Fire Demon Xiao Zhan, Soul Saint! (Please Bookmark!!!)

"Your Majesty Pope, that is Su Wen's theory."

In just two short days, Salas had rushed day and night to Spirit City and was now reporting Su Wen's information at Pope's Hall.

"Higher-Level Soul Ring Absorption Theory?" Bibi Dong wore Pope Garments, radiating a powerful aura that inexplicably made others feel oppressed.

"Why didn't you bring Su Wen back?" she asked.

Salas's heart tightened. "Su Wen intends to join Heaven Dou Royal Academy. This subordinate also wished to report the intelligence as soon as possible, so I did not bring him along."

"Could it be that Spirit Hall cannot provide him with the best possible environment for growth?" Chrysanthemum Douluo snorted, his voice shrill. "Hmph, Salas, do you think Your Majesty Pope cannot see through your little schemes?"

No matter the reason, leaving Su Wen in Heaven Dou City meant keeping him under Salas's command. If Su Wen came up with any more theories in the future, Salas would receive a share of the credit.

Salas hurriedly dropped to one knee and pleaded guilty. "Your Majesty Pope, please quell your anger. Su Wen possesses a Book Martial Soul and wishes to walk the path of a battle Soul Master with it. Fire Demon Xiao Zhan, the greatest achiever among Book Martial Souls, teaches at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Su Wen wishes to join the academy because of him. Moreover, Heaven Dou Royal Academy belongs to the Crown Prince—"

"Hmm?"

A formidable surge of soul power erupted from Bibi Dong, immediately suppressing Salas so thoroughly that he did not dare continue.

"Salas, are you making decisions for me?"

"I wouldn't dare." Sweat began to bead on Salas's forehead, and he was nervous as hell.

The hall remained silent for a long time.

"You have rendered merit by discovering Su Wen this time. There is no doubt that Su Wen's theory will benefit Spirit Hall. Since he has a talent for theoretical research and claims to excel at turning knowledge into power, let him join Heaven Dou Royal Academy." After hesitating for a moment, Bibi Dong continued, "There is no need to rush his contact with the Heaven Dou Crown Prince."

"Yes!" Salas let out a breath of relief, wiped the cold sweat from his brow, and responded.

"As for the other peculiarities of his Book Martial Soul, there is no need to concern yourselves with them. They should merely be latent aspects of his Martial Soul Mutation gradually revealing themselves through cultivation." Bibi Dong also gave a final conclusion regarding Su Wen's other abnormalities.

Neither Salas nor Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo found anything wrong with this explanation.

Indeed, Su Wen's Book Martial Soul had initially been registered as nothing more than an ordinary Book Martial Soul, yet both his cultivation speed and everything else far exceeded what his martial soul appeared capable of.

But Su Wen's Innate Soul Power had truly been level five. His Book Martial Soul had surely mutated; it was simply a more subtle type of mutation.

As expected of Your Majesty Pope. Her understanding of martial souls was truly profound.

As for the coincidence of Su Wen delaying before obtaining his soul rings twice, Salas no longer intended to bring it up.

After all, the records themselves gave reasons for it.

For his First Soul Ring, he had wanted a hundred-year soul ring, so he delayed for a year.

For his Second Soul Ring, he wanted a Mental Attribute soul ring and had been making preparations, so he delayed for half a year.

The facts proved that Su Wen had not truly wasted either period of delay, and he had achieved his goals both times.

Su Wen stayed at the Martial Soul Holy Hall in Heaven Dou City for five days before Salas returned from Spirit City.

"Hall Master." Bai Yuan greeted respectfully.

Salas nodded and asked about Su Wen's movements over the past few days.

"He has been studying the materials within the holy hall the entire time. He has now basically finished reading them."

"Oh?" Salas was surprised.

Even Spirit Hall branches in the various frontier cities had libraries and fairly complete collections, but compared to a holy hall, the gap was enormous.

He had finished reading the Martial Soul Holy Hall's materials in five days?

Bai Yuan smiled. He thought highly of Su Wen, this younger generation Soul Master who also possessed a Book Martial Soul. Especially during their exchanges, he had been impressed by Su Wen's many unique insights into martial soul cultivation.

