The morning sun spilled across the training grounds of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, driving away the chill of the night but doing nothing to dispel the tension in the air.
Today was the freshman class placement test.
Although this was only a junior academy, Heaven Dou City was full of hidden talents, and this academy was packed with nobles. Getting into Elite Class meant not only better teachers and a Mimicry Cultivation Environment, but also the chance to build connections with the future upper echelons of the Heaven Dou Empire.
"Brother Yu, I'm freaking out." Pang Hu stood beside Yu Tianyu, his two short, stocky legs trembling nonstop. "I heard Teacher Sun is running the test. They call him the 'Ghost-Fearer.' That old man looks down on people like us—'nepotism hires' and 'problem students.'"
Yu Tianyu folded his arms and leaned lazily against a tree trunk, his gaze wandering over the crowd.
"What's there to worry about? This is a Soul Master Academy. Might makes right."
His gaze paused on the crowd. Not far away, Dugu Yan stood alone in the shade, her short, dark green hair giving her a particularly cold air. She seemed to notice Yu Tianyu looking at her and whipped around. A complicated emotion flickered in her snake-like eyes—wariness, and a hint of... longing.
A short distance from Dugu Yan, the black-clad, veiled girl Ye Lingling stood like an orchid apart from the world, quietly reading her book as if the hubbub around her had nothing to do with her.
"What an interesting lineup." Yu Tianyu's lips curved slightly. If he remembered correctly, the Imperial Fighting Team's two core support and control members were both here.
"Line up!"
A stern shout cut through the crowd's murmurs.
A thin, middle-aged teacher in a black robe walked up to the testing platform. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and several freshmen lowered their heads instinctively as he swept his gaze over them.
"I'm the head of discipline, Sun Buyu. The placement rules are simple: we'll test your Soul Power Level and assess your Martial Soul's strength."
Sun Buyu's voice was not loud, yet his Soul Power carried it across the grounds. "Don't think having money and influence at home will get you into Elite Class. At this academy, trash belongs in Ordinary Class, where they can waste their days! Let's begin the roll call!"
The testing went quickly. Most freshmen had between three and five levels of Soul Power, and their Martial Souls came in all shapes and sizes—hoes, sickles, livestock, you name it.
"Dugu Yan!"
At her name, Sun Buyu's normally stern face managed a rare smile.
Dugu Yan walked up to the platform. As she passed Yu Tianyu, she paused slightly and murmured so only the two of them could hear, "Watch closely. I'll show you what a true top-tier Martial Soul looks like."
Yu Tianyu raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Dugu Yan walked up to the Testing Crystal and placed one hand on it.
"Hmm—"
The crystal ball blazed with light, nearly blinding everyone present.
"Innate Soul Power... level nine! No, she's already broken through—an eleven-level Soul Master!" the teacher recording the results cried out.
Then a yellow Century Spirit Ring slowly rose beneath Dugu Yan's feet, and a cold, sickly-sweet aura instantly swept over the grounds. The phantom of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor appeared behind her. It had yet to fully mature, but its venomous pressure was already enough to make many freshmen with Beast Martial Souls tremble.
"Excellent! Very good!" Sun Buyu nodded in approval. "As expected of Poison Douluo's granddaughter. Elite Class—our top student is already decided!"
Dugu Yan put away her Martial Soul, basked in the admiring, awestruck looks around her, and walked down the platform with pride. She deliberately glanced at Yu Tianyu and raised her chin challengingly, as if to say, See? This is what I can do.
Yu Tianyu merely yawned and even reached over to brush some dust from Pang Hu's shoulder.
He'd ignored her!
Dugu Yan gritted her teeth in anger. What was this guy trying to prove by putting on airs?
"Next, Ye Lingling."
The black-clad girl stepped onto the platform without saying a word. As she released her Martial Soul, a pink-and-white begonia bloomed in her palm. Its petals trembled, and its gentle light instantly dispelled the tension in the air.
"Nine Heart Begonia! Another top-tier Martial Soul! Soul Power level nine! Elite Class!"
