Ye Shuyuan acted as though he couldn't see Flender's increasingly dark expression and praised Ye Qingzhou:
"Good. You made the right call. What do you have against my grandson?"
He had made a point of looking into the academy Flender had founded.
It was a complete mess. It barely resembled an academy at all, and quite a few students had even died in the Star Dou Great Forest.
No matter how high their teachers' ranks were, if they couldn't even protect their students' basic safety, what was the point of running an academy?
"I..." Flender gritted his teeth, suppressing the anger in his heart. "Yes, Medical Saint, you're right to teach me."
With his Soul Saint cultivation, if he picked a fight with Doctor Douluo Ye Shuyuan, both he and Ma Hongjun would be done for today.
Ye Shuyuan turned away, no longer looking at Flender and Ma Hongjun, and said coolly, "I won't see you out."
Flender said nothing. He simply dragged the embarrassing Ma Hongjun away.
At least, their visit to seek treatment today had yielded nothing.
There were hardly any Ice-attribute Soul Masters on the entire continent.
Where was he supposed to find one?
Ye Qingzhou watched Flender and Ma Hongjun leave, his gaze calm.
Now that the troublesome outsiders were gone, he could tell his grandfather about the divine trial.
Ye Qingzhou said to Ye Shuyuan, "Grandpa, let's talk in the study."
"Sure. Let's go."
Ye Shuyuan led Ye Qingzhou to his study.
Ye Qingzhou's first words left Ye Shuyuan utterly stunned.
"You're saying you received a divine trial from the Life God King?!"
Ye Qingzhou nodded firmly. There wasn't a hint of deceit in his eyes.
"That's right. I received the Life God Trial while cultivating today."
"The trial requires me to reach Soul Ancestor by the age of twelve and heal ten injured people."
Ye Shuyuan listened closely as Ye Qingzhou explained the terms of the divine trial.
So this was the trial set by a god?
He'd thought the descent of a divine trial would cause some kind of disturbance in the heavens and earth. He hadn't expected it to happen so quietly.
"Reaching Soul Ancestor by twelve won't be a problem for you."
Ye Shuyuan wasn't worried about that at all. Ye Qingzhou had Innate Level 20 Soul Power, and after absorbing a Soul Ring, he'd reached level twenty-four.
Even if auxiliary-type Soul Masters cultivated more slowly than other Soul Masters, reaching Soul Ancestor by twelve was well within reach.
But the other requirement...
Healing the injured...
To be safe, Ye Shuyuan pressed Ye Qingzhou for more details:
"Qingzhou, did the Life God King say there were any other conditions for healing the injured? For instance, did they have to be seriously ill?"
Ye Qingzhou shook his head. He had checked several times, and there were no special conditions like the ones his grandfather had mentioned. "No, Grandpa."
After Ye Qingzhou confirmed it, Ye Shuyuan nodded and said quietly, "I understand. In that case, starting tomorrow, I'll help you complete the divine trial. Whenever an injured person comes in, I'll let you treat them."
"Remember, you mustn't make a mistake. Be fully prepared."
What a pity. If he'd known about Qingzhou's divine trial sooner, he would definitely have had Ye Qingzhou treat Ma Hongjun himself.
Evil Fire was an illness, too. If he managed to cure it, that would count as one of the ten.
What a missed opportunity.
Meanwhile...
After leaving the Ye Family Clinic, Flender and Ma Hongjun didn't leave Heaven Dou City right away. Instead, they wandered around the city.
On the first floor of a building, Ma Hongjun kept muttering into Flender's ear like a paranoid old fortune-teller.
"Teacher, why aren't we going home yet? I've really had enough of this place."
"I want to find an Ice-attribute female Soul Master as soon as possible and get rid of the Evil Fire inside me."
Ma Hongjun's incessant chatter gave Flender a terrible headache.
Passersby kept giving them strange looks.
Flender snorted at Ma Hongjun. "Enough. There are only a few Ice-attribute Soul Masters on the entire continent. You'll have to let me ask around first."
Ye Qingzhou, was it? Just wait. Flender would make sure Ye Qingzhou became one of their Shrek's members.
With Ye Qingzhou's formidable strength, he'd be an indispensable fighter for them in the upcoming Soul Master Tournament.
There was no way Flender would let him go so easily.
After Flender snapped at him, Ma Hongjun obediently shut his mouth.
"Then, Teacher, where should we ask around?"
"Just follow me." Flender had spotted an academy's application form as soon as they'd arrived in Heaven Dou City.
Blue Tyrant Academy, along with its admissions requirements.
The form was full of familiar details. Its owner was Liu Erlong, a Soul Saint with a Fire Dragon Martial Soul, the mutated version of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!
Before long, Flender led Ma Hongjun to Blue Tyrant Academy.
Looking at the enormous Blue Tyrant Academy before them, Ma Hongjun stared in disbelief and blurted out, "Whoa, this academy's way more impressive than our Shrek!"
Flender smacked Ma Hongjun and said, "You brat, could you at least show your teacher some respect?"
Though he was unhappy about it, he had to admit that this Blue Tyrant Academy was far more impressive than his little dump of a Shrek.
Just as Flender was about to take Ma Hongjun inside, two Blue Tyrant Academy guards stopped him.
"Classes are in session. Unauthorized visitors aren't allowed in."
Flender remained calm after being stopped. He carefully assessed the two guards' ranks, then let out a cold laugh.
"One Soul Elder and one Soul Ancestor. You think you can stop me, Flender, the Four-Eyed Owl of the Golden Iron Triangle?"
"Go report to your dean. Tell her her old friend Flender is here."
As soon as he finished speaking, Flender manifested his Four-Eyed Owl Martial Soul, and seven Soul Rings rose into the air.
The two guards drew in sharp breaths.
They knew about the Golden Iron Triangle, of course. Their dean, Liu Erlong, was one of its members!
Watching the guards hurry off, Flender smiled smugly.
You little punks. If my Four-Eyed Owl can't take on Titled Douluo, that doesn't mean I can't teach a bunch of little brats like you a lesson.
Several months later.
Ye Family Clinic.
Over the past few months, Ye Qingzhou had either been cultivating in meditation or studying Ye Shuyuan's medical knowledge.
His Martial Soul wasn't Nine Heart Begonia, so he couldn't use it to heal injuries.
Nor did Magnolia's special talents include healing.
So the only way was to learn through repeated practice and theory.
Ye Shuyuan entered Ye Qingzhou's study to check on his progress.
"How's your studying going?"
Ye Qingzhou closed his book and replied, "I've learned most of it, Grandpa."
"With your help, I should be able to succeed at least eighty percent of the time, if not a hundred."
Seeing how confident Ye Qingzhou was, Ye Shuyuan was glad for him. "Good. Then get ready to meet your first patient."
"My first patient?"
Still puzzled, Ye Qingzhou followed Ye Shuyuan out of the study and the clinic, then stepped outside.
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