Three hours into the exam, an announcement sounded over the speakers:
"More than half the students have now submitted their Soul Tools, and the teachers have begun double-blind grading. Students who have submitted their Soul Tools, please proceed to the combat zone."
"Combat will begin as soon as grading is complete!"
Huo Yuhao fitted the casing onto his final Soul Tool and engraved its name. He slowly exhaled, then turned toward Feng Yu and said:
"Teacher Feng, I've finished making my Soul Tools."
"This melee Soul Tool of yours is very creative." Feng Yu gave him a thumbs-up, then personally took Huo Yuhao's work to the grading area to participate in the grading.
Outside, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, who had left and returned, gathered beside Feng Tingting's recording Soul Tool:
"Tingting, what Soul Tools did Yuhao make?"
Feng Tingting said, "Brother Xiao, a Level 2 card-type Milk Bottle, a Level 2 Soul Guidance Ray Gun, and a special melee spear."
"Special? How special could it be?" Xiao Hongchen was slightly surprised, his interest suddenly piqued.
Meng Hongchen was also somewhat surprised:
"He actually chose the Level 2 card-type Milk Bottle with the highest Soul Power storage capacity? Looks like our junior brother wants to try clearing all ten rounds too."
Xiao Hongchen also wanted to know what Huo Yuhao was relying on. He shook his head and said:
"Even with a Milk Bottle, his Soul Power probably won't be enough. Let's go to the combat zone and watch."
The combat zone was extremely spacious. Dozens of large pillars supported an enormous dome, with a small number of high-intensity Soul Guidance Lamps hanging from it for illumination.
The pillars and metal fencing over ten meters high divided the entire examination venue into dozens of arenas, each a square measuring fifty meters on each side.
Paths ran between the arenas for transporting Soul Beast cages covered in black cloth.
Combat recorders were installed at the four corners of each arena, transmitting footage in real time to another location, where teams of professional tactical analysts assigned scores.
The scores would promptly appear on the metal display beside each arena.
Students were already taking their exams in some arenas. Soul Guidance Rays flew everywhere, making the entire venue rather noisy.
An announcement sounded: "Arena 13, Huo Yuhao!"
Huo Yuhao first looked up, then found Arena 13. As expected, his examiner and referee was still Feng Yu.
His three graded Soul Tools had all been placed at the arena entrance.
Five Soul Beast cages covered in black cloth had already been placed beside the arena. Standing nearby were over a dozen low-level Soul Engineers in differently colored work uniforms and several healing-type Soul Masters in green work uniforms.
Outside the metal fence, the Hongchen siblings and Feng Tingting had already arrived. Feng Tingting had also brought her recording Soul Tool, which was aimed at the center of the arena.
Huo Yuhao's mouth twitched. He carefully checked his Soul Tools, then said:
"Huo Yuhao, Year Two, Class One, reporting."
Feng Yu clapped his hands. A Level 1 Soul Engineer in a white work uniform entered the arena, holding a Level 1 Soul Guidance Ray Gun and watching Huo Yuhao warily. Feng Yu went through the formalities:
"The examinee will enter the arena and check that his Soul Tools are functioning normally. You may position yourself wherever you wish. Does the examinee have any questions?"
"Should I hold back when shooting?"
"Just do as you please," Feng Yu said calmly. "Scoring team, please take your positions. Is the examinee ready?"
Huo Yuhao entered the arena with his Soul Tools in hand and calmly looked at the Level 1 Soul Engineer opposite him:
"Ready."
"Round one, one Level 1 Soul Engineer. Begin!"
Whoosh!
The final syllable of "begin" had barely fallen when a bright white ray of Soul Power instantly crossed the twenty-odd meters between them and struck the Level 1 Soul Engineer squarely in the center of his chest.
Strangely, however, it did no damage at all. The Level 1 Soul Engineer could even turn around and walk out of the arena with a calm expression.
At that very instant, a layer of white fluorescence had silently appeared against the Level 1 Soul Engineer's chest, protecting him.
The lustrous white glow of a disc-shaped Soul Tool in front of Feng Yu slowly faded.
He leisurely put it away and glanced at the metal display, where the numbers were changing rapidly:
"Very quick reactions. Round one, one hundred points."
After a cage was pushed into the arena and its black cloth pulled away, the three Wind Baboons inside first narrowed their eyes at the light, then roared at Huo Yuhao in front of them.
At the sight, Huo Yuhao smiled with gratification, as though he had met old friends.
He raised his Level 2 Soul Guidance Ray Gun and switched it to Level 1 rapid-fire mode.
At the same time, he released two perfectly ordinary Yellow Soul Rings. One lit up as he activated Spiritual Detection.
"Round two, three ten-year Wind Baboons. Begin!"
As the words fell, the cage opened in unison.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Before the first Wind Baboon had taken two steps out, a Soul Guidance Ray shot into its wide-open, screeching mouth.
The second had just climbed out of the cage when a Soul Guidance Ray rapidly expanded in its field of vision.
The third was eliminated before it could even climb out of the cage.
The number on the display did not change. "Round two, one hundred points."
"Round three, a squad of Level 1 Soul Engineers. Begin!"
The squad consisted of three Level 1 Soul Engineers. Their equipment was comprehensive, including a Level 1 shield, a Level 1 melee saber, and a Level 1 Soul Guidance Ray Gun.
But the Level 1 shield was clearly inadequate against a Level 2 Soul Guidance Ray Gun.
Moreover, with Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection, every ray struck precisely at a weak point in the Level 1 shield!
Clang, clang, clang!
After three shots, the Level 1 shield shattered.
Although the wielder of the Level 1 Soul Guidance Ray Gun had decent aim, Huo Yuhao merely tilted his head slightly and dodged the only Soul Guidance Ray the squad fired.
Without the Level 1 shield providing cover, Huo Yuhao did not want to waste even a trace of Soul Power. He switched his Level 2 Soul Guidance Ray Gun to Level 1 rapid-fire mode.
Three shots finished those three people's work for the day.
Seeing that Huo Yuhao had not moved his feet once in three rounds, Meng Hongchen commented:
"Our junior brother doesn't just react quickly. With Spiritual Detection helping him, his accuracy is very high too. That alone is enough to get him through the first five rounds."
Xiao Hongchen slapped his forehead, as though he had suddenly remembered something, and said in bitter anguish:
"I knew there was something earlier! How did I only notice that Spiritual Detection could help me save Soul Power, but fail to notice that it was also a powerful weapon for pouring out precise firepower?"
"Doesn't that make us perfect complements? I have damage, but lack precision. He has vision, but his cultivation is lower."
"And why did that head tilt of his just now look so cool? Was he copying me?!"
"Good thing Yuhao is my junior brother. Hmm? Why is he my junior brother?"
"I get it!"
Meng Hongchen and Feng Tingting quietly exchanged a glance. Meng Hongchen asked curiously, "Brother, what have you figured out this time?"
"He's a helper sent by heaven so I can show the world my peerless talent!"
Having figured out the crucial point, Xiao Hongchen looked at Huo Yuhao again, his face now full of admiration:
"That Level 2 Soul Guidance Ray Gun of his probably incorporates a Level 1 power system. That means he's outstanding even among Level 2 Soul Engineers, no weaker than I was back when I was a Level 2 Soul Engineer."
"But it was only so easy just now because he hasn't encountered an opponent with high speed or strong defenses yet."
"From the fourth round onward, it won't be so easy."
Before you continue