Jing Hongchen was very well aware of the relationship between Wang Chen and his granddaughter Meng Hongchen.
After all, it was something he himself had tacitly permitted.
If not for his approval, Meng Hongchen wouldn't even have been able to meet Wang Chen, let alone carry on a private relationship with him.
However, although Jing Hongchen had given his consent, he still could not bring himself to genuinely like this wild boy from outside.
Jing Hongchen thought to himself:
"Three years have passed. Wang Chen is probably only at the level of a Soul Ancestor now.
And to pass Mingde Hall's assessment, one must at least have the skill level of a Fifth-rank Soul Engineer.
I want to see whether he can really pass the Mingde Hall examination."
Although in his heart Jing Hongchen did not believe Wang Chen could pass the assessment, he still decided to take some time later to personally watch how Wang Chen performed in the test.
After all, no matter how little he liked Wang Chen, he was still his prospective grandson-in-law.
As for when the word "prospective" could be removed—that would depend on when Wang Chen could satisfy him.
...............…
At the same time, at the exit of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's High-Level Passage—
Lin Jiayi looked at Wang Chen and could not help being astonished by his looks. He thought to himself,
"What a handsome young man—no wonder he could charm our little ancestor, Meng Hongchen."
But that wasn't even the most important thing. What truly shocked Lin Jiayi was the aura surrounding Wang Chen—
an aura unique to the strong and those of high status, carrying a natural pressure that made others feel subdued.
As the Director of Education at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Lin Jiayi had met countless geniuses and powerhouses in his life.
Yet none had ever given him a feeling quite like Wang Chen did.
That kind of aura would be normal on some great expert, powerful noble, or high-ranking official—
but to emanate from such a young man was truly strange.
Lin Jiayi found that he couldn't quite see through Wang Chen.
The faint disdain he had felt toward him—because Meng Hongchen had asked him to open the back door—disappeared in an instant.
In its place rose a deep sense of respect.
Lin Jiayi had been Director of Education for many years, and he prided himself on his ability to judge people.
He knew very well that anyone who possessed such an aura was absolutely no ordinary person.
Such a presence could only come from someone either possessing immense strength, occupying a position of great power—or both.
Lin Jiayi examined Wang Chen closely, inwardly amazed.
If it weren't for the fact that using spiritual power to probe an unfamiliar person was considered extremely rude, he would already have done it.
He thought to himself,
"Just what kind of background does this Wang Chen have, to have developed such a presence? Strange, truly strange."
If Lin Jiayi had known that Wang Chen was the Patriarch of the Wang Family, and that he had defeated the famous Wang Yan, a Soul Douluo renowned throughout the empire, he would have understood that such an aura was only natural for him—what would have been strange was if he didn't have it.
Wang Chen, seeing the short and chubby middle-aged man walking toward him, smiled politely.
Yesterday, Meng Hongchen had told him that she would ask the Academy's Director of Education, Lin Jiayi, to take him to Mingde Hall to participate in the assessment.
Lin Jiayi came up to him and said,
"You must be Wang Chen. Miss Meng Hongchen told me about you. I'll take you to Mingde Hall now for the assessment."
Wang Chen replied courteously,
"Thank you for your trouble, Director."
Mingde Hall was located at the core of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. On the surface, it appeared to be a small and unremarkable building, occupying only a few hundred square meters, but inside it concealed a vast and intricate world.
The true body of Mingde Hall lay deep underground.
Following Lin Jiayi, Wang Chen passed through several layers of security checks—including soul tool identity verification and inspection by Soul Engineer guards—
before finally entering the underground section via an elevator.
When the elevator doors opened, a metallic world unfolded before Wang Chen's eyes.
He looked around to see a vast metal hall, so large that its boundaries could not be seen at a glance.
Rows upon rows of soul tool crafting tables were neatly arranged, with many Soul Engineers working diligently behind them.
These were the elite of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy—indeed, the elite of the entire Sun Moon Empire.
