Qian Renxue's Invitation to Heaven Dou Academy

"Of course!"

"I know how important this is!" Qin Yun said.

Ning Fengzhi looked at Qin Yun. The young man before him had long since surpassed every other prodigy of his generation on the continent.

Compared to him, every other young genius on the continent seemed to lose their luster.

Qin Yun was now the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's true trump card for the future, someone who could change the balance of power between Heaven Dou and Spirit Hall.

His importance even seemed to exceed that of the sect's two Titled Douluo.

The two discussed the matter at length and settled their plans for what came next.

A while later, a guard's voice sounded outside the hall.

"Sect Master, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived and requests an audience."

"Xiao Qin, we'll leave it at that for now. We can discuss the specifics later!"

Only then did he say, "Let him in."

Moments later, Xue Qinghe entered the hall at an unhurried pace, dressed in a simple, elegant brocade robe.

Her gaze went straight to Qin Yun. Deep in her eyes lay a hint of scrutiny that was hard to detect.

Yet her smile was warm.

She cupped her hands in greeting. "Brother Qin, you're here too. What a coincidence."

Before Ning Fengzhi could speak, Xue Qinghe continued.

"I came to see my teacher today about an important matter. It concerns not only the Heaven Dou Empire, but Brother Qin as well."

Ning Fengzhi stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm as he waited for her to continue.

After a brief pause, Xue Qinghe stated her purpose.

"Brother Qin, you've heard of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, haven't you?"

"It's the premier stage for the younger generation to face one another. A victory there carries enormous prestige."

"But for years, Spirit Hall Academy has held an almost unbroken grip on the championship."

"The academies of the Heaven Dou Empire have struggled to compete and have fallen short time and again."

At that, Xue Qinghe fixed her gaze on Qin Yun once more. Her voice carried sincere admiration as she made her invitation.

"Ever since we met at my residence, I've been impressed by your mysterious Martial Soul, extraordinary talent, and strength far beyond your peers."

"I came today to invite you to join Heaven Dou Academy and represent the Heaven Dou Empire in this year's Continental Soul Master Tournament."

The hall fell quiet.

Ning Fengzhi remained silent. He merely turned his head slightly toward Qin Yun.

His stance was clear.

This concerned Qin Yun's own training, his public debut, and his personal choice.

Ning Fengzhi would not interfere. The decision was Qin Yun's alone.

No one knew that beneath Xue Qinghe's open, courteous manner, her thoughts were already churning.

After their last meeting, she had immediately mobilized every covert Spirit Hall agent in Heaven Dou City to investigate Qin Yun's background.

Yet they had uncovered almost nothing.

The only records they found concerned Qin Yun's matches at the Soto Great Soul Arena. His origins, teacher, Martial Soul, and path of cultivation all remained mysteries.

There was no record at all of his seemingly impossible set of Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings or his enigmatic Martial Soul. It was as though he had appeared out of thin air.

The less she found, the stronger her wariness and curiosity grew.

On the surface, this invitation was an attempt to recruit a genius and win glory for the empire.

In truth, it was also a carefully planned test.

She wanted the tournament to draw out more of Qin Yun's strength and force him to reveal more of his hidden cards, so she could judge what he was capable of.

Qin Yun immediately saw through her twofold purpose.

He knew that someone who had appeared from nowhere with such astonishing talent was bound to be investigated.

If he kept shrinking back from challenges and hiding himself,

he would only look as though he had something to conceal, inviting even more suspicion and a more relentless investigation.

He might as well accept openly and show the world what he could do, stepping into the spotlight as a top-tier genius.

He had the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Ning Fengzhi to protect him.

Before Spirit Hall launched the Soul-Splitting Operation and openly turned against them,

Xue Qinghe would not dare make a rash attempt on his life, whatever schemes she had in mind.

His decision made, Qin Yun smiled calmly and cupped his hands.

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Your Highness."

"Since Your Highness has invited me in earnest, I'll accept. I'll compete alongside Heaven Dou Academy and take it as a chance to hone my skills."

A flicker of delight passed through Xue Qinghe's eyes at his ready acceptance, and her smile grew warmer.

"You're too formal, Brother Qin."

"You're Uncle Ning's future son-in-law, and I'm his personal disciple. That practically makes us family."

"I'm a little older than you, so there's no need to call me 'Your Highness' every time. You can call me Brother Xue."

The words sounded easygoing, as though she merely wanted to bring them closer.

In reality, she wanted the chance to observe him up close and probe him further.

Qin Yun understood, but he gave nothing away. He nodded.

"Brother Xue."

"Good! Glad to hear it!" Xue Qinghe laughed and promptly extended another invitation.

"Since you've agreed, I'll take you to Heaven Dou Academy now. You can get to know the campus and your teammates, and start settling into the rhythm of preparing for the tournament."

"Then I'll come along, Brother Xue!"

With that, Qin Yun left with Xue Qinghe.

They walked side by side along the main road to Heaven Dou Academy.

The route was bustling, with people coming and going.

Along the way, Xue Qinghe kept finding things to talk about. At times she discussed Heaven Dou Academy's talented students; at others, memorable clashes from past tournaments. She also asked Qin Yun about his cultivation and earlier experiences.

Every casual remark concealed a deft probe.

She hoped to catch a slip in his answers and uncover where he had come from.

Faced with her increasingly pointed questions, Qin Yun stayed composed and answered with care.

At last, they reached Heaven Dou Academy.

But the moment they entered the grounds, a burst of noisy laughter reached them.

The empire's Fourth Prince, Xue Beng, was roaming about with a group of spoiled young nobles. They strolled idly, laughing and fooling around.

There was nothing about their behavior befitting members of the imperial family.

They were plainly using the chance to slack off and waste time they should have spent training.

Xue Beng happened to turn his head and caught sight of Xue Qinghe nearby.

His boisterous expression faltered, and panic flashed through his eyes.

He turned to slip away with the others.

"Xue Beng, stop."

Xue Qinghe's voice was cool, carrying the authority of a Crown Prince.

"You're an imperial prince and a student here, yet you spend your days loitering instead of applying yourself to your training. What kind of example is that?"

Those few words were enough to stop Xue Beng in his tracks. He lowered his head and meekly took the scolding.

Qin Yun watched the whole exchange.

His thoughts turned inward.

Xue Beng was the Heaven Dou prince who, in the original story, had concealed his abilities behind the guise of a wastrel and bided his time.

After learning that his second and third brothers had died for no apparent reason,

he had been forced to play the wastrel to protect himself, fooling Qian Renxue.

That was why she had spared his life.