Overnight, the Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire died suddenly, and not a single member of the royal family survived.
A few days later, this news spread throughout Mingdu. Some claimed it was due to improper ingredients in the palace's meals, causing food poisoning that led to the Emperor's accidental death.
Others insisted it was an assassination by agents from the other three great empires, pointing to strange lights that had appeared above the palace that night as evidence of soul masters clashing.
There were even bolder speculations tied to the army that suddenly appeared in Mingdu, though such rumors were quickly suppressed.
Regardless of the cause, the Emperor's death was a done deal. A country cannot be without a ruler, and Prince Xu Jing, bearing the royal bloodline, was unanimously chosen by the ministers and nobles to ascend the throne as the new Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire.
For ordinary citizens, who sat on the throne seemed to make little difference. But Lin Xiao felt the changes keenly.
At this moment, he stood in a spacious plaza, surrounded by others his age. Many were dressed extravagantly, clearly from noble families. In front of them stood about a dozen middle-aged men, with the one at the forefront being short and stout, resembling Jing Hongchen.
"Students, welcome to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. I'm your Dean of Students, Lin Jiayi. I've only recently taken this position, and I hope we can get along well in the days to come."
As Jing Hongchen's confidant, Lin Jiayi's status had risen significantly, and he was well aware of the identities of those before him. Some were the heirs of nobles who followed Xu Jing, while others, even if not from noble families, were connected to the recent events in countless ways.
With this in mind, his smile grew even more "sincere." "We will provide you with the best learning environment and tailor your training to your aptitudes. You've likely heard of Illustrious Virtue Hall. As long as you have talent, you'll have the opportunity to enter it in the future."
"Also—" Lin Jiayi said, waving his hand. The people beside him stepped forward.
"These are the academy's student handbook and map, marked with your dormitories. You can find your rooms later using the identifiers on your keys."
"Now, you have some time to return to your dorms and put away your belongings. Afterward, change into your uniforms and gather back here. I'll take you for some simple tests. Though you've been admitted as special students, some procedures still need to be followed."
Lin Xiao took the materials prepared by the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy and glanced at the map. It divided the academy into three areas: teaching, dormitories, and testing. At the center of the testing area, which occupied more than two-thirds of the academy, was Illustrious Virtue Hall.
The others around him were all soul masters with decent cultivation. After a single glance, they memorized the map's general layout. Not long after, all the students reassembled, now wearing the academy's uniforms, looking much neater than before.
Lin Xiao discreetly observed the others, wondering if any of them, besides himself, were planted by the Holy Spirit Church.
"Alright, everyone's here. Follow me," Lin Jiayi's voice interrupted Lin Xiao's thoughts. The group followed him into the teaching area, soon arriving at a room at the far east end of the first floor of the teaching building. A sign on the door read "Physical Testing Room."
Glancing back at the students, considering their identities, Lin Jiayi paused before speaking again. "Wait here. When your name is called, come inside."
With that, he pulled out a card and waved it at the door. With a "beep," the metal doors slid open to either side.
Lin Xiao seized the chance to peek inside. The room wasn't large, filled with various large soul tools, some of which looked faintly familiar. They were likely the soul testing devices used by the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy to measure students' soul power, physical strength, and other attributes.
It seemed Lin Jiayi valued the students' privacy, ensuring their data wasn't exposed to everyone. Lin Xiao was genuinely curious about how he'd appear in the eyes of these soul tools.
"Lin Xiao—"
Lin Jiayi's voice called from inside the room, and the other students looked around curiously.
Having lived in the Holy Spirit Church for nearly a decade, Lin Xiao wasn't used to having his real name called out in front of so many people. But he quickly adjusted his mindset. Though this wasn't his original world, going to school wasn't new to him.
Entering the room, he saw Lin Jiayi and two teachers who appeared to be in their fifties. One was responsible for recording, the other for operating the soul tools.
Lin Jiayi looked at him with a warm smile. "No need to be nervous. These devices won't harm you. They're just to help the academy understand your condition. If you have any other soul tools on you, hand them to the teacher first."
Seeing Lin Xiao, Lin Jiayi's expression was particularly kind. This was a student personally recommended by Jing Hongchen, who had used his connections to ensure Lin Xiao's admission. Naturally, Lin Jiayi wanted to build a good relationship early.
Unaware of the thoughts racing through Lin Jiayi's mind in those brief moments, Lin Xiao calmly removed his storage soul tool and stood before the device.
As one of the teachers pressed their hand into a recess on the device, a white light slowly descended from above.
"Bone age: sixteen years old. Soul power fluctuation: Level 52. Physical strength: Level 59. Physical resilience: Level 61…"
Physical resilience comparable to a Soul Emperor. The recording teacher glanced at Lin Jiayi.
For soul engineers, higher soul power meant the ability to use higher-level soul tools, with other attributes being secondary. It was rare for someone's physical strength and resilience to significantly surpass their soul power level.
Compared to a soul engineer, Lin Xiao seemed more like a soul master.
Lin Xiao himself wasn't too surprised by the results. Though located in the Sun Moon Empire, the Holy Spirit Church didn't reject soul tools, but their designation as evil soul masters stemmed from their unique martial souls, and they placed greater emphasis on martial soul cultivation.
Moreover, his teacher was a Titled Douluo. Though he hadn't specifically prepared much for Lin Xiao, even the smallest resources from a Titled Douluo were invaluable to other soul masters.
If his martial soul were a beast-type with greater physical enhancement, his physical strength might have been even higher.
"Student Lin Xiao, have you studied soul tools before?" Lin Jiayi asked.
Lin Jiayi sensed something amiss. Jing Hongchen had personally recommended Lin Xiao without providing details, but now it seemed he had admitted a soul master instead of a soul engineer.