"Who's this guy?"
Someone asked their companion. Su Yu looked young—barely fourteen, by the looks of it. Typically, students of his age wouldn't dare venture into this area. Could this be a case of "the young calf unafraid of the tiger"?
"At this age, who else could be a fourth-level Soul Engineer?" came a voice from the companion beside them.
"Could it be… him?"
Accompanied by murmurs of surprise, Su Yu led Wang Dong'er toward the center of the second row. Sitting there was Meng Hongchen, with Xiao Hongchen nearby, along with other members of their group. Some of these individuals exuded a dangerous aura that even Su Yu couldn't ignore. These were at least sixth-level Soul Engineers, demonstrating the extraordinary foundation of Illustrious Virtue Hall.
At that moment, Meng Hongchen noticed Su Yu. Her eyes brightened as she waved at him. Su Yu pulled Wang Dong'er along, taking a few quick steps to reach her side.
"Su Yu, sit here."
Meng Hongchen pointed to the empty seat beside her, her smile as sweet as a flower. Su Yu smiled slightly and took the seat, pulling Wang Dong'er down next to him. Su Yu sat directly beside Meng Hongchen, with Wang Dong'er on his other side.
"Su Yu, you're late today."
On Meng Hongchen's other side, Xiao Hongchen turned with a playful smile.
"You haven't forgotten about our duel, right? We'll have a proper showdown when the time comes."
Su Yu responded with a faint smile.
"Of course, I haven't forgotten. I'm looking forward to the chance to battle you, Brother Xiao."
Xiao Hongchen was always bouncing around; Su Yu figured this was the perfect opportunity to knock him down a peg. Just because you're Meng Hongchen's brother doesn't mean I'll go easy on you. If you need a beating, you'll get one!
"Is this little brother Su Yu?"
From the third row behind them, also near the center, a clear voice rang out. Su Yu turned to see a young man with a commanding presence, even stronger than Xiao Hongchen's. The sixth-level Soul Engineer badge on his chest marked him as a formidable figure.
"This is Senior Ma Rulong, the Team Captain of Illustrious Virtue Hall," Meng Hongchen explained at the right moment.
Su Yu's eyes flickered. So this was Ma Rulong—the captain of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's representative team. A sixth-level Soul Engineer under the age of twenty was impressive indeed, as evidenced by Meng Hongchen's serious introduction. She didn't usually show such respect to just anyone.
"So you're Senior Ma. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Su Yu greeted him.
Ma Rulong smiled.
"I've heard much about you but never had the chance to meet you in person. For the Hall Master to give you such special treatment, your talent must be quite remarkable, Su Yu."
"Thank you, Senior Ma. I still have a long way to go. To lead Illustrious Virtue Hall as you do is truly admirable."
Since Ma Rulong was being courteous, Su Yu didn't mind returning the favor. Ma Rulong laughed heartily, his expression warming. This Su Yu was much more pleasant than Xiao Hongchen. He knew that both Su Yu and Xiao Hongchen would surpass him one day. But unlike Xiao, who was too arrogant for his good, Su Yu was refreshingly easygoing.
"Su Yu, let me introduce you to a few people. This is Lin Xi, this is Mi Jia, and this is Xiao Xiafeng… They're all official members of this competition."
Ma Rulong introduced the people around him, and Su Yu clasped his hands in greeting.
"Nice to meet you."
"You're Su Yu?"
Xiao Xiafeng said with a grin that had an oddly charged undertone.
"I've heard you get the highest level of treatment here. How about we exchange pointers when we get the chance?"
Su Yu responded with a light smile.
"I'm sure that opportunity will come."
Su Yu could sense Xiao Xiafeng's dissatisfaction with the special treatment he received—and he knew others likely shared the sentiment. But that didn't bother him; a battle would settle everything. They were all Soul Masters, and nothing was more convincing than strength.
"Su Yu certainly exudes confidence," Xiao Xiafeng said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Confidence is essential for success. Young people should be confident, shouldn't they?"
Su Yu replied meaningfully.
