Here Is Home

Shen Zhou turned slightly and gestured with his right hand.

"Princess, this way."

Xu Jiujiu nodded faintly and stepped onto the White Jade Steps.

Cheng Gang followed close behind. The wounds on his arms had stopped bleeding, but the numbness had yet to fade.

Walking behind the Princess, he vigilantly swept his gaze over their surroundings. His rough right fist remained half-clenched, ready to strike at any moment.

Er Ha walked at the very front, tail raised high, his steps light as though he were strutting down a red carpet.

"Your Highness, let This Emperor tell you, these steps are paved with ten-thousand-year white jade. A single slab is worth a fortune.

You won't find another place like this on the entire continent."

Xu Jiujiu lowered her gaze to the jade beneath her feet. It was clear and warm, with Soul Power faintly circulating within it. It was indeed no ordinary material.

She smiled. "Senior White Emperor knows a great deal about the academy?"

"Of course. This Emperor is one of the academy's founding elders."

Er Ha held his head high. "When Lao Da built the academy, This Emperor contributed quite a lot."

"What did you contribute?"

Shen Zhou asked from behind.

Er Ha paused, then said righteously, "This Emperor cheered from the sidelines."

Xu Jiujiu could not help but laugh softly.

She had assumed Dean Shen would be a stern, old-fashioned old man. She had not expected him to be so young.

Nor had she expected him to have such a lively dog at his side.

The group passed through the main gate and stepped onto the path.

The Spirit Locust Trees along both sides of the path swayed gently in the breeze. Ice crystals on their leaves refracted the sunlight, illuminating the entire road as though a river of stars had been spread across the ground.

In the distance, the Spirit Pagoda stood in the center of the lake, its entire body emitting a gentle blue glow. Its reflection shimmered in the clear water, complementing the white clouds overhead.

Xu Jiujiu slowed her pace.

She had seen many magnificent buildings in Star Luo City—the imperial palace, noble estates, and headquarters of major powers—but none had ever given her this feeling.

This academy did not resemble a structure of the mortal world. It was more like an immortal palace from legend.

"Dean Shen, when was this academy... built?"

Xu Jiujiu could not help asking.

"Not long ago."

Shen Zhou answered casually, "A month or two."

A month or two?

Xu Jiujiu was deeply shaken, though her expression remained unchanged.

An academy spanning hundreds of mu, with white jade steps and golden-tiled roofs, ancient formations, and a mysterious tower, had been completed in merely a month or two?

That was already beyond the limits of human capability.

"Dean Shen must be joking."

She lightly brushed past the subject without pressing further.

Some things only needed to be asked once.

Asking too much would only make her seem unable to keep her composure.

Shen Zhou glanced at her but offered no explanation.

After passing through the moon gate, the view suddenly opened up.

The lake was like a mirror, reflecting the Spirit Pagoda.

On the Martial Arts Arena by the lake, Huo Yuhao was practicing basic boxing techniques.

His movements were still rather unpolished, but every punch and stance carried earnest focus. Beads of sweat on his forehead gleamed beneath the sunlight.

Noticing their arrival, Huo Yuhao stopped, wiped away his sweat, and ran toward Shen Zhou.

"Master."

"Mm. This is Princess Jiujiu of the Star Luo Empire."

Shen Zhou introduced them. "Princess, this is my disciple, Huo Yuhao."

Xu Jiujiu looked at the boy. He appeared to be around eleven or twelve years old, lean and tall, with exceptionally bright eyes.

She nodded slightly. "Hello."

Huo Yuhao returned the greeting somewhat awkwardly. "Greetings, Princess."

"Go on and train."

Shen Zhou patted his shoulder.

Huo Yuhao responded and ran back to the Martial Arts Arena to continue practicing.

Xu Jiujiu looked at him a little longer. She felt there was something unusual about the boy's eyes, though she could not pinpoint what it was.

"Dean Shen's disciple seems quite talented."

"He's decent."

Shen Zhou's tone was calm, but the slight upward curve of his lips showed that he was quite pleased with his disciple.

