"Xie Xie and Tang Wulin..."
"By Tang Wulin, do you mean this one?"
Hearing that, Long Hengxu hesitated for a moment, then pulled Tang Wulin's file from the records for Class Four.
He knew Xie Xie, of course. After all, he was the famous young master of the Xie Family, and a genius with Innate Full Soul Power.
But Tang Wulin, who had fought with him...
According to the file, his Martial Soul was Blue Silver Grass, and he was a Rank 14 Soul Master. Compared to the others, he seemed like an ordinary person.
"Director Long."
"You're underestimating the boy."
Before Lu Li could say anything, Wu Changkong spoke calmly from beside him, his tone carrying an undeniable authority.
He might not trust other people, but surely he could trust Lu Li, who was right beside him. If Lu Li said Tang Wulin was a Level 4 Blacksmith, then it had to be true.
After all, the man beside him had already become a Level 6 Blacksmith at thirteen.
When it came to forging, he was a natural authority.
"Teacher Wu, that's not what I meant."
"It's just that his Martial Soul talent really isn't on the same level as the others'. Look here. These are the three geniuses in Freshman Class One. They all have Innate Rank 9 Soul Power, and they're already Soul Grandmasters."
Long Hengxu hurriedly shook his head and explained earnestly.
"Look here, you two. Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi can even use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill thanks to their rapport. Their compatibility is over 75 percent, and the academy plans to let them skip a grade."
"Xie Xie's strength meets the entry requirement for Class One, which is a Soul Power rank of 17 or higher. But Tang Wulin..."
As he spoke, he handed the file to Wu Changkong, indicating that he should take a look.
"A Martial Soul Fusion Skill..."
"Dark Eagle Dragon?"
Wu Changkong stared in surprise. This was a Martial Soul Fusion Skill! Eastsea Academy accepted students at just nine years old, and they already had one?
"Teacher Wu, you can see the gap for yourself."
"Your Excellency Lu Li, I agree with letting him enter Class One, but as a Soul Master with a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul..."
"Won't he really feel pressured?"
Long Hengxu turned to Lu Li again, his tone respectful. Naturally, he wouldn't refuse the request of someone of Lu Li's standing, but he also needed to make sure Lu Li understood the situation.
He'd seen plenty of geniuses at Eastsea Academy, but Tang Wulin clearly wasn't one of them. Even if he'd cultivated his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul that quickly, he was still an ordinary person.
It might not be a good thing for a child like that to get caught up in a contest between the top geniuses.
"Director Long, I'm glad you're thinking of him, but you don't need to worry about this."
"Tang Wulin can handle it."
"You'll see how talented he is soon enough."
Lu Li shook his head with a smile.
At that moment, he couldn't help looking at Long Hengxu in a new light. No wonder he was the director of education. His cultivation still hadn't reached the level Lu Li had at twelve, but he was certainly a good teacher.
"Yes, Your Excellency Lu Li."
Long Hengxu immediately took those words to heart. Given the man's cultivation and status, what he said carried far more weight than anything Long Hengxu had heard before.
"Your Excellency Lu Li, the academy is planning to introduce you to all the teachers and students at the opening ceremony. What do you think...?"
"? No need."
Hearing that, Lu Li shook his head without hesitation, afraid the other man might have another terrifying idea.
Promote him in a big, public ceremony?
Absolutely not! One reason he'd come to Eastsea Academy was that there were fewer people here, and even fewer powerhouses.
The strongest teacher at Eastsea Academy was only a Soul Emperor. The commander of the mecha corps' enforcement squad was also just a Soul Emperor. Only the Spirit Pagoda Tower Master was a Titled Douluo.
But if word of his reputation got out, the weaker ones wouldn't be a problem. Those few people stronger than him would come running the moment they caught wind of it.
"From now on, just call me Teacher Lu Li in front of others. As for 'Your Excellency'..."
"Let's keep it quiet."
