You can call me senior, too! Grade-skipping assessments and Sun Moon's encouragement of Soul Master combat (4K)

Three days later, early morning.

Sunlight streamed through the Rose Hotel's floor-to-ceiling windows, scattering dappled light throughout the room. Passing through the golden gauze curtains, it cast shifting patterns over the heart-shaped bed.

Ye Guyi sat cross-legged, her silk nightdress gleaming softly. Her long golden hair spilled like a waterfall across the sheets beside her. Her eyes were lightly closed, her lashes trembling like butterfly wings, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. A halo flowed around her as her holy-attribute soul power slowly circulated.

Creak-

The door opened with a soft sound, and Ye Guyi abruptly opened her eyes. The crystalline serenity left by a night of meditation flashed through her brilliant golden pupils.

She saw a familiar figure carrying a tray of hotel breakfast. Sunlight gilded his cool silver-gray hair with warmth, making him seem even gentler and more approachable. He would surely become a tender, devoted family man.

"Morning, Guyi."

Miss Angel's eyes curved, and a smile blossomed like spring flowers across her flawless, sacred face.

"Good morning."

After exchanging greetings, Ye Guyi quickly got out of bed. Her delicate feet padded over the warm Flame Lion King carpet as she went into the bathroom to wash up.

At the coffee table, Lin Qing set out their breakfast.

As an international luxury hotel chain, the Rose Hotel pursued perfection in every respect.

A white porcelain plate held crisp, golden toast, its edges lightly browned and its rich grain fragrance filling the air. A cup contained warm oat milk, and beside it sat a dish of neatly sliced fresh fruit, arranged in a colorful, elegant display with a touch of bourgeois refinement.

A moment later, the splashing water stopped, and the girl emerged again. Water droplets clung to her damp cheeks like those of a fawn in the woods. Her already exquisitely tender skin looked even rosier and clearer, irresistibly calling to mind gardenia petals covered in morning dew.

Sinking into the soft sofa, Ye Guyi clenched both hands and took an enormous stretch.

"Mmm-"

Her beautiful golden eyes narrowed as a long, lazy hum escaped her lips.

Today was the day they would apply to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. She had changed out of her silk nightdress into a loose short-sleeved shirt and casual trousers. As she stretched, her proud, snowy peaks shifted slowly like drifting continental plates, their elevation steadily increasing.

At the same time, the hem of her shirt rose, revealing a dazzlingly white, slender waist.

Having witnessed it all, Lin Qing raised his cup to drink his milk and discreetly averted his gaze, inwardly marveling at the Holy Angel's top-tier, all-natural talents, with zero additives.

Beneath that innocent face hid a figure worthy of a fallen angel. One careless movement was enough to leave certain Xiao Chunans in front of their screens flushed to the ears.

"I went to the Donut Shop on the corner this morning. Miss Shangguan was already waiting," Lin Qing said, setting down his completely empty milk cup. "The Ordinary Alliance kept its promise and arranged permanent residency in the Sun Moon Empire for us."

With that, Lin Qing reached inside his clothes and took out the Permanent Resident Cards.

As one of Mingdu's three great underground powers, the Ordinary Alliance had no shortage of resources or methods. Shangguan Ying'er was still intent on recruiting the Green Garment Duo and had swiftly fulfilled her promise to help them obtain their documents.

With a slice of toast between her lips, Ye Guyi took her green card and examined it carefully from every angle, her expression deeply moved.

From now on, they were emigrants of the highest caliber, entitled to live legally in the Sun Moon Empire for the rest of their lives.

After enjoying their final hotel breakfast, they packed up and left the Golden Boughs and Jade Leaves-themed room.

Before leaving, Lin Qing tipped the receptionist, who immediately beamed with delight. One good deed a day accumulated great virtue. Helping every couple poised on the threshold was the sacred duty of hotel staff!

The early autumn air was cool. Mingdu had the fastest pace of life of any city on the Douluo Continent. Pedestrians hurried through streets and alleys, soul tool shops everywhere put out their open signs, and the entire city was waking.

The two passed through the streets and turned into a quiet neighborhood shaded by willows.

Weeping willows swayed, their silken strands dancing.

Only three streets away from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, this was unquestionably prime second-ring real estate in Mingdu, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold. A residence stood in the center, its main gate bearing a black plaque with gold lettering.

Zhanghua Garden.

The gates stood open. Hired workers bustled back and forth, cleaning the courtyard, moving furniture, and pruning old trees. Everything proceeded in orderly fashion, while the fresh fragrance of flowers and greenery drifting through the air refreshed the spirit.

The two crossed the threshold and entered the residence like lions inspecting their territory.

In just three days, the Green Garment Duo had personally viewed properties all over Mingdu before unanimously deciding to buy Zhanghua Garden as their future little home and operational base.

Ye Guyi had even emptied her savings. Naturally, her name appeared on Zhanghua Garden's property deed, making her the residence's rightful mistress.

To satisfy Miss Angel's personal tastes, the residence followed the architectural style of the Heaven Dou Empire. A garden occupied the eastern side, with rockeries, flowing water, and winding paths leading into secluded corners. Several verdant willows rustled softly, while flowers lined the bluestone paths, rare blossoms and exotic plants vying for splendor.

