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Considering that the strength of the people before him was not much inferior to his own, and in recent years, many outstanding students had been poached by Tianxing Academy, every Soul Master Tournament saw Tianxing graduates taking over. This left the Tian Dou Imperial Academy feeling rather embarrassed.
"If they're truly talented, it's not impossible to admit them. However, it seems these individuals are commoners, not nobles—this makes things a bit tricky," Sun Buyu thought to himself.
The more concentrated an area was with wealth and power, the more complicated the relationships became. Although Sun Buyu wanted to strengthen the Tian Dou Imperial Academy, as a mere Soul Sage, he didn't have much say.
Moreover, if these four teenagers' talents were only average and they were trying to gain admission through connections, even as the vice principal, there was nothing he could do. The academy was currently under the strict supervision of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, who enforced fairness and impartiality rigorously.
Sun Buyu then said, "Could you tell me the cultivation levels of these young talents? At this time of year, enrollment requires approval from the Academic Affairs Committee. Otherwise, you'll have to wait until next year. After all, my influence is limited."
Flender, being a sharp individual, immediately caught the underlying meaning in Sun Buyu's words: If Shrek's group consisted of ordinary individuals, they should save themselves the trouble and return next year.
At other times, Flender might have hesitated, but this batch was full of elite prospects. He turned to Tang San and the others.
"Show this Director Sun what you've got."
"Tang San, 13 years old, Level 32 Control-Type Battle Soul Lord, martial soul Green Vine." With that, he displayed his two yellow and one purple soul rings.
Dai Mubai followed suit, showcasing his soul rings. "Dai Mubai, 16 years old, Level 39 Power-Type Battle Soul Lord, martial soul White Tiger."
"Li Jingliu, 13 years old, Level 30 Power-Type Battle Soul Lord, martial soul Coiling Dragon Staff."
"Shao Tiantian, turning 13 soon, Level 27 Food-Type Great Soul Master, martial soul Candy Beans."
Director Sun Buyu's eyes gleamed as he looked at the four of them. Though their soul rings were merely optimal configurations, their achievements at such a young age surpassed those of ordinary geniuses. With the resources of the Tian Dou Imperial Academy behind them, they might even qualify for the Continental Soul Master Tournament in the future—after all, super-tier soul rings were still rare.
However, Sun Buyu's gaze lingered on Dai Mubai for a moment before moving on.
A White Tiger martial soul paired with heterochromatic eyes? This combination made it obvious that the boy hailed from the Star Luo Empire's royal family.
Judging by his age, he must be the current generation's prince. The Tian Dou Imperial Family would love nothing more than for talented members of the Star Luo royal family to fight among themselves. Thus, there was an unspoken rule to provide enhanced training for any Star Luo princes who sought education here. Naturally, Sun Buyu wouldn't reject Dai Mubai's application.
Tian Dou Royal Family: Stirring the pot, wildly stirring the pot.
The four students from Shrek Academy were undoubtedly talented, far surpassing the slacking noble offspring within the Tian Dou Imperial Academy. Sun Buyu felt a flicker of interest and said,
"Please wait here for a moment. I'll go report to the three Academic Affairs Committee members. With the qualifications of these four children, the committee should approve their admission."
Seeing their students and children being recognized filled the Shrek teachers, like Flander, with pride and satisfaction.
But Yu Xiaogang remained uneasy. They couldn't afford to lose this opportunity with the Tian Dou Imperial Academy.
He retrieved the Elder Token from his Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlight storage device.
"Director Sun, you should recognize this token, right?"
Sun Buyu's attention was instantly drawn to the token in Yu Xiaogang's hand, and his expression changed dramatically.
Before he could say anything, Yu Xiaogang interrupted, putting the token away. "Please inform the three committee members about this token. I'm sure they'll be very pleased to accept us."
Sun Buyu walked away, deeply troubled.
This matter was clearly more complicated than he had anticipated—the appearance of an Elder Token meant serious implications.
Yu Xiaogang had no authority over the Elder Tokens of the two empires, the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect, or the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. Sun Buyu immediately speculated about the possible origin of this token.
Though the Douluo Continent had been peaceful in recent years, as someone well-connected, Sun Buyu occasionally received sensitive information.
"Troubled times indeed… I'll just pass the message along casually later—it's too troublesome to get involved," Sun Buyu thought to himself.
As expected, the three Academic Affairs Committee members agreed to meet Yu Xiaogang and his group. However, another group was already engaged in pleasant conversation with the committee members.
In the original storyline, the incident of Xue Beng causing trouble did not occur here.
Pretending to be weak while hiding true strength?
Only Qian Renxue, that naive sweetheart, would let Xue Beng off the hook to maintain her character. Otherwise, he would have been eliminated long ago.
After all, the emperor's other heirs had already been wiped out, leaving only one successor. Did anyone really think Emperor Xue Ye would choose someone else to inherit the throne?
Don't be ridiculous. Unless the imperial line went extinct, anyone familiar with historical dramas knew how ruthless imperial families could be.
The so-called succession battle in the Star Luo Empire was nothing but a joke.
What did it matter if the emperor himself was powerful? True battles relied on strategy, alliances, and overwhelming numbers—not individual strength alone.
At this moment, Xue Beng was cowering in his bedroom, his body gaunt and his eyes sunken.
Playboy indulging in women?
The current crown prince, Xue Qinghe, decided to indulge his younger brother's "hobby"—to the fullest extent. Women? He arranged a horde of them to satisfy Xue Beng completely.
Young Xue Beng felt a dull ache in his kidneys.
"This can't go on—I'm going to die soon! Uncle, where are you? Save me!"
Xue Beng bitterly regretted listening to that terrible advice to play the role of a playboy. Why hadn't he just fled abroad like that useless heir from the Star Luo Empire?
Just then, a seductive voice came from outside the room. Any ordinary man hearing it would feel his bones turn to jelly.
"Prince Xue Beng, how are you feeling? I heard you're unwell, so I've come to check on you."
"N-no need! I'm just tired—I want to sleep. Don't disturb me!" Xue Beng stammered.
Though he felt utterly drained, his kidneys throbbing with pain, Xue Beng shamefully found himself becoming aroused again.
Damn you, Xue Qinghe! What kind of woman did you send? She's definitely not normal! How can I still feel this way when I'm in such a wretched state? (|||口)
But the woman outside didn't care about Xue Beng's protests. With a gentle push, she broke the door latch.
Her figure was curvaceous, her face breathtakingly seductive.
Under Xue Beng's horrified yet entranced gaze, she began her relentless assault once more.
"Ahhh! I can't control myself anymore!"
Meanwhile, Shrek Academy's group was still on their way to the Academic Affairs Committee office.
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