Under Spirit Douluo Zhi Lin's gaze, Xiao Wu grew even more flustered. Zu Zong smiled helplessly. Perhaps she had been a rabbit for too long; even after becoming human, she still retained that psychological shadow.
Clearing his throat, Zhi Lin said seriously, "Young girl, could you show us your Martial Soul?"
Zu Zong took Xiao Wu's hand and reassured her, "It's fine. You're just showing them your Martial Soul."
With Zu Zong comforting her, Xiao Wu visibly calmed down. She nodded, gathered her courage, and said, "Xiao Wu, Martial Soul: Rabbit. Level 33 three-ring assault-type Soul Elder."
A red glow lit up around Xiao Wu. Shrouded in the faint crimson light, her eyes gradually turned red, while her ears slowly lengthened and rose from the sides of her head, covered in soft white fur. She seemed to grow a little taller, and gentle soul power fluctuated around her body. The Soul Rings rising beneath her feet were the same as Zu Zong's earlier—yellow, yellow, purple. Three rings as well.
The three Education Committee members nodded in succession. "Mm! Not bad."
Meng Shenji looked at the middle-aged man standing nearby and laughed heartily. "Qin Ming, what do you think? Are these two fit to join the Imperial Fight Team?"
The middle-aged man was extremely excited, joy written across his face as he answered with a smile, "Three Education Committee members, if they aren't qualified, then I'm afraid there aren't many people on the entire continent who are."
When Meng Shenji had first called him over and informed him that two new students would be joining the Imperial Fight Team today, he had initially refused.
It wasn't that he held any great prejudice against new students. Rather, most of those admitted were children of nobles. The Heaven Dou Empire's nobility was among the most extravagant and decadent on the continent. Even those with decent talent spent every day carousing with worthless companions, ultimately accomplishing nothing. Heaven Dou Empire's Fourth Prince, Xue Beng, was a prime example.
It had already been difficult enough for the Imperial Fight Team to gather promising talents such as Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan. He had no desire to let one rotten apple spoil the whole barrel. But Meng Shenji was, after all, the chairman of the academy's Education Committee, so he could not bring himself to refuse outright. He had proposed meeting them first before making a decision, never expecting reality to hand him such an enormous surprise.
The middle-aged man smiled. "My name is Qin Ming. I'm thirty-two this year—according to Baidu—and I'm a teacher at Heaven Dou Royal Academy as well as the Imperial Fight Team's leader. My Martial Soul is the mutated Blazing Azure Wolf. I'm a level sixty-two, six-ring assault-type Soul Emperor. From today onward, you are members of my Imperial Fight Team."
Zu Zong: What?
Xiao Wu: Nani? She had learned it from Zu Zong.
After handling the enrollment procedures for Zu Zong and Xiao Wu, Qin Ming led them toward the Imperial Fight Team's gathering place.
As the three walked, Qin Ming introduced the surrounding areas to them along the way.
"This is the academy cafeteria. The food is decent, and it's all free."
"This is the Martial Soul Mimicry Cultivation Field. You can use it in the future, but you'll need to apply first."
"This is—"
Without the three Spirit Douluo Education Committee members around, Xiao Wu returned to her carefree self. She wanted to touch and examine everything she saw. When she heard about the cafeteria, she practically could not move another step, her eyes fixed intently on Zu Zong. Helpless, Zu Zong had no choice but to sign a series of unequal treaties with her, including a One-Day Tour of Heaven Dou City, before she finally gave up.
Once the buildings gradually disappeared from view, Xiao Wu finally settled down and asked Qin Ming, "Teacher Qin, didn't you say new students need to take an entrance exam? Is it really okay for us to just use the back door like this?"
Zu Zong's expression turned serious. Damn, this rabbit actually cares about things besides eating? As he spoke, his right hand reached for Xiao Wu's forehead.
The moment Zu Zong touched her, Xiao Wu's face flushed red. Yet she made no move to push his hand away. Pretending to scold him coquettishly, she asked, "What are you doing?"
Zu Zong raised his free left hand to touch his own forehead and smiled. "No fever. You actually said something serious today! I thought you'd ask Teacher Qin what time the cafeteria opened!"
"Go die. Awooo!" Xiao Wu pushed aside Zu Zong's right hand, grabbed it, and bit down on it "viciously."
"Ah! What a sin! Dead rabbit, let go!"
"Not letting go!"
"Are you letting go or not?!"
"Absolutely not!"
Watching the two fool around, Qin Ming smiled knowingly. They really were childhood sweethearts. At the same time, he observed a moment of silence for himself. This was torture for a wolf.
Qin Ming's Martial Soul was a wolf, while Grandmaster Su Yuntao's Martial Soul was a dog. So Qin Ming was being tortured as a wolf, while Su Yuntao was being tortured as a dog. Mm! That was right.
The two noticed Qin Ming's gaze.
Zu Zong did not care. He was an old hand at this.
Xiao Wu, however, could not take it. She had actually done something so embarrassing in front of her new teacher. How mortifying! She released Zu Zong's hand and hurriedly hid behind him.
Seeing Xiao Wu's reaction, Qin Ming smiled faintly. "Your strength has been recognized by the academy's three highest-ranking Education Committee members, so the exam the day after tomorrow will merely be a formality."
At this point, Qin Ming's tone shifted, and he let out a helpless sigh.
"Besides, entrance exams at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy have now become little more than a meaningless formality.
As long as someone obtains an admission slot, the vast majority come from powerful families. Whether they can pass the exam or not, they will ultimately be admitted. Once inside, most of them do not cultivate diligently, yet they occupy the academy's vast resources for nothing.
As for those who have the strength to pass but lack connections, they cannot even get through the front gate.
You two are lucky. You happened to meet Education Committee member Meng Shenji's granddaughter. Otherwise, no matter how outstanding your talent was, without the academy's upper ranks knowing about you, you still would not have gotten in.
However, things have improved quite a bit since the Crown Prince became dean, though it is still just a drop in the bucket.
The web of noble connections is simply too complicated."
Zu Zong nodded in deep agreement. This situation was much like the late Eastern Han of Blue Star in his previous life. The source of the chaos was that the aristocratic clans controlled most of the land and population, leaving ordinary people without enough to eat and eventually triggering war, setting off a decades-long struggle for supremacy. The ridiculous part was that Wei, Shu, and Wu fought endlessly, yet the ultimate victor was the aristocratic class represented by the Sima Clan. Decades later, the aristocratic clans descended into civil war once again, foreign enemies invaded, and the people of the Han Dynasty suffered centuries of slaughter. What irony.
And the original course of Douluo Continent was so similar to that of the Three Kingdoms. The "righteous" protagonist helped the "righteous nobles" win the "evil" war launched by Spirit Hall. Decades later, without Spirit Hall as a common enemy, war erupted again and continued to spread for tens of thousands of years without ever stopping.
After becoming a god, the protagonist remained high above, watching war rage on and Evil Soul Masters run rampant, claiming he would not interfere in mortal affairs. Yet when the continent once again had a chance to unify, that lofty god stepped in to interfere and forcibly stopped the unification. The continent once more fell into a state where war could break out at any moment.
Thinking of this, Zu Zong clenched his fists. Perhaps I can change something!
These past few chapters were only a transition. They would not be so padded afterward.
And if you like the book, please toss in a free recommendation vote!
Before you continue