A Righteous Heart Makes All Things Righteous; an Evil Heart Makes All Things Evil

Lin Hao's third Spirit Ring lit up with a black glow. The Talisman in his palm changed from gray to gold.

Complex, inscrutable mystical runes covered the golden Talisman.

Qin Ming stood close to Lin Hao and felt the surrounding temperature rise to an astonishing level. At the same time, an aura of utmost yang and steadfast strength spread from the Talisman in Lin Hao's hand.

"Go!"

Lin Hao flicked a finger toward a tree close by.

The Talisman left behind a golden trail. Golden light bloomed as the runes intertwined, striking the tree like a sun.

"Bang!"

With a loud impact, the tree was not smashed apart. Yet the golden, flame-like radiance instantly swallowed it. In the blink of an eye, the tree turned to ashes and vanished.

"Gasp!"

Everyone drew in a sharp breath.

The tree had turned to ashes and vanished in an instant, as if it had never existed.

If the Talisman had struck a person rather than a tree, would that person not have been vaporized instantly as well?

"It was purified!" Qin Ming concluded. "Your third soul skill inherited the purification ability of the Exorcism Golden Scale Lion!"

The Exorcism Golden Scale Lion was renowned among Soul Beasts for purifying evil entities.

Purify All Things was its core innate divine ability.

This divine ability resembled the Purification Power of the Six-Winged Angel.

"No, its power is even greater than that of the Exorcism Golden Scale Lion!" Shui Ruohan had fought the Exorcism Golden Scale Lion before. He felt that the Purification Power of Lin Hao's third soul skill was even stronger.

When Shui Ruohan had been struck and injured by the Exorcism Golden Scale Lion, his arm had suffered irreversible burns. Lin Hao's Talisman, however, directly purified and incinerated all things.

Shui Bing'er said with lingering fear, "What a terrifying soul skill. If it struck someone's body, how painful would that be?"

Shui Ruohan shook his head and corrected her. "It is not a matter of pain. It means either death or injury!"

Unless one avoided being hit by Lin Hao's Demon-Subduing Talisman, their body would inevitably suffer irreversible damage. It could even directly endanger their life.

Shui Bing'er said, "What a vicious soul skill!"

Lin Hao froze for a moment before retorting, "I do not agree with you. Soul skills are neither good nor evil. If one's heart is righteous, then what one uses is naturally righteous. If one's heart is not righteous, even the most sacred thing will become a great scourge in the hands of an evil person!"

Shui Bing'er did not argue and nodded in agreement.

Shui Ruohan praised him, "At such a young age, your understanding is truly different from others'. Lin Hao, I would like to invite you once more to join my family and assist Bing'er. What conditions do you have? Feel free to name them. As long as they are within my ability, I will do my best to satisfy them."

What was the difference between people?

Or rather, what was the difference between the poor and the wealthy, between ordinary commoners and high-ranking nobles?

Shui Ruohan believed it was awareness.

A person's awareness determined all of their actions.

When some people saw that others were capable, their first thought was to suppress, envy, and target them rather than put their abilities to use.

When some people saw that others were wealthy, their first reaction was resentment toward the rich rather than considering how to learn from them and become wealthy themselves.

When some people saw that others could become high officials, their first thought was slander rather than climbing upward with the tide.

These were all problems of awareness.

Although Shui Ruohan had only spent a few days with Lin Hao, Lin Hao's displayed talent, especially his awareness, made Shui Ruohan feel that Lin Hao possessed the bearing of a great man in the future.

That was why Shui Ruohan had not originally intended to invite Lin Hao into the Water Family at this time.

After all, he had only just helped Lin Hao hunt a Soul Beast.

Lin Hao was simply too outstanding, so outstanding that Shui Ruohan was utterly tempted.

Lin Hao smiled and politely declined. "Uncle, I do not currently have any intention of joining another family. If I ever decide to join a family for development in the future, I will give the Water Family first consideration!"

"Good. The doors of the Water Family will always be open to you." Shui Ruohan gazed at Lin Hao, finding himself even more impressed by him.

Lin Hao's words had accomplished the purpose of politely declining without making Shui Ruohan feel embarrassed or unable to save face.

Seven days later, Heaven Dou City.

After washing up, Lin Hao followed the paths through campus toward the Indoor Soul Fighting Arena.

When they returned yesterday, Qin Ming had told Lin Hao that he did not need to attend classes like the others. He was to rest for the night, then report directly to the school's Indoor Soul Fighting Arena.

Heaven Dou Royal Academy had an Indoor Soul Fighting Arena that covered roughly half the area of a football field.

It was somewhat similar to the Great Soul Arena, a place where students within the academy could fight souls and exchange practical combat experience.

Every class had practical soul-fighting lessons each week.

When Lin Hao reached the entrance, the door stood slightly ajar. The sound of people talking came from inside.

"Teacher Qin Ming said he would bring a teammate to meet us today!"

"But our team already has seven members! A main team can have no more than seven people. Does that mean one of us will be demoted from a main member to a reserve?"

"They will not become a reserve. They will enter Heaven Dou Second Team!"

As an academy owned by the royal family, Heaven Dou Royal Academy sent two teams to every tournament.

One was Heaven Dou First Team, which advanced directly to the finals.

The other was Heaven Dou Second Team, which participated in the tournament normally.

Heaven Dou First Team was made up entirely of genius Spirit Masters. Even if they had to leave the team, they would not become reserves. Instead, they would directly join Heaven Dou Second Team as main members.

"Yeah, whoever gets eliminated will definitely enter Heaven Dou Second Team. Who will it be?"

"Who cares who it is? None of the seven of us are ordinary people. Whether this newcomer can even join Heaven Dou First Team is still a question!"

"That is right. Whether he is male or female, we have already discussed it. We absolutely cannot go easy on him. We must use our strength to drive him out of Heaven Dou First Team!"

The last person to speak was Yu Tianheng.

After repeatedly questioning Qin Ming, Yu Tianheng learned that the person arriving today was a country bumpkin with no background whatsoever.

Why had Yu Tianheng entered Heaven Dou Royal Academy?

The answer was to borrow external power and help himself compete for the position of clan leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

His cousin, Yu Tianxin, was born of the main line, while he was born of a concubine.

Many people in the clan supported Yu Tianxin.

With no other choice, Yu Tianheng could only give up attending Thunder Academy and enter Heaven Dou Royal Academy, where noble children were everywhere.

He hoped to use the power of nobles and external forces to increase his leverage in competing for the position of clan leader.

All seven members of Heaven Dou Royal Academy's first team were noble children.

Cultivating alongside them suited Yu Tianheng's needs perfectly.

"Lin Hao, why are you not going in?"

Just as Lin Hao stood at the entrance eavesdropping, Qin Ming's voice sounded behind him.

Lin Hao turned around and saw Qin Ming walking down the corridor with three people behind him.

When they reached Lin Hao, Qin Ming said politely, "Three instructors, this is the student I told you about: Lin Hao, who has already reached the three-ring Soul Elder realm, and whose third Spirit Ring has a ten-thousand-year cultivation!"