Royal Academy

"Little Junior Brother, once you reach the academy, if you run into any trouble, just drop my name."

"Even those great noble houses have to show the Dugu family some respect!" Dugu Yuan patted Yu Tianshuo on the shoulder, speaking with earnest concern.

Yu Tianshuo nodded with a smile. "Don't worry, Senior Brother, I know what to do."

Still uneasy, Dugu Yuan asked again, "Are you sure you don't want us to see you off?"

Yu Tianshuo waved his hand. "No need, Senior Brother, I can manage on my own."

Although Dugu Yuan knew that Yu Tianshuo's strength was truly formidable, he was still just a child, and this was his first time attending a noble academy; Dugu Yuan couldn't help but feel a bit worried.

"Honestly, though, the Old Man is really something—making you train for two hours every day before he lets you rest. He's practically spinning you like a top," Dugu Yuan complained.

Yu Tianshuo didn't mind at all. He smiled and said, "It's fine, Senior Brother. I think it's good. Cultivation requires diligence, after all."

Dugu Yuan shook his head helplessly.

"Alright, I'm off to school." Yu Tianshuo waved at Dugu Yuan, then turned and walked toward the Royal Academy with a light, brisk step.

Watching Yu Tianshuo's receding figure, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Dugu Yuan's mouth.

He muttered to himself, "This kid, he really does make one worry."

Shaking his head, he turned around, ready to head back to his room to find his sweet, soft daughter.

Walking on the road to the academy, Yu Tianshuo began to ponder.

Master said he would look for spirit bones, but I can't just sit here and wait.

Yu Tianshuo thought to himself.

Once I reach the academy, I will display my talent and strength, then make contact with Qian Renxue, who is disguised as Xue Qinghe. Whether I pledge temporary loyalty to her or trade for benefits, I must obtain the Compendium of Immortal Herbs and the spirit bones.

Recalling his days at the Dugu residence, a smile couldn't help but grace Yu Tianshuo's lips.

Using his martial soul's intuition as an excuse, he had pointed out the poison affecting his master and senior brother, proposing the solution of transferring the toxins into spirit bones and the method of the Soul Core.

As for how he knew? He simply claimed it was a martial soul premonition.

Ever since Dugu Bo accepted that his disciple was extraordinary, many things had become much easier.

Naturally, he took the detoxification method proposed by his disciple very seriously.

Just as Yu Tianshuo was lost in thought, a shrill, acerbic voice drifted down from the second floor of the academy's teaching building.

"Hey, kid down there, no one to see you off to school? Did your whole family die out?" The voice was dripping with mockery and disdain, enough to make anyone feel disgusted.

Immediately following this, a burst of raucous laughter erupted, as if echoing the sentiment.

"Hahahaha, Boss Xue Beng is right! Not only are they dead, but look at that pathetic, poverty-stricken look—he doesn't even have a carriage. Just being in the same place as him makes me smell the stench of poverty in the air."

As he spoke, he pinched his nose, acting as if a foul odor truly surrounded him.

This performance triggered another round of uproarious laughter.

Yu Tianshuo's brows furrowed tightly; he was no stranger to such mockery.

This familiar scene caused his thoughts to drift back to the past, to those days when he was bullied.

Back then, he lacked the strength to resist and could only choose to endure, playing the part of a man who knew when to yield.

However, he now had someone he could rely on.

Yu Tianshuo's body suddenly shuddered, and a powerful force surged within him.

His first spirit ring flashed with a dazzling golden light, as brilliant as the sun.

As the golden light flickered, dense golden scales began to sprout across Yu Tianshuo's skin, covering his entire body until he looked like a golden dragon.

Not only that, but a pair of sharp dragon horns grew from his head, and a thick, powerful dragon tail emerged from behind him.

Yu Tianshuo's eyes became sharp and majestic, locked firmly onto Xue Beng and his group upstairs.

Without a moment's hesitation, he leaped, charging toward the three of them like an arrow released from a bow.

His speed was as fast as lightning, and in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of them.

Xue Beng and his two companions were clearly startled by Yu Tianshuo's sudden outburst; their faces were frozen in shock, completely unable to react.

However, Yu Tianshuo would not give them another chance to recover.

His fists struck like a violent storm, slamming fiercely into the faces of Xue Beng and the one who had mocked him.

With a loud BANG, Xue Beng and his companion were sent flying backward like kites with broken strings.

Their bodies traced an arc in the air before crashing heavily against the wall, emitting another dull thud.

Only when they hit the wall did the bone-deep pain register, and Xue Beng finally realized what had happened.

But their faces were filled with nothing but agony and astonishment.

Clearly, they could not comprehend how a "commoner" they had looked down upon dared to attack them with such reckless abandon.

The commotion here was the first to alert the other students on the floor.

Unable to suppress their curiosity, they poked their heads out from their respective classrooms one by one, eager to see exactly what had happened.

Originally, some students had only been standing by to watch the spectacle.

They were all shocked by Yu Tianshuo's actions, retreating in fear again and again.

A strange vacuum zone had formed around Yu Tianshuo, with not a single person daring to approach him.

Watching Xue Beng, who looked down upon him with contempt, fall into a fit of rage.

"Ahhhhh! You lowly commoner, how dare you hit me!"

Xue Beng roared furiously, "You bunch of useless trash, what are you still standing there for? Get him!"

As he bellowed, he pointed a finger at Yu Tianshuo and snarled, "Break all four of this brat's limbs! I will take full responsibility for whatever happens!"

Faced with this situation, these noble students knew very well that on one side was an ignorant freshman, and on the other, a perfect opportunity to curry favor with Lord Xue Beng.

They didn't even need to think about it to know which choice to make.

"Kill!" Finally, one student could no longer suppress his inner impulse and was the first to shout the murderous slogan.

His Martial Soul Possession activated instantly, and like a ferocious beast, he charged straight toward Yu Tianshuo.

This acted as a signal; seeing this, the others followed suit, each rapidly activating their Martial Soul Possession and unleashing their soul skills to launch a fierce assault on Yu Tianshuo.

"First Soul Skill, Wild Wolf Frenzied Scratch!"

"First Soul Skill, Mental Shock!"

"First Soul Skill, Vine Entanglement!"

"First Soul Skill, Strength Amplification!"