NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20: Old Man
"Th-Thank you, teacher!"
The boy stood there dazed for a moment before snapping out of it, quickly taking the result sheet and walking away excitedly.
"Next."
"…"
"Soul power level nine, not qualified."
"Age exceeded, not qualified."
"…"
One by one, the youths stepped up to the soul power tester, but their reactions upon stepping down varied greatly: those who passed were beaming with joy and proceeded to the next stage, while those who failed left the academy with their heads hanging low.
Each flash of red or green light from the soul power tester determined the future of a young student.
Each test took about half a minute per person.
After about half an hour, it was finally Su Luoheng's turn.
When the academy teacher activated the soul power tester, a white light completely enveloped him. Soon, a series of data appeared, and the base lit up with a green light.
"Ah, qualified! Age: Nine years, soul power… soul power level seventeen?!"
"Nine years old, level seventeen?!"
The testing teacher couldn't help but rub his eyes, looking again at the young boy in front of him. The originally calm expression instantly turned to one of extreme astonishment.
Nine years old, with a soul power level of seventeen!
Even in Shrek Academy, such talent is rarely seen, right?
For a moment, the area fell into complete silence, and the other waiting youths cast looks of shock at him.
It was Su Luoheng who spoke, breaking the silence.
"Teacher, may I step down now?"
"Yes, yes! Child, take this, it's your test sheet."
The teacher's attitude instantly became enthusiastic, his eyes fixed on Su Luoheng as if afraid he might run away. In fact, if it weren't for his duties, he would have loved to personally escort him.
"Thank you, teacher."
"It's nothing, nothing. Quickly go to the next test."
Su Luoheng awkwardly scratched his nose; he still wasn't used to being the center of so much attention.
Quickly taking his test sheet, he walked towards the re-examination point.
The re-examination was divided into two parts.
The first part tested the abilities of a soul master, while the second part assessed the abilities of a soul engineer.
As long as one of these two criteria was met, the candidate would pass the assessment and officially become a student at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
The location of the re-examination wasn't far from the preliminary test, and the academy had considerately set up guide signs for the candidates. Su Luoheng soon reached the re-examination area.
Since quite a few students had already passed the preliminary test, there was still a queue when he arrived.
Despite nearly a third of the students being eliminated in the preliminary test, the sheer number of soul masters coming to participate in the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's admissions was too large. Additionally, the re-examination was more complex.
Although there were 50% more testing stations than in the preliminary test, long lines still formed, and one could see a sea of heads stretching as far as the eye could see.
It felt like a crowded bottleneck.
While waiting, Su Luoheng took the opportunity to observe his surroundings.
The re-examination was much simpler compared to the initial test, requiring only a teacher, a table, and a few small tools. Unlike the initial test, there were no large soul power testing devices to assist.
However, upon closer inspection, Su Luoheng noticed a difference: the soul engineer badges worn by these academy teachers were all at least of the sixth level!
A sixth-level soul engineer was equivalent to a Soul Emperor among soul masters.
There were nearly fifty testing positions here, demonstrating the strength of the faculty at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
Even compared to Shrek Academy, it was no less impressive.
Although the re-examination had two types of tests, there was no distinction between locations for the assessment.
This was because the teachers responsible for the assessment were all at least sixth-level soul engineers, and the prerequisite for becoming a soul engineer was to have sufficiently strong soul power.
Therefore, whether it was assessing soul engineer or soul master abilities, the teachers of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy were fully qualified to judge.
Another half hour passed.
As time went on, Su Luoheng finally reached the front of the line.
After observing closely, he noticed the evaluation method: whether for the soul master or the soul engineer test, in addition to the personal judgment of the examining teacher, some small soul devices were used, similar to the soul power testing device outside, which were likely also used by the Sun Moon Empire to assess abilities.
After another fifteen minutes, it was finally Su Luoheng's turn.
The teacher responsible for his test was dressed in a soul engineer's robe. To Su Luoheng's surprise, unlike the other teachers, he did not wear the badge indicating his identity as a soul engineer.
Moreover, compared to the other examining teachers, he was at least a decade older, appearing to be around sixty years old.
However, being a re-examination teacher, plus his age, he had to be at least a sixth-level soul engineer.
And it didn't take long for Su Luoheng to discover what set this man apart!
Age brings its own advantages, and the experience of years had honed his discerning eye. His slightly sunken eye sockets held deep brown eyes that seemed to pierce into one's soul.
Whenever he looked at a candidate, it made them feel as if they were being seen through. This was something the other teachers lacked, and perhaps it was precisely for this reason that he was chosen as a re-examination teacher.
Additionally, his assessments of the previous candidates were particularly objective and fair.
Yet, because of his accurate and thorough judgments, he had eliminated quite a few candidates with marginal strength. As a result, the number of candidates passing through his group was nearly half that of the other groups.
Many candidates could not withstand such rigorous assessment pressure and chose to join other teachers' groups instead.
That's why Su Luoheng, who was at the end of the line, only had to wait for an hour to get his turn.
The elder took Su Luoheng's test sheet but did not immediately read it. Instead, he first gave Su Luoheng a once-over.
Under the external stimulus of the elder's spiritual power, Su Luoheng's spiritual sea was stirred. Inwardly, Su Luoheng was startled.
Judging by the strength of this elder's spiritual power, it was likely that he was an eighty percent spiritual-type soul master.
When the elder withdrew his gaze, the spiritual power also disappeared.
The elder seemed to sense Su Luoheng's soul power with a spiritual attribute, and his expression shifted slightly. He nodded subtly, appearing somewhat pleased with his first impression of Su Luoheng.
"Not bad."
He rarely offered praise, but his expression quickly returned to its usual calm.
"Young one, do you want to test your soul master or soul engineer abilities first?"
"Soul master."
"Release your martial soul."
At these words, Su Luoheng's thoughts moved slightly, and the barren land of his "Unlimited Sword Domain" martial soul appeared behind him. A pale yellow soul ring emerged around his feet. While still desolate, there were now many weapons scattered across the wasteland, mostly swords. Upon closer examination, these were weapons analyzed using his first soul skill over the recent period.
"As expected, a spiritual attribute."
The familiar fluctuations of spiritual power made the elder nod. However, upon seeing the overall form of the martial soul, he seemed slightly surprised. "Your martial soul is rather unique. What is it called?"
"Unlimited Sword Domain."
"That name suits your martial soul. Alright, you can put it away now."