A breeze blew past, causing the leaves to rustle.
Jing Hongchen stared at Zhang Peng, his eyes narrowed into slits flickering with a sharp light, his thoughts unknown. After a good while, he finally spoke.
"Please follow me, Sixth Enshriner."
Saying this, Jing Hongchen turned around, signaling Zhang Peng to follow. Zhang Peng did not waste words and stepped forward to follow behind Jing Hongchen.
The two passed through the testing area of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. Jing Hongchen led Zhang Peng in through the back door of the Illustrious Virtue Hall.
Although it was already midnight, there were still many Soul Engineers staying overnight in the Illustrious Virtue Hall. However, the Soul Engineers were almost all inside the laboratories, busy with their own soul tool designs.
In any case, Zhang Peng did not see a single Soul Engineer in the corridor.
Jing Hongchen was not afraid of being seen either. He openly led Zhang Peng through the corridor, passing laboratory after laboratory, and arrived at his office.
Inside the office.
Jing Hongchen brewed tea personally. While placing the steaming tea in front of Zhang Peng, he asked.
"I wonder what business the Sixth Enshriner has with me?"
Zhang Peng picked up the teacup, took a slow sip, and then spoke unhurriedly.
"Hall Master Hongchen, this old man has an adopted son. He has longed for soul tools for many years, and especially admires you, the Great Soul Engineer. I wonder if you could arrange for him to study at your noble academy?"
Saying this, Zhang Peng took out the jade box Long Xiaoyao had given him earlier, placed it on Jing Hongchen's desk, and opened it directly.
Click!
A faint white mist carrying a chill permeated outwards as the jade box opened. A snow-white, delicate carving knife lay within the jade box.
"Snow Toad Ice Blade!"
The moment Jing Hongchen saw the delicate carving knife, his eyes widened abruptly. He almost agreed to Zhang Peng subconsciously, but he reacted quickly.
A pair of blue eyes looked at Zhang Peng meaningfully, and he said in a deep voice.
"It seems the Sixth Enshriner values your adopted son highly, to even take out a Listed Carving Knife that is hard to buy with ten thousand gold. But the Sixth Enshriner should know, my Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy is, after all, the number one academy in the empire. These Evil Soul Masters..."
Zhang Peng looked at Jing Hongchen as well, not surprised by this result. He took out the black dragon token and placed it in his palm, continuing.
"Rest assured, Hall Master Hongchen. I can guarantee that my adopted son is not an Evil Soul Master. Moreover, I have already shown my sincerity. This Snow Toad Ice Blade is very suitable for your granddaughter. You should be most clear about your noble granddaughter's martial soul condition."
As soon as these words came out, Jing Hongchen stood up directly, his round, fleshy palms slapping the tabletop.
"Hmph! If not for your Holy Spirit Cult, this carving knife should have been in this old man's hands long ago. Also, whether he is an Evil Soul Master or not isn't up to you. If he can't pass the academy's freshman test, all talk is in vain!"
"Then Hall Master Hongchen means to test him and see?" Zhang Peng didn't care about Jing Hongchen's action. He continued to sway the black token in his hand, speaking unhurriedly.
"No test. This year's freshman enrollment has already passed. Please come back next year, Sixth Enshriner!"
Jing Hongchen refused verbally. Hearing this, Zhang Peng stood up and didn't get angry either.
"Then forget it. Anyway, he can learn at the Mingdu Royal Soul Engineering Academy as well; it doesn't matter to me. It's just that the Snow Toad is long extinct; Hall Master Hongchen won't find a second copy of this carving knife!"
Saying this, Zhang Peng stood up, closed the jade box containing the carving knife, put it into his storage soul tool, and said with regret.
"Hmph, if the Sixth Enshriner has no other business, it is late, and I will not keep the guest." Jing Hongchen snorted coldly.
"Then I'm leaving, Hall Master Hongchen." Since the other party had said so, Zhang Peng stood up immediately, turned around, and left without any lingering attachment.
Jing Hongchen watched Zhang Peng leave. An inexplicable meaning flashed through his blue eyes, and he gritted his teeth saying: "Holy Spirit Cult..."
"Sigh..." After a good while, Jing Hongchen sighed and clapped his hands. A man in black walked out from a corner.
"Send the conversation I just had with Zhang Peng into the palace. Let His Majesty decide on this matter!"
"Yes, Hall Master!" The black-robed man nodded and turned to leave directly.
Outside the perimeter of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, a man in black walked carefully from around the academy, looking around vigilantly.
After taking a few steps and confirming no one was paying attention to him, he hurriedly escaped into the darkness and disappeared.
What the man in black didn't know was that in a corner, a pair of deep purple eyes was watching him until he completely disappeared at the end of the street.
Only then did the owner of those eyes walk out from the corner, walking unhurriedly in the direction he came from.
...
Half an hour later, three reports were consolidated and sent deep into the Sun Moon Imperial Palace.
A white-clothed youth sat in front of a desk, looking at the three reports just delivered. He tapped the tabletop lightly with his index finger, a thoughtful look appearing on his face, which wasn't considered too handsome.
"Interesting. Related to Elder Long?" The white-clothed youth's bright and piercing eyes fell on the report from Heaven Dou City.
"Twin Martial Souls and a Body Martial Soul... A Twin Martial Soul that has never appeared in my Sun Moon Empire. It seems this Wang Lin is a genius."
Recovering his senses, the white-clothed youth said in a deep voice.
"Someone, go inform Hall Master Hongchen. If someone wants to enroll, let them enroll. As long as they are qualified, I have no objection. However, if it is a genius, then they must receive the treatment of a genius."
"Yes!"
A hunched old man dressed in the most ordinary palace attendant clothing walked out from the darkness immediately, then turned and disappeared into the darkness again.
...
Early morning, just as the sky began to brighten.
A ray of soft sunlight passed through the window and shone on Wang Lin. Wang Lin, who had been meditating and cultivating all night, opened his eyes immediately. With a trace of excitement on his face, he jumped off the bed directly.
Assuming a strange posture, he practiced the Eight Vajra Body Technique.
Half a quarter of an hour later, after finishing a set of the Eight Vajra Body Technique, the bright light in Wang Lin's eyes converged, and the routine exercise ended.
Click!
Wang Lin opened the room door. He was just preparing to wake up Zhang Jian to go for a good stroll in Mingdu together, but he had just walked out of the room.
Click!
The sound of a door opening rang out again. Zhang Peng, wearing a black outfit, walked out of his room at this time. Wang Lin naturally spoke up to greet him.
"Good morning, Uncle Zhang!"
After greeting him, Wang Lin stepped directly toward Zhang Jian's room.
"What are you doing?" Zhang Peng's deep voice rang out at this moment.
"Uh... I'm planning to call Zhang Jian to go shopping in the city with me. Is that not allowed?" Wang Lin was stunned upon hearing this, turning his head to look at Zhang Peng with some confusion.
"Not allowed. You have to go to school today." Zhang Peng said faintly.
"Ah?" Wang Lin was stunned. Go to what school? Could it be the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy? But wasn't that just discussed last night? So fast?
"Don't space out. No need to call Zhang Jian; he will stay behind for me to teach personally. You hurry up and wash; I'll take you to handle the enrollment procedures."
Zhang Peng said in a deep voice, completely failing to notice that Wang Lin's eyes had already dimmed.
"Alright..." It took a long time for Wang Lin to spit out a sentence. For some reason, he suddenly felt an unspeakable sorrow.