Mountain Challenge

About twenty li outside Heaven Dou City.

Ling Qianyue and Zhu Zhuqing stopped before a towering peak that rose a thousand meters high.

As the sun set, rosy clouds filled the sky. The lake at the mountain's foot reflected the light like a pearl, while the diverse plants across the mountain painted the place in vibrant colors.

This entire mountain, along with the lake at its base, was the grounds of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

As an academy directly under the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, most of its students were children of nobles and descendants of sects.

Deep-pocketed as they were, they possessed Heaven Dou's abundant resources and connections, though their actual combat abilities were relatively weak.

Compared to Shrek Academy, which rented a village in the outskirts of Suotuo City as its campus, this place was practically a paradise. It never lacked funding, and there were more Martial Soul mimic cultivation grounds than one could count.

The only student Shrek could truly boast about was probably Qin Ming, a member of Shrek's first graduating class and its most outstanding graduate since its founding. Publicly, he was the continent's second-youngest Soul Emperor.

He wondered what that guy thought about Shrek boasting that one of their students had become an elder whose status was second only to the Pope's.

A bunch of Soul Sages and Soul Emperors had taught a Titled Douluo? A Titled Douluo barely over thirty? What a joke.

They did not even bother to think through the slogan they used to fool applicants. The key was that people actually believed it.

"Stop! Who are you?"

Several Soul Masters around eighteen years old blocked Ling Qianyue and Zhu Zhuqing's path. Their goose-yellow uniforms clearly displayed their identities.

"This is Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Anyone who is not a student or faculty member of this academy may not enter without permission. What business do you have here?" A young Soul Master who appeared to be their leader looked Ling Qianyue and Zhu Zhuqing up and down, his gaze carrying arrogance and scrutiny.

When his eyes fell on Zhu Zhuqing, a flash of amazement passed through them, and he froze for a moment.

"Control your eyes. Otherwise, I would not mind gouging them out and giving them to someone who needs them." Zhu Zhuqing's voice was icy. Her gaze swept over the young Soul Master like a cold blade, making him shudder as he hurriedly looked away.

Ling Qianyue's voice also became somewhat heavier. "Mountain challenge."

"W-What?" Astonishment flashed through the lead young Soul Master's eyes, while the few Soul Masters behind him also looked surprised.

He let out a derisive laugh. "A mountain challenge? Do you think this is some tiny sect? Heaven Dou Royal Academy is not a place just anyone can challenge whenever they please. Judging by your age, you have probably only just become Soul Masters. Where did you get the courage to come here and issue a mountain challenge? You should hurry back to wherever you came from, unless you want to make fools of yourselves."

They burst into laughter.

Heaven Dou Royal Academy classified its students and teachers according to their strength.

Students with Soul Power below level twenty-five were called Heavenly Micro Level. Those between level twenty-five and thirty were Heavenly Supreme Level, while those above level thirty were Heavenly Dou Level.

These students guarding the academy entrance were Heavenly Micro Level Soul Masters.

"Oh, really?" Ling Qianyue smiled faintly as he summoned the Shattered Star Sword and made the gesture Soul Masters used to issue a challenge.

"Ling Qianyue, Martial Soul: Shattered Star Sword. Level 24 Assault Type Battle Soul Master!"

"Damn it, big bro, get him!"

The lackeys behind him egged him on. Unable to back down, he gritted his teeth and accepted.

"Huang Chang, Martial Soul: Ghost Fire. Level 23 Assault Type Battle Soul Master."

The battle was about to begin. Huang Chang snorted coldly as the yellow First Soul Ring on his body suddenly lit up.

"First Soul Skill, Ghost Fire Assault!"

Dark green flames spread around him, wrapping his entire body in Ghost Fire as he charged fiercely at Ling Qianyue.

Ling Qianyue narrowed his eyes and did not use a Soul Skill. At the instant Huang Chang closed in, he lightly shifted his body and evaded the unstoppable Ghost Fire Assault at an almost impossible angle.

