Shui Yue'er hurried to catch up.
"Then why couldn't he withstand even one finger from the dean?"
"Because he only knows how to use power."
Long Yao stepped onto the True Dragon Tower's stone stairs.
"But he doesn't know where that power should land."
Shui Yue'er pondered seriously for a moment.
"So when I control heavy water, I can't just think about lifting it."
"You must first understand why heavy water sinks."
Shui Yue'er nodded.
"I understand."
She looked up at the entrance to the third floor.
"Then can I keep training today?"
"Yes."
"You just fought Tang Hao. Don't you need to rest, Dean?"
Long Yao glanced at her.
"I did not make a move."
"But there was clearly golden light just now."
"That was not making a move."
Shui Yue'er stopped walking.
"Then what was it?"
"A reminder for him to leave."
Shui Bing'er came up beside her younger sister.
"Tang Hao didn't leave."
"So the dean reminded him again."
Shui Yue'er blinked.
"The second reminder made his martial soul disappear?"
"He did not hear clearly."
Long Yao entered the True Dragon Tower.
Following behind him, Shui Yue'er murmured:
"The dean's reminders really do make it hard to hear clearly."
Shui Bing'er glanced at her.
"You heard clearly."
"I've always been obedient."
Shui Yue'er immediately straightened up.
Long Yao did not respond.
The three of them climbed the stairs.
The stone door on the True Dragon Tower's third floor slowly opened.
The twelve beads of heavy water still floated in the center of the stone chamber.
Unaffected by anything outside, the deep blue droplets hung steadily in midair.
Shui Yue'er walked up to the first bead of heavy water.
She raised both hands, letting soul power flow from her fingertips.
This time, her soul power did not rush straight toward the heavy water.
Shui Yue'er first observed the ripples on the droplet's surface.
The heavy water swayed slightly.
Shui Yue'er adjusted the direction of her soul power accordingly.
The deep blue droplet slowly rose from the ground.
One inch.
Two inches.
Three inches.
The heavy water continued to rise.
Shui Yue'er did not rush to lift it higher.
She maintained the flow of soul power, holding the heavy water six inches up.
Long Yao stood outside the stone door.
"Hold it for twelve breaths."
Shui Yue'er nodded.
The first breath.
Tiny ripples spread across the heavy water's surface.
The third breath.
Sweat appeared on Shui Yue'er's forehead.
The sixth breath.
She adjusted her fingers slightly, and the droplet steadied again.
The tenth breath.
The gravity formation inside the stone chamber began to strengthen.
Shui Yue'er's arms sank a little.
Instead of forcing more soul power into it, she merely adjusted its direction to follow the changes in the heavy water.
The twelfth breath.
The heavy water slowly settled back onto the ground.
Shui Yue'er withdrew her hands and looked up at Long Yao.
"Dean, I didn't strike it with soul power this time."
"Mm."
"And I didn't lift the heavy water above six inches."
"Mm."
Shui Yue'er waited a moment.
"Don't you have any other comments?"
"Seven inches tomorrow."
The smile froze on Shui Yue'er's face.
"Dean, I held it for twelve breaths today."
"That is why you will raise it another inch tomorrow."
"Then if I hold it for twenty breaths, can I raise it a little less tomorrow?"
"No."
Shui Yue'er turned to Shui Bing'er.
"Sister, do you think the dean's arrangement is reasonable?"
Shui Bing'er walked to the edge of the stone chamber.
"Yes."
Shui Yue'er pressed her lips together.
"You're all on the dean's side."
"Because the dean is right."
Shui Bing'er raised her hand.
An ice crystal emerged from her palm.
The ice crystal released no cold air, but its shape kept changing.
First, it became a six-pointed ice flower.
Then it turned into a slender ice feather.
Finally, it became a thin, transparent blade.
Shui Bing'er raised her hand and sent it forward.
The ice blade landed on the other side of the stone chamber, lodging firmly in the ground.
