98: Chapter 98 Awakening Heavenly Rank Soul Skill

Dean Zhou Qingyuan had actually anticipated this.

After all, it was a Heaven-Rank Soul Skill.

Looking back at the entire history of the Martial Soul Era, those who possessed Heaven-Rank Soul Skills could be counted on one hand; it was definitely not something that could be awakened by mere luck.

But even so, as long as there was a sliver of hope, she was willing to gamble everything.

If she could successfully awaken a Heaven-Rank Soul Skill, she would not only have hope of breaking through to an eighth-rank Soul Saint in one go,

but she might even become invincible among those of the same rank.

Unless her opponent also possessed a Heaven-Rank Soul Skill.

Having thought this through, Dean Zhou Qingyuan's expression turned serious as she looked at Lin Mo. "Don't worry, I'm ready."

"Alright then, tell me your Martial Soul attributes and all your stats."

Dean Zhou Qingyuan rolled her eyes at him.

Had this kid really forgotten everything?

In truth, Lin Mo hadn't forgotten; the data was stored in his AI, he was just too lazy to retrieve it.

Dean Zhou Qingyuan had no choice but to patiently list her stats. "My Martial Soul is the S-rank elemental Martial Soul 'Purple Lightning', lightning attribute. Telekinesis is 73, physical strength is 82, and my measurements are..."

Lin Mo recorded them diligently. His pen only paused slightly when he heard "measurements," but he didn't say anything, though he found it rather amusing in his heart.

She might as well have reported the color of her underwear at this rate, right?

"Alright," he said, putting away his paper and pen. "Give me a quiet place. I need an hour to run the deductions."

Dean Zhou Qingyuan thought for a moment, then stood up and opened a hidden door behind her desk. "This is where I usually rest. It's quiet enough."

Behind the hidden door was an elegant lounge. The furnishings were simple yet neat, and the air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood.

Lin Mo walked in and shut the door behind him, cutting off all outside noise.

Once the door was closed, Lin Mo casually tossed the paper and pen aside, then threw himself onto the bed and fell fast asleep.

It was the AI that said it needed an hour, so he didn't need to do any of the thinking.

He might as well take a nap.

For the next hour,

Dean Zhou Qingyuan stood outside the door, pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pan.

The office was so quiet that she could hear her own heartbeat.

Every single second felt incredibly long.

Just as an hour passed, the hidden door clicked softly and slowly opened.

Lin Mo walked out, his eyes still a bit bleary as if he had just woken up, and his hair was slightly messy.

Dean Zhou Qingyuan quickly went to meet him, her heart leaping into her throat, her voice tight with tension. "How did the... deduction go?"

Lin Mo yawned and rubbed his eyes, mumbling, "Oh, it's done."

"It's done?" Dean Zhou Qingyuan froze for a moment, then eagerly pressed, "Then... what about the Soul Skill?"

"Right here." Lin Mo waved the few sheets of paper in his hand.

"It's just a pity that there aren't many choices for you. Only two."

"Let me see!" Dean Zhou Qingyuan snatched the papers, her eyes scanning them impatiently.

On the very top sheet, two Soul Skill names were written in bold—

"Thunder Explosion Heavenly Punishment: Low-grade Heaven-Rank Soul Skill, lightning attribute. Using the Martial Soul as a medium, it condenses a web of thunder to cover the target area. Upon detonation, it triggers a chain of thunderbursts, dealing devastating damage to enemies within range. Consumes a massive amount of Soul Power..."

"Heavenly Tribulation: Wild Purple Lightning Dragon: Low-grade Heaven-Rank Soul Skill, lightning attribute. Using one's own Soul Power as a medium, it condenses a wild Purple Lightning dragon driven by telekinesis. Continuous Soul Power consumption is extremely high, easily leading to exhaustion of Soul Power. Use with caution..."

Dean Zhou Qingyuan's breath caught instantly, her knuckles turning slightly white from gripping the paper so tightly.

Two low-grade Heaven-Rank skills...

"This, this..." She looked up, her eyes filled with shock and a hint of unbelievable ecstasy as she stared at Lin Mo. "Can this really... succeed?"

Lin Mo had woken up a bit more by now. Leaning against the desk, he said,

"Theoretically, yes."

He didn't make any absolute promises.

Dean Zhou Qingyuan's gaze darted back and forth between the two Soul Skills on the paper.

She hesitated once again.