Anyone qualified to work here had passed the Mingde Hall assessment and possessed at least the skill level of a Fifth-rank Soul Engineer.
Yet even these Soul Engineers were only the lowest tier members of Mingde Hall.
The truly powerful Soul Engineers each had their own exclusive laboratories.
While Wang Chen was observing, Lin Jiayi, walking beside him, said,
"Welcome to Mingde Hall. I believe you'll soon be one of us."
As they continued toward the Assessment Hall, Lin Jiayi explained the rules and protocols of Mingde Hall.
Mingde Hall was a critical research center of the Sun Moon Empire, housing four Ninth-rank Soul Engineers who oversaw numerous vital projects.
Therefore, the regulations were extremely strict, and the entire facility was under constant surveillance—every movement had to be cautious.
Wang Chen simply nodded but didn't really care.
He only planned to pass the test, register his name, and then never come back again.
So no matter how strict the rules were, they were meaningless to him.
After finishing the assessment, he would return to the Wang Family to continue his role as Patriarch.
Soon, they arrived at the Mingde Hall Assessment Hall.
The hall was enormous and empty. Apart from Wang Chen and a few examiners wearing Seventh-rank Soul Engineer badges on their chests, there was no one else present.
This was because it wasn't the usual time for assessments, so no other candidates were there.
The examiners looked at Wang Chen expressionlessly, clearly unimpressed by this supposed "backdoor candidate."
Standing calmly at the center of the hall, Wang Chen's expression remained indifferent—after all, a few Seventh-rank Soul Engineers were nothing to him.
After bringing Wang Chen in, Lin Jiayi sat down beside the examiner's table.
As an Eighth-rank Soul Engineer, he would act as the supervising officer for the test to ensure fairness.
One of the Seventh-rank Soul Engineers glanced at Wang Chen's young face with mild disdain—clearly doubting that such a youth could possibly pass the Mingde Hall examination.
The examiner said,
"Those who can enter Mingde Hall are all elites among Soul Engineers. Joining is not so easy.
First test: Within two hours, use ten pieces of rare metal to carve five designated Fifth-rank Core Circuits."
Lin Jiayi, hearing the test requirements, thought to himself,
"Failing to carve a core circuit is normal, but a fifty percent success rate… even many Fifth-rank Soul Engineers can't manage that.
If Wang Chen fails, that little ancestor Meng Hongchen will definitely throw a tantrum again."
Soon, a soul tool crafting table was set up before Wang Chen.
On it lay ten pieces of rare metal and a blueprint depicting the five Fifth-rank core circuits he needed to carve.
"High Temperature, Ice Freeze, Acceleration, Sharpness, and Shockwave—all common Fifth-rank circuits. Truly no challenge at all,"
Wang Chen said lightly after glancing at the blueprint and memorizing every detail.
Then, he took out a sharp silver carving knife from his storage soul tool and began engraving the circuits.
Under the precision of Soul Douluo-level spiritual power, his carving speed was astonishingly fast, his movements steady and flawless.
The crisp sound of metal striking metal filled the hall as sparks flickered.
In just five minutes, one Fifth-rank core circuit was completed.
The Seventh-rank examiners' expressions changed instantly—their eyes nearly popping out of their heads.
They exclaimed in disbelief:
"Such speed!"
"Such steady hands! Not a single mistake—the flow of movement was flawless, absolutely perfect!"
"Impossible! Only five minutes to complete a Fifth-rank core circuit?"
Even for them, Seventh-rank Soul Engineers, this was an extraordinary feat.
For a moment, they even suspected that this might be an old master disguising himself as a youth to toy with them.
In less than half an hour, five complete Fifth-rank core circuits sat neatly on Wang Chen's table.
"The core circuits are finished. Please inspect them," Wang Chen said calmly.
The examiners stepped forward one by one, injecting their soul power into each circuit.
They found the energy flowed smoothly through the formations without the slightest obstruction, and their soul power was perfectly converted into various elemental energies.
