It Was Mimicry, Not Summoning

"This..." The Royal Academy teacher stared at Ye Xuan's Soul Ring, at a loss for words.

He already sensed that something was wrong, and regretted taking on this task.

But he had accepted Prince Xue Xing's reward. Even if he thought something was off, he had to grit his teeth and go through with it.

He summoned his Martial Soul, formed a long spear, and charged straight at Ye Xuan.

Ye Xuan calmly used his first Soul Skill.

In the blink of an eye, "Mimic: Zhu Zhuqing" appeared. She summoned her own Martial Soul and went straight to meet the man's attack.

The onlookers around them froze for a moment when they saw the "Mimic: Zhu Zhuqing" Ye Xuan had summoned.

For an instant, they thought Ye Xuan had actually brought someone along.

Especially when they saw that "Mimic: Zhu Zhuqing" had not only her own Soul Rings but Soul Skills as well, it completely reshaped their understanding of summoning-type Martial Souls.

However, not all the onlookers were unfamiliar with this.

The members of the Imperial Fighting Team knew exactly who Ye Xuan's Soul Skill had summoned.

But that only made it seem even more terrifying to them.

After all, back in Suotuo City, they had seen Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong fight in the Soul Fighting Arena.

How could a living person become someone summoned by Ye Xuan's Soul Skill?

"Could he summon someone else next?" Yu Tianheng and the others all wondered.

They thought the idea was absurd, but then they remembered that Ye Xuan had once defeated two Titled Douluo. Suddenly, it all seemed perfectly plausible.

While everyone was still thinking this over, "Mimic: Zhu Zhuqing" had already subdued the teacher with lightning speed.

The teacher had used only level 40 Soul Power, while "Mimic: Zhu Zhuqing" had a fivefold boost to her Skill's effect. Naturally, defeating him had been a piece of cake.

A swipe of her catlike claws had left him paralyzed on the spot, unable to move.

Ye Xuan stopped at just the right moment and said, "I concede."

Though it was only a simple remark, it left the Royal Academy teacher even more ashamed.

But was he ashamed of himself?

Or ashamed that he had failed to live up to the benefits Prince Xue Xing had given him?

"Lord Ye is indeed a young hero. I'm impressed."

With that, he hurriedly fled.

The teacher's defeat left Prince Xue Xing looking extremely grim.

His original plan had been to have this Soul Emperor test Ye Xuan, then, once he had confirmed Ye Xuan's strength, have Dugu Bo poison him.

As long as he confirmed that Ye Xuan really was a Soul Emperor, even if Ye Xuan was somewhat stronger than this Soul Emperor, he could still have Dugu Bo poison him to death.

And Dugu Bo could poison him without anyone noticing, so that he would die after leaving.

But now, the situation had completely slipped out of Prince Xue Xing's control.

Ye Xuan had shown only level 40 Soul Power and three bizarre Soul Rings.

Then he had used another bizarre Soul Skill to defeat the teacher outright. That meant Prince Xue Xing still knew nothing about Ye Xuan's true capabilities.

So Prince Xue Xing couldn't proceed with the next step.

He signaled to Dugu Bo not to act, then proceeded to shower Ye Xuan with compliments.

Ye Xuan and the others did not stay long before preparing to leave.

They left the prince's residence and had only just gone outside.

Suddenly, Ye Xuan heard someone call out behind him.

"Lord Ye, please wait."

At the sound, Ye Xuan turned around.

The person approaching was none other than Qin Ming.

Qin Ming quickly came up to Ye Xuan and said, "Lord Ye, I'm Qin Ming, a team instructor at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. There's something I'd like to ask you."

"Oh? Go ahead," Ye Xuan said with a smile.

Ye Xuan had noticed Qin Ming back when they went to the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City.

He had also known that Qin Ming was there with his students, watching Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and their partners fight.

But Ye Xuan had not gone over to speak with him at the time.

Now Qin Ming had approached him of his own accord, which made Ye Xuan curious.

He wanted to know what Qin Ming was after.

"To be frank, Lord Ye, I once took my students to Suotuo City. There, I witnessed your strength and the remarkable talent of the young women you lead. Given your abilities, the academy probably has nothing to offer you. But I wonder whether those three might be interested in studying at the academy. If you're willing, I can recommend them to Chief Dream and the others, and arrange for them to study at the Royal Academy."

Qin Ming explained why he had come, leaving Ye Xuan quite surprised.

He had never expected Qin Ming to be there to recruit students.

But Ye Xuan did not refuse outright. Instead, he said, "I'll tell them about it. If they decide they want to study at the Royal Academy, I'll have them come find you, Teacher Qin."

"Wonderful. They'll be welcome anytime. If you come to the Royal Academy, Lord Ye, just give the guards my name, and they'll let me know," Qin Ming said happily.

Qin Ming had watched Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong fight back then, and knew they were undoubtedly top-tier talents. They were even stronger than Yu Tianheng and the others by far. He hoped to secure more resources to support their cultivation.

Of course, he had not looked into Zhu Zhuqing and the others' backgrounds in Suotuo City, so he did not know they had once been students at Shrek Academy.

With Ye Xuan being so powerful, Qin Ming would never have dared to investigate someone under the protection of a man capable of crushing two Spirit Hall elders.

Qin Ming had not had high hopes when he approached Ye Xuan this time.

Ye Xuan was so powerful that his own guidance would be better than what the Heaven Dou Royal Academy could provide.

So when he heard Ye Xuan say that he would tell Zhu Zhuqing and the others, and let them decide for themselves, he was naturally delighted. After all, he was giving them an opportunity.

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave," Ye Xuan said to Qin Ming.

"That's all," Qin Ming replied. He had nothing else to ask.

After saying goodbye to Qin Ming, Ye Xuan and the others rode back to the East Palace in a carriage.

Qian Renxue asked curiously, "Lord Ye, your Martial Soul is truly fascinating. Can it really summon Miss Zhu Zhuqing?"

As the heir to Spirit Hall, Qian Renxue knew about all kinds of strange Martial Souls throughout the world.

Spirit Hall had the most complete collection of information on the world's various strange Martial Souls.

After all, at least nine out of every ten Soul Masters registered with Spirit Hall and received its stipend. Naturally, their information was recorded there.

But she had never seen a Martial Soul like Ye Xuan's, or even heard of anything similar.

"That wasn't Zhu Zhuqing being summoned. It was a mimic. My Martial Soul isn't actually about summoning, but mimicry. My first Soul Skill mimics Zhu Zhuqing," Ye Xuan said.

"Mimicry? But from what I saw, that Zhu Zhuqing's strength seemed close to that of a Soul Ancestor. Is Miss Zhu Zhuqing really that strong?"

Qian Renxue was certain Zhu Zhuqing wasn't that strong.

After all, she was capable of seeing through Zhu Zhuqing's strength.

"No. The person I mimic receives a certain boost from my Martial Soul itself."