The Crown Prince's Probe, the Yin-Yang Iron-Eating Beast

Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Reception Hall.

Xue Qinghe sat in the main seat.

There was no royal banquet.

There were no rows of servants either.

On the table were only tea, a few records of the conversation, and four gold invitations that had not yet been returned.

Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan sat on the left.

Dong Jian and Li Man sat on the right.

Qin Ming stood to the side.

Xue Qinghe picked up his teacup.

"We've invited you all here today, not for a formal audience."

"I just want to hear what the young Soul Master participating in the exchange think about the various academies."

His tone was gentle.

It did not cause any noticeable pressure.

Yu Tianheng spoke first.

"Skywater Academy has the most mature cooperation."

"Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu hardly need any commands."

"Godwind Academy has the strongest individual mobility."

"Blazing Fire Academy's burst damage and area control are the most direct advantages."

Xue Qinghe nodded.

"What is the biggest advantage of the Imperial Fighting Team?"

Yu Tianheng did not answer immediately.

In the past, he might have said it was the attack of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.

Or Ye Lingling's Nine Heart Begonia.

But now he glanced at the people around him.

"More options available."

"The original Imperial Fighting Team only had one mature system."

"Although the coordination is still not stable at the moment."

"But the lineup can be changed to suit different opponents."

Xue Qinghe smiled.

"Very good."

His gaze shifted to Dugu Yan.

What does Miss Dugu think of the two newly joined team members?

Dugu Yan leaned back in her chair.

"It's troublesome."

"Someone who likes to stomp on the ground."

"Someone who likes to stick bamboo sticks into the ground."

"And yet, their Soul Skill can be linked together."

She wasn't being polite.

Xue Qinghe, however, discerned another meaning.

"Trouble isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"A person who can make teammates rethink existing tactics is usually more valuable than someone who completely conforms to the existing system."

Dugu Yan did not refute.

Xue Qinghe then looked at Li Man.

Shui Bing'er said, "You're not controlling the enemy."

"It's a choice that the enemy can make."

Do you agree?

Li Man replied:

I only agree with half of it.

"If the difference in strength is too great."

"The opponent can directly destroy all options."

"Control is not just about judgment."

"It also requires sufficient support."

Xue Qinghe put down his teacup.

"So that's why you chose the Coiled Dragon Golden Bamboo as your Second Soul Ring?"

"Yes."

"Ordinary plants have more stable control capabilities."

"The Dragon Bamboo Piercing Formation consumes a large amount of Soul Power."

Xue Qinghe asked:

"Aren't you worried about deviating from the Control System's path?"

"The route isn't about where the Soul Master stands."

Li Man said:

"What problem did the Soul Skill ultimately solve for the battle?"

"If the enemy destroys all the key points of the formation."

"I need at least one way to reopen the route."

Xue Qinghe's gaze lingered for a moment.

"Very clear."

He finished speaking.

Finally, he looked at Dong Jian.

The documents are at the very top of the desktop.

He then drew the image of Panda Martial Soul.

Black and white fur.

Round ears.

Its body shape appears bulky.

Its combat style, though recorded, is completely different from that of ordinary bear-type Martial Soul.

"Panda."

Xue Qinghe read the name aloud.

"Did you choose this name yourself?"

That's what we always call it at home.

Dong Jian answered.

"Is it a family-inherited Martial Soul?"

"No."

There are no other Soul Master in the family.

Have you ever seen a similar Martial Soul before?

"No."

Dong Jian's answer was very short.

No further information was provided.

Xue Qinghe did not show any displeasure.

"The Spirit Hall has preserved a large amount of lost information about Martial Soul."

"One of them is a Martial Soul."

"Its appearance is very similar to your panda."

Dong Jian remained expressionless.

Deep within consciousness.

The sealed black Key Fragment vibrated slightly.

It's not a recurrence of pollution.

It was more like a very faint response.

Li Man placed the teacup back on the table.

The bottoms of the glasses clinked softly.

at the same time.

Her shoe tip touched the ground.

This was a reminder that the two of them had already formed long ago.

Don't ask any further questions.

