READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 41: What do you wish
"Teacher, I understand," Su Luoheng nodded earnestly.
Since this was a matter concerning his future growth, he certainly wouldn't ruin his prospects.
In fact, even without Elder Ran's reminder, he wouldn't have taken those pills. However, considering that Ran Yuming went out of his way to caution him, Su Luoheng could feel how much his teacher valued him.
"Good, it's enough that you understand."
Seeing this, Ran Yuming nodded slightly.
He was one of those aware of the properties of the pills developed by the academy.
These pills rapidly boost soul power to levels like Soul King or Soul Sage, but at the cost of one's potential. While the soul power increases, it also blocks future progress.
It sounds cruel, but how many ordinary soul masters are lucky enough to break through to the level of Soul King?
This is why the pills are quite popular in the academy—because even without using them, most students wouldn't progress much further. The pills, on the contrary, give them a slim chance.
However, for a genius like Su Luoheng, it would be a loss, as he would naturally break through those levels eventually.
"Luoheng."
Ran Yuming patted Su Luoheng's shoulder, speaking earnestly, "My expectations for you go beyond just being an outstanding Soul Engineer. Your talent and potential can take you much further."
"Teacher, I won't let you down," Su Luoheng replied with confidence, always believing in his own abilities.
"Good, keep it that way!" Ran Yuming laughed heartily, giving Su Luoheng a firm pat on the shoulder. Confident, but not arrogant—Ran Yuming suddenly found this last disciple of his quite to his liking.
Su Luoheng was equally satisfied with this teacher.
Both his status and personal abilities would bring Su Luoheng immense benefits.
It wasn't that either of them was overly pragmatic.
Before becoming teacher and student, there's no emotional bond to speak of. What they cared about were the benefits they could bring each other, right?
Ran Yuming valued Su Luoheng's talent.
Su Luoheng valued Ran Yuming's status.
Both had something to gain, making it a mutually beneficial teacher-student relationship.
"Luoheng..."
Just as Ran Yuming was about to say something, his casual glance noticed that Su Luoheng was only wearing the badge of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy on his chest.
"Luoheng, where's your Soul Engineer badge? Why aren't you wearing it?" he asked offhandedly after a quick scan.
"Teacher, I don't have a badge," Su Luoheng replied.
"Hmm?" Ran Yuming raised his eyebrows.
Su Luoheng scratched his head and explained, "I learned my Soul Engineer skills from my mother and my first soul skill at home. I never participated in a Soul Engineer assessment."
"Oh, right. There isn't an assessment center in the Heavenly Soul Empire. I forgot about that," Ran Yuming said, slapping his forehead in realization.
Among the three original Douluo Empires—Dou Ling, Star Luo, and Heavenly Soul—the first two had some involvement in soul tools, while the Heavenly Soul Empire had always maintained a rejection of soul tools. None of its academies even offered a Soul Engineering curriculum, so while Su Luoheng was indeed a Level 1 Soul Engineer, he couldn't obtain certification.
"Teacher, is the Soul Engineer badge really that important?" Su Luoheng asked curiously.
"Of course, it's important."
Ran Yuming nodded as he rummaged under a lab bench, saying, "The academy distributes resources every month, and that's when you'll need your Soul Engineer badge to confirm your level."
"Teacher, where can I get my Soul Engineer level certified?"
As soon as Su Luoheng heard that the badge was tied to resources, something that seemed optional suddenly became crucial.
"You rascal, what's the rush?"
"Hehe~" Su Luoheng grinned sheepishly.
"Don't worry, you won't miss out."
Ran Yuming could instantly see what his young disciple was thinking. He smiled and waved his hand, signaling Su Luoheng to calm down for now. "I should still have a few Soul Engineer badges here."
"Hmm? Teacher, why do you have those?" Su Luoheng asked curiously.
"I used to oversee the Soul Engineer assessments. I remember there were a few badges left over. Let me see if I can find them."
"Then I'll leave it to you, Teacher."
Upon hearing this, Su Luoheng obediently sat back in his seat.
Ran Yuming chuckled softly at the sight, thinking to himself: This kid still has the heart of a child.
But that was to be expected, as he really was still a child.
Ran Yuming then reached for the storage box beneath him and started rummaging through it.
He remembered that after the last Soul Engineer ranking evaluation, there were still a few low-level Soul Engineer badges left. If he couldn't find one here, he'd have to go borrow one from Lin.
Just as he was thinking this, he found the leftover badges.
After some digging, he pulled out a Level 1 Soul Engineer badge: a water-blue, eight-pointed star set with a diamond.
"Here, take it."
Su Luoheng quickly took the badge and pinned it to his chest.
The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy emblem now glimmered alongside the Soul Engineer badge on his chest, with the sun, moon, and stars shining together.
From this moment on, he was officially recognized as a Level 1 Soul Engineer by the Sun Moon Empire. In the academy, this wasn't just a symbol of identity—it also represented a month's worth of Soul Engineer resources.
As Su Luoheng admired the badge on his chest, a thought suddenly occurred to him.
"Teacher, I didn't participate in the Soul Engineer assessment. Is it within academy regulations for me to have this badge?"
"Of course it is."
Ran Yuming waved his hand dismissively, explaining, "You already passed the advancement assessment, which is equivalent to confirming your status as a Level 1 Soul Engineer. This is just issuing you the badge you're entitled to."
"I understand now."
Su Luoheng had been mainly worried that without an official badge, he might not be able to receive resources, but with Ran Yuming's assurance, his concerns melted away.
And even in the worst case, with his teacher by his side, there was nothing to worry about.
...
After wrapping up the discussion about the Soul Engineer badge, Ran Yuming began to test Su Luoheng's knowledge of Level 2 soul tools. As his teacher, he needed to thoroughly understand his student's abilities so he could provide targeted instruction in Soul Engineering.
In this area, Ran Yuming had plenty of experience.
How else could he have trained so many students qualified to join the Mingde Hall?
"..."
"Teacher, this is my understanding of Level 2 soul tools," Su Luoheng said humbly after explaining, eager to learn from Ran Yuming's rare personal guidance.
"Not bad. Your theoretical knowledge is solid."
Ran Yuming nodded slightly, quite satisfied with Su Luoheng's performance.
Although there were still details to improve upon, overall, Su Luoheng's understanding of Level 2 soul tools was mature and had no major issues.
"Have you tried making a Level 2 soul tool?" Ran Yuming asked.
"I've attempted it before, but I wasn't successful. I think it's due to my soul power," Su Luoheng replied truthfully. According to Ye Lan's assessment, the reason he failed to craft a Level 2 soul tool was mainly due to his low soul power, which couldn't sustain the energy consumption required for the process.
Upon hearing this, Ran Yuming pondered for a moment and nodded. "With your current power at Level 17, it's indeed difficult to successfully craft a Level 2 soul tool."