With two geniuses in a row, Sun Buyu was clearly in a good mood—until he read the next name.
"Yu Tianyu."
The grounds fell silent.
Whispers broke out again, even more brazen than the day before.
"Isn't he that abandoned disciple from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?" "I heard he awakened something called 'Dragon Slayer Magic.' Sounds impressive, but it turns out he can't even use Dragon Transformation. Some useless mutated Martial Soul." "What a waste of that face and family background..."
Sun Buyu frowned slightly as he watched Yu Tianyu step onto the platform. He hated spoiled, cast-off heirs from powerful families. To him, they came to the academy to coast on their family names and tarnish its reputation.
"Yu Tianyu, you may be from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, but let me make one thing clear." Sun Buyu's voice was cold. "If your Soul Power is too low or your Martial Soul has no combat ability, even if Clan Leader Yu Yuanzhen comes here in person, I won't let you into Elite Class. We don't take trash."
His words were harsh, practically a public slap in the face.
Down below, Pang Hu clenched his fists in anger. Dugu Yan folded her arms and watched with interest, eager to see how the guy who'd been so cocky in the cafeteria would get out of this.
Standing on the platform and facing Sun Buyu's provocation, Yu Tianyu didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled brightly.
"Teacher, you're right. Trash doesn't belong in Elite Class."
He walked over to the Obsidian Pillar used for testing. It was specially designed to measure the striking power of Power Attack Spirit Masters and was incredibly hard. Even a level-twenty Soul Grandmaster would struggle to leave a mark on it.
"If we're testing strength, just looking at Soul Power Level is boring."
Yu Tianyu slowly raised his right hand. He didn't summon a Spirit Ring or show any signs of Martial Soul Possession. Even the glow of his Soul Power was tightly restrained.
Sun Buyu snorted. "Putting on a show. Without Martial Soul Possession, you think you can use your body to—"
Before he could finish—
Yu Tianyu's gaze suddenly sharpened. His right arm was instantly engulfed in crimson flames. They weren't clinging to the surface of his skin; they seemed to surge out from every cell in his body!
The air warped. An ancient, domineering aura, as if it could burn the heavens to ashes, erupted without restraint!
Down below, Dugu Yan's expression changed drastically, and she involuntarily took a step back. That feeling again! The shudder that struck her from the depths of her soul!
"Fire Dragon's—"
Yu Tianyu growled. The flames compressed around his fist, then burst.
"Iron Fist!!!"
"BOOM!!!"
The deafening crash sounded like thunder exploding out of a clear sky.
A violent wave of fiery air swept outward from Yu Tianyu, forcing the nearby teachers to release their Soul Power and shield the students behind them.
The dust settled.
The grounds fell utterly silent. You could hear a pin drop.
The mocking smile froze on Sun Buyu's face. His mouth hung open, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
The Obsidian Pillar, said to be able to withstand attacks from Soul Grandmasters, had now—
shattered.
It hadn't just cracked. Its entire upper half had been reduced to powder, and the broken edge was dark red and molten, dripping lava-like stone in slow, steady drops.
"Th-this..." The recording teacher's pen fell to the ground.
Yu Tianyu flicked his hand, and the flames slowly went out. His sleeve wasn't even singed. This absolute control over fire was even more shocking than the terrifying force of his attack.
He turned to the stunned Sun Buyu, still smiling as harmlessly as ever.
"Teacher, can this 'trash' with strength like this get into Elite Class? If not, I'll just have to take apart the testing platform, too."
Sun Buyu swallowed, a sheen of cold sweat beading on his forehead.
No Martial Soul Possession, no Spirit Ring in sight—he'd shattered the Obsidian Pillar with a single punch? What kind of abandoned disciple was this? He was a walking tyrannosaurus!
"Y-yes, Elite Class! You're definitely in Elite Class!" Sun Buyu shouted, afraid this young master would really start tearing the place apart.
Yu Tianyu shrugged and sauntered off the platform beneath the crowd's awestruck, almost reverent stares.
He didn't stop as he passed Dugu Yan.
"Wait!"
