Douluo Continent: We agreed on a simulation, but they've come to life?

But seeing Moon's calm and collected demeanor, they knew the matter had already been decided, so they all leaned back strategically, expressed their agreement, and then continued to amuse themselves.

"What, Yan Shaozhe, you didn't send a single martial spirit student this time?" Xian Lin'er mocked.

"This is targeting the Soul Guidance Department, what does it have to do with my Martial Soul Department?" Yan Shaozhe said calmly, keeping his eyes down.

"Besides, in the last competition, my Martial Soul Department suffered too many losses and damaged its foundation. Among the current generation of young disciples, apart from Bei Bei, there are very few who can hold their own. Or do you want to send Xu Sanshi?"

"..."

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone knows that a year ago was a pain that Yan Shaozhe will never forget.

His face was swollen from being slapped by an outer disciple, and his reputation is still tarnished. But Bei Bei is of course impossible. He is the genuine Crown Prince of Shrek Academy. Apart from the divine child Tang Wutong, he is the most precious person in the academy. Asking him to be an exchange student hostage... we would have to ask Elder Mu present whether he would agree.

It seems that Moon doesn't care much about Bebe, focusing all his attention on Shrek, as if he doesn't have this great-grandson at all.

But actually?

If something happens to Beibei, Shrek Academy will likely be thrown into turmoil. Not to mention that Moon personally sought out a treasure for Beibei's bloodline evolution, which was given to him by Ah Yin from the Golden Ancient Tree, but he needs to go to Seagod Island to participate in the trial...

As for Xu Sanshi, that's even more impossible.

Shrek has no reason to offend another enemy for no reason.

Xian Lin'er snorted coldly, but she didn't want to provoke Yan Shaozhe's nerves or reopen his wounds, so she crossed her arms and quieted down.

"There is one more thing," Yan Shaozhe said slowly, glancing around at the many elders.

"According to the Divine Child, a few days ago, she personally went to Sunset Forest, the herb garden where the immortal herbs were placed ten thousand years ago. The herb garden, which should have been abundant, was completely looted by a young man. All of you elders should know the seriousness of this matter."

"..."

Many of the elders were taken aback, and a murderous glint flashed in their eyes.

Old Song was the first to lose his temper, slamming his fist on the table and standing up abruptly, his eyes wide with anger: "What do you mean? Don't tell me that boy is him!!"

“That’s right. According to the description of that immortal herb, it is indeed Lu Cheng.” Yan Shaozhe narrowed his eyes and said coldly. “It also happens to match reality. I remember that two or three years ago, he stayed away for a long time. After returning to the academy, he awakened his Blood Eye Martial Soul for the second time. It should be because he went to Sunset Forest.”

"That little beast, he really did plan this all along!" Even Xuanzi said with murderous intent.

"He was wary of the academy from the very beginning! He had planned to break with the academy, and even said some righteous words at the competition..."

"Alright, quiet down," Moon said calmly.

"There's no point in saying more. Since he took all the immortal herbs, what does that mean? I'm sure everyone understands. If he's just a cunning and stingy person, that's one thing... but if he really considers himself a member of the Benti Sect... then I'm afraid..."

The consequences would be unimaginable.

How terrifying would it be if the entire Immortal Herb Garden possessed its own core sect?

"Heh, given that kid's stinginess and petty manner, Shrek Academy has treated him quite well, yet he still does such an ungrateful thing. Not to mention the Body Sect he just came into contact with, he must have taken everything from them and kept it all for himself." Xuanzi sneered.

"Not bad." Yan Shaozhe nodded slightly, but a smile appeared on his face.

"So... if we can capture him, wouldn't that mean we've obtained all the immortal herbs?"

"..."

At that moment, all the elders present suddenly became a little heavier in their breathing.

The entire herb garden has enough herbs for them to enjoy.

This means that a realm that seemed impossible to break through in one's lifetime has suddenly become readily available. After all, everyone knows just how extraordinary the effects of immortal herbs are. I dare not say that I can become a figure like Elder Mu, but at least... becoming a Super Douluo is a sure thing.

“However, that kid is exceptionally quick-witted, and the Body Sect is too mysterious for us to easily integrate into. Therefore, we can only set up spies in Tiandou City to gather information. Once we have any information about him…” Yan Shaozhe’s eyes narrowed slightly, and his tone became more fervent.

“But what about the Divine Child…” Elder Zhuang hesitated.

"The Divine Child said that if we can really succeed, apart from the immortal herbs she owns, we can distribute the rest among ourselves." Yan Shaozhe curled his lips.

Everything seemed to be under control.

Chapter 173 Lu Cheng, Cheng Lu; An Encounter with Meng Hongchen; Entrance Examination (Combined Chapter)

Mingdu.

The core of the Sun and Moon Empire, the most dazzling and radiant place.

