About two quarters of an hour later, Shui Xinhan came to the VIP room alone.
"Mr. Dugu, Clan Chief Yang, Young Friend Su, sorry to have kept you waiting. Please forgive me." Shui Xinhan gave a slight bow, her expression apologetic.
Su Yuntao looked at the blue-clad woman, who appeared to be no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight, and felt a stir in his heart.
In terms of temperament, figure, looks, strength, and intelligence, this woman was outstanding in every way.
"Not at all! Dean Shui, we were the ones who imposed on you." Dugu Bo and Yang Wudi returned her bow.
Host and guests took their seats.
Shui Xinhan began, "Mr. Dugu, Clan Chief Yang, Young Friend Su, may I ask what brings you to Tianshui Sect?"
Dugu Bo replied, "Dean Shui, we've come here today hoping that this Little Monster beside us, Su Yuntao, can join Skywater Academy."
"Oh?" A trace of curiosity appeared in Shui Xinhan's beautiful eyes. What kind of background did this man beside her, wearing a Blue-Gold Mask and showing such poor manners, have? How else could he have persuaded a mighty Titled Douluo to speak up for him in person?
Su Yuntao slowly removed his Blue-Gold Mask. Indeed, wearing a mask in the presence of a powerhouse like Shui Xinhan was rather disrespectful.
As the mask came off, Shui Xinhan saw a handsome young face. From his build, Su Yuntao had seemed to be around twenty, but without the Blue-Gold Mask, he looked no older than fifteen or sixteen.
Shui Xinhan asked, "Mr. Dugu, is this Young Friend Su a direct descendant of one of Heaven Dou's high-ranking families?"
Dugu Bo shook his head. "Dean Shui, the truth is, the Little Monster should be considered a commoner."
"A commoner?" Shui Xinhan smiled faintly. "Mr. Dugu and Clan Chief Yang call this Young Friend Su a monster. I wonder what makes him so extraordinary?"
Dugu Bo and Yang Wudi looked at Su Yuntao at the same time, their faces full of anticipation. That only deepened Shui Xinhan's curiosity.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black—five Soul Rings appeared beneath Su Yuntao's feet. At the same time, shock spread across Shui Xinhan's face.
"Young Friend Su! How old are you, exactly?" Su Yuntao looked no older than fifteen or sixteen, yet he was already a Soul King. Shui Xinhan's breathing instantly quickened.
"Dean Shui," Su Yuntao said calmly, "I suppose I'm fourteen."
"Fourteen!" Shui Xinhan's pupils abruptly contracted. Just like Yang Wudi and Dugu Bo before her, she seized Su Yuntao by the arm.
In an instant, Shui Xinhan's beautiful eyes widened. She had never imagined that Su Yuntao could be a Five-Ring Soul King at just fourteen. Such a thing was unheard of.
Dugu Bo and Yang Wudi's lips curled up slightly as they exchanged a glance. Smiles spread across their faces. Watching Shui Xinhan's stunned expression filled them with an indescribable satisfaction, as if they themselves were the ones who had shocked her.
Little did they know that when they had been shocked in the past, Su Yuntao had looked at them in exactly the same way.
After a long while, Shui Xinhan calmed down and sighed. "I used to think Pope Bibi Dong's talent was already astonishing enough to shake the world, but I never expected yours to surpass even hers, Young Friend Su."
Su Yuntao smiled. "Dean Shui, you flatter me. May I join Skywater Academy?"
"Of course!" Shui Xinhan replied at once. "It would be an honor for Skywater Academy to have you join us, Young Friend Su!"
Su Yuntao continued slowly, "Dean Shui, I do want to join Skywater Academy, but there's something I need to make clear first. I'm joining Tianshui so I'll be eligible to compete in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament four years from now."
"So I don't want Skywater Academy to place any restrictions on me. Four years from now, I'll lead Skywater Academy to the championship."
Shui Xinhan smiled. "Young Friend Su, I completely agree to your terms. The academy won't place any restrictions on you."
Su Yuntao nodded. "Dean Shui, in that case, I'll call you Dean from now on, and you can call me Yuntao."
"Yuntao, that would be best."
From that day onward, Su Yuntao became the only boy at Skywater Academy.
A month later, Su Yuntao was walking down a wide street in Shuiyun City with two girls. Yang Wudi had already returned to his clan, while Old Poison had finished detoxifying not long ago. Feeling that he was about to break through, he had returned to his lair to cultivate in seclusion.
Throughout that month, Su Yuntao had lived in this free, peaceful, and tranquil city. Life in Shuiyun City reminded him of the world he had once known.
Anyone could tell at a glance that the two girls beside Su Yuntao were beauties in the making. Not only that, they looked somewhat alike, like twin sisters. They were clearly Shui Xinhan's two disciples, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er.
"Bing'er, Yue'er, I'm happy to tell you that your vacation is over. We have to get back to the academy now."
Shui Yue'er looked at the lively street beneath the setting sun with a long face, then hefted her bags and turned back.
"Brother Tao," Shui Bing'er called.
"Bing'er, what is it?"
"You came out with us this time and bought Yue'er and me so many things. I'll have our teacher pay you back later."
Su Yuntao waved a hand. "Bing'er, I bought these gifts for you and Yue'er. Let's not talk about the money."
"But..." Shui Bing'er said awkwardly. "These gifts are so expensive. How can I let you spend so much?"
Su Yuntao smiled faintly and silently took two deposit slips issued by Spirit Hall from his storage Soul Tool.
When Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er saw that each slip showed a deposit of one million gold coins, they gaped in astonishment.
"All right, let's head back. We can keep shopping next month."
"Yay! Yay!" Shui Yue'er cheered, dancing with excitement.
By the time the three of them returned to Skywater Academy, the moon had risen.
Shui Bing'er said goodbye to Su Yuntao and took Shui Yue'er back to their own room. They had training early the next morning, so they needed to get ready for bed.
Su Yuntao didn't return to the luxurious room Skywater Academy had prepared for him. Instead, he went to the dean's office and rang the doorbell.
"Come in!" A melodious woman's voice came from inside, and Su Yuntao pushed open the door.
"Yuntao, it's you. What is it?"
Su Yuntao said slowly, "Dean, there's something I'd like to ask you about."
"Yuntao, go ahead. What is it?"
Su Yuntao said solemnly, "Bing'er's Martial Soul is the Ice Phoenix. I've personally come into contact with it, and I found it to be incredibly powerful. Its ice attribute has even reached the ultimate level."
"With Ultimate Ice, Bing'er's talent should be at least Innate Full Soul Power, if not beyond that. Add to that how diligently she cultivates, and I really don't understand why her Soul Power Level is still only in the twenties."
A trace of sorrow appeared in Shui Xinhan's eyes. "Yuntao, tonight I'll tell you all about what Bing'er and I have been through."
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