Most of the buildings stood on the western side. Blue bricks and plain tiles formed an imposing layout, with Heaven Dou charm tucked into the details. The rear compound contained twelve separate courtyards, easily enough to accommodate several dozen people. Green vines covered the walls, dotted with Ye Guyi's beloved yellow roses.

They strolled around, occasionally offering suggestions to the renovation crew. Delight filled Ye Guyi's expression. She was especially pleased with Zhanghua Garden's enormous underground space and instructed the foreman to furnish it with particular care. At last, she could fulfill an angel's grand ambition!

"Zhanghua Garden is perfect in every way. Its only flaw is the price."

Ye Guyi turned toward Lin Qing, her red lips curving into a faint smile.

"It doesn't matter. We still have the Gale Twin-Headed Wolf Bandit's soul bone. That counts as our shared property."

"You did most of the work. The Wolf Bandit's soul bone should rightfully belong to you. A Holy Angel never takes advantage of anyone."

Ye Guyi remained steadfast in her principles. She raised her delicate hand. "Let's go! Time to apply to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy!"

The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.

In the Sun Moon Empire, across from the Douluo Continent, soul engineers enjoyed far higher status than ordinary soul masters. The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy was indisputably the continent's foremost academy for soul engineers. Enrollment season was underway, and a constant stream of youths arrived from across the empire to apply, filling the grounds with bustling crowds.

Beyond its renowned reputation as a sacred land for soul engineers, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's best-known advantage was wealth. Calling it rich enough to rival a nation was no exaggeration.

Soul tools produced by Mingde Hall were always in short supply. Synonymous with technology and quality, they were highly sought after in all four empires. If a merchant caravan risked transporting them into the Douluo Three Kingdoms, their value instantly multiplied several times over. A single smuggling run could easily bring in a million gold soul coins.

Endless wealth, coupled with the Sun Moon emperor's vigorous support, allowed the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy to expand continuously, until its grounds rivaled a medium-sized city.

Fortunately, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy offered no running classes. Otherwise, its physically fragile soul engineers would have suffered terribly...

Every enrollment season, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy opened thirty-two classes, each containing forty students. Its application requirements were not particularly harsh: applicants needed only to be under twelve and possess one soul ring.

One must not forget that the Sun Moon Empire was a nation where everyone took enhancement drugs. In the early stages, its soul engineers' average soul power was even higher than that of its old rival, Shrek Academy. Anyone who awakened even half a level of innate soul power could scrape together a soul ring by eleven. A mere single ring hardly counted as a barrier.

Since the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy imposed no rigid conditions such as recommendation letters from major cities, its twelve hundred-plus places still attracted more wolves than there was meat to feed them. Its entrance assessments were therefore stricter, letting talent speak for itself.

Young people traveled thousands of miles hoping to glimpse this sacred land, making the academy gates exceptionally lively. The academy's leadership therefore offered a batch of rare metals and recruited existing students to serve as senior guides, directing the greenhorns to the entrance assessment sites.

"Little Meng!"

Hearing a call from afar, the white-haired girl turned around. Fresh green blades of grass stirred beneath her feet, and her white skirt fluttered in the breeze.

She stood with her fingers interlaced behind her back, her azure eyes curving into crescents. Dawn seemed to bathe her in a shining spotlight, illuminating her shapely calves. Her silhouette against the grass possessed an unconventional beauty.

"Why are you working as a senior guide, too?"

The round-faced girl panted heavily, looking in bewilderment at the dean's own granddaughter, the pearl in the Hongchen Family's palm. Since when did a rich girl like her need a few pounds of metal?

"Researching soul tools is so boring. I came to wander around the gates. Who knows? Maybe I'll meet the incredibly handsome guy I'm destined for."

Meng Hongchen pressed down the corner of her skirt and spoke with perfect conviction.

"Your obsession with good looks is beyond saving..." The round-faced girl did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Surely you aren't going after the freshmen? Our academy already has handsome guys everywhere. Everyone agrees your brother is the campus heartthrob.

"The students even organized a fan club for him-Love Xiao."

"Xiao Hongchen? Him?"

Meng Hongchen curled her lips, plainly disdaining her older brother.

"What about Ji Juechen? That sword fanatic is famously handsome, too."

"His face barely meets the minimum standard. The problem is that Ji Juechen is too old. They say he's a sealed gourd who hardly speaks, hugging that Heavenly Meteoric Iron Sword all day and muttering to himself like some strange old man." Meng Hongchen shook her head like a rattle drum.

"My dear Miss Meng, I'm dying of curiosity. What kind of boy could possibly catch your eye?"

The round-faced girl covered her face with a wry smile.

"...Wait. I think he's appeared!"

Meng Hongchen's cherry lips parted, her beautiful azure eyes fixing on a spot in the crowd.

"What?!"

Automatically filtering out her friend's cry of surprise, Meng Hongchen concentrated on admiring the ultimate authority on good looks.

