Annual Exam

Before long, more and more students arrived at the Tenth Exam Area. Among them, Su Luoheng saw a few familiar faces and greeted them; they were all classmates from the second-year, Class 1.

Not long after entering the exam area, a teacher appeared. He seemed to be about forty years old, with a very ordinary appearance—someone you'd easily lose track of in a crowd. However, his presence commanded respect, and the Level 7 Soul Instructor badge from Illustrious Virtue Hall on his chest added to his authority.

"..."

He glanced around at the students present, counting the numbers.

His cold, stern face softened slightly, and with his calm, half-narrowed eyes, he spoke in a low but powerful voice, "Very well, all twenty students in the Tenth Exam Area are here. Let me introduce myself. I am Qin Cong, and I will be the teacher responsible for your upcoming assessment."

"This exam will last a total of five hours. You are required to use the materials provided on the lab tables to craft soul-guided arrays within the allotted time. There are no restrictions on the types, quantities, or levels. You are allowed to use your own carving knives, but carrying any soul devices is strictly prohibited, or your qualification for the assessment will be revoked."

"The final rankings will be based on the level, quantity, and quality of your work, in that order."

"Does everyone understand?"

"Yes, we understand."

The students all nodded in agreement.

Qin Cong nodded slightly, then opened the attendance sheet to assign seats to everyone.

"Wu Yong, Table 1. Shan Cheng, Table 2. Chen Yangyu, Table 3. Jin Xigong, Table 4... Su Luoheng, Table 8... Wu Tu, Table 20."

Twenty students and twenty tables, perfectly matched.

Su Luoheng approached Table 8.

Although the materials on the table weren't as plentiful as those in his teacher's lab, they were more than enough for a second-level soul master. After a quick glance, several suitable core arrays for engraving came to Su Luoheng's mind.

"..."

Before long, all the students had taken their seats, and Qin Cong announced the start of the assessment.

All the students immediately threw themselves into making their soul devices.

They picked up their carving knives and began engraving their respective core arrays, and soon the entire lab was abuzz with activity. The sound of knives colliding with metal echoed throughout the room. This was a competition between soul masters, and every student focused their full attention on the core arrays they were engraving.

The air was filled with the peculiar energy fluctuations of soul guide circuits.

Qin Cong stood atop a platform, his sharp yet calm gaze quietly observing the busy students below.

Time passed quickly.

The only sounds in the Tenth Exam Area were the faint noises of knives cutting through materials, accompanied by the occasional frustrated sigh when an engraving failed.

Su Luoheng was also particularly focused this time, as his goal was to claim first place in this assessment!

The silver carving knife in his hand moved like a butterfly, dancing nimbly and gracefully. Piece by piece, he trimmed the selected metal materials to the right size before carefully cutting, engraving, and inscribing them. Soon, complex and mysterious runes began to appear on the metal surface.

These runes were based on structures from his mind, adjusted according to the properties of the actual materials.

This was the greatest achievement from his recent studies with his teacher.

As Su Luoheng engraved, he constantly adjusted based on the properties of the materials.

He worked quickly, his slender fingers deftly maneuvering the carving knife with great speed. Once he picked up the knife, he became completely immersed in the process of engraving the runes. His expression was solemn, his eyes locked onto the soul device's rune patterns in front of him, completely oblivious to everything happening around him.

Thanks to the past three months of study, creating a second-level soul device posed no difficulty for him.

In less than half an hour, he had already completed the engraving of his first core array.

When looking around the exam area, the fastest of the other students had only managed to engrave half of their soul guide circuits.

"..."

Su Luoheng's nimble technique and skillful craftsmanship naturally caught the attention of the examiner.

"This kid's something special..."

Qin Cong muttered quietly to himself, paying even closer attention to Su Luoheng.

...

...

After a short rest, Su Luoheng began engraving his second core array.

Intricate and precise soul guide patterns were swiftly outlined by his hand, and as the core array's runes neared perfection, the metal block began to glow faintly with an energy aura, almost as if it had developed a life of its own. The aura pulsed with mysterious energy fluctuations, floating through the air in mesmerizing waves.

When Su Luoheng made the final stroke, all the activated runes lit up and converged into a beam of light.

The engraving of his second core array was now complete.

"Huff…"

Su Luoheng let out a long breath but quickly dove back into his work.

Next came the third core array, then the fourth...

Time passed bit by bit, and before long, the five hours were almost up.

Maintaining such high mental concentration for an extended period, especially while engraving soul arrays with such precision, was exhausting—even for Su Luoheng. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, but his hand holding the carving knife remained fast and steady.

With meticulous care, he engraved each soul guide pattern into the core arrays.

Before long, the metal block emitted another glow—yet another successful engraving.

Looking at the five core arrays on his table, each radiating a different hue, Su Luoheng's face showed a look of satisfaction and pride.

Five hours, five core arrays.

On average, he had completed one Level 2 core array every hour, and he was quite pleased with that pace.

He raised his head and glanced at the soul guide timer hanging in the Tenth Exam Area, which showed that there was just under one hour remaining.

One more hour…

If this had been the beginning of the assessment, there would have been no problem. But after engraving five core arrays in a row, fatigue had inevitably started to set in, and his condition was no longer at its peak. Attempting to finish another core array within an hour now would be much more difficult.

Su Luoheng sighed quietly to himself.

He stretched his fingers a bit, then glanced at the other students in the exam area.

In the Tenth Exam Area, most students were still working on their second or third core arrays, and only a few had begun their fourth.

The progress in the other exam areas should be similar.

It was clear that Su Luoheng was far ahead of everyone else.

He could stop now without any issue—whether he continued or not, the top spot in this second-year soul guide assessment was essentially already his.

But Su Luoheng wasn't the type to settle for just "enough."

Since he aimed to take first place, he would give it his all!

He wouldn't stop until the very last second—whether he succeeded or failed, he would push forward!

With this thought in mind, Su Luoheng picked up his carving knife once more. His right hand grasped the tool firmly, while his left hand grabbed another piece of metal, quickly moving it across the surface and beginning a new round of soul guide circuit engraving!

One intricate, profound pattern after another blossomed under his carving knife.