Silence like a dead crow.
Meng Shenji's throat bobbed as he turned in disbelief to look at Dugu Bo. Just what kind of monster had this old venomous thing recommended?
To remain completely unmoved under the full oppressive pressure of a rank eighty-six expert…
And even be able to calmly drink tea.
Even a Soul Sage couldn't stay that composed, right?
"I forgot to mention," Dugu Bo picked up the thread, smiling with narrowed eyes. "Yan'er wasn't entirely wrong. I am recommending someone to become a worship elder of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy—but that someone is him."
"…"
"Worship elder?!!"
Bai Baoshan was stunned.
The three elders looked at each other, all shocked by Dugu Bo's words.
A youth about the same age as Yu Tianheng, coming to serve as a worship elder of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy?
If not for the test just now, Meng Shenji probably would have flipped the table on the spot.
"If this little friend possesses Soul Emperor-level strength, then on behalf of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, I will make an exception and honor you as a worship elder!" After a short whispered discussion among the three, Meng Shenji spoke with a sincere expression.
It was the teaching committee that truly had the final say here. Though His Majesty bore the title of dean, he did not interfere in internal academy affairs.
It was true that worship elders usually started at the Soul Douluo level.
But this youth's talent was simply too terrifying. You had to know, the academy's youngest Soul Emperor, Teacher Qin Ming, had passed thirty before reaching rank sixty. If this youth truly had Soul Emperor-level strength, then in the future, let alone rank ninety, he might even go further beyond!
In a hundred years, neither Heaven Dou Empire nor even Spirit Hall had seen such a monstrous genius!
"I am a Soul Emperor."
Su Wen smiled.
"That's good! Might I trouble little friend to display your spirit rings and let us take a look so we can proceed with the follow-up procedures." Meng Shenji was more anxious than anyone, afraid that if he were too slow, this peerless genius would slip through their fingers.
"Spirit rings?" Su Wen froze.
What a foreign word.
"I don't have spirit rings…"
He shook his head.
Meng Shenji: "…"
Everyone: "…"
A sensation of sheer absurdity washed over everyone present.
No spirit rings?
On this continent, spirit masters and spirit rings were the necessary path to advancement. A spirit master without spirit rings? How could that possibly make sense?!!
"Little friend, you must be joking. How could a spirit master… have no spirit rings?" Meng Shenji's mouth twitched hard.
"Without spirit rings, where did your Soul Emperor cultivation come from?" Bai Baoshan looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze.
No matter how monstrously Su Wen had behaved before…
It could all be explained with other excuses—for example, maybe he carried some kind of inherited treasure that could resist another spirit master's oppressive aura?
Was he simply a scammer?
"There are a thousand ways to prove one's strength; why get hung up on spirit rings?" Su Wen shook his head with a smile. "Besides, in my eyes, Soul Emperor cultivation is actually the least impressive thing about me…"
How arrogant!
The seven members of the Heaven Dou Royal Battle Team all cast sidelong glances at him.
Osler muttered quietly, "What a waste of a good face, to use it for swindling people. A spirit master with no spirit rings, seriously…"
"The scammers these days are really high-end—he even managed to fool your grandpa." Yu Feng sighed.
Dugu Yan frowned, but didn't agree.
Given her grandpa's temperament, there was no way he'd be tricked so easily.
Could it be that…
Su Wen shook his head.
He called out softly, "Little Gold."
While everyone was still confused, Dugu Bo's pupils suddenly shrank. Green mist surged from his body, wrapping protectively around Dugu Yan as he stared up at the sky in full alert.
"Rumble~"
Accompanied by a violent tremor.
Under countless shocked gazes, the entire teaching committee building was lifted up—the roof along with the surrounding walls, with clumps of soil and broken foundation hanging beneath, as if someone had picked up an upside-down bowl.
What followed was an enormous, ghostly blue pupil, calmly gazing down at the people inside.
A colossal body nearly fifty meters tall held this single-story building in its hand as if it were a block of tofu. A terrifying pressure swept out.
Each breath from its nostrils blasted out airwaves.
In its eyes was a trace of disdain, overlooking them as if they were ants.
Even Dugu Bo, in its gaze, was no more than a slightly larger ant. After reaching rank sixty-three, it was enough to match a 170,000–180,000-year soul beast. At full power, it could even fight a Super Douluo. A mere rank ninety-one ordinary Titled Douluo was nothing in comparison.
"Th-This, this is…"
Meng Shenji's voice trembled.
"How about we skip the spirit ring test and instead set the assessment as a battle between me and Elder Bai? If you can last three moves against me, I'll admit defeat and leave. How about that?" Su Wen put down the tea in his hand, leaned back, and smiled at the distant Bai Baoshan, whose forehead was dripping with sweat.
The scene was downright bizarre.
Meng Shenji swallowed hard, finally understanding what it meant to be a frog at the bottom of a well.
Just this one giant beast alone would probably be enough to sweep the entire Heaven Dou Imperial Academy off the map!
Where on earth had this youth come from?!!
"Silence means consent, right?"
Su Wen said quietly.
Meng Shenji's pupils contracted sharply.
Just as he was about to speak up to stop it, he saw the enormous beast above grin ferociously. Its right hand clenched into a fist, carrying a force of ten thousand tons that made the surrounding air wail in protest, then came crashing down toward Bai Baoshan.
Air waves surged out to the sides like a collapsing mountain, the surrounding air nearing a vacuum.
Under that massive fist.
Everyone seemed as tiny as ants.
Dugu Bo was visibly shaken, hastily shielding his beloved granddaughter and moving her far away, while the others were crushed by the pressure, unable to even breathe properly. Forget escaping—moving even half a step was difficult. This scene would be seared into their memories for life.
"We admit defeat!!!" Meng Shenji shouted at Su Wen, his voice strained under the pressure.
"Admit defeat?"
Su Wen raised a brow, letting out a rather bored sigh as he waved his hand. "Did you hear that? They admitted defeat."
"Roar!"
Little Gold's fist halted abruptly, stopping not far above Bai Baoshan and the others' heads. That terrifying force had actually been forced to a dead stop midair.
The ferocious beast that was so terrifying in their eyes scratched its head with a goofy expression.
"Huff… huff…"
Bai Baoshan's back was already drenched in cold sweat. Having narrowly escaped death, he looked up at the giant beast hovering above.
That punch would definitely have taken lives.
"Elder Meng." Su Wen was still seated where he had been, smiling at him.
"Ah, I'm here." The old man's face was pale as he hurried to respond.
"Do you still need me to prove anything?"
"No, no need at all. You are precisely the worship elder our Heaven Dou Imperial Academy needs most!!!" Meng Shenji's expression grew more and more excited.
They weren't enemies!
This youth was planning to join their academy!
Of course, there was still a faint hint of fear mingled in.
After all, from the power this youth had revealed, he was likely already above the Titled Douluo level. Compared to this giant beast, just as the youth himself had said, his Soul Emperor cultivation was perhaps the least impressive thing about him…
"Congratulate me on joining the academy." Su Wen said with a smile, extending his hand.
"Er… congratulations, congratulations on joining the academy, little friend!" Meng Shenji froze for a moment, the corner of his mouth twitching. What a strange temperament. Still, he hastily nodded and replied.