Sunlight spilled over silver-gray hair, making it sparkle as magnificently as the most expensive rare metal. He must take great care of his hair. With looks that stood out like a crane among chickens, it was impossible for Meng Hongchen not to notice him.

Even with the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy packed to bursting, she had spotted this outrageously handsome, refined boy at first glance.

As for the blonde beside him...

Skip.

Yes, Meng Hongchen completely ignored Ye Guyi, devoting herself entirely to appreciating Lin Qing.

"So nice..." Miss Meng murmured in wonder.

"What's so nice?"

"Nothing! Nice is just nice. Bye, I'm off to work!"

Humming, Meng Hongchen skipped ahead, her snowy twin ponytails bouncing lightly.

"Hello!!!"

White-a color that filled the heart with beautiful feelings.

Beneath the dancing shadows of the trees, Meng Hongchen stood before the Green Garment Duo. Sunlight found its way through the layered leaves, falling over her high nose and oval face and gilding her soft red lips. Cool-faced cuteness had suddenly taken physical form.

"Meng Hongchen, fifth-year student at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and senior guide for this enrollment season."

Miss Meng introduced herself in a clear, bright voice, then winked at Lin Qing, sending a wave of natural charm his way.

"You can call me senior, too!"

"Lin Qing." "Ye Guyi." "It's a pleasure to meet you, Senior Meng."

The two smiled as they greeted the pretty white-haired girl before them. Her large eyes darted around, and she said enthusiastically:

"Come on, come on! I'll take you to the freshman assessment site and introduce the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy along the way."

"Thank you for your help, senior."

"Hehe, it's no trouble at all!"

Her heart blossoming with joy, Meng Hongchen felt brimming with energy. She immediately switched into information-gathering mode. "You two don't look like Sun Moon natives. You seem more like soul masters from the Douluo Continent."

"We moved to the Sun Moon Empire recently and decided to apply to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy."

Lin Qing answered smoothly, entirely unsurprised.

In his previous life, China, Korea, and Japan had all been in East Asia on Blue Star, yet their people could be distinguished at a glance.

Culture shaped entirely different manners, bearing, and temperaments. Among a crowd of Sun Moon Empire students, the Green Garment Duo inevitably stood out.

Our children would be mixed-race...

The thought suddenly popped into Meng Hongchen's head. Her face flushed slightly, and she gave a soft cough before saying earnestly, "Since you're from the Douluo Three Kingdoms, you're probably more familiar with Shrek Academy.

"Actually, the two academies have somewhat similar organizational structures. Mingde Hall corresponds to the Shrek Inner Court, while the ordinary classes are the outer court.

"For admission, Sun Moon requires students to possess one soul ring and be no older than twelve.

"After you officially enter the academy, age no longer determines your year. Whenever you advance in soul engineer rank, you can skip directly to a higher year. For example, I'm a fifth-year student and a Level 4 Soul Engineer.

"If you fail to become a Level 3 Soul Engineer by eighteen, you must leave the academy and make your own way. Those who become Level 5 Soul Engineers by twenty-five qualify to take Mingde Hall's assessment."

"Senior Meng, can new applicants skip grades directly in the entrance assessment?" the Green Garment Duo asked in unison.

Ye Guyi was four years older than Lin Qing and fifteen this year. The only way she could enter the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy was through a grade-skipping assessment.

Lin Qing likewise had no interest in becoming a first-year student. A Four-Ring Soul Ancestor with ultimate metal facing a crowd of freshmen was no different from a university student wandering into kindergarten. At the very least, he wanted to study with soul engineering youngsters at the same cultivation level.

"Yes, you can. It's just considerably more difficult."

Meng Hongchen had noticed that Ye Guyi was overage. She nodded in confirmation. "Within four hours, the applicant must construct a soul tool on-site, then fight a senior student using only that soul tool. Using your own martial soul is permitted.

"Since it's a grade-skipping assessment, soul engineer rank and actual combat ability are naturally the highest priorities.

"I'm sure you've already realized that this isn't an entirely fair fight. The assessment therefore focuses not on victory, but on displaying your strengths as much as possible under unfavorable conditions, allowing the judging teachers to evaluate your talent.

"Of course, if an applicant overcomes the disadvantage and wins, the academy will admit them unconditionally.

"A friendly tip: if you're sufficiently confident in your martial souls, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy encourages new applicants to forgo constructing a soul tool and win purely with their martial souls."

The Green Garment Duo exchanged a glance, seeing through the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's deeper intentions.

The Douluo Continent was undergoing a transformation unseen in a thousand years. Soul masters and soul engineers were no longer separated by a clear boundary; their different paths were gradually converging.

The Sun Moon Empire encouraged Douluo soul masters to immigrate, and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy likewise gave them the green light, recruiting talented soul masters with exceptional martial souls. It did not matter if they could not make soul tools. As long as they had hands and feet, they could learn to use them.

A little later, Meng Hongchen led them into an academic building and explained, "This is the physical examination room. It measures new applicants' bone age, soul power, and other values.

"Once your basic information has been recorded, the academy's teachers will use it to assign your opponents for the grade-skipping assessment."