Douluo Continent: The Eternal Order of the Azure Sky.

Of course, there are time constraints. If one fails to reach the level of a third-level Soul Master before the age of eighteen, they must leave the academy to fend for themselves. However, if they can achieve this goal, they can remain in the academy until at least the age of twenty-five.

Those who can reach the fifth level of Soul Master before the age of twenty-five are qualified to participate in the Mingde Hall assessment.

At this moment, Lin Jiayi led Kong Tianxu and the others into a teaching building for the first grade.

The teaching building is extremely large, with wide corridors that extend straight out, and almost every corner has a metal soul tool that looks very exquisite.

Cain was clearly intrigued, while Kong Tianxu quickly accepted the architectural style, which was remarkably similar to his previous life. It seemed that, at least for the soul masters of the Sun Moon Empire, soul tools had become an inseparable part of their lives.

All the way to the west end of the first floor of the first-grade teaching building, in front of a door with a sign that read "Class One," Lin Jiayi took out a sign hanging around his neck from his pocket and waved it at a round, crystal-like spot on the door.

With a soft "beep," the double metal doors slid open silently to both sides. Lin Jiayi led the three inside, took out an identical black nameplate from his pocket, and handed it to Kong Tianxu, saying:

"Tianxu, keep this pass safe. It allows you to move freely throughout most of the academy. The physical fitness test will be over soon, and the entrance exam will officially begin. I wish you both the best of luck. Teacher Tong, Jiayi will take his leave."

Elder Tong calmly accepted Lin Jiayi's bow. Kong Tianxu toyed with the metallic pass in his hand and handed it to Cain, who was standing to the side. Lin Jiayi's badge was already of a fairly high level, roughly equivalent to the access privileges of an eighth-level Soul Master, but it was still a little lower than the highest-level badge his grandfather had given him.

Looking around, Kong Tianxu noticed that the teachers who had come with him hadn't left. Instead, they were taking out square trays with lids from a nearby storeroom and bringing them into the classroom. The lids and the surfaces of the trays were covered with a dense layer of lead.

A thought struck him; he knew that was probably the so-called entrance exam. The surface was specially coated with a layer of lead to isolate various auras, including those detectable by Huo Yuhao's mental probing abilities—clearly to prevent students from learning the exam content beforehand.

But this did not deter him; the domineering nature of his supreme form was once again on full display. He released his second martial soul, activating his X-ray vision, and saw the contents inside.

Each of the square trays contained six compartments, and in each compartment was a square piece of metal, all of which were a different color. With Kong Tianxu's keen eye, he could naturally identify what these metals were.

He smiled slightly, already having a good idea of ​​what was going on. No wonder his grandfather and Elder Tong had remained silent when he asked earlier; it seemed that the entrance exam was indeed quite difficult.

Seeing that Kong Tianxu was adapting quickly, and calculating that the assessment was about to begin, Teacher Tong gave Kong Tianxu some final words of advice before getting up to leave. Just before stepping out of the classroom, he seemed to suddenly remember something and said to Kong Tianxu:

“Young Master, don’t take your studies too lightly in your first year. The Master said that the teaching staff of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy is quite strong.”

After speaking, Old Tong revealed a very mysterious smile and walked in the opposite direction from where he came from.

Without seeing the Master of Mingde Hall, Steward Tong of Yuehua Palace naturally wouldn't leave easily, as there were still some things he needed to personally instruct the other party on.

The teaching staff is very strong?

Watching Elder Tong's departing figure, Kong Tianxu was somewhat puzzled. In the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, even including the Mingde Hall behind it, apart from his grandfather, the only one worth mentioning was Jing Hongchen. What was there to say about him?

"Maybe we'll invite some high-level Soul Masters from outside the school to give lectures? I heard from my teacher that many Soul Masters in the Empire are self-taught, and their unorthodox methods can sometimes provide us with some lessons."

Cain immediately understood his gaze and offered his own guess.

