I Can Join the Heaven Dou Team Too?

In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed.

"The midterm assessment is the day after tomorrow. Make sure you all do your best."

After class, Qin Ming did not hurry out of the classroom. Instead, he brought up the upcoming midterm assessment.

Perhaps worried that exchange student Dai Zhuang did not understand its importance, Qin Ming explained:

"Every test result goes straight into your records."

"The better you perform, the stronger the teammates you'll be assigned in the future."

"And that gives you a better chance of making the Heaven Dou Team's preliminary squad..."

So that's how it works. Understanding dawned on Dai Xuanyu.

The selection of Heaven Dou Team members had begun this early.

It made sense. The Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament was held every five years.

After the tournament three years from now, the current Heaven Dou Team members would be too old.

They would certainly need to train an entirely new Heaven Dou Team for a future Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament.

Beginning the initial screening of prospective members now was perfectly normal.

But why not focus entirely on Heaven Dou Grade students? Why include those at the Heavenly Supreme Level and Heavenly Micro Level too?

The reason was simple: eight years could change a great deal. New geniuses might emerge in that time.

"Teacher Qin Ming, I'm an exchange student. Can I take part in the selection for the Heaven Dou Team's reserve squad too?"

Intrigued, Dai Xuanyu stood up and asked.

His question exploded like a bomb on still water, sending waves through the classroom.

The students immediately began talking among themselves.

Some were curious, some baffled, and others openly hostile...

Qin Ming answered without hesitation. "Of course."

"Dai Zhuang, you only need to pass the assessments."

"When the time comes, you might even make the main roster, let alone the reserve squad."

At those words, Heavenly Supreme Class One fell silent in an instant.

It was as though something had seized everyone in the room by the throat.

What were the three education board members thinking?

Seeing the students' reactions, Qin Ming remembered how he himself had reacted when he first heard the news.

That was right. The three education board members had approved allowing the Star Luo Empire exchange students to try out for the Heaven Dou Team.

He did not know why they had done it.

But since the order came from them, he assumed the Heaven Dou Imperial Family had given its permission.

Naturally, Qin Ming and the other teachers followed the order, and today he had formally announced it.

Interesting. Dai Xuanyu was plainly intrigued.

Since he was eligible to try out for the Heaven Dou Team, he would certainly do so.

It was a chance to spend time with Dugu Yan and the others openly and grow closer to them. Dai Xuanyu had no reason to pass it up.

As for who had pushed this through, Dai Xuanyu did not even need to think.

It had to be Crown Prince Xue Qinghe—the man Qian Renxue was impersonating—working behind the scenes.

Heaven Dou Royal Academy was already her power base.

And with Xue Ye placing so much trust in Qian Renxue, it was no surprise she could make this happen.

The one thing Dai Xuanyu wondered was what argument Qian Renxue had used to persuade so many opponents.

After all, choosing the Heaven Dou Team's members was no trivial matter.

Even opening a narrow path like this must have been extraordinarily difficult.

If Qian Renxue does this, she'll probably force the Star Luo Imperial Family to do the same.

Otherwise, the Star Luo Imperial Family will look petty.

But can the exchange students sent by the Heaven Dou Empire really pass the Star Luo Team's selection?

Dai Xuanyu was not particularly worried about that.

He had the list of exchange students sent by the Heaven Dou Empire.

There were certainly some promising names on it.

But whether they could make the Star Luo Team while Star Luo Royal Academy quietly worked against them remained to be seen.

Dai Xuanyu's thinking might make the Star Luo Imperial Family seem less generous than the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.

In reality, Heaven Dou Royal Academy would surely do the same thing.

They might publicly support the arrangement, but when selections came around, they would favor their own.

Dai Xuanyu was not worried.

As long as the opportunity existed, his strength would secure him a place in the future selection.

"All right, class dismissed. Prepare well." With that, Qin Ming left the classroom.

Dai Xuanyu had planned to go for a walk after class.

But once word got out that he could try out for the Heaven Dou Team, the other students crowded around him again.

Even Dugu Yan came over.

"Dai Zhuang, are you sure you want to take part in the selection?" Dugu Yan asked curiously.

As far as she could tell, Dai Zhuang was no fool. He should not get mixed up in this.

If this had happened at any other Advanced Soul Master Academy, things would be different.

As a distant member of the Star Luo Imperial Family, Dai Xuanyu could have tried out for its team without anyone finding it strange.

No teacher would even have needed to announce that he was allowed to try out.

But Heaven Dou Royal Academy was different.

The same was true of Star Luo Royal Academy.

Both academies represented their respective imperial families.

That was why the identities of their team members drew particular scrutiny.

And Dai Xuanyu and the others had enrolled at Heaven Dou Royal Academy as exchange students from the Star Luo Empire.

That made matters even more delicate.

Dai Xuanyu smiled. "Class monitor, are you worried about me?"

Dugu Yan's expression, which had held a trace of concern, instantly turned cold.

After spending more than a month with Dai Zhuang, she had come to think highly of him.

That was precisely why she had tried to warn him.

But if that was his response, Dugu Yan would not concern herself with it any further.

Before she could say anything, Dai Xuanyu continued:

"Don't worry. I'm confident in my strength."

"Besides, I may have come to Heaven Dou Royal Academy as an exchange student, but I'm a member of this academy now too..."

It's because you're strong enough that I'm worried. Dugu Yan sighed inwardly.

If Dai Zhuang were not strong enough, signing up would hardly matter.

As long as he failed to make the team, he would not draw too much hostility.

The problem was that Dai Zhuang had already shown frightening strength.

The moment he showed any intention of trying out, someone would probably set their sights on him.