"Oh—my bad, Xiao Meng! I almost forgot about you," Xuan Ziwen said, flashing a sheepish grin. "You're welcome to come to my lab too. Audit as long as you want."
Then he turned playful again, addressing Meng Hongchen with a smirk. "But that line of yours just now? Not quite right. We're all from the same academy—fellow researchers from Mingde Hall. What's mine is yours. Let's discuss things, not divide them."
Meng Hongchen flushed with indignation, her cheeks reddening.
"But Teacher Xuan! I was the one who started this discussion with Junior Brother Tianxi first! Isn't it a bit unfair for you to just swoop in and take him away?"
I'm not here to audit—I want to participate! You just kicked me out of my own session!
Xu Tianxi, whose arm was still sore from being grabbed so hard, nodded fervently in support.
"Teacher Xuan Ziwen," he said carefully, "I'm only a first-year student. I still need to review the basics and pass my certification with Senior Meng. You teach the senior-year students—I doubt I'd be able to contribute much to your work."
Meng Hongchen's lips curled into a satisfied smile. My junior still knows who to back up—good.
Xuan Ziwen, however, simply chuckled and wagged a finger.
"No, no, Tianxi. You're being way too modest. Certifications and formalities are secondary. Soul tools? We can build them anytime. But fresh, creative thinking? That's true talent."
"Just based on those two ideas you brought up earlier, I can already tell—you're a soul tool genius with limitless potential. You need special guidance—no, exceptional cultivation."
Meng Hongchen's eyes narrowed. "Teacher Xuan, Tianxi isn't just my student. Even my grandfather has his eye on him."
But Xuan Ziwen wasn't fazed. He kept smiling as he continued pitching himself.
"If you're willing, I can design a detailed plan for your growth as a soul engineer—guaranteed to get you to sixth-year level as fast as possible. After that, you can study in my lab. What do you say?"
"Let's not forget—I'm the chief researcher at Mingde Hall. Aside from the elusive rank-nine soul engineers that barely show their faces, no one in this academy is more qualified to teach you than I am."
"As for those rank-nines—take your grandfather, for example. He's busy leading a massive research project, managing both the academy and the Hall. He barely has time to coach anyone—even you."
Meng Hongchen stood frozen, stunned. You're trying to poach me and my grandfather's student right in front of me?!
Xu Tianxi, still processing the whirlwind of offers, found himself unable to nod or shake his head.
Luckily, Xuan Ziwen finally caught on to the storm brewing in Meng Hongchen's expression. Realizing she might run off to summon Jing Hongchen himself, he let out a carefree laugh, shoved a soul tool access card into Xu Tianxi's hand, and vanished like a breeze.
"I just remembered—I've got data to log. Let's leave it here for today. I've already given you my lab access card. Come by anytime, all right? Xiao Meng knows where it is—just come together, hahaha…"
Left standing there, Xu Tianxi looked down at the soul tool card in his hand, still dazed. Everything felt surreal.
All I did was talk in class about future soul tool concepts. Some of it borrowed from Kong Deming's old theories... And that was enough to get an eighth-rank soul engineer chasing after me?!
If I go any further, are they going to dig Kong Deming himself out of seclusion? I'd better be careful from now on. Getting famous is fine—but if someone like Ye Xishui shows up instead, I'm doomed.
"Argh! That despicable Xuan Ziwen! So shameless! Too much! Way too much! I'm telling Grandpa to cut his stipend!"
While Xu Tianxi was still recovering, Meng Hongchen exploded. She swung her fist in the air, shouting curses in the direction Xuan had disappeared, her silver-white hair flaring with righteous fury.
"Senior Meng," Xu Tianxi offered diplomatically, "maybe instead of cutting his stipend, you could check whether his research funding has any padded figures…"
Her eyes sparkled. But just as quickly, she sighed and deflated. "If it were anyone else, sure. But that scoundrel's got a powerful backer—even Grandpa treats him with respect."
