Does Ye Lingling Also Have the Heart of the Sea Blue?

Sitting in the center was a slender young man dressed in blue. With short black hair and a face that could not be called handsome, his expressions were so sparse that his facial muscles seemed rigid, giving off an unapproachable vibe.

Beside the black-haired man sat a woman with short, deep-purple hair. She leaned against the youth's shoulder with a lazy air. Her pretty face, while not exactly stunning, was full of heroic spirit. Strangely, she possessed a pair of green eyes that gave her a somewhat eerie appearance.

"Yanzi, I heard our Imperial Dou Team is getting a new member, specifically appointed by the three committee members. Rumor has it he was recommended by His Highness the Crown Prince. Do you know who it is?" The speaker was a blond youth with peach-blossom eyes. He was handsome, but carried a dissolute, unrestrained air that made it easy to tell he was a playboy.

As he spoke, he crossed his legs and whistled at a passing female student, causing her to blush in embarrassment and flee in a panic.

The purple-haired girl glanced at him with a look of disgust. "How would I know? And if you don't put those legs down, watch out, or this lady will poison you until you're crippled."

"Don't, don't, I'll put them down, I'll put them down, okay?" Faced with the girl's disdain, the blond youth could only grimace and sheepishly uncross his legs.

"Haha, Yu Feng is a coward." Seeing the blond youth lower his legs, a youth sitting opposite him—dressed entirely in black, also blond, and with a beauty that rivaled a woman's—mocked him with schadenfreude.

"Damn it, Leopard, you have a problem, right? If you've got the guts, let's go one-on-one right now." The handsome youth retorted angrily.

The black-clad youth curled his lip in disdain. "I'm not that stupid. You're a flying Soul Master and I'm a ground-based one. One-on-one? You're clearly bullying me. If you're so capable, why don't you go fight the captain? If you can last three minutes, I'll admire you."

"You..." The handsome youth was left speechless, as he truly could not defeat the captain.

"Alright, quiet down, all of you. You can argue endlessly over such trivial matters. If you have this much free time, you'd be better off meditating to improve your cultivation. Learn from the Shi brothers; at the same age, their soul power is a level or two higher than yours." The blue-clad youth in the center finally spoke. The Shi brothers he mentioned were sitting on chairs in the corner of the pavilion, meditating cross-legged. Both had square faces, sturdy builds, and straight, defined features. Just sitting there, they gave off a sense of stability.

The blue-clad youth's words carried quite a bit of weight; hearing him, the two immediately stopped bickering.

The blue-clad youth added, "However, now that you mention it, I do recall seeing that new student a week ago."

"Tianheng, how is his strength?" the purple-haired girl in the blue-clad youth's arms asked curiously.

The blue-clad youth shook his head. "I can't be sure, but I imagine it shouldn't be bad. I happened to be passing by at the time and saw Xue Beng and his gang of lackeys lying on the ground, wailing in pain."

"Pfft, that doesn't mean anything. That bunch of lackeys under Xue Beng are pampered and have never experienced a proper fight. They were probably so scared they forgot to even activate their martial souls." The handsome youth curled his lip, clearly holding Xue Beng and his group in high contempt.

"Perhaps, but what really caught my attention was something else." The blue-clad youth turned his gaze toward another woman in the corner of the pavilion. She was dressed in black, veiled, and slender, with a waterfall of long blue hair draped behind her. Her eyes, the same color as her hair, revealed no emotion; from her, one could only sense loneliness and desolation.

"Lingling, I noticed the Soul Tool that new student wears looks very similar to yours. If I hadn't seen you just a short while ago, I would have thought he snatched your Soul Tool."

As he spoke, he shifted his gaze to the black-clad girl's left hand. Beneath her sleeve and wrist guard was embedded a blue gemstone identical to the one on Lan Si's hand.

"What is his name?" A voice like heavenly music rang out. Ye Lingling's voice was beautiful, yet her hollow tone seemed to carry a trace of urgency.

These seven were the members of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy team.

Captain: Yu Tianheng, Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Level 39 Power Attack System Battle Soul Master. Soul Rings: Two yellow, one purple.

Vice-Captain: Dugu Yan, Martial Soul: Jade Phosphorous Serpent, Level 38 Control System Battle Soul Master. Soul Rings: Two yellow, one purple.

Member: Shi Mo, Martial Soul: Black Tortoise, Level 37 Defense System Battle Soul Master. Soul Rings: Two yellow, one purple.

Member: Shi Mo, Martial Soul: Black Tortoise, Level 37 Defense System Battle Soul Master. Soul Rings: Two yellow, one purple.

Member: Yu Feng, Martial Soul: Wind Bell Bird, Level 36 Agility Attack System Battle Soul Master. Soul Rings: Two yellow, one purple.

Member: Osler, Martial Soul: Ghost Leopard, Level 35 Agility Attack System Battle Soul Master. Soul Rings: Two yellow, one purple.

Member: Ye Lingling, Martial Soul: Nine Heart Begonia, Level 35 Support System Tool Soul Master. Soul Rings: Two yellow, one purple.

Upon hearing Ye Lingling's words, the entire pavilion fell silent. Including Yu Tianheng and the Shi brothers who had been meditating, the other six stared at Ye Lingling in astonishment, their pupils flashing with disbelief.

This was the first time Ye Lingling had ever inquired about a member of the opposite sex. Usually, let alone asking about a boy, she rarely spoke even to them, her fellow teammates.

"Lingling, could that new student be some relative of yours?" Dugu Yan asked incredulously.

Ye Lingling did not reply, for her gaze had already been drawn to two figures on the plaza.

Dugu Yan and the other five followed Ye Lingling's gaze and saw their lead instructor, Qin Ming, walking slowly toward them with a youth dressed in black athletic gear.

His clear, pitch-black eyes were deep and limpid. His short, messy black hair hadn't been styled, yet it didn't give off an unkempt impression. His skin was fair, his build balanced and slender, handsome yet masculine, making anyone who saw him feel a sudden sense of brightness.

Unlike Yu Feng and Osler, in the world of Soul Masters where soul power was paramount, handsome men and beautiful women were the norm, and one easily grew aesthetically fatigued from seeing them too often.

Yet, this youth possessed a unique, tranquil air. As he approached, even Dugu Yan, who was already taken, couldn't help but take an extra look.

"Teacher." As Qin Ming drew near, the Imperial Dou team members, who had been in various postures, stood up and bowed respectfully.

"Everyone is here. I assume you have all guessed why I called you over." Qin Ming smiled faintly and turned to introduce Lan Si: "Let me introduce everyone. This is the new member of the Imperial Dou Team, Lan Si. Don't let his age fool you; he is a twelve-year-old Soul Elder."