Dugu Yan, You're About to Die

"Damn! I completely forgot—I promised Yanzi I'd go see her today."

Only then did Ye Lingling remember that what she had told Xue Beng earlier had not all been a lie. She really did have an appointment with Dugu Yan today.

And it was something very important.

Jiang Li said, "If you don't mind, could you tell us about it? Maybe I can help."

"I already feel terrible that you offended Prince Xue Beng because of me. How could I possibly ask you for more help?"

Ye Lingling secretly glanced at Xiao Wu beside Jiang Li and shyly declined his offer.

Because of Jiang Li's attitude, Xiao Wu was in an excellent mood. Hearing Ye Lingling's words, she immediately patted her chest and said generously:

"It's fine. It's too dangerous for you to go alone. What if something like what happened earlier happens again? As long as it isn't too much trouble, just leave it to us."

Ye Lingling opened her mouth, wanting to say that Heaven Dou City really was not as dangerous as they imagined.

Something like Xue Beng's behavior today was only an isolated case.

The Ye Clan's Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul was quite famous in Heaven Dou City. Only a spoiled prince with status and backing like Xue Beng would dare lay hands on her.

If it had been anyone else, even if they had the strength to do so, they would have to carefully consider the consequences of offending the Ye Clan in Heaven Dou City.

But Ye Lingling ultimately did not say it.

Ye Lingling glanced at Jiang Li and slowly said, "My name is Ye Lingling. I'm a healing-type Soul Master at Heaven Dou Royal Academy."

"The Yanzi I mentioned earlier is my best friend, Dugu Yan. She's also a student at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. To participate in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament a few years from now—"

"We agreed to take part in the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Soul Master team selection today."

"So that's how it is." Jiang Li sounded somewhat surprised. "What a coincidence. We came to Heaven Dou City this time to find an advanced Soul Master academy to enroll in and compete in the Soul Master Tournament a few years from now."

"Since you're a student at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, how about this? You lead us there and let us take a look. In exchange, we'll escort you. How does that sound?"

Jiang Li naturally already knew that Ye Lingling would become a member of the Heaven Dou Royal Team in the future Soul Master Tournament.

He just had not expected it to be such a coincidence. They had arrived in Heaven Dou City precisely during the selection period for the Heaven Dou Royal Team's competitors in the next Soul Master Tournament.

Jiang Li had already had his eye on the immortal herbs in the Icefire Yin Yang Well at Dugu Yan's home, so he became even more interested in Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

As for whether Heaven Dou Royal Academy would accept them?

Jiang Li had never even considered that question.

The claims in the original story that some advanced Soul Master academies accepted only noble students or only commoner students were honestly rather ridiculous.

Because before advanced Soul Master academies, there were elementary Soul Master academies and intermediate Soul Master academies.

Elementary Soul Master academies were like the Notting Academy Jiang Li had graduated from. Xiao Wu had not even attended for the full six years, but she had applied for early graduation after meeting the requirement of possessing one Soul Ring.

Although intermediate Soul Master academies had not received much attention in the original story, their graduation requirement was also to become a Soul Master above Level 20 with two Soul Rings.

That meant that anyone who could graduate from an intermediate Soul Master academy had at least Level 20 Soul Power.

And in the Heaven Dou Empire, anyone with Level 30 Soul Power would automatically be granted the lowest noble title of baron.

Therefore, as long as students who graduated from intermediate Soul Master academies were not too old, becoming a Level 30 Soul Master before the graduation deadline required by an advanced Soul Master academy was practically guaranteed.

What? Noble students could receive Soul Master subsidies from Spirit Hall, but commoner students could not?

So forcibly distinguishing between noble students and commoner students in advanced Soul Master academies was simply baffling.

Rather than distinguishing between noble students and commoner students, it was more accurate to say they distinguished between talented Soul Masters and ordinary Soul Masters unwilling to spend their Spirit Hall subsidies.

Either you had sufficient talent and strength to seize a spot in the Soul Master Tournament from the other students. In that case, the academy would not only waive your tuition—they might even give you money for free.

Or you had to be willing to pay the steep tuition for Heaven Dou Royal Academy, where at least three Soul Douluo-level Soul Masters taught and the faculty was exceptionally strong.

"Really? That's wonderful! Seeing that you have Soul Power at the Soul Venerable level, I thought you were students from another advanced academy."

Ye Lingling's eyes lit up at his words, and she agreed to Jiang Li's proposal. "I'll lead the way."

