Douluo: The Peerless Sun and Moon Mechanical God

Test Zone Zero.

A colossal steel behemoth rose from the ground, its four enormous mouths, facing east, west, south, and north, swallowing and spewing forth an endless stream of people.

This is the largest soul guidance test area in the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. It is rarely used on weekdays, but it has been requisitioned for the Red Dust Class selection competition.

Due to the unprecedented popularity of the Red Dust Class selection competition, with applicants including all students from grades one to six, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy temporarily divided the Zero Test Zone into thirty-six metal competition arenas of uniform size to accelerate the initial battle process.

The interior of the test area resembles a huge plaza, with tiered seating extending around it and spiraling steps leading upwards. The back rows are half a meter higher than the front rows, ensuring an unobstructed view for the audience.

Between the audience seating and the competition stage, there is a transparent light screen. The Sun Moon Empire's proud linkage defense system is used in it. Hundreds of small soul tools are embedded in the front guardrail, interconnected with each other to form a super protective shield covering the entire Zero Test Zone.

It was still early, and the morning mist was thick, but the Zero Test Zone was packed.

The first-graders' innocent faces were full of excitement, while the sixth-graders, holding thermos cups, leisurely sipped goji berry tea, their faces displaying the composure of someone who had seen it all.

Jing Hongchen was determined to create the Hongchen Class and elevate it to the new era of the Royal Academy. The talented students selected for the Hongchen Class were guaranteed admission to the Mingde Hall and received a large amount of resources from the academy for their training, thus embarking on a fast track to becoming top-tier Soul Masters.

To show its importance, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy unprecedentedly suspended classes for a week, allowing all teachers and students to come and watch the battle.

The students were already itching to participate. Daily life at the academy was mundane, and the exciting all-academy battle was unheard of. They longed to witness the emergence of the sole champion.

Even the disciples of Mingde Hall came out and sat in the audience to enjoy the stylish performances of their younger schoolmates.

The teachers were equally curious. The vast Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was full of hidden talents. What kind of upsets would the Red Dust Class selection produce?

The extensive promotion over three months has brought the hype surrounding this combat assessment to a climax today.

The chatter echoed incessantly in the Zero Test Zone. Everyone was enthusiastically analyzing the top players from each grade. Some students even set up betting pools in private, wagering on who would break through the encirclement. Ai Xiao, hearing the news, quickly raised a sum of money and went all in on Xiao Hongchen!

Brother Xiao would never lie to us!

On the north-facing platform, the high-ranking officials of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy took their seats. Lin Jiayi raised a megaphone, his deep voice silencing the noise:

"Everyone, please be quiet."

Before the start of this year's Red Dust Class selection competition, please welcome His Excellency Red Dust, Dean of the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy and Head Master of Mingde Hall, to give a speech.

"Hello everyone."

The chubby hall master waved to the students in all directions, immediately causing a huge uproar. Jing Hongchen was quite satisfied with his ability to rally people, his eyes narrowing into slits as he said:

"The Red Dust Class is a project that the academy has been preparing for for a hundred years. As a dean whose job is to teach and nurture people, I hope to cultivate more and better young disciples. As long as they are in charge in the future, the Sun Moon Empire will be able to achieve a great revival!"

This selection competition for the Red Dust Class consists of three main parts: practical combat, soul tool making, and comprehensive theory. The scores from these three assessments will determine the list of participants selected for the Red Dust Class. All participants must strictly adhere to the competition rules, respect the referees and their opponents, and ensure fairness and safety are equally important!

"null--"

The huge cheers almost overturned Test Zone Zero. Jing Hongchen pressed his hands down, and when the world was no longer chaotic and noisy, he continued, "When it comes to fairness, the Dean should naturally set an example."

As you all probably know, my grandson and granddaughter are studying at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy and both applied for the Mortal Class.

For the sake of fairness, I am withdrawing from the selection competition's referee committee. The position of chief referee will be taken over by Ye Yulin, the Empire's top aerial combat expert and one of the designated instructors for the Red Dust Class!

The next second, dazzling starlight descended from the sky, transforming into a bald old man beside Jing Hongchen. A gleaming ninth-level Soul Master badge hung on his chest, and his piercing gaze swept across the audience, once again eliciting gasps of amazement.

