Heaven Dou Royal Academy had been buzzing for the past two days.
Whether in the Mimicry Training Ground, the cafeteria, or even the dormitories of the advanced classes, every student was talking about the same person.
Xue Yao.
This child, who had just turned six, had practically become a legend at the academy.
"Have you heard? That six-year-old freshman was not only personally granted the title of Viscount Sky Wind by His Majesty, but he's also moved into Villa No. 1!"
"That's nothing. My cousin works in the Academic Affairs Office. He said Chief Meng Shenji personally gave Xue Yao a Purple Gold Card. He doesn't even have to attend classes!"
"Holy crap, seriously? He's only six and already that arrogant?"
"Of course! Now the instructors privately call him the greatest genius in Heaven Dou. They say he's sure to become a Titled Douluo someday."
Rumors tended to change as they spread.
Especially when the title of "greatest genius" was pinned on a six-year-old brat who had just enrolled and barely ever shown his face.
Some were curious, some were envious. Naturally, others were extremely annoyed.
The academy's advanced district, poison-type Mimicry Training Ground.
A faint purple mist hung in the air, carrying a sharp, sickly-sweet smell.
A girl with short, dark green hair and the beginnings of a graceful figure sat cross-legged in the center of the training ground.
Her name was Dugu Yan. She was eleven years old, with a background powerful enough to make anyone think twice.
She was the granddaughter of the current Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo.
At eleven, her Soul Power had already reached level nineteen.
She was just one step away from breaking through to Soul Grandmaster.
Before Xue Yao arrived, Dugu Yan had been the undisputed darling of Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Instructors and students alike had doted on her.
But now, all the attention had been stolen by that six-year-old brat.
"Phew—"
Dugu Yan opened her eyes and let out a long breath of murky air tinged with pale green.
Her brows were knitted tightly. Her beautiful face was unnaturally pale.
She was irritated. Extremely irritated.
For the past two days, she had felt a tightness in her chest. The moment she circulated her Soul Power, sharp, needle-like pain would stab at both sides of her ribs.
Even her fingertips had taken on a faint, abnormal purplish-blue hue.
She didn't know that this was a side effect of her family's Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul: a backlash from the poison.
Although her grandfather, Dugu Bo, had given her medicine to suppress the poison, the higher her Soul Power grew, the more frequent the pain from the backlash became.
The discomfort in her body, combined with all the gossip about the "greatest genius" outside,
had left this young miss as touchy as a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest spark.
"Yan, have you heard?"
A few noble students who usually followed Dugu Yan around came over from outside the training ground.
One of the boys lowered his voice and said, "That Xue Yao hasn't gone to a single class in the past three days. He's been holed up in the Viscount Mansion the whole time, acting like he's too good for everyone."
"Exactly. Everyone says he's the greatest talent in history. He's even overshadowed you, Yan."
"Bang!"
Dugu Yan slammed her palm into the ground. The flagstones beneath her cracked in several places from the impact.
She rose to her feet, dangerous light flickering in her emerald-green eyes.
"Greatest genius? Does he deserve that title?"
Dugu Yan sneered.
"He's a six-year-old brat who's only just awakened his Martial Soul. Even with Innate Full Soul Power, he can't be more than a dozen levels strong."
"Does he really think His Majesty's favor means he can do whatever he wants at Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"
A blaze of Evil Fire was already smoldering inside her, with nowhere to vent.
Her followers' words had completely ignited her competitive streak.
"Let's go." Dugu Yan flicked her short hair back.
"Yan, where are we going?" Her followers stared at her in surprise.
"Villa No. 1."
Dugu Yan narrowed her eyes, the corner of her mouth curling into a cold smile.
"Today, I'm going to see just how much this so-called greatest genius is really worth!"
Half an hour later.
At the entrance to the Viscount Sky Wind Mansion in the core district of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Dugu Yan and a few followers stood menacingly outside the gate.
The scene immediately caught the attention of quite a few students passing by.
"Look, look! That's Dugu Yan!"
"Why's she come to Villa No. 1? Is she here to pick a fight with Xue Yao?"
"Yan's a genius who reached level nineteen at eleven. All the attention's been stolen by a new student. Could you put up with that?"
