Xue Qinghe listened to Meng Shenji's account, both startled and delighted.
Innate Full Soul Power, a mutated martial soul, and two purple Soul Rings and one black ring while still only a Soul Elder—he could not let a talent like that slip away.
With a little guidance, Meng Chen was bound to achieve great things. He might even break the record and become the youngest Titled Douluo on the Douluo Continent.
At the thought, Xue Qinghe quickened his pace.
Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
In the special training room, Yu Feng had just finished a weighted flight.
When he saw Dugu Yan return, he shed his weights and jogged over to her, eager to ask:
"Yan Yan, you're back! What happened at the cafeteria this time? There was thunder and lightning everywhere. Don't tell me Tianheng was fighting someone?"
Osler also stopped sparring with the Shi brothers and looked toward Dugu Yan.
"It wasn't Tianheng. The new specially admitted student was dealing with those useless fools at the academy."
Dugu Yan shook her head and briefly recounted what had happened in the cafeteria. Yu Feng listened in stunned silence, then exclaimed again and again.
"Two thousand-year rings and a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring! Teacher Qin wasn't pulling our legs. How did that guy do it? That's ridiculous!"
"Yan, are those two specially admitted students really six or seven years younger than us?"
Osler stepped forward as he asked. If that was true, just how extraordinary was their talent?
Dugu Yan nodded, a strange glint in her beautiful eyes.
"Hiss—"
Even the usually calm Osler lost his composure and drew a sharp breath.
They were so much younger, yet their Soul Power was several levels above theirs.
By the time they reached their age, wouldn't they be Soul Kings, or even Soul Emperors?
Where had these monsters come from?
Seeing that Dugu Yan seemed to have taken a particular interest in the new student, Yu Feng thought, This is bad.
Tianheng had pursued Yan Yan relentlessly for the past year and was on the verge of winning her over.
If she became interested in another guy now, wouldn't all Tianheng's efforts go to waste?
Yu Feng tentatively asked, "Yan Yan, you seem pretty interested in that new student?"
"He's younger than us, has more Soul Power than us, and his Soul Rings are beyond anything ordinary. Forget me—aren't you curious about him too?"
Dugu Yan turned the question back on him, leaving Yu Feng speechless.
It's over, Tianheng! You've got a rival! He's younger and more talented than you. You're in trouble!
"By the way, where's Ling Ling?" Dugu Yan asked Osler when she noticed Ye Lingling was absent.
Osler said, "Ling Ling went home a little while ago."
"She went home? That's a shame."
Dugu Yan looked disappointed. She had wanted to ask Ye Lingling more about Meng Chen.
Wait! Is that girl trying to get ahead of me behind my back?
Fine, then. So much for being best friends!
Dugu Yan seethed.
When Ye Lingling came back, Dugu Yan would show her just how formidable a snake's suction could be.
If she didn't keep sucking until Ye Lingling begged for mercy, her name wasn't Dugu Yan!
"Achoo! Achoo!"
Meng Chen, who was reading a book on medicinal herbs, sneezed twice in a row and couldn't help shivering.
Xiao Wu, nibbling a carrot beside him, noticed and asked with concern, "What's wrong, A-Chen? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm fine. My nose just itched."
Meng Chen rubbed his nose, giving it no further thought.
He continued leafing through the book. Its descriptions of medicinal herbs were exceptionally detailed, with notes from several, sometimes more than a dozen, Ye Family ancestors on each plant. Every generation had updated the herbs' uses as new knowledge emerged.
Meng Chen also found traces of the immortal herbs mentioned in the original story.
Ancestors of the Ye Family had once spotted those herbs in remote, remarkable places, but powerful Soul Beasts guarded them. There had been no way to get close.
Meng Chen recalled an auction Tang Wulin and Wu Changkong had attended during the events of Legend of the Dragon King. An immortal herb called Mysterious Ice Grass had appeared there, though it was nowhere near the quality of Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.
Clearly, the Icefire Yin Yang Well wasn't the only place where immortal herbs grew.
Meng Chen spent the entire afternoon absorbed in the book, taking in its knowledge of medicinal herbs.
"Meng Chen? Meng Chen..."
A voice suddenly called beside him, pulling his attention from the book back to reality.
Meng Chen looked up. At some point, Meng Shenji had appeared before him with a handsome young man.
"Committee Member Meng, what brings you here? Sorry, I was so caught up in reading that I didn't notice you."
Meng Chen closed the book and gave them an apologetic look. Then he told Xiao Wu, "Xiao Wu, please bring our guests some tea."
Xiao Wu nodded and brought tea for Meng Shenji and Xue Qinghe.
Meng Shenji stroked his beard with a smile. "We're the ones interrupting you. I nearly forgot the introductions. This is the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire."
Xue Qinghe smiled gently at Meng Chen, his manner warm enough to put anyone at ease.
Meng Chen clasped his hands in greeting. "Your Highness."
Xue Qinghe immediately reached out, stopping him before he could bow.
"No need for formalities. I'm only a few years older than you. Just call me Brother Xue."
Seeing the crown prince treat talent with such respect, Meng Shenji's aged eyes filled with approval.
Both were members of the Imperial Family, yet the gap between Prince Xue Beng and Crown Prince Qinghe was enormous!
Meng Chen hadn't expected Xue Qinghe to act so familiar, asking to be called "Brother" the moment they met. His attempt to win Meng Chen over couldn't have been more obvious.
Meng Chen saw no reason to be awkward about it. "Brother Xue."
Xue Qinghe looked pleased, and his voice grew warmer still.
"Little Brother Meng, I came to apologize on Xue Beng's behalf. He isn't bad at heart. Others at the academy egged him on, and that's why he caused trouble for you. My father has already reprimanded him and confined him to his residence."
As he spoke, Xue Qinghe took a Gold Soul Card from his robe. It bore five lines, and he held it out to Meng Chen.
"This Gold Soul Card is a small gesture of compensation from the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. It contains a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. I hope you can overlook Xue Beng's rudeness and forgive him this once. If he does it again, you won't need to lift a finger. I'll discipline him myself."
At the sight of a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins offered in apology, Xiao Wu's eyes lit up.
The ten thousand Gold Soul Coins they had received before had let her and Meng Chen live comfortably in Notting City for six years.
Now they were getting another hundred thousand at once. Xiao Wu could hardly imagine how lavishly she could live!
She would take one bite of a carrot and toss it aside. And big chicken legs? She would eat three whole chickens a day!
"That's thoughtful of you, Brother Xue. Since you've asked, I'd look petty if I kept holding it against him."
"Let's put what happened between Xue Beng and me behind us. I only hope he won't come looking for trouble again."
Meng Chen accepted the Gold Soul Card with a smile. For now, his conflict with Xue Beng was settled. But if Xue Beng provoked him again, he would have only himself to blame.
Xue Qinghe assured Meng Chen that he would keep Xue Beng in line.
Then Xue Qinghe took out a pale-gold token and handed it to Meng Chen.
"Now that I've delivered the apology gift, I won't interrupt your studies any longer, Little Brother Meng. This is my token. If you run into trouble in Heaven Dou City, come find me at the Crown Prince's Residence..."
Before you continue