Kong Tianxu shook his head: "No matter how things change, the essence remains the same. In the end, it still depends on the Soul Master's own level. By the way, Yin'er, the content of our entrance examination should be the learning of some carving techniques. This is not difficult in itself, but as an entrance examination, its requirements should be very low. Are you capable of this?"

Cain nodded, giving Kong Tianxu an approving look. Coming from the Heavenly Soul Empire, she wasn't particularly interested in the creation of soul tools.

Having realized she couldn't help Kong Tianxu with soul tools, she focused even more on soul master cultivation and the simple use of soul tools. Even though she was already a three-ring Soul Master, when it came to crafting, she probably didn't even have the level of a first-level Soul Master.

However, in order to successfully enroll with Kong Tianxu, she still did some research. But even without considering that, her soul power level of 36 was enough to shut everyone up.

As for Kong Tianxu, his progress was slightly slower than Cain's, but he was still at the terrifying level of peak level 45. Moreover, he possessed twin super martial souls, and in terms of total soul power, he was definitely not inferior to a typical six-ring Soul Emperor.

Chapter 31 Level 9, Third Place: Starry Sky Douluo Ye Yulin

The two were studying the map in their hands and discussing their opinions. Suddenly, with a creak, a door at the far east end opened. Drawn by the sound, they stuck their heads out of the classroom window to look.

A group of boys and girls aged eleven to twelve filed out, but instead of dispersing, they formed a circle around a short-haired girl who was already wearing a moon-white school uniform.

As if by telepathy, the short-haired girl looked in his direction the instant Kong Tianxu looked up, and their eyes met in the air.

But this wasn't eye contact. Xu Tianzhen was slightly taken aback when she saw the handsome young man with silver hair and purple eyes. She then prepared to make her gaze more murderous to scare him.

But the next moment she realized that Kong Tianxu seemed to only glance at her and ultimately did not look in her direction. Following his gaze upwards, she saw a sign.

It says on it: Physical Fitness Testing Room.

How dare they ignore this princess in such a way! Xu Tianzhen gritted her teeth, her cheeks puffed out adorably, determined to crush the other party in the entrance examination she had specially prepared for.

Kong Tianxu was not only looking at Xu Tianzhen or the sign, although Xu Tianzhen was also important in his plan, but now something more worthy of his attention had appeared.

Behind the metal sign, on a slope that must be passed from the Mingdetang area to the first-grade teaching building, an elderly man walked briskly.

The old man was tall, bald, with a ruddy complexion and piercing eyes.

Kong Tianxu's cheek twitched; he now understood what Elder Tong meant by "the teaching staff is very strong."

Ye Yulin, the Starry Sky Douluo, ranks third among ninth-level Soul Masters, second only to his grandfather and Death God Douluo Ye Xishui. He is an absolute genius in Soul Tool creation, comparable to Jing Hongchen, the youngest ninth-level Soul Master currently at Mingde Hall.

Both are level nine Soul Masters, but their research focuses and achievements differ. This Starry Sky Douluo is most skilled at creating various high-altitude Soul Guidance Devices, hence his Starry Sky title.

His soul power level was only ninety-two, but a soul master's strength is not entirely correlated with their soul power level. In terms of strength, Ye Yulin was even stronger than Jing Hongchen, who was at level ninety-three, and was also known as the master of the starry sky.

It is said that during battle, the soul tools he releases can transform into a sky full of stars, unleashing powerful attacks, and he can even use celestial phenomena to launch attacks. His signature soul tool is called the Sun Needle, which is renowned for its powerful attack among level nine soul tools.

In the original novel, Ye Yulin later developed the Sun and Moon Needle, an upgraded version of the Sun Needle, whose attack power ranked among the top five of all level nine soul tools, enough to threaten Xuanzi's life.

As for why Kong Tianxu was able to recognize this Starry Sky Douluo so quickly, it's because he was also a member of the Royal Palace and lived not far from the Moonflower Palace.

