"This is the registration office. Go on in; I have other things to do, so I'll be leaving."
"Thank you, Teacher Li!"
The woman who had shown Fang Qingshan and his nephew Duan Fan the way was a teacher in her early thirties. She had delicate features, a pink mole between her brows, and wore a simple, moon-white robe. Her voice was soft and gentle.
When Fang Qingshan had just been asking around the administrative area for directions to the registration office, she happened to pass by. Seeing the two of them looking completely lost, she asked a couple of questions and then offered to show them the way.
Along the way, she had pointed out several landmarks around the academy, gentle and considerate throughout.
Fang Qingshan thanked her and watched her leave before knocking and leading Duan Fan inside.
The registration office was much larger than they had expected.
The floor was paved with blue flagstones, and all four walls were painted snow-white. The room was at least two hundred square meters.
A row of desks and chairs stood neatly arranged by the windows, but not a single person was there.
Only one male teacher sat behind a desk directly opposite the door.
The teacher was in his forties and balding. His scalp gleamed, with only a few strands left, combed over from the sides and stretched across his forehead in a bridge that barely counted as a modesty covering.
He wore round-framed glasses, the lenses thick as the bottoms of bottles. He was bent over, writing something, and only raised his head when he heard the door. Peering through his lenses, he squinted at the newcomers.
Fang Qingshan and Duan Fan walked up to the desk. Before Fang Qingshan could say a word, the teacher waved a hand and spoke. "All right, all right. Show me your martial soul first."
He didn't waste a single word. He hadn't even asked for the most basic information; he had simply opened with that.
The uncle and nephew both paused in surprise.
Duan Fan reacted faster. He immediately raised his right hand.
White light welled from his palm and quickly gathered into a writing brush about thirty centimeters long.
Its shaft was black, marked with more white patterns than an ordinary brush. The brush head swelled slightly, holding a tuft of pure-white wolf hair.
At the same time, a yellow soul ring rose from beneath his feet and slowly circled around him.
The teacher stared at the writing brush for two seconds, his expression not shifting in the slightest. He merely remarked, "A writing brush martial soul. That's pretty rare."
After speaking, he fished a fist-sized yellow crystal ball out of his desk drawer and set it on the desktop.
"Put away your martial soul and place your hand on this."
Throughout the whole process, the teacher had only glanced at the yellow soul ring around Duan Fan and hadn't said a word about it.
A Hundred-Year Soul Ring that would have amazed and envied the Deacon at the Notting City Spirit Branch Hall was nothing more than the most basic requirement here.
Duan Fan put away his martial soul and placed his hand on the yellow crystal ball.
In an instant, the crystal ball lit up from its center. The light spread outward, growing brighter and brighter until it settled at a steady, brilliant glow.
The teacher looked down at it, only then showing a hint of surprise. "Level fourteen."
He raised his head and studied Duan Fan's face for a couple of seconds longer before holding out his hand. "Give me your hand."
Duan Fan obediently reached it out.
The teacher gripped Duan Fan's palm, wrist, and knuckles, feeling each joint in turn. His pressure was firm but not hard.
When he was done, he sat up straight and asked, "You're six this year?"
Duan Fan nodded. "Mm."
The teacher asked again, "You have Innate Full Soul Power?"
Duan Fan nodded once more. "Yes."
At last, the teacher smiled, his glasses shifting on the bridge of his nose. "Just as I thought! Only someone with Innate Full Soul Power could obtain a First Soul Ring at the age of six and raise his Soul Power Level to fourteen."
As he spoke, he pulled a thick register from under the desk, opened it to a blank page, and began asking Duan Fan for his basic information, recording it carefully.
Only after finishing and closing the register did the teacher turn to Fang Qingshan. His tone was much kinder than before. "Are you the child's guardian?"
Fang Qingshan nodded. "I'm his uncle. I brought him here to register."
The teacher stood up, walked around the desk, and held out his hand to Fang Qingshan. "Duan Fan's uncle, pleased to meet you. I'm Shang Heng, from the Spirit Hall Academy registration office. Welcome to the academy!"
"I'll show you around the academy now!"
With that, Shang Heng gestured for them to follow.
Over the next hour, Shang Heng took Fang Qingshan and Duan Fan on a tour of the important places around Spirit Hall Academy.
These included the teaching buildings, the cafeteria, the Soul Fighting Arena, and the Mimicry Cultivation Area.
Finally, Shang Heng led the uncle and nephew to the academy's dormitory area and walked straight into the first building.
They went to the innermost room on the third floor.
Shang Heng opened the door and introduced it. "This is Duan Fan's dormitory. It's a single room."
"While we were finding our way around the academy just now, I had someone get it ready. He can move right in."
Fang Qingshan and Duan Fan looked inside. A room of a little over thirty square meters lay before them.
The window faced south, and the evening sun streamed in, tinting the wooden floor a pale orange.
A single bed stood against the wall, already made up with fresh bedding and sheets.
As the uncle and nephew surveyed the room, Shang Heng pushed up his glasses and said with a smile:
"Duan Fan's uniform and student badge have to be custom-made. They should be ready tomorrow morning. His teacher will bring them over then and take him to class."
"Duan Fan's uncle, if you have anything to say to him, you can do so now."
"I'll wait for you downstairs and see you out of the academy afterward."
Fang Qingshan asked, "Can't I stay here tonight? Just for one night."
Shang Heng shook his head, his expression calm. "Academy rules don't allow parents to stay overnight."
"I have to escort you out before dark. Otherwise, you could be at risk."
Fang Qingshan stared straight at Shang Heng for several seconds, but the man's expression didn't change at all.
Shang Heng spoke again. "If you have any other questions, you can ask me now."
"If not, I'll go wait for you downstairs!"
Fang Qingshan immediately asked, "Teacher Shang, may I ask how much tuition your academy charges?"
Shang Heng smiled. "Since Duan Fan has Innate Full Soul Power, his tuition is entirely waived. The academy will cover all his expenses here."
"Additionally, as long as he works hard enough, he can also earn scholarships from the academy."
Fang Qingshan looked surprised, hardly able to believe it.
Shang Heng nodded gently. "I'll wait for you downstairs. If you have any other questions, you can ask me later."
With that, Shang Heng headed downstairs, leaving Fang Qingshan and Duan Fan some time alone.
Fang Qingshan looked at Duan Fan. "Xiaofan, for the next while, you'll have to rely on yourself."
"Study hard at the academy and listen to your teachers."
"I'll try to come to Spirit City with your aunt as soon as I can."
"You have to take good care of yourself!"
Before you continue