The others crossed their arms, watching with interest. It seemed these two were destined for a showdown. Once Su Yu officially joined Illustrious Virtue Hall, he would prove himself. If he lacked skill, they wouldn't be convinced.
"Hey, Xiao Xiafeng, what are you trying to stir up?"
Xiao Hongchen cut in suddenly, looking at Xiao Xiafeng with disdain.
"Su Yu is my opponent. Why don't you go cool off somewhere else? With your half-baked skills, you'll just embarrass yourself."
Xiao Xiafeng, a worthy opponent for Su Yu? Only he, Xiao Hongchen, was qualified to rival Su Yu. If Su Yu didn't deserve the special treatment, did Xiao Xiafeng? Did he even know his worth?
Xiao Hongchen's righteous indignation made Su Yu smile slightly. Despite his arrogance, Xiao Hongchen had a genuine side. Since Xiao Hongchen was so eager to fight, Su Yu would grant his wish. When the time came, he'd give it his all, holding nothing back.
"You!"
Xiao Xiafeng trembled with anger upon hearing Xiao Hongchen's words. This was outright contempt—like being insulted directly to his face. They were all young men, so of course, he had his pride.
"Xiao Hongchen, are you saying my skills are subpar? Do you dare to duel me?"
Xiao Xiafeng's chest heaved as he struggled to contain his fury.
"Duel you? I'm not interested. You're not even as good as Mi Jia."
Xiao Hongchen laughed dismissively, not even bothering to hide his disdain. Nearby, Mi Jia's face darkened. What did he mean by "not even as good as Mi Jia"? Was that supposed to be polite?
"Xiao Hongchen, you've gone too far!"
Xiao Xiafeng could no longer hold back his anger, but Lin Xi and Chen An quickly grabbed him. This was the Soul Tool Testing Ground—causing a scene here would be an embarrassment for the entire academy.
"Let me go! I want to duel him!"
"That's enough. Settle this back at Illustrious Virtue Hall," Ma Rulong reprimanded sternly.
With Ma Rulong's intervention, Xiao Xiafeng finally calmed down, though his glare toward Xiao Hongchen remained resentful. Xiao Hongchen, on the other hand, yawned and lounged back in his chair, completely unbothered by Xiao Xiafeng's anger.
Su Yu shook his head, amused. Xiao Hongchen had a knack for attracting attention. He had been the main focus, but now Xiao Hongchen had diverted all the heat away from him.
Su Yu adjusted his posture and sat up straight, just as Wang Dong'er leaned in closer, whispering in his ear. Su Yu turned his head, puzzled.
"I think if Xiao Hongchen weren't the Hall Master's grandson, someone would have beaten him to death by now," Wang Dong'er muttered quietly.
Su Yu was taken aback at first, then chuckled. So Wang Dong'er was complaining about Xiao Hongchen. His behavior did make him a prime target for a beating.
"Don't worry about it. Let's just focus on ourselves," Su Yu said, patting Wang Dong'er on the shoulder.
Wang Dong'er nodded, straightening her posture as well. Su Yu turned his attention back to the stage. As more people arrived, the competition was about to begin.
As Jing Hongchen, seated in the front row, stood up, the entire venue fell silent. Jing Hongchen began with some official remarks, speaking for about ten minutes before finally announcing the start of the competition.
With Jing Hongchen's words, the preliminary selection for the reserve team officially began. Nearly 200 people were participating in the selection, most of them third-year students, with a few fourth-years and even fewer fifth-years. By the end of the first day, half of the participants would be eliminated. The second day would see another half eliminated, and the third day would reduce the number by half again, leaving 32 participants, including three who had been given direct entry. On the fourth day, the competition would narrow down to the top sixteen, and so on until a final champion was crowned.
Due to the large number of participants, the first three days of eliminations would take place across four different venues, with the Soul Tool Testing Ground being one of them. Once the participants were divided into groups, the competition began around 9:30 AM.
Wang Dong'er's match was scheduled to take place in the Soul Tool Testing Ground, while Su Yu, having been granted direct entry into the top 32, didn't need to compete in the early rounds.
