The Soul Power fluctuations radiating from the other man were extremely restrained, but Chen Xuan could still sense the faint pressure he seemed to exert.
The ordinary-looking old man before him was definitely no weaker than he was.
"Please, Mr. Chen, have a seat."
Meng Shenji gestured toward the chair opposite him, his tone a little more courteous than before. "Which mimetic cultivation ground does your grandson want to use?"
"The one with the lightning attribute. He's already gone." Chen Xuan didn't sit down or correct their misunderstanding. He simply stood before the desk. "I came to let the three of you know. Once the paperwork's done, I'll be on my way."
Zhi Lin flipped through the student register beside them, then looked up and asked, "Forgive me for asking, but what is your grandson's name? How old is he? We need to record some basic information."
"Jiang Lin."
Chen Xuan gave them a name, then fudged the matter of age. "He's not very old, about the same age as your students."
The three committee members exchanged glances.
Meng Shenji set down his teacup and spoke carefully. "Mr. Chen, there's something I don't know whether I should ask. What level has your grandson reached?"
Chen Xuan glanced at him. He saw no need to hide this. "Soul Ancestor."
The three committee members fell silent at once.
Although Chen Xuan hadn't given Jiang Lin's exact age, his description of him as being "about the same age" meant that Jiang Lin was at least in the same age group as the students at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
And for students of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, reaching Soul Elder at that age already made them top-tier geniuses.
As for Soul Ancestors—among the very best students in all of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, there were only a handful at that level.
Every one of them was a heaven-blessed prodigy whom the academy had spared no expense to cultivate.
"Mr. Chen." Meng Shenji set down his teacup and leaned forward slightly, his tone solemn. "For your grandson to reach Soul Ancestor at such a young age makes him one of the very best geniuses in all of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
"I have a proposal. Your grandson could formally join Heaven Dou Royal Academy. His tuition would be waived, and the academy's finest teachers would guide him personally.
"With the academy's resources and your grandson's talent, he's sure to shine in time."
"That's not all."
Bai Baoshan picked up the thread, his tone eager. "If your grandson is willing to join, the academy can grant him the privileges of an inner-court student right away—the mimetic cultivation grounds will be available to him at any time, with no time limit.
"After graduation, if he wishes to serve in the Heaven Dou Empire, the academy can recommend him."
Chen Xuan listened, then simply shook his head. "I appreciate the offer. But that junior of mine has always been used to freedom. He can't abide by the academy's rules. He has his own path to follow."
Meng Shenji opened his mouth, ready to say more, but when he saw Chen Xuan's calm, resolute gaze, he could only sigh and hold his tongue.
He had lived a long time and knew how to read people. Though the old man before him was courteous, there was no room for negotiation in his tone.
And that boy was no ordinary genius, either.
"Very well. I won't press you. We'll take care of the paperwork for the mimetic cultivation ground at once."
Meng Shenji nodded, then changed the subject. "But if your grandson changes his mind in the future, the doors of Heaven Dou Royal Academy will always be open to him."
"Thank you."
Chen Xuan inclined his head slightly, turned, and pushed open the door to the academic affairs office. Then he followed the stone path toward Thunder-Struck Forest at the mountaintop.
Inside the office, the three committee members remained silent for a long while.
"That old man... I'm afraid he's a Titled Douluo," Zhi Lin said first, lowering his voice.
"Mm."
Meng Shenji furrowed his brow, his gaze fixed on the mountaintop outside the window.
"What kind of background does a boy with a Titled Douluo as his attendant have? The boy's surname is Jiang. On the Douluo Continent, is there any Jiang clan with that kind of power behind it?"
The three exchanged glances, but none of them had an answer.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
During those three days, Jiang Lin hardly ever left Thunder-Struck Forest.
Aside from eating when necessary and taking brief rests, he spent all his time sitting cross-legged beneath the largest lightning-struck pine, letting the electric arcs dancing through the air coil around his body and the thunder-attribute energies of heaven and earth surge into him like an endless tide.
The Blood Fiend Divine Thunder Halberd lay across his knees. Its three blood-red markings remained lit the whole time, like three eyes that never closed, greedily devouring every wisp of thunder-attribute Soul Power around them.
Hard work paid off. On the third day, Jiang Lin stopped cultivating.
Level 44.
He had broken through.
And his cultivation was already stable.
Jiang Lin rose from beneath the tree and stretched his limbs.
Although he had spent these three days cultivating, he had also kept an eye on the wares in the System Mall whenever he stopped.
In the meantime, he had bought a few little things that might come in handy.
But the truly good items hadn't refreshed in three days.
Still, checking the System Mall each day had become part of Jiang Lin's routine.
As soon as he stopped cultivating, today's items appeared before him.
Basketball, price: 2.5 points.
Jumpsuit, price: 2.5 points.
Martial Soul · Light Sacred Dragon, price: 20,000 points.
Soul Refining Pill Recipe, price: 5,000 points.
Jiang Lin's eyes lit up at the four items. Without the slightest hesitation, he bought the last two.
Hesitating for even a second would be disrespectful to Twin Martial Souls.
"Ding. The host has obtained Martial Soul · Light Sacred Dragon and the Soul Refining Pill Recipe."
As the system's notification sounded, a jade slip suddenly appeared in Jiang Lin's hand.
At the same time, an indescribable sensation stirred within him, much like what he had felt the first time his Martial Soul Awakened.
Jiang Lin sat cross-legged beneath the lightning-struck pine, drew a deep breath, and closed his eyes.
The Core Flame of the Light Sacred Dragon Martial Soul had already been lit deep within his soul. The familiar feeling of awakening grew stronger and stronger—just like when he had first awakened the Blood Fiend Divine Thunder Halberd at six years old. Only this time, no one was there to guide him. He could rely only on himself.
He sank his consciousness into his body and urged his Soul Power toward that golden glow.
The instant his Soul Power touched it, the golden light burst open. An immense, pure power of light surged from deep within his soul and spread along his meridians to every part of his body.
At the same time, the Blood Fiend Divine Thunder Halberd released its baleful aura instinctively, trying to repel this unfamiliar power.
Two utterly different forces met in the narrow confines of his body. Half his meridians blazed with dark-red blood fiend energy and lightning, while the other half shone with golden holy light and dragon might.
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