Rank Sweep

The morning sunlight streamed through the cafeteria windows, falling across the gleaming wooden tables.

Steam rose from the buns, soy milk, and fried dough sticks on the table.

Xiao Xiao took a big bite of her meat bun, her cheeks puffed as she spoke indistinctly. "Xiao Xue, how do you think Senior Yu will thank you?

Yesterday, she was clutching that Radiant Holy Butterfly Soul Ring, so excited she couldn't sleep all night."

She stirred the soy milk in her bowl with her spoon, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Xue Yuheng with eager curiosity.

Across from them, Xue Qingwu quietly drank her porridge. Her long lashes lowered, concealing the emotions in her eyes.

"Thank me for what? We're friends." Xue Yuheng picked up a fried dough stick, broke it into small pieces, and dropped them into his soy milk, his tone calm.

He hadn't helped Yu Mengdi for the sake of gratitude.

Once the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul grew stronger, she would become one of his most capable allies.

"Friends?" Xiao Xiao pursed her lips, set down her spoon, and leaned closer, lowering her voice. "On the way back yesterday, Qingwu told me about it.

That was the Emperor Auspicious Beast, the only one of its kind on the entire continent.

Under those circumstances, if you'd asked the Scarlet King to catch a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, he would've done it.

But you only asked him to catch a light-attribute Soul Beast that was over ten thousand years old. So Qingwu and I got beaten up for nothing?"

As she spoke, she deliberately rubbed her shoulder, pretending it still hurt.

During the battle the night before last, the Scarlet King's flames had swept over her, stripping away a large patch of her dragon scales.

Although she'd recovered by the next day, thanks to Xue Yuheng's Power of Creation, she hadn't forgotten that score.

"Xiao Xiao, we need to take the long view." Xue Yuheng glanced at her and spoke with complete seriousness. "Once we unite the continent, all the Soul Beasts on it will be ours.

"Then, forget a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast—even if you want a million-year one, you can have as many as you like."

Xiao Xiao rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. She muttered, "There you go, making promises again."

Xue Yuheng chuckled and was just about to speak when Xiao Xiao suddenly furrowed her brows and leaned closer, studying him carefully.

"Xiao Xue, why do I feel like there's something really strange about you since you woke up?"

Xiao Xiao tilted her head, puzzlement filling her emerald eyes.

"It's like... there's something more about you, but also like something's missing. I can't explain it."

Her God-Level Martial Soul had given Xiao Xiao an intuition far sharper than an ordinary person's. She could clearly sense that a few faint golden threads had appeared around Xue Yuheng.

Xue Yuheng's heart stirred.

So it really was the influence of the Power of Destiny.

But Xue Yuheng had never believed in fate. He only believed in himself.

Without changing his expression, he changed the subject. "By the way, Xiao Xiao, if one day a girl showed up who looked exactly like you, would you be scared?"

Xiao Xiao froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Why would I be scared? I don't have a twin sister. If someone really did look exactly like me, either some Soul Master used a transformation Soul Skill, or a Soul Beast had transformed into that form."

Xiao Xiao said nonchalantly, then raised her little fist. "If she dares to impersonate me, I'll smash her flat with my 'Divine Dragon Fist'!"

Xue Yuheng nodded.

It really was a simple question. Yet some people couldn't even figure that out.

After breakfast, the three of them walked side by side toward the teaching building.

It was worth mentioning that after they returned from the Star Dou Forest, Zhao Yan had defied pressure from the entire teaching staff and transferred all three of them straight from the second year of the junior division to Class One, second year of the senior division.

After all, they were three seven-year-old children—one Soul Elder and two Soul Grandmasters, all with Soul Ancestor-level strength. Keeping them in the junior division would simply waste their time.

The senior division's curriculum was more than a level harder than the junior division's. Along with basic Soul Master theory and Soul Power cultivation, it included the creation and use of first- and second-level Soul Tools, a guide to Soul Beasts, and practical combat.

The senior division also used a credit system. Students could earn credits by attending class, completing assignments, donating to the school, and taking part in Heaven Ranking matches. Without enough credits, they couldn't even sit their final exams.

