Heaven Dou Royal Academy

"Fengzhi, apart from the reasons I mentioned before for having Yao join Heaven Dou Royal Academy, there is something even more important. Although Yao joined the academy after Yu Tianheng, he got ahead of him when it came to winning over the Poison Douluo."

After Xue Qinghe left, Chen Xin watched Ning Rongrong chatting with Lin Yao, her lively and adorable demeanor bringing an unconsciously gentle smile to his face. He slowly spoke.

"Uncle Sword, you mean...?"

Ning Fengzhi frowned slightly, a trace of contemplation flashing through his eyes. He seemed to have vaguely guessed something, yet was not entirely certain.

"That's right. Just as you thought."

Chen Xin nodded lightly. Though his voice was soft, it carried a few hints of certainty.

"Some time ago, Yao gave Dugu Bo's granddaughter, Dugu Yan, a small helping hand. He helped her hunt her second Soul Ring.

"Even without Yao's help, that soul beast would not have escaped Dugu Bo's grasp. But the fact remained that he truly did help her. Now, Yao and Dugu Yan could be considered friends."

Chen Xin explained in detail, his words carrying considerable approval for Lin Yao's actions.

"Yes. If Uncle Sword hadn't mentioned it, I would have nearly forgotten about that."

Ning Fengzhi suddenly understood. Thinking of how Lin Yao had, by sheer coincidence, accomplished the goal the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had long desired yet failed to achieve, a gratified smile appeared on his face as he nodded repeatedly.

"This trip to Heaven Dou Academy will allow Yao to meet more talented soul masters and broaden his horizons. It will also strengthen his connection with the crucial contact that is Dugu Bo, while letting him scout things out for Rongrong in advance. Later, Rongrong can also attend Heaven Dou Academy to gain experience."

Ning Fengzhi quietly calculated to himself. With so many benefits from one matter, it was naturally worth doing.

However, the one flaw was that he did not know Xue Qinghe was Qian Renxue in disguise.

If Lin Yao had not known the plot and been able to deftly maneuver along the edge of danger, one careless misstep could have consigned him to eternal damnation.

But now, with his god's-eye view, Lin Yao had gained a certain understanding of Qian Renxue's personality. He was confident he could obtain benefits without making Qian Renxue think, This brat has already earned himself a death sentence.

"..."

However, Ning Rongrong, who had been quietly listening from the side, suddenly felt that something was wrong.

Brother Lin Yao knew a girl at Heaven Dou Royal Academy?! Wasn't that like sending a sheep into a tiger's den?!

She had agreed so readily just now. No, she had to cultivate and raise her strength as quickly as possible, then go to Heaven Dou Royal Academy. She could not let someone else steal Brother Lin Yao away.

The next afternoon, after reluctantly bidding farewell to Ning Rongrong and the others, Lin Yao took the life-saving measures his master had given him and followed Xue Qinghe to the outskirts of Heaven Dou City.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was not far from Heaven Dou City, and Heaven Dou Royal Academy was likewise located outside the city. The journey between them took no more than half a day.

When Lin Yao stood before Heaven Dou Royal Academy, built against the mountains, and looked upon its vast, boundless campus, he could not help but feel a surge of admiration.

Although the Royal Academy did not have a Title Douluo-level expert stationed there, it possessed abundant financial resources under the Heaven Dou Empire's vigorous support. The construction of its various facilities was truly extravagant.

In particular, a huge portion of the academy was very likely the Mimicry Environment mentioned in Douluo Continent I, capable of helping soul masters increase their Cultivation speed.

Lin Yao followed behind Xue Qinghe as they walked into the academy, quietly pondering to himself.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Mimicry Environment was indeed exceptional in training Support Type soul masters, pushing the potential of that aspect to an extremely high level.

But in terms of overall comprehensiveness, Heaven Dou Royal Academy was still superior.

"Yao, I'll take you to meet the academy's three education committee members now.

"These three are all top-tier experts with the strength of eight-ring Soul Fighting Douluos. Although your master is the renowned Sword Douluo, your own strength is still far inferior to theirs.

