Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, inside the Spirit Tool Production Lab.
Meng Hongchen sat in the cockpit of the soul guidance car, her hands gripping the control levers, a smile of pure excitement on her delicate little face.
Her silver high ponytail swayed gently with the movement of the soul guidance car.
"Haha! This is fun!"
Xiao Hongchen stood to the side with his arms crossed, watching his sister have the time of her life; the expression on his face gradually shifted from initial helplessness to anxiety.
"Meng, that's enough."
He shouted, his voice tinged with urgency.
"It's my turn to study it, isn't it?"
"Just a bit longer, just a bit longer!"
Meng Hongchen replied without looking back, her hands showing no sign of stopping.
The soul guidance car did another lap around the production room.
Xiao Hongchen's brow furrowed tighter and tighter until he finally couldn't help but step forward and pat the roof of the soul guidance car.
"Alright, alright, get out. Huo Yuhao lent this to me for research; what if you break it?"
There was a hint of concern in his voice.
"This is a very precious item, I've never seen anything like it before!"
Meng Hongchen curled her lip and hopped out of the cockpit somewhat reluctantly.
"Stingy."
She muttered, her gaze lingering briefly on the Soul Guided Car.
Xiao Hongchen ignored her complaints, squatting down to carefully observe every detail of the soul guidance car.
His fingers lightly brushed over the Spirit Power circuits on the car's body, his eyes filled with fanaticism and love; he finally had his hands on what he wanted.
"By the way."
He suddenly looked up at Meng Hongchen.
"Is Grandpa back yet?"
Meng Hongchen shook her head.
"Not yet. He said he's handling some matters and it'll probably be a few more days."
Xiao Hongchen nodded and didn't ask further.
Meng Hongchen's gaze moved from the soul guidance car and landed on Huo Yuhao.
She sized him up for a few moments, a thoughtful light flashing in her blue eyes.
"Huo Yuhao."
She called out.
Huo Yuhao looked up at her.
"Since my brother wants to study this soul guidance car and won't be able to focus on anything else for a while, why don't..."
Meng Hongchen smiled, her tone filled with excitement.
"I take you on a tour of our academy? There are many interesting places here."
Xiao Hongchen's hand jerked, and he immediately stood up.
"No way."
He said decisively.
"I'm the one who brought Huo Yuhao here. If anyone's giving him a tour, it's me. Why are you butting in?"
"What do you mean butting in?"
Meng Hongchen retorted defiantly.
"I'm a student of this academy too. Why can't I show a guest around?"
"You should focus on your own Cultivate first."
Xiao Hongchen waved his hand.
"I remember your scores from the last assessment. Grandpa said you've been a bit slack lately. If you don't hurry up and Cultivate, watch out or Grandpa will put you in confinement."
"Aren't you the same?"
Meng Hongchen curled her lip.
"You spend every day soaked in the spirit tool production room; I haven't seen you being particularly diligent with your Cultivate either."
"I am a Genius."
Xiao Hongchen puffed out his chest, his tone carrying a sense of natural entitlement.
"A Genius doesn't need to engage in bitter cultivation like ordinary people."
Meng Hongchen was choked by these words, her expression becoming even more dissatisfied. In terms of talent, Xiao Hongchen's talent was indeed above hers; after all, Xiao Hongchen was the greatest Genius in the history of the Sun Moon Empire.
"I don't care. Anyway, I'm taking Huo Yuhao on a tour today."
Meng Hongchen refused to back down an inch.
"You already got to experience the Soul Guided Car first, and I was the one who met Huo Yuhao first."
Xiao Hongchen's brow furrowed.
"But I was the one who invited Huo Yuhao first! Huo Yuhao, do you want to go around the academy with me, or stay with my brother, this egomaniac?"
Meng Hongchen's gaze fell on Huo Yuhao, and she even sneakily slandered Xiao Hongchen.
This could be considered a normal interaction between the siblings.
The two went back and forth, neither willing to yield.
Huo Yuhao stood to the side, watching the siblings argue incessantly over who would give him the tour, an awkward smile inevitably appearing on his face.
He hadn't expected to be so popular.
However, seeing their argument grow more heated, Huo Yuhao couldn't very well remain silent.
He cleared his throat and spoke.
"Um..."
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen turned their heads at the same time to look at him.
"How about both of you take me on a short tour together?"
This time, coming to the Sun Moon Empire, besides Spirit Tools, Huo Yuhao also had other interests, such as seeing the Geniuses of this academy and understanding the gap between himself and those Geniuses.
As for Dai Yueheng and the others he had defeated previously, Huo Yuhao had simply cast them to the back of his mind.
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen glanced at each other.
"Since Huo Yuhao said so..."
Xiao Hongchen spoke first.
"Fine then, we'll take him on a tour together."
Meng Hongchen also nodded.
"Good, it's settled then."
The two finally reached a consensus.
Huo Yuhao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
...
The three walked out of the spirit tool production room, through a wide corridor, and arrived at an open area.
It was a massive Competition Arena, surrounded by tiered spectator seating capable of holding hundreds of people at once.
Xiao Hongchen stood at the edge of the field, spreading his arms with pride.
"This is the Competition Arena of our Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy."
There was a hint of pride in his voice.
"The Academy Grand Competition is held here every year. At that time, all the students of the academy gather here to showcase the results of their year's Cultivate."
"Well, of course, some personal grudges are also settled on this Competition Arena."
He turned around and looked at Huo Yuhao, a sharp light flashing in his heterochromatic eyes.
"Huo Yuhao, I'm curious."
He paused, his tone becoming more probing.
"How is the combat strength of the students at your Shrek Academy?"
"How does it compare to the students of our Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy?"
Xiao Hongchen acknowledged Huo Yuhao's talent, but it was impossible for everyone from that Shrek Academy in the sky to be monsters like Huo Yuhao, right?
Hearing this, Meng Hongchen couldn't help but perk up her ears, her eyes full of curiosity.
Upon hearing these words, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but recall how strong his opponents were during the New Student Grand Competition.
Since then, even when they fought, they hadn't gone all out.
He wondered if he would find an opportunity to fight during the Five Extremes Competition.
"Everyone at our school is very impressive," Huo Yuhao said with a smile.
(No translation needed for empty or repetitive text, but mapping 96 to 96)
Regarding Huo Yuhao's words, Xiao Hongchen didn't say much, thinking that when one is away from home, they naturally wouldn't want to lose face for their own people.
In reality, Huo Yuhao was probably the greatest Genius in the history of that Shrek Academy, right?
If that were the case, it would be understandable for him to defeat someone like himself, the greatest Genius in the history of the Sun Moon Empire.
If not...
Xiao Hongchen shook his head. Being defeated by a tail-ender or something like that—how could that be possible?
"Oh, someone's going up now. Huo Yuhao, do you want to go up?"
Just then, Xiao Hongchen saw a figure walking onto the arena stage.
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A/N:
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