Lu Cheng, dressed in a black outfit, gazed at the bustling metropolis. The streets were teeming with pedestrians and vendors. However, compared to Shrek Academy and Heavenly Soul City, the soul guidance technology here was clearly more advanced and its utilization rate was extremely high.

In winter, heating is provided; in summer, cooling is provided; streetlights and passing vehicles are all related to soul-guided devices.

However, something strange is that the entire core of the Sun Moon Empire seems to have converged on Mingdu. The people and weapons mobilized by the Brilliant Duke mentioned in the original work, the Duke on the border of the Sun Moon Empire, when he rebelled, were all backward Soul Masters, or even ordinary soldiers and archers.

In other words, apart from Mingdu, the development level of soul tools in most other regions of the Sun Moon Empire was comparable to that of the original three continental kingdoms.

To know the whole picture by looking at a part of the leopard.

In Lu Cheng's eyes, the development of the entire Sun Moon Empire was abnormally distorted. It drained the resources of all other cities and continuously supplied them to Mingdu, concentrating its efforts on the development of Mingdu and firmly controlling forces such as Mingde Hall in the hands of the Mingdu royal family.

The so-called rebellion of the illustrious Grand Duke in the original work was nothing but a joke. The capital city had four major Beast Soul Guidance Legions, as well as the most mysterious Royal Soul Guidance Legion, but in order to suppress the war, they did not send out any of their trump cards. Instead, they sent out only an inconspicuous legion, which easily suppressed the rebellion...

This clearly demonstrates the vast disparity in power between the two sides.

Under such circumstances, it was natural to cause dissatisfaction among many powerful dukes. As the "military governors" of various regions, they held military power, financial power, and personnel transfer authority. How could they be willing to be excluded by the Ming capital? Therefore, the conflict between the two sides inevitably reached a level that was difficult for ordinary people to understand.

It's like a powder keg, ready to ignite at any moment.

"So, senior, you're saying... you're from a village under the jurisdiction of White City in Oslo Province?"

The main gate of the Royal Academy of the Sun and Moon Empire.

Several large characters were pasted on it.

Admissions Office.

A boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in a black and white school uniform, flipped through the letter of introduction in his hand, then looked up and sized up Lu Cheng, his expression somewhat surprised.

In recent years, students from other provinces have enrolled in the Royal Academy, but their numbers are not large, accounting for only 20-30% of the total, not to mention these prodigies who are directly "recommended" to Mingde Hall.

"Eighteen years old... a level 65 Soul Emperor? A level 7 Soul Master..."

Especially when he saw the strength column at the end, the disciple's hand trembled, and he looked at Lu Cheng as if he were a monster. This data could probably occupy a place among the group of monster seniors in Mingde Hall, right?

It should be noted that even Ma Rulong, the captain who participated in the previous competition and won the first championship for the Sun Moon Empire, was slightly inferior.

Lu Cheng revealed a warm smile, seemingly echoing what the young man was thinking.

In any other world, he probably wouldn't have faked it so crudely, but this is Douluo Continent... a world where there isn't even the most basic espionage or intelligence agency between countries, and all information is obtained by guesswork.

Jing Hongchen will most likely investigate his background, but it's unlikely he'll find out too thoroughly. The identity he forged was mentally manipulated by the local city lord, who personally stamped it on his person, so it can withstand scrutiny.

Unless the old man doesn't trust it and goes to White City himself.

Of course, this face is also fake; he learned Wang Dong'er's disguise technique and looks slightly more mature.

"So it's Senior Cheng Lu, I've heard so much about you." After repeatedly confirming that the seal was genuine, the young man became enthusiastic. It's never a bad thing to have a good relationship with a prodigy of this caliber.

Compared to the Soul Master system, Soul Guidance Devices place greater emphasis on the inheritance of predecessors, since learning is essential. The assistance of stronger individuals is also crucial. For example, a casual guidance from a high-level Soul Master can greatly benefit a lower-level Soul Master, even helping them break through limitations. Not to mention, once these geniuses join the Mingde Hall, they will essentially occupy various corners of the Empire's heavy equipment and control various important laboratories. Whether it's the procurement of rare metals or the allocation of research projects, they have the final say.

In short, cultivating good relationships with these brilliant senior students is entirely beneficial.

"Would you like me to take you to the assessment?" The young man's smile held a hint of ingratiation.

"I'll take him there."

A voice came from the side, soft and sweet, clearly belonging to a sweet girl. Lu Cheng's expression was somewhat strange... Meng Hongchen, with flowing silver hair, was wearing a Mingdetang Academy uniform. He had only seen her on the field not long ago, not to mention the simulator.

She probably didn't recognize me, right?

Lu Cheng's eyes twitched. After all, logically speaking, as one of the female protagonists, she should also have a share of the simulator's memories.

