Come at me together

Gu Qingshan narrowed his eyes and tilted his head toward the courtyard gate.

The gate was pushed open.

The first to walk in was a woman.

She wore a magnificent purple-gold robe and a nine-curved purple-gold crown. Her skin was as white and delicate as snow, and while her chest was ample, her waist was exceptionally slender—a true hourglass figure.

Her beauty was breathtaking, yet she carried an imposing, dignified aura that made it difficult for others to meet her gaze.

It was none other than the Pope of Martial Soul Hall, Bibi Dong.

Behind her followed two boys and one girl, all around thirteen or fourteen years old, possessing extraordinary temperaments that clearly marked them as no ordinary youths.

These must be Hu Liena, her brother Xie Yue, and that sycophant Yan.

Simp, simp, simping until you have nothing left!

Being a simp has no future, how pathetic!

Bibi Dong saw the youth in the bathtub, stark naked, a Blue Silver Leaf dangling from his mouth, legs crossed, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

"Qing...shan."

Her voice was not loud, but Gu Qingshan clearly felt the water temperature drop by two degrees.

"Oh, Teacher!"

Gu Qingshan sat bolt upright with a start, the Blue Silver Leaf slipping from his lips and splashing into the green water.

"Why are you here? You didn't even give me a heads-up so I could... so I could put on some clothes."

Bibi Dong took a deep breath, shifting her gaze from the youth's bare shoulders to the lush patch of Blue Silver seedlings in the courtyard.

Dozens of Blue Silver seedlings were neatly planted in the yard, their leaves marked with faint golden spots shimmering with a soft blue glow under the sunlight. Each one was thriving, possessing an impossibly vigorous vitality.

Bibi Dong's expression shifted subtly.

Of course, she recognized what these were.

Blue Silver Emperor.

Cuttings from a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor.

What on earth... had this child done?

The three behind her also entered the courtyard.

Leading them was a young girl with short, orange-yellow hair and delicate features. Her eyes held a natural charm, but at this moment, those fox-like eyes were narrowed, sizing up the youth in the bathtub.

Hu Liena frowned slightly, her tone dripping with disapproval: "Teacher, is this the young genius you spoke of? Not cultivating in the middle of the day, but here... taking a bath and enjoying himself?"

She emphasized the word "enjoying," her gaze sweeping over the vat of murky green water with undisguised disdain.

The burly youth beside her also let out a cold snort: "Just this?"

Yan, a member of the Martial Soul Hall Golden Generation, possessed the Flame Lord martial soul, and his temper was as explosive as his power.

Xie Yue said nothing, merely standing to the side with his arms crossed, his cold gaze fixed on Gu Qingshan as if looking at a good-for-nothing playboy.

The attitude of the three was clear: they were unconvinced.

They had already held grievances regarding the Pope personally taking on a disciple.

The Martial Soul Hall Golden Generation—which of them wasn't a genius hand-picked from the masses?

Hu Liena, Xie Yue, Yan—which one of them hadn't fought their way up through countless battles?

Now, a six-year-old boy had suddenly been parachuted in to join their inner circle. On what grounds?

Just because he had Innate Full Soul Power?

Bibi Dong naturally sensed the petty thoughts of the three.

"Do not judge things by their surface."

She lifted her chin, signaling the three to look at the youth in the bathtub.

"Observe his soul power fluctuations carefully."

The three were stunned, instinctively focusing their attention on Gu Qingshan.

In an instant, their expressions changed simultaneously.

Hu Liena's fox-like eyes widened, her red lips parted, and she was left speechless.

Yan even took two steps forward, his eyes bulging.

"This... how is this possible?"

They could clearly perceive that the youth soaking in the poisonous water had soul power that was constantly fluctuating.

It wasn't a minor rise and fall, but a steady, continuous, and visible upward trend.

They had seen geniuses before; Hu Liena was a genius herself, a level 33 soul master at twelve, hailed as a once-in-a-century talent of Martial Soul Hall.

But her cultivation relied on talent, hard work, and high-quality soul ring configurations, accumulated step by step.

They had never seen anyone do it like this.

Take a bath, and Soul Power Level rises on its own?

The three of them looked at each other, the contempt and disdain in their eyes vanishing completely, replaced by shock and confusion.

What kind of monster was this seemingly slacker-looking boy?

Gu Qingshan felt three scorching gazes and, feeling a bit embarrassed, shrank further into the water until only his head remained visible.

"Um... could you let me put on some clothes first?"

The green water bubbled and gurgled.

Bibi Dong finally couldn't hold back, tapping her Pope's scepter lightly against the ground: "Get dressed and come to the main hall. From today on, you are the fourth member of the Golden Generation."

Having said that, she turned and left, her pace a bit faster than when she arrived.

Hu Liena glanced at Gu Qingshan, wanting to say something but stopping herself, eventually following Bibi Dong away.

Yan didn't leave; he stood by the bathtub, staring at the murky green water for a long while before suddenly asking: "Can I soak in this water of yours?"

Gu Qingshan blinked: "Are you sure? There are seventeen types of poison in this water."

Yan's expression changed, and he sheepishly walked away.

The courtyard finally fell silent.

Gu Qingshan stood up from the bathtub, water droplets sliding down the boy's emerging muscular contours.

He stretched, his bones emitting a faint cracking sound, and sank his consciousness into his body to take a look.

Soul Power Level: 15.25
Life Force: 5600

It had risen by another hundred since just a moment ago.

Gu Qingshan grinned, pulled a black robe from the rack beside the tub to drape over himself, and casually popped a Blue Silver Leaf into his mouth.

"Golden Generation..."

He chewed the Blue Silver Leaf, the sweet, fresh life force melting on his tongue and flowing through his throat to every limb and bone.

"Interesting."

The atmosphere in the main hall was subtle.

When Gu Qingshan walked in wearing a clean black robe, Hu Liena and the other two were already sitting properly in the guest seats.

Bibi Dong sat upright in the main seat, her Pope's scepter leaning by her side, taking a light sip from her teacup with impeccable, elegant posture.

But Gu Qingshan noticed that the moment he entered, his teacher's gaze swept rapidly toward his right leg.

Gu Qingshan kept his expression neutral, walked to the center of the hall to stand, bowed to Bibi Dong, and then turned to look openly at the three "guests."

Bibi Dong set down her teacup, her tone returning to its usual composure: "Qingshan, let me introduce them formally."

She gestured toward Hu Liena: "This is your senior sister Hu Liena, Martial Soul Heavenly Fox."

Hu Liena nodded slightly, her gaze lingering on Gu Qingshan for a moment.

What exactly was special about this kid? A six-year-old child, soaking in poisonous water, with his soul power rising visibly to the naked eye.

"This is Xie Yue, Nana's brother, Martial Soul Curved Blade."

Xie Yue's expression was more reserved than his sister's. He scrutinized Gu Qingshan, his eyes lingering for a moment on the boy's exposed skin; it was as smooth as ever, without any signs of poisoning or injury.

Soaked in that kind of poisonous water, yet his skin remained completely unscathed?

"And this is Yan, Martial Soul Flame Lord."

Yan was the most direct. He looked Gu Qingshan up and down, his chin tilted slightly, a dismissive smile hanging on his lips.

In his view, a six-year-old child, no matter how talented, how high could he really go?

He was thirteen, a level 33 Soul Elder, a gap of at least two major realms.

The gap in levels between soul masters could not be smoothed over by talent alone.