Dugu Yan finally couldn't hold back. She hurried forward and blocked Yu Tianyu's path.
The pride in her eyes had faded. In its place was urgency and apprehension.
"What was that power? It definitely wasn't a Spirit Skill! A Spirit Master can't attack with that kind of strength before getting a First Spirit Ring!" Dugu Yan stared hard at him.
Yu Tianyu stopped and looked at the girl in front of him, who was baring her claws like a little tigress. Suddenly, he felt like teasing her.
He leaned toward Dugu Yan, closing the distance between them to just a few centimeters. She could even smell the faint, refreshing scent of sunlight-warmed clothes on him.
Dugu Yan's cheeks flushed. She instinctively wanted to step back, but stubbornly held her ground.
"Want to know?" Yu Tianyu's voice carried a hint of magnetism.
"Obviously!"
"Call me something sweet, and I'll tell you."
"In your dreams!" Dugu Yan instantly bristled, her emerald eyes going wide. "I'm Dugu Yan! How dare you flirt with me?"
"Oh, in that case, never mind." Yu Tianyu turned and walked away without a second thought. "It's not me who suffers when the poison bites back, anyway. On rainy days, it feels like needles stabbing three inches below your ribs; at midnight, your whole body goes cold as if you've fallen into an icy cavern... Tsk, tsk. Doesn't feel good, does it?"
Dugu Yan froze as if struck by lightning.
If Yu Tianyu had only spoken in generalities yesterday, those words had been a precise diagnosis. Only she and her grandfather knew about those symptoms!
Watching Yu Tianyu's back as he walked away, Dugu Yan's inner defenses finally crumbled. She was afraid of dying, and she longed to be healthy again.
"Y-you, wait!"
Dugu Yan bit her lip. Her voice softened, with a tremor of hurt she could barely hide. "Yu... Tianyu-gege."
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, but Yu Tianyu still heard her.
He stopped and turned around, wearing a satisfied, mischievous smile. "Is that how you ask someone for help? Not sincere enough. But since you're easy on the eyes, I'll see you after class tonight, in the woods behind the academy."
Then he added pointedly, "Remember, don't bring anyone—especially not your old man who's always oozing green fumes. This is something we need to discuss... in private."
Dugu Yan's face turned red to the roots of her hair. The woods? A private discussion? What was going through this guy's head?
"Creep!" She stamped her foot in embarrassment and anger, but a sense of relief stirred in her heart. If he was willing to meet her, it meant he really had a way to help!
Not far away, Ye Lingling had been quietly watching them. A glimmer of interest flashed in her beautiful eyes.
She gently closed her book, her gaze shifting between Yu Tianyu and Dugu Yan.
"He can see the hidden danger of the Jade Phosphorus Snake Poison, and he can even bring Dugu Yan's pride down a notch..."
Ye Lingling murmured softly, her voice cool and clear. "Yu Tianyu, it seems the rumors really can't be trusted."
She wasn't one for gossip, but her family's Martial Soul, the Nine Heart Begonia, carried a heavy curse of its own: each generation could have only one successor. Shackled by that fate, she felt a subtle kinship with Yu Tianyu, who also seemed to be hiding secrets.
As Yu Tianyu passed her, Ye Lingling spoke on impulse. Her voice was soft, but clear.
"Be careful. Senior Dugu Bo is very protective."
Yu Tianyu paused and turned to look at the cool, distant girl who was like a black swan.
Ye Lingling lowered her head as soon as she finished speaking, as if she hadn't been the one to say anything.
Yu Tianyu smiled, genuinely happy.
It seemed life in this class wouldn't be boring after all.
"Thanks, pretty girl from the Nine Heart Begonia family."
Yu Tianyu waved and strode toward the Elite Class classroom, taking the dumbfounded Pang Hu with him.
Behind them, the freshmen still hadn't recovered from their shock. Dugu Yan stood with a flushed face, gritting her teeth, yet filled with anticipation.
The first step to growing stronger through Dragon Slaughter, Yu Tianyu thought, is to train this beautiful snake into an obedient Little Dragon Maiden.
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