Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings

Qingxi paid no attention to his reaction. She put away her Martial Soul and asked in a calm voice, "Well?"

Beside her, Dugu Yan was barely holding back laughter. "Well," indeed. No one would believe a Soul Ring Configuration like that if they heard about it.

"You—you did that how?" He Shuwen rushed forward, reaching for Qingxi's hand. His face was flushed with excitement, but Qingxi nimbly dodged him.

Qingxi slipped behind Dugu Yan again, resting a hand on her shoulder. Her brows furrowed as she regarded the middle-aged man opposite them, wary and distant.

She didn't like the way he looked at her.

"Teacher He, don't scare my little sister. She doesn't like people touching her." Dugu Yan stepped in front of Qingxi.

"I... I'm just so excited. In the entire history of Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent, no one has ever had a Soul Ring Configuration like this. How did she do it?"

He even believed that, given time, this girl would surpass Dugu Yan by far—and might even become the kind of legendary existence people only spoke of in stories.

"Who knows? When my little sister absorbed her Soul Rings, she found that hundred-year and thousand-year Soul Rings had no effect on her, so she absorbed a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring despite the risk. And she actually succeeded." Dugu Yan made it sound like nothing. Of course, she'd made the whole thing up.

"She's a genius among geniuses! I have to arrange the best teachers, the best education, and the best cultivation environment for her. She'll surely become the glory of the empire!" He Shuwen was so excited his face turned bright red. He was already planning out a whole series of cultivation regimens for the girl.

"Teacher He, she's a child of the Dugu Family. You don't need to worry about any of that!" A cold glint flashed in Dugu Yan's eyes, and her voice turned icy.

Her grandfather was already a level ninety-five Titled Douluo, not some bottom-rung Douluo. If anyone dared to set their sights on her master, her grandfather wouldn't mind poisoning the entire Heaven Dou Imperial Family, one by one.

"I... That's not what I meant. I was just so excited." Hearing what Dugu Yan meant, He Shuwen felt as if someone had doused him with a bucket of ice water.

That was right. This child belonged to the Dugu Family. How could the academy control her? He'd let his excitement cloud his judgment.

With two stars rising in one generation, the Dugu Family was destined to rise. They had the youngest Soul Elder and the youngest Soul Ancestor. Perhaps Dugu Yan would even become the youngest Soul King.

And now there was this little monster before him, with Soul Power at level twenty-eight and two Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings.

He Shuwen could hardly believe it.

Dugu Yan snorted. "Get her enrollment papers ready. My little sister's cultivation is already taken care of. The academy doesn't need to get involved. Just follow the usual process."

"But..." He Shuwen wanted to say more, but Dugu Yan's expression was so cold that he didn't dare. In his heart, though, he'd already decided to report the matter to the Education Committee.

With talent like hers, the academy had to bring her over to the Heaven Dou Empire's side.

Better yet... better if the little girl married into the imperial family. An empress with the potential to become a god would surely restore the Heaven Dou Empire to its former glory.

She might even unite the Douluo Continent.

As for why he wasn't considering Dugu Yan, that was a joke. She was the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's future daughter-in-law, even if they were still courting her.

Back at the long table, He Shuwen began drafting Qingxi's enrollment papers. "Soul Power, level twenty-eight. Martial Soul... Coiling Dragon Staff?"

When he got to that part, He Shuwen stopped writing. He'd read every Martial Soul handbook on the Douluo Continent, so he couldn't be mistaken. But if he remembered correctly, the Coiling Dragon Staff Martial Soul belonged to Spirit Hall...

"What's wrong?" Dugu Yan frowned slightly, finding him unbearably slow and long-winded.

"Hurry it up, please. I still have to make it in time for lunch." Qingxi poked her head out and said it with a perfectly serious expression.

Of all the things in the world, food came first!

"Just a moment." He Shuwen set aside his doubts. Since this child was Poison Douluo's granddaughter, she couldn't possibly be from Spirit Hall.

After all, Poison Douluo detested Spirit Hall. Why would he adopt the child of one of its worshippers?

"Here, this is your school badge, little one. As for your room, I remember there are spare rooms in your courtyard, Dugu Yan. We'll arrange for her to stay there. That way, you sisters can look after each other. Someone will bring your uniform over later."

Dugu Yan took the school badge and frowned slightly. "Heaven Dou Grade?"

But she was quite pleased that the dormitory was so close to hers.

"Given your little sister's talent, she'll break through to level thirty sooner or later. We may as well issue it early. After all, the Heaven Dou Grade has much better educational and cultivation resources than the Heaven Supreme Grade," He Shuwen explained patiently, though his fervent gaze passed over Dugu Yan and landed on the person behind her.

With talent like this, the girl's Soul Power shouldn't have been only level twenty-eight. Clearly, she'd been held back. He Shuwen wanted to give her nothing but the best resources.

"Fine." Dugu Yan nodded. This meant her master could cultivate alongside her.

After all, most students at Heaven Dou Royal Academy had gotten in through connections or noble status. Very few were truly capable, and only a few dozen students were at the Heaven Dou Grade.

So the academy had the reputation of being the best in the Heaven Dou Empire, but not the strength to match.

The academy was practically desperate for talented students, and spent generously to recruit promising commoners and bring them in to cultivate at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Unfortunately, once those commoner students arrived, they were enslaved and oppressed by the noble students.

"Little sister, let's go." Dugu Yan took Qingxi by the hand and led her outside, calling her little sister as naturally as if she'd been doing it for years.

Qingxi let herself be led along. From the corner of her eye, she glanced behind them. That scorching gaze stayed glued to her, making her deeply uncomfortable.

After the two had disappeared from view, He Shuwen tidied the files on the table, got up, and closed the office door. Then he headed toward the Education Committee.

Meanwhile, Dugu Yan led Qingxi to the second floor of the academy dining hall. There were chefs here, and they could order whatever they wanted.

"The sweet-and-sour pork looks good, and so does the crispy duck, the pickled cabbage fish, the braised rabbit..." Dugu Yan ordered five or six dishes, then handed the menu to Qingxi. "See if there's anything else you want."

"No, this is enough." Qingxi took the menu, flipped through it casually, then handed it back to the server beside them.

She gazed idly at the floor below. It looked to be a little after one in the afternoon, and the dining hall was nearly empty. A few people were scattered around, having afternoon tea.

"Getting used to it?" Dugu Yan propped her chin on her hand, looking across at the girl.

Qingxi tipped her head back to look at the ceiling, her face expressionless. "It's all right..."

To be honest, Heaven Dou Royal Academy was quite nice. The scenery was beautiful, and it was far from the noise of the world, like a hidden paradise. But that teacher had seemed a little too enthusiastic. She had a feeling there was still something waiting for her.

Qingxi frowned, clearly troubled.

Dugu Yan smiled. "With talent like yours, you'd cause a sensation wherever you went. But... don't worry too much. You're Poison Douluo's granddaughter. If anyone dares set their sights on you, I'll just ask Grandfather to poison their whole family."

"Let's hope so..." Qingxi lay across the table, looking at the delicious food set before her. For once, she had little appetite.

Dugu Yan got up and served two bowls of rice. She placed one in front of Qingxi and smiled. "Come on, eat. Afterward, I'll show you around the dormitory. This afternoon, we'll go play by the lake."

Qingxi sniffed the rice before sitting up straight and picking up her chopsticks to eat.

"Yan Yan?" A clear, youthful voice sounded behind Dugu Yan. Qingxi stopped eating and raised her head slightly.