"Hall Master, Su Wen's Book Martial Soul should have undergone some mutation. Its enhancement to learning is enormous."

Here, Bai Yuan placed particular emphasis on the word "enormous."

This enhancement was more obvious—more outrageous—than that of any Book Martial Soul Bai Yuan had ever seen.

Salas pondered for a moment before getting to the main matter. "Bai Yuan, you have a good relationship with Xiao Zhan of Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Su Wen wishes to join Heaven Dou Royal Academy, so help him handle the relevant procedures."

A noble identity did not necessarily require Su Wen himself to become a noble; he could also rely on connections.

Being able to use one's connections with the academy's instructors already proved one's standing.

"Yes." Bai Yuan had learned of this during his conversations with Su Wen. Now that Salas had assigned him the task, he could accept it.

As Soul Masters with Book Martial Souls, he and Xiao Zhan had a good relationship—one specialized in theory, the other in combat.

Bai Yuan's advice had also been indispensable in Xiao Zhan's soul ring configurations as Xiao Zhan rose step by step.

"You should already know about Su Wen's Higher-Level Soul Ring Absorption Theory, correct?"

Bai Yuan's heart skipped a beat. Looking at Salas's expression, could there be something wrong with knowing this theory?

Su Wen had told me himself.

"Do not reveal it for now. This is Your Majesty Pope's order."

"Yes, Hall Master. Rest assured, I will keep my mouth shut."

"Su Wen, Bai Yuan will help arrange the procedures for you to join Heaven Dou Royal Academy."

"Yes, thank you, Hall Master." Su Wen breathed a sigh of relief.

The plan worked.

Salas and the Pope believed they had stumbled into an opportunity to be placed under Qian Renxue's command, but Su Wen had known this all along. That was why he had chosen this path.

However, it was common knowledge that something was wrong with Bibi Dong's mind, so Su Wen could not say for certain that his plan would succeed.

Only after hearing Salas's instructions did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Then the next step is to reach Dugu Bo through Dugu Yan."

"Uncle Bai, I'll have to trouble you."

"Haha, no trouble at all. You want to follow the path of a combat Soul Master with a Book Martial Soul, and you have talent to boot. Old Xiao probably won't mind teaching you himself."

Bai Yuan brought Su Wen to a residence in Heaven Dou City.

Fire Demon Xiao Zhan, whose Martial Soul was the Fire Demon Tome; a Soul Saint and a Heaven Dou-Level Instructor at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

"Lao Bai, this is the Su Wen you mentioned, right?"

"That's right." Bai Yuan looked at Su Wen. "Xiao Wen, this is Xiao Zhan, who became a Power Attack System Battle Soul Master with a Book Martial Soul and earned the title Fire Demon."

"Haha, just call me Uncle Zhan."

"Uncle Zhan."

It was clear that Xiao Zhan had a very straightforward, exceedingly warm personality. He was also quite curious about Su Wen.

"An eleven-year-old Soul Grandmaster? Haha, I never would've dared imagine that Soul Masters with Book Martial Souls could cultivate this quickly." Xiao Zhan patted Su Wen on the shoulder, his face full of admiration.

"Leave joining Heaven Dou Royal Academy to me. As a Heaven Dou-Level Instructor, I have the qualifications to arrange it, and your talent is more than sufficient."

Xiao Zhan's expression turned serious as he cautioned Su Wen, "Xiao Wen, Lao Bai introduced you, and your talent is exceptional. I think highly of you, but you must not become arrogant or complacent. Once you join the academy, you must cultivate diligently."

"Uncle Zhan, don't worry. I'll cultivate properly."

"Mm." Xiao Zhan nodded. "You've already absorbed two Soul Rings. What Soul Skills did you obtain, and how effective are they? If a Book Martial Soul wants to follow the path of a Battle Soul Master, every Soul Ring is crucial."

Only if they were suitable would he consider taking Su Wen under his wing.

What he had agreed to before was merely helping Su Wen enroll.

He deeply understood the difficulties of a Book Martial Soul taking the Battle Soul Master path. If Su Wen's first two Soul Rings had not been properly matched, he would rather persuade him to give up this path.