[The time that followed became peaceful, and I immersed myself in cultivation and the study of spirit tools.] The scenes flashed by quickly.
In the laboratory, Sun Moon Lin Qing held a carving knife, engraving Spirit circuits onto a metal plate.
Stasis Gaze activated, making every detail clearly visible.
With the enhancement of his Metal Manipulation Spirit Ability, the carving knife moved as if it were an extension of his arm; it was precise and so fast that it was a blur to the eyes.
The speed at which he completed the Spirit circuits was several times faster than other Soul Engineers of the same Rank.
“This speed…
this precision…” The instructor looked at the record sheet, his hands trembling.
“The core circuit of a third-Rank spirit tool, he finished it in only ten minutes, and it’s flawless.” “This record has never existed in the history of the academy.” [With my innate Spirit Ability Stasis Gaze and my second Spirit Ability Metal Manipulation, my spirit tool studies were flourishing.] [At eleven years old, I broke through to Rank 30.] [In the same year, I also passed the third-Rank and Fourth-Rank Soul Tool Master assessments in succession, officially becoming a Fourth-Rank Soul Tool Master.] An eleven-year-old Fourth-Rank Soul Tool Master!
This record rewrote the academy’s history once again.
[With the talent I’ve displayed, Teacher Jing Hongchen values me greatly; for the acquisition of my third spirit ring, he personally led the team to the Star Dou Great Forest once again.] Deep within the Star Dou Great Forest.
Target: Silver Moon Wolf King.
A top-tier Spirit Beast among mental-type Spirit Beasts.
Age: Nine thousand years!
“Nine thousand years should be no problem for you.” Jing Hongchen looked at Sun Moon Lin Qing, his eyes full of trust.
“With your current physical constitution and Mental Energy, nine thousand years is just right.” Sun Moon Lin Qing nodded.
This time, he didn’t obsessively pursue a ten thousand year spirit ring.
Because his Mental Energy wasn’t enough to resist the Soul shock of a ten thousand year spirit ring.
Lacking the assistance of the Tianmeng Ice Worm, and without Tang San’s Purple Demon Eye and water of seeing through autumn to boost his Mental Energy.
Although his Mental Energy was on the higher side, it was nowhere near the level of a cheater.
Hunting, absorbing—the process was much smoother than with the second spirit ring.
Although there was still some pain, it was no longer life-threatening.
[I successfully absorbed the nine-thousand-year Silver Moon Wolf King spirit ring, my Soul Power Rank instantly breaking through to Rank 34, and I simultaneously obtained my third Spirit Ability—Mental Confusion!] It was exactly the same as Huo Yuhao’s third Spirit Ability.
It could interfere with an opponent’s mind, creating chaos and even granting brief control.
“Not bad.” Jing Hongchen was very satisfied.
“Mental Confusion is a good control Spirit Ability.
Combined with your first two Spirit abilities, your tactics will be much more flexible.” [At twelve years old, I have already become a Rank 36 Spirit Elder.] The data from the Soul Power testing crystal left all the teachers silent.
Twelve years old, Rank 36.
This speed had already surpassed all records in the history of the Sun Moon Empire.
The key point was that from beginning to end, Lin Qing hadn’t taken any Medicinal Pills except for the thousand-year whale Glue!
Oh right, he was also a Fourth-Rank Soul Tool Master!
It truly put the entire Golden Generation of the Sun Moon Royal Academy to shame!
“What a monster…” Xiao Hongchen looked at the badge on Sun Moon Lin Qing’s chest with a bitter smile.
“When I was twelve, I had just become a third-Rank Soul Engineer.
Now at fourteen, I’m only at the fourth Rank.
Your speed…
it’s too demoralizing.” Jing Hongchen, however, laughed heartily.
“A Genius!
This is a true Genius!
Xiao, you’ll have to work much harder.” He slapped Lin Qing’s shoulder hard.
“Lin Qing, you are the most outstanding student I have ever taught!
Without exception!” Lin Qing himself was secretly amazed.
“Twelve years old, Rank 36 Spirit Elder, Fourth-Rank Soul Tool Master…
this growth rate…” He recalled the original work.
When Huo Yuhao was twelve, he was probably only a Second Rank Soul Engineer, right?
But Huo Yuhao’s cheats were just too powerful; it only took him one year from first touching a spirit tool to becoming a Second Rank Soul Engineer.
“Being too dazzling isn’t necessarily a good thing.” A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind; Lin Qing understood this principle well.
The 12-year-old Lin Qing was beaten to death by Tang Hao just like that.
Judging by the age in the portrait of the deceased, Sun Moon Lin Qing…
wasn’t far from death.
[On this day, Teacher Jing Hongchen came to inform me of some good news: I would be participating in this year’s All-Continent Elite Soul Master Tournament as a regular member of the Sun Moon Royal Academy team.] Jing Hongchen: “Lin Qing, there is an important matter next.” “Teacher, what is it?” “The Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Soul Duel Tournament is about to begin, and the academy has decided to send you as a regular member.” Sun Moon Lin Qing was stunned.
“Me?
A regular member?” “Yes.” Jing Hongchen stroked his beard.
“Your strength is already sufficient.
Furthermore, the cooperation between your Spirit abilities and Xiao’s can even assemble a temporary, one-time-use sixth-rank stationary spirit cannon, with power comparable to a Spirit Fusion.” This was a special result of Lin Qing and Xiao Hongchen’s frequent interactions and their research into combining their Metal Manipulation abilities.
“This is an opportunity, a chance to show the World the strength of our Sun Moon Empire’s younger generation!” You should know that in all the previous Soul Master Tournaments, our Sun Moon Empire failed to achieve very good results.
