Clear Sky Sect's Plans, Mingdu Hongchen Family

"Little friend Gu Yue, welcome to the Sun Moon Empire, and welcome to the Hongchen Family."

Jing Hongchen spoke first, his face beaming with sincere and eager warmth, as if he were gazing upon a rare treasure. "This Old Man has been waiting for you, watching the stars and the moon, and finally you've arrived."

"Hall Master Jing is too kind."

Gu Yuejin gave a slight bow, neither humble nor arrogant. "Since I agreed, I naturally won't break my word."

Both were shrewd men, so they dispensed with excessive pleasantries and cut straight to the point.

"To be honest, little friend Gu Yue, your timing is perfect."

Jing Hongchen guided Gu Yuejin to a seat and personally poured him a cup of tea. The fragrant aroma curling upward was clearly of the highest grade.

"Recently, the academy has been pushing reforms. As you know, while our Sun Moon Empire leads in Soul Tools, we've always been suppressed by the original Three Kingdoms in terms of martial soul cultivation—especially by Shrek Academy."

"This Old Man has long wanted to add courses on deep martial soul development and practical combat application to the existing teaching system, to patch up this shortcoming."

"Now that little friend Gu Yue is here, I have an impertinent request. I'd like you to take charge of this new course, with full authority over martial soul combat instruction. What do you think?"

Gu Yuejin's eyes flickered with understanding at these words.

This old fox had calculated shrewdly.

By tying him to the academy's war chariot, he could also use his experience to boost the students' combat abilities—killing two birds with one stone.

But this suited his plans just fine.

Being an ordinary teacher was far too dull. If he was going to teach, he'd be a "specially appointed professor" with real influence, which would make his subsequent schemes much easier to carry out.

"Since Hall Master Jing trusts me so much, I, Gu, will naturally do my utmost."

Gu Yuejin lifted the teacup, took a light sip, and maintained a calm expression. "After all, one takes money and settles troubles. Besides, the treatment Hall Master Jing offers is truly hard to refuse."

Seeing Gu Yuejin agree so readily, the wrinkles on Jing Hongchen's face bloomed like a flower.

"Excellent! With Brother Gu Yue here, our academy's combat classes are going to be super interesting!"

Meng Hongchen couldn't help but chime in from the side, her big eyes fixed on Gu Yuejin as if trying to see a flower bloom from him. She even went so far as to scoot her chair closer to him.

"Brother Gu Yue, will you teach me too?"

"Meng! Don't be rude."

Jing Hongchen scolded her, but his tone was full of indulgence.

"By the way, Brother Gu Yue, last time in the Extreme North, I didn't get a chance to ask in detail."

Meng Hongchen blinked, her face brimming with curiosity, completely ignoring her grandfather's warning glare. "What level are you, exactly?"

"Last time, you killed that Magic Ice Flood Dragon so easily—at least a... Soul King?"

At this question, Xiao Hongchen, who had been sitting nearby with a sour face as if someone owed him millions of Gold Soul Coins, subtly perked up his ears.

He had been curious too.

Back in the Extreme North, although Gu Yuejin hadn't revealed his Soul Rings, his bearing was far beyond that of an ordinary Soul King.

"Soul King?"

Jing Hongchen stroked his chin, calculating inwardly.

If Gu Yuejin was a Soul King at under twenty years old, he'd be a top-tier genius even in the Sun Moon Empire.

But considering he was a Traditional Soul Master from the original Three Kingdoms, perhaps he was even higher?

"Could it be... a Soul Emperor?"

Jing Hongchen probed cautiously, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.

An eighteen-year-old Soul Emperor—that was on par with core disciples of Shrek Academy's Inner Court, worthy of pouring all his resources into recruiting.

But Gu Yuejin shook his head.

He set down his teacup, his expression as calm as if he were stating something trivial.

"Not a Soul Emperor."

"Unworthy as I am, I've only reached Soul Sage."

The air suddenly went still.

A deathly silence.

"Pfft—!!!"

The premium tea Jing Hongchen had just sipped sprayed out in a fine mist. He barely managed to control it with his soul power, preventing it from hitting Gu Yuejin across from him.

"How much?!"

This Hall Master of Mingde Hall, who had weathered countless storms and remained unflappable even as mountains crumbled, now had eyes bulging nearly out of their sockets. His voice cracked, completely losing his composure.

"Soul... Soul Sage?!"

Not just him, but Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen beside him were utterly dumbfounded.

Meng Hongchen covered her mouth, her gaze at Gu Yuejin shifting from mere admiration to something like reverence for a deity.

A Soul Sage this young?!

Is this even human?!