Starry Sky Douluo Ye Yulin is a level nine Soul Master who is skilled in high-altitude Soul Tools and is known as the Master of the Starry Sky.

Ye Yulin and Jing Hongchen are both level nine Soul Masters, the pillars of the Sun Moon Empire, and each has the upper hand in one battle.

The Golden Toad Martial Soul's unique talent allows Jing Hongchen to simultaneously control a thousand soul-guided cannons, possessing the most formidable heavy firepower among level nine soul masters; the idea of ​​one man commanding an army is no exaggeration.

The terrifying aspect of Starry Sky Douluo lies in his single-point high-altitude explosion. His level-nine soul tool, the Sun God Needle, was once launched from an extremely long distance, annihilating a rebellious imperial general in one strike and establishing his lofty status as the number one person in the Sun, Moon and Sky.

With an overwhelming aura sweeping across the entire arena, Ye Yulin, hands behind his back, slowly announced, "It is a great honor to serve as the chief referee for the Red Dust Class selection competition. I guarantee the fairness of this competition with my title of Starry Sky Douluo. Now, I hereby declare the Red Dust Class selection competition officially open!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the atmosphere reached its peak. From teachers to students, everyone was eagerly anticipating the exciting battle. The Soul Guidance Screen scrolled rapidly, randomly matching students for the first round of confrontation.

"Old Ye, you've worked hard this time. After the Red Dust Class is established, you'll have to come and guest lecture from time to time." Jing Hongchen asked with concern.

"How dare I refuse?" Ye Yulin sneered. "The day I uttered a single word of 'no,' a huge label was immediately slapped on my head: a conservative who is hindering the empire's reforms!"

If I really send you away, you'll probably run straight to His Majesty and impeach me.

"That's not right. I'm doing this for the sake of these lovely students. One class a week won't take up much of your time," Jing Hongchen said firmly.

"If it weren't for the fact that it's truly beneficial to the next generation's growth, do you think I would have reluctantly accepted your fat face?" Ye Yulin said sullenly. "Old Toad, I've heard that Master Kong is frequently visiting the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, seemingly taking a liking to a young talent. Have you heard anything about it?"

"..."

Mentioning Silver Moon Douluo Kong Deming, Jing Hongchen felt a strange pain in his left ear and transmitted his voice, "Keep your voice down, be careful that Master Kong is watching the battle from some corner."

That student's name is Lin Qing. His martial soul is the uniquely gifted ultimate metal, and Master Kong already considers him his for the taking!

"Ultimate Gold?" Ye Yulin looked up suddenly and sighed, "To be honest, I still have no successor to this skill."

High-altitude soul guides are key to gaining the upper hand in national wars. The ultimate gold will be able to perfectly unleash my newly developed Sun and Moon Divine Needles. Geniuses, if you're too slow, you'll miss out. Watch me steal a trick from Master Kong when he's not paying attention!

"Ouch, where did this pebble come from?!"

In the waiting area, the contestants stared intently at their Soul Guidance screens, anxiously awaiting their matchmaking status.

Since the scores for soul tool making and theoretical testing are relatively low, the combat assessment results are crucial. The top 16 are subject to a double-elimination system to minimize surprises and ensure that only the most capable survive. Once you enter the top 16, the chances of being selected for the Red Dust Class are practically guaranteed!

Lin Qing stood in the center of the participating team, with Ye Guyi and Meng Hongchen on her left and right sides, quietly watching the first round of comparison tables being released.

Lin Qing described his life at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy as fantastic. The academy was full of talented people, and they all spoke pleasantly. He even got dizzy from eating carbon dioxide in the metal world, and his soul power rapidly increased to level 44.

Breaking through two levels of soul power in three months is considered rapid progress even among normal soul masters, and it's practically cheating for an ultimate soul master. However, the Red Dust Hall Master often falls into deep thought when looking at the ever-increasing financial reports.

At the same time, Lin Qing's Soul Master level naturally advanced to the fifth level. His own efforts undoubtedly accounted for 98% of the credit, but the hard work of his homeroom teacher Zhou Qin could not be ignored, as well as...

The librarian's insightful advice was a stroke of genius!