But this time is different; we have more and better talents, as well as further iterations of spirit tool technology.
In Jing Hongchen’s view, they might even have a chance to win the championship this year!
[I chose to participate in this tournament, wanting to see the geniuses of the continent and the protagonist cheater, Huo Yuhao.] [In my twelfth year, the Soul Master Tournament began.
I participated as a regular member of the Sun Moon Royal Academy team.] The scene changed.
The grand arena was packed with people.
Representative teams from Spirit Master academies across various countries gathered together.
Within the Sun Moon Royal Academy team, Lin Qing stood beside Xiao Hongchen.
Although he was the youngest, his Aura was not weak in the slightest.
[At the tournament, I finally met the protagonist of unrivaled tang sect—Huo Yuhao.] The Shrek Academy team entered the arena.
Just like in the original plot, the one walking at the very front was a thin youth with an intentionally cold gaze: Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao, the host of the Spirit Eye Spirit, the Tianmeng Ice Worm, and Electrolux—the true cheater of this era.
[Unsurprisingly, Huo Yuhao spent the whole time showing off and putting people in their place.] Huo Yuhao could be said to have shone brilliantly on the field.
Showing off with six hundred thousand year spirit rings.
Controlling the entire field with Spirit Detection Sharing.
Crushing opponents with the brute force of Spirit Fusion.
He every time he appeared, he drew countless doubts and exclamations.
Especially upon hearing Shrek Academy’s teacher, Wang Yan, mention that several of the Shrek Academy students participating in this tournament were twelve years old, everyone felt an inexplicable sense of awe.
“Is this the Genius of Shrek?” The members of the Sun Moon Royal Academy team all had solemn expressions.
“That Huo Yuhao…
he’s not easy to deal with,” Xiao Hongchen said in a low voice.
Sun Moon Lin Qing nodded.
“I know.” [I not only knew that Huo Yuhao would be difficult to deal with, but I also knew that we would most likely lose.] [In the end, Shrek Academy still faced off against our Sun Moon Royal Academy.] [The intensity of the battle exceeded expectations.
After Xiao and Meng’s Spirit Fusion was broken, Xiao and I used our final ultimate move.] Sun Moon Lin Qing and Xiao Hongchen looked at each other and both took action.
“Seventh-Rank Temporary spirit tool: Assembly!” Sun Moon Lin Qing made a grasping motion with both hands.
Metal fragments quickly combined in mid-air.
Xiao Hongchen did the same.
Together, the two completed a crude but powerful seventh-Rank Spirit cannon platform.
“One-time-use seventh-rank stationary spirit cannon!” Lin Qing and Xiao Hongchen frantically poured their Soul Power into it, and the cannon’s muzzle lit up with a blinding light!
“Fire!” “Boom!!!” A thick beam of energy tore through the air, blasting directly toward the Shrek team!
This strike, infused with the full power of both individuals, already possessed power surpassing that of a Spirit Saint or even a Spirit Douluo!
However, after this single shot, the cannon platform exploded, and Lin Qing and Xiao Hongchen were also at the end of their ropes.
“!!!” The entire arena fell silent.
Everyone held their breath, wanting to know who had won and who had lost in the explosion.
As the explosion cleared, Huo Yuhao from the Shrek team was completely unharmed.
[We lost.] The narrator’s voice carried a hint of bitterness.
[Even though Xiao Hongchen and I gave our all to assemble a one-time-use seventh-Rank Spirit cannon, we ultimately lost to Huo Yuhao, who truly possessed cheats.] “Sigh…” Lin Qing sighed.
“There’s no helping it, Huo Yuhao’s cheats are just too powerful.” At this time, Huo Yuhao already had three cheats—the Ice Empress, the Tianmeng Ice Worm, and Electrolux—making him incomparable to ordinary people.
Although Sun Moon Lin Qing was also a Genius, his cheats…
they just weren’t powerful enough.
[I originally thought that if we lost, we lost, and that would be the end of it.] [But I never expected that an accident would occur.] Late at night.
At the Sun Moon Royal Academy’s residence, the team members had already gone to rest.
Lin Qing sat alone in his room, reviewing the day’s match.
“If only my mental defense had been a bit stronger then, if only the speed of my Metal Manipulation had been a bit faster…” He muttered to himself, feeling somewhat unwilling about this defeat.
Just then.
“Boom!!!” A terrifying pressure suddenly descended!
The entire residence was trembling!
“Who is it?!” Lin Qing stood up abruptly.
Crash!
The window shattered.
A scruffy old man wearing tattered robes and reeking of alcohol floated in mid-air.
His murky eyes stared at him, a cold killing intent emanating from their depths.
Xuan Zi!
An elder of Shrek Academy’s Sea God Pavilion, a Rank 98 Peak Douluo!
“Kid…” He stared at Lin Qing and grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.
“Your performance today was quite brilliant—twelve years old, a Fourth-Rank Soul Tool Master, a Rank 36 Spirit Elder, three purple spirit rings, and you almost pushed our Shrek students into a corner.” As he spoke, Xuan Zi’s gaze gradually turned cold.
“Leaving you alive will surely lead to great trouble in the future!” Lin Qing’s pupils constricted.
He wanted to flee.
But the pressure of a Rank 98 Titled Douluo left him unable to move.
“Therefore, you should just die!” Xuan Zi slowly raised his hand, earthy yellow Soul Power condensing in his palm.
He struck down with his palm.
Boom!!!
The entire room instantly turned into ruins.
Lin Qing’s figure was completely swallowed up.
[I died.]