“It seems the instructors have quite a prejudice against me,” Ling Xiao said, shaking his head. “You think I’ve insulted or mocked you, but it’s a misunderstanding. I’ll show you just how strong my soul power is.”
He hadn’t wanted to make a scene, but he also didn’t want to make enemies for no reason. The misunderstanding with these instructors was different from his past experiences at Divine Phoenix Academy.
“How will you show us?” the secret arts department head asked, curious.
Ling Xiao smiled slightly. Above his head, the Eye of the World opened, blood-red inscriptions glowing within it. The surrounding world suddenly changed.
The test room transformed into a battlefield of slaughter.
“This is!” The department head’s eyes widened in shock, then lit up with delight. “You can stop now. Your score is beyond Exceptional!”
“Thank you, Head Instructor!” Ling Xiao retracted the Eye of the World and clasped his hands respectfully.
“Head, how did he pass? He didn’t even touch the Rubik’s World just now,” one of the test instructors couldn’t help but ask.
The department head smiled. “Haven’t you realised? His soul power is on an entirely different level compared to ordinary students.”
“A different level?” The students in the plaza outside overheard this.
Some secret arts students were puzzled, even unconvinced.
“Exactly. We usually test if someone can resist the Rubik’s World’s influence to be considered outstanding. But he directly controlled it!” the department head said, his words earth-shattering.
It was as if a volcano had erupted among the crowd.
Controlling the Rubik’s World? Was that even possible?
“You still don’t believe it? Ling Xiao, change it to a snowy world,” the department head said with a smile.
“Very well,” Ling Xiao replied, summoning the Eye of the World again. The world shifted, blanketed in snow, everything shrouded in a hazy white.
The stunned expressions of the onlookers were crystal clear.
“That’s enough,” one of the secret arts instructors said, stepping forward and clasping his hands. “Ling Xiao, we misunderstood you. Your soul power far surpasses ours. Our earlier words were excessive. We apologise.”
The others nodded in agreement.
“You’re too kind, instructors. It was my poor choice of words that caused the misunderstanding. So, have I passed this test?” Ling Xiao asked.
“Of course, beyond Exceptional!” the instructor confirmed.
“Good heavens, another score beyond Exceptional! This guy’s incredible!” a student exclaimed.
“We all misjudged him,” another said.
“The goddess’s man is truly extraordinary,” someone added.
The students in the plaza gave wry smiles.
Feng Yanran was utterly stunned. After a long pause, she shook her head. “Maybe you were right. His strength is far beyond what I imagined.”
“Kid, if you have any questions about soul power, come find me anytime. Carry on with your tests. I’ll take my leave,” the department head said, turning to go.
Ling Xiao reflected silently. Compared to Divine Phoenix Academy, Clear Void Academy was far superior. At least the instructors here owned up to their mistakes, unlike the overbearing ones at Divine Phoenix.
“Instructors, I’m off to the fourth test!” Ling Xiao announced.
With three tests done, the crowd grew even more expectant. If Ling Xiao completed one more, he’d break a record held by Clear Void Academy for tens of thousands of years—a groundbreaking feat.
They thought the fourth test would take a while, but Ling Xiao breezed through it.
What seemed insurmountable to others was trivial to him.
The fourth test, for the medical department, only required healing an injured animal. For Ling Xiao, this was no challenge at all.
Though his dragon soul was sealed, his blood was that of an ancient golden dragon, something that couldn’t be suppressed.
His blood had potent healing properties, earning him another Exceptional score.
“He’s really breaking records! Will he keep going?” Feng Yanran said, excited yet dazed.
She had initially helped Ling Xiao because he was the son of those two. Now, she realised that even if he weren’t, he was someone worth befriending. Such talent was one in a hundred thousand years.
The fifth test was for the control department.
Ling Xiao casually demonstrated his array skills, earning another Exceptional score.
“One test left. This one’s for the summoning department. It’s tricky, testing a student’s affinity with animals. If you can make an animal like you and complete a task, you pass,” Feng Yanran explained, growing nervous.
By the final test, her anticipation was tinged with anxiety.
But to her surprise, Ling Xiao not only passed but got the animal to complete ten complex tasks, earning yet another score beyond Exceptional.
Unbelievable!
All the test instructors followed Ling Xiao out of the test hall, eager to see more of this prodigy.
“He passed all six departments, all beyond Exceptional! The chosen one of the Heavenly Dragon Continent lives up to his name,” one said.
“I knew it would end like this. The gap between us is just too wide,” Ji Mingkong said, shaking his head with a wry smile.
“Back then, I was ahead of him. Now, I’m nothing compared to him,” Ying Wuya added, also smiling bitterly.
“Don’t sigh. Back at Moonlight Sect, I thought I’d protect him, but he ended up saving me multiple times,” Lan Yuer said, shaking her head.
Having a junior brother like this, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
With the tests over, Ling Xiao, under admiring gazes, followed Feng Yanran to the comprehensive department’s hall, which served as both a teaching and living space.
The dorms were beautiful, one room per person, clean and tidy—far better than living in a cave.
Long Chen, Ji Mingkong, and Lan Yuer, also in the comprehensive department, joined them. The others went to their respective departments.
“By the way, Miss Yanran, I heard there’s a ‘Heavenly Origin Pagoda’ in the imperial city. Only students from Divine Phoenix Academy and Clear Void Academy can enter to cultivate, right?” Ling Xiao asked, settling into his room. Cultivation was his top concern.
“Correct. The higher you go in the Heavenly Origin Pagoda, the better the cultivation effects, so competition is fierce. My advice? Unless you’re absolutely certain, don’t rush there. Cultivating in the academy is better than most places, just not as good as the pagoda,” Feng Yanran said, pausing. “But I know you won’t listen.”