After a whole day of classes, Xiao Xiao was drowsy from listening, while Xue Qingwu remained as cool and distant as ever. Only Xue Yuheng listened with keen interest.

After school, the setting sun cast the teaching building's shadow long across the ground.

Xue Yuheng and Xiao Xiao didn't return to their dormitory. Instead, they went straight to the senior division's arena on the west side of the academy.

Xiao Xiao had said that Xue Qingwu had become the "big sister" of the girls' dormitory. Lately, she'd been gathering people around her, and no one knew what she was up to. She was always busy with one thing or another.

She often didn't return to the dormitory until late.

That was the Snow Empress's freedom, and Xue Yuheng didn't interfere.

The hall where students signed up for the Heaven Ranking was still crowded.

Teacher Zhang, who was in charge of registration, looked up and saw the two of them. He immediately gave them a familiar, helpless smile. "You two really are punctual. You haven't missed a single day."

For the past two months, Xue Yuheng and Xiao Xiao had come here to sign up almost every day after school, turning the senior division's Heaven Ranking upside down.

"Hello, Teacher Zhang." Xiao Xiao waved with a smile.

"Same as usual today—challenging the solo rankings?" Teacher Zhang asked as he took out the registration form. "Oh, by the way, that kid Wei Ran came early this morning. He's waiting at Arena One and says he absolutely has to fight Xiao Xiao again."

At the mention of Wei Ran, an image of him came to Xue Yuheng's mind.

The Martial Souls on Douluo Continent came in all shapes and forms, and Wei Ran's ability to fight at the peak of the Soul Ancestor level came from his unusual Martial Soul.

His Martial Soul had once been nothing more than a dilapidated Four-Story Bronze Pagoda. What made it special was that it came with Soul Rings of its own.

Wei Ran had been born to an ordinary rural family in a town under the jurisdiction of a major city in the Heaven Dou Empire.

When his parents took him to the city to awaken his Martial Soul at the age of six, the pagoda was already surrounded by four Soul Rings: purple, purple, black, and black.

The Martial Soul examiner had thought he'd found a treasure the likes of which appeared only once in ten thousand years. He traveled a great distance to bring Wei Ran to the beacon of hope for commoners, Tianzheng Academy.

But the Martial Soul Theory grandmaster at Tianzheng Academy was disappointed. Although the four Soul Skills suited the pagoda perfectly, they had also completely stifled Wei Ran's potential for growth.

His Martial Soul was damaged. Unless he found a rare treasure capable of repairing it, he might never break through the Soul Ancestor realm.

Wei Ran took it in stride.

He came from a remote town, and he'd already made it farther than most of his peers. In that alone, he was lucky.

At least he'd seen the most dazzling sights the Soul Master world had to offer.

Besides, at this stage, Wei Ran was still the undisputed number one Soul Ancestor at Tianzheng Academy.

For seven years, he hadn't let up for a moment. Despite having only fourth-level innate Soul Power, he'd reached Soul Ancestor rank forty-one by the age of thirteen. Everyone at the academy had seen how hard he worked.

To Xue Yuheng and Xiao Xiao, Wei Ran was the perfect whetstone.

"Him again?" Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up. She rubbed her hands together, eager for a fight. "Perfect. Last time, I only used..."

"Anyway, it wasn't enough to satisfy me.

"This time, I'm going to have a proper fight with him!"

As she spoke, she started to step forward and register.

"Wait." Xue Yuheng stopped her.

Xiao Xiao turned back in confusion. "What is it?"

Xue Yuheng looked up at the huge electronic screen on the hall wall, where the overall Heaven Ranking was scrolling past.

Wei Ran's name was prominently displayed in seventh place.

Xue Yuheng smiled faintly.

"This time, let me try."

Xiao Xiao paused, then caught on. Her eyes widened. "Xiao Xue, you're challenging Wei Ran?

"His busted pagoda is really strong."

Xue Yuheng shook his head and smiled.

"Not just Wei Ran."

"We came here today to sweep the rankings."