Huang Chang's attack missed, and his body involuntarily lunged forward.

Ling Qianyue took advantage of the opening and slashed. The Shattered Star Sword struck Huang Chang's Tanzhong Acupoint with unerring precision.

"Ah—"

Huang Chang cried out in pain, staggered, and fell to the ground. Clutching his wound, he stared at Ling Qianyue in disbelief. "You..."

"Go notify the academy's teachers. You are not qualified enough. Let me see what Heaven Dou Royal Academy is capable of."

As he spoke, Soul Rings rose around Ling Qianyue's Shattered Star Sword. One yellow and one purple Soul Ring gleamed against each other along the blade.

"A-A Thousand-Year Second Soul Ring?!" Huang Chang and his companions were dumbfounded, too shocked by the sight before them to speak.

The limit for a First Soul Ring was around four hundred years, while the limit for a Second Soul Ring was roughly seven hundred and fifty years. This was practically common knowledge throughout the Soul Master World, yet Ling Qianyue's Thousand-Year Second Soul Ring had undoubtedly shattered that conventional understanding.

"Gulp. Q-Quick, go get the teachers!"

Huang Chang sprang to his feet. Ignoring the wound that was still bleeding, he was the first to run up the mountain, the humiliation of his earlier face-plant vanishing in an instant.

"Damn it, I'm reporting someone for cheating! How am I supposed to fight this?"

Ling Qianyue and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged smiles, then followed the group up the mountain.

At the main gate, two Soul Master guards in elaborate academy uniforms stood as straight as pines. Seeing Huang Chang and his group running over in such a sorry state, one of the guards frowned slightly and shouted, "Huang Chang, what happened to you? Why are you so flustered?"

Huang Chang panted heavily as he gasped out, "Q-Quick, notify the teachers! S-Someone has come to cause trouble, and he... he has a Thousand-Year Second Soul Ring!"

"What? A Thousand-Year Second Soul Ring? Is that real?" Both guards looked astonished.

"It's real! If I'm lying, I'm Chishi! If I'm lying, Boci will never be able to!"

Damn, that was a vicious oath! Respect, brother.

The guards exchanged looks. One of them swiftly turned around and sprinted into the academy to report it.

However, before he could enter the campus, a hand landed on his shoulder.

An identity token was handed to him, and a man's voice sounded by his ear. "Take my identity token and go directly to the Education Committee to find the three committee members. I will bring them to the central reception hall."

The guard froze for a moment before nodding and leaving. "Yes, Teacher Qin Ming."

"A Thousand-Year Second Soul Ring? Could such an unparalleled genius be from my alma mater, Shrek Academy? After all, Shrek only accepts monsters~"

Qin Ming stood at the academy's main gate, looking expectantly at Ling Qianyue and Zhu Zhuqing as they slowly approached from afar. He silently speculated about the origins and strength of these two young people.

Ling Qianyue and Zhu Zhuqing stopped before Qin Ming and cupped their hands.

Qin Ming wore a smile. "Welcome, you two. Are you here to join Heaven Dou Royal Academy? I can make the decision to place you directly into the First Team and train you as core students."

Ling Qianyue also wore a gentle smile. "Teacher, before discussing that, I would rather first witness Heaven Dou Royal Academy's strength. Besides, whether your academy even dares to accept us remains to be seen."

"What do you mean?" Qin Ming asked in confusion.

"Ling Qianyue, Martial Soul: Shattered Star Sword. Level 24 Assault Type Battle Soul Master."

"Zhu Zhuqing, Martial Soul: Hell Spirit Cat. Level 21 Agility Attack Battle Soul Master."

Qin Ming and the guards all gaped at the yellow and purple Soul Rings flickering around the two of them. Especially that Thousand-Year Second Soul Ring, which shone so brilliantly under the afterglow of the setting sun, leaving them all filled with shock.

Qin Ming's heart skipped a beat. "Hell Spirit Cat... the Zhu Family of Star Luo?"