Qin Ming
Xiao Yao opened the Heavenly Book, and several pages of writing slowly appeared in what had originally been empty.
[Holder: Xiao Yao] [Age: seven] [Soul Power Level: level twenty-four Battle Soul Master (Soul Ring Configuration: two purple)] [Heavenly Book spiritual objects: Fallen Heart Flame, Sea Heart Flame] [Heavenly Book skills: Incomplete Chapter of the Seventy-Two Transformations] [Independently cultivated skills: Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique] [Contract partners: Xiao Wu, Shui Bing'er] [First contract partner: Xiao Wu] [Age: seven (100,007 years)] [Martial Soul: Soft Bone Rabbit (can evolve into Soft Bone Charm Rabbit using the Martial Soul Evolution Set)] [Soul Power Level: level twenty-five Battle Soul Master (Soul Ring Configuration: two yellow, one of which is only one year short of the thousand-year threshold)] [Heavenly Book spiritual objects: Martial Soul Evolution Set · Tender Charm Bone Bunny Girl (the Mind-Concentrating Rabbit Ears and Aura-Concealing Dance Shoes were originally both parts of the set)] [Heavenly Book skills: Soft Bone: Yoga Chapter] [Independently cultivated skills: Waist Bow, Charm, soft-body techniques, Explosive Killing Eight-Stage Throw] [Second contract partner: Shui Bing'er] [Age: twelve] [Martial Soul: Ice Phoenix] [Soul Power Level: level twenty-eight] [Heavenly Book spiritual objects: none] [Heavenly Book skills: none] [Independently cultivated skills: Ice Ring Armor, Ice Seal]
The Sea Heart Flame was a deep-blue Heavenly Flame ranked fifteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking.
Without looking closely, one could not tell whether it was a mass of flame or a pool of seawater.
Faint ripples resembled waves, and as the flames rose, they rippled and spread like clear seawater, looking extraordinarily beautiful.
Most importantly, it truly resembled the heart of the sea, a power that could command the ocean's might.
With the Sea Heart Flame, Xiao Yao's strength had grown considerably. After all, the Fallen Heart Flame's main abilities lay in assisting cultivation and catching opponents off guard. Its power in a head-on fight might not even match some of the Heavenly Flames ranked seventeenth or eighteenth.
Most importantly, with two Heavenly Flames, Xiao Yao could begin practicing the ultimate show-off weapon of that ruthless fellow who shared his surname: the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus.
But all that was for later. What Xiao Yao needed to do now was complete the enrollment procedures with Xiao Wu and find a new place to stay.
Heaven Dou Royal Academy stood more than twenty li outside Heaven Dou City.
There were two reasons for locating it here. First, they feared the capital's extravagance would affect the students' cultivation. Second, Heaven Dou City could not provide a site large enough to build the academy. After all, facilities like Mimicry Cultivation Environments occupied a great deal of space.
Xiao Yao only remembered all this afterward, making him question why he had chosen to enter the city in the first place.
Heaven Dou Royal Academy was lavishly decorated. Unlike Notting Junior Academy, which employed ordinary people as gatekeepers, the guards here were actually well-trained members of the Heaven Dou Imperial Guard.
Moreover, unlike the Heaven Dou Imperial Guards at the city gates, they actually gave off faint fluctuations of Soul Power.
Although they were not strong, they were at least Soul Masters.
This made Xiao Yao click his tongue in wonder. Heaven Dou Royal Academy might be rotten cotton within, but even calling its exterior gold and jade did it an injustice.
After he handed one of the guards the gold token representing the crown prince and explained why he had come,
the guard was very surprised. He told another guard to look after them properly, then went inside to find someone of higher standing to receive them.
Xiao Yao remained fairly composed, picking up his teacup and drinking, but Xiao Wu could not sit still.
She had spent the past year or so in a backwater like Nuoding City. When had she ever seen such magnificent, imposing buildings? She looked this way and that, just like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden for the first time.
"Where did these country bumpkins come from? Heaven Dou Royal Academy doesn't allow outsiders to visit. Get lost."
A dozen or so young Soul Masters, around thirteen or fourteen years old, passed by. Seeing Xiao Wu behaving like this, they sneered and tried to drive her away.
Judging by the direction they had come from and their pale-yellow uniforms, they were all students of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Xiao Wu said indignantly, "Who are the country bumpkins talking about?"
"The country bumpkins are talking about you, of course."
"Exactly. You bunch of country bumpkins are talking about me." Xiao Wu immediately beamed.
Only then did the Soul Master students realize they had been tricked. They rolled up their sleeves and revealed their Martial Souls, ready to settle the score with Xiao Wu.
However, most of them only had one ring, with just a scant few possessing two. Although their rings were all Hundred-Year Soul Rings, Xiao Wu had no fear of these wine sacks and rice bags if it really came to a fight.
Xiao Wu was even itching to give these people a lesson.
Xiao Yao continued sipping his tea, calm and unruffled. Aside from his confidence in Xiao Wu's strength, the bigger reason was that he knew this fight would not happen.
Sure enough, the Heaven Dou Imperial Guard beside them walked over and said something to the young Soul Masters.
They sheepishly withdrew their Martial Souls, turned, and left.
Before leaving, they even threw out a threat. "You'd better remember this. This isn't over."
Xiao Wu looked thoroughly disappointed. "Why did they all leave? I wanted to stretch my muscles."
Xiao Wu was combative by nature and especially liked fights where she had the advantage.
Unfortunately, since taking human form, she had only had a few opportunities to fight outside the "New Soul" tournament.
When facing the Wild Vajra Ape, she had been unable to use her full strength because she had to put on an act, leaving her no choice but to take a beating.
In her several sparring matches with Xiao Yao, she had been beaten until she pissed and shit herself-yes, in every sense.
Now that she finally had a rare opportunity to openly trample someone else, her opponents had taken the initiative to flee. How could Xiao Wu not feel frustrated?
Seeing Xiao Wu's mood, Xiao Yao patted her head.
"It's fine. If they don't come looking for trouble with you, you can go looking for trouble with them. We'll be attending the same academy from now on. The monk can run, but the temple can't."
"That's right." Only then did Xiao Wu perk up. Her fingers gestured as though she was already planning how to deal with them later.
"Students, I'm Qin Ming, a Heavenly Supreme Level teacher at Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
As they chatted and laughed, a young man with ordinary looks but exceptionally bright eyes walked up behind them and greeted them.
Qin Ming? So it was him?
Xiao Yao's eyes lit up.
There were not many people he admired at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. He had come here only for its superior cultivation environment and his connection with Qian Renxue.
But Qin Ming counted as someone he had a favorable impression of.
Reaching level sixty-four as a Battle Soul Emperor in his thirties already made him a fine young talent, provided one excluded that bunch of cheat users in the protagonist's group.
Of course, what Xiao Yao admired most was his character. For his alma mater's sake, he had not hesitated to fall out with Heaven Du Royal Academy despite its generous conditions. Even when he later crossed swords with the powerful Spirit Hall, he still stood beside his alma mater.
Such character seemed especially precious beside the sinister, scheming protagonist's group.
Xiao Yao said politely, "Hello, Teacher Qin Ming. His Highness the Crown Prince referred us here. We hope to join Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
Qin Ming nodded. His attitude was neither particularly friendly nor cold; he was merely going through the formalities.
"Since His Highness the Crown Prince referred you, we will naturally accept you. However, we need to conduct a few tests to determine the level of benefits you will receive."