This is the kind of plot you'd only find in myths and legends!

"Impossible!"

Xiao Hongchen, who had been maintaining an aloof posture and priding himself as the number one genius of the Sun Moon Empire, finally cracked.

He shot up from his seat with a "scrape," knocking his chair over in the process.

He stepped forward, his gaze locked onto Gu Yuejin, his heterochromatic eyes filled with doubt, shock, and deep unwillingness.

"How old are you? You don't look much older than me! How could you possibly be a Soul Sage?!"

"Even that so-called 'Sea God Pavilion' at Shrek Academy has never heard of such an outrageous monster!"

"I don't believe it! I'm the most talented person in the history of the Sun Moon Empire, and I haven't even reached Soul King yet. How could you..."

"Are you using some kind of illusion technique, or a forbidden art that burns your life force?!"

Xiao Hongchen had been proud his entire life.

He always believed he was a child of destiny, not even deigning to look at people from Shrek Academy.

But today, a peer suddenly told him not only that he was stronger, but overwhelmingly so. How could he accept that?

It was like grinding his pride into the dirt!

"Xiao! Silence!"

Jing Hongchen barked sharply, cutting off his grandson's words.

He knew his grandson's arrogance all too well, but in the face of absolute power, questioning only made one look ignorant and ridiculous.

He took a deep breath and looked at Gu Yuejin's calm, unruffled golden eyes.

There was no trace of guilt there, only a serene "loneliness of the invincible."

He believed Gu Yuejin wasn't lying.

"A monster... a true monster."

Jing Hongchen muttered to himself, his estimation of Gu Yuejin instantly skyrocketing tenfold.

If before he was just trying to recruit a genius, now he was enshrining a future Limit Douluo!

A jackpot!

A real jackpot!

Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao, watching the reactions of the three, felt a surge of schadenfreude.

He silently grumbled in his mind:

"Hmph, scared stiff already?"

"If you knew Master's soul ring configuration was one yellow, two purple, three black, one red, and that the seventh ring was a ten-thousand-year one, you'd probably faint on the spot."

"Master really knows how to keep a low profile."

"Wow! Brother Gu Yue, you're way too amazing! I want to marry..."

Meng Hongchen was so excited she tried to rush over and grab Gu Yuejin's arm, practically plastering herself against him.

But a hand ruthlessly grabbed her by the back collar.

"Show some restraint!"

Xiao Hongchen said with a dark face, holding his younger sister back as if guarding against a thief.

Even though he'd been humiliated, he absolutely wouldn't let his own cabbage just offer itself up!

"Xiao Hongchen, let me go! I want to ask Brother Gu Yue for cultivation advice!"

"Advice my ass! Are you really going for cultivation? I won't even bother calling you out on it!"

Gu Yuejin watched this scene of "brotherly and sisterly affection," raised an eyebrow, and chuckled inwardly.

This kid... really is a sis-con.

Tsk, welcome to German orthopedics.

"Ahem, please forgive my rudeness, young friend Gu Yue."

Jing Hongchen coughed awkwardly, steadied his emotions, and his smile grew even brighter, tinged with a hint of fawning.

"Young friend Gu Yue, since you've just arrived and have no place to stay."

"Why not stay at my humble abode for now?"

"The estate is large enough, with plenty of empty courtyards, and the environment is quiet. It'll be convenient for you and Meng'er... ahem, convenient for us to exchange ideas."

"This... wouldn't that be improper?"

Gu Yuejin feigned hesitation.

"What's improper about it! Brother Gu Yue, just stay!" Meng Hongchen, taking advantage of Xiao Hongchen's distraction, broke free again and launched an assist. "I'll take you to pick the best courtyard! The one right next to mine! I can bring you a midnight snack in the evening!"

"Dream! Hong! Chen! Have you no shame?!" Xiao Hongchen roared in fury.

"Then I shall respectfully accept your kind offer."

After a bout of "polite refusal," Gu Yuejin smoothly agreed.

After all, staying here not only meant excellent conditions but also easier access to Mingde Hall's core secrets.

"Oh, Hall Master Jing."

Gu Yuejin pointed at Huo Yuhao, who had been silently serving as background decor.

"This disciple of mine—I'll need your help handling his enrollment procedures."

"A trivial matter!"

Jing Hongchen waved his hand with unrestrained boldness.

"Tomorrow I'll have someone arrange it—straight into the best class, with core disciple treatment!"

No joke—this was a disciple who was already a Soul Sage at such a young age. Even if he were a pig, he'd have to be treated like a golden pig!

What's more, for a kid like this to be taken in by a monster like Gu Yuejin, he definitely had something extraordinary about him.