Lu Li came back to himself and spoke slowly.
At the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, some people still held back because of his teacher's status. But out here...
A man had to protect himself.
"Yes!"
Long Hengxu gave him a knowing look. It was clear that His Excellency Lu Li was a top powerhouse who wanted nothing to do with publicity. No wonder he was a top Titled Douluo!
"Then, will you be staying in the teachers' dormitory, or...?"
The next moment, he asked cautiously.
"No need. I have somewhere to stay."
Lu Li smiled and shook his head. Through the window of the Academic Affairs Office, he gazed toward the nearby Spirit Pagoda. His powerful spiritual force let him see it from far away, and he'd clearly already made up his mind.
"Come on. I'll walk you out."
After leaving the Academic Affairs Office, Wu Changkong glanced at him. He'd evidently guessed where Lu Li would go next. As a prodigy of the Spirit Pagoda, Lu Li naturally had no shortage of places to stay.
"Sure."
Lu Li answered with a smile, while his attention focused on his mission, [Challenge Xie Xie].
A rank-18 rookie Soul Master.
There was no way he was going to challenge him. He couldn't even bring himself to fight the kid. But surely there was another way to complete the mission besides bullying someone weaker than him. For instance...
What if he put some pressure on Xie Xie?
Maybe he could try that approach later.
As he thought it over, he couldn't help turning his gaze toward Wu Changkong.
"Brother Chang Kong."
"Hmm?"
They'd just left the teaching building when Wu Changkong heard him call out. He paused, puzzled, and glanced at Lu Li.
"Hypothetically, if I wanted to fight you one day, how would you handle it?"
Lu Li looked at him and asked with a smile.
He wasn't asking out of nowhere.
Judging by how the system had assigned him a mission to challenge Xie Xie, it seemed that just about any kind of mission could appear later. This Soul Emperor was naturally bound to face him sooner or later.
After all, a Six-Ring Soul Emperor was five major cultivation ranks above a Soul Master.
"Me...?"
Wu Changkong fell silent for a moment, seemingly considering whether it was even possible. He was supposed to fight Lu Li, a Titled Douluo?
"Not well."
"Would you really fight me? You can see for yourself that I'm barely a Soul Emperor now."
Wu Changkong quickly came back to himself. He shook his head coldly, then spoke with a hint of bitterness.
Being surpassed by the man before him wasn't the problem. The frightening part was that he might no longer even have a chance to chase after Lu Li.
A Soul Emperor nearing thirty and a Titled Douluo not yet twenty. The gap between them was so immense that he couldn't even imagine it.
"You're a Soul Emperor now, but that doesn't mean you'll always be one. Your talent is no less than mine."
"We'll witness each other's growth."
Lu Li shook his head in disagreement, speaking with quiet certainty.
The man before him had been held back for seven years, yet still reached Rank 98 in his forties. Sky Ice Wu Changkong was a genius through and through.
"Oh?"
"You have that much faith in me...?"
Wu Changkong froze for a moment. A complex look flashed through his proud eyes before he finally shook his head.
"We'll see."
He wasn't the man he used to be.
"Once someone loses his conviction..."
"It really is hard to get it back."
Seeing Wu Changkong's subtle expression, Lu Li couldn't help sighing inwardly. Sky Ice Wu Changkong. What a shame.
"..."
As Lu Li and Wu Changkong walked away, a black-haired girl who had come to register had already fixed her gaze on Lu Li.
She was beautiful, her delicate face seeming to wear a constant veil of frost. She didn't appear interested in anything around her, but at that moment, she'd unconsciously stopped to watch him leave.
"He..."
"Why is he here?"
A trace of surprise appeared on the girl's face. She clearly hadn't expected this. Only after Lu Li disappeared from sight did she come back to herself, her expression returning to its usual calm:
Well, then...
This could count as an unexpected bonus in her search for the bearer of the Golden Dragon King Bloodline.
Before you continue