"Oh, it's Senior Sister Meng! Great!" The boy readily agreed, smiled at the two of them, and then went back to greeting the new students who were registering.

“Senior, come with me…” Meng Hongchen glanced at Lu Cheng, then strode straight into the gate of the Royal Soul Guidance Academy.

She had just attended an auction where her brother acquired a new carving knife, which he greatly admired. As a result, he had parted ways with her and gone to the laboratory. She, on the other hand, had originally planned to visit her grandfather, but she subconsciously glanced at this young man, and after just one glance, she could no longer look away.

"Have we... met somewhere before?" On the way, Meng Hongchen tilted her head and asked the question that had been on her mind.

The young man was merely handsome, but for some reason, he possessed a fatal attraction for her. A woman's intuition stirred within her, making her inexplicably flutter with excitement, and she longed to abandon all restraint and pounce on him...

"Junior Sister Meng has been to Oslo Province?" Lu Cheng's eyes twitched, but he pretended to be surprised without batting an eye.

"No." Meng Hongchen shook her head.

"Perhaps it's because my appearance resembles someone that my junior sister Meng knows," Lu Cheng said with a smile.

"Hmm... looking at it this way, it really does look quite similar." Meng Hongchen pressed her snow-white fingers against her red lips, looked Lu Cheng up and down, and smiled with her eyes curving into crescent shapes.

However, a hint of disappointment clearly flashed in his eyes.

No wonder she had such a good impression of him; it turned out that his appearance was somewhat similar to that of her junior uncle.

They said no more after that and the two made their way to the assessment area.

To join Mingde Hall, a letter of recommendation alone is not enough. Whether Lu Cheng is a Soul Emperor or a Level 7 Soul Master must be determined through rigorous testing, especially the latter. After all, the value of Soul Masters in Mingdu is renowned, and the testing difficulty is extremely high. Many Soul Masters from other provinces would drop one or two levels here.

"It's Meng..." In the assessment area, several examiners all had kind expressions, and the one in the lead even spoke with a smile.

"Uncle Lin, this is a senior from another province who came to participate in the Mingde Hall assessment." Meng Hongchen smiled sweetly, gave a brief introduction, then secretly gave Lu Cheng a thumbs-up before sitting down in the spectator seats.

Originally, she had planned to leave, but for some reason, she felt quite happy while staying with this young man, so she decided to stay and see if the geniuses from other provinces would fail at the Royal Academy of the Sun Moon Empire.

"Your name is Cheng Lu?" Lin Jiayi flipped through the information sheet, his eyes slightly surprised. "An eighteen-year-old level seven Soul Master?"

Even if there's some exaggeration involved, an eighteen-year-old level six Soul Master is already quite impressive. As long as the exaggeration isn't too excessive, Mingde Hall will definitely allow him to pass the assessment.

"Yes." Lu Cheng nodded.

"In that case, let's begin." Lin Jiayi didn't waste any words and led Cheng Lu to a clean workbench: "For the first assessment, you only need to carve a level 7...6 soul guidance array core. The higher the difficulty of the array core you carve, the higher your score will be."

"The core of a level seven formation?" Lu Cheng pondered for a moment, then flipped the blade in his hand, and a green engraving knife appeared in his hand. Like a swimming dragon, it cleanly and neatly flipped across the metal.

He chose the metal of heavy silver, a versatile rare metal. Instead of taking a risky approach to amaze everyone, he opted for stability. After all, as long as he maintained his status as a level seven soul master, he could join the Mingde Hall and come into contact with Jing Hongchen, Xuan Ziwen, and others.

Under the carving of the Blade of Life, the sunken silver was as "flexible" as a piece of tofu, without any resistance.

"Such speed, such a stable core..." Lin Jiayi exclaimed in amazement. An expert can see the skill in this mobile game. The proficiency of his brushstrokes is something that no novice can show. Only through countless refinements and practice can one achieve such skill.

"Uncle Lin, what level of Soul Master do you think he is?" Meng Hongchen quietly approached Lin Jiayi's side, her beautiful eyes sizing up Lu Cheng in the distance, and whispered.

"It's hard to say." Lin Jiayi smiled. "But judging from the smoothness of it and the soul power fluctuations that the formation inadvertently reveals, it should be at least level six or above. As for what level it is, we'll find out when he polishes the soul guide metal shell later."

"Oh..." Meng Hongchen stuck out her tongue. Her understanding of soul tools was very limited. The Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Tool Academy was called the Soul Tool Department, but it also had a Soul Tool Operation Department, which was equivalent to the traditional Martial Soul Department. For example, Ghost Nana. They mainly learned how to operate soul tools more smoothly and how to better match them with their own Martial Soul, but they knew nothing about manufacturing soul tools.