[DD2]: 98

Compared to the consequences of revealing his golden soul ring, it was only natural for him to parade around with a white one on display. While it looked a bit peculiar, it was far less alarming than exposing a million-year soul ring. In an age where godhood had already been attained and god-level soul rings were recorded, a golden soul ring would be instantly recognizable—a risk he couldn't afford to take.

Now, the disguise skill had come at just the right time. Disguising his third soul ring as black meant the four rings he displayed were all black. Though still impressive, this level of impact was something Su Yu could handle.

Hai Bodong wasn't to be trifled with, either.

As for disguising all his soul rings—Su Yu deemed it unnecessary. He never liked pretending to be weak. Overdoing it could lead to complacency, even genuine weakness. Sometimes, revealing a bit of strength was enough to deter trouble.

In the year since Su Yu had joined Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, he had encountered almost no unpleasantness. His exceptional talent and record-breaking feats ensured that no one with sense dared provoke him. This was the importance of demonstrating strength. If you didn't let others see your abilities, how would they recognize them?

With the Camouflage skill in hand, Su Yu was in high spirits. Glancing to the side, he saw Wang Dong'er had finished preparing.

Today marked the quarterfinals—the day the top four would be decided.

Wang Dong'er appeared calm, but Su Yu could tell she was nervous. Her last match had been a grueling victory.

"Let's go!"

Su Yu called out.

Wang Dong'er nodded, and the two headed to the Soul Engineering Trial Field.

By the time they arrived, the stands were already filled with spectators. Su Yu and Wang Dong'er took their designated seats, waiting for the match to begin.

At 8:30 a.m., the quarterfinals started. The first match featured Xiao Hongchen against a fifth-year student—a Level 4 Soul Engineer.

Except for Wang Dong'er, everyone in the top eight was at least a Level 4 Soul Engineer. In other words, the other seven were all Soul Elders or stronger. Wang Dong'er, with the lowest soul power, was the underdog.

Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy had a reputation for using potions to accelerate soul power growth. Reaching Soul Elder status by age fifteen wasn't uncommon, and each year, a few students achieved this.

Xiao Hongchen's battle ended swiftly. With overwhelming firepower, he crushed the Level 4 Soul Engineer and advanced to the top four.

Next was Meng Hongchen, who faced another Level 4 Soul Engineer. After a tough fight, she claimed victory and joined the top four.

Then it was Su Yu's turn. His opponent, a fifth-year student, was decisively eliminated after Su Yu toyed with them for a minute. Su Yu advanced with ease.

As the three seeded players secured their spots, teachers and students nodded in recognition. The strength of Su Yu, Xiao Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen justified their guaranteed placements.

Finally, it was Wang Dong'er's turn—against a formidable opponent.

Wang Dong'er faced a skilled Level 4 Soul Engineer with soul power at Level 47, surpassing even Su Yu's. Wang Dong'er, at Level 34, could only contend with average Level 4 Soul Engineers with the aid of soul bones. Against such a powerful adversary, she was at a clear disadvantage.

Forced into a corner, Wang Dong'er resorted to her second martial soul, the Clear Sky Hammer. Its explosive power temporarily leveled the field, but her opponent wielded a Level 5 Soul Tool. Despite her efforts, Wang Dong'er was ultimately defeated and stopped at the top eight.

After the match, drained of soul power, Wang Dong'er fell asleep in Su Yu's arms.

"Wang Dong was unlucky to face Yang Xu," Meng Hongchen remarked softly.

"That guy's the best among the fifth-years."

"Of course, that's before you leveled up," she added with a smile.

Meng Hongchen knew all about the academy's top talents, especially those with the potential to enter Illustrious Virtue Hall.

"The best of the fifth years, huh? Quite the title," Su Yu replied with a faint smile, his calm expression unreadable.

Wang Dong'er, cradled in Su Yu's arms, was unusually quiet, sleeping soundly.

"Damn, Wang Dong has twin martial souls," Xiao Hongchen muttered.

"His talent is unbelievable."