The fact that they could invite a royal retainer to teach first-year students shows that the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy truly boasts a strong faculty. However, he also knew that the other party's presence here was definitely related to his grandfather.

Turning back, he exchanged a glance with Cain, and the two sat down to welcome Ye Yulin's arrival.

The chattering sounds grew closer, and guided by the teacher in the physical testing room, the first-year students entered the classroom one after another. Strangely, although there were only forty students in a class, there were clearly more than that number of people entering.

Many girls' eyes lit up when they saw Kong Tianxu's face, and they wanted to strike up a conversation, but they all shrank back in fear of Cain's cold aura.

Xu Tianzhen didn't care about any of that. She casually sat down on the other side of Kong Tianxu. Her performance in the physical test had been outstanding, and she was brimming with confidence. Seeing that Kong Tianxu ignored her, she nudged his arm and whispered:

"Hey, I heard you're really talented? How about we compete for the next assessment?"

Kong Tianxu looked at the short-haired girl beside him. She was shorter than his chin, had excellent skin, and exuded a fresh, sunshine-like aura. Her big eyes were staring intently at Kong Tianxu, and her deliberately raised elbows made her look somewhat comical.

Based on the fluctuations of the other party's three-ring level soul power, Kong Tianxu had already guessed the other party's identity.

Xu Tianzhen, the only princess in the direct line of the royal family? He was not opposed to this marriage alliance. As the apparent controller of the empire, the royal family's power should not be underestimated.

More importantly, if his plan for the succession to the divine throne goes awry, then relying on the power of faith to create a divine position becomes an option that must be considered, making a royal representative with a voice extremely crucial.

"My name isn't Hey, it's Kong Tianxu. The man to my left is called Cain, and what's your name?"

Cain turned his head slightly to look at her, a confident smile curving his lips.

"My name is Xu Tianzhen!"

The girl answered instinctively, but immediately realized that Kong Tianxu hadn't responded to her question at all. She couldn't help but feel embarrassed and annoyed, saying, "Don't change the subject. Just give me a straight answer, are you going to compete or not?"

However, Kong Tianxu ignored her and looked towards the classroom door.

The tall figure walked into the classroom, and the chattering immediately fell silent. Xu Tianzhen could only turn her head away and secretly make a fist gesture at Kong Tianxu from below.

Ye Yulin strode onto the stage, his hands behind his back, his aged face stern. His cold gaze swept across the students, an invisible pressure emanating from him.

Among them, Kong Tianxu, who was in a calm demeanor, was the object of his gaze the longest, and his gaze only softened slightly when it fell on Kong Tianxu.

"I am your teacher for your first class. As for your name, you may have a chance to find out if you do well in the upcoming entrance exam. Otherwise, for most of you, this will be the last time you see me in your lives."

"The following is the assessment content. In the creation of soul tools, especially the creation of the core magic array, specialized skills are extremely important. Only by possessing these skills can a soul tool master reach the pinnacle in soul tool creation. What you need to do next is to try your best to learn and complete some skills within the specified time. Those who fail will lose their qualification for admission to Class One."

Ye Yulin didn't waste any words and went straight to the point.

“Each of you has a tray on your table with six compartments. In each compartment is a square piece of metal, and each piece of metal is different. Your task is to randomly choose one of the six pieces of metal and complete the creation techniques for six core magic arrays. The first is fifty evenly spaced, multi-curved arcs; the second is a windmill pattern; the third is drilling thirty holes; the fourth…”

Chapter 32 The Most Difficult Entrance Examination in History?

The assessment was exactly as he had predicted. Kong Tianxu opened the tray and carefully scanned the six pieces of metal in front of him. They were all ordinary alloys and fine steel, with no rare metals.

The most distinctive feature of these six pieces of metal is their varying hardness; the last piece is even somewhat soft.

Upon hearing Ye Yulin's words, the expressions of the students turned somewhat grim, but the previous oppressive aura remained, and no one dared to raise any objections.

