"Don't be nervous," Wang Haiping said with a smile.
"I just happened to stop by to observe the joint trial today. Your performance during the trial surprised and impressed me a great deal, so I wanted to learn more about you.
Relax, my questions won't be too demanding. You can choose whether to answer them. If you'd rather not, that's perfectly fine."
Su Yuan had no reason to refuse. He immediately responded, "Feel free to ask."
Wang Haiping nodded thoughtfully before asking, "I heard from your teacher, Yang Jun, that you just had your awakening during the winter break?"
"That's right, on the first day of winter vacation."
"So that makes it exactly one month," Wang Haiping said directly without beating around the bush. "Su Yuan, as you and I both know, after awakening a Soul Card, only then can other Star Cards be embedded.
Which means you've managed, in the span of just one month, to train your Steel Flame Finger and Hardened Iron Armor to the Perfect level? And additionally, you've achieved Great Success with Wind Walking and Gray Flame Strike?"
Wang Haiping didn't ask about compound skills, as it wasn't something high school students would typically encounter. Su Yuan himself might not even realize that the move he used was a compound skill.
*From the moment Su Yuan started using the system to enhance his Star Cards and rapidly improve his skill levels, he knew this day would come. The excessively high skill levels would inevitably attract attention.*
*But this was unavoidable unless he was willing to massively slow down his growth or stop using the system's enhancement functions altogether.*
*To cover up the fact that he was using the system to enhance his Star Cards and skill proficiency levels, he needed to establish a reputation as a "Skill Cultivation Super Genius."*
Su Yuan's face showed a subtle trace of puzzlement.
"Well, to be honest, I'm a bit puzzled myself. It seems there's something unique about me...
After awakening my Soul Card, I went east to the Great Barbarian Mountain Area to hunt Star Beasts.
At first, everything was fine. But later, I discovered that every time I used an embedded Star Card skill, I gained substantial insights, which greatly accelerated my skill mastery, especially in combat.
Once I realized this, I decided not to return home. Except for brief trips down the mountain to resupply, I spent the whole month hunting Star Beasts in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area.
After nearly a month of continuous battles, all of my embedded skills—including Perfect Steel Flame Finger and Wind Walking—progressed visibly toward mastery."
"Director Wang, you're powerful and knowledgeable. Do you have any idea what might be happening to me? Could there be any side effects in the future?"
*So that's what's going on...*
Wang Haiping rubbed his chin and quietly studied Su Yuan's eyes.
*Su Yuan, after all, was someone who had lived through two lifetimes—a person who had even died once before.*
*His mind remained like Still Water as he met Wang Haiping's gaze. His puzzled yet faintly worrisome and innocent expression revealed no flaws whatsoever!*
*That performance though!*
After a while, unable to detect anything abnormal, Wang Haiping secretly nodded.
If Su Yuan weren't so exceptional, Wang Haiping wouldn't have even questioned him at all.
It now seemed that Su Yuan had an unparalleled ability to achieve insights into skills during combat—an extraordinary level of comprehension!
Without such extraordinary insight, it would have been impossible for him to develop a compound skill on his own.
Furthermore, his determination to stay in the Great Barbarian Mountain Area for a full month just to hone his skills... this young man truly had grit. Remarkable.
Thinking this, Wang Haiping grew even more impressed with Su Yuan.
Patting Su Yuan's shoulder, Wang Haiping said with a smile, "Su Yuan, don't worry. There won't be any side effects. It's simply because your talent for skill cultivation is extraordinary—far beyond anyone I've ever known!
With this kind of talent, you're not even a single step behind the special admissions candidates of top-tier universities. That's why I've decided to recommend you directly to a prestigious institution."
Su Yuan's eyes brightened. Wang Haiping was Guangchuan City's Director of Education. If he said so, entry into Shuzhou College was practically guaranteed!
Being directly recommended into Shuzhou College as a special admissions student was definitely something worth cheering for.
And before he transmigrated, his prior self had dreamed of getting into Shuzhou College.
Wang Haiping spoke slowly, "As you know, the conditions for special admission into top-tier universities are stringent. Although your realm is only Eighth Stage right now, that can be temporarily overlooked. But your Soul Card—I do need to ask about that. If I'm not mistaken, you awakened an exceedingly rare Space-type Soul Card, correct?"
"That's right."
"Earlier, I asked your homeroom teacher, Yang Jun, about why your awakening happened so late. He mentioned that you faced significant challenges during the process and only awakened during winter vacation. May I ask—what's the grade of the Soul Card you eventually awakened?"
Wang Haiping fixed his gaze on Su Yuan's silver pupils, feeling a bit nervous.
