Spirit Hall Poaching Talent?

Heaven Dou Royal Academy, girls' dormitory.

Dugu Yan lay on her bed, her heart pounding wildly.

Ever since that trip to Star Dou, she had never shown this side of herself.

Normally at the academy, if someone said one thing to her, she would snap back with ten.

And due to the influence of the Jade-Scaled Snake venom, her nature was rather seductive and alluring as well.

Ye Lingling had seen all of this, but ever since Dugu Yan returned from the Star Dou Great Forest, she seemed like a completely different person, revealing the side of a young girl.

"Yan Yan, what are you so nervous about?"

Ye Lingling walked over, gently patting her shoulder to comfort her.

"His Highness the Crown Prince invited Spirit Hall to take part in this exchange tournament too. He told me before that he would be going to Spirit Hall, so... will he come to this exchange tournament?"

Ye Lingling rolled her eyes at her.

"So you miss him?"

Dugu Yan's face instantly reddened. She pulled the blanket over half her face, her voice muffled beneath it.

"Mm..."

Ye Lingling suddenly felt helpless about her best friend. Were girls in love all like this?

She definitely would not be like this in the future!

"Then do you want him to come, or not want him to come?"

Dugu Yan fell silent.

She wanted him to come. But she was also afraid he would come.

She was afraid that if he came, she would lose control again and do what she had done that day.

Her legs going weak, throwing herself at him, even taking the initiative to hug him—she had never been so embarrassed in her life.

She felt like she had utterly disgraced her grandfather...

And her grandfather would be there watching the matches too. If she really could not control herself then...

Dugu Yan did not dare imagine whether her grandfather would kill him.

But what unsettled her even more was that she also missed that feeling... just a little.

Ye Lingling sighed and decided to change the subject, winning over her best friend with something tasty to drink.

So she took out two Honey Snow Ice City drinks.

"Yan Yan, don't overthink it. Have something to drink. They say it's called milk tea. I was the last person to buy one.

After I left, a whole crowd showed up, led by a handsome guy!

The shop closed as soon as he went in. I'm sure that lecherous Lin Yichen of yours definitely isn't as good-looking as him!"

Dugu Yan had been hiding beneath the blanket, but upon hearing the words "better-looking than my lecher," she immediately threw it off.

She said, one word at a time,

"Im-pos-si-ble!"

It made Ye Lingling burst out laughing.

Meanwhile, Dugu Yan began pondering something...

"Lingling, before they get here, teach me how to deal with men!

I've noticed that you're pretty different in public and in private. Lots of men talk behind your back, calling you promiscuous. I beat them up badly,

because only I get to bully my best friend. But that reveals a problem—you might really know how to attract men, so I want to learn..."

At Heavenly Water Academy, Shui Bing'er played with a golden soul coin.

Her thoughts had drifted somewhere far away.

Shui Yue'er walked over.

"Big Sister, are you thinking about a man?"

A flush of red swiftly spread across Shui Bing'er's usually cold cheeks.

Yet she did not deny it, merely nodding.

"Then I'm quite looking forward to seeing what my brother-in-law looks like."

Shui Yue'er covered her face, grinning mischievously.

Shui Bing'er rolled her eyes at her and said nothing more.

"Will you come...?"

"Damn it, this sun is roasting me alive!"

Yan walked in the middle of the group, complaining indignantly.

He was already a fire-attribute soul master, and with the weather being so hot, his mood was especially irritable.

"Can't you quiet down for once?" Hu Liena snapped without looking back as she walked ahead.

"You've been whining since the city gate. Isn't your throat dry?"

She had never possessed that so-called affection for Yan in the first place.

And after everything that had happened with Lin Yichen last night, she now found Yan inexplicably irritating.

Yan opened his mouth, about to retort, only to realize that his throat was indeed parched.

If he spoke again, he might actually breathe fire...

So he lost interest and said nothing more, silently standing in the middle of the group.

Lin Yichen had also changed into a clean short-sleeved shirt. Wearing robes was too hot.

However, he faintly sensed a gaze fixed intensely upon his back.

There was no need to guess who it was.

But as the group climbed the mountain, the air became slightly cooler. A gentle breeze blew over them, dispersing the irritation from before.

"Two Elders, are we heading straight up the mountain?"

Lin Yichen turned to Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo beside him and asked.

The two nodded, and the group immediately hurried up the mountain.

"Since Spirit Hall has come, they would not dare refuse to receive us. We should be able to get a better lounge."

Ghost Douluo reminded them, his voice already carrying an air of inevitability.

Sure enough, the moment they entered the academy, three elderly men were waiting at the entrance to welcome them.

They wore ingratiating smiles.

"May I ask if you are the Spirit Hall delegation here to take part in our exchange tournament?"

"I am Meng Shenji, chief of the Academic Affairs Council. My martial soul is Black Demon, an eighty-eighth-rank, eight-ring Control System Battle Soul Douluo. Do you have proof of identity?"

Introducing himself right away? He truly was confident. But on his own turf, he indeed had the final say.

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo said nothing, merely displaying Spirit Hall's Elder tokens.

The three old men shuddered violently in fright.

Spirit Hall had sent two Elders to lead this exchange tournament?

It seemed there was something extremely important in Spirit Hall's team.

With matters having reached this point, the other two old men did not dare be negligent either.

One plump old man bowed deeply.

"I am Bai Baoshan, an eight-ring Soul Douluo. Greetings, Elder."

The other old man appeared rather calm.

"I am Zhi Lin. My martial soul is Azure Sky Vine."

The instant he heard Azure Sky Vine, the drowsy, sluggish state Zhao Anyang had been in immediately vanished.

It was replaced by extreme excitement.

They had the same martial soul, and this senior was a member of Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Academic Affairs Council.

If he could receive his guidance...

He looked at Lin Yichen with an almost pleading gaze, and Lin Yichen understood what he meant.

Lin Yichen also turned and glanced at Chrysanthemum Douluo, then nodded.

Chrysanthemum Douluo had no guard up against him now.

In order to obtain him—or rather, his alluring aura—Chrysanthemum Douluo was willing to do anything now.

Chrysanthemum Douluo casually raised a hand and pointed at Zhi Lin.

"After the tournament ends, come back to Spirit Hall with me."

Everyone was slightly stunned...

Even Zhi Lin's calm expression finally showed a hint of shock.

Was he directly calling someone out by name to recruit them?

And seeing that the other party did not seem to be joking, he could not help swallowing.

His voice was no longer as calm as before, carrying a trace of nervousness instead.

"Reporting to Elder, I have been at Heaven Dou Royal Academy for many years, and my two brothers and I are as close as limbs. If I joined Spirit Hall and enjoyed wealth and glory for the rest of my life, that would be irresponsible toward my two brothers!"

After saying this, Zhi Lin cupped his hands and bowed to Chrysanthemum Douluo.

Chrysanthemum Douluo was somewhat surprised. Did Spirit Hall usually need to discuss its decisions with others?

Yet he looked at Lin Yichen again, as if asking for his opinion.

Lin Yichen nodded again, though there was a sly glint in his eyes.

Chrysanthemum Douluo was extremely clever. With just one look, he knew what Lin Yichen wanted.

"Then after the exchange tournament, all of you can come to Spirit Hall together. Tell that prince of yours later."

With that, Chrysanthemum Douluo waved at everyone and swaggered into Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Meanwhile, the three people who had been standing at the entrance to welcome them were left rooted to the spot, at a complete loss.