With everything arranged, the first elimination match of the day finally began. Two third-year students took the stage, battling fiercely, though, to Su Yu and the others, it was nothing more than a fight between novices.
"I shouldn't have come. This is painful to watch—just a bunch of amateurs."
Xiao Hongchen didn't hesitate to voice his disdain. He should never have had any expectations for this competition. Wouldn't it have been better to wait until the top 32?
"I'm not watching this. I'm leaving. Meng, Su Yu, are you coming? Let's go get something to eat."
Xiao Hongchen extended an invitation.
Meng Hongchen's bright eyes turned to Su Yu, clearly seeking his opinion. Su Yu glanced at Meng Hongchen and said, "Wang Dong hasn't competed yet. I'll need to stay a bit longer."
"Then I'll wait with you," Meng Hongchen said without hesitation.
Xiao Hongchen: "..."
What a hopeless little sister. Did she need to follow Su Yu around like this? Frustrated, Xiao Hongchen sat back down and watched the match begrudgingly.
Finally, around 11 AM, it was Wang Dong'er's turn. Her opponent was also a third-year student and only a Grandmaster Soul Master, wielding a second-level Soul Tool. Naturally, Wang Dong'er swept through her opponent with ease, hardly putting in any effort. At the same time, Wang Dong'er's three Soul Rings—yellow, purple, and purple—caught the attention of many students.
"Wang Dong's come far. He's a Soul Elder now," Xiao Hongchen commented, sounding like an old man. He was a bit surprised, though. Wang Dong'er had only been a Grandmaster Soul Master last year, and in just one year, she had advanced to Soul Elder. His growth rate was impressive, nearly on par with Su Yu's. Having heard that Wang Dong'er was a descendant of the Clear Sky Sect, Xiao Hongchen thought he wasn't half bad—good enough not to tarnish the sect's reputation. Still, that was all. Xiao Hongchen didn't see Wang Dong'er as a real opponent. Wang Dong'er was still too inexperienced.
"Wang Dong is only twelve, right? To have this level of power at his age, his talent is extraordinary. His future potential is limitless," Meng Hongchen said, speaking far more kindly than Xiao Hongchen, fully acknowledging Wang Dong'er's abilities and talent.
"Wang Dong's talent isn't bad, and he's growing quickly," Su Yu agreed. Under normal circumstances, Wang Dong'er had the highest talent among their group, second only to Su Yu. Xiao Hongchen might act superior now, but Wang Dong'er would surpass him in the future. Wang Dong'er was only at a disadvantage because of her age.
The three of them chatted for a bit more, and soon, Wang Dong'er returned.
"How did I do? Wasn't I great?"
Wang Dong'er asked, hands on her hips, looking proud.
"You were decent. Your opponent was too weak, so it's hard to tell," Su Yu offered a fair assessment.
"Yeah, the opponent was weak. I didn't even try, and he went down," Wang Dong'er replied with a shrug.
"The first day is normal. You'll face stronger opponents later."
With that, Su Yu stood up.
"Let's go. Time to eat."
Now that Wang Dong'er had finished her match, he didn't want to stick around for more of these amateur fights. The group of four quietly left the Soul Tool Testing Ground, sneaking out of the academy to grab a meal. After eating their fill, they returned to the academy. They didn't bother going back to the Soul Tool Testing Ground, opting instead to head to their dorms. Watching boring matches was a waste of time—they'd rather get some rest.
Around 2 PM, Su Yu suddenly felt something unusual. He glanced at Wang Dong'er, who was taking a nap, and quietly left the dormitory. In a secluded area, a figure appeared.
"Greetings, Young Master!"
"Why aren't you staying at the Ice God Palace? What are you doing here?"
Su Yu spoke calmly, his icy blue eyes carrying a hint of pressure. The person before him was none other than Luo Yi, the Eighth Guardian of Ice God Hall, who had traveled day and night to reach the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. His speed was impressive—he had made the journey from Ice God Hall to the academy in less than a day.