Long Yao looked at the ice crystal.
"You can now maintain changes in its shape."
Shui Bing'er withdrew her soul power.
The ice crystal turned into mist, then condensed again in her palm.
"I still can't change its temperature at the same time."
"Master one kind of change first."
Long Yao said:
"Bite off too much, and you will easily lose control."
Shui Bing'er nodded gently.
Shui Yue'er looked at the heavy water above her palm.
She poured soul power into the droplet again.
The heavy water slowly rose.
This time, she did not wait for Long Yao to speak.
"I'll try again."
"Go ahead."
Inside the stone chamber.
A droplet of heavy water rose from the ground again.
Shui Yue'er maintained the flow of soul power.
Shui Bing'er stood nearby, controlling the ice crystal's transformations.
Long Yao sat outside the stone door and lifted the tea Shui Yuerou had just brought him.
The wind outside the tower swept across the lake.
The golden light from second place on the Golden Ranking still covered the sky.
The words on the ranking had yet to appear.
The academy's students looked up for a while, then returned to their lodgings.
The outer academy's admissions assessment was still underway.
One applicant after another approached the pale blue crystal.
They extended their palms and waited for the elemental affinity test.
Shui Yuerou stood beside the crystal, recording each result.
Some made faint ripples appear in the crystal.
Some made the lake inside the crystal turn clear.
For others, the crystal remained unchanged after they touched it.
Shui Yuerou closed the register.
"Next."
A girl in a pale blue dress walked up to the crystal.
She raised her hand and pressed it against the crystal's surface.
The lake inside the crystal slowly rose.
Waves struck the crystal's walls, then gradually settled back into place.
Shui Yuerou watched the scene.
"Proceed to the second test."
She pointed to the two images beside her.
One showed a calm lake.
The other showed surging waves.
"Choose one and explain why."
The applicant studied them for a long time before finally pointing to the surging waves.
"I choose the waves."
Shui Yuerou asked:
"Why?"
"A calm lake lets you see yourself clearly. Surging waves let you see the world beyond."
She withdrew her hand.
"I don't want to stay in the same place forever."
Shui Yuerou made a note in the register.
"Pass."
On the True Dragon Tower's third floor.
Shui Yue'er held the heavy water through the tenth breath.
On the eleventh breath, the heavy water's surface suddenly wavered.
She immediately eased her soul power.
The water droplets steadied again.
The twelfth breath ended.
Shui Yue'er withdrew her hands, her face already covered in sweat.
"Headmaster, can I keep going today?"
"That's enough for today."
Shui Yue'er breathed a sigh of relief.
She left the stone chamber and took some snacks from her Storage Soul Tool.
Shui Bing'er withdrew her ice crystals and came to her side.
"You really did bring snacks."
"I can eat them after training."
Shui Yue'er broke a pastry in half and offered it to Shui Bing'er.
Shui Bing'er accepted the pastry.
Long Yao approached along the stone steps.
"Go eat first."
Shui Yue'er immediately put her snacks away.
"Is there fish today?"
"Yes."
"What about dessert?"
"No."
Shui Yue'er's steps faltered.
Long Yao continued down.
"Shui Yuerou has already asked the kitchen to prepare lotus seed soup."
Shui Yue'er hurried after him again.
"Is the lotus seed soup sweet?"
"Taste it yourself."
Shui Bing'er walked beside her.
"Put in a little less sugar."
Shui Yue'er immediately shook her head.
"Don't put in less."
The three figures descended the stairs.
Outside the tower, the setting sun fell across the lake.
The light of second place on the Golden Ranking still had not faded.
The doors of the True Dragon Tower slowly opened.
Shui Yuerou stood outside, holding the newly compiled register.
"Headmaster, everyone who passed the first test today has been recorded."
"Put it on the table."
Long Yao walked toward the long table.
"I'll look after dinner."
Shui Yuerou acknowledged his instruction.
Shui Yue'er was already seated at the table.
