"Please accept this bow from your student, Master."
Without the slightest hesitation, Huo Yuhao performed a full disciple's salute. The gesture made Jing Hongchen inwardly beam with delight.
In Huo Yuhao's eyes, Jing Hongchen was indeed an excellent choice for a master. With such an opportunity, how could he possibly let it slip by?
Jing Hongchen withdrew his approving gaze and turned his disdainful eyes back toward the three stunned examiners.
"Ordinarily, worms like you who break the rules don't even deserve me lifting a finger."
"But to think you had the nerve to mess with my personal disciple—you're quite bold."
Hearing Jing Hongchen's killing intent, Wang Hai nearly wet himself on the spot. He immediately dropped to his knees and kowtowed in panic.
"Dean, please have mercy!!"
Seeing him like this, the other two examiners quickly followed suit.
The sound of their foreheads knocking against the floor echoed through the quiet exam hall. Remembering how Jing Hongchen had suddenly appeared behind the three crooked judges, Huo Yuhao once again struggled to keep from laughing.
Jing Hongchen snorted coldly.
"Worms like you aren't even worth killing. But, I'm not the type to kill indiscriminately either. Yuhao, how do you think we should deal with these three?"
Surprised by the question, Huo Yuhao paused a moment before looking coldly at the kneeling trio.
"Master, in my opinion, these three should be expelled, stripped of their soul engineer credentials, and turned over to the Sun Moon Empire's enforcement division for lawful punishment. What do you think?"
Jing Hongchen nodded in satisfaction.
"Very good. A fair and firm judgment. Let's do as you say."
To Huo Yuhao, this might've seemed "fair," but to the three kneeling men, it was as if their bones were being crushed and their marrow sucked dry.
In the Sun Moon Empire, having your soul engineer license revoked meant you were considered an illegal practitioner. They'd be banned from any legitimate work, forced to lurk in the dark corners of the black market, crafting forbidden devices for criminals.
And with enforcement agents involved—especially after provoking a man like Jing Hongchen—they'd likely rot in prison for years. The glory they once enjoyed in the Royal Soul Engineering Academy would be gone forever.
At that moment, another teacher—worried by the long silence in the room—pushed the door open and was stunned to see three examiners on their knees and the academy dean standing before them.
"What's going on—Dean! Greetings, sir!"
"You, go call the Enforcement Division. Have them take away these three for abusing their power and sabotaging the exam. Investigate if they've done anything else illegal while you're at it. Also, get three new examiners in here. The assessment is paused for now."
"Ah… Yes, Dean!"
Soon, a squad of enforcers arrived and dragged the ashen-faced trio away.
"Yuhao, it's all taken care of. Walk with me and bring your soul tools. I want to talk."
"Yes, Master."
In the campus park outside the academic buildings, Jing Hongchen and Huo Yuhao strolled together.
"You've had a rough three months, Yuhao. I completely forgot to provide you with financial support..."
Huo Yuhao blinked.
'Oh yeah. Back when I was broke, I could've just asked Master Jing...'
"It's alright, Master. I've managed. The academy's living provisions are quite good. It's just that I was short on materials for crafting soul tools."
'Still time to ask now,' Huo Yuhao comforted himself.
Jing Hongchen felt gratified. At least the boy knew when to ask. He handed Huo Yuhao three items.
"Now that you're my disciple, take this—my personal purple-gold bank card loaded with one million gold soul coins. And here's an academy card that covers all expenses within the school. It's recognized empire-wide."
"And this... my signature work. A ninth-tier defensive soul tool—Crimson Protection. Simple to use, high durability. It'll help keep you safe."
Huo Yuhao accepted the two cards and the soul tool in a daze. His hands trembled slightly.
Was he hearing this right?
He swallowed hard, bowed, and said, "Thank you for the generous gifts, Master."
Jing Hongchen chuckled.
"No need for formality. This is just the beginning. With me as your master, there will be many more benefits to come. Enough about that—let's talk soul tools."
He paused, his expression turning serious. Huo Yuhao focused.
"I didn't just take you on as my disciple because you're Dai Hao's son, or because of your Spirit Eye martial soul. A big part of it was that soul tool you just crafted."
"If I'm not mistaken, that's a growth-type soul tool, yes?"
Huo Yuhao nodded, secretly impressed by Jing Hongchen's sharp eye.
"Yes, Master. Look."
He pulled out two floating cannons. With a thought, they darted through the air around them like agile sparrows.
"The stronger my spiritual power becomes, the more cannons I can control simultaneously. Their firepower also increases. Right now, my limit is ten."