Those who were assigned to Class One were basically noble children with some background. They must have known something about the test before entering the school, but it was completely different from the information they had heard!

While some cursed the source of the information in their hearts, a few others remained calm, clearly either from prominent families or with considerable confidence in their own abilities.

To Kong Tianxu's surprise, one of them was a boy who looked like an ordinary citizen.

It seems we should pay some attention to this; someone who can enter Class One as a commoner must have extraordinary abilities.

He memorized the other person's appearance, and before everyone could finish processing the information from the previous sentence, Ye Yulin continued:

"To ensure the fairness of the skills assessment, none of you can use your own carving knives, but must use the one on the side of the tray. The instruction manuals for various techniques are under the carving knives. You have fifteen minutes to complete the entire assessment. You will pass if you complete just one technique. Those who fail will be ranked in order of the quality and order of their completion."

Upon hearing Ye Yulin's words, only Kong Tianxu, Cain, and Xu Tianzhen, who were sitting together, remained calm. The entire class erupted in an uproar. Even the students who had been relaxed were now unsettled. They couldn't use their own carving knives, and there was a time limit...

There are six techniques, some easy and some difficult, but even for a Soul Master with a certain foundation, none of them can be mastered in a short time. Even with the assistance of a Soul Guidance Experiment Table, completing just one within a quarter of an hour would be quite a challenge.

Moreover, once they lose their usual carving tools, their carving speed and accuracy will drop by at least one-third!

This level of difficulty is probably the most challenging among all the bizarre entrance exams for the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master trainees, right? This is clearly just deliberately making things difficult for them!

Immediately, one of the students stood up and asked, "Teacher, why won't we use our own carving knives? Aren't carving knives part of a Soul Master's strength?"

Ye Yulin said calmly:

"Of course, but these patterns are just the most basic skills of high-level Soul Masters. There are countless patterns that are much more difficult to inscribe in the core array. If even this requires the assistance of an engraving knife, then you don't need to stay here. To paraphrase a word my teacher said when I was in Class One, Class One was only formed to cultivate level nine Soul Masters and even higher-level beings."

"Before the assessment, I must remind you all that this assessment is the most difficult in the academy's more than 3,000-year history. To date, no freshman has been able to pass it perfectly, and even passing is no easy feat. I know that the freshmen in Class One are either exceptionally talented or come from extraordinary families, so we won't let you drop out. If any of you give up now, you can go directly to Class Two. If you fail the assessment, you can only go to the lowest-ranking Class Thirty-Two."

"Those who want to give up should leave as soon as possible."

No one gave up voluntarily, and the students in Class One were somewhat proud of themselves.

Ye Yulin scanned the entire room, and the faint but palpable pressure emanating from him grew increasingly clear, making everyone feel suffocated. His deep voice was icy cold:

"Any more questions?"

No one dared to utter a sound, silently grumbling as they lowered their heads, pondering which carving method was the simplest. Xu Tianzhen also took a deep breath, beginning to adjust her state. A quick glance out of the corner of her eye revealed that Kong Tianxu remained motionless, sitting upright in his chair, eyes closed, resting.

There was absolutely no reaction?

Ye Yulin was surprised. He was now releasing the pressure of the sixth ring level. The Silver Dragon Martial Soul was indeed extraordinary.

He silently praised him, and without giving it much thought, after announcing the rules of the competition, he didn't even repeat them, but instead shouted:

"I hereby announce that the assessment begins!"

At a command, dozens of trainees sprang into action, and at that moment, the differences in their abilities became apparent.

Some trainees grabbed a piece of metal without thinking and started flipping through the booklet, trying to figure out how to cut it. Others went so far as to flip through the booklet from beginning to end with a look of despair, clearly having forgotten what kind of shape the question was about.

Some trainees didn't even need to consult the manual; after careful observation, they selected one of the six metal pieces and began carving.

Their martial spirits are different, so the methods they use in the carving process are naturally unique.