Douluo Continent: My name is Lu Mingfei, and my martial soul is Lu Mingze.

Lu Mingfei's days went by like this.

Every day, it's just a triangle formed by the dormitory, Old Song, and the soul tool.

After that meeting, he didn't go looking for Huo Yuhao and the others.

It's not that I don't want to go, it's that I really can't get away from it.

Moreover, Lu Mingfei knew that Huo Yuhao and the others were busy preparing for the final of the freshman assessment. As a useless person whose soul power had not even reached the second ring, he would not be able to help much if he went there, and might even distract them.

Lu Mingfei is quite clear-headed about this kind of thing.

However, on the day of the freshman assessment finals, he still went to ask Professor Song for leave.

Old Song glanced at him: "Going to watch the game?"

"Yeah, my friend is playing in the finals."

Old Song nodded: "Alright. Qian Duoduo was also planning to go and take a look, so let him take you with him."

Lu Mingfei was taken aback: "Uncle Qian is going too?"

"The Soul Guidance Department has always paid close attention to how the new students use their soul tools," said Elder Song. "It's normal for him to go watch the competition; just follow him."

Lu Mingfei obediently agreed.

When Qian Duoduo came to pick him up, she had her signature smile on her face, clearly indicating that she was in a good mood.

That's one of his good qualities; he wears his heart on his sleeve, never hiding his feelings.

"Xiao Lu, come on, let me take you to see your friends' competition."

"Uncle Qian, why are you so happy today?"

"Happy?" Qian Duoduo chuckled. "When am I not happy? Let's go."

The two walked happily towards the assessment site.

Qian Duoduo asked him how his studies in the Soul Guidance Department were going lately—in fact, Fan Yu had been teaching him about Soul Guidance Devices whenever he had free time.

Lu Mingfei answered honestly that he was still identifying the parts.

Qian Duoduo laughed and said that it's good to know the parts. A tall building starts from the ground up. How can you make soul guides if you don't know the parts?

Lu Mingfei thought what she said made sense, but he also felt that Qian Duoduo was just trying to comfort him.

As they were talking, Qian Duoduo's smile suddenly faded a little.

Lu Mingfei followed his gaze and saw Yan Shaozhe standing in the corridor not far ahead, dressed in white, looking elegant, talking with several teachers from the Martial Soul Department.

Lu Mingfei thought to himself, "It's over."

During his time in the inner courtyard, he had heard some rumors.

Qian Duoduo's wife, Xian Lin'er, is Yan Shaozhe's ex-girlfriend. Although they are colleagues, they have never gotten along well.

Especially when it comes to students, the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Guidance Department compete for people like they're fighting over cabbages at a vegetable market.

But Qian Duoduo's smile only faded for a moment before returning, even brighter than before.

He led Lu Mingfei over in a long stride.

"Dean Yan, what a coincidence!"

Yan Shaozhe turned his head, glanced at Qian Duoduo, then at Lu Mingfei behind him, and nodded slightly: "Dean Qian, are you here to observe the freshman assessment?"

"That's right." Qian Duoduo said with a smile.

"Let's see if there are any promising talents. I heard from Fan Yu that Wang Yan thinks Huo Yuhao is very talented, and he even went to Elder Xuan to plead for him."

Yan Shaozhe smiled slightly: "However, in today's final, his opponent is Dai Huabin. The difference in soul power is obvious. The combination of the White Tiger Martial Soul and the Netherworld Cat Martial Soul Fusion Skill is not so easy to deal with."

Qian Duoduo narrowed her eyes: "Oh? Dean Yan doesn't think highly of Huo Yuhao?"

"It's just about being realistic," Yan Shaozhe said calmly.

"Although Huo Yuhao is exceptionally talented, his soul power is only around level 20, while the three people on Dai Huabin's side have an average soul power of over level 30. This kind of gap cannot be bridged by talent alone."

Qian Duoduo suddenly smiled, a particularly bright smile.

"How about we make a bet?"

Yan Shaozhe raised an eyebrow: "You money-grubbing bastard, you'll never do anything without a profit. What are you betting on?"

"I'm betting on who wins this final," Qian Duoduo said. "I'm betting on Huo Yuhao. If he wins, you have to let me choose any freshman from the Martial Soul Department to join the Soul Guidance Department within three years, and you can't obstruct me in any way."

Yan Shaozhe looked at him, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Dean Qian, are you that confident?"

"Just tell me, are you going to bet or not?"

"A bet," Yan Shaozhe said calmly. "But if you lose, you'd better bring me fifty of your fixed-position soul-guided cannon shells to play with."

Qian Duoduo's eyes lit up: "Great idea, Dean Yan!"

Anyway, this old guy doesn't know anything about soul tools. We'll just have Fan Yu fix it up and give him some junk to fill in.

If the matter escalates to the cabinet, he can simply admit that gambling is illegal. In the end, he won't suffer any real loss. As for selecting students...

If such a talent truly emerges, then it won't be up to Yan Shaozhe alone to speak for him.

Yan Shaozhe glanced at him but didn't say anything.

Qian Duoduo turned around and patted Lu Mingfei on the shoulder: "Lu, tell me, who are you betting on to win this final?"

Without hesitation, Lu Mingfei replied, "Huo Yuhao."

Why?

"Because he's my friend," Lu Mingfei said matter-of-factly.

"And he really is very powerful. So what if his soul power is low? Fighting isn't about who has the higher soul power. His mental detection, combined with Wang Dong's martial soul and Xiao Xiao's twin martial souls, the three of them work together like one person. Dai Huabin might not be able to withstand it."

Yan Shaozhe smiled and shook his head: "What could a Soul Master who's not even at the second ring level possibly understand?"

That wasn't exactly harsh, but it wasn't exactly pleasant either.

Lu Mingfei could sense the implication in Yan Shaozhe's words—you dare to comment on this level of competition?

In the past, he probably would have shut up.

But perhaps because he's been spoiled by Old Song and Qian Duoduo lately, he's become much bolder.

"Dean Yan, the level of soul power only indicates the length of cultivation time, not the entirety of combat strength," Lu Mingfei said.

"My soul power isn't high, but I'm not blind. All the opponents Huo Yuhao fought in the elimination rounds had higher soul power than him, and they all lost. Battles aren't about numbers; they're about who knows how to use the cards they have better."

He was stunned for a moment after saying those words.

I thought to myself, "Oh no, did I say too much?"

This is the dean of the Martial Soul Department, a level 95 Super Douluo. He could slap me into a QR code.

Yan Shaozhe looked at him, his eyes revealing something, but he didn't say anything.

Qian Duoduo laughed even louder, patted Lu Mingfei on the back, causing him to stumble forward.

"Well said! Xiao Lu, you've got way more guts than your Uncle Qian did in his youth!"

Then he turned to Yan Shaozhe, a hint of provocation in his smile: "Dean Yan, shall we raise the stakes a bit more?"

Yan Shaozhe looked at him without saying anything.

"I'll add twenty more rockets, Huo Yuhao wins." Qian Duoduo said, enunciating each word clearly.

Yan Shaozhe's brows finally twitched.

"Dean Qian, are you serious?"

"Of course I'll take it seriously." Qian Duoduo smiled like a cunning old fox. "What, Dean Yan doesn't dare?"

Yan Shaozhe was silent for a few seconds, then nodded: "Okay, I'll go with it, but there aren't any soul tools, I'll go with a soul bone."

Lu Mingfei, who was listening nearby, felt a chill run down his spine.

A soul bone! He'd never even seen what a soul bone looked like in his entire life, and these two just casually used it for gambling?