Entering the Academy

The line at the registration desk was long. Gu Ci and Dugu Yan waited for nearly an hour before it was finally their turn.

Gu Ci held a small purple cat in his arms. Its fur was sleek, with faint Thunder Light coursing over it as it yawned lazily.

Meanwhile, a black-and-white little snake was coiled in Dugu Yan's arms. It flicked its tongue and occasionally rubbed its head against its owner's hand.

They were none other than Zi Dian and Ice Fire.

To keep a low profile, Gu Ci had made the two Soul Spirits shrink down and disguise themselves as ordinary pets.

After shrinking, Zi Dian was only a little larger than a palm and looked completely harmless.

Ice Fire had shrunk to the thickness of a finger and wrapped itself around Dugu Yan's wrist. At first glance, it looked like a pretty bracelet.

A middle-aged teacher sat at the registration desk, his expression stern and his eyes sharp.

He gave Gu Ci and Dugu Yan a once-over. His gaze paused briefly on the "pets" in their arms, and he frowned, but he did not say anything.

"Name, age, Martial Soul, Soul Power Level."

Gu Ci stepped forward and calmly said, "Gu Ci, six years old. Martial Soul: Mystic Thunder Tiger. Level 11 Power Attack Battle Spirit Master."

"Mystic Thunder Tiger?" The middle-aged teacher raised his brows slightly, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes. "Are you from the Gu Family of Thunder Tiger Marquis Manor?"

Gu Ci nodded. "That's right."

The middle-aged teacher's expression changed instantly. He studied Gu Ci again, his gaze becoming much more solemn. "Is your father Marquis Gu Xiao?"

"Yes."

A stir rose from the crowd waiting in line.

"Thunder Tiger Marquis Manor? That Gu Family?"

"Marquis Gu Xiao is a seven-ring Soul Saint! They say he's even the adopted son of the Poison Douluo!"

"This child is already level 11 at six? A tiger father truly has no dog son!"

Suppressing his shock, the middle-aged teacher turned to Dugu Yan. "And you?"

Imitating Gu Ci, Dugu Yan replied in a crisp voice, "Dugu Yan, six years old. Martial Soul: Jade Scale Snake. Level 11 Control System Battle Spirit Master."

As she spoke, she stroked Ice Fire around her wrist. The little snake flicked out its tongue and cooperatively raised its head, as though greeting him.

"Dugu?" The middle-aged teacher froze, then abruptly rose to his feet.

"Could you be Senior Poison Douluo Dugu Bo's..."

"That's my grandfather."

Dugu Yan blinked, her little face full of innocence.

Whoosh!

The crowd erupted completely.

"The Poison Douluo! A Titled Douluo!"

"The only Titled Douluo within the Heaven Dou Empire!"

"His granddaughter came to enroll too?"

"Level 11 at six years old—what kind of heavenly talent is that?"

"Wait, that snake on her wrist... it can't be a soul beast, can it?"

The middle-aged teacher took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.

He looked at the two children before him, then at the "pets" they carried, a faint unease rising in his heart.

Why did the pets these two little ones brought seem so unusual?

But he quickly dismissed the thought.

What powerful soul beasts could six-year-old children possibly bring with them?

They were probably just ordinary little cats and snakes kept for fun, with at most ten years of cultivation.

A ten-year cultivation was nothing at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

"Please wait a moment, you two." The middle-aged teacher stood up. "I'll go invite the principal at once."

Gu Ci was taken aback. "There's no need to go to so much trouble, is there?"

But the middle-aged teacher had already hurried away.

Before long, a white-haired old man rushed over.

The old man's face was lean and refined, his eyes sharp as lightning. Faint Soul Power fluctuations surrounded him; he was at least a Soul Douluo.

"I am Meng Shenji, the Academy Chief."

Meng Shenji looked at Gu Ci and Dugu Yan, his eyes full of appreciation.

"I have already heard of your backgrounds, worthy nephews. Is Marquis Gu and Senior Dugu well?"

Gu Ci respectfully replied, "My father and Grandpa Dugu are both well. Thank you for your concern, Vice Principal."