It had been a guess before, but now it was confirmed—twin martial souls were a mark of exceptional talent.

Even though his Three-Legged Golden Toad martial soul wasn't weak, it paled in comparison to twin martial souls. Xiao Hongchen felt a pang of frustration. It was bad enough that his martial soul couldn't match Su Yu's, but now even Wang Dong was surpassing him?

As someone fiercely competitive, he found this hard to accept.

"Wang Dong having twin martial souls is indeed surprising," Meng Hongchen remarked with a smile.

"But now that his talent has been exposed, the academy will likely focus more on cultivating him. He'll probably earn a spot as an Illustrious Virtue Hall candidate, just like Su Yu."

The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy values talent above all else. Wang Dong'er was in the Real Combat Soul Engineering Department, where martial soul strength was just as important as soul tool crafting ability. With her twin martial souls revealed, Wang Dong'er would undoubtedly be treated as a top candidate, much like Su Yu.

"Maybe. That's good news, I guess," Su Yu replied with a faint smile.

"But for now, I need to get him back to rest. We'll talk tomorrow."

"I'll walk with you," Meng Hongchen suddenly offered.

Su Yu glanced at her, noting her beautiful face and the warmth in her icy blue eyes. His heart stirred slightly, and he gave a slight nod.

"Alright."

Meng Hongchen's heart leaped with joy, and a radiant smile spread across her face.

"Let's go, then."

With graceful steps, Meng Hongchen moved to Su Yu's side. Su Yu carried Wang Dong'er while Meng Hongchen walked beside him, the two chatting and laughing as they left.

Meanwhile, Xiao Hongchen stood to the side, completely forgotten.

Xiao Hongchen: ??

So I'm just the extra here, huh?

Fuming with anger, Xiao Hongchen stormed off… well, stormed off a little.

"Damn it, Meng! You're my sister!" he muttered bitterly as he wandered aimlessly, not knowing where to go.

...

Wang Dong'er slept until late at night before finally waking up. As soon as she opened her eyes, she felt a deep hunger.

"There's food on the table. Eat first, then we'll talk," Su Yu said calmly, opening his eyes from meditation.

Wang Dong'er blinked in surprise, then turned to see a meal box on the seat nearby.

Getting out of bed, she still felt weak. The earlier battle had taken everything out of her, leaving her utterly drained.

Sitting down, she opened the meal box, and the aroma of the dishes hit her.

Su Yu had clearly ordered something special—not your average meal.

There were tender, stewed beef tendons, deep-sea cod, and stir-fried greens. Though simple in presentation, all the ingredients came from soul beasts.

"The academy's meal had gone cold, so I went to the cafeteria to get something fresh. It should still be warm. Eat before it cools," Su Yu said from nearby.

Wang Dong'er was touched but didn't say thank you. Starving, she quickly devoured everything.

Afterward, Su Yu handed him a cup of water.

"It's late. Tea isn't great for now, so just have this."

Wang Dong'er took the cup and, noticing something odd, asked, "Did you put ice marrow in this?"

"Yeah," Su Yu nodded.

"Drinking ice marrow helps you recover faster."

"… You're still so generous. But didn't I just take Xue'er's portion? Won't she mind?"

Wang Dong'er joked.

"She'll get over it. Just let her step on you a couple of times," Su Yu replied nonchalantly.

"Haha! If that makes her happy, she can step on me all she wants," Wang Dong'er laughed. Xue'er was so adorable; who wouldn't like her? She was no exception.

After laughing, Wang Dong'er looked at Su Yu, and a strange emotion flickered in her eyes.

"Su Yu!" she suddenly called out.

"What's up?" Su Yu asked curiously.

"… Nothing."

Wang Dong'er hesitated, then shook her head and turned away. But after turning, she silently mouthed, Su Yu, it's really good to have you.

...

Time flew by, and soon it was the next day—the final day of the selection tournament.

Both the semifinals and finals would take place today, with the semifinals in the morning and the finals in the afternoon. The champion would become the captain of the reserve team and the future captain of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's representative team.

