Nuoding Academy

Tang San said, "If there are junior and intermediate academies, then there must be advanced ones too."

Old Jack nodded, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes. "Don't even think about Advanced Soul Master Academies. They aren't places just anyone can enter. In our Heaven Dou Empire, there are only two Advanced Soul Master Academies, and together they admit fewer than a hundred students each year. They are cradles of success. Any student who graduates from an Advanced Soul Master Academy will be fought over by both the state and Spirit Hall, and directly granted a noble title."

"Nobles have such good conditions?" Tang San asked in surprise.

"Of course," Old Jack said. "Soul Masters are the most noble profession, and advanced Soul Masters even more so. They are all talented people. So for commoners like us, becoming an advanced Soul Master is obviously the best shortcut to rising in the world. But how many ordinary commoners can possess such excellent martial souls? Even if they do, without the support of a great family, it would be difficult for them to graduate from an Advanced Soul Master Academy."

"The graduation exam is one's own matter. Why would anyone need someone else's support?" Tang San did not quite understand.

Old Jack sighed. "That is the difference—the difference between the poor and the rich, between commoners and nobles. The requirements for graduating from a Junior Soul Master Academy are very simple. As long as your martial soul reaches level ten and you obtain a Soul Ring under the guidance of the academy teachers, successfully advancing to the rank of Soul Master, that is enough. It is not difficult. Any child with Soul Spirit Power after awakening can do it. They say that raising Soul Power from level one to level ten, from Soul Scholar to Soul Master, is the easiest stage."

"But Intermediate Soul Master Academy is different. To graduate from there, your martial soul must reach level twenty, and you must obtain a second Soul Ring to earn the title of Soul Grandmaster. From level ten to level twenty is a height that many Soul Masters can never reach in their entire lives. Furthermore, after reaching level twenty, if you want to obtain a Soul Ring, you must rely on your own strength to hunt Soul Beasts. That is extremely dangerous. If you come from a noble family and have family warriors accompanying you, the danger will naturally be much less. But Soul Masters of common birth like us can only rely on ourselves."

"The graduation requirements for Advanced Soul Master Academies are even more demanding. Only by breaking through the level-thirty bottleneck, obtaining a third Soul Ring, and advancing from Soul Grandmaster to Soul Elder can one graduate. They say level thirty is a threshold. Cross it, and you can be called a powerful Soul Master, a true noble. Fail to cross it, and things become difficult. And it seems there are further restrictions on obtaining a Soul Ring at level thirty. You should learn the specifics at the academy. In any case, it seems that fewer than one-third of the students in those Advanced Soul Master Academies can truly graduate."

After listening to Old Jack, Tang San gained a basic impression of how Soul Masters were trained on Douluo Continent.

"Grandpa Jack, didn't you say there are as many as ten Soul Master titles? Graduates of Advanced Soul Master Academies are only Soul Elders. How can they obtain the titles beyond that?"

Old Jack smiled bitterly. "How would I know? Those with titles beyond Soul Elder are all important figures. The Soul Saint our village once produced was directly supported by the state back then. I have heard that Soul Master cultivation becomes more difficult and more dangerous the further one goes. How many people can truly reach the pinnacle of a Titled Douluo? You could even say that I do not dare to say for certain whether such beings exist in the Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire today."

Old Jack only had a simple understanding of Soul Masters, and his explanations lacked detail. Tang San understood that he could only slowly explore such knowledge at the academy, especially matters concerning Soul Beasts and Soul Rings.

Holy Soul Village was not far from Nuoding City. The two walked for half a day, eating a little dry rations along the way. By afternoon, they could already see the distant city walls.

Although Nuoding City was not a large city, its walls were solidly built because it was close to the Heaven Dou Empire's border. After undergoing the same inspection as the other passersby, Tang San and Old Jack entered Nuoding City.

"Little San, after I take you to the academy, Grandpa will head back. You must listen to the teachers while you are alone at the academy. Do not leave the academy without permission. When the term ends, Grandpa Jack will come pick you up. It should be nearly New Year by then."

It was Tang San's first time leaving home, and he could not help feeling somewhat nervous. He instinctively said, "Grandpa Jack, are you leaving so soon?"

Old Jack smiled bitterly. "Inns are not something poor people like us can afford. You must work hard. When Grandpa sees you next time, I hope you will already have become a Soul Master. Then our Holy Soul Village will be proud of you."

Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy was located in the west of Nuoding City. After asking several passersby for directions, Old Jack finally brought Tang San there.

From afar, they could already see a towering arched gate. It was twenty meters wide and over ten meters tall, built entirely of solid stone. Beneath it stood two black iron-bar gates. Tang San could tell at a glance that they were forged from high-quality refined iron.

Through the iron bars, they could see a winding path leading deep inside, with tall trees lining both sides.

At the center of the archway were four large characters: "Nuoding Academy."

The academy gate alone showed how important the profession of Soul Master was on Douluo Continent. And this was only a Junior Soul Master Academy.

The moment Old Jack and Tang San reached the gate, they were stopped by the young gatekeeper. "What are you here for? Is this a place country folk like you can come to?"

Old Jack's clothes were considered rather presentable in Holy Soul Village, but in Nuoding City, he looked completely like a country bumpkin. The gatekeeper's gaze held more than a trace of disdain.