The two of them appeared extremely close and respectful toward each other. From an outsider's perspective, their relationship seemed unbelievably harmonious. In reality, however, both harbored their own hidden motives.
Xue Qinghe smiled gently, his tone laced with brotherly concern. "Lin Yang, you possess extraordinary talent. In the upcoming Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament, you will represent our Heaven Dou Empire. As the crown prince of the empire, it is only right that I support you."
He paused briefly, as if deep in thought, before continuing a few seconds later. "In that case, I shall exempt your hometown, Red Maple Village, from taxes for five years. At the same time, I will order Lord Nuoding to prioritize support for the development of Red Maple Village. Your academy, Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy, will also receive a certain amount of rewards."
Lin Yang stood up and bowed slightly. "On behalf of the villagers of Red Maple Village and the teachers of the academy, I thank Your Highness."
"These are all as they should be," Xue Qinghe said, waving his hand lightly. "However, if you can lead Heaven Dou to victory in the tournament, Father will surely not be stingy with rewards. So don't think of me as miserly."
"Your Highness is too kind."
"Yes, that will be all for today." Xue Qinghe stood up and straightened his clothes. "Education Committee Member Yandi, today's conversation has been very enjoyable. Let us talk again when we have time."
"Your Highness, please take care!"
The four of them escorted Xue Qinghe out of the building. Xue Qinghe boarded the carriage, raised the curtain, and gave the group a light nod as a final farewell. The wheels then began to turn, and the carriage slowly drove away.
Lin Yang stood there, watching the carriage depart. The smile on his face gradually faded. He then turned around and bowed slightly to the three members of the Education Committee.
"Thank you very much, esteemed Education Committee members!"
The three committee members exchanged glances. Finally, Meng Shenji spoke up. "Don't overthink it. As long as we are in the academy, the three of us old-timers still have some influence."
Lin Yang nodded lightly.
He had initially thought that Xue Qinghe would definitely ask about the medicine during this visit, but Xue Qinghe had not mentioned it at all. Could there be other plans? No matter what happens, I'll deal with it.
Meanwhile, inside the moving carriage...
Xue Qinghe—no, she should be called Qian Renxue—gradually lost her usual gentle smile, replaced by a deep and unfathomable expression.
In front of her lay a mountain of documents related to Lin Yang. She casually flipped through the pages and couldn't help but frown.
She had only noticed Lin Yang because of those two types of medicine. The appearance of the Soul Return Pill and the Soul Incineration Pill was undoubtedly a groundbreaking event in the history of the Douluo Continent, harboring immeasurable potential.
Therefore, any talent capable of developing such medicines must be placed under the control of the Spirit Hall.
At first, she thought the Ye family had developed the new medicine. Later, it turned out that the Ye family was merely an intermediary. Following the clues, they had tracked down Lin Yang.
Further investigation revealed that Lin Yang was not only a student at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy but was also connected to a Titled Douluo. The Heaven Dou Imperial Academy kept extremely tight control over information regarding Lin Yang.
To obtain Lin Yang's related records, she had specially dispatched people from the Spirit Hall, but all they found was a record of his martial soul awakening when he was six years old. There had been no updates afterward, and he had not even received any soul master subsidies.
If she did not currently hold the title of Heaven Dou Crown Prince, she would probably be in the same situation as the person sitting in the Papal Palace. They likely knew nothing about this genius, Lin Yang.
With no other options, she had to use the authority of the Heaven Dou Crown Prince to investigate Lin Yang's information. Even then, she could only access details from after he entered the academy. No one knew where he had gone after leaving Nuoding City or how he had honed his skills and mastered medical techniques.
He was shrouded in mist, and his true nature was elusive.
The reason she had come here today was to see this mysterious Lin Yang for herself and, incidentally, to inquire about those miraculous pills and assess whether there was a chance to persuade him.
However, the other party, though young, was clearly far more cunning than she had imagined. With the protection of those three old men, any gains she made were essentially negligible.
Knock, knock!
Qian Renxue rhythmically tapped the tea table with her slender fingers, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Lin Yang… Brother Yang, just who exactly are you?"
"Young Master."
A figure appeared quietly inside the carriage with a respectful attitude.
"Should we bring him here?"
Who could have imagined that the person who had treated the young man with such respect was actually a Titled Douluo?
She Long, an elder of the Spirit Hall, was known by the title Snake Spear Douluo.
This Snake Spear Douluo did not care who Lin Yang was or what his background might be. He only needed to follow the Young Master's will.
Qian Renxue showed no surprise at She Long's appearance. She looked up again and spoke in a low voice.
"There's no need to rush. I want to observe a little longer. Using brutal methods against a genius who has the potential to become a master of magical potions would only push him away."
Upon hearing this, a flash of surprise appeared in She Long's eyes. He had not expected the Young Master to hold Lin Yang in such high regard.
As if sensing She Long's confusion, Qian Renxue smiled and waved the documents in her hand.
"Do you know how much innate soul power he possesses?"
She Long answered without hesitation. "For the Young Master to value him so highly, it must be due to an exceptionally rich innate soul power."
"No," Qian Renxue said with a smile. "His innate soul power is only at level 5."
Level 5?
She Long was stunned. A soul master with such talent was not rare in the Spirit Hall—far from it. Why would the Young Master value him so much?
Could he be a gigolo? After all, once the Young Master arrived...
Noticing the strange expression in She Long's eyes, Qian Renxue continued with great interest, unperturbed.
"He is not even nine years old yet. What level do you think his current soul power is at?"
She Long hesitated for a moment. "With innate soul power at the fifth level, an ordinary soul master at nine years old wouldn't even have reached the first level. However, since he is highly valued by the Young Master and was able to enter the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, he must be at least level 20. That is indeed genius-level."
Qian Renxue shook her head. "He is currently at level 35."
"Impossible!" She Long blurted out.
Innate soul power at level 5 was considered average even among average talents. With diligent cultivation and some luck, one might steadily reach the Soul King realm in this lifetime. With even better luck, perhaps the Soul Emperor realm—that would be the limit.
From the perspective of true powerhouses, what was the difference between a Soul King and a Soul Emperor?
But a level 35 soul master who was not even nine years old... Even young soul masters at that age would rarely reach such a level.
The problem was that the Young Master herself possessed an unprecedented innate soul power of level 20 in the continent's history.
So what exactly made this seemingly useless person—with only innate soul power at level 5—into such a special existence?
"Do you understand now?" A smile appeared on Qian Renxue's face as she said, "His current cultivation level is most likely related to those medicines. Isn't this self-destructive behavior?"