Farewell to Qian Renxue

Lin Fan understood. After all, Qian Renxue was living undercover in the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, so naturally she couldn't show herself. If anyone discovered her, more than a decade of infiltration would go to waste!

"Seven years ago, Sister was already as beautiful as a fairy. She must be even more beautiful now..."

Light flickered in Lin Fan's eyes, and his heart brimmed with anticipation...

Slowly gathering his thoughts, Lin Fan piloted the Helicopter down outside Heaven Dou City. Then he led the three girls into the city!

Once they arrived in Heaven Dou City, Lin Fan's first priority was naturally to take the three girls out to have fun!

Zhu Zhuqing and the others were still in their teens, but as Soul Masters, they had always been weighed down by an invisible pressure, like shackles around their shoulders. Lin Fan watched them play and laugh in silence. They were the most beautiful sight in the world!

Lin Fan wasn't worried about finding an academy. If he showed his true strength, any academy that wasn't stupid would scramble to recruit him!

And as someone valued by Spirit Hall, Lin Fan didn't need to worry about his astonishing Martial Soul and Soul Rings being exposed. He had nothing to fear!

So, for the first week after arriving in Heaven Dou City, Lin Fan took Xiao Wu and the other two girls sightseeing.

"What's going on? Why have so many foreign Soul Masters been pouring into Heaven Dou City over the past few days?!"

At a restaurant, Lin Fan and the three girls were casually sampling the food when a voice nearby caught his attention.

The speaker was a middle-aged man as thin as a bamboo pole. His words came out haltingly, and his face was pale, his lips almost colorless.

He was wondering the same thing. Heaven Dou City had been far busier than usual over the past few days, and nearly every hotel was packed.

"You forgot? Tomorrow's the selection for the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Second Team! Anyone who makes the cut can represent the Heaven Dou Imperial Family in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament!"

"And the one overseeing the selection is the crown prince himself, His Highness Xue Qinghe!"

"Can't blame you, though. Other than chasing women, nothing ever manages to interest you..."

Across from the tall, thin man sat a short, stout middle-aged man with dark skin. He gave the other man a scornful look as he spoke.

"Brother Lin Fan, what's wrong?!"

Xiao Wu waved a hand in front of Lin Fan's eyes, her little face full of surprise!

Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong were just as puzzled. Lin Fan looked as if his soul had been snatched away, sitting there motionless!

"Oh... It's nothing. Let's get ready when we go back. We're joining the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Second Team!"

Lin Fan's expression returned to normal, but his eyes shone with intense anticipation!

"Sister, it's been seven years. Have you been well..."

Early the next morning, when Lin Fan and the others arrived at the entrance to Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the place was already packed with people!

A vast, magnificent complex stretched out before them, so huge that the eye couldn't find its end. Noting its scale, Lin Fan figured that even the toilets at Notting Academy were probably smaller than a single restroom here!

"Today is the selection for the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Second Team. You've all traveled a great distance to be here, and I'm sure you're after one of the ten spots!"

"The selection will be overseen by His Highness Xue Qinghe, crown prince of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. Everyone, be sure to give it your all!"

The teams in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament consisted of seven members, with three substitutes allowed. Their differing Martial Souls could be used to arrange various tactics!

"Open the gates!"

At the official's command, hundreds of thousands of people surged into Heaven Dou Royal Academy!

Even with so many people, the sprawling academy still seemed somewhat empty!

"Next, we'll test your age and Soul Power. Only Soul Masters under twenty years old with a Soul Power Level of at least thirty will be eligible to participate in the selection!"

"Those who don't meet the requirements needn't worry. You can stay and watch. The clashes between the outstanding young talents are sure to be spectacular!"

When the official finished speaking, more than half of the young Soul Masters present let out helpless sighs!

The Imperial Family's announcement had clearly laid out the requirements for the selection. They had come today hoping the standards might be lowered, but the result was cruelly clear!

