The registration teacher thought for a moment. "All right, come with me."
He wasn't going to test them in front of a crowd. That would only cause unnecessary trouble.
If they were telling the truth, Blue Tyrant Academy would gain a top powerhouse. If not, there was nothing to lose.
The registration teacher led the three of them through the crowd to a secluded testing room. Inside stood a blue crystal ball half a person's height.
"Put your hand on it and channel in your Soul Power."
Xu Yuan stepped forward first and pressed his palm against the crystal ball.
In an instant, dazzling golden light burst from within it. The glow surged upward, easily breaking past the level thirty mark. It came close to level forty before finally slowing to a stop, bathing the entire testing room in daylight.
The registration teacher sucked in a sharp breath. The form in his hand nearly fell to the ground as he murmured, "Twelve years old... level thirty-eight... This, this is a once-in-a-century genius!"
Xiao Wu hurried over excitedly and pressed her palm against the crystal ball. Gentle pink light shone from it, settling steadily at level thirty-one.
When it was Zhu Zhuqing's turn, she took a deep breath and lightly touched the crystal ball with her fingertips.
A faint blue light slowly appeared, stopping at level twenty-seven.
Zhu Zhuqing silently withdrew her hand and lowered her eyes. That trace of inferiority in her heart quietly resurfaced.
"Geniuses! They're all geniuses!" The registration teacher flushed with excitement. He quickly picked up the form, his tone utterly deferential. "The three of you, please come with me. I'll take you to meet the dean."
The registration teacher's voice brimmed with barely contained excitement as he led the three of them through several corridors to a vine-covered loft.
"Dean, I've recruited three geniuses for you." The registration teacher pushed open the door, his voice carrying a hint of eagerness to claim credit.
Inside the loft, a woman was watering the plants.
She looked to be a woman in her thirties, dressed in a simple blue-green cloth skirt.
Her somewhat pale face was graced with delicate, captivating features, brows and eyes like a painting, and a pair of large, dark eyes.
Beneath her plain robe was a figure with curves no ordinary young girl could match—a perfect body.
The woman was Liu Erlong, dean of Blue Tyrant Academy.
When God King Tang San saw Liu Erlong, he felt puzzled. Why did she also have a part of his origin?
He could understand Tang San, Tang Hao, Dai Mubai, his mother, Zhu Zhuqing, and Yu Xiaogang having a part of his origin. But he was genuinely surprised that Liu Erlong did too.
God King Tang San rubbed his chin. He had a good idea of who else still carried a part of his origin.
Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar definitely did.
Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong might, but the odds were low.
Hearing the voices, Liu Erlong slowly turned around, still holding a watering can. Droplets trickled from its spout and ran along the rim, falling onto the flagstones and spreading into a small, damp patch.
Her gaze fell on the three of them as she looked them over.
Liu Erlong noticed the Soul Tool at Xu Yuan's waist, and excitement stirred within her.
She recognized at a glance that Xu Yuan's Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges belonged to Yu Xiaogang.
Over the years, her longing and feelings for Yu Xiaogang had faded considerably, but she still wanted to see him once and put an end to their relationship.
Over the past few years, Liu Erlong had also figured out why she'd fallen for Yu Xiaogang: mainly because she'd been young and foolish at the time.
At the same time, she'd noticed many of Yu Xiaogang's flaws. Thinking of how he had abandoned her without hesitation back then made her feel as though she'd fed her sincere love to a dog.
"Teacher Lin, who are these three?" Liu Erlong asked the registration teacher.
The registration teacher hurriedly handed her the test form, unable to hide his excitement. "Dean, these three are all newly tested geniuses! This student Xu Yuan is especially impressive. He's only twelve and already at level thirty-eight. There's also Xiao Wu at level thirty-one and Zhu Zhuqing at level twenty-seven. They're all promising students!"
Liu Erlong's fingers paused slightly as she took the form. Her gaze lingered on the name Xu Yuan for a moment before she looked up at him. "Level thirty-eight at twelve years old is indeed remarkable."
Her gaze passed over the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges at Xu Yuan's waist. Her throat bobbed slightly before she continued, "Your Soul Power is high, but Blue Tyrant Academy values actual combat. Soul Power alone isn't enough."
The registration teacher chimed in, "The dean is right. These students are all fine prospects. With a little polishing, they'll surely amount to something!"
Liu Erlong placed the form on the table and looked over the three of them. At last, her gaze settled on the Soul Tool at Xu Yuan's waist. Her tone was calm but firm. "Starting today, all three of you will train under me."
The registration teacher was taken aback, then his face lit up. "You're taking them on personally? They're truly fortunate!"
Xu Yuan was briefly stunned. He'd expected to be assigned to an ordinary class, but hadn't imagined Liu Erlong would take them on as her disciples.
He looked at Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing. They were both somewhat surprised, but neither said anything.
"What? You don't want to?" Liu Erlong raised an eyebrow and lightly tapped the tabletop with her fingertip.
"We do!" Xiao Wu answered first, her eyes shining. "It'll definitely be great to learn from the dean!"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded as well. She still said little, but her approval was clear.
Xu Yuan cupped his hands. "Thank you, Dean."
He could tell that Liu Erlong's gaze kept circling back to the Soul Tool. He had a vague idea why, but didn't call attention to it.
Liu Erlong continued, "I'll take you to your dormitories."
Liu Erlong set down the watering can, picked up the straw hat hanging behind the door, and put it on. Then she headed out first. "Follow me."
The three hurried after her. The registration teacher tactfully stayed behind, calling out only, "Take care, Dean."
They walked through a vine-covered corridor. Liu Erlong kept an unhurried pace, with Xu Yuan and the girls following behind her.
"Blue Tyrant Academy's dormitories usually have four students to a room, though there are also single and double rooms," Liu Erlong said. "Xiao Wu and Zhuqing will share a room, and Xu Yuan will have one to himself."
At that, Xiao Wu immediately grabbed Zhu Zhuqing's hand and cheered, "That's wonderful! Zhuqing, we can live together!"
Xiao Wu tugged Zhu Zhuqing off balance, but a rare, faint smile appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's face. She gave a soft "Mm."
Living with someone as lively as Xiao Wu would be quite nice.
Xu Yuan had no objections. A single room would be convenient for cultivation and help him avoid unnecessary disturbances.
They crossed a small courtyard planted with parasol trees, and Liu Erlong stopped in front of two neighboring buildings.
A wooden plaque on the left-hand door read Twin Nest, while the right-hand one bore the words Solitary Dwelling.
"These are two of the best dormitories in the academy, and each has its own washroom," Liu Erlong told Xiao Wu and the others. "Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, you'll stay here. Xu Yuan, you'll stay over there."
Liu Erlong pushed open the wooden door to Twin Nest, and a faint fragrance of sweet osmanthus drifted out.
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