Heaven Dou Royal Academy

After admiring his own handsome face, Ling Yun began his morning training.

The first diagram, skipped; the second diagram, Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg, to stretch the legs, activate the meridians, and draw in the essence of heaven and earth.

The third diagram, Mountain-Holding Seal, to train force control.

The fourth diagram, Crane Spreading Wings, to train physical coordination.

The fifth diagram, Wave Treading, to train control over soul power.

The sixth diagram, Blood-Moving Seal, to mobilize the blood and qi of the entire body.

The seventh diagram, Chaos Eye, skipped.

The eighth diagram, with a single character "Weapon" in the center. Above it were patterns of various armaments: blades, spears, swords, halberds, axes, battle-axes, hooks, forks, towers, hammers, staves, clubs, tridents, pikes, whips, claws, crutches, meteor hammers...

Whenever Ling Yun focused his consciousness on one of these weapons, the forging process for that weapon would appear, along with its usage methods, techniques for wielding it, variations in force, and so on.

It could be said to encompass everything, enough for him to study for a lifetime.

He took a broadsword from his storage Soul Tool and practiced in the open space outside the house, chopping, slashing, lifting, and wiping, focusing on how to exert force and how to swing the blade to be more precise and efficient.

Blade technique is simply the method of using a blade; his training method was the most fundamental essence. As long as he mastered these, any casual swing would be the pinnacle of blade technique.

The force-exerting techniques within were the secret moves of many superior blade arts.

On Douluo Continent, this was a Self-Created Soul Skill.

Whether he could use it as he pleased when facing an enemy depended entirely on Ling Yun's level of mastery and whether he could train it into instinct.

The commotion of training in the small courtyard woke Dugu Yan. As soon as she woke up, she smelled the scent of alcohol.

Her memory was still stuck in the private room of the Seven Treasure Hotel, so she sprang out of bed and ran to freshen up.

Dugu Bo had woken up long ago. Like Ling Yun, he had cultivated all night. He hoped to break through to level 96 sooner; at his realm, he rarely slept, using cultivation to replace rest instead.

Hearing the movement outside, Dugu Bo stopped his cultivation, walked out of the room, and saw the sight of him swinging the blade.

He did not make a sound, just stood to the side watching, nodding from time to time. When he saw a particularly exquisite move, his eyes would light up as he deduced ways to counter it in his mind.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Ling Yun put away the blade, feeling better than ever before.

Dugu Bo clapped his hands. "Your blade technique is so exquisite that it is not in the least inferior to a soul master with a blade martial soul. This Self-Created Soul Skill has great room for growth."

"But this old man must still remind you: it is best to wait until your soul power has reached a point where it cannot advance further before pondering Self-Created Soul Skills. I have seen many geniuses who delayed their cultivation speed to study Self-Created Soul Skills, only to end up becoming mediocre."

"I am not very worried about your soul power growth rate, but I still suggest you prioritize increasing your soul power. Once your soul power is up, everything else becomes much more convenient."

"I have my own sense of proportion! The time I spend practicing Self-Created Soul Skills each day will not exceed one hour."

Dugu Bo nodded. He was only offering advice based on his own experience; whether Ling Yun listened or not was not something he could control or manage.

If Ling Yun were truly to obsess over Self-Created Soul Skills to the point of forgetting to eat or sleep, he would certainly try his best to dissuade him.

Ling Yun went to attend to his personal hygiene, washing his face and brushing his teeth, preparing to eat breakfast.

By the time he arrived, Dugu Yan and Dugu Bo had already started eating.

"Eat quickly. Once you're done, this old man will take you to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy."

In the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, Ling Yun had finished his portion completely. This speed left Dugu Yan stunned.

"Look at you, anyone who didn't know better would think you hadn't eaten in three days! What's the rush?"

"Slurping noodles is the only way to enjoy them, this is perfectly normal, okay!"

"Too crude!"

"At the academy, you would definitely be mocked for eating like that, especially by those guys who have undergone noble etiquette training. If they saw you, they would definitely mock you relentlessly to your face."

"There's such a thing? It seems I really do need to pay a little attention."

Ling Yun was someone who listened to advice; in front of the public, he still had to pay a little attention to his image.

At other times, he would be himself, prioritizing a natural state and following his own heart.

Another half-cup of tea later.

Dugu Yan was the last to put down her bowl and chopsticks, running back to her room to pack her things. The servants were responsible for cleaning the dishes.

Everything Ling Yun needed to bring was already in his Soul Tool.

A quarter of an hour later.

Dugu Bo took the two of them into the carriage prepared by the servants, and the carriage slowly drove toward the outskirts of Heaven Dou City.

The Heaven Dou Royal Academy was not inside Heaven Dou City, but on a mountain less than 20 kilometers outside the city.

More than half an hour and a quarter of an hour later, the Dugu Manor carriage came to a stop.

"We're here!"

As soon as Ling Yun stepped off the carriage, he was met with a sea of carriages and a crowd of people.

He shifted his gaze elsewhere, first to the main gate of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Two towering stone pillars were coiled with golden dragons crafted from gold and inlaid with many gemstones, exuding luxury.

Looking upward, clouds and mist swirled around the mountainside, making the academy look like a massive castle hidden on the mountain. As sunlight shone upon it, the light reflected by the glazed tiles added a dreamy, priceless quality to the castle.

To the left of this thousand-meter-high mountain lay a massive lake, shimmering with the luster of an emerald under the sunlight.

To the right were dense woods.

"The lake over there, this mountain, and the forest surrounding it all fall under the management of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Every facility is fully equipped; there is snow on the mountain peak, a lake at its base, and the academy provides various simulated environments required for different martial souls," Dugu Yan introduced.

"Leaning against the mountains and facing the water—what a fine place!"

"Indeed!" Dugu Bo nodded in agreement.

In terms of location alone, this area could be considered a top-tier site.

"Let's go! This old man will take you to meet the three members of the Education Committee."

With Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan, a celebrity of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, leading the way, no short-sighted nobles came to cause trouble.

Along the way, those who recognized Dugu Bo bowed one after another, addressing him as "Your Excellency," while simultaneously casting curious glances at Ling Yun.

They mentally categorized Ling Yun as someone not to be provoked.

The Heaven Dou Royal Academy had over five hundred students, basically all of whom were nobles, and nobles who were merely passing the time at that.

There were not many true talents among them.

Their purpose in coming here was simple: to make friends and solidify their family interests.

To achieve this, a keen eye was essential; the consequences of provoking someone who shouldn't be provoked were more than they could bear. It could even implicate their families.

As the three of them headed upward, Ling Yun truly felt the wealth of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

The stairs along the path were paved with white jade, each slab featuring a different soul beast pattern. The precision of the carving and the complexity of the details were such that the manpower and resources consumed were simply unbelievable.

A quarter of an hour later, In the main teaching area, there stood a single-story building ten meters high in the center; this was the Education Committee.

All matters of the academy were managed by the three committee members within.

The nominal dean of the academy was the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, Emperor Xue Ye.

However, Emperor Xue Ye was busy with state affairs and rarely visited. Usually, the three committee members handled the academy's affairs.