Meng Hongchen said sweetly, tugging his sleeve before asking, "So are you betting or not?"
"Yes!" Xiao Hongchen was extremely worked up. "Why wouldn't I?!"
"Then it's settled. No backing out. I've recorded everything you just said."
"When have I, Xiao Hongchen, the greatest genius of Sun Moon, ever gone back on my word? It's settled!"
With the wager agreed upon, Meng Hongchen left with a spring in her step.
Watching his younger sister leave, Xiao Hongchen shook his head. "My foolish little sister, actually imagining someone could break your genius brother's record. I'll gladly take that week's allowance of yours. Heh heh heh..."
Elsewhere.
Chen Mo, who had been practicing the Soul-Nurturing Art, finished cultivating a short while later, opened his eyes, and burst into laughter.
It took him quite a while to calm down.
"As expected of a High-Grade Earth-Rank Cultivation Art. It truly lives up to its reputation!"
According to the information he had just obtained, the Soul-Nurturing Art had two cultivation effects for Soul Masters.
First, when a Soul Master cultivated, the Soul-Nurturing Art would devour all the impure Soul Power absorbed into their body and refine it into pure Soul Power. Cultivating with that pure Soul Power could increase cultivation speed by eighty percent. In addition, any overflowing Soul Power could nourish the body and improve its recovery abilities.
The second effect was that cultivating with the Soul-Nurturing Art produced a kind of material energy called "spirit." This energy could nourish the soul and make it stronger.
The more Chen Mo pondered it, the more unfathomable the Soul-Nurturing Art seemed.
At the same time, he could not help wondering, "How strange. An art this powerful, capable of cultivating both aspects at once, is only high-grade earth-tier? Could the system have made a mistake?"
"Never mind that. Let's look at the next one."
Chen Mo shook his head, stopped worrying about the art's grade, and took out the Jade-Eyed Three-Flower Pupils ten-minute Enlightenment Card.
"What can I comprehend in ten minutes of enlightenment?" As he pondered this, he used the Enlightenment Card.
In an instant.
His consciousness was drawn into a mysterious space.
He looked up.
And saw a woman dressed in green battling several powerful opponents.
What that green-clad woman was using in battle was none other than the Jade-Eyed Three-Flower Pupils.
Soon, the countdown ended.
Exactly ten minutes had passed, without a second's deviation.
When Chen Mo opened his eyes again, a dazzling emerald radiance shone from them.
"Three-Flower Pupils: Illusion Break!"
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