"Xiao Yu, Xiao Yu, time to get up." Su Yao woke Ling Yu, who was sleeping on bedding in the corner. Ever since he had given her those accessories, Su Yao had started calling him by his nickname too.
"Mm..." Ling Yu murmured, his eyes unfocused and his mind a little foggy.
"You should go back to your dorm and wash up. Today's the end-of-term assembly. Once it's over, the holidays begin."
"All right." Ling Yu was still a little dazed, but a glance at the Soul Tool dagger carefully placed on the workbench perked him up.
With the mindset of saving the best food for last, Ling Yu had kept busy modeling and organizing the other Soul Tools. Whenever he grew tired, a few glances at it let him squeeze out a little more vigor.
He returned to his dorm, washed up, changed clothes, and headed to the school auditorium.
I think the results come out today. I wonder how I did. They shouldn't be bad.
I need to get some engraving knives ready too. In a few days, I'll take apart a few cores and bring them to a jewelry shop so they can copy the dimensions of the knife tips. I don't even know whether they can make them. I'll have to feel my way through everything slowly.
Ling Yu pondered silently along the way. Suddenly, a commotion came from the distance, and he saw a crowd gathered around a corner outside the auditorium.
In an instant, Ling Yu willed it, activating Martial Soul Possession and his first Soul Skill-Spiritual Detection.
He saw the crowd surrounding three golden boards, listing the top ten in the year-end assessments for the Heavenly Subtle Level, Heavenly Supreme Level, and Heaven Dou Grade respectively.
Oh? So these are the results. Ling Yu's thoughts stirred. He then focused on the Heavenly Subtle Level board and spotted his name at once-
First place: Ling Yu, Support Class One. Soul Beast Studies: 100. General Knowledge: 100. Soul Master History: 100. Basic Physical Techniques: 90. Practical Combat: excellent.
Seeing his efforts receive such positive feedback, Ling Yu's lips curved into a smile. He scanned farther down and saw the names of several other Class One students.
Then he looked at the second board. "Hm?" The name at the very top of the Heavenly Supreme Level board was none other than Ye Lingling.
That's no surprise. Ling Yu raised an eyebrow and silently remarked to himself. After all, the place where the two most often met was the library; sometimes they even ran into each other on weekends.
The person in first place on the Heaven Dou Grade board, however, was not someone Ling Yu knew. Maybe it's someone who's over the tournament age limit and about to graduate. He continued reading and did not encounter a familiar name until seventh place-Dugu Yan.
Hm? Yu Tianheng didn't even make the list? That surprised him quite a bit.
After reading the rankings, Ling Yu intended to enter the auditorium, but he had still underestimated one thing: his current fame was far from ordinary, especially since he had taken first place in his year as a transfer student.
"It's Viscount Nuoding..."
"It really is him!"
"He's incredible! He missed so many classes and still took first place!"
"That's nothing. He's a support-type who beat a higher-level combat-type bear Soul Master!"
Everyone cast all sorts of looks at him from a distance, but no one dared approach him casually.
As soon as he entered the auditorium, Qin Nian stood and waved, signaling for Ling Yu to come to Class One's section.
"There's an awards ceremony during the assembly later. Everyone in the top ten has to go up to receive a Heaven Dou Badge and prize money."
"You won't have to wait too long to use the Mimicry Training Ground from now on. You'll also have priority when choosing popular courses next year, and you can read on the library's second floor." His homeroom teacher, Lin Qing, came over and gave Ling Yu a few words of advice.
"Yes. Thank you, Teacher Lin." Ling Yu bowed.
Lin Qing looked at Ling Yu with satisfaction and nodded, wishing every student could be as studious and powerful as he was.
"Now, will the top ten students from the Heavenly Subtle Level, Heavenly Supreme Level, and Heaven Dou Grade please come up to receive their awards."
Soon, the students from the three levels stood in three rows on the stage. Board Member Bai Baoshan's tray held gold coin cards from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, while Board Member Zhi Lin's tray held specially made Heaven Dou Badges. Board Member Meng Shenji was responsible for pinning them on the students.
"I truly wasn't mistaken about you, Ling Yu. Heaven Dou Academy is fortunate to have you." Meng Shenji's brows and eyes lifted slightly, undisguised admiration filling his gaze.
"Chief, you flatter me." Ling Yu hurriedly bowed.
"I mean every word." Meng Shenji's voice was not loud, but it was enough for everyone on the stage to hear. Several gazes turned toward Ling Yu, though he was gradually growing used to it.
After the awards ceremony ended, the board members offered some safety reminders, bringing the end-of-term assembly to a close.
"Ling Yu, Ling Yu!" Seeing that he was about to leave, Qin Nian hurried over.
"What is it?" Ling Yu looked at him in mild surprise.
"Want to come to the year-end dinner? Just our Class One. It's not every day we get the chance to become classmates. What do you say?"
"Sure. What time, and where are we eating?" Ever since Qian Renxue had dragged him out for some fun that time, Ling Yu no longer turned down reasonable invitations like this.
"Six thirty at Clear Breeze Pavilion."
"Oh, okay. It's a respectable place, right?" Out of concern about the nobility, Ling Yu still asked.
"If you want to go somewhere less respectable, that's fine too." Qin Nian gave him an odd look, his tone teasing.
"Eugh!"
"Stop messing around. I was just worried, so I asked. If it's not respectable, count me out."
"Relax. We're just having dinner together. Afterward, everyone will go off to enjoy their own nightlife." Qin Nian couldn't help laughing and shook his head lightly.
"All right, then. I'll head over myself when it's time." Ling Yu waved and left the auditorium for the Soul Tool research room.
He had originally planned to dismantle the cores in a few days and find a jewelry shop in Heaven Dou City, but doing it a few days early was no problem.
He then found three Soul Tools in the storage cabinet whose cores were relatively intact and easy to remove, and took out the core gemstones inside.
Looking at the profound formation patterns on the gemstones, Ling Yu marveled at the wisdom of his predecessors before putting them into his spatial Storage Soul Tool.
"Senior Su Yao," Ling Yu called softly.
"Here." Su Yao appeared in a flash.
"Do you know any jewelry shops in Heaven Dou City that take orders for custom diamond engraving knives?"
Su Yao frowned, then said, "I'm not sure. We can only ask at a few well-known shops."
Ling Yu nodded. "Then sorry for the trouble of arranging a carriage."
"Yes!" Su Yao vanished in a flash and returned a short while later to fetch Ling Yu.
The carriage rattled toward Heaven Dou City. Not long after entering the city, they arrived outside an enormous shop.
Looking at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's symbol on the advertising sign, Ling Yu felt a little moved, but not surprised. After all, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile could be called the very face of gemstones and treasures.
"Welcome, honored guests!" Seeing Ling Yu and Su Yao stop at the entrance, the hostess hurried forward to receive them.
Ling Yu took out the VIP card Ning Fengzhi had given him earlier and handed it to her. "Hello. Could you contact your steward for me? I have an important matter to discuss."
The hostess took the card, her pupils shifting as she grew a little flustered. "I'll fetch him right away. Please wait a moment, honored guest." She then ran into the shop.
Before long, a man hurried out. "Sorry for the wait, honored guest. I'm the steward here. You may call me Steward Liu. Please come in, please come in!" The steward bowed and hurriedly invited Ling Yu inside.
"Steward Liu, I'd like to commission diamond engraving knives with dimensions on this scale. Can you make them here?" Once inside the VIP room, Ling Yu took out the three cores and pointed to the circuits on them.
"One moment, honored guest. I'll have the technical supervisor come over right away." Steward Liu signaled for a maid to notify him.