That old man was like a hidden master, always able to pinpoint Lin Qing's doubts with his insightful observations. He could effortlessly spout imaginative soul guidance theories, leaving everyone in awe.

The strange thing is that there seem to be two librarians; the other one is actually quite good, but he can't compare to the old man.

After two and a half minutes of thought, Lin Qing came to an answer regarding the librarian's question: the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy's employee benefits and treatment were far superior, and the librarian actually worked one day on and one day off!

Most of the time, my studies and life went smoothly, with only occasional ups and downs, such as the night when Qingmeng and I first went to Mingdu together.

Having finally taken the initiative to unleash her charm, only to be misunderstood as being sarcastic, Ye Guyi reflected on herself in frustration without arguing.

After finishing her private meal, Miss Angel was about to go back to her room to meditate and rest when she suddenly remembered the ash on the table. Being a little thirsty, she drank it all down without any warning, followed by a sharp explosion!

"That damned evil spirit master dared to impersonate Lin Qing and drug me to murder!"

In a fit of rage, Ye Guyi used the heaviest words in the Angelic lineage's dictionary to denounce her companions as inhuman, saying, "How can humans be worse than evil spirit masters!"

Lin Qing, who shared the hardships with his friends, received his due punishment and was forced to agree to a series of unequal treaties with the Holy Angel, such as extending the warranty on the Aurora Sword.

The story doesn't end there. A prison-style secret room has appeared in the underground space of Zhanghua Garden. Lin Qing saw it once and felt a chill run down his spine, an ominous premonition rising in his heart.

Miss Angel is so stingy. Oh well, may Miss Angel live a long life... Long live, long live, long live!

"The first round of draws is complete. The student destined for the first battle, please proceed!"

A mechanical female voice played through the loudspeaker, and everyone searched for their own voices. Coincidentally, Lin Qing spotted himself in the first match, and his opponent was a girl who looked quite adorable.

Battleground #24, Match #1: Lin Qing from Class 1, Grade 5 vs. Ju Zi from Class 3, Grade 5.

On the other side of the waiting area, the girl opened her beautiful eyes wide, looking slightly bewildered. Her big eyes seemed to be covered with a thin layer of mist, and she looked a little dazed, as if she had just been dragged out of bed.

Staring at her opponent's name, she rubbed her eyes in disbelief, her expression one of utter horror and existential dread.

"Come on, Orange Sister! Believe in yourself, you can do it! At least hold on for one minute!" The petite girl clenched her fist to cheer on her best friend.

Upon hearing this, Ju Zi became even more depressed. Her soft and vulnerable appearance was pitiful to behold. She weakly said, "Ke Ke, Lin Qing is a top contender for the combat assessment championship and Xiao Hongchen's publicly acknowledged nemesis."

"I'm not a combat-type Soul Master. Holding out for even a minute... you're overestimating me."

"Don't boost others' morale while diminishing your own!" Keke transformed into an encouragement machine. "Didn't you plan to join the army after graduation? Now, imagine Lin Qing as the enemy marshal. The battlefield never allows soldiers to retreat. Charge bravely, beautiful General Orange!"

"Beautiful? That sounds like an incompetent general who was captured and repeatedly humiliated and tortured."

Orange squinted, suspecting that Keke's words had a hidden meaning, but she would not back down no matter what. At worst, she would be defeated and have to go to the loser group.

With a determination that she would never return, the girl straightened her back and headed toward competition stage number twenty-four.

"Both teams, enter the arena!" the referee announced.

"Orange, nice to meet you."

"Lin Qing, please give me your guidance."

In the center of the ring, the two exchanged friendly greetings, only realizing each other's astonishing skill upon closer inspection.

Ju Zi's fair and delicate skin was so smooth and radiant that it seemed unreal, as if it would break at the slightest touch. Lin Qing couldn't even see a single pore. The morning light shone on her naturally innocent and beautiful face, like light falling on a freshly peeled egg, reflecting a soft halo.

"I always hear from classmates that Meng Hongchen chases after Lin Qing all the time, from the library to the mimicry training ground. That face is much better looking than Xiao Hongchen's, no wonder..."

While widening the gap between them before the battle, Orange couldn't help but express her approval.

