Genius is merely the threshold for meeting me!

"I'm making my move!"

Feng Ying grew serious.

He held a cyan dagger in a reverse grip in each hand, both glowing with pale cyan soul power.

"First soul skill: Flash Strike!"

A pair of short cyan wings suddenly sprouted from his lean back. With a slight flutter, his figure shifted like a flowing shadow, moving too fast for the naked eye to make out.

With a push of his toes, he charged straight at Xu Cheng.

A long cyan trail lingered in his wake, a rather beautiful sight.

"An agility-attack soul engineer."

Xu Cheng nodded.

He hadn't expected to encounter one in his very first match.

It was the perfect chance to test his new soul bone skill.

Neural Prediction!

The next instant, the entire world slowed down.

Feng Ying came charging toward him. His lightning-fast movements seemed as slow as a turtle to Xu Cheng, rather like watching a movie at half speed.

His perception of every movement sharpened severalfold as well.

"Interesting..."

Xu Cheng's lips curved upward.

A Class 2 ranged soul cannon appeared on his shoulder.

"Just one Class 2 Ranged Soul Guidance Tool?"

A flicker of surprise and doubt arose in Feng Ying as he charged.

What made ranged soul engineers strong?

Overwhelming firepower!

Especially in an arena match against an agility-attack soul engineer like him.

What ranged soul engineer didn't carry an entire arsenal of guns and cannons, unleashing firepower like a fortress?

Without ranged firepower to keep an agility-attack soul engineer at bay, the match would be over as soon as he closed in!

Could it be that this guy had never intended to win?

But the next instant-

Boom!

Thick smoke filled the arena.

A figure shot backward out of the smoke, carving two deep furrows into the ground. He slid dozens of meters before finally coming to a halt in a half crouch, looking a little worse for wear.

Feng Ying steadied himself and stared into the thick smoke, shock creeping into his eyes.

Having faced Xu Cheng directly, he understood better than anyone.

Xu Cheng had only begun to counterattack at almost the exact instant Feng Ying's attack landed. Such terrifying reflexes...

Sweat soaked his back. An opponent like this... was simply too terrifying!

"Those reflexes..."

Xiao Hongchen shook his head.

Even with his control over metal, reaching Xu Cheng's level would be exceedingly difficult.

It felt as though everyone else was taking an assessment while Xu Cheng alone was showing off his skills.

"Damn it!" Xiao Hongchen grumbled indignantly. "What happened to the bonds of our friendship? He went behind my back and got so much stronger!"

Meng Hongchen propped up her chin, stars sparkling in her pale blue eyes. "So handsome..."

In the arena.

The thick smoke cleared.

Xu Cheng still stood where he had been, his expression calm, a Ranged Soul Guidance Tool resting on his shoulder.

"Again!"

Feng Ying gritted his teeth.

His figure flashed as he launched another attack.

Xu Cheng remained perfectly at ease.

The dark muzzle of the ranged soul cannon on his shoulder flashed with incandescent light once more.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Thick smoke billowed.

After a while.

A figure shot backward again. Half crouching, Feng Ying braced himself with one dagger against the ground and wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his other hand, staring at Xu Cheng in horror.

He had tried attacking several times.

Yet he couldn't even get close to Xu Cheng!

The Ranged Soul Guidance Tools he had always considered clumsy and weak seemed to have grown eyes in this man's hands. They easily saw through every trajectory of his attacks, keeping him beyond a single line with effortless ease. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break through...

"So this is... the difference in our strength?"

Feng Ying gave a bitter laugh.

His soul power was nearly exhausted, and he was in a sorry state, while his opponent remained completely unharmed. He hadn't even touched Xu Cheng's sleeve...

A gulf as vast as a heavenly chasm lay between them.

Below the arena, the crowd fell so silent that not even a crow's cry could be heard.

Everyone present was a soul engineer, and there was no shortage of geniuses among them.

Naturally, as experts, they could see the true skill behind Xu Cheng's display.

"Holy shit, that was seriously cool!"

"Even someone with a spiritual martial soul couldn't necessarily pull that off, right? This guy's strength is downright terrifying!"

"Say no more, I'm officially a fan. Handsome, strong, and most importantly, a prince! Does he still need a lapdog?"

"His control over soul tools is far beyond anyone his age. I'm a Level 5 Soul Engineer, and even I'm nowhere near that level. Looks like the title of number-one soul engineering genius is about to change hands..."

"..."

On the raised platform.

Elder Cheng watched the scene and nodded in satisfaction.

"Congratulations on gaining such a cherished disciple..."

Jing Hongchen looked at the figure standing proudly in the arena, his eyes nearly red with envy, though he still offered his congratulations.

He knew perfectly well that once a master-disciple relationship was established, it was difficult for anyone to drive a wedge between them.

So he was simply envious, nothing more.

"A born soul engineer. With that spiritual talent paired with soul tools, even Xiao's Golden Toad Martial Soul falls a little short."

"I gave him that skull..."

Elder Cheng spoke calmly, his hands clasped behind his back.

"..."

Jing Hongchen froze for a moment, his pupils suddenly contracting.

That soul bone had cost several million Gold Soul Coins at auction. Even he had felt the sting of the price, yet this elder had given it away just like that...

He couldn't help exclaiming in admiration.

"You're truly generous!"

"Heh, heh, heh..."

Elder Cheng smiled with his hands behind his back. "For this old man's final disciple, a mere soul bone is hardly worth mentioning."

Jing Hongchen was filled with emotion as well.

For now, it was only a soul bone, but the name Cheng Qingbai meant far more than Gold Soul Coins.

There was also the prestige the Fourth Prince and Xu Tianran craved most, the terrifying influence that could draw a hundred responses to a single call, and an inexhaustible wealth of soul engineering knowledge.

This was only the beginning...

"I concede!"

Feng Ying staggered to his feet.

He wiped the blood from his lips.

Looking at Xu Cheng, who remained as composed as ever, he couldn't help giving a bitter laugh.

"You're strong! But I'll work hard to catch up to you! Even if it takes the rest of my life!"

"..."

Xu Cheng turned and paused.

He glanced at the stubborn expression on Feng Ying's face.

Then he smiled helplessly.

"Well, good luck..."

"..."

Watching Xu Cheng's retreating back.

Feng Ying stood there in a daze.

He had been a rather famous genius in his hometown, but only after coming to the imperial capital had he realized he was a frog at the bottom of a well.

A sentence suddenly sprang into his mind.

Genius is merely the threshold for meeting me...

"Cheng! That was awesome!"

Xiao Hongchen slung an arm around his shoulders.

"You've barely managed to reach half this genius's strength."

"Heh, I absorbed the skull Teacher gave me," Xu Cheng said with a smile, making no attempt to hide it. "As it happens, it was the Evil Eye Tyrant Skull we missed out on at the Mingdu auction a few days ago. It gave me a skill called [Neural Prediction]..."

"No wonder. That ability is absolutely insane!" Xiao Hongchen exclaimed.

"Even a genius like me has to admit it..."

Xu Cheng: "..."

"Hey, look down there."

Nana suddenly spoke.

"Assessment area eleven."

Xu Cheng followed the direction Nana pointed.

His pupils instantly contracted.

In assessment area eleven, Tang Ya was fighting an outrageously handsome young man. Dark Blue Silver Grass kept winding around him, only to be easily severed by his sharp sword.

By all appearances, this young man was remarkably strong.

Yet to Xu Cheng's eyes, there was a strange flaw...

Surprised, Xu Cheng blurted out a name.