Xue Lei Han exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, his eyes suddenly opening wide.
In the dimly lit room, two cold gleams suddenly appeared, accompanied by those faintly glowing ice-blue pupils.
Then he blinked, and the ice-blue light subsided.
Half a year passed after that.
During these past six months, Xue Lei Han continuously consolidated his own soul power and finally managed to easily control his thirtieth-level soul power.
His sword, ever since his Martial Soul awakened at the age of six, had never been sheathed.
Now he wielded it with even greater proficiency.
His self-created soul skill, Snow Mountain Sword, could already challenge Soul Venerables above his level, but this was still not enough.
He needed an opportunity to break through his own limits.
He planned to head to the extreme northern lands once again to search for the third soul ring for his Azure Rose Thorn Sword.
He did not want his strength to rise too quickly, as that would make him feel a sense of discomfort.
One could ask: if a young man who had just become a Soul Master suddenly became a powerful Title Douluo, could he truly master his own power?
What Xue Lei Han wanted was not just strength, but understanding and accumulation.
During these six months, he asked Teacher Qin Ming more and more questions.
The more he understood the knowledge he didn’t know, the more he appreciated the joy of boundless learning.
He had learned almost everything about Shrek Academy’s intelligence from Teacher Qin Ming.
He planned to leave Heaven Dou Royal Academy and enroll in Shrek Academy before he turned twelve.
“Knock knock knock.” A forceful knocking sound rang out.
Xue Lei Han sheathed his sword, guessed who was behind the door, and sighed inwardly.
“What is it?” Xue Lei Han opened the door wide, and a green-haired giggling little demoness appeared before him.
“Can’t I come find you if there’s nothing wrong?” Dugu Yan laughed mischievously, then shivered.
The cold air in the room found an outlet and frantically surged toward the doorway.
Xue Lei Han paused, clearly having a deep understanding of Dugu Yan’s boredom.
He then said, “Goodbye.” With a bang, he was about to close the door when a foot suddenly wedged in, locking the door firmly in place.
“…” Xue Lei Han silently looked at Dugu Yan, waiting for her next words.
“We’re about to have the semester assessment soon.
I heard the winner will get a soul bone!” Dugu Yan said.
Seeing Xue Lei Han’s expression, she wasn’t hurt, as she had already grown accustomed to his cold demeanor.
If one day Xue Lei Han took the initiative to talk to her, that would truly be the sun rising in the west.
“Oh, good luck to you.” After speaking, Xue Lei Han closed the door.
Dugu Yan helplessly shook her head.
She herself found it quite strange that she kept running to Xue Lei Han’s dormitory every day.
She used to treat him like a little brother, so why…
Dugu Yan felt confused about her complicated feelings for a moment, then fiercely declared, “One day I’ll make you look good, humph.” With a coquettish hum, she turned and left.
After hearing Dugu Yan leave, Xue Lei Han sat cross-legged again on the bed that had been frozen stiff.
An ice-blue soul ring silently emerged behind him.
As the ice-colored soul ring flashed, the cold air in the room gradually dissipated, leaving only some white frost on the walls.
Xue Lei Han raised his left and right hands.
A visible layer of cold air rapidly condensed in his palms.
Xue Lei Han nodded.
His control over Ultimate Ice was clearly much stronger than before.
“Semester assessment, huh?
Interesting.” After staying in the academy for about a year and a half without sparring with Sword Douluo Chen Xin, Xue Lei Han was somewhat impatient to test his sword again.
The next time he sparred with Sword Douluo, it probably wouldn’t be as miserable as last time.
“Students, the semester assessment will be the same as last time, divided into two parts: Written Fight and Martial Fight.
The Written Fight uses the knowledge you’ve learned in the academy this year to answer questions set by the Heaven Dou Committee.
The Martial Fight is an elimination tournament.
The person with the highest combined score from both parts will receive a soul bone personally gifted by Dean Meng.” Qin Ming smiled as he pushed up his glasses.
Seeing the students’ gradually burning gazes below the podium, he inwardly sighed that Dean Meng was truly generous.
Xue Lei Han saw his classmates whispering about assessment information.
After Qin Ming left the classroom, he left the classroom with the Azure Rose Thorn Sword at his side.
As soon as he stepped out of the classroom door, he was knocked to the ground by a tall, burly figure.
Xue Lei Han rubbed his head and looked toward the person.
“Sorry, sorry, Third Prince Your Highness.
This one is Yu Tianheng.
I didn’t hurt Your Highness, did I?” The sturdy big man, seeing he had knocked into the Third Prince, quickly pulled Xue Lei Han up from the ground.
“In the academy, don’t call me Third Prince Your Highness.” Xue Lei Han stood firm and looked directly at Yu Tianheng’s burly figure as he spoke.
Yu Tianheng was stunned for a moment, then felt pleasantly surprised.
What he despised most were the nobles in the academy who relied on their titles to occupy school resources and treated the academy like their own backyard.
Although Yu Tianheng himself was the young sect master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, he wore ordinary clothes and did not dress like the nobles in Heaven Dou City.
He had long heard of the Third Prince’s reputation for being frugal and diligent, so he had come specifically to meet him this time.
Coincidentally, or perhaps not, he had knocked him to the ground.
