Night fell.
The moon shone bright, with only a scattering of stars.
Shrouded in darkness, the entire continent fell silent.
In Mingdu, however, people's nightlife had only just begun.
Under the glow of soul guidance lamps, the whole city was as bright as day, its countless lights glittering like a star-filled sky.
People streamed endlessly through the streets.
The roadside vendors sold all manner of things.
Some even sold soul tools outright.
However, under Mingdu's strict regulations, these were all low-grade soul tools ranging from Class 1 to Class 3.
Most were support or defensive types, too.
Offensive soul tools were especially rare.
That was understandable.
After all, if some hotheaded fool fired an offensive soul tool into a densely packed crowd...
The resulting losses would be far too great.
Munching on a candied hawthorn skewer, Chen Mo wandered around curiously.
"I never imagined I'd get to experience nightlife like Blue Star's in this world."
"The 'bright' in Mingdu really isn't an empty boast."
"The only pity is that phones haven't appeared in this world yet. Otherwise, I'd definitely take some photos and post them to my Moments."
Along the way.
Chen Mo's gaze kept sweeping over the stalls selling soul tools.
He really wanted to buy one to play around with.
Unfortunately, he had left in something of a hurry.
He hadn't brought enough money.
He could only feast his eyes.
After visiting a few food stalls and eating and drinking his fill.
He bought several books on soul tool theory from a bookstall.
Then he returned to the hotel.
Early the next morning.
Chen Mo got up bright and early.
After breakfast, he headed straight for the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Unexpectedly, halfway there, the system's voice suddenly rang out.
[A new mission has been issued!] [Mission name: Enrollment!] [Mission requirement: Become a first-year student at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy!] [Mission completion condition: The host must become the student of any teacher at the academy (the higher their position, the greater the reward upon completion!)]
The system gets me.
But this mission... Looks like I'll have to give the test everything I've got.
Looking at the newly issued mission, Chen Mo considered it carefully.
For him, enrolling would be as easy as reaching out and taking what he wanted.
The difficult part was the completion condition, especially the words in parentheses.
The higher the position, the greater the reward upon completion.
Naturally, the person with the highest position in an academy was its dean.
And the dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy was Jing Hongchen.
If he became Jing Hongchen's student, wouldn't that mean the reward would hit its ceiling?
But to attract Jing Hongchen's attention.
He would have to display sufficient talent.
Alas.
Chen Mo had wanted to keep a low profile.
Now, it seemed that wouldn't be possible.
When he arrived at the academy, admissions had only just begun.
Soon.
Under the guidance of an academy teacher with a square-featured face, Chen Mo entered the academy to register his information and begin the entrance assessment.
While filling in his information.
Chen Mo didn't conceal his identity.
He filled everything in truthfully.
After submitting the completed form.
The entrance assessment followed immediately.
It had to be said, though, that compared with Shrek Academy, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's admission requirements were extremely simple.
Anyone who became a One-Ring Soul Master before the age of twelve and passed the assessment could become a student at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Unlike Shrek, whose admission requirements were absurdly high: applicants not only had to become One-Ring Soul Masters before twelve, but also had to reach at least rank fifteen, and they needed a letter of recommendation besides.
The recommendation couldn't come from someone of too low a standing, either. It had to be from a city lord or someone of even higher rank.
Where were ordinary people supposed to get a recommendation from a city lord or someone above one?
Furthermore, the tuition was outrageously expensive: ten Gold Soul Coins a year.
That shut commoners out completely.
It was an aristocratic academy through and through.
Just then, a teacher stepped forward.
"Your name is Chen Mo, correct? My surname is Tang, and my name is Tang Shan. You can call me Teacher Tang. I'll be responsible for your entire assessment."
"Tang... Tang San?!" Chen Mo cried, his face full of disbelief.
What the fuck?
What's going on?
This guy's name is Tang San!
Buddha Tang has his eye on me already?
Is there still time to run?
Just as Chen Mo was contemplating making a run for it, the teacher named Tang Shan shook his head speechlessly.
Were children these days already hard of hearing at such a young age?
He corrected him. "It's Tang Shan, not Tang San. Shan, as in mountain."
Hearing that.
Only then did Chen Mo calm down.
So it was Shan, not San.
"Teacher Tang, I'd suggest changing your name. Your current one is far too frightening," Chen Mo said resentfully, patting his poor little heart.
Tang Shan was unconvinced. "What's frightening about my name?"
"Never mind. Let's hurry up and start the assessment." Chen Mo waved a hand, skipping over the subject.
Tang Shan didn't press him any further and led Chen Mo toward the first-year teaching building.
Seeing the lingering fear on Chen Mo's face, Tang Shan assumed he was nervous and offered some reassurance. "Don't be too nervous. The entrance assessment is very simple. There are two parts: a test of your soul engineering aptitude and a basic physical assessment."
"The soul engineering aptitude test is mainly a written assessment. Put simply, we'll give you materials and let you freely construct a simple soul tool. We don't expect a finished product; we just want to see how much you understand about soul tools."
"As for the basic physical assessment, we use soul tool instruments to measure your physical resilience, strength, and soul power. Don't worry. Unlike other schools, we don't use the physical assessment to weed people out. It's only for our records."
"We don't test combat skills, either. After all, you're all new students just about to enroll, so you obviously won't have much practical combat experience. Testing it wouldn't accomplish much."
"Understood. Thank you for explaining, Teacher." Chen Mo voiced his thanks.
Inside, however, he grumbled, Who's nervous about the exam? Your name was what scared me.
With so many names to choose from, why did you have to pick Tang Shan?
Aren't you afraid Buddha Tang will visit you in the middle of the night and tell you, 'You have already chosen the path to your death'?
Soon, the two arrived at a classroom inside the teaching building.
Various large soul tools stood inside the classroom.
Tang Shan led Chen Mo to one of them and said with a smile, "This is called a physical assessment device. It's specifically designed to measure new students' physical resilience. Step inside."
"All right, Teacher... Tang." Chen Mo nodded and stepped into the physical assessment device.
As Tang Shan activated the device, white light instantly enveloped Chen Mo.
Elsewhere.
The director of studies responsible for new students at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy sat at his desk.
A thick stack of papers lay on it.
They were all records of the new students who had applied to enroll this year.
He was going through their information sheet by sheet.
The more he read, the more disappointed he looked.
Finally, he heaved a long sigh. "Alas... Ever since Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, the academy hasn't found another exceptionally talented student."
Just then, a teacher walked in carrying Chen Mo's information.
"Director, here's the information for a student who just came to apply."
"What's there to look at? Don't tell me this student's talent... Hmm?!"
"Holy shit!!!"
The director of studies, who had initially shown no interest whatsoever, saw Chen Mo's information.
His expression immediately underwent a complete reversal.
Clutching Chen Mo's information sheet, he flew upstairs at top speed.
All the while, he shouted, "Dean, we've found a treasure!"
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