About five minutes later, the warm current faded away. Su Yu quickly sat down in front of the mirror.
Looking at his reflection, he sighed—he had become even more handsome!
But that wasn't the main point. The key was that his eyes now clearly held a pair of Single Tomoe Sharingan.
"Not bad at all, the Single Tomoe Sharingan!"
After admiring his eyes in the mirror for a while longer, Su Yu finally returned to bed and fell asleep.
The next morning—
Hu Liena's voice, clear and chirping like a little bird, came through the door, carrying a hint of urgency:
"Brother Su Yu! You're sleeping in again! Teacher said we need to go see her today!"
"If you don't get up now, we'll be late! Hurry up and get out of bed! Quick!"
There was a rustling sound from inside the room, followed by Su Yu's sleepy mumble:
"I know, I know… It's barely light out…"
A moment later, the door was pulled open, and Su Yu stood there rubbing his drowsy eyes.
His hair was still a bit messy, his robes not fully straightened, carrying the lazy air of someone just awakened.
"What's the rush?" he yawned. "Teacher is so busy; she might still be handling affairs."
"We can't be late!" Hu Liena wrinkled her small nose and reached out to straighten his crooked collar.
"Teacher is the Pope, after all. It wouldn't be good for us to be late on our very first day as her disciples."
"Hurry inside and wash up. I'll wait for you out here—fifteen minutes, that's all!"
As she spoke, she held up a finger, her big eyes wide with unwavering seriousness.
Seeing her act like a little adult, Su Yu couldn't help but laugh:
"Alright, alright, my little manager. I'll be right out."
He turned back into his room, and soon the sound of splashing water could be heard.
Hu Liena stood outside the door, hands clasped behind her back, lightly tapping her toes on the ground, her eyes full of anticipation.
Today, they would officially begin learning under their teacher. She wondered what they would study.
Before long, Su Yu emerged, freshly washed and dressed neatly, looking much more alert.
"Let's go," he said, tilting his chin toward Hu Liena. "Time to see the teacher."
Inside the Pope's Hall—
Bi Bidong sat at her desk, piled high with thick scrolls of documents made of red sandalwood.
She pinched the bridge of her nose, a faint trace of weariness hidden between her brows.
Every day, she woke up to this mountain of scrolls—did these people really have so much to report to her?
Before Bi Bidong could even pick up her pen, a clear, youthful voice sounded from outside the hall:
"Teacher! We're here!"
Bi Bidong lowered her hand, her voice softening slightly. "Is that you, Nana? The door is open; come in."
The hall doors were gently pushed open, and two small figures walked in side by side.
Hu Liena wore a light pink martial outfit, her hair styled into neat twin buns, looking lively and spirited.
Su Yu stood beside her in a blue short robe, his gaze clear and bright.
Together, they bowed in unison:
"Teacher!"
Bi Bidong nodded, her eyes sweeping over them:
"Starting today, you will spend your mornings at the Martial Soul Academy studying theory, and return to the Pope's Hall in the afternoons."
"I will arrange for specialized instructors to guide your cultivation. Each month, I will personally check on your progress."
She paused, then added, "If you encounter any difficulties, you may consult the texts in the library or come to me at any time."
"Yes, thank you, Teacher!"
The two little ones responded in unison.
Bi Bidong's gaze first fell upon Hu Liena, calling out:
"Nana."
"Your disciple is here!" Hu Liena immediately stepped forward, her back straight as a ramrod.
"Your Innate Soul Power has already reached level nine, just one step away from absorbing your first Soul Ring," Bi Bidong said slowly.
"For this month, focus on stabilizing your Soul Power and tempering your physique. Do not rush for quick results."
"Your disciple will remember!"
Then, she looked at Su Yu:
"Su Yu."
"Your disciple is here!"
"You possess Innate Full Soul Power and could absorb your first Soul Ring immediately."
"But with your current physical condition, it's impossible to bear a Soul Ring at the Limit Age."
"This month, you must diligently temper your body, striving to reach the Limit Age for your first Soul Ring."
She turned back to Hu Liena: "Nana, the same goes for you. Once you break through to level ten, I will personally take you both to hunt for Soul Rings."
Hu Liena's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously: "Thank you, Teacher!"
Su Yu also bowed and replied: "Your disciple will certainly live up to your expectations."
Seeing the determination flickering in their eyes, the corner of Bi Bidong's mouth lifted almost imperceptibly. She picked up her pen again:
"Go now. Chrysanthemum Douluo is waiting for you outside the hall. Go to the academy first and familiarize yourselves with the environment."
"Yes! Goodbye, Teacher!"
"Hmm!"
The sound of their footsteps faded away outside the hall, and Bi Bidong turned her gaze back to the documents on the table.
Just as her fingertip was about to touch the top one, her brows furrowed tightly again.
She raised a hand to massage her throbbing temples, the skin beneath her fingers twitching slightly.
The topmost letter, sealed with wax, was boldly headed with the three characters: "Dragon Martial City."
That old man again.
Bi Bidong sighed helplessly and picked up the letter to open it.
She hardly needed to read the contents to guess that most of it would be trivial ramblings:
Today, a crack appeared in the stone slab at the city gate; yesterday, some child stole fruit from the city lord's residence!
And that old man always buried important matters within these useless details!
What annoyed her even more was that the old man seemed to have developed a habit of sending one letter every day.
It always began with that formal yet meaningless "Greetings, Pope."
"Greetings, my foot."
Bi Bidong muttered under her breath, crumpled the letter into a ball, and tossed it aside.
Looking at the desk cluttered with these documents full of nonsense, Bi Bidong felt her temples throbbing violently.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to pick up the next document.
But as her eyes scanned the dense lines of text, her eyelids grew heavy.
"Ah!"
...
Meanwhile, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan led Su Yu and Hu Liena to the Martial Soul Academy.
The Martial Soul Academy was located in the central area of the Martial Soul Holy City. Along the way, they saw many young boys and girls wearing unified school uniforms.
They all bowed respectfully upon seeing Yue Guan, their eyes filled with curiosity when they noticed Su Yu and Hu Liena.
"The Martial Soul Academy is divided into inner and outer courts. The outer court admits ordinary Soul Masters of appropriate age, while the inner court only accepts exceptionally talented disciples."
"Both of you are highly gifted and are direct disciples of Her Eminence the Pope, so you may enter the inner court directly for your studies."
As he spoke, they arrived at the academy gate—an arched entrance with the four powerful characters "Martial Soul Academy" carved on the lintel.
Entering the academy, they saw shaded paths lined with green trees and winding bluestone-paved roads.
On the training ground not far away, many children were practicing Soul Power application under their teachers' guidance.
Yue Guan did not linger, taking the two directly to the Martial Soul Academy dean's office.