He let the cannons hover behind him and resisted the urge to let them fire.
"Strong potential, agile, unexpected—yet capable of powerful strikes. Though, likely only suited for spiritual-type soul masters. 'Floating cannon' is a fitting name."
"From now on, you're excused from your afternoon classes. When I'm free, I'll personally tutor you on soul tool theory and techniques. Your design has promise, but there's room for improvement."
Jing Hongchen launched into an impromptu lesson. Huo Yuhao listened intently, gaining much insight.
After a while, Jing Hongchen relaxed and smiled.
"Yuhao, I hear you've gotten close with my granddaughter lately?"
A sudden sense of dread washed over Huo Yuhao.
"Not... not exactly close, Master."
"Heh. My granddaughter is excellent in every way, but she's always wanted someone strong, mature, and to her liking. That hasn't been easy."
'...You old fox, what are you hinting at? I'm only twelve!'
From Jing Hongchen's point of view, Huo Yuhao was the ideal son-in-law—handsome, talented, with solid background despite being the enemy general's son.
He said nothing further and soon left after some casual chatting.
'To be honest, Dream Senior is really nice... A little older than me, sure. But isn't my mental age older than hers? Wait, what the hell am I thinking?'
On his way back to the dorm, Huo Yuhao was lost in thought. Puberty was clearly beginning to hit this youthful body of his.
---
Several days later, two major events stirred up the academy.
The first was that Huo Yuhao, originally mocked as a "zero-level soul engineer," had passed his soul engineer exam with flying colors—personally evaluated and approved by the Dean himself—and had skyrocketed to a tier three soul engineer. A feat never before seen in the history of the Sun Moon Empire.
Rumors spread wildly, claiming Huo Yuhao was now the greatest soul engineer genius in a thousand years.
This, naturally, shook the status of the previous holder of that title—Xiao Hongchen. The latter hadn't been in the best of moods since.
Meanwhile, Dream Hongchen was beaming every day, talking about how amazing "Yuhao" was and how their grandfather had impeccable taste, driving her brother to the brink of a breakdown.
The second piece of gossip was even juicier: the legendary Jing Hongchen had taken Huo Yuhao as his personal disciple. This proved beyond doubt that the promotion was real.
Now, Huo Yuhao had become the undisputed rising star of the Sun Moon Empire's Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
Naturally, many tried to uncover his background. Yet no matter how deep they dug, they found nothing. It was as if he'd appeared out of thin air.
Which, of course, was by design. Huo Yuhao's true identity was classified at the highest level. Only a handful of people knew the truth.
Side note: when Mu Chen saw the famous Crimson Protection soul tool in Huo Yuhao's hands, he was so shocked that he immediately changed his shop's name from "Mu Chen's Soul Tools" to "Mu Hao's Soul Tools."
With Huo Yuhao's unique designs selling out fast, the shop's popularity soared. It moved into the heart of Mingdu's commercial district and was on its way to becoming a major brand.
Huo Yuhao's personal fortune? Nearly two million gold soul coins. Being a soul engineer was truly profitable.
---
At this moment, Huo Yuhao sat in the Dean's office after a soul tool lesson, preparing to leave.
"Master, I have a request."
Jing Hongchen nodded. "Speak, Yuhao."
"I've reached level twenty in my cultivation. For certain reasons I can't yet explain, I need to travel to the Extreme North to obtain my next soul ring. I hope you'll allow me a leave of absence."
Jing Hongchen frowned. "The Extreme North? That's quite far and dangerous. Your martial soul isn't even ice-elemental, is it?"
Huo Yuhao hesitated briefly, then said, "Master, I truly can't explain the details for now. But I promise you this—when I return, I'll bring you a great surprise."
Jing Hongchen smiled. "Oh? A surprise, you say? Very well. I won't press for answers. But the journey is long. I'll assign a friend to escort you, to ensure your safety."
"Thank you, Master. However, I believe I must go alone to retrieve this soul ring. There are secrets involved that I can only share with you later. If you could provide me with a high-tier alert-type soul tool, I'll be able to ensure my safety."
Jing Hongchen nodded. With Crimson Protection on him, even a hundred-thousand-year soul beast like the Ice Jade Scorpion King or Snow Empress would struggle to kill him immediately—though what were the odds of meeting one?
As he watched Huo Yuhao leave, Jing Hongchen couldn't help but chuckle.
'He's still so weak. What could he possibly achieve in a place like the Extreme North all alone?'
(End of Chapter)
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