Demanding a Challenge Against Yu Tianheng

Just then, at the academy gates.

"Zhuqing, there's something I've never dared to tell you." Yang Yunhai suddenly turned to look at Zhu Zhuqing.

Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing turned to him.

"Well, actually... back then, I was the one who accidentally electrocuted you unconscious." Yang Yunhai said awkwardly.

"..." Zhu Zhuqing froze for a moment. Then she simply looked at Yang Yunhai without getting angry, seemingly waiting for an explanation.

"Ahem, my Martial Soul is actually a mutated Martial Soul, and it also has the Thunder Attribute. Back then, I was catching fish with electricity in the river above the Waterfall, planning to have them for dinner. Then I suddenly heard something rather large fall into the water. At first, I thought I'd shocked a big fish into thrashing around, or maybe electrocuted some Soul Beast drinking below the Waterfall," Yang Yunhai said softly. "Who knew that when I went over and looked down..."

"Things would turn out like that."

Zhu Zhuqing's face rarely flushed red at those words. She lowered her head instinctively, pursed her lips, and said nothing, impossible to tell what she was thinking.

But judging by the situation, her feelings had to be complicated.

For a moment, Yang Yunhai actually had no idea how to continue the conversation. Only after quite a while did he tentatively ask, "Zhuqing?"

Zhu Zhuqing still said nothing. Although her head remained slightly lowered, her expression had returned to calm.

It was then that faint footsteps sounded in the distance.

"Someone's coming." Yang Yunhai immediately raised his head and looked toward the direction beyond the academy gates where the sound had come from.

Only then did Zhu Zhuqing lift her head and look over calmly.

Three elderly men and a young man were walking toward them, with the gate guard from before following behind.

Tap, tap, tap. Their pace was not slow, and they soon arrived before them.

"This junior, Yang Yunhai, greets the seniors." Yang Yunhai raised a hand to his chest and bent slightly at the waist, offering the customary salute of a junior Spirit Master to his elders.

Then he straightened and turned slightly toward Zhu Zhuqing. "This is Zhu Zhuqing, my companion."

"Zhuqing greets the seniors." Seeing Yang Yunhai introduce her, Zhu Zhuqing gave a slight bow.

Zhu Zhuqing. The gazes of the three Education Committee members flickered strangely.

Meng Shenji, the lead committee member, reacted the fastest. Stroking his beard, he laughed heartily. "Welcome, welcome! It is our Heaven Dou Royal Academy's honor that the two of you have chosen to enroll here. No need to stand on ceremony. From now on, just treat this place as your own home."

"I am Meng Shenji, Chairman of the Education Committee of this academy. Beside me are Bai Baoshan, the Second Seat, and Zhi Lin, the Third Seat. As for this gentleman..." He turned toward "Xue Qinghe," his smile unchanged. "He is the Crown Prince of our Heaven Dou Empire, First Prince Xue Qinghe."

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince." Yang Yunhai immediately saluted, with Zhu Zhuqing following suit.

"No need for such formalities. It is also this prince's honor to meet young Heaven's Chosen such as Brother Yang and Miss Zhu," Qian Renxue said with a smile.

"Indeed. For Student Yang to cultivate a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul to such a level at his age, this old man is honestly rather ashamed," Meng Shenji said with a smile. "To be honest, this is also the first time this old man has heard of a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul being cultivated so quickly."

Yang Yunhai's gaze flickered as he smiled and shook his head. "I merely encountered a few fortunate opportunities."

"To be honest, little more than half a month ago, this junior's Soul Power was only Rank 21."

"What!?" The three committee members and even the gate guard were all stunned. Zhu Zhuqing, standing nearby, also revealed a look of surprise.

Not bad. She knew how to make use of the timing. Qian Renxue's eyes flickered.

"There's no harm in saying it. After all, I don't think I'll ever come across such a good fortune a second time." Yang Yunhai shrugged, then swept his gaze over the important figures present. "Three committee members, Your Highness the Crown Prince, it's a long story. If you wish to hear it, why don't we go inside and sit down first?"

