Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
The magnificent gates were built from enormous blocks of bluestone. The walls stood five meters tall, towering and imposing, their grand scale making a powerful visual impact.
Images of Soul Beasts were carved into the stone, each one lifelike. Brilliant gems were set all around them, glittering in the sunlight and adding a touch of splendor.
The six powerful characters "Heaven Dou Royal Academy" were carved above the gate. Looking up at them brought an overwhelming sense of pressure.
It truly lived up to its reputation as Heaven Dou's finest academy.
Heaven Dou Royal Academy was built on a towering mountain that spanned two distinct environments.
Surrounded by dense stands of towering trees, the grounds stretched for hundreds of miles, their sheer scale weighing heavily on the mind.
At that moment, Lin Chuan stood before the school gate halfway up the mountain.
Beside him,
two guards in armor, each holding a spear, watched the visitor with stern, focused expressions.
"Sir, do you have an invitation?"
"Without one, you can't enter."
Lin Chuan shook his head. "I'm here to find someone. What's the procedure?"
Hearing that he had come to see someone rather than cause trouble, the guards relaxed and were no longer on edge.
They were Soul Elders, yet when they had tried to gauge the young man's strength, they hadn't sensed his power. Instead, they'd felt as though an invisible hand had clamped around their hearts.
The ache had been frighteningly real.
The two guards didn't dare take him lightly, but they still carried out their duties impartially. Their tone, however, had grown much more courteous.
"If you're looking for someone, sir, tell us their name and whether they're a senior or intermediate student. We'll send someone in to pass along your message."
Lin Chuan nodded and considered his words. "I'm looking for Dugu Yan."
"Dugu Yan, whose grandfather is Dugu Bo. Her Martial Soul is the Jade Phosphorous Serpent. She should be pretty famous at your academy."
"Please have her come out and see me. At any cost, tell her I'm here to challenge her or whatever it takes to get her to come out."
To make sure his trip wouldn't be in vain, Lin Chuan flipped his right hand over.
A burlap pouch appeared in his palm just like that. Smiling warmly, he offered it to one of the guards.
There seemed to be about a dozen Gold Soul Coins inside—a small gift for their help, to make sure they did their best.
"No, no, sir, there's no need to be so formal. We'll do our best to get her to come out."
Seeing this, one of the more experienced guards hurriedly stopped the other, who had foolishly started to reach for the pouch.
He had noticed the old-fashioned ring on Lin Chuan's index finger from the start, but hadn't thought much of it.
Then a pouch of money had suddenly appeared in the young man's empty palm, and he realized it was a Storage Soul Tool.
Having dealt with plenty of powerful and wealthy people, he knew a thing or two about Storage Soul Tools.
They were extremely rare these days.
Even a Soul Tool with a space of just one cubic meter cost tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins, and it wasn't something you could simply buy, no matter how much money you had.
The young man in front of them was clearly no ordinary person, so accepting his money was out of the question.
Sometimes you could take someone's money, and sometimes you absolutely couldn't!
What if it turned out to be money that cost you your head?
"Sir, please wait under the shade of those trees. We'll send someone to fetch her right away."
If he provoked someone like this, he might end up dead without even knowing how it happened. The more he imagined the consequences, the more terrifying they seemed.
In an instant, even the way he addressed Lin Chuan changed, a complete reversal from before.
Lin Chuan couldn't be bothered to say anything more. He put the money back in his Storage Soul Tool, turned, and walked to the shade across from the school gate. He waved behind him, signaling for the guard to hurry.
The guard who had been stopped earlier was also motioned to go call a colleague.
After he entered a nearby hall, two more armored guards emerged a few minutes later.
They headed into the academy, while the earlier guard returned to his post at the gate, facing forward.
As he waited, Lin Chuan leaned against a tree trunk and closed his eyes for a brief rest.
His thoughts were occupied with how to use Dugu Yan to pressure Dugu Bo—and how to make the old man accept it without entertaining any other treacherous ideas.
Dugu Yan was the key to the opportunity at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
But he had once heard Chrysanthemum Pass talk about it.
Dugu Bo was a stubborn old fossil, suspicious by nature, and vicious in a fight, with one dirty trick after another. He was impossible to reason with, narrow-minded, and never left loose ends. He would surely wipe out the roots!