The crowd was larger than ever. Even those who hadn't come to watch before were present. Aside from the research fanatics absorbed in their experiments, nearly every teacher and student in the academy had gathered.

Today's competition would determine the strongest genius under the age of fifteen.

The matches began without delay.

There were two semifinal matches, and the competitors drew lots. Xiao Hongchen was matched against Yang Xu, while Su Yu was set to face Meng Hongchen.

It seemed that before taking on Xiao Hongchen, Su Yu would have to spar with Meng Hongchen first.

The first match was between Xiao Hongchen and Yang Xu.

Yang Xu, who had expended significant energy in his fight with Wang Dong'er the previous day, had recovered overnight and returned to peak condition.

As the top student of the fifth year, Yang Xu displayed impressive strength and a Level 5 Soul Tool. It was no surprise that he had defeated Wang Dong'er.

However, Xiao Hongchen was a genius capable of challenging even Soul Emperors.

There were levels to talent. Yang Xu might be the best in the fifth year, but Xiao Hongchen's abilities placed him at the top of Illustrious Virtue Hall.

The battle was fierce but short. Though Yang Xu demonstrated experience and skill, the gap in strength was too wide. Xiao Hongchen's overwhelming power broke through Yang Xu's defenses, and after two swift rounds, Yang Xu was eliminated.

Xiao Hongchen advanced to the finals.

After the first match, it was time for Su Yu and Meng Hongchen to face off.

"The next semifinal match is between Illustrious Virtue Hall's Meng Hongchen and Fifth Year Class 4's Su Yu. Competitors, please enter the arena," the announcer called out.

Meng Hongchen and Su Yu exchanged glances, smiling as they rose to their feet.

"Go, Su Yu!"

Wang Dong'er cheered from the sidelines.

Though Meng Hongchen was a friend, Wang Dong'er's loyalty lay with Su Yu.

"This is getting interesting. Meng's no pushover. I wonder if Su Yu can handle her," Xiao Hongchen commented, intrigued.

If Meng couldn't stop Su Yu, Xiao Hongchen knew it would fall to him.

"A match between Meng and Su Yu, huh? This should be fun," Jing Hongchen mused.

One was his beloved granddaughter, and the other was his chosen candidate for a future grandson-in-law. This match was sure to be exciting.

"Ah, it's Meng versus Su Yu. I wonder how long Su Yu will last against her?" remarked an elder standing beside Jing Hongchen.

Though Su Yu was incredibly talented, he was still nearly three years younger than Meng Hongchen, and they didn't think he would win.

After all, Meng Hongchen was an extraordinary genius herself.

"That's hard to say. This kid has the Ultimate Ice attribute. I doubt Meng's abilities will work well against him," Jing Hongchen shook his head. He thought this match might be closer than they expected.

Under the watchful eyes of many teachers and students in the stands, Su Yu and Meng Hongchen stepped into the arena.

The two stood about ten meters apart, facing each other.

"Sister Meng, let's see what you've got," Su Yu said with a light smile.

"You too. Don't hold back," Meng Hongchen replied, her red lips curving into a smile.

As they exchanged words, the announcer's voice rang out again.

"The second semifinal match, Meng Hongchen versus Su Yu, begins now!"

The moment the words left the announcer's mouth, Meng Hongchen immediately activated her soul tool.

Thirteen points on her body began to glow with icy blue light: her forehead, shoulders, chest, elbows, abdomen, hips, knees, and hands.

The thirteen points of icy blue light quickly transformed into a set of exquisite blue armor that covered Meng Hongchen from head to toe.

Though it was a full-body armor, it didn't appear bulky or cumbersome at all. Every part of it was intricately designed, and the blue-gold patterns on the armor made Meng Hongchen, already beautiful, appear even more heroic and striking.

A pair of icy blue swords extended from her hands, each about three feet long and slender. Behind her, three pairs of wings, each about a foot long, spread open.

As she donned her soul tool armor, a wave of frosty energy radiated from Meng Hongchen's body.