On the road, Xiao Wu boredly asked Ye Lingling, "By the way, your name is Ye Lingling. Can I call you Lingling?"

"Of course, Sister Xiao Wu," Ye Lingling replied as she led the way.

Jiang Li's mouth twitched.

Well, wasn't this completely backwards?

Although Xiao Wu was a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form, after taking human form, she was still several years younger than Ye Lingling.

Hearing Ye Lingling call her Sister Xiao Wu greatly satisfied Xiao Wu's vanity, and she could not help comparing Ye Lingling to Zhu Zhuqing again.

Then she asked, "Lingling, you said you're a healing-type Soul Master, right?"

"Mm."

"Then what's your Martial Soul?" Xiao Wu asked curiously. Afraid Ye Lingling might misunderstand, she hurriedly added, "Of course, if you don't want to say, you don't have to. I'm just asking."

"Many people in Heaven Dou City know about my Martial Soul. There's nothing I can't say."

As she spoke, Ye Lingling raised her hand and summoned her Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul before them.

It was a pink begonia flower composed of white and pink petals. There were nine petals in total, its colors vibrant and its form graceful.

The instant it was summoned, a unique floral fragrance seemed to spread through the air.

Just one breath of it made one feel an indescribable sense of comfort throughout the body.

"Sniff, sniff." Xiao Wu took two deep sniffs of the Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul's fragrance drifting through the air, then could not help exclaiming, "It smells so good! Lingling, what Martial Soul is that?"

Ye Lingling said somewhat proudly, "My Martial Soul is the Nine-Heart Begonia."

"The Nine-Heart Begonia known as the number one healing Martial Soul in the world, capable of reviving the dead and restoring flesh to bare bones?" Xiao Wu pressed.

Xiao Wu was stunned, but not because of Ye Lingling's Martial Soul. It was because of Jiang Li.

Xiao Wu shot Jiang Li a sidelong glance.

What exactly was up with this stinking man?

First, he had contracted Qian Renxue, the supposedly useless Level-99 Limit Douluo, before her.

Then there was Sister Xiao Wu herself, a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form.

After that came the two Zhu Zhuqing sisters, whom Qian Renxue had judged to possess the potential to become Title Douluo.

And now, how long had they even been in Heaven Dou City?

The beautiful girl he had casually saved was actually a female Soul Master with the Nine-Heart Begonia, the Martial Soul hailed as the world's best at healing?

If another Soul Master had been given the Summoning Grimoire Martial Soul, they would probably only be able to use it as a brick to hit people.

"The Nine-Heart Begonia is only a little stronger than other healing-type Martial Souls in terms of healing. It isn't as exaggerated as you say."

Ye Lingling explained, "Even the strongest ancestor recorded in our clan, who possessed the strength of a Title Douluo, could not achieve something as absurd as reviving the dead and restoring flesh to bare bones."

Xiao Wu had originally been thinking that after finding her mother, if her mother really had died, perhaps she could use Ye Lingling's Nine-Heart Begonia—the so-called number one healing Martial Soul in the world—to revive her.

But after hearing Ye Lingling say that the Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul was not much different from other healing Martial Souls, she immediately lost interest.

The three of them then walked in silence until they reached Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Although Heaven Dou Royal Academy had been established by members of the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial family, and even Emperor Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire was its honorary headmaster—

Heaven Dou Royal Academy was not located within Heaven Dou City, but outside it.

Perhaps because of that, Heaven Dou Royal Academy did not have guards watching the entrance like the Notting Academy Jiang Li had previously graduated from.

Thus, the group entered Heaven Dou Royal Academy without any trouble.

"This should be the place."

Ye Lingling impatiently led the two of them to a spacious area within Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

"Lingling, why are you only getting here now? The selection is about to end."

At that moment, a girl around Ye Lingling's age walked over from nearby.

The girl had short dark-purple hair and a pair of strange green eyes like a snake's. Her appearance was not breathtakingly beautiful, but she looked exceptionally valiant, carrying a bewitching and peculiar charm.

"I was delayed by something. Sorry, Yanzi." Ye Lingling pressed her palms together and apologized to Dugu Yan.

"Forget it. It's fine as long as you made it." Dugu Yan waved her hand, then casually swept her gaze over Jiang Li and Xiao Wu. "Who are they?"

Before Ye Lingling could introduce them, Jiang Li spoke first and said to Dugu Yan, "You're about to die!"

Dugu Yan: ???

Ye Lingling: ???

Xiao Wu: ???