Chen Mo looked utterly bewildered.
Wait, what was going on?
He had only just met Kong Deming, and the man already wanted to take him as a student?
More importantly, he was trying to poach him right in front of his teacher, Jing Hongchen.
Xuan Ziwen thought Chen Mo did not know how formidable his teacher, Kong Deming, was.
He stepped forward to explain. "Junior brother, our teacher is the foremost Level 9 Soul Engineer in the Empire. His mastery of soul tools stands at the pinnacle of the world, unmatched by anyone alive. Become his student, and your future will surely be boundless."
Chen Mo was even more bewildered.
Junior brother?
Wasn't his teacher Jing Hongchen?
When had that changed to Kong Deming?
"Elder Kong, haven't you already retired and sworn never to take another student so you could focus on researching soul tools?"
"Besides, Xiao Mo is already my student. Isn't it rather inappropriate for you to poach him now?"
Jing Hongchen hurriedly spoke up.
He feared that if he waited another moment, his student might fly right out of his hands.
Kong Deming, however, thought nothing of it.
A piece of unpolished jade like this would only gather dust in Jing Hongchen's hands. Better to let him shine in mine!
He said with leisurely composure, "If I can retire, then I can come out of retirement."
"And Hongchen, not to criticize you, but your way of thinking needs improvement."
"What's all this about yours and mine? Doesn't he belong to the Empire either way?"
"It makes no difference whether you teach this student or I do."
At that moment, ten thousand Grass Mud Horses stampeded through Jing Hongchen's mind.
He had thrown shame to the winds.
Not only was he poaching a student right in front of his actual teacher, he was dressing it up in such high-sounding words!
It made no difference who taught him?
How could it possibly be the same?
"Elder Kong, no matter what you say today, I absolutely will not let him go." Jing Hongchen's stance was firm.
He had finally managed to take on a genius student.
If someone could steal him away with just a few words...
He might as well stop being the dean.
"Then I'll be frank with you too. I came here for one reason alone: to take Chen Mo as my disciple!"
"But I'm not an unreasonable man. How about this? We'll leave the choice to Chen Mo."
"Let him choose his teacher."
Kong Deming yielded a step.
Xuan Ziwen hurriedly said, "Junior brother, remember what your senior brother told you. You can't go wrong choosing our teacher."
Jing Hongchen also looked at Chen Mo. "Xiao Mo, I've always treated you well, haven't I? Meng has been very good to you too, hasn't she? You should know whom to choose."
Listening to the three of them talk back and forth...
Chen Mo felt utterly helpless.
He had only come to take a soul tool assessment. How had it suddenly become so troublesome?
As for changing teachers and becoming Kong Deming's disciple...
That was even more out of the question.
Leaving aside the reputation he would earn for betraying his teacher, abandoning loyalty, and currying favor with the powerful...
Jing Hongchen had always taught him everything he knew without holding anything back.
Whenever he lacked materials, he only had to say the word, and they would be delivered immediately.
Not to mention how well Meng Hongchen had looked after him.
So, for Senior Meng's sake, he would never change teachers.
Chen Mo shook his head and said, "Thank you for your kind offer, Elder Kong. But I am already my teacher's student, so I cannot become your disciple."
Hearing this, Jing Hongchen nodded in satisfaction.
He gave Chen Mo an approving look.
It seemed to say, Good lad. I knew I hadn't misjudged you.
Xuan Ziwen, on the other hand, looked crestfallen.
He had thought he would finally have a junior brother, but it seemed there was no hope now.
Despite being rejected, Kong Deming was not disappointed. Instead, his expression held a trace of regret and admiration.
Having lived for more than a hundred and fifty years, he had seen far too many geniuses who courted the powerful and chased shortcuts.
Given even the slightest chance to attach themselves to someone powerful, they would flock to it like ducks.
Yet Chen Mo, at only nine years old, already knew how to stay true to himself and cherish loyalty and affection.
That was truly rare.
After a long while, Kong Deming sighed and turned to Jing Hongchen. "Very well. You brat have better luck than I do, managing to take on such a gifted student. Teach him properly. Don't let his talent go to waste."
"Of course."
Jing Hongchen answered with a smile.
Meanwhile, outside another laboratory...
As the laboratory door slowly opened...
A handsome boy who resembled Meng Hongchen emerged, wearing a five-star badge on his collar.
He was Xiao Hongchen.
He had now become a Level 5 Soul Engineer.
"Hahaha! I, Xiao Hongchen, truly am unrivaled among my peers! The youngest Level 5 Soul Engineer in history!"
"That fellow called Chen Mo isn't even worth mentioning next to me."
"Let's see what Meng has to say now."
After laughing and saying his piece, Xiao Hongchen...
Headed out of the building.
Along the way...
He saw a large crowd of teachers and students filing out of an observation room.
He could not help feeling puzzled.
Strange. It wasn't time for the end-of-term assessments.
Why were so many first- and second-grade students here?
Could they have heard that I'd become the youngest Level 5 Soul Engineer in the Sun Moon Empire's history and come specifically to watch?
That had to be it.
While Xiao Hongchen was basking in his own glory...
Meng Hongchen happened to come out and immediately spotted her older brother standing there with a foolish grin.
"Brother, what are you doing here?" Meng Hongchen asked.
"Meng, you're here too."
"I knew it. Deep down, you still think your brother is the Sun Moon Empire's greatest genius."
"Were you waiting here especially for me?"
Xiao Hongchen went on without waiting for an answer.
Meng Hongchen interrupted him. "Brother, what are you talking about? Who's waiting for you?"
"You are."
"Didn't you hear that I passed the Level 5 Soul Engineer assessment today and come especially to congratulate me?"
Xiao Hongchen asked in confusion.
Meng Hongchen shook her head and pointed toward the laboratory. "No, I'm waiting for Grandpa. He went with Elder Kong and Teacher Xuan Ziwen to..."
"What! Grandpa already knows I passed the Level 5 Soul Engineer assessment? And even Elder Kong heard about it!" Xiao Hongchen looked stunned, then gradually grew even more excited. "How did I even draw Elder Kong's attention? Oh dear, if I'd known, I would've held back a little."
Xiao Hongchen was immensely pleased with himself, mistakenly believing that his passing the Level 5 Soul Engineer assessment had brought Kong Deming to the academy.
Meng Hongchen finally understood what her older brother was talking about.
But she did not rush to explain the situation.
Instead, she quietly recorded Xiao Hongchen's smug display.
Then she clasped her hands behind her back and said with a beaming smile, "Brother, stop laughing for a moment. Grandpa and Elder Kong didn't come here because of you."
"Hahaha... uh..." As though someone had seized him by the throat, Xiao Hongchen's laughter abruptly stopped.
"Impossible. Who besides your brother could bring those two here?"
Meng Hongchen said, "It was Junior Xiao Mo. He just passed both the Level Two and Level Three Soul Tool Assessments in one go."
"..."
Xiao Hongchen felt as though he had been struck over the head with a club.
He had only spent a few months in seclusion. Had the outside world already gone this mad?
Counting the time, Chen Mo had only been enrolled for about seven months.
And he'd already passed the Level Three Soul Tool Assessment? Two levels in one go, at that?
An illusion.
It had to be an illusion.
He must have gone too long without proper rest and started hallucinating.
The little sister in front of him had to be fake, and everything she said had to be fake too.
He was Xiao Hongchen, the Sun Moon Empire's greatest genius, unrivaled among his peers.
How could anyone possibly surpass him?
Before you continue