This Old Man Likes Testing People with Pressure?

Zu Zong thought to himself, So he's Sun Buyu. He hid in the shadows and watched for so long, only coming out now. His timing sure is convenient! Is he trying to test my strength?

Several bit-player students helped the sprawled Xue Beng to his feet. Looking utterly disheveled and gasping for breath, he roared, "Teacher Sun, look at these two lunatics! They actually dared to beat us up like this. They have absolutely no respect for Heaven Dou Imperial Academy! You have to stand up for us!"

Without saying anything else, the great Prince Xue Beng first dumped the blame on someone else.

Sun Buyu clearly disliked Xue Beng. Others might fear him, but Sun Buyu did not. He said impatiently, "I saw what happened. Aren't you ashamed to have been beaten into this state by two new students? Xue Beng, this is an academy, not the Imperial Capital. You'd better behave yourself. Now get lost."

He then looked at Zu Zong and Xiao Wu as though he wanted to see straight through them. "You two are quite strong. What are your names?"

Zu Zong said, "My name is Zu Zong, and this is my 'sworn' little sister, Xiao Wu. These are our admission invitations." As he spoke, Zu Zong handed the two specially made envelopes to Sun Buyu.

"Zu... Zong?" Even with Sun Buyu's excellent self-restraint, he had never heard of such a name that took such blatant advantage of others. If not for the admission invitations the other party had handed over, he would have suspected he was being toyed with.

After opening the two envelopes, Sun Buyu's expression changed. When he looked at Zu Zong and Xiao Wu again, his gaze had softened considerably.

"Alright, come with me. I'll take you to meet the Education Committee."

Zu Zong smiled faintly and replied seriously, "Then we'll have to trouble you, Teacher Sun."

Sun Buyu led Zu Zong and Xiao Wu to the Education Committee of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Other than extravagant, Zu Zong could not think of any other word to describe it. A single-story building was somehow built over ten meters tall; even Spirit Hall in Nuoding City could not compare.

Zu Zong fumed inwardly, These damned aristocrats who eat people alive without even spitting out the bones... One day, I'll haul all this money back to my own house.

Upon entering the hall of the Education Committee, Zu Zong found only four people inside. Apart from the three elderly men in black robes seated in the main seats, there was also a middle-aged man around thirty years old standing off to one side.

Though the three elders merely sat there, they gave off an exceptionally peculiar feeling, as if the three of them were the core of Heaven Dou Royal Academy's main campus—even the entire academy. Gentle smiles rested on their faces, yet the unique aura belonging to powerful experts was impossible to conceal.

Zu Zong muttered softly, "These are Heaven Dou Academy's Spirit Douluo? And there are three of them."

When Xiao Wu, standing beside him, heard Zu Zong mention Spirit Douluo, she was startled. These were beings capable of recognizing transformed soul beasts. Instinctively, she hid behind Zu Zong.

She trembled slightly, occasionally sneaking a glance at the three black-robed elders from the corner of her eye. She had even forgotten that she had already shed her beast form.

Zu Zong patted Xiao Wu's small hand, signaling for her not to be nervous. "Alright, alright. It's fine."

Long ago, Zu Zong had already used the system to identify her. Even the system showed that Xiao Wu was now completely human. Otherwise, how could he possibly have dared to bring her here?

Sun Buyu bowed to the three elders seated on the dais. "Three Chairmen of the Education Committee, I have brought you the people the academy was looking for." Then he smiled at the middle-aged man standing to the side. The man nodded and returned the smile, the two exchanging greetings.

The gaunt elder seated in the center laughed heartily and rose to his feet. "Not bad, not bad. You can remain completely fearless in the face of the pressure from the three of us. You truly are promising material! I am the chief of the Education Committee, Meng Shenji. My Martial Soul is Black Demon. I am an eighty-sixth-rank, eight-ring control-type War Soul Douluo. Let me introduce the others."

As he spoke, Meng Shenji pointed at the short, plump elder on his left. "This is the academy's second-ranking Education Committee member, Spirit Douluo Bai Baoshan. His Martial Soul is the Starry Furnace. He is an eighty-fifth-rank, eight-ring defense-type War Soul Douluo."

The short, plump elder wore a gentle smile throughout, the fat on his face jiggling along with it. When Meng Shenji introduced him, he smiled and nodded at Zu Zong and Xiao Wu.

Meng Shenji pointed to the last elder. "This is the third-ranking Education Committee member, Spirit Douluo Zhi Lin. His Martial Soul is Sky Azure Vine. He is an eighty-third-rank, eight-ring control-type Tool Soul Douluo."

Unlike Meng Shenji and Bai Baoshan, Zhi Lin was not smiling. In fact, ever since Sun Buyu had brought Zu Zong and Xiao Wu into the hall, his brows had been tightly furrowed.

A strange feeling filled his heart, one that was not unfamiliar to him. Years ago, he had felt it from someone else—Chrysanthemum Douluo.

And that feeling was emanating from the young man before him.

Spirit Douluo Zhi Lin also stood up and said seriously, "Young friend, could you let this old man take a look at your Martial Soul?"

Zu Zong nodded and replied seriously, "Zu Zong. Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Control-type with enhanced assault capabilities. Thirty-seventh-rank, three-ring Tool Soul Master."

As he spoke, Zu Zong motioned for Xiao Wu to move farther away and raised his right hand. A faint white light surfaced across his skin. Immediately afterward, deep blue-black Blue Silver Emperor vines covered in peculiar patterns surged forth from his palm. Two yellow and one purple soul rings rose from beneath his feet, circling his body as they moved up and down. This was the defining trait of a three-ring Soul Master.

Aside from his soul ring configuration and Blue Silver Emperor, Zu Zong did not intend to keep his rank hidden any longer. Since he had decided to join Heaven Dou Royal Academy, it was only a matter of time before his rank was exposed. Rather than being exposed by others later, he might as well reveal it himself.

Everyone present, aside from Xiao Wu, who had long known Zu Zong's strength, was greatly shocked.

Sun Buyu, who held the admission notices in his hands, was so astonished that his jaw nearly dropped. He had already been shocked to see that Zu Zong and Xiao Wu were both Soul Elders under thirteen years old. Yet he had never expected Zu Zong to be a thirty-seventh-rank Soul Elder. Didn't that mean Zu Zong had become a Soul Elder before the age of twelve, perhaps even eleven? It was simply terrifying.

The moment Zu Zong unleashed his Martial Soul, the strange feeling in Zhi Lin's heart became reality—Martial Soul suppression.

"This is Martial Soul suppression! My Sky Azure Vine Martial Soul is actually being suppressed!" Spirit Douluo Zhi Lin cried out.

Suddenly, the black robe symbolizing Zhi Lin's status as a Spirit Douluo fluttered despite the lack of wind. Though he merely stood there, Zu Zong could clearly feel the pressure around his body increasing bit by bit.

Zu Zong appeared unmoved, but inwardly he clicked his tongue. Damn, why does this old man Zhi Lin love using pressure to test juniors so much? He did the same thing when he first met Tang San in the original story, and now he's doing it to me too. He started right at the level of thirty-five. But it's fine. I can take it.

Zhi Lin narrowed his somewhat cloudy eyes. Deeply shocked, he slowly increased the pressure.

Thirty-sixth rank, thirty-seventh rank, thirty-eighth rank.

All the way up to the strength of the fortieth rank, Zu Zong still looked as though nothing had happened.

Zu Zong thought, Of course. I've already summoned my Martial Soul. It would be strange if I had any trouble.

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