Unaware of Wang Haiping's unease, Su Yuan considered briefly and then replied rather vaguely, "Blue Grade."
Special admissions candidates at elite institutions typically required a Blue Grade Soul Card.
The rapid improvement in his skill levels could reasonably be attributed to his talent, albeit barely enough of an explanation.
However, the grade and awakening of a Soul Card depended on factors such as one's soul and the level of the Awakening Card. If the Education Bureau were to investigate, it wouldn't take long to discover that Su Yuan had only used an Entry-Level Awakening Card.
Awakening a Blue Grade Top-tier Soul Card with an Entry-Level Awakening Card... what kind of concept was that?
Out of curiosity, Su Yuan had later researched this topic extensively, consulting various texts and materials.
In the current Great Flame Country, fewer than ten people had ever managed to awaken a Blue Grade Top-tier Soul Card on their first try.
As for the rare 6C Talent Soul Cards awakened at the start—there were only three documented instances in the entire history of humankind on Blue Sea Star!
This achievement was far more exaggerated and significant than learning Perfect skills within a month, and it would undoubtedly attract unimaginable levels of attention.
If he truly possessed this innate talent, he could openly admit it. But because this involved the system, he had to carefully strategize. Therefore, he chose only to mention it was a Blue Grade Soul Card.
"Excellent! Very impressive—even reaching the Blue Grade, truly remarkable!"
To Su Yuan's surprise, Wang Haiping did not investigate further but instead clapped his hands in delight.
"With your astonishing cultivation talent and a rare Space-type Soul Card, I was worried your Soul Card might only be Green Grade, which would significantly limit your future potential.
But since you awakened a Blue Grade Soul Card, your future could even surpass Burning Sun and progress beyond mortal limits. Your prodigious talent can now be fully realized!"
Earlier, Wang Haiping had already inquired about Su Yuan's family background through Yang Jun.
The family, a traditional working-class household that didn't even qualify as middle-class, likely couldn't afford more than a Master-Level Awakening Card.
Thus, Wang Haiping had initially worried that Su Yuan might have awakened a Green Grade Soul Card, restricting his long-term potential. He hadn't dared to consider the possibility of Su Yuan awakening a Blue Grade Mid-tier or Top-tier Soul Card.
And in truth, even a Blue Grade Low-tier Space-type Soul Card might not necessarily be inferior to an average Blue Grade Mid-tier Soul Card!
Therefore, Wang Haiping's joy grew all the more pronounced. Smiling with satisfaction, he said, "Since your Soul Card is Blue Grade, I can confidently recommend you to Demon Capital Academy."
"Thank you, Director Wang... Wait? Demon Capital Academy?!"
Su Yuan had been about to express his gratitude when he suddenly realized that Wang Haiping wasn't referring to Shuzhou College—but Demon Capital Academy?
Wang Haiping laughed heartily and said, "That's right, Demon Capital Academy—one of the Three Capitals Academies!"
In Great Flame Country, the Three Capitals, Four Extremes, and Twelve States together comprised nineteen First-tier cities.
The Twelve States, like Shuzhou and Wanzhou, could be set aside for now.
The Four Extremes represented the eastern, southern, western, and northern boundaries, each safeguarding a region of Great Flame, stabilizing internal affairs and repelling external threats.
As for the Three Capitals—Capitol City, Demon City, and Demon Capital—they formed the absolute core of Great Flame. Each city boasted its unique identity.
Demon Capital was located at Great Flame's southeastern border, beyond which lay a Special Danger Zone—the endless and enigmatic Ancient Forbidden Zone.
Thousands of years ago, Great Flame had formed an alliance with the dominant Star Beasts ruling the Ancient Forbidden Zone.
Demon Capital served not only as a crucial link fostering friendly relations between Great Flame and the Ancient Forbidden Zone but also as an unyielding pillar in times of potential crisis.
The "Demon" in Demon Capital represented both Star Beast variants and prodigious human geniuses.
This was a remarkably vibrant and free city, filled with unparalleled talent, and boasting extremely liberal policies.
Registered Star Beasts could roam Demon Capital freely, and those that aligned with humanity's interests were welcomed to join in its construction and governance.
This distinctive policy attracted numerous legendary and powerful Star Beasts, such as one of Demon Capital's Deputy City Lords, the transcendent Legendary Star Beast at Burning Sun and beyond—Five-Colored Peacock Ming King, Kong Zheng!
Its unique location and policies had shaped Demon Capital's distinctive cultural and aesthetic character.
Even at Demon Capital Academy, every few years, descendants of both domestic Star Beast elites and those allied with Great Flame from the Ancient Forbidden Zone would enroll as students.