Still, as the official had said, they wouldn't have made the trip for nothing if they could watch the younger generation of the Heaven Dou Empire battle at close range!

"Wu Guike, sixteen years old, Soul Power qualified!"

"Bi Yuntao, seventeen years old, Soul Power qualified!"

The Heaven Dou Imperial Family had fifteen machines for testing age and Soul Power. A quick scan was all it took, after which the staff would register each contestant!

The machines couldn't determine a precise Soul Power Level, but they were still quite impressive!

"Those really are talented young Soul Masters! A sixteen-year-old who's already a Soul Elder above level thirty!"

"Right? I'm twenty this year, and my Soul Power's only level eighteen!"

As the official read out one name after another, those who didn't meet the requirements looked on enviously!

The vast Heaven Dou Empire had a population in the hundreds of millions. The one thing it was never short of was young Soul Master prodigies!

"Lin Fan, thirteen years old, Soul Power qualified!"

"Zhu Zhuqing, thirteen years old, Soul Power qualified!"

"Xiao Wu, thirteen years old, Soul Power qualified!"

"Ning Rongrong, thirteen years old, Soul Power qualified!"

When the official announced the four names, his face full of shock, the crowd fell eerily silent. Everyone stared blankly at Lin Fan and the others, their jaws practically hitting the ground!

"I... I can't believe it! A thirteen-year-old Soul Elder? Did I hear that right?!"

"That's incredible! He isn't just a genius—he's a monster!"

"When I was thirteen, I was still playing in the mud and peeing myself. Damn, the gap between us is ridiculous!"

Shocked and envious voices came from every direction, but Lin Fan ignored them. He led the three girls toward the plaza for the second round of selection.

After the first round, the nearly one hundred thousand young Soul Masters had been whittled down to fewer than ten thousand. The competition was fierce, to say the least!

"Next is the second round of selection. Soul Masters will be separated by type: Power Attack System, Agility Attack System, Support System, Defense System... The quality of your Martial Soul will also be considered, in addition to your Soul Power Level..."

The official launched into a long-winded speech, and Lin Fan's head began to ache!

A strong team did need Soul Masters with different attributes. The selection process, though, was a little too complicated.

"Hello. Please register the four of us. We'll take four spots."

Before the official had finished speaking, Lin Fan stepped forward with Xiao Wu and the others.

Chapter 46: Farewell to Qian Renxue

In an instant, the entire plaza fell silent. Everyone looked at Lin Fan as if he were an idiot!

"What? Is this guy stupid? More than ten thousand of us are competing for ten spots, and he wants to take four of them?!"

"So what if he's a genius? He's only thirteen. Plenty of people have higher Soul Power Levels than he does!"

"And this is Heaven Dou Royal Academy! The selection's being run by people from the Imperial Family. Is this kid trying to get himself killed?!"

Whispers rippled through the crowd. Some looked at Lin Fan with pity, others with scorn, and still others with open contempt...

"Lin Fan, the four of you have reached level thirty at such a young age. You're certainly geniuses, but you still have to follow the rules of the selection!"

"Step down at once, or I'll disqualify you!"

The official's gaze turned cold as he stared at Lin Fan. If the four youths hadn't been so outstanding, he would already have blown his top!

"Give them four spots!"

Just then, a clear voice rang in everyone's ears, and every gaze instantly turned toward its source!

A young man who looked to be in his twenties wore magnificent pale-gold clothes. His features were gentle as water. He wasn't exactly handsome, but he had an approachable air about him.

When his gaze landed on Lin Fan, the corner of his mouth lifted in an almost imperceptible smile. A glint flashed in his eyes and vanished.

"Y-Your Highness!"

The official came to his senses and hurriedly bowed to the young man!

The contestants present also snapped out of their daze and all bowed to him!

They hadn't expected the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, Xue Qinghe, to be so approachable. He hadn't even announced his arrival, and he had only one guard with him!

Of course, Lin Fan was the exception.