Looking at the steamed bass on the table, she picked up her chopsticks and placed a piece of fish in Shui Bing'er's bowl first.
Shui Bing'er raised her eyes to look at her.
"This time, it's not my leftovers."
Shui Yue'er nodded.
"You eat first, Sis."
Long Yao poured warm water for all three of them.
An autumn breeze swept past outside the tower.
Skywater Academy returned to its usual quiet.
Spirit Hall.
Outside the Papal Palace.
Several Soul Masters carried a corpse swiftly through the corridor.
A white cloth covered the corpse.
Blood stained the edges of the cloth.
The steward leading them stopped before the palace doors and dropped to one knee.
"Your Holiness, Tang Hao's corpse has arrived."
"Skywater Academy sent word."
"Tang Hao trespassed into the academy and gravely injured two stewards before Long Yao killed him."
Inside the Papal Palace.
Bibi Dong sat on her throne.
She glanced at the corpse beneath the white cloth and raised a hand, signaling the Soul Masters to withdraw.
"Send the corpse to the Clear Sky Sect."
"Tell them Tang Hao died at Skywater Academy."
"As for his killer."
Bibi Dong's gaze settled on the steward.
"Long Yao will come to Spirit Hall soon."
The steward lowered his head in acknowledgment.
"Yes."
The Soul Masters lifted the corpse, turned, and left.
Silence returned to the great hall.
Bibi Dong leaned back against her throne, rakshasa divine power slowly circulating within her.
She had already seen Long Yao act in the images on the Golden Ranking.
One finger had erased the Snow Empress's Absolute Zero.
One palm had subdued Tang Hao.
Such strength could no longer be measured by the standards of an ordinary Titled Douluo.
But Long Yao had killed Yu Xiaogang.
Then he had killed Tang Hao.
If Spirit Hall gave no response, the prestige of the Papal Palace would suffer.
Bibi Dong raised her head toward the palace doors.
"I would like to see."
"Whether you dare set foot in Spirit Hall yourself."
Her words had barely fallen.
Footsteps sounded outside the great hall.
They were unhurried.
Each step rang out distinctly.
The two guards before the doors turned at the same time.
A figure in a blue-green robe approached along the white jade steps.
Long Yao carried no weapon.
Nor was there a Soul Tool at his waist.
He simply held a teacup, walking calmly into Spirit Hall.
The two guards raised their spears to bar his way.
"The Papal Palace is a restricted area. Halt."
Long Yao did not stop.
He raised his eyes toward them.
"Move aside."
The two guards did not answer.
Their spears thrust forward together.
The spearheads were still three feet from Long Yao's robe when they stopped in midair of their own accord.
The next instant.
Both guards flew backward, spears and all.
They slammed into stone pillars and slid down the stonework.
The Soul Masters on both sides of the corridor summoned their martial souls at once.
Ring after soul ring rose around them.
Long Yao continued forward.
He did not release his martial soul.
Nor did he activate any soul rings.
Yet all the surrounding soul power dispersed in that instant.
The martial souls within those Soul Masters withdrew on their own.
Their soul rings went dark, one after another.
Everyone stood frozen in place, unable even to lift an arm.
Long Yao passed through the corridor.
Not a speck of dust touched his blue-green robe.
The doors of the Papal Palace slowly opened.
Bibi Dong watched Long Yao enter.
"Long Yao."
"You arrived sooner than I expected."
Long Yao raised his hand and set his teacup on a jade table nearby.
"You sent me a message."
"Naturally, I had to come."
Bibi Dong rose from her throne.
Her long purple dress trailed over the steps.
Her gaze swept past Long Yao.
No one outside the hall could still stand.
"Tang Hao belonged to the Clear Sky Sect."
"Yu Xiaogang was also once an elder of Spirit Hall."
"You killed them both, yet you still dare come here alone."
Long Yao looked at her.
"Why wouldn't I dare?"
"Can Spirit Hall keep me here?"
Bibi Dong did not answer.