"The match begins!"

With the referee's whistle, the fifth-grade internal battle was about to begin. Orange took a deep breath, and a burst of orange-red light suddenly appeared in her eyes.

Four spirit rings, one yellow and one purple, rose up, and one after another, clusters of orange-red light flew out from the palm of the orange, round and full, clearly oranges, drawing tricky arcs in mid-air, flying straight and curved.

"Wow, the fight's started! The fight's started!" Keke shouted from the waiting area.

"Sister Orange's only attack method is to instantly throw out her martial soul orange as a distraction, mixed with a large number of orange-shaped soul tools!"

Don't let Orange Sister's theoretical research fool you; her soul-guided devices are legendary. These oranges are all Level 4 high-explosive incendiary bombs!

"Could it be that Ju Zi can beat Lin Qing?" someone questioned.

"If we can achieve our goal in one decisive battle, we'll have a chance. If this wave of Orange Storm can't wipe out our opponent, then Orange Sister will be in a very passive position," Keke said seriously.

Having long heard of Lin Qing's great reputation, Orange's tactics coincided with Ke Ke's ideas. A dense barrage of orange-red bombs rained down, and Orange formed a red torrent, bombarding Lin Qing with a howling sound like a tornado passing through.

"boom!!!"

An orange exploded upon contact with the ground, sending a brilliant fireball soaring into the air and burning, followed by a wave of scorching heat. This was followed by a series of explosions, with flames coalescing into a wall of burning fire.

"Bang—"

The silver figure, like a shooting star, crashed straight into the sea of ​​explosions, with orange-red flames bursting continuously and shockwaves surging from all directions.

However, Lin Qing was like an extremely precise machine, with all parts polished to perfection. Mechanical elements covered his body surface in an instant, bringing amazing burst power. Passing through the orange bombardment was as easy as crossing a road in the early morning!

Amidst Ju Zi's utterly horrified gaze, Lin Qing strolled leisurely through the sea of ​​fire, his mechanical elements condensing into a cone, which he lightly touched between her brows. Then, he gracefully brushed past her, using her body as a stepping stone, and descended from battle platform number twenty-four.

"They're having a competition, and you're trying to blast fish? Isn't that ridiculous?"

Keke indignantly condemned Lin Qing, unable to bear looking at the bewildered Orange on the screen.

The battles were fierce and intense. In the eyes of the audience, the so-called sixth-grade seniors were nothing more than a group of old slackers who couldn't get into Mingde Hall and couldn't graduate.

The spots in the Red Dust Class should rightfully belong to the fourth and fifth graders, who possess outstanding talent and strong Soul Master levels. Moreover, the fifth graders did not disappoint them, each displaying their unique abilities.

Lin Qing easily defeated Ju Zi, Meng Hongchen casually poisoned his opponent, Xiao Hongchen's shot turned his classmate into an aerial acrobat, Lan Xiu transformed into the King of Torture with the Nine Luminaries' reflective ray and resistance aura, and even Tang Gang shone brightly, Gu Zhu pole vaulting and catching his junior off guard with a barrage of gunfire.

"Battle on Battle Stage 24, the second match: Ye Guyi from Class 1, Grade 5, versus Nana from Class 2, Grade 5."

The student who replaced Lin Qing was Ye Guyi. Her opponent, Nana, had a delicate appearance, a slender and well-proportioned figure, wheat-colored skin with an exotic flair, and sharp eyes, like a nimble cheetah locking onto its prey.

The two men faced each other, clasped their hands in greeting, and slowly separated.

"This girl carries lingering evil energy; could she have recently come into contact with an evil spirit master?"

Beep beep beep! The angel radar alarm goes off!

As the strictest mother of evil spirit masters, the Holy Angel possesses a sensitivity to evil attributes that is beyond the comprehension of ordinary spirit masters.

Evil spirits and villains have nowhere to hide before the holy light. In just a moment, the angel lady could smell the lingering stench of evil spirits around Nana.

With eyes as sharp as a drawn divine blade, Ye Guyi muttered to himself, "An inherently evil organization of evil soul masters..."

"So they've already infiltrated the continent's top Soul Master Academy without a trace...?"