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Chapter 57: Prince Xue Qinghe
🕑 Added 2024-10-20 20:02:19 +0000 UTCThat morning, while Yang Podi was training at home, his father suddenly summoned him to the hall, saying that a distinguished guest had arrived and that he and Yang Ping'an were to attend.
Yang Podi thought to himself that among the people he was familiar with, only those from the Single attribute family would come without needing an announcement. Who could it be that was visiting him?
When Yang Podi and Yang Ping'an entered the hall, they were surprised to find their father, mother, and both grandfathers present.
Seated across from them was a golden-haired young man. Although he appeared slightly thin, he exuded a refined elegance and noble aura, setting him apart from the crowd. He wore a golden headband and was dressed in gold-embroidered clothes adorned with gemstones, looking exceedingly noble.
As the two entered the hall, their grandfather Yang Wudi personally introduced, "Podi, Ping'an, come over and pay your respects. This is His Highness, the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe."
The two quickly bowed and said, "We greet His Highness the Crown Prince."
"Your Highness, these two are my grandsons, named Yang Podi and Yang Ping'an. They are both twelve years old this year," Yang Wudi continued.
Xue Qinghe elegantly waved his hand. "You need not be overly formal. I came here unannounced to visit."
"I wonder what brings Your Highness to our humble Yang family? Have my two boys caused some trouble?" Yang Wudi asked.
"You flatter me, Yang patriarch. The reason for my visit is primarily because I have just taken charge of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. I heard that the disciples of the Single attribute family have reached the age for enrollment, so I specifically invited the young talents of the four clans to study at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
Yang Wudi hesitated, "Your Highness, isn't this inappropriate? We of the Yang family are not exactly nobles, and these two boys are quite mischievous. They may struggle to adapt to the studies at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
"Yang patriarch, you are too modest. As long as disciples from the Yang family enroll in the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, we will certainly do our utmost to nurture them and guarantee their safety."
"Xue Qinghe has already visited the Strength family, the speed family, and the Defense family. The disciples Tai Long, Bai Xiaofei, and Niu Meng from those three families have already agreed to join the Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
Hearing this, Yang Podi was shocked. This wasn't in the original story; in the original, Tai Long studied at the Lanba Academy, and Xue Qinghe had never invited him to join the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Could this be because of him? Now that all four single-attribute families were nearby Heaven Dou City and their relationships had always been good, it could be determined that they had formed an alliance. Combined, the four families had at least seven Soul Douluos on the surface and possibly more, with the total number of soul masters exceeding a thousand, even outnumbering the lower four sects, such as the Elephant Armor Sect.
What was Xue Qinghe's intention in coming here? Was he trying to win them over or confirm the attitude of the single-attribute families? Additionally, considering the current timeline, this Xue Qinghe was likely an impersonation of Qian Renxue, which made things even more complicated.
If he rashly joined the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, it would be akin to aligning with the Heaven Dou Royal Family. Would Xue Qinghe remember this and include him in the Soul Hunting operation later? Refusing would mean offending the Heaven Dou Empire.
Before Yang Podi could sort out his thoughts, his grandfather had already asked, "Podi, Ping'an, do you two wish to study at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"
Xue Qinghe also smiled and said, "You can be assured that the Heaven Dou Royal Academy will provide ample resources to nurture you."
Yang Podi contemplated for a moment and then replied, "Your Highness, I do wish to study at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, but I am a bit reluctant to leave my little sister behind."
Upon hearing this, both grandfathers and his parents looked surprised. He had always trained alone, and while he had a good relationship with Tian Yue, how could he say he didn't want to go to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy because of her?
Xue Qinghe maintained his smile, "That's even better. Anyone who awakens a martial soul can enroll in the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Your sister is exceptionally talented, so why not have her join the Heaven Dou Royal Academy as well?"
Yang Podi couldn't help but complain: he initially wanted to use his sister as an excuse, but if she was dragged into this, wouldn't it put the entire family in jeopardy?
"Your Highness, my sister is still too young and cannot leave our family. I am willing to attend the Heaven Dou Royal Academy to study."
Yang Ping'an immediately nodded in agreement.
After some discussion, it was decided that Yang Podi and Yang Ping'an would attend the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Unbeknownst to them, after discussing the enrollment details, Xue Qinghe left without even having lunch.
Seeing that Yang Podi appeared somewhat distracted, everyone was curious.
His mother, Niu Jinfeng, asked, "Son, what's wrong? Are you unhappy about leaving home to study at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy? Don't worry; it's only about 40 kilometers from our Yang family to the Academy. We will visit regularly, and you can come home often."
"Mom, do I really have to go to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy? Can't I study somewhere else, maybe another advanced Soul Master academy?"
"That wouldn't be appropriate. Don't worry; you won't be alone. Besides, there are other young talents from the three major families going as well. It will be good for you to communicate and learn from each other."
Seeing that he could no longer change the situation, Yang Podi could only return to his training with a heavy heart.
Back in his room, Yang Podi began to think about his future plans.
First, he couldn't offend this imposter Xue Qinghe just yet. The forces behind him were too strong, and if he were to offend him, it was uncertain whether they would send someone to attack him to eliminate any potential threats. No matter how he felt about him, it seemed unwise to act hastily.
Secondly, while he was now quite familiar with his Crocodile King Spear, the external soul bone had yet to fully integrate with his body, as it hadn't formed a complete unity with his bones. It appeared he would need to use external force to help fuse it, just like Tang San did.
Lastly, with his current strength, breaking through to Soul Sect in two years should be feasible. However, if he participated in the Soul Master competition at that time, should he go? If his strength and talent were revealed, he would likely become a target for the Spirit Hall's hunting, which would lead to trouble.
Another thing he was considering was when to obtain the two immortal grasses of the Ice and Fire Herb. He felt that with his current strength, there was still a significant danger involved. Tang San had the Mysterious Heaven Technique to refine it, while he had no such skills. If he were to mishandle it, that would be the end.
Yang Podi didn't reject the idea of attending an advanced Soul Master academy, but he still hadn't figured out how to deal with this imposter Xue Qinghe, and it seemed that whatever he did would be wrong.