She raised her right hand.
Purple-black soul power surged from her palm.
Nine soul rings rose from beneath her feet.
Two yellow, two purple, four black, and a final scarlet ring hovering behind her.
An immense pressure blanketed the entire Papal Palace.
The Six-Winged Angel statue behind the throne shone with golden light.
Outside the Papal Palace, more Soul Masters rushed toward the great hall.
Bibi Dong raised her palm.
"Then let me test that myself."
Her ninth soul ring abruptly flared.
A purple-black spider shadow emerged behind her.
The enormous Death Spider Emperor spread its eight legs, and black poison mist rapidly spread across the floor.
Every stone slab in the great hall cracked at once.
Long Yao stood where he was.
The poison mist reached his feet and immediately stopped.
A wisp of blue-green light drifted from his sleeve.
The light fell upon the floor.
The purple-black poison mist dissipated on the spot.
Dense cracks appeared across the Death Spider Emperor's body.
Bibi Dong's expression shifted slightly.
She raised her hand and pressed down.
The Death Spider Emperor let out a soundless screech, its eight spider legs stabbing at Long Yao in unison.
Long Yao extended two fingers.
His fingertips touched the foremost spider leg.
The enormous Death Spider Emperor stopped in midair.
All its power dissipated the instant it touched his fingertips.
Long Yao flicked his fingers lightly.
The Death Spider Emperor shattered on the spot.
Bibi Dong shuddered and retreated half a step.
The ninth Soul Ring beneath her feet dimmed with it.
Long Yao looked at her.
"Your Martial Soul is too muddled."
"Devouring, poison, mental power, and divine power are all mixed together."
"Those powers have brought you to where you stand today."
"But they cannot let you truly master yourself."
Bibi Dong lifted her eyes.
Rakshasa Divine Power erupted from her body in full.
A purple-black pillar of light pierced through the Papal Palace.
Black markings spread over the throne, the stone pillars, and the floor at once.
The Rakshasa Domain unfolded.
Within the domain, all powers of light were forcibly suppressed.
Outside the hall, the Soul Masters fell to their knees one after another.
Bibi Dong stepped forward.
The scepter in her hand transformed into a black scythe.
Its blade sliced through space, leaving a pitch-black fissure.
"Long Yao."
"You are too arrogant."
"This is Spirit Hall."
"I am the Supreme Pontiff."
"And the heir to the Rakshasa God."
The black scythe descended upon Long Yao's head.
Long Yao raised his palm.
An azure lotus seal appeared in it.
The lotus seal rose to meet the blade.
The black scythe stopped atop the lotus seal.
Its blade trembled relentlessly, yet could not descend another half inch.
Bibi Dong marshaled all her Soul Power.
Rakshasa Divine Power surged along the scythe.
The azure lotus seal slowly bloomed.
An azure lotus leaf unfurled from the void, wrapping around the black scythe.
Rakshasa Divine Power rapidly ebbed away between the folds of the lotus leaf.
Bibi Dong's arm sank.
Her expression grew increasingly grave.
Long Yao lifted his eyes to her.
"The divine power is not yours."
"You are merely borrowing it."
"Borrowed power must ultimately obey the rules."
The azure lotus seal abruptly closed.
The black scythe snapped in two.
Bibi Dong's Martial Soul manifestation collapsed at the same time.
The Azure Lotus forced the Rakshasa Divine Power within her back into her soul sea.
Her nine Soul Rings shattered one after another.
Bibi Dong's body lost its support, and she dropped to one knee.
The stone slabs cracked for several yards around her knee.
Outside the Papal Palace.
Every Soul Master stopped moving.
No one dared approach.
Bibi Dong raised her head to look at Long Yao.
She had cultivated for years.
Devoured countless powerful foes.
And received the Rakshasa God's inheritance.
Even against Qian Daoliu, she could put up a fight.
Yet at this moment.
She could not withstand even a single palm strike from Long Yao.
Before you continue