He also clearly knew that Dugu Yan, toward whom he once held vague feelings, now liked Xue Lei Han.
He felt no resentment or hatred toward Xue Lei Han.
After all, it was only a vague feeling, and with Xue Lei Han’s status, Yu Tianheng had no right to criticize or try to steal her away.
This time, Yu Tianheng simply wanted to see what kind of person the Third Prince really was and whether he matched the rumors.
Yu Tianheng looked at Xue Lei Han’s ice-blue clothing and gritted his teeth.
“Then Yu Tianheng will boldly call you Brother Xue.” “Mhm, Brother Yu.” Xue Lei Han suddenly felt quite novel.
This was the first time someone had called him Brother Xue.
Usually, his classmates were all afraid of his status and didn’t dare speak to him.
Only Dugu Yan exchanged a few words with him.
This person was not bad.
The corner of Xue Lei Han’s mouth curved into a faint smile.
After speaking, he took a few steps away, then turned back and said, “Will Brother Yu participate in this Martial Fight?” Yu Tianheng saw Xue Lei Han’s serious gaze and confirmed that Xue Lei Han was also someone who loved martial arts.
In an instant, his eyes burst with dazzling light.
He laughed heartily, “Not bad, Brother Xue.
I will experience your famed Snow Mountain Sword Art on the arena!” A smile finally appeared on Xue Lei Han’s usually calm face, like spring wind thawing ice.
Unfortunately, the only one to appreciate this scene was Yu Tianheng, a big man.
“Good.
I’ll be waiting for you in the arena.” “Good!” The two smiled at each other like brothers who hadn’t seen each other in years.
Then Xue Lei Han quickly left with his sword.
If Qin Ming had seen this scene, he might have rushed forward to hug Yu Tianheng.
This was the student Xue Lei Han had spoken with the most since arriving at the school.
Xue Lei Han had no issues with the Written Fight.
After all, under Teacher Qin Ming’s guidance over the years, he had learned nearly all the knowledge.
For Xue Lei Han, the most important part was the Martial Fight.
This was a good place to test his soul power and martial techniques, as well as a good opportunity to fight the powerhouses within the academy.
“I hope you all won’t disappoint me.” The tall, sturdy figure of Yu Tianheng appeared in his mind.
The corner of Xue Lei Han’s mouth lifted slightly.
It seems I won’t be lonely.
Xue Lei Han shook his head and arrived at the Ice Cultivation Field.
He calmed his mind and immersed himself in cultivation.
One week later.
“Now, the Written Fight begins!” Following the proctor’s command, rows of students turned their eyes to their exam papers.
Mournful groans filled the classroom.
Some even sighed, clearly giving up on answering certain questions.
“Everyone shut your mouths!
Anyone who makes another sound, get out!” The proctor’s sharp gaze swept across the students as he angrily slammed the table.
It’s simpler than I imagined.
Xue Lei Han took in all the questions on the exam paper at a glance.
Surprisingly, the committee had not set many overly difficult questions.
“Swish swish swish.” Xue Lei Han held his pencil and wrote nonstop.
In the quiet classroom, only the sound of Xue Lei Han’s pen could be heard.
The surrounding students inwardly cursed “freak” at the same time and sighed at the same time.
Everyone had seen Xue Lei Han’s crazy cultivation this past year, so who could they blame?
“This is the Third Prince that Dean Meng values.
He truly lives up to his title as Third Prince.” The proctor looked at Xue Lei Han with approval, as if looking at a peerless treasure.
Dugu Yan sat behind Xue Lei Han.
Watching the boy in front of her writing furiously, she couldn’t help but grit her teeth.
Could it be that this lady can’t catch up to you?
When my strength surpasses yours one day, I’ll press you down hard beneath me.
Thinking of this, Dugu Yan’s face suddenly flushed red, looking quite adorable.
The only one who could make the academy flower Dugu Yan blush was none other than Xue Lei Han.
Less than half an hour later, Xue Lei Han blew away nonexistent dust from his exam paper and walked toward the proctor with it.
Ignoring the shocked and resentful gazes of his classmates behind him, Xue Lei Han placed the exam paper in front of the proctor.
“Student Xue Lei Han, are you sure you don’t need to check it?” The proctor asked, somewhat surprised.
Xue Lei Han nodded, handed in the exam paper, and left the examination room with the Azure Rose Thorn Sword at his side.
Two soul rings quietly appeared on Xue Lei Han’s Azure Rose Thorn Sword, one purple, one black.
Others might find the soul ring configuration shocking and stunning: the first ring skipped the hundred-year level and jumped straight to a thousand-year ring, while the second soul ring was even more extreme, a ten-thousand-year soul beast.
“Frozen Ice Slash.” The purple soul ring on the sword lit up.
Xue Lei Han casually swung out a blue sword qi.
Everywhere it passed was covered in a layer of ice.
The sword qi collided with the cultivation room’s wall and bloomed into a fully opened ice flower.
Xue Lei Han looked at his result.
His control over soul power had now reached perfection.
The Frozen Ice Slash just now hadn’t even used much soul power, it was truly effortless.
“Thank you, Azure Rose Thorn Sword.” Xue Lei Han smiled at the sword, then hugged it and immersed himself in cultivation.