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"Hiss—"
Everyone sucked in a cold breath, especially the three Education Committee members—their eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets!
Originally, they had assumed Xiao Feilian (Chiyu) was just someone pulling strings—brought in through connections with the Crown Prince and His Excellency Zhongli. After all, she was just a lowly maid.
Who wouldn't think that?!
But never in their wildest dreams did they expect… this maid to be so terrifying!
This was unprecedented—no, not just unprecedented, but something they had never even heard of before!
Xue Beng stood at the front of the student formation. As the Fourth Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, even if he lacked strength, he wouldn't be placed in the back.
He glanced at "Snow Qinghe," then at Zhongli and Chiyu, his lips parting slightly as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
Xue Beng knew Zhongli was a guest elder of the Crown Prince's residence. Because of this, Prince Xue Xing had repeatedly told him to bring gifts and visit the Zhongli residence.
It wasn't that he hadn't gone—it was just that every time he went, Zhongli happened to be out…
Especially the day after the auction—Xue Beng had waited at the Zhongli residence for half a day!
"This maid… this maid…"
Chiyu's beauty was, without exaggeration, the most stunning Xue Beng had ever seen.
And this "strength" of hers… was downright horrifying.
A four-ringed Soul Ancestor, starting with a purple soul ring?!
A maid like this… if she could become a princess consort…
At this thought, Xue Beng glanced at Zhongli again and immediately shook his head, tossing the idea aside.
It's fine to act like a spoiled brat, but suicidal thoughts? Absolutely not!
When Chiyu's fourth soul ring appeared, everyone sucked in another cold breath.
Even though they had braced themselves, they were still utterly shocked beyond words.
If her third soul ring was already a black ten-thousand-year ring, how could her fourth possibly revert to purple?!
"Good, good, good…"
Meng Shenji clapped his hands together, repeating the word several times.
"Young lady, for you to come study at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy is an honor for our institution!"
"As for the 'Tiandou-level student' classification—forget about it!"
"???"
Hearing this, everyone looked at Meng Shenji in confusion.
A Tiandou-level student only needed to reach level 30 or above to qualify.
Chiyu was already level 48—higher than many Tianwei-level teachers!
How could she possibly not qualify as a Tiandou-level student?!
Just as everyone was puzzling over this, Meng Shenji straightened his expression and declared passionately:
"I will personally take you as my disciple! Aren't you about to break through to Soul King?"
"When the time comes, I will personally lead the team to hunt a soul beast for you!"
"And—I will petition His Majesty for a ten-thousand-year soul bone, one perfectly suited to you!"
Meng Shenji's face was practically fanatical.
At his age, material desires meant little. What truly mattered was legacy!
This young girl was an Agility-type. Though he wasn't an Agility-type, he was still an 86th-ranked Soul Douluo!
To him, Chiyu was the perfect successor. Of course, any strong master would think the same.
Did her type even matter?
Just being able to call her his disciple would bring him boundless glory!
Everyone: "!!!"
Damn. This old man's schemes are right in their faces!
"Chief, you're a Control-type Soul Douluo. You're hardly suited to be this girl's teacher. I, Bai Baoshan, should be the one!"
A portly elder beside him spoke up solemnly.
If not for the decades of camaraderie between the three, they might have already come to blows!
"Agility-type soul masters are easily countered by Control-types, especially Plant Control-types."
"Having me teach young Chiyu would be the most fitting choice!"
"That way, she'll know how to handle Plant-type soul masters in the future."
Zhi Lin stroked his beard, side-eyeing the two old geezers.
He knew exactly what they were scheming.
Though he was the lowest-ranked of the three, in a real fight, who would win was anyone's guess!
The students were dumbfounded. Though the three committee members were usually kind and approachable, becoming their personal disciples was nearly impossible!
Given their high status, taking on a noble's child as a disciple would inevitably involve political alignment.
If the disciple ran into trouble, would the master help?
Of course they would—and with everything they had!
Otherwise, they'd be labeled as lacking in virtue!
At their age, what they cared about most was reputation. Dying with such a stain on their name? Unthinkable!
Chiyu had already retracted her martial soul, looking slightly bewildered.
She could roughly sense the emotions of these three old men—their burning desire to take her as a disciple was genuine, not some hollow flattery.
It left her at a loss.
Aside from Zhongli and Paimon, she had never been valued like this before.
And all of it… was because of Zhongli.
"Baoshan, Zhi Lin—you two are no match for me. Besides, I may be a Control-type Soul Douluo, but my mental control is peerless…"
Meng Shenji puffed out his chest, brimming with pride.
Why was he the chief?
Not just because his soul power surpassed Bai Baoshan and Zhi Lin's, but because he was the strongest!
Though Emperor Xue Ye was the nominal head of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Meng Shenji was the real authority—the de facto dean!
Bai Baoshan and Zhi Lin? At best, they were vice-deans.
Bai Baoshan and Zhi Lin exchanged a glance and nodded.
For a talent like Chiyu… fighting the chief might just be worth it!
What if they won?
"I challenge you!" x2
The two spoke in unison.
Everyone: "..."
Were they seriously about to fight over this?!
These three old men, combined age over 200, were really going to brawl over a disciple?!
The spectators could understand—especially the Tiandou-level teachers. If they weren't so "weak," they'd have jumped in too!
"Zhongli, Zhongli—are these three grandpas about to fight?"
Paimon cautiously floated over to Zhongli, whispering nervously.
She was trembling slightly. They had just arrived at the academy—everything was fine a moment ago, but now these elders were ready to throw down just because Chiyu showed her soul rings?!
She couldn't make sense of it at all!
"Hmm~"
Zhongli stroked his chin, observing the three before speaking.
"Generally speaking, these three elders wish to take Chiyu as their disciple. The strongest among them would naturally have an advantage."
"None of them are Agility-type soul masters, so since there's a mismatch in specialties, any of them could theoretically qualify."
Hearing this, Paimon nodded reflexively.
She might not have fully grasped the meaning, but she got the gist.
"Then… then which one will little Chiyu choose…?"
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 120 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 20 power stones I will publish the next chapter.