Chapter 30: I Want Your Soul Tool
"Hmph! So you all think those two aren't strong enough, huh?" Qin Ming suddenly spoke.
The members of the Emperor Battle Team fell silent. Their silence was an unspoken agreement.
At that moment, the team captain, Yu Tianheng—who had been sitting quietly at the stone table with his eyes closed—finally opened his mouth.
"Teacher Qin, you're our team leader and the second youngest Soul Emperor in history. You've helped us a lot with our cultivation, and we respect you for that.
But that doesn't mean just anyone can join the Emperor Battle Team."
Qin Ming rubbed his forehead with a touch of helplessness. This student of his had many good qualities—brave, decisive, and sharp-minded.
But he was also overly competitive and proud to a fault. With a martial soul hailed as the "number one beast martial soul under the heavens," the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Yu Tianheng clearly saw himself as the top prodigy of the younger generation on the entire continent.
Calming himself, Qin Ming turned to Zu Zong and Xiao Wu and said seriously, "Zu Zong, Xiao Wu—go ahead and tell them about your martial souls and soul power levels."
Xiao Wu looked at Zu Zong, silently asking for permission. Zu Zong gave her a nod.
In the next instant, light radiated from both of their bodies. Under the soft glow, subtle changes occurred in their appearance.
Gentle soul power auras flowed around them, and three soul rings rose at their feet—yellow, yellow, purple—spinning around their bodies.
"Zu Zong. Martial soul: Blue Silver Grass. Control-type, with offensive enhancement. Thirty-eighth level, three-ring Tool Soul Elder."
"Xiao Wu. Martial soul: Rabbit. Power-attack type. Thirty-third level, three-ring Battle Soul Elder."
Hiss— A collective gasp came from the entire Emperor Team.
Two Soul Elders, around twelve or thirteen years old? What kind of cosmic joke was this? When did "genius" become so common?
Dugu Yan couldn't help but exclaim, "How is that even possible? They're just kids!"
Even Yu Tianheng was stunned speechless. Thirty-eight levels at that age? His pride took a serious hit.
Qin Ming, however, felt a bit relieved. His group of troublesome students always carried themselves like they were the top of the world—it was about time they got knocked down a peg.
Even he himself had once had that same attitude.
Seeing everyone's reaction, Xiao Wu grinned mischievously. She stuck out her tongue at Dugu Yan and made a face.
"Bleh! Old hag! Still think Zu Zong and I got in through the back door?"
"You—!" Dugu Yan was livid, a tic mark appearing on her forehead.
Still, as someone who usually dominated others, she wasn't about to let this go so easily. She scoffed coldly, "Hmph! So what if your soul power is high? What really matters is real combat ability.
If you can beat me, I'll acknowledge your strength."
"Bring it on! I'm not afraid of you!" Xiao Wu instantly fired back, riled up by Dugu Yan's provocation.
Seeing her reaction, Dugu Yan's lips curled into a sneer. Such an easy-to-bait little girl.
Her martial soul was the Jade Phosphor Serpent—deadly and poisonous—a control-type soul master. Among peers of the same level, aside from her boyfriend Yu Tianheng, she didn't think anyone could beat her.
Let alone a rabbit who was five levels below her.
As for the so-called "Blue Silver Grass"? Trash martial soul. Even at a high level, trash was still trash.
"Dugu Yan, vice-captain of the Emperor Battle Team. Martial soul: Jade Phosphor Serpent. Level 38 control-type Battle Soul Master.
You two—want to take me on one at a time, or both together?"
As she spoke, Dugu Yan summoned her martial soul.
The three soul rings beneath her feet—yellow, yellow, purple—spun up into the air and hovered around her, radiating pressure.
Xiao Wu knew her soul power was lower, but surrendering? Not an option.
She stepped past Zu Zong and said firmly, "I—"
Before she could finish, a hand rested gently on her shoulder.
Zu Zong had stopped her.
He shook his head and said, "Let me go instead. Her Jade Phosphor Serpent is extremely poisonous, and your level is much lower than hers. You'll get hurt."
This time, Xiao Wu didn't argue.
Instead, her cheeks flushed pink and she froze in place.
In her mind, she couldn't stop repeating one imagined line from Zu Zong's words:
'You'll get hurt… and I'd feel really bad if that happened…' (The second half totally imagined. Teehee.)
"Damn it, this old rabbit's brain's broken again," Zu Zong muttered, ignoring the love-struck Xiao Wu.
He fixed his gaze on Dugu Yan and said seriously, "You're level 38. I'm also level 38. We're both control-type soul masters. This is a fair fight."
Dugu Yan didn't take his words seriously. In her eyes, whether they came at her one at a time or both together, the outcome would be the same.
"Fine. In that case, let's head to the open clearing over there. It's more suitable for battle."
"Hold on, I'm not finished."
"If there's anything else, spit it out," Dugu Yan said, clearly annoyed.
Then the tone shifted—Zu Zong's lips curled into a sly grin.
"But if we lose, we have to leave the Emperor Battle Team. Yet if we win, we get nothing? That's not fair at all."
"Then what do you suggest?"
"It's simple," Zu Zong said, gesturing over his shoulder. "That silly grinning rabbit behind me is short on a storage-type soul tool."
The mention of soul tools gave Zu Zong a headache. After all these years of stealing via the system, he still hadn't acquired one.
He himself had a system space, so he never needed to buy one.
But Xiao Wu didn't have one, and ever since graduation, she stuffed everything into his storage—underwear, pads, god knows what. It was driving him insane. More than once, he nearly lost control.
"You—!" Dugu Yan was both annoyed and disgusted.
Trying to get a soul tool for free with such a trick? Though she didn't think she'd lose, and didn't care much about a mere storage soul tool, she still didn't want to be taken advantage of like this.
At that moment, Yu Tianheng, who had remained silent, gently tapped Dugu Yan's shoulder and said quietly, "Yan'er, be careful. That guy's not simple."
"I know, Tianheng," Dugu Yan replied.
She took his advice to heart, but that didn't mean she saw Zu Zong any differently. In her eyes, he was just a good-looking vase—nice to look at but useless in a fight.
How powerful could Blue Silver Grass possibly be?
She turned her gaze back to Zu Zong and said coldly, "Fine. But if you lose, not only will you both be kicked out of the Emperor Battle Team, you'll also have to leave Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
Zu Zong didn't hesitate. "Sure. No problem."
Everyone moved to an open space outside the bamboo grove. As the team leader, Qin Ming took on the role of referee.
Zu Zong and Dugu Yan stood at the center, facing each other.
"This is just a spar between classmates. Don't take it too far—no need to injure each other," Qin Ming said.
He was very familiar with Dugu Yan's strength—among the younger generation, she was top-tier.
But what intrigued him more was Zu Zong's potential. A fire-attributed Blue Silver Grass, something Soul Douluo Zhi Lin had called comparable to a top-tier martial soul.
Just how powerful was he really?
(End of Chapter)
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