Hell Yama Art

Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan stayed at the Ye Mansion for another night before departing the next day. Before leaving, Dugu Bo shot Xing Tian a look of bitter resentment, leaving the boy somewhat bewildered.

Ye Renxin asked, "Xiao Tian, are you planning to go into seclusion to cultivate that secret technique now?"

"Yes. That is why my enrollment must be postponed. Let Sister Lingling enroll first."

Xing Tian looked at Ye Lingling and said softly, "Sister Lingling, you should head to the academy first. Don't delay. I will definitely arrive in two years."

"Alright."

Ye Lingling replied calmly, though her eyes held a hint of disappointment.

A few days later, Ye Lingling successfully enrolled in the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, becoming classmates with Dugu Yan and sharing the same dormitory.

Ye Renxin arranged a spacious and secluded cultivation room for Xing Tian, ensuring he would not be disturbed by anyone, and had people deliver clothing, food, and medicinal herbs through a passage at regular intervals.

Inside the cultivation room, Xing Tian did not only practice the Rejuvenation Art.

Hell Yama Art, I must rely on you!

The requirements for the Nine Deaths Reincarnation Evil Art were too demanding, and the advancement process was far too perilous. Even for the first death tribulation, Xing Tian had needed seventy percent of Ye Renxin's soul power to succeed.

Therefore, he had to prioritize other arts to accumulate strength before challenging the second death tribulation.

The art he chose to cultivate was the Hell Yama Art.

The Hell Yama Art was created by the Xing Tian of his past life, who had fused the Esoteric Yama Art with the Yama Command Evil Art. While immensely powerful, it was nowhere near as dangerous as the Nine Deaths Reincarnation Evil Art. It allowed for the simultaneous cultivation of internal energy and physical force.

The internal energy was divided into ten realms, corresponding to the Ten Yama Halls. The physical force was divided into eighteen layers, corresponding to the eighteen levels of hell.

Once the internal energy reached completion, one could use the Ten Yama Killing Commands; once the physical force reached completion, one could use the Life-Taking Seven Killing Claws. Both were fierce, sharp, and ruthless techniques.

This seclusion lasted for two full years.

Xing Tian had cultivated the Hell Yama Art to the second hall of internal energy and the fourth layer of physical force. The Rejuvenation Art had also seen some success, causing significant changes in him.

His cheeks were no longer as pale as before, now possessing the rosy glow of a youth.

His eyes were as bright as if tempered with starlight, yet his gaze remained cold and sinister. His physique had become more upright and sturdy, as if he possessed inexhaustible strength and the vitality of a young man.

However, when he circulated his power, the aura around him changed drastically, instantly suppressing his youthful vigor.

His originally cold and stern features now carried a heart-palpitating majesty. A sense of gloomy wind seemed to swirl between his brows, and an oppressive feeling from the netherworld surged forth, chilling the surrounding air. Even the sunlight seemed to be blocked out, forming a small area of shadow.

What made one's scalp tingle even more were his hands.

His hands had become calloused and powerful, as if they could easily crush rock.

At the same time, they were wrapped in a layer of eerie green energy. This energy flowed like water, clinging to his hands like bone-eating maggots. It was ghastly and soul-stirring.

With a casual swipe, Xing Tian left a trail of ghostly green in the air. A faint, decaying scent permeated the atmosphere, like the chill from the depths of a tomb, forming an extreme contrast to the vibrant life he had displayed moments before.

Seeing Xing Tian finally emerge from seclusion, Ye Renxin wore a kind and gentle smile. He brushed his hand across Xing Tian's forehead and laughed, "You've grown taller than Lingling and become sturdier. You look like a real man!"

Xing Tian felt a warmth in his heart. Ye Renxin cared more about him as a person than whether his cultivation had succeeded. Perhaps it was also trust; Ye Renxin believed that Xing Tian emerging meant he had succeeded.

"Grandpa Ye, I succeeded. Look!"

Xing Tian circulated his soul power, and a ring rose from beneath his feet. It was indeed yellow, and its aura was at the century-level.

"I knew you could do it. Now you can enroll as well."

Xing Tian asked with concern, "Grandpa Ye, how is Sister Lingling? Has she been bullied at the academy?"

Ye Renxin gave him a reassuring look. "Don't worry, Lingling is doing fine. She is the successor of the Nine-Heart Begonia and is best friends with that girl Yan Yan. Who would dare bully her? Even if they wanted to, they wouldn't have the guts. They have to weigh the influence of the Ye family and the weight of Dugu Bo, a Title Douluo."

"That's good."

Ye Renxin suddenly thought of something. "And your Soul Power Level?"

"Level 20!"

Ye Renxin smiled even more brightly. "As expected of a genius with Innate Full Soul Power! A Soul Grand Master at eight years old! Here is what we'll do: look through the Soul Beast Illustrated Guide and choose a few beasts in the Sunset Forest. I will have Xiao Xiao take people to accompany you to hunt for a Soul Ring, and then you can go to the academy to surprise Lingling."

"Oh, and that girl Yan Yan, she misses you too. She often comes home with Lingling and asks about you. She is also a Soul Grand Master now, and after obtaining her Soul Ring, she kept shouting that she wanted to spar with you again. Hahaha, that girl."

The day after returning from the soul hunt, Xing Tian arrived at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, twenty kilometers outside of Heaven Dou City.

The Heaven Dou Royal Academy was worthy of being the premier institution of the Heaven Dou Empire. It was massive, encompassing an entire thousand-meter-high mountain along with the surrounding forests, lakes, and rivers.

The scenery was also beautiful, especially at this moment as the sun was setting and the evening glow filled the sky. Against the backdrop of the red clouds in the west, both the lake at the foot of the mountain and the mountain itself, covered in various plants, gave one the feeling of a paradise on earth.

Xiao Xiao presented the recommendation letter from the Ye Mansion, and the gatekeeper naturally did not make things difficult for them, letting them pass directly.

After entering the academy, Xiao Xiao led Xing Tian toward the Education Commissioners' office.

The Heaven Dou Royal Academy had over five hundred students, divided into three levels. Newly enrolled students and those with cultivation below level 25 were in the first tier, the Tianwei Level. Those between level 25 and 30 were at the Tianzhu Level, and those above level 30 were at the highest, the Tiandou Level.

The grading of teachers was the same as the students. Those above level 40 and below level 50 were Tianwei Level. Those above level 50 and below level 60 were Tianzhu Level. Those above level 60 were Tiandou Level.

Because the academy was affiliated with the Heaven Dou imperial family, the nominal dean was the Emperor, Xue Ye.

Therefore, the academy did not have a dean position. Instead, the Three Education Commissioners, who were the strongest and most senior Tiandou Level teachers, formed a committee to handle most of the academy's affairs.

Only when it involved very major events did they need to consult the imperial family's resident manager, Prince Xue Xing.

Soon, the two arrived at the committee office.

The three old men in the center were simply sitting there, yet they gave off a special feeling, as if they were the core of the academy. Even though they wore gentle smiles, the special aura belonging to powerhouses could not be hidden.

These three were likely the Three Education Commissioners, but there were three others present as well. Xing Tian recognized one of them: Dugu Bo.

However, two things made Xing Tian feel a bit strange. Among the six people, there was a young man in fine robes who looked no older than twenty. He sat with the other five old men, which felt very abrupt.