Heading to Heaven Dou Royal Academy

Time slipped away bit by bit. With Dugu Bo's intervention, the plants in the courtyard finally stopped their frenzied growth; the birch tree, originally only two stories high, had now reached forty meters.

Qingxi landed on the neighboring eaves and sat down, watching the bundle of green vines below. The vines writhed slowly, and the intense life force they had been radiating gradually began to fade.

Dugu Bo slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air. He had gained immense benefits from this carnival of life.

At the same time, the green vines receded bit by bit, revealing the girl's ink-blue long hair. The vines automatically wove themselves into a green dress on her body. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.

"Huh?!" Dugu Yan looked at the courtyard, now overgrown with shrubs like a jungle, unable to collect her thoughts for a moment.

Wasn't she at home? Where was this?

"Here." Qingxi plucked a nut and tossed it at her.

"Master? Grandfather." Dugu Yan looked at the two standing on the eaves and leaped up to join them.

"I've formed my Golden Core!!" Dugu Yan spun around in front of them. She could clearly feel the liquid in her Dantian condensing into a black inner core, with a constant stream of power erupting from it. She could even perceive the pulse of the surrounding plants and felt as if she could manipulate them.

Thinking this, Dugu Yan acted on it.

She raised her hand slightly, and the flowers and plants in the courtyard seemed to respond to a summons. The fallen leaves on the ground rose without a breeze, thousands of them forming a Taiji pattern that floated in the air.

"Go!" Dugu Yan gave a light shout. The leaves shot out like blades, riddling the ground with holes. The overgrown plants naturally could not escape, and they collapsed with a crash.

"This..." A look of shock appeared in Dugu Bo's eyes. He hadn't expected Yan'er to be able to manipulate leaves, let alone unleash such destructive power.

"Hmm, very impressive, though the house is completely ruined now." Qingxi pointed to the sunken courtyard below. With dust swirling everywhere, it hardly looked like a place for people to live.

"Hehe..." Dugu Yan gave an awkward laugh.

"It's fine, we can just buy another place," Dugu Bo said with great composure. "I've been in secluded cultivation for the past few months and have reached the seventh level of Qi Refining. I intend to head to the Sunset Forest to continue; the spiritual energy there is richer, perhaps more suitable for Wood Spirit Root cultivation. Would the two of you like to come along?"

"I won't need to. My true form is there, so it makes no difference where I am. What about you, Yan'er?" Qingxi asked.

"I won't go either. I just broke through to the Golden Core stage and need to stabilize my realm. Besides, I haven't been back to school in a long time. I want to go back and see my friends and prepare for the National Soul Master Tournament a year from now. Master, come with me; it'll be the perfect time to handle the enrollment procedures." Dugu Yan placed her hand on Qingxi's shoulder and gave a playful smile.

"No problem."

Dugu Bo said nothing more. After all, Yan'er and her friend were still young, and young people always had their own paths to walk.

"Since that's the case, I shall return to the Sunset Forest. I will come to see you both in a while." He ruffled Dugu Yan's hair, his eyes full of affection. "If anyone dares to bully you, remember to notify Grandfather so I can back you up. Heaven Dou Royal Academy is quite close to the Sunset Forest."

"Mm, don't worry, Grandfather. Besides, who would dare bully me?" Dugu Yan lifted her chin proudly.

What a joke. She was now the number one genius of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, a twenty-year-old Soul King. It was hard to say who would be bullying whom.

"Take care." Qingxi dispelled the barrier and watched Dugu Bo leap across the rooftops, gradually moving into the distance, before the two of them jumped down from the eaves.

"Let's go, Master." Dugu Yan packed up briefly, and she and Qingxi left the house that had long since turned into ruins.

Dugu Yan led Qingxi toward the city gates, admiring the scenery along the way. The architecture here was more magnificent and grand than in Soto City. Knights in royal armor patrolled the streets, presenting a scene of national peace and prosperity.

Upon reaching the city gate, Dugu Yan rented a carriage from the nearby horse market, and the two boarded it to head out of the city.

"Is the Heaven Dou Royal Academy outside the city?" Qingxi lifted the carriage curtain to look outside. It was autumn, and the dense forests along the way were dyed golden. Leaves rustled, and small animals occasionally darted through the woods.

"Yes, because it covers such a large area, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy is built outside the city. Although there are only five hundred students, it is definitely the best academy in the Heaven Dou Empire, with simulated environments suitable for all Soul Masters to cultivate in." Dugu Yan bit into a peach she was holding, crossing her legs as she looked out the window.

"We are about twenty miles from the academy now. We should be able to have lunch, and then I'll take you to handle the enrollment procedures. However..."

"Hmm?" Qingxi turned back to look at Dugu Yan, signaling for her to continue.

"The students at Heaven Dou Royal Academy are mostly nobles, with only a small number of specially recruited commoners. Therefore, there are very few students with real strength. The students are divided into three grades: Heaven Micro Grade, Heaven Supreme Grade, and Heaven Dou Grade. There will be a grade assessment upon enrollment: below level 25 is Heaven Micro Grade, between 25 and 30 is Heaven Supreme Grade, and above 30 is Heaven Dou Grade. Most of those in the Heaven Micro and Heaven Supreme grades are just second-generation heirs wasting time. Furthermore, accommodation is divided by grade. You are enrolling as the younger daughter of the Dugu family, my sister, but our dormitories are not in the same section. I can't guarantee there won't be some blind fool who tries to bully you..."

"And then?"

Dugu Yan tossed away the peach pit and said solemnly, "Please, for the sake of their noble status, try not to kill anyone."

She knew the character of those students at Heaven Dou Royal Academy—they bullied the weak and feared the strong, and were completely unlearned. Her master looked delicate and weak, appearing easy to bully, though she was anything but.

Still, she had to save them some face.

"I'm not that kind of person." Qingxi felt a wave of black lines on her forehead; she had wondered what she was going to say.

"Aiya! I'm just joking!" Dugu Yan said, pouncing over and pulling the petite Qingxi into her arms. "Master, you're the best and the sweetest. Remember, if anyone bullies you, report my name. I'll cover you."

"Want to spar? Using only martial souls." Qingxi summoned the Universe Staff and poked Dugu Yan away, half-jokingly.

"Don't!" Dugu Yan scooted backward, waving her hands repeatedly.

Thinking of the soul skill that even Zhao Wuji couldn't break free from, what was she, a level 50-something Soul King, supposed to do?

As they spoke, the carriage came to a stop.

"Ladies, we have arrived," the middle-aged driver announced.

"Let's go!"

Qingxi followed Dugu Yan off the carriage and looked up to see a mountain over a thousand meters high. The mountain was covered in dense green forests, with magnificent white buildings peeking through the trees. From the base to the summit, everything was Western-style architecture carved from white marble, surrounded by clouds and mist, as if it were a paradise on earth.

"This entire mountain belongs to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. There is a forest behind it, and that lake over there is part of it too." Dugu Yan pointed to the other side of the mountain's base.

Looking over, there was an endless lake. Under the midday sun, the water shimmered, and fish occasionally leaped above the surface.

It was a good place.

Qingxi took a liking to the lake at first glance. If she could build a small wooden cabin by the water, wouldn't it be peaceful and carefree?

"Can I build a house to live in over there?" she asked, pointing toward the lake.

Dugu Yan looked at the distant lake and frowned slightly. "It's possible, I suppose, but it would be a bit far from the academy, which wouldn't be very convenient."

"It's fine, as long as it's allowed."

Qingxi nodded, her mind made up; she would come to build the house tonight.