Do not expose anomalies due to Key Fragment reactions.

Xue Qinghe seemed oblivious.

He continued:

"In that record."

"It's not called a panda."

"It is called the Yin-Yang Iron-Eating Beast."

"Yin and yang?"

Dong Jian asked.

I only asked two words.

It doesn't appear completely uninterested.

They also don't proactively reveal that they know more.

Xue Qinghe nodded.

"Black and White Dual Forces."

"It can be applied lightly or heavily."

"Able to sense the earth's veins and suppress abnormal Soul Power."

The record is incomplete.

It only mentions that this Martial Soul once helped maintain certain ancient seals.

"Last appearance."

"That was decades ago."

Dong Jian looked at the documents on the table.

What happened to the people in the file afterward?

Xue Qinghe smiled slightly.

"Disappeared."

The specific reason is unknown.

"The sources of the archives are also incomplete."

Therefore, I cannot be certain whether the record is genuine or not.

He spoke quite frankly.

It's like sharing a trivial anecdote about a Martial Soul.

But the direction of the question was too precise.

Black and white.

Light and heavy.

Earth's veins.

seal.

The simultaneous occurrence of any two of them could simply be a coincidence.

All four appeared together.

It was no longer like ordinary old news.

Dong Jian did not press the matter further.

"My Martial Soul currently lacks Yin-Yang abilities."

"Only weight changes and ground vibrations."

"Perhaps it's just a similar appearance."

"Perhaps."

Xue Qinghe did not force him.

"Martial Soul inherently possess the potential for mutation."

Similar appearance does not necessarily mean the same origin.

He turned to Li Man.

"Golden dragon patterns have appeared on your Green Jade Bamboo."

"It seems to resonate with his Martial Soul."

"This only appeared after the Second Soul Ring?"

"The Second Soul Ring has strengthened the dragon pattern."

Li Man replied:

"Earlier resonance."

"Initially, it was just a combination of Soul Power."

"It was only through training that the Dragon Bamboo Tremor Formation was formed."

"Has there ever been a fusion that was completely out of control?"

The reception hall fell silent briefly.

This question can still be interpreted as a normal inquiry about Martial Soul Fusion.

But this also coincides with the seventeenth failure of both of them.

Li Man said:

"I've tried a complete fusion."

"All failed."

"Our Soul Power flows in different directions."

His Soul Power is concentrating downwards.

"My Soul Power is being channeled outwards."

Xue Qinghe nodded.

"There is no common cycle."

"It is indeed very difficult to achieve true Martial Soul Fusion."

Qin Ming's eyes flickered slightly.

Xue Qinghe is not a teacher at the Soul Master Academy.

However, they were able to immediately point out the core problem that led to the failure of the integration.

However, given his status as the Heaven Dou Crown Prince...

It's not surprising that they've had access to information about high-level Soul Master.

Xue Qinghe did not inquire further about Martial Soul.

Instead, they steered the conversation back to dialogue.

"The palace exhibition will not determine the college rankings."

"You don't need to do anything either."

"It's just to let the royal family and a few members of the education committee see how far a young Soul Master has come."

He looked at Dong Jian and Li Man.

"You can demonstrate new skills."

"Alternatively, you can use only the abilities already registered with the college."

No one will force you to reveal your hand.

This statement seemed to be specifically addressed to the two of them.

Dong Jian said:

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"The Crown Prince's residence will provide some resources for young Soul Master."

Xue Qinghe continued:

"But resources do not come with any stance requirements."

"At least until you officially graduate."

Dugu Yan chuckled.

"Your Highness is too direct."

"Make it clear in advance."

Xue Qinghe said:

"It's better than causing misunderstandings later."

The talks lasted less than half an hour.

Xue Qinghe did not recruit anyone.

No additional requests were made.

There were no so-called royal missions assigned.

They only inquired about Martial Soul, communication, and changes in the battle team.

After leaving the reception hall.

Dugu Yan walked at the very front.

Are you relieved now?

She looked at Dong Jian.

The Crown Prince didn't ask you to find any ancient seals for him.

Dong Jian said:

"He already knows a lot."

