Time flew by.
Five days later.
Mingdu.
Chen Mo and the Ice Empress walked along the street.
Ye Guyi, who had traveled with them, had already parted ways with them.
Along the way.
Chen Mo had tried every argument he could think of to painstakingly persuade Ye Guyi.
He hoped she would go with him to study at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
After all, cultivating through Martial Soul Fusion was simply too good to pass up.
Just these few days of cultivation had benefited him immensely.
If they kept it up, he figured he would soon break through to become a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor.
But every time, Ye Guyi had smiled and refused, saying there was something she had to do.
Still, on second thought.
If Ye Guyi really went to the academy with him.
The risk might be enormous.
Her martial soul, the Holy Angel, was far too unusual.
And the Holy Spirit Cult had some connections with the academy.
If members of the Holy Spirit Cult discovered her martial soul while she was studying there.
Things would get troublesome.
After turning it over in his mind, Chen Mo abandoned the idea.
Fortunately, before they parted, Ye Guyi had given Chen Mo an address.
He could go there to find her whenever he had time.
"I never imagined you humans would develop so quickly."
"In just a few tens of thousands of years, the places you live have become so... so..."
The Ice Empress gazed at the towering buildings around her.
Her eyes were full of curiosity.
She opened her mouth to offer her assessment, but could not find the right word.
Chen Mo chimed in. "Advanced."
"Right! Advanced!" The Ice Empress nodded slightly.
Just then, a vendor selling candied hawthorn skewers passed by.
The Ice Empress, who had seen little of the world, could not tear her eyes away from those tempting, bright red fruits.
She pointed at the skewers. "Those look delicious. I want one!"
What the Ice Empress wanted, the Ice Empress got.
Chen Mo took out his money.
Once they had done enough shopping.
The Ice Empress finally returned to the Gulou Ball, carrying bags and bundles of every size.
Chen Mo returned to the academy.
Although there were still a few days before the new term began.
Students were already returning one after another.
When Jing Hongchen learned that his student had returned early.
He dropped the experiment he was working on.
He immediately removed his disguise and hurried to the academy.
Inside the office.
Jing Hongchen smiled kindly at Chen Mo. "Xiao Mo, what have you gained over this past month or so? You haven't neglected your soul engineering studies, have you?"
Chen Mo smiled slightly. "Don't worry, Teacher. Not only have I kept up with my soul engineering studies, I'm already a rank thirty-eight, three-ring Soul Elder."
"Mm, very good, you..." Jing Hongchen nodded approvingly, yet felt that something was not quite right.
Once it sank in, he sat bolt upright and exclaimed, "What? What rank did you say you were? Thirty-eight!!!"
"Yes. Is something wrong?"
Chen Mo nodded.
Jing Hongchen began questioning everything he knew.
What the hell?
If I remember correctly.
This kid was only rank thirty when he left last term.
In just over a month.
He's gained eight ranks!
"You... haven't been stuffing yourself with pills, have you?" Jing Hongchen asked after a long hesitation.
He then placed a hand on Chen Mo.
And began examining him carefully.
He had seen far too many students consume large quantities of precious pills to raise their strength quickly, hoping to gain the academy's attention and secure more resources.
But pills were only supposed to be supplementary aids.
Taking one or two to strengthen the foundation and nourish one's vitality was fine.
Taking large quantities, however, would cause medicinal power to accumulate, leaving a soul master's soul power insubstantial and their foundation unstable.
He certainly did not want the gifted student he had finally managed to take in.
To perish halfway down the road because he had chased quick results.
He hurriedly used his soul power to conduct a thorough examination.
He found Chen Mo's soul power dense and his foundation solid.
There was no sign at all that he had advanced through pills.
Jing Hongchen withdrew his hand, looking puzzled. "How strange. Don't you have an ultimate martial soul? Doesn't everyone say cultivation becomes especially slow after rank thirty for those with ultimate martial souls? What's going on with you?"
"Maybe it's because my third soul ring is Seventy-Thousand-Year, and I also absorbed a soul bone."
As Chen Mo spoke, he activated his martial soul.
Three soul rings—purple, black, and black—appeared beneath his feet.
"Seventy-Thousand-Year... and a soul bone... I see. You really are blessed with good fortune, kid."
"I've never heard of anyone having a soul ring configuration like this, even over at Shrek."
Jing Hongchen sighed in wonder.
He had originally thought Chen Mo's third soul ring.
Would only be slightly older than his second.
He had never expected the boy's soul ring to reach Seventy-Thousand-Year.
Those people from the Body Sect certainly had nerves of steel.
Weren't they afraid Chen Mo would be unable to withstand the terrifying energy of a Seventy-Thousand-Year soul ring and explode?
Chen Mo continued, "By the way, Teacher, this Seventy-Thousand-Year Spirit Vein Brocade-Scale Python gave me a pretty good soul skill. Would you like to experience it?"
"Sure." Jing Hongchen nodded.
Chen Mo cautioned him, "Also, this soul skill of mine is rather unusual, so please don't resist it."
"I know. Hurry up and start. Let's see just how unusual this soul skill of yours is," Jing Hongchen urged.
"All right!"
"Here I go, then."
Green light immediately shone in Chen Mo's eyes, and his third soul ring began flashing.
The next moment.
Jing Hongchen's expression changed dramatically.
His vision suddenly became extraordinarily clear. He could see everything around him in perfect detail, even the frequency of an insect's wingbeats as it flew past.
Even with his eyes closed, he could clearly see everything around him.
"This is your third soul skill?"
"It's practically a divine skill!"
Jing Hongchen's breathing quickened.
It was the first time he had ever encountered such a miraculous soul skill.
It was almost as though it had been tailor-made for soul engineers.
Chen Mo added, "This soul skill can grow further as my strength increases."
"Hiss—"
"And it's a growth-type soul skill!!!"
Jing Hongchen sucked in a breath of cold air.
The corners of his mouth curled upward until he practically looked like a crooked-mouthed Dragon King.
He was delighted.
Delighted that he had taken in such an exceptionally talented student.
Thank goodness he had acted quickly back then.
Otherwise, he would surely have regretted it enough to bang his head against a wall.
He was also thankful that such a genius had come to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
If Chen Mo had gone to Shrek Academy instead.
He would surely have been eaten alive by envy.
While teacher and student were talking.
A knock came at the door.
Then Meng Hongchen's sweet voice rang out.
"Teacher, may I come in?"
At her voice, Jing Hongchen's face fell in alarm.
Why was his granddaughter here?
More importantly, he wasn't wearing his disguise.
Just as he opened his mouth to stop Meng Hongchen from entering.
Meng Hongchen had already opened the door and walked in.
"Little Mo, I heard you returned early. Why didn't you come say hello to your senior?"
"Oh! Grandpa, you're here too."
"Come to think of it, Grandpa, why aren't you disguised as usual today?"
"And why are you here with Little Mo instead of staying in the dean's office?"
Meng Hongchen had completely exposed her grandfather Jing Hongchen's identity.
Chen Mo looked at Jing Hongchen with amusement.
His granddaughter had peeled away every last layer of his disguise.
He wanted to see how the old man would keep up the act now.
Before you continue