The director's office.
"Teachers, I hope you will all keep your lips sealed about everything that just happened. The Upper Three Sects are not on good terms with our Spirit Hall, especially the Clear Sky Sect. Moreover, the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire are eyeing us like tigers watching their prey. If they learn that our Spirit Hall's junior Soul Master Academy has admitted a prodigy the likes of whom the ages have never seen, it will only bring spears in the open and arrows in the dark down upon him!" Director Yang cautioned earnestly.
"Yes."
Every teacher in the director's office nodded in agreement. One elderly teacher with a snow-white beard spoke up. "To be safe, Director Yang, this must be reported to the dean as soon as possible. Ideally, you should report it to Spirit Hall yourself."
The elderly teacher had seen Director Yang's concern for Su Chen earlier. With his considerable experience, he felt it would be more appropriate for Director Yang to report to Spirit Hall in person.
"Yes, Teacher Liu. You're quite right to remind me," Director Yang agreed, nodding.
The Pope's Palace.
Holding the Pope's Scepter, Bibi Dong paced back and forth through the spacious Pope's Palace. When Chrysanthemum Douluo entered the hall with dainty steps and swaying hips, she fixed her gaze on him.
"Your revered Holiness, I have completed my inquiries. This is all the information on that person!" Chrysanthemum Douluo flicked a finger, sending a sheet of paper bearing Spirit Hall's seal floating toward Bibi Dong.
His martial soul is the Golden Sacred Dragon. And just like hers, his innate full soul power is actually rank twenty! Bibi Dong was inwardly taken aback. Yet amid her astonishment lay a trace of acceptance, as though it were only natural.
Perhaps, in Bibi Dong's eyes, only someone this outstanding could receive a divine trial so early.
"The Golden Sacred Dragon? Could he be a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? But why is his surname Su?" A fleeting sorrow flashed through Bibi Dong's eyes. A possibility occurred to her: perhaps Su Chen was descended from the female line of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
"Your Holiness, I have already investigated. Su Chen's father was named Su Hao, and his martial soul was the Golden Python. His mother was named Sun Xiangxiang, an ordinary villager from Holy Soul Village. Eighteen generations of Su Chen's ancestors lived in Holy Soul Village, and one of them was once a Soul Saint. His mother died from a difficult labor while giving birth to him, and his father died in a soul beast's stomach while helping a noble hunt soul beasts. None of those eighteen generations had any connection to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!" Chrysanthemum Douluo replied respectfully.
"So his martial soul is a mutated martial soul?" Bibi Dong concluded.
"Yes, Your Holiness. In addition, Director Yang of the East District Junior Soul Master Academy, which belongs exclusively to our Spirit Hall, has personally submitted the relevant information on him. His innate full soul power is not rank twenty, but rank thirty," Chrysanthemum Douluo reported.
"Innate full soul power at rank thirty?" Even as the widely experienced Pope, Bibi Dong could not keep shock from flashing through her beautiful eyes. Someone's soul power had actually broken all precedent and reached an innate full soul power of rank thirty.
"Yes. Furthermore, he has already obtained his first soul ring-a ten-thousand-year soul ring." Even though Chrysanthemum Douluo was a Titled Douluo, shock likewise showed in his eyes as he spoke. His very first soul ring was ten thousand years old. It was impossible to imagine what sort of existence Su Chen would become once he reached Titled Douluo. Perhaps even a Limit Douluo would be no match for him then!
"A ten-thousand-year soul ring." Bibi Dong was not particularly surprised by this. She had already accepted the Rakshasa God's nine trials. For Su Chen to obtain a ten-thousand-year soul ring through a god-bestowed soul ring was hardly astonishing. At the same time, his remarkable perseverance pleased her even more.
As someone undergoing the Rakshasa God's trials, Bibi Dong knew that the kind of soul ring one could obtain from a god-bestowed soul ring depended entirely on one's own perseverance. Obtaining a ten-thousand-year soul ring already proved that Su Chen's perseverance and physical strength far surpassed those of ordinary people.
"Go and bring him to me. I want to take him as my disciple!" Bibi Dong ordered, her gaze burning with eagerness.
"Your Holiness, that does not follow the proper procedure! If you intend to take him as your disciple, you must wait until six years from now, when he participates in the tournament between the four academies of the east, south, west, and north. Only after announcing it to the world at the awards ceremony may you accept him as your disciple," Chrysanthemum Douluo reminded her.
Throughout history, the students of Spirit Hall's popes had been candidates to become its next pope. To win everyone's acceptance, such a student had to stand out among tens of thousands of pupils and display talent that could convince the masses. They had to become the Pope's student bearing glorious honors, becoming Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden or Holy Son. They could never appear before the Pope as an ordinary, unknown nobody.
"I actually have to wait another six years! What torment!" Bibi Dong sighed softly. As Spirit Hall's Pope, even she could not casually overstep its rules and give others grounds to criticize her.
Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy.
"Grandpa Jack, is this Nuoding City's Soul Master Academy?" Tang San studied the academy before him.
"Yes." Old Jack nodded and led Tang San toward the academy gates. He sighed softly. "With such outstanding talent, you could clearly have attended a better academy. Yet you have a father like that."
"It's all right, Grandpa Jack. No matter where I study, as long as I work hard, I can still become someone outstanding." A fleeting sense of disappointment passed through Tang San's eyes. When Tang Hao had told him that he was forbidden from entering a Soul Master Academy belonging exclusively to Spirit Hall and had to study at this unremarkable academy instead, Tang San had genuinely wondered whether he was Tang Hao's biological son.
"Tang San, you're absolutely right. As long as you work hard, you'll surely become an outstanding Soul Master. You're such a good child, but your father's head must have been kicked by a donkey!" Old Jack jabbed his walking stick down, indignant on Tang San's behalf.
Master Su Yuntao had clearly stated that Tang San could attend a Soul Master Academy belonging exclusively to Spirit Hall. Yet Tang Hao had refused outright. Instead of sending him to an academy where he could even receive a monthly living allowance, he insisted that Tang San come here as some work-study student.
"Grandpa Jack!" Tang San called, his tone slightly stern.
"All right, all right. You don't like me speaking ill of your father, so I won't." Grandpa Jack smiled sheepishly.
"Grandpa Jack, I know you want what's best for me. I also believe my father wants what's best for me. A precious sword gains its keen edge through grinding. Perhaps Father wants to temper me!" Tang San comforted himself with that thought.
One tall and one short, one old and one young, they continued chatting until they reached the iron gates of Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy.
"Young man, we're from Holy Soul Village. I'm the village chief, and I've brought this child here to register. He's one of your academy's work-study students this year. Here is the certificate issued by Deacon Su Yuntao of Spirit Hall. Could you please take a look and tell us what other formalities we need to complete?" Old Jack asked politely and amiably, handing the certificate to the gatekeeper.
"Well, well, even a grass nest can produce a phoenix!"
The young gatekeeper smiled mockingly and made a show of examining the certificate in his hand. He chuckled. "Innate full soul power? And twin martial souls, too? Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. I've worked as a gatekeeper at this academy for four years, and I've never heard of innate full soul power, let alone twin martial souls on top of that. You're so stupid it's almost adorable. Even if you're forging something, can't you at least make it convincing? Holy Soul Village? I'd say it should be called Swindler Village or Beggar Village! If you want to beg, get lost and do it somewhere else. Our academy isn't a charity!"
"Uh!"
Beside him, Tang San's brows drew together slightly. As the saying went, things of a kind gathered together, and people flocked with their own sort. With the gatekeeper before him so ignorant and ill-mannered, Tang San could not help wondering whether his father's decision had truly been right.
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