More and more people gathered to watch. Everyone craned their necks, eager to see the commotion.
Dugu Yan stood right in front of the gate with her arms crossed.
She lifted her chin and glanced at one of her followers.
The boy understood at once and stepped forward, shouting at the tightly shut gate, "Xue Yao! Come out!"
"Our Yan wants to see you! Don't hide in there like a coward!"
His voice rang out across the wide street.
But the inside of the gate remained silent. Not a sound came from within.
"He's not coming out?"
A flash of impatience crossed Dugu Yan's eyes.
The Evil Fire in her body, stirred up by the poison, was burning hotter and hotter.
"Vmmmm—"
A powerful surge of Soul Power burst from her.
Blinding green light flashed.
A faint, enormous Jade Phosphorous Serpent materialized behind her and coiled through the air.
At the same time, a bright yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring slowly rose from beneath her feet.
Level nineteen—the pressure of a Soul Master at the peak!
The students watching nearby were forced back again and again by the Soul Power, which carried a faint, fishy smell.
"Xue Yao! I'm counting to three. If you don't come out, I'll tear this lousy gate down!"
Dugu Yan's voice was clear, yet carried an overbearing edge that brooked no refusal.
Just as she was about to start counting,
"Creak—"
The heavy redwood gate finally swung open.
Every gaze instantly turned toward it.
Inside the gate,
Xue Yao wore loose white lounge clothes, his hands tucked into his pockets.
He had just finished the final test of Wind Arrow at the Mimicry Training Ground. He was about to take a shower when he heard all the racket outside, like a marketplace.
"Making all that noise in broad daylight. Are you calling the dead?"
Xue Yao yawned and lazily raised his eyelids.
His gaze swept over the crowd packed outside, then settled on Dugu Yan, who stood at the front.
Dark green hair, green eyes, and delicate features with a sharp, aggressive edge.
And the striking Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul behind her.
"You're Xue Yao?"
Dugu Yan sized up the little boy in front of her, who was a head shorter than she was.
He did look fair and clean-cut, but not a trace of Soul Power was coming off him. He looked like an ordinary person.
This is him? The greatest genius?
"None other," Xue Yao replied evenly.
He looked at Dugu Yan and suddenly frowned slightly.
With the soul of an adult and all the knowledge he had crammed at the library, his eye was exceptionally sharp.
He spotted something wrong with Dugu Yan at a glance.
Though the girl was putting on a fearsome show, her breathing was a little rapid.
There was an almost imperceptible bluish-black tinge along the edges of her lips. Her arms were crossed over her chest, but her fingertips trembled faintly.
These were signs that poison was attacking her heart and rebounding through her meridians.
She's in pretty bad shape, Xue Yao muttered inwardly.
"I hear you're Heaven Dou's greatest genius?"
Dugu Yan snorted, lifting her chin slightly. "Other people might be afraid of your title as a viscount, but I'm not. I'm here to challenge you!"
"Challenge me?"
Xue Yao couldn't help laughing.
An eleven-year-old girl had come to his doorstep to compete for attention.
The whole thing looked ridiculous no matter how he looked at it.
"Yes! Soul Fighting!"
Dugu Yan pointed at Xue Yao. "If you lose, you'll admit in front of everyone that your title of 'greatest genius' was all hot air! And from now on, whenever you see me at the academy, you'll take the long way around!"
The students nearby drew in sharp breaths.
That was too harsh.
For a noble genius, admitting in public that you were all hot air was practically worse than being killed.
"Oh."
Faced with the menacing Dugu Yan, Xue Yao merely replied calmly.
Then he looked at Dugu Yan and asked, unhurriedly:
"And what if I win?"
"You win?" Dugu Yan sounded as if she'd just heard the biggest joke in the world.
"If you can beat me, then from now on, I, Dugu Yan, will call you big brother at the academy! If you tell me to go east, I absolutely won't go west!"
Dugu Yan's face was full of pride.
She had absolute confidence. A level-nineteen Soul Master could beat a six-year-old who had only just awakened his Martial Soul with her eyes closed.
Besides, among those of the same rank, no one dared take her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison head-on.
"You can forget about calling me big brother. I'm not interested in taking on a little sister."
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