Enrollment, Heaven Dou Royal Academy

"Heaven Dou Royal Academy?" Gu Ci froze.

Dugu Bo nodded. "That's right. Though your cultivation is decent now, you can't stay cooped up at home cultivating forever."

"Soul Masters must not only cultivate Soul Power, but also learn knowledge, make friends, and broaden their horizons."

"Heaven Dou Royal Academy is the finest Soul Master Academy in the Heaven Dou Empire. Its teachers and cultivation resources are far beyond what you can find at home."

Gu Ci fell silent for a moment. "Grandpa Dugu, could we wait another month?"

"Another month?" Dugu Bo raised a brow. "Why?"

Gu Ci looked at the Concealment Pendant at his waist, then at Zi Dian and Night Shadow cultivating in the courtyard, and slowly spoke.

"Yanyan and I only just obtained our Second Spirit Rings. Our cultivation hasn't stabilized yet."

"Besides, my Soul Tool research has only just started to show results. I want to study it more deeply for a while longer."

He paused before continuing, "Most importantly, I want to use this month to further uncover the potential of the Soul Spirit Contract."

"Zi Dian, Night Shadow, Ice Fire, and Mo Jiao haven't been contracted with us for long. We still need time to get used to each other."

Dugu Bo pondered for a moment, then looked at Dugu Yan. "Yanyan, what do you think?"

Dugu Yan blinked and said softly, "I'll listen to Brother Gu Ci."

Dugu Bo was silent for a long time before finally nodding. "Fine. One month."

"After one month, you must report to the Academy."

"It will also be the peak registration period by then. The children of every noble family will be entering Heaven Dou Royal Academy to study."

Gu Ci let out a breath of relief. "Thank you, Grandpa Dugu."

Dugu Bo waved a hand and turned to leave. When he reached the courtyard gate, he suddenly stopped and spoke without looking back.

"Ci'er, this old man knows you have your own ideas."

"But remember, a tall tree catches the wind. Your talents are far too eye-catching now. Keeping a low profile will do you no harm."

"If you draw unnecessary trouble, I fear even this old man may not be able to protect you."

As an old hand who had spent many years in the Soul Master world, Dugu Bo naturally understood just how great a stir it would cause if news of Gu Ci and Dugu Yan were exposed.

By then... even Spirit Hall would not sit idly by.

Dugu Bo had once met the seniors of Spirit Hall's Worship Hall. Golden Crocodile Douluo, a living fossil of the Soul Master world, had even presided over his Titled Douluo investiture ceremony.

If they attracted the Worship Hall's attention, then even if Gu Ci and Dugu Yan survived, they would have no choice but to join Spirit Hall and serve it from then on.

For now, Dugu Bo could not accept that.

Gu Ci said solemnly, "I'll remember."

Over the next month, Gu Ci devoted nearly all his time to cultivation and research.

Every morning, he and Dugu Yan sparred in the courtyard.

Gu Ci used Ultimate Thunder while Dugu Yan used Ice Fire power. Whenever they exchanged blows, thunderlight and ice fire intertwined, blasting the courtyard into a complete mess.

Gu Xiao's heart ached so badly that he twitched, but he said nothing. He merely had the courtyard walls reinforced.

At noon, Gu Ci studied Soul Tools.

He had thumbed through that Complete Guide to Soul Tools so often that its pages had curled, and he had memorized the methods for crafting all kinds of First-Grade Soul Tools.

Using the materials he had on hand, he tried making several types.

Amplifiers, Illuminators, and Heaters—though they were all little trinkets, they deepened his understanding of Soul Tools.

Moreover, these little trinkets could genuinely improve people's lives. Illuminators and Heaters would be excellent additions to ordinary households.

In the afternoon, he worked on coordinating with the Soul Spirits.

Zi Dian excelled at frontal assaults, while Night Shadow excelled at concealment and ambushes. The two tigers complemented each other perfectly.

He tried having them attack at the same time. As thunderlight and dark shadow intertwined, their power more than doubled.

At night, he sat cross-legged and cultivated, consolidating his realm.

His level 25 cultivation improved considerably over the month, leaving him only one step away from level 26.

Dugu Yan did not slack off either.

Her Ice Fire Flood Dragon Martial Soul required her to control both ice and fire at once, making it far more difficult than an ordinary Martial Soul.

But under Gu Ci's Heavenly Eye guidance, she progressed rapidly and was already able to fuse ice and fire power into an entirely new kind of energy.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

That morning, Gu Ci awoke from cultivation and felt Soul Power surging within him, with faint signs of an imminent breakthrough.

"Level 25 peak," he murmured. "Another week, and I should reach level 26."

He got up and pushed open the door. Zi Dian and Night Shadow were already awake in the courtyard, the two enormous tigers lying together in the sun.

After a month of adjustment, their relationship had improved greatly. They even hunted together from time to time.

Though there was not much prey to hunt in the manor, so they could only catch mice.

Even those mice had been caught outside and brought back by Gu Xiao's servants.

"Brother Gu Ci!"

Dugu Yan's voice came from outside the courtyard.

Gu Ci looked up to see the little girl skipping inside, with Ice Fire and Mo Jiao following behind her.

Over the past month, Dugu Yan had grown a little taller, and her small face carried a touch more confidence.

"Are you ready?" Gu Ci asked.

Dugu Yan nodded vigorously. "Ready! We're going to the Academy to register today!"

Gu Ci smiled and took out two jade pendants from his robe.

One was the Concealment Pendant he wore himself, while the other had been prepared for Dugu Yan.

He helped Dugu Yan readjust the pendant's concealment effect, suppressing her cultivation to level 11 and disguising her Spirit Ring as a single hundred-year yellow ring.

"Remember, don't reveal your true strength once we get to the Academy."

Gu Ci reminded her, "If anyone asks, say we're children of the Marquis Manor."

Dugu Yan nodded. "I know, keep a low profile."

"Oh, and if anyone keeps pestering us, we can bring up Grandpa Dugu. I doubt anyone would dare provoke us then."

Gu Ci patted her head approvingly.

With a Titled Douluo as their backing, Gu Ci had no concern at all that he and Dugu Yan would be mistreated.

Who would dare take that gamble?

With Dugu Bo's reputation for being both righteous and wicked, they might not even know how they died one day.

At that moment, Dugu Bo and Gu Xiao's wife also arrived in the courtyard.

Gu Xiao looked at his son, his eyes filled with pride.

"Ci'er, study well at the Academy. If anything happens, have someone send word back."

Li Wanyue held Gu Ci's hand, her eyes slightly red. "Take good care of yourself, and take good care of Yanyan too."

Gu Ci nodded. "Father, Mother, don't worry. I will."

Dugu Bo stood with his hands behind his back and said indifferently, "Let's go. This old man will take you to the Academy."

The three left the Marquis Manor and rose into the air.

Heaven Dou Royal Academy was located on Heaven Dou Mountain outside Heaven Dou City. It covered an enormous area, and its buildings were grand and imposing.

From the air, the Academy could be seen divided into several areas: a teaching area, a cultivation area, a residential area, and a training ground specially designed to simulate a Spirit Beast Forest.

Dugu Bo brought the two of them down before the Academy gates.

A long line had already formed outside. They were all young boys and girls here to register, some fifteen or sixteen years old, while others were about Gu Ci and Dugu Yan's age.

Every face bore both nervousness and anticipation.

"Go on." Dugu Bo patted their shoulders. "This old man will come see you in a month."

Gu Ci nodded, took Dugu Yan's hand, and walked toward the registration area.

There were many people in line. Gu Ci and Dugu Yan waited for nearly half a shichen before it was finally their turn.