Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 440 440 Turmoil Arises

When Ye Qingchen opened his eyes again, the surrounding scene had changed drastically.

Gone were the wide streets and the endless stream of people. In their place were towering mountain gates and several peaks that pierced the clouds.

The spiritual energy in the air was so dense it had reached its limit, blanketing the scenery in a faint white mist.

On the mountain gate, one could vaguely make out the four large characters for "Central Celestial Academy," carved in an ancient, profound style that drew one in.

A considerable number of people had already gathered before the gate. They were all young Martial Artists, presumably new disciples like Ye Qingchen, waiting for their tests.

In the center of the crowd stood a huge jade tablet, placed there specifically to test the energy of each student's Martial Soul.

In front of the mountain gate, a dozen or so seats were arranged for the elders of the Central Celestial Academy. They sat waiting for the entrance tests to conclude so they could select their preferred disciples.

Ye Qingchen glanced around before falling in line with the crowd.

About an hour later, a middle-aged Martial Artist with a dignified bearing stood up, and the area immediately fell silent. "Fellow students," the man announced, "I am Wang Tong, the Vice-Dean of Duanjin Academy. I will be presiding over this entrance test. I now declare the test has begun."

After speaking, Wang Tong turned to the elders beside him. "Elders, the old rules apply. You have the right to select disciples. However, if multiple academies choose the same student, that student will decide which academy to join."

The elders nodded. This had been the established custom for centuries, leaving no room for doubt.

With the chime of a bell, the qualified disciples stepped forward one by one to the jade tablet, placing their hands on it and activating their Martial Souls.

The jade tablet could project each person's Martial Soul onto its surface, making its grade and attributes instantly clear.

"Mo Chou, Eight-Star Mountain Martial Soul. Earth Attribute. Strength: Martial King Realm, Fourth Layer."

"Zhang Zi'ang, Eight-Star Golden Lotus Martial Soul. Metal Attribute. Strength: Martial King Realm, Fifth Layer."

"Liu Changqing, Eight-Star Azure Wolf Martial Soul. Wind Attribute. Strength: Martial King Realm, Fourth Layer."

"Wang Dan, Nine-Star Flying Swallow Martial Soul. Wind Attribute. Strength: Martial King Realm, Fifth Layer."

...

After each disciple's test concluded, a teacher from the Central Celestial Academy would announce their results. The elders on the high platform would then simply lift a finger to claim these students.

Ye Qingchen watched silently from the line, breathing an internal sigh of relief.

The Martial Souls of these disciples are mostly eight-star, though some seven-star ones have appeared as well. Without exception, all were recruited by the various academies. Never mind my Dual Pupil Martial Soul; my Seven-Star Willow Wood Martial Soul alone is more than enough to qualify. As for which academy recruits me, I don't really care.

But at that moment, two figures caught his eye.

He saw Wang Teng and Feng Yuan arrive via the Teleportation Array. Unlike the other disciples, they didn't get in line but walked directly toward the high platform.

Vice-Dean Wang Tong, who had maintained a stern expression, actually broke into a gratified smile upon seeing them. He even stood up and beckoned them over.

"Who's that? Why is Vice-Dean Wang so courteous to him?"

"Courteous? That's blatant favoritism! I know that guy. His name is Wang Teng, Vice-Dean Wang Tong's own nephew. The Vice-Dean is dedicated to his cultivation and never married, so he treats Wang Teng like his own son."

"Damn, he's that connected? With a background like that, he can walk all over anyone in the Central Celestial Academy."

The surrounding gossip informed Ye Qingchen of Wang Teng's identity, but he was puzzled about why Feng Yuan was trailing behind him. When had those two gotten together?

Just as Ye Qingchen was looking at them, their gazes met his. Wang Teng's eyes were icy, while Feng Yuan's were full of mockery.

A bad feeling suddenly surfaced in Ye Qingchen's heart.

Wang Teng whispered a few words in his uncle Wang Tong's ear. Wang Tong glanced at Ye Qingchen and then nodded.

Next, under Wang Tong's arrangement, Wang Teng and Feng Yuan were given the privilege of cutting in line.

"Wang Teng, Nine-Star Meteor Martial Spirit. Strength: Martial King Realm, Seventh Layer!" the teacher in charge of announcing results reported with unconcealed surprise.

"A Nine-Star Martial Soul! It's actually a Nine-Star Martial Soul!"

"Damn! As expected of the Central Celestial Academy. Even a peerless genius with a Nine-Star Martial Soul is joining."

"What do you know? Nine-Star Martial Souls might be rare, but there are quite a few of them here at the Central Celestial Academy."

The elders on the high platform also looked surprised. However, considering Wang Teng's relationship with Wang Tong, they knew that even if they extended an olive branch, he would inevitably join Duanjin Academy.

So when Wang Tong spoke up to invite Wang Teng, no one competed with him. Wang Teng naturally joined Duanjin Academy.

Next was Feng Yuan's test.

"Feng Yuan, Eight-Star Vajra Martial Soul. Strength: Martial King Realm, Sixth Layer!"

Following the teacher's announcement, Feng Yuan smoothly joined Duanjin Academy. He then shot a triumphant glance at Ye Qingchen before stepping behind Wang Teng once more.

After waiting in line for an hour, it was finally Ye Qingchen's turn.

He placed his palm on the jade tablet and slowly circulated his Soul Power. The image of the Willow Wood Martial Soul appeared on the tablet. As he channeled his Soul Power, the outline of an eye began to form above the Willow Wood Martial Soul, but it flickered once and vanished before it could fully materialize.

"Ye Qingchen, Seven-Star Willow Wood Martial Soul. Strength: Martial King Realm, Second Layer!"

His results were mediocre, even poor. However, Ye Qingchen didn't mind, as he had already seen others with Seven-Star Martial Souls get accepted.

Just as a buzz of discussion rose from the high platform, Wang Tong coughed lightly and spoke.

"Everyone," he began, "while a Seven-Star Martial Soul isn't that impressive, the Wood Attribute is known for its vitality. Yet, this boy is only at the Second Layer of the Martial King Realm. This clearly shows he has been neglecting his cultivation and is lazy. My Duanjin Academy will not accept a Martial Artist with such low aptitude who is also indolent. I imagine you all share my view, don't you?"

The implication in Wang Tong's words was glaringly obvious.

Although Ye Qingchen was only at the Second Layer of the Martial King Realm, he was much younger than the others. To conclude that he was lazy based on this was rather presumptuous. However, Wang Tong's subsequent words proved he had something against this Ye Qingchen. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made such remarks, completely disregarding his status.

Realizing this, the elders all nodded in tacit understanding.

Thus, after the results of Ye Qingchen's Martial Soul test were announced, not a single one of them lifted a finger to select him.