"Hanyuan, look how badly you scared him."
Where Wu Zhangkong could not see, the chibi Snow Empress covered her mouth with one hand, her eyes curved into crescents.
Watching Wu Zhangkong look at Leng Hanyuan as if facing a formidable enemy, Snow Empress found it rather amusing.
Leng Hanyuan sent out a helpless ripple of spiritual power.
He had not done anything.
He had merely taken a tiny, reasonable measure within reasonable limits to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Very soon.
A figure appeared in the distance.
It was Yu Zhen, the headmaster of Eastsea Academy.
"Zhangkong, where is the guest you mentioned?"
Yu Zhen asked. Because of Wu Zhangkong's special status, he was fairly courteous.
"Here."
Wu Zhangkong pointed at Leng Hanyuan and replied coldly.
Hearing that, Yu Zhen turned his gaze toward him.
Upon seeing Leng Hanyuan's youthful face, his first reaction was disdain.
However, perhaps because he knew Wu Zhangkong's temperament, he did not show it on his face.
A perfectly measured smile appeared on his face.
"May I ask who you are?"
"Leng Hanyuan."
Leng Hanyuan answered as he took a business card from his pocket and handed it over.
The card was entirely black with gold-plated edges, and it looked exceptionally valuable.
Leng Yaozhu had specially made it for him.
Her reason was that she did not want her ancestor to waste words explaining his identity to outsiders.
As the headmaster of Eastsea Academy, Yu Zhen's discernment was far beyond that of ordinary people.
The instant he accepted the card, he sensed its unusual nature.
This business card was not made of paper. It felt incredibly warm and soft in his hand, like jade.
Even though he could not identify the material in a short time, he could tell that it was undoubtedly extremely valuable.
Anyone who used such material to make business cards had to possess an extraordinary identity!
At that thought, Yu Zhen suppressed the disdain that had arisen because of Leng Hanyuan's youthful appearance.
His heart grew several degrees more solemn.
He assumed Leng Hanyuan might be a descendant of some great clan or powerful faction.
However, when he took the card and clearly saw the words on it, Yu Zhen's pupils abruptly contracted.
The hand holding the business card began to tremble slightly.
The contents of the card were simple.
They merely introduced Leng Hanyuan's identity.
Grand Elder of the Spirit Pagoda!
Yu Zhen was no stranger to that position.
Not long ago, the Spirit Pagoda had publicly announced the establishment of this position.
Its status was equal to that of the Spirit Pagoda Master.
The news had caused quite a stir across the continent at the time.
Many people had made all sorts of guesses about this Grand Elder's identity.
They wanted to know just what kind of person he was.
Yu Zhen had heard about it as well, and during his free time, he had even gossiped with the academy's other higher-ups about this Grand Elder who had appeared out of nowhere.
Yet he never could have imagined that this man would appear before him now.
And he was so young!
Yu Zhen did not suspect Leng Hanyuan of impersonating the identity.
After all, no one would be foolish enough to impersonate such a prominent figure who had only recently stirred up such a great commotion across the continent.
"Welcome, Grand Elder of the Spirit Pagoda, to Eastsea Academy."
Yu Zhen swallowed, and his attitude could no longer be described as merely solemn.
It was reverence.
He lowered himself immensely.
His own status was not low, either.
As the headmaster of Eastsea Academy, he could be considered an influential figure in the soul master world.
But compared to the Spirit Pagoda's Grand Elder, whose status was equal to that of the Spirit Pagoda Master, the difference was like heaven and earth.
They did not even belong to the same world!
Grand Elder of the Spirit Pagoda?
When he heard Yu Zhen's form of address for Leng Hanyuan after receiving the business card, a flash of sharp light passed through Wu Zhangkong's eyes.
Naturally, he had also heard of this position, publicly announced by the Spirit Pagoda and suddenly established with rank equal to the Pagoda Master.
No wonder...
Wu Zhangkong looked at Leng Hanyuan with a little more understanding in his eyes.
No wonder he had been able to influence him without his noticing.
So he was an expert on the same level as that Spirit Transmission Douluo!
That explained everything.
He was only a Soul Emperor, after all. There was still a considerable gap between him and those true ultimate experts standing at the pinnacle of this world.
But why had the Spirit Pagoda's Grand Elder come to Eastsea Academy?
Wu Zhangkong pondered it silently, but he could not figure out what Eastsea Academy possessed that would draw a figure of this caliber here in person.
Not only did he not know, but Yu Zhen, as Eastsea Academy's headmaster, did not know either!
With a smile on his face, he cautiously asked.
"May I ask what business brings you to Eastsea Academy, Grand Elder?"
"It is nothing important."
Leng Hanyuan pointed at Gu Yue beside him.
"I just brought my student here to enroll. While I am at it, I thought I would teach here to pass the time."
Of course, it was not to pass the time.
The reason Leng Hanyuan wanted to join Eastsea Academy was, first, to continue exchanging insights into the divine realm with Gu Yue, and second, to keep watch over her at all times.
He wanted to prevent any accident from causing his plans to stray from their intended course.
That way, he could intervene at any time, preserve that delicate balance, and steer events in the direction most favorable to him.
However.
Yu Zhen did not know about Leng Hanyuan's calculations.
After hearing Leng Hanyuan's words, his mind seemed as though it had been struck by a massive hammer, suddenly turning completely blank.
Only after a long while did he gradually come back to his senses.
He swallowed in disbelief.
"Sir, you... you want to teach at Eastsea Academy?!"
For a moment, Yu Zhen suspected that he was hearing things.
What had Eastsea Academy done to deserve inviting such a major figure, one equal to the Spirit Pagoda Master, to teach here?
Yu Zhen could not understand what Leng Hanyuan wanted.
No matter how hard he racked his brain, he could not think of anything at Eastsea Academy that this Spirit Pagoda Grand Elder could possibly value.
"What, is there a problem?"
"Or is it not recruitment season, and Eastsea Academy does not intend to take in anyone?"
Leng Hanyuan's words pulled Yu Zhen out of his shock.
He came to his senses and hurriedly shook his head.
"No, no."
It truly was not the time for Eastsea Academy to recruit teachers or students.
Ordinarily, they would not have any plans to hire anyone either.
But...
That was under normal circumstances.
The person standing before him now was no ordinary person!
Rejecting the Spirit Pagoda's Grand Elder...
Once such a thing got out, never mind whether Leng Hanyuan himself would take offense.
If those in the Spirit Pagoda who were still hoping to curry favor with this Grand Elder heard of it, they would probably be more than happy to create some trouble for Eastsea Academy.
The Spirit Pagoda's influence ran throughout a soul master's growth.
If they were targeted by it, could Eastsea Academy even continue operating?
As for the rules...
Did they matter?
Rules were meant to be broken!
"It is truly an honor for our academy that the Grand Elder is willing to grace us with his guidance!"
"May I ask what position the Grand Elder would prefer?"
"How about Dean of Studies?"
Yu Zhen asked softly.
No matter what position Leng Hanyuan wanted, he would do his best to satisfy him.
At present, it seemed Leng Hanyuan had come for that female student, so the position of Dean of Studies was the most suitable.
Former Dean of Studies Long Hengxu: How could you be so selfish?!
Before you continue