It was only after learning all this that Lin Chuan decided not to go straight to Dugu Bo.
Instead, he came to Heaven Dou Royal Academy to prepare a fallback.
Even if they reached an agreement, he didn't believe Dugu Bo would let his guard down around him.
The old man might be hiding murderous intent, waiting for a chance to kill him. He was a vicious wolf, ready to spring at any moment.
Chrysanthemum Pass had described Dugu Bo as no less ruthless than a crazed murderer. He had no concern for appearances and wouldn't hesitate to bully someone weaker. When faced with anyone who might threaten him, his first instinct was to eliminate them.
So Lin Chuan didn't follow the path Tang San had taken in the original story.
"Ah, as expected, threatening people like a villain really suits me."
As he sighed, Lin Chuan looked up and spotted a girl approaching from inside the academy.
Her striking blue-green hair was tied in a high ponytail, the strands fluffy and lustrous. A few wisps of fringe framed her face.
Her features were delicate, and her eyes were a pale green that matched her hair. A sly smile danced in her gaze, and the corners of her lips tilted up. She seemed lively, with a hint of haughty charm.
Her sleeveless qipao top perfectly outlined her curvaceous figure, while her slim waist flowed with graceful lines.
While he was still momentarily distracted, the girl jogged out through the gate.
Her phoenix eyes landed on Lin Chuan beneath the trees. Her brows knitted almost imperceptibly, but she still walked over, her tone a little cool. "You were looking for me?"
It was indeed Dugu Yan. Lin Chuan nodded. "I have something to discuss with your grandfather. Sorry for the trouble, but I need you to help mediate."
Dugu Yan let out a derisive laugh at the absurd suggestion. "You want to talk with my grandfather? What, you want me to mediate because you're afraid he'll beat you to death?"
"If you're scared, then don't come looking for me or my grandfather. Otherwise, I'll make you regret it!"
Lin Chuan pressed his lips together and looked calmly at Dugu Yan, whose face showed impatience and disgust. He said evenly, "I didn't come here to negotiate with you. I came to inform you."
He had already thought about how this might go. If she wouldn't cooperate, he would simply drag her along.
If being nice didn't work, he'd use force.
The next second.
Under Dugu Yan's irritated stare, Lin Chuan slowly raised his right hand, his expression calm.
A huge hand made of Soul Power formed and instantly clamped around Dugu Yan's slender, pale neck.
It lifted her whole body into the air, slowly.
When her breathing was cut off, Dugu Yan struggled frantically in shock, but it did no good at all.
Instead, the harder she fought, the more she began to suffocate.
The pressure in her chest grew unbearable. Terrified, Dugu Yan tried to break apart the hand of Soul Power around her neck, but it was futile.
Gradually, she ran out of strength. The suffocating pressure in her chest turned her pretty face bright red.
Only then did Lin Chuan loosen his grip on the Soul Power a little.
The huge hand opened a narrow gap, giving Dugu Yan a chance to breathe. She gasped desperately for air, and her eyes gradually reddened.
"You... I'll make my grandfather kill you!"
"You disgusting members of the imperial family! Even if I die, I'll never marry one of you. You want to trap my grandfather and make him serve you? That'll never happen!"
"You'd better kill me now. Otherwise, I'll make life hell for you and everyone around you!"
Dugu Yan's furious words were laced with hurt, and she nearly choked on them as she spoke.
Then two streams of tears slid down her cheeks, but her gaze remained fixed on Lin Chuan. She looked like a venomous snake ready to strike, and the hatred in her eyes sent a chill through anyone who saw it.
Lin Chuan looked perplexed, but couldn't be bothered to argue.
Dugu Yan was in his hands now, a harmless snake with no power to fight back. She had fangs, but she couldn't sink them into him.
There was no need to pay any attention to her tirade. It had no bite and couldn't threaten him.
It was like walking along the roadside and hearing an ant taunt and scream at you. You wouldn't even bother to respond.
(I only understand half of this, but I doubt anyone would nitpick over it like this. The main thing is that there are too many brain-dead people who keep calling the protagonist a simp.)
(If he doesn't bother responding to a woman's provocation, that makes him a simp? These people must live like rats in real life.)