The group continued onward, crossing the Martial Arts Arena before arriving at the Spirit Pagoda.

The tower was crystalline and translucent. Light flowed endlessly through the runes on its surface, emitting Soul Power fluctuations that made one's heart tremble.

Standing before the tower, Cheng Gang looked up at it, his pupils shrinking slightly.

He had served the Star Luo Empire for decades and seen countless rare treasures, yet he had never encountered such a miraculous structure.

"This tower..."

Cheng Gang spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse. "What is it?"

"The Spirit Pagoda."

Shen Zhou did not elaborate. "For now, it is only open to those within the academy."

Cheng Gang glanced at him and asked no more.

But he understood clearly that this tower was no ordinary object.

The fluctuations of Soul Power it emitted were stronger than any Soul Tool he had ever seen.

After touring the Spirit Pagoda, Shen Zhou led them toward the dining hall.

"Princess, you have traveled a long way. You must be hungry.

It is only humble fare. Please do not take offense."

Xu Jiujiu smiled politely, but inwardly, she did not think much of it.

She was a royal princess. What delicacies of the mountains and seas had she not eaten?

No matter how good a newly built academy was, how impressive could its food be?

Yet when she entered the dining hall and saw the dishes on the table, she froze.

Braised Ten Thousand Year Earth Dragon Meat.

Steamed Red Blood Shrimp.

Iced Soul-Bewitching Clam Sashimi.

Golden Thread Bird's Nest Soup.

Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Honey Roast Duck.

Every dish emitted dense fluctuations of Soul Power, as though what lay before her was not food, but cultivation resources.

She recognized several of the ingredients.

Red Blood Shrimp—in the Star Luo Imperial Palace, it was a delicacy reserved solely for the emperor and empress. Even then, they could only obtain a dozen or so each year.

Yet here, a single plate held thirty or forty of them.

Soul-Bewitching Clams—she had only read of them in ancient texts. Supposedly, they had been extinct for thousands of years.

Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Dragon Meat... she had never even heard of such a thing.

"Princess, please sit."

Shen Zhou pulled out a chair.

Xu Jiujiu sat down and stared at the spread of dishes before her, momentarily unable to decide where to begin.

Cheng Gang stood behind her, his eyes sweeping over the food on the table. His throat bobbed unconsciously.

He had lived for more than eighty years, yet he had never seen such a spectacle.

"Elder Cheng, you sit as well."

Shen Zhou gestured to him.

Cheng Gang looked at Xu Jiujiu. Only after she gave a slight nod did he take a seat nearby.

Er Ha was already squatting in a corner, with a massive food bowl before him piled high with Braised Pork.

He buried his head in it and wolfed it down, making loud smacking sounds. Every now and then, he raised his head to say, "So fierce," before burying his head back in the bowl.

The meal lasted nearly half an hour.

Xu Jiujiu set down her chopsticks, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

She had come with the intention of testing them.

Her Imperial Brother had told her to investigate the academy's background, find out who Dean Shen truly was, and gauge his attitude toward the Star Luo Empire.

But now, she found that her curiosity toward this young man had long surpassed the scope of mere testing.

Who was he?

Where had he come from?

Why had he built this academy?

Just how strong was he?

How could that talking dog be so loyal to him?

And that Spirit Pagoda, those ancient formations, those outrageously precious ingredients...

Every question stirred her curiosity, and every answer only made her more curious.

"Dean Shen."

Xu Jiujiu spoke, her voice much gentler than when she had arrived.

Shen Zhou looked up at her.

"What guidance does the Princess have for me?"

"I would not dare claim to offer guidance."

Xu Jiujiu smiled faintly. "I only wish to ask: why did Dean Shen build this academy?"

Shen Zhou set down his chopsticks and looked at her.

"What does the Princess think?"

Xu Jiujiu considered it. "To cultivate talent?"

"Yes, and no."

Shen Zhou rose to his feet and walked to the window, looking out at the shimmering lake beyond.

"Martial Soul Academy is not merely a place for cultivating talent."

"Then what is it?"

"It is home."

Xu Jiujiu was stunned.