She seemed to have fallen into a state of indecisiveness.

When in doubt, she could only ask Lin Mo.

"What do you think of these two Soul Skills?"

Lin Mo didn't answer immediately. Instead, he picked up her teacup and took a sip.

Dean Zhou Qingyuan frowned and opened her mouth, wanting to say that she was a germaphobe.

But in the end, she kept quiet.

She only heard Lin Mo analyze,

"'Thunder Explosion Heavenly Punishment' is suitable for group combat and can change the tide of battle. Its Soul Power consumption isn't too extreme. With your current Soul Power and physical strength, using it two or three times won't be an issue."

"As for 'Heavenly Tribulation: Wild Purple Lightning Dragon', it's more powerful, but the side effects are also greater. If you're not careful, it could completely drain your Soul Power. It's suitable for life-or-death struggles. Take your pick."

Hearing Lin Mo's analysis, Dean Zhou Qingyuan fell into a dilemma once more.

Both Soul Skills had their own merits, and in her heart, she actually leaned toward the latter.

After all, who wouldn't want a ultimate finishing move?

"Do you have any recommendations?"

She looked up at Lin Mo, her eyes filled with inquiry.

Lin Mo stroked his chin and said seriously, "I suggest choosing the first one. If you encounter an exotic beast tide or a chaotic battlefield, 'Thunder Explosion Heavenly Punishment' can directly turn the tide of battle in your favor, and you won't put yourself in danger."

He paused, then changed the subject.

"The second one is different. If you don't have teammates to cover you, unleashing your ultimate move basically means leaving your life up to luck. If you're lucky, you might survive. But if you're unlucky, you could end up dead in the mouth of some low-level exotic beast, or get finished off by some nobody. That wouldn't be worth it..."

Speaking of which, Lin Mo recalled a story he had read in his previous life:

A top-tier goddess exhausted her energy after unleashing her ultimate move, only to fall into the hands of a minor demon and suffer endless humiliation...

Just thinking about it made him shudder.

Dean Zhou Qingyuan pondered his words and found them reasonable. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Alright, I'll choose the first one!"

"What do I need to prepare?" she asked immediately, all hesitation gone from her eyes.

"That's easy." Lin Mo took out his notebook, his pen flying across the paper, quickly filling an entire page.

He handed the list to Dean Zhou Qingyuan. "These are the required materials. As for my reward..."

"Don't worry!" Dean Zhou Qingyuan took the list, her face full of sincerity. "As long as it succeeds, I'll grant you whatever you want."

Lin Mo looked at the strange expression in her eyes.

He found it somewhat baffling.

But he still smiled. "Alright then, there's no rush to talk about this. It won't be too late after you successfully awaken it."

Dean Zhou Qingyuan looked at the paper.

The materials listed on it included high-grade lightning-attribute soul crystals and a bunch of Heaven And Earth Treasure.

Although precious, they weren't difficult to obtain given Dean Zhou Qingyuan's status.

This was also thanks to Lin Mo reading many books on high-level pharmacology of this world from Professor Yi Nan.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to come up with a Heaven-Rank plan so quickly.

That very night,

deep within the Eastern Martial Soul Academy,

dark clouds suddenly gathered, and streaks of purple-gold lightning surged through the clouds like wild dragons.

Dull thunder rumbled and boomed, as if the entire sky were trembling, carrying an oppressive weight like the end of the world.

This phenomenon instantly startled the entire academy.

Even the neighboring Donghai City area could see the night sky torn apart by the lightning.

"Is that... the direction of Dean Zhou's villa?" a patrolling instructor muttered, looking at the horizon in shock.

"Heavens, this commotion is too massive. Is someone breaking through to a higher rank?"

Students in the dormitories clung to the windows and peered out, their eyes filled with shock.

In the Donghai City Martial Arts Association branch, the elder on duty suddenly stood up, staring at the lightning in the direction of the academy with a furrowed brow.

"This Soul Power fluctuation... is by no means an ordinary breakthrough. Could someone be awakening a Heaven-Rank Soul Skill?"

For a time, countless gazes focused on the night sky interwoven with lightning, as discussions and gasps of admiration rose one after another.

Everyone was speculating about what exactly had happened to trigger such a celestial phenomenon.

On the villa's rooftop, Lin Mo stood to one side, watching Dean Zhou Qingyuan, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground with Soul Power surging around her.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"It's done, and she even successfully advanced to a Soul Saint..."