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Upon reaching the second floor, Ye Lan saw a ten-meter-high, heavy red wooden door.
He knocked a few times, then pushed it open and walked inside.
As soon as he entered, he saw three elderly men, each holding a bun and munching away as they chatted.
The white-haired elder in the center had a thin build, but his face glowed with vitality. His eyes were bright and spirited, and though his hair and beard were completely white, he exuded a warm and approachable aura.
To the left sat a chubby elder whose height and waist both seemed to be about four feet wide. His mere presence emitted an oppressive pressure.
The elder on the right looked more ordinary—an average build with only slightly graying hair.
As Ye Lan entered, the thin elder in the middle greeted him with a smile. "Well, speak of the devil."
"Hahaha, young people are so full of energy. Unlike us—we struggle just to get up in the morning!" the plump elder added.
Ye Lan noticed that the three elders seemed to know him. Curious, he asked, "This junior, Ye Lan, has come to report to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. Do you seniors already know me?"
The thin elder in the middle replied, "Of course. You were recommended by Qinghe, and he specifically asked us to look after you. How could we ignore his request?"
"We just didn't expect you to handle yesterday's trouble all on your own."
"A talent recruited by Qinghe, named Ye Lan, with a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul... You must be the renowned 'Scholar' Ye Lan."
Only then did it dawn on Ye Lan—as expected, no one who becomes a Soul Douluo is a fool.
From just a few pieces of information, they had deduced his identity as the "Scholar."
From their words, Ye Lan also gathered that these three elders of the Academy's Teaching Committee were aligned with Xue Qinghe's faction.
Hearing the elder's words, Ye Lan humbly replied, "It's merely fleeting fame. Compared to the talents you seniors have nurtured, my contributions are but a drop in the ocean."
"Hahaha, little friend Ye Lan, there's no need to be so modest. If your 'Scholar' identity got out, our academy would become a tourist attraction for the entire Heaven Dou City! You were wise to have Qinghe help you hide it," the thin elder chuckled.
"Oh, right. In all this talk, I forgot to introduce my two colleagues," he added.
He then pointed at the burly elder. "This is the second seat of the Academy Teaching Committee, Soul Douluo Bai Baoshan. His Martial Soul is the Heavenly Star Furnace; he is an 85th-level defense-type Soul Douluo."
"Greetings, Senior Bai Baoshan," Ye Lan said with a polite nod.
Bai Baoshan nodded back with a cheerful smile.
The thin elder then pointed to the other man. "This is the third seat of the committee, Soul Douluo Zhi Lin. His Martial Soul is the Azure Vine; he is an 83rd-level control-type Soul Douluo."
"His Martial Soul is also plant-based. I think you two will have a lot to discuss," the thin elder added.
"Greetings, Senior Zhi Lin."
Zhi Lin nodded in return.
"And finally, me. I'm the head of the Teaching Committee, Meng Shenji. My Martial Soul is the Black Phantom. I'm an 86th-level control-type Soul Douluo. If you don't mind, just call me Elder Meng."
"Greetings, Elder Meng."
Ye Lan didn't mind showing respect to the three Soul Douluo bodyguards Xue Qinghe had arranged for him.
Silver Wolf hadn't entered the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy; instead, he was cultivating in the nearby mountains.
After all, this was the Heaven Dou Empire's royal territory. As a Holy Emperor Warrior of Spirit Hall, it would be too brazen for Silver Wolf to linger openly on imperial grounds.
Such an act would be seen as a provocation. The current relationship between Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire was not as harmonious as it appeared on the surface. Turbulent undercurrents surged beneath the calm.
Meng Shenji spoke again, "Little friend Ye Lan, I've read your 'New Martial Soul Core Theory.' Based on your level of understanding, I imagine you don't need anyone else to guide your cultivation."
"Forgive my asking, but could you tell me why you came to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy?"
Naturally, Ye Lan wouldn't reveal his true purpose. Instead, he said, "Brother Xue asked me to join the academy to prepare for the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament in three years. This year's team from Spirit Hall Academy is exceptionally strong, and Brother Xue has placed his hopes in me."
"I see. The next tournament will indeed feature the famed 'Golden Generation' of Spirit Hall. Based on our current Heaven Dou team's strength, we certainly wouldn't be able to defeat them."
"Qinghe truly has great foresight. With the 'Scholar' joining us, the academy's overall strength should reach a new level," Meng Shenji said with a smile.
Then, his tone shifted.
"However, little friend Ye Lan, the members of the Heaven Dou First Team are all proud individuals. You'll have to put in some effort to join them. Just be careful not to create any bad blood."
Meng Shenji wasn't surprised that Ye Lan could join the team; he had already heard about yesterday's events from Sun Buyu.
No wonder Prince Xue Qinghe was betting everything on Ye Lan.
Three years from now, with Ye Lan's strength as a Soul Elder and his guidance for the team, perhaps the Spirit Hall Academy team would not be so invincible after all.
"I won't. I'll know where to draw the line," Ye Lan replied.
"Oh? It sounds like you're certain of the outcome," Meng Shenji chuckled.
Ye Lan scratched his head.
At that moment, he felt a soul force locking onto him. It wasn't domineering—in fact, it felt rather pleasant.
Tracing the source, Ye Lan realized it was Soul Douluo Zhi Lin targeting him with his soul pressure.
Sensing no hostility, Ye Lan understood this was just another test.
What puzzled him, though, was why Zhi Lin's soul pressure felt so comfortable.
Could it be because his Martial Soul is also plant-based? Ye Lan speculated.
Zhi Lin watched as Ye Lan's expression remained completely unchanged, a hint of confusion appearing on his own face.
He knew Ye Lan had defeated ten opponents at once, some of whom were Soul Elders.
Therefore, he had started by applying soul pressure equivalent to level 39.
To his surprise, Ye Lan remained completely unfazed. Has my strength declined? he wondered.
Unwilling to lose face in front of his old friends, he immediately increased the pressure to the level of a Soul Ancestor—level 40.
As Zhi Lin's soul pressure intensified, the Blue Silver Soul Power within Ye Lan's body grew even more active.
Ye Lan wanted to see what would happen if Zhi Lin increased the pressure further, but he wasn't sure where the threshold for this pleasant sensation was. If he was seriously injured, it would be a huge problem.
So, Ye Lan pretended to grit his teeth, feigning difficulty to guide Zhi Lin into increasing the pressure gradually—while also helping the Soul Douluo save face.
Seeing Ye Lan's strained expression, Zhi Lin breathed a silent sigh of relief.
Now that's more like it!
He continued to slowly increase the pressure, eager to find Ye Lan's limit.
Meng Shenji and Bai Baoshan watched on in amusement. They, too, were curious to see just how high the "Scholar's" Martial Soul limits were.
As Zhi Lin's pressure grew, the sensation for Ye Lan became even more comfortable. The cells in his body seemed to hum with delight.
It turned out this soul pressure was like a full-body massage for him—but every massage has its limits.
(End of Chapter)