"To be honest, this junior has also come to enroll at your academy today with a personal request."

Meng Shenji immediately came back to himself and said with a chuckle, "Of course. Come, let's all go inside first. We can sit down and discuss whatever it is."

Thus, Yang Yunhai led Zhu Zhuqing after the committee members as they entered the academy.

Before long, the group arrived at the Education Committee office, and Yang Yunhai began telling his story.

First, he described in detail the part everyone was most interested in: how he had entered the mountains, encountered bamboo shoots, and broken through to Rank 27 after drinking the pooled water.

Afterward, he began recounting how he had left the mountains, asked people for directions, and made his way to the border.

At that point, he mentioned his rapid breakthrough to Rank 30, changing the story to say that he had used his Martial Soul's Thunder Attribute to stimulate his muscles and speed up the digestion of the medicinal effects. The rest remained unchanged: his Martial Soul's accidental evolution, his body's transformation, the awakening of a special sensory ability, and his solo entry into the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Soul Beasts. He only lowered the age of the Soul Beast he had hunted, changing it to fifteen hundred years of cultivation.

Moreover, when discussing the hunting process, he specifically mentioned his Soul Skills, conveniently explaining their effects and the origins of his Soul Rings.

His explanation for the First Soul Ring was the same as what he had told the Notting Academy headmaster. As for the Second Soul Ring, he claimed that he had independently worn the Soul Beast down to death from a distance using his First Soul Skill and his Martial Soul's Thunder Attribute. Its age was changed as well, to over six hundred years—matching Tang San's.

As for the general location of that mountain, he had already woven it into the story as Salas had instructed.

"A First Soul Ring of an ordinary hundred years, and even from a low-quality plant-type Soul Beast, Green Vine. For the Second Soul Ring, I chose to hunt independently. These two pieces of information should be enough for anyone investigating my background to speculate on one possibility. Namely, that I asked the Village Chief of Lonely Grass Village to have Spirit Hall help me hunt a Soul Beast for my First Soul Ring, but the Soul Beast Spirit Hall helped hunt was not only poor in quality, its age was also quite ordinary. Thus, I developed a grudge and never joined Spirit Hall. That was also why I chose to hunt my Second Soul Ring alone," Yang Yunhai thought to himself after finishing the story.

Meanwhile, the three committee members sighed in succession. "Who would have thought that such a wondrous thing existed in this world?"

"Student Yang, your luck truly is enviable."

"Indeed, it is truly enviable."

Yang Yunhai had described the process far too clearly for them not to believe him. After all, raising one's Soul Power directly from Rank 21 to Rank 30 within just a few days was simply impossible through the Drain effect of a Second Soul Skill. Not to mention transforming one's body, evolving one's Martial Soul, and awakening a special ability. Thinking it over, only consuming some heavenly treasure could explain it.

"I was simply lucky." Yang Yunhai smiled modestly.

"Haha, Student Yang need not be so modest." Meng Shenji laughed.

No matter what, it was a fact that Yang Yunhai had become a Soul Elder at such a young age. More importantly, his Martial Soul had evolved and was no longer Common Blue Silver Grass, while his cultivation talent had also emerged. That was enough. The current Yang Yunhai was absolutely worth recruiting into the academy for focused training.

What was more, he came with a bonus.

Thinking of this, he smiled and continued, "Then, Student Yang, tell us your request. So long as it is within this old man's power, I will certainly do my best to fulfill it."

"You flatter me, Senior." Yang Yunhai smiled and cupped his hands. "This junior has only one request: that my companion and I be allowed to join the Heaven Dou Battle Team First Team. And..."

His eyes flashed, and he spoke with ringing force. "I request a solo challenge against the Heaven Dou Battle Team's captain, Yu Tianheng."

PS: Sorry, the second chapter was late.