NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20
Chapter 20: The Joke’s On You
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“It’s packed with people!”
Xu Haifeng looked over toward the field. With over 300 students and their soul pets beside them, the typically bare area was now incredibly crowded.
At the side of the school building, there were many first and second-years who took the opportunity to spectate excitedly.
“We were the same last time.”
Xu Haifeng glanced at the students and felt a little amused. It was as if he was looking at himself from the past.
The two of them arrived at the long queue.
Now that the winter break had ended, most of them were chatting about the interesting things that happened to them during that period.
For example, where they went to hang out, what powerful soul pets they saw, what games they played, whether they watched any soul pet competitions, and the list went on.
Even if it was a trivial matter, it seemed as if they could repeat their conversations several times.
At the front, a stern-looking middle-aged man slowly walked over.
“Old Zheng hasn’t changed. He acts like someone owes him millions every day,” Xu Haifeng muttered.
Just as he finished speaking, the man glared sharply at him.
“Xu Haifeng! You think I can’t hear you?”
Xu Haifeng smiled awkwardly.
Although he was still dozens of meters away, he had forgotten that their class’s Teacher Zheng was a professional Contract Soul Master.
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The physique of a professional Contract Soul Master far exceeded that of an ordinary person.
Even if it was a hundred meters, if one concentrated, they could still detect the slightest sound.
“All right, all right!”
The middle aged man glossed over the 42 students in the class and slowly started to speak.
“The soul power test is just a simple examination of your soul pets’ soul power cultivation. There’s no other meaning to it, and there’s no need to think too much.
“Soul pets haven’t started cultivating on their own yet. They also have a certain soul power cultivation, but it’s low.
“However, regardless of whether it might be a few years or a dozen years of cultivation, there is no need to place too much importance on it.
“It’s only the beginning. Understood?”
Teacher Zheng spoke earnestly and swept his gaze across all the students.
He glanced at Lin Xi, Wang Che, and the other top students.
His eyes paused on the green caterpillar for a few seconds, frowning slightly, probably confused.
Yet he refrained from commenting.
He continued with his speech.
“This is a public test. You are also allowed to observe the other students. Those with low cultivation levels shouldn’t feel ashamed, nor should you be discouraged. Same goes to those with high cultivation levels, who shouldn’t be arrogant. There’s still a long way ahead for all of you!
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“Alright, get ready. Bring your soul pets to the center of the field to demonstrate their soul power.”
There was a soul power testing device that had been placed in the center of the field.
It was a massive hexagonal weighing scale, large enough to fit more than seven or eight soul pets.
When a soul pet stood on it, the surroundings would light up like lightning.
Each slot represented ten years, and if even a single slot was not filled, that would mean less than ten years of cultivation.
It was as Teacher Zheng had said. A simple test, not a very detailed one.
The entire process of the assessment was kept very quiet. Most people could not recognize who the students involved were.
Only their classmates knew.
There was also no mention of any names.
Wang Che observed the slots as his classmates took their turns. For most of them, none of the golden lights lit up at all.
This proved that the majority of the students’ soul pets were all below ten years of soul power cultivation.
Every time a golden light lit up, there would be a small gasp among the crowd.
However, ten years of soul power cultivation was a small hurdle.
Normally, a soul beast needed to complete the enlightenment phase and cultivate on its own to reach this level in such a short period of time.
Clearly, this was relatively difficult.
Any time two bars of golden light lit up, the cries became louder.
There was almost nobody who could reach three bars.
Wang Che also noticed Yuan Xiaole take his turn.
Suddenly, he heard Xu Haifeng chuckle. “You can go first.”
The student in front of him didn’t stand on ceremony as he brought his soul pet up.
It was a Dazed Rain Frog, a regular soul pet.
Its body wasn’t large. This type of soul pet’s physical growth was relatively gradual. Even if one had a deep understanding of soul pets, it would be hard to tell its specific soul power cultivation level.
It looked silly and had an aqua blue appearance, though it was quite cute when it hopped.
Wang Che took a look and suddenly, a smile spread across his face.
“Isn’t that Bu Yan?” Xu Haifeng sneered. “Yesterday, this fellow said in the group that he hasn’t completed the soul pet enlightenment yet. I predict that it only has three to five years of soul power cultivation.”
