After arranging everything for Bai Chenxiang and the others, Tribbie went to Ye Qiong's office.
"Principal, everything's taken care of."
Ye Qiong nodded. "Tonight, I'm taking the students to the Soto Soul Arena to broaden their horizons. I'll have them participate in some Soul Fighting while we're there."
Tribbie fell silent for a moment, then shook her head. "Principal, it's not time yet."
Ye Qiong raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
Tribbie looked at him seriously. "Their talent and strength aren't enough to handle the Soul Arena yet. Their opponents are experienced Soul Masters who won't go easy on them. If they compete now, they could be in danger."
Ye Qiong didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked into Tribbie's eyes.
He could tell from her expression that she truly cared about the students.
The system's adjustments to the Chrysos Heirs were remarkably seamless.
In this life, their memories had naturally aligned with the world and with their identities and ages. There was no sense of incongruity at all.
Looking at Tribbie, Ye Qiong suddenly remembered who she had been in her previous life.
Back then, she had been just as kind and attentive to every Chrysos Heir,
and whenever they faced despair, she had always encouraged them to keep moving forward.
But for Ye Qiong, kindness and encouragement weren't nearly enough for Wang Sheng and the others.
With that in mind, Ye Qiong stood and walked to the window. "I know all that."
"Then why do it anyway? We can have them build a solid foundation first. Once they're strong enough..."
"By then, it'll be too late."
Ye Qiong cut her off.
"They're not prodigies. Wang Sheng is fourteen and only at level twenty-one. Jiang Zhu, Jing Ling, and Huang Yuan are merely above average in talent."
"If they train by the book and wait until they grow strong, the day lilies will have withered."
"How can they succeed without being tempered? I want them to see with their own eyes how far they are from the prodigies.
"Only then will they understand how weak they are and work hard to catch up."
Tribbie quickly spoke up. "But I'm afraid that if they fail, they'll lose confidence. After all, they're only a bunch of twelve-year-old children."
Ye Qiong gently patted her shoulder.
"Tribbie, I understand. You're thinking of their best interests, but you've only just met them. Maybe they're not as fragile as you think?"
"Another new student is coming to enroll soon. His talent is exceptional. He'll be more than capable of becoming the core of the academy team."
Tribbie's eyes widened. "There's another new student?"
Ye Qiong smiled and nodded. "Yes. He arrived just now, and he's on his way to the dormitory."
Tribbie said no more, simply nodding. "All right. I just hope you'll promise me this, Principal: if they're in danger, let me step in."
Ye Qiong shook his head. "No need. If they're truly in danger, I'll protect them myself. I am a Soul Emperor, after all."
Besides, he had already used the Martial Soul Evolution Card in his office. His strength had now reached an astonishing level seventy.
And after evolving, his Martial Soul was no longer an ordinary baseball bat.
"All right, then. We'll do as you say, Principal."
After Tribbie left, Ye Qiong looked at the system interface and saw a new quest.
[New Quest: Take the new student to participate in Soul Fighting for the first time. Reward upon completion: 1000 Stellar Jades.]
At noon, in the plaza of Amphoreus Academy.
Five students gathered and stood in a row.
Wang Sheng looked around and scratched his cheek. "Why hasn't the teacher arrived yet?"
Jiang Zhu shot him a look. "What's the rush?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the door of the teaching building suddenly opened.
Ye Qiong walked out, followed by a white-haired boy.
The boy had sharply defined features and wore a white robe. He walked with a light step, a warm, enthusiastic smile on his face.
Ye Qiong brought him before the group and introduced him.
"This is Phainon. Starting today, he'll be your classmate."
Phainon quickly waved. "Hello, everyone. I'm Phainon, but you can call me Xiao Bai. I'm from a little village called Aedes Elysiae."
When Wang Sheng heard that Phainon was also from the countryside, he hurried over. "Hey, brother, how old are you?"
"Twelve."
Jiang Zhu asked curiously, "What level?"
Phainon answered honestly. "Level thirty."
The air fell silent.
A moment later, Wang Sheng's eyes widened in disbelief. "Holy crap, level thirty!"
The others couldn't help taking another look at Phainon.
Level thirty at twelve years old—he was a monster!
Seeing their reaction, Phainon scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.
Ye Qiong watched the sunny, cheerful boy quickly get along with everyone, his thoughts churning.
Phainon was the second Chrysos Heir he had obtained through a draw.
With Phainon here, the Amphoreus Academy team would be incredibly strong.
After all, he was the great savior.
In his previous life, he had fought Lord Ravager Phantylia with nothing but a mortal body and had even left a wound on the face of the Aeon of Destruction Nanook.
Though Phainon had been reborn in this life as a twelve-year-old boy,
his Martial Soul was Khaslana, the most powerful form he had taken in his previous life.
On Douluo Continent, that Martial Soul was unquestionably beyond the divine level. His future was limitless.
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With that in mind, Ye Qiong clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"Quit being so surprised. Tonight, I'm taking you to the Soto Soul Arena. For now, go back and rest."
The students dispersed.
Ye Qiong also turned and left.
Phainon stayed where he was, watching Ye Qiong's back, his eyes shifting.
"Did I know the principal before? Why does he feel so strangely familiar to me?"
Night fell.
At the Soto Soul Arena,
Ye Qiong and Tribbie led the group up to the spectator stands.
As soon as they sat down, two Soul Masters walked onto the Soul Fighting Arena below.
The host waved his hand and announced in a booming voice,
"Up next, Xiao Wu will face Qing Bao!"
At the sound of that name, Ye Qiong immediately looked toward the competitors' entrance.
Sure enough, a girl with a scorpion braid walked onto the Soul Fighting Arena,
and across from her stood a burly man.
Seeing this, Ye Qiong couldn't help smiling.
"Looks like I came at just the right time."
The fight went exactly as expected. Xiao Wu won with ease.
Up in the stands, Jiang Zhu stared at Xiao Wu below and exclaimed again and again,
"She's amazing... That girl doesn't look very old, either."
Jing Ling nodded. "Yeah. I really wonder how she managed to win."
Wang Sheng quickly explained, "I know her. When I studied at Notting Academy, Xiao Wu and I were both work-study students in Dorm Seven. She's really strong. Her fighting style focuses on soft techniques."
Hearing that, Ye Qiong spoke up.
"In a fight, the stronger or bigger person isn't necessarily the winner. Softness can overcome strength."
"Watch closely and see how you compare to them."
The students nodded seriously.
Ye Qiong continued explaining the next few Soul Fighting matches, but before long, something surprising happened.
After one match ended, the host loudly announced,
"Up next, Tang San of Shrek Academy will face..."