Meng Shenji nodded, his gaze lingering on the two of them for a moment.

He looked at the little cat in Gu Ci's arms, then at the little snake around Dugu Yan's wrist, his brows furrowing slightly.

That cat... why did it seem to carry a trace of Thunderbolt fluctuations?

And that snake... why did its aura feel somewhat strange?

Yet when he sensed them carefully, he could not detect anything at all.

It was as though that brief instant had merely been an illusion.

"Worthy Nephew Gu, this cat of yours..." Meng Shenji asked tentatively.

Gu Ci glanced down at the lazily lounging Zi Dian in his arms and smiled. "It's a pet raised at home. It just likes following me around."

Zi Dian cooperatively let out a "meow," then rolled over and exposed its fluffy belly.

Meng Shenji's mouth twitched.

A cat that rolled over to show its belly truly did not seem special at all.

He turned to Dugu Yan. "And this snake of yours..."

Dugu Yan raised her wrist. Ice Fire obediently lifted its little head and flicked its tongue, then lazily wrapped itself back around its owner's wrist and continued playing dead.

"It's a pet too."

Dugu Yan blinked. "It's very well-behaved. It never bites people."

Meng Shenji was speechless.

One of these children kept a cat, the other a snake. They were quite a matching pair.

He shook his head, no longer dwelling on those details, and continued, "With your status and talent, you can enter the Primary Academy Elite Class directly. I'll personally take you to register."

Gu Ci quickly said, "Chief, you're too courteous. We can simply follow the rules."

Meng Shenji waved a hand. "It's no trouble. Your presence at Heaven Dou Royal Academy is the Academy's honor. Come."

With that, he personally led the two of them into the Academy.

Behind them, the registration line broke into an uproar.

"Chief Meng Shenji is a high-ranking Soul Douluo, and he personally received them! What kind of treatment is that?"

"Of course! One is the Poison Douluo's granddaughter, and the other is the son of Gu Xiao, a Soul Saint expected to become a Titled Douluo. If it were you, you'd have to treat them like honored guests too!"

"Level 11 at six... when I was six, I was still playing in the mud..."

Among the crowd, a richly dressed youth watched Gu Ci and Dugu Yan's retreating backs, a flash of jealousy passing through his eyes.

"Thunder Tiger Marquis Manor... the Poison Douluo..."

He muttered under his breath. His eyes fell on the cat in Gu Ci's arms and the snake around Dugu Yan's wrist, and a cold smile curled across his lips.

"You even brought pets to school. Do you really think the Academy is your backyard?"

A lackey beside him leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, should we teach them a lesson?"

The youth waved his hand. "No rush. Making a move the moment they arrive would attract too much attention. Wait a few days..."

He sneered, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Gu Ci seemed to sense something and looked back.

But the youth's figure had already vanished among the crowd.

"Brother Gu Ci, what is it?" Dugu Yan asked.

Gu Ci shook his head. "Nothing." He withdrew his gaze and gently patted Zi Dian in his arms. "Let's go."

Zi Dian opened its eyes and glanced in that direction before lazily closing them again.

Daring to set his sights on my master?

Who would be teaching whom a lesson then was still uncertain.

Meng Shenji personally led Gu Ci and Dugu Yan through the Academy corridors. Along the way, many students and teachers they encountered cast curious looks their way.

It was a rare sight for the Academy Chief to personally lead someone around.

"Up ahead is the classroom for First Grade Class Three."

Meng Shenji pointed at a three-story building. "Your class is considered an elite class. The students are all children of major families, and their talent is quite good."

"Get along well with them in the future."

Gu Ci nodded and followed Meng Shenji into the building.

At the innermost classroom on the first floor, the door stood half-open. Faint laughter and conversation could be heard from inside.

Meng Shenji pushed the door open and entered.

The classroom immediately fell silent.

More than a dozen pairs of eyes turned toward the door in unison, landing on Gu Ci and Dugu Yan.

"Greetings, Chief!" The students all rose and bowed.