Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy

This thought circled through his mind several times. He had no answer for now, but at least it was a direction worth trying.

What mattered most right now was finding somewhere to settle down, then asking around to see which intermediate academy in Heaven Dou City suited him best.

After competing in Notting City for so long, he could now be considered wealthy. He found a fairly well-decorated hotel and checked in.

The lobby was carpeted in dark red, with a wide front desk directly opposite the entrance.

Several landscape paintings hung on the walls. The overall decor was not especially luxurious, but it was clean, bright, and pleasant to look at.

The moment he entered, a greeter in a neat uniform hurried over. With a standard smile on his face, he bowed slightly and asked, "Sir, are you here to dine or to stay?"

"To stay," Wang Xian said.

"Certainly, this way please." The greeter led him to the front desk, swiftly completed the check-in procedures, took the key, and led Wang Xian upstairs.

The room was on the third floor. It was not large, but the bedding was clean, the windows faced south, and sunlight streamed in, making the entire room bright.

Wang Xian gave it a glance and was fairly satisfied.

The greeter set the key on the table and was about to leave when Wang Xian stopped him.

He took a Gold Coin from his pocket and casually handed it over.

The greeter's eyes immediately widened. He accepted the Gold Coin with both hands, and the smile on his face instantly changed from polite to genuinely radiant. He bowed far lower than before.

"Lord Soul Master, if you have any instructions, just say the word. I'll make sure everything is handled properly."

One Gold Coin was worth two months of his wages.

Anyone who could casually give such a generous tip had to be a Lord Soul Master.

Seeing his reaction, Wang Xian nodded slightly and said, "Compile a list of the locations and basic information for every intermediate academy in Heaven Dou City. Bring it to my room before this afternoon."

After a pause, he added, "Once you deliver it, there'll be another reward."

The greeter's eyes lit up even more, and he nodded repeatedly. "Rest assured, my lord. I'll have it delivered before this afternoon. I definitely will."

He gave another deep bow, backed out of the room, and gently closed the door.

Wang Xian set his bundle on the table, then pushed open the window and looked outside.

Below was a broad street bustling with people and filled with the constant traffic of carriages and horses. In the distance, he could vaguely make out the outlines of several towering buildings.

Heaven Dou City was far larger and more complicated than Notting City, but that was fine. He had plenty of time to slowly figure it out.

"Time to cultivate first."

He cultivated until noon, when a knock at the door woke him.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and quickly entered a cultivation state.

Soul Power slowly circulated through his meridians, lap after lap, while time slipped away unnoticed.

He cultivated until noon, when a knock at the door pulled him from his cultivation state.

Wang Xian opened his eyes, got down from the bed, walked to the door, and pulled it open.

The greeter from that morning stood outside, his face piled with smiles and a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. He looked as though he had run all the way upstairs.

"Lord Soul Master, I've brought what you asked for." The greeter respectfully held out a stack of papers with both hands.

Wang Xian took them and glanced over several pages. The sheets were densely covered in neat handwriting. It was clear they had been prepared with care.

The name, location, enrollment requirements, assessment methods, and even some details he had not considered were all listed clearly for each academy.

"Not bad." Wang Xian nodded, took another Gold Coin from his pocket, and handed it over.

The greeter's eyes instantly lit up. He accepted the Gold Coin with both hands and bowed repeatedly. "Thank you, Lord Soul Master! Thank you, Lord Soul Master! If you need anything in the future, just call for me. I'll come at once!"

Wang Xian waved him off, turned around, returned to the room, and shut the door.

He sat at the table, spread out the stack of papers, and began reading through them carefully from beginning to end.

There were nearly twenty intermediate academies of all sizes in Heaven Dou City, and the documents recorded the circumstances of every one in painstaking detail.

Some academies emphasized theoretical instruction, some focused on practical combat training, some were known for their abundant resources, while others were famous for their low enrollment thresholds and easy admission.

Wang Xian turned the pages one by one, reviewing the characteristics of every academy in his mind.

When he reached the end, his gaze settled on the top sheet.

Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy.

This academy had direct ties with Heaven Dou Advanced Academy and could be considered its preparatory school.

Its teaching staff was the best among these intermediate academies, and the resources available to its students naturally far surpassed those of the others.

Of course, its admission threshold was also the highest, and its assessment methods the strictest.

Wang Xian pondered for a moment, already having made up his mind.

Among the nearly twenty intermediate academies, Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy was undoubtedly the best choice.

Most of its students came from families with some foundation, and the quality of their martial souls was generally not low. The Cultivation Points he could obtain here would certainly be far greater than elsewhere.

And if Dugu Yan really was attending an intermediate academy in Heaven Dou City, this was the most likely one.

"Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy. This is the place."

Wang Xian put away the documents and made his decision.

The next morning, after breakfast, Wang Xian left the hotel directly.

Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy was located in the center of Heaven Dou City, in the most prosperous part of the entire city.

After passing through a lively district and circling around several broad avenues, he finally caught sight of the academy's outline.

The academy's outer walls were built from solid blue-gray stone bricks. They stood roughly thirty feet high and stretched as far as the eye could see.

At intervals along the top of the walls stood stone pillars carved with martial soul patterns, imposing yet dignified.

The main entrance was an arched gate. Above its lintel were six bold, vigorous characters: "Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy."

Beneath them was another densely packed line of small text, likely the year the academy had been founded and the name of the person who had inscribed it.

Two guards stood at the entrance, dressed in matching uniforms with their backs ramrod straight.

As soon as Wang Xian reached the gate, one of the guards extended a hand. His tone was fairly polite. "Kid, this isn't a place to play. If you have no business here, go somewhere else."

Wang Xian was dressed quite respectably now. Back in Notting City, he had deliberately bought several sets of good clothes so that he would not draw unnecessary trouble after arriving in Heaven Dou City.

The guard did not say anything too harsh, most likely because Wang Xian's clothing made him look unlike a child from an ordinary family.

"I'm here for the entrance assessment." As Wang Xian spoke, he took out Notting Academy's graduation certificate and his Spirit Hall Soul Master badge, then handed them over.

The guard took them and examined them, then looked Wang Xian over once more. His attitude immediately changed.

He returned the items, stepped aside, and pointed inward. "Go on in. Follow the main road straight ahead, then turn right at the fork. The new student assessment site is over there."

Wang Xian thanked him and stepped inside.