Each and every circuit was a masterpiece—flawless.
"Honored examiners," Wang Chen said with a faint smile, "since inspection is complete, shall we proceed with the next stage?"
The examiners exchanged glances.
They were all Seventh-rank Soul Engineers—veterans qualified to lead their own research teams within Mingde Hall.
Of course, they could clearly see Wang Chen's skill.
Even if he hadn't yet reached the Seventh-rank level, he was without doubt a top-tier Sixth-rank Soul Engineer.
For him, passing Mingde Hall's test would be effortless.
With this talent, this strength, and this age—was there even any need to continue?
At that moment, Lin Jiayi, acting as the supervising officer, said,
"Proceed with the examination."
As he looked at Wang Chen's youthful face, Lin Jiayi thought in awe,
"Such terrifying talent! Not even fifteen years old and already surpassing Young Master Xiao Hongchen in soul tool skill—how incredible."
Then it struck him—no wonder Jing Hongchen had told him not to open any back doors and to follow the proper procedure.
There had been no need for any shortcuts at all.
The Seventh-rank examiners nodded and continued.
The remaining tests were even simpler:
First, craft a Fifth-rank Soul Tool; then, use it to battle a Mingde Hall Fifth-rank Soul Engineer for fifteen minutes.
But Wang Chen's strength was such that even Wang Yan, a peak Soul Douluo, had fallen before him—
how could a mere Fifth-rank Soul Engineer possibly stand against him?
To him, a Fifth-rank Soul Engineer was like an ant—he could crush one with a flick of his finger.
Indeed, with just two casual slaps—without using any soul skills—Wang Chen, relying solely on his Soul Sage-level physique and the Fifth-rank Soul Tool he had just crafted, sent his opponent flying and knocked him unconscious.
Immediately, the examiners and Lin Jiayi announced:
"Wang Chen, you have passed the assessment. Congratulations—you are now a member of Mingde Hall."
They all crowded around him, speaking warmly.
These Seventh-rank Soul Engineers weren't fools—
earlier they had shown indifference because they thought Wang Chen was just a talentless backdoor entrant.
But now that they had witnessed his true ability, they understood clearly—
a youth with such talent, strength, and background was destined for greatness.
Naturally, they were eager to befriend him.
While Lin Jiayi and the others chatted with Wang Chen—
Not far away, Jing Hongchen stood with his hands behind his back, eyes filled with surprise.
He had thought Wang Chen wouldn't be able to pass the assessment, yet the young man's performance had completely exceeded his expectations.
Whether carving circuits, crafting soul tools, or fighting, Wang Chen had handled everything with perfect ease—without the slightest strain.
It was clear that his true strength was far beyond what he had shown.
He wasn't just "good"—he was an unparalleled genius.
Even his own grandson Xiao Hongchen, though barely capable of crafting Fifth-rank Soul Tools now, was far behind Wang Chen in both speed and quality.
Lin Jiayi and the other Seventh-rank Soul Engineers lacked the perception to truly see through Wang Chen.
But Jing Hongchen, as a Ninth-rank Soul Engineer, had sharp eyes.
Even though Wang Chen hadn't used any of his soul skills, martial techniques, or secret arts—
and relied only on the Fifth-rank Soul Tool he made during the exam and his physical strength—
Jing Hongchen still discerned something deeper.
He thought to himself:
"Wang Chen's physique is at least on par with a Soul Emperor.
With such a powerful body, his soul power and spiritual power must also be extraordinary.
To think that in only three years this boy has improved so drastically—his current strength likely rivals that of a Soul Emperor!
My granddaughter's judgment is indeed excellent.
Not yet fifteen years old, and already so strong—my grandson-in-law Wang Chen will surely become a Ninth-rank Soul Engineer in the future!"
At that moment, Jing Hongchen decided—
after this assessment, he would personally meet his grandson-in-law Wang Chen and test him properly.