"So, you must show the respect and courtesy due to the strong."

At that moment, Xue Qinghe stopped and turned around, offering the reminder with a concerned expression.

"The three committee members are all relatively mild-tempered experts. But if you encounter others with violent temperaments and impulsive ways of doing things, they might attack over a mere disagreement.

"Though you have the life-saving trump card your master left you, there is no need to waste it on such trivial matters.

"When traveling outside, only by acting cautiously can a genius with supreme talent like you grow more smoothly.

"After all, a dead genius is worthless."

Xue Qinghe spoke earnestly.

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Xue."

Lin Yao nodded seriously. In this world of Douluo Continent, where strength was revered above all else, a gap in strength often meant the difference between life and death.

Before one possessed enough strength to protect oneself, remaining humble and low-key was the way to survive.

He could not help thinking of Tang San from the original story. If Tang San had not had his father secretly protecting him in the early days, the attentive care of Shrek Academy's teachers, and even benefited somewhat from Yu Xiaogang's reputation—not to mention Bibi Dong's complicated feelings for Yu Xiaogang, which spared Tang San from some of Spirit Hall's persecution—

Then, with Tang San's tendency to lose his head and act radically whenever Xiao Wu was involved, he would have long since died at the hands of countless ill-intentioned people.

Xue Qinghe looked at Lin Yao's humble, receptive, composed, and modest demeanor, feeling quite satisfied.

A youth who had only recently awakened his Martial Soul, whose temperament had yet to fully mature, could actually possess such a steady mindset. This was a true favored child of heaven.

Then he thought of those Heaven Dou Royal Academy students, who were a full generation older than Lin Yao. One by one, they could neither endure the hardships of Cultivation nor bear to share the academy's resources with students from ordinary backgrounds, fearful that others would surpass them. Compared to Lin Yao, they were worlds apart.

Each harboring their own thoughts, the two unknowingly arrived at the Teaching Office.

This was where the three education committee members usually worked and cultivated. Given their status within the academy, someone had long since informed them of Xue Qinghe's arrival.

At that moment, the three were already waiting outside.

Though the three education committee members were all Soul Fighting Douluo experts, it was still best to show more respect toward Xue Qinghe, who was meticulous in thought and ruthless in method—and who, in their eyes, could easily eliminate several of his own brothers.

Lin Yao also recalled the Douluo plotline he had read about in his previous life. If nothing unexpected happened, the three education committee members of Heaven Dou Royal Academy should be Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhi Lin.

He raised his eyes to look at the three men before him and began carefully identifying them. The one standing in the middle was of average height and rather thin, his entire body seeming little more than skin stretched over bone, with barely any flesh on him.

His white hair and beard were neatly groomed, while his complexion was ruddy and his spirits high.

When he spoke, his voice was thin and gentle but not unpleasant, giving off an especially kind and amiable feeling.

Lin Yao concluded that this person should be Meng Shenji, the strongest among them.

He then looked at the education committee member standing on the left. Though short, he was fat as a small mountain, with the exaggerated build of a man eight feet tall and four feet around the waist.

A mild smile constantly hung on his face. Whenever he smiled, the fat on his cheeks trembled along with it, making him the very image of a smiling Maitreya Buddha.

Lin Yao thought that this man must be Bai Baoshan.

As for the education committee member on the right, he looked the most ordinary of the three, with an unremarkable appearance that would make him difficult to notice in a crowd.

Only the occasional gleam of brightness in his eyes as they opened and closed revealed that he was anything but ordinary.

Lin Yao guessed that this person should be Zhi Lin.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, may I ask what important matter brings you to Heaven Dou Royal Academy this time?"

At that moment, Meng Shenji, the leader of the group, stepped forward and asked respectfully.

"Committee Member Meng, I have brought my little brother Yao to Heaven Dou Royal Academy to complete his enrollment procedures. I hope you can lend us your assistance, so that certain people who do not know their place cannot interfere."