"Old Archives of the Spirit Hall."

Yu Tianheng said:

"It's not surprising that the royal family has access to some information about Martial Soul."

"His Highness also clearly stated that the records may be incomplete."

"Precisely because every sentence is reasonable."

Li Man said:

"That makes it even harder to determine what he really wants to confirm."

Dugu Yan stopped in her tracks.

"You think there's something wrong with the Crown Prince?"

"There's no problem."

Dong Jian replied:

"It's wrong to reveal everything just because he was mild-mannered."

Yu Tianheng frowned slightly.

"The Crown Prince's proactive attention to young Soul Master is an opportunity."

"The Heaven Dou Royal Academy is inherently connected to the royal family."

"Completely avoiding the royal family is unrealistic."

"You can contact me."

Li Man said:

"Normal resources are also acceptable."

"But the Martial Soul Core, the combined trump cards, and personal secrets."

"There's no need to disclose everything."

Yu Tianheng remained silent for a moment.

"I didn't say I wanted to make everything public."

Then there's no conflict.

Dong Jian said.

Dugu Yan glanced at the three of them.

"Any conflicts can wait until after the demonstration."

There's training tomorrow.

"I don't want to lose again because someone doesn't listen to me."

Qin Ming walked last.

They did not participate in the debate.

Until the group returned to the training area.

He had just spoken when:

"Royal attention is not a bad thing."

"Being vigilant isn't a bad thing."

"But don't let speculation affect your current training."

"You haven't even finished the exchange of the five elements yet."

"They have no right to waste their energy on the old files of the royal family and the Spirit Hall."

Dong Jian nodded.

Dragon Spine Valley has been temporarily sealed off.

The old files on the Yin-Yang Iron-Eating Beast wouldn't immediately change his training.

What really needs to be addressed now is...

It was still a right-leg counter-attack.

Assessment from the air.

And their cooperation with the Imperial Fighting Team.

night.

Inside the dormitory.

Dong Jian sank into consciousness.

A black Key Fragment floats at the edge of the Divine Dragon Secret Realm.

Only a thin layer of pollution remained.

"External association title detected."

A cold, impersonal notification appeared.

"Yin-Yang Iron-Eating Beast."

"It shares a 37% structural overlap with the Number Zero Martial Soul."

Dong Jian looked at this line of text.

"It's just that the structures overlap?"

"Yes."

"Could not confirm homology."

Did the old files come from Dragon Spine Valley?

"Insufficient information."

The Key Fragment fell silent again.

There are no new entry points.

No new tasks.

He was not forced to investigate the Crown Prince's residence or the Spirit Hall.

Dong Jian exited the secret realm.

The soft rustling of bamboo leaves came from outside the window.

Li Man stood downstairs at the dormitory building.

He held the training schedule for tomorrow in his hand.

"Is the Key Fragment responding?"

She asked directly.

Dong Jian walked downstairs.

"Have."

"Only partial structural overlap between the Yin-Yang Iron-Eating Beast and the Panda Martial Soul has been confirmed."

No further information.

Li Man nodded.

"Then let's not investigate for now."

"That's what I think too."

Feng Xiaotian will be coming to the training area tomorrow.

Li Man handed him the arrangements.

"Yu Feng has also signed up."

Dong Jian glanced at it.

Air-to-ground trajectory training.

Three people.

"He doesn't agree?"

"It's obvious."

Li Man said:

"Huo Wu also asked me out."

"Do what?"

"Burning bamboo."

Dong Jian looked up.

"Didn't you already fight?"

"We won't fight this time."

Li Man replied:

She wanted to test which type of array core was the hardest to burn.

Dong Jian paused for a moment.

"The way you two get along is also very strange."

"At least it's simpler than the three of you chasing each other around in the sky."

Under the cover of night.

The two walked slowly along the training field.

The invitation from the palace is still in the room.

The questions raised by the old archives have not disappeared.

But none of these are the most important things for tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the most important.

How to keep a bamboo stalk in the fire for just one more breath.

And how to do it before Feng Xiaotian truly changes direction.

First, find out his next step.