Chapter 7: With Talent Like This, Who Needs a Bicycle
Well, now—Huo Yuhao never expected that the person standing before him would be such a big shot.
Lin Jiayi. His position was comparable to that of Du Weilun from Shrek Academy's outer court. And yet, here he was, personally coming to see a student who had missed registration. Could it be that his [Strong Luck] was still working behind the scenes?
In truth, it had nothing to do with luck. It was simply because Huo Yuhao's appearance was too distinct—clearly not from the Sun Moon Empire. The gatekeeper had noticed this and immediately reported it to the education department, which drew the attention of Director Lin.
Before Huo Yuhao could speak, Lin Jiayi raised his hand to stop him.
"Enough. This isn't the place to talk. Come with me to the teaching office."
Huo Yuhao had no objections and obediently followed behind.
Tianmeng had long since retreated into the Spiritual Sea, staying hidden—after all, this was the imperial capital of the Sun Moon Empire, a place full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. As Yuhao always said: Better safe than sorry.
(A certain hundred-thousand-year-old rabbit agreed wholeheartedly: that's pure genius.)
Despite the situation, Huo Yuhao didn't feel nervous. He even had the presence of mind to observe the grandeur of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy's buildings.
The structures towered far higher than anything in the outer city. Every corner of the campus was equipped with soul-guided lighting systems, capable of illuminating the entire academy as if it were broad daylight at night.
The campus was filled with all kinds of soul guidance devices—from flying soul-guided airships overhead to mechanical dormitories and infrastructure powered by soul power, embodying the unique characteristics of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy.
As they reached the teaching office, Yuhao discreetly activated his Spiritual Detection Sharing, sensing the soul power fluctuations beneath the floor. Through his mental power, he could see the corridor floors embedded with soul-conducting metal veins, forming a full-campus energy network that powered all soul guidance devices within the academy.
There were many other structures and mechanisms he couldn't fully understand yet, but one thing was clear:
When it came to soul guidance technology, the Sun Moon Empire was operating on an entirely different level from the Douluo Three Kingdoms and Shrek Academy. If not for the power gap in elite combat forces like soul masters and soul engineers, the Sun Moon Empire might have already launched a full-scale war to unify the continent.
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"Click!"
A crisp, sharp sound marked the door opening and closing behind them.
Lin Jiayi, now serious and composed, fixed Huo Yuhao with a scrutinizing gaze.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"Speak. Judging by your dusty, travel-worn appearance, you must have gone through a lot to get here. So—what's your purpose? Are you a spy? An infiltrator from the other side?"
Huo Yuhao: Time to lie.
He began his performance without hesitation:
"Director Lin, my name is Huo Yuhao. I'm the illegitimate child of the White Tiger Duke of the Star Luo Empire. My mother was a servant in his household. But… due to certain events, she died because of the White Tiger Duke's family. They tried to kill me, too. I barely escaped with my life."
"I have nowhere left to go. I came to the Sun Moon Empire because I want to live—and because I want revenge for my mother. I need the best education, the most advanced soul engineering technology. I need to become strong, strong enough to make the White Tiger Duke's household pay for what they did. That's my purpose."
Because he had mentally rehearsed this story and because most of it was based on truth, Lin Jiayi couldn't detect any flaws. Besides, this wasn't information that could be hidden for long anyway—it was all verifiable.
But even so, the academy couldn't accept Huo Yuhao based on sympathy alone. A student without talent was still a liability, regardless of how tragic their background might be.
Just then, Huo Yuhao raised his head, eyes shimmering with unshed tears but burning with resolve. He summoned both of his martial souls—he was about to start a fire so big, it would reach the very top of the academy.
"Director Lin, my first martial soul is Spirit Eye, a spiritual-type innate martial soul encompassing the brain, eyes, and central nervous system."
"My second martial soul is a mysterious weapon-type martial soul called The End-Time Bell. It currently has no soul rings. Director Lin, I'm a twin-martial soul wielder."
He was revealing his talent not to some ordinary teacher—that would've been foolish. Who knew what faction that teacher might belong to? No, Lin Jiayi was the perfect audience: powerful, influential, and connected to the top.
Lin Jiayi suddenly stood up. The calm mask he wore shattered completely as he stared in utter disbelief at the two martial souls Huo Yuhao displayed before him.
A body-type martial soul. A weapon-type martial soul. Twin martial souls. Oh my goodness, what exactly is going on here!
He wasn't dreaming, was he?
He slapped his cheek—hard enough to almost dislocate his jaw.
Nope. Not a dream. This boy was a twin martial soul genius. A spiritual body-type martial soul and a weapon-type martial soul. Damn!
"You… Yuhao… You're a twin martial soul genius?! And your first martial soul is a spiritual body type? Why? Why would anyone suppress a genius like you?!"
He tried to calm himself, but his voice still trembled.
Star Luo Empire… those idiots!
A genius like this—no, genius didn't even begin to cover it. Someone with talent of this level should've received every available resource. But instead, they were hunted down?
No. He needed a moment.
Spirit Eye, a martial soul tied to the brain and perfectly suited for soul engineering research. That alone was extraordinary. The second martial soul was a mysterious bell—its powers unclear, but promising.
A gift from the heavens.
Lin Jiayi felt he owed the Star Luo Empire a thank-you gift—for being stupid enough to throw away such a treasure.
Why had he been suppressed?
Huo Yuhao couldn't say. His past self had only awakened one mutated martial soul with first-level innate power. Back then, he didn't have a second martial soul either. And he certainly had no idea why a duchess would bully a lowly servant who posed no threat to her, or why a "loving" duke would abandon both mother and child for over a decade, only to leave a dagger behind in the end.
He didn't know. He probably never would.
But Lin Jiayi didn't press further. He was already overwhelmed. Clutching Huo Yuhao's shoulders with both hands, eyes blazing, he spoke rapidly:
"Yuhao, tell me—what level is your soul power? What's the age of your first soul ring? What soul skill do you have? And listen—I guarantee you: you're going to be admitted into the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. With your talent, you'll receive the highest level of support and resources."
Lin Jiayi was practically a bit incoherent now—completely thrown by what he'd seen. Twin martial souls. A spiritual body type. What more could anyone ask for?
Who needs a bicycle with talent like this?!
Huo Yuhao shook his head, acting out guilt and regret flawlessly.
"Director Lin, I got my first soul ring by accident in the Star Dou Great Forest. It came from a hundred-year-old spiritual-type soul beast. I'm eleven now, but my soul power is only at Level 15. I'm sorry, Director Lin—I've let you down."
Let him down?
Hell no—Lin Jiayi was about to explode with excitement! Level 15 at age eleven, with no proper training or support?
This wasn't a disappointment—this was a miracle!
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End of Chapter