Qin Ming saw how excited the three members of the Academic Committee looked and smiled, saying, "Then I'll go ahead and bring them in."
With that, he walked to the door and said to the group outside, "Everyone, come in."
He and Qi Lin entered the room together.
The moment the three committee members inside saw Qi Lin leading the group, they immediately stepped out from behind the desk and walked over to greet him.
The elder in the middle smiled warmly. "You must be Teacher Qi Lin? As expected, such a fine young man—truly a brilliant talent of the younger generation."
Qi Lin looked at the three kindly elders, all seemingly in their seventies or eighties. He straightened up a bit and replied with a relaxed smile, "You flatter me, sir. I just got lucky—just a tiny bit."
He wasn't exactly lying, though the elder mistook it for humility, which only improved their impression of him.
Such talent, yet so modest—it was a rare combination.
The elder chuckled and introduced himself, "Haha, I am Meng Shenji, the head of the Academic Committee. My spirit is the Black Demon, a control-type Spirit Douluo at Rank 86."
He then gestured to the slightly plump elder on his left. "This is Bai Baoshan, the second seat of the committee. His spirit is the Celestial Star Furnace, a defense-type Spirit Douluo at Rank 85."
Bai Baoshan gave a kind smile to Qi Lin, his chubby cheeks making his expression all the more amiable.
The last of the trio was Zhi Lin, the third seat. His spirit was the Sky Blue Vine, a control-type Spirit Douluo at Rank 83.
Zhi Lin also offered Qi Lin a warm smile.
After the introductions, Qi Lin responded with a friendly smile of his own. "Qi Lin, spirit: Four-Leaf Clover. Support-type, Rank 50, Spirit Ancestor with four rings."
"Fifty?!"
Not only Meng Shenji and the other two were shocked—even Qin Ming and the rest of the Heaven Dou Battle Team were stunned.
Wasn't he just Rank 49 back in Suotuo City?
Qi Lin chuckled at their reactions. "I trained a bit and broke through. You'll get used to this sort of thing eventually."
Meng Shenji was the first to regain his composure. He exclaimed, "Teacher Qi Lin, you never cease to amaze."
Bai Baoshan grinned. "Teacher Qi Lin, why not let us accompany you to Sunset Forest in a few days to hunt for your next spirit ring?"
Clearly, they wanted to build rapport with him.
After all, a thirteen-year-old support-type Spirit Ancestor at Rank 50? That kind of talent was unheard of.
Even calling him a future Title Douluo wouldn't do him justice.
As long as nothing tragic happened, he was almost guaranteed to reach Rank 95 or higher—perhaps even Rank 99.
Someone like that would become the cornerstone of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Qi Lin replied with a polite smile, "Thank you for the offer, Vice Chairman, but I have my own way of acquiring spirit rings. No need to trouble you."
"Is that so?" Bai Baoshan looked a bit disappointed, though he quickly recovered and chuckled.
"Haha, since you're now a part of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, there's no such thing as troubling us."
"But if you've made your arrangements, then I was indeed being redundant."
He recalled what Qin Ming had said about one of the Shrek geniuses being a direct heir of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Perhaps they were the ones helping Qi Lin acquire his spirit rings.
Everyone then took their seats, chatting for a while. Most of the conversation revolved around Meng Shenji and the other two expressing their admiration for Qi Lin.
Naturally, they also mentioned Xiao Wu and the others.
Especially Xiao Wu—the three committee members held her in high regard.
As for Ning Rongrong, once she was introduced, they immediately recognized her identity.
They had assumed she was just a regular noble of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, but it turned out she was the little princess of the clan.
Zhu Zhuqing's identity wasn't hidden either. Her Netherworld Civet spirit was too distinctive to be mistaken. The committee members easily deduced who she was.
Still, they held no prejudice against her.
On the contrary, they were secretly hoping Zhu Zhuqing would remain in the Heaven Dou Empire.
---
Heaven Dou Imperial Palace – Crown Prince's Residence
The golden rays of the setting sun filtered through the glass windows, casting a soft glow across the palace floor.
A handsome young man with a scholarly air sat calmly on a sofa, a book open in his hands as he read with great interest.
Just then, a servant entered the hall respectfully and bowed.
"Your Highness, the Academic Committee has an urgent report."
He held out a sealed envelope with both hands.
Xue Qinghe looked up slightly, placed his book aside, and took the envelope. He casually tore it open.
Of course, this Xue Qinghe was none other than Qian Renxue in disguise.
As her eyes scanned the message, her expression suddenly froze. Her entire body stiffened ever so slightly.
"Thirteen years old… Rank 50?!"
Qian Renxue muttered in disbelief, her voice filled with shock.
Had the report not come from the Academic Committee, she would have assumed someone was playing a joke on her.
She took a deep breath, steadying the storm in her heart, then slowly stood and walked to the window.
The setting sun gilded her profile with a golden hue, but its light could not reach the depths of her eyes.
"Qi Lin…"
"Qi Lin!"
"I never imagined the Heaven Dou Royal Academy would harbor such a prodigy. With talent like that… could he have been born with full innate soul power?"
She repeated his name twice under her breath.
She had been born with innate Rank 20 spirit power. Now, at twenty-two, her spirit power was only at Rank 66.
Back when she was thirteen, she had only reached Rank 41.
(Note: Qian Renxue disguised herself as Xue Qinghe from ages nine to eleven. Based on the Soul Master Tournament being five years away and her projected rank of over 70 then, Rank 66 is a fair estimate here. That said, her spirit power level doesn't quite live up to her innate Rank 20 potential.)
Realizing this, Qian Renxue was stunned.
Qi Lin's cultivation speed clearly surpassed hers.
Even though her training had been delayed by imperial duties, she knew deep down—even without those distractions, she couldn't have matched his pace.
"It seems… I must make time to meet this Qi Lin in person."
"A genius like him must be brought under my control."
Her voice was low, but her eyes flashed with a sharp glint.
---
Since Qi Lin and the others arrived at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, their identities quickly spread throughout the campus.
Especially Qi Lin—his background and talent caused an uproar within the academy.
A thirteen-year-old Spirit Ancestor at Rank 50. A child promoted beyond rank to become a Heaven Dou-level teacher.
Either of those feats alone would be enough to dominate gossip across the entire school.
Naturally, such brilliance also drew the attention of many eyes—some friendly, and others… not so much.