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 been entirely 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, then somewhat guiltily declined Jiang Li's offer.

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

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

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

What had happened with Xue Beng today was only an exception.

Their 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 any of that.

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

"The Yanzi I mentioned earlier is my best friend, Dugu Yan. She is also a student at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. In preparation for 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, so we can participate in the Soul Master Tournament a few years from now."

"Since you're a student of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, how about this? You lead us there to take a look, and in exchange, we'll escort you. What do you say?"

Jiang Li had naturally known long ago that Ye Lingling would be a member of the Heaven Dou Royal Team in the future Soul Master Tournament.

He simply had not expected such a coincidence. The time they arrived in Heaven Dou City happened to coincide with the selection of the Heaven Dou Royal Team's participants for the next Soul Master Tournament.

Already coveting the Immortal Herbs in the Icefire Yin Yang Well at Dugu Yan's home, Jiang Li became even more interested in Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

As for whether Heaven Dou Royal Academy would accept them?

Jiang Li had not considered that question at all.

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

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

Elementary Soul Master academies were like Notting Academy, from which Jiang Li had previously graduated. Xiao Wu had not completed the full six years, but she had met the requirement of possessing one Soul Ring and applied to graduate early.

Although intermediate Soul Master academies had not received much attention in the original work, their graduation requirement was also becoming a Soul Master above Level 20 and possessing two Soul Rings.

That meant anyone capable of graduating from an intermediate Soul Master academy possessed 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 by the Heaven Dou Empire.

Therefore, as long as students graduating from intermediate Soul Master academies were not too old, becoming a Level 30 Soul Master before the graduation deadline required by advanced Soul Master academies was basically a certainty.

What? Noble students could receive Spirit Hall's Soul Master stipend, but commoner students could not?

So insisting on 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 genius Soul Masters and ordinary Soul Masters unwilling to spend their Spirit Hall stipends.

Either you had enough 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, it might even give you money for free.

Or you were willing to pay the expensive 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 Elder level, I thought you were students from another advanced academy."

Ye Lingling's eyes lit up at that, and she agreed to Jiang Li's suggestion. "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 Ling Ling?"

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

Jiang Li's mouth twitched.

Well damn, the hierarchy was completely upside down.

Although Xiao Wu was a transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, 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 her to Zhu Zhuqing again.

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

"Mhm."

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

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

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

It was a pink begonia flower made up of white and pink petals. There were nine petals in total, vibrant in color and graceful in shape.

The moment 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 entire body.

"Sniff, sniff." Xiao Wu deeply inhaled the fragrance of the Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul drifting through the air, then could not help exclaiming, "It smells so good! Ling Ling, what Martial Soul is that?"

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

"The Nine-Heart Begonia said to be the number one healing Martial Soul in the world, capable of bringing the dead back to life and regenerating flesh from bones?" Xiao Wu pressed.

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

Xiao Wu shot Jiang Li a sidelong glance.

What exactly was wrong with this stinking man?

First, there was Qian Renxue, the Level-99 Limit Douluo who was supposedly all looks and no substance, whom he had contracted before her.

Then there was Xiao Wu herself, a transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

After that came the 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 young girl he had casually saved turned out to be a female Soul Master with the Nine-Heart Begonia, the Martial Soul hailed as the greatest healing Martial Soul in the world?

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

"The Nine-Heart Begonia is only somewhat stronger than other healing-type Martial Souls in terms of healing. It isn't as exaggerated as you make it sound."

Ye Lingling defended herself, "Even the strongest ancestor recorded in our family's records, who possessed the strength of a Title Douluo, could not accomplish something as absurd as reviving the dead and regenerating flesh from bones."

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

After that, they walked in silence all the way to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Although Heaven Dou Royal Academy had been established by members of the Heaven Dou Empire's royal 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 this, Heaven Dou Royal Academy did not have guards watching the gates like Notting Academy, from which Jiang Li had previously graduated.

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

"This should be the place."

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

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

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

She had short dark-purple hair and a pair of strange green eyes like a snake's. Her appearance was not exceptionally stunning, but she looked spirited and valiant, carrying a bewitching and unusual charm.

"Something delayed me. 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. "And they are?"

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

Dugu Yan: ???

Ye Lingling: ???

Xiao Wu: ???