Three New Recruits

Though interested, neither of them stated their position for the moment.

As for the other two weapon martial soul masters, they seemed rather uninterested.

As several geniuses specially nurtured by Martial Soul Academy, their reputations there were second only to Yan, Xie Yue, and Hu Liena. How could they so easily join another team?

"Tch."

At that moment, Sun Chuantao sneered. "Join you? What can you bring us?"

He truly disdained Jin Yan's recruitment. Xie Yue was on very good terms with him, and their martial souls were similar. They sparred during every combat class and often exchanged cultivation insights. He had already agreed to join Xie Yue's team.

In his view, joining Jin Yan's team would bring him no benefits whatsoever. Joining Xie Yue's team, on the other hand, meant Hu Liena was the Pope's disciple. Based on that connection alone, the team certainly would not lack resources.

Moreover, once he built a good relationship with the siblings, it would benefit him after graduation as well. His superiors might even assign him to a better post as a hall master or something similar.

The reason he had not acted together with Xie Yue's group this time was, first, because he truly could not compare to the three of them in talent. Whenever he stayed by their side, he always felt as though his own brilliance was completely overshadowed. On top of that, he had some history with Yan.

Sun Chuantao made it clear that he would not join, and Jin Yan did not force the issue. One more or one less made no difference to him.

He then turned his gaze to Xu Yu, his clear target this time.

Xu Yu did not have as many thoughts as Sun Chuantao, but he was a support-type soul master. Elsewhere, he might not have been valued much, but Spirit Hall understood exactly how powerful a top-tier support-type soul master could be. In truth, he received even more attention at the academy than the other three.

Therefore, although he said nothing, his pride was not the slightest bit inferior to theirs. He was simply waiting to see what terms Jin Yan could offer before deciding whether to join.

Xie Yue's group had naturally invited him to join their team as well. Yet the one who had come to invite him was neither Hu Liena, the Pope's disciple, nor Hu Liena's brother Xie Yue, but Yan, the least conspicuous of the three.

He could have accepted all of that. The only thing that made him uncomfortable was Yan's overbearing attitude from the very beginning, as though Xu Yu joining them would somehow be a great honor for him.

As a top-tier assault-type soul master, Yan's personality had inherited some of his martial soul's flaws: he was irritable and hot-tempered. Coupled with the arrogance instilled in him from childhood, he treated most soul masters his age with a measure of contempt.

But Xu Yu was also a genius with Level Eight Innate Soul Power, and he was a support-type soul master. His treatment at the academy was no worse than Yan's, so naturally he felt unbalanced after being treated that way.

That was why he did not directly reject Jin Yan's invitation. Instead, he wanted to hear his terms before deciding whether to join.

Jin Yan saw through his thoughts at a glance. He did not mind Xu Yu's little schemes at all. If someone had no thoughts of their own, then either they were a fool or they were deeply calculating. Those were often the hardest people to deal with—impervious to persuasion, with thoughts you could never fathom.

Now came the matter of laying out his terms. He had to settle this in the forest. These people were all key figures watched closely by the academy. Once he contacted them, Bibi Dong would surely find out, and many variables might arise. But if he settled it here first, then even if Bibi Dong learned of it later, it would be a done deal. She would not make things difficult for him over such a trivial matter.

"Before I state my terms, I'd like to hear what conditions the three of you have." Though anxious inside, Jin Yan appeared composed.

Li Kai and Zhang Ping exchanged a glance, then both looked toward Xu Yu.

Neither of them knew what conditions to ask for. Li Kai came from a commoner background and had no complicated schemes. His thoughts were simple: after graduation, he wanted to return home, become a hall master, take several wives, return to his village in glory, and bring his parents into the city to live.

Zhang Ping was in much the same situation.

Among the three, only Xu Yu was a true-blooded Spirit Hall descendant. His grandmother was the hall master of one of Spirit Hall's main halls, so only Xu Yu spoke up.

The others also turned their gazes toward Xu Yu, wanting to see what conditions he would name.

Under everyone's gaze, Xu Yu said, "I can join your team, but I want you to introduce me to a support-type soul master teacher. They must at least be a Spirit Douluo."

After saying that, he paused and fixed his gaze on Jin Yan without continuing. Clearly, he was waiting for Jin Yan's answer. If Jin Yan could not even meet the first condition, there was nothing else to discuss.

Xu Yu's condition was exceptionally demanding. The two most difficult systems to cultivate on the continent were universally acknowledged to be the support and food systems.

At present, there was not a single support-type or food-type Titled Douluo on the continent, and even Spirit Douluos were pitifully scarce.

Even Spirit Hall, one of the continent's most powerful forces, had only one healing-type Spirit Douluo with the Healing Pearl martial soul.

It was said that Xu Yu's grandmother had taken him to visit that senior years ago, hoping he could become her disciple, only to be rejected. It seemed he was still unwilling to give up and wanted to take a Spirit Douluo as his teacher.

Jin Yan agreed to this request without the slightest hesitation, asking only that Xu Yu wait two years.

The corners of Jin Yan's lips curled up. Wasn't Ye Lingsu about to break through to Spirit Douluo? Wouldn't she be the perfect candidate then?

"I can afford to wait two years. Just don't break your word when the time comes." Xu Yu was also surprised that Jin Yan could meet his first condition, but he immediately agreed and moved on to his second request.

"My second condition is that since I'm joining your team, I'll be your team's starting support. That shouldn't be difficult, right?"

This second condition was quite simple. Jin Yan said, "Everything depends on strength. I can only promise that as long as you're the strongest support on our team, then even if a support has an even greater background and wants the starting position, it will be impossible!"

Jin Yan spoke with immense confidence, making Xu Yu and the other two even more curious about his background.

Xu Yu's matter was completely settled, and Jin Yan turned his gaze back to Li Kai and Zhang Ping.

After hesitating for a moment, neither of them continued to act coy. They were talented soul masters in their own right and adapted quickly.

"My conditions are the same as Xu Yu's," Zhang Ping said.

"Mine too!"

Jin Yan nodded. Compared with Xu Yu's, their requests were much easier. Support-type Spirit Douluos were hard to find, but Spirit Hall had plenty of assault-type Titled Douluos.