The Education Committee's Attention

"Born to a farming family, with a clean background. The person recommending him is both a noble of the state and the dean of a Junior Soul Master Academy, so he is clearly trustworthy."

"His Martial Soul is an Earth Dragon, so its quality is guaranteed. His first Spirit Ring was a hundred-year ring, and he hunted it himself, which shows that he has extremely strong practical ability. At just eight years old, he has already reached rank seventeen. This cultivation speed is simply no less than Innate Full Soul Power."

"A fine seedling, a fine seedling indeed."

Looking over the assessment form Qin Ming had provided, the three Education Committee Members spoke in turn, delighted to have recruited a student like Chen Ming.

Although Heaven Dou Royal Academy had its admission requirements, one powerful baron was willing to guarantee Chen Ming's recommendation with his own title, while Chen Ming himself possessed truly outstanding talent and a Martial Soul. Even the nobles most particular about rules could find no fault with him.

The three chief instructors of Heaven Dou Academy—Bai Baoshan, Zhi Lin, and Meng Shenji—were renowned across the entire continent for their thirst for talent and their standing as giants in the field of education.

Since becoming Education Committee Members, the three had trained countless outstanding students over the decades. They were titans in the educational world. Even the Star Luo Empire, Heaven Dou Empire's enemy in all but name, held the three Education Committee Members' character and teaching ability in high regard.

With such excellent fresh blood joining the academy, the three felt as refreshed as if they had drunk a cup of chilled sour plum soup in the height of summer. Their hearts brimmed with delight and curiosity.

Although someone without any background would inevitably suffer some discrimination and be easily bullied by Spirit Masters from noble families after joining the academy, the three Education Committee Members discussed matters and planned Chen Ming's future training and guidance. At the same time, they produced a special form.

"Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy of Fasinuo Province, Heaven Dou Empire: its students possess outstanding talent, its teachers uphold noble ethics, and its overall strength and educational ability meet the standards of an Intermediate Soul Master Academy of the Heaven Dou Empire. It is hereby specially approved for promotion to an Intermediate Soul Master Academy of the Heaven Dou Empire."

Bai Baoshan wrote a simple sentence on the form, then stamped it with his personal seal and the academy's seal.

As the royal institution of the Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou Imperial Academy was the largest academy in the country and, in theory, the head of all Soul Master Academies within the Heaven Dou Empire.

If an Intermediate Soul Master Academy wished to advance into an Advanced Soul Master Academy, it needed approval from the state ministers and had to undergo multiple evaluations before it could finally be personally approved by the emperor.

After all, even across the continent, there were not many Soul Master Academies worthy of being called Advanced Soul Master Academies. They represented a nation's prestige and educational capability, so even pulling strings was extremely difficult.

But a "small matter" like a Junior Soul Master Academy advancing into an Intermediate Soul Master Academy was something the three Education Committee Members had the authority to approve themselves.

Qin Ming took the admission certificate and promotion form issued by the Education Committee Members and returned to find Chen Ming and Dean Lu. Chen Ming received the admission notice he had longed for, while Dean Lu received the promotion approval he had dreamed of.

After tearfully bidding Chen Ming farewell, Dean Lu ran madly in the direction of Nuoding City, eager to tell his reclusive teacher that the wish of generations of deans had been fulfilled. Meanwhile, Qin Ming led Chen Ming into Heaven Dou Royal Academy outside Heaven Dou City.

Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy was already quite large for a Soul Master Academy. Yet compared to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy was not even as large as the royal academy's entrance gate.

Junior Soul Master Academies were built on flat ground, with a small hill inside. Heaven Dou Royal Academy, strictly speaking, encompassed an entire mountain range as its campus.

Heaven Dou Royal Academy was located around twenty li outside Heaven Dou City. Its main buildings stood atop a mountain over a thousand meters high, while lakes and several relatively low mountain ranges lay at its foot.

Even though he had seen plenty of photographs of tourist attractions online in his previous life, Chen Ming was still somewhat stunned by the academy. Was a place like this really meant for cultivation?

The mountain was over a thousand meters high, and the academy was at its summit. Even Spirit Masters... surely their legs were not strong enough to let them casually climb up and down whenever they pleased?

"Heaven Dou Royal Academy has roughly five hundred students and around fifty teachers. Most students usually cultivate halfway up the mountain or in special training grounds. It is rare for the majority of them to gather in one place."

As Qin Ming led Chen Ming upward, he pointed out the way.

When they reached a point near the middle of the mountain, Qin Ming led Chen Ming sideways, eventually stopping in front of a cave.

"This is a mine shaft dug specifically for Mimicry Training. It is one of several caverns the academy prepared for earth-attribute and metal-attribute Spirit Masters, and it has been sitting unused for several years."

"With the approval of the three Education Committee Members, this will be your exclusive Mimicry Training Ground from now on."

There was a trace of pride in Qin Ming's voice. After all, only an academy as wealthy as Heaven Dou Royal Academy, with its royal backing, could casually designate an exclusive training ground for someone.

Although Qin Ming considered his alma mater, Shrek Academy, to be a good place as well, he could not praise its teaching environment even against his conscience. At most, he could say its teaching staff was decent.

Only after joining Heaven Dou Royal Academy did Qin Ming realize how hard his days at Shrek had been. Though he came from Shrek, he had long since become a member of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

So long as nothing unexpected happened, Qin Ming felt that he could be a teacher at Heaven Dou Royal Academy for the rest of his life.

"There are living quarters inside the Mimicry Training Ground, but you may also choose an ownerless courtyard halfway up the mountain as an additional residence. Which will you choose?"

"I'll take a look first. If possible, I'll live in the Mimicry Training Ground. It'll be more convenient for cultivation. I have this personal quirk: if I don't cultivate for a day, I feel uncomfortable all over. It feels even worse than going without food or sleep," Chen Ming replied after thinking it over.

"Just as expected of a genius. To achieve a cultivation speed that surpasses, or even rivals, Innate Full Soul Power, you must have put in tremendous effort."

Qin Ming gave Chen Ming a thumbs-up and praised him.

Why was Qin Ming so certain that Chen Ming's cultivation speed surpassed Innate Full Soul Power?

The answer was simple. Back then, Qin Ming himself had been one of the children who had luckily attained Innate Full Soul Power due to a Martial Soul mutation, one of the five exceptions in that century.

(Yu Xiaogang's description in the original work: Although Twin Martial Souls have appeared only twice, Innate Full Soul Power has appeared in nineteen people. I carefully researched every one of their Martial Souls, and not a single one was weak. The youngest among them has already reached the level of a Soul Grandmaster. Aside from fourteen who inherited powerful Martial Souls through their family bloodlines, there were five exceptions.)

Otherwise, with no background and having stumbled into Shrek by chance, he could not possibly have become the youngest Soul King—later revised to the second youngest.