With a gentle smile on his face, Xue Qinghe spoke as he lightly patted Lin Yao's shoulder beside him, his gaze full of an elder brother's concern.

"Yao, let me introduce you. This is Senior Meng Shenji, the chief of Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Education Committee. His martial soul is Black Demon, and he is a Level 86, eight-ring control-type Soul Fighting Douluo."

Xue Qinghe pointed at Meng Shenji as he introduced him to Lin Yao.

Then he pointed to Bai Baoshan on the left. "This is Senior Bai Baoshan. His martial soul is the Heavenly Star Furnace, and he is a Level 85, eight-ring defense-type Soul Fighting Douluo."

Finally, he pointed at Zhi Lin on the right. "This is Senior Zhi Lin. His martial soul is Azure Vine, and he is a Level 83, eight-ring control-type Soul Fighting Douluo."

Hearing this, Lin Yao hurriedly greeted each of them with a respectful bow. His demeanor was proper, displaying complete modesty and courtesy.

Sure enough, the identities of these three men were exactly as he remembered.

It had to be said that their martial souls had influenced them greatly, making the differences in their temperaments extremely obvious and easy to distinguish.

Watching Lin Yao, this well-behaved and sensible child, greet each of them respectfully, the three education committee members all found him exceptionally likable.

But this child was so young, and his martial soul could not have awakened very long ago. Was he trying to enter Heaven Dou Royal Academy through connections and the back door?

No, that could not be right. Given the shrewdness and methods Xue Qinghe usually displayed, he would never do something so inappropriate. Not only would it look bad, but it would also offend all three of them.

Could this child be a top-tier genius?

With that thought, the three of them each subconsciously released a wisp of soul power, cautiously sweeping through the soul power accumulated within Lin Yao's body.

When they sensed the level of soul power Lin Yao displayed, the three of them immediately sucked in sharp breaths and cried out in shock.

Heaven Dou Royal Academy had two Admission Requirements.

The first was noble status.

The second was reaching Soul Power Level 15 before the age of twelve.

If one far exceeded the second requirement and was exceptionally outstanding, then whether one was a noble was no longer so important.

Given their strength and experience, they had seen no shortage of geniuses.

Even among all kinds of geniuses with mutated martial souls and exceptionally high Innate Soul Power, there were very few with talent as terrifying as Lin Yao's.

The child before them looked no older than seven or eight, yet his soul power had already reached Level 18. He was only two small steps away from becoming a two-ring Soul Grandmaster.

At this rate, he would very likely break through within a year. Another two or three years later, he might even break through to Soul Elder before the age of eleven or twelve, becoming one of the continent's foremost geniuses.

It could be said that this talent far surpassed even Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and the others who had joined Heaven Dou Royal Academy before him.

As long as his martial soul had no fatal flaws, a martial soul corresponding to such a Soul Power Level would undoubtedly be a high-grade, or even top-grade, martial soul.

This was a top-tier genius even more terrifying than the geniuses born into the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Just where had Xue Qinghe found such a treasure?

Xue Qinghe smiled faintly. Though he did not know exactly what the three education committee members were thinking, he could more or less guess.

He patted Lin Yao's shoulder again and said:

"Yao, introduce yourself to the three education committee members before you. They are all your seniors and will also be your teachers in the future. They need to know something about you so they can guide you properly later on."

"Alright."

Lin Yao responded, looking at Xue Qinghe before turning to the three education committee members.

He slowly pressed his palms together before his chest. In an instant, fluctuations of soul power spread outward like ripples.

Immediately afterward, a longsword gleaming with brilliant starlight appeared out of thin air in his hand.

"Brother Xue, and the three education committee members, my name is Lin Yao. I am six and a half years old this year, an attack-type one-ring Battle Soul Master. My martial soul is the Star Sword, and my soul power is Level 18."

Lin Yao introduced himself in a clear voice, neither servile nor overbearing.

The information revealed in Lin Yao's words alone had already shocked the three education committee members present.