Right—Xuan Ziwen's mentor was none other than the legendary Kong Deming, Master of the Worship Hall, the spiritual pillar of the entire Sun Moon Empire. Even Jing Hongchen called him "Elder Kong."
As for Xu Tianxi himself… technically, he might be distantly related to Kong Deming—his maternal great-grandfather was said to be a junior member of the Kong clan. But whether that connection meant anything was another matter entirely.
Was Xuan really that desperate to poach me because of my ideas… or because I happen to carry the Kong surname?
"Regardless of who's backing him, there's no way that old man can teach you better than I can," Meng Hongchen declared fiercely. "Tianxi, you trust me, right?"
Caught off guard by her intense gaze, Xu Tianxi could only nod.
"O-of course I do…"
She grinned. "Good! Didn't he say he could help you become a rank-eight soul engineer in record time? Fine—let's see who's faster! I can't get you to rank eight yet, but rank five? That's no problem!"
She grabbed his wrist and hauled him back to their study table, her expression now burning with competitive fire.
Xu Tianxi watched her silently, a little stunned. Xuan Ziwen… you've really stepped on a soul tool steel plate this time.
Everyone knew Xiao Hongchen was the empire's top young genius, but he and Meng Hongchen were always mentioned together. Her strength wasn't far behind—and in some areas, like theory, she was even more confident.
She might not have his Three-Legged Golden Toad martial soul, but in sheer academic rigor, she was unmatched.
And now? Two geniuses competing to mentor him. How could he not benefit?
Meng-senpai is a truly good person, Xu thought. If I ever invent a rank-eight or nine soul tool, maybe I'll let her name it.
Two and a Half Months Later
Soul Engineer Qualification Hall, Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy
Director Lin Jiayi sat on the examiner's dais, watching Xu Tianxi scribble down answers with effortless speed. His pen scratched rhythmically across the theory test paper.
After a while, Xu stood up, turned in the paper, and immediately picked up a carving knife. He grabbed a piece of rare metal and began etching the core formation of a standard level-two soul tool.
Lin Jiayi glanced over the theory test and nodded in approval. He didn't even wait for the rest—just stamped the academy's certification seal on the evaluation sheet with a loud thud.
In the "Instructor Remarks" section, he wrote:
"This student possesses extraordinary talent. Full marks granted."
Xuan Ziwen, who had mysteriously appeared just in time to monitor the exam, whistled.
"Director Lin, he hasn't even finished the practical section, and you're already stamping full marks?"
"No need," Lin Jiayi said flatly. "If he doesn't get full marks, every soul engineer below rank three in this academy should be thrown back in the furnace and remade."
"Anyone who can assemble a level-two fixed-mounted soul cannon in under thirty minutes doesn't need to prove they can etch a perfect formation. If he couldn't, it'd mean his cannon was fake."
Xuan Ziwen nodded, clapping his hands with a laugh.
"Fair point. This kid became a level-one soul engineer within a month of enrollment—and now he's passed the level-two exam. Sure, there've been students who came in with outside training and certified quickly… but none of them were like this."
"I looked into him," he added. "He came straight from the 'soul tool desert' to the imperial capital—and already has these achievements? A real gem, this one."
Lin Jiayi shot him a sharp look. "What are you playing at? The Headmaster already had his eye on this one early on."
Xuan Ziwen feigned innocence. "Exactly! The Headmaster is too busy. How could he spare the time to teach a new student? I, on the other hand, am in my prime! Why not take on some of that responsibility?"
He winked conspiratorially. "You're always saying I don't do enough for the academy. Now I'm trying to change that."
"And besides—this student doesn't just have talent… his surname is Kong. That's got to mean something, right? I even gave him my lab access card already."
"You—!"
Lin Jiayi was so furious he couldn't speak.
This is bad! Headmaster—Xuan Ziwen is making his move!
He turned and stormed out of the testing hall, dialing his soul communicator as he went. The moment the call connected, he shouted:
"Headmaster, we've got a problem! Someone's trying to steal the student you were planning to mentor!"
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin