That night, Tang Qinghe reminded Bibi in a note to join the Imperial Spirit Academy tomorrow, and told her to be careful.
Afterward, he went straight to bed, lost in thought.
Early the next morning, Tang Qinghe and Bibi exchanged soul power once more.
Bibi glanced at the note Tang Qinghe had left and thought it was unusually written.
Seeing her as a young girl, he'd called her a junior sister. She thought that was a good idea.
When Bibi arrived at the meeting place with Guo Youlin and Zhu Zhuqing, the people who'd been summoned to join the Imperial Spirit Academy had already gathered.
A tall man dressed in black, clad in a dark jade-green robe.
A plump woman with short golden hair.
A woman dressed in black, beautiful enough to rival the loveliest of women.
A man with a straight nose and square jaw, built like a rock.
And another man, also dressed in black, with a black scarf covering even his mouth. His slender, graceful figure was wrapped in a dark green cloak that flowed like a waterfall down his back. His eyes, the same shade as his clothes, revealed no emotion. All Bibi could sense from him was loneliness and desolation.
Bibi took one look at him and raised an eyebrow, surprised.
Aside from that mysterious young man in black, everyone else looked ordinary enough. They were all around twenty, some a little older, but each had already broken through to the Soul Sect rank.
Even so, they were all exceptionally talented—just the sort the Imperial Spirit Academy would be eager to recruit.
The academy had really hit the jackpot this time.
As Bibi sized up the people summoned to the Imperial Spirit Academy, they were sizing him up, too.
When they learned that the girl who'd beaten Ke Ming would be joining the Imperial Spirit Academy, they were all excited.
After all, they had six men in their group. Whenever they faced off against a Soul Elder, they could only choose someone whose strength was a complete match for their own.
Now, one of them, Guo Youlin, needed a partner. He'd simply kicked out the man who'd been filling that role.
Especially Jade Heaven. He'd been able to walk beside Guo Youlin because he had good reason to. But now that she'd become even more beautiful after her soul power evolved, he'd been dazzled by her at first glance.
Without even noticing Bibi and Zhu Zhuqing standing beside Guo Youlin, Jade Heaven hurried up to her. He gave her a confident smile, revealing the self-assured manner of a spoiled young master. "Hello, miss. I'm Jade Heaven, captain of the Imperial Spirit Academy team. I'm a thirty-ninth-rank strong attack system Soul Venerable, and I'm twenty years old. It's a pleasure to meet you."
With that, he held out his right hand.
Having already set her heart on someone, Guo Youlin wouldn't be swayed by anyone else. She'd long since fallen for Tang Qinghe, and Jade Heaven's behavior made her frown.
Before she could say anything, Bibi, standing beside her, had already stepped forward. She grabbed Guo Youlin's hand and pulled her in front of herself, then greeted her warmly. "So you're Jade Heaven, captain of the Imperial Spirit Academy team. I've heard of you. You must be from the Azure Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, right?"
"That's right. I'm the third-generation grandson of the Azure Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. The Thunderclap Dragon King is my grandfather."
At the mention of the Azure Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Jade Heaven's expression turned arrogant.
"Sounds impressive," Bibi said, her face full of admiration.
"What did you say?"
Other than Jade Little Sister, nearly every descendant of the Azure Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan thought their status was more important than their own lives. With that one remark, Jade Heaven was furious.
"What? Did I say something wrong? You're twenty years old and still haven't broken through to Soul Sect. Isn't that a little weak? And you're only captain of the Imperial Spirit Academy team?"
Bibi had no intention of holding back.
Guo Youlin didn't like Jade Heaven to begin with. Hearing Bibi voice her own feelings made her delighted. Still, she couldn't help adding, "He's only twenty and hasn't even broken through to Soul Sect. Isn't he a little weak?"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't say anything. She only looked at Bibi in confusion. Not only had Bibi's martial soul become stronger, but even his manner had changed completely. Did he want to start a fight?
"Fine, fine. We'll see what you can do, daring to insult my Azure Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!"
Jade Heaven laughed in anger. He backed up ten meters, then summoned two yellow and one purple soul rings. A dragon's roar rang out around him, as a lightning dragon's head several times his height emerged from his body. His right hand became a dragon claw, and dark purple lightning coiled around him.
"Jade Heaven, a thirty-ninth-rank strong attack system Soul Venerable. Please enlighten me."
Bibi had learned from the prior research that she shouldn't reveal her second thousand-year soul ring. So she used the Shadow Clone technique she already knew and concealed it.
There was no objection to two friends sparring. They only needed to clear a space for them.
Guo Youlin didn't stop them because she trusted Tang Qinghe's abilities.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't stop them either. Since Guo Youlin hadn't objected to her "official boyfriend" Tang Qinghe, she wasn't going to interfere.
As for the Imperial Spirit Academy group, they were followers of the strong. Jade Heaven had humiliated Tang Qinghe because he had a Spirit Body that could assist others in reaching the Soul King rank.
At that moment, if Tang Qinghe defeated Jade Heaven, he could naturally become their captain.
Only Tang Qinghe's natural talent held him back.
At his age, he still hadn't reached rank twelve or thirteen, yet he already had astonishing combat strength.
"Thirty-eight ranks? Your arrogance is well deserved. But for the honor of the Azure Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, I won't hold back today."
Jade Heaven was similarly astonished by Tang Qinghe's Spirit Body. Still, he'd already said too much to back down now. He couldn't admit that he'd been bluffing.
"Then you'll have to try."
Bibi gave a cold laugh. He didn't understand the Nine Revolutions of the Heavenly God Technique, but Tang Qinghe's power was pooled here. Even if Bibi couldn't use the technique, he could still pull off instantaneous movement—and that alone was terrifying. If he could control the Death Spider Emperor, he could control the Fierce Tiger martial soul, too. That would be terrifying.
With a single step, Bibi controlled Tang Qinghe's body, and in the blink of an eye, he'd accelerated and appeared before Jade Heaven. He was so fast that a long black afterimage trailed behind him.
Jade Heaven froze. He'd thought Bibi's Fierce Tiger martial soul was powerful, but it was still only a beast-type martial soul. In theory, he should be faster, as a strong attack system Spirit Body. Yet his opponent's speed was even greater than that of the agility system Soul Venerables, Fei Xiaomei and Yu Fei.
What was going on?
Jade Heaven had no time to think. As Bibi closed in, his first Spirit Essence lit up. He clenched his fist, and black light flashed around his right hand. Then he struck Jade Heaven with a punch. The gathered black light took the form of a giant tiger, roaring as it lunged at Jade Heaven.
Before you continue