But when the Thousand-Year Soul Ring, radiating noble purple light as it hovered above the longsword, entered their sight, the gazes of the three education committee members and Xue Qinghe froze at once, and the shock on their faces deepened.

"Divine Inheritance? No, I can't sense any aura of a Deity from Yao. Could this little fellow really have forcibly absorbed a Thousand-Year Soul Ring through his own talent alone? How is that possible?

That shouldn't be possible. Logically speaking, a weapon martial soul should be inferior to a beast martial soul when it came to enhancing the body, yet why did this Star Sword feel even stronger than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon? What a little monster."

Xue Qinghe secretly marveled. If he had not possessed Innate Level 20 Soul Power and the Family Divine Throne Inheritance, then faced with such talent, even he might have felt inferior.

"Gasp—his First Ring is a Thousand-Year Soul Ring? This... this is simply unbelievable!"

Meng Shenji could not help drawing in a sharp breath, his voice filled with shock and disbelief.

"No wonder he was able to break through to Level 18 after obtaining his first soul ring. Aside from his own rapid Cultivation speed, the feedback and improvement brought by a Thousand-Year Soul Ring cannot be underestimated either."

Bai Baoshan remarked from the side.

"But is it really reasonable for his very first soul ring to be a Thousand-Year Soul Ring?"

The plump Bai Baoshan could not help voicing the doubt in his heart.

"It is entirely reasonable. If it exists, then it is reasonable."

Zhi Lin wore a solemn expression as he stared intently at the Star Sword in Lin Yao's hand and spoke slowly.

"Yao, I never expected you to keep this from me. You didn't even tell me along the way."

At this moment, Xue Qinghe pretended to be angry, though a faint smile remained on his face.

"Big Brother Xue, you never asked me."

Lin Yao blinked, an innocent expression appearing on his face. The Star Sword in his hand spun nimbly around his fingertips before tracing a beautiful flourish through the air.

"Forget it. You little rascal, I won't hold it against you. And Meng Shenji, what do you think of my little brother Yao's talent? Terrifying enough, isn't it?!

There's no need to make an exception to admit him. As His Excellency Sword Douluo's Direct Disciple, his status is loftier than that of most noble children in the empire."

Xue Qinghe smiled and waved his hand before turning to Meng Shenji.

The disciple of a Title Douluo—especially the disciple of Sword Douluo, whose offensive prowess was exceptional and whose soul power had reached the Super Douluo level—

was, in truth, on roughly equal footing with Xue Qinghe, His Highness the Crown Prince.

In some respects, his status was even higher.

Strictly speaking, if anyone dared to make things difficult for Lin Yao over his admission, they might act in the morning and find their entire family gone by noon.

"He meets the Admission Requirements. He more than meets them. So this child is His Excellency Sword Douluo's disciple. Heaven Dou Royal Academy warmly welcomes you to join us!"

Meng Shenji came back to his senses and hurriedly nodded in approval of Lin Yao's admission application.

At such a young age, he possessed such terrifying soul power cultivation; his first soul ring was a Thousand-Year Soul Ring; he had a top-tier Sword Martial Soul; and he was Sword Douluo's Personal Disciple.

If Heaven Dou Royal Academy rejected such a genius, it would practically be courting death.

"Then I'll leave my little brother in the care of you three education committee members. Please be sure to look after him."

After making arrangements for Lin Yao, Xue Qinghe prepared to take his leave. He needed to return and properly digest the astonishing things he had just learned about Lin Yao.

He had never expected that, in this era, there would be such a little monster who did not rely on Divine Inheritance yet possessed a Thousand-Year Soul Ring as his first soul ring.

"Rest assured, Your Highness the Crown Prince. We will certainly take good care of this child."

The three education committee members solemnly promised.

Seeing how earnest the three were, Xue Qinghe nodded in satisfaction.

Before leaving, he specifically told Lin Yao that if he encountered any trouble in the academy, he could send someone to Heaven Dou City to find him at any time.

After further deepening the bond between them, he finally turned and departed.