Xu Haifeng had just finished speaking when two bars of golden light instantly lit up on the soul power detector.
“Holy f*ck!” shrieked Xu Haifeng, stunned. “Two bars? Twenty years of soul power cultivation? This brat was lying in the group!”
1
He clearly remembered what Bu Yan had replied in the group chat.
Bu Yan: “Teacher Zheng! It’s so hard to enlighten a soul pet. My Dazed Rain Frog has been born for more than a week now but all it does is stare blankly…”
Xu Haifeng was left speechless.
The surrounding students were in shock as well.
Bu Yan brought his Dazed Rain Frog down from the device as another student walked up.
“It’s Tong Liang!” Xu Haifeng returned to his senses and cheered, beaming. “He has a Cottony. I don’t believe that this kid was lying as well. This beast is more disobedient and even harder to train. I think that it’ll be two to three years at most…”
However, the past repeated itself.
Just as he finished his sentence, the detector lit up once more with two bars of golden light.
“Damn!” Xu Haifeng was surprised again. “These guys, they were all lying!”
Wang Che smirked.
One student went after another.
Back then, everyone in the group had said that they didn’t even have an initial understanding of soul pets… but their measured cultivation levels now were all ridiculously high!
Everyone was basically around 20 years on average.
A portion of them had reached the standard amount of ten years. Only a small handful of them had yet to be enlightened.
Xu Haifeng had an expression on his face that said, “The joke was on me all along.”
Wang Che understood how he felt.
It was like after an examination, when someone asked others how they did, and they would all say the same thing, that they did not do well and that it was difficult to pass.
It would have given anyone a surge of confidence, or even make them feel like they had the opportunity to show off.
However, in the end, after the examination, they would then realize that they had just barely passed while the others had achieved full marks.
Xu Haifeng trudged up dejectedly.
The Hundred Flowers Beast seemed to sense Xu Haifeng’s depressive state and patted his face.
“My little one loves me the most,” Xu Haifeng was pleased.
At this very moment, a beautiful figure slowly sauntered up the stage.
It was as if the entire field was focused on her at this moment.
“Lin Xi is going on stage. Old Wang, you did say that her Cloud Cap Snake is really forty years old, right?” Xu Haifeng asked softly. “Anyway, I can’t tell.”
The Cloud Cap Snake grew even slower.
Such a rare soul pet naturally had a powerful body, so it was not easy to mature in size.
It looked almost the same as the first time they met. He could not tell how much it had changed.
Wang Che nodded in her direction, “Do you think she would lie?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then it is.”
It was the truth.
The moment the four bars lit up, the field erupted in cheers.
All the eyes fixed on her were filled with surprise, adoration, shock…
“I wonder who can surpass such an awesome person,” Xu Haifeng sighed.
Lin Xi walked off the stage and when she arrived, she glanced at Wang Che with a calm expression.
A few more students followed suit.
“Old Wang, it’s your turn.”
Xu Haifeng looked at the green caterpillar behind Wang Che.
“Based on my knowledge, this soul pet of yours should be around 20 to 30 years old, right? A green caterpillar nurtured to this extent is not typical at all. It even has yet to evolve. I wonder what it wants…”
Wang Che grinned.
Not everyone was like him, who knew specific details of soul pets like the back of his hand.
“I think it’s at least 40 years old.”
Another sharp-eyed student who knew more about the green caterpillar whispered, “Such a large one is not common at all.”
As Wang Che walked out, he realized that it was even quieter now than when Lin Xi had taken her turn
Indeed, most of the students in the test did not recognize many people other than their own classmates.
However, there were a few exceptions, such as those who had been famous even in their first and second years.
Lin Xi was one of them, and he, Wang Che, was the same.
Of course, this silence was because many of them already knew that Wang Che’s soul pet was a green caterpillar.
Therefore, they wanted to see how he was doing…
“Wang Che, even if your soul pet is a green caterpillar, you’re still my Prince Charming!”
A random student from one of the classes mustered up her courage to shout.
“…”
Wang Che’s pace did not change. It was as if he blocked out everything and did not feel the slightest bit awkward.
He calmly strode over to the center of the field, as if there was no one else there. He looked at the soul power testing device.
“Go,” Wang Che commanded.
The green caterpillar wriggled its way in.
The next moment…
Five bars of golden light suddenly lit up!