First Meeting with the Daughter of the Heavenly Dao

Tang Ling saw it but did not stop him.

Her bargain-bin uncle had already sent word ahead before they came. If she had not insisted otherwise, the headmaster would surely have thrown open the gates and personally welcomed them.

Not long after they began walking, a burly middle-aged man strode over. He stopped two paces away from them, bent at the waist, and gave a knight's salute. "Good afternoon, Princess. I arrived late."

"Headmaster Nolan, there is no need for such formality." Tang Ling sized up the kindly man before her and nodded with a smile.

"Not at all, not at all. It is only proper!" Nolan waved his hand with a cheerful laugh, then pointed into the distance. "The journey was long. Princess, please return to your residence and rest for a while. I will go urge them to prepare lunch."

"All right, see you later." Tang Ling nodded with a smile, then followed the guards toward a nearby courtyard.

By the time they reached the courtyard, its gates had already been opened. Two male workers in cleaning uniforms stood against the wall with their heads lowered, waiting for the Princess to inspect the grounds.

"This place looks quite nice." Tang San was the first to push open the door of the small Western-style building. Looking at the comfortable, bright living room before him, he smiled at Tang Ling.

"Indeed." Xue Qingxi, who entered after him, nodded in agreement. Though it was not large, it was cozy, and it had its own private courtyard.

The Third Prince had already prepared himself to live in a communal dormitory. Learning that they had an entire courtyard instead came as a tremendous surprise.

"Steward Roger, the rooms have already been cleaned. We'll go wash up, and you can handle the rest." Tang Ling called for the two of them to head upstairs.

The main building of the courtyard was a three-story Western-style house. The second floor had been arranged for the two boys, while the third floor was Tang Ling's residence.

After the three changed into simpler clothes and came downstairs, both the living room and courtyard had been tidied up. They then followed Steward Roger to the dining room for their meal.

After eating their fill, Tang San and Xue Qingxi took their schoolwork and followed Tang Ling to the study on the third floor.

"How has Qingxi's cultivation been going?" Tang Ling sat by the window and looked at the two sitting side by side across from her.

"I successfully reached level ten." Xue Qingxi stood and displayed his Soul Power. He had Innate Soul Power at level nine, so he needed to cultivate to level ten before obtaining his first Spirit Ring.

"Very good. Once we register tomorrow, we can head to the Star Dou Great Forest." Tang Ling nodded with a smile, then looked at Tang San. "What level has A-Xuan's Mysterious Heaven Skill reached?"

"I just reached the second level." Tang San sat obediently and met Tang Ling's gaze, showing the results of his half month of work.

"Not bad. It seems neither of you has been slacking." Tang Ling nodded with a smile in praise, then raised her hand and ruffled Tang San's hair.

Tang Ling did not hide her favoritism from Xue Qingxi. On the second day the three of them spent together, she had demonstrated Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill right in front of him.

Just as Tang Ling had expected, beyond expressing shock, Xue Qingxi had no other thoughts about it. He even privately complained to Tang San about whether they were learning too much too early.

Even later, when he learned that Tang San was the Son of the Heavenly Dao and he himself was a Child of Destiny, he did not react strongly.

When Tang Ling asked him why, he calmly said that since he was so amazing, the people around him naturally had to be outstanding. Tang Ling and Tang San were left speechless, unable to think of anything to say in rebuttal.

"Get a good rest tonight. Tomorrow morning, report to the teaching room first. Have lunch in the cafeteria, then when you return in the afternoon, think about what kind of Spirit Rings you want to obtain." As Tang Ling spoke, she rose and walked to the bookshelf nearby, then handed them two identical books.

"Qingxi's Spirit Soul is the Falcon Spear. It can fly, is strong with bows and arrows, but lacks defensive ability.

"A-Xuan's Spirit Soul is the Faceless Plate. Its offensive effects can change freely, and among the martial arts he has learned, he is better at archery.

"Bows and arrows have a wide attack range, but their attack power is not high, and their own defense is relatively weak."