He stood there, staring fixedly at Xue Qinghe without looking away for even a moment!

"Impudent! How dare you show such disrespect to His Highness!"

The official roared and strode toward Lin Fan. Terrifying Soul Power surged from his body like a rising tide, bearing down hard on Lin Fan!

But in the next instant, the expression on his face froze. Disbelief filled his eyes!

Despite the pressure of his Soul Power, Lin Fan stood perfectly straight. He hadn't even bent at the waist!

After a brief moment of shock, the official lost his temper completely. Soul Power surged through his arm as he pressed down on Lin Fan's shoulder, trying to force him to his knees!

"Get lost!"

A thunderous roar, carrying an invisible pressure on the soul, burst from Lin Fan's mouth!

A force beyond words erupted from his body. The official flew more than ten meters like a leaf in an autumn gale, then crashed to the ground in a heap!

"How can his Soul Power be this strong?!"

The official sat on the ground, dazed, his expression blank as he murmured to himself!

He had felt it clearly just now: the Soul Power radiating from Lin Fan had exceeded the Soul Saint level!

With his own strength as a level-fifty-five Soul King, the only time he'd ever felt anything like it was in the presence of an expert on the academy headmaster's level. Yet the boy standing before him, Lin Fan, was only thirteen!

Age was determined by the growth of a person's bones, and there was no chance the test could be wrong!

"Now, do I have the right to take four spots?!"

Lin Fan turned and fixed the official with a cold stare.

"Y-Yes!"

The official scrambled to his feet and answered in a panic. He didn't dare meet Lin Fan's eyes again!

Lin Fan's strength was plain to see. No matter how unwilling the official was to admit it, there was nothing he could do. Besides, even Xue Qinghe himself had given his approval!

"The four of you can rest over there for now. I'll see to you once the second round of tests is over."

Xue Qinghe smiled as he spoke to Lin Fan.

Lin Fan nodded firmly, then went with Xiao Wu and the others to the rest area. But his eyes never left Xue Qinghe!

"What kind of pressure has Sister endured in the palace all these years..."

At that moment, Xue Qinghe was poised and composed in every movement, without a single flaw. Even after seeing Lin Fan, he had only lost focus for a brief moment. No outsider could have noticed anything unusual!

Lin Fan could hardly imagine the trials Qian Renxue had faced during her more than ten years undercover in the Heaven Dou Imperial Family!

"Lin Fan, come with me!"

After two hours of checks and tests, the second round of selection finally came to an end. Xue Qinghe spoke to Lin Fan, then headed toward the academy's back mountain!

They arrived in a bamboo grove on the back mountain, where Xue Qinghe finally stopped.

"Guard Jia, stand watch outside. Don't let anyone approach this bamboo grove!"

Xue Qinghe's expression was stern as he gave the order to the guard beside him!

"Yes!"

Lin Fan could feel the powerful Soul Power radiating from the guard. He was probably someone Spirit Hall had planted in the Heaven Dou Imperial Family!

"Sister... have you been well these past seven years?!"

After the guard left, Lin Fan stared at Xue Qinghe's back and murmured. His voice trembled slightly.

"Xiaofan, I never imagined you'd grown so much in just a few years..."

Her voice drifted through the grove, but it was no longer Xue Qinghe's. It belonged to a woman—light and gentle as heavenly music, like a spring flowing through a silent valley, stirring the soul!

Then Xue Qinghe's appearance and bearing changed dramatically!

As she slowly turned around, a vision of incomparable beauty unfolded before Lin Fan!

The girl stood tall and graceful, her figure especially slender. Her long, golden hair shimmered with dazzling elegance. Half fell over her shoulders, while the rest cascaded down to her shapely hips!

She wore golden robes that clung close to her body, outlining a flawless figure so beautiful it took one's breath away!

Her soft, rosy lips glistened, curving in a tender smile. Her delicate chin was as if carved from jade, shimmering faintly. Her beauty was utterly without flaw.