After the soul power test, Sun Buyu took Tang San and Xiao Wu to the student dormitories, while Lin Mu headed alone to the Academic Affairs Committee.
The Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Academic Affairs Committee was located at the center of the main campus. It was the largest building in the entire main campus, extremely conspicuous, so getting lost was completely out of the question.
But what Lin Mu didn't expect was that as soon as he arrived at the entrance of the Academic Affairs Committee, he ran into Xue Qinghe, who seemed to have been waiting for a while.
"Brother Lin, long time no see."
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, didn't we just meet yesterday?"
Lin Mu said with a completely straight face.
Seeing this guy so lacking in sensibility, Qian Renxue cursed in her heart. This guy was either doing it on purpose or was missing a screw in his head.
Just then, three elders walked out. They were precisely the three academic deans of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, is this the young Soul Sage you mentioned?"
Meng Shenji and the other two carefully examined the young man before them. Even though Xue Qinghe had prepared them for it, they were still utterly astounded.
Too young!
The three looked at each other, each seeing disbelief in the others' eyes.
At the age of just over twenty, they had still been stuck at the Soul Ancestor level. Yet this young man before them had already reached Soul Sage!
No wonder the Crown Prince was making such a fuss, even going so far as to come personally.
This person was indeed an unprecedented, peerless genius.
"I am Lin Mu. Greetings to the three Deans."
"No need for such courtesy. For you to be willing to take up a post at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy is our honor."
Meng Shenji repeatedly waved his hands, showing not the slightest arrogance of an elder. His eyes were filled with appreciation.
A Soul Sage at Lin Mu's age would inevitably become a Title Douluo in the future. He might even grow to the Super Douluo level without much difficulty.
Under Xue Qinghe's signal, Chief Meng Shenji took a deep breath and looked at Lin Mu with a burning gaze, saying, "To be a Soul Sage powerhouse at such a young age is truly a sight unseen in a century. Might you inform us of your specific level?"
Meng Shenji had tried to probe Lin Mu's soul power, but could only sense his approximate cultivation level; the specific level was beyond detection.
At this moment, a barely detectable glint of calculation flashed in Xue Qinghe's eyes.
To test Lin Mu's specific strength, she had deliberately entrusted the three deans, using their words to inquire about Lin Mu's cultivation level.
"My apologies, Dean Meng Shenji. I cannot divulge that."
Lin Mu refused without even thinking.
The three deans were momentarily stunned, seemingly not expecting Lin Mu to refuse.
Just then, Xue Qinghe broke the awkwardness, smiling slightly and saying, "Since Brother Lin is unwilling to display his soul power, how about a practical sparring match?"
Hearing this, Lin Mu's gaze immediately fell upon the three deans.
All three were Soul Douluo powerhouses. If he could spar with them, he could better gauge his own strength.
After brief consideration, Lin Mu gave a slight nod. "Since Your Highness the Crown Prince is in such an elegant mood, let's give it a try."
Seeing Lin Mu agree to spar, the corners of Xue Qinghe's mouth lifted slightly. Deep in his eyes was hidden a trace of delight.
Immediately, he turned aside and quickly gave the three deans a meaningful look.
Under Xue Qinghe's signal, the three deans deliberated briefly.
Then, Meng Shenji spoke up: "Teacher Qin Ming, why don't you request some guidance from Mr. Lin Mu?"
As his words fell, a young man who appeared close to thirty years old stepped forward. Handsome, with a steady aura, sharp eyes, and an extraordinary bearing—truly worthy of being the second youngest Soul Emperor on the continent.
"I am Qin Ming, a Level 62 Power Attack System Battle Soul Emperor. Martial Soul: Blazing Azure Wolf. I request your guidance!"
Walking in front of Lin Mu, Qin Ming immediately cupped his fists in salute, respect for a strong opponent in his eyes.
The young man before him looked much younger than himself, yet was already a Soul Sage powerhouse. This couldn't help but make him feel a bit ashamed, but more than that, it stirred a strong fighting spirit.
Looking at the highly motivated Qin Ming, a strange glint flashed in Lin Mu's eyes. He had thought one of the three deans would make a move.
Who would have thought it would just be a minor Soul Emperor?
Keep in mind, when he was at level 70, he had already been able to brutally beat Zhao Wuji, a Soul Sage. Now, after absorbing a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, he possessed strength capable of contending with a Title Douluo.
And they wanted him to bully a little Soul Emperor? Wasn't that a joke?
"Three Deans, are you not mistaken?"
"Please rest assured, Mr. Lin. Although Qin Ming is only a Soul Emperor, his strength is definitely not weak. Moreover, your ages aren't far apart, making it more suitable for learning through sparring."
Meng Shenji explained with a smile.
As long as Martial Soul True Body wasn't used, the gap between a Soul Sage and a Soul Emperor wasn't huge. After all, it was just a sparring match; no need to make it too serious.
Hearing this answer, Lin Mu was completely at a loss for words and could only reluctantly agree.
Not long after, the group moved to the arena specially designated for sparring within the academy.
In the arena, Qin Ming wasn't the slightest bit careless. He directly released his martial soul.
A low wolf howl sounded. Blazing flames surged from within him. His stature increased, muscles bulged, and his eyes transformed into wolf pupils.
Immediately after, two yellow, three purple, and one black—six soul rings—rose and circled around him. A powerful aura spread out.
Seeing the thousand-year fifth soul ring under Qin Ming's feet, Lin Mu inwardly sighed with regret.
Qin Ming's innate talent was definitely not poor. After all, he had managed to graduate from that problematic Shrek Academy. But this thousand-year fifth soul skill was truly somewhat too lackluster.
It couldn't be helped. Commoner soul masters were just that unfortunate. Without elders to help hunt soul rings, they simply couldn't handle ten-thousand-year soul beasts.
After martial soul possession, Qin Ming didn't rush to attack. Instead, he stood in place, waiting for Lin Mu to use his martial soul.
However, Lin Mu remained standing where he was, showing no intention of releasing his martial soul. He raised a hand and said, "Teacher Qin, please make your move."
Qin Ming frowned, feeling the other party was somewhat overconfident. But remembering that the other party was, after all, a Soul Sage in cultivation, he decided not to stand on ceremony.
Pushing off with his foot, his figure shot forward like a flaming meteor. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Lin Mu. His wolf claws, wrapped in blazing flames, tore through the air with a fierce shriek as he swiped forward fiercely!
Although he didn't use a soul skill, this strike was still not to be underestimated.
In response, Lin Mu merely shifted his body slightly. His left hand shot out at an extremely fast speed, precisely meeting the burning wolf claw.
"Is he crazy? Trying to block Qin Ming's attack with his bare hand?"
Dean Bai Baoshan said with astonishment.
Although a Soul Sage's physical strength was considerably stronger than a Soul Emperor's, it was still limited. Compared to the amplification brought by martial soul possession, that slight difference was utterly insignificant.
However, the scene of Lin Mu being forced back did not appear.
Under the shocked gazes of the onlookers, Lin Mu not only easily caught Qin Ming's charged strike but also drew the flames from the wolf claw into his own palm.
Not only did it cause no harm, but it instead made Lin Mu's aura solidify slightly.
Ever since absorbing the Titan Giant Ape's soul ring and soul bone, Lin Mu had not only gained a tremendous increase in strength but also acquired the versatile Kirin Fire, both offensive and defensive.
Now, even without using his martial soul, he could absorb the flames of other soul masters.