Tang Ling looked at the two as they flipped through their books and analyzed their Spirit Souls separately. "Letting you choose for yourselves

is only so you can understand your own Spirit Souls. As for the final result, I will make suitable arrangements for you."

"Got it. Thank you, Teacher!" Xue Qingxi closed the book with a cheerful smile. He now trusted Tang Ling greatly, so he was not worried in the slightest about his first Spirit Ring.

Tang San followed suit and closed his book. He had already learned about his Spirit Soul three years ago, so there was no need to read much more.

As for his second Spirit Soul, the Fingertip Blade, he was even more familiar with it. He did not need his senior sister to tell him what kind of Spirit Ring he should obtain.

"Then look through the textbooks Headmaster Nolan brought for now. I need to handle official matters." Tang Ling did not object. Smiling, she told the two to read before walking toward the desk piled with documents.

Time passed, and the next day arrived.

After breakfast, the three, now ready, headed to the academy without hesitation.

Notting Junior Soul Master Academy was divided into front and rear courtyards. At the center of the front courtyard stood the teaching building. The cafeteria and recreation area were to the left of the central axis, while the student dormitories were on the right.

The rear courtyard did not cover much ground and served as the teachers' residences. A gate separated the front and rear courtyards, and entry and exit required a card, making it very secure.

The three completed their registration smoothly, then headed toward the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was bustling at noon. Students from different grades moved among the tables and chairs as Tang San led the other two to a corner.

Once Tang Ling was seated, Tang San pulled Xue Qingxi away to get food. Tang Ling did not object and watched the two walk away.

As one of the foremost junior Soul Master Academies in the Balak Kingdom, its cafeteria not only offered delicious, well-balanced meals of meat and vegetables, but the prices were also quite low.

The three ate with great interest, leaning close together and speaking quietly.

Bang!

The thunderous crash interrupted their conversation and silenced the entire cafeteria.

Tang Ling raised her head and looked toward the sound. Four fierce-looking boys were glaring aggressively at a slightly shorter boy and girl across from them.

The other students, whether standing or sitting, hurried away and left space for the six of them. Soon afterward, murmurs rose, and the cafeteria regained its noise.

"Is this... school bullying?" Tang Ling studied them with some hesitation, then gestured for Xue Qingxi and Tang San to ask what was going on.

Having received her instruction, the two looked at a child at the next table and got up to walk over.

"Hello, classmate. May I ask what is happening here?" Xue Qingxi sat beside him with a cheerful smile and asked in a gentle tone.

The boy who had been addressed froze for a moment, then answered in a low voice, "They're picking on work-study students.

"That boy and girl are first-year work-study students living in Seven House. The four across from them are second-year troublemakers.

"They're always causing problems. Just now, they were grinning and teasing that little girl. She got angry and overturned their meal trays,

so they're definitely going to beat them up!"

"Is no one going to stop them?" Tang San asked sternly, his gaze sweeping across the four vicious faces in the distance.

"Their boss is Zhao Qian from the second year. Zhao Qian's family is a well-known wealthy merchant family in Notting City, and they keep Soul Masters. Not many people are willing to offend him." Hearing Tang San's words, the boy immediately waved his hands, then shrank his neck and spoke softly.

Having gotten their answer, the two thanked him, then returned to their seats and relayed it to Tang Ling.

"Senior Sister, let's go help them." Hearing the faint sounds of arguing in the distance, Tang San frowned with concern.

"No need. She can handle it." Tang Ling watched the girl in pink, a smile curling across her lips.

The two looked in the direction of her gaze in confusion, only to discover that the girl had already beaten the four boys to the ground and was proudly pulling her companion away.

"How did Teacher know she could win?" Xue Qingxi looked at Tang Ling's smiling lips, his face full of confusion.

She couldn't possibly judge someone's combat strength from a distance, could she?

"Because she is a special existence, just like you two." Tang Ling withdrew her gaze